Domed Judgment

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

“Aliens?!?!” I repeated.

Anna nodded.

"What are you on?" I asked.

"Nothing. But mom's last words while garbled said something about happenings in the sky. I keep replaying our conversation over and over in my head." She bent forward letting her wavy dark brunette hair cover her face. I thought I saw tears sliding down her flawless pale cheeks.

"What does your Granny say?" I asked changing the subject, rubbing my hands together. Really, her first thoughts were aliens; not China or some kind of attack.

Anna looked up. Tear trails still wet reflected in the sun light. "She's on a lot of medication. She only mumbled that the TV was showing yesterday's shows."

"What about homecoming tonight?" I asked the most pressing question on my mind.

"Really that's what you're worried about? It's the end of the world." Anna said.

I sat down across from her; leaned back with my arms crossed over my T-shirt cover chest, which should be covered in a purple taffeta. "I don't believe it. You read too many of those apocalypse books."

“Do not!” Anna said.

“Then where did you come up with aliens?”

“What else is there up in the sky?” Anna asked.

Over my shoulder, I said, “To answer your question: birds, satellites, God, airplanes, stars, clouds, fog . . .  would you like me to continue? Maybe even terrorist like 911. Who knows but you jump directly to aliens?” 

I reached over turning on our cable TV. Surely, if there were aliens in the sky the cable twenty four hour news shows would be talking about them.  The TV tuned into SNN cable news. Dad and mom listened to it while they got ready for work this morning. 

The room was silent except for the news anchor spouting out the latest quarterly earnings projections for the top retailers. 

“See no aliens on the news!” I said, taking a deep breath. Would Anna be upset with me?

“They don’t know everything.” Anna said. Her eyes lowered.

“True. But, come on, Aliens?” 

Anna sat back her arms folded across her chest. Her jaw set and eyes hard, not looking at me.

“Okay!” I raised my hands, “Let’s go to Darris and get a second opinion.” Everyone knew that Darris was a sci-fi geek.  And maybe, just maybe, I could get a ride into Franklin and Homecoming!