BRIGHTFALL

I was on my way home after a long, exhausting day at school. The kind of day where even the minutes felt like they dragged on forever. Why does school always feel like a prison? I thought, shifting my bag on my aching shoulder. Maybe I'll finally catch up on that show... or just collapse on my bed. The thought of home was like a warm anchor, pulling me through the haze of dull lectures and endless textbooks. I wonder what Mom's making for dinner... please let it be curry.

The streets on my usual route were buzzing with life. People rushed past, lost in their own little worlds, laughter spilling from crowded cafes, kids tugging at their parents' hands, and street vendors shouting out deals with fake enthusiasm. It's strange how everything feels so normal, I thought, weaving through the crowd. No one ever thinks today could be the day everything changes. The noise felt distant, like echoes from a life that didn't really belong to me.

As I neared the crosswalk, I noticed an elderly man struggling with heavy grocery bags. Without thinking, I stepped forward.

"Do you need help with your bags?" I asked, my voice steady despite the exhaustion pulling at me.

The man looked up, his face softening with gratitude. "Yes, thank you," he replied.

I reached for his bags just as the pedestrian light switched from red to green. We started crossing together, and I casually asked, "Where do you live? I can help carry these to your home."

But before he could answer, he was overtaken by a violent cough. At first, it seemed like nothing more than a bad fit, but then I saw it—dark streaks of blood trickling from his nose, his mouth, and even his eyes. My heart clenched as his body crumpled onto the pavement.

Panic surged through me, sharp and suffocating. This can't be happening, I thought, dropping to my knees beside him. My hands trembled as I shook his shoulder, my voice rising with fear. "Hey! Are you okay? Can you hear me?" *Why isn't he responding?* His skin felt too cold, his body limp like a broken puppet. No, no, no... this isn't real. People don't just collapse like this. My chest tightened, a hollow ache spreading through me. What am I supposed to do?

I shouted for help, but my voice was lost in the growing chaos around me.

That's when I noticed… it wasn't just him.

All around, adults were collapsing, one after another, like dominos falling. Screams erupted, blending with the cries of terrified children. Cars lost control, smashing into anything in their path. Flames burst from wrecks, thick smoke curling into the sky. It felt unreal, like the world was shattering in slow motion.

I stood frozen, my mind blank with shock. But then it hit me— Mom. Dad. What if they're... no. They're fine. They have to be fine. My heart pounded in my chest, each beat louder than the last. I can't lose them. I just can't. The thought twisted like a knife in my gut, fear anchoring my feet to the ground even as my mind screamed, Move! Go!

If all the adults here were collapsing... what about them?

Fear gripped me, hotter than the flames licking the edges of the streets. I ran. I ran like my life depended on it, faster than I ever had before. My heart slammed against my ribs, my lungs burned, but none of it mattered. All I could think about was home.

Please be okay. Please be alive. What if I'm already too late? The thought clawed at my chest, making it harder to breathe. No, don't think like that. Just keep running. Faster. My legs burned, but fear pushed me forward. I need to hear their voices. I need to see them. They're fine. They have to be fine. The words repeated in my mind like a fragile mantra, drowning out the chaos around me.