Life was unfair. That’s the way it was. Yet, here was the prettiest and most hopeful thing he had seen for four years. Ruined, fire-scarred buildings and dusty, smoky air was expected, dessert was not. He ran to the little pink cake, made for a two year old named Maddie. Maddie would probably be two forever. When he got there, the hologram flickered out, and the sirens wailed.

However, that’s how things went in 3004. The 3000s were supposed to be years of celebration and innovation in the United European Empire. But on New Year’s Eve they came in a never ending army. Millions were killed, and the others went into hiding in ‘safe’ houses. Chaos ruled. Who were they? A shadow in the night that was the last thing you would ever see. They weren’t anything from the universe, rather beasts of Heaven and He** combined.

He snapped out of his flashback and ran to his sewer to hide from them. The large drainage pipe was one of the few escape routes they didn’t patrol. He found a dryer corner, where he curled up in the dim light. His mom would’ve loved the cake, his dad too. His baby brother would’ve been two by now, that might’ve been his cake. But they were gone now too, so why should he have to wait to see them? Then he let go, and the answer was that he didn’t.