Cory and his sister played in the garden, his beach-blonde hair swaying in the breeze. Sarah was counting, in a cheerful high pitch voice. "Ready or not, here I come!" Cory hurried to his hiding position in the dense tree line surrounding the small home. Sarah opened her pale blue eyes, pretending to look around with a mock-confused expression on her face. She ran over to Cory's hiding place and together they laughed. Cory's mum sat on the deck reading, occasionally looking up at the sound of the children's laughter. The children fell silent as their gaze turned to a plumb of smoke on the horizon. Suddenly, an alarm sounded and the kids' mother slammed her book shut and stood hurriedly. She beckoned over Cory and Sarah and exclaimed in a terrified tone, "They're coming..."

The stench of dried blood and rotting flesh filled Cory's sinuses as the sauntering smoke created a misty haze around the limp body. His eyes flickered open as he drifted in and out of consciousness, the sunlight shimmering over the burnt foliage as it peeked through the canopy of the blackened trees. A finger twitched as the boy began to summon strength to move, but almost instantly the body returned to its statue-like position. As he lay there, he listened for a noise, anything that would indicate a sign of life, but nothing. The only noise was his own uneven, slightly panicked breathing.

Cory twitched, his eyes tightening as if a migraine was persisting to overcome him. 'We need you Cory, please don't lea...' The voice was cut off. Cory shot open his eyes in fear and propped himself up onto his elbow. Adrenalin was racing through his veins. The troubled boy scanned his surroundings for the voice, but nothing. The forest was empty. No life anywhere.

As Cory sat amongst the burnt trees, he noticed a stinging sensation through his hands and feet. He investigated his limbs and noticed the palms of his hand and souls of his feet were badly burnt, but his memory was failing him and a confused, slightly worried expression spread across his discoloured face. Cory stood and looked around, his head spinning with dizziness. All he could see was blackened trees and scorched leaves. There was no sign of... well, anything. The teenager took a few steps forward, hoping that maybe someone would make themselves seen and help the boy.

Dried, cracked leaves crunched as the teen dragged his defeated body forward. He longed for someone, anyone, to accompany him through this painful journey. His slightly hunched spine made it even more difficult for him to continue. Cory's dirty blonde hair mopped up and down with every step, and harassed his eyes with a subtle brush with each movement. He lifted his legs with great angst in an effort to avoid tripping on the debris. As he looked down, Cory noticed a wound in his right leg. His pants were ripped and his flesh was visible, with blood slowly oozing from the gash. The voices returned to Cory "You left us. Why? We needed you and you left us!" Cory's ocean blue eyes watered and a solitary tear trickled down his cheek. The boy closed his eyes, but he didn't see darkness. He visioned fire, his home being engulfed by the horrific flames. The screams of his mother and sister entered his head while images of burnt monster-like people scrambling for their lives flashed across his mind. Cory opened his eyes and buried his head deep into his hands. He remembered.

Eventually, Cory rose and limped onwards, hoping that maybe, just maybe he would find his family.

Cory came to an opening, by now blood was pouring out of his wound and he was feeling faint. The loss of blood was beginning to turn him to a pale green colour. Cory fell to his knees. His breathes getting heavier and his sight began to blur. Suddenly, he froze. In the distance he saw the figure of two bodies, crumpled in a heap on the floor. Tears gushed from his eyes as he came to a shocking realisation; the burnt bodies belong to his mother and sister. Too weak to move to them, he lay, shaking and crying at the sight of his family members. The surrounding blackened trees swayed in the light breeze, almost as if they too were sobbing. The smoky haze lingered as if to make fun its victims. Cory's head fell and his eyes began to roll. As he lay there looking at his family, he began to lie still, his tears slowed and his sobs became inaudible. Slowly he closed his eyes and let his mind wonder freely;

Nothing can be worse than the pain I'm in. The isolation, the guilt. Nothing. Not even death.