Two best friends, Jose and Micah, decided to embark on a two-day camping trip in a remote forest to ease themselves from school stress after a marathon run of two merged semesters. They were adults but were very much under the watch of their parents, so Jose met his dad for permission, and his dad bluntly refused. Micah, on the other hand, had it easy peasy with his dad; he supported him and gave him an emergency compact beacon.
Micah smiled and asked, "What's the usefulness of this beacon? Of course we are going to a thick forest, nor are we going for a game.... we are not going to lose our way."
"Even though, just take it along and press the red button whenever you're in danger," His dad advised and left him to do whatever his mind tells him to do.
Jose finally succeeded with his father's permission after using his mom to enchant his dad, and Micah was so happy to hear that.
In the evening of the next day, they left in a car, and after 45 minutes of driving, they found themselves in a serene clearing surrounded by towering trees. As dusk fell, they set up camp and settled around a crackling fire, sharing stories and laughter.
Suddenly, an otherworldly light pierced through the dense canopy.
Jose tapped Micah and said, "Look up and see". They both looked up in awe, realising they were witnessing a spacecraft descend towards them.
Fear and curiosity intertwined as they saw two big-headed aliens emerge from the vessel.
"What are these!" Micah screamed, holding Jose very tightly at the corner of the tent they ran to.
"Can't you see? They're aliens!" Jose responded in a shaky tone while grabbing Micah as well.
The two aliens that were standing at the entrance of the canopy began to walk towards them, with the beaming light on their chests pointing at Jose and Micah.
Jose pulled out as if he wanted to attack them, but Micah held him back. "What do you want to do? You want to fight what you can't kill?"
The words reset Jose's thinking faculty; he stayed back and remained calm while breathing heavily as if he had fought them already.
The initial action from Jose got the aliens wondering; they paused, looked at each other, and muttered words that were not understandable by both Micah and Jose.
Then, the aliens speedily rushed them in a flash and pinned them to the ground. They began to wrestle, and after much struggle, Micah slipped out and reached out to his bag and brought out the compact emergency beacon. With trembling hands, Micah activated the beacon and dropped it on the ground, hoping it would attract help or blow a loud siren, but no, it only emitted a series of pulsating lights and high-pitched frequencies, and the surrounding area was filled with an eerie, ethereal glow.
Surprisingly, the aliens halted their actions. Intrigued by the beacon's signal, they shifted back to the entrance of the canopy and began to muster words among themselves, diverting their attention from Jose and Micah.
Realising the aliens' distraction, Jose and Miah devised a plan to use the opportunity to escape.
"What about the beacon? Are we going to leave it like that?" Jose asked in a low tone.
"Are you sick? Is the beacon more precious than our lives? Let's take this way". Micah said, pointing at an 'appian way' route that has its path lit by the ray of light from the spacecraft of the aliens.
They silently navigated through the dense forest, taking advantage of the aliens' captivation with the beacon. Each step took them closer to freedom, their hearts pounding with adrenaline and a renewed determination to survive.
As they reached the outskirts of the forest, the beacon's frequency suddenly changed, becoming more erratic and disorienting. The friends instinctively looked back to witness a blinding burst of light engulfing the clearing and obliterating the alien presence.
Safe but shaken, Jose and Micah watched as the spacecraft vanished into the night sky. They realised that the emergency beacon, a seemingly insignificant gadget, had unknowingly held a power capable of warding off the alien threat.
The experience deepened the bond between them, forever cementing their friendship. They reflected on the unimaginable adventure they'd survived and vowed to keep the memory alive, cherishing the importance of preparedness and the strength of their friendship.