Doomsday

Stazia wouldn't call herself the most prepared person in the world, but she considers herself to be close to it. Paint cans rattled in the back of her Tundra as the truck gained more and more speed.

No one would mind if I went over the limit outside the city, Anastasia thought as the vehicle began picking up more and more speed.

The innocent, perky, and carefree nineteen-year-old began developing her artistic desires at a very young age and has pursued her passions ever since. The paint cans that she brought along with her are going to be used to paint a mural later today with her friend. Stazia dressed in her choir practice outfit; the girl had on a white shirt with an orange sleeveless blouse over it. A navy blue blazer and dress pants finished up the look, followed by black, low cut heels. She wanted to make a good impression for the people at the U of A, her first stop, so she could be one step closer to accomplishing her dreams. Anastasia smiled at the prosperous thought.

She snapped out of dreamland and quickly spotted a still man standing at a dangerously close distance up ahead. Gasping, the student slammed her foot on the brakes and turned the steering wheel as hard as she could, causing the car to tumble over and over several times before it finally rested upside down in the calm desert of the outskirts.

Stazia's eyes popped open after a while of being unconscious. Her immediate reaction was to reach up and put a hand on her throbbing head. A sticky red liquid now coated her fingers. She let out an agonized groan at the realization of her surviving the car wreck. The girl couldn't see any exits and scanning for one began to increase the already pain of her already wounded head. Anastasia gave up and instead tried to at least get her seatbelt off. It was only when she did that when she realized that everything hurt on her body.

"Uhhhh," she groaned as her hand pressed the release latch on the seatbelt. The front side of her body went face first on the hood of her car which made her release a pained scream. The quarter second fall felt too much for the badly hurt girl, but she managed to sit up and squirm her body towards the driver's side window.

"Okay Stazia," she said in between heavy breaths. "You got this. You got this. You just gotta get out of the car."

Anastasia took a deep breath and drew back her right foot as far as she could with the cramped space she had. The girl didn't have much physical strength, but she hoped that whatever she could muster would be enough to kick open the window. Putting everything in it, her heel jabbed but the window only cracked slightly more than it already did from the crash.


Darn, the plastic car window casing isn't helping. It'd be much easier if I could kick the glass directly. Still, I should be out in no time.

Her series of kicks were slow and weak, but she eventually weakened the car window enough to be able to break it open with a final kick. As the exhausted teen drew her foot back for the last time, a agitated moan rang in her ears. Footsteps began moving towards the car. The girl let out a sigh of relief when she remembered the guy who she almost hit earlier. Is he coming to rescue her?

"Hey, I'm in here! I'm trapped by the driver's seat!"

The footsteps suddenly stopped. A loud crunch followed by a thud raised some suspicion, but Anastasia felt relieved to hear the footsteps resume again. Glancing down at the driver's window, Stazia could make out bland white sneakers.

"Hey," she called out to her savior.

Silence came from the person standing in front of the wreckage, but her eyes scanned everything they could from the pieces of glass that landed a few feet away to the grotesquely combined paint that began spreading out more and more. A crushed paint can sat a ways from the crash, but she could see "Oil-Based Paint" on it's label. A devilish grin appeared on this person's face as her hand dug into her pocket.

"What happened here," she asked as her hand slowly retracted from her pocket whilst holding a lighter. "Are you okay?"

Anastasia finally began to really notice the extent of her injuries. Her lip stung like crazy, probably because of cut in the middle of it, but it didn't sting as bad as her arm, especially her wrist that felt as if it were on fire. Her back throbbed alongside the leg that she used to repeatedly kick the glass. Not only that, but the wound on her head started feeling worse. In conclusion, the girl wasn't in the best shape.

"I'm fine, but I'm stuck in here," she told her female-sounding friend. Stazia hoped she's friendly. "I can tell you what happened once I get out of here."

Stazia already set in her mind that she'd have to reschedule her appointment with the University of Arizona, but she'd have to find her phone first to be able to do that. Her phone probably fell out during the crash because she didn't see it anywhere. She immediately regretted leaving it on the passenger's seat. Without it, she couldn't make a single call. Without it, she pretty much had no choice but to leave her fate up to this woman.

An evil chuckle escaped Talia's mouth as she moved towards the area where the paint spilled.

"Ooh, see I would take you on your offer, but that'd mean I'd have to let you live."

Talia took one last look at the flammable liquid before igniting her lighter.

"See you in the next life."

Flames roared to life after Talia heated the liquid up long enough. The flames began making their way to the truck and eventually started engulfing it. Talia turned around and walked towards the car she drove and entered it. She gave the flaming truck one last look before walking away.

The cackling flames that lashed out at the Tundra caused the young and peppy child to whimper away in fear. How could anyone do this? Why didn't that lady help her? More and more questions spawned as sweat trickled down the poor girl's face. She could hardly move her leg anymore and the reason became clear when an intense surge of throbbing came from it. Although the pain clearly made it's statement, it easily became surpassed by the cry of agony that Stazia gave when her phone plopped down onto her possibly injured wrist. It became clear that the truck wasn't going to last much longer, but nothing could be done about it. Anastasia's lips quivered at the thought of the inevitably that she'd have to face.

"Help," she cried but to no avail. She wanted to believe that someone would answer her call, but it was nothing but a foolish gamble that just didn't end in her favor. Stazia just had to accept the reality of her situation. No one's coming to save her. She's going to die.

"Someone! Anyone! Please help me!"

Wet streaks dominated her cheeks and salty tears dropped onto her slightly torn uniform. Stazia bawled and continued to do so for what may be the last moments of her life. She began to think of all the memories she shared with her parents, her friends, her community, as well as her late baby sister. All the regrets she had and everything she wanted to accomplish in her short time would all be taken with her to the afterlife. Eventually, no one would even remember that she existed. The girl would be nothing but lost memories.

"No, God, I'm not ready to die," she wailed. "Please, help me! I don't want to die!"

Her cries became more and more desperate with every passing second. Seconds that she couldn't afford to lose.

Desperate. Dire. Frightening. Few words could describe the girl's situation, but none were close to comfort.

Brooke never would've hypothesized that her vehicle's gas couldn't make this terrifyingly long drive. The desert roads of the deserted outskirts continued to drain any hope that Brooke held tight. She even ceased her constant scanning of the terrain. There was and still appeared to be nothing but the sandy landscape. Her stomach growled and her throat ached for water. More and more anger formed with each passing second.

"Is there anything out here," Brooke wailed frustratingly more than asked. She knew that the circumstances were not in her favor and that she'd be stuck in the middle of nowhere if her fuel ran out.

The girl didn't want to think of having to starve in the outskirts, so her ultimate decision had to be backtracking to Tucson. Her choice was immediately disproved when she remembered the sick people back there.

She remembered her mother.

Tears slid down her face and plopped onto her leather jacket. She struggled to face the harsh reality. She would never see her mother again.

Her attention then drifted to the smoke that came into view. Dangerous or not, the girl wanted to investigate. After a while of driving, she finally arrived to the scene.

"Holy crap!"

Brooke stared in horror at the collapsed pickup that a large fire almost fully consumed. The girl exited the safety of her Corolla to inspect further, but the intense heat made it difficult for her to come close. What was she thinking anyway? It's not like a flaming truck in the middle of nowhere was something worth getting hurt over.

As Brooke started retreating to her car, a voice emerged that forced her to stop.

"Help me!"

Brooke turned back and watched the truck with a confused look.

"Please! Help me!"

She approached the vehicle until the heat became too much. To Brooke's luck, the driver's window became perfectly clear. The slight damage proved to be no obstacle. The view of her friend Anastasia turned her caution of pain to determination. Ignoring the powerful flames, the girl moved forward and gave the window a strong kick. Then another. It broke on the final boot, shattering the glass to create a small opening.

"Stazia," she called to the sobbing teen. "Stay, can you hear me?"

The poor and helpless child couldn't describe the joy she felt hearing her friend's voice. She recognized Brooke's voice almost immediately which became the driving force of courage towering inside of her. Although the flames severely affected her oxygen, Stazia built the required strength for her to speak loud and clear.

"Brooke! Help! I'm stuck in here!"

The fire had already damaged her expensive jacket and singed her skin, but none of that worried her more than her friend's safety. Her hands clawed at the scorching metal door but the handle was too much to well... handle. Her second try would've succeeded, but the door wouldn't budge. Most likely, it hasn't been unlocked. Stazia would have to unlock it herself.

"Hey Stay," she called. "I can't get open the door. Do you think you can unlock it for me?"

In truth, Brooke assumed that the door would've been opened a long time ago if that were possible. Throughout this whole ordeal, Brooke wondered why her passenger still remained in the vehicle. She didn't hold it against him for not getting involved. This isn't his problem. Still, it could be very helpful for an extra set of hands to aid the girls. Brooke decided to deal with her silent buddy later. For now, she centered her mind and recalled every action movie she had ever watched for any inspiration whatsoever. Everything depended on her to save her friend from a fiery death.

Anastasia gulped. She really screwed up her leg trying to kick open the window, so she'd feel lucky enough to even move. The pain she felt worsened, especially on her wrist. It'd be a miracle to make it out of this in one piece.

"I-I dunno, but I'll try!"

Stazia hoped to God that her strength would be enough. Her body shifted slightly, more and more until her face nearly pressed itself against the barely broken but heavily cracked window. The locking mechanism for the door fortuitously stood at arms length but to Anastasia's demise, her right hand could only reach it; the reminder of the throbbing wrist caused her to groan in agony.

"Just great," she mumbled to herself. "This is going to suck."

Her hand slowly extended to minimize any pressure she continued to push onto it until it finally reached the mechanism. The button to completely unlock the Tundra hid cleverly behind the steering wheel, causing the girl to grumble. She needed to turn her wrist at an awkward position to press the button.

"Eeuugh-AAAUUHH!" Stazia's screams clearly showed the effort she put into freeing herself. Her pained cries continued to grow until her middle finger grazed the button. With a final burst of strength, her finger pushed the button.

The doors clicked on cue as her wrist retracted to it's proper place. Stazia's fingers glided to the door handle but immediately retreated after they received a taste and the heated metal. Anastasia prayed that her friend could help her out before the truck collapses on top of her.

The agonized screaming of her friend made Brooke cringe. She finally noticed the heat on her body and let out a pained scream of her own before stepping back. Her jacket had gone slightly ablaze during her heroism and thus resulted in another scream.

"AAAH-Ahh," Brooke shrieked while her hand patted away at the small flame. "Go away, go away, go away. Fucking go away. Please, please, please don't ruin my jacket."

The fire died out quickly. Her heart rate lowered and her breathing relaxed. She finally regained her composure once she heard the clicking sound of the Toyota. Stazia had accomplished her task and now Brooke could rescue her.

The brunette shielded her face and cautiously shimmied her way back into the angry blaze. Her hand grasped the door handle of the driver's seat, but the burning metal singed her hand.

"Shit," she muttered as she tried to devise a plan to bypass the heat. Just moments later, her throbbing hand slipped into the sleeve of her jacket slightly. The creaking noise indicated that the truck wouldn't last much longer. With her eyes shut and with every deity being pleaded, her covered hand firmly grasped the metal door. The pain her hand received felt minor but steadily increased. Brooke yanked the door open to see her weakened friend.

"Stazia," she called out in concern. "Stay, are you okay? Can you move?"

The pain became too excruciating for the poor girl to endure any further. Anastasia's eyes began blurring and her body could hardly move. Her ears recorded the words Brooke had spoken once she opened the door, but speaking a full sentence seemed impossible. How could she even hope to say one word yet alone a whole sentence in her state. Her injuries stung like crazy and her watery eyes began succumbing to darkness. Whether she could move or not, chances are that it wouldn't matter. Once her eyes shut, she'd be taken to a dream that she would never wake up from.

Wait, what am I thinking? Am I really overreacting to fainting?

Stazia wanted to call her own bluff but couldn't. She remembered what happened to Billy Mays a few years ago. Dying in her sleep would be a peaceful way to go, but she didn't want to die. Her eyes fluttered in an attempt to gain any more strength into staying awake. The pickup groaned and pieces of its crisp interior crumbled onto Anastasia's left leg and cheek. It should've been painful to feel, but she didn't feel anything at all.

Her body had gone numb. A clear sign of the end for her.

Her mouth struggled to position itself to say a word but with enough willpower it became possible. Stazia spoke the two words that summarized all the things she wanted to say before her body collapsed.

"Heeeelp m-me."

One last tear streak slid down her face before everything faded to absolute darkness.

Brooke's heart sunk at the sight of her badly wounded friend. She heard the pickup finally succumbing to the pressure of the flames. Smoke entered her nostrils and hastily created fear in her eyes. The truck only had a few precious seconds left.

Without thinking, Brooke wrapped her friend into a full nelson position and dragged her back as far as she could with all of her might. Luckily, the two were out of range from the vehicle and close enough to her car. With another feat of great effort, Brooke set Anastasia in the back seat and tried waking her up.

"Stazia! Stay, wake up!" Brooke's efforts remained ineffective every time she attempted. Still, she wouldn't give up that easily. Her hands shook the girl violently and slapped her face, but Anastasia's fate seemed futile. "Stazia, stay with me! You're not dying! Not today! Wake up! Stay!"

Brooke immediately shut the door after her failed tries and climbed into the driver's seat. The only logical way to save her friend also seemed impossible, but her stubbornness meant that Brooke had to try to find the nearest hospital. The engine revved to life right as Brooke noticed the black smoke that enveloped the air around the Tundra. Gasping at the sight, the brunette knew what that indicated. Only one possible outcome would happen to a smoking vehicle.

"Holy shit," Brooke yelled as her foot stomped on the gas. "No, no, no, no, no!"

A massive explosion nearly consumed the Corolla as it zipped down the road with it's nearly maximum speed. Every remnant of the Tundra would be demolished from the explosion. Brooke's concern about finding a hospital grew more and more intense with every passing minute that she drove through the never-changing landscape. Eventually after a while of driving, a building came into view. Although it looked worn down and tainted, it was the first place she has ever seen in hours.

"Yes, thank God!"

The vehicle pulled up when it arrived to the destination. Reading the sign, Brooke immediately concluded that she may have arrived to the wrong place. Although for sounded appetizing, Brooke would reject it for a trip to the doctors any day.

(I apologize for not replying, but I never got out the car, so I guess I'm with you guys. And if anyone forgot, I did to tbh)

Ryan was with Brooke the whole time, deciding to stay with Brooke instead of stay in Tuscon, seeing as how he had no means to keeping him there. His gash had stopped bleeding and the blood stopped, but it still needed some stitches, and his shirt only stopped the bleeding. He helped her with Anastasia, trying to get her out the truck without saying a word. He got his arm burned a bit from the flames, but managed to help her. Ryan stayed with Anastasia while Brooke drove, trying to help her out the best he could with what he had, mainly trying to keep her alive and breathing for the most part.