And It All Comes Crashing Down✔️

The Calm Before The Storm

It was...I think somewhere around mid-July. Early morning. I remember the sun shining through my house's windows and the curtains swaying in the light breeze. I was curled up in a chair in the corner, reading a book....the title of which I can't recall.

Ah, remember that time? When you could just curl up and bury your nose in a story without being on the alert in case something or someone comes hurtling through your window?

This was that time. The breeze picked up the scent of the lilacs outside, carrying the sweet aroma into the house. Outside the window, the sky was blue, not a single cloud to be found, and the grass and trees were greener than ever. It was beautiful. Everything was okay.

I loved living in New Hampshire, even though the weather could get a bit extreme at times. If you're lucky, you get a nice day like this - not too hot, not too breezy. Perfect.

I had sunken deep into the crevasse that was the plot of my book when my sister Rose burst into the room. "Crystal," she said, gasping for breath. "You need to come to the living room. Now. Something's wrong."

What? I thought. Everything seemed fine at the moment. After thinking for a moment, I laid down my book and stood up. I walked down the hall and around the corner. The light was turned off, so I couldn't see anything. " Rose, I don't get it. Wha-"

Before I could finish, the lights flashed on and several people jumped up from their hiding places. "SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CRYSTAL!"

Oh, my God. This is happening? This is happening. Okay. I chuckled. Good acting job on my sister's part, I guess. But why did they do this? My family knew well that 1) I hated attention, and 2) I didn't want anything big for my fifteenth birthday. I was still grateful, though. I put on a smile and hugged and thanked everybody.

A few hours later, the party had been going great. I felt so grateful to have so many friends and family members there. The crowd had just begun to dwindle when it happened. If I had to put it into words, I would say it was when all hell broke loose. The moment in which everything changed, but little did I know things would never be the same again.

I was hoping I'd forget. But I remember everything. How I lost everything I loved, how I got to that dingy old warehouse where I'd stay for a long time, how the world was plunged into darkness and despair.

My name is Crystal Lamont, and I survived the apocalypse. Here's my story.