Beep! Beep! Beep! I, Sara Williams, wake up to my alarm clock blaring. Ugh. Another Monday. Another day of waking up at 6:30 AM. I drag myself out of bed and flip on the light switch. Then, I take a quick glance I the mirror. Great! Scribbles of red and green, purple and brown, marker and pen, all adorning my face. Nick drew on my face AGAIN! He can be so immature, even for a twelve year old! I honestly don't know why little brothers were invented. I go to the bathroom to wash my face. Well, the bus doesn't come till 7. I have time to shower. I get in, and wash my hair with store brand shampoo. Mom can afford them fancy shmancy cookies for her Bible study, but good shampoo is too much? Screw logic. I get out, and put on my favorite outfit,a green button down top, khaki pants, dress sandals, and a green vest. I go back to my room to retrieve my bookbag, phone, and purse. I pass Nick's room, and take a look inside. That lucky brother of mine is still sound asleep. His school, which I went to two years ago, is just across the road from our house, so he doesn't have to be up until 8. I shrug it off. Hey, life ain't fair. I get my stuff, and go sit on the porch to wait. I wish dad could take me to school like here did when I was little, but he goes to bed right before I get up. He used to work during the day, but he got fired because he suddenly refused to work pin Sundays. He found a new job quickly, but he has to work the graveyard shift. At least we're not poor because of his stupidity. The bus arrives. I take my usual seat, fourth row right side window seat. I start thinking. It's been Jesus this Bible that with my parents for the past two years. Nick and I both have science classes, but it's not ticket science to figure out that there's no god. A fun fantasy to teach kids to behave, much like Santa? Yes. Real? No. We've even been doing this thing called Devotions for the past month. Mom or dad reads something, we talk about it, then we pray. Well, they do. Nick and I just sit quietly. The bus arrives at school. I check my watch. 8:05. Darn it. I won't be able to shoot hoops with Emily until after school. I see her now. "Hey, Sara." she says, waving. "Hey." "How are you?" "About ad good as a teenager with crazy parents can be." "Parents still on that religious kick?" "It's not a 'kick'. It's an era. Kicks don't last for two years." "I promise this won't last forever." The bell rings. I head to geometry. I put my head down. I'm awoken by another bell. 9 already? I go to study hall, and do everything but study. I glance at the clock, 10:58. The teacher starts clapping, his pack up signal. The sound of zipping bags and shuffling paper fills the air. The bell rings. I rush to the cafeteria. Today's taco day. I get my taco, chief, and chocolate milk. I cough up my lunch money. Then, I sit with my friends. As in biting into my taco-y goodness, Emily looks at me, upset. "Sara, people have disappeared." I take a look around the lunch room. I see piles of clothes, some glasses, some retainers. wrist braces. Even an artificial leg. "This is probably just the senior prank." I say. Imagine that. A staged alien invasion. The seniors have outdone themselves. "You'll see." I continue. "The kids are probably just hiding." My phone rings. I look at my caller id. It's Nick. "What's the matter, Nickey-poo?" I tease. "Girlfriend steal your juicebox?" "Sara, knock it off. Jenny and I are just friends. And this is serious!" I roll my eyes. Serious to a twelve year old is miniscule to the general population. "Are there people missing at your school, too?" "Yes." "Well, in history today, just now, my teacher vanished into thin air." I hang up. Guess this isn't a senior prank. The principal's on the "Due to this disturbing occurrence, all schools the United states are to be dismissed immediately. I'm scared. What if this is that rapture thing our parents went on and on about. "Sara!"my brain scolds me. "There's no god. This must be aliens, or some strange disease, or even an act of terrorism." I arrive home. I see it, my mom's favorite dress, her wrist brace, ands her glasses. All in a neat pile on the porch. I walk into the living room, and see Nick on the couch and a social worker on the chair. "We're not being abused!" I blurt out. "Have a seat. I know how scared and confused you must be. I know I am." She says, kindly. I sit next to Nick. "Here's the deal. Your parents are among the missing, and you two are underage. I'm going to have to put you both in foster care." "Can't we stay with our grandparents?" Nick says, rage and panic in his voice. "I'm sorry, they're missing too. You're both wards of the state now." Social worker breaks down and cries. "I know you guys think I don't understand, but I do all too well. Every single student from my daughter's preschool went missing today about an hour before lunch time. Every. Single. Student."