From what I can recall, my story begins when I was on my way to a friend’s house on November 22 at around noon. I haven’t seen him since we graduated high school and I wanted to catch up on everything we missed out on. My dad was driving our minivan with our mom in the front passenger seat while my brother and I were sitting in the back. They were heading down towards Georgia so my brother, who was a senior in high school, could look at a college. I was never told which college he would be looking at but I assumed it had a good marine biology program since he wanted to work with whales and dolphins at Sea World. Nonetheless, they agreed to drop me off at my friend’s house since I didn’t have a license yet and they knew I really wanted to see him. We were all in casual clothes suited for a cool day; I was wearing black Under Armor, jeans, a t-shirt, and some slightly worn blue tennis shoes.
We were on the main road when my brother turned up the volume on is mp3 player jamming out to the beat of the song and becoming oblivious to his surroundings. I could hear the music through his ear buds which is annoying since it sounded like one of those spinning toys children play with at parties.
“Turn your music down man” I told him, but he didn’t seem to hear me. I asked again in a higher tone but he was still focused on his tunes.
My mother turned around and tapped him on the shoulder and said calmly, “I can hear your music from up here.” That seemed to get his attention so he, reluctantly, turned his music down.
We went pass the small shopping center the town had and turned into a street where there were a bunch of houses. Most of these houses had fading paint, trashy yards and poorly maintained vehicles in the driveways which made me feel a little uncomfortable. I wouldn’t go so far as to say it was a ghetto but I was accustomed to better living conditions than what was being presented.
“Are you sure we’re in the right place?” my mom asked me.
I was about to say yes but my dad answered, “Of course we’re in the right place honey. I read the directions and it said to turn right after we passed the shopping center.” My mom could be a bit of a backseat driver at times which annoyed both me and my dad at times, but she was just a mother concerned about her children and we all still loved her dearly.
“Now, which house did you say your friend stayed at?” my dad asked.
“Should be the last one on the right” I replied. “He said it was more of a trailer, but it should be rather new.”
My mom now had a concerned look on her face and, for once, I didn’t blame her. If I knew someone was going to an area like this, I would feel the same way for them. There were some kids playing in the street so we had to take it easy since the road was only wide enough for one and a half cars.
We continued our way down until we reached the end of the road. There, just like my friend said, there was a 40 foot long by eight foot wide grey trailer that appeared to be about a year old. In the middle of the patchy yard, my friend was waving at us. He was about the same height as me with black hair, brown eyes and looked quite skinnier than I was. I swear he still has those bony arms and hands though his legs seemed to have some meat on them.
I got out of the van and told him, “What’s up Joe? Hadn’t seen you in a while.”
Joe replied “Not too much Richard. Just glad you could come over.” He had a slight southern accent to his voice but I hardly noticed it since I was used to hearing it over the years.
“Glad you called me when you did” I said. “Family’s going to Georgia to look at colleges over the weekend so I don’t have anything to do back at home.”
Joe chuckled. “Guess I have good timing. Want me to help you with your bags?”
“No I got it. Only brought my backpack with me.” I then went to the back of the van, opened the hatch and brought out my black backpack which contained my laptop, toiletries, a canteen out on the side, and a change of clothes. After closing the hatch, my mom lowered her window.
I went over to her and she said, “Well, we’ll be back here Sunday afternoon. Hope you have a good time and stay safe.”
“I will mom. You don’t need to worry about me.”
“I know, but you’re still my son.” She kissed me on the cheek.
“Have a good time in Georgia” I said as I backed away from them. My family waved goodbye as my dad did a three-point-turnabout and drove off. I waved back until they were about half way down the road.
“You are such a goody two-shoes” Joe told me.
I shrugged. “I like my family. Just want them to be sure they know that every now and then.”
Joe rolled his eyes. “Why don’t I lead ya inside? Got a lotta things to catch up on.” I nodded and we went inside.
In the trailer, there was a small kitchen to our left with a sink, stove and a refrigerator. Through the kitchen, there was the living room with a 40 inch TV and some gaming consoles on the far wall and a couch and table on the other side. Beyond that, there was a room with the door closed of which I assumed was a bathroom. To the right, there was a bedroom with a queen size bed on the floor and a small bathroom beyond that. Everything was relatively modern or at least in better condition than the one party I went to where most of the house was dated with a hole in the floor and the place smelled like mold.
“Are your parents here?” I asked noticing that no one else was around.
“My dad’s off at work and my ma’s out shopping” Joe answered. “Got the whole place to ourselves till she gets back.”
“Sweet.” I then placed my bag by the sofa, sat down, and turned on the TV.
“Can I get you a drink?” Joe asked.
“I’m good” I replied. “Got my canteen right here filled up with my favorite drink.” I never enjoyed soda due to its carbonation so I always carried a canteen with me filled with some flavored water.
I went flipping through the channels trying to find something good to watch when my friend said, “So I hear you’re attending college.”
“Yea” I said. “U.C.L.A.” U.C.L.A. stood for University of Concord located in Athens (WV). Most alumni preferred to reference the school by that name rather than Concord University.
“How’s it like?”
“Much better than high school.”
“Do anything interesting?” I was afraid he was going to ask that. While at school, I might have done some activities that would ruin my innocent image. I wasn’t ashamed to share what I did with him but at the time, I was unsure as to how to present it to my friend.
“Nothing in particular” I ended up saying but my friend wasn’t satisfied with my answer. There was a pause. I sighed and said, “Can we talk about it later? It’s too soon to talk about that and I want to watch something good right now.”
Joe looked at me with a confused gaze. “Ok then” he said slowly. There was a pause. I was still flipping through the channels and I wasn’t seeing any show worth watching. “There’s never anything good to watch out here. Why don’t we play a video game instead?”
“Racing game?” I asked. Both of us were massive fans of racing games so I had a feeling he would be more than willing to play one.
“You know it” he replied.
For the next couple of hours, we played a variety of racing games. He almost always beat me at the arcade style games but I gave him a run for his money on the more realistic driving games. I just beat him again and he was complaining that I was somehow cheating. We were both competitive when it came to games. I let him complain since I did the same thing to him when he was beating me earlier.
Suddenly, my phone starts to ring. I check to see who was calling and it’s my friend Nate from college. “I have to take this” I tell Joe. “Maybe you can let out some steam while I’m out.” He gave me the bird of which I replied with a snicker and went outside. I answered the phone.
“Hello?” I said
“Hey Richard, what’s up?” Nate said in his rusty voice.
“At a friend’s house for the weekend while my family’s out. Beating him at a racing game right now.”
“That’s good to hear.” I heard him type something on his keyboard. “I suppose you haven’t been paying attention to the news recently then?”
“That’s right.” This made me interested since Nate never calls me to discuss the news despite his love for it.
“Well, I just finished watching the president address the nation and-”
“What?!” I nearly shouted. I knew the president had at speech next week but since there wasn’t a recent disaster, I was unsure why he would decide to give one now.
“It was an emergency broadcast… speech or something” Nate explained. “I managed to catch the last part of it.”
“What’s going on?”
“The entire east coast, or at least everything east of the Mississippi, is supposed to undergo some kind of emergency lockdown.” Lockdown? By the president? I was obviously missing something.
“Why’s that?”
“Don’t know. I’m trying to figure that out.”
I was becoming concerned. “Did they mention anything about the DEFCON levels?”
“Not from what I heard.” He was still typing something on his computer. “Hold on I think I found something.” There was a pause. He was murmuring something to himself. I think he was reading an article. “Ok I’m on CNN right now and they are mentioning that the emergency procedures are supposed to be related to when an invasion happens on the mainland.”
I was confused. “I-invasion? H-how… who’s invading?”
“The white house didn’t say. However, we are at DEFON 1 right now so something is going on.” I know that level is the highest alert we could be at and since this would be the first time our country has been at that level, the situation must be bad. “Anyway, you might want to inform your friend about this. For now, I’d gather any firearms you might have, stay indoors, and prepare for the worse.”
I sighed. “Ok then. H-”
“I have to go now. I’ll tell you any new information I get my hands on.” He ended the call.
I just stood there trying to process all of this new information. After a few moments, I turned around to go back inside when I suddenly saw a bunch of unusual shadows go across the trailer. I looked up and I saw objects flying across the sky. I turned around and I was in disbelief as to what I saw. I was expecting to see paratroopers falling from the sky but instead I saw… horses with wings- Pegasi I think- flying above us. They were all in golden colored armor and there were hundreds, maybe thousands of them, covering the sky.
“Uh… Joe” I managed to say as I tried to comprehend what was happening.
“I see them too” Joe said. I looked at him standing in front of the entryway. “We have to get out of here now!” he declared knocking me out of my confusion.
“Right” I said. As much as I wanted to take Nate’s advice and stay put, it was obvious we wouldn’t hold out long if these Pegasi decided to go on the offensive. Joe went to the bedroom while I went to the living room and grabbed my backpack. “I hope you have a plan of some sort” I stated.
“I got one.” I could hear him knocking items over. I went over and saw him carrying a hiking backpack filled with various survival gear, some kind of hunting rife with a magazine attached to it, and a bag filled with magazines for the rifle. “Ya need a weapon?” Joe then asked.
I shook my head. “I already have one.” I pulled a 9 millimeter pistol from the back of my pants and cocked it showing it was loaded and ready for use. I think Joe realized why I was reluctant to speak about college earlier but he decided not to push the issue.
“Good. Ain’t gotta spare one for you anyway.”
“No offense” I said “but we’re not going to go very far with a pistol and your customized hunting rifle.”
Joe smirked. “Hunting rifle? This is my dad’s M1 carbine. He changed the scope on the gun so he could use it to hunt deer. Best part is he didn’t disable its semiautomatic features.” I looked at the gun again and smacked myself across the head for not noticing the carbine’s features earlier. Joe chuckled. “Don’t worry. I thought the same thing the first time I saw it.”
“And I doubt I’ll be the last” I replied. Gunshots could now be heard in the distance indicating that if we wanted to leave the area, we needed to do so fast.
Joe put on his pack and said in a serious manner, “Keep your gun out and follow me.” He then cocked his carbine and went out the door. I followed close behind him.
“Where are we headed?” I asked.
“Four houses down, my friend and I have a vehicle that’s suited for situations like this. She’s out of town right now so I’m sure it’ll be there.”
I was about to ask him about this friend when I heard a crashing sound a few blocks over. I looked and saw some of these Pegasi were on the offensive diving down towards whatever they decided to strike, one of which was diving right at us. I aimed my gun at it ready to shoot when I heard Joe’s carbine go off. The Pegasus lost control and went spiraling down slamming into the ground several feet in front of me. I looked at my friend who had a startled look on his face. I was kind of surprised his shoulder wasn’t blown off since he was so skinny.
“Keep your eyes peeled to the skies” he told me “and only shoot the ones targeting us. We can’t afford to bring any attention to ourselves or waste what limited ammo we have.” I nodded in agreement and we started to run towards our target.
I could now hear many people screaming in fear and agony and my first instinct was to go over and help them. I had to force myself not to reminding myself that Joe was depending on me to get him to safety. Besides, I couldn’t fight these things off with my pistol for very long and even if I could, there was little I could do to aid these people.
We were two blocks away from the house when a police cruiser pulled out of a side street. My friend then froze in fear at the sight of it and I nearly ran into him. I guess he wasn’t used to seeing them in the area so seeing one would surprise him.
The policeman rolled down his window and said, “You guys need to head back inside! You’re better off indoors than you are trying to flee right now.”
My friend was still startled to respond coherently so I told the officer “Understood.” I then padded Joe’s shoulder and told him, “Let’s go; we need to get to your friend’s house. We’ll be safe there.” Joe snapped out of his disoriented state and gave me an approving nod and we were back on our way.
The cop was on the main road as we reached our destination. As I tried to figure out which house was the right one, Joe pointed to the one on the left side of the street which happens to have a grey Land Rover parked in the drive way.
“You’re kidding me!” I said.
“Nope” Joe replied. “That one’s ours.” He showed me the keys as I looked in amazement. “Best part about it is that it’s filled with more survival gear in the trunk. Trust me we’re going to need it.”
What luck, I thought as Joe opened the hatch revealing several totes in the back filled with enough supplies to support a small camping party for nearly a week. We placed our bags in there and Joe gave me his carbine along with the bag of ammunition.
“I’m driving. You make sure those damn things stay off my ride.” I didn’t object to this since I had no idea where we should go yet alone how to get there. I took his weapon and ammo and headed towards the front passenger seat. There, I placed the ammo on the floor and the rifle to my side since I didn’t want to use up his ammunition if my pistol could get the job done. Joe then entered the driver’s seat and started the car. “Remember, keep your eye on the sky” he reminded me. He then drove the car out of the driveway and started heading for the main road.
I lowered my window and stuck my head out, pistol in hand, searching for any threats. The sheer number of targets up there was making my head spin and my friend’s reckless driving wasn’t helping since it was preventing me from keeping a steady hand.
I know the situation is dire, I thought, but do you have to be driving so agressively right now?
“Yes I do.” My friend said as he turned left onto the main road. I was taken aback by his comment but then I realized I spoke out loud. Sometimes, I speak my thoughts out loud and don’t even realize it until someone comments on it.
I look towards the shopping center and saw dozens of Pegasi either on the rooftops or engaged with resisting civilians in the parking lot. Some were trying to enter the vehicles of people who locked themselves inside and I could hear the screams of small children as their aggressors tried to reach them. What a horrifying scene to behold.
I looked towards the rear of the car and saw a Pegasus diving towards us out of the corner of my eye. I aimed my weapon at him (at least I assumed it was male) and was able fired four shots only to see each bullet ricocheting harmlessly off his armor. I did manage to make the Pegasus change its trajectory leaving the vehicle unharmed.
I put away my pistol and grabbed the carbine out. As soon as I stuck my head out, Joe swerved the vehicle to the right forcing me back into my seat and avoiding the van that was just inches away from the door. When I got back into position, I saw another Pegasus heading towards us and landing on the roof before I had a chance to react. Quickly, I brought the rifle to the white Pegasus’s level, aimed it at a gap in his armor, and fired. I could hear the bullet ricocheting between the two plates of armor as the creature fell to its knees. I then noticed that these creatures have eyes about six times larger than what our horses have. I realized that this left a huge weak point in the armor and that I could exploit this flaw later on. With my right hand, I then got a grip on its armor and threw the body off the roof.
Not to self: don't fire a rifle unless you have its butt up against your shoulder. It hurts like hell.
Joe was forced to weave in and out of traffic as it continued to get worse forcing me to get back inside and watch for targets through the windows. I managed to notice one diving towards us and I was able to shoot at it without having to leave my seat. Unfortunately, I was having difficulty aiming at the thing since I wasn’t used to the zoomed in sights and I had to fire three rounds before I managed to take him down.
“I’m gonna make a turn” Joe announced. “Hold on.” He approached the interception with high speeds when I saw two Pegasi, who were in our path, blocking a vehicle in the right crossway. I got out, fired three rounds at them and they got the right idea to move out of the way. I quickly sat back down as Joe made a sharp left hand turn. If I didn’t get a grip on his seat, I would have slammed into my door or been thrown out the window.
Looking ahead, more Pegasi were engaged with both civilians and law enforcement as both sides struggled to gain an edge over each other. I hated speeding on by them but this was not a fight we should to be in at the moment.
Analyzing the sky, there were noticeably fewer enemies but this was no excuse for me to lower my guard any less. In fact, as the city was fading from sight and the noises were becoming less audible, I became more apprehensive. At some points, I was observing multiple targets simultaneously which if I wasn’t as paranoid, I could conclude they posed no threat to us. Time felt like it was slowing down as the minutes ticked away even though they felt like hours.
At some point, Joe pulled me into my seat and said, “Dude, relax. You’re far too tense.” I objected to this at first but as I scanned the skies and saw no threats, I realized he was right.
Soon after, Joe, for the first time, used the brakes as he approached a side street that I knew would lead us to some woods. After he made the turn, I noticed a trio of enemies in formation targeting us. I got the impression that instead of trying to aim for their eyes, I should aim for their wings since they were easier targets to hit and they would leave us alone just as effectively as if I shot their eyes out. With this in mind, I only had to fire five shots at the group causing them to lose control and slam into the ground within a few feet of our vehicle.
The woods were now in eyesight and I could no longer hear the chaos from the city. I also couldn’t see any Pegasi in the sky but I was still reluctant to call it quits since the woods could create an easy place to get ambushed.
As we entered, I saw two Pegasi on some branches ahead of us ready to strike. Unable to get a clear shot at them, I fired off three rounds to keep them at bay. When I tried to fire a fourth shot, I heard that infamous- click- indicating my magazine was empty. I quickly dropped the magazine on the floor, replaced it with a full one, and cocked my weapon.
The two enemies stayed put as we passed them, but a new one appeared down the road. This one was flying straight towards us and I realized I couldn’t react in time to counter his (or her?) movements. I braced for impact but at the last possible moment, the Pegasus gained altitude and missed our vehicle by mire inches. When I realized what happened, I got out and aimed the carbine at my opponent but by the time I did this, it was well out of my range.
I scan the area for more hostiles and after five minutes of this, I found none. At this point, I figured if they were here, we were already dead. I sat in the chair and let out a sigh of relief as I allowed myself to relax.
“So the worried school boy has finally decided to relax?” Joe implied. I laughed at his remark. “Seriously, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you relax since… ever.”
I grinned. “Guess I never did in high school.”
Joe said in a serious tone, “I’m glad I brought you with me.”
I chuckled. “Glad to be with ya” I replied.
“I mean it. If this is happening in our small town, think about what will happen in the big cities.”
“Aye. It’ll be a warzone where every inch counts. While we can flee to the woods for safety, I don’t think the city folks have anywhere safe to go.”
“Exactly.” There was a pause. “Where did you learn to shoot like that?”
“Scouting. They have a merit badge where they teach you how to shoot a rifle.”
Joe laughed. “But not in the way you were taking them bastards out.”
“Gotta learn on the fly I guess.” There was another pause. “So you know where you’re going?”
“Yea. I gotta plan for situations just like this. Don’t you worry. We’ll get through all of this.”