I struggle to open my eyes as my obnoxious alarm goes off. The time on my phone reads 5:00 a.m. That’s too early to be up, so I click the snooze button and try to get a bit more time to sleep. Unfortunately the snooze only works for about five minutes before it goes off again, but I don’t think about that when I click it. I just want it to stop. After sleeping another hour and getting through what felt like countless snoozing cycles, I decide it’s time to get up. A timid long yawn exits my mouth and I stretch my arms up as far as I possibly can. I sit up in bed and take a few seconds to really wake up and get my thoughts in order to start my day. A couple of small rays if sunlight creep into my darkened room and I can see small particles of dust floating freely through my room. Usually by this time I can hear the morning birds chirping and singing away. All there is, is silence. No birds. Something doesn’t feel right. I feel, alone. My stomach suddenly aches and I curl up into a ball on the floor of my room. It’s not pain. It feels empty. Why do I feel this way?My foreheads begins to sweat and I get, cold. After a few minutes of laying on the floor, I get enough energy to grab my phone from under the sheets. Theres no signal on it and it looks like the wifi might be out. I start to wonder if I forgot to pay the internet bill. I should’ve. It’s almost the end of the month. Somehow I gain enough energy to get up off the floor and make my way out into the living room. I stop and stare at the furniture in the living room one by one for a few seconds trying to remember if I I forgot to do something last night. Everything looks the same. It all feels so different. Theres barely any light coming in from the outside so I then go spread the drapes apart to let more of it in. From my living room window I can see the courtyard filled with red, brown, and yellow leaves covering most of its surface. There’s something missing. There’s no movement. No wind. No life.

I grab my worn out denim jacket and pair of slippers from the living room closet and head on out into the courtyard. There’s usually quite a bit of activity at this time around the complex. I have yet to see or even slightly hear a neighbor since I woke up. What’s going on?

I walk towards the leasing office which is a few feet away from the courtyard and away from the tall trees blocking the morning sky. There’s no noise coming from the main street that passes in front of the complex. No cars. No people. Nothing.

I walk onto the middle of the street to look down it both ways. Nothing. Where is everyone? Am I dreaming? I can’t be. I know I’m awake. This is real. This has to be real.

My anxiety instantly hits me and I collapse onto my knees. I start to cry and weep. Where is everyone? Why am I alone? Why me?

As I clean my face with the bottom part of my shirt I notice someone on the other side of the street across the complex where the cemetery is. I jump up onto my feet and run towards them as fast as I can. As I get closer I notice it’s a man. He’s wearing a black suit and bright red dressing shoes. He’s just standing there with his arms behind his back looking up at the sky. I slowly approach him and as soon as I open my mouth to ask what’s going on, he speaks.

“It is time.”

He turns around and looks at me. His eyes as blue as the morning sky. He looks deeply into my eyes and speaks in a gentle manner,

“For centuries humankind has been on the path of destruction. Your leaders have caused nothing but pain and harm to the world. Now, we will start a new beginning in hopes of saving this planet. You have been chosen to lead the new world. Make life thrive as it should. We will be back for judgement.”

The man looks up to the sky and disappears instantly. I look up and see what can be easily over twenty starships blast their way out of the atmosphere. I sit down where I stand and cry. Life will thrive again. It has to.