Obliterated

(Mild Sensitive content including: Death, Swearing, violent destruction)

I struggle to hear the desperate shriek over the sound of helicopter blades above my head. So close I fall to the ground before it takes me off my feet. Why am I outside?

“Where are you?” I try to shout as loud as I can, but the thick smoke sticks in my throat, threatening to choke me before I can reach them.

Disorientated and with a pain in my side that I didn’t have a minute ago, searingly hot. No time to check it out. I am sure that was a child I heard! I heave my body from the ground. I can barely see. It stings my eyes, and water streams down my face. Or is that blood?

“Mummy!”

That was more audible. Muffled still, I stumble toward the cry, back into the café.

“Keep shouting!” I manage.

Another helicopter. This time I duck. A man lies dead on the ground beside me. His eyes wide in terror, his lower body trapped underneath a pillar from the café. He didn’t stand a chance.

What the hell happened?

I manoeuvre my way through the rubble. Struggling to stay on my feet. “Mummy!” She sobs more than shouts now. Heartbreaking. I must reach her before the building collapses. Sparks fly. A low swinging light hits me on my head. I steady it and climb over debris on the floor.

“Where are you?”

The noise from outside gets louder and the ground trembles, threatening to bury us. I can hear her coughing between sobs, she’s here somewhere. I throw tables and chairs out my way with one hand whilst I cover my mouth with the other. Trying not to suffocate.

There she is. Trapped under the counter. I pray she isn’t hurt.

“I’m coming to help.”

Her eyes pleading. Tears streaming down her face.

“Where’s Mummy?”

“Hold on, I will find her.” I have no idea where her Mummy is. I don’t even know what she looks like. “Are you hurt?” She shakes her head.

I use every bit of strength to lift the counter from her. “Climb out!”

She scrambles out and onto her feet. I gently lower the counter back down feeling tears well in the corner of my eyes, just as something crashes behind us. “Quick come here!” She looks scared and shakes her head.

“Mummy.” Never have I seen such sadness on somebody’s face.

“Let’s see if she’s outside. Quick.” I say this with a knowing that that was her mother under the counter. Crushed.

She hesitates.

Another crash from outside and the ground trembles. Sparks fly from the ceiling and more rubble drops to the floor, missing us by less than an inch. The pain in my side was almost unbearable but i find the strength to scoop up the child and make my way toward the exit.

Chop-chop-chop, the noise resounding in my ears as the helicopter flies back overhead. Fire almost surrounds us now. The flames attempt to lick at my shirt, teasing and threatening to consume me at any moment, along with the child in my arms.

She is limp in my arms now, suffocating in the thick clouds of smoke enveloping us. I need to hurry!

The sounds of explosions from outside make me nervous. I have no idea what we are heading towards, I just know it is not safe in here.

I stumble over the rubble being careful to protect her.

White noise. Darkness.

I open my eyes, knowing I have no time to lose. I still have her in my arms, although I don’t know if she is still alive. No time to check.

I try to move but I can’t.

“Help!” I shout knowing no one can hear me. Me and the girl were the only survivors. "Shit!"

As I come too, the sound from the explosion reverberates through the rubble. I use my free arm to push away as much of the rubble as I can. Bit by bit I chip away at the brick and dust.

I am free. I can breathe.

At least the rain has stifled the fire a little.

Rain?

I look up. The ceiling is gone. Rain pours down on me. Soothing my pounding head. I hold out my hand and soak in the feeling of normality, just for a second, before being brought back down to earth with a bang.

The girl stirs in my arms. Able to breathe now the fire has dampened.

I clutch her tight and heave us up out of the depths of desperation, knowing she is far from safe as the helicopters hover above. My body trembling from the shock and exhaustion. I put my hand on my side as the pain worsens. Blood. A lot of blood.

I need to get us to safety, I have no idea what is happening, but I know we are not safe here. Explosions and low rumbles of engines all around us.

Are they helicopters? Planes? What the fuck is that screeching noise?

Not believing my eyes, I walk forward.

London has gone. All that is left is a crater in the earth, seemingly spanning the width of the London.

Has a meteor hit? What else could explain this level of destruction?

Fire and ruin for miles. Where are the skyscrapers? The shops? The people?

Gone.

Scared to step any further. My mouth involuntarily hangs open.

Anything left standing is on fire. Slightly dampened by the rain. But even a torrential downpour would struggle to extinguish these fires.

War planes and helicopters fire tiny bullets into the abyss of the creator. What are they shooting it? I dare to step closer. Holding tighter to the unknown girl in my arms. I don’t know her; I don’t know who she is or where she is from, just that her mother is dead, and she must be protected.

Body parts were strewn all over what was once a bustling street.

Now Completely obliterated.

I manage to get close enough to see inside, it never ends. Deeper and deeper, it goes to the depths of hell. Large drone-looking objects shoot up from the center. Most are shot down before they reach the top. Exploding as they are hit. Fire shoots out in all directions and ignites any bit of dry land.

The ones that escape their demise shoot off in all directions with an ear-piercing scream. I step back slowly. Trying not to crumble at the immense shock that is consuming me. This isn’t real. It can’t be real.

The girl stirs in my arms. I gently stroke her head. Not wanting her to witness the horror of what was happening. Wishing I didn’t have to either.

My side throbs. We need to move. We need to run.

I turn back into the ruins of the café. Everything flattened. Just smoldering piles of bricks and mortar. I start to walk in the opposite direction of where the planes are headed.

Everything is destroyed. Buildings flattened and ablaze. We make our way through what was once the Strand. A hub of excitement and joy. Now desolate and desperate. Cars and body parts scattered.

Another explosion from behind.

The high-pitched scream of one of those drone things gets louder and louder until I cannot take it anymore. I fall to my knees, trying to cover both our ears. The screeching stops fast, and I feel the girl turn her head.

The drone hovers mere inches from our faces. Blue lights flash all around it. The exterior so shiny, I can see our faces staring back at us. The girl reaches her stubby little hand out to touch it.

“No!”

Darkness.

THE END