The Shadow Crawler

Ch. 1

The ground shakes violently as a boom rips through the air. Debris of dust and dirt falls between the metal sheets that make up the arched walls and ceilings of this tiny underground space.

The low growl of planes hum overhead and I bite at my nails nervously. Mother and Father don't say a word as we huddle tightly together.

Father takes in a sharp, shaking breath as another thunderous explosion rips through the air. Our little shelter trembles and the light in the small oil lamps almost flickers out.

Mother's grip on me tightens and she kisses the top of my head desperately. I shut my eyes tightly as a vicious, low growl sounds above us. It grows louder and louder and as it does so, fear creeps into my veins. Father shifts closer to me on my other side, his arms wrapping around me. I lean into him, forcing back the scared tears as that nasty, mechanic growl grows louder still.

It goes deathly silent.

We all hold our breath as the engine on the flying bomb cuts out. Now begins its descent. My hands shake in my mother's as we wait for the warhead to hit the ground and destroy everything in its wake.

An almighty explosion tears through the air. Mother screams as our bodies jolt from the shock and the metal of the shelter rattles overhead. Father ducks over us protectively and the light goes out, plunging us into complete darkness.

The Fourth Realms may not have been able to bring their world-ending bombs through the portals, but the bombs they've been able to build here have been able to outmatch our own weaponry.

This is the second night the bombs have fallen, and it's already been devastating.

The three of us sit in silence, too scared to move. I keep my eyes shut despite the darkness. Father's breaths are heavy as he continues to shield us. I struggle to breathe in the stuffy, damp air. Sweat dribbles down my temple and all I can smell is smoke and dirt.

The explosions continue to shudder across the city. Relief fills me as they grow further away. Soon, all we can hear is the distant sound of the planes as they retreat,

Father stands up in the darkness and shuffles around for the light. After tinkering with it for a few moments, a dull gold flame illuminates the room once more. I turn to face my mother. Streaks from her tears cut through the dirt on her cheeks.

I gulp, my stomach dropping.

I've never seen my mother scared before in my whole twenty-six years of life. Now, I've seen her terrified two nights in a row.

She doesn't say anything. She just pulls me desperately into her side, kisses the top of my head and strokes my hair. I cry silently into her dressing gown.

This isn't how I wanted to spend my last night with my family.

Father sits down beside me again, tapping his foot nervously. After a few seconds, he reaches for a book and starts to read it in the low light. His foot doesn't stop tapping.

Slowly, the city grows quiet. Finally, the all-clear siren rings through the air. Who would have thought a single-note siren would bring so many people such relief?

"It's over," Mother says and stands up.

We follow her, having to duck because of the low ceiling. Father opens the door, giving it a good shove, and then we walk up the steps and into our garden.

I shiver as a chilling breeze dances through the air, carrying with it the heavy scents of smoke. I look up at the dark sky. The white beams from the spotlights still light up circular patches, illuminating the clouds as they try to spot more planes.