Of unknown origin, the Strangers became our saviors. War, famine, plague—ended. Progress happened swiftly, and society flourished.

No one noticed the changes right away; they came slowly, like a creeping fog. Four hundred years made us complacent.

By the time we realized they were gone, it was too late.

Sean Fox is a New England native living in California. He holds a B.A. in English from Western Connecticut State University. When he writes, people tend to die.