Soon My Friend

"You think I would make a good astronaut?" I asked Anna.

"If it's something that you truly desire in heart and in mind, I don't see why not," she replied, gazing at the stars.

I knew I wanted to reach the stars, but where to start?

I laid motionless in the grass as I started thinking of all the possibilities.

"Why don't you ask the counselor?" Anna spoke, breaking the silence of the night.

Thinking what he could do, but considering my options it was the only lead.

The next morning I drove straight to campus and requested to see him. I stood in the front desk waiting for someone to notice that I'm alive.

"Is Mr. Marshall in?" I asked the office secretary.

She was a fair brunette with her hair in a bun, defined forehead wrinkles, and nails that seemed way too ridiculous.

"He just came in, go straight down the hall and to the right."

The office seemed so awkwardly placed. The secretary's desk was on the left wall and the hall was just to the right of the desk. The hall was very narrow and long. There were doors within 2 or 3 feet of each other. I approached the last door on the right. I opened the door where a loud creak broke the stillness of the office.

"Mr. Marshall?" I asked with my head barely going through the door.

"Yes? How can I help you?" Mr. Marshall was a bald man that dressed in brown tweed suits, wore thick rimmed glasses, and had a mustache so well trimmed and kept that Clark Gable would be jealous.

"I came to talk to you about my classes," he gave a stern look.

"Yes about that,"

I looked at him somewhat confused at first, but then a sudden realization of what he was going to say wasn't going to be good.

I let out a deep sigh of acceptance and replied with, "Is there something you want to tell me?"

I took a seat as I prepared for the news. He leaned forward, put his elbows on the desk.

"You haven't attended any of your classes for the last couple of months. At this rate, even if you do pass your finals, it wouldn't guarantee getting your degree. I'm sorry but if you want to get your degree you will have to do another year."

I walked out of the office with a mix of disappointment and contempt. I knew this was going to happen, but deep down I didn't want to come to school anymore. Something in me is telling me that I need to go to outer space. I need to be out there.

I couldn't sleep that night, too many thoughts rained in my head. So I got my coat and scarf and decided to just go stargazing.

I live in the mountains. A short drive from my house there's an open field which cuts off by a tremendous line of pine. I drove my truck where the field and pine meet and walked into the trail with a flashlight.

I was looking for a perfect place to lay down and look at the stars. I found a tall rock overlooking a hill. It seemed just right.

Turning off the flashlight and laying down, I bent my arms behind my back and just started looking at the stars with all the glory and mystery that had eluded me since I was a child.

As I was stargazing something in my head forced me to say, "What am I supposed to do? What is my purpose? Why am I here?!"

Suddenly my silver locket started to rise from my chest as if gravity itself didn't exist. Looking at it I stood up as it rose and rose. It lifted itself from my neck and proceeded to float in front of me.

The locket started to shake as if it were to explode. Startled, not knowing what is about to happen, I took a few steps back. Light started to escape the locket, the same way when you hold a firefly trying to get out of your hand. The entire forest became engulfed in light.

The locket then exploded with light and a figure coming out from it. A silhouette of a man came from the light. It was a strong tall figure, but there was no facial feature or clothing capable of seeing. It was all just a plain white figure. The only thing that was noticeable was its body definition. I couldn't believe as to what just happened.

I thought I was dreaming at first. But the pain from how strong the light was proved me wrong.

My left foot came forward as my reaction from scared turned to curiosity. I reached my hand to touch the figure when it started to speak.

"If you're getting this message Atlas, it means you are ready to discover what you were put on this planet for. You are indeed my son, and you are not from this world. You come from a highly advanced race in which that possess knowledge of nearly all things in this universe. We also have the power to use our minds to move inanimate objects, read thoughts, and take over bodies of other beings. You were put here to examine how beings in this planet care for one another. And to prove they're worthy enough to be gifted with our powers. But we cannot determine this if you are not here to examine all the memories you've withheld. We've established a camp on mars to await your arrival. This camp does not have a ship to provide you with the ability to get you there. As the camp that we made had come from a probe that was deployed from our home world.You will have to find a way to get there on your own. Your mother and I will wait for you when you get here. This locket that we gave you, will help you unlock your powers. As they were stopped from being used when you were growing up. But now you're old enough. At the end of this message, they will be released. You Atlas, you are the beacon of hope that will help make this universe and its inhabitants a more fruitful place. I end this message in hope that you will understand."

The light dimmed from the locket. And the locket slowly made its way over my head and rested on my chest. Only this time, I felt a burning sensation coming from the locket. I looked down and it was morphing into my body.

I took my jacket and shirt off. Being shirtless, I say that the locket was halfway into my body.

"What's happening to me?!"

The before I knew it the locket was inside of me. It started to glow and my body was coming off the ground.

"What is going on?" my feet suddenly started to glow white, and it was slowly covering my whole body. I kept on rising higher and higher, until I stopped.

The whiteness reached into the locket, where an explosion came from it.

"Wait I -," my head had become consumed by the whiteness of the light.