Third Place - Evelyn Niedermyer (7th) 

I was woken up to a loud pound against the earth. My house shook and was filled with the flashing of lights outside. Seconds later the soft pitter patter of what I thought was rain calmed the scene. I walked outside still in my pajamas to discover what looked to be black rain falling upon my house. Then seconds later an explosion; I was then thrown off my porch and pushed harshly to the ground. I then blacked out. Thirty years later. The year was now 2054. I woke up to a soft white bed and the gasp of several nurses. They explained a massive truck carrying oil had rammed into the back of my house. The pressure caused it to shoot up into the sky before falling to the Earth as a dark rain; an explosion then occurred. I was sent into a coma for the next thirty years. I tried to stand, but collapsed immediately. I had lost all the muscle in my body. I was skinny, pale with thin hair. I tried to speak, but only squeaks came out. Tears streamed down my face, my world had been crushed. I was then sat in the wheelchair rolled out to the courtyard. They then informed me I would require years of physical and speech therapy. As I looked around I noticed many people with robotic arms and AI robots wandering around. A lot had changed. I realized there were little to no humans and any I did see had modifications. That's when the panic set in. I couldn't run and they encouraged amputation then prosthetics. I was stuck. I wanted to run, but it was almost as if I was strapped to the wheelchair unable to move. Over time though I gained back my strength and hair. I was now  43 years old, but looked like I was 13. After a year of physical therapy I could now walk with assistance. I officially recovered. I could now speak and was able to meet my parents again. My memory was foggy. I couldn't remember much about my parents, but I remembered I loved them. To me it was like I woke up from a nap and saw my parents, but to them it had been 30 years. I struggled to adjust, but I eventually went back to school. Though now school was online and taught by AI I was at least home. My 16th birthday finally came, but roads were no longer in use so I didn’t get my license. Walking outside was a new experience. Going on a walk you saw huge skyscrapers and people walking around with VR on. People no longer worked in cafes, but were served by robots. I saw little to no animals, because people did not want to take care of them. Adjusting was hard, but easier than waking from an endless sleep.