Y2K

• Mathias Prouting, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2022

I watch as Gary smashes the crowbar over the shop’s handle, metal spraying onto the pavement. Smirking, Gary makes his way inside, me following behind. He pulls out glow sticks, torches are too expensive these days, and cracks them alive. He hands a few to me. From the gloom, I can make out shelves lined with computers and televisions. All of them useless, dead. I feel Gary’s trying to cheer me up, he nudges me in the ribs. I chuckle, slightly. He makes his way over to the front desk. I just stand there staring dumbly at the shelves of computers. There’s a pang of pain inside of me. Memories of a New Year’s night not too long ago start flooding back. I remember myself, only eight, rushing to my computer desk upstairs. I recall eagerly watching the corner of the screen, the rest of my family partying downstairs. It pains me to remember my ignorance as I watched the little numbers. 31/12/1999, 11:59 am. Music pounded downstairs. Five seconds left. I fidgeted in my chair. Four seconds. Three. Two. One. There was an eruption of “Happy New Year!” from downstairs. The computer screen glitches. The music stops. The lights go out.
It all went downhill from that night. The whole world plunged into chaos. Our house, our safety, all gone.
Breaking me out of my stupor, Gary excitedly calls me over. I walk over and see him standing behind the desk, triumphantly clutching a handful of snacks. My soul lifts. His smile’s so broad I can’t help smiling back. He starts unwrapping a chocolate bar and splits it in half, handing me a piece and making all sorts of jokes. I chuckle. Classic Gary, always managing to lift my spirits. I take a bite out of the chocolate, savoring the sweetness. Gary begins stuffing the rest of the food into his pocket, Mum will be so happy. We’re just about to leave when we hear a shout. We turn to see a soldier, gun pointed straight at us. My stomach drops. He shouts again. I hear Gary whisper something, but his words are drowned out by the bang of the gun. I watch as Gary collapses to the floor. I scream and grab hold of his limp body. Tears stream down my face. Blood seeps out of his wound. The soldier advances and I scramble to my feet, fleeing out the back door of the store, followed by more shouts and gunshots. My feet skid across the slippery road as I sprint through the darkened streets. My breathing comes out in chokes and my eyes sting with tears and the cold night air. The soldier only seems to be getting closer. All seems lost. I take one last look at the darkened streetlamps, the empty houses and then down at my bloodstained hands. There is a shout from behind me. A bullet rips through the air and my world is enveloped in darkness.