III. The Bomb Shelter

After Majin Buu disappeared, I really had no idea what was going on. If anything, that big, insecure blob of silly putty was probably off destroying other cities and asking fashion advice. Who knows. I slinked home to my (amazingly) untouched apartment complex, climbed the stairs, and fought with the key until I finally shoved the door open.

All power was cut off. Completely. All plants within a fifty mile radius were destroyed, so it wasn't like the cable company was going to come by and fix everything in a few measly hours, where people would mill around with candles and go to bed early. Not this time.

I opened the closet, fumbling around for my stash of flashlights. After my childhood experience, I always made sure I was prepared for the unknown.. I never would have guessed it would come in handy.

I flicked on a small, handheld flashlight. I decided I would get something to eat then go to bed so I didn't waste my power supply. Who knew how long it would be before we had electricity again.

It was like some old superhero cartoon. His matching supervillain would attack some major city, destroy a few buildings, cause a few billion zenni worth of damage, and somehow no one would care when the hero finally destroyed his arch-nemesis.

I rubbed my sore head, still contemplating what I had done. A creature who could, and probably will, destroy the world and everyone on it, had spoken to me. Tried to impress me. Like the little fat kid who always got picked on at school.

I decided not to dwell on it and instead made my way down the hall and into my bedroom, slamming the door gracefully behind me. Most of the city was in ruins, maybe a few hundred were dead, and all I wanted was a hot bath and some nice, soft blankets.

The next day, I scrounged an old television out of storage, using a few scattered adapters to access a broadcasting station a few cities over.

What always amazes me is how the entire world can change in a less than twenty-four hours. I sat on my old, corduroy couch, playing with a plastic bag to keep my hands busy while my I kept my eyes glued to the television set. It was one of those portable kinds that dads bring to their kid's ball games or plays so they can watch football without getting in trouble with their wives. The screen was black and white, the picture flicking up and down like a broken film reel.

"There goes Sarah, our last reporter! What courage! What footage! Something has happened to Majin Buu! He has become two evil entities, but-" Whatever pathetic amount of sound was left cut out on me right at that moment. Letting out an exasperated sigh, I kicked the television one more time before it shut off.

It wasn't long before I began hearing screaming. Suddenly, a bright light streamed in through the small cracks my closed curtains allowed. I stood up, inching slowly across the room towards the window, pulling the draperies wide.

Huge, golden comets streamed from the air, striking people in every direction. The cries of people dying could be heard all around me; my neighbors, the active couple upstairs, even the old woman who breeds cats in her closet.

The first thought that entered my mind was: Bomb! Being the safety and preparedness nut I am, I had practiced the fire route and bomb route at least five times since I had moved into my apartment. I stumbled over my furniture, throwing the door open and leaping out into the hall.

Just then, my nice old corduroy couch burst into flames as a comet went sailing through the building. I vaulted over the stairwell protector, skidding on my rear down the stairs. Following a similar procedure down the next flight, I careened around a corner and into the lobby.

Just as I flew past the reception desk, the rotating door exploded. Glass shards went flying in every direction, a few large ones embedding themselves in my leg and side.

Blood pumping in my ears, I stumbled out the back door, searching the dead, weed-ridden yard of the apartment complex. The scent of blood dripping from my body sent my mind reeling in confusion. Pulling at the painful projectiles on the left side of my body, I plowed through the prickly pears towards the small, metal cellar-type entrance against the building.

I grabbed the rusted handles, tugging with all my might, until I sank to my knees. In frustration, I beat my white, clenched fist against the rickety old wood and screamed right along with everyone being killed in sthe streets.

Spouts of yellow went in every direction, all seeming to have appeared from the sky, like inflamed meteorites. I grabbed the handles once more, leaning back and wrenching on them with all my trembling body weight.

Finally, I pried the doors open. A sudden detonation behind me sent me flying into the shelter, the only way out jarring closed above me.

The sudden wave sent me hurtling to the ground, where I felt my head slam against the concrete bottom and everything around me go pitch black.