Earths Downfall

• Callie Brutnell, Grade 9
• Short Story
• 2017

It’s been three years since we all escaped the wretched place called Earth. Now on planet Harmony we’re continuing our lives. Only about hundred people escaped after the bombing but we’ve still managed to create a settlement. Every night people tell their inspiring story of how they came to be on planet Harmony. Tonight’s my night. I stand up to address everyone. Justin squeezed my hand tightly.
“It always seems impossible until its done.” My voice echoes throughout strong and loud. “We all have our stories of how we got here and here’s mine.” Everyone is silent now. I continue. “I worked hard for 3 years saving up for Paris fashion week. When I arrived in Paris it was one day before the shows. I arrived at a huge archway entrance into the hotel that had been put aside for all the Australian visitors.” I pause remembering my amazement as I walked down the hotels elegant halls. “It was late so I decided to turn on the TV and drift off to sleep. The next morning, I woke up early and headed out to the first show. I met some friends in that show who are both from Australia, one of them called Emma, a small and skinny brunette, was very tanned with mysterious dark brown eyes. The other is called Justin.” I feel Justin’s hand squeeze mine even tighter. I imagine his dark brown hair waving in the wind behind me, his bright green eyes glowing in the fires light.
“Everything was a bit of a blur when the show finished but what I do remember was Justin calling for me, pointing at the sky. I couldn’t see it” I close my eyes recapping what happened. Even now we’re here it feels impossible for anyone to have escaped. “I was about to give up on spotting whatever it was, when I saw it. It was dozens of planes souring through the sky dropping black dots and green smoke. All three of us spotted a shipping container about one hundred meters away so we all started running towards it. We had gas masks in our bags because the government had forced us to take them everywhere ever since the war threats began. Justin has made it to the container first and was holding the door open for us. Emma and I were just about to make it to the container when gunshots fired. The green mist from the planes surrounded us, bullets blazing through. I could barely see the container. But Emma and I kept making our way towards it. A gunshot hit my leg and sent a terrible pain through it. I remember Emma racing back to help me, pulling me through the mist. That’s when all sound stopped and everything went black.” The next thing I knew Justin and I were here and Emma wasn’t.” A tear rolls down my cheek. “Although I can’t see anyone, I want people to see me and see hope.”