Thirty days.
The countdown has started, North America shivers under the shadow of a massive alien spacecraft, and humanity is hurtling toward an unknown future that lurks at the end of the timer. Somewhere, somehow, the heroes are making their plan...
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BENTONVILLE, ARKANSAS, USA
August 20, 4:30 PM
"Do you think the aliens are cleaning the environment so they can come down to populate the earth?" asked my little sister Casey, watching the TV. I hadn't seen her blink.
I sighed. The news would not stop broadcasting about the damn ship and everything that happened. "Well, the air in the cities, at least, but the air in the forest surrounding us already seems clean enough to me. Anyway, I don't know what they're planning."
Since nothing changed overnight, despite the massive ship in the sky with a countdown ticking off the time to doomsday, many still posted memes-as if they were excited about humanity's possible extinction or just wanted to ease their fear.
Some people might think we architects weren't so necessary after the world's end, but we knew how to make construction documents by hand. Why? A wise professor said that if the technology failed or if one day the world ended, we could draw by hand and rebuild civilization. Ironic. My boss had made us continue working. He wanted our projects finished before something happened, although the day-by-day increase in empty desks and huge number eleven in the sky today told me it was time to look for a hiding place.
Being in Bentonville, NW Arkansas, we were very close to that thing. You could see the edge of the craft in the distance by going to the nearest mountaintop.
"I called for you, but you didn't answer," Casey said.
"I went for groceries," I replied. At least what was available. Food was scarce, reminding me of the pandemic. Each day, it had gotten worse as I went to buy what I could and stood in line for hours. A nightmare. "We're going to put everything in the car, and then we're going to go south to see Grandma."
It was more than time for us to escape. Every day I returned from work, more neighbours had left, leaving a darkened house behind. Although I heard a few muffled sounds, I hadn't dared knock on any doors.
The phone rang, and I jumped to answer it. It was my other younger sister, the one in the middle-Camilla.
"Hold on to your tights because I have an idea."
I chuckled despite the tightening in my chest that had been building as each day passed. I wasn't laughing much anymore.
"What is it?"
"A colleague from my work went to hide in one of the many caves in the forest. We should do that."
"Oh no, thanks. I don't want to go to sleep with Big Foot."
"If the aliens get off their ship in eleven days, the first thing they will attack is the cities. Moreover, people are speculating that perhaps they are already among us or have already spoken with the president. I don't know. We can not wait any longer."
