All alone

CHAPTER 1 - NOW

I wake up to hear my alarm clock ringing right next to my ear. My arm automatically gets out from under my blankets and reaches to shut off the alarm. With a groan, I slide out of bed. There is no use trying to go back to sleep now. I feel awake as ever after the obnoxious ringing of my alarm clock. As I look down at my now silent clock on my shelf, I wonder why its set to 8:30 on a weekend, why would I wake up so early?

I tread down the stairs. On my way to the kitchen, I pear into my father's office but do not dare enter the room. My household has strict privacy rules. I don't go in his space he doesn't go in mine. I like it like that. But my curiosity overcomes the fear of the punishments. He's not signing paperwork or looking at diagrams of aircrafts like how I imagined. My stomach twists. I know he's a quiet man and often leaves the house without letting me know but still I get the sense there is something wrong. I take a deep breath.

"Dad? Do you want me to pour you a bowl of cereal before you leave for work?" I was hoping the thought of Lucky Charms would lure him in. He's a sucker for lucky charms, but still, no answer. I poor myself a bowl. What can I say what can I say, I love lucky charms as much as him.

The feeling that something bad happened fades away as I get more devoted to eating my cereal. As I finish up my second bowl, I scan the room, looking for possible dishes I'll have to wash before Dad gets back from wherever he is. My eyes fall on the cat themed calendar hanging on the fridge. Today is circled in bright red. The half empty cereal bowl falls out of my hands and hits the tile floor with a loud clunk. Lucky Charms and milk spill across the floor.

Still, in my pajamas, I sprint outside. My bike is leaning against the front porch as usual. I don't hesitate and drag it out of my driveway by the handles. I hop onto the seat. It's still wet from the rain last night but at this point I don't really care. I pedal as fast as my legs can carry me; at this point I don't know if I can stop. I don't know if I know how to. I squeeze the handles as hard as my hands will let me. I know if I loosen my grip my hands will shake out of control. At first, I forget where to go. I'm too dazed and confused. All I think is "go, go, go." By the time I'm at the end of my street I regain enough consciousness to figure where exactly I'm headed.

I remember talking about this with Dad. He worked late last night making sure everything was ready for lift off today. We were supposed to wake up at 5:30. That was the worst part about this whole thing. Worse than leaving earth forever. Seriously, who's idea was that. That was why my alarm went off. I must have accidentally set it for 8:30 instead of 5:30. We would be driving several miles to the Seattle Space Base or SSB for short. Everyone else around the United States would be going to various lift off platforms throughout the country. Since my dad works for the people creating all the spaceships in order to leave Earth, he must meet up with SSB and board a different ship for the more important organizers. The SSB platform is much farther than the platform we would have used which is a much shorter drive if it weren't for Dad's job at UniverseX. I remember he told me traffic would be bad today because everyone was headed to one of the many platforms in Washington and for the same reason we were, to get out of this trashed planet. Over the years earth has gotten worse and worse. More and more pollution, more and more poverty, and more and more cramming people in tight living spaces. I guess I lucked out. We have a nice house because of my dad's job but it doesn't compare to the houses people used to have back when earth was wealthier. But I can't complain, it's much better than Bridget's who lives in a stuffy four-room apartment with her four brothers and parents. Sometimes when she invites me over and as I step into her cramped little home, I feel almost guilty for having such a big house just to me and my dad while she shares a small room with her brothers.

After a cruel 6 miles and an awful 30 minutes of bike-riding, I finally get a glimpse of the SSB platform which is a large strip on pavement surrounded by an open field accessible from the street. There are 50 pods on the strip in Seattle, which can each hold around 2,500 people each. I examine the field. I will have to bike on the grass which will be tedious.

I go and go and go until I could not keep up with my pedals. My right foot fumbles over the pedal and I lose control of my bike. I realize the only way to solve to situation is to stop.

I squeeze the left and right trigger fast. Too fast. The bike flings forward and I fly off into the air towards the platform. As I fall to the ground pain shoots through my arm. For a moment I lose myself. For a moment I forget where I am. I forget what I'm doing there. I don't know if I'm lying, broken on the ground, or if I'm still rapidly, spinning through the air. But then I feel it, the sharp, vicious, concrete slapping against my body. I feel aching pain spreading through entire body. I lie there. Half unconscious, half fully aware. I open my eyes, still laying in the same position I landed in. I see the pods in the distance. So close yet so far away. I hear silence. I thought at least someone would see me. Acknowledge my existence. But nope. I lie here like a broken doll while 12 billion other people sit in one of the crowded hover crafts ready for a new life. A fresh start. Preparing for lift off. Without me.