by H. J. Lawson
Suddenly, electric blue spheres appear out of nowhere. The black wave is knocked away almost instantly, and I’m free to stand on the ground again, together with my family. I can’t believe it when I see the blue spheres are exactly like the ones AJ used to rescue me on the alien spaceship.
How can it be?
Chapter Thirty-One
AJ is standing in front of the tourist spaceship with the word Genesis painted the side of if, AJ is waving me over, smiling. I feel my heart beat fast as a feeling of happiness washes over me. In the midst of this nightmare, something good is happening. AJ is alive! I run towards him and, not being able to find the right words, I hug him. His arms surround me, and I feel happy and safe. I could stay this way forever.
“There’s no time for hugging, Paige,” my mom says sternly, appearing beside me. My dad and sister are also here, watching AJ with interest.
“AJ, how come you’re alive? How did you make it?” I ask. “I thought I’d never see you again!”
“I know. I also thought so, too. Fortunately, I got a ride,” he says, pointing to a smaller spaceship.
There is a girl standing in front of it.
It’s dark, but I try to see who she is. I don’t have to think long as my mother screams, “Brooke! That’s my Brooke! That’s my girl!”
“Yes, she gave me a ride,” AJ says, nodding. “She saved me at the last minute. I thought it was you for a moment.”
I look at Brooke. She looks exactly like she did the day she left. The same beautiful hair, the same calm smile, the same bright eyes. I look at her with admiration and realize how much I’ve missed her. I feel so happy my family will be complete again.
“Brooke!” Willow yells, wiggling out of my dad’s hold and running toward our sister.
Dad is stunned. He never believed she was still alive, even after all the years of mom telling him she was. He runs towards Brooke in shock.
The wave starts to roar again as the spheres die down, and people frantically run towards us, pushing us into Genesis. Mom ends up at the back of the crowd, unable to move forward against the force of people rushing at us.
“Let us out! Let us get out!” my mom starts screaming, even punching a couple of people. They don’t care that we’re shouting things; it’s like fear has turned them blind and deaf. They’re screaming and pushing everyone in their way, trying to get onto the Genesis.
I notice my dad and Willow run towards Brooke’s spaceship. There’s already a big distance between them and us, which is quickly filling with the wave.
“We’ve got to get out of here! Let us out of here!” I start screaming at the top of my lungs. It doesn’t faze the frightened crowd. “Have you got any more spheres?” I ask AJ.
“Sorry, all out. Used the last one to save you.”
My family gets separated once again. I start to panic. I watch in horror as the wave moves towards my dad and Willow while they run to Brooke’s spaceship. The wave is still far from them, but it’s fast, too.
“AJ, please do something! We need to get to Brooke’s spaceship!” I plead, but AJ can’t do anything either.
I hear the slam of Genesis closing doors. I pound on the doors, push any button I can find by them, but they remain shut. I’m starting to hyperventilate. In this important moment, my family is separated again and I can’t do anything about it.
“I don’t want to be on this spaceship!” I feel myself losing control.
“There’s nothing we can do now, Paige,” AJ tries to calm me. I run towards the window and look out from behind the thick glass. I see my dad and Willow almost to Brooke’s ship. Together with us or not, I hope they’ll be safe. That’s what is most important to me.
I feel sudden jerky movement. Looking out from behind the window, I see our spaceship has lifted off the ground. Our ship hovers, getting higher and higher. I press my palms against the window, with my mom and AJ standing by my side, looking out in awe.
In a second the ground where we were gets completely covered with the black wave, entirely turning into a black mass. We made it out in the nick of time.
My dad and sisters. Where are they? Did they manage to get away?
“AJ,” I say softly. “Will I ever see my dad and sisters again?” I feel tears gathering in my eyes.
“I’m sure you will, Paige,” he says.
I hope he’s right. I want him to be right. My mom takes my arm. “Paige, don’t worry. Brooke will know what to do.”
“But how can I know if they made it to Brooke’s ship in the first place?”
“Look over there,” my mother points somewhere in the sky as we fly towards space.
I look where she’s pointing and see a small spaceship identical to Brooke’s flying away swiftly.
“Do you think it’s Brooke?” I ask, full of hope.
“Who else?” my mom reassures me, smiling. I know she’s proud of Brooke. Brooke saved us. All of us. I take a deep breath of relief.
Humanity is safe. At least some of us for now.
