At 13,000 feet in the air, the night is strangely calm. Outside the windows of my father's Mooney M20, the black sky is freckled with stars and wisps of clouds; the glittering lights of Disneyworld wink at us from down below. Peter O. Knight Airport at the edge of Tampa is fast approaching.

Returning home from my brief stay in New Hampshire should be a blessing. I hate New Hampshire; whenever I'm forced to visit my father during his visitation week in the summer, it feels as if I've been plucked out of civilization entirely. I guess a decaying shack in the middle of the woods with questionable access to fresh water is the perfect place for a reclusive former pilot—not necessarily for his 17-year-old daughter.

However, this time, the glowing webs of light dotting the Florida landscape only fill me with dread. Because this isn't a homecoming anymore.

Sensing my movement, my father takes his eyes momentarily off the plane controls to glance at me. "Leslie," he says, his voice crackling through the headset. "You awake, kiddo?"

"Don't call me kiddo," I mutter, turning away from him to stare out the window.

My dad is silent for a moment before asking, "Did you sleep? We're going to be landing soon, and this week is going to be—"

"I'm fine," I say, refusing to dampen the edge to my voice. What did he want me to say? Sure, Dad! I slept like a champ! I didn't even think about how Grandma found Mom dead....

* * *

About the "30 Days to Save the World" Anthology

Thirty days. 

The countdown has started, North America shivers under the shadow of a massive alien spacecraft, and humanity is hurtling toward an unknown future that lurks at the end of the timer. Somewhere, somehow, the heroes are making their plans to fight the extraterrestrials.

But this isn't about them.

From the team at WritersConnX comes a new anthology about the rest of us - the average, the ordinary, the unassuming - and the many paths we run when our time is cut short. And no damn aliens!

* * *

If you liked this excerpt, go to the WritersConnx profile on Wattpad to read the whole short story! And make sure to check out the other amazing short stories written by the other talented writers who helped to make this anthology.

If you enjoy the stories, please help us out by giving us a shout out, leaving a vote or a comment, or even giving a review.

Finally, if you want a physical copy of the anthology for yourself, make sure to check out our Kickstarter! Link down below!

-Bdicocco