War of the Void

Chapter 1: The Message

I was in year 11 at school, just 17, yet the message is still fresh in my mind like it was yesterday.

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15 April 2117 11:23 AM EST
I was sitting in my small, cramped desk in my geography class at my high school. The desks where supposed to fit 4 people and be 'ergenomic' yet the could barely fit two people and were really uncomfortable. I was looking blankly at my desk, staring into nothingness.

"Amanda" someone said my name, but I wasn't listening.

"Amanda" there it was again. I looked up and saw my teacher looking at me like he was expecting something 'crap, he must of asked my a question'

"sorry, what was the question sir?" I asked.

"Amanda, please describe the weather paterns on this map of Australia"

I looked at the board trying to interpret one of those maps I used to see on the old 'News' program on our old television.

"There is some teath that are coming up from Antarctica trying to eat Australia, there is also some teath coming from India as well. There is a bunch of lines everywhere and a bunch of capital H's and L's" I said

The whole class erupted in laughter like a volcano.

"Amanda are you trying to be a smart-ass to me?" he replied

"Sorry sir, I wasnt listening"

"I though so."

That was when it happened.

The schools old P.A system rumbled to life like my brother getting up from bed in the morning. After a couple seconds of static a high pitched scream exploded out of the speaker, causing the entire class to simultaneously bring their hands to their ears like in a movie, trying to block out the sound. Exactly 5 seconds later a grumbled voice came through, and what it said scarred me for life.
The almost human, yet very, very alien voice said only one word but I will never forget it. It said "PREPARE"

The static returned for a couple minutes after we recieved the message and everyone was dead silent in the class, even the teacher, then the bell rang shattering the silence like a hammer shattering glass.  I went to lunch like everyone else, expect I didnt sit with anyone else.  I overheard a group of 9th graders talking about the message and also saw it all over the internet, it looked like it happened to every speeker in the world. 

I went to all my boring other classes as usual. All of them earily silent. Even the ones that are usually loud. During my last class, an english lesson no one said a word, except the teach. I started staring out the window, trying to look over ther wall that seperated America from Canada, I caught a glimpse of a bright flash, it looks like the was is still going on behind the wall.  I walked home on my own, thinking about the message and what it could mean. I thought to myself that it literaly could mean anything, the only thing that was set in stone was that we had to prepare for something, and I wanted to help.

I got home and my mum and dad were waiting at the door as a came in.

"sweety we were so worried about you," my mum said.

"why? Did you get the eary message as well?" I replied

"Yea, we saw it on the Holovision," replied my dad

"Do you know what it means?" I asked my parents

"nope, do you?" they replied in unison(they did say they were part of the same choir in high-school)

"nup" I replied, still thinking about what it could mean.

Now I Know...