It was 2021, my mother and father were sick of staying inside. The pandemic had made our summer lifeless and they were always keen on making memories and going on adventures. There was a lake deep in southern Utah that my parents always wanted to visit. Lake Powell. We packed our bags and towed our trailer through the PNW. Crossing our way into the beehive state. We drove for hours on end, only stopping for food and gas. My parents would drive in shifts. Eventually, the sun set over the beautiful desert. Turning the sky into a collage of beautiful colors. We came up a different path, it was a shorter ETA than the route we were already on. So, my mother, who was driving at the time, turned the wheel and we headed up that path. It directed us to a higher elevation point. Passing through mountains and a rolling terrain. There was no sign of civilization from that point on. Just us and the desert.
Later that evening, the beautiful sky had turned to black. Few stars were out. It was late. At some point, we noticed a few deer crawling up beside the road we were on. My mom would occasionally honk the car horn to scare off any animal from accidentally running into our truck. My dad, sister, cousin and aunt were sleeping in the back seat. I rolled down my window, it was silent. Not even the crickets were chirping. At the time, this didn’t stand out to me. But, I felt it was odd nonetheless. My mom’s eyes were peeled on the road and we didn’t do much talking. So, I got on my phone and started writing. I’m a screenwriter/director working out of LA. So, I do write on my free time for the most part.
We made our way further up the path to an opening. To our left was a canyon. All was pleasant, until my mother asked me: “Are those stars?” I looked up from my phone and couldn’t see what she was questioning at first. She pointed, and I followed the direction and stumbled on a formation of lights in the sky. It was strange. They weren’t like any other that I’ve seen before. Rounder, more dense and brighter even. It wasn’t a plane. It wasn’t a satellite. It was like a fleet. I immediately woke up everyone in the car, just so that my mom and I could validate that what we were seeing was actually there. She and I shouted “LOOK!” Suddenly, the formation of stars began to move, they would condense and expand in the space between them. Faster than any plane or rocket. Then, in an instant, they flew down to the earth below. Disappearing beneath the canyon across from us.
That moment in my life has stayed with me for the longest time now. I can’t shake it. And I wanted to incorporate that experience into a film. So, this is the result of that. I would love to share it on the sub and hear more experiences with the fellow Redditors on this page.
The short film:Â [https://youtu.be/M2XZ-r4HsHE](https://youtu.be/M2XZ-r4HsHE)
by RodgaAustin