In the car, William suddenly cried. “Ah! I almost forgot to check the news today!” He proceeded to turn on the radio and kept switching stations for one or two minutes until he found the news station he was used to listening to almost every morning.
“We are now going to give way to the president of the United States of America, Mr. Jefferson Robert,” said a reporter. “People from across the world, it is with great discomfort that I have to announce that NASA spotted a UFO heading straight towards our beloved planet Earth.”
William’s, Amy’s and Joshua’s jaws dropped.
“What did he just say?” Kimberly asked.
“Shhh!” Everyone replied.
“I and the head scientists are still trying to figure out their travel speed, which in turn would determine how much more time they would take to reach us. This is not a drill. Again, this is not a drill. Until then, everyone, keep calm, and take care of yourselves,” the president added.
“Wait, does that mean we’re not going to school today? Very well, that’s fine by me,” stated Joshua.
“Forget about it, Joshua. The president didn’t mention schools closing, so you and Kim are still going today,” replied William, still astonished by such circumstances.
“That’s so uncool,” responded Joshua.
“Wait, did I get that right? Did he just say that we are under alien invasion?” Kimberly asked with an utterly confused expression on her face.
“Not … not an invasion per se. I mean, no one knows for sure why they are coming our way,” replied Amy, who was exhibiting a nervous look on her face.
Upon realizing her hands were shaking, William turned to his wife. “Breathe, honey, breathe.
“Take a deep breath, Amy. Inhale, and exhale.”
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Amy did.
“Whew, I needed that. Thanks, Will.”
“What the…” exclaimed Kimberly. “I was just about to tell you guys that my friends and I are planning something during the weekend.”
“Kimberly, can’t you see that your mother is in distress?” said William, briefly giving his daughter a disdainful look.
“Oh! Sorry, Mom, I didn’t mean to…”
“It’s alright, Kim, I’m feeling much better now. Oh, and about what you’re planning with your friends this weekend, we’ll talk about this later, OK?”
“OK, Mom.”
William started speaking. He was hoping to keep everything under control. “Listen, everyone. We should all keep calm, just like the president said. First and foremost, we are a family, which means we must stick together and look after each other. Even when the circumstances at hand don’t seem to be favourable, we can’t give up hope just yet. Humanity has been facing threats ever since the beginning of time. We may be a small community, but we are not one to back down easily. It is our duty to keep strong, because if we don’t, things … may get worse.”
Nobody responded. Out of discomfort and astonishment, Kimberly put her earbuds back on. William went on.
“Kimberly, Joshua, get ready. Three more minutes and we’ll be at school. Make sure you don’t leave anything behind.”
“Yes, Dad, I’m good,” replied Kimberly.
“I have everything with me,” added Joshua.
“Students of East Bridge High School, you have now arrived at your destination,” said William while parking the car in front of the school.
“OK, guys, have a nice day at school. And remember, should you face any problem, give us a call or talk to any other adult in charge,” advised Amy before they left.
“K, Mom, bye,” said Kimberly as she got out of the car.
“Love you, people,” added Joshua while closing the car’s door behind him.
On the way to drop Amy at her workplace, William and her started discussing the possibility of what the president had said to be true. They concluded it was indeed most likely to be. A while after having dropped Amy at work, William drove towards his own workplace.