The tornado sirens began just as Amanda started up her pickup truck in the dark of the night and sped off the property, spraying gravel back at her fiancé’s house. She saw Brent through the rearview mirror as he charged out to the porch and put his hands on his hips, an anguished look on his face. She didn’t care. It was over, and she was getting out of this place.
The tornado sirens continued to wail as Amanda sped down the dark country road. She felt her face flush with both anger and relief, as well as a tinge of fear for what might come next. She could feel the tears streaming down her face, blurring her vision as she drove. She was free.
Suddenly, a bright light appeared in the sky in front of her and the truck began to shake. Amanda screamed and tried to steer out of the way, but it was too late. The truck was tossed into the air like a toy and she was thrown out, hitting her head on a rock as she landed. The last thing she saw was claws coming straight for her out of the darkness.
The next thing Amanda knew, she was waking up in a strange place. She was lying on her back on a cold, hard surface, and her head was throbbing. She could see a few feet in front of her a large, dark shape moving around. She tried to scream, but no sound came out. She was paralyzed with fear.
The dark shape came closer and she could see that it was a giant, furry creature with glowing eyes. She tried to scoot away from it, but her body wouldn’t respond. The creature leaned down and sniffed her, and she could feel its hot breath on her skin. Then it stood up and began to walk away.
Amanda’s fear turned to terror as she realized that she was being held captive. Two tall dark figures stepped next to her. They were not human. A bright light came on and blinded her.
The next thing she knew, she was being loaded onto some sort of a ship. She was surrounded by the tall, dark figures, and there was nowhere to run, even if she could move. She was scared and alone, and she knew she would never see her family or home again. She thought about Brent. The anger had subsided, and now she would give anything to be back in his arms. He only wanted to protect her, but sometimes his protection felt like an invisible prison.
She heard a whooshing sound. The figures who were leaning over her suddenly recoiled and shriveled in a cloud of white before falling to the ground. When the cloud cleared, Brent stood there with a fire extinguisher in hand. He slammed his fist on a lever and Amanda’s hands came free. “Let’s go! Fast!” Brent yelled, as he grabbed Amanda’s arm with his free hand and started running.
They jumped into Brent’s SUV and drove away. With the tornado sirens blaring in a distance, they sped past cornfields in the dark, going way faster than the 55 MPH speed limit. Brent let out a sigh while concentrating his eyes on the road. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything.”