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The Last Text by Amelia P.
At 9 pm, every screen in the city went black - except mine.The street outside my window froze in confusion. Billboards dimmed, homes grew dark, even the sky lost its glow from the skyline lights. My phone was the only thing still alive, its screen glowing like a heartbeat in the dark.
BUZZ.
A text appeared.
"You've got 10 minutes. Don't go outside."
At first, I thought it was some kind of emergency alert. But the signal icon was gone, and the Wi-Fi was dead. The name at the top of the chat made my stomach twist - "KAI." But I was Kai.
BUZZ.
"9 minutes. Stay away from the sirens."
Outside, someone screamed as police drones zipped past, their red lights cutting through the dark like lasers. The city was losing its mind - alarms blaring, people shouting into dead phones.
"8 minutes. Stay inside and you'll make it."
My hands shook. I texted back: Who is this?Three dots appeared, then vanished. A new message came instead.
"You already know."
Same slang. Same typos. Same autocorrect mistake I always made with "your/you're." That's when it hit me - it really was me. Or some version of me…
I ran to the window. The sky looked wrong, like something unexpected was about to occur. Streetlights flickered back on, flashing random colours. A low hum filled the air, so deep I felt it in my ribs.
"6 minutes. Don't answer the door."
I backed away, heart hammering. My reflection in the window stared lifelessly back, its eyes glowing white. The city felt…distant, unknown. Like time itself was distorted. Like nothing existed anymore. I texted fast: What happens if I go outside?
"5 minutes. Don't. Please."
The word "please" scared me more than anything.
Then came a knock. Three slow thuds.That was my best friend Maya's knock, as her voice called from the hallway.
"Kai? You okay? Everyone's panicking!"
I froze. She sounded normal. Human.Another message appeared.
"4 minutes. Please don't make my mistake. That's not her."
My throat went dry. The door handle started to turn.
"Kai, open up!"
"3 minutes. Move away from the door."
I stumbled back, clutching my phone like a weapon. The knocking stopped. Silence pressed in again.
"2 minutes. It's happening early."
The hum outside grew to a roar. I couldn't breathe. My phone screen flickered, showing static…then, in huge, black letters:
"1 minute. The world is ending. The government did something. I'm sorry. I tried to stop it last time."
The lights exploded white. A sound like thunder ripped through the sky. I dropped my phone, shielding my face as everything froze mid-motion; shards of glass, chunks of earth. Even the sound itself hung in the air.
When the world unpaused, I was gone. I knew that it had been years…years and years…
The phone lay on the floor, still glowing.
I picked it up, hands shaking, and texted the only thing I could.
"You've got 10 minutes. Don't go outside."
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I'll Always Remember
By Nunah S
