Zak fiddled with the drawing Toby, a teen inspiring to become an Agent Artist for the Company, gave him. Part of him wondered if he should give it to Jess...more than ever after their kiss. "Is my nose really that big?"

"Yes," said Dean before taking another sip of his soup. The Company cafeteria seemed busier than normal. Zak glanced down at his hot dog.

Dean and Zak just returned from helping Alyx with her mission. She'd filled in for a young woman with a fear of commitment. Dean and Zak played the rivals for her affection. The mission was to choose one of them; she chose Dean of course. Maybe Alyx had some advice about Jess, thought Zak.

Suddenly, an alarm sounded and a female digital-assistant voice came over the PA. "Dark Star detected. All available Zappers report to Gate 21."

"Not another one," whispered Alyx.

***

Within minutes every Zapper was geared up and ready. "You're mission," said the ZAP Supervisor as the Gate powered up, "is to save as many as you can."

Everyone looked nervous because they all knew what a Dark Star meant: another fallen realm. Evil won too many times and that realm would now fall into the Void. All light and heat from that realm was disappearing.

As Zak waited for his turn to jump, he couldn't help but wonder how they planned to keep the survivors from Timing-Out and fading back to their world.

"The Supervisors said they have a plan," Zak assured himself just before touching the surface of the Gate.

One minute he was in the Gate Room, the next he was standing in a field with people running and screaming. Zak watched the people for a moment before spotting why they fled. "Holy shoe implants!" shouted Zak when he saw the wave of freezing air heading for him. Now, he was running too.

After what seemed like hours of running, the temperature seemed to warm and the ice growth slowed. Zak stopped and took big gulps of air. But he didn't get much as someone plowed into him. Another person pinned him while the first checked for valuables. When they didn't find any, a gun was pointed at him.

A loud noise made Zak cringe, but it wasn't a gun shot. The ground cracked and split open. Large pieces of land began to break off and float away. Off to the Wastelands.

People screamed as a blanket of darkness covered the area. This is no regular darkness, thought Zak, feeling the dark weigh on him like a physical thing. Murmurs of "what's that" began to ripple through the crowd as sounds of something moving fast circled the group. Zak could sense...hunger.

Zak felt a sudden hand grip his shoulder. "Zak," came Dean's voice. "Run."

And so they ran. Ran for the only escape: the floating islands and the Wastelands.

_________

An entry for the Aim to Engage challenge "Rage Against the Dying of the Light/Dark Star"

https://www.wattpad.com/553328298-aim-to-engage-day-6-rage-against-the-dying-of-the