The truck sped along the sandy gravel roads of the Australian outback desert town of Boulia. Ahead, the truck light beams illuminated nothing but singed-brown gravel as the tyres rolled into the darkness of the desert at night.
Jack held a frustrated face as he focused on the bumpy driving while trying to cope with Noah's attempts to debunk his UFO theories. Noah in the front passenger seat sent Anna a big cocky smirk. He then rolled his eyes in her brother Jack's direction. Anna covered her sniggers. She loved to watch them bicker.
"What do you think, Sis?" Jack almost growled.
Anna pushed out the palms of her hands. "Phew, no way. I'm just a spectator. My first and only time doing this, guys. You geeks just argue on."
Noah smirked and swivelled his head to wink at Anna.
Jack tapped the steering wheel, a series of frustrated taps. "Come on, Sis. Glad you tagged along. You're the smart one in the family. Off to college, you explain?"
"Hey," Anna waved her hands dismissively. "I'm here, as I'm curious to see what you eggheads get up to. And I'm studying for a natural science degree, not damn UFOs or aliens or unexplained phenomena. When I'm done, I'll let you know how the universe works. How's that?"
Noah turned to Anna again and whispered. "Not aliens." He gave her a thumbs up.
A sigh of frustration escaped Jack's mouth.
Anna sighed at the absurdity of it all.
This was a hunt across miles of desert road leading from the outback town. They sought answers and were not going home until capturing footage on their phones.
Footage of the Min Min lights.
Jack slapped the wheel. "What are they? The old people say they are spirits. What snatches people the way they do?"
Noah removed his baseball cap and slapped the dashboard with it. He withdrew some photographs from a pocket and showed one to Anna. "Look, I'm just not ready to believe that those light balls are...aliens. If the toilet roll went missing, you'd say, aliens. Ever since we were school kids, all your brother ever used to explain pretty much anything was damn aliens. There are so many unexplained phenomena on Earth, that's always been on Earth. Why assume it must be from outer space? We have our own mysteries right here down under."
After a sharp snigger, Anna leant forward to peep at the photograph in Noah's hand. She studied the brilliant white oval shape hovering above the town motel. "Okay. We may not even find them. These photographers got lucky."
Jack slapped the wheel. "Noah, jeez, mate. Wanna tell me about these events? Cos that in the photo looks like a flaming UFO to me."
Noah shook his head as he slipped the photos back into his pocket. "Okay, Bigfoot, no-one has explained that yet?"
"That's not bloody Oz, mate."
Noah raised a hand and gave himself a facepalm. "I know that. Okay. Okay. What about that ball of lightning? Ay. Between the, you know, storm clouds and the ground. Those have been seen around."
"Yeah, they're caused by magnetic fields during storms." Anna said with confidence.
"Okay, brainbox. Know it all." Jack murmured.
"Nah." Anna held up her phone. "Says here. Just Googled it." She sniggered.
Noah raised a thumb. "There you go. Natural phenomena. Like the Bermuda Triangle. And what about that animal rain, you know, rainfalls of fish and frogs? I suppose that's aliens too. Fell off the back of an alien ship, did they?"
Jack blew through sealed lips. "Okay, so there are natural strange events. But that doesn't rule out aliens."
Noah raised a finger. "No, but it does present possibilities that exist right here, always here, on Earth."
Anna plugged one earphone into her phone, waiting to listen. The other ear listened to the squabbling lads as she sank back into the seat. She punched up a video on her phone. "Unlike you two geniuses, I've been listening to the world expert on these lights, at least trying to, since out here with you. A guy here has reviewed most of the sightings and is talking about a connection between the disappearances. He says?"
Noah raised a finger to Anna. "I'll have you know. I did some due checks. People are missing, sure, yes, but I just?can't say it's got to be, with no doubt, otherworldly beings. Or perhaps, you'll like this one then Jacko, they've always been here on Earth."
Anna raised her voice a pitch. "To continue, Noah, if you shut up for a moment. He says, if you want to know, the people taken are not exactly random events but may be chosen, must be bull."
"Who?"
"A Professor Wallis, Melbourne. Trying to listen above your rantings. He's saying not to go after the lights. Photograph them from a distance and leave it there. But he has more to say. So you two carry on bickering."
She inserted the other ear plug and listened.
"I've considered other possibilities rather than Jack's conspiracy sites. Like," Noah pulled a long stretched face to mock Jack, "aliens."
"Well, here's hoping we find out." Jack pulled a beer out of a cup holder and drank its contents, crushed the can, and tossed it to the back, only just missing Anna's head.
"Thanks for almost hitting me, wally."
Anna listened to the Professor talk to a local news anchor on her phone screen: Don't go after these lights. Those folks who vanished, they thought they were doing the chasing. You won't find it unless it wants you to. Cause viewers, these things, lights, whatever they are, Min Min lights, are hunting you. And if you think you're chasing them, forget it. They move too fast. You can't catch them. Though they may just hover somewhere. But if they choose to hunt you, and take you, no-one will ever see you again. We don't know how it chooses its victims, no idea. Best advice. Stay away from them.
Anna pulled out the plugs and leant forward. "Noah, give me those photos, mate. What else do they show?"
He handed them to her. She studied one in particular. The photograph showed what seemed to be two moons, though one sphere pulsated with a stronger reflection. Another photograph taken later only showed the moon in shot. She handed them back to Noah. "Something was there, then not. Many will say these are all fake."
Jack glanced at the photographs. "Souvenirs from Boulia Shire Council. Queensland's best footage for the tourists so far. Hmmm."
"The Min Min Encounter centre won't mind a few photos. I'll return them." Noah pursed his lips. "I want to study these things. May be clues in these snaps. If we find them, we'll give them better shots. We'll be the talk of the town, mate."
"Or they find us. And so I hope you guys spot it first. I'm tired." Anna yawned and closed her eyes. "See anything or just dirt road?"
Jack grinned in the rear-view mirror at Anna's face after her sneering tone. "What's this professor saying? You said they're hunting us?"
Anna shrugged. "Guy's pretty smart. Maybe at least consider they can't be chased. After all, speeds of what was it?"
"Over 100 miles per hour, yes, but they stop and hover at some point. We must catch it." Jack tapped a beer can, beckoning Noah to open it in the holder and hand it to him. "No-one comes out here at night."
Noah grinned. "Well, except for some local idiots."
Anna chuckled at that quietly. "Whatever."
"We've tried this many times. At the least, it's fun. And our time will come when we get the all new photos for the council walls." Jack chucked a big gulp of beer down and placed the can in the holder. "What's your top theory, Noah?"
Noah folded his arms. "Something that's always been here."
Jack exhaled as the truck hit a few bumps. "What?"
"How the hell do I know? But until I see little green men jump out of those balls of light, I'm not going to say it's aliens, just yet."
Jack huffed. "The abductions go back decades. Other lights chasers. Some came home, some not. Hard to figure. And two people missing in just a few weeks. One we know, Amos, snatched right in front of Bill."
Noah nodded. "His brother watched it take him. Why him? You know what, I got it. Maybe it's a military weapon. Doing its tests and stuff."
Jack sent Noah a baffled face. "No military bases around here. Just desert. And what? Military?"
Anna noticed a cheek twitch on Noah.
"Why just him?"
"Nobody knows how it selects people, Noah." Anna yawned.
"Ready to consider aliens?" Jack frowned in the mirror at Anna.
"Jack, I couldn't care if it's a kangaroo herd with torches up their assoles. I just want to sleep." Anna lopped her head to one side.
Noah laughed a little harder. "Now, that's a theory."
Jack buried his foot in the brake pedal.
Anna sprung forward and almost found herself in the front seats.
A powerful beam of light flooded the interior.
The truck skidded across the uneven surface.
A ball of light. It hovered only a few inches off the ground. Close to the truck.
Close.
A sphere of pulsating revolving white fire. A clear hum like a swarm of bees coming from its shell.
"Jesus." Jack's eyes couldn't widen any further. His jaw loosened in awe.
"I'm filming." Noah's chest heaved as he pointed his phone camera at it.
Strong light, yet with no discomfort in Anna's eyes. "My God." She poked her stunned face forward.
Silence. Not a word exchanged.
Jack, with slow deliberation, disembarked, as did Noah, keeping their phone cameras pointing at it. They edged forward, step by step, in the chilled desert night air. Anna stared in shock for a few moments as they walked ahead. She swung open her door and hurried to follow Noah.
"I really can't believe it."
Jack began a series of laughs. "Told you guys, told you our time was coming, we'd find it. And wow, what footage we have. No-one ever got this close."
Noah sent Jack an excited face. "Oh yeah. Scared, but I'm filming. We got it, we got it."
They slapped hands high in the air.
Anna grinned. "I'm getting my phone. Not letting you guys get all the glory."
She hastened back to the truck and reached inside to grab her phone.
A streak of light passed through Noah and Jack at incredible speed.
Then it was gone.
The ball of light and the hum were no longer in front of them.
"Woo Hoo, Noah. Come on, let's go show this to?"
Jack's words trailed off as he walked back to the truck. The engine still purred. The back seats were empty. No sign of Anna. Jack whimpered. He ran for the truck doors and frightened eyes searched the empty interior with his phone torch.
"She's not here. Where??" Jack's words broke apart as he spoke. "Where?where is she?"
"Anna." Noah cried out at the desert's darkened desolation. "Anna."
Darkness surrounded them and the occasional hoot of owls. The chill grew stronger as winds blew harder and flung sand at Jack and Noah's eyes and throats as they yelled.
Jack cried and stared at Anna's phone on the back seat. He thought about her words.
Or they find us.
And the words of the professor.
These things, lights, whatever they are, Min Min lights, are hunting you.
