The television wailed with a tone she had never heard before. She couldn't make out the words running across the screen, as they were too complex and long for her to understand. One minute she was watching her favourite show, enjoying a pair of brightly coloured bears dancing around and playing catch with one another, and the next they had disappeared, replaced by a red screen and crawling text. Glancing up towards her wide-eyed dad for answers, she wondered why he hadn't brought back her bears yet. He was usually pretty quick to fix whatever she needed, something that always made her happy, even if mum used to yell at him for it.

"Uhh Dad! Can you bring them back already? This show is boring, and that sound makes my ears hurt!"

Puffing out her cheeks and pouting, she glared at him as he stood, seemingly glued to the spot, unblinking and focused not on her but the screen.

"Dad! Dad! Helllooooo! DAD!" She yelled, flailing her arms about. Letting out a small sigh of frustration, she reached for the nearby remote.

"Fine, I'll do it on my own..."

Before she could grab the remote, her dad's head snapped towards her, his strained red eyes locked onto her own.

"Do not touch that remote, young lady!" he yelled as he swiped it off the floor.

She was shocked. Her dad never spoke to her like that unless she had done something wrong, like the time she had found some papers in his office desk and, not being able to decipher what they meant, had drawn on them out of boredom. He wasn't too happy about that, yelling at her about some important person he had to give the papers to. But this time, he was different. There was still frustration in his voice, but it also held a tinge of fear, like when the bears in her show lost their ball in the woods and had to venture into the dark to find it. She focused wide-eyed on his face, expecting to see it flush with anger, but instead, he wore an expression of sadness, a face she hadn't seen since her mum had passed.

"Listen, honey, I need you to go upstairs and grab Teddy for me, okay?"

She looked puzzled for a moment, wondering what they could possibly need Teddy for, but instead of arguing, she decided against it.

It was best to listen to him for now, she thought.

She nodded softly and headed towards the stair landing, briefly turning back only to see that he had disappeared into some other room. Taking gentle steps up the stairs into her bedroom, she scanned around, searching for Teddy. Her eyes bounced off pastel-lined walls and all manner of dolls and other assorted toys that were scattered about the place until eventually they fell upon him – a beat-up brown bear. She had only had it for a year or so, a gift from her dad for her Eighth birthday, however, she loved the little thing so much that its once pristine fur had quickly faded, now having the appearance of years of being squeezed and roughed up. Since Teddy had come into her life, he had been there for her, always staying by her side and always making her feel better, like a best friend that was always wanting to do their best to make her feel as happy as she could be.

"Let's go, Ted!" she exclaimed as she scooped him up in her arms, his beady glass eyes reflecting into her own.

"It's time for an adventure!"

The neighbourhood was different. When they had stepped outside the door together, it was like a whole new world – one that she could only describe as messy, messier than anything she had ever seen, messier than even her room after she had spent the day playing inside of it. Houses had their doors and windows wide open. There was clothing scattered everywhere, yards and garden beds were trampled, and yet there was no one. No one to yell at for ruining their once pretty neighbourhood, or to ask to fix it all. Her dad had grabbed her hand and squeezed it softly between his as he shut the door.

"Dad, why are the houses like that?"

She got no reply as he turned and began leading her towards the car.

"Are you not going to lock the door? Mum always said to make sure the door is locked."

Again, there was only silence. She gripped Teddy in her free arm, grateful for the comfort his tangle of fur provided. Her dad was starting to worry her now; she had never seen him this serious and quiet, not in all her life. Picking her up and placing her in the back seat of their old car, he buckled her and Teddy in.

"Can I at least know where we are going?" She loudly exclaimed, causing him to stop and look at her.

"Into town, you remember that garden you and your mum liked, don’t you?"

A sigh of relief ran over her when she heard his words.

"Yes, I do! It's so pretty there!"

He tried to smile as he placed her favourite book between her and Teddy, shutting the door.

"I know it is. Keep your belt on; we will be there soon, okay?"

Smiling, she picked up the book and watched their neighbourhood disappear behind them as her dad began to drive.

Cars lined the road as far as she could see. Their neighbourhood may have been quiet, but it didn’t take them long to find out where everyone had gone. All her neighbours, her parents' friends, and even some family seemed to have all come out at once, all trying to go somewhere. She wasn’t sure where exactly; they weren’t going into town, she could at least be sure of that, as that was the direction her and her dad were going. Her dad slowed the car pulling alongside a mass of people, a man stepped out from among them and approached the car. She didn’t recognise him at first as his face was dirty and twisted in panic, but after examining him a little closer, she realised it was her neighbour Dan.

Why was he out here of all places? she wondered.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

Her dad lowered the window and began to talk to Dan; they kept their voices low and hushed, so she had to sit forward in her seat and strain her ears to make out what they were saying. All the noise from the people outside didn’t help things either.

"…Saw TV... It's too late... here soon... going into town... doesn’t understand... quick." was all she caught from her dad's lips.

Dan didn’t say anything; he just looked at her dad up and down and then at her, a flash of anger in his eyes.

She leaned forward, reaching the edge of her seat, straining further.

"I'm sorry Dan, this is the best way."

Dan slammed his fist on the side of the car, tears streaming down his cheeks before his arms slumped at his sides.

"I know... just... take care... I'm going to try to get out... It was nice knowing you... you were both great neighbours."

Dan smiled at her but his crying eyes told her she that he was far from happy, he took a step back as her dad raised the window and restarted the car engine. She smiled back politely and gave him a small wave as their car slowly pulled down the road onto the entrance of the freeway.

The open road ahead of them was entirely empty, but the other side of the freeway was full to the brim – full with people yelling, people crying, and people blaring their car horns. Yet her dad wasn’t fazed; he just looked ahead and kept driving.

He gripped the steering wheel, knuckles turning white from the strain, glancing up into the rear-view mirror he stared at his daughter, small and curious she had always been bright so he had wondered if she had figured what was going on.

By now, surely she knows.

He focused back on the road, the seemingly endless stretch going on forever, the early warning systems did their job sure but it wasn’t enough time. There was no time to pack, to say goodbye to the house he had built with his wife, the neighbourhood he was raising his daughter in... his friends or family... No time to get away.

"God, why isn't there enough time!" He yelled suddenly, catching a glimpse of his daughter's head shooting up from her book to see what the commotion was about.

When the warning had come screaming across the television, he had a nagging feeling of what he had to do, but stepping out of his house, seeing all the people... seeing Dan... solidified it.

Even if I wanted to take her and get away, there would be no way. Not with everyone trying to do the same, he thought.

No, this is the best thing I can do. For her sake and mine.

When he had told Dan his plan earlier, there was no surprise he was angry.

"Are you seriously going to end her life and yours?!" Dan had hissed to him in a low voice, so she wouldn’t hear.

"I knew when I saw the TV, Dan... The bomb is coming and it's coming fast, there isn’t any time. She doesn’t understand yet, but at least in the epicentre, it will be quick."

Tears rolled down Dan’s cheeks and his.

"I'm sorry we never caught that game, Danny boy." he quipped.

"I know you are right... look just try to take care. I am going to take my chances and I'm going to try to get out... It was nice knowing you, your wife, and kid... you were great neighbours." Dan’s last words echoed in his head as they finally made it into town.

It was nice knowing you too, Danny boy. He mused to himself.

They had arrived in the centre of the now deserted town, shop fronts hung open, goods were thrown everywhere. Parking the car by the grocer, he glanced at the clock on the car's dashboard one last time before switching off the engine.

Five minutes. Five minutes until they would both be dead.

Grabbing his daughter's hand, he helped her out of the car and onto the pavement. She reminded him so much of his wife that passed away. Looking at her up and down, her bear in one hand, the feeling of sadness and guilt only worsened.

If only I could have seen you grow up. I would give anything.

"Come on, dear, not long now." he said, leading her by the hand.

She smiled up at him as they walked. These gardens in the centre of town were always his wife's and his daughter's favourite spot, and there was nowhere else in the world that he would rather spend his final moments.

A low buzzing began to fill the air as they made it to the centre of the garden, yet he couldn’t see a single living thing.

“Buzzing soon followed by silence, A harbinger of what is to come." he thought, thinking back to a documentary he had seen with a pompous British narrator describing what it would be like in the final moments before being hit by an atomic bomb.

The flowers trembled under the breeze as did his hands; hers were steady, however, a firm foundation that had kept him grounded in these last moments. The buzzing grew into a low rumble and their hands tightened around each other's. He got down on his knees and looked her in the eyes.

“I love you, honey.” he cried as his arms wrapped around her in a tight embrace, the tears that dripped down his face stained her jumper.

He expected to feel her wiggle uncomfortably in his embrace to try and get away, saying how gross he was teasingly like she had done so many times before, but instead, to his surprise, she wrapped her arms around his torso and squeezed him back.

“I love you too, Dad.” She said in a small hushed voice.

He felt her small tears hit his back but said nothing; they just held each other as the rumble grew louder still and blinding white light slowly crept across the sky.

“You were always so smart. Just like your mother." he softly muttered as the rumble turned into a roar, and the light to heat, leaving nothing in its wake.