The world shakes. I fall to the ground and clutch at my sleeping bag as if it is a shield, not a flimsy piece of cloth with stuffing in it.
"Thomas, what is going on?" My voice, too, is shaking.
His response is equally unnerving, and I'm sure I am hearing things.
"Oh god." He cries. "They said no one would get hurt!"
As his words sink in, the cushy world I built around myself - our world - crumbled to pieces around me.
"What do you mean, Thomas? Who's they?" I stare at him, dumbstruck. "What do you know?"
"We need to get out of here," he says, ignoring my question. "I'll explain later. C'mon. They're flushing us out. We've stayed here too long."
Hot tears sting my eyes. My throat is so dry my voice cracks. "Not until I get some answers, Thomas! Who's they?"
"Gather your things, Jill. We have no time!"
Trying to swallow the pain of betrayal, I start shoving things into my backpack.
The ground trembles. Outside, bursts of fire engulf the windows. I smell burning. I hear the crackling of fire. BOOM, BOOM, BOOM. The explosions sound like they're coming closer. What is triggering them? Who is triggering them? Why?
"Ready, Jill?"
I nod, unable to speak to him.
"C'mon. I know a safe place we can go."
YOU ARE READING
Empty City
Science FictionA girl awakens in an empty city devoid of people or any semblance of life. She cannot remember her past, or why she is here. Then she meets a boy whom she so badly wants to trust - because there's no one else. But is he who he seems to be? Why is...
