The Day The World Ended | ONC 2024 LONGLISTER

5| the first to fall

Mellie hated feeling so helpless.

She wanted to fight—She wanted to help. But she could only watch—body frozen in fear—as hell broke loose. Novah had lunged at the man and now she was trying to cave in his face with the rock. Her punches were wild, scratching and clawing at every exposed skin she could get a hold of. Simon and the woman on the bridge were also trying to fight off the others. 

The woman had already taken one of them down and Mellie tried not to look at the deep patch of red shining in the pale moonlight. Grunts and shouted insults filled the air as the river flowed below them like everything was fine. Mellie had always hated fighting. Call her a coward, but she had always just agreed with everything others say to avoid arguing. It was just how she was.

But now she hated herself for it. She hated that her feet were planted to the peeling sidewalk. She hated the tears threatening to spill down her cheeks. She hated that she wanted to run away.

"You bastard!" The woman was shouting as she clung to a man's neck, his hands scratching at her arms trying to shake her off. "Die!"

Three men were down but Simon and Novah didn't seem to be much better either. The side of Simon's face was dark with blood but Mellie wasn't sure if the blood was his or not. She could only hope that it was not his. There was a bruise blooming on Novah's jaw but she hadn't slowed down.

Mellie suddenly caught sight of a man silently approaching the woman who was now hitting the other guy's head onto the ground. She didn't seem to notice as he approached like a lion stalking its prey. Mellie opened her mouth to shout but only a quiet gasp escaped her lips. 

Maybe it was the fear of silently watching someone die or maybe it was adrenaline, but either way she found enough strength to move. Mellie dashed forward with all the strength she could muster and rammed into the man's side. It probably hurt her more than it hurt him, but it was enough to send him off balance and onto the ground. 

The woman turned around at the sound. Mellie didn't have enough time to see her expression, having to cover her head to avoid a blow from the man she attacked. Her arm stung and her ears ringed as his fist connected with her bicep. Mellie was expecting more blows to follow but the weight on her disappeared, blood spraying her face with a sick squelch.

"Thank you," Mellie muttered as the woman pulled her to her feet.

The woman's knife was protruding from the man's neck, blood pooling around him as lifeless eyes stared up at the sky.

"Thank you," The woman said. "I'd be dead if it wasn't for you. I'm Kaylyn."

"Mellie," She said. "By the way, you are bleeding."

Kaylyn touched her shoulder and winced. "I know. Let's help your friends."

Simon and Novah seemed to be holding up well, considering that Novah didn't look like she knew how to fight. She seemed to be acting on pure instinct. Simon, however, surprisingly looked like he knew what he was doing. He ducked and spun, punching throats and gouging at eyes. 

Kaylyn pushed past Mellie and jumped a guy, a shout tearing from her throat. Her dark hair was wild around her head. 

Mellie didn't notice one of the injured men reaching for her leg, and when she did notice, the ground was already rushing up to meet her face. She managed to avoid her face being mutilated by putting her hands in front of her. She gasped in pain as the skin of her palms were scratched raw. 

"Let. Go!" She kicked at the man's face but he managed to turn away and her shoe connected with his shoulder.

He let go of her ankle and lunged at her, pinning her to the ground. 

"I will kill you," He wheezed, blood gushing out of a wound somewhere in his torso. "All of you."

Mellie screamed, digging her nails into the man's forearms. She tried to pry his hands off her neck but he was too strong. Darkness was slowly edging into her vision. She tried to suck air into her lungs but she couldn't get enough.

The weight on her disappeared. Mellie rolled on to her side, chest heaving to get lungful of precious air. She didn't care about the coppery stench of blood as long as she could breathe. Only when her vision cleared, she noticed Novah fighting the man who was trying to kill Mellie.

They were pressed against the railing of the bridge, Novah trying to stab Kaylyn's knife into the man's gut and the man trying to wrestle it out of her hands. The railing creaked dangerously under their added weight. 

"Novah!" Mellie shouted, scrambling to her feet.

Both Kaylyn and Simon seemed to have noticed but they were still trying to fight off the others. If anyone could help, it would be Mellie. Before she could take even a step forward, Novah managed to jam the knife into the man's ribs. Mellie sighed in relief, almost falling to her knife.

He pulled out the knife and stabbed Novah in the chest.

There was a moment that Mellie's mind went blank, white noise filling her ears. Novah's eyes widened, staring at the blood flowing down her chest, her hands still clutching the man's jacket. The man's was saying something to her, a wide smirk stretching his face. The railing seemed to bend outward.

Novah looked up at the man who was still clutching the hilt protruding out of her chest. Then she grinned. 

She pulled the man towards her from his jacket, leaning more against the railing. The railing creaked loudly, bolts snapping at some places. Novah said something to the man, still grinning. His smirk faltered.

Novah leaned forward and slammed back into the railing behind her. The railing broke.

They fell into the raging river below.

***

Mellie helplessly watched as Simon and Kaylyn ran to the edge of the bridge, peering down at the water. Her senses were returning to her. She could hear Simon shouting Novah's name; Kaylyn cursing as she clutched at her shoulder.

Novah was dead.

She saved Mellie.

Novah was dead because she saved Mellie.

She numbly got to her feet, hearing the gravel under her shoes like something from miles away. 

"Simon," She called. Her voice felt like it belonged to someone else. "We can't save her."

Simon turned around to look at her, face covered in blood and sweat. His eyes were wild, a slight panic etching onto his face.

"I know," He said finally. "I know we can't."

"We can't stay here," Mellie looked down at the dead and the dying men. "We have to go."

Kaylyn stepped towards her, a hand outstretched. "Mellie—"

"She saved my life," Mellie said, looking Kaylyn in the eyes. "She sacrificed herself for me. I'm not wasting that. I won't."

"Okay," Simon nodded stiffly, a hand raking through his hair. "Okay. Let's go then. Let's get out of here."

Mellie let Simon and Kaylyn lead the way. She picked up Novah's backpack as she went. She shouldered it, turning to look back at the railing that was now missing a piece. There was blood on the ground near it. Novah's or that man's: Mellie had no idea. She didn't want to know.

But she knew that this was only the start. Novah was only the first dead friend. Maybe Mellie will be next. Maybe Simon, maybe Kaylyn. Maybe someone else they are yet to meet.

Either way, there was no going back now.

Total word count 5860