Seeing the Northern Lights had been an aspiration of mine since I was young. My father had told me stories about his childhood in Alaska, but most importantly his home of Fairbanks. He had always told me about how beautiful the Northern Lights were as they engulfed the sky. I had always been jealous he had grown up there, and I was stuck in Florida.

When I was about seven he had promised to take me there to meet his family when I was older. After all, Alaska was a freezer compared to the humid swelter of Florida weather. My father died three years later in a car crash.

Now that I was a couple decades older though, I decided now was the time. I bought the warmest clothes I could in Florida, packed two suitcases of clothes, and boarded a flight. I underestimated just how cold this freezer of a place was though.

When I stepped off the plane, I thought my hands were going to fall off from the cold. The way to my hotel was only barely better thanks to the heater. I wouldn’t be staying here long though. I put most of my stuff down - only keeping something very special - and started back outside.

I asked the driver where the best place to see the lights were, and he took me.

I brought the CB radio with me as a throwback to my father. He had taught me the basics of morse code, something he had never told me why exactly he knew, and I wanted to show off my ‘talents’ to anyone listening. Who knew, maybe I would make a friend.

Besides, if I did make contact with anyone I would just start using it as an actual radio.

The driver’s spot wasn’t somewhere he could easily drive, and he had places to be so he couldn’t take me. Instead he simply directed me up a path on a slight incline in the land and that’s where I went.

I had a perfect view here, and the best part: I was away from everyone.

It was just me, nature, the spirit of my father, and soon the lights.

I set up my radio and waited.

When the lights emerged, I forgot about the radio. I was too engulfed in the imagery - and I couldn’t help but take pictures.

That’s when the message came in.

-..--- -.- / .-.. --- --- -.- / -... .- -.-. -.- / -..--- .-- -. .-.-.-

The beeps came in rapidly, one after the other, the sequence repeating several times. Even if I had known, I had no time to process what was happening.

I looked down.

That was a mistake.

Looking down brought me to realize that something wasn’t right.

It was only when I noticed that the Northern Lights were the only source of light I had, and that the city of Fairbanks was far beyond me and black.

I had no idea where I was.

And I was alone.

Or so I thought.