Tragic

Why am I here?

“Your guardian didn’t tell you?”

She doesn’t talk to me much, unless I talk first

“Right, well, we’re here to talk about an important event that you’ve blocked out for a while,”

I don’t know what you’re talking about

“I understand that you don’t want to face these feeling and remember, but it’s a necessary part of our session”

My parents died, if that’s what you’re referring to

“How?”

Car accident

“Are you sure?”

Yes, I’m sorry, what do you want to know?

“I want you to tell me the truth about what you were feeling-“

I don’t- I don’t know what you’re talking about. I would... I’d like to go now. Excuse me.

An unusual feeling I’d felt only about twice before rushed through my body as I stepped out of the cramped room, broken certificates framed on the walls looked down at the worn-out couch, the tired looking ‘psychologist’ slouched over a small notebook.

I didn’t like to think about my biological family, apparently it was a car accident, or that what I remember. I don’t like going back to that day though. I pushed the front door and shot a small nod to the receptionist, she also looked tired, unbothered to nod back she looked away, the freak storm had only happened recently. I had heard about it on the news before it took place. My memory before that is almost non-existent, I had severe head trauma from a fall, I consider myself lucky though. Many people didn’t survive and as a minor I was assigned to a lady who became my guardian after the storm took place. She didn’t like talking and I often heard her crying at night. I stopped in the middle of the city square, looking around, fallen buildings had crashed onto the streets, broken and burnt pieces and objects scattered on the cracked cement, walking through the city was almost like a maze, glass shattering beneath my boots every step I took, I looked back at where I was going, glancing around before rushing off, I continued quickly down the open roads, a couple of people walked the streets, heavy eyebags drooped under their often-red eyes, almost like zombies, with the power all over the world cut out, many people just wandered.

I took a sharp turn on the street I lived on, grabbing my keys as I walked up the small steps into the once beautifully red crimson house, I looked back to see if anyone had followed me, besides head trauma I had also gained paranoia, scared of the possibly crazy people that were now loose, I shut the door, securing the locks behind me, the house was messy, broken frames, glass, shelves and memories trashed all over the floor. I walked into the back room, where the door to the basement stood, we had been living there for the past week, unsure of the possible second wave that could come. I opened the creaky door and walked in, making sure to close it behind me.

“I have a gun!”

Julie it’s me.

I walked down the stairs slowly, hands up

“Oh, did you close the door?”

She looked at me, pale and bony as she placed the gun near the camping stove set in the middle of the room.

Yes.

I stepped down from the last stairs and walked over to her

Why did you just leave me there?

“Did he help you remember?”

What is it I’m supposed to remember?

“You’ll find out soon enough, I made noodles, they’re on your bed.”

Thanks

I slumped to the other side of the room where still warm noodles sat in a container, night-time was coming soon and we only had one candle left, tomorrow we would have to go out to the raided shop to see if we could find any more. I ate them quickly, setting the container aside as I lay down, back turned away from the light, gazing at the wall, my eyes turned to the bottom corner, where a small spider was, I felt pity. I had always disliked spiders, but he was a lucky guy for surviving, so I let him be as I looked back at the wall, suddenly tired, my eyes heavy as I drifted into a deep sleep.

“Wake up! I said wake up! the alarms sounded. The storms coming!”

What! Where am I?

I scanned the room, it was the room upstairs, but tidy? I jumped out of the warm bed noticing a large bookcase next to the door, rushing down the organised corridor and down the stairs, why was everything in place?

“Where are you going? We have to go downstairs into the basement! Come on!”

She stepped forward to grab me as I ran out the door and down the street, looking around, two people in clothes I somehow remembered stood, huddled together with two little children. They looked back at me, the woman suddenly running forward, she was no older than 35 and reached me in what seemed like minutes, as I looked around, panicked people running as fireballs fell from the black smoky sky were born, trapping and burning people alive, I looked back, the woman embracing me in a hug as she grabbed me, taking me back to the people, who seemed to be her family

“Baby, hold on to me ok?”

Mom, oh my god Mom!

I wrapped her in the biggest hug, eyes moistening before looking forward to where the other people were

“We have to go, Lily, Maya and your dad, we have to go back to Cousin Julie's house ok!? Why are you here, you were supposed to be-? Never mind! grab one of your sisters.”

Sisters...? As we neared I looked at my family, memories hitting me hard as I grabbed Lily, the youngest, crying as a sudden meteor crashed nearby, causing the ground to shake

Ahh!

I fell to the ground, as did many people, some dead, one of them next to me on the floor, a tear streaming down his terrified pale face, a traumatic image reflexively causing me to back away

“We have to go!”

“Joe, we have to help! Baby, go take your sisters to Julia’s house ok?”

No! You have to come with me!

“Go now! Take care of your sisters!”

My dad pushed me as I dragged them, running as fast as I could down the what seemed like infinite street, looking back just in time to see a building crashing down in the city square.

NOO!

I turned back, suddenly losing grip of my two sisters, collapsing to the ground

NO LIL, MAYA! NO!

I tried standing back up as a pair of hands grabbed me from behind, pulling me back.

Tears falling down my face as I let loose, running as hard as I could to my sisters, but they were too far ahead, a fireball like the ones that had fallen nearby flew down from the sky, the world went slow as I saw the red hot ball falling, smoke flying behind it as I saw what was left of my family die before my eyes, the world shaking as my foot tripped, tears flying up as my head hit the ground and the world went black.

AHHH!NO!NO!NO!

I suddenly awoke, the unusual feeling thrashing back as I threw myself back, rapidly crawling to the last candle, desperately turning it on as I pushed Julie awake.

YOU KNEW!

My voice cracked as the anger rushed through me

“You remembered”

She said softly

OF COURSE I REMEMBER! How could you, you knew what happened and you didn’t say anything! ANYTHING AT ALL! How could you! They trusted you! AH!

I set the candle down angrily ads I grabbed her gun.

I should shoot you right here and now!

“Go ahead.”

What?

“Shoot me! I deserve it!”

NO! no, NO!

I threw the gun across the room, suddenly confused with all the mixed emotions running through my bones, as I cradled myself into a ball.

I thought they died in the car accident! And I didn’t have any siblings!

“No one said that, when you woke up, that’s what you wanted to believe, we couldn’t get you to believe otherwise, and well. I thought by sending you-“

No! Stop! I hate you. I hate you! I HATE YOU!

I ran upstairs, throwing the door shut as I rushed up the staircase, down to the room I was in before the storm. The bedframe was broken and the bookcase that stood was on the floor, all the books in all different parts of the room. I closed the door, slowly walking to the bed, sitting down, as I turned towards the wall, putting my head under the pillow, a crinkled object touching my hand as I grabbed it out, the moonlight helped me read what was written on this seemingly old note

You looked so peaceful, sleep well baby.

We’ll get you tomorrow.

Love Mom & Dad

“They really loved you, what happened was a tragic accident, there was nothing you could’ve done.”

Julie slid into the bed, pulling me into a known embrace as I slept once more.