Helen was a forty year old living in the suburbs, making do with her dance classes. Being of this age yet being single she'd been through quite a few awkward situations, close calls and fights. Not one to budge from an young age she didn't bend to other's whim, she was content with her small and comfortable life bereft of any attachments and responsibilities to others. Buzz Click! " Helen?..." "Yes, what is it Linda?" "Can we postpone the rehearsals next week?" "Wait wh..." "Pretty pretty please!... Ok bye" Click! "Wait! ...uggghh! " Helen's face darkened, recently this new batch to her class was quite a package, Quarter of the semester was already up but they still had not attended even ten classes. To top that, le dôme's selection rounds were just around the corner and these hadn't even rehearsed once! "Maybe I should call in sick and drop this one" Sighing at her helplessness she moved on to wearing her shoes and checking her outfit in the mirror once before making it out her door. Morning was her time, she wouldn't let anything bring down her fitness streak. Being an ex D5 athelete her drive to always keep herself fit was deep rooted as her passion to dance. Ta Ta Ta ♪ Some legends are told.... ♪ Playing her usual tracks and setting her buds firmly in her ears her breathing became rhythmic, she tightened her core before setting off jogging. This suburb was known for peace and quiet, rarely recording even robberies. Even around the shady corners and parking lots no junkies or very few homeless were seen. Helen's route was pretty much fixed, she'd take right two blocks down and run down the uphill driveway, a small stretch in the park and back the same way before it's time for her morning batch students. Making her way to the corner, Helen stopped at the lights, waiting for it to turn green. Controlling her breathing and reducing the volume on her music she looked either side of the road, when she confirmed it was empty she went on with her pace, unbothered with the unreliable street lights. Woof! Woof! Hahaha hahaha! Hearing the barks and kids playing around she made her way into the park, glancing around for any familiar faces she shook her head, a wry smile on her face. "I knew it! That lazy bum..." Murmuring under her heavy breaths she remembered running into an acquaintance the last time, a fellow avid reader. He seemed likeable enough that she hung around quite awhile last time, she had thought of asking him out this time around, but... "Guess he really wasn't lying about his laziness" Thinking about it, she came to her usual spot. Her breathing evened out, her posture in place. For good fifteen minutes she would do her crunches, push-ups and so on. Around ten minutes in. Park was a bit crowded now, the dusk had been replaced with the bright sunshine, people laughing, kids playing around, with a lot more dogs barking about. A rogue frisbee made its way to Helen, landing right behind her head, knocking her back to the world. "Ouch!.... You're not getting it back you punks!" With that she grabbed the neon green toy and flicked it hard, away from the incoming group of kids... "Hahaha.... " "Hehehehe" Their energy not nicked by even an ounce, they sprinted even faster at the thrown frisbee, ignoring the plight of the old lady. "Bloody demons in human skin, and they say I'm missing out on motherhood.....Yeah right" Rolling her eyes she buried her annoyance, rubbing the back of her head once more she got up and checked the timer. "Ok, let's just go now" Thinking that she patted her back and legs for any dirt and turned her way to make it back home. Just about thirty seconds in, Helen felt like she heard the screech of two metals grating then an explosion Before she could turn towards the sound, next she heard the sounds of blades churning in the air, making its way close in break neck speeds. Ahhhh! Boom! Boom! Boom! The blades were from a helicopter, atleast what was left of it. Still a few meters from the ground, its destruction was all but imminent. People had already begun screaming and scattering like ants. In fractions of seconds Helen saw the scene her brain had yet to register what was happening. Bits of debris had already made its way to the land, trees and objects could be seen speared with long bits of metal. When it finally hit her, her body reacted instinctively to run the other way with no regards whatsoever. Fhoo...Fhoo...Fhoo...Fhoo... Like a meat grinder from the sky, the sounds of the blades closing in reverberated behind her, the air pushed from the blades brushing against her back, ofcourse her adrenaline had numbed her senses nill. Screams and cries filled the crowded park, if Helen turned around she would see the carnage the impacted debris had made. Boom! Helen felt her body float in the air for a moment and then fall front in full force on her face, within moments she regained her senses and tried getting back, slipping a few times she moved frantically to get back on feet. Unconsciously her head turned around. What she saw drained every bit of the adrenaline in her blood. Fire and thick black smoke jutted out from the now landed helicopter, flames like tongues licking about the air tens of meters above, but that was not the frightening scene, not even close! Masses of flesh grey, red and black strewed all over, she could see bodies of kids spilt in halves, their guts strewn all over, some even half conscious and screaming for help, some bodies were on fire, still writhing in pain with their skins melting off in real time. Right around her legs she saw an arrm, a bit too small to go on any adult's body, the implications of it made her already shocked head become light headed. She had escaped the brunt of the shockwave from the impact but the internal concussion and horrific scene finally hit her... "I'm never touching meat again..." Was the last thing she could think off before everything went black. ....................................................................... Three Days After.... "Coming from the Mayor's office, we confirm the death toll has risen to forty five. Twelve of which were children from age five to ten. Families have been informed and necessary steps for th.." "Please turn it off...urggh" Lying on the hospital bed Helen pleaded the nurse at her side, holding her head in the only hand movable to grip her head from searing pain brought about by her speaking aloud. Click! "Don't move too much, sigh you're truly the luckiest of the ones who made. Rest are still in coma, just rest and don't think about. It's all behind you now." Flashes of the hell like accident made her wince internally, just thinking about the incident made her body convulse in ways she never thought possible. "Urggh...compared to this pain, I'd rather have gone with them!" The nurse looked a bit aggrieved, in slight anger she pinched Helen's thighs."Count your lucky stars girl! Don't joke around " "Urggh..Heey! I'm not, I..I ju...Fuck it. Ok sorry now move on to the next bloke, ok?" Maybe it was the physical pain or the mental, Helen was on edge, not bothered about her rudeness. Understanding her situation the nurse shook her head in pity, checking all the readings one last time she made it out the ICU. "I shouldn't be alive....." Helen thought while gazing at the white celling. She felt like a fraud, of all those lives she felt she wasn't the one who deserved to make it out alive. All her insecurities, her hidden trauma everything bubbled up and hot tears fell down her eyes. Closing her eyes with the bandaged arm she gritted her teeth hard, till crackling sounds could be heard. "I shouldn't be alive...."