Smoke.

  Ash.

  Tremors.

  Terror.

  Sirens rip through the air, alarms no one in this town has ever heard, sounds they never knew existed. Smoke coils upward in thick, choking waves as the ground continues to shudder.

  Then comes the screech.

  A deafening, unnatural sound that slices through everything, echoing across the town and bleeding into the open fields beyond.

  The scene shifts back to Jackson and Jane on the hill, staring toward the distant explosion.

  Suddenly, the shockwave hits.

  It slams into them like a physical force, knocking the breath from their lungs. The sound is overwhelming, loud enough to nearly deafen them as they instinctively clamp their hands over their ears. The air itself seems to ripple.

  For a moment, there is nothing but ringing.

  Then, slowly, sound begins to return.

  Jackson Cross: What the hell was that…

  Jane Molera: I… don’t know.

  Several long seconds pass before their senses snap back into place. Without another word, they bolt down the hill toward the family farm.

  By the time they reach the gate, the world has changed.

  Smoke chokes the air. Flames tear through sections of the crops, crackling violently. Sirens blare from somewhere unseen, different from the old tornado alarms, sharper, mechanical, urgent.

  Then the ground splits open.

  Multiple massive steel structures rise violently from the soil, roots, and dirt, cascading off their surfaces. Hydraulic systems hiss as the metal plates lock into place.

  It looks like the entrance to bunkers.

  One no one ever knew was there.

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  Jackson Cross: What the hell is going on…? How… how did all this happen? Everything was fine a few moments ago…

  Tears begin to well in Jackson’s eyes as he stares at the burning fields.

  Jane slowly reaches for his hand, her fingers wrapping around his. Her gaze stays fixed on the flames devouring the crops.

  Through the smoke, they spot Aby Cross guiding frightened townspeople toward the massive, newly risen bunker entrance.

  Without hesitation, Jackson and Jane rush over.

  Aby Cross (Jackson’s Mother): JACKSON! Where have you been!? I’ve been looking everywhere for you!

  Jackson Cross: I was-

  Aby’s eyes flick briefly between Jackson and Jane, reading the moment but saying nothing.

  Aby Cross (Jackson’s Mother): Never mind that now. We need to get these people to safety. They keep pouring in from town. They’re saying the radios and TVs told them to come here.

  Jane Molera: What exactly is going on?!

  Aby Cross: I’m not sure. Some people are panicking, talking about some sort of “thing” attacking the city. I don’t know what’s happening. Only that it is happening… and we need to get these people into the shelters.

  Jane looks like she wants to press further, questions forming behind her eyes.

  But Jackson’s grip on her hand tightens slightly. They’re still holding onto each other.

  Jackson Cross: Right. We need to get these people into these shelters.

  Time passes in frantic motion.

  Jackson, Jane, and Aby guide wave after wave of terrified townspeople toward the bunker entrance. The process is painfully slow, the elevators carry only a handful at a time, and each descent feels agonizingly long.

  Then-

  The roar of an engine.

  Loud. Wild. Growing closer.

  Time seems to stretch, every heartbeat dragging.

  A red car, striped with twin white lines from hood to trunk, bursts through the wooden fence, splintering it into jagged shards. The engine screams as the vehicle fishtails across the field, tearing through crops and dirt.

  Behind the wheel, a man bleeds heavily from the head. His vision is blurred, knuckles bone-white as he grips the steering wheel with desperate force.

  Screams erupt as people scramble, diving for cover.

  Not everyone is fast enough.

  Bodies are struck, thrown aside like rag dolls as the car barrels forward, relentless, unthinking.

  It’s heading straight for the elevator platform.

  Jackson Cross: MOVE!

  Some escape. Others don’t.

  The car slams into the elevator structure with a metallic shriek. Steel groans, beams twist and snap under the impact.

  Time stretches thin again.

  Jackson inhales sharply.

  Then the vehicle detonates.

  Flames erupt violently, a shockwave tearing across the bunker entrance. Shrapnel flies in every direction, shredding metal, wood, and human flesh. Concrete cracks and crumbles. Steel twists and finally gives way.

  The elevator platform collapses.

  It drops.

  From below, muffled screams echo upward, then abruptly cut off as the structure plunges into darkness.

  Smoke floods the entrance, thick and choking, swallowing everything. The abyss of the bunker yawns beneath, unseen, unfathomable.

  Jackson stands frozen, staring at the devastation. Through the haze, a hand rises once, briefly, above the smoke… before disappearing into nothingness.