Chapter 1: Elise

Thursday, July 21st, 2050.

"Oh god, it's early. It's too soon! Mom... Dad... Billy!"

Tears streak down her face as Elise looks out from her vantage point at the people running and screaming in every direction without purpose. 

"Why do they look like chickens after they've had their heads cut off?"  Elise laughs as the random thought falls like verbal diarrhoea from dry, cracked lips. The memory of seeing her first headless chicken; running around as though to deny its death flits through her mind, in concert with the panicking people around her. 

Taking a deep, shaky breath, Elise tries to calm her mind. The constant wellspring of panic inside wanting to join the mindless throng of headless chickens in front of her. Another laugh bubbles from her lips, her eyes wide with shock, darting from person to person. Reality seeming to no longer be within her purview, Elise's arms lay slack against her body; fists unconsciously clenching and unclenching.

**********

The ground trembles underfoot as Elise notices the figure of a woman holding a baby in her arms; cowering under the awning of the local cinema. Not entirely realizing she's doing it, she moves away from her shelter and starts towards the young woman. Her pace quickening from unsteady walk to running as violent tremors start wracking the building. 

Her eyes, only recently unfocused and shocky, now alight with purpose as she reaches the woman and grabs hold of her arm.

"Get up. Run! We need to head for the ship! It'll be safe there. Come on, get up! We need to get to the ship!"

"what?" the woman looks at Elise with wide eyes, baby clutched tightly to her breast.

"Come on!" Elise pulls at her arm, dragging her out from under the awning as it starts to groan as if in agony, her body straining with effort as she struggles to pull the woman through the snow and ash. "We have to go. NOW!"

"But... But it's not safe out there." The whispered plea breaks from her lips as she reluctantly allows Elise to drag her away from the building. Constantly looking back at the fragile safety she's just left.

Elise stops and turns around. Dropping her hand from the woman's arm, she holds it out. "No where's safe now. We have to run. Please. For your baby, run with me!"

She sees the uncertainty reflected in the other woman's eyes as she glances back again at the cinema. Moments pass as Elise leaves her hand outstretched, waiting, as the world shakes and screams around them; the moment like a false bubble of peace surrounding them. Finally, the other woman turns back, a tremulous smile on her face as she reaches towards Elise's outstretched hand.

"We can do this. We can make it. Together!" Elise says, grabbing her hand as she turns towards the facility that holds the hope and salvation of the human race. They run, together, fighting through the accumulated layers of ashy snow from decades of eruptions and cold desolate years. Elise leading the way.

  

The trail of devastation and falling masonry follows the two young women as they continue to run, dodging through people looking lost and shell-shocked. Everywhere she looks she sees bodies and rubble where buildings used to be. 'Don't look. God Elise don't look. You can't help them.' She can feel the tears rolling down her cheeks. So many people.   

********

Head down, every ounce of strength put towards running for her life, Elise doesn't see the bright flash in the sky, but the resulting boom and blast of concussive air throws her to the ground. Her grip on the stranger's hand falters and Elise finds herself choking on the smell of burning flesh. Ears ringing, she rolls onto hands and knees, trying to rise on unsteady legs. Wiping tears from her eyes, chest heaving, gasping for every breath she takes, she turns, looking for the woman whose hand she was clutching only moments earlier. There, on the ground, lies the smoking ruins of the un-named woman. Hiccupping sobs break unbeknownst from her mouth as she falls to her knees in shock.

"God, no! Why?" the whispered plea falls into the deafening noise, unheard by all but herself as she buries her head in her hands. 

"Why?" 

Defeated and alone Elise's body shakes, sobs heaving from her chest in a well of despair. She cries herself out. Body hunched, arms around her knees she sits next to the body, staring around in utter despair. The air around the town is dark and dirty, clouds of smoke drift on a lazy wind, obscuring what little sun they already receive and turning the permanent dusk to a dark moonlit night. The once picturesque town lies in broken ruin. A graveyard of humanity and ingenuity.

Laying a hand on the unknown woman's forehead Elise whispers a quiet apology. 

"I'm so sorry I couldn't save you. Be at peace." 

Body stiff with cold, she rises stiffly, her legs numb. Toes tingling with pins and needles, she turns away from the woman and faces in the direction of the facility, taking a few faltering steps reluctantly away from the body. Head hanging in defeat she continues trudging forward, the strain of leaving the body behind visibly tugging at her. 

"Waaaaaaaaaaaah!"

The cry splits the air and Elise spins around. Launching back towards the woman she drops to her knees and lifts the body from the ground, flipping it over. There, in the woman's arms, almost completely unharmed except for a small gash on her forehead, lies the baby. Blinking against the suddenly bright light the baby cries out again. Gently prying the woman's arms from the baby, she lifts the screaming bundle into her own arms. 

"There, there, sweetie. I've got you. I'll keep you safe."

 brushing a tiny lock of stiff, frozen hair from the child's face she examines the gash. 

"It's okay baby. It's not too bad." She coos. "We'll get you cleaned up just as soon as we're safe."   

Kneeling at the body once more, her fingers close the eyes then cup her cheek. "I promise I'll look after your baby and keep her safe."

Rising to her feet unsteadily as yet more tremors ripple through the ground, Elise looks around. "Goodbye," she whispers. 

Turning back towards the facility she unzips her parka, fitting the bundled baby close to her heart. Hoping her own body heat will help the baby, she partially zips her parka back up and starts to jog. The high pitched whine of the evacuation siren finally starts pealing through the air;  A notice to everyone still alive that the evacuation has started.