At First Light 2018

As the night sky glimmers with an otherworldly light, a chilling scene unfolds beneath the surface; seventeen-year-old Alex, once the life of the party, now lies motionless, her spirit seemingly extinguished, as she floats lifelessly beneath the water. Time appears to stand still at this moment, yet the mysterious lights that flickered across the sky begin to pulse with an eerie energy, filling the air with a sense of suspense and impending change.

The following morning, Sean, Alex’s longtime friend and secret admirer, discovers her in a catatonic state. Believing she is under the influence, he takes her home, hoping that rest will restore her mind. However, as they awaken to the stark reality, unexpected and bizarre phenomena begin to disrupt their previously tranquil lives. Lights in Sean’s house flicker violently, knives levitate as if manipulated by unseen strings, and even his comatose grandmother stirs from her prolonged slumber.

As the strange events increase in intensity, Alex emerges as a potent source of chaos. Her inexplicable powers reveal themselves through dazzling displays of energy manipulation, leaving Sean astonished and unnerved. Their once-ordinary suburban environment transforms into a battlefield, pitting the forces of nature against an enigmatic unknown.

Desperate for answers, Sean seeks out Cal, an ex-scientist who has been actively monitoring Alex’s peculiar electromagnetic signature. Cal shares that his organization has been sending out cosmic signals for many years in hopes of reaching something greater—and it seems that someone has finally taken notice. This revelation sets off a chain reaction that brings ominous forces to hunt Alex, determined to harness her extraordinary abilities.

With Sean’s condition rapidly deteriorating from being around Alex, they find themselves on a perilous quest for survival. Their journey takes them to the stark deserts where colossal solar panels dot the barren landscape, creating an unearthly atmosphere as they grapple with the increasingly blurred boundaries of reality and the supernormal.

As Sean’s health becomes more precarious, he is driven by the unyielding desire to reconnect with Alex. Meanwhile, Cal’s past associates confront him with pressing inquiries about the astounding Alex, whose endurance in the face of death is baffling—she has persevered for over 24 hours, a duration exceeding others with similar abilities who succumb in just a few hours. In a heartfelt moment, Sean races to intercept Alex as she prepares to board a bus. With a passionate appeal, he persuades her to let him accompany her on this tumultuous journey. However, their path is soon interrupted by a group wielding advanced electromagnetic detectors, whisking them away to a secret desert oasis where enigmatic messages await their exploration.

As Sean’s already wavering health continues to decline, Alex is restrained and subjected to thorough examinations, all while Sean’s own vitality ebbs away. The organization’s leader discloses that Alex has been selected as a medium for intergalactic communication with Earth, potentially serving as a linchpin to humanity’s cosmic integration. As Alex drifts into unconsciousness, visions of the luminous forces that once revived her flicker in her mind alongside nostalgic childhood memories. This, in turn, ignites an astonishing reaction from the facility’s magnetic devices and lights. Although her vital signs begin to flatline, Sean, now at his most vulnerable, finds a sliver of strength, erupting in a fervent cry that pulls Alex back from the brink.

In a breathtaking act of will, Alex seizes command of the solar panels encircling them, establishing a link with an unfathomable entity beyond their desert confinement. As she envelops Sean in a radiant glow, her presence revitalizes him, healing his afflictions with a resurgence of energy and life. With a heart-wrenching goodbye, Alex dissipates into the glowing haze, leaving Sean to reflect on the profound implications of their entwined experience. Three months later, Sean and his brother thrive, even though the organization remains ever-watchful of his movements.

As alien lights dance across the Earth’s skies, it becomes undeniably clear—“they” have finally embarked on their journey, a celestial presence set to irrevocably transform the course of humanity.