Monsters & Men

Prologue

Prologue

4/13/2039

Koruma de Eva

One hour, seventeen minutes and ninety-nine nanoseconds until Apophis' impact.

  I twist my hair gently around the tip of my index finger and watch until it turns crimson. Dark as the blood which splatters over a BBC reporter's camera just after a brief cry. Amae de Eva, finally turns the tv off. We know what show was casting on the next channel; reality. Apophis wasn't just an asteroid, it was death itself. The ice breaker for the first apocalypse.

"We're all going to die, aren't we?"

"Most of us, yes"

  My eyes meet her dark ones. To me she was always beautiful. Growing up she was my rock, my heroine, my mother. However, this is now, and in this moment all I can think about is how in just over 77 minutes Earth won't exist, and I will be dead. I wouldn't get to say goodbye to my father, Coragem, he was too busy trying to save a dying world. Or my twin; Corbie, she died three hours ago, the work of cacodemons. Doomsday sucks.

"So what now, huh? Just wait around until something happens to us?"

  Tears flood my vision, and I can't stop. Twenty-four hours ago everything was normal. I was normal. Then they came and explosive shit happened.

  Amae is one of NASA's top astronomists whom took part in the research of project Astriod21E. She was one of those calculated how, when and if Apophis was to hit Earth. Although her and others who were associated with project A21E made a colossal mistake in their studies the one thing that no one would have counted on was being invaded by an alien race who's soul desire it to rid the universe of humanity and colonialize our home planet. Explosive shit, right?

I'm Koruma de Eva. At least I was until the invasion.

Amae came over and took a firm hold of my arms. They're shaking. God, I'm freaking out. I mean I suppose that's the normal thing to do in this situation; the world is ending for god sake!

"Vegas. Vegas, listen to me"

  That was the nickname she gave me when I was eight. She'd always said that I was just as wild as the actual place. I was going to turn sixteen next week and we were all supposed to go there together; to Vegas.

  I wiped my face with the sleeve of my hoodie.

"What? Just what! There's nothing anyone can do now. We're going to die. You just said we were so what's the point"

"Koruma...you need to do something for me ok?

You're not going to like it, but it's the only way I can keep you safe"

"I'm listening," I hate being so desperate, but I have not just spent the past fifteen years of my life going through so much to not even have a chance of a future. It's just...not fair.

"Back at NASA we developed something we call a Preserver. They have everything you need to live and more. There's not many of them and we don't know If they work or not, but it's your best shot at survival since the rockets have already left for Mars."

"Mom, what are you saying?"

She shot a half smile. It was plastic, pure plastic. Like a perfect Barbie.

"I have one in the lab-"

Bang. Bang.

They're here.

  Amae dragged me towards her laboratory. I felt like I was floating, any minute I would wake up and nothing would have ever happened. I wished nothing had ever happened.

  She's activating the Pod. The sounds close in. Amae kisses my forehead. I feel like a five year old being lulled to sleep after a bed time story, but this is no fairy-tale; it's worse than nightmares. This is real. She pushes a file into my hands; the screen closes. The lights turn black. Breathe. And this is where I die.