The party had just started, and the gang was all there. The big screen showed funny clips of the blond-haired, blue-eyed twins, Carrie and Zack Nelson. It was their twenty-first birthday, and the party was not only to celebrate their birthday but also to celebrate the fact that they were old enough to buy their own beer.
Carrie's boyfriend, Nick Anderson, who was 22, was over at the table guzzling his beer. They were playing beer pong, and he kept missing, having to drink. He was already shit-faced.
The twins were standing there laughing at Nick as he spilled his beer all over his face.
The Montoya brothers were watching them play beer pong from the couch. Joe, the older of the two, was 22, and his younger brother Jamie was 21. They each had their girlfriends sitting on their laps, drinking tequila shots.
Joe's girlfriend, Tracy Diggs, was choking on her shot as it burned her throat. Tracy was also 22. Considering this was her fourth shot, she was going to have a headache tomorrow.
Jamie's girlfriend, Alice Smith, was giggling, drinking her shot like a sissy, sipping it. She was 21. Jamie, making fun of her inability to do a shot of tequila properly, tickled her while she drank it, making more of the liquid go into her mouth than she wanted, making her choke.
The group's baby, Tammy Stephens, decided to 'take one for the team' and agreed to be the designated driver for everyone since she was only 20. She was standing between Carrie and Zack, drinking a clear soda, laughing at Nick spill his beer all over himself.
The Music was blaring; everyone was laughing, having a good time when a loud rumble shook the house. A high-pitched wail sounded, and the windows blew out, glass flying through the room.
A bright flash lit up the sky, and then suddenly, everything went dark.
Zack crawled over to the busted-out window, peering out, trying to see what had happened. When he looked up, large cigar-shaped ships floated above them. A periodic bright beam shot out, incinerating a building.
"Everyone, keep quiet." Zack whisper-yelled.
Crawling over to the electronic devices that had been turned on a few moments ago, he unplugged them and flipped the light switches to the off position, just in case. Making sure that if the electricity went back on, they wouldn't turn back on.
Carrie crawled up to her twin brother, "What's going on?" she whispered.
Zack scanned the room, looking at each of his friends, "Whatever you do, don't make a sound, and stay away from the windows."
Joe, the older Montoya brother, crawled over to Zack, "What the fuck is going on?" His whisper was loud enough for all of them to hear.
Zack gave Joe a look like steel, "We're being invaded."
Jamie, overhearing, "By who? The Russian? China? Who?"
Zack said the one word that made everyone pale. "Aliens."
Joe crawled to the window, peering out the side; a gasp left his lips. "Fuck! He isn't kidding. There are cigar-shaped spaceships over the city. They keep shooting a beam, incinerating houses. We need to get out of here."
The girls started crying; fear radiated off of them all. Nick somehow sobered up, not appearing to have just downed a 12-pack of beer.
Carrie looked at her twin. "The basement goes farther than the house. It has a tunnel that leads to the bunker that dad put in."
Zack nodded in agreement, motioning them all to follow. "Stay away from the windows and walk fast. We need to get down there before that beam is aimed at us."
All six of the Twin's friends followed them down into their basement. The tunnel door to the bunker was hidden, looking like an ordinary wall.
They filed down the stairs and to the hidden door. Zack carefully slid it open, letting everyone enter before stepping in, then sliding it closed again.
They all rushed down the tunnel. A blast shook the tunnel just as they reached the iron security door. They looked behind them, the secret door was still there, but a large crack at the corner told them that there was no longer a house. It had been incinerated.
They had barely missed the blast.
Zack spun the large wheel, releasing the lock, then pulled the large, heavy door open. Everyone filed in, the girls still sobbing, trying to stay quiet.
After everyone was safely in, Zack closed the heavy door, locking it from the inside behind him.
The bunker was large, built to sustain a family of four for up to two years. There were eight of them, so it was safe to say that they could live up to a year if they were careful with the supplies.
"Follow me," Zack spoke softly, not wanting to take the chance of the outside hearing them.
The Montoya brothers had their arms wrapped around their girlfriends protectively, trying to comfort them. Zack pulled Tammy along with him, Carrie behind Zack, with Nick.
Zack led them into a large room. Overly stuffed couches lined its walls, and a large table in the middle. "This is base control," he stated. "It's designed to hold meetings and discuss plans, and right now, we need a plan."
"Do we have weapons down here?" Nick asked, his green eyes shining. He wasn't sure if the beer or sweat was plastering his blond hair to his face.
"Yes. We have four sets. It was meant to be a set for each of us. Carrie and I, as well as our parents." He looked over at his twin; she started crying again at the mention of their parents, who were supposed to be on a cruise. "We have four shotguns, four 9mm, four 40mm, four 30.30's, and four 243's. There are about 3000 rounds per gun." He scanned his friend's faces. "That's per gun, not per caliber."
Carrie finally came forward. "There are four bedrooms and one set of weapons and ammo in each room." She looked at her twin again. "Our parents were not getting along and were sleeping in different rooms, so we each have our own room. I suggest we put one couple in each room."
"Carrie and I already have rooms; I'll show you to yours." Zack looked over at Carrie again, then back to his friends. "Joe, you and Tracy can take our mom's room. Jamie, you and Alice can take our dads."
Carrie ushered Joe and Tracy down a hall, pointing to the left. "That's yours."
Zack pointed across the hall from Joe and Tracy's room. "That one is yours."
Ushering Jamie and Alice to enter. Zack pointed to a hall on the opposite side. "Mine and Tammy's room is on the right; across from that is Carrie and Nick's room."
Just as everyone was assigned their rooms, a large bang sounded, then a loud rumbling, causing things to fall from shelves. The girls had their hands over their mouths, trying not to make a sound.
The guys quickly grabbed guns out of their rooms, jamming the ammo into their magazines. They promptly stuffed the magazines into the guns and stood in front of the large metal door.
"Zack looked over at Carrie. "Start filling magazines. Load every weapon in the bunker if you can and be ready to either hand us guns or use one yourself."
Carrie nodded, then ran to her room first and started loading every available magazine. Once she was done, she stuffed a loaded magazine into each gun, lined them up on the bed, placed the corresponding magazines next to it, and then moved on to the next room.
After finishing each room, she returned to the heavy metal door where her brother and friends were waiting. "Done," she whispered.
Zack just nodded, keeping his attention on the bunker's heavy door. Carrie had a leather belt strapped to her jeans and six magazines lined up on her belt in holders with a 40 caliber in a holster. The holster was unsnapped and ready to draw if she needed it.
None of the other girls knew how to shoot. Lucky for Carrie, their family were preppers. They went out camping, hunting, and target shooting constantly. Learning survival skills was a family pastime.
"Zack?" Carrie said, "mom and dad added a crossbow and compound bow to each room. There are about 1000 arrows and bolts for each bow."
Zack just nodded, still focusing on the door. Currently, it was all quiet.
Relaxing a little, Zack turned to his sister and friends. We need to have someone take watch while the rest of us sleep. Carrie and I can shoot, so we will each take a watch." Looking between his friends, he asked, "Can any one of you shoot?"
Carrie stepped up. "Everyone can shoot a shotgun in a narrow space. If anyone can't shoot, they will carry a shotgun," she said, looking at the group of her friends. "Everyone takes watch, no exceptions. If you hear something trying to come through, wake everyone up."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"Because this shit just started, Zack or I will take first watch. We are the best to defend because we both are excellent shots. The rest of you, get some sleep," Carrie ordered.
Everyone piled out of the tiny space in front of the heavy iron door. Zack and Carrie looked at each other. "I'll take first watch and come get you if I start to fall asleep," Zack stated quietly.
Carrie nodded. "Don't take chances. If you get too tired, get me. Falling asleep at our post can get us all killed," she told her brother before heading to her room with Nick.