It Rains from the Stars

My name is Charlie, and I’m just an ordinary twelve-year-old kid. I love video games, comic books, and hanging out with my friends. But ever since that stormy night last October, when the sky turned to ink and something strange fell from the stars, I’ve found myself drawn into a world I never wanted to know.

It all started with a downpour—one that didn’t seem normal. It was raining, yes, but it wasn’t just water. My friends and I were huddled in my basement, playing “Monster Bash” and shoving popcorn into our mouths, when the sound outside changed.

Pitter-patter. Pitter-patter.

The soft thumps didn’t sound like raindrops. They had a dull, almost sickening quality, like something heavy hitting the ground. I paused the game and leaned closer to the window, curiosity gnawing at me.

“What’s that?” I asked.

Tommy, my best friend, shrugged. “Probably just hail or something.”

I frowned. It didn’t sound like hail. It sounded like… something alive. My heart raced, a mix of excitement and fear bubbling up inside me. We all crept up the creaking wooden stairs, the excitement of an unknown adventure pulsing in my veins.

Outside, the world had transformed. It wasn’t just rain anymore. Shimmering fragments, like broken glass, scattered across our street, sparkling under the streetlights. My breath hitched. “What is that?”

“It’s probably just space junk or meteorites,” Lisa chimed in, her glasses sliding down her nose as she peered out.

“Or… aliens!” Tommy exclaimed, trying to sound brave.

I could feel the thrill of danger in the air. But as we stepped out into the night, the excitement faded. The ground glistened with shards of what I now realized was crystal—a deep, iridescent blue that glowed softly. I bent down to touch it, and the moment my fingers brushed the surface, a jolt of electricity shot through me.

“Whoa!” I shouted, pulling back. “Did you guys feel that?”

“What’s wrong?” Lisa asked, her voice laced with fear.

“I don’t know. It just… tingled.”

We gathered a few pieces, placing them in our backpacks. As we returned inside, the rain stopped abruptly, but the air was heavy and still, like the world was holding its breath. The pieces in my backpack felt warm, almost alive.

That night, I couldn’t sleep. I kept hearing whispers outside my window, hushed voices that seemed to beckon me. I turned on my flashlight and squinted into the darkness. “Hello?” I called out, but only silence answered. I rolled over, trying to convince myself it was just the wind.

But deep down, I felt an unshakeable compulsion to go outside again.

The next morning, we decided to investigate. My friends were all hesitant, but I convinced them we had to know what it was. Armed with flashlights and our backpacks, we headed out to where the most crystals had fallen.

“Maybe we can sell these or something,” Tommy said, poking one with a stick.

“Or use them for a science project!” Lisa added, though I could see the anxiety in her eyes.

As we explored, the crystals seemed to call to me, their glow pulsing with each step I took. They were beautiful yet ominous, like a hidden treasure with a dark secret. The thrill of discovery began to overshadow my better judgment. We each picked up more pieces, feeling their warmth radiate in our hands.

That night, we met at my house. I was eager to share the crystals with my dad, who always loved science stuff. I thought he might have some cool insight. But when I showed him, his face turned white.

“Charlie, where did you get these?”

I shrugged, puzzled. “Just found them outside.”

He took a deep breath, looking grave. “These aren’t ordinary crystals, son. They’re… they’re dangerous. You need to get rid of them.”

I laughed, dismissing his worry. “Come on, Dad! It’s just cool space junk!”

“Charlie!” he snapped, startling me. “Listen to me! Those things could attract attention. You don’t know what’s out there.”

But I didn’t heed his warning. We continued to keep the crystals, fascinated by their glow and warmth. Over the next few days, I began to notice something strange. I felt different. I was more aware, more alert, as if the world around me was sharper. I could hear whispers in the wind, and shadows danced just outside my vision.

Then came the dreams.

I dreamed of the stars, dark and swirling, of voices chanting in a language I couldn’t understand. Each night, I woke with a sense of urgency gnawing at me, like I needed to do something, but I didn’t know what.

On the seventh night, everything changed. I stood in my backyard, the crystals clutched in my hands, the night alive with strange sounds. The air felt thick and electric, and then—

A blinding light erupted from the sky, illuminating everything around me. I dropped the crystals in shock, stumbling backward. From the light emerged shadows—long, slender figures with eyes that glowed like the crystals themselves.

“Charlie,” they whispered in unison, their voices slithering into my mind. “You have called us.”

I screamed, turning to run, but they surrounded me, the light washing over me. My heart raced as I realized their eyes were fixated on the crystals, the same ones I’d brought into my home.

“Your curiosity has opened the door,” one of them said, its voice echoing through the night. “You have become a vessel. The stars have chosen you.”

I felt the ground shift beneath me as the crystals pulsed with a rhythm that matched my heartbeat. In that moment, I knew I wasn’t just a boy anymore. I had become part of something far greater, and darker, than I could have imagined.

As the figures drew closer, the realization struck me with a chilling clarity: the crystals had not been a discovery. They had been a summons.

And the stars were not simply twinkling in the night—they were watching, waiting, and now, they had come for me.

I gasped, waking up in my bed, the morning sun streaming through my window. It took a moment for reality to settle in. I sat up, disoriented, and looked around. Everything seemed normal—my room, my posters, my video games.

But then I noticed my backpack lying in the corner, and with it, a faint glow emanating from the zipper. The crystals were gone, and so was the world I once knew.

And in that moment, I understood.

I had been chosen, but the choice was never mine to make.