Hazel relaxed to some music on the loud and panicked bus ride home. The freshmen were freaking out while the seniors were just shrugging it off.

Hazel, a junior, was in the middle. Her stop approached and she gathered her things before running up her driveway and into her house.

"Mom! Dad! Alex?" Hazel called into her home before rushing to the living room.

"Sweetie, is that you?" A woman asked and her mom turned the corner.

"Mom!" Hazel cried and ran into her mother's embrace.

"Oh honey, no need to be scared," her mom reassured.

Hazel pulled away, "But we have no clue who or what these invaders are!"

"Or if they are invaders at all," Hazel's Mom smiled gently, "your father is almost home and your brother left the middle school ten minutes ago and should be home any second."

"I'll go gather a bag," Hazel sighed before jogging up the white carpet stairs.

Hazel crashed on her bed and stared at the ceiling. Why did this have to happen to me?

Hazel felt the tears form in her eyes but refused to let them fall. She would not let fear take control. She would survive with the rest of her family.

Hazel stood up, grabbed a drawstring bag and started to gather. Three pens, a notebook, her favorite book, her phone (she didn't really ask why since it would die) some clothes, a hat, a blanket, and picture of her family.

Hazel brushed her thumb over her face in the picture and let a single tear run down her cheek and splash on the photo. But tears would have to wait.

Slinging the bag over her shoulder, hazel rushed to the basement to get one last thing. Was it overkill? Possibly. But she grabbed three of her fathers guns and every round of amo. Always best to be prepared.

Hazel shook her head to clear the dark thoughts closing in and rushed back up the stairs.

Alex had thrown his backpack onto the floor and ran upstairs. Hazel's Dad opened the door and rushed in behind him.

"This is all over the news Amy," her dad panicked and turned on the tv.

"A mysterious and believed to be dangerous air craft is hovering over eastern Massachusetts and heading south towards Boston. Other have been spotted in Raleigh , New York, and las ángeles. Not much is known besides they claim they are from a different universe and are not aliens but government forces have been deployed.  Police and authorities recommend to stay indoors and to stay up to date with the story."

Dad turned off the tv.

"They will be harmful I bet, no one who means good hovers over major cities and waits, no one," he grumbled before running up stairs.

Hazel watched him dash off and saw her mother's worried expression.

"You don't need to worry dear. We will keep you and Alex safe, your dad taught you to hunt and the good plants to eat, you two will be survivors," Mom sighed and pressed her thumbs to ear temples and pointer fingers to her forehead.

Hazel went to look out the window. What would happen? She couldn't help but wonder.

"I don't get why everyone is freaking out," Alex retorted as he stood next to her.

"Because they are strangers to earth!" Hazel shouted.

"But they are from another earth! Anther universe! I've seen it in the flash!" Alex exclaimed.

"The flash is a tv show!" Hazel said with anger.

"A good tv show," Alex shot back.

"That's not the point right now. This is no fantasy or tv show Alex. Use your head for once," Hazel snapped.

"But they haven't attacked, they may never," Alex snorted and fixed his dusty blond hair.

"You don't know that," Hazel said through gritted teeth, "no one does."

"What will we do!" Hazel heard her mom cry out.

"Amy, the kids. We will figure it out. But hazel and Alex need to survive. They need to rebuild whatever is lost," Hazel's Dad replied and the two hugged.

Hazel grabbed the windowsill as the ground trembled beneath them. The lights swayed and the furniture shifted. An earthquake? They didn't get earthquakes here?

Dad switched on the tv.

"The ships have landed and enemy troops are being deployed!" The news lady screamed before the tv cut to static  before shutting off with the rest of the lights.

Hazel felt her face go pale before she exchanged a scared look with Alex. A huge sound erupted not far from the house and hazel let out a scream.

"Run. Kids, run to the woods. They will come looking for children, not doubt, go to the woods. And hazel, watch out for Alex," her dad rushed to them.

"Dad! No! Come with us!" Hazel cried.

Her dad shook his head, "no, you two must survive. Always remember, we are very proud of you."

The family gave one last hug before hazel looked into her parent's eyes one last time before running out the door and into the woods across the street, heading west.

"But-" Alex started but was cut off.

"You heard Dad, we have to survive. Come on," Hazel tried to keep her voice from shaking as she ran out the house just as it started to burn to the ground.

"No!" Alex cried.

Hazel choked back tears, "hurry Alex!"

Her feet crunched the leaves below in the forest and twigs snapped.

"Where are we going?!" Alex called.

"Away from any civilization," Hazel shouted back before she tripped over a loose root and went hurtling forward.

"Hazel!" Alex cried and he stopped short, flailing back.

Hazel groaned and clutched her ankle. Her eyes squinting with pain. Alex went to feel it but hazel snapped back.

"Leave it, it's just a sprain, it looks worse than it is," Hazel growled.

"That's what someone who just got shot in the gut would say, come on," Alex sighed and grabbed Hazel's upper arm.

Hazel squinted her eyes and stood up through the pain.

"What will we do! We can't get any medical help!" Alex gasped as he saw Hazel's ankle know growing to be the size of an apple.

"We rough it, wait quiet," Hazel held her breath and strained her ears.

The sound of crunching footsteps on leaves sent her heart racing.

"These people are brainless, can't believe they are in a neighboring universe," one of them grumbled.

"I know right, I don't even fully understand why we need this earth," a second one grumbled.

"We are running out of space you idiot, plus, the president had her reasons, not so many world leaders would have joined if it was a bad idea. Plus, we've burned out most resources," the first snapped, "come on, we are getting called back to base."

A flash of light met Hazel's eyes and the two patrollers were gone. So, they are from another universe.

"This is bad! Like really bad!" Alex strained and ran a hand through his hair with anxiousness.

"Ok, it's bad, but it could always be worse," Hazel tried to offer.

"Just wait, in a day or two it will get worse and you will have an "I️ told you so" handed to you," Alex grinned.

"Sure, like you could remember that," Hazel sarcastically said and Alex frowned.

"Let's find shelter and see how far we can make it," Alex huffed and helped his sister through the woods.

Hazel sling her shoulder around Alex and limped through the dense forest.