The Law of Disaster

The sun was warm on the schoolyard, and finally, the last class of the week was over. Friday at last. ​Inside, the classroom was freezing. The teacher gathered his papers and hurried out, leaving the six of us stuck in the back row, staring at the clock and waiting for that sweet sound. ​Then the final bell rang, echoing down the empty hallways. ​Before anyone could blink, Leo vaulted right over his desk—classic Leo, always the most hyper one among us—and shouted: ​"Finally! The weekend is here, and tomorrow is Saturday! What are we doing?" ​Voices started flying around. "Let's get out of this house!" "Oh man, I'm dying of boredom!" ​Leo’s eyes lit up. "What about Dreamland? The new Death Coaster opened today. I heard it's insane!" ​We all exchanged looks. Dreamland was the biggest amusement park in the state, and honestly, we hadn't been there in ages. ​We were ready to say yes on the spot, but then John’s expression dropped. He looked down, his shoulders slumping. ​"I can't... My parents are away for the whole weekend, and they left my little brother and sister with me. I'm stuck babysitting." ​"Come on, man," someone said. "Bring them with us! What's stopping you?" ​We parted ways with a tentative plan: he’d call us later that evening once he figured it out. ​Later that night, at John's place. ​His two younger siblings were sitting in the middle of the living room floor, deep into building a towering castle out of colorful plastic blocks. ​John dropped onto the couch beside them. "Hey, my friends are heading to Dreamland tomorrow. All day." ​The second the little guy heard the word, he jumped up, sending the blocks crashing everywhere. "Dreamland! Take us, John! Please! I want to ride the little cars!" ​Beside him, his little sister grabbed John’s hand with both of hers, her eyes wide and pleading. "Please, John? I promise I'll be super quiet, I won't make a single peep." ​John couldn't help it; he laughed and ruffled their hair. "I knew you’d say that. Alright, fine, you're coming. But you have to stick close to me and listen, deal?" ​Seconds later, my phone buzzed. It was John. "Good news, guys. They're coming with us. Put me down for two extra tickets." ​And just like that, the plan was locked in. Tomorrow, Saturday, 5:00 PM sharp, right outside the main gates of Dreamland. We were going to stay all the way until midnight to watch the New Year's fireworks. ​We walked through the gates at 6:00 PM. The second we stepped inside, the rest of the world just vanished. It felt like walking into another dimension. ​Loud, upbeat music was pulsing everywhere. Thousands of colored lights flickered and danced in the dark. The sweet smell of popcorn, hot cotton candy, and hot dogs hung thick in the cool air. Laughter echoed from every corner, mixed with the joyful screams of kids on the rides. ​We grabbed ice cream and went from one game to the next like a pack of wild kids. We laughed until our ribs ached. For a few hours, tests, homework, and every tiny stress in life completely ceased to exist. ​We were sitting right at the very top of the Ferris wheel, looking down at the entire glowing park spread out beneath us like a map of stars... and then it happened. ​The music cut out. Total silence. ​Wait. Before things go sideways and the sky turns upside down, let me introduce the crew. There are eight of us in total—six high schoolers and two little ones. ​The high school gang: ​Leo: The ringleader. Tall, endlessly energetic, lives for wild ideas and practical jokes, and somehow never seems to run out of battery. ​John: The anchor of the group. Calm, deeply reliable, and carrying the weight of being the oldest brother. He looks out for all of us just as much as he looks out for his siblings. ​Alex: The quiet one in the corner. Always has at least one earphone plugged in, says maybe five words an hour, but misses nothing. He’s the one who sees what the rest of us are too blind to notice. ​Eliza (that's me): The observer. I spend half my time with a beat-up notebook in hand, watching everyone from a distance. I write things down because I hate the idea of forgetting. ​Leanda: Utterly obsessed with her look. Her pocket mirror never leaves her hand. Even if we're hurtling down a roller coaster drop at ninety miles an hour, she’s checking her hair. ​Silvia: The walking sunshine. Hilarious, genuinely kind-hearted, and completely obsessed with kids. She’s the first one to run over and hug little Mary the second she looks nervous. ​And the little ones: ​Masio: Nine years old, a total menace in the best way possible. Fearless, endlessly curious, and convinced he's going to be an astronaut one day. ​Mary: Eight years old, sweet, soft-spoken, and attached to Masio's side. She never lets go of her big brother's hand, and her small, worn-out teddy bear goes everywhere she does. ​Eight of us walked into Dreamland looking for a good time. ​Then a light cut across the sky. ​It wasn't fireworks. It looked like a massive, glowing blue digital screen stretching out endlessly above the entire park. ​[THE CATASTROPHE] [THE COUNTDOWN BEGINS] [YOU WILL BE TRANSFERRED TO THE ZOMBIE WORLD IN MOMENTS] ​Chaos broke out instantly. Screams ripped through the air. People bolted in every direction, parents desperately screaming names as they searched for their kids. A magical night crumbled into a nightmare in less than a heartbeat. ​Then came the flash—a blinding, suffocating white light, fierce enough to rival the noon sun, washing over everything and robbing us of our sight. ​In the sudden whiteout, our fingers locked together, gripping each other's hands for dear life so we wouldn't get swallowed by the light.