The heavy fans on the ceiling swung lazily, reducing the smell of several dishes radiating in the atmosphere, but that of a baking pizza bagel was powerful enough to not wither away.

November Calhoun knew the evening wouldn't end well for him when he stood in front of the boys' table.

"I'll like a strawberry smoothie," Ivar Johansson told him, trying so hard to suppress laughter that seemed to be bubbling inside his chest.

"Same, shitface," Chase added, with a sick grin on his face as he folded his arms across his chest. While November just gave them a nod, deciding he wouldn't let their behavior get through him because they were his bullies from school. If they weren't slamming him against his locker or forcing him to do their assignment, they made fun of his outfit.

November turned around to go get their order when Ivar called him back.

"Anything else?" November whirled his head around to face the Asian-American boy.

"Just a little piece of advice, dingle-dick. Stop wearing such awful clothes. You look like you just stepped right out of the sewer." He had his hand at the side of his mouth as he audibly made this awful state known to November.

Customers and a few of the waitresses fastened their gazes to November and he felt like the ground should just open up and consume him because he was so embarrassed.

Chase's boisterous laughter filled up the atmosphere and November closed his eyes tightly for a split second, wishing he could crawl up in a corner and hide because his clothes were as bad as Ivar claimed. He was working as a waiter to pay his fees and to afford clothes from a thrift store because he didn't have a rich parent.

"Your face looks like something I'd have a poop on," Ivar muttered, earning a snicker from his best friend.

November turned around from Chase and Ivar, avoiding the eyes of the rest of customers as he placed one unsteady footstep after the other and headed to the kitchen.

"Don't let their words get through you, November.

They only bully you to make themselves feel better." Mrs. Diaz, the mixed-race head cook, offered him these words of assurance, while the boy just shook his head.

"It's something I'm used to." November rubbed the side of his arm, offering her a fake smile because talking about what just happened only made him feel ashamed of his clothes even more. He was wearing a faded gray hoodie, tight jean pants and worn-out shoes.

The smoothies got ready in less than ten minutes, November put them on a tray and then took them out to his tormentors who were awaiting him.

He failed to notice the stretched-out leg and mistakenly jammed his foot against it. The impact made him lose his balance and everyone's mouth formed into a medium-sized O of horror, as the smoothies were sent flying into the air. It was like those epic moments in movies when something clumsily embarrassing occurred in slow motion. Other than this was November's reality.

Firstly, the smoothie aggressively smashed against the floor, creating a mess with its contents coupled with shattered pieces of glass cups.

Secondly, he fell, landing face flat on the floor. And a deadbeat groan left his mouth because a sharp pain shot through his nose.

November hurriedly placed his hand on his nose to subside the pain and when he took it off, he saw his hand stained with blood. Signifying he just sustained a nosebleed from the fall impact.

"You're shitty at school and bad for a waiter. The only thing you aren't terrible at is being stupid." Ivar muttered with distaste, while Chase had his hand fisted against his mouth as he guffawed.

November bit the insides of his cheeks hard until he was sure he sustained a bruise because he needed no seer to tell him Chase deliberately put his leg out so he could fall.

Again the customers were shooting him looks of pity and mockery. No one even bothered to ask if he was okay.

It wasn't as though he was not used to being treated like this at school, he just didn't expect it to happen at his place of work. He didn't even know how those assholes came to know about Mindflyer restaurant because kids from school never went there.

Something incredulous happened, but it was seen by a few people who were left in the perplexing state of being confused.

"Mommy, mommy, did you see that?" A toddler kept tugging his mother's skirt as he pointed outside. But the mother could barely pay attention to him because she had a cardigan on her infant whom she was nursing.

"The sky just switched to a depressing black within the space of a second before it went back to normal. I wouldn't call that a figment of my imagination." This is from a balding hair man who looked a bit drunk.

"Strange." Another man muttered in unbelief.

"It felt like there was an armageddon threatening to take place." And the third person disclosed this to his girlfriend who hurriedly pressed the back of her palm against his forehead, asking him if he was sick.

"Ravenscourt, I think drugs are a new recipe in here because customers are beginning to speak gibberish!" Someone yelled, slamming his fist on a table.

"Shut up, Burp!" The boss, Mr. Ravenscort shouted back.

"Here, let me help you," Chase looked away from everyone and held his hand out to November.

While November just ignored it and rose to his feet because he felt this might be some trick. Chase could hold him up to slam his face against the table.

"Calhoun, ten percent deduction of your salary for creating such a mess!" A sour mood Mr. Ravenscort yelled at November. He hated the fact that the old man, claimed they sprinkled drugs on food.

"Dammit!" November cursed under his breath because mother luck was against him today, just like every other day.

"Oh, poor England. He'd go cry to his mama." Chase feigned a crying face, while Ivar scoffed.

"What do you gain from inflicting pain, you sorry ass sack of shit!" November bellowed at the top of his lungs, deciding it was fucking enough.

Before any statement was made, all the lights in and around Mindflyer went out, stirring up collective gasps from everyone. Even phones were shutting down by themselves, leaving everyone astounded.

"Jeepers! This is scaring the life out of me!"

"A temblor in Indiana?"

The whole place was struck with panic as people exchanged curious glances.

Cries from a fidgeting infant shut everyone up and everything slowly adjusted back to normal. With the lights returning, phones automatically turning on.

"Damn, what are these meteorologists paid for if they cannot predict this?"

"It doesn't have to do with the weather, I say this place is cursed!"

"One more word from you, Burp, and I'll kick your wrinkled ass out!" Mr. Ravenscort warned the old man, fuming in anger.

November could feel it within his gut that something bad was about to happen.

"Dude, before this whole madness, did Nitwit just talk back to you?" Ivar smacked Chase's shoulder with the back of his palm. While the bigger bully himself had his eyes still lowered in shock.

"Hurry up and clean that mess," Mr. Ravenscort put his newspaper away from his face from where he was seated. "And bring them their order as fast as possible, if you don't want to hand in your resignation letter." He threatened November, then flapped the newspaper before pulling it up to cover his face.

November grind his teeth as he headed in the direction where cakes and muffins were on display in a show glass. He grabbed a box of tissue and then shot Chase and Ivar flat looks as he pulled out some tissue to wipe off his bleeding nose.

Chase pointed at him and then used his thumb on his throat, wordlessly telling him he'd kill him.

**

Two hours later, November bade Mrs. Diaz goodbye as he closed the transparent doors shut behind him. With his hands fisted in his hoodie pocket, he took a walk towards where he had his bike packed.

It was something he obtained from working his ass off because he always got bullied on the school bus, and his mom couldn't afford him a car like most rich parents. She worked at the city mall so one could imagine how much she earned per week.

The low sound of 'Mary On The Cross' by Ghost got tuned high from a car that seemed to be trailing after November.

When he noticed he was being followed, he increased the pace of his bike, uselessly threw a swift shoulder glance at the car, and accidentally bumped into a pole.

This impact detached him from his bike and he was thrown over the floor like a mess.

The next thing he could recall were two pairs of hands pulling him into a darkened corner.

A bleeding November struggled to break free, but because they were stronger, it was futile.

"You had the guts to talk back, Nitwit?" November's heart dropped in his stomach because it was Chase. It was unbelievable how they waited until closing his hour so they could beat him up. And Nitwit was their nickname for him because his name began with 'N'.

November gritted his teeth in pain when Chase slammed him against the wall.

"What's wrong, sissy? I haven't even touched you yet and you're already freaking the shit out." Chase kissed his teeth and Ivar snickered.

"Let me go, Chase." A trembling November implored because he was frightened of getting beaten up after sustaining a concussion. He could barely see straight.

Chase snickered, enjoying the boy's fear. And he cocked his fist backward and then punched November in the face.

Pain shot through November's face, stirring up a deadbeat groan. It added weight to his earth-shattering migraine, nearly sending him to his feet.

Ivar stood back and watched as Chase raised his fist for the second time, fully prepared to land another blow on November's face when his phone started ringing.

Letting out some muted curse words, he kept his bloodied fist down. And a whimpering November seized this as an opportunity to escape.

"Hey, don't be such a bunny and get back here!" Chase yelled after him, but he did not stop running.

His heart started somersaulting when they began chasing him.

"Believe me when I say I'll kill you when I get you, November motherfucking Calhoun." It was Ivar.

November ran as fast as his legs could carry him going further into the dark alleyway because the fear cascading through him now was at full volume.

All the security lights on this side of the dead street were fluctuating, which was odd. But November still saw an abandoned house with the sign 'No trespassing.'

The sound of running feet was evident and this triggered him to take a high leap across the wired fence.

"You'll pay for making us run this far," Ivar swore out loud.

November's legs did a little fright-dance as he ran to the back of the house and hid. Praying in his heart that they should not jump through that fence to come get him, because he'd be beaten to a pulp. His head was killing him, making him feel faint, but the most important thing required was to protect himself.

He spread his arms out on the wall behind him and flinched when the whole city shook like there was an earthquake.

All the lights went off in the city, shutting down cars and connections just like they did a few hours ago.

A bolt of lightning struck through the sky and the half moon disappeared, making the clouds go darker than normal. And people couldn't make out things because they were choked up in total blankness.

There was a crack of a considerable length, breaking and parting a fissure in the earth's crust.

Several lights shone through the dark clouds, reviving brightness, and uncountable spaceships could be seen on this side of Indiana.

"What in the hell is that?" Ivar yelled in puzzlement when the opening reached his own side.

"Is this real?" Chase replied to Ivar's question with another question.

Smoke emerged from the ground in a big black puff, and the ground seemed to be dividing into squares.

A large number of screams could be heard all over Indianapolis as these alien ships started sending their missiles towards towers, and every high building, causing breakdowns and collapses.

Even the building November had his back rested on, was trembling, shattering glass windows, sucking the roof off and breaking.

A huge alien hand erupted beneath the surface of the earth.

"Holy fuck!" Chase and Ivar exclaimed at once and the next thing that could be heard was "Shit, go! go! go!"

But it was already too late, they were pulled by a force and found themselves in the hand.

"We're going to die!" Ivar bellowed at top of his lungs while Chase wept like an animal going through the fate of death as they got crunched by this hand.

November's jaw dropped when the hand let the ground consume his bullies along with it.

It feel like a dream that his bullies were consumed by the ground. He could hear their distant screams as ground sealed itself close.

The whole of Indianapolis was in chaos. People were running, trying to hide and protect themselves. Several dead bodies were lying around everywhere and more buildings were collapsing, with vehicles burning.

November could only think of his mother and sister as he ran, he hoped they were safe wherever they could be.

However, one particular alien ship seemed to be swerving to his side as it lowered itself down.

The fear for his family's safety vanished and got replaced with the fear of getting killed by this alien ship. It looked like what he had seen in the movies, entirely indescribable. But they were causing loss of lives and properties.

November's breathing became sharp and aberrant as a force from the alien ship pulled him up. He struggled, repeatedly kicking his feet into the air, but the more effort he put, the more he was dragged to the alien ship.

"Help!" He yelled, trembling to the extent he wet his pants.

He could see several other teens the same way as he, getting pulled by forces from these ships.

He tried to scream again, but his scream got shoved back into his throat. And on the third attempt, he realized he just lost his voice.

This was not happening, this was not fucking happening.

A bright light flashed through his face and he hurriedly closed his eyes shut from the fear of sustaining blindness.

When the light went out, he flicked open his eyes and felt an alien-tube get shoved in his mouth, deriving air from his lungs.

November was going through agonizing torture he wouldn't wish for his enemies to suffer. His vision got bloodied, chills transported themselves through his veins, and his body got stiff like a statue at the museum.

He was as good as dead when the alien-tube got plucked out of his mouth.

"What have you done to me?" He managed to mutter as blood dripped down his cheeks. But his voice didn't come out because it felt like his vocal cords were destroyed.

He thought it was all over when he was released and he crawled on splitting the ground, coughing up blood.

But then another alien-ship captured him and transfixed his head in something like a helmet.

Agonized screams got pushed back in his throat when this big needle got inserted into his head, drilling a hole in his skull.

And he blacked out.