Apologies

Sofie

Chapter 1- Sofie

I was eight years old. Half the age I am now. A little, innocent child who had very little knowledge about how the world actually worked. I didn't know that the reason we always moved every year or so was because of the war. I didn't know that the previously mentioned war was taking human lives by the second. And most of all, I didn't know that our entire planet was in danger.

The aliens that had invaded Earth, were, for the most part, similar to humans. With a few key differences, of course. One is their appearance. Their skin, if you could call it that, was whiter than snow and closer to the texture of plastic. Rather unsettling. They also have unusually sharp teeth. A second, is that, obviously, they come from space. We don't know where in space they come from, and we don't seem to be anywhere close to finding out. The aliens speak and write in a language unlike that of any of the countries on Earth.

A third difference between aliens and Earthlings is that they have advanced technology, far beyond that which any of Earth's scientists have come close to developing. An example of this is they have the ability to disguise themselves as humans. Which makes it exceedingly difficult to find out who the real humans are.

Of course, at eight years old the Humans Vs. Aliens War was something I had little to no knowledge about. So when my mom dropped me off at her friend's house, and told me I'd be living here until she got back from the war, I went with it. I thought she'd be back in a few days. I was wrong.

I remember that day. She hugged me goodbye for so long. The last time I saw my mom.

The house was brightly lit, and the walls were painted cheery shades of pink, silver and gold. I instantly felt better just being there. I turned around. My mom's friend, who I'd seen her with but didn't really know, was standing in the front room where I was. She gave me a big smile and said, "Welcome to your new home!" I forced myself to smile back. The woman turned to face the other room and called, "Sofie! Charity is here!"

A girl my age walked out of the next room. She had messy, frizzy light brown hair and wore overalls over a green short sleeved shirt. "Hi, I'm Sofie, with an 'F'," she said, as if she'd said the same thing a thousand times before. Which, I now realize, she probably had. "I'm Charity," I said back.

Sofie Duncan and I quickly became best friends. It kind of happens when you live with someone. Life with the Duncan's was peaceful, and even though once in a while I would think of my mother, I would know that she would be coming home any day now, and I never felt sad for long.

Until one day, a couple of months after I moved into the Duncan's house. Mrs. Duncan's video-phone rang, and she stepped into the other room to answer it. I didn't think anything of it and kept playing video games with Sofie. But then Mrs. Duncan came back in the room.

"Charity." She called my name with such a solemn tone that I immediately paused the video game.

"I'm sorry," she continued. An apology. Why would you apologize if you haven't done anything wrong? I always make it a point to never apologize. Not unless I mean it. Why would you apologize for something you're not sorry for?

"Charity, your mother..." I remember a shocked feeling running down my spine, like I'd been electrocuted. I knew what was coming next, but I tried to deny it. I wanted her to say that my mother was coming home. I wanted her to say I would see her. But I knew that wasn't what she was gonna say.

"Your mother was... killed. She's not coming back." Mrs. Duncan looked on the verge of tears. She was probably holding back so as not to upset me more.

Sofie immediately enveloped me in her arms. I cried into Sofie's shoulder for who knows how long, and she cried too.

Both of my parents were dead. Sofie was the only one I had left. And that's where my story starts.