Jenny and I sat on the forested hillside overlooking the valley that was the meteor’s predicted point of impact, waiting. “I’m betting just the other side of the river,” I said.

“Nah,” said Jenny. “Closer to this side. Hey, you hear that?”

There was a sort of distant whistling in the air, which grew to a rumble. She stood up, shading her eyes. “There it is!”

I looked. A reddish ball of fire was streaking in from the north, growing bigger and bigger, splitting off smaller sparks. We felt the first stirrings of a breeze, which grew to a gust. And then it passed right over us, a hurtling, glowing space rock the size of an aircraft carrier.

“This is it!” Jenny screamed as the searing wind whipped her hair across her face.

I nodded, and threw down our Portable Hole. Jenny dived in, and I followed a second later, pulling the hole shut after us to avoid debris.

I had waited just long enough to see the space rock crash to earth just this side of the river.

Not that I was going to admit it to Jenny.