Nia Shipton

The bush didn't just wait; it looked up.?Southwest of Sydney, on the outer edge of the Nattai, the ground is scorched and the air is turning viscous. A pulse in the static canopy. A silence where the stars used to be.?For five friends and a border collie, the quiet safety of home is slipping away. As cold-blue lights cut through the valley and spatial distortions tear through the night, they realize the terror hasn't passed-what began as footsteps in the dirt has taken over the sky.