The Next Morning

You jolt awake to the sound of your alarm, beeping at 6 AM that annoying sound that you’ve always hated. You groan as you clearly did not get enough sleep, from the night before. Once you turn the alarm off, you lay in your bed, staring at the ceiling, trying to remember anything and everything that happened last night.

Was it a dream?

Was it real?

Did it really happen?

As you set up, and stretch your arms, you notice the business card that was given to you last night at the school on your nightstand. Your heart felt like it stopped for a second as this confirmed that it was real. You reach over for the card, hoping that it was just your eyes playing tricks on you but the moment you pick it up and hold it, the gravity of what really happened hits you hard. You flipped the card around noticing some additional text that you did not notice last night on the back of the card.

“Helping in any and every way we can”

The words stung in your mind as that’s honestly what you tried to do last night.

Suddenly, you heard knocking on your bedroom door and a woman’s voice sounded from the other end. “Come on sweetie, you gotta get ready for school. I know you’re up!”

It was your mom, and she sounded like she was in a hurry. You hurry off your bed and start getting dressed. You would occasionally look back at the business card as you still didn’t believe that it was real.

After getting somewhat ready, you head downstairs, where your Mom and Dad are eating cereal while watching the news. You lazy grab a bowl and start to pour cereal in it while barely listening to the TV.

“And lastly, a local high school football game ended abruptly as a experimental drone crashed, causing panic…”

You look up in shock at the TV has video played of the football game and the explosion happening, but it was all wrong. Small details had been changed that only you noticed.

“See…good thing we didn’t let you go to the game last night, you could’ve been hurt or worse!” Your dad explains pointing to the TV.

“Yeah! You need to be getting good grades, not being at some game with some girl.” Your mom chimed in. She had always disapproved of any girl you talk to whether it was just a friend or someone you had a crush on.

You say nothing as you sit down at the kitchen table and start to eat your cereal as you normally do, but this time of you felt a lot more quieter.