She slams the door open and runs out into the street. She turns her gaze down the street and that's when she sees in the far distance, giant balls of flame falling from the sky, each one falling closer than the last and setting everything ablaze.
For a moment she is frozen on spot, everything slows down and her ears start ringing, wide eyed and blank minded she stares out at the horror unfolding before her eyes.
Another flamming ball hits the ground and flames engulf the surrounding impact area. The resounding screams jolt her out of her daze. Her mind starts racing and one thought sticks . . .her mom, she needs to get her mom, they NEED to leave. Where are they going? and how are they gonna get there?
She hardly has time to process such thoughts as she runs into the house and straight to the hallway cabinet. She takes two of the go-bags hung in it, she remembers how they used to think their dad was crazy for obsessively insisting that they keep bags ready for these types of emergencies.
She dumps the one in the living room and runs to her room with the other, haphazardly she opens her wardrobe and from a glittery shoe box in the corner, she takes a photo album and three other items.
She grabs her phone from the bed and runs back to the living room.
She hurriedly runs to the couch and kneels next to her mom nearly tripping on the rug.
"Mom wake up!" She tries to shake her awake. But her efforts seem in vain, she starts shaking her more aggressively, she cracks an eye open "what the hell are you yelling about" she screams at her and turns away.
Frustrated, she pulls back the living room curtains, grabs her mom's hand and pulls her into a sitting position, perhaps if she saw the panic outside she would snap out of it and realize they need to leave. "Mom look we have to go!" She tries to pull her up, but her mom, still facing the window, yanks her hand out of her grip. "what's the point it's not like our lives are worth even half the effort "
She turns to her before plopping back onto the couch. Maybe had it been seven years ago this would have shocked her, but she knows it's time to face a truth she'd quite known for a long time...her mom was already dead and she'd been dead for a while.
It had been seven years since her mom had last lived, seven years since she'd seen her laugh or even smile.
Her mom might have been ready to die but she wasn't, she might have given up on life but she, she was going to fight till her last breath.
She turned to the door, only to turn back to her mom again. She stood there in the living room bouncing her foot up and down, she knew what she had to do but that didn't make it any easier.
She knelt before her mom who was once again passed out and whispered "I love you" before placing a lingering kiss on her forehead. She walked towards the door this time with determination. Her foot paused above the threshold but once she stepped out the began running and didn't look back...not even once.
She didn't know where to go all she knew is she had to run in the opposite direction. She ran up the street pushing and shoving her way past the crowds. Her biggest advantage was her lack of baggage, she looked around her, other people we attempting to run with bags upon bags of luggage, there was even a guy carrying a tv on his head.
The street was crowded those who were trying to escape in their cars soon realized the futility of it all and abandoned there cars in the streets. Beside her a woman was knocked over and struggled to get back up, she turned back and tried to reach out but was pushed backwards by the rushing crowd. Seeing that the woman was no longer moving she turned back and continued running.
She kept running for what seemed like hours. She has run well past the town boundary and into the woods, the crowds of people had dispersed in different directions when they reached the edge of town. Every once in a while she ran passed a few people either resting or also fleeing.
She was tired and her legs hurt but with the crashing sounds in the distance behind her she knew she couldn't afford to stop.
She kept running, all while trying to keep the thought of her mom out of her mind.
It was now morning time around 8am and she had been running for about 19 hours.
She couldn't run much longer she felt her feet about to give way. She stopped with her hands on her knees and took in deep breaths. She felt like a fish out of water, her lungs felt starved of oxygen and her heart was nearly beating out of her chest .
Finally she decided it was time to take a minute to rest.
Just as she was about to sit down she heard a sound that made her heart drop to her heart skip a beat, it was the sound of something crashing to the ground. She turned a round and saw the trees yards from her in flames. Suddenly all the axhaustion disappeared, she used her hands to propel herself back up stand started running.
She kept tripping as she tried to run, she kept pushing herself to go faster. She looked up behind her heart heat nearly jumped out of her chest, a flaming ball of fire was heading right toward her.
She ran as fast as she could. The flaming meteor hit the ground crashing everything in it's path and setting the woods ablaze. The resulting shockwave from the impact sent her flying off her feet, smacking her into a large boulder and knocking her unconscious.
√CHAPTER 3
She awoke after what seemed like forever, she was completely disoriented.
Slowly cracking her eyes open she was met with grey.
The boulder had fallen over but hand landed on and was propped up by a much smaller boulder and she was wedged between them.
Finally coming to she tried to wiggle out from underneath the boulders. There was an immense pain in her left ankle so she turned belly down and began crawling out. It took her a while but she eventually managed to get out.
Now that she was out she got a proper look at her surroundings. The fire had long died out, but the damage was already done. The forest floor was covered in ash and soot, animal remains were every where and from the corner of her eye she could see what remained of a another survivor who had not been lucky as she. It all brought tears to her eyes and she struggled to muffle a cry.
She freed herself of her bag which had still been strapped on her back. She scooted to lean on the bolder and pulled her leg closer and rolled her tights up. Although the boulders had for the most part protected her some flames had licked at her and burned her left ankle.
She grabbed her bag and pulled a first aid kit from the smaller pocket. She poured some disinfectant on the burn, the stinging feeling made her tear up even more. Using her soot covered hands she wrapped a bandaid around her ankle.
She put the kit back in her bag. She closed her eyes and leaned back against the boulder. Everything that had happened seemed like a hazy dream and yet so vivid at the same time.
She couldn't hold back from thinking of her mom, images of her mom flashed at the back of her eyes. Memories of her mom laughing, of the time they went berry hunting at the farmers market, of the time her mom taught her to knit and of everytime her mom had kissed her goodnight. She couldn't control the tears that racked her body.
Hours later her crying had reduced to hiccups and her throat was dry not to mention the massive headache.
Her water filtering canister was empty but she was incredibly thirsty. She remembered that kids at school often mentioned visiting a rivine in the woods during holiday. Maybe she could find some water there.
She reached out for a stick that lay near her and gathering whatever energy she still had, she pulled herself up.
She began limping her way to the revine, trying to avoid the charred remains that lay on the ground. With the forest black with soot she had no idea where exactly she was or where she was headed.
She had been walking uphill for a long time, she felt weak and tired but she kept forcing herself to move. Parched and dizzy from hunger, her legs started to give way. She found herself rolling down the hill and banged her head on the way down. She was completely knocked out.
•••••••••••••••••••••••
Drip. Drop. "Come on we're gonna be late slow poke!" the boy yells out. At 17 he was quite the looker. He looked much like he's father . "I'm coming already jeez" she mumbled as hauled her bag pack on one shoulder.
"Why do you even need such a huge bad" he asked amusement clear on his face "Well, mom told me we might end up staying at an inn
