The Pull From The Moon

That day I woke up with the feeling of anxiety and fear looming over me. It was the day...the day I would be sent to the moon. I constantly regretted pulling the slip that had my name on it. Participation was made mandatory by the government and anyone who didn’t take part in it would have been fined a hefty amount. I could never afford to take a backseat in this messed up game of chance so I laid there with dark thoughts about what was to come.

Why were they sending people to the moon? What do they do there!? This sadistic program had been going on for the past twenty years. Twenty years of sending people up there and not a single one of them has been heard from ever since! I shook my head and got out of bed.

No, I couldn't think about that right now! I need to figure out how to stay here on Earth! I scanned around my apartment to get a grasp on my situation. Luckily, it was part of an old housing complex that has long since been lost in the city records. I won’t just give myself over to them without making their lives a little hard!

However, my plan soon fell apart. If they were to somehow track me down, my flimsy door could never keep them out! I needed a new course of action. I looked around my apartment once more. I was looking for something...anything! I looked and looked. I almost gave up but that was when I found it!

Nestled in the corner of my closet was a black backpack. Ziiiiiip! It opened and inside I found my old camping supplies. A smile appeared on my face and I brought the pack towards the kitchen. I loaded it up with various canned foods and meals to last me for about a week. I heard rumors that if the selected person wasn’t brought on the day of the launch, they would just get another person to go. That thought sent shivers down my spine and brought me back to what I was doing.

My backpack now looked reasonably stuffed and I put it on my back with confidence. I was almost about to step through the entry door when I realized something. My phone! If I took it with me they might be able to track it. I took it out of my pocket and set it on the kitchen table. With everything ready and checked off, I turned the knob and stepped out.

I cautiously peeked around to see if anyone was waiting for me. Luckily, I was all alone. The sun was just starting to rise and most people were still asleep. I quickly tip-toed my way down the stairs and over to my car. I tossed my pack inside, put the key in the ignition, and drove without ever looking back.

***

I drove for quite a ways until I felt it was good enough. My final destination was deep into the forest. I had camped out here numerous times in the past and knew my way around. I slowed the car down and the low rumble of the dirt road soon vanished entirely. I turned the car off, grabbed my pack, and opened the door.

It was still quite early in the day as the sun was just barely peeking through the thick pine trees. A mild wind followed in its footsteps and brought the smell of fresh dew towards me. I walked even deeper into the forest to not take any chances. The twigs under my feet made a satisfying snap as I continued walking further and further. I eventually stopped when I found a clearing in the trees.

The area only had one opening and thick trees made up the rest of the walls. It looked perfect! I picked up my pace and nearly ran over there to start setting up my tent. I stopped running and found myself right in the middle of the space. I took my pack off, took the tent bag out, and started to set it up.

The whole time I was doing this, I heard something strange in the distance. It was the snapping and breaking of twigs as if someone was coming this way! I was still on edge so I quickly scanned my surroundings. All I saw were the same pine trees and various plants. It was probably just some animals so I shrugged my shoulders.

I resumed building my tent. The ground was now flat and clear. I was just about to unzip the tent bag when I felt a sharp pain in my leg! I looked down at my right leg and saw some sort of syringe sticking out!

“What the!” I blurted out.

I soon started to feel strange and dizzy. I tried to see who did this to me, but couldn’t see anyone. I started to feel worse and worse until I fell on my back! At that point, all I could do was move my eyes around. I heard heavy footsteps coming towards me and I caught a brief glimpse of a large man. None of the muscles in my body were working and my eyes soon followed suit as I passed out.

***

An unknown amount of time had gone by since I passed out in the forest. I woke up with my hands tied behind my back and in complete darkness! The hum of a car engine could be heard. Where were they taking me? My answer was soon met when I felt the car come to a stop and the engine was turned off.

Someone got out and opened up the truck. I felt large hands pick me up and set me on my feet. My vision came back as a hood was pulled off of my head. I saw a large man standing next to me but that wasn’t the thing that terrified me. Dead ahead was the source of my constant anxiety! It was the rocket!

I looked back at the area behind me. It was a large forest filled with trees and with life. It was one of my favorite places to visit. I looked ahead towards the rocket. Its looming figure filled the air with dread. I didn’t know what was waiting for me on the moon...but I had a feeling I wouldn’t be coming back.