Darkness

• Brianna Douglas, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2018

The school bell rang, signalling the end of the day. Everyone ran for the door, crazily grabbing bags, stuffing assorted stationary and laptops inside. I was last out the door, as usual, finding my bag that had been tossed halfway down the veranda of our demountable classroom, lazily packing my stuff. A sea of people rushed past, pushing into fences and onto the freshly laid grass. Ignoring everyone else, I shoved my earphones in my ears, pressing play on my phone. NOW PLAYING: Roaring 20’s by Panic! At The Disco, it said as I clicked the screen off, tucking my phone in my pocket. I rushed quickly down the path towards my house, dodging people and trees alike. Suddenly, ringing flooded my ears. Like... phone ringing? Fishing my phone out of my pocket, I turn on the screen. CALL FROM: UNKNOWN CALLER. Well that’s not out of the norm, I think, heaps of people have private numbers. Pressing answer on my screen, I hold the microphone on my earphones up to my mouth. “Hello? Who is this?” I said, turning up the volume. Static invaded my ears, shortly followed by a high-pitched voice.
“Tomorrow!” it squeaked,” Tomorrow, we will invade! Unless you sacrifice yourself, that is. Tonight at 11 o’clock!” The caller hung up, leaving me with more static, shortly followed with the continuing of music playing. I stopped walking. Was it a prank call? I didn’t think people still did stuff like that though. People pushed me off the path, bustling to get past, telling me to stop being inconsiderate, to get off my phone. Shaking my head, I put my phone back in my pocket, and continued my walk home.
“Time to go to bed!” my mother yelled from the other end of the house. Glancing down at the clock in the bottom corner of my laptop screen, I realised it was almost 9:00. I thought back to the weird call I had received earlier. Checking that nothing was wrong, I pulled my curtains back from my window slightly to check outside. Nothing was there except for a stray cat and the dim glow of a street light. Dropping my curtain, I shut my laptop lid, turned off my lamp, and dived into bed.
BANG! I awoke with a start, heart pounding. What was that noise? It couldn’t be that, I thought. It was eerily quiet for a few minutes, and then bangs started erupting from everywhere. I jumped up, grabbing my curtain again. I nearly dropped from shock. In front of me, outside, were aliens. Actual aliens, grabbing people out of homes, cars, everywhere. Screams filled the air as people were dragged like dolls by the extra-terrestrials. Now lining the streets were the bodies of innocent people. Would this have happened if I had listened? If I had of sacrificed myself? This has to be a dream... But it wasn’t. I had caused this.