Home in a world filled with war.

My name is Flo, I am 23 years old living in central London, England. I have lived here all my life but with how the world is turning out I have been forced to make a decision whether to stay or leave. This was my home for a long time, but I have nothing left here, no friends I know family, Everything swept away within the space of a couple Months.

Let me start from the beginning. It is 2027 mid June. Our world has gone into crisis. Wars have been breaking out everywhere. Homes have been bombed, peoples lives lost. History, art, architecture, Everything that has been preserved and kept now lost in a cloud of smoke. This is World War III.

The war started in neighbouring countries and distant countries, England thought they were safe But like every other country, they were dragged into the hellfire. It did not start out small, it started with a bang, and unfortunately, that bang started centre of London. I remember that night like it was yesterday, Everyone was slightly nervous of the ongoing war surrounding England, but we all felt like nothing would happen because nothing did happen, For awhile. You don't fully understand the pain people endure until you are enduring it yourself, and that is when regret is felt, You sympathise with others and you wish you had helped the ones in need when you could been there for them. But now it is too late to feel regret. Every country is in need, but there is very little help.

About a year ago when it started in England, My family and friends were all also living in London. I have been living by myself in a flat my parents not too far away about a 15 minute drive, Many of my friends only down the road from me. I was in bed when it all started I heard a bang, In fact, I think I felt it before I heard it. Everything in my flat shook, Cracks appeared on the walls and the ceilings and dust scattered down onto the floor, Glass and windows shattered, There was a sudden heat that entered each and every room, A bright light shown through my windows and I had to cover my eyes. I had managed to get out of my bed properly and look down the street below, Almost all of the other buildings and houses had been bombed, A huge explosion, Wiping out everything and everyone I knew. There was the odd building still standing, I am extremely lucky to be living in one of those buildings. After that big bang there were many more through the evening. I was frozen stiff crouched peeping out of my window, Looking at the Sea of houses slowly being crushed, Pops of colour in red yellow And orange Scattered throughout accompanied with a deafening noise. I can't quite remember how But I had managed to doze off back into a deep sleep. When I woke the next morning, the air was thick with smoke, The view out my window was Vandalised. I Quickly grabbed my phone to try and call my parents, but there was no reception, No Wi-Fi, Powerlines blown up and everything down. I chucked on some clothes and fill the bag with necessities, then headed out of my flat. Most parked cars was scattered all over the road. Some had been flipped upside down, and we're still burning on fire. I ran down the street, My expression panicked, My breath quick and my face red. A loan car driving in between the road wreckage, A woman in her mid 40s. I started jumping up and down waving my hands about shouting for her to stop. "HEY! Please!OVER HEAR!" Her eyes darting left to right, She had finally noticed me and pulled up beside me. "Please help me, I need to get to my parents house, I need to see if they're ok" I begged her as my hands clasp onto the slightly lowered window of her car. " hop in and tell me the way" her gentle voice spoke, a slight crack in her voice indicating she also had been through hell and back. The ride was quick, but it felt like hours. The woman's hands tight on the steering wheel, her knuckles turning white, Her eyes wide and jaw clenched. My hands fiddling in my lap, My feet are rubbing against each other, My eyes darting everywhere and my heartbeat quickening. "Here, just hear, thank you so much, you don't know how much this means to me." I quickly said as I jump out the car. The woman didn't say anything, She only smiled lightly While trying to hold back tears due to the damage done on her own life.

I raced down the road, Almost every house here had collapsed or been bombed. Each building I pass, My heart's race getting quicker and quicker, Praying that my parents were lucky enough to have their house still standing just as my flat was.

Siren noises filled the air, ambulances rushing down every street, fires being put out. The screams of people I passed deafening, I tried so hard to stay focused and not look around at the damage caused but every now and then I would get a gruesome glimpse, something so haunting that it made me was to rip my eyes out.

As I came into view of my parents house, my pace slowed as my heart grew heavy and my eyes filled with tears "no,no!" I started to run again, turning over every stone of their house, wailing as I screamed out their names. Nothing, no noise, no trace. The street over was filled with body bags, lined up neatly, people racing around hauling more and more body's into the line, family members and friends crying while collapsed onto the floor bedside loved ones, other trying to search the bags while police try to drag them away from the chaos. My hearing muffled, my head spinning and my body feeling weak. My vision blurred and I collapse, falling into a slumber of darkness.