Dean

I wake up with the morning sun shining on my face, resulting in my eyes burning slightly from the bright light. Sighing, I place my feet onto the floor and stretch out my tense muscles from having slept so poorly. I'm even contemplating skipping school with how I feel, but I know how upset my parents will be if I do that. A small part of me doesn't care, but a larger part does. Since the part of me that tells me to get ready for school wins, I find my legs carrying me around my room as I try my best to find something to wear for today. I should have picked my clothes out last night, but I'm a procrastinator. I prefer to do things last minute, and I'm not concerned about my bad habits right this moment.

It seems that every pair of jeans I have ever owned is in the hamper, giving me no choice but to dig through my pile of dirty apparel and settle on a slightly okay smelling pair of dark washed jeans. I hope that no one will notice their smell, but there is nothing that a little cologne cannot fix. This is the biggest reason why cologne is one of my best friends.

Luckily, I have plenty of clean shirts in my drawers to choose from, making me not as late as I would have been if they had all been in my hamper with my jeans. I could have sworn that all my jeans were washed, but I guess I was mistaken. Happens to us all once in a while.

I skip breakfast as per usual and leave the house for school. Because the building is just around the block, I usually just walk to school. I actually like to walk, it makes my body burn and feel better after a long day. It also makes me feel human in the strangest way. I would never admit this to another person, but I would almost like to be human. I wouldn't feel as if I were standing out or being something totally different that doesn't belong on this planet. Don't get me wrong, I like being different — but being an alien is far from just being different. I don't even like being called an alien. It reminds me of what you would call some creature you didn't like. In all reality, I just wish to be home. Being a Norovian breathes freedom into my lungs when I think of North, but not so much when I think of Earth. There's obvious differences between us and the humans, but there are also some that you can hide. I'm glad I'm able to keep a few differences to myself. The humans are nosy, I wish we didn't even have to tell them as much as we did, but what did we expect when we invaded their planet? We're a whole other species that could pose a threat on their soil, of course they would want to learn about us.

I guess I can't shake the idea of my planet being obliterated right before my eyes and that nowhere else will truly be my home. I also can't shake the feeling of the asteroid hitting the Earth's surface miles away and causing the ground under my feet to tremble. That was just a minuscule one compared to the one that hit North.

The air smells of fumes and gases, indicating the factories surrounding the town are opening for the day. All this planet does is make more and more instead of using what they have. And they call us selfish.

I tap the band on my wrist to display the time as I jog the rest of the way, only having a few minutes before the bell rings. I am beginning to really wish I would have just ditched school today, not caring about whatever it is that I have to learn even though I most likely already know the answers. I don't understand why the Norovians still put their children in school when it seems that they know more than the school teachers.

As I make my way up the sidewalk to the doors, I notice that the sky is suddenly becoming slightly darker. Normally, I wouldn't be worried. The sun could either find a cloud or a building to hide behind, but the darkness beginning to surround me isn't coming from just a cloud passing in front of the sun. Looking up, I find a large dark spot slowly absorbing the path of the sun's rays. It almost looks like an eclipse but without the beauty. As I lift my head to observe what is going on, I realize that this isn't anywhere near an eclipse...this is something dark.

I slowly begin to back away from the school, attempting to get a better look. I can tell that whatever this is above me is far away; but as the seconds pass by, I notice it increasing in size ever so slightly. Immediately I can feel my heart pounding against my ribcage as a deep fear encases my entire being. My mind suddenly becomes cloudy as I begin to run. I don't know where I'm going, but I am not staying here to witness what is going to happen.

My family is working their jobs, pretending to act like the humans along with the rest of my kind. The humans are in school or working in the factories or perhaps watching a new film in their homes. My brother is in school where I should be, they're all where they belong — except for me.

Just at the thought of my brother, I change my course of direction and run back to the school. I am not leaving my brother. I do not care what happens to these creatures that have inhabited the Earth first, but I will not let my family go...not like I let North go.

My leg muscles begin to burn as I push through the school doors and begin racing down the halls. I am met with confused looks and wide eyes as I push past bodies, not even taking notice as I accidentally knock books out of a few of their hands. I know what is going on outside while they are all busy checking out their appearance, posting on social media, or trying to get to class. Soon they will all be dead, but I will not die. I could warn them, but that would cause mass confusion and I wouldn't be able to get my brother out. But then again, Norovians are in this building, and I do not want my species to die.

I'll get Ducke out, then I will announce what is going on.

Entering his science class, my eyes scan over the rows of chairs as I try to find him. The bell has not rang yet, but that doesn't matter for Ducke. Tardiness isn't in his vocabulary, for he is always early to class.

Eventually my eyes land on him in the back row.

"Well well well, if it isn't my brother Dean," he smiles, before it fades to worry as he stands from his seat and walks toward me. "What's wrong?" He asks, his eyes filling with anxiety. He is only a few years older than myself, but we both distinctly remember what happened to our home.

"An asteroid—or meteor—is heading this way. It's massive...we don't have much time," I explain as his eyes widen with every word, before his mouth parts in fear.

"Are you—?"

"Yes, after I get you safely outside, I am going to announce what is going on. Once I'm done, we are going to find mother and father."

He nods ever so slightly after I'm finished, and I take his arm as I lead him out of the classroom. I can't help but wonder where Ella is. She's always early to first period as well, but I don't see her as I pass our chemistry class and glance in the door. I—of course—am not worried about her, but I am curious as to her whereabouts.

"Go wait for me outside," I tell him, before I semi roughly push him toward the door. He exits hastily and I find myself making my way toward the office. I could shout this news, but if I announce it over the speakers it will project in every room. I do not care for the humans, but I'm not a fan of watching anyone die. At least their blood will not be on my hands.

"Excuse me," I say as I try to remain calm. "I need to make an announcement."

"What kind of announcement?" The secretary at the desk asks.

"There's an asteroid outside heading straight for the Earth," I respond. I'm trying my best to keep calm as I bounce on the balls of my feet, but the perspiration that is collecting on my forehead and palms lets me know that I am anything but calm.

"Okay," she smiles sarcastically. "And I'm sure it's raining actual cats and dogs too, right?"

"This. Isn't. A. Joke," I reply between clenched teeth. "Look outside right now if you don't believe me. Open the blinds, notice how dark it's getting." My words come out in a demanding tone, but I don't even care. Who knows how much time we have? I don't want to stand here arguing with a human that is clearly a waste of an organism.

"Mr. Schloric, I'm going to have to ask you to stop this little prank immediately, or I'm going to—"

"Dammit!" I curse as I walk past her and open the blinds myself. "Does this look like a joke?!" Upon opening the window, I see that it has increasingly become darker outside. Just at the drastic change of lighting, the secretary slowly walks over toward the window.

"This isn't a joke," she whispers as I watch the color drain from her face, the reflection of the sky debris shining in her eyes. It's a good thing the office is directly facing the sun, letting her know this is in no way a prank.

"This isn't a joke," I reply. "Make the announcement now, or I will."

Responding only with a nod, she walks over to the mic.

"Attention, attention," she begins, her voice clearly trying to hold back her panic. "There is something heading straight toward Earth. I'm not sure what it is, but we should evacuate the premise. Seek shelter, find your family. This is not a drill." After she finishes, she just stands there for a few moments. Everyone else in the room has gone silent too, wondering what to do. After all, what can you possibly do when there is an asteroid or meteor heading toward your planet? It's not as if you can run and hide. I mean, you can run, but you can't hide.

"Good luck," I tell them all, before I leave the office and find myself mixed in a crowd of panicked students. Some are screaming, some are remaining calm, some are crying, but all are trying to push their way outside to catch a glimpse of what's covering the sun.

Pushing and shoving my way outside, I find Ducke standing on the sidewalk as he gazes up at the dark sky above us.

"Ducke! Run! Run straight home! We're going to get the vehicle and pick up our parents!" I shout to him. I have no plan on where we are going to hide, no idea on where we would even be safe amongst the impact that the piece of space is going to send across the surface of this planet, but I do know that we need to do something. I've seen this happen too many times in my short life.

I watch as his mind comes back to earth, before he begins to run toward home. I follow suit, and it doesn't take long for me to catch up to him.

After only a few minutes of running, we find ourselves in our driveway as he makes his way inside the house to get the keys to our vehicle. "Hurry!" I shout, not wanting to die today...or any day.

It only takes but a few seconds for him to return, before he unlocks the vehicle door, and we both get in. The engine roars to life before he peels out of the driveway and toward the main factory on the edge of town. "We could almost be there by now if either of us drove to school," I mutter. We share this car, but we each prefer to walk to school unless the weather is awful. It was a beautiful day today, though. A beautiful day where neither of us would've ever imagined riding in an automobile. Not even the idea of being late could've gotten me into a vehicle on a day like today.

We exceed the speed limit, trying to pass other cars that are in a hurry to escape their awaited funeral, before eventually making it to the factory. Once he parks in the lot, we begin to watch crowds after crowds escape from the factory in a frightened frenzy. Ducke and I get out of the vehicle and begin shouting our parent's names, before finally spotting them. My heart is aching by the time they reach us, for it feels like hours have passed while we stood there waiting. Once we all get into the vehicle, we're quickly on the road again.

"Where am I driving to?" Ducke asks, his yellow eyes full of fear.

"Home," my father speaks up. "We cannot escape this like we could escape the ones at home. We had a ship to leave on, that ship was destroyed in the process of breaking through the atmosphere and not landing properly. We need to hold onto the hope that the storm cellar will protect us."

"Won't the ground crumble on us?" I interrupt.

"Maybe, but we will be smashed if we are not protected by something. That is the safest place. Be thankful we have that, quite a few of these poor souls do not." We all know he does not feel sorry for the humans. The Norovians, yes, but he's trying to comfort us with his words so he uses everyone as a whole. I do not want to be comforted, I want to be safe. "We cannot try to drive away from this. If something that large is covering he sun that far away, there is nowhere we could drive to in time. It's so massive it could swallow this whole planet."

The rest of the ride home is quiet and seems to be the longest ride I've ever endured. Even longer than the one getting to the factory.

The Earth continues to get darker, but it doesn't seem to matter. They're so many vehicles around us with their lights blazing, that it's almost hard to tell how dark it truly is.

When we eventually make it home, we immediately go to the backyard where my father unlocks the doors to the cellar. My mother enters first, then my brother, then it's my turn. As I step down into the dark hole, I can't help but look into the sky. It's so dark, it's hard to see a sky at all.

Once my father is inside with us, he shuts the door behind him. Making our way back as far as we can, we hope that this underground room will protect us from our biggest nightmare.

**********

The hours seem to drag on, for not even a conversation sparks among us. Eventually, I check the time. The numbers light up the room as it displays 6:54. We've been down here for over ten hours, our stomachs are hungry despite our nerves, our bladders are full...but directly on the dot of the next minute — it happens.

The debris collides with the Earth, shaking and rumbling and bringing down the walls around us. This results in my mother screaming, and my brother whimpering from the noise and motion it brings. That's all I remember, before something falls onto my skull and the world turns blacker than ever as I slip into oblivion.

***
edited 05/21/18