“Where are you going?” Josh whispered to me. I looked behind my shoulder at him, gazing into his soft blue eyes. His face told me he was scared.

“I have to leave,” I replied. The summer night was warm, all I wanted to do was stay and watch the stars with him. Josh reached over and grabbed my arm. He laid on the grass, the moon lighting up his face.

“Please, stay a little longer.” Tears filed my eyes. I was scared to. I knew this was the last time I would ever see him. We both had a gut feeling. The other world was coming for us, we were all going to be invaded.

“You know I can’t. Josh--” The tears were already coming before I could finish my sentence. I shut my eyes tight, wanting to make the world go away. I felt Josh sit up and kiss my cheek, his arms tightly wrapped around me. “I’m scared,” I cried. He hid his face in my neck and I sobbed into his brown hair.

“It’s going to be okay Dani. I promise I will do everything I can to keep you safe.” I opened my eyes and leaned back to see him. Josh grabbed my hand and intertwined his fingers through mine. He stared at me, his eyes looking straight into mine.

“But you won’t be here,” I whispered, choking on my words. I shut my eyes again and put my forehead onto his. His hands held my face and I felt his thumb wipe away under my eyes.

“I love you.” As instant as he said it his lips had reached mine. My hands pulled the back of his neck closer to my lips, I just wanted to be as close to him as possible. I wrapped my arms around his neck and swung my left leg over him. I had no time to breath, I wanted every single part of him. I needed him. Josh pulled my hips closer. I kissed him passionately, my whole body aching for every second to last. I didn’t need his body yet, I just wanted to kiss him, his lips grazing mine was the most special gift in the world.

EEE EEE EEE EEE

The noise startled me and I jumped. I instantly got off Josh and sat on my knees, staring at him in complete alarm. “Josh,” I mumbled, fear rolling hard in my stomach. “the sirens,” I shakily exclaimed. He wasn’t looking at me anymore, he was looking at something else. I waited for Josh to look at me but the expression on his face made me glance back. I shifted my eyes behind us where the DO NOT CROSS fence was. My jaw dropped. Behind it, red lights flashed in the sky, every street a siren was going off. Fifty feet away was what the people called, “monster.” It stood on its crooked legs, its mouth revealing its sharp teeth.

“Be completely still,” I heard Josh say. Following his order I stayed in my position on my knees, my hands clenched and at my side. The “monster” shook his head from side to side as if it was looking around for something. I watched its nostrils inhale strongly like it was sniffing. The monster growled so loud it was a shriek in my ear. “The monster can’t hear us, but if we move it will see us,” Josh explained. I sat completely still praying the creature would leave soon. The sirens chimed every other second, I felt like my ear drums were about to implode.

What we sometimes called an “alien” was absolutely terrifying. We had never seen one up close, but the president concludes every year that aliens could invade Earth. We were showed that a long time ago things called aliens from other planets came to Earth and killed human beings. Watching short films of the aliens caught on tape, ripping apart human flesh. One year, some girl in my junior class started crying. Every year we have been preparing for another invasion, and yesterday the President announced this night was the day the world would end. I got to watch it end with the love of my life.

The monster ended its search and grabbed the top of the fence, pulling itself over. We watched it gallop across the field behind the fence back towards the sirens. I turned towards Josh and hugged him. “We gotta go.” Josh stood up and pulled me with him and began to run the other direction from the fence, the sirens getting slowly quieter. I gripped Josh’s hand tighter as we got farther away from society. I didn’t bother to ask where we were going I just wanted to get away before Josh and I were killed.



For some reason I thought I would die of old age, live a long life, and have kids of my own. I wish I got to see Josh grow old with me, I wish I got to see our wedding day. There is something beyond those walls though, I’m glad I got to see him one last time because time in death is one second of time on Earth. The aliens caught up to me before him and I got away. I remember gazing back like it was in slow motion, his gaping mouth ready to eat me. It was over in the moment. Now I am floating, I don’t know where I am but I’m in a place where there is no color except a dim gray. I’m hovering in the air above the small light looking down at it as memories before I die flash through it. The light is showing Josh’s smile it’s image staying in one picture now. Death wasn’t scary, I’m not sad, I’m not disappointed. I simply feel at piece in this moment. One thing I know for sure though. I will see you soon Josh.