Inhuman | ✓

i - countdown

𝙹 𝚄 𝙽 𝙶 𝙺 𝙾 𝙾 𝙺

THAT WAS HOW LIFE ENDED.

It happened so fast, like how a fidget spinner spins. The year entered. Year 2034. At first I heard  the cheers of everyone outside. All gathered to see the fireworks shooting skyward, exploding and creating various sorts of wonderful colors. The crackles deafened my ears; perhaps they were just loud enough for me this time. I heard just in time the usual Happy New Year song after the countdown. I frown—I never usually frown the last New Year's Day—but at this moment I felt strange. Today was different.

Once I had thought the reason why I felt odd was because I was alone, all by myself. The house my parents and I lived in recently had been sold due to their debts. I had no idea why. I was here in our apartment, packing all the things I can bring to find a new place to stay in this rowdy city.

And to answer my parents' whereabouts, the apocalypse happened as soon as my parents stepped into the doorway of our now sold house.

One second their beams flashed into my brightly lit eyes, but the next thing I knew were the screams of the people outside. I heard explosions, and they were too loud I barely wanted to move. I just wanted to curl up into a ball at the couch and cover my ears. Father closed the door shut then ran to load the luggages with anything necessary and zipped them up while mother rushed to my aid, hugging me tight and comforting me with everything she can, like giving me a pair of earplugs.

Thankfully, the explosions stopped, but the screams didn't. So it's just like a horror movie's climax about to end.

Despite of mother telling me everything will be okay, the screams frightened me. I've heard a lot of screams— different kinds. And these screams, they weren't what I wanted to hear. They terrorized my inner self. Of course, to my ten year old self who wouldn't cry at hearing thousands of people outside your house screaming as if they were being tortured?

I was terrified.

It took a while before I noticed the tears dwelling in my eyes, only when mother told me not to cry. I looked at father. He kept on standing before the windows, all shut close. I really had no idea what he was looking at. I also didn't know what was happening outside our house since it was so dark, I barely saw nothing through the window but darkness. It was weird, since this city had always been filled with blinding lights.

Unfortunately, the screams never stopped.

Father suddenly pulled down the curtains completely. He had been pressing his ear on the window. Before he could reach the two of us, I saw fear flashing in his face. I didn't know if he saw something that was scary outside or if he heard something.

"Quick," he said as he ushered me and mother to run upstairs. "I'll guard the door, Isseun. Don't leave him!"

"I won't." Mother trembled, I was sure she did as she led me to my own room. Whatever was happening, I wasn't sure.