“I thought you were taking time off from work,” I said.
She laughed. “Yes, well, we’ll see.”
I should’ve known. Mother couldn’t stop working any more than I could stop doing experiments. Whether it was a yoga studio or selling myTality™ or opening whatever a wellness center was, she’d always have something on her plate.
I looked around the bonfire where all my family and friends gathered. Cass—wearing a hunting cap with ear flaps despite the heat of the fire—was engaged in a lively conversation with Gram. Father talked animatedly to Owen about baseball. Owen glanced up and grinned at me, making my chest swell and a goofy smile slip onto my face. Arden sat with one of Ishmael’s friends and, though I wasn’t great at reading body language, they seemed quite interested in each other.
Maggie was alone, near the edge of the fire. She was on her phone, firing off texts and occasionally glancing around furtively. I shuddered to think of what she was plotting. She was more dangerous than Ishmael. She was more dangerous than anyone I’d ever met, maybe.
Speaking of Ishmael, he was the only person unaccounted for. I looked around and finally spotted him standing in the shadows near the barn, gazing up at the sky. I wandered over.
“What are you doing?”
“I don’t know. Trying to see the stars the way you see them, I guess.”
“Why would you want to do that? Every time I look at the sky I feel insignificant.”
“I don’t get that,” Ishmael replied. “I look up and feel like…like anything is possible.”
I followed his gaze upward. It was a new moon, so visibility was excellent, and the sky was as breathtaking as always. It held so much more than humankind would ever know. Maybe that wasn’t scary or depressing. Maybe it was inspiring.
“Do you regret anything?” Ishmael asked me.
“I regret lots of things,” I said.
I regretted that Mother became disillusioned with her career because of me. I regretted how strained our house had gotten. I regretted how difficult I’d made Chief Kaufman’s job. I regretted my behavior with Owen and how I refused to open up to Arden. I regretted how often my pride got in the way of living life.
But did I regret the hoax itself?
Maybe.
Maybe not.
“Are you upset we got caught?” Ishmael asked.
I laughed, startling him. “I think, deep down, I always knew we’d be caught.”
“But, like, are you sad your experiment is ruined? Your psychological study, or whatever?”
“Sociological,” I corrected. “And it’s not ruined. Just different than I thought it would be. It won’t get me into MIT, but maybe I’ll still compile it into a book.”
“That seems like a lot of work.”
“Well, I need something to do now that science is banned at the house.”
Ishmael snorted.
For a moment we continued to look at the stars together. Then I asked, “Did you know we were going to get caught?”
“Well, yeah, dude. What’s the point of a prank you can’t take credit for?”
A couple months ago that admission would have enraged me. Now, I just started laughing. A second later Ishmael joined me.
“You know, Ishmael, despite our entire lives being turned upside down, I’m glad we did it. I’m glad we did it together.”
“We kinda make a great team, don’t we?” he asked.
A destructive team. Maybe a dangerous team.
But yes.
We were great too.
Of that, I was 100 percent sure.
In Conclusion:
There you have it: the true story of what happened in Lansburg, Pennsylvania, where there were never any aliens, just two teenagers looking for glory and a town that wanted something to believe in.
The fifth step in the scientific method is draw conclusions.
I’ve concluded that it is possible to convince people of the legitimacy of extraterrestrial life—and probably many other outlandish things. Possible…but maybe not advisable.
A scientist doesn’t dictate what others experiment on, though. Everyone has to make their own choices. All I can do is provide enough material for an informed choice. Which is why the final step in the scientific method is report results.
That’s what I’ve done here. Communicated my experiment through every stage, every failure, and every success. I won’t lecture you about hoaxes being a bad idea… Instead, I’ll simply hope these pages speak for themselves.
My days as a hoaxer have come to an end, but there will always be new experiments and new discoveries. For me and for the world. That’s why I implore all of you readers—the skeptics and Seekers, the scientists and sociologists, the gods and starfish—to stay curious, believe in yourself, and never give up.
Go out and find your glory.
Gideon P. Hofstadt
Lansburg, PA
Earth
The Milky Way Galaxy
Acknowledgments
There were times I thought I’d never finish this book. Without the help of some very patient, encouraging, insightful people I probably wouldn’t have. A million thanks to:
My agent, the talented Suzie Townsend, for continuing to be my champion and tirelessly helping me navigate this (thrilling, nerve-racking, mysterious) writing journey. I’m so lucky to be part of the New Leaf family.
Eliza Swift, my brilliant editor, who made this book infinitely better. I’m grateful that she shares my weird sense of humor and love of complicated characters—and that she’s able to point out my writing flaws in the nicest possible way.
The incredible team at Sourcebooks for putting a tremendous amount of effort into It Came from the Sky at every stage, especially: Cassie Gutman, Danielle McNaughton, Jessica Rozler, Nicole Hower, Beth Oleniczak, Valerie Pierce, Ashlyn Keil, Stefani Sloma, and Sarah Kasman. Also, Philip Pascuzzo at Pepco Studio for creating the stunning book cover.
Everyone who read the manuscript in its various (often messy) drafts and gave me valuable feedback: Marley Tetor, Phil Stamper, Anna Priemaza, Jo Farrow, Jilly Gagnon, Lana Popovic, and Bridget Morrissey.
The people in my writing communities who inspire me, entertain me, and push me to be better: Chris, Elizabeth, Gordon, Ilanit, Mandy, Annie, Greg, Jess, Josh, Katelyn, Katie, Kristine, Leann, Morgan, Rachel, and Tasha.
Dillon Battaglia for information about MIT admissions. Ronnie Willard for answering questions about jamming radio signals. Matt Anderson for confusing Robert Frost and Jack Frost. My mom for the constant encouragement and for never joining an MLM.
Evan Sedoti for sharing my obsession with aliens (abductions run in families, after all) and for providing me with lots of sibling-relationship material. Also, for inspiring Ishmael’s fashion sense.
Steve Phillips for spending countless hours discussing the Fermi Paradox, seismographs, and the mechanics of lava lamps. It Came from the Sky would be much different (and contain far less science) if it weren’t for him.
The readers, librarians, bloggers, and booksellers who have continually supported my books (and books in general!). Their enthusiasm motivates me to keep writing.
And thank you to the people who have nurtured my lifelong fascination with aliens, especially: Art Bell, Fox Mulder, Stephen King, George Noory, and the boys from The Last Podcast on the Left. Like them, I want to believe.
About the Author
Chelsea Sedoti is the author of the young adult novels The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett and As You Wish. Before becoming a writer, Chelsea explored careers as a balloon twister, filmmaker, and paranormal investigator. Eventually she realized her true passion is telling stories about flawed teenagers just as strange as she is. When she’s not at the computer, Chelsea spends her time exploring abandoned buildings, eating junk food at roadside diners, and trying to befrie
nd every animal in the world. She lives in Las Vegas, Nevada, where she avoids casinos but loves roaming the Mojave Desert.
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