Ashes

The four of them stood amidst the wreckage, silent and stunned. Until, of course, Komal broke the silence with a classic:

“Okay, but who had ‘San Francisco in ruins’ on their apocalypse bingo card?!”

Maryam snorted despite herself. “Not me, but I did have Jesse crying first. Pay up, Sk!”

“Hey!” Jesse protested, wiping his suspiciously damp face. “I wasn’t crying. It’s just… post-apocalypse allergies!”

Sk smirked, tossing Maryam an imaginary coin. “Fine. But let’s remember that Jesse’s tears mean we’re alive enough to make bets.”

Komal nodded sagely. “Right, priorities: food, shelter, and embarrassing Jesse. Let’s get moving.”

Sk scanned the smog-filled horizon and muttered, “Okay, let's figure it out why the Golden Gate Bridge is now... upside down?”

Komal tilted her head. “How does a bridge flip over? Physics is crying somewhere.”

They trudged toward what looked like the remains of a park. A crumpled vending machine peeked out of the debris, and Jesse sprinted toward it.

“Guys! It’s loaded with snacks! Twinkies, even!”

“Of course the Twinkies survived,” Sk said, rolling his eyes.

“Twinkies always survive,” Maryam replied with mock seriousness, pulling out her phone. “Hold up. Did the Wi-Fi make it?”

Komal groaned. “We’re in a wasteland, and you’re checking TikTok?”

“Relax, I’m documenting. Future generations will need to know who came up with ‘The Great Twinkie Heist of 2024,’” Maryam shot back, dramatically filming Jesse stuffing his backpack with snacks.

“Forget future generations,” Komal interjected, scanning the horizon. “I see a giant ‘We’ve Got Power and Pizza’ sign over there. We’re going.”

And so, with backpacks full of vending machine treasures, they set off toward the glowing neon pizza sign.

~~~~~~

Later that night, with the four of them huddled around a small fire outside the only functioning pizzeria in San Francisco, Jesse raised a slice of pepperoni pizza dramatically.

“To us—last survivors, snack raiders, and pizza champions.”

“And prank masters,” Maryam added with a sly grin, tossing a small water balloon at Jesse, who yelped and fell backward.

Sk laughed so hard he nearly choked on his crust. “The apocalypse might’ve taken the city, but not our sense of humor!”

And for that one night, amidst the ashes of the world, they were happy.

~~~~~~

The fire crackled as the four friends laughed, the warm glow of their small victory against the desolation momentarily cutting through the grim reality.

But the laughter didn’t last long....

“Do you think there’s anyone else out there?” Komal asked, her voice softer now.

“Maybe,” Sk replied, staring into the flames. “Or maybe it’s just us.”

A chilling wind swept through, carrying with it the faint sound of distant explosions. Maryam sat up straighter, scanning the horizon. “Did you hear that?”

“Yeah,” Jesse said, his voice tense. “We’re not alone, but I don’t think that’s a good thing.”

As if on cue, the ground trembled beneath them. The fire sputtered out, plunging them into darkness. Maryam grabbed Komal’s arm, her nails digging in.

“What’s happening now?”

Before anyone could respond, a deafening roar filled the air. A massive shadow loomed over them, a mechanical beast with glowing red eyes. It moved with terrifying precision, its claws tearing through the rubble as if it were searching for something—or someone.

“Run!” Sk shouted, pulling Jesse to his feet.

The four of them sprinted through the ruins, their hearts pounding in their chests. The beast gave chase, its guttural growls growing louder with every step.

Jesse stumbled, and Sk turned back, grabbing him by the arm and hauling him up.

“I said I’d protect you, and I meant it!”

They ducked into an abandoned subway tunnel, gasping for air. The beast’s growls echoed in the distance, but for now, they were safe.

“This is insane,” Maryam said, clutching her knees. “We can’t outrun that thing forever.”

“We don’t have to,” Sk said grimly. “I have a plan. But you’re not going to like it.”

~~~~~~

Moments later, Sk stood in the middle of the subway platform, a makeshift torch in his hand. The others hid in the shadows, watching helplessly.

“What are you doing?” Jesse hissed, his voice shaking.

“Buying you time,” Sk replied. He turned toward the tunnel, where the beast’s glowing eyes appeared once more. “Go! Find shelter. I’ll distract it.”

“No!” Komal shouted, tears streaming down her face. “We’re not leaving you!”

“You have to,” Sk said, his voice firm. “This is the only way.”

Before anyone could protest further, the beast lunged at Sk. He stood his ground, the torch blazing in his hand. The last thing they saw was the beast engulfing him in a swirl of flames and smoke.

“Sk!” Jesse screamed, but Maryam pulled him back.

“We have to go!” she said, dragging him toward the exit while wiping her eyes.

~~~~~~

They made it out of the subway, collapsing onto the cracked pavement above. The city was eerily quiet again, but the loss of Sk weighed heavily on them.

“Why did he do that?” Jesse whispered, his voice hollow.

“To save us,” Maryam said.

But as they sat there in their grief, the ground trembled again. This time, it wasn’t the beast. The sky seemed to shimmer, like a glitch in a screen.

“What the…” Komal began, but her words were cut off as everything around them froze.

The ruins, the sky, even the faint wind—all of it stopped. Then, with a loud click, the world around them dissolved into pixels.

The four of them jolted awake, their bodies strapped to sleek metallic chairs in a stark white room.

“Simulation terminated,” a robotic voice announced.

Jesse ripped the visor off his face, gasping for air.

“What was that?!”

Maryam sat up, her hands shaking. “A test,” she said, looking around. “It was all… virtual reality?”

Komal threw her visor onto the floor, furious.

“What kind of sick test puts us through that?”

The door to the room slid open, and a woman in a crisp lab coat walked in. “Congratulations,” she said with a cold smile. “You’ve passed the final phase of the Survival Initiative.

Your teamwork, resilience, and sacrifice were exemplary.”

“Survival Initiative?” Jesse asked, his voice trembling. “You mean Sk died for nothing?”

The woman tilted her head. “He didn’t die. None of it was real.”

Jesse was hyperventilating, rocking back and forth and said:

“I literally cried over Sk! And you’re telling me it was fake?! This is a lawsuit waiting to happen. I want a lawyer. And a Twinkie!”

Maryam flopped back in her chair, staring at the ceiling. “I knew it. I knew this was too dramatic to be real.

No Wi-Fi?..... No pizza delivery?... Obviously fake. But Sk—oh my God, Sk!” She buried her face in her hands.

The door slid open, and a woman in a lab coat walked in, her clipboard tucked under her arm and said :“Your teamwork and sacrifice were commendable. Especially yours, Sk.”

“Sk?” Komal shot up, her eyes wild. “What do you mean Sk? He’s—he’s—”

“I’m right here!”

They turned toward the sound of the familiar voice. Sk strolled into the room, looking suspiciously fresh and perfectly fine, as if he hadn’t just been swallowed by a mechanical monster.

Jesse blinked at him. “You’re… alive?”

“Uh, yeah. I didn’t actually die,” Sk said sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck. “I mean, it felt like I did, but the system just kicked me out early. Apparently, sacrificing yourself gets you bonus points or something. I’ve been chilling in the break room with snacks.”

“SNACKS?!” Komal yelled, storming over to him. “You left us to mourn your death, while you were snacking on chips in some break room?”

“I tried to come back in!” Sk defended himself. “But they said it would mess up the simulation. I, uh… saved you some Twinkies?”

Jesse’s face crumpled, a mix of relief and betrayal. “You… absolute… legend. Give me that Twinkie before I cry again.”

Maryam ran over and punched Sk’s arm, her eyes watery. “We thought we lost you, you idiot!”

Sk grinned, holding up his hands in mock surrender. “I’m here, okay? No need to cry over me anymore. But, uh… thanks for caring.”

Komal groaned, but the tears in her eyes betrayed her relief. “You owe us big time, Sk. Like… lifetime-free pizza-level big time.”

“Deal,” Sk said with a laugh, pulling all three of them into a group hug.

As the woman in the lab coat cleared her throat, they turned to face her again. “Now that you’ve all been reunited, it’s time for Phase Two.”

“Okay, nope,” Komal said, holding up a hand. “Not happening. Unless Phase Two involves a beachfront resort and bottomless fries, I’m out.”

The woman raised an eyebrow. “You don’t have a choice.”

Sk, ever the peacemaker, held up a Twinkie. “Okay, but can we at least get some pizza first? You know, for the team.”

The woman sighed, clearly unimpressed. “Fine. You have one hour. Then, Phase Two begins.”

The four friends exchanged a look.

“One hour of freedom?” Jesse said.

“Let’s make it count,” Komal added.

And so, they marched off toward the cafeteria, laughing, crying, and plotting how to prank the scientists who had put them through the most ridiculous—and strangely bonding—experience of their lives.

The End. . . .

~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you so much for reading! I know it's quite lengthy but believe me it worth reading :)

here's the Part- 1 written by Rowan Finley: