The Invaders

The earth shook

“Rower, I’m serious. Please can we just get back in the car, Demi, she wants to go back to school.” Clarisse protested taking my hand a little too tightly. I grinned, and pulled her forwards, “Common Clair, you don’t want the guys to see you are scared. Do you?” I teased knowing she would cave.

“I’m not scared Rower, but this is stupid, it’s just a chunk of metal, why do we have to take a look?”

“If it’s just a chunk of metal why do you care?” I had her there. She sighed and nodded, following me at a safe distance, with murmurs of “this is so stupid.”

The closer we got, the weirder I felt, almost like there was some invisible force pushing us back, ignoring it, I could feel Clarisse start to shake, “Can you f-feel that babe?” She stuttered as she clasped my hand so tightly the circulation was slowly cutting off. “Feel what babe?” I lied.

She shook her head and shrugged. “Nothing.”

Soon the feelings were impossible to ignore, My ears filled with a terrible screeching noise, I slammed my hands over my ears, “What the HELL.” I yelled looking at Clarisse; she stood on the spot frozen in shock, just staring at me blankly.

I turned away from the metal object and grabbed her hand, “Common let’s get out of here.”

***

I couldn’t stop thinking about that chunk of metal after that, what kind of metal could drive you insane like that, Clarisse hadn’t spoken a word for the rest of the day, the second we got back to school she just took off, she didn’t even say goodbye.

I know she was scared about whatever it was we had seen, but her reaction had been so much worse than mine, and I couldn’t figure out why. She was normally braver than me. She wasn’t replying to my texts, either. Then again I hadn’t replied to any of the boys. Dan and Harry had texted me multiple times after I skipped rugby practise.

I just hadn’t felt like going today, something was wrong, something wasn’t right.

“Rower Dinners up!” Mum called from the kitchen, any thoughts I was having about the metal object disappeared at the sound of food, I jumped up from my bed, and taking the stairs two at a time. I ran my fastest when there was food involved.

“That didn’t take long.” My Dad laughed, slamming his hand on the table making everyone jump. “Dad, seriously.” Anna snapped, flicking her long bleached hair out of her face. I rolled my eyes. “Could you wear any more clothes?”

She was wearing shorts so short you could only hope she wouldn’t bend over, and a shirt so tight it didn’t even go pass her belly button. “Ohh shut up, Bro. Needed to flash my new tan didn’t I?”

“It’s fake, Like you Anna.”

Wham! My head slammed forward, I lifted my hand to rub the throbbing lump rising at the back of my head. Mum grinned and put the pot away in the cupboard. “That’s not your place, Son.”

I rolled my eyes, I was pretty sure it was the older brothers place not to let his sister walk around looking like a tramp.

She was too much like a Barbie for my liking, at school all the girls called her and her group of friends the plastics, all incredibly fake, arrogant bimbos, and my little sister just happened to be one.

We were half way through dinner, Anna droning on about how guys just wouldn’t leave her alone, how they all just wanted a chance to ask her out. I don’t think any of us were listening, but Anna had a habit of talking so much she only needed herself to have a conversation.

“ohh, and he was like Anna you are totally gorgeous and I was all, Honey I alrea-“

The whole room began to shake as the earth moved, I threw my hands down onto the table trying to steady it, as Anna screamed loudly. The shaking seemed to go on forever, the walls seemed to be cracking up the sides.

I gulped, the floor was vibrating without stopping, my teeth banging together, my bones shaking. “Th-this is insane.” I stuttered. As the chandelier fell from the roof, smacking Anna right on the head, her screaming stopped as her body crashed to the floor. It was difficult to tell if she was convulsing or it was just because the floor was shaking so hard.

Dust was through my hair and clothes by the time the ground stood still, this wasn’t normal, shouldn’t there have been earthquake warnings, something to tell us what was about to happen?

I walked quickly over to Anna, who was pushing herself up off the floor, “This isn’t a dream is it Row?”

I shook my head, “I don’t think so Anna.”

She nodded, and put a shaking hand to her head, that seemed to be gushing an endless fountain of blood.