Invasion Day

Serena watches the customers spit land on the counter as she types on her computer. "Nadia promised it would be an hour tops for the number transfer," says the red-faced man. "I'm trying to run a business here" he points to his t-shirt advertising his plumbing company.

"Sir, I'm trying my best to find a solution for you as quickly as possible," Serena says in her ultimate customer service. Insider her head, she blasts Nadia for calling in sick and sending her a detailed text about how crab cakes have her running to the bathroom. God, the store doors unlocked 7 minutes ago, and she's already ready to blow this popsicle stand.

Twenty minutes later, the customer leaves with a working phone, and Serena struggles against the tug she senses indicting today will be disastrous. Memories of last night flood in, and it's a reminder that she needs to phone her mother. Mr. Wood, her boss, emerges from the employee-only door as she's battling her tears. He's looking at his phone, and for a moment, her hopes rise, thinking he's about to give her good news.

"Kyle can't come in today." He says without preamble, slipping his phone into his pocket.

"You mean won't," Serena says, hating how bitter the words taste on her tongue.

"I'll be around if you need me," Mr. Wood says, checking the displays advertising overpriced headphones promising the best sonic music experience.

The bell over the door jingles as her former boyfriend, Justin, enters the store. The pinched look on his face has Serena sinking into the Mariana trench. Mr. Wood looks up and says he will be in the back, leaving them in the room with TVs playing news and cooking shows. She watches a chef chop garlic and mixes it with brown sugar before she finds the courage to speak.

"Why are you here?" she asks, drumming her fingers on the countertop. She feels foolish as she remembers how distracted Justin has been the past few months and the lightning speed he picks up his phone when an incoming text chimes. She had let the change skate along her brain's surface, but she had placed a shield, refusing to let the changes sink its claws in and put scenarios in her mind of bad things to come.

He shoves his hands in his pockets before he drops the bomb on her world. "You know my coworker you said was flirting with me at the company Christmas party? She's pregnant, and I'm the father. I'm packing my stuff up today to go stay at her townhouse, and I've already paid my half of rent and electricity."

"You got Ms. Perky pregnant?" Serena says, feeling as if a bowling ball is lying on her chest. Now, she understands why he told her he was moving out last night, but knowing the reason doesn't ease the raw pain ripping her open.

Justin is talking. She can see his mouth moving, and occasionally she catches words like "never meant this" and "growing apart." His blue eyes drift around the store, avoiding her face, and then his chiseled arms are holding her in one last hug. He leaves looking like a boulder has been removed from his back because it has. Selfishly, he has placed it on Serena instead. She feels a hot spike of jealousy as he stands outside, sunshine on his curly head, lifting his phone to his ear. One can only assume to tell Ms. Perky her wish has come true. Adios and adieu to Serena, who stands blankly in a communications store in this small, dusty town wearing a red polo and khaki pants.

The ground beneath her shakes. It's a violent rumble as if thunder is bellowing from the earth's core. One of the TVs on the wall crashes to the ground, and modems tumble off the shelves as Serena grips the counter, watching the trees outside buckle.

A blinding tube of light skyrockets down from the sky, encompassing Justin with the phone glued to his head. Serena watches in horror as he shots up like a ball in a lottery tube. She opens her mouth and releases a scream that sends her boss scrambling out from the back as the TVs and phones start blasting an Emergency Service Announcement. "Seek Shelter Immediately" is the only thing her brain processes as she turns to Mr. Wood, whose jaw is hanging open.

"A beam of light just ate Justin," Serena says, looking stunned as the walls continue to shake items loose and the earth thunders, sounding like a beast waking up from a millennium-long nap seeking his feast.

"A beam of light?" Mr. Wood says, his eyebrows shooting up to his hairline as he pivots to look outside. The lampposts bend, and the winds smack an American flag into the front window advertising the latest smartphone. A scream sends Mr. Wood to the front window, peering out the glass, and moments later, the woman who owns the beauty salon next door comes running, one shoe missing as she books it down Main street. Her boss grabs the doorknob intending to call her in as a halo of light centers on, as she crouches into a fetal position. The hairstylist locks eyes with Mr. Wood before the straw of light sucks her up.

"Now, I understand," Mr. Wood says, his face pale and his glasses sliding down his nose. He picks his phone up as Serena stares blankly at the TV, where a woman is talking about how they are about to go off air and seek shelter. "We do not know the source of this aerial invasion. Please, get below ground and await further instructions."

Her phone rings, and she instinctively grabs it and pulls it to her ear.

"Serena?"

Tears flood her eyes at the soothing sound of her mother's voice.

"Serena, I'm heading to the basement of my building; please stay safe. I'm going to attempt to reach your brother; he's on that work trip to Phoenix. God, this is scary. Please, love, find somewhere safe to go."

"I love you, mom; I'll find somewhere safe to go. You be careful, mom."

After her phone call, she watches Mr. Wood pace around the store, dodging the electronic items scattered on the floor.

"My dad isn't picking up his phone; I'm thinking-" His following words swallowed as the TV's flick off, and every bulb in the store darkens. "No service," he says, staring at his phone as the world around them eerily belches out silence. The trees stop shaking, the beastly roars taper off, and the clouds pollute the sky, blotting out the sun.

"I have an underground shelter; let's go," he says, shoving his phone in his khaki pocket and looking at her expectantly. Serena blinks, waiting for him to acknowledge that the world was moments earlier breaking apart, and she looks around the dark store in confusion.

"Like a bomb shelter?" she says, a hint of hysteria creeping into her voice. The truth is, where would she go? Her brother is in Phoenix, her mother is over an hour away, and Justin the Cheater is somewhere in the sky with the unknown invaders. She can tell by his expression, he doesn't consider it a bomb shelter, and she's been around enough nerds to know he's trying to hide his irritation and not lord his intelligence over her.

"Yeah, something like that," he says, walking towards the back as if he expects her to follow him. God damn, what didn't she call out of work today? That's right, stupid Nadia.

"Do I have time to grab stuff from home?" she says to his retreating back.

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"Thanks for waiting for me, Mr. Wood," Serena says, sliding into the front seat of his truck after he tossed her pink bag in the trunk for her. An argument had brewed between them over the idea of seeking shelter immediately. He had argued that it means as quickly as possible while she had counter-argued that no more columns have descended from the clouds.

"No problem," he says, as they turn down the street, heading out-of-town away from the families piling belongings into cars or people hammering boards over doors and windows. Branches ripped from trees scatter the road, and she stares as they pass a trampoline flipped on its side with a giant hole through the middle. Gray clouds cover the sky as Serena searches for a spot of blue. The monster below the earth has gone silent, but Serena thinks he is waiting to reveal himself again. Everything is still and quiet as he turns down a long dirt driveway, his truck's beams showcasing empty branches and no signs of animals scurrying about the undergrowth.

A large white farmhouse behind a matching picket fence awaits the end of the driveway. "Oh, Mr. Wood, what a gorgeous house!"

He furrows his brow as he parks his truck. "Thanks, but you can call me Ben."

"Ben," she says, testing the way the name rolls off her tongue as he hoists up her bag and books it for the house, calling out for his father.

"Damn it, where the hell did he go?" He says, returning to the porch that stretches across the house where Serena sits in a rocking chair, tapping her nails on the wood.

"I have some stocked food at the shelter already, cans and whatnot. We need to get the tractor loaded and get to the shelter now," Ben says, disappearing back into the house, and she trails in behind him.

"Maybe your dad is already at the shelter," she says, filling up the enormous cooler he gave her as he walks back through the kitchen carrying a cardboard box of batteries.

He grunts as he pushes at the back door, and she scrambles over to open it as he hefts the box down to the trailer hitched to his tractor. "No, he wouldn't go without me. Less talking, more packing."

"Okay then, bossman," she says, sarcasm dripping as she returns to packing up the food.

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Serena sits in the trailer bed with the supplies while Ben drives the tractor down the bumpy path. He pauses in a clearing and declares that they are here. She frowns as she watches him climb down and head towards what she thought was a dead tree stump, but to her amazement, he puts in a key and lifts a lid, revealing a hole with a ladder and fluorescent lighting.

Serena follows him down the ladder as if she's Alice going into the rabbit hole. She grips the rungs as her heart hammers in her chest. A sense of detachment washes over her as they enter the bunk. Looking around, she sees a table with a TV and radio across from a brown sofa. A kitchen counter with cabinets lining the top and bottom frame the simple cookstove and circular sink next to a metal picnic table. Behind a curtain, she finds a cozy nook with two sets of bunk beds on the walls. The room's only door leads to a small bathroom where she's surprised to see a shower stall, toilet, and small sink similar to the one in the kitchen. A slim hallway reveals shelves filled with supplies placed in cardboard boxes or storage bins.

After seeing Ben walk back down with another box, she scrambles up to help him bring supplies down. On her second trip down, carrying a box of pasta, she notices a black and yellow sign at the ladder's top, and she snorts.

Following her down, Ben asks, "What could be amusing you?"

"Zombie fallout shelter, eh?"

"I figured zombies were more likely than aliens. Who knew I would be wrong?"

"Aliens?" Serena knows it's the most logical reason, but hearing it out floods panic through her system.

"I figured beams shooting people up gave it away," he says, his back turned as he walks back up the tunnel.

"You don't have to be such a jerk about it!" She jumps up and follows him up the ladder back up to the surface.

"Look, I'm not trying to be a jerk, but-" his words cut off as the creature below awakens and vibrations have them tumbling towards the trailer. Before Serena can fall, he grips her arms and uprights her as they see a bright flash in the distance towards town. A silver airship, shaped like a cigar, emerges from the clouds. He grips her arms and leans down. "Get in the bunker!" His honey-colored eyes look severe enough that she scrambles down the ladder, panic spreading through her like wildfire.

She tries to catch her breath with trembling legs as she retreats into the bunker; she walks to the back and lies down across the bottom bunk, surprised by how comfortable it is. The ground rumbles from time to time as if the beast is running into a wall; it's a sudden shake with a roar before the quiet returns. From time to time, she hears Ben unloading things or static bursts from the radio. He seals the tunnel off, the locks clicking in place, sounding like a death sentence to Serena. Ben comes into the room and crouches beside her with a faint sheen of sweat on his forehead.

"Are you okay?" Serena turns her head, surprised by the gentle tone.

"I'm in a zombie bunker with my boss after watching my boyfriend," she swallows, "my ex-boyfriend getting beamed up to E.T., and the world is ending, but yeah, I'm okay."

"Hey now, there's that shining optimistic personality your followers love."

"You watch my channel?" She watches him; he jerks at first as if she tossed cold water in his face before his mask of banality returns.

"Yeah, I've watched a video or two."

He stands, brushing the back of his hair. "I should have cut my hair weeks ago. Hindsight is always 20/20" He sighs and sinks on the opposite bunk bed, where Serena notices his hair reaches his collar.

"You're tired from carrying everything," Serena says, feeling a twinge of guilt. Absorbed in her pity, she failed to realize the extra work she gave Ben. He prepared the bunker while Ben worried about his dad.

"I can make us some food," she says, trying to sound more upbeat, but he doesn't reply. Taking a step closer to the bunk, she sees he is asleep; she pulls the green blanket up over him and goes to explore the rest of the place they will call home for what she hopes is not an extended period.

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The smell of chili lures Ben from the tethers of sleep, and he finds Serena stirring a pot on the burner. She feels shy as he rubs his eyes, and she can’t discern the look on his face. Forcing a smile despite being bogged down by the unrelenting horror of the day, she says, "Going through the cooler, I saw you dated this chili for today, and I’m heating it for dinner."

He rubs a hand down his face and then smiles. Serena's struck by how different he looks when he smiles, and her smile is authentic this time. "Yeah, I'm an organization nut."

"Do you like to cook?" She asks, grabbing bowls from the cabinet above the burner.

"I like food," he says, shrugging and grabbing spoons. What was his employee doing while he slept? Slight changes such as a blanket covering the sofa's back and candles around the room. His chest squeezes as he stares at the candles. She misconstrues the look on his face.

"I hope it's okay; I pulled the candles out. Figured, I might as well give this place a homey feel." She tastes the chili before scooping it into the bowls.

"No, it's fine," he finally says before thanking her for heating dinner. Silence settles between them as they eat dinner. Serena is about to ask him when he built this underground shelter when a tremor has them reaching for their bowls before they spill.

"They seem to be timed. When you were sleeping, there wasn't a lot to do, and I started noticing they come exactly every 25 minutes."

He looks at her, surprised, but she doesn't notice because she is pointing to the chalkboard where she has written the times of each blast.

Giant footfalls crash on the earth's surface as Serena imagines giants walking across the planet, crunching houses under the hairy toes, and knocking down forests with a brush of their hand. Below the earth, rumbles continue every 25 minutes. Some roar like a thunder while others come gently, like a simple vibration along a taut string.

"A few years ago, I started this project with my dad. After he retired from welding, he became bored with the extra time on his hands." He says while they count cans of vegetables. "One night, after a few beers, I suggested we build a bunker in the event of a zombie apocalypse, and well, here we are. It took us half a year to complete this, give or take. I have an uncle in plumbing and a family friend in electrical; they each took turns helping. In my wildest dreams, though, I never imagined we would ever use it."

After the food count reveals they have three years' worth of food saved up, he explains to her how the water from the farm's well gets in and out. Serena's questions impress Ben, and he sees a new glimpse of her. At work, she works hard, but she's prone to being dramatic, and just last week, he had to cut off a tiff she was having with hot-headed Nadia.

When he details the workings of the plumbing and the macerating of their waste, she giggles when he explains it will be less smelly. "It's behind the wall, if you want to see it," Ben says, arching an eyebrow.

"Not now. I'm sure there will be plenty of time for me to see it," Serena says, and her smile drains from her face as it dawns on her; she does not know how long they will have to hide underground from space invaders.

"Hey, let's not get dark on day one," Ben says, putting a hand on her shoulder. "It's 7 minutes from midnight; maybe a night of sleep will help you. You'll wake up 'shed and with fresh eyes to look over this situation. Worrying about things you can't control will do you no favors."

She nods but stares blankly at the steel wall, seeing nothing. A hurricane of fear, anxiety, and worry swirl inside her, causing her stomach to roll and her eyesight blurs. When she stands, she sways, and Ben reaches over, alarmed, steadying her.

"Come on." He says, tone soft as he leads her to the bunks.

"What are we going to do? We can't stay down here forever!" The words tumble out in a shriek, her eyes waterfall. "My mom is miles away. Justin could get anal probed. Internet is down, and we have no information. Listen to those gigantic footsteps above us; anything could happen! They could experiment on our bodies, or they might enjoy eating human steaks."

She pulls the bunk's blanket over her as she tries to keep her heart from exploding. Ben stands by, helpless, having no words of comfort to offer her.

"I don't want to die down here. What if we are here so long we run out of food? The aliens came here, which means they could find a way in here and-"

"Hey now, let's slow it down. Let's focus on the information at hand. We are down here safe for now. Someone could be up there giving the Martian's hell or working out a deal with them. Or maybe we will be here for a while. The point is, we have no way of knowing, and getting upset over nothing will lead to nowhere good. Okay?" Ben says, keeping his voice calm, hoping some of the false tranquility will pass to Serena, who looks like she is about to jump out of her skin.

"We need to be a team, and I need you on my side. Unless lack of internet will cause you to combust spontaneously, we’ve got what you need here." He says, with a smile, standing by the bunk, hoping his words calm her troubles. She looks like a rabbit caught in a trap, ready to gnaw her foot off to escape.

"Oh hell, it's okay, honey," He says, feeling like an awkward teenage boy, as he debates if he should pull her into an embrace. When she releases a heart-wrenching sob, he leans down without hesitation and pulls her into his arms. Her response was to wrap her arms back around him. As her tears dampen his T-shirt, he listens to her sobs go from a speeding train to one chugging into the station. Eventually, the train stops, and the engine cools down, hissing and running out of steam along the way.

Leaving her asleep on the bed, he pulls his dying phone from the pocket. Seeing no service illuminated on the screen and hearing giant footsteps echo overhead, he leans back on the bunk, wondering what time will bring.

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The scent of brewing coffee tugs Serena out of sleep. Opening her eyes to the bottom of the overhead bunk confuses her before yesterday's memories pour in. After running her finger through her hair, she walks out to find Ben cracking eggs over a bowl.

"Morning." He says as the lights flicker from the timed growl. "How do you like your eggs?"

"Scrambled thanks," Serena says, pouring coffee into two mugs before handing him one.

As breakfast cooks, she paces the room with the warm mug cradled in her hands. Her brain feels foggy as if it can't process the events of the previous day. Before yesterday, aliens were only characters in science fiction; she never thought of them as tangible or even more outrageous invading earth.

"Thanks for last night. I had a panic attack, and your kindness helped," Serena says, fighting to keep out the wall of moisture forming in her eye. Sitting at the table as he brings over plates, she avoids looking him in the eye.

"This is an odd situation, but we will get through it. Today, I wanted to show you how to change, check, and clean the filters." He’s worried the bunker might get unseated from the earth shakes. To help Serena adjust, he feels confident that spoon-feeding facts to her will be best over the next few days.

After breakfast, Serena walks over to the chalkboard and erases yesterday’s data. Ben is lifting the floorboards, ready to teach her about bunker life, as she picks up the chalk and writes something in the chalkboard's corner. As he explains what each pipe is for, she glances back at her X, wondering how many will be on the board when she and Ben emerge from this place.

Part two is below