A flock of birds outside spared Emma's eyes from whatever garbage her history teacher was spewing out. She stared for a while; saying it was hard to focus would be a pretty big understatement. How on Earth could she pay attention when something so big, so absolutely massive was going on, and she was tasked with stopping it? That was absolutely insane! When she woke up screaming, recalling the awful sounds the alien (she tried to remember its name... an Andalite?) had made as the other one had changed shape and swallowed him alive, she hoped, prayed that it was all a dream. But there were others with her... they'd all seen it too. She could see it in her eyes as she walked like a zombie around school.
	A tap on her shoulder caught her attention. [i]The teacher?[/i] she thought. No, it was a classmate. They had in their hand a small slip of paper. [i]A note? What is this, fifth grade??[/i] She subtly took it anyway, and nodded to the classmate. She quietly unfolded it. 

	"Meet us at the entrance to the trail behind the school at 3."

	"Us?" She looked around to see who might've sent it, and remembered as her eyes met Stephanie's the small group who had been with her last night. Emma recalled the pain and fear that had been in those eyes at the construction site, and was comforted by the determination that graced them now. She might be home a little late, but she knew what she had to do. 


3 finally came, and Emma could already see everyone else huddled up by the gate. Well, almost everyone. Someone was missing, but she couldn't guess who. She'd known Steph from class, but everyone else might as well have been a stranger. She was relieved she recognized everyone, even if she'd forgotten their names. 

"Um, hi, everyone, haha..." she laughed nervously. She could feel how nervous they all were; she wondered if anyone else had been hoping this was a dream. "Is this all of us?"