The first boom shook the mountain. The second crash rocked the upper slopes. Several more nailed the peak. Fires rained down over the lower forest. Alien ships blazed across the night sky in all directions, crossing right past each other, seemingly switching places instantly. But David and Callie stood still at the fort top.
A sonic boom, followed by a brilliant flash knocked Josiah to the floor. He put his hands over his head, shaking. Relentless booming started up from all directions. The sounds overpowered each other, drowning out everything else in the chaos. Then Josiah felt a hand on his shoulder.
He began to hear calm, peaceful singing, a bright voice with a mysterious power. Callie sang quietly, yet her slow rising song could be heard among the rocking booms. He stopped shaking, sighed heavily, then looked up at David holding out two lanterns, swinging the left one slightly back and forth, while flashing the right one.
Josiah clapped several times, then stared closely at the stones holding the DadeStar flag. While the fires fell and the attack raged on, he stared closely at the stones, waiting.
“She always sings to keep them calm,” he heard Drew say.
“That’s not the only reason,” said David. “She sings over the sounds of the blasts because the sounds of the alien weapons can make the young kids really sick. Callie sings so they hear her instead.”
“Then they won’t get sick.”
“That’s right.”
Josiah kept staring at the stones, then the jagged blue glowing lights appeared. He ran his hand over the rough black stones. Looking closely as the alien lights flashed overhead, he saw the jagged lines line up, then blend together in a single, pure blue shine.
“David, David, I got it.” He hurried over to him, nearly bumping into him. Cade, Blake, and Drew gathered behind him. Talking incredibly fast he continued, “It’s these stones, the ones we build the fort with, but it’s how they’re built. It’s how they’re built. It’s probably because you took so much time with this pile, you fit them together exactly right, a puzzle, you know? It’s a puzzle like my dad said, well, that’s what he meant. Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go.”
Josiah looked up at David, who stared back at him with a seemingly confused gaze. “Oh, you didn’t get any of that did you? You see, it’s these stones, the ones…”
David held up his hand. “No, I got it.”
Then he swung the right lantern in a slow circle as the fiery blue rays struck all over the lower mountain. He raised the left lantern high in the air, flashing it a fast pace. A few moments later, several soldiers hurried up to him.
David quickly gave them the instructions to pass down to all the miners and some soldiers, to reinforce all the fort walls and tunnel entrances building the stones by fitting them together by the jagged glowing lights.
“I’ll go help them,” said Josiah.
“Yeah, we all will,” added Cade.
“Are you guys going to be able to hold the fort long enough for us to get all the walls re-enforced?” asked Josiah.
David nodded, but held up his hand, saying, “Hold up one minute.” He gazed up at the cluster of alien ships hovering low in the sky. Around them were several ships flying around erratically. “It’s a distraction.” David gazed around at the upper slopes behind them. Sunday Evergreens waved slowly back and forth in the passing winds.
Dark shadows darted in and out between the slick black rocks across the high slopes near the peak. A few gold lights sparkled among the rocky clusters just down to the left of the peak.
“Will they try another surprise attack?” asked Josiah.
“If they find a vulnerable spot,” said David.
“That spot near the pointy rocks is vulnerable,” said Josiah. “But they’re not hitting it yet.”
“What are they waiting for?” asked Blake.
“They say if the glittering gold stones are placed all up that slope, it could collapse the entire mountain, destroy the fort completely,” said Josiah, shuffling his shoes in an odd pattern. Cade stared up at the bright glowing rock clusters pointing up to the dark flowing sky.
“No one would do that,” said Drew, as more fires rained down on the lower slopes.
“Not if they knew that would happen,” said Josiah. “But what if they think those glittering stones will be the answer?”
“I saw some guys checking them out the other day,” said Cade, “They seemed to think the glittering stones are the answer.” Heavy booms rocked the mountain around them.
“What did they look like?” asked Josiah. Cade shrugged. “Were they dressed in old, worn-out white suits?” David kept his focus on the lower slopes, signaling to the soldiers.
“Yeah, that’s them.”
“They wanted to take over the fort, but David said no. Maybe they’re going to try to show everyone how strong the glittering stones are, that they can save the fort. Where would they demonstrate that?”
“Right there,” Cade said in a low voice, pointing to the high pointy rock clusters. Another sonic boom split the sky, pushing down on the kids like powerful, invisible waves.
“They already have some glittering stones up there,” said Drew.
“They’re going to fill up the slope, demonstrate how strong it holds up,” said Cade.
“But the aliens will strike it hard, won’t they?” asked Drew.
“That’s why they’re doing all this distraction,” said Josiah. “The aliens knew David would turn them down, and they knew those guys would look for a place up high, easy for all to see to demonstrate why they should be the leaders.”
“They set us up,” said Cade, “why the dark spirits planted them here.”
“We have to stop them,” said Josiah, turning to David. “The ghost strikers and me, we can stop them.” Intense lights exploded out across the sky in brilliant flashes.
“You mean just the ghost strikers,” said Cade.
“I can help,” said Josiah.
Blake stepped up to him and said, “That’s what we meant. You’re as much a ghost striker as the three of us.” Josiah smiled brightly.
“Actually, you’ll be replacing Drew,” said Cade.
“Hey!”
“Just kidding.”
“You better be.” With a crazed expression Drew added, “Or you’ll have to face this!” He moved his arms around, then threw them out wide, jumping and landing awkwardly in front of Cade.
“Oh, we wouldn’t want that.”
“We’ll need Casey, too,” said Blake. The four kids discussed their plan, then all four of them did the ghost striker handshake, bumping fists fast, then drawing their hands back flat making the sound, “Shhhh.”
Josiah turned to David and said, “Think you can hold down the fort until we get the glittering stones buried?”
David nodded. Then turning to Josiah, he said, “They’re going to try to overwhelm you. Stand strong, wait, and look closely at what you have. Make the most of it, and it will be enough.”
“Cool,” said Josiah with eyes lit. “Let’s roll.”
Bright lights flashed back and forth in the sky. Heavy booms rocked the lower mountain every few moments, sounding remarkably distant. Excited whispers played back and forth across the upper gentle slope. Shadows moved fast. Glittering lights quickly spread over the flat, smooth black stones.
Cade, Blake, Drew, and Josiah waited behind a small cluster of rocks. Josiah got up on one knee, then two, then slid back on his side. The kids watched as the slope lit up brighter next to the intense glowing pointed rock clusters.
“He needs to get here soon,” Cade whispered.
“He will,” said Blake calmly.
“They’re getting really…” Cade looked over to Josiah, stretching out again on the slick grass. “Are you okay?”
“I’m not used to this yet,” Josiah answered, still struggling to find a good position.
“Just do what Drew does.” Josiah’s gaze turned sharply confused and amazed seeing Drew sprawled out in all directions behind the rock. He just shook his head, then laid partly on his side.
Cade looked down slope anxiously. “I don’t see him anywhere.”
“See who?” Cade flinched, turning to see Casey pushing a small cannon up to the rocks. “How did you…where did…” A heavy, dramatic sigh stopped him. Cade turned to see Josiah struggle again to find a new position. Another heavy sigh turned his attention back to Casey. “What is it?”
Blake gazed up anxiously at the dark flowing sky. Several hazy gold and blue lights appeared high above the clouds.
“Can’t shoot from here,” said Casey.
“Better find a place fast,” said Blake.
“Why?” asked Cade.
“They’re here,” Blake said in a low voice. Casey looked around at the slick soggy grass. Cade watched nervously as the slopes grew intensely bright, flashing like glittering gold stars.
“Now’s our time,” one soldier said. Josiah sighed again.
“Now what’s…” Cade turned to see the large rock sliding down slope. He looked even more puzzled to see Casey pushing it. “What are you doing?”
The four kids spread out wide and waited while Casey slid his smooth, shiny shoes in quick, upward motions as he pushed the heavy rock down slope. A few minutes later, Casey shot out three smoke bombs into the upper slopes. As the smoke filled the slope, the five of them rushed up the slope, gathering all the glittering stones. Frantic whispers shot back and forth around them.
“Who did that?”
“That was one of our cannons.”
The kids flew down the slippery slope. They hurried down into the dark, misty shadows rolling across. The kids cut sharp left, passed through a thick cluster of Sunday Evergreens, then snuck into a hidden meadow. Intense alien lights spilled out over the upper slopes behind them, lighting up the pointed rock clusters.
“We need to hurry,” said Josiah. “Casey and I will dig; Cade and Drew bury them deep. Blake, you fill the holes. Let’s move.” The frenetic alien lights over the sky flashed on as the kids worked fast. Blake kept glancing around anxiously at the falling shadows. The alien light beams from three sleek, narrow triangular ships spread out.
“We can’t let them find where we’re burying these,” said Blake.
“You’re right,” answered Josiah. “Go up slope and watch out. Whistle if you see any ghosts approaching.” Blake nodded and jogged up slope. Eerie whistling cut through the night above and behind them. The shrill notes slowly expanded.
Intense lights flashed behind them. The ships drifted out. A heavy boom off to the left of the peak rocked the mountain.
“Keep going, hurry,” Blake called out. “They’re trying to get us to run.” Sour horns blared out. Ghostly whispers played out at various points up slope. “Hurry, hurry.” The battle raged on as the kids filled in the holes.
“I’ll get some miners to build a stone floor over this,” said Casey, before quickly disappearing.
“Then they’ll never get to them,” said Josiah as Blake jogged down to them.
“They’re getting close,” said Blake.
“We can’t be seen here,” said Cade. “Get the shovels, and let’s head them off.”
“We need them to think we still have the glittering stones with us,” said Josiah.
“Let’s go,” said Cade. “We’ll find them, then we’ll lose them.”
The kids crept up slope. Another distant boom rocked the lower slopes. Eerie, low-key whistling shot across the sky from left to right. The blue bulb shaped leaves of the Sunday Evergreens flashed faster and faster in the heavy dark.
Blake waved them to the right. The kids worked their way along the heavy soil. Dirt filled their shoes as they slogged through. Shadows stretched slowly in their direction. The blue lights went still. Josiah turned up to his left. Black, sunken eyes met his gaze.
“It’s on,” he called out. The four kids went flying down the rough slope. “Drop the shovels.” Blake glanced back. Dark spirits in a wide line glided down after them. A few tripped over them. Others swerved around.
“How we going to lose them?” Blake whispered. Dark spirits started angling in behind to their right.
“Keep edging left,” said Josiah, as they sprinted down. His shiny shoes caught quick reflections of gloomy blue moonlight. “We hit the slick grassy slope and once we’re out of their sight, break hard left, disappear into the tunnels.” Several quick three note whistles echoed out behind and ahead of them.
Alien lights flashed across the sky from left to right. The line of ghosts filled out further left. The kids worked their way more and more left. Drew started falling back. Josiah glanced back as dark ghosts closed in.
“Drew, pick up your feet, run on top.” Drew exploded out of the thick soil. Cade flew across low to the ground while Blake powered through, kicking up dust everywhere. Dark gray mists covered the ground. Dark spirits rushed directly from their right.
Josiah watched wide-eyed, then with a quick shake, his blonde sweaty hair flopping to one side, he called out, “Sprint down, then hard left.” The ghosts whispered excitedly. More filled in the line coming down on them. Three quick whistles echoed out several more times behind and ahead. “Now, left.”
The kids hurried left as the ghosts up top glided in fast. They felt the slick grass under their shoes. Josiah glanced right. The ghosts were further back. “Straight down. Now’s our chance.” The four kids surfed down the slick slope, pulling away from the chasing ghosts.
A row of large, dark stones ran across the slope down below. Three quick whistles behind them were answered by three quick whistles down below. Josiah glanced back. A heavy line of dark spirits filled in at the top of the ridge, curving in from the far left and far right. The kids stopped cold.
At the bottom of the slope, dark spirits filled in behind the rocks, spreading far left and far right. Josiah glanced around anxiously, breathing hard.
“It’s a trap,” said Cade. “They know we buried the glittering stones.”
“They’ll capture us and make us tell them where they are,” Drew said quietly.
“What we do now?” asked Blake.
“We can’t slide past them with those rocks,” said Cade. “Can we launch over them?”
“Any ideas Josiah?” asked Blake. Josiah knelt down on the wet grass. He closed his eyes for a moment. “Josiah, you with us?”
He whispered to himself, “Stand strong, wait, look closely at what you have.” He stood up, gazed across the dark spirits surrounding them in the flashing lights, then he looked down at his shoes.
“We could try drawing them in,” said Cade, “breaking through a weak point in the line.” Josiah stared down at the curved lines and flattened parts of the soaked grass on the long, gentle slope leading down to the waiting ghosts. Then he slowly broke a smile.
“Make the most of it,” Josiah whispered. “I know how we’ll break through,” he said excitedly. He whispered his plan to the other three. “Let’s roll.” The four kids took off down the slope. Intense lights flashed from left to right. The crowd of ghosts waited. The kids slid faster and faster straight for the row of stones. The dark spirits stood poised.
Just then, the four kids put their hands out, and pushed the large stones down slope, bowling over most of the ghosts. With a wild yell, Drew flew out from between two stones. Two ghosts reached for him. He spun through. Then spun again, kicking his feet out tripping them.
Blake exploded out, lowered his head, and pushed past several slow reacting ghosts. Cade slipped out slowly. Three ghosts blocked his way. He shot left, sprinted right, slid, shot back left, faked right, then as the ghosts fell, Cade waved goodbye and sprinted left. The three kids disappeared into the heavy shadows and reached the tunnel entrance.
“Where’s Josiah?” asked Blake.
“He’s still back there,” said Cade. Three ghosts got in position. Two more fell in line, waiting.
“What if they got him back there?” asked Drew. Just then, Josiah emerged from the stones. He jogged down slope straight for the waiting ghosts. They reached out for him as he approached fast. In a sudden burst, he sprinted straight for them.
In a flash, he dropped straight down. They reached for him, but he slid past. Then he shot straight left. They turned around, but he was gone. Blake clapped as they made their way down the dim, dark orange lit tunnel.
“Yeah, how was that?” asked Josiah, smiling brightly. “Am I a ghost striker or what? That was awesome. We left those ghosts in the dust.” The other three kids slid to a stop. Cade turned to Josiah as the dust fell from the low rock ceiling.
Slowly breaking a smile, he said, “Yeah it was. Just wait until they go back to the aliens and tell them there are four of us now.” The four kids did the ghost striker handshake, then hurried through the dim, dusty network of tunnels.
“It’s quiet. Anyone notice that?” asked Drew.
“I got so used to the sounds,” said Blake, holding his head, “I can still hear them.” Cade shot him a questioning look.
“Are they regrouping?” asked Drew.
“They might be,” answered Josiah. “I don’t think they’re done. I say we get to the fort top and see where things are at.”
“Let’s go,” said Cade.
Sleek, dark purple clouds rolled across the empty, silent night sky. A chilling breeze whistled through the dome top as miners worked hard and fast rebuilding, refitting the stones. It whistled through the small square open window with an arched top, then echoed out throughout the entire mountain below. David and Callie stood together, watching the sky.
“Where did they go?” asked Josiah.
“They disappeared behind the mountains,” answered David.
“You think they know about the stones?”
David shook his head. “We have a chance, but we need to hurry.”
“You think they’ll be back,” said Blake. David nodded.
“Then we better get to work,” said Josiah.
The four kids hurried down the steps and started working. Josiah started singing a fast-paced bouncy song. Intense neon green light lit up the stones.
“They’re back,” he whispered, before looking up. Sleek, long triangular ships lit up in neon green lights covered the sky. A low humming came from the ships. The lights flashed at a slow rhythm. Eerie whistling cut the silence around them. David raised both lantern lights. Various soldiers shouted directions. Shrill whistling expanded fast across the sky.
Green fires rained down far to their right. The explosion rocked the mountain side. Then came the boom, knocking everyone back. David waved his right lantern back and forth. The kids gathered at the fort top, looking over at a gaping hole where the fires hit. A cluster of Sunday Evergreens were ablaze.
“They came back with something stronger,” said Blake. Loud humming grew louder above them. Eerie whistling faded out slowly. The lights flashed throughout the sky as the ships hovered. Neon green fires rained down on the lower mountain off to the left. They braced themselves for the next sonic boom.
“We better get back to work,” said Josiah, “if we don’t finish the fort soon, they’ll overrun us. We won’t outlast them.” The kids started off when neon green light waves spread over the mountain slopes and fort top. It stopped them in their tracks. They fell. The green waves hit them relentlessly.
They tried to move, struggling, but couldn’t. The pounding waves carried the sounds of eerie, high pitched whistling and sour horns. The whistling came from up high, from the glittering ships hovering in the sky for people to look up to them, taking their position in a place they could never reach.
The four kids covered their ears. The whistling attempts to sound sweet, but it’s too sweet, and can’t make music. Josiah strained to see in the intense green waves but could only see murky green lights. The horns blared down on them with strong power, relentless strength pushing them down.
Sounds of working stopped. Sounds of fighting went silent. Neon green lights blurred across the lower slopes. Alien weapons rained down over the mountain, hammering the fort, and breaking down every defense. Flashing alien lights grew brighter across the sky as the ships lowered down, prepared to overtake the entire fort. The soldiers were paralyzed by the alien fires, unable to overcome the intense sounds.
Alien ships fell lower and lower, prepared to overrun the unprotected fort walls. Josiah crawled slowly across the stone deck. Another heavy boom rocked the fort top. Through the fiery green waves, he could barely see the silhouettes of David and Callie. In between, he could just see the murky shape of the DadeStar flag remaining completely still against the punishing waves.
“I found the answer,” said Josiah, calling out to the sky, shielding his eyes, gazing up into the green waves flowing across. “I figured it out. But I never found you. I didn’t hear any message.” Josiah struggled forward a few more inches. “I just wanted to hear you one more time.”
A tear streamed down his face. Another boom rocked the fort. Then he heard her voice. Her voice was mysterious. She sang a dream that drifted right through the frenetic green flashing lights. Josiah began to sit up. Her dream was searching, reaching for somewhere distant, far away.
Callie’s song roamed through the night air, floating, but moving through, not pushed back by the alien waves. Her song played slow and sad, but it was also rising, flying through. While her song was reaching out, reaching high, it was also reaching down to lift up others with the song.
“Stand strong, wait, look closely at what we have,” Josiah whispered energetically, “and make the most of it.” He could only hear her song rising through the lights, completely overpowering the aliens’ noise. He stood up and looked over to see David waving his blue lantern lights back and forth with Callie standing and singing next to him. “Make the most of it,” he said stronger.
“They can’t fight,” said Cade tensely, “they can’t respond.” Josiah looked around at the fort top. He closed his eyes and listened. Callie’s beautiful voice carried through the night, blending with the whistling winds. Josiah watched as the chilling winds whistled through the small square open window with an arched top, then echoed out throughout the entire mountain below.
His eyes lit up. “Stand here, Callie, stand here,” he said pointing to the open window. “Sing here, and everyone else will hear it.”
Blake walked up to David and quietly said, “Sooner or later they’re going to strike here.”
“You guys get back to work,” he answered, “we’re going to hold this fort.” Josiah, Cade, and Drew hurried down the steps.
Blake turned to David with a concerned gaze. “If any soldiers take a direct hit, the aliens could still punch through and overrun us.”
“I figured out how to know where each strike is about to hit,” he said confidently. “Watch for my signal. If you see the two lantern lights come together going dim, that means you all need to take cover right away.”
Blake nodded and hurried down to continue re-enforcing the fort walls. Josiah worked fast and hard, singing along with Callie’s song, putting words to her song that overpowered the alien attack. As he worked, he kept his gaze on David, who stood firm signaling with the lanterns, and on Callie, who stood still at the window, singing out to the entire mountain.
He kept watching, as the blue lantern lights flashed to the rhythm of Callie’s song across the stones. The lights also reflected across her and David, burning bright blue as they fused together, blending into shimmering blue shine.
Another tear streamed down Josiah’s face as he watched and listened to the brilliant song play, and whispered the words his dad told him:
“You will find my final message at Ghost Peak
There is a mysterious power the aliens seek
Look closely and wait to see the pieces appear by light
Then you can solve the puzzle to hold the fort at night”
Callie kept singing her dream-like song, slow, but driving a hopeful, energetic melody slowly rising, higher and higher through the night. Josiah sang to it, putting words to the song.
“This has been a really long and dark night
The aliens keep on striking us in this fight
We all are working hard to build the fort strong
Once it’s finished, it will hold all night long
I thought we were going to lose this war
But then I heard Callie’s beautiful song soar
The notes kept rising making our hope increase
Her voice was like an angel, her song was peace
Her voice was quiet, yet it blocked out all the aliens’ loud fear
You see, her singing was so beautiful, it’s all you could hear
Then I finally heard my dad’s final message in the night
The puzzle pieces were David and Callie shining bright
His message was not made of words, I should have known
His message became revealed by what the lights shone
I have seen and heard my dad’s final message in what they do
It’s the way they stand strong and firm that shows the way through
The magic wasn’t really in the stones, it was Callie’s song of peace
Her leading, caring that forms a strong foundation that won’t cease
The magic wasn’t really in the flag, it was David’s beacon light
His rock-solid character and leadership outlasting every night
This has been a really long night, and I don’t yet see dawn
But even now, as the alien assault is relentless, our hope’s not gone
Hour after hour they hurt us, overpower us, yet I won’t despair
For when I look up to where they stand, the flag is still there.”
