1000 Years In The Future

• Arabhi Amit, Grade 9
• Short Story
• 2022

Ellie watched as the sky turned darker, darker than black - if that was possible. Was it possible? Ellie wasn’t sure. She wasn’t sure about a lot of things these days.

The thump of the soldiers’ heavy trudges brought Ellie back into the real world with a start. It was snowing outside the window. Maybe. Or it could be the debris falling from the half burnt buildings. Again, Ellie wasn’t sure.

The soldiers - dressed in black pants and black bullet-proof vests - were on their daily patrol. They carried heavy guns in their arms. The guns were loaded - Ellie knew - in order to kill those things.

Extraterrestrial beings.

Despite the odd belief of humans from a millennia ago, extraterrestrial beings weren’t green or slimy with supernatural powers. None of it was true. In fact, they looked exactly like humans, making it easier for them to conquer half the world.

The United States was one of the few remaining countries that weren’t invaded. Yet. Everyone was sure that these creatures would win the war. They lived in fear of those monsters everyday. Including Ellie.

Ellie jumped a little when someone behind her started coughing. Her head whipped around, her black curls swishing. Her sage green eyes trailed across the room before resting on the coughing boy. Max. Ellie sighed. He had taken off his mask again.

Ellie forced herself to move from the window and towards Max. Her steps were slow and dragged across the cold, grey tiles. There was no energy in her movements. No one has energy nowadays. Maybe it was because of the quantity of rations. Maybe it was because of the war. Maybe a bit of both.

“How many times have I told you not to remove your mask?” Ellie bent down to pick it up.

Max was still coughing, but held up four fingers to answer her. Ellie rolled her eyes and fixed the mask around his round face. Though it was quiet, Ellie heard Max’s groan perfectly.

She couldn’t blame him. The mask - designed to protect humans from the toxic gasses those creatures created - was quite itchy. Not only did it cover the whole face, it also got extremely musty inside.

Suddenly, the air raid siren went on. Startled, Ellie grabbed Max’s hand. She ran downstairs and out through the wooden door. She ran through the deserted streets towards the air raid shelter, her bare feet against the cold, concrete pavement.

A lady from the government had come to her house years ago to tell her the directions towards the shelter. She remembered it clearly - even though she was only six. The next right and then…

Ellie stopped when she heard the acute whistle of the missile from above the air. She looked up, her pupils shrinking at the brightness. She only had time to hug Max close to her body before it hit her.

And the world turned black. Blacker than the night sky in New York.