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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WASHINGTON, D.C., USA
August 15, 5:23 PM
Today would not be the day Raazi Surraya would leave the hospital.
She had hoped to be out already, but that was before a huge ship hovered over her home and her land, blinding everything with this darkness. She could spot no sunlight, no sky, not even a sliver of the stars. Every day felt like a hallucination. It worsened her mood and she felt even more depressed than usual.
"This is just cruel," she muttered, clutching her cactus plushie. She had hoped to see the supposed sunlight reported from the Midnight Zone this morning, where no light had shown since the arrival of the ship.
The door opened, and there was only pitch black darkness and the silence of two people. Electricity and lines of communication had been reserved for critical functions like hospitals, but even so, this close to the center of the darkness, the hospital was struggling to maintain continuous power and what they did have, had been funneled to the machines keeping patients alive.
"Hello, Raazi. Just here to check your vitals for the day."
It was Philia, even though Raazi couldn't see her, she had come to recognize her presence. And it's not like there was a long line of people coming and going from her room.
"Hey, Philia. Think I'll make it out of here anytime soon?"
Philia laughed, "I think it's best you stay here," as she checked Raazi's temperature and blood pressure. A beep sounded and it jarred Raazi's reality as Philia looked at the numbers on the oximeter– the only source of light.
"Oh!" Philia chirped with delight. "Your brother and mom texted me and they've made it out. Most people are evacuating."
"They're safe?" Raazi's voice broke. She was happy for them. She truly was. But now there wouldn't be anyone to visit her. And it was kinda sad. A whole lot more disappointing than she wanted to admit.
Raazi looked out of the window for a long time, remembering blue skies and warm sunlight on her skin. Now, it was just dark. "Yeah, they are," Philia replied softly. "How are you feeling? Do you want me to get you anything?"
"How does your hundred-year- old Nokia phone still work? Also, a hundred bars of chocolate would make me immensely happy," Raazi muttered.
The lights began to flicker, and when they suddenly turned on fully, Philia looked sadder than usual as she rubbed her eyes, adjusting to the brightness.
"Didn't you ever wanna go home?" Raazi immediately regretted the question as Philia blinked back tears and looked away.
She was a young nurse in her twenties with a high top bun and leopard print spectacles that made her eyes even more pronounced than usual.
