It was the reverberations of the engines jarring through the earth that woke me, moments before the shattering of the dishes as they hit the floor. Panic flooded my senses, and I jolted awake, pushing myself out of bed to fly towards the window. Heart racing, a cold nervous sweat broke out all over my body, itching like a rash and robbing my mouth of moisture. Tell me I’m wrong.

The ship was just beginning to hover off the ground, and without thought I ran barefoot through the remains of my home, hitting the ground at full speed as I rocketed towards the last transport ship that would ever take off from Earth’s soil.

“Wait!â€? I tried to scream, but my mouth felt as through it were made of cotton. Tears stung my eyes, and I shook them away, putting my energy into a last burst of speed. If only someone could see me.

But they didn’t. As I watched, the ship gained speed, thrusting upwards through Earth’s damaged atmosphere, taking the last of the planet’s human inhabitants with it.

Except for me.