We sat there in stunned silence. How could this have happened? What force had this power, it certainly wasn't human? Would it come back? Or happen again?
These questions that threatened to tear me apart and consume my brain was broken by their vocalisation.
"What in holy hell did this?!" the shocked policeman said, staring up the staircase with shaking knees. I thought he might collapse.
"Oh my god, oh my god they're all dead, the worlds gone, we're gonna die as well Oh god!" Rebecca shouted, wailing with a cold, forsaken tone leaking out as she foresaw our situation.
She collapsed on the floor clutching on to Rain, engulfing him.
After that all hell broke loose as a flurry of anger and despair surged out from all of us. I found myself feeling weak and stumbled to the wall for support. Despite my despondent trance I still noticed Liam standing still, looking up at the site reverently.
Was he truly looking for his God here, now!? I snarled in my mind at his lack of empathy, though a small part of me wished to be able to join him. If only I felt I had all the answers as he seemed to believe.
As that thought passed my mind I found a curiosity fill me, I wished to know this truth, to what extent had misery extended its laden hands upon humanity? Was death truly upon us here and now.
I made my way towards the exit and climbed the stairs that lead to the surface. It was not some trick of the light, or low reaching disaster. As I climbed those stairs and more of the city came clear to me a gritty twist in my stomach took place. My city, my home, the world above was no more.
I felt clarity in that realisation, whilst grief would forever lay at my back like a hovering storm, I could not let it overwhelm me. We must survive.
This pragmatic determination filled me as I stood upon the top of those stairs, gazing at the newly uncovered horizon, still painted orange in a morning sun.
I turned and raced my way back to the group. "We have time for mourning later, right now we need to figure out our immediate plan of action."
"He's right, right now we can only depend on ourselves," Tim replied, he was red in the face, a mixture of tears and anger that brought about a deep crimson.
"We shouldn't be the only ones to survive this, others who were also underground should still be alive, we need to link up with them." Andrew added with gritted teeth.
"How would we do that, run across the surface, no no no it might happen again." Rebbecca stuttered out, still clutching Rain. "We'll have to go out eventually, we don't have any food." Allison pensively added.
"Then we should stay down here, until we have no other choice. If nothing more has happened then, then it should be safe." I said, ending the conversation. Or at least so I thought.
"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH," a shriek erupted from next to us. Denise jumped up from her crouched position. She had been quiet so far so I'd taken little notice, but she did not seem well ; her hair was partially ripped out and she was deathly white and shivering.
Without uttering another word aside from some rapid panting, she ran up the stairs and out into the city. "Denise!", Cried out Andrew, and rushed after her. I followed close on their tails.
Denise ran over the lip of the stairs and out of sight, Andrew quickly after. As I came across that precipice, I spotted Andrew's form turning around a pile of rubble.
As I followed around too I came across a clearing in the street, the remnants of a road. Further ahead Denise was on her knees staring at the sun that lay before her on the horizon.
Andrew stood further back in horror.
"We've been in those tunnels for hours, It must be at least noon. Why is the sun only just above the horizon!?"
With that enlightening statement I came to the shocking realisation that Andrew had also just realised .
The Sun had come to a stop.