Disclaimer:The characters in this story are not my creations and are borrowed from the works of Stepehnie Meyers. All rights to the original characters belong to their respective creators and copyright holders. However, the plot and narrative presented in this story are entirely my own.
Chapter 2 Bella's POV
As I woke up on my last day at home, I noticed the apartment was empty. I grabbed my phone and saw a text from Ali: "Going to work, giving you a chance to sleep in." I also had a message from Tammy: "My dear Bella, I hate I can't be there to see you off, but I had to catch a train to see my sister, who is sick. Please write when you can."
After cleaning and finishing packing the little I owned, I got dressed and headed to the shop where Ali worked. It was about a 30-minute walk from Tammy's apartment. We had planned to stop by a diner for a "last supper" before I caught a train to my recruiter's.
Something felt strange about the day—a heavy sense of dread washed over me, and I couldn't shake it. Still, I wasn't going to let fear scare me away from my dream. I adjusted my duffel bag on my shoulder and continued walking to Ali's workplace.
It was around 2 p.m. when I arrived. Ali had one customer in her chair. I sat in the waiting area, listening to all the gossip and banter, when suddenly Ali's boss came out of the back room holding a cake. It had the Army emblem on it and read, "Good luck, Bella."
A tear rolled down my cheek as I heard the women who had been our neighbors for years congratulating me and offering their well wishes. We sat and enjoyed cake and drinks when an emergency alert interrupted everything. It blared from the TV and all our phones.
"This is not a test. The Office of Civil Defense is issuing a message: This is an attack warning. Please lock all doors and windows. If you are not close to shelter, get as high as you can and stay vigilant. Godspeed. Repeat, this is an attack warning. The attack will go into effect in approximately 30 minutes."
Wailing sirens sounded in the distance outside.
We all looked at each other in terror before panic set in. People began running and shouting. I scanned the small room, searching for my sister. When I found her, she was frozen in place. I ran to her and grabbed her face.
"Ali, we have to go," I told her. "We can't stay here. Let's try to make it back to Tammy's."
She shook her head. "That's a 30-minute trek. We're not going to make it. We don't even know what we're running from."
She was right, but we had to stay calm and keep level-headed. I checked my watch.
"What I do know, Sis, is that the front of this shop is entirely made of glass, and it's not safe. We have to get up high like the broadcast said," I told her.
I suggested going to our favorite hangout on Shandy Street, which was about a block away. She agreed. After changing her shoes, we began walking.
Our hangout was a large metal container attached to the side of a building. We used to sit on top of it to watch the stars and, sometimes, sneak a cigarette when we were younger. It gave us a view of everything below while keeping us hidden. We hadn't been there since Mom died, but it was worth a shot. It would get us high enough to follow the broadcast's advice, and we might be able to see who—or what—was attacking us.
On the way there, chaos unfolded around us. People were running and driving erratically. When we reached Shandy Street, we crept into the alley and climbed the fire escape to our old spot.
Once we got there, we realized it wasn't going to work. We had grown in the two years since we'd last been there, and the container creaked under our added weight, threatening to give way.
Looking down, I noticed a group of kids around our age in the alley courtyard. They were stacking crates and containers to sit higher off the ground. It wasn't the best plan, but we were out of time.'