Jake Morrison had spent 20 years behind the wheel of his rig, a gleaming blue Kenworth with chrome accents that shone like silver under the moonlight. He called her “Starlight.” Night driving was his favorite—just him, the open road, and the endless sky full of stars.
One particularly late haul found Jake cruising through the flatlands of Kansas. The highway stretched ahead like a black ribbon, framed by fields of gold and a horizon painted with faint hues of dawn. His eyelids grew heavy, but he resisted the call of sleep, knowing rest areas were few and far between.
He adjusted the CB radio, hoping for chatter, but only static greeted him. The white noise blended with the hum of his engine, lulling him into a trance. Jake shook his head, took a swig of lukewarm coffee, and then—he saw it.
A light streaked across the sky, brighter than any shooting star he’d ever seen. It hovered, then zigzagged in impossible patterns before descending, landing somewhere beyond the next bend. Jake felt his heart quicken. Was it fatigue playing tricks, or had he just witnessed something extraordinary?
Curiosity overpowered caution. He slowed Starlight to a stop on the shoulder and grabbed his flashlight. Leaving the warmth of the cab, Jake stepped into the cool night air. His boots crunched against gravel as he walked toward the glow in the distance.
What he found defied explanation.
In a clearing stood an otherworldly craft, shimmering with colors that seemed alive, shifting and pulsing like the aurora borealis. A figure emerged—tall, slender, and surrounded by an aura of light. Its face was indistinct, but its presence radiated calm.
“You seek the stars,” a voice echoed in Jake’s mind, not spoken but felt.
Before he could reply, the figure extended a hand. Against all logic, Jake took it. In an instant, he was no longer in the field but standing in the cockpit of the craft. Through a panoramic window, he saw Earth below, a glowing marble suspended in the vast darkness of space.
“You are a traveler,” the being said. “You’ve always been drawn to the unknown. Let us show you more.”
Jake’s pulse raced as the ship soared past the moon and into the galaxy. Stars zipped by, their light forming trails like highway markers. He saw nebulae swirling in vibrant colors, planets with rings of crystalline ice, and suns blazing with the heat of a thousand fires.
For what felt like hours—or perhaps lifetimes—Jake traveled the cosmos, his mind expanding with every sight, his soul filling with wonder.
When he awoke, Jake was back in the cab of Starlight, parked at a rest area he didn’t remember reaching. The sun was rising, casting golden light over the windshield. Shaking his head, he glanced at the dash. The coffee cup was gone, replaced by a small, iridescent stone that shimmered like the craft he’d seen.
Jake smiled as he shifted into gear and pulled back onto the highway. Whether dream or reality, he didn’t care. His perspective had changed. The road still stretched endlessly ahead, but now, it wasn’t just the Earth he longed to explore. Somewhere out there, the stars were calling, and he knew he’d find his way back to them someday.
For now, though, the open road would do.
Michael J McCluskey 