Mom?

It felt like I was drowning. My mind struggled to focus on one thought. Did I fall into the water? No. That was impossible, there was no water nearby. Where was Mom? Why was this happening? My head scattered and broke into a million questions, and thoughts.Pain surged and interrupted my thoughts. I felt myself flinch as the pain escalated to an agonizing level. I was crying. I could feel the tears run down my cheeks. There was a burst of sunlight as my eyes slowly opened. They hadn’t opened before like I was sleeping and thinking all at once. My vision adjusted to the lighting. I could see the dust dancing in the sunlight that peeked through a crack in the debris above my head, but I took no joy in the moving particles like I normally did. My happiness as a whole was escaping, being replaced with pain, confusion, and fear. I might be only seven but I was definitely smarter than the average second grader.

I looked at my surroundings and anger kicked in and pushed out all the fear that was building up inside. Why would anyone do this? What did we do? We were just innocent people. I peeked through a crack on the floor. I could see the aftermath of the bombings. The city was left in ruins. Fire raging on the streets. Buildings without windows. The city had fallen silent. All you could hear was the whistling of the wind feeding the growing flames.

I attempted to crawl out from under a slab of concrete that had shielded me from the poundings of the other bombs I assumed went off after the first. My ankle screamed with pain as I tried to claw my way out. I flinched and grabbed the center of my ankle. I couldn’t just stay here, though. I had to move; I needed to find mom. The plaster in the air clogged my lungs.

How would I find anyone if I could barely breathe now? Where would people be?   My eyesight began to blur and I could feel myself falling again. Was I dying? That question clouded my head as I fell to the ground. I awoke to faint sounds later that night.

“Harper! Amilia! Please…”

I could hear a voice far off, barely making out the words. Was the person crying? The crunches of debris under their feet getting louder.

“Please… Be okay… “

It was a man, I was sure now. I could just make out his silhouette from under the light of the moon.

“Noo... Amilia!”

His voice was fading but I was sure he was close.

“ why didn’t you run? Where is my little girl? Harper!”

 I tried to yell, to scream for help, but nothing came out. In fact, nothing came in. The night sky spun as I gasped for air and fell once more. Would they find me? Would I die here under the concrete?