<\/p>\n
\u201cMiss Hope, was that thunder?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMiss Hope?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMiss Hope!?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Daisy Hope blankly stared at her phone screen. At her sides, Ryan and Tina pressed their tiny bodies up against her, looking up at her vertically with wide, concerned eyes. From their angle, they couldn\u2019t see the flashing, red emergency alert.<\/span><\/p>\n Another boom rattled the school building, shuddering the closets and roof tiles and sending dust slowly drifting to the floor.<\/span><\/p>\n Ryan let out another worried whine. \u201cMiss Hope?!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Almost instinctively, Daisy responded in her sweet, warm voice she\u2019d had turned on since seven that morning. \u201cYes, Ryan?\u201d But it came more out hoarse, weak, breaking. Her mouth felt dry, her throat taut. A sour soup swirled in her stomach.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWas that thunder? Ryan asked again. “I\u2019m scared.\u201d \u201cIs it going to lightning?\u201d Tina added.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t\u2026\u201d Daisy swallowed. \u201cI don\u2019t know, sweety.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Another boom, this one knocking down a Lego globe which rested on a nearby bookshelf. The piece shattered in its own, terrifying explosion, shooting pieces across the room.<\/span><\/p>\n Now the kids began to snap to attention: the threat had become personal.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe globe!!\u201d Ahmed, George, and Jackson screamed in distress, running over to the carcass. Daisy snapped her attention to the boys on the ground\u2013her chest beginning to heave and heave and heave\u2013and then looked out the window to the city beyond.<\/span><\/p>\n In the distance she saw fighter jets weaving between skyscrapers, and then in an instant, a fireball exploded against a building, sending a shockwave rippling towards them. It hit the school suddenly, creating cracks along the windows and knocking down books from the bookshelf.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOw!\u201d George screamed. \u201cOw, my head!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s going on!?\u201d Ryan whined louder.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMiss Hope, I\u2019m scared!\u201d Tina pleaded.<\/span><\/p>\n Daisy breathed, faster and faster and faster and,<\/span><\/p>\n This couldn\u2019t be happening.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cDragonflies!\u201d Daisy Hope announced, channeling both authority and gentleness. She needed to remain calm, composed, and in control. Somehow.<\/span><\/p>\n She needed to get them away from the window.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cDragonflies! We\u2019re going to play a game!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhat game!?\u201d Jackson asked, head snapping up.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t want to play a game!\u201d Lily groaned from the table, where she\u2019d been drawing since aftercare began.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re going to play Uno! Over here by the desk!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYay, Uno!\u201d Ryan cheered.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m bleeding!\u201d George cried, running to Daisy, hands stained with the crimson liquid that now pooled on his head where a book had struck him.<\/span><\/p>\n Daisy embraced him in an instant, pulled him into her chest, and continued.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWinner gets a bag of M&Ms!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhat!?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI want it!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cDragonflies! Everyone over here, please!\u201d Daisy moved to the desk, slowly and deliberately, keeping George close to her side. He was crying now.<\/span><\/p>\n With her free hand she grabbed the box of Uno from the desk and turned to Ryan.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cRyan, can you please deal for everyone?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHow come Ryan gets to deal?\u201d Ahmed whined, but his voice was drowned out by the screaming of a jet engine flying over the building, leaving Daisy\u2019s ears sore and ringing. It rattled the windows again, the cracks growing.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhat was that!?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s going on!?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cRyan, please give everyone seven cards. We\u2019ll count together.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n All six kids sat in a circle behind Daisy\u2019s large, teaching desk. They were all small enough that if the window shattered the desk would\u2013should\u2013protect them.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOne, two, three,\u201d Daisy started, opening a lower drawer and taking out the first-aid kit. \u201cFour, five, six, seven.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n They started again. \u201cOne, two, three,\u201d Daisy opened the kit, grabbed the gauze, and pressed it on the top of George\u2019s head. \u201cFour, five, six, seven.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIs George playing?\u201d Tina asked suddenly.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cNot\u2013\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n A massive, concussive blast slammed into the building. The windows shattered. Glass flew everywhere, tinkling off the walls and roof, sinking into the carpet. One shard tore a line through Daisy\u2019s cheek, but she didn\u2019t feel it.<\/span><\/p>\n Out of the ringing in her ears and bleating of alarms slowly came the screaming of the children. And crying.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s going on!? What\u2019s going on!?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Behind them, a light fixture swung loose from the ceiling, and then crashed in an explosion of sparks. The live wire that remained spat and writhed in the air by the only exit, locking them in. There was no escape.<\/span><\/p>\n And now, blowing around on a freezing gust, dust went everywhere. Daisy could smell it, smell smoke, and taste blood in her mouth.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI want my Mommy!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cDragonflies!\u201d Daisy croaked, reaching into the top drawer of her desk and producing a bag of M&Ms. \u201cLet\u2019s keep playing! This is like a thunderstorm, ok? It will go away.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI want my Mommy!\u201d Lily bawled, running to Daisy, who pulled her close.<\/span><\/p>\n Ryan, Ahmed, and Tina were all whimpering and sobbing too. This was a losing battle.<\/span><\/p>\n Daisy Hope opened her arms, and the children came running in.<\/span><\/p>\n It was all falling apart. Everything.<\/span><\/p>\n She wanted to call her Mom, her friends. But her phone was across the room.<\/span><\/p>\n We\u2019re going to die<\/span><\/i>, Daisy thought,<\/span> we\u2019re going to die.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n \u201cMiss Hope,\u201d Tina blubbered.\u201cAre we going to die?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d Daisy Hope said. \u201cWe\u2019re not going to die.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n That was when the ash cloud descended. It enveloped them, swallowed them, hugged them. The world became small, and it tasted of soot, smoke, and rot.<\/span><\/p>\n A word escaped Daisy\u2019s mouth, quivering and lonely. \u201cShit\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d Ryan asked, looking up from the grime of the ash.<\/span><\/p>\n Daisy swallowed. \u201cNothing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou said \u2018shit.\u2019 That\u2019s a potty word. My Daddy says it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cShit!\u201d Ahmed said with a grin, tears still staining his face.<\/span><\/p>\n Somehow, Daisy Hope smiled.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s all say some potty words,\u201d she said, warmly. Then she opened the bag of M&Ms and shoved a handful into her mouth.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cReally?\u201d George said, looking up from under her arm, blood dripping down his face.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYes, really.\u201d She grinned, beginning to hand out the M&Ms freely. \u201cCrap.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cCrap!\u201d Ryan yelled, chewing. \u201cShit!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cShit! Crap!\u201d Tina laughed.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cFuck!\u201d Daisy yelled into the smoke.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cFuck! Shit! Poopy!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n They were all laughing now, heaving in big lungfuls of ash and chocolate.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cFuck fuck FUCK!!!\u201d Daisy bellowed.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cCrap!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cPee-pee! Poo-poo! Fuck! Shit!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/span><\/p>\n