Elton Peabody is a thirty-five-year-old high school history teacher in a small Southern town who has a terrifying experience one night with a mysterious bright light deep in the forest behind his house. Did he encounter a UFO? A secret government project? A high-tech prank? Angels? A mental breakdown? Or something else? This is his journey to understand what happened and move on with his life in the face of increased public scrutiny. His story encompasses family dynamics (especially between Elton and his younger brother, the local sheriff), the drama of a sheriff's election, high school life as seen from a young teacher's perspective, friendship, lots of humor, a search for religious meaning, summoning the courage to face one's fears, and taking risks for romance.