Setting Fire to the Stars (a MM Sci-Fi Romance)

Chapter 5: Proximity

—————————————————————
Peter
—————————————————————

The worst part about the end of the world wasn't the pulverized houses or the countless towers of smoke choking the sky beyond the treetops. It wasn't even the burn radiating through my injured arm.

It was the complete and absolute silence.

There were no air sirens. No helicopters or jets. No gunfire. Not even birds disturbed the quiet summer air.

Lauren and I didn't speak as we hiked over the slabs of uneven pavement. Maple trees lined the concrete path, the foliage growing more dense the further we got from the college. The road that once carried the constant hum of traffic only days ago now stood barren of life. Something about the absence of car engines and forest chatter set my teeth on edge, a tight, restless feeling I couldn't quite shake.

We passed abandoned cars, collapsed houses, and smoking fields, pushing myself forward quickly to keep the panic from overwhelming me completely.

This is really happening. There are aliens out there, hunting us, trying to annihilate humanity.

The sharp pang of hunger cramped my empty stomach, a reminder that I hadn't bothered eating more than a protein shake last night. Pretty stupid, I'd admit, especially now that my survival hinged upon finding food and water. Along side the hunger, a dull throbbing began in my temples, the fever leaving me sweaty and unfocused.

We needed to find more medicine. Shelter. People. There had to be help somewhere.

I barely noticed my hands had started shaking. Sweat beaded my brow, soaking into my back. My head was pounding by the time we came upon a house that was still fully intact. It was a particularly fancy farmhouse that sat on a few acres of land with a winding cobblestone driveway.

Lauren glanced over his shoulder, his mouth tight with apprehension. "Think there's any chance that anyone is home?"

I shrugged. "Only one way to find out."

Leading the way up the driveway to the front door, I tried the knob and was surprised to find the door unlocked. Just as I was about to push it open, Lauren stopped me with a hand on my arm.

"You don't know what could be in there," he whispered, the note of fear evident in his tone. "What if those things are inside?"

"I don't see any little green men running around," I responded dryly, though I glanced up at the sky. "We'll be careful."

My words purposely come out more confident than I felt. Opening the ornate glass door slowly, I poked my head into the finely decorated foyer.

"Hello? Anybody home?"

My greeting was met with only silence.

Cautiously stepping through the cream colored entry way, I was met with a wall full of canvas paintings and pristine modern decor. The interior of the farmhouse looked well-cared for, a home evidently filled with lots of love from the looks of the multiple family photographs sitting on bookshelves.

From the small table next to the beige sofa, a picture of an elderly married couple and two women caught my eye. Picking up the frame, I noticed that the two smiling young women in the picture were holding hands, happily showing off a pair of wedding rings. The greying man and woman standing next to them were hugging them both, joy practically radiating through the glass.