Mady Pritchard

The Nukes of the Phoenix

I run so fast it feels as though my feet are not touching the ground. I run past different shops, no-name businesses, and restaurants and they appear to me as though I am in a car. I look down at the sidewalk and fall abruptly to the ground as the floor shakes beneath me. I get up and am welcomed by a dark shadow that falls overhead. With fear I turn and realize I am seconds away from being crushed by the skyscraper that convulses over me. My mind is moving faster than my body, I fail to keep up with the anxiety that swarms in my gut. The sound of my heartbeat throbs in my ear and I hear nothing else. A thick, pitch-black fog begins to rise from the floor, quickly tucking itself underneath the falling building. The ground shakes again as another nuke shatters the floor, rippling towards me. I cannot breathe while there is smoke in the air or I will die instantly. I am seconds away from escaping the tower but slide into the cement as it begins to rattle again. As I fall, the crackling sounds of my ankle echo throughout my body. It takes every ounce of strength I have to not scream. My lips clench against each other and I pull myself to safety as the tower collapses behind me. Thank God.