[Somewhere in the future]

The announcement began in a digitalized robotic male sound as the subtitles played on the hologram. We listened feeling creeped out as our stomachs dropped with every word. The hundred of us barely standing.

"Welcome lucky Homo Sapiens. You have been randomly selected to participate in D'Lar Intergalactic survival games' new season. You have been given a chance to represent your primitive species and compete in this arena. Last ones standing shall be rewarded with their lives."

#

[Present]

Saturdays for me meant Netflix and chill.

But that Saturday was different. It was my elder sister's baby shower. Elena had married a few years ago and now I was happily awaiting my niece/nephew. It was that rare family gathering, where relatives who couldn't make it to 'Lena's wedding were all there to celebrate the baby. The odd aunts and uncles, the loving grandpas and grannies, and annoying cousins had all enjoyed being together for the occasion. The celebrations had lasted the whole day.

I was the type of girl who preferred her personal space and privacy more than a vast social circle. But relatives were a different thing. We had so less of such gatherings, that we all cherished these scarce moments. I was fond of all the relatives whom I met occasionally. So to say that I was delighted was putting it lightly.

By dinner-time, we were all exhausted but groups of threes and fours could be seen lounging here and there gossiping with a glass of drink of their choice in each hand. A few cousins and I decided to clear the front yard of the day's litter of disposables and worn decorations, before calling it a day and heading off to rest.

"So, Ann, what are your plans after you get your masters?" One of my cousins asked, picking up pieces of burst balloons.

I shrugged, "We'll see. Maybe I'll go for a Ph.D.? Who knows?"

"Anara, when are you going to step into practical life and stop being a nerd?" My cousins laughed at me.

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"Yeah girl, You are twenty-four and your parents are still taking care of you like in high school." Another cousin added.

I had been listening to this stuff since I turned twenty. Most of them had moved out of their parent's house and some had great jobs by now. Even my elder sister sometimes used to lecture me about it, but I gave the same response to everyone as I have always given before, "If my parents are okay with it, no one else should have a problem."

Yeah, I was rude like that sometimes. But it bothered me a lot when people used to pick on my lifestyle. I get it, I'm not self-sufficient yet. But I do have my whole life to figure stuff out.

They realized this topic wasn't going anywhere, or probably just gave up teasing me for now and asked, "When does Mr. Deniz retire? Any plans yet?"

"Nah, you know how much dad loves to teach. He'll probably stay a professor as long as he can stand on his feet." I knotted the trash bag in my hand, which was now full.

"Stop trying to pressurize my bestie to leave student life sooner then she would like to." Caroline my best friend since childhood came to my rescue with a smile on her lips and bag full of trash in her hands, ready to be discarded.

I smiled at her sweetly and handed her my bag of trash as she looked at my smug face. She was the only non-family member who was invited to this family gathering. Caroline was like my sister-from-another-mother.

"This is what I get for standing up for you? More trash?" She tried to sound upset, but we both knew we could never be truly upset at each other.

We had been so busy in the chores that none of us noticed the enormous solitary grey cloud floating close to the streetlight until it was right on top of us. Before any of us could react, a neon-blue beam lit up like a spotlight right where I was standing. Too confused about the proceedings we all stood stunned until I started feeling lighter like being pulled against gravity.

That broke the trance everyone was in and the screaming started. I felt terrified but couldn't produce a single sound despite my efforts. I saw the adults emerge from inside as I noticed a few cousins try and catch me mid-air. I was too out of reach. My vision had started to blur and my body was going numb. I was losing consciousness rapidly.

The last thing before blacking out I remember was feeling two contradictory emotions: utterly terrified and perfectly believing it all to be a nightmare.

My name is Anara Deniz and I belong to a Spanish family. I was twenty-two when that spotlight turned the world as I knew it, upside-down for good. I used to be a carefree, naïve, and spoiled girl who had everything she needed in life. But that day brought life into a new perspective, full of experiences and choices I could never imagine myself to make. But it all feels so long ago now, or maybe it’s the time that’s passing too slow. Sitting here alone in this godforsaken prison cell, I've got nothing else to do anyway.

Except for survival maybe, in hopes to get to Earth, be able to see my family and the love of my life again.