Welcome to Nuke Town

Chapter 1 : The End is Nigh

April 23rd, 2024 

     "Angel, it's 8 am. If you don't get up now you're going to be late.", my mother tells me as she gently shakes me awake. I try to push her away to return to the sweet embrace of sleep, my attempts are futile. "Alright, alright mother I'll get up", I croak, my voice raspy from sleep. I quickly throw on a DC graphic tee, black ripped jeans, my all black high tops, a black flannel, and my black beanie. Dark I know. My deep blood red hair cascades down my back in loose beachy curls. I smile observing myself in the mirror, my green eyes shining brightly mirroring my happiness. This will be my first day back at school from my spring holiday away with friends. 

     I run downstairs, quickly grab a packet of Poptarts, and make my way to my 2016 black Chevy Colorado. On my way to school I pick up my friends Raiya and Madilyn. Raiya is seventeen, same as me, she has brown almost black hair, the eyes to match, porcelain skin, and she's 5'7 again same as me. She's the quiet yet brilliantly smart one of the three of us, she pretends she doesn't know we sometimes copy her homework. Madilyn is ash blonde, pale blue eyes, with the hint of a tan which she swears isn't fake, and is 5'4. Mads is the younger of us, sixteen, and definitely the most extrovert, being a cheerleader and all. Raiya and I attend football games as moral support to her even though it isn't really our scene. They both hop in my truck chattering about some school gossip regarding our small town queen bee, Amber. She was once upon a time a part of our group but that was years ago. We would have sleep overs every weekend watching horror movies and eating everything in whoever's house we stayed that weekend. She was always there for us if the three of us needed someone to confide in. Somehow over summer break between 8th grade and high school she changed. Once high school began she decided popularity was more important than her best friends, our group of misfits went from four members to three in a matter of days. 

     Arriving to school is the same as ever, the wannabe barbies, including their leader Amber, are all sitting in the quad trying to look cute  for the athletes whom honestly don't care all that much for them. The band and choir kids are nowhere to be found, likely practicing  in the music room on the other side of campus. The school consists of a few other small cliques but they tend to scatter at random. Raiya and Madilyn continue to chat about gossip I don't care for so I put my earbuds in and shuffle my Spotify playlist. The bell rings roughly ten minutes later and Mads quickly takes to ushering me off to first period Biology, my favorite subject.

     I sit in my seat silently between Madilyn and one of the jocks, Chris I believe. They strike up a conversation about how important cheerleading is to school sports and I quickly begin to feel invisible, like always. I zone out eavesdropping on other conversations. Something about a party over the weekend, one of the guys went to said party with Amber and we all know what they did, a girl is whispering quietly to her friend about her self harm I have to fight the urge to try to help, Mr. Smith grumbles under his breath about hating children and not getting paid enough to deal with us, and Madilyn and Chris are discussing the group project, I know I'll end up doing all the work for, written on the board. Just as Mr. Smith stands to start the class a loud alarm sounds over the intercom.

   Screams erupt around me, everyone startled by the loud unexpected noise. Everyone looks to Mr. Smith for an explanation the fact he looks just as confused as the rest of us offers no comfort. "Students...I'm unsure of what that alarm entails. However, I'm sure it was just an accident. I'm going to call the office and get some answers.", he says almost too quiet for us to hear. We watch him retreat nervously into the adjacent room. The class erupts in scared voices asking others around them what they think is going on. "Angel!? What was that? That wasn't our usual fire alarm...Or even the tornado warning...What's going on..?", Madilyn asks me barely above a whisper. "I...I honestly don't know...", The sound of my meek voice startles me slightly. A few minutes later Mr. Smith returns looking rather shaken. Upon hearing him enter the room quickly becomes silent once more.