Wings of The Universe

Chapter one: The News Is Right For The First Time Ever

Listen carefully. I didn't know this was going to happen to me. I had absolutely no idea. I wasn't involved in the process of being chosen to do this, and I didn't have a choice. But it happened. My name is Danielle, and this is the story of how the world ended.It was a regular Sunday morning. I woke up to the smell of pancakes wafting in my room, completely oblivious to what would happen. I changed and got ready for the day. If I wasn't so exhausted, maybe I would have been more alert and realized why my 'sixth sense' was acting up. As I slowly made my way down to the kitchen, I recognized it as a weird feeling. You know the feeling about someone stepping on your grave? That's what it felt like. I froze, and when I turned around I saw the TV in the living room with the news playing. I joined my dad watching it, forgetting about the pancakes waiting for me.It wasn't much, it looked like another conspiracy theory started by some random person wanting to stir up drama. But for some reason, it caught my attention."The earthquakes started out small in Macapa, Brazil, but have been spreading at an alarming rate through the country, and are about to touch Colombia and the Atlantic Ocean." said the reporter. "Seismologists are baffled, and can't explain why they are spreading in a perfect line along the equator." Before I could think much about it, my mum came into the living room. She's very pretty, with bright sparkling blue eyes and long golden hair. It was pulled back into a ponytail that swished as she entered the room. She wore a white sweater and blue jeans, her signature outfit."Danielle! I didn't hear you get up!" Her voice was silvery. "Come, I made pancakes,"I didn't reply, just smiled back at her while my mind wandered off with the thoughts of the earthquakes. Why were they spreading out in a straight line? Right across the equator, at that? I was starting to think it wasn't a conspiracy theory.I followed her into the kitchen and sat on one of the stools at the breakfast bar. She then handed me a plate of steaming pancakes. I poured syrup on them and decorated the tower with strawberries."Honey, you're drowning them," chided my mom. "Go easy on the maple syrup."I gave a little huff but put it away trying to hide a smile. She opened her mouth like she was deciding on whether or not to say something, but she saw that I'd noticed. Her smile turned sympathetic, and she said something I had been dreading, but somehow forgot about. "Don't forget, you're going to Aunt Julia and Uncle Chase's for a playd- sorry, a get together with your cousins."I internally groaned. "Oh yeah," I replied, trying to sound nonchalant. "I forgot about that. When is it again?""We should be there for noon," my mom said and checked the magnetic calendar on the fridge. "Also, Aunt Julia said that-"She was cut off by my dad sitting down next to me, his stool screeching across the floor. His brown hair was streaked with gray and was smushed from sleeping."Hey, Jess!" He gave her an awkward hug from the other side of the island. "Morning, Dani! Did you see the news?" He took a pancake from my stack. "You were with me, right? Sorry, I was half asleep." He chuckled.I nodded, and the report flashed through my brain again."That was pretty weird," I said. I was still very confused about them, but I felt like I had to hide it."What news?" asked my mom, wiping her hands on a towel and taking a seat next to me. "I must have missed it.""Earthquakes in Brazil. Nothing special." I replied quickly.She nodded thoughtfully."It's probably one of those things that everyone overreacts to," I added. "Speaking of, do you know when we're going to Germany? You said we could go sometime this year! I know it's only January, but I'm excited!""We don't know, we're working on it." my dad chimed in. "And what does that have to do with Brazilian earthquakes?" "I dunno," I tried to add excitement to my voice. "I was just thinking about travelling, I guess,""As your dad said, we're working on it," my mum tugged on her sweater. "We'll be there soon, I promise."I nodded and couldn't help but grin. As much as I disliked those earthquakes, I loved Germany. We used to go every year when I was little, when we lived in New York. But in Los Angeles, things are different. "I'm going to go work on my story," I told them and headed upstairs. This one was for Ms. Rooplal's English class. It was about a plague that took over a small town and turned everyone into geniuses, with one side effect. On the third Monday of every month, they had to cluck like chickens until they heard a plane. I know it's random, but when I turned it in I got an A, and Ms. Rooplal is very strict. And if you're wondering, yes, I have different versions of the same book. I opened my laptop and started on a new one. 'Something was in the air. You could feel the tension the moment you stepped into the little town of Cunninghen. It was just... off. People were no longer rushing about, going to work, doing their errands. They were all at an airport for a reason unbeknownst to this foreign stranger. She curiously joined them in hopes to figure it out. Miss Eva Jolin always loved a good mystery. "Excuse me, ma'am, can you tell me why everyone is gathered here?" She asked as politely as she could. "Perhaps you are awaiting the arrival of someone?"The old lady looked at her, confused and baffled for a moment, then seemed to have realized something. She pushed Eva aside and made a strange noise.Baffled, Miss Jolin continues her search and made her way through the crowd. She noted that everyone was staring up at the sky as if waiting for a cloud to cross the sun. After asking a few more people, all of whom responded with either noises that sounded like a chicken or silence, she turned to watch the sky as well. As she began to think this was a waste of her last day on vacation, she saw a dot of a plane in the distance. They began to cluck and crow like roosters and jump happily up and down.I thought that was pretty good. I shook my head as the real world came back into view. I'd gotten sucked into my writing again, as usual. As I made my way down the stairs, I heard voices arguing."You can't just do that! You've got to think!" Said my dad's voice."I can do whatever I want!" My mom sounded really angry. "You don't control me!""That doesn't mean I'll let you just-"They stopped abruptly as my footsteps drew nearer to them, even though I was trying to be silent.I entered the room. "Hey, guys! I started another version of 'A Life Led in Cunninghen'!""That's great, Dani!" My dad said through fake excitement. He was doing an awful job of trying to look happy: his smile was forced, he kept shooting daggers at my mom when he thought I wasn't looking, and his fists were clenched. "I still don't understand why you have so many different versions of the same story. It's all about a woman that moves because some people act like chickens.""Dad, I've told you already," I walked over to the kitchen to get a glass, trying to ignore the way he was glaring, clearly very frustrated, at my mum. She was giving him a death stare. "You can look at it from the point of view of the woman, or you can do it in second- or third-person, and there are pieces you can change that will make the story different.""Danielle's right," My mom spoke for the first time. "There are lots of different ways you can look at it." She said it in a way that was telling my dad something I shouldn't know about, something they probably argued about earlier. As in they don't want me to know. As in I want to know.I decided to distract them by asking about my cousins."So when are we leaving? Twelve o'clock?" "I was about to call you down," My mom nodded. "We have to leave in five minutes."Trying to act natural, I put my empty water glass in the sink. I headed upstairs and quickly changed into a light pink sweater and blue jeans. I'd forgotten about the visit again while I was writing. Rushing back downstairs, I grabbed an apple for the road. "Dani, why're you in such a hurry?" my mum's voice floated through the hallway. "You're usually on time."I mumbled an excuse and set out for the car. Sitting in the front seat of the Tesla, I rubbed my wrist (an old habit) and waited for her to join me.Once she got in, we drove off, colourful blurs speeding past the window. I leafed through a book in comfortable silence, but something nagged at me. Two things, actually. But before I could voice either of them, we arrived.As I stepped on the manicured lawn I thought about the afternoon I had been dreading. I went up to the huge house and rang the doorbell. Lulu shyly waved at me from inside as Lisa opened the door, with way more energy than usual. The only way I could tell them apart was how they were acting (they're identical twins). They usually dressed similarly too. Lisa was wearing black tights and a yellow top, and Lulu wore a tie-die colourful with faded black jeans. "Hey, Danielle!" Lisa gushed. "Come in!" They were both acting weird. Weirder than usual, at least.They brought me to their study immediately. Two large oak desks were put on opposite sides of the room with swivel chairs. There were photos of them and their family, and notes were scattered all over them, as though they were proper office desks. Both were facing large windows. On the third wall in front of me was a large corkboard with notes and papers attached, and I thought I may have seen a map. They turned me away from it, though, and sat me down on an armchair next to the door. They sat down in their own chairs and turned to face me. Lisa had lost her normal bubbly aura. In perfect unison, very gravely, they said: "The world is ending."