My alarm clock blares in my ear as I gain strength to turn it off, 3:30 AM the clock flashes in my face as I begin to get ready for work. 

“Do you really have to go in this early?” my wife asks. 

“It's only for two more weeks, I want to get enough money for our children's Christmas. I feel like I owe them at least that,” I speak solemnly. 

I’m so exhausted that I doze off every now and then while getting dressed but I finally finish and stumble to the car but as I reach into my pocket I don't feel my keys. I sigh, then mosey back into the house to grab them. The beautiful pine tree glistens without gifts gives a feeling very similar to my own childhood. After I get into my car and back out of my driveway, I take a sip of coffee from the morning before and shake my head to gather enough energy to get to work. 

I drive to the same old factory building with a thick smog expelling out of its many industrial chimneys. “I wonder who's as early as me,” I grumble lightly.

Walking up to the employees-only door, the hum of the lights gives me a sense of security. I put my ID on the scanner and the door beeps while it opens, flooding the dim parking lot with the bright workshop lights. 

I glance out into the parking lot before making my way to my cubicle. I brace myself for another long day at work. Just get through the day, I tell myself. 

Looking at the dark monitor, my face meets my gaze; the way I look just shows that I'm not content and I know that but I have to do this not only for me but for my family too. They need me to provide for them. I'm sure they love me, but I don't know if I'm just selfless or what. 

Ten minutes must've passed when I realize I'm not even working so I turn on my computer and clock in to start the day. These graphs are full of data. If this isn't done then the whole place goes under, i'm the only reason that this facility is what it is today, I start to zone out again. 

The only sound is the clock as it ticks. I think of my children soundly asleep back at home, along with my wife. 

When I look out into the factory, I notice the few people inside start to pack up fast as if they were scared.

What in the world? What is happening?  

One of the new hires runs in and yells that

 “there's gonna be a small scale air-strike invasion on the borders around our city”

I respond with disbelief 

“are you sure?, if you're joking I'm docking your pay for a week!”

just as I run out I see a large wall of flames grow in the road from a falling building, I get to my car and try to get home then more explosions ring from down the street but they don't stop and it continues for what seems like an hour, I was in a trance from the flames dancing on the rubble that was my work. 

When I got on the street I had to swerve to avoid all of the things. As I drive home it seems to only get worse and I'm starting to fear if my family’s safe. The last turn onto my street feels too overwhelming and I can't hold in my tears because of all of the destruction I almost passed what's left of my house.

 I jumped out of my car and ran up to my house to start digging to try and find my family but it's no use. 

I was digging, moving, and throwing everything out of the way even while my hands bleed. 

I won't give up. 

I feel like I've been digging for hours now and still no luck, when I look around the area my house once was and I notice a small sparkle so I head over and move the brick and concrete out of the way to discover the tree now wilted and dead with the Christmas lights flickering slowly then I pass out from exhaustion and wake in a dank canvas tent, my hands wrapped in bandages with an intense stinging sensation.