The Refugees

Chapter 5: Savannah

Edited

My head snaps to the window. I eye it carefully looking outside at the top of the Educational Chamber. I catch sight of dust particles falling from a crack at the top. The crack starts to widen as my eyes expand realizing what this could mean.

The war is here.

"EVERYONE GET DOWN!!" Ash yells at the top of his lungs and I get down underneath underneath my desk.

Some turn to look at him confused, and some react immediately to what he says,

Barely 5 seconds after, we hear another loud explosion and everything goes blurry. A huge gush of wind blows us all as the windows crack, glass shards flying across the room. My ears ring loudly, high pitched noise taking over everything else. As I open my eyes, it's both dark and bright. I look around to see some people on the floor unconscious. I look around until my eyes are glued on a horrible sight.

A pool of blood surrounding one of the girls who just a few seconds ago thought Ash was mad. Her body is covered in glass bits biting into her skin pitilessly. I can see her body still limply moving as she breathes in and out.

"Call the help center..." I struggle to utter, still horror-stricken by the scene before me.

My heartbeat quickens at her sight. I feel a hand touch mine and I turn to look up to meet Ash's eyes, his face showing no sign of fear nor panic, instead he looks serious. He pulls me out from underneath the desk and grabs my hand pulling me up to my feet. I don't realize I'm shaking until I stand up, feeling my knees weaken underneath me.

Ash grabs hold of my waist as I stumble and I suddenly feel sick to my stomach. He holds my hand firmly, dragging me out of the classroom and we start running. I don't know where we're going, why we're leaving, all I know is that nothing is right.

"What's going on? Where are we going?" I ask Ash, panicked.

He doesn't answer and that suddenly makes me mad. He simply continues to hurry us out of the school, looking forward, not listening to me. I stop at a halt and pull him back hard. He turns around to look at me, barely breathing quickly.

"Answer me! Where we going? Why are we leaving??" I yell angrily.

"The ones who did this won't let us live if we don't hurry up. We have to go!"

"But, my dad, everyone else? What about them?"

"There's no time right now. Robert will be fine." He answers, giving me as little information as possible.

Robert? Why is he on first name basis with my father? I push away the thought because it doesn't matter right at this moment.

"But you can't promise me that, can you?!" I yell, my voice quivering.

My eyes swell up with tears.

"We don't have time for this! Do you want to die?" He challenges, his face grave and unforgiving.

If I don't choose now, he will leave me behind.

Do I want to die?

"... No."

"Then let's go before they shoot us dead, or bomb us."

I suck up my emotions for a second, wiping my tears with my vacant hand before nodding.

"Let's go." I say reluctantly.

He's right, we don't have time for discussions. If the war is here, we need to be somewhere else, somewhere safe.

I look out behind me, seeing the numerous people starting to leave their classes, paramedics hurrying inside.

How do they not see?

Their biggest problem is their enemy.

Sorry Sasha, sorry Carl for abandoning you both...

I feel my heart squeeze as I realize everyone and everything I'm leaving behind.

I have no choice, I reassure myself.

Tell yourself that.

Ash doesn't let go of my hand while we run down the stairs which seem even more endless than usual. We hurry through the emergency exit which was never of much use before this very moment and we're out on the streets.

The crack gets bigger but it isn't completely open. Rays of light squeeze themselves through and I stare at them in awe and shock. This is different compared to the electrical lights powered in each and every room. This is sunlight.

Although Ash hasn't discussed his plan with me I already know where he's heading. To the Industrial Chamber, where imports and exports to and from the Surface take place, the only way we can escape The Shelter.

We run until we both hear another big bomb exploding but this time we both stop to look and here it is, the giant wall I have come to recognize as my "sky" goes plummeting down onto our educational buildings, the layer of glass and metal crumbling down, probably killing people.

The primary school...

The Kindergarten...

Gone in seconds.

A blinding amount of light suddenly crashes onto my eyes, forcing me to close them as I feel Ash pull me away to continue.

Now things get real. As I am sheltered from the sunlight, I feel my eyes water. Not because of the light but because of the reality of everything. Children were in there. Someone's child, brother, sister, mother, father, aunt and uncle. All those people... Gone. What did they ever do to deserve death without a second's notice?

Ash squeezes my hand a little harder and I'm thankful, because I don't know how I could keep my sanity and composure without it.

We stay in hiding behind one of the school buildings and then Ash lets go of my hand. He takes something in his back pocket while I focus on the warmth of his hand that is now gone. Then he goes back to take my hand again and I feel slightly reassured. I look at his other hand to see he's holding a gun.

My mind goes blank for about two seconds.

What?

Who is he? Why does he even have a gun and why the hell would he take it to school?!

"How did you get a gun?" I challenge immediately.

"Now's not a good time, we'll talk later. The army is about to go down now."

He signals me to remain silent before peeking out.

What is he planning?

~~~

Hey guys!

So here I left a little suspicion at the end of the chapter to hopefully keep you guys reading, I also shortened the chapter. I think it's better you have a little break before getting into the next chapter.

Song: Memtrix - All You Are

Natalia 😊