The Clearing

The rain pelted down on the old tin roof that covered Nora’s back porch. It had brought into the forest a cold and settling fog. She looked through the trees to see Roscoe chasing some unseen woodland creature.

A sharp whistle rang out as Nora pulled her fingers from her mouth. Roscoe stopped and perked his ears immediately. As he galloped back toward her, tongue lolling out of his mouth, she turned and opened the screen door to her small cabin.

He ran inside and immediately shook. Nora wrinkled her nose as the droplets splattered her cargo pants and hiking boots. She couldn’t help but smile. His antics kept things interesting out here by herself. Roscoe also gave her a sense of security. This big, muscular shepherd looked intimidating. He was a big goofball.

Nora smiled to herself, then set to preparing their dinners. She poured a healthy amount of kibble from the rodent-safe container into the big metal dog dish by the door. Roscoe stood patiently watching her, not moving until he was released. She then opened a small can of meat and gravy dog food and dumped it on top.

Nora gave him a pat on the head, then said, “Okay!”

Roscoe jumped forward and immediately began wolfing down food. Nora decided on some trail mix with extra banana chips. As they ate in relative silence, she planned out her next day.

The bridge to Long Branch Loop was close to collapsing. She’d need to take the ATV and haul some supplies down to shore it up until the guys from the engineering corps could have a look. She should also run to the spring since she’d already be out that way. She could haul some water back and ensure her tank was full before—

The ground rumbled as the floorboards shifted beneath Nora’s feet. She glanced through the crack in the sheer curtains and saw lights showering from the sky. A meteor shower?

She moved closer to the front window for a better view. Roscoe was at her heels, growling his displeasure. The sky was aglow with streaks of light. The ground continued to shake and pitch, making it hard to keep her footing.

Ripping the screen door open, Nora stepped back out onto the porch and watched as the stars continued to fall. The air around her was electric, raising goosebumps on her skin. Slowly, the lights began to fade, and the ground ceased its tremors.

Roscoe’s hackles were raised beside her. He let out a whine and began inching forward, sniffing the air. Whatever had alarmed him seemed to settle quickly, as if nothing had happened. He sniffed the air one last time and then sat, staring at her intently. 

Nora looked from the star-studded sky to Roscoe. She reached down and tentatively scratched his chest, unsure of what had just occurred. When she looked back to the sky, she saw only the bright twinkling of stars and the crescent moon.

— — — — —

By the next morning, as she was dressing for the day, she struggled to remember why the meteor shower had seemed so alarming to her. Meteor showers were often sighted out here, without the city lights to dim the sky, it must have just seemed brighter. 

While she was loading the ATV with wood, screws, and a large metal pole, she pushed all thoughts of it out of her mind. Nora focused on the day ahead, ticking off in her mind that she had everything she needed. 

Roscoe let out a bark from his spot by the shed. He nudged the water containers. Nora shook her head and grabbed them, strapping them tightly on top of her other supplies. 

The journey to Long Branch loop was a quick one. As the ATV pulled to a stop to the left of the trail, she began unloading the supplies. Roscoe ran through the creek, barking and splashing. 

The sun beat her back as she hammered the last nails into place. Wiping her brow and looking to the sky to gauge the time, she noticed a flock of birds behaving oddly. They were flying in three concentric circles. The outermost and innermost rings rotated clockwise, while the middle circle moved counterclockwise. Strangest of all was the silence. Suddenly, the forest had gotten eerily quiet. No rustling of the branches, no small animals skittering about, not even a breeze. The forest was entirely still and silent. 

Nora had never seen birds behave that way. She wondered what could cause them to fly in such an odd pattern. She whistled for Roscoe, intending to get a closer look, but as he came crashing through the underbrush, the birds scattered.

She watched as they descended into the forest. Roscoe sat next to her, panting, but otherwise unfazed. Feeling a sense of unease, she quickly loaded the remaining supplies and jumped back on the ATV. 

The trip to the spring was uneventful. Before she knew it, she was lugging the large jugs back onto the ATV, this time full of fresh spring water. Repairs of the bridge had taken most of the morning, and the sun was high by the time she reached the peak of the ridge. She pulled out her phone and typed out her weekly report in an email. She included a note to the engineers and a picture of her repairs. 

Roscoe alerted to something in the woods just as she hit send. Turning, she saw the largest buck she had ever come across. Its large, widespread antlers made it look all the larger. The deer stood and stared at her. Eyes bright, looking at her as if it was trying to relay a message. Roscoe trotted to her side and sat, also staring at her intently. 

The buck turned and bounded back into the forest. Nora let out a deep breath, unsure why she had even been holding it in the first place. Something about the interaction was adding to her growing unease. The trees looked the same, but there was a change in the forest.  

As she drove back to the cabin, she pondered what could make both birds and deer behave oddly. The meteor shower the night before had been an odd one for sure, but she had never seen animals acting strangely after one. 

Approaching the last fork, Roscoe suddenly trotted to the right, instead of to the left, which led back to the cabin. 

Nora slowed and called to him, “Come on Ros, let’s go home.”

He cocked his head at her but started trotting away down the trail. It was too narrow and rocky for the ATV to traverse. She parked, swung her legs over and began following after him. Whatever had caught his attention, she knew from experience he wouldn’t budge until she followed.

They walked for about five minutes when Nora noticed a humming vibration echoing through the trees. As the trail became narrower, the humming grew louder. She could no longer ignore it. She looked around for the source but could not identify where it was coming from. It was nowhere and everywhere all at once. An undercurrent of energy in the forest, she could feel more than hear. 

Roscoe disappeared around the bend ahead, and she quickened her pace. By the time she caught him, she was panting and out of breath. He stood at the edge of a clearing she didn’t recognize. She worked in these woods for close to a decade, but she had never seen this clearing before.

She leaned against a boulder and attempted to slow her ragged breathing. After a few moments, she pushed herself off the moss-covered rock. As her hand connected with the moss, she swore she saw a faint glow ring her palm. 

She quickly touched it again, but nothing happened. Shaking her head, she walked into the clearing. It didn’t look any different than any other space similar to it she had come across. Tall grass swayed gently in the evening breeze, rocks of varying sizes were scattered across it, and at the very center was a small pond covered in lily pads. 

But the space didn’t feel like any other place she had ever been. It was electric, it was alive with energy. She couldn’t identify what she was feeling, but the goosebumps on her skin and the raised hairs on the back of her neck told her she wasn’t imagining it. 

Roscoe waited at the edge of the pond, staring at her expectantly. Nora stepped closer and peered into the water. A frog leapt in with a soft kerplunk, sending small fish darting beneath the lily pads. As she stared into the pool's depths, she thought she saw something glinting in the muck of the bottom of the pond. She strained her eyes harder, but couldn’t be sure what she was looking at. 

Just then, Roscoe let out a high-pitched bark. She turned to look at him, and his hackles were raised. Nora immediately sank into a crouch by his side and looked in the direction he was facing, but saw nothing. He growled low and menacingly. She peered into the forest where his ire was directed, but everything was hazy as the sun disappeared behind the treeline. 

Feeling ill at ease, she decided it was time to go. Whistling for Roscoe, she walked briskly back towards the trail. Roscoe was tight on her heels, but no longer seemed on alert. His tongue was once again hanging out of his mouth, and he looked relaxed. 

Nora couldn’t shake the intense feeling that had put her on edge. As they traveled the path back towards the ATV, she kept glancing back, unsure what she expected to find. She couldn’t help but feel they were being watched. 

By the time they reached the fork in the trail, she was practically running. Jumping on the ATV she fired it up and jammed the accelerator forward. Roscoe ran easily beside her, but Nora was on edge. Scanning all around them and hoping they made it back before they lost all light. Tonight was the new moon, so they wouldn’t even have the moonlight to guide them. 

The feeling of unease was growing as they raced down the familiar trail towards the cabin. By the time she could see the outline of the shed, Nora’s breath was ragged and her heart was pounding in her ears. 

She quickly ran the 20 yards from the shed to her front door. Slamming the door and sliding the lock in place she sank to the floor. Roscoe licked at her hand and let out a soft whine. Trying to calm her labored breathing, Nora stuck her hands above her head, counted in for four breaths, out for five. 

When she felt she could finally breathe normally she slowly stood. A wave of nausea overtook her and had her grasping the door for support. Roscoe whined again and nudged her. She patted his head and reassured him that she was okay. 

What was happening?? She wondered to herself. 

These woods had been her home for most of her adult life, and nothing strange had ever happened here. The quiet, simple life, she had run to was being turned upside down by strange phenomenon that she could not explain. Even if she could explain the things she’d seen, she would sound crazy. 

Lying there in the dark, Nora found her thoughts wandering to the night sky. She’d always considered herself rational. But she was beginning to doubt whether logic was enough out here. The forest had changed. Or maybe it had always held secrets, and she'd just never looked closely enough to see them. She slowly drifted into a dreamless slumber. 

She was awoken in the middle of the night by Roscoe scratching at the door. She begrudgingly got out of bed and let him outside. As soon as the door opened he bolted for the trees. She watched as he disappeared into the darkness. She waited a few minutes, assuming he just really had to do his business. 

When some time had passed she whistled for him to come back. She waited to hear him crashing through the underbrush but no sound reached her. Nora whistled again. 

“ROSCOE!” she yelled through her cupped hands. 

She paused and listened for any signs of his return. The night was black, she could see nothing outside the small pool of light coming from the porch. She strained her sight to the treeline but decided it was useless. He would come back when he was done chasing whatever had caught his attention. 

She whistled one more time as she stepped across the threshold, but knew it was pointless. She let the screen door slam, then closed and bolted the main door. Nora collapsed back onto her bed and was asleep within moments. 

The morning sunlight was streaming through the curtains directly onto her face when Nora finally woke up the next morning. She took a moment to orient herself. The events of the last few days came flooding back, and she remembered that Roscoe hadn’t returned last night. He should have returned before morning.

She rushed to the door, fumbling with the heavy bolt in her haste. She ripped the main door open and pushed through the screen door with some force. She was flooded with relief to see Roscoe, tongue lolling and tail wagging, sitting at the edge of the porch. She sat down next to him and began to scratch his ears.

“How was your adventure?” she asked him with a smile. 

Roscoe stared back at her in response, looking no worse for wear despite having to rough it the night before. He licked her hand when she stopped petting him. Nora rested her head against his in silent communication, making sure he knew she was happy he was back. 

She put an arm around his solid shoulders. She felt something odd on his collar. Looking closer, she realized there was a smooth, round metal object adhered to the nylon. She tried to pull it off to inspect it closer, but it wouldn’t budge. She attempted to unlatch his collar, but as she reached for the clasp, Roscoe danced away from her. 

“Roscoe! Come here!” She scolded. “Sit, Roscoe, stop, sit!”

He sat with a huff, shifting his front paws back and forth. Nora reached again for the object on his collar. It was cold to the touch. She rubbed her thumb across the smooth surface and heard a faint humming emit from it. 

What on earth is this thing? Nora thought to herself.

She stood and looked at Roscoe for a long while, assessing him. His ears were sticking straight up as always. His nose was twitching on his long snout. But what caught her attention the most was his eyes. They looked like they were boring into her soul with an intensity that she had never seen from him. It was like he was trying to tell her something, but what it was she could not discern. 

Roscoe suddenly jumped to his feet and pointed his nose toward the path leading away from the cabin. He looked back at her, then leapt from the porch and began walking with purpose toward it. When he reached the beginning of the trail, he stopped and looked back at Nora, waiting for her to follow. 

She hesitated for only a moment. Whatever was happening in these woods, she felt certain it was all connected. Curiosity burned in her chest like a shot of good whiskey, and she couldn’t ignore it. She quickly pulled her boots on and followed him into the woods. 

The sun streamed through the heavy canopy of trees, filtering down to the forest floor in patches of light. Nora could tell they were headed for the clearing again. She wasn’t sure how she knew; she just did. 

As they turned onto the narrow, rocky trail that headed towards the clearing, she could hear the humming again. She felt the electricity course through her, pulling her forward. The humming grew louder as they drew closer. By the time they turned the last corner, it was almost deafening. 

The clearing looked much as it had the previous evening. Roscoe again trotted to the edge of the pond. He watched Nora slowly cross the clearing to stand beside him. When she reached the edge, she peered into the pond’s depths.

There, at the very center of the pond, was a glinting silver object. She crouched down and tried to get a better look. No matter how hard she squinted, she couldn’t quite make out what it was. 

Roscoe let out a low whine and stepped away from the edge, looking at her expectantly. When she didn’t move to follow him, he whined again. Nora stepped away from the water’s edge, her breath caught somewhere between her ribs.

The pond was rippling now. Concentric circles shimmered outward, slow and steady, though there was no wind, no stone, no movement that she could see.

Then the center began to bulge.

At first, it looked like the water itself was swelling, lifting up unnaturally, refusing to break. But then the surface tension split, and something metal, dull, wet, and ancient emerged. A disc, impossibly smooth, hovered just inches above the surface, water sliding off its curved sides like oil.

It rose slowly, silently, displacing no air, no sound. The sunlight caught its edge, revealing fine grooves along the hull, like etchings or veins. Lights, faint and colorless, flickered beneath the surface, pulsing in a rhythm that didn’t feel human.

Roscoe didn’t bark. He just sat at her side, his eyes locked on the thing in the air, ears twitching as if he heard something she couldn’t.

Slowly, it began to turn. The lights picked up speed. Flashing and strobing in a pattern that was too fast for Nora to grasp. She shielded her eyes as they became blinding. She could no longer see her surroundings. 

Panic began to fill her when the humming started again. She felt rather than saw the saucer rise higher into the sky. She could sense that it was right above them when the lights suddenly stopped. She glanced above her to see that it was spinning, slowly at first, then faster and faster. 

The faster it spun, the higher it rose into the sky. The air it displaced whipped against her skin. The grass around them was laid flat by the force. It rose until it was above the trees, branches shaking and leaves flying through the air. 

The lights flashed in their strange pattern. Roscoe barked in return, as if he were saying goodbye to the ship. The device on his collar pulsed with light. Just when Nora thought the whipping wind would blow them away, the saucer soared higher. When it was just barely visible, she saw it streak across the sky in a blur of light, and it was gone. 

Sinking to the ground, she looked at Roscoe. He was sitting happily next to her, tongue out and tail wagging. The device on his collar had ceased glowing, and when she touched it there was no humming. She stared deep into his knowing eyes. What they had just experienced was of another world, and she knew no one would ever believe her. 

She patted his head and began walking to the edge of the clearing. Roscoe bounded beside her, jumping and barking with joy. She smiled to herself. She would probably never tell a soul what she experienced in these woods, but the experience would change her perspective on this world forever. Whatever had come from the sky, Nora didn’t need to understand it. She just needed to remember. And she would, every time Roscoe looked up at the stars.