Los Angeles, California — July 27th, 2032
"Billy!" came a shrill, panicked voice, cutting through the chaos of the sun-scorched streets.
"Billy, get in the car!" Julie's voice cracked, raw with terror, as she leaned halfway out of the passenger window. Her hair clung to her forehead, sweat and fear mixing in equal measure.
The street was a frantic blur of panicked faces and blaring horns, all cast in the warped, unnatural shadow of the thing growing in the sky.
"In a minute, Ma!" Billy , the sunburned nose protestor shouted back, refusing to look away from the trembling old man clutching his arm. Together, they dodged a stampede of desperate people, the city unraveling around them.
Above them, the sky was no longer blue.The jagged black circle overhead seemed to swallow all the light.
"Julie! Get Billy in the car!" Tom barked from the driver's seat, his voice hoarse, barely holding steady. He gripped the steering wheel so hard his knuckles turned white, his eyes darting between the rearview mirror, the sky, and the chaos outside.
"He's coming, Tom!" Julie snapped, her nerves shredding with every second. She scanned the crowd, heart pounding, breath shallow. "Oh God, what's happening?" The words slipped out in a terrified whisper.
"Turn on the news—for God's sake!" she barked, fumbling with her sweat-slick phone. "Anything--just find out what's going on!"
Tom's fingers trembled as he twisted the radio dial, static hissing and popping. "Which one... come on, which one..." His pulse thundered in his ears.
Finally, a voice broke through the static, shaky and thin.
"Uh… we're getting reports that this phenomenon...this anomaly in the sky, is appearing worldwide. NASA and other agencies have refused to comment. All live feeds from major observatories have been cut."
Tom slammed his fist against the dashboard with a sharp crack.
"What the hell do you mean, no comment? Anyone with eyes can see that's not normal! It's hell, it looks like a damn black hole!" His voice cracked, fury barely covering his terror.
Julie spun around, eyes blazing. "Keep your voice down! You're scaring me!"
She leaned out the window again, screaming, "Billy! Now!"
Billy sprinted toward them, lungs burning, legs pumping as if his life depended on it.
Julie jumped out and yanked open the back door, grabbing him by the arm and practically throwing him into the backseat.
"Buckle up. Now."
She slammed the door shut and climbed back into the front seat, locking the doors with a frantic click.
"Drive, Tom! Drive!"
Tom floored the accelerator, tires screeching as they lurched away from the curb. The radio DJ's brittle, strained voice filled the cabin:
"We have no confirmed information. Some experts are speculating, but without official word from NASA or ESA, we cannot say for sure. Please remain calm and follow emergency instructions."
Julie stared out the window, watching the darkness bleed across the sky, swallowing the city in its wake. Her voice broke into a whisper:
"How tf are we supposed to stay calm when the world's tearing itself apart?"
Billy pressed his face to the glass, wide-eyed and unblinking."Mom… is it a black hole?"
Julie reached back and squeezed his hand, desperate to give him any reassurance at all.
"I don't know, sweetheart. But whatever it is, we stick together. No matter what."
Meanwhile…
"STAY TOGETHER DON'T LET GO!" Arin screamed as he and Maya dragged Shri through the panicking crowd toward their car.
"Dad!" Shri cried out, spotting their father standing next to the car, frantically waving.
The three of them sprinted toward him.
"Get in! Quick!" Dad barked.
They tumbled inside, slamming the doors shut just as another wave of frightened people rushed past.
Dad twisted the ignition, tires squealing as he floored it.
"Dad, our house is the closest! Head there!" Maya shouted over the noise.
"Okay, okay..everyone buckle up!" he barked, glancing at them in the rearview mirror, fear tightening his face.
Their mother clutched the dashboard, whispering frantic prayers under her breath, searching the heavens for answers.
Arin fumbled for his phone, trying to check the news. Shri stared out the window, frozen.
"Oh God…" she murmured, eyes locked on the monstrous orb above them, growing larger with every heartbeat.
"There's nothing on it," Arin said after a moment, voice hollow as he shoved his phone away.
"What?" Rajesh snapped. "What do you mean there's nothing on it?"
"Rajesh, calm down," Sunita whispered, her voice thin with terror. "Arin, what do you mean?"
Arin's hands shook as he clutched the seat. "NASA… and every other space agency… They're refusing to comment. They're just telling everyone to stay inside."
Rajesh's face twisted with rage and fear. "Just what the hell is going on?!"
Maya yanked at her hair in frustration. "This can't be happening—this can't be real!"
Meanwhile, at NASA Headquarters...
"Are the calculations ready?!" Thomas Anderson, the lead scientist, barked, charging down the corridor.
Assistants scattered, unable to meet his frantic gaze.
"Where the hell have you people left your brains?!" Thomas bellowed, storming into the observatory.
He cornered one of the senior analysts. "Update. Now."
The man didn't flinch. His voice was eerily calm.
"It's not growing, sir."
Thomas blinked. "What the hell do you mean, it's not growing?!"
The analyst met his gaze, steady and grave."We're not seeing the object expand. We're moving towards it."
Thomas swallowed hard, a cold sweat breaking across his back, sarcasm edged into his voice. "You think I didn't notice that?"
The analyst gave a hollow, almost defeated shrug.
"I'm afraid, sir, that beyond the obvious... there's nothing more to say."
He turned back to the display, voice flattening completely.
"It's a wormhole."