Ring of Light

New Year’s Eve – 2014

“Hey Erik, what’s your New Year’s resolution?” Sarita asked pointing her camera at him.

“To get laid every single night in 2015. Wanna help?” Erik wriggled his brows suggestively.

“Sorry, Ricky, some wishes just don’t come true.” She teased.

Erik rolled his eyes at the nickname he’d been given in middle school; it’s grated on his nerves ever since.

“What about you, Alba?” Sarita swung the camera around to focus on the girl playing in the sand.

“I just want to finish school and move away. That’s my resolution. Get my own place.” Alba wrote New Orleans in the sand. She had dreamed of moving there since she visited during a family trip when she was ten; here she was thirteen years later, still pining for the bewitching city.

“What’s your resolution, Sarita?” Nico asked from across the bonfire; he was quiet up until then, contemplating how to tell them what was going on with him.

“Hmm. I dunno. I kinda don’t want anything to change. I had the best year of my life so far and I just want that to continue. I want to stay friends with you guys as we move on to bigger and better things.” Sarita spoke into the phone’s camera before turning it back on her friends.

“Sap. You haven’t told us yours Nicky boy.” Erik said.

“I don’t really have one. I guess I’m with Sarita; I just want us to continue on for at least another year before we all spread out.” The words tasted bitter in his mouth; he had to tell them soon.

“Aww, Nicky. Aren’t you a sweetie.” Sarita said.

Nico smiled and shook his head. The four friends laid under the stars and awaited the new year.

“Don’t you think we should do something? I mean, it’s our senior year of college and we graduate in less than six months and it’s the start of a new year. Let’s go somewhere.” Erik said.

“Go where? Who has money?” Alba asked.

“You don’t need money to go to a party. They’re free. Well, most of them. This could very well be the last New Year’s Eve we spend together for a while.” Erik countered.

“A party? Eh, what do you guys think?” Alba asked Nico and Sarita.

“I’m game for whatever.” Nico said.

“Sure. I’ve never been to a party on New Year’s Eve.” Sarita said.

“Then it’s settled. There’s this Kappa party going on like two miles from here. Let’s go!” Erik hopped up from the piece of driftwood he was sitting on and held his hand out to help Alba.

Nico helped Sarita up and the gang headed towards the edge of the parking lot where they left their stuff. Erik and Alba started down the street on their skateboards while Sarita and Nico followed on their bikes. On their way to the frat house Sarita started singing.

“I’ve spent all my life on a search to find, the love who’ll stay for eternity. The heaven sent to fulfill my needs…” She sang softly.

“I remember that. Didn’t that come out in like ‘97 or something?” Alba asked.

“How did you get here? Nobody’s supposed to be here…’98.” She continued singing.

“Sing it!” Erik said.

Sarita finished off the song just as they reached the Kappa house. Streamers and beer cans littered the front lawn as did the bodies of partygoers who had already passed out. The music spilled out from the doors that hung open just enough to see the droves of people inside rocking to the beat. The gang left their bikes and boards between some trees across the street to keep them from getting stolen.

Inside the bassline of the music made the windows vibrate. Bodies packed every inch of the house; people were doing shots in one corner while one brave boy did a keg stand in the middle of the kitchen.

Alba clung to Sarita while Rik pushed his way to the middle of the dance floor. Nico remained towards the edge of the crowd rocking his head to the beat and half drinking a beer.

“It’s so loud.” Alba yelled into Sarita’s ear.

“What? I can’t hear you.” Sarita said.

“Nevermind.” Alba said as they walked to the kitchen.

The keg stand frat boy fell to the floor coughing up beer. Sarita and Alba sidestepped to avoid the mess when a boy walked up to them.

“You guys sorors?” The boy wore a black shirt and a striped, dark and light blue tie hung loosely from his neck. Kappa colors.

“No. We just go to this school.” Sarita yelled over the music.

“Cool. You been here long? I don’t remember seeing you guys.” He said.

“We just got here a few minutes ago.” Alba said.

“Oh, well, my name is Zack. Kick back and chill or dance around. Just have fun. You ladies want a beer or something?” He asked.

“We don’t really drink.” Sarita said.

“Oh. you smoke?” He asked.

Sarita looked at Alba and made a look as if to say should they really trust this guy. Alba shrugged.

“Smoke what?” Sarita asked.

“Ah, you know what. We have a little pot in the back room. Wanna see?” He smiled.

Sarita looked at Alba then back to Zack and nodded. It was New Year’s Eve, why not take a chance or two.

Back in the livingroom a soror chatted up Nico.

“So, you go here? I feel like I’ve seen you before.” The petite red head shouted over the blaring music.

Nico snapped out of his daze and looked at the girl.

“Yeah. Me and my friends are seniors. What are you?” He asked.

“I’m a junior. I should be a senior, but, y’know, shit happens.” She bobbed her head to the beat.

“Yeah, I know. I was supposed to graduate last semester, but I failed one class and had to do it again.

“I totally understand.” She said before an awkward silence settled in.

The girls returned from the back of the kitchen feeling much lighter than they did when they went in. It was nearly midnight and they wanted to find Nico and Erik. Alba went to find Nico while Sarita grabbed Erik who was still jerking his way around the middle of the dance floor.

When they met back up, it was one minute to midnight. Suddenly the music stopped and Zack appeared with a microphone in hand.

“Countdown! 10. 9. 8. 7. 6. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1. Happy New Year!” Just as the words left his mouth the power cut out.

By the door, a boy flipped the switch a few times, but nothing happened. People groaned and started piling out of the door.

“Guess the party’s over.” Nico said.

“I was just getting into my groove!” Erik huffed.

“Bro, you’ve been grooving for the last hour. I think you’ve had enough.” Nico laughed.

“Let’s get out of here.” Sarita said.”

New Year’s Day – 2015

The gang walked towards the door. Most of the crowd had dissipated; only a few drunk stragglers were left. Outside, the whole block was black. Not a single light shined from any of the houses. People were walking up and down the streets aimlessly in search of any source of power.

A few blocks away from the frat house the streets cleared out a bit. While they were riding down the street the heard a loud whistling noise.

“What the hell is that?” Erik asked covering his ears.

“I don’t know, but it freaking hurts.” Alba said over the noise.

Suddenly small spheres came into view falling out of the sky. The little orbs were metallic and grey. They stopped just short of the ground and hovered mid air. Erik rode up to one.

“What are they?” He asked reaching up to touch one.

“Don’t touch it, idiot! You have no idea where they came from.” Sarita said.

Wrik pulled his hand away and studied the ball. It was about the size of a grapefruit and had small bumps going around it’s perimeter. The bumps started to flash red.

“Get away from it, Erik. you don’t know what it does.” Alba said.

Erik skated around it. the gang was careful not to touch any of the balls that had fallen all over the place. They hovered in random spots blinking red. A boy and girl across the street from them looked hesitantly at the spheres before the boy placed a finger on one of them. Suddenly, the ball let out a deafening screech and opened up slightly to reveal a ring of brilliant light. The gang fell to the ground covering their ears as more of the orbs opened up and started screeching. The boy who touched the sphere laid on the ground writhing in agony and just as the girl stooped down to help him the orb in front of them flashed and they were incinerated in an instant. A pile of ash fell where they once stood before floating away on the wind. In a second the balls stopped screeching and closed back up. Terrified the gang stood up shaking.

“What the hell is happening?” Erik yelled.

“I don’t know, but we need to get away from here.” Sarita said picking up her bike.

“Let’s go!” She yelled as she started pedaling.

Everyone else quickly followed. The gang rode along dodging the orbs which stood hovering all over the place. Nowhere they went was without the orbs.

“They’re everywhere. Where are we gonna go?” Alba asked.

“My parent’s place is close. I doubt they’re in the house. Let’s hurry up and get there.” Nico said as he pedaled off in the direction of his parent’s house.

When they arrived there were orbs just hovering around the house, but there weren’t any inside.

“Do you think we’re safe?” Alba asked.

“I don’t know.” Nico said looking out the window. “But I think we’re okay for the moment.”

Alba sank to the floor and started sniffling. She tried to hide the tears running down her face, but she couldn’t.

“It’ll be okay. We’re okay. Shhh. Calm down.” Sarita rubbed the girl’s back trying to comfort her. Nico walked over and sat next to them. Erik stood looking out the window.

“What the hell? Guys look.” He said waving them over.

“What is it?” Nico asked.

“I don’t know that’s why I want you to look.” He said.

Nico and Sarita stood up to look out the window. There was a huge orb hovering in front of the moon reducing it to a simple ring of light silhouetting it.

“What do you think it is?” Erik asked.

“Guys, what is it?” Alba sniffled as she stood up from the floor to look out the window.

Suddenly the huge orb started spinning. It grew to be white and bright as the sun. A few seconds after it started, the smaller orbs did the same thing and the deafening whistling returned. The gang held their ears as they tried to block out the noise, but it was to no avail. The noise only grew and in a moment the windows shattered sending glass flying about the house. The gang dove to the floor and covered their eyes. Their mouths hung open in screams that couldn’t be heard over the whistling. As their ears began to be=leed they began to lose consciousness. As they fell into darkness a tall figure came through the door silhouetted by the light of the orbs.

“What-what are you?” Erik asked before his eyes closed.

Before long, they all passed out and lay still on the floor. Tall creatures carted them out on things that looked like hovering gurneys. Just before losing total consciousness, Nico opened his eyes and saw that they were headed towards a sort of ship. He fell into a forced slumber just as the creatures pulled them into a bright, shining white light. The last thing he heard was the orbs stop and a door closing as something hot scorched his leg.