It was too late at night to be out on the lake in a small boat, the type of foolishness that could get a man killed if he let his attention lapse for too long.

Scott Hansen checked the surrounding water and the night sky. A little ruefully he suspected the idea he might see another of the UFO’s was a pipe dream. But it was a beautiful night, and he was enjoying himself more than if he had taken the boat to harbor and spent the rest of the night in a bar.

Watching the light jump out of the sea was a spark to the imagination he thought he had lost. As he sat on the stern of the Rebecca, Scott looked up at the sky and felt the wonder a child experienced every day.

He felt young.

So, he waited for another light, for a validation of his newborn ability to be surprised. Scott stared at the stars and wondered which twinkle of light the UFO had come from, how far it had traveled, and why it had come to the lake.

They had to be peaceful. Nothing would travel all the way to Earth to pick a fight. That kind of logic made no sense. If they came here, it was for a noble reason, for a cause that would benefit humanity.

Scott imagined himself sailing the stars and nebulas. Seeing sights so amazing, he would be incapable of describing them.

The boat rocked, and he instinctively looked lake-ward. The waves were kicking up after a gentle day on the lake. A storm would be in the area in the morning, nothing big but a pain to navigate in a small boat.

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He sighed. The fun was over. He would have to go to Duluth now or he would travel the lift bridge channel when big ships were trying to get out of the harbor. The waves in the channel were bad at the best of times and the displacement of the big ships made the problem even worse.

Climbing to the foredeck, Scott pulled in the anchor and coiled the rope around a cleat before lashing the anchor to the deck. His back protested painfully as he stood straight and scanned the lake once again.

He forgot pain as a light came from the east with breathtaking speed, flying just over the waves and casting long reflections. Scott’s breath caught in his chest as the excitement returned, while he brought an arm up to shield his eyes.

It was back; the aliens had come again.

The light passed a short distance astern the Rebecca like a silent projectile with no true destination. An arrow shot into the sky.

He was still watching the UFO when the turbulence of its passage struck the Rebecca with the force of an enormous fist.

The boat slued sideways and heeled to the port. The twisting deck threw Scott’s feet out from under him and he clung to the deckhouse while an angry cloud of mist passed over the boat.

Eventually, the sea and air calmed and Scott climbed shakily to his feet, looking west to see where the UFO had gone. The sky was empty of moving lights.

Maybe he was wrong with his first assessment.

Scott made his way to the boat’s controls and started the engine, then eased the boat away from the shore while considering what had just happened. It felt wrong. The first light had produced awe, and the second made him feel... fear.

Two things were certain: he would not stay out on the lake and watch for UFOs soon, and he pitied the people who would have to contend with the second light.