PROLOGUE
On that night, most of them slept. Whether inside caves, under rocks, or amidst forests, they all had places where they felt safe. Safety was relative, of course, but "safe enough" was all one could hope for. It wasn't easy to hide in the daylight, but at least you had a chance of seeing something coming before anything saw you. At night you couldn't see a thing, but at least you could hide and have a decent chance of being able to sleep and believe you wouldn't wake up in something's mouth.
That night, most of them slept, but not all.
A young boy lie awake, staring up into the dark, open expanse above him. It was one of those nights where he knew sleep wasn't coming. Unlike many of the others, relative safety wasn't enough—not since his only safety had been taken from him.
"Can't sleep?"
He sat up quickly at the touch on his shoulder. His friend watched him, concerned. She was like a sister to him, but he still didn't appreciate the company. He knew what she was thinking.
"No," he answered. "You don't have to keep asking. You know I can't sleep, so stop worrying about it and sleep for the both of us or something." He allowed himself to relax slightly but shrugged her hand away, lying back down where she'd found him.
She didn't argue; it was true that she wasn't surprised to find him wide awake, but that didn't stop her from wishing she could make sleep come more easily for him. She knew what he was thinking about, too, but somehow that never seemed to provide her with any way of making anything better. She felt useless just watching him and not saying nor doing anything about it.
"Do you think they're all the same?"
Questions like this had been asked a thousand times. It wasn't anything novel, but somehow it was a question that continued to make its rounds between everyone who was anyone. Answers never came, however; how could they when no one lived to deliver them?
"How should I know?" He turned his head away to hide the grimace on his face. "All I know is that so far they haven't done anything to prove otherwise, and that's proof enough for me."
"You don't ever wonder what they're really like? You've never wondered what their reasons are for—?"
"Like hell I have!" His outburst caused her to recoil slightly and he looked away again, ashamed. "I don't care what they're like. They destroy everything in their path. They kill everything they touch. They're monsters, and this world would be better off if they were all dead."
There wasn't anything she could say. She couldn't argue with him when she had no proof that he was wrong. The truth was that he was probably right; nothing good ever came of their existence.
This world would be better off if humans just disappeared.