Actually, we just got back from our trip.
Aren't you tired of staying at home?
yeah, yeah I remember.
We went to the beach
But it was too hot yesterday, so we took off early .
yeah, we're getting her ready for school.
She doesn't want to go, but what can you do, right?
Alright, I'll drop by later tonight.
okay, talk to you later . Bye bye .
" …We repeat the warning… the sun is not like it used to be… the heat is deadly during the day… anyone going outside before sunset could die… empty cities… power outages… make sure all windows are tightly closed… "
Inside a small house at the end of the street , Cristolina sat by the window. She was eighteen , but the exhaustion in her eyes made her look much older. Behind her , on the couch, her sixteen year old brother "Luke" was trying to calm the baby in his arms . The infant had not stopped crying for almost an hour…
The heat outside was strange .
From the corner of the room, an old radio whispered through bursts of static .
The announcer's voice broke through the noise ..
" Reminder to all citizens….. do not open your doors to anyone after dark . If someone knocks and asks for help, make sure you are certain… because they may not be human…."
The radio suddenly fell silent .
Cristolina slowly lifted her head .
Luke gently rocked the baby in his arms.
" Do you think any of that is real ? "
Cristolina kept her eyes on the dark street outside…
" I don't know… but people don't just disappear for no reason . "
At that momet , there was a knock at the door .
Both of them froze in place .
The knock came again .
Luke whispered,
" Cristolina… "
She raised her hand, signaling him to be quiet . " Shh.. "
Slowly , she approached the door without opening it . Leaning closer . she placed her eye against the peephole .
Their neighbor was standing outside.!
" Hello neighbor, it's been a long time since we last met. How are you? "
Cristolina answered:
"Same as always."
The neighbor said:
" Let me be honest with you .. I came here for a reason… I was a little worried about you.."
He paused for a moment, then continued.
" it looks like something really bad is coming our way. "
" I just finished a phone call with my cousin. She told me the news is talking about something strange happening with the sun… "
" And there are people coming from underground. For some reason they call them Visitors.. "
" Scary talk, right? I hope it isn't true. "
Cristolina asked:
"What is happening to the sun?"
The neighbor said :
" Either it will explode… or something will explode on it. I'm not really sure. "
" All I know is that something is wrong with it "
Then he looked up at the pale sky .
" I'm sure you noticed that this summer has been the hottest one ever, right? "
" I think we need to prepare ourselves for the worst "
" They say staying alone in the house is dangerous "
" So I came to make sure you won't get hurt… or something worse "
Cristolina stayed silent for a moment , then said calmly…
" I appreciate your concern "
The neighbor nodded a little.
" Alright… just make sure you lock your doors tonight.. "
He turned around and slowly walked away through the yard , his footsteps fading into the quiet street ..
Cristolina closed the door and stood there for a moment , looking at the handle before turning around..
Inside , Luke was standing there watching her silently .
Soon the house became quiet again .
End of Chapter 1 .