A REMOTE FOREST-EARTH…
The forest was thick with mist and silence. Towering trees stood like ancient guardians, their leaves rustling in the midnight breeze. An owl hooted once… then nothing. Total stillness.
Suddenly, the sky above the canopy shimmered—lightless, soundless—as a shape phased into view.
A spacecraft. Sleek, black, almost invisible against the stars. It hovered silently, humming with energy, its surface rippling like oil on water. No lights. No signal. Just presence.
With a whisper of displaced air, the ship descended, gently bending trees beneath its anti-grav field. It stopped just above the forest floor, hovering between the gnarled roots and fog.
A thin seam opened in its hull, emitting a hiss—then a slice of blue-white mist spilled out.
From the opening, some beings stepped forward. Their appearance was undisclosed due to the ship blinding bright light. No face could be seen—just a smooth, shifting void where features should be.
The beings paused, their heads tilting toward the night sky.
Then they took their first step forward into the forest, leaving a trail of slowly withering grass in its wake.
They were not here to explore. It had arrived with purpose.
But what was their purpose?
THE CITY PARK…
Gabriel sat on one of the park benches, he was wearing his headphones as usual, nodding along to the rhythm of the music while observing passersby. After a moment, he pulled out his phone and commenced typing a message to his friend, Susan:
< Where are you? I have been waiting here for an hour now. Be quick.>
He typed before hitting the send button and the phone made a soft beep.
Susan's message replied shortly after. Gabriel locked his phone and increased the volume of the headphone.
Not long after, he felt a gentle tap of someone on his shoulder, trying to get his attention. He turned, expecting to see Susan, but his eager expression quickly turned into one of exasperation.
Behind him stood an elderly man, likely in his fifties, smiling warmly as he tried to get Gabriel's attention. Gabriel slid his headphones down slightly to behear what the man had to say.
"Can I help you?" Gabriel asked, his tone laced with annoyance — though the man didn't seem fazed and maintained his cheerful demeanor
"Oh, lo siento. No quiero molestarle, pero Tengo Algo que entregarle. (Oh, sorry. I don't mean to bother you but I have something to deliver to you," the man conversed in Gabriel native language. The man then carries on to bring out a package, handing it over to him.
Gabriel doesn't remember ordering so he asks, "gracias, señor. Pero no recuerdo haber pedido nada, es un lugar raro para entregar, pero no hay problema. (Thank you, sir. But I don't remember ordering and this is pretty a funny place to deliver, but no worries)."
"Hmm, solo estoy haciendo mi trabajo. ¿Qué puedo decir? In regalo de UN amigo. (Hmm, I'm just doing my job. What can I say? A gift from a friend," the man replied. He gave Gabriel no room to respond before he took his leave in a hurry.
What could be inside the package and who was the man referring to as Friend aside for Susan? Gabriel wondered.
Suddenly, Susan appeared out of nowhere, startling Gabriel.
"Ayiosa Mia! ¿Qué carajo? (Oh my God! What the f**k?!" He cussed under shock, prompting the other to burst into an uncontrolled laughter. Frightening Gabriel wasn't an easy task to accomplish, but it seemed like she won today.
"Looks like I got you today. Haha! 2 points down already and don't forget our deal when it reaches 5 points of scaring you, you're taking me out," she reminded him and the boy rolled his eyes.
"Of course I still remember, but I assure you that you aren't going beyond the 2 points till this week ends, meaning you lose," Gabriel he retorted, pulling a mock-serious face. "Vamonos!" He asserted and they commenced to walk to the fun area of the Park.
"What is it that you are holding?" She asked after noticing the package the boy was holding. Gabriel raised the package up to his face level.
"Oh, ESO? Some random delivery guy handed it to me just before you showed up. He said it was a gift from a friend—who I have no clue about. I haven't opened it yet."
"Sounds more like a setup than a gift. And you said you haven't opened it yet? Why?"
"Well, what if it's a bomb or something fatal?"
"At least you won't die alone if it turns out to be a bomb, we are in a park. If you are planning on carrying it home–home alone, die alone." She chuckled at her own dark joke.
"And that's exactly what I'm planning. Wanna come home with your best friend? Huh?" He teased her.
"Nah, Hard pass for me my male boyfriend."
"I didn't want you in my place either, female girlfriend. Enough with the chit chat, let's go have some fun."
"Hell yeah. I thought you'd never ask."
A REMOTE FOREST-EARTH…
Deep in a remote forest untouched by roads or satellites, hidden beneath a thick canopy of trees, the ship had rested there like a sleeping giant, its sleek metallic skin camouflaged by technology far beyond human comprehension.
Without warning, the ground trembled softly. Moss-covered stones shifted. Leaves rustled with no wind. Then, from between the trees, the colossal ship began to rise. Its surface shimmered like liquid light, reflecting starlight that should not have pierced the dense forest ceiling.
There was no sound of engines. No burst of flame. Just a smooth, seamless ascent into the night sky, as if gravity itself had surrendered to their will.
From a nearby ridge, a lone deer watched as The great ship ascended, piercing the clouds and disappearing into the black. There was no sound, no explosion, only a brief distortion in the air — as if space itself was folding shut behind them.
No one would ever know what they had done — what they had observed, collected, or changed.
They had arrived without reason. They departed without trace.
___
After hours of fun rides, the buddies lose track of time and they are exhausted.
"I'm really tired, I could rest like forever!" Susan exclaimed.
"That sounds dark. 'Sleep forever'—RIP" Gabriel whispered to her ear.
"Don't read too much into my words, human. Your brain's in the gutter," she said, pushing his face playfully.
They arrived at the park exit.. The sun had dipped pretty low, and there wasn't a cab in sight.
"I guess we lost track of time," Gabriel tosses, scanning the road—just in time to spot a cab approaching.
"I don't think I'd be able to hang around at your place tonight, I need to rest." Susan susurrus with a tired voice, and Gabriel nodded in response. He flagged down the cab, and they climbed in.
Susan dropped before Gabriel did, he waved at her before the car moved on. When he finally reached his own place, he stepped out, paid the driver, and began walking toward his apartment.
But something caught his attention: the cab he just exited hadn't moved an inch.
What could be delaying the driver? He thought. Maybe the car developed some mechanical issue. Gabriel tried to ease his mind with logical thoughts.
He finally made it to his apartment, entered the room and had a quick shower before changing into his pajamas. Just as he was about to lie down and catch some much-needed rest, his eyes landed on the mysterious package he had been carrying all day.
Curious, he picked the package from where he placed it on and unwrapped it.
"Gosh!" he exclaimed in awe as he pulled out a sleek, high-tech headset. "This must have cost a fortune. It needs to be tested right now." Without wasting a second, he connected it to his phone.
But the instant he put the headphones on, he screamed.