Sally bolted awake at the sound of large vehicles’ roar. ‘What’s happening? Was that a tank?’ she thought. She got off the bed and looked out the window. The sky was still dark, she stared at the clock hanging on the wall, and it read 4.25. She looked back out the window and saw two foreign soldiers, walked with their guns sheathed in the holsters. Then a man, her neighbor, came out from his house and walked straight to the soldiers, his face turning into anger as he yelled to the soldiers, demanding to know what’s happening. The soldiers remained calm, then one of them pulled his gun from its holster, and fired a bullet straight to the man’s chest.

BANG!

Sally took a step back. Her eyes widened and her breath hitched as she saw the man fell to the ground, unmoving. She stepped back, and slumped to her bed. Her mind kept replaying the sound of the gun and the image of the man, his chest bleeding. Sally screamed.




“Sally? Sally, are you okay?” asked Skye, Sally’s sister, worriedly. She immediately came to Sally’s room when she heard her sister screamed. She too, had awakened by the sound of the tank and ran straight to her father, who she found already had suited up in his uniform. She was told by her father to go to the City Hall and wait there until the situation was under control. Skye’s worried increased when she saw her sister’s shoulders shook and heard a few muffled sobs. She moved closer and sat beside Sally on the bed.

“Sally?”

“Skye, what’s happening? Why were there foreign soldiers in front of our house? Where’s Father?” asked Sally, tears still streaming down her face.

“Slow down, Sally. First, Father had gone to help opposing the foreign soldiers. Second, I don’t know exactly what’s happening, but Father told me that we have to go to the City Hall, so, come on.” Answered Skye as she wiped the tears on Sally’s face. They ran to the City Hall holding hands, with only a bag of emergency things carried by Skye. In the City Hall, people had already gathered, majority of them were adults, children, and teenagers. Panic clearly felt by most of people here, as everyone was either looked scared or fidgeted uneasily.

Sally felt scared, the people around her made her uncomfortable, and the image of her neighbor was still repeating in her mind. “Skye, promise me you’ll never leave me alone, please?” Sally asked, her hand gripped Skye’s hand tighter. She needed comfort and assurance.

“Of course Sally. I’ll always be on your side.” Skye said with a smile on her face while she stroked the back of Sally’s hand, giving the comfort her sister needed.




Hours later, the situation had not gotten better. From the City Hall, they could hear the sound of tanks, helicopters, marching soldiers, guns, and explosions. The people were becoming more tense and scared. Little children started to cry and their parents tried to shush and make them quiet, but the children didn’t stop their wail, it was as if they could sense the danger looming over them.

Skye watched from the window as a helicopter that suddenly passing above the City Hall’s front yard, and dropped something. It was a small black ball. It rolled on the ground and stopped after being held by a rock. The helicopter flew away, and after a few seconds, realization hit her. ‘It’s a bomb. We’re going to die,’ she thought, ‘there’s no escape. We’re hopeless.’ She shut her eyes close and hugged Sally close. Her tears were threatening to fell, but she held them back.

Sally looked to her sister quizzically. She wanted to ask why was her sister suddenly hugged her, but upon she looked to her sister’s face, she decided to kept her question unspoken, and wrapped her arms around Skye’s back.




Then, the bomb exploded. The explosion was so big Skye even felt her ears popped. The glass of the window shattered and some of them pierced Skye’s back and Sally’s arms. They screamed in pain, and Sally was crying. People were running back and forth in panic, trying to find a way out. But it was too late, and as Skye thought, there was no escape.

The roof crashed down, trapping and crushing some people under it. Sally and Skye trapped under it too. The only ones that weren’t trapped were their heads, shoulders, and upper arms. Sally felt her legs broke, the bones were crushed, and she writhed in agony. Her right cheek was bleeding too. She saw Skye in the same position as her, only it wasn’t her right cheek that was bleeding, but her forehead and chin.

“Shhh, Sally, it’s all right. We’re going to be okay. Father will find us safe. We’re here together.” Sally nodded, glad that her sister kept her promise. Sally felt the pain in her legs went numb, and she felt really, really sleepy.

“Skye, will you sing for me? I’m sleepy.” She said, her eyes drooped. Sally watched as her sister’s eyes got misty and the blood from her forehead kept pouring.

“Okay. I feel rather lightheaded and sleepy too.” She answered with a small smile, then she began to sing a lullaby that her mother used to sing for her a long time ago. Her sister’s voice was calming and full of serenity. Sally closed her eyes, and the last thing Sally heard was the fading sound of her sister’s voice.



----------------------------------------------------END

Words count : 1,024
Started : 2014/05/27
Ended : 2014/05/27
Song : Safe & Sound - Taylor Swift

Labels: cerpen, english, songfic

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Copyright © 2014, ALYSH. All right reserved.

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