Forsaken

I was on a train, making my way home from university, when it happened.

The train stopped in a tunnel and people scrambled to get information while we heard explosions and sirens in the distance. Trapped in the darkness of the tunnel, we didn't see any of the carnage first-hand, but even watching news reports on our tiny cell phone screens was horrifying.

Local law enforcement and then military troops were called in to deal with the monsters rampaging through the cities, but there seemed to be no stopping them. For every one killed, there were more to take its place. No one could figure out where they were coming from. The sky turned dark red as if even it was affected by the massacre below. Smoke and ash rose from fires all over the place. People trying to flee were cut down by monsters in the streets.

All over the world, strange giant gates had opened up, allowing demons to cross over into our dimension from whatever hellish plane of existence they had originated. It was complete and utter chaos. We watched report after report from our safe haven in the tunnel, terrified and helpless. Then, the signal started dropping out. Fewer and fewer people had access to information about what was going on. Some started panicking. Fights broke out. A few people decided to leave the tunnel to see for themselves what was happening. Then a few more. Hours passed. By the time the last person's cell signal went out, there were less than half of us left, and no one had come back to report what they'd seen.

Though we all felt that leaving the tunnel was likely a death sentence, we also knew that eventually we would have to go outside for one reason or another. We had only the little food we carried with us, so either we could try our luck outside, or starve in the tunnel. A group of us decided to leave together, hoping that there would be some safety in numbers. Though we had all seen the reports and knew what was awaiting us, still the shock of seeing it first-hand was devastating.

Burned-out husks of buildings spewed smoke, the fires that had ruined them rampaging across the landscape, devouring grass and trees and blackening everything. Bodies and debris littered the streets. A few people in my group managed to find weapons among the corpses. In the distance, we could hear screams and howls. Some of them couldn't possibly have been uttered by humans. We walked along the train tracks in silence, keeping our thoughts to ourselves.

What happened next is a blur to me. Someone started shooting before I even saw anything, and then a giant shadow eclipsed our group. A demon landed right in front of us, snapping up the nearest person in its toothy maw like a rag doll. I don't remember deciding to run, but I did. The echoes of gunshots and screams bounced around inside my skull. I had no idea where I was going. I'd never been to this city before. Somehow, I managed to find shelter behind the barred door of a ground level apartment. I clutched the iron bars as if holding on for dear life, my breath coming in painful gasps. I don't know how far I ran or how long I sat there. Gradually, I became aware that I was shaking. I tried to stop, but I couldn't. Then I started screaming. I clapped my hands over my mouth, and the screams turned to sobs.

I was alone, unarmed, and afraid.

This is how I survived.