Everyone was going about their daily lives. It had been around 1PM on a Saturday when it happened. Children were in school, Adults were going about their business. Everything was normal.

Takao Oshiro was sitting furthest to the top right in the classroom. He found Math Class boring, and instead of listening to Mr Minami, who was explaining what Takao thought looked a bit like Trigonometry, he decided he would listen to music; what did it matter anyway, his math grades were plummeting and why should he have to listen in a subject that he was doomed to fail?

Just two desks in front of him sat Hikari Saito. She was by far, in Takao’s opinion, the most beautiful girl in the class. She, unlike Takao, was clearly very interested in Math. She sat, staring at the teacher for any sudden movement, and at the slightest stroke of the pen on the board from Mr Minami, she would write everything he did, like a robot; however, even she couldn’t hide a little of her math class boredom, for she too had one earphone in. She had dark hair, but it wasn’t any longer than her shoulders; and deep blue eyes which hypnotised Takao every time he looked into them. What he wouldn’t do to go on a date with her…

Mr Minami had just asked a question about the angle of a triangle when it started.. A loud siren wailed out across the town. It pierced the ears of the students. At first, people were looking around in wonder, but then they realised. This was not just a normal drill alarm which was expected from the Nuclear Power Plant at this time. This was a real meltdown alarm. Suddenly, as the shock hit everyone, panic arose from the class. People began running and screaming, but Takao knew this was pointless, it was too late. If this was what everyone thought it was, a real nuclear meltdown alarm, then they were already all damned. The radiation would’ve been leaking long before the alarm was set off, it would have already affected them all, and even so, an implosion would come soon after which would kill them instantly.

Mr Minami tried to calm his class. He told them they would be fine if the hid under tables, but no-one listened. They were doomed to death, warrant signed and sent. The final alarm tone went off. This meant the implosion was coming. This would be the final blow. The blow that would kill them all. They all braced for their incoming elimination.

It never came…

Takao got up from under the table, along with all the other kids in the classroom. Mr Minami was gone. Everyone was silent. Questions started to flow around the room. Strangely enough, no-one was panicked. People were just mystified. Questions like ‘Are we dead?’ and ‘Where is Mr Minami?’ started to make their way around the class. Takao realised they couldn’t stay there all day asking questions. He decided he was going to figure out what was going on. They must be dead, they had to be, a nuclear implosion on that scale would kill anybody within a 200 mile radius- that would mean the whole town would have to be dust, everyone dead. But they weren’t. The whole class had survived, except for possibly Mr Minami, whose fate was unknown to the students. Takao wondered out of the classroom door, with around 40 other bewildered students. Slowly, other classes began to flood out to the hallways also. Uneasy conversation began. Soon enough, Takao realised that the same had happened to their teachers. Gone. Just disappeared. Not a trace left behind.

Some kids were worried, some of the younger kids were even crying; but some of the older kids seemed more accepting of their newfound fate. Had all the teachers disappeared? Or even worse, had everyone outside the school gone? There was only one way to find out.

Takao made his way through the swamp of wondrous students, and when he finally made his way to the door, and out, he was presented with a sight to see. Hundreds of cars on the busy street had either crashed or were at strange angles on the road. Their alarms going off all at once, as loud as a banshee’s screech. Takao quickly ran to one of the cars, hoping to rescue its driver. But there was no driver. He went to check another car, a red Honda, but when he got to it, he realised in such horrific majesty that this car was also driverless. What had happened here? Where was everyone?

Takao went back into the school. Maybe he could find some of his classmates and they could figure out what exactly had happened here. He dug his way through piles of swarming students as they now made their ways to the exit, realising they weren’t bound to the hardship of school by any authority anymore, mainly because the authorities were gone; to where, no-one knew, and no-one really cared. They were free as far as they were concerned.

Eventually, Takao found his classmates; Akio, Katsu and Misaki. They were in a group together discussing the current events. They too seemed mystified by it. Takao joined them, “Hi” he said, in a rather plain expression. “Hello Takao” replied Katsu alone, shyly, the others too engrossed in their conversation to even note his existence. “Strange occurrences, right?” said Katsu to Takao,

“Yeah” replied Takao, “we should be dead, but you know, stranger things have happened…”, he continued, “oh wait, no they haven’t, because a nuclear implosion like that should have destroyed the whole city!” he said, beginning to feel the pressure of unknowing realisation reaching his mind. His brain was struggling to believe this was reality. Misaki suddenly turned around from her conversation with Akio, and faced both Takao and Katsu, “Both me and Akio agree that we need to go and find other people. Students are just leaving school, this is dishonourable to our teachers. We need to find adults.”. Akio nodded his head in agreement.

“I know we need to find adults Misaki, but I just went outside, cars are crashed and alarms are sounding everywhere. It’s chaos. I was thinking, as crazy as this sounds, what if there are no adults? What if the students here are the last people in the town?” replied Takao, rather irritably.

“Don’t be ridiculous Takao… I mean.. of course there are other people left, I mean adults.. right? There has to be…” responded Misaki, as if to comfort herself more than anything.

“I think we should search regardless, we don’t know anything yet. We shouldn’t jump to conclusions yet.” Inputted Akio. They all seemed to agree on that, for as Akio walked towards the doors without their permission, they all followed, like sheep guided by a Shepard.

Just as they were leaving, Takao spotted Hikari. She was alone, sat in the corner near a block of lockers. He decided to go over to her, signalling his classmates to wait. He spoke to her. “Hikari, are you okay?” he said.

“I’m… I’m fine.” She said, and then “how is this possible? Nothing we have been taught about the way we harvest nuclear energy in Physics explains how this is possible. We should be dead.”

“I know..” replied Takao. “We’re going to try and find some conclusion to this, do you want to come with us?” he asked.

“Yes, yes, yes” she repeated, securing the fact she was indeed fearful of the recent events.

Takao held out his hand and helped Hikari up, and they joined the rest of their group as they set out into the world, unknowing of what they may find…