It was a normal day in Highland, Utah. The sound of people mowing their lawns, birds were chirping, and kids played in the park. But there was one irregularity in the scenery. Up on the mountain range, bright lights kept flashing from a cave. Most citizens passed it off as the sun playing tricks on their eyes, or some troublemaker teenagers creating mischief there. After all, it wasn’t uncommon for teenagers to be exploring the mountains.
But sixteen year old Connor Redwood knew better than that. He’d noticed the flashing going on for the past week. He didn’t believe what everyone else was saying about it. Some people told him they had no idea what he was talking about. He knew it wasn’t something natural. He didn't know what to do, because every time he shared his thoughts with others, they dismissed him as being paranoid.
Only one person would listen to him. His best friend Max, noticed the lights too and agreed that there seemed to be something strange about them. Max wanted to go and check them out, but Connor was grounded for the next month for the prank he pulled on his younger brother. Plus, he wasn’t sure if they would be able to make the climb to the cave. It had to be at least a fifteen mile hike.
“C’mon, just tell your parents it’s important,” Max kept telling him.

“They wouldn’t believe that. They don’t let me anywhere out of the house when I’m grounded, and you know that.” But curiosity started to eat away at him. “Okay, fine. But you have to find a way to get me out of my house during the night, or else my parents will catch me.”
“That’s easy,” Max said.
The following night, Connor was woken up by the sound of something tapping on his window. He rubbed his eyes and swung his legs out of his bed. He walked over and peered out the window. At first he was startled, but he realized it was Max.
He opened the window and helped him into his room. “How did you get up to my window? I’m on the third floor.” Connor said.
“A ladder, of course.”
“Nobody was suspicious of you carrying a ladder down the street at one in the morning?”
“I’m not that stupid. I just broke open your shed and took it from there.”
Connor resisted the urge to hit Max. Now it’d be obvious to his parents that something happened the night before, but he decided to just worry about that when he got back and move on with the plan.
He climbed out the window after Max, leaving his window open a little bit in case he could get back in time before his parents woke up and convince them that he didn’t know what happened with the shed. Connor look over to the mountain, and a small light of colors still flashed in the cave.
Connor grabbed his bike from the side of his house and he and Max rode down the street towards the beginning of the mountain trail. As they rode he thought of the possibilities of what it could be. The only thing he was really feeling right now was doubt. He was starting to expect that all they would find up there was a smelly hobo and his nightlight. Or maybe someone placed a light up there, just to trick some dumb kids into going on a hike only to find nothing.
His thoughts were interrupted as he realized Max had stopped in front of a dirt trail next to the road.  “This is it, right?”
“Looks like it,” Connor replied
“Doesn’t look too bad.”
Connor wasn’t so sure. He had checked part of the trail before. There were steep drops, lots of loose rock and virtually nothing to grab onto if you slipped. On top of those things, they’d be doing it only by the light of the full moon. But curiosity over ruled his fear.  They got off their bikes and moved ahead.
It took around two hours of cautious walking, climbing, and a fair amount of cursing from Max, but they climbed up one last rock face, and the cave was only about thirty yards away from them. The lights were a lot brighter close up to the cave. It was almost too bright to look at. They flashed and changed all the colors of the rainbow.
Connor and Max started walking towards it, when a man dressed in robes suddenly appeared right in front of them. The two of them yelped and jumped back, startled. Connor stood there, unable to move. He could’ve sworn no one was there, but he blinked and he was there. Then the man spoke one word in a rough, deep, commanding voice.
“Stop.” The voice made Connor want to turn around and run straight home. But he and Max didn’t move.
“W-where did you come from?” Max stammered
“Don’t go any farther. This energy is dangerous and should not be possessed by anyone.” The old man replied, ignoring his question.
Connor started getting over his shock of having the man appear out of thin air, and began to have questions.
“What kind of energy? How is it dangerous?  Why is it here? Does it h-”
The old man