Terror By Night

Chapter 13

They separate out our bags, we each receive a couple of duffels packed to bursting at the seams. I don't dig into mine; I'll save that for later. Right now, I just hug on my grandparents. We talk about what's been going on at the farm, and their plans for while I'm gone. We intentionally avoid discussing the aliens.

I frequently pull Xavier into our conversation. I want him to feel included. Of course, no one brought him a bag. They didn't know we'd have a new person in our group. It fills me empathy for him. I wish he had someone like the rest of us. Someone who thought about his needs enough to pack him his own away bag.

Xavier is polite and respectful to my grandparents. At once point, Mr. Reed and Mr. Porter take him and Nolan off to the side and speak with them in private. I eye Zoe, wondering what that must be about. She just shrugs in response. Guy talk maybe? Grandpa Ben keeps chatting about the weather and reminding me to wear a hat so I don't get an earache. I hug him close with thanks.

Within forty-five minutes, we hear the teachers calling for the parents to gather back on the field. We make our way in that direction, all of us loaded down with bags. Xavier relieves me of one of mine. I look up into his eyes, light green in the afternoon light. I have no way of knowing how long we'll be in exile. But I find something comforting in knowing he'll be with me. After just a few days in this new reality, my views on independence and self-reliance are shifting. I'm not too proud to admit I can't defeat an alien horde alone.

We gather together in the field and Principal Mooreland gets everyone's attention as best as she can. Some teenage girls have already started crying at the thought of their parents leaving them alone once more. "Thank you all for coming. You being here means a great deal to your children and students. To the faculty as well. We understand this isn't an easy thing do, watching the ones you love be sent to an undisclosed location. My sympathies are with you."

"Yeah, but you aren't doing anything about it!" shouts an angry male voice from somewhere to my right. We all turn to glance that way, while a few other voices chime to throw angry retorts back and forth. I get they're all frustrated. But it's not Principal Mooreland's fault. Indignation is rising up within me, making me want to lash back out as well. I feel a hand take hold of mine. I look down and see Xavier's fingers entwining with my own.

I glance up at him, but he's not looking at me. He's watching the crowd. I take in a deep steadying breath. I get what's he's telling me. 'Don't get mixed up in things'. 'Let it go,' his grip says. I hold onto that hand like a lifeline to clarity.

Principal Mooreland continues, only slightly more agitated than before. "I do understand your concerns. I can reassure that your students safety is being seen to the best of our abilities. We are taking every precaution available to us. We are all aware that the situation is being tightly managed by National Security and we will comply by their dictates. I'm sorry if that answer isn't good enough. I'm going to have to ask you to please say good-bye to your students and exit the property. Please don't make this harder on yourself or your student by trying to force them to leave or causing a scene. We have security personnel standing by. Don't let your students' lasts looks of you be a security member removing you from the premises."

She probably didn't intend to sound so bleak. But her words resonate across the through. It really could be the last time we all see our loved ones. We don't know what's waiting for us, or how they'll survive.

Tears are streaming unchecked down my face. I grasp hold of Grandma Jean and cry into her shoulder. I don't want to say goodbye. I sob out incoherent words while she strokes my dark hair. I didn't think it'd be this hard. My grandparents aren't young people. They've depending on me to help them. How can I leave them alone? Who will look out for them?