Disclaimer: Obviously, the idea of War of the Worlds does not belong to me, only the story I am creating around it does. Also, some of the characters I am using are from the 2005 remake of War of the Worlds and they belong to Steven Spielberg. Those ideas you see that are unfamiliar? Yeah, those are mine.

A.N.: Okay, so I'm just going to set up the story here. Hopefully you have seen the 2005 War of the Worlds because I'm going from there. At the end of the movie, when Ray and Rachel get to the grandparents' house in Boston and everything is all happy and everyone is together again? Yeah, well, I'm changing that around a bit. And then Ray is going to wake up and it is all a dream, but…then it starts happening for real. Only different, because he knew what was going to happen and he doesn't want it to end like his dream did. Now if we're good on that, I'll just say that this story will be rated PG-13 just like the movie. And let's get on with it:

Just the Beginning

A War of the Worlds fan fiction

"It's all over now, right dad?" Rachel asks, sliding her small hand into Ray's.

"Yes, Rachel, it's all over now." Ray nods, squeezing her hand tightly.

"And mom and Tim are going to be at Grandma and Grandpa's? And Robbie too, right?" Rachel questions as they are walking down the street that will lead to her grandparents' house and her mom.

"Yes," Ray says quietly, willing it to be true, "All of them. And your mom will be so happy she will run out and scoop you up in her arms and cry because she is so glad that you found your way back to her."

Rachel smiles at the thought of this. She misses her mom so much she could scream. She would die if anything happened to her. "We're almost there. I can see the apartment. Grandma and Grandpa's is the one in the middle." She squints, trying to read the number beside the door. "Yup, that's it. Number 27. Come on, let's hurry. I want to see mom!"

Rachel tugs on Ray's arm as she starts running down the street. He quickens his step to keep up with her. As they get closer, the apartment is more in view, and a feeling of dread washes over Ray's body. Why is there smoke rising up in the back? No, it has to be the next street over. Nothing has happened here. It is all over. Rachel doesn't seem to notice the smoke and Ray isn't sure what to do.

They are finally close enough to see that only the fronts of the apartments are left standing. The backs have crumbled, and if anyone had been inside they were…

"Mom!" Rachel screams, her cry loud and mournful. She gasps and begins to cry, her sobs shaking her whole body. She screams over and over again. That is all Ray can hear. His ears begin to pound with the sound of his daughter's panicky shrieks. He can't take any more of the noise or he just might start screaming along with her.

Ray sits up in his bed and kicks the blankets off his sweating body and to the floor. He looks around the room as he tries to catch his breath. "It was only a dream." Ray mumbles. "It felt so real, though."

He shakes his head and sets his feet on the floor beside the bed. He pulls out a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt from his dresser and puts them on before opening the window shade to look out. It is still dark out, but the glowing dark blue of very early morning.

Ray heads downstairs, still in a daze from his frightening dream. He hasn't had nightmares since he was a boy, and usually he doesn't dream at all. On the way out the door, Ray glanced at the clock. It was quarter to three. He was going to work until eight, and get home at eight fifteen, which would leave him some time to clean up a little before Mary Ann arrived with the kids.