Category: aliens

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.”

“It’s my first night at Ghost Peak. They say the aliens have something big planned for tomorrow night, some kind of attack we won’t be ready for, but that’s not what’s keeping me awake. I can’t stop thinking about something my dad said to me once. It’s a mystery. My dad used to tell me to write out my thoughts sometimes, because he would say my thoughts are like bouncy balls bouncing around in my head. Other people said things like that too, like I have a lot of scattered thoughts.”

“I don’t think they’re scattered or bouncing, it’s just I have a lot of thoughts that run through my head all the time, and they don’t really stop. They kind of shoot through really fast like stars, like blazing stars. I can’t even catch them sometimes. That’s why I forget something then bring it up in conversation much later. My friends think it’s funny when I do that.”

“It could be way later in the conversation, and that’s when I’ll remember it, or it will come back running through my head again, or some way like that. I don’t know. Oh yeah, but there’s a mystery, about what my dad said to me one time.”

“I used to hate washing the dishes. I didn’t like it when it was my turn. My dad would say I messed around too much. It always took me awhile, mostly because I played a game, well a few games, like the dishes dance, or dish battle, or trying to set up a fountain of dishes…anyway, it would take some time.”

“But my dad was more concerned with how clean they were. He would check every time. I used to hate it when I thought I was done, but he would throw a bunch of them back in the water and tell me they weren’t done right. I used to hate when he would lecture me about getting a job done right the first time. But now, I would give anything to listen to just one more lecture.”

“People don’t understand why I like doing dishes now, and why I always do them right, every time. I still play the fountain game. But I get them clean and shiny, and I think about the things he would say, usually the same thing over and over and over. But like I said, there was one thing he told me that remains a mystery to me now, and I think it has something to do with his final message here.”

“One night, after he tossed like ten dishes back in the water, he told me something I’ll never forget. He said, ‘You need to clean it until you can see the shiny lines.’”

Callie’s calm, still singing cut through the chaos. Neon blue flames reached high into the darkness. She knelt at the back corner, singing to the kids in the bunker below. David held the left blue lantern light still. He swung the right lantern fast in a circle.

Soldiers raced across the slopes above and below. Several broad, blue triangular alien crafts dropped down low over the gaping holes in the mountain side.

Bright gold lights slowly flashed through the craft. Dark spirits dropped out of the crafts into the gap.

“What they hit?” asked Blake.

“I’m not sure yet,” said David, “but they’re heading straight for several key reserves.”

Several more blue rays shot down into the gap. Intense blue light flashed out silently. Several moments later, intense booms knocked everyone to the ground. Josiah looked up, staring with sharp intrigue at David, still standing. Drew looked over at Callie, still kneeling at the back corner, singing out strong. Several soldiers approached him.

“They’re moving in fast on Keys 3 and 5.”

“It’s going to take a lot to drive them out,” the other soldier added, pointing to the alien ships circling like vultures over the gap. Just then, numerous alien ships shot out across the sky, blazing incredibly fast. Blake watched as two ships almost instantly switched places, crossing fast in blazing lines.

Fires rained down all over the mountain. Sour horns blared out across the sky. Heavy booming rocked the slopes. Another soldier reached David.

“We’re getting pounded. We need to fire all out.” David shook his head. “Do you not see what’s happening? We’ll be over run in minutes.”

“They’re trying to overwhelm us,” David responded calmly. “If we use up all our weapons, then we will be over run.”

“What about the gap?” another soldier asked. Powerful explosions boomed out in sonic waves all across the upper slopes.

“WE HAVE A RESERVE,” David shouted over the noise, “TAKE THE SPIRAL STAIRCASE DOWN, THROUGH THE SUNDAY TUNNEL, THIRD ENTRANCE ON THE RIGHT.” The soldier nodded and hurried off. David stood firm, holding out one still lantern light.

The soldiers remained still, down in their bunkers and behind hidden fort walls. The four kids peered over the fort wall. Fires and intense blue lights flashed all over the lower mountain. The clusters of small bulb shaped leaves on the Sunday Evergreens flashed in a fast rhythm, glowing bright blue.

“What we going to do?” asked Blake, turning to the others.

“They can drive off the ships,” said Josiah, “but we need to get the ghosts out of there, or they’ll find nearly all of our key reserves.”

“The maze is close to there,” said Drew, “if we can get them in there, they’ll get lost, end up way in another mountain when they finally find their way out.”

“We need to make them believe we’re trying to move out the key supplies,” said Blake.

“How?” asked Drew, flinching with every boom shaking the fort.

“We could grab some things, make them look important or something like that?” said Josiah.

“What, like make them shiny?” asked Blake.

“Yeah, that was stupid, I don’t know…”

“I wasn’t saying…”

“Aaaauuggghhhh, maybe we could make it seem like a secret place, or…”

“That’s it, that’s it,” said Cade. Exploding lights reflected in his intense eyes as he continued, “the dark spirits were doing something secret down there. I think they set up the glittering stones they found today. That’s where they would expect us to be working, where we might have our most important tools.”

“Sounds good enough to me,” said Blake.

“We need to get there fast,” said Drew.

“Then we lead them away to the maze,” said Cade.

“Cool, let’s go,” said Josiah.

“We can’t go across the slopes,” said Drew, as the assault raged on around them.

“Take the spiral staircase down like David said, let’s go, let’s go,” Blake said strongly, clapping several times.

Dusty, dark orange lights blurred past. Booms crashed down over the dark underground staircase. The kids raced down the steps. Booms struck one after another after another in a relentless assault. Drew’s hands shook at his sides. Cade glanced back at him.

“Hang in there, Drew, the fort will hold.” With a simple smile, Josiah nodded and flashed a thumbs up. The booming became more and more muffled as they moved deeper into the underground. Dead whistles echoed out from nearby tunnels.

“They’re closing in,” said Blake in a low tone.

“We need to pick it up,” said Cade, “super sonic speed.”

“Race to the end,” said Blake with a smile. The kids moved fast down the dimly lit tunnel. Blake ran down three to four steps at a time, biting his lower lip. Cade ran low to the staircase, almost gliding down. Drew lagged behind, shaking his head.

Cade and Blake exchanged intense glances. After rounding another corner, they exchanged another intense round, stepping up their intimidating gazes. As they began to see the dim blue light at the end, they exchanged stronger looks.

“This is turning into a staring contest instead of a race,” Drew muttered. Just as Cade and Blake turned to eachother for an even more intense round of looks, Josiah flew past them, right down the center, practically dancing down the steps. They powered ahead, but Josiah reached the blue shining entrance first.

Cade and Blake slid to a stop at the same time. Drew reached them a few moments later and collapsed on the floor.

“I think…Josiah won,” said Cade between breaths.

“How…did you…”

“I’m a miner,” Josiah answered with a shrug. “You have to be ready to move at a moment’s notice.”

“That’s encouraging.” The three kids turned to see Drew sprawled out on the dusty floor in an awkward position.

“Are you okay?” asked Cade as Blake peered down the wide massive tunnel.

“Can I just take a nap?”

“No time,” said Blake. “They’re getting close.” The kids gazed down the long steep dropping slope of thick, heavy soil with two longer, smooth paths on each side along the dark rough walls dimly lit by widely spaced dark blue lanterns.

“The glittering stones are down at the end,” said Cade. Blake pressed his ear to the wall. Dead whistles and ghostly whispers echoed lower down.

“They’re way ahead,” said Blake.

“Let’s go,” said Josiah.

“Wait,” said Cade, “not the paths. I have a faster way. Follow me.” He flashed a half-crazed smile before jumping down the steep slope.

“What’s he doing?” asked Drew.

“Surfing,” said Blake with a smile, before jumping down after him. Turning back he called out, “Just dig your feet in.”

“He’s right,” said Josiah, “turn sideways, like this.” Josiah jumped down. Drew closed his eyes, whispered something to himself, and followed after. The kids half jogged, half surfed down the steep slope, digging their feet into the heavy soil, all the way down.

Chilling silence fell over the underground as the kids reached the glittering stones.

Cade pulled out a small candle and lit it up, sparking a dim blue flickering light. “Pick up a tool, any tool,” he said, pointing to the various shovels and pick axes strewn across the ground in the large cavern. “Focus on the wall.”

“How do we lose them?” asked Blake.

“We have three ways we can take,” said Josiah. “We can take the really dark, winding tunnel on the left, or the Sunday tunnel with the flashing blue lights David mentioned, or the slide down fast tunnel, just like the one we just did.” Drew just shook his head.

“We need to get them thinking they’re chasing us somewhere else,” said Blake, “so they think we took one of the side entrances into the maze.” Ghostly whispers went quiet. A strong chill overtook the cavern.

“The first and third we would just outrun them,” said Cade, “but they’d catch up.”

Drew looked at Cade’s blue flickering light, then said, “The Sunday tunnel, the Sunday tunnel. That’s the one. Do you have any more candles?”

“I do,” said Josiah, quickly pulling them out. The kids whispered their plan and waited. They took their positions along the wall, under the glittering stones above. Dark shadows fell fast. The glittering stones burned brighter. Silence filled the place. Sunken ghostly eyes moved in fast.

“Showtime,” Cade whispered. Shrill winds whipped around them. Blue lights flashed on and off, shooting out in various directions.

“Light them up. Light them up,” said Blake. Strong chilling mist rolled past the kids over their shoes. The kids began to struggle forward. The dark ghosts gained on them.

“Move it, move it, move it,” Blake urged. Several ghosts grabbed at Drew. He wiggled away. Blake pulled out several stones. He threw them hard knocking several ghosts back. The kids pushed hard through the heavy mist pulling them back. Josiah stared intensely at the thick mist flowing past them. More ghosts started pulling Cade back. Blake turned back. Cade went under.

“They got him, they got him,” he yelled out to the other two. Blake stopped and threw several stones hard and fast. A few ghosts fell back. Josiah glanced up at the dusty roof. He threw several stones at it. Heavy dust fell down over the ghosts.

The other ghosts slid to a stop.

“CADE!” Drew called out. Small ripples shot out within the mist. Blake threw another stone hard at the ghost behind it, knocking him flat into the mist. Just then, Cade exploded out.

“Go, go, go,” he called out.

“Pick up your feet,” said Josiah, speeding ahead, “high steps.” The kids began moving fast, with the mist pushing them ahead.

“Get ahead, get ahead,” said Cade. Flickering blue lights blurred past. The kids started gaining distance as the tunnel curved sharp right. Cade angled toward the wall. “Get ready.” As they rounded another corner, Cade slowed down, feeling along the wall. Blake and Josiah turned back. “Keep going, keep going,” he urged.

He reached down into the mist. Then he raced ahead. As he rounded the next corner, three dark spirits stood blocking the way. He glanced back. The crowd of ghosts moved in on him fast. Cade sprinted ahead.

As he drew near to the waiting ghosts, he faked left, faked right, then started to jump up. They reached for him. In a flash, Cade slid down past them. He got back up, then dropped the rock hard into the mist. A strong mist wall blocked the dark spirits behind him.

Cade sprinted ahead. He caught up the others as dead whistles and whispers died out.

“We did it,” said Blake, turning back at the empty blue flashing hall.

“Let’s get out of here,” said Josiah. Empty silence fell over the mountain when the four kids came back out to the higher slopes.

Later that night, inside the fort, Josiah worked his way up the steps to David and Callie’s room, humming quietly, bobbing his head to his own tune. He stopped just outside the door when he heard muffled shouting.

“Three soldiers died, that’s on you. This fort is falling apart. That’s on you. It’s about time we went in a new direction. We’re going to mine the glittering stones and rebuild the entire fort with them.”

“We can’t do that,” David answered. “Those stones will crumble fast under pressure.” Two small dark orange candle clusters on each side of the door whipped around in the still, dead air.

“You’re afraid. It’s because you’re not smart enough to see their potential. You don’t care enough to take the risks necessary to win.”

“What do you guys want?” asked David.

“We want you to do the honorable thing. Step down.”

Their eyes glittered in the distant slow rising lights. They just stared up at the sky. David looked away, turning his concerned gaze back to the dark night sky over the mountains. Perfect circular gold lights rose up over the distant rounded mountain tops, one after another, slowly rising, burning, leaving a blazing gold trail.

The brilliant gold lights just hung silently at various points in the sky. David stood at the fort top balcony, leaning over the edge. Callie slowly walked up to him.

“What are they?” she asked.

“I don’t know,” he answered. Cade leaned over the edge to their right. Josiah paced behind them, singing quietly about singing lights. Just then three neon green arrows rolled across the sky overhead. David quickly struck a match. He lit up a burning dark orange torch and waved it slowly back and forth.

Various soldiers yelled out across the lower and upper slopes. Shadows moved frantically in and through the neon blue glowing Sunday Evergreens.

“Are those ships?” asked Cade.

“They don’t look like it,” said Josiah appearing next to him, for a moment. The arrows just passed over, before fading away. Cade turned his intense gaze back to the bright gold circular lights. Just then, a blood red teapot appeared in the sky, lighting up the black waves rolling slowly across the sky.

The DadeStar flag set between David, Callie and Cade remained completely still, the gold colour softly glowing in the night. The massive flag hung from a large black marble pole rising up high, angled slightly to the left away from them. A pile of large marble oval shaped stones held the flag in place.

The teapot poured gold liguid into the gold spheres. They began flashing in a brilliant rhythm.

“Why are they doing this?” Cade asked David.

“I don’t know,” he answered.

“Maybe we shouldn’t be looking at it,” said Cade. David nodded, still gazing out across the lower slopes. Many people stood staring directly at the fast flashing lights. Several more green arrows blazed across the sky overhead. A single boom from the lights shook the mountain.

David waved the light back and forth again. Soldiers took their positions across the lower slopes. Just then, the circular lights began flying around the sky in all directions. They each turned a different colour, glowing bright in the dark night.

“This is crazy,” said Blake, stepping up to Cade.

“They’re up to something,” Drew said in a low voice behind them.

“Casey’s ready down there,” said Blake pointing down to where Casey laid flat and still behind several rocks, holding a small cylinder shooter. He wasn’t watching the sky, but was staring out with calm intensity over the lower mountain.

The lights flew faster and faster through the sky. Green arrows slowly passed over. As everyone watched, the lights changed shape. They stopped cold, scattered all across the sky. They formed large ovals, looking like shimmering glass in various sharp colours.

David waved the lights back and forth again.

“What does that mean?” asked Cade, turning to him.

“It’s a signal to be prepared for a major, all out attack,” he answered. Josiah stopped for a moment, staring curiously at David waving the lights, then started pacing again, singing faster.

After awhile, intense neon green fires began exploding out in the large ovals in the sky. The miners and the soldiers just kept staring intently at the oval lights just hovering in the sky. The silent explosions raged on, while everyone watched, for awhile longer, until finally the fires burned out. The bright, colourful ovals remained for a few more minutes, then faded into the black, flowing sky.

The next morning, Josiah raced Blake to the rock cluster called, “The Point.” Blake jumped from rock to rock, angling left and right under the Sunday Evergreens. Gray light rays flickered past him. Fast paced, energetic singing blended with the whistling birds just ahead.

Blake gazed up at the upper dark green mossy slope littered with random sleek black stones under the trees. The gray lights spiraled down through the numerous clusters of bright blue leaves each in unique shapes. He caught a momentary flash.

Josiah sang out louder and louder, faster and faster as he shot straight up the slope in a direct line to The Point. The three large flat black rocks with a small one on top holding a long, thin rock jutting far out from the cluster, pointing toward the white and gray hazy rolling mountains stretching far off below.

Blake dove for the cluster. Breathing hard, he struggled up to the flat top of The point. He sighed heavily as he turned to see Josiah sprawled out flat next to him, eyes closed, looking like a dying fish. After awhile, the two kids sat up, and gazed out toward the mountain tops directly in front of them.

A sleek blue alien ship dropped fast from behind one mountain to another. The kids watched the fast rolling gray sky closely. Blake kept shifting position on the rough, powdery black stone. Josiah slid back and forth, humming a fast constantly changing tune. Another sleek, triangular alien ship appeared momentarily, dropping diagonally from right to left.

“They’re going to attack tonight,” Josiah said in a low voice, “and they’re planning something big.”

Glittering small jewels embedded in the slick blue walls reflected across the dark blue water. Cade, Blake, Drew, and Josiah stared out at the long water channel flowing through the multi-coloured rocks in the upper caverns.

“You see anything?” asked Blake.

“Nothing’s happening,” Cade answered.

“Keep watching,” said Josiah, pacing behind them.

“How long are we supposed to watch them?” asked Cade.

“I don’t know, I don’t know,” answered Josiah. “But some kind of light is supposed to appear in them if they’re the ones. They should light up like puzzle pieces.”

“That doesn’t make sense,” said Blake. Faint singing drifted into the cavern.

“I don’t know, they’re supposed to light up and look like puzzle pieces.” Cade turned away with a long sigh while the others kept staring at the reflections.

“What about when the tide goes down?” asked Drew. Cade ran his hands over the slick blue wall, touching the small bright jewels in different colours.

“That’s another possibility,” said Josiah, “if we time it right, maybe it’s one of these rocks along the channel, changed by the waters.” Just then, Cade looked over to see an intense, gold flashing light spilling out from a nearby tunnel entrance.

“You guys keep watching, I’m going to check this out,” said Cade. The kids just kept staring quietly. “Cool,” he added with a quick nod. Cade entered a long, slick blue staircase dimly lit by widely spaced dark orange lanterns. The gold light flashed at a slow rhythm from high around the corner.

The lantern lights grew dimmer and dimmer as he jogged up the long staircase. Chilling green mist rolled down the steps. Cade got down low. The cold mist silently spilled down the steps for several minutes. Strong, but peaceful singing cut the silence.

Cade crept up the steps reaching a wide, dark tunnel where the lady’s singing came through clear. Glittering gold light flashed from the top of the steps. Cade got down low, and peered into the long tunnel. Still, distant gold lights flickered momentarily in the distance.

Cade smiled, then jogged down the empty tunnel. His shoes scraped across the dusty black rocky ground. He followed the lady’s sweet, pure singing, not growing louder, but coming in more clear. She sang a bouncy, fun song about going to different beaches.

Dim, gold lights began to appear ahead. Miners came into focus, hammering away and cutting into the rough rocky walls. Many of them were old, a few were middle aged, and a few were kids. Cade stared intrigued at the glittering small gold glowing marbles showing up in the wall.

“I haven’t seen these before.”

Cade jumped, then turned around fast. “Cows and beans, how did you…have you been behind me this whole time?”

Josiah flashed him a confused look. “Cows and beans?”

“What are you doing here?”

“I got bored,” Josiah answered with a shrug, before walking fast up the tunnel, humming to Callie’s song. Cade sighed, following him up the slope, turning slowly to the right.

“Trying to give me a heart attack,” Cade muttered. He passed a long line of miners working hard and fast, then stopped cold.

David grabbed a large stone and walked it fast dumping it into a large wheelbarrow. He quickly grabbed another one from the rubble along the crumbled left wall and took it to the wheelbarrow. Once it was full, he quickly wheeled it up the tunnel to another entrance.

“What are you looking at?” asked Cade.

Josiah just stood watching David quickly take another stone to another wheelbarrow. In the background, Callie worked her way quickly up the rubble, digging through and picking out small, smooth black stones and dropping them into buckets while singing her fun, energetic song.

Cade gazed over at the kids working close to Callie, helping find small stones. The chilling, green mist rolled into the active tunnel, quickly covering the floor. He glanced over at Josiah. He kept standing there, standing still, watching David with a solemn, intrigued gaze.

“What are you looking at?”

“He works just like my dad did,” Josiah answered in a still tone. Josiah walked over to David as he filled the wheelbarrow. “Can I help?”

“Sure,” David answered, wiping sweat across his forehead. “We need to fill as many of these as possible.”

“For the attack tonight?” David just nodded.

“Cool, let’s roll.” Just then, Cade noticed the gold flashing light high around the bend.

“Catch you later, Josiah,” he said before taking off up the slope. Green mist rolled faster and faster, pumping out in fast crashing waves. The gold lights flashed stronger and brighter. A small cavern opened up. Cade slid to a stop, gazing up at the glittering gold rocks embedded high in the slick black stone wall with various narrow ledges.

Several young adults were setting up ladders, preparing to mine the brilliantly flashing gold lights. “This is it, this is it.”

“I believe we just found what David couldn’t.”

Glittering gold ships hovered in the dark blue evening sky between the mountains directly across from Ghost Peak. David stood calm at the fort top. Josiah paced behind him, humming nervously. Cade stood next to the DadeStar flag, holding completely still in the chilly breeze.

“What are they waiting for?” asked Cade. David just stared out at the lower slopes. Blake and Drew gazed at the intensely shining ships, intrigued. The four ships moved slowly across the sky, blazing gold trails, creating small ripples through the dark blue streaming clouds. They disappeared behind the mountains.

David raised one dim blue lantern light, shaking it slightly. Cade watched below as several cannons were set in place. He looked over to where Casey sat low behind a hidden fort wall, just staring straight ahead calmly, but intensely. Eerie waves of gold lights began pulsating from behind the mountains.

They crashed and collided from various directions. Sour horns blared out. Josiah glanced up at the rippling night sky directly overhead, then walked up to David.

“I think they’re preparing something big behind those mountains,” he said.

“Possibly,” answered David.

“Where’s Callie?” David pointed to the back of the deck where a staircase led down into a lower part of the mountain wall.

“She stays with the young kids during the battles, to help them stay calm.”

“That’s why she was singing during the last battle?” David nodded. Josiah nervously watched the exploding glittering gold lights behind the mountains. “What if they have a new, massive weapon back there that can wipe us out?”

“We can’t control what they have,” David answered in a quiet tone, “only what we have, and how we respond.” Just then a massive explosion rocked the mountain from a short distance behind.

They all turned to see a large fire break out across the upper slope to the far left.