in their fighting stance for only a few minutes, minutes that seemed like hours to Leslie, and then jumped down from their perches. They stretched lazily, brushing past Leslie's legs as they walked out of the bedroom and silently into the kitchen where they took up their watch again at the bay windows, hoping they might be afforded a more interesting view.
Leslie slumped in relief, the sudden rush of adrenalin leaving her drained. She petted her cat, Bootsie, a small tuxedo cat with white feet, who still lay contentedly on her lap, oblivious to the excitement his fellow felines had just caused. As all hell was breaking loose in the world outside, he lay curled up in her lap, snoring softly.
Leslie lost interest in reading and sat for awhile listening to the wind blow through the trees outside of her small house. It blew steadily tonight, through the same trees that she had planted herself, seven or eight years earlier. It seemed like a soft warm dream now.
She shook her head, clearing away the warm comfort of yesterdays and thought about what she needed to do next.
The floor was cold, even on the pile of old quilts she had laid in the corner for her bed. She didn't feel safe sleeping on the bed anymore, she felt safer on the floor, in the far corner of her bedroom, her back against the wall. She pulled her knees up under her chin, and laid her head wearily down on them. Leslie fell asleep as the candle flame flickered and burned low. Her cat Bene curled up protectively beside of her. Bootsie had taken the watch.
The store clerk at the Mellow Out! convenience store stood alongside the nine others at the window.
They were mesmerized by the horror show taking place in the skies above the city. Kevin wiped his eyes and his runny nose on his shirt tail and stood up. His mind raced alarmingly as he tried to think back to what he had read in the paper earlier. It seemed like a lifetime ago now. What had it said?
Stay inside, he remembered that, don't look into their eyes, he remembered that, but he drew a blank on the rest. His brain was quickly becoming overloaded and he tried desperately to calm himself down. He looked away from the window and took in a deep breath, exhaling slowly. His head began to clear. He breathed in another deep breath, and exhaled slowly. He began to feel a little more calm.
Kevin stood with his back to the window
breathing in deeply and exhaling slowly until his panic passed. The people at the window began filing out of the store. He heard the jingle of the door's bell as first one then another stepped out into the afternoon horror show.
“What the hell are you doing?!” Kevin shouted and ran to the door as a small, middle aged man was just opening the door to go outside. The small man looked at him stonily and said “Get out of my way kid.”
“Don't go out there!” Kevin shouted, but the man pushed past him and stepped quickly across the street to get a better view of the massive ship that dominated the sky over them. Kevin watched helplessly as each one of the people except for the clerk, stepped outside against his protests.
“They have lost their fucking minds,” the store clerk commented, shaking his head in amazement.
“There's no way I would go out there.” Kevin watched the small band of people reassemble across the street.
They stood there for maybe five minutes before a small ship that had descended from the main craft pulled them up into the air and shot straight up to unload them on the massive ship.
Kevin turned away from the window and faced the store clerk. “I think I'm gonna puke,” he said and swayed towards a shelf loaded with snack cakes. “Whoa buddy, take it easy,” the clerk said as he reached to steady Kevin. “Come on in back and sit down for a few minutes.” He led Kevin to the rear of the store to a small office that wasn't much bigger than a broom closet where a small desk and chair had been crammed in. It served as the manager's office and employee
Leslie slumped in relief, the sudden rush of adrenalin leaving her drained. She petted her cat, Bootsie, a small tuxedo cat with white feet, who still lay contentedly on her lap, oblivious to the excitement his fellow felines had just caused. As all hell was breaking loose in the world outside, he lay curled up in her lap, snoring softly.
Leslie lost interest in reading and sat for awhile listening to the wind blow through the trees outside of her small house. It blew steadily tonight, through the same trees that she had planted herself, seven or eight years earlier. It seemed like a soft warm dream now.
She shook her head, clearing away the warm comfort of yesterdays and thought about what she needed to do next.
The floor was cold, even on the pile of old quilts she had laid in the corner for her bed. She didn't feel safe sleeping on the bed anymore, she felt safer on the floor, in the far corner of her bedroom, her back against the wall. She pulled her knees up under her chin, and laid her head wearily down on them. Leslie fell asleep as the candle flame flickered and burned low. Her cat Bene curled up protectively beside of her. Bootsie had taken the watch.
The store clerk at the Mellow Out! convenience store stood alongside the nine others at the window.
They were mesmerized by the horror show taking place in the skies above the city. Kevin wiped his eyes and his runny nose on his shirt tail and stood up. His mind raced alarmingly as he tried to think back to what he had read in the paper earlier. It seemed like a lifetime ago now. What had it said?
Stay inside, he remembered that, don't look into their eyes, he remembered that, but he drew a blank on the rest. His brain was quickly becoming overloaded and he tried desperately to calm himself down. He looked away from the window and took in a deep breath, exhaling slowly. His head began to clear. He breathed in another deep breath, and exhaled slowly. He began to feel a little more calm.
Kevin stood with his back to the window
breathing in deeply and exhaling slowly until his panic passed. The people at the window began filing out of the store. He heard the jingle of the door's bell as first one then another stepped out into the afternoon horror show.
“What the hell are you doing?!” Kevin shouted and ran to the door as a small, middle aged man was just opening the door to go outside. The small man looked at him stonily and said “Get out of my way kid.”
“Don't go out there!” Kevin shouted, but the man pushed past him and stepped quickly across the street to get a better view of the massive ship that dominated the sky over them. Kevin watched helplessly as each one of the people except for the clerk, stepped outside against his protests.
“They have lost their fucking minds,” the store clerk commented, shaking his head in amazement.
“There's no way I would go out there.” Kevin watched the small band of people reassemble across the street.
They stood there for maybe five minutes before a small ship that had descended from the main craft pulled them up into the air and shot straight up to unload them on the massive ship.
Kevin turned away from the window and faced the store clerk. “I think I'm gonna puke,” he said and swayed towards a shelf loaded with snack cakes. “Whoa buddy, take it easy,” the clerk said as he reached to steady Kevin. “Come on in back and sit down for a few minutes.” He led Kevin to the rear of the store to a small office that wasn't much bigger than a broom closet where a small desk and chair had been crammed in. It served as the manager's office and employee
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