When I was a girl, I remember looking at the stars every night through my telescope at my parent's summer home. So many little lights. Too many to count. I wanted to go up there so bad. You see, they represented the future to me. I was always taught that the day we reached the stars, was the day the future would arrive. It was all I could think about. It became my obsession, my passion. Every day, I would go to the library and just learn. Learn about space shuttles. Learn about the dangers of space. Learn about theories from the Big Bang to the Three laws of robotics and everything in between. When at home, I would watch every single sci-fi movie and TV show I could get my hands on. There was never enough time in the day to learn it all.

 There was so much blood. I tried to help him. But he pushed me away and told me to help me strap him in. The shuttle was about to launch and the men outside were trying to force their way in. I did as he asked. Just as soon as he and I were strapped in, I felt myself being forced back into my seat. We were launching. I looked at the rearview cameras and saw the men outside instantly burn to ash. Then, I looked out the window and saw the night sky. Full of stars. Just like I remembered. I watched as we rose higher and higher. We just kept going up. Until we reached the lower stratosphere. From there, I could see the stars. So close. So bright. So beautiful. But then, from the corner of my eye, I saw a flash of light. At first, I assumed that it was the rising of the sun over the horizon. But then there was another flash. Then another. Several blinding lights ignited all across the horizon. It was as if the world was suddenly set ablaze. I’m sure you can figure out what happened.

We had finally made it into the city. What was left of it anyways. We passed the charred remains of what once was our proud civilization. I saw a whole skyscraper impaled on another. As if it was simply ripped from its very foundations and thrown like a spear. But what got to me the most was when we passed these shadows burned into the wall of a building. They were of a man and a little girl holding hands trying to escape the blast. I looked away and forced the thought from my mind. I still think about them sometimes.