The next chapter is here. See if you can solve the mystery of what secret word the aliens have for the path Cade and Blake are about to take. This will reveal another clue as to which path can lead past their defenses to the top. If you need more information, check out the post called: WHAT ARE THE ALIENS HIDING? You can find it by clicking on the page LIST OF POSTS. This post gives a list of the five paths and a prophecy that gives clues to what the answer is. Leave a comment below if you have a guess already to either mystery. Can you figure it out?
CHAPTER TWO:
Green alien lights flashed to a slow, booming rhythm from the top of the towering, slanted mountain. A grand piano played a soft, dream-like melody, echoing around the towering stones made of dark blue crystal glass, called Dencas, looking like slanted fences with many points across the top. Blake glanced at his watch: 11:59.
“Cade, it’s time.” Cade gazed up at the fast, dark clouds rushing low overhead. Faint golden lights from the distant stars flickered and danced across the chilling night sky. Streams of brilliant colours of blue and green mist started streaming across the sky, forming dream-like images, blending with the faded star lights. The flashing lights danced to a dream-like rhythm. Then the clock struck midnight. Cade looked up the steep slope winding through the shimmering dencas and various clusters of tall, slender dark blue evergreens called Dashes with numerous leaves packed together tightly.
“Let’s go,” he said with eyes lit. They hurried up the grassy slope. Blake powered through the snowy patches while Cade jumped over them. From the distant forest on their left a dark spirit whistled a rapid five-note melody, going up and down.
“What do you think that means?” asked Blake.
“It means he wants fish for dinner,” said Cade, “and a cupcake.” Cade shifted to the right past several towering dencas.
“Maybe he saw us.”
“But he didn’t say hello?” A cluster of Cashes glowed softly ahead to their left. Cade turned toward them. “Dark spirits are so rude.” He sighed dramatically. Neon green alien lights shot out just above them on the left, quickly turning in their direction. “Hurry, hurry.” They quickly slid between the trees and ducked down. Dark spirits emerged from the forest close by. “Get down.” The bright, hot alien light swept through the trees. Whistling suddenly sprang up around them.
“They see us, let’s go,” said Blake.
“Wait, draw them in,” said Cade quietly.
“Are you serious?”
“No, this is my special comedy hour. The dark spirits sit down and listen every night at this time.” The clustered leaves crackled in the hot passing light. “They’re a great audience. Most people don’t think dark spirits would be, but…”
“OKAY, I GET IT.” Cade motioned dramatically for him to talk quieter. Dark spirits appeared in the light passing away from them, lining up around the small cluster of trees on all sides.
“They have us surrounded,” Blake whispered.
“Cool.” Blake shot him a confused look. Heavy, dark shadows fell over them. Ghosts filled in around them, slightly glowing in the breaking moonlight. “Follow my lead.” Cade watched the sky. Dark clouds kept rushing across the sky, building up. Slowly, the faint star lights faded out. Heavy dark shadows fell across the small forest. Then Cade shot ahead up the slope. Blake ran after him. He watched nervously as they got close to the edge of the forest. Dark spirits started moving toward them. Cade dove for the ground. Blake slid down right behind him.
“Now what?” he whispered. Cade waited as dark figures quickly moved in from all sides. Then he shot back up, sprinting diagonally down slope. Blake followed close. Then Cade suddenly disappeared. Blake stopped and looked around. He saw Cade running back up slope to the forest edge. He shook his head and followed after. They hurried past the confused dark spirits to their right out of the forest, pushing up the slope. Tall, slender evergreens called Dancer started appearing around them. Their clusters of small, bulb-like leaves glowed in bright blue flashes in the night. Chilling winds rushed across the upper slope flattening out whistling through the leaves. They danced to a dream-like rhythm. Several massive stones called Menas appeared on the plain ahead as they sped up. They were slick and dark, reflecting the blurry faint passing sky lights.
Several dark spirits whistled a rapid five-note melody, going up and down from the steep slope ahead rising past the wide plain.
“There it is again,” whispered Blake. “Last time we got lit up.”
“From the direction of the whistling,” said Cade with a sharp nod. “Let’s get to the Menas. Wait for the light to pass.” Eerie grand piano music played out stronger as they got down behind the towering stones. The dream-like melody swept across the windy plain. Bright green alien lights shot out lighting up the entire plain.
“What we do now?” asked Blake. “They’ll sweep across the entire plain.” Cade looked up at the steep stones with raised eyes. “No, no, I’m all for climbing, but you’ve got to be kidding me.” Cade smiled. “No, no way, we’re not going up there.” Cade just kept smiling. “I don’t care what you say. I’m not going.” Cade stood up and started finding footholds. He started pushing himself up a narrow slit between two tall stones. Blake sighed heavily, then pushed himself up after him. Strong chords vibrated through the slick stones. Cade reached the top and looked out across the plain toward the steep slope slanting up and to the right toward the distant mountain top.
“What time is it?” asked Cade.
“Time to find a new friend who doesn’t get me in this kind of trouble.” Dark spirits rushed across the plain as the alien light faded out.
“Time?”
“12:35.” Cade kept gazing with his fiery intense eyes. Bright blue lights danced from the Dancer Evergreens in a heavy forest on the left side of the rocky slope. On the right soft glowing stones called Cayshes lit up the steep edge. Cade watched as the dark spirits disappeared over the edge of the slope behind them.
“We’re cool. Let’s get down.”
“If you insist.” The kids scrambled down, then sprinted toward the slope. One distant voice whistled with a dead tone. Cade turned sharply toward the glittering forest. “You don’t see any dark spirits in there?”
“Yeah, I thought we should go talk to them.” Heavy piano chords started vibrating through the slope.
“Why do I bother?” Several more whistles answered from the other side of the mountain.
“You can’t set me up that well,” answered Cade with a shrug. They struggled up the steep slope slowly turning to the right.
“What does that whistling mean?” After about ten minutes they began to see the distant mountain top. Bright green fires shot up with flames slowly reaching for the dark rushing clouds. More whistling shot out around them. Blake checked his watch: 12:47. “We’re almost out of time.” Just ahead a crowd of dark spirits lined up across the entire slope. They looked around to see many more pour into the forest sliding down slope fast toward them.
“Here we go,” said Cade. He started running down slope angling to the right.
“What are you doing?” Blake glanced back. Dark spirits were closing in on them fast.
“Just wait and see.” Blake sighed and shrugged, following close. Suddenly Cade shifted sharply to the left, kicking up dust. They scrambled down fast. Then he shifted hard right, kicking up more dust. Blue glowing lights blurred past. He shifted back to the left, kicking up more dust again. After several more turns, Blake glanced back and smiled. Dust blurred with the flashing blue lights all around. Cade made one final sharp turn. Blake glanced back again at the dark spirits rushing way off in the opposite direction. Moonlight spilled out across the lower slope as Cade and Blake made their way off the mountain.
“Those dark spirits will be searching for hours,” said Cade with a smile.
“Their defenses are impossible.”
“Yeah, they are.”
“So we’ll meet back here tomorrow?” Cade just smiled.
