"It seems that half of all beings including animals have disappeared into specks of dust. Rare creatures such as the Pika are even closer to extinction due to this tragic occurrence. The world is in chaos, especially with world leaders such as King T'Challa of Wakanda and Queen Elizabeth II of England turning into dust. I-"
I turned off the TV, not wanting to hear anymore. Tears ran down my face, still not wanting to believe what happened. What kind of nightmare was this?
I didn't know what to do. I have to get a job to support Jonah and I assuming the economy doesn't crash.
I held my knees close to my chest, rocking myself back and forth as I hugged Bouncy. No, this wasn't happening. I am delusional. I will go visit my best friend and she'll talk me through it.
Getting up, I went to grab Jonah's carrier and strapped him in. It was the kind that you could hook into a contraption with wheels to turn it into a stroller. He was sleeping but I grabbed a bag of his things such as bottles, formula, baby food, pacifiers, diapers, etc.
Jonah and I headed out of our house. We walked down the road until we reached Amber's house.
Taking a deep breath, I knocked on the door. I couldn't hear anything inside. Terror stuck me as I waited. Could it be? After several moments, I knocked again. "Amber?" I breathed quietly.
The sounds of the door unlocking caused me to jump some.
To my relief, I spotted my friend's ginger hair, green eyes, and freckles on the girl peeking behind the door.
"Echo?" She whispered, her voice sounding raw. Her face was red and her eyes were puffy. I could see clearly what happened.
"It happened to you too?" I breathed back in dread, not wanting to believe it.
Amber bit her lip, not meeting my gaze.
"Who was it?" I asked quietly, rocking my brother.
"My mom." Amber could barely make out the words.
"What about your dad?" I dared to ask.
That was the point my friend cried, muttering to me things I couldn't understand.
"Amber. Amber! Calm down!" I pulled her close, trying to comfort her. "Tell me what happened."
Amber stared at me for a moment before grabbing my wrist. She pulled me inside. My ginger friend lead me to her the couch where her father laid. He had ginger hair and a beard. He was a big guy and clearly strong but he didn't look good at all. He was all marked up.
I gasped at the sight, ignoring the scent of the room. "What happened? Is he breathing?"
"We ran in a light post. Mom was… she faded into ash as we pulled out of the driveway." Amber choked on her words, closing her eyes. Tears started to stream down her face. In the light, I was starting to get a visual on some of the bruises and cuts on her skin. "Dad… he was brave even with Mom… he got me out of the car and got us to the house… Dad keeps getting in and out of sleep. Echo, I'm afraid."
I opened my mouth to speak but a deeper, non-female voice muttered the word "Ileane…"
It was Mr. Se!
Amber quickly turned to her father. "Dad!" She dabbed a wet cloth on his forehead. She waited anxiously for him to move or talk but nothing moved except the slow motion of his chest breathing.
"Have you called 911?" I inquired hesitantly, still rocking my brother. My arms were getting a bit tired but I took no notice.
My ginger friend took a deep breath, setting the cloth down. "I tried but the line is busy… a lot of things like electricity and cell service aren't running as smoothly. That's why I am using candles." She gestured the one near her.
"Am-" I started, a frown on my face.
"Have you seen the news?" Amber whispered.
I didn't respond, falling silent myself. I knew what happened.
Amber took my silence as confirmation. "All hope is lost, Echo. The Avengers failed. Half of all living, breathing beings in the universe are gone. They're all gone."
I started to write this but then a took a break... then I went on vacation... I just got back today and I wrote a bit more.
My chapters aren't going to be very long, are they? Sorry about that! Heh!
Please, I am open to ideas about what to do, what should happen, and such. You guys (yes you) have a say in what happens! Use it!