I ran. Pushed past my mom, out the front door. Whatever had happened to Robert - he must be okay, but whatever could have happened, I was ready to believe anything - I knew I must really be in danger. He had been crying over the phone. Crying to me. That wasn't what Robert was like, something horrible must have been happening...
An awful image leaped into my brain, of Robert standing alone on his rooftop, tears streaming down his face, looking up at whatever terrible thing was going to kill him-

But no. I pushed the image out of my mind. Right now, I had to figure out where I was going. Outside, I decided to pause for a moment to look up. I don't know what exactly compelled me to look that way; maybe some subtle energy in the air, something about the way Robert had talked about being on the roof, had alerted me that it was from the sky that death would come.

Up in the sky, I saw a streak of fire through the air. A flash of light and a bang - I could swear I felt the earth tremor underneath me. Then, far in the distance, I heard a massive explosive bang, and smoke began billowing across the horizon, slicing across the sky like a knife. I touched my phone in my pocket, but there was no time for that. A sharp, screaming panic was now rising in my chest, the feeling of being witness to an utter catastrophe. My mind raced. Where could I run that would be safe from this- this nuclear war? This skyfall of meteors? Where could I run to?

I was still moving as I thought, trying to pace myself and avoid wearing out while I tore down sidewalk after sidewalk, rubber soles slapping on the pavement like rain.
A destination formed in my mind as I was moving. In my school the cafeteria was in the basement, and it was marked with an old yellow sign that said "Air Raid Shelter", adorned with a symbol of nuclear power.

When I glanced up again I saw the sky filled with a hundred plumes of black smoke. I would have sworn that I could hear screams already. And then another one slashed across a cloud: a bright and deadly meteor, streaking towards my neighborhood behind me.

I ran without clear thought in my mind. I was running away from the path of the meteor, away from destruction, and that was all I knew.

I ran towards the school. I knew the way by heart, although I had never walked to it before. Or run. It was too far away for that. So now I was running towards it, and without stopping I tried to work out in my head where I should turn, imitating the path of a car going to the same place. Mental exertion made me more exhausted, faster, I thought I could feel the veins in my head burning just like the blood was pumping through my arms and burning in my legs. I heard my breathing loudly in my ears and echoing in my head while I careened forwards, seeking out the school where I imagined I might be safe.

Up ahead of me, two blocks ahead, the school building loomed into view. I ran faster still, feeling the sweat dump out of my pores as more terrible explosions shook the sky. I could feel the time running out. I felt like I was already dead. But if I just made it to the building- if I made it into the school- then maybe I could survive.
I felt blinded by the sun as I approached the building. Cream-colored brick blended with the glare of the sun as I sweated after it, wanting to shout, to scream, but not wanting to waste my precious remaining breath.

I barreled into the door. It was locked. I slammed my hand down on the buzzer. "Let me in! Goddammit, this is an emergency! I need to use the shelter area! The basement! Just fucking let me in!" My heart pounding in my ears, I heard the door click and I fell into it. Thank god. Someone on the other side. Someone in the office must be buzzing people in.

As I stumbled inside, I saw someone dash out of the front office. A girl, maybe a few years older than I was, with close-cropped, blindingly blonde hair. "Okay, this guy has to be the last one! Everyone in!" she yelled. Grabbing me by the hand, she ran down the marble stairs, dragging me behind her. She pushed open the swinging door to the basement area and shoved me inside. I risked a glance behind me as she did, and I saw at least a half-dozen more people, mostly around my age, pushing and clamoring their way in. The girl was holding the door open, saying "Don't shove, assholes! We're all going to the same place!" One guy with a big earring and a goatee muttered "What, hell?" as he sat down a fee feet away from me. The girl didn't take any notice.

Finally everybody was inside. From my position of half-sitting, half-laying on the cold floor, I could see that there were only ten of us down here, give or take a few. Several people were up and walking around, milling in and out of the cafeteria and chatting nervously with each other. Some, like me and the sarcastic goateed guy next to me, were just sitting and waiting. We were just thankful that we were safe.

The girl with the chopped-off hair was pacing around rather manically, like any moment she might have to fend off some hideous danger. Her fists were balled and she was snapping orders like "How much food is in there? Is the refrigeration working? Well, go and check, then! Christ." at people, and they seemed to be following her commands.

I closed my eyes. She was in control; we had a leader here. And as people milled around and found ways to make themselves concerned, I was content to just lie there. Because I could feel that awful energy in the air. The feeling of an impending disaster. I braced myself for the impact.

10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4,

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