I'd watched Ellie slowly losing to her depression. She didn't tell any of us, and she forced a smile onto her face for the short amount of time she was with us in that prison.

But she was slowly losing hope, the deadness in her eyes slowly over taking the spark of hope that had been there for so long. I remembered the story I had told her, it seemed like so long ago but I couldn't remember. It was the story about God being in the furnace with the three men. I hoped she remembered that story, that there was still hope, there was always hope. But I don't think she did.

I loved Ellie; she was my sister, my best friend down in Hell. Yet here she was wasting away. Her and Homer had it the worst of all of us. In isolation. I knew it killed both of them to be in there; they'd lived on a farm their entire lives, surrounded by wide open spaces and fresh air. And now they were going to spend the remainder of their lives in a tiny prison cell.

I remember the day her and Homer told us they'd been sentenced to death. We all stood in separate sections of the gym, unable to touch each other. I remember Lee looking so desperately at Ellie when he heard the news, we'd each been given prison terms, Fi's was the shortest of all of us, only twenty two years. In a way that worse us other three, she'd be alone when she got out. At least Kevin and I would be able to get out together after twenty five years, Lee was the worst though. He was sentenced to thirty years. We could see this tearing him apart. There would be no one left to look after his brothers and sisters, the responsibility would fall to Pang or they would go into foster care.

Ellie had told us she was sentenced would be carried out on the Monday. Thursday and Friday we were numb, Saturday was the worst. Fi was hysterical. She would be losing her best friend and her first love. I stood there unable to do anything; I would have to wait until we were back in our cell. I remember the dead look in Lee's eyes as he stood their staring at Ellie and the hopeless looks that Homer and Ellie traded knowing that their end was coming.

I remember Sunday. Ellie was the last to enter the gym. She had a calm look on her face, she knew her end was coming and she accepted it. This would be the last time we saw her.

When the bombs hit I saw hope light up the faces of the others, we dashed around, desperately trying to get out of them gym. Then the whole ground seemed to heave underneath us. It was like one of those cartoons, one minute everything's the same and then you blink, the gym had been demolished. The first thing a saw was the fallen guard, taking a leaf out of Ellie's book I began stripping down his weapons and stuffing them down my shirt.

I saw Lee scoop Fi into his arms, his eyes scanning Ellie's body for injury. Homer was leading a shell shocked Kevin behind him and they all followed me down the driveway.

Mr Harvey's face was full of hatred as he pointed that gun at me. I heard the others arrive behind me, stood still in shock, they couldn't have done anything anyway. They had no weapons. I reached my hand inside my shirt. This was the only thing that could be done. It was the end of my story.

I think Ellie must have realized what I was doing. She screamed my name, I felt scared at that moment. Knowing that I was leaving the rest of them, knowing that even for a short amount of time it would hurt.

I remembered the story of the three men with God in the furnace again. It gave me one last small comfort, I suppose. Keeping my eyes on Ellie I pulled the pin.

Mr Harvey realized too late.

And then we were both gone.