“Mates…you see that…? What the hell…?” One of Eliot’s comrades called out, before the whole squad found themselves engulfed in a bright yellow light in the dead of night. Eliot watched in horror—this was just like those horror alien movies he watched, except it was real and before his very eyes. Eliot covered his mouth to muffle his scream and before he knew it, his friends were gone.

Eliot trailed his eyes to the object they were supposed to investigate, but the darkness of the night made it hard to see. He wasted no time satiating his curiosity however, ducking beneath the hummer that had brought him to this hellish situation. Quivering, Eliot waited it out, praying that whatever it was that took away his squad, it wouldn’t find him.

Eliot remembered running…running and crying as he dropped his rifle and utilities. He didn’t even bother to report the findings to his superiors because the city had already suffered much of the wrath from the skies. He didn’t understand why, why this must happen. What did they want with humanity? Those aliens? Maybe it’s another country? But…no…those looked nothing like human technology. He had no choice but to return to the wrecked city—better than being left out in the open desert.

Now, Eliot laid low, his pistol laying by his face as he hunkered down beneath precarious rubble. “Come on…come on…light goddammit!” Eliot cursed as he tried to set a plank ablaze. It was so cold, his teeth chattered. His uniform torn, one magazine left in his pistol, and a used lighter, Eliot was shaking and praying once again for this nightmare to end.

Plink!

The lighter died.

“Fuck!” Eliot spat, before footsteps reached his ears. He covered his mouth and widened his eyes in fear, his ginger hair falling over his eyes but he dared not move.

”Please…please please don’t find me…”