Daniel watched the blinking lights in the forest and marked their positions on the map. The bushes stirred, and Rose crept up.
She kissed him, excited. “Let’s go,” she whispered. The pair made their way into the forest. The lights disappeared for several minutes, and then came back, moving through the trees.
Daniel glanced at Rose. It had been the best three months of his life, being with her. They met when they were both researching the lights. Rose was infectious, passionate about life, and about the lights. He loved her. “Be careful,” he whispered.
Straight ahead, the lights gleamed through the trees. Rose and Daniel got closer, and peaked around a tree.
Creatures, ghosts or phantoms made of light, circled about the clearing. They had faces, semi-human, and floated over the ground. Rose gasped. Daniel put up a finger to silence her, but it was too late. A large, blue-ish phantom saw her and came towards them. It grabbed Rose’s arm and pulled her into the clearing. The other creatures made hissing sounds and surrounded her.
Rose’s legs shook, but she managed to keep standing. She was fascinated, almost giddy. She had dreamed of this moment. “I’m Rose,” she murmured, and then said it louder. “I’m Rose.” This seemed to please them, and the hissing whispers continued.
Daniel watched in fascination and horror as the leader offered his hand to Rose. She took it. There was a flash, and the clearing was empty. No phantoms, and no Rose.
Daniel searched for her all night, and watched every night after for her to return. But she never did, at least not in human form. He did begin to see a new phantom, not blue, but rose red, which moved in the forest among the trees. Sometimes he dreamed that it was right outside his window, dancing and laughing in the night.
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