This marks the 35 year anniversary of Them taking over. Of the destruction of the world I loved. Of almost every living thing that wasn’t plant life disappearing from the world. At this point, I don’t have much to do except try to survive and hope They don’t decide our satellites are useless, as they are being kept up for now. In my free time, I read, watch movies and old videos (although those are running short-I am getting dangerously close to only seeing conspiracies in my feeds) and I call. I pick random numbers, type them into my phone, and hope for a nice voicemail to talk to. It’s better than all the voices living in my head, anyway.

Sometimes I get the annoying default ones (bla bla bla, leave a message after the beep), or the mean prank ones, but I also occasionally get nicer ones. The ones where they say they love you, or seem to be happy to see you. But they are normally OK.

I punch in a random number, and get a pizza place in New Jersey. I wish they still existed… I try again, not really expecting much of this one either. But then… “Hello? Hello? Are you real? A REAL PERSON??? Or just another bot?” I gasp, surprised that someone actually answered. No one was left… right??? “Hi!!!” I say. “My name is Rowan, and I thought I was the last person on earth!!! Are you real?” “OH. MY. GOSH.” She says on the line. “I am!!!” “I probably won’t hear you for a couple of seconds, because I am going to set my phone on speaker so I can put it down.” “OK!” She responds.

I go to put the phone on speaker, but then I see the screen. There is no call. There were only the voices in my head. But now, they’re answering back. I probably won’t be alone for much longer though, as I hear something in the distance. It’s Them. They have found me.