After the aliens invaded, the world flooded into a panic. I remember hearing screams of fear and sadness as all electricity went out. No more television, phone usage, or Internet for them. I remember hearing the blasters as things began to burn, wincing as I recalled seeing flame-like bullets entering people's bodies, people screaming as alien mouths opened and revealed sharp teeth that devoured them. If they were lucky, they were just taken in one of their ships, but that was rare. If they weren't devoured, shot, burned or taken, they were strangled from tentacles around their neck.

I carried my pocketknife, trying desperately to find someone else. I didn't care about food. My mouth was in pain, and I was supposed to possibly get these damn things removed about...three months ago? Man, time flies. Day after day after day, the pain increased, making eating whatever food I can find a pain. 

As I continued my search, something caught my eye. It was a human on the ground. Their leg seemed to be bleeding. Looking closer, it was a teenage guy. So around my age, just opposite gender. 

"Hey you!" I called out, storming over to him. I internally winced after I said those words. Not from harshness, but because it genuinely hurt to speak. "Can yo-" I paused, seeing something else. It was one of those aliens- tentacles coming out of chest, blaster in one of the tentacles and their razor-sharp teeth forming a sinister grin.

"Can either of you help me with my braces?" I decided to ask them both straightforwardly. Glaring at the alien, I continued. "I was supposed to have these off months ago, you little-"

"You think I know anything about dentistry?" the dude asked, attempting to stand up. He clutched his bleeding leg. "No. I'm gonna head out. You deal with this alien." As he limped off, the alien looked at me, glowing gold eyes piercing through me like a laser would soon strike.

"I make no promises that this won't hurt," the alien stated simply, putting the blaster to my mouth. Instead of firing, I soon felt liquid metal in my mouth. It tasted horrendous and I wanted to just spit it out and get rid of this awful taste. It did hurt, but the taste was worse than the pain.

Once I felt the heat leave my mouth, I spat out all the liquified metal that was once my braces. My mouth suddenly felt better. "Well. Thanks for that," I said simply, giving them a nod. 

The alien didn't say anything, just giving what I'd assume would be an alien version of a thumbs up before going off to find the teenage guy. Presumably to kill him.

And as I looked at the liquid braces, I realized that my mouth was still in slight pain from the...unique removal of my braces. But I couldn't help but smile. Because knowing I was free from them was better than the pain I suffered before.