Once upon a time.
Harrison stood at his kitchen window, staring at the blood-red sky. Hours ago, strange lights had appeared, hovering silently over the city. Now, the streets were deserted, save for the echoing screams carried by the wind.
A low vibration rattled the floor. He grabbed a flashlight and peered outside. Towering shapes emerged from the fog—tall, spindly creatures with glistening black skin and glowing eyes that seemed to pierce his mind. One of them turned toward him.
He bolted the door, heart pounding, but a sharp clicking noise echoed from inside his house. The flashlight beam caught a slick trail leading to the stairs.
Slowly, he looked up. One of the creatures clung to the ceiling, its mouth splitting open into rows of needle-like teeth.
It dropped soundlessly, landing just feet from him. Harrison ran, but every room seemed wrong—walls shifting, doorways stretching, as if the house itself was bending to trap him.
Outside, the red sky pulsed, and more creatures descended in spirals of light. Harrison's breath grew shallow. A deafening hum filled the air, pressing against his skull until his vision blurred.
Through the haze, he saw neighbors being dragged toward the ships, their bodies limp, eyes wide and unblinking.
A cold, spidery hand gripped his shoulder. Darkness swallowed him. When he opened his eyes, he was no longer in his home, nor on Earth.
The creatures surrounded him, their voices a chorus inside his head:
You belong to us now.