Corrupted Skies

You’re outside with your friends—Jay, Liam, Katie, and Sarah—just enjoying the afternoon. I’m Jake, fourteen, trying to act normal even though I know this world is far from safe. Suddenly, the sky above darkens unnaturally, a swirling storm of black energy flashing across the clouds. Then, without warning, bolts of it shoot down like jagged lightning, striking people in the streets around you. The ones hit scream for a moment… and then something changes. Black goo starts oozing from their eyes, coating their faces, their hands twitching unnaturally. Their eyes gleam with something terrifying, and then they grin—a smile that doesn’t belong to them. They move faster, stronger, more violent than before, lashing out with their powers, sending fire, ice, shadows, and light crashing around. Anyone nearby is a target. Bodies fall, and the moment someone dies, the black energy in the sky lashes out at them, drenching them in darkness. Within seconds, they rise again, their bodies twisted, powered by the same malevolent force, ready to attack anything living. Screams echo, powers collide, and chaos spreads like wildfire. Jay, Liam, Katie, Sarah, and I freeze, our hearts pounding. We watch in horror as friends and strangers alike are consumed, transformed into weapons of death. Fear drives us, and without thinking, we sprint toward my house, dodging blasts of energy and the newly violent people chasing anything in their path. We burst inside, slamming the door behind us. Mom and Dad are there, wide-eyed, as the chaos outside pounds at the walls. I grab their hands, pulling them toward safety, my chest racing. The world outside has turned into something unrecognizable—a place where powers are no longer gifts, but weapons fueled by darkness, and survival is the only choice.