Today was a good day. A great day, in fact. And there hadn't been too many of those lately.

So much so, I'd taken a week off. A week to just roam the countryside, get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Touch some grass! Or, in my case, beach sand.

The sun was out in full force, with not a cloud in the sky, and the birds were chirping. The tomatoes were… uh, tomating?

Wait, I packed the sunblock, right?

"I'll make a plan," I muttered, my hand tapping the steering wheel.

It had been a stressful few months. No, years.

One frikken day, half of everyone on the planet just disappears. Just poof, turned to ash. We've got people slipping through our fingers, literally. I had to explain to Lester, my pet gerbil, that his sister didn't disintegrate, but was just visiting family.

Still, we picked up the pieces and moved on. As best we could, anyhow. People say time heals all wounds, but that's not true. You just get better at dealing with the loss, the pain.

But of course, when it rains, it pours.

2 years after The Snap, portals began to appear, spreading across the planet like wildfire. People streamed out of them and into our world, apparently fleeing their own ruined planet. And along with them came their very own heroes and villains.

The Justice League! What a terrible name. I mean, I guess The Avengers is pretty lame too. Hmm, probably too focused on saving the world than PR now that I think about it.

The Avengers, of course, being the kind-hearted heroes they are, didn't turn the people away. Instead, they convinced our governments to let them in, give them shelter. I mean, we had the space since… Well, you know, the whole "everyone turning to ash" thing.

RIP Maple.

Only a third of their population had survived the attack on their homeworld, an alternate version of Earth. Or, that was the story I'd been able to piece together from forum posts. Everyone in the know was very tight-lipped about what exactly they were running from. But whatever it was, their heroes had been powerless to stop it.

I shook my head. Vacation! Stop thinking about work!

I tapped on my steering wheel, enjoying the music softly playing on the radio. On my right, the beach came into view, followed by the ocean stretching into the distance. The sun would set soon, but by this time tomorrow, I'd be lounging in a chair, the way life was meant to be lived.

With the push of a button, the window rolled down, letting in the cool salty air. I took a deep breath, letting my worries wash away.

Soon, the song on the radio came to end, and the presenters began taking over once again. "Thank you for listening to 5FM, the greatest…"

The greatest, hippest station this side of the Mississippi?

That's what I guessed they were going to say. Instead, their words had trailed off, turning to static, which then climbed into a high-pitched whine.

"..."

My hand reached for the radio, eyes flicking downwards as I searched for the volume knob. I turned it down, only stopping when the static was barely audible.

Guess there isn't much signal out here.

I shifted my attention back to the road, and my stomach dropped. A dark figure was standing in the middle of the road, not a care in the world.

No, not a figure – a girl?

She looked straight at me, smiling and giving me a small wave.

"Fuck!" I didn't have time to think. Instinct took over, and I yanked the steering wheel to the left.

The tires screamed as they tried their best to grip the road, with the car fishtailing wildly from side to side. My hands gripped the wheel so tight my knuckles ached, but watching the guard rail come closer, I already knew it was too late.

-BEEEEEP!-

I came to with a start, not really sure where I was or what was going on. All I could focus on was the annoying, incessant noise way too close to my face. It took me a moment to realise it was the car horn.

I lifted my head. Finally, the noise relented, and I could think.

The girl!

I'd crashed because of her. I took a look around, but didn't see her, only the inside of my now probably totaled car. The steering wheel was pressed against me, the airbag deflated but still crumpled in my lap. My hands, trembling, were splayed across the wheel as if I had been gripping it in a death hold.

I groaned, trying my best to move. I expected unending pain, but was pleasantly surprised to find I felt very little of it. Only mild discomfort, at best. And I hadn't even been wearing my seatbelt.

I pushed at the door, but it wouldn't open. I mean, the door barely worked properly before the accident, so not budging after a crash wasn't too surprising. I'd rolled my window down at least, so I began to squeeze my way through the open gap, falling onto the street below in a heap.

I rolled over to face the sky, laying there for a second.

The sun was blocked almost immediately by an upside down face staring at me. "You just gonna lay there all day?"