The fall

How it began

It's been 20 days. Twenty days since the world ended, and somehow, my friends and I are still alive. Barely. I can't really explain how we've made it this far, it all happened so fast. It was just another normal day, and then everything changed.

Maisyn was on her way to school, her phone in hand as she walked down the quiet street. Outside was gray and boring, just like every other day. She wasn't sure how today was going to go, but she hoped Emily would have the Penjamin again. It felt like the only thing that made school bearable.

She got to her locker, shoving her stuff in as music blasted in her ears. "I Don't Smoke" by Mitski was playing. She didn't really care about the song, it was just noise to fill the silence. She slammed the locker shut, adjusted her bag, and headed to meet Emily.

"Emilyyyy!" Maisyn called out as she walked into the G-wing bathrooms.

"Mai?" Emily's voice was excited, like always.

Maisyn grinned, happy to see her best friend. She walked into the big stall with Emily, who was already pulling out her vape. She took one last hit before passing it to Maisyn with a smile.

"I'm so ready to go home already," Maisyn said, annoyed at being stuck at school.

Emily didn't argue. She took a puff from her own vape, coughing a little before passing it to Maisyn. "You got money on your account? I want to grab a Propel," she asked.

"Of course I do. When don't I?" Maisyn joked, rolling her eyes.

"Literally never," Emily laughed.

"Hey, didn't have to call me out like that," Maisyn said, pretending to be offended, but she was smiling too.

The two girls walked to the lunch line so Emily could grab her drink. Maisyn stayed in the back, feeling a bit spaced out. Everything was normal for the moment, or at least, it felt like it was. Then, without warning, the glass shattered. The sound of an explosion followed, and the whole school seemed to shake. People screamed in panic, and dust and smoke filled the air.

Maisyn hit the floor hard, her head spinning as debris fell all around her. The air was thick with smoke, making it hard to breathe. Blood trickled down from her head, dripping onto the ground. She tried to make sense of what was happening, but everything felt distant and fuzzy. Her ears were ringing, and she couldn't hear herself calling out, even as she shouted Emily's name.

She pushed herself up, trying to steady herself, but everything was spinning. She grabbed onto a counter, and just as she thought she might fall again, a hand grabbed her arm.

"Mai! Mai!" Emily's voice broke through the chaos, but it sounded so far away.

Maisyn could barely respond, the ringing in her ears drowning out everything else. Before she could even take a breath, another explosion went off, and the world around them shattered again.