As I looked out of the open orphanage window and smelled the aroma of grilled steak and pine needles from the back woods of northern Connecticut, I saw something strange and out of place. The moon was larger or at least it looked bigger. ‘Whatever’ I thought to myself as I turned away. Out of curiosity I said “Hey Tim, Abigail, do you know what’s for dinner?” Both shook their heads and turned back to the game of Uno that they were playing.
          Tim was looking down on his cards and it looked like he was trying to pin down his next move. I smiled and laughed inwardly because he is one of the most intelligent kids in the orphanage (not to mention one of the tallest). Abigail was the realest of the bunch and could think her way out of any situation, not to mention the time she jumped out of the second floor window for a dare. I’ve come to think of them as a brother and sister even thought their both only my roommates in the orphanage. I’m the ‘bobo’ of the group, most people still call me a baby but I am six now and I can get into bed on my own but they don’t realize that at all, or understand it either. I think?   I watched as Tim changed the color to red and as Abby threw her cards down shouting like a banshee “You always win, how you do it.”
“It’s all in how you play” Tim said putting his cards down showing six color changers. As I started to get into bed Tim jumped up and said “Do you need any help?” angrily I said
“No, Tim, I’m good.”  He didn’t listen, as usual. He helped me into bed and turned off the lights.          
Then the radio turned on and started to play the news. The announcer reported that a meteor storm was headed straight for the eastern seaboard and would likely strike by morning and that mount St. Helens had just erupted killing thousands in Seattle. She also said that the ash cloud was spreading rapidly and was bringing mass quantities of acid rain and that reports from around the world were saying that over a dozen different volcanoes had erupted simultaneously and that a worldwide ash cloud was more than likely so on that awful note I fell into an uneasy sleep dreaming of all the people who were caught in the middle of the raging ash storm.   
“Connor, wake up, c’mon man, get up and get dressed and get outside” Tim yelled urgently.
“What’s happing?” I said groggily.
“No time, just get up and get out” he yelled as he ran to wake up Abby. So following his advice I got dressed and started for the door. I was half way there when Tim grabbed the collar of my shirt and said “not that way, we are going down the fire escape.”
It was at that point that I saw the flames licking the door frame and the wood start to smolder. Running for the window I climbed out on to the rickety old ladder that creaked and moaned in the raging winds. I saw to my horror all the floors above me on fire and meteorites striking the ground and these were not small like a golf ball but that one was almost as big around as a basketball. “OW!” I screamed as something burnt my arm. When I looked at it, it was sizzling and it started to turn yellow. It didn’t feel like an ember but it scorched like one.
“What was that” I asked Tim as he helped me to the ground.
“Acid rain I think, we should try and find shelter from it before it really starts to come down.”
“I second that.”  Abby whimpered in pain as some hit her left shoulder who for the first time in a while didn’t have her signature smirk plastered across her face.
We ran down the street to try and find a dry safe area to lie down and rest but with the acid rain hot on our heels like a pro sprinter. We couldn’t slow down to look behind us. As we neared a rock out cropping that formed a large dry area the rain really started to fall down. We made it just in time but the area was smaller than it looked so we were all bunched up in one claustrophobic group with a little room to spare.
Out of breathe I wheezed “I can’t do it anymore. I’m sorry guys I just can’t. Leaning down Tim said “Don’t worry we’ll get through this” then Abby piped up, “Don’t worry about a thing me and Tim well help each other help you get out of this” Feeling a little reassured I started to cry. Staring at the fuzzy ceiling I heard the dying embers of the orphanage crackle and pop and the pitter patter of rain on the rocks above me. Then several things happened at once.
I heard a thunderous loud crash and the entire ceiling collapsed in on us and acid rain slithering down like a snake to meet us. Some of it hit my face and a rock fell on top of me and everything went dark.
Blackness, searing pain ‘Am I dead’ I thought. “Help.” I heard the tortuous scream that sounded like Abby. I tried to get up but I could only raise one arm. Then I felt something grab my arm and wrench me up out of the rubble. As I started to be able to see again I saw Tim holding the hand he yanked me up with.
When I looked more closely at him I saw that his bright blue eyes were now grey and that his face which was supposed to be tan was white “What happened?” I asked as I began to look for Abby.
“The rocks came down and the acid rain stopped but that’s all. Why?” He said. Wanting to not scare him I said “I can’t see colors” I guess I did scare him because he stumbled and yelled
“Why didn’t you tell me right away-” “HELP!!” We both rushed to the spot and started to push the rock where Abby’s voice originated. After a little bit I saw her covered in what I thought was dust but then I saw the cut. When she opened her eyes her first words were, “What happened to you.”
“What do you mean?” reaching into her pocket she pulled out a broken mirror and showed me my reflection? I had a gash across my forehead, a scar across my right eye, both eyes were bulging and my skin looked like hot melted wax. Both my ears were all bloody, I think, and half of my teeth were gone. Trying to be optimistic I said “Well it could be terrible, a lot worse. We could all be dead.”
“Ok Mr. happy” Abigail said. Then Tim turned both of us around and saw the sun start to rise. ‘It’s wonderfully beautiful’ I thought as the stars started to fade out with the light of a new amazing day.