Orphaned Stars (original title Humanity)

Prologue

9th May 2015 – A small town in Pakistan.

When the black smoke arrived in our small town in Pakistan, the cracked ground rumbled. The sky above grew black with smoke. Buildings tumbled and chaos had engulfed the land.

The last evacuation truck had arrived at Collins Manor. Master Isaac and his parents grabbed their small suitcases and hurried. My mother, brother and sister followed behind.

As much as I wanted to survive deep down I knew my time had come. I glanced up at the Manor, a place where I was born and raised. In a few moments, when the bright burning light of an explosion was coming our way, the Manor along with the poor unfortunate souls would be grazed to the ground.

My mother reached out to me. Her face frantic as my brother Yasir and sister Azra held onto her.

"Shahnaz, my child, you have to come now."

I turned to the opposite building and saw a dark skinned boy lying on the ground, wounded by the falling debris. He stared at me, his eyes pleading.

"Hurry Shahnaz." My mother called again.

He was only a few steps ahead. I got him up, his body weak, but I pushed him into the truck. My mother and Mr Collins pulled the boy in.

Mrs Collins grasped her husband arm. "Darling, there's no space left in this truck. Where will the nawkar sit?"

She was right. There no seat left and the floor couldn't hold me. Why had I given my place to this boy I've hardly known? How could I have gone in and left the boy to his fate? He probably had no one left to call his own. If the truck went without him, he would have played on my mind. About the boy, I could have saved if I hadn't been so selfish to save my life.

Did my survival instincts kick in? No, my humanity took over.

I had accepted my fate.

I smiled at them, trying to capture their faces. Mr Collins had a kind temperate face and Isaac followed suit. My mother's face had aged considerably since my father passed away. Yasir and Azra would only cry as the smoke intensified.

The truck began to move. My mother screamed.

"No stop! My daughter. Someone help!"

Isaac leaped up, half of his adolescent body hung over the semi door.

"Take my hand Shahnaz. I won't let go."

All I had to do was grab his hand. Why didn't I grab his hand?

"Take care of my family Master Isaac."

The truck speed increased and I saw Isaac shake his head, mouthing the word no and his arm stretched for me.

The humid air had increased. The earth wobbles me to and fro. The bright burning light rolled towards the horizon, its aim at me. As the world shook I held my ground, although the ground beneath me split onto a hundred lines and the plates began to shift apart.

All my happiness, my memories, my identity and my life stood before me. The hot gale wind threw me apart and I fell into the abyss.

A/N – Thanks for reading. If you have any thoughts or predictions, comment below. I would love to hear from you.

PS - nawker = servant in Urdu.