The early summer night felt vibrant and alive as Jennifer Darcy went for her nightly run. She ran listening to music, but never found herself able to put the headphones over her ears. She didn't like feeling deaf to the world. So it played from her headphones like speakers, low and distorted, mingling with the sounds of crickets and cicadas that crawled into the trees in June.<br/><br/>She lived on the outskirts of the city center in a decent two story apartment. Her runs took her through the industrial park on the far side of the city just before you entered suburbia Colorado. She nearly reached the halfway point in her run when it happened: the dark starlit sky over Clearwater Springs turned bright as day as balls of fire streaked across the sky. She stopped running briefly until the sound of one of those fireballs hitting the ground sent a shock wave running up her spine.<br/><br/>The world was ending.<br/><br/>Panicked, Jennifer's first thought was of her father in his home in Cascade Park, not far from where she was currently running. She ran for him.<br/><br/>Behind her, though she was miles away, she could<span style="font-style: italic">hear</span>the sounds of buildings in the city being destroyed as the meteors struck them down. Her body felt cold.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Please be alive,</span>she prayed.<span style="font-style: italic">Please be alive!</span><br/><br/>She rounded the corner onto the industrial park's main avenue and the world was suddenly much warmer. Jennifer only had time to glance as a massive fireball struck the warehouse beside her. The walls of the warehouse were blown out by the force and the shock wave knocked Jennifer across the street. Dazed, she got to her feet and stood staring at the warehouse. Thoughts of her father were forgotten. The flames inside were bright and white hot, but she could see something moving around inside and it snapped her out of her daze.<br/><br/>"Hey!" She screamed and ran towards the warehouse. "Are you okay?" Her hand touched the metal wall and she instantly recoiled. "Get out of there!"<br/><br/>The shadowy figured moved towards her, getting taller and taller as it approached. Fear settled in stomach as the flames parted and a tall, solid yellow...<span style="font-style: italic">creature</span>... stood looking at her. She turned to run but it caught her wrist. It's skin was smooth as silk and it's grip strong. Instinctively, Jennifer turned to fight and found herself transfixed by it's small black eyes.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">She saw a planet, far away and foreign, with a sky burning orange and a landscape scorched and nearly void of life. The life that roamed the desolate planet were mutated (she didn't know how she knew they were mutated but she did) and destroyed any other creatures that came in contact with. She saw un-mutated creatures summoning their strength to travel a great distance... to travel to earth.</span><br/><br/>In a blink the vision was gone and Jennifer was staring at the face of the creature and she sensed sadness.<br/><br/>"I- well-" she stammered and lights went up all around them. Hummvees and military personnel surrounded them. Their guns were trained on them both.<br/><br/>"Release the girl!" a man shouted. The creature let Jennifer go, and pain suddenly assaulted her mind, causing the world to go white.<br/><br/>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br/><br/>Jennifer woke up on a cot in a room void of furniture and color. Food waited for her on the floor. She picked it up and the smell made her stomach turn. She only ate the bread and drank the glass of water. Trying to remember what happened caused immense pain and Jennifer wondered if maybe she hit her head on her run. Or maybe someone hit her... Panic started to set in again as flashbacks started creeping up in her mind. She brought her knees to her chest and tried to calm herself. No. She wasn't kidnapped. It couldn't be.<br/><br/>The door opened, and a woman in uniform stepped into the room with two men behind her.<br/>"Jennifer Darcy?" The woman said. Jennifer nodded. "I'm Captain Fisher."<br/>"Where am I?" Jennifer asked. The woman raised an eyebrow.<br/>"You're in Fort Thompson, Miss Darcy. Clearwater Springs. I'm afraid that's all I can do for your right now. I need you to come with me."<br/><br/>The men behind Captain Fisher helped Jennifer to her feet and walked on either side of her through the windowless hallways.<br/><br/>"Where are we going?" She asked.<br/><br/>"A room further in the base," Captain Fisher said vaguely. Jennifer scowled. "It came with us with little resistance, but has refused to speak with us unless you're present. We had to wait for you to recover."<br/><br/>"Recover from what exactly? What is it?"<br/><br/>"You tell me Miss Darcy..." Captain Fisher said, "It appears to know you."<br/><br/>A security gate opened before them and at the end of a short hallway was a double door. The men each opened one side and Captain Fisher stepped through with Jennifer behind her. Her eyes grew wide as memories of the previous night flooded back.<br/><br/>"It's you!" she said when she saw the yellow creature. It stood and all the officers in the room raised their weapons.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">"Don't shoot!"</span>Jennifer said. Surprised that she was saying it at all. The creature's words appeared in her mind and she found herself saying them with no resistance.<br/><br/>"We brought you the girl," Captain Fisher said. "Now talk."<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">"We mean you know harm,"</span>Jennifer the creature said.<span style="font-style: italic">"Our name is Favir and we are Hi-Fal'an.</span><br/><br/>Captain Fisher looked to the girl then back to the creature. "Why are you talking through her? Why not talk to us directly?"<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">"We do not yet know your language,"</span>Jennifer the creature said.<span style="font-style: italic">"This girl can understand our thoughts."</span><br/><br/>"Then why are you here? Are you invading?" Captain Fisher asked and Jennifer felt a great sadness in her chest.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">"We are refugees who have traveled far looking for this place,"</span>she said.<span style="font-style: italic">"Falstar, our world, is dying. We are afraid that Earth is next."</span><br/><br/>The interrogation went on for hours until Favir insisted Jennifer had become too exhausted to continue. He was right, once the connection was broken a wave of exhaustion fell over her body and mind.<br/><br/>"We're going to keep you here a few more days until the threat has been determined," Captain Fisher said. "After that you'll be free to go."<br/><br/>"What about the creature?" Jennifer asked. Captain Fisher said nothing. "The government can't cover this up," Jennifer said. "There were too many. There was too much destruction. People know."<br/><br/>"We're not trying to cover anything up, Miss Darcy," Captain Fisher said. "We're trying to protect the American people." She let Jennifer back into her cell. "We'll bring you something to pass the time." Then the door shut behind her. A while later a man in uniform wheeled in an old television on a cart and plugged it in. After he was gone, Jennifer turned it on and sat on the edge of her bed as the news broadcast the sheer magnitude of the situation.<br/><br/>Fireballs were falling all over the world and aliens were crawling out of each one. In some places, military opened fire immediately and to devastating losses. The aliens were powerful, it was obvious as the news cameras filmed one creature, that looked a bit like a green wolf, as it fired needles of green energy from the mane around it's neck. She flicked to another channel: In Shang Hai a blue creature that looked like rocks was lumbering through the center of the city on the run from a tank that was firing missiles at it. When it curled into a ball it deflected missiles entirely. Another channel: Trafalgar Square was burning as several fire balls struck the West End. People ran for their lives as more aliens exited the flames... Jennifer got to her feet. People were staring at the aliens. The aliens were staring back and it looked like...it looked like they were being connected. She placed her hands on the TV and got as close as she could. Yes. She could see it! She could see the energy surrounding them.<br/><br/>"What is happening?" She whispered as the news switched back to Clearwater Springs.