Screams of families running through the streets could be heard throughout the world on that warm December night. Stars were falling from the heavens to the earth, burning passionately as they hurled through the air towards masses of people. Cars were useless due to the debris now blocking every path; the escape had to be made on foot. Herds upon herds of women and children were migrating to where they did not know. Anywhere but this, anywhere but where the stars fell upon them vengefully. Steaming winds whipped violently, scattering the ash of the dying city throughout the air.

Alfred was still within the confines of his house, running madly around, opening and slamming cupboards as he grabbed anything he thought he might need. Canned pears, dry pasta noodles, even a carton of orange juice made their way into his canvas backpack. He could hear the people's shouts outside, felt the rising heat on his skin, heard the nagging in his subconscious to move. To move and herd with the rest. He pushed it aside and zipped up his bag with the force of a final decision, and ran to his room to see if there was anything he needed before he made his escape.

"What are you doing?!" he shouted at Matthew, who was sitting on his bed. Tears were streaming down the other boy's face as he sat. "You need to get out, now!"

Matthew turned to his brother to protest, but the stronger of the two was already pulling him from his seat and throwing some clothes into his arms. Heat was becoming more intense by the second, and the two boys had begun to sweat uncontrollably. Alfred grabbed his brother's hand and dragged him down the stairs, opening the door and throwing him outside. He followed suit himself and began jogging down the drive, hoping Matthew would follow him away from the bright red mass hurtling towards the house.

The wave of the explosion could be felt before the sound could he heard. Alfred was flung forward and hit the ground with a painful thud. His ears rung as the flames began to eat away at the home. The home he had live in his whole life. What was left of it was a charred heap of nothing. He bit his lip and blood welled up in his mouth, tasting like a penny on his tongue.

"Matt?" he shouted helplessly, running in every direction. "Matthew?! God, where are you?" He fell against the trunk of a charred tree, standing tall but cold, like a hanging skeleton. "Where are you…" he murmured, putting his face in his hands. Ash landed on the boy's hair as a silent response to his unanswered prayers.

"Matthew."

He awoke with a start, clutching the cold earth below him in his hands. The hazy light was dripping in through clouds with a red luster, reflecting from the charred and desolate ground. His chest still pounding, Alfred grabbed his glasses from within the tin can he had been storing them in and placed them on his nose. Now able to get a good look around, he saw the same scene he did every day: a flat expanse of nothing.

With a sigh, he sat up, hoping the nightmare would end sooner. This had been the wish every morning for the past six months, if that was how long it had been. The wish was left to be granted with each day he awakened, seeing the same emptiness that filled his own spirit. The dream was real. His brother was gone, the horizon was dark, and the ash still flew in the wind. All he had left of a house was the sleeping bag he used at night and the rickety wooden shelter for when it would rain. Nothing to cook with but a fire, no one to talk to but himself, and nowhere to go but forward.

"But how do you go forward when there isn't anywhere to go?" he thought to himself. "What's it worth to keep going when there's nothing to keep going for? Why do I even want to keep looking for nothing in particular?" These questions hung in the air and surrounded the confused seventeen year old, strangling is innocence and forcing him to find answers.

Six months. That was about how long it had been since the collapse. Six months since the scientists created something more powerful than themselves. Six months since the technology took over, six since it found the populace obsolete. Six months since Alfred had seen another living soul. Six months since he had hidden in the sewers beneath the streets, lurking in the shadows and waiting for the madness to cease above him. Waiting to hear the voices stop and for the ground to stop rumbling. Six months since he had begun running.

Six. He stood from his seat now, looking at the surrounding land. Nothing dangerous crossed the horizon yet today. Maybe it was time he treated himself to a sort of celebration of surviving for this long. He shrugged to himself and pulled out a can of chopped green beans. Even if he had hated these before the collapse, they were some of the hardest things to find nowadays. Pulling a sharp sheet of iron from his pocket, he ripped open the top of the can. Careful not to cut his hands on the edges of the aluminum, he pulled out a few small beans and stuck them in his mouth.

His face lit up. "Wait," he said to himself. "Six months. That means it's July. That means it's around my birthday."

"And Matthew's," his mind said. He shook his head and pushed it aside. "That must mean I'm eighteen today. Happy birthday to me," he muttered, continuing to eat the beans faster than usual.

"And happy birthday to Matt," he thought again. This time he didn't argue, and sat in silence with his small meal.

A/N: Apocalyptic stories really are overdone, aren't they… but they're still really cool and I've always wanted to write something like this. Please, review and tell me what you think! I want to know how I can make this better before I continue. Thanks for reading!