March 2020

A sudden rain of asteroids turns a normal school day into a terrifying experience Light glimmered on the vast plains of France and on the sparkly stones that lay around like lazy cats. The stones rose angrily above the ground, glistening in the sun’s radiant light. Endless fields danced in the glorious, full light emanating from the brilliant ball of fire above the crystal blue sky that stretched as far as the eye could see. Blurry rivers sang around gleaming, round stones, creating elegant rippling sounds that filtered through the immense plain. Grasses tingled in the clear morning air; the wind flowed like rain through the long expanse to field after field after field. In the far blue distance, mountains arose like clouds soaring across an endless sky. Sheer white snow sparkled, sending thousands of points of diamond light across the plentiful land. Erect stones and points jutted from the mountains; the steep hills looked ominous even from such a long distance. Splotches of brilliant green sparkled in the crooks of mountains far away—dew glinting and opulent green hills soaring through the landscape. A few scraggly caves jutted through the fertile soil; the dark, dreary, dim center hidden from view by craggy and rugged cave walls that whispered in the wind. The landscape blended together into one big mush of land; the colors blurred, but the regions themselves were very different. Thus, a single farmer could get lost in unknown territory; the spaces were so vastly different, whether plain, river, mountain, or valley. As dawn seeped across the sky like milk pouring into a bowl, a young girl carefully climbed out of her microscopic bed. She tried, ever so carefully, to prevent the dusty wood floors from creaking. Her name was Evangeline; her hair was as pure as dark chocolate and her eyes as green as the plentiful valleys that surrounded her home on her parents’ farm. Her hair swept across her shoulders like waves rolling onto the beach in the far distance, every single strand falling into place as if her hair moved not as many single strands, but as one whole. Her skin was the color of the grainy sand that spilled around the cliffs and the fields, a dark tan color. Her skin was as soft as a feather and warm and silky to the touch. Her eyes gleamed emerald fire as the sun shone brilliant, warming rays down through the dusty windows onto her face. She was elegant, although her body was rugged and powerful after many long, hard days of tending to the farm in the warm summertime. Evangeline crept across the old wood floor like a quiet mouse. Dust spilled in the air as she placed her feet carefully down; it billowed around her like a storm. She slipped across the tiny house and onto a chair in the cold, damp kitchen. There were no windows in the creepy room, no warm light that spilled and danced through the glass. She walked over to the dusty wooden cabinet that contained her breakfast for the whole week. Inside, there were vegetables and fruits of any color and size imaginable. A rainbow of color filled the whole room like a mist; the fresh produce gave light to the suffocating darkness of the room. She grabbed six strawberries, two oranges, and one carrot for her measly breakfast. Oh, she thought, I wish I could have pancakes like all of the other kids at school. She danced back into the spiraling light, dismissing the thoughts from her head. I should be grateful for all I have. The door creaked and seemed to twist as it was opened by her sand-colored hand. Evangeline knew that the door would not hold for much longer as she quietly clicked it shut. She flew out through the meadow, running at a tremendous speed. She had always been excellent at running; if running were a class at school, she would have already aced it. The grass under her pounding feet swished; it tingled and glimmered with dew. The dew that once resided on the grass was flung into the air; rainbows spread across the grass as the sun shone its blinding, gleaming light through the tiny pearls of water. Evangeline looked back at her parents’ farm—one day to be her farm. The crops placed in neats rows were shriveled in the sun; the green sprouts were not visible from the spot where Evangeline stood. A feeling of dread crept into her stomach on tiny paws, seeping, pouring into every bone in her body. How can we survive any longer if our crops keep dying? Evangeline wondered fearfully. There was not enough money in her family to keep their farm and their house; they would have to move far away into the distance that seemed untouchable. The ominous mountains rose threateningly like mouths full of sharp teeth waiting to bite her at any second. Evangeline did not want to move away from her home, or all of the landmarks so familiar and friendly. Except for the mountains. The mountains always posed such a threat to Evangeline; whenever she looked at them, their terrifying looming over the land and the way they seemed to whisper ominous things had always made her feel as if there was no hope, that the world would soon come to an end. To cross them, as many did, would be the ultimate horror. The other people in Evangeline’s school seemed to love the mountains. The rock formations seemed so fragile but fierce. Interesting minerals poking out of rough stones to peek at the glorious world around them. Sloping hills that wound up the sides gently crafted by a mysterious water source long ago. Minute, trickling streams that wound through the mountains like pieces of thread. Exotic mountain plants growing through cracks in the rocks. Light danced through the warm windows and spread through the classroom like a tsunami of glitter. To Evangeline, they were dangerous, deadly, full of monstrous