Extraterrestrial Abductions Day

My fascination with the stars had always set me apart from my peers at Lakewood Middle School. While they talked about football and bicycles, my thoughts were on distant worlds and the lifeforms that might inhabit them. However, one particular document I snatched from science class excited my interest. It explained a method to track signals from deep space sources. My mission started simply enough. If I understood their language, something might happen. Maybe, just maybe, I could make contact.

My breath was visible in the cold air as I sat on the garage roof. The stars sparkled like diamonds against the endless black of night. I decided to abduct an alien while rummaging through Grandpa’s old equipment in the garage. Yes, me, of all people! A 13-year-old armed only with a telescope, a stubborn belief in the impossible, and a wild imagination fueled by late-night sci-fi movies.

Weeks passed, filled with late-night studies and frantic tinkering. My tracking device focused on a mysterious signal from the Orion Nebula. This spot had long fascinated scientists and dreamers alike. My equipment lit up on the night of March 20th, Extraterrestrial Abductions Day, showing a genuine response. My heart pounded as I scribbled down the coordinates. They would be close. With a mix of sheer excitement and undeniable dread, I decided the next step would be preparing for the unknown.

I gathered supplies from my bedroom—flashlights, snacks, a thin blanket, and, of course, my trusty walkie-talkie—and bolted out the door, my parents oblivious. Little did they know their son was about to become the first human to establish contact with an extraterrestrial! I climbed onto my old Schwinn and set off for the woods behind the garage.

Reaching the clearing beneath the starry sky, I set up my makeshift beacon—a combination of reflective mirrors and LED lights that blinked in a pattern I hoped the visitors understood. As I worked, a low hum filled the air, inching closer, vibrating through the ground beneath my feet. I hardly dared to breathe when a radiant figure emerged from the shadows, shimmering in hues of blue and green with delicate features that defied earthly norms.

“Pizmot dealy fromp” was the sound from its mouth, a smooth tone that slowed my racing heart. Awe and fear petrified me. But I remembered my mission. I pointed my flashlight at the ground, creating a circle that would serve as a ‘safe zone’ for our interaction. My hands trembled as I retrieved my notepad, and I asked, with the greatest possible bravery, “Can you understand me?” To my amazement, the alien’s eyes glowed brighter, each pulse mimicking the rhythm of my heart. A series of lights erupted around us, and for a moment, I felt an understanding so profound that language hardly mattered. We were brothers under the stars, connected across galaxies. Both 13 and reaching for the stars.

But nothing prepared me for what happened next. With a gentle wave, the alien beckoned me to follow. “I-I can’t,” I stammered, adrenaline kicking in. Was I ready to leave everything behind for a life among the stars? I weighed my options, the thrill of the unknown battling against the comfort of home.

In that fleeting moment, I made a choice. I was unable to proceed. I had sought to abduct the alien, but instead, I would invite him to stay with me. I realized I wasn’t just a kid with a wild idea but a bridge connecting two worlds. We started our own adventure, but this time, we were aliens who abducted each other in friendship.