Night of the Alphas

Prologue

February 17th, 2106

If I had a world where everything went my way, then people would just get along. Nobody would call each other names or push other people around or argue. There wouldn't be any war, or hunger, or crime, or any of that. I figure things will just work themselves out after people realize that they aren't so different after all.

Maybe then kids in my class wouldn't get into fights. Bullying would be pretty much gone. Heck, maybe Miranda and Zaria would stop arguing about dumb things, like music and clothes and what color to paint their room. And maybe if Joshua and my parents got along better, he wouldn't be in military school right now.

Also, I would be president of the world. Or queen. Or empress. Whatever, I would be one of those. Because I want to be. Wait, no. I'll be president, Miranda will be the queen, and Zaria will be the empress. We can be a power trio.

"Adrian!" My mom called.

"Yeah?"

"Come downstairs. We need to talk."

"'Kay. Be right there."

Be right back, my mom needs me. She probably just needs me to do the dishes or something. I guess I'll be back tomorrow.

-Adrian Taylor, age 12

I pushed my desk chair in and bounded down the stairs, my nightgown fluttering every step of the way. As I crept toward the living room where my parents were, I noticed that the T.V. was on and turned to the local news station. Weird, I thought. Mom and Dad don't usually watch the news.

"Hey mom, what was it you wanted to-" I stopped and looked at what the news anchor was saying. When I fully grasped what it was, my stomach dropped.

"Dad," I sat between my parents. "Is it... Is that true what they're saying?"

He looked at me, his face grim, and nodded slowly.

I grabbed onto him and closed my eyes. As he wrapped his arm around my small, trembling body, I heard the news anchor say one last thing before the commercial break.

"God help us all."