Man, that was a really good movie, thought Alex as he exited the movie theater with his two friends. I definitely need to go to the movies more, that was really fun. He stretched a little, legs a bit cramped from sitting through almost three hours of the latest The Bots movie. Or just going out, being out is nice.

“That must have been the best movie ever made,” exclaimed Cameron, jumping out in front of the other two, curly hair bouncing around in his excitement. “It really captured the essence of the entire franchise.”

“And what would that be?” Asked Sam as the trio walked out into the sparsely populated mall. “The entire movie series is just about special effects and cheesy lines.”

“Yeah, some of those lines were terrible,” Alex chimed in. Like super bad, but the effects were top notch, he commented to himself.

“But they were meant to be bad,” explained Cameron. “That what makes it so great, obviously”

“Ah yes, it’s so bad it’s good, that’s how it is,” Sam responded sarcastically, “Why didn’t I think of that first?”

“Because you’re not as smart as me, of course,” joked Cameron as the three of them constituted to walk towards the entrance of the mall where they were going to wait for Sam’s mother to pick them up.

“But hey, at least that final space battle was epic, right?” Alex asked. “Can’t go wrong with massive spaceships being exploded”

“But that’s the thing, how are they exploding, IN SPACE?” Sam shot back. “No oxygen, no explosions, it’s basic physics.”

“There’s going to be oxygen inside the ships, people need that to breathe,” retorted Cameron, exaggeratedly pushing up his glasses. “It’s basic physics”

“But most of them don’t need oxygen, they’re robots,” Alex pointed out. “Though I guess they might have had fuel tanks on board?”

“See, Alex gets it, fuel tanks,” Cameron said,

“And they were using combustible fuel cells, not some other, more sophisticated and futuristic way of powering their ships? Like...” Sam trailed off for a second, obviously trying to think of an alternative fuel source.

“Um, hydrogen cells?” supplied Alex.

“Nah, those would explode as well, right?” asked Cameron. “At least I’m pretty sure they would.”

“Probably?” Alex answered, “I feel like they would, you’d probably know more than me on that.”

“They’ve got to have figured out some other, noncombustible fuel source in the year 2057, they’ve got fucken robots for God’s sake,” Sam reasoned. “Like some fancy cold fusion reactor, that wouldn’t blow up when they get hit, unlike the ones in the movies.”

“Major design flaw if I’ve ever seen one,” commented Alex. “Who thinks it’s a good idea to put something that explodes so easily on a battleship that’s supposed to get hit.”

Alex pushed open the mall’s doors and a blast of cold evening air smacked him in the face. He pulled up his jacket’s hood over his messy brown hair and stepped out, holding the door for the others. The three of them leaned up against the outside of the mall next to a small snowbank that had stubbornly refused to melt.

“When’s your mom getting here again?” Alex asked, turning to Sam.

“Soon? I told her the movie was going to end at 8:45, so she should be here.”

The three of them scanned the parking lot speckled with cars, looking for Sam’s mom. I think that’s it? Alex thought as he spotted a bright green SUV that looked like the one Mrs. Davis drove. I sincerely doubt that another person would drive a car like that around here.

“I think I see it,” Cameron said, squinting pass the glare of his glasses. “It’s a green SUV, right?”

“Yeah, I see it too. Let’s go,” Sam said, and the three of them started to hurry off towards the car. As they reached it, the lights turned on inside revealing the smiling face of Sam’s mom as she waved. Sam opened the passenger door, while Cameron and Alex jumped into the back sets.

“You guys had fun watching robots blow themselves up?” Asked Mrs. Davis as she pulled out of the parking lot and began to drive back to their houses.

“Yeah mom, it was pretty good, though not really realistic,” Sam replied.

“Because a movie set in the future about self-aware robots fighting the robotic drones of the humans is a completely realistic premise,” Cameron retorted with a snort. “We watch those movies for the special effects and the deep moral undertones.”

“The undertones that big explosion fun?” Mrs. Davis said with a smile, looking at Cameron through the rearview mirror.

“Exactly! See, she gets me,” Cameron exclaimed.

Alex waved goodbye as he got out of the car and headed up to his house, a slight spring to his step. He bounded up to his door and fiddled with his key ring to find the right one in the dark of the night. Dang, I wish I had remembered to turn on the lights before I left, he thought to himself as he found the right key and unlocked the door. Stepping through it, he was met with the dimly lit interior of his house. Closing the door behind him and locking it, he took off his shoes and tossed them onto the shoe rack.

Going quietly through the hose to the kitchen, he went to plug in his phone where he was supposed to. Hopefully everyone’s asleep and I’ll be able to avoid everyone. As he turned the corner into the kitchen, his hopes were dashed as he saw the lights in the kitchen illuminating the stocky frame of his father.

“Is this what you call 10 PM?” The loud voice of his father cut through the silence of the house. “It’s fucking ten past the hour. Do you not even care about being on time? I had to wait up for you to get home.”

Crap, I didn’t even realize the time, didn’t think it was that late, Alex thought to himself dejectedly.

“Is this how you repay me for letting you see that damn robot movie? I knew I shouldn’t have let you go. You always do this, never respecting me or my time. I had to wait here until you came home. I’ve got work tomorrow in the morning.” Came the angry tirade.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize the time,” Alex apologies, eyes looking at the floor.

“Don’t you have a phone? That I bought you? Next time you better fucken use it to check the time, you understand? Or at least call me if you’re not. When I tell you to be home at a certain time, you better be here then, not after, you hear me?”

“Yes dad, I’m sorry,” came the dejected reply.

“I really doubt it, ungrateful brat,” his father muttered as he walked to the front door. “And look, you couldn't even bother to put your shoes on the rack, you had to throw them, didn’t you?”

With an angry huff, his father bent over and straightened the jostled shoe rack.

“And this is why you’re never going to go anywhere, you’re just lazy and ungrateful. Making me do everything, staying up late, picking up your shoes. Always relying on other people to do things for you.” He got up and walked towards Alex, getting inches away from him. “Just look at you, messy hair, wrinkled shirt, popcorn crumbs all over. How do you think you’ll do anything?” He jabbed a finger into Alex’s chest “You’re just a lazy slob who’s never going to amount to anything.” And with that Alex’s father stepped around him and walked away, calling over his shoulder “You better get up tomorrow on time, I’m not going to be waiting for you at all in the morning, I’ve got better things to do.”

Alex stood there, unmoving, until he heard the sound of his father’s room open, and then shut. It wasn’t until then that he let a silent tear fall, dripping down his cheek. As he stood there, alone in the dark, a crushing weight seemed to settle on his shoulders to replace the levity he had right before he opened the door to his house. I really should have looked at the time, how could I have been so stupid, Alex cursed at himself. Dumb dumb dumb, with each thought, he banged his hands against his head.

With these thoughts, Alex shuffled to the kitchen and placed his phone on the counter in its designated spot to charge. He turned to leave, before remembering to unlock his phone. See, can’t even remember to do something that simple, stupid, he silently berated himself as he unlocked his device. Just another dumb mistake.

But I was only 10 friggin minutes late, that’s not that unreasonable at all. Anyone else wouldn't have gotten yelled at for being home basically on time, Alex resonated with himself as he stood over his phone, charger in hand. But I could have been avoided if I had only gotten home on time. Could have told Mrs. Davis that I needed to be home by 10 and she would have gotten me here, probably. But I didn’t even think to look at the time. Stupid, dumb, idiot, lazy, he echoed his father’s words as the bounced around inside his head.

He slowly made his way towards his room, making sure not to make any noise in case his father was asleep. Softly tiptoeing into his room through the open door, Alex slumped down on his bed, exhausted. He lay there in the dark, wiping away a few errant tears that crept down his face. Why am I even here anyways, I can’t even do anything right, I probably won't even get into any of the colleges I applied for, and even if I did, I know I’m going to fail at least one of my finals this year. That’s what I get for thinking I could take a few college courses while still in high school. Should have just listened to my dad and not taken any. They cost extra and I’m going to fail them anyways.

Alex rolled over and buried his face in his pillow. Why can’t I be smart like Cameron, he’s probably going to ace all his tests this year, including the AP and college level ones. He doesn't even have to try. But I’m too dumb to even learn anything. Might as well give up on going to college, start flipping burgers somewhere like my dad says I’m going to end up doing anyways. That way I have some experience. Though I doubt I’d be any good there anyways.

With a sigh, Alex sat up, better get ready for bed in case he decides to make sure I’m asleep. He slowly began to change into his pajamas, throwing his dirty clothes towards the hamper, but missing. Yup, should have walked over there, but I had to throw them like a lazy person. He looked at his clothes laying in front of the hamper, debating on if he should walk over there and pick them up or not. I better do it, can’t imagine what would happen if I didn’t and dad walked in.

He slowly shambled to his clothes and then back to his bed, flopping back into it. His hands found a piece of paracord that he had been meaning to make into a bracelet, and he absentmindedly started playing with it. What is there even to look forward to? I’m not going to get into college, I don’t even have a date to prom, graduation is going to be the worst, with all those people, and sitting through everyone talking about how great life is going to be after high school. He angrily looped the cord around his wrist and pulled, feeling it constrict and crush into arm. Holding it there for a bit, he released it, feeling the deep indentations that it had left.

All I’ve got in the future is working at a dead-end job until I die. That’s really all I’d amount to. And then after that, no one would even realize I was gone. Or they’d be better off even. Wouldn’t have to wait up for me to come home, or act as if they wanted me to go out to the movies with them. Everyone wouldn’t even care. His fingers started to fidget with the cord again, forming simple knots over and over again, his thoughts spiraling down into darker recess of his mind.

What really is there to live for anyways. He furiously looped the cord around itself. Nothing really. Nothing at all. He added more loops to the cord. It’s just going to be more of the same, me being a disappointment to everyone, to the few people who even notice me. Pulling the cord tight, he looked down at the knot he had formed. A single loop with the cord wrapped multiple times around it. Putting his finger in the loop, he pulled the cord, constricting the loop tightly around his finger.

Alex sat there, staring at the tightly pulled noose around his finger. Maybe I should, just disappear from life. Wouldn’t be that hard really. He loosened the knot from his finger. Would be easy really, just to-

A bright green light cut through his thoughts, emanating from his floor. It spread out from under his bed, illuminating his room in a swirl of greens and brown. Confused, Alex dropped the cord and peered over the side of his bed. What met his eyes was his floor being slowly ripped apart, frayed edges danced in an intangible wind, reaching out to each other as if hoping to pull themselves back together. He expected just to see the foundations of his house, but instead saw a swirling black nothing, with hints of lights dancing round the far edges of his vision.

Huh? Was the only thought he could manage before his floor ripped open wide enough for his entire bed to fit though. Suddenly his bed was falling through the floor, with him on top. His mind catching up to what was happening, he opened his mouth to let out a terrified scream as he fell, but nothing came out. He frantically looked around, trying to see anything that could help, but only seeing the fast-receding rift that led back to his bedroom amidst the swirling darkness. Alex tried to take a deep breath to calm himself, only to find that what his lungs brought in wasn’t air, but something far thicker and viscous, filling his chest, and burning his lungs. Eye wide in a panic, Alex started to thrash, trying to breath in whatever place he was in.

Lungs burning, and head beginning to feel light, Alex clutched at his bed, desperately holding on. The air around him felt as if it was trying to crush him, to turn him into a pulp. His eyes began to flutter from the lack of oxygen, his mind began to turn fuzzy. He gave a slight chuckle, just what I wanted, isn't it, he thought as his vision began to darken.

As he was losing consciousness, he thought he heard a slithering voice that sounded like a far distant storm. Thissss issss interesting, hmmmmm? Alex tried to shout, asking for help, for anything, but all he got was a lungful of whatever passed as air around here. I’ll be keeping my eyesss on you for sssssure, little one. You’ll- Alex tried to listen to the words that were being said, but his head had other plans, as his consciousness faded. Right before he did, he managed to see a large eye staring at him, taking up his whole vision, the slitted pupil that reminded him of the swirling form of a nebula.

Alex slowly woke up to a loud chirping sound next to his head. Is it morning already? He blearily thought. When did I fall asleep? Clutching his head as a massive pain shot through it. I definitely shouldn't be going to school today; my head feels like it’s going to split open. Rubbing his head, he slowly sat up, still clenching his eyes closed. Maybe it’ll go away after first period.

He slowly opened his eyes, only to be greeted not by the familiar sight of his room, but a thickly wooded forest. Light streaming through the branches, and a small red and gold bird sitting at the foot of his bed. Quickly blinking the last bit of sleep from his eyes, he scanned the forest in hopes of figuring out what was going on. Looking up he saw a giant rip in the otherwise serene forest. A giant scar filled with swirling black nothing, slowly being closed as the frayed edges pulled themselves back together.

“What the heck?”