Last Survivors

• Genevieve Fitzpatrick, Grade 6, Glenhuntly Primary School
• Short Story
• 2022

Excellence Award in the 'National Treasures 2022' competition

Every breath was jarring. The ice cold wind felt like knives piercing her face. Her feet were being pulled by the snow, sinking deeper, and deeper, making every step more difficult than the last. She hugged herself tightly, teeth chattering. Her tears turned to ice on her face. She needed to find someone, or something, to make sure that she was not the only one left in the whole of humanity. Rubble of buildings had been buried under the snow, hiding all evidence that civilization had ever existed.
Snowflakes swirled around her face, obscuring her vision. Out of nowhere, she heard the unmistakable sound of feet in snow, but she had to force her eyes shut, for a freezing wind came straight at her and she stumbled over. Gloved hands yanked her, and Amelia let out a scream, muffled by the thick, snow smothered scarf wrapped tightly around her face. She fumbled desperately with the hands struggling to drag her, then pinched them hard. Immediately, they let go, and Amelia stumbled forwards, only turning around when she was a fair distance away from this person. She couldn’t believe her eyes. There was a young girl, looking at Amelia, wide-eyed.
“Sofie!” a man yelled, running out from a shelter of rubble, (which was almost invisible in all the snow) and grabbing the girl, and pulling her back. “Sofie, it is dangerous out there, come back.” the man pleaded. “Please, she’s one of us! Human! Someone else! Please! Let me go!” yelped Sofie, struggling to break free of the man’s grasp. The man stopped. “One of us? Another Human? Where? Sofie!” he inquired urgently. Sofie indicated to Amelia, who was barely visible by the heavy snowfall. His eyes widened. “Ma’am!” he yelled at Amelia. “Please, I’m sorry if Sofie startled you. She’s only eight. Please, come to our shelter.” “Eight and a half…” grumbled Sofie. Amelia hesitated. They were people. They were who she was looking for. They had a shelter. What other option did she have? She had to trust them. They very well may be the only people she would ever see again.
Three people huddled around a small fire, in a hut full of dust, and splinters. Not to mention snow. It was two days after the horror of the craters, and the blizzard that seemed to have wiped out everybody, everywhere. Now that Amelia had time to think, the only thing she could do was just that. How can a massive blizzard affect every single country in the world? And here, in Australia. Australia! Amelia had never seen snow before, and she wished she would never have to again. But that wish would never come true, she thought miserably, as a few snowflakes drifted in through the many gaps in the small, cramped shelter.
She awoke to screams, the shelter in ruins, Sofie was fleeing, by command of the man. Amelia was alarmed, immediately trying to sit up. But her leg was pinned under the rubble.