I stared out of the window, breathing in the cool air.
It seemed so familiar-

What? My head snapped back. What was that? Some kind of memory? But it was almost real, not like a dream, but not like a real memory either. It was a flicker, like on a viewer, but I was awake.

This wasn't the first time. It was the clearest picture, and not like my imaginings, fears, or memories. And it wasn't a dream. They were all different from each other, and so was this. Usually when this happened, it was only a flash. And none of my dreams were this complex.

I made myself comfortable. And what's that perfume smell? I had always disliked perfume, because it covered the fresh air.

That was something new... I just listened to the music in the background. I went over to the plants in my room, and held the leaf of a shrub-

2 people were running, a man and a woman.
"Where are we going??" she asked as she heard the alarms going.
"I don't know! We have to keep running!"
They struggled to continue running.

I blinked. That was almost like my imaginings, but not quite. There was something more real about this. I went back to my bed and settled myself into a comfortable position, still looking at the shrub. I stared-

-I looked sidewards at him as were running.
"Where are we going??" I practically demanded.
"I don't know!" he yelled back. "We have to keep running!"
It didn't seem as if we were running fast enough....-

That was strange... two different points of view....

-She/I turned back around-
-"What are you doing? Let's go!" he/she/who?/I said-
-running-
-"Where are you going?" she asked-
"I don't know! Come on!" she/I said, pulling her after me.

I checked the time. Wow, it's my birthday 2 weeks- I'll be seventeen. Uh-oh. I'm almost late! I shook my head of my thoughts, although they still lingered. I not-quite ran out of the house, with Mother asking why I was in such a hurry, but the last thing I wanted to do was tell her.

"This way!"
He pointed in the direction since none of us were sure where we were going.
"That way!"
"Come on! Hurry!"
"Over there!" he ran ahead, and started punching at the terminal. A door started to lift, but he went over to the other panels, pushing buttons.

We waited, unsure of what to do. I looked at the girl, who looked to be about 7 or 8 years old. She was sniffling, but the 13 year old behind her was trying not to. Both looked a bit disoriented. The man was actually young, about my age, but he seemed to be better trained than he looked. He turned back to us.
"Okay, It's all set. Let's go."
And we ran on.

At a sharp turn, her feet slided underneath her, and she gave a cry. When I looked back, she was already enveloped in the explosion, and nothing could be done.
Was that her, or me, that fell back, into the explosion? I couldn't remember anymore. All I know was that there were tears in my eyes.

We reached a dock, I couldn't get aboard in time. He pounded at the walls, with no avail. I realized I had to find another way out.
I ran on, not sure where I was going.

I came to a stop at a door, exhausted.
I went inside, sure that it was the one.
Inside, I saw a young boy, maybe about the same age as the little girl, and everything came down around us.

I opened my eyes. I was lying down, with sand all around me. Nothing else was around, except some bits of scrap metal. Only vaugely curious about how I arrived, I got up, and brushed sand off myself.
I started to walk.

After awhile, I found a young boy, sniffling as a line of people moved off into the distance.
"You must be lonely out here by yourself," I said.

I reached out my hand to the young boy, and he took it, trustingly. We walked on. After some time, the boy said his name was Abel. Then he asked the only thing I did know. He asked what my name was.
"Elly."