Remains

When The Party's Over / Billie Eilish

Liam Bridges <liambridgeswrites@gmail.com> 14:11 (29 minutes ago)

I'm delighted to be able to let you know that the article is finished! It has just been published online and already, the supportive comments and responses have been overwhelming. I've attached the link below. I really hope that this has done you justice, and I look forward to hearing from you soon, and seeing you in the near future. 

All the best, Liam.

Isabelle clicked on the link, anticipation rising within her. 

As the webpage loaded, her eyes were drawn immediately to the mention of her name. "It's real. It's really happening," she whispered to herself. 

Without speaking again, she began to read. 

REMAINS; an article by Liam Bridges.

43 hours, and 26 casualties. Nobody could predict the deadly terror attack that devastated a local store. Nor could they predict the bullets that destroyed people and their relations, their courage and their pride. Nobody foresaw the threat that held them hostage within a supermarket for almost two days, or the fear that would be with them forever. 

Out of the 27 that were present for the event, only one survived. 

Isabelle Hawthorne, 24, was the only survivor of the local terrorist attack in 2014 that threw the town into chaos. At the time, she was 19 years of age and only just adjusting to a life away from her parents, she was thrust into the event that would shape her into a different person; the person she has become today. 

On the 22nd of July, 2014, Isabelle ventured from her home to the local supermarket to pick up a few things for a friend. Whilst shopping, the first gunshots were fired and she fled to the wine aisles where she hid for the first part of the event. 

During her time there, she briefly met and then witnessed the death of Elijah Bridges, who was killed by the assailant, Viktor Solov. Isabelle was then shot in the left leg and threatened profusely. Solov then left her to bleed, still in the wine aisles, where she remained for hours. 

Another elderly woman, Marjorie Banks, was murdered in front of Isabelle, which confirmed to her "this wasn't just a night terror anymore. This was real." 

Soon, Isabelle fought her way to the medicinal aisle where she began to gather supplies to mend the bullet wound in her leg, when she came across Thomas Carter, a young boy who had already lost his mother amidst the event. 

Before Isabelle could reach him, however, the two were caught by Solov, who gave Isabelle the choice of who he would kill, along with taunting her with malicious threats of rape and assault. "I could do whatever I want to you and you would have no power to stop me," he said, "here's what's going to happen. I'm going to use this gun and shoot either you or him with it. Who is it going to be? You choose." 

Isabelle was not given a chance to decide before Solov shot Thomas Carter and beat Isabelle to the ground. Once he left, Isabelle cradled the dying body of the young boy, gently encouraging him to hold on. However, there was nothing she could do, and she had to move on. 

It was in the cereal aisle that she found what had been done to the remainder of the shoppers. The lifeless bodies were enough to send her into a state of unconsciousness for many hours. 

As she awoke, Solov pulled her to her feet and dragged her towards the store entrance where the armed authorities were waiting. After a heinous speech, Solov released Isabelle and shot himself in the head, bringing the final death toll to 26.