Chapter One: The Rainy Beginning

It's raining today. again. Not that I have a problem with rain but I'm tired of things falling from the sky. They tend to cause problems which I can't bear at the moment.

A heavy drizzle has been falling, a brief respite from the raging storm. Maybe it's finally abating. Possibly.

A gust of wind blows rain on my face making my already dull day more sullen. I wipe the water off unhappily.

It's a day where one would wish to stay in the warmth of their home; if it weren't for that Japanese test, I would have stayed home. Maybe I should have skipped anyway. I have duties to keep, however, and a future to look forward to; one that's already slipping from my hands.

I sit on a slab of rock and mortar that's shaped into the semblance of a bench, which I share with a few others. I shift from my seat every so often; anyone would get sore.

My Japanese text book is on my lap. I'm not required to take the language, but I've wanted to learn it for a while. Surprisingly, it's not hard.

The platform is more crowded than usual, at this time of day at least. The trains have been delayed because of the flooding train tracks. I just missed the previous one and have been forced to wait for the following. It's ironic though, I always miss the train by a margin of a minute.

Every moment I look at the arrival time of the next train, the time is extended. Joy.

I gaze out to the four sets of train tracks before me. There's another platform on the other side where trains stop heading in the opposite direction. Sets of stairs leading up to the station and out into the city are at the end of the platform.

Unfortunately, I don't have the luxury of owning a car so I have to take public transportation. I've ridden these trains for the past two years to go to college and return home. It's a time consuming commute but there is no way around that.

The platform has a roof that protects from most of what nature can throw. Yet, there are times when the wind blows in the rain. Just like right now. To save my book from impending peril, I unhappily tuck it away.

I sit, waiting for what seems like a phantom train. There's little to do which makes time slow down. The others waiting for the train complain, some louder than others. The police who watch from the shadows edge closer to the outspoken ones. This isn't a safe neighborhood so they are always lurking. It's strange to see so many about at this time of day. Even stranger, the cops are not only watching the people; they are huddled in groups occasionally looking up at the sky during conversation.

The best way to ignore the rowdy crowd is to listen to something else, I suppose. I pull up my hood and take out my headphones. The screen of my Smart Phone lights up. It's an “out dated” phone but it still works well. Maybe I should buy the new one....when I get money that is.

I go to the TV application, click on a random channel wondering what it would lead to. Before the channel loads, an unusual message pops up. "Please wait while phone connects to the satellite." Weird, it's never done this before.

The ancient intercoms crackle, catching everyone by surprise. The entire platform quiets down. I listen, intrigued; pulling off my headphones.

"Ladies and gentlemen," a voice echoes across the platforms. "We regret to inform you that because of flooding and lack of visibility, it's been deemed unsafe for the continued operation of our trains..."

Groans of anger erupt around me followed by the screams and complaints of those demanding that the trains be put back into operation. I rise up, inching closer to the nearest intercom, curious to know more information. Being angry and screaming will do nothing to change the situation, so I remain quiet. If you are calm, you can accurately understand the situation and be able to determine what to do about it.

"Once the weather clears, the trains will return to normal operations,” continues the voice. “Please be patient and thank you for your continued support."

With that, the intercoms click off. I glance across to the other platform detecting that the rain has slowed down. What now? I don't have money and my Metro Card has no money on it. I had used the last of it on the bus ride to the train station. Thus, no options.

I dig into my pockets and pull out a five dollar bill and a few quarters. Okay, so maybe I have a bit of money. Maybe I should spend it on food. Why did this have to happen?

I head back to the bench only to discover my seat already taken, not like it really matters anymore. Some voice their disappointment louder than others. The police officers that had been lurking arise from the shadows, trying to keep everyone calm.

People just stand there, unsure of what to do next. I wonder what they are going to do. Well, it’s for them to deal with; I have to my own problems.

After a few minutes of commotion, under the direction of the police officers, the platform begins to clear. People start heading towards the staircase leading out to the city. They wear agitated and frustrated faces, pushing and shoving unceremoniously to get out.

I wait before climbing up the stairs without being shoved. My hand reaches into my bag pack and notice that what I'm looking for is missing. Ah, crap I left my umbrella on the bus. I must have forgotten to take it when I got off. Since I have nothing to do, I might as well go and walk around. I move reluctantly, knowing that despite my best efforts I will end up wet. Even though I know that, a sigh escapes me. I frown as my clothing begins to dampen.

The buses are still operational. There is a group of them that has just arrived. Those who had just exited the station, flood the available buses. I can take a bus but where would I go? Ah yes, I can visit my aunt but I don't really feel like going there and I don't want to intrude.

I hear the roar of jet engines as planes fly above. I immediately assume that those are commercial planes on their way out of the city. Yet, why would they be flying so dangerously close to the city? Why so many at once? Isn't the airspace above a city limited?

The thought is removed as I stand amidst people who might as well be walking around a wall than a person as they pass by. Not having anything to do or anywhere to go, I cross the street, walking into a small stream of water in the process. I sigh in resignation. A bad day getting worse.

Across the train station is a large plaza. Metal columns surround it along with benches and large metallic balls. There are some structures in the plaza as well. On sunny days, you would see vendors, selling all kinds of goods.

I walk onto the plaza, looking around. Most ignore the rain. To them, it's just a typical day in the, "city that never sleeps." The rain is only a slight inconvenience to them. Even in this weather, the city is crowded. A never ending stream of humanity, every single person facing their own problems.

Time slows down for a moment as the rain continues to lessen. The sound of nearby people and things seems lesson and the air is unnaturally still. I glance around myself in confusion. I hear a loud rumbling coming from the sky. A few around me stop, staring upwards and I curiously follow suit.

What's left of the rain isn't enough to shroud the sight before me. At first, visibility is low; yet, the more the rain lessens, the clearer things become.

I can make out the roar of jet engines high above. Loud sounds can be heard followed by objects falling to the ground. Sirens around the city sound in alarm. The rain seems to have vanished so everything is clearer.

I see the New York City skyline - that is the high buildings - with what seems like fighter jets in combat against something. At that distance, you can't differentiate between two things. The roar of engines grows louder as they plummet downwards crashing onto buildings.

More objects appear between the cloud cover. They are massive in comparison to the small planes. These objects seem to be asteroids or meteors. Some are smaller than others but they are still large. A few descend onto the city.

The entire city lights up with explosions. The sky is now painted red. Those objects descending onto the city break through the clouds in a path towards the ground. Loud screeching sounds emit from the hulking objects. They look like large rocks but there's something to it that appears off.

Small "meteors" - probably debris from those objects as well and the dog fight above - hit nearby buildings. The buildings groan, as people below are showered in glass and rubble. They fall to the ground in flames catching many unaware of the danger. As they hit, explosions erupt reverberating the ground knocking me off my feet. I stagger as I push myself upright.

It's like a scene taken out of a movie. People begin to panic. They run out onto the streets only to be impaled by oncoming traffic. This causes more accidents as cars crash into each other trying to evade pedestrians.

Some men in hoods raid stores. There are some kids smashing up an electronics store. They grab the nearest goods before fleeing down the street. The people run frantically, screaming along the way seeking a place to hide.

I stand there amid this chaos rooted to the ground; not in fear but in a certain sense of confusion and shock. This is something I would see in a movie. This really can't be happening.

Sirens can be heard all around. I head back to the street when I see a police car park with the police officers exiting. They begin to scream at the people in the cars trying to bring a semblance of order. I see other police officers chasing the last of the looters. I push my way up to one of the police officers.

People run past me, hitting into me in order to reach the police officer. When I reach him, a myriad of questions fly at him and he seems baffled as to which question to attempt to answer first.

"-Hey hey, how the hell would I know what's goin' on, eh? All I know is that-" he cuts off pointing upwards. Those around him look up.

My life flashes before me displaying all the things that I wish I could have done or in some cases shouldn't have; yet it is too late for that.

This is something that I couldn't envision despite all the science fiction movies I had seen. Back then, it only reached as far as a screen. Yet this time, I watch asteroids destroying the world that I hold so dear. It wasn't much while it was still there. Yet to see it being destroyed before my eyes is something completely different. There's nothing that I can do other than stare at the scene unfolding before me. It's almost beautiful.

A mid-sized meteor flies over us falling about a mile away. It crashes with a force that would make the hydrogen bomb jealous. I turn around awaiting the inevitable. If I run, there won't be enough time to escape the fire.

Seconds after it crashes, an explosion rocks the ground. These seconds pass slowly as I'm launched into the air watching the fire coming ever nearer. Moments later, all is dark. Instead of feeling pain, I feel numb. Then...nothing.