the school

Wake Up, Work Out, Ward Off Aliens: Just Another Day at the 'School'

My father was shaking with the effort to keep his eyes open. I opened my mouth to tell him not to go and that I loved him, but no words came out. Something wasn't right. He shouldn't be leaving me alone. I was just a kid. A cough racked through his body, and blood dripped from his mouth. He was gone, and I couldn't move. I didn't want to. Sobbs freed themselves from me, and tears rolled from my eyes.

The nightmare shook me awake. I needed to stop thinking about that night it happened three years ago. I rolled off my bed onto the floor. I must be careful where I step since I still have jagged edges of the tile on my floor and must finish pulling it up. I like working in my room. It keeps me distracted from the end of the human race. This room used to be my homeroom when I started high school, but I covered the walls in black paint and tried ripping up the tiles, and recently, I installed a sink. I don't have an end game for what I want the room to be because being done means this is my life. And even now, I still can't believe it is accurate. 

Once outside, I ran the morning workout for the military group. It was short—just a run this morning. Usually, we do some sparing, but I had a feeling that today wasn't a good day. I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach that things would be different after that. 

"Anderson," Susan called my attention from my own thoughts. She was one of our soldiers with less experience, switching recently from the cooking group. "I need to see Doc. Is there any way someone could cover me" 

"I can do it. Is there something wrong, or is that too personal?" I like to know about my people in case of an incident. Is it reasonable to understand what is going on in their lives? 

"I'm just ensuring that something isn't serious going on." Susan avoided answering me. I wish people would tell me what I need to know. Shouldn't that end all the secrets if it is the end of the world? 

"Alright, feel better." I knew pushing would get me nowhere, so supporting and trusting her was better. Eventually, she would tell me what was happening. She ran back inside the school while I headed around front to her station. 

 The school, one of the last human communities, is surrounded by a wall or at least the makings of one. The very back of the property still needed to be done. The front was made of storage pods so we could patrol the front quickly. That is where I was stationed for what was the makings of a regular watch. I was pacing with one of the guns on top of two stacked pods while people were moving around below between the wall and the front of the school. We still call this place the school even though no one is getting taught inside anymore. 

Below, Brian was loading up one of our trucks for an outing to look for supplies for the back of the wall. Owen was directing wheel barrels around to the different compost piles. Winter was finally over; it was time to dump composted garbage all over our fields. Looking in the school window, you can see people running around cleaning or doing odd jobs. Joe and Tommy were running late to their post, but they were in charge of opening and closing the gates to the school, and the team going out today was still being prepared. When they got to their post, they did their best not to make eye contact; I thought about making them miserable for being late, but that idea was cut short. 

"Anderson, we've got ourselves a show," Cayden, one of the soldiers, called to me from across the gate. I looked out to what used to be a busy street. Two men were being run down by three aliens who appeared to be just playing with them. 

"Alright, everyone. Quiet down. Guns at the ready. Doors stand by." Everyone in the front froze and was silent so that the military could communicate and they could hear what was going on. 

"I got a shot on one of the aliens." I didn't see who said that because they were behind me. I expected them to shoot right away, but they waited. 

"Hold, Cayden. Could you get those people's attention so they know this is a safe place?" 

"Yes" 

"Do it and take the shot." The gun went off behind me, taking out the middle alien. Cayden had his hoodie off, waving it like a beckon. The two men veered their course towards us. One was leaner and faster. He could have been at our walls already, but he wouldn't leave his friend. "Joe, Tommy, open the outer wall." I took the second shot, taking out one of the aliens. I could see Max lining up the shot from the other side of Cayden. "Max, if you get the last shot, take it." I watched the two men. They were almost here. 

"Anderson, on your call, we will close the outer gate," Joe called through clenched teeth. I looked down and saw Brian and other guys helping to keep those gates open. The two boys were so close, and the bigger one was practically dragged across the finish line. 

"Hold, Hold," the leaner one heard me and made eye contact before he threw himself and his friend through the gate. "Drop." All the people let the gate go. I could practically hear their muscles relaxing. "Max, are you planning on taking that shot today, or should we come back tomorrow" A shot rang out, and the last alien dropped. I watched the alien hit the floor and gave Max a stern look; while it was a good shot, it would have been better before. The two boys were now banging on the gates, aware of how trapped they were. "Cayden, do you have the wall?"