Abigail Johnson

Alsop Lane

Tick.

The clock ticked, growing ever so closer to hitting the final number. If that happened, all hell was going to break loose and there would be no way to stop it. I only had seconds to destroy the gate before it opened.

Tick.

One more second had passed and still I had done nothing. I had to get to work.

As I stepped closer to the gate, I was hit by a feeling that if I failed, I would be the first person to… I don’t know. Disappear? Explode? Whatever it would be, I didn’t want that to happen. I didn’t want the world’s last thoughts to be ‘they failed. It’s all over’ No, I had to work this out.

Tick.

Another second gone, and I still hadn’t found the hinges of the gate. My screwdriver clutched tightly in my hand, I breathed a sigh of relief. I had rounded the gate. The hinges wouldn’t, couldn’t, be far now.

I fumbled at the gate as I found the first hinge. Twisting the screwdriver on the screws, I noticed how sweaty and sticky my hands had gotten. Finally, the first hinge came undone.

Tick.

There was only one second to go now. I sprinted to the other side of the gate, knowing the hinge would probably be above my head.

I found the hinge above my head, but not too high. I lifted the screwdriver with shaking arms and started to slowly twist the screw out. As it came tumbling out of the hinge, the gate exploded with light and colour.

Tick.

I had done it. The gate was destroyed, but at a great cost. As I lay on the floor, my breath slowly slipping away from me, all I could think was, ‘I did it. I saved the world.’ But at what cost? How many people will have died from this? I can’t have been the only one, there are too many people in the world for that.

The roof started to spin above me, and I knew I was nearly gone. But as my soul slowly drifted away from my still-warm body, there was a sense of peace enveloping me and carrying me upwards.