When the Stars Align

Warning: The Police Are Not on Your Side

I got lost a few times, but before I knew it; I was standing at my doorstep. As soon as I opened the door, I could see my mom pacing the living room talking rapidly on the phone.

"Oh my God! She's back! I'm going to call you back," she said hurriedly into the phone.

She hung up and wrapped me in a bear hug.

"Where have you been?" she asked angrily. "I've been worried sick!"

I didn't know what to tell her. I couldn't exactly tell her everything that happened.

"I just needed to get away for a while," I said lamely.

"Are you messing with me right now? You've been missing for two days, and you have no explanation other than you needed to get away for a while? You didn't tell me where you were going, you didn't answer any of my texts and calls, and you didn't tell any of your friends, so I couldn't find out anything from them! I had to file a missing persons report with the police!" she screamed.

My face turned white. My brother, Jase, hears the commotion from his room and comes out to see what's going on. He hugs me tightly, but I barely notice.

"You...told the police?" I asked, my mind flashing back to Will's warning that the police weren't on our side.

"Well, what did you expect me to do? That was them on the phone right before you walked in," she said.

"Oh God, no," I said already dialing Avery's number.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Avery! I really hate to drag you into this, but Will's already on thin ice and I don't know what else to do. My mom filed a missing persons report with the police," I said into the phone.

"Who is it?" I heard Will ask in the background.

"Avery, don't tell him it's me," I said.

"It's just Alex, Will," she said to him.

"You're lying, give me the phone, Avery," he said.

There was a lot of background noise.

"Nova?" Will asked.

I could tell he had the ear up to his ear now.

"Will, you're such a jackass," I said. "I called Avery."

"Just tell me what's going on," he said ignoring my jackass comment.

There was a loud knock at the door.

"We'll finish this later," my mom said heading towards the door.

"Mom, no!" I yelled stepping front of her.

"The police are at the door!" I yelled frantically to Will.

I grab Jase's arm and usher my mom into my room, shutting the door and locking it.

"Nova, what is going on with you?" my mom asked.

"Mom, I need you to trust me, okay?" I said as I did my best to drag furniture in front of the door.

"I'm already on the way, just stay on the phone with me," he said.

I heard a loud crash from the living room.

"Please hurry, they busted down the front door already," I said into the phone.

"I'm almost there, just hold on," he yelled back.

I can hear them pounding on my bedroom door now. Jase grabs my hand. In slow motion, I see the glass of my window shatter, and police flood into the room. All of them have a black streak in their hair. My mom screams. I put myself in front of Jase. Will is yelling into the phone if I'm okay. Gunfire rings out. My mom crumples to the ground. Blood soaks through her shirt, her eyes glass over. She's dead. I cry out but I don't move towards her, in fear that if I do they will shoot Jase too. Fear. It's painted all over Jase's face. How can I be one of these people? They're monsters on the inside, just like Will said. Will's still talking through the phone, but I don't hear a word he's saying.

"Arrest them," a man orders.

Several of them surge forward, grabbing us. I struggle with flailing limbs, refusing to be separated from Jase. He screams when they come near him. I punch and kick in no avail trying to reach him. Someone shoves me to the ground, pinning me down. I grab the closet object near me. It's the same pen I used to threaten Will only a few nights before. I thrust it with all my might at the first person that comes close enough to me. He hits him straight in the eyeball. I let go as he writhes and screams. It's lodged in there. I roll over and gag, but nothing comes up. There's nothing in my stomach to throw up.

I push through, grabbing hold of Jase. I jump out of the window and run as fast as I can, but Will was right about them being quick. A man tackles me to the ground. Jase stumbles, but the man isn't paying any attention to him.

"Run!" I yell at him.

Instead, he starts kicking the man that's has me pinned down. The man finds him a nuisance and shoves him away. He whips out his gun.

"No!" I yell yanking his arm up just as he fires. The bullet misses but only a few inches.