She had been walking, it was around 8 PM. She could tell by the position of the sun. She was hungry, thirsty and she was sick. She felt weak and lost. Alara looked around at the barren landscape before her.
It was a bare field. The grass was dead and shriveled. It was silent. She looked up at the sky, there was nothing there but blackness. She remembered stars. Their white light twinkled, it was beautiful. Well, everything to her was beautiful now, wasn’t it? She never got to see stars whenever she was home. The city lights always tinted the sky red and hid its natural beauty. Now was no exception. Not that it mattered now anyway.
Alara continued walking, each step was gradually harder than the last. She walked until she came to a house. She sighed, relieved. Alara started walking faster, wanting, no, NEEDING to get to shelter. Not that it mattered anyway, she would only get worse, but at least she could rest.
Alara finally got to the house and opened the unlocked door. She peered inside not going in; no one was there. She looked around to the side of the house. There was a set of metal, rusty doors on the ground. Of course.
She sighed and went inside of her not-so-haven, nowhere she went could save her now. Safety didn’t matter anyway. The new wood was slippery, and she looked around at the beautiful architecture. It looked like it was frozen in time. Too bad it’s going to waste.
Alara dragged herself to a bedroom and collapsed, exhausted, on the bed. The white sheets contrasted slightly with her reddened skin.
Alara looked at the kitchen from the bedroom. Her stomach growled. She dare not eat or drink. It wouldn’t matter anyway. Alara looked back at her skin, and then at herself in the mirror. She looked worse than she did yesterday. Alara closed her eyes, and finally, she let herself go. Why stay awake? There’s nothing left to stay awake for anyway.
Alara woke up to light streaming in through the window. It was deceivingly pleasant. She sat up, shakily. Her stomach growled. She got worse over the night, her skin was redder than before. She got up from the bed.
Alara decided she would try to make it to town. She wanted to see her family one last time. If they were still there. Her stomach growled. Alara looked at the kitchen. Food.
She stumbled over to the fridge. She needed to be quick about this. Not that it mattered anyway. Alara tore open the fridge and ripped some hotdogs from their package. She shoved them in her mouth as fast as she could humanly manage.
Alara looked at the faucet, she was thirsty. Could she even drink the water? She might be able to. But what if it’s bad? It wouldn’t matter anyway. She went over to the faucet and quickly turned it on, drank straight from it, and turned it off. That’s better. Alara looked out the window. Clouds were gathering. Rain. She couldn’t go outside. That would be dangerous.
Alara decided to stay another night. More sleep. She stumbled back to the bedroom where the bed was. A tint of red stained the sheets. She couldn’t sleep there. Alara saw a drawer full of clothes. New clothes. She could change into new clothes. Not that it mattered anyway.
Alara changed clothes anyway, it was more comfortable. At least, the idea was. She pulled off her shirt, some of her skin came with it. She cried. She changed clothes and went to a new bedroom, leaving the white bed, her old clothing, and parts of her skin behind.
She went to another bedroom, another white bed. The room was painted sky blue with clouds. It was nice. It reminded her of the days she spent playing outside in the summer, with blue skies and fluffy clouds. Days she would never see again. It was raining now.
Alara laid down on the bed, she was going to sleep again. So she did. She dreamt about her home, family, school, and friends. She had pleasant dreams.
Alara awoke again later in the day. It had stopped raining by now. She could start walking home, to her family. Alara got up, her bones seemed to creak with her every movement. She put on her shoes. They barely fit. Alara looked around the house for a hat, maybe gloves, and a coat. Her coat was ruined.
She eventually found some. The coat was too big on her, the gloves hurt, and the hat...well she liked the hat.
Alara walked to the front door. She went outside. The sky was grey and bleak, just like her existence. She started walking in the direction of town. Home. She continued walking. It was hot.
She had been walking for hours, it was nightfall. It was dark. Alara looked up and saw the glow of lights in the distance. She was almost there.
Alara sped up. All she could think of was seeing her family, seeing her home. She just wanted to go home. Tears streamed down her face. Everything hurt. Everything’s wrong.
Alara stopped. She almost ran into a tree. She was tired. Alara sat down at the base of the tree. She fell asleep underneath the tree, red leaves falling around her.
Alara woke up. It was light out again. Too bad there was no sun. It seemed like a nice day. She got up, it hurt to move. She looked at the forest ahead of her. Home was on the other side. She had to get home.
Alara started her torturous walk. Her movements were swift but painful. She walked through the forest, it almost looked like fall. Red leaves were falling around her, it looked mystical, like a dream. She wanted to wake up. Her skin blended in perfectly with the red leaves.
She finally broke through to the other side of the forest. Buildings. There were buildings! She was in town! She could see her family!
Alara rushed forward. She made her way through the empty streets. Her only companion the empty houses. She only stopped to vomit once or twice. She came upon an all too familiar street.
Alara made her way to the front door of an all too familiar house. She opened it and stepped inside. It was empty. She tried crying out. Nothing came out but blood and tissue.
Alara cried. She was alone. She didn't want to be alone. She didn’t want to die. Alara started vomiting up blood and parts of her insides. It racked her whole body. It hurt. She stayed still after her violent convulsions. Where could she go? The school.
Alara took off her shoes. They were almost stuck. Almost. She got up. She had 3 blocks to walk. Only 3.
Alara walked out the front door, leaving her beloved home behind. She tried to walk to the school. She walked past the red trees. Past the red splotches on the streets. Past it all.
She got to the school. Finally. She grabbed the handle and painfully pulled open the door. She let go of the handle. Some of her skin stayed with it.
Alara walked inside. She made her way down the halls to the gym. The doors were open. People were inside. She tried running. She couldn’t.
Once inside, people rushed to help. Alara let herself go. Everything she saw after that was a blur of colors. She fell asleep.
Days passed. Her hair was falling out. So was her skin. She couldn’t eat anymore. She suddenly heard a wailing noise. It echoed through the gym. The blurs all got into one big group. Someone in the group was holding her. She knew what this meant.
She thought she heard someone crying. Maybe it was her. Maybe it was someone else. She tilted her head to the right, looking out a window. A tree with red leaves was out there, she could barely make it out. Alara closed her eyes among the chaos.
She thought of the forest and the deceivingly beautiful red leaves falling around her like a dream.
She thought of home and her family. She thought of her childhood. She thought of her friends. Her friends. She was with them when it happened. They didn’t see the explosion. They didn’t know anything was wrong until they heard the sirens. The wailing, echoing, bomb sirens.
Alara remembered how they didn’t make it. They left her in a panic. Now they’re gone. Just like her family. Just like the world she used to know.
Alara opened her eyes. The wailing continued. She looked up. The last thing she saw was a brilliant flash of light.
