Chasing the Stars

Trouble In Paradise

It was the same thing again. Dark, cold, underground. I'd lost the others running into the busy underground station. Chaos! Screaming children. Shouting adults. Crying babies. It echoed so loudly, so rapidly that I wanted to fall to my knees and hold my ears shut. I felt as if someone was drilling into the side of my head, as if there was blood spilling out of my ears, my eyes blurring, my legs wobbling beneath me. It was too similar. But I had to keep going, I had to find them again. I can't lose everyone again, not like this. I put my left foot forward, then my right. Keep moving!

It is too loud! There are too many people! My friends aren't here! My family is gone, but I will be strong! I am strong! We are strong alone, but we are stronger together.

People pushed against me from all angles, arms, legs. Heartbeats and breaths a faint whisper in the cacophony. Colours whipping past me: red, brown, black. Would the chaos end?

There was a flash of a green jumper and a glimpse of ginger hair, black hair, brown, blonde. I found them!

Boom!

Darkness, silence, shock.

The noise started again, louder, more panicked. I looked up and everyone was scrambling off the floor. Poles, stone, signs were everywhere. The station was crumbling apart.

I pushed my shaking legs of the ground, running towards the huddle of my friends. Luke jumped up when he saw me, arms flinging around my waist, sobs racking into my chest.

"Brother's hurt." He whimpered.

Inhaling sharply, I saw Evan lying on the floor, blood flowing from his nose, a pole on his leg.

"Evan, Evan, stay with us! Look, we'll get you out, we'll get you out. You'll be fine. Just a bruise, just a bruise." Carmilla spoke, hands shaking his shoulders, "don't leave me!"

"It'll be okay, sis. I'll be okay." He stuttered. He wasn't okay. His hands were shaking, scrambling at the pole on his leg. His eyes were red and puffy and his face was damp. He was breathing fast, too fast, eyes searching around. He was trying to be strong, but strength has a limit, and he was reaching his.

"Just get the pole off my leg. Please!" he shouted, his voice lost in the chaos. Carmilla, Susan and Izzy all jumped up and tried lifting the pole up.

"Is brother going to live?" Luke asked me, fear in his eyes.

"Ye- yeah. He'll be fine, just let me help them." I replied. As he let go I jumped to help the others finish lifting the pole and laying it down on the floor.

"I can't mo- can't move my toes. I can't move my toes. I can't move my toes." I heard Evan mutter from behind me as we were laying it down. "I can't move my toes. I can't move either of my legs!" he screamed, his voice bouncing off the walls of the station.

It was as if all the pain and anger and sadness he had been storing up inside him, had been let lose to ravage the world. He was shaking, frenzied scratching at his leg and the bleeding wound.

"Stop!" Carmilla shouted, grabbing his hands. "Evan! Listen! You're just making it worse."

"No, no, no. I have to fix it."

"Don't worry, we'll fix it. Calm down or we can't do anything. Rebecca, get over here and hold his hands." She replied. I rushed over, grabbing his as she let go, feeling the blood smear across my hands and arms.

Evan was shaking uncontrollably, his mouth busy with a constant stream of mutters. I watched, as Carmilla tore a shirt from her bag, wrapping it around the wound and pressing down on it.