he plane's wheels screamed against the runway.
A sudden jolt.
Sarah grabbed Leo's arm. "That's landing, right?"
"Yeah," Leo said, forcing calm. "We're down."
Outside, heat shimmered over the tarmac. The sky was wide and pale blue, too clear. Jordan felt still—like it was holding its breath.
Uncle Tariq's house sat at the edge of the city, quiet, surrounded by low walls and dust-coated trees. When the car stopped, the front door opened almost instantly.
"Tariq!" their mother smiled.
Their uncle pulled them all into a tight hug. He looked thinner than Leo remembered. Older. His eyes lingered on Sarah and Leo a little longer, as if grounding himself.
"You've grown," he said softly.
Sarah hugged him hard. "We missed you."
"Come in," he said. "Please."
Inside, the house felt… hollow. Clean, but untouched. No laughter echoing from the kitchen. No photos newer than a year.
Leo noticed a framed ultrasound picture on a shelf. He didn't say anything.
Not even thirty minutes later, their parents were already grabbing their keys again.
"We won't be long," their father said. "Just paperwork. Visas. Embassy stuff."
"With Tariq?" Leo asked.
Uncle Tariq nodded. "I'll be back before midnight."
Sarah frowned. "Promise?"
Their mother kissed her forehead. "Promise."
The door closed.
The lock clicked.
The house went quiet.
Hours passed.
The TV filled the silence..random shows, reruns, noise just to keep the walls from closing in.
Sarah curled up on the couch, eyelids heavy. "Wake me if they're back."
Leo nodded. She was asleep within minutes.
Time dragged.
The clock crept past midnight.
12:37.
1:04.
Leo pulled out his phone.
No messages.
He called.
Ring… ring… ring…
Voicemail.
Again.
Nothing.
His stomach tightened.
The TV flickered.
Static crackled.
Then the screen went black.
A sharp tone pierced the room.
White text appeared.
PLEASE REFRAIN FROM GOING OUTSIDE.PLEASE REFRAIN FROM GOING OUTSIDE.AN UNKNOWN ENTITY / PARASITE HAS BEEN DISCOVERED IN JORDAN.THE MILITARY IS TAKING CONTROL.PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE YOUR HOME.
The message repeated, glitching slightly each time.
Then, beneath it, Arabic text appeared:
يرجى عدم الخروج إلى الخارج.يرجى عدم الخروج إلى الخارج.تم اكتشاف كيان / طفيلي غير معروف في الأردن.القوات العسكرية تسيطر على الوضع.يرجى البقاء داخل المنازل وعدم المغادرة.
Leo's phone slipped from his hand.
It hit the floor with a dull clatter.
His heartbeat thundered in his ears.
The house felt smaller now. Too quiet. Like something had changed while they weren't looking.
The TV buzzed.
Outside, somewhere far away, a low siren wailed...cut off just as suddenly as it began.
Leo slowly turned toward the front door.
And for the first time since landing…
Nothing felt normal at all.