“Hurry up!” my boyfriend shouted from our bedroom.

     I was in the shower cleansing my body and my mind. My thoughts flow as the water that trickles down my body. I cannot believe how much my life has changed since Tao has become my boyfriend. The word “boyfriend” used to make my throat feel dolorous. I couldn’t bring myself to say such a simple word. That simple word carries an extreme weight with it. Declaring someone as your boyfriend is claiming that a person has traveled into your heart. Tao has not only traveled into my heart, but he has made my heart his home. The other day I bought Tao an engagement ring. I believe I am ready to take it to the most prestigious step in a relationship. Tao needs to know how much I love him.

“Sehun, hurry up!” Tao yelled entering the bathroom. He pulled back the curtains and shut off the water.

“You just wanted to see me ”, I smirked.

“Shut up”, he rolled his eyes. “I ironed your outfit and clean your dress shoes.”

“You didn’t have to do that”, I stated walking out of the tub.

“I did, because you are slow. And you were right I did want to see you ”, he smiled looking my body up and down.

     I quickly put the clothes that Tao ironed for me. Today we had to dress up to renew our citizenship. The government edicts us to renew our citizenship every two years. When we update our citizenship, we also update the government on our lives. Then they will schedule an appointment to look examine our houses. They need to make sure that we have nothing that threatens our precious government. It seriously feels like Big Brother is watching over us. I blame the people of the early 2000s. They just sat by and let the government gain more control. Now they almost have complete control over us. Each continent has a leader. They meet once a month to discuss in Africa. Shockingly people actually support this kind of government. Under their control crime does barely occur. Everyone does have a job. Homelessness does not exist and the environment is at the purest it has been since 1968. I will admit those changes are wonderful, but many of our rights have been taken away from us. Democracy does not exist. The only right we have is to listen to what our government says.

“We should really move to North America”, Tao stated checking himself out in the mirror. He had on a long black satin coat paired with black jeans and boots.

“Funny, I don’t think we are qualified to move there. We already have to pretend that we are not together”, I replied.

     Though I want to propose to Tao, we cannot have a real marriage. Being gay depends on what continent and what region someone lives in. Though marriage equality is banned in every continent, certain continents and regions are lenient towards same couples. Tao and I live in a small town in outside of Seoul, South Korea. The particular street we live in is quite tolerant to same couples, but it is nowhere near the freedom that North America has. Out of all of the continents North America has the most freedom. This only occurs because they have a lot of rebellions there. Every week on the news a new rebellion happens. It has become so out of control that, I seriously think the government does not know how to handle it. Hopefully their mentality spreads to other continents. The feeling is starting to stir; I just wish it would happen much faster

“Let’s go”, Tao stated.

      We walked outside of our tiny apartment down our snow filled streets. The snowstorms have been intense these past days. Hopefully Mother Nature decides to bring warmth to melt down the frozen ice from the sky. A few blocks away, is the subway station. Back in the early 2000’s I learned that their subways were vile and pest filled. Today subways are cleaner than the average toilet. Janitors work down there day and night to provide a sterile environment. As we walked down the pristine white walls we saw a man in the painted in white with a large brown eagle on his chest. He was quickly detained by a group of security guards. The action he was doing was a protest for the freedom from our government. Maybe people of the east are finally starting to see the corruption that our government really provides to us.

“He’s awesome”, Tao whispered in my ear. He wouldn’t dare say anything like that out loud. “Maybe one day I could just grab your hand, so the whole world can see, that you and I together is normal as our parents who gave birth to us.”

“One day”, I whispered back.

“Line One to Downtown is entering the station”

     Our train pulled to into the large station. As people rushed off Tao and I entered the spacious train. We sat in the last car towards the back. A man wearing a black t-shirt with an anchor logo sat across from us. It is the government’s official symbol.

“Line One to Downtown is departing from the station”

“You have a little something on your face”, I spoke.

“What?” Tao stated feeling worrisome of himself. He roamed his face and even his short blonde hair.

“My lips”, I stated before kissing him on the check.

“Sehun”, Tao exclaimed. “You can’t do that here. Do you want to be murdered?”

“Who cares? I’m so fed up with hiding our relationship.”

“One day”, Tao replied.

At the same instance, the flat screen television attached to a wall of the train caught our attention.

“Breaking news! In London a huge rebellion against out Anchored Earth has erupted. This is the first strike in the continent of Europe. Wait, I am receiving more news. There is two more rebellions happening in Paris, and Berlin. Apparently these cities are rebelling because our Anchored Earth has been invading their personal belongings and even murdering same couples, Africans, and molesting children. It has been speculated that our leaders have been harming our children, but could these speculations be the truth. If so, what will happen to our Anchored Earth?”

     Finally, hopefully the same feeling will spread to Asia. I would pray, but we have certain times to that, and right now is not the time. There is no shock that the government would be doing anything illegal. What’s done in the dark eventually comes to the light.

“Why is the train shaking so much?” Tao asked.

      At first I did not understand what he was talking about until I felt powerful shaking as well. The shaking only heightened. The train began going off the tracks. Everyone on the car became flushed with panic.

“Sehun, what’s happening?” Tao asked grabbing a hold of me.

“I think it is an earthquake”, I replied.

      The shaking became so powerful that the train went off the tracks. The ground broke apart splitting the cars away from each other. I grasp Tao, embracing for impact. Everything happened extremely fast. Tao was burying his face into my body, so he did not witness the throwing of bodies, glass and metal being thrown. Eventually my grasp of Tao was disrupted. We were thrown about the car, as it finally crashed into a wall.

      I woke up to a pain inducing state. My back felt as if an elephant used it as a resting point. After a minute of trying to force myself up, I finally rose to total destruction. I heard cries and moans of people in pain. The smell of smoke even passed through my nostrils. I noticed the train was on its side. Well the particular car I was in was on its side. Electrical wires, glass, and metal were scattered around me. As I stood up I felt something pull out of my back. When I turned around I saw a large piece of broken glass covered in my red blood. Then the pain set in. I held my back trying to it up. But the stinging persisted on. I took a moment to reel in the pain, because a more important thought came into my mind. Where is my boyfriend? Tao and I were holding onto each other. How could he not be in my sight? He must be on the car. I slowly began walking on the broken glass windows, avoiding large pieces of glass. My walk was short because the rest of the car was inside of the subway wall. A pile of rocks are the only thing in my sight. Could Tao have flown forward? He cannot be under there. I need him by my side. Tears began running down my face. I couldn’t control my emotions. What if the one who has built a permanent home in heart has left? I blended in with the cries of pain. Before me was a woman with half of her body outside of the rubble. Her life has gone away.

“Help me!” a voice shouted from behind me. I turned to see a girl walking towards me. She had on a skirt which allowed me to see her leg dripping with blood.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

“I’m fine, but others really need some help”, she replied.

“Okay”, I spoke following behind the brunette girl.

      She led me outside of the car to pure carnage, bodies were scattered upon the rocky ground. Red was the new color of everyone’s skin. Some people were wailing pain. Others had metal or glass pierced through their bodies. Many lost limbs or lost the use of them. The familiar smell of smoke became stronger. I saw that to the left of us was a train car on fire.

“That fire is going to spread”, I stated.

“I know that why we need to help these people”, she replied.

“Help them where?” I asked. To the right of us was ruble, in front of us was a wall, and behind us was the train, I was on, crashed into the wall.

“Maybe we can, dig through the ruble” she suggested.

“There is no way.”

“We have to do something!” she shouted. Tears were forming in her eyes as she stared at me. She knows we cannot do anything, but yet she insist on trying.

“We have to get out of here”, I stated. “There is a high chance that the train car may explode.”

“But the others?”

“Will find there resting place”, I stated grabbing her hand.

      We rushed onto train thirty also known as the train in the wall. Two others followed behind us. Just as I predicted the fiery train car exploded. The four of us braced ourselves as smoke and objects flung in the combustion.

“No one could have survived that”, one of the men spoke.

“Do not speak like that”, the other man with black hair replied.

“Yes. There could still be hope”, the girl responded.

“Who are you people?” I asked. They started at me with wide eyes, but eventually they spoke.

“I am Luna”, she spoke.

“I am Yixing”, the brunette man spoke.

“I am Jongdae”, the other man spoke.

“I am Sehun.”

“When do you think help is going to arrive?” Jondgdae asked

“Soon, we just have to give them time. Line one is the largest train. It has thirty cars. Hundreds of people are distressed”, Yixing replied.

“Line one is the only car that goes downtown. We could be here for a while”, Luna stated.

“Great. What even caused this in the first place?’ Jongdae questioned.

“I think it was an earthquake”, I replied.

“It must have been an extremely strong earthquake”, Yixing replied.

“Well we are underground, so we probably felt the brunt of it, depending on its location”, Luna replied.

“What are you? A science major?” Jongdae asked.

“No. I am a common sense major. Maybe you should study the field”, Luna replied.

“Okay, let’s calm down”, Yixing interrupted. “We need to relax until our Anchored Earth comes and saves us.”

“If you are putting your trust in them, then you are outrageous”, Luna replied.

“Do not speak ill of our Anchored Earth!” Jongdae replied.

“Yes, you must show your gratitude to them”, Yixing replied.

Great I am stuck here with two Anchored Earth supporters. I must find Tao.

“Where are you going?” Jongdae asked.

“To find my friend”, I replied.

“Your friend is probably dead”, Jongdae replied.

“I don’t want to be mean, but I think we are the only survivors from cars twenty nine and thirty” Luna spoke.

“With all due respect, you don’t know what my friend and I have been through. We are fighters and I know he is somewhere fighting for me.”

“I’m going to follow him”, Luna stated.

As I walked through the smoke I began ferociously coughing. I needed to get off that train or eventually I would have been smoked out.

“This smoke is bad”, Luna stated. “I can barely see. Should we tell them to leave the train?”

“Already beat you to it”, Chen stated.

“How are we going to escape this” Yixing asked in between his coughs.

“The smoke wasn’t this intense before. What made it change?” Jongdae questioned.

“I think the explosion caused the smoke to become greater”, I guessed.

“Well whatever the reason, we need to find a way out”, Luna stated.

“How? Each way is blocked off”, Jongdae coughed.

“We are being congested standing in the middle”, I stated in between my coughs. The smoke was pricking at my throat. “Maybe we should move forward to the car ahead of us.”

“You mean walk directly into the smoke?” Jongdae asked.

“Yes, maybe once we pass car twenty nine then maybe the smoke would be thinner.”

“That makes no sense. The smoke is probably spreading both ways”, Jongdae replied.

“And there could be more train cars on fire. Maybe that’s why the smoke is so strong”, Luna stated.

“You hear that?” Yixing asked.

“Hear what?” Luna inquired.

“I think I hear running water”, Yixing stated.

“A water pipe could have come apart”, I spoke.

Yixing walked closer to the pile of rubble. “I think it is coming from beyond here.”

“That’s too much of risk”, Jongdae stated. “We can barely see as it is.”

“But we need to escape this smoke. If not then we will surely die”, Luna stated.

“Then what do we have to lose”, I asked. The three of them looked at me perplexed. “We have to try something, or just stand here and die. Like I said I have to find my friend. I’m going to the front of the train”, I stated turning from the trio.

          I am ready to fight Hell in order to find Tao. As I approached the smoke filled train, I raised my white sweater to cover my mouth and my nose. Small flames were still blazing on car twenty nine. Some metal of the car melted from the blast. Though I could barely see from the abundance of smoke, I felt my way through the small passage. I guided myself alongside the wall. I heard Jongdae’s voice shortly behind me, so I knew that they followed me. Hopefully I have not led them astray. The smoke seemed to become thicker as I guided myself alongside the wall. I heard coughing behind me, but someone’s coughing began to become extreme. I stopped and turned back to the direction I came.

“Are you alright?” Yixing asked to a kneeling Luna.

“I am fine”, she coughed.

“No you aren’t. You need water”, Yixing replied.

“Good job Sehun, we should have went through the rubble”, Jongdae stated.

“The rubble is too dangerous”, I replied.

“So is walking through hazardous smoke”, Jongdae replied.

“What do you want me to do? Every situation is bad!” I shouted. “We can’t go left we can’t go right, and we can’t stay here!”

     My emotions took over again. I became so flushed. Tao needs to be by my side so he can tell me that everything is alright. I’m not equipped to survive this disaster without him. How could I have let him go? An earthquake split us like it split the ground a part.

“Luna, I really think you should lie down”, Yixing stated.

“I need to crawl”, she stated. Her face was completely wet. She was dripping in sweat. Her white uniform shirt was drenched. We all were sweating profusely, but Luna had a different look to her. “You guys go ahead of me. I will catch up.”

     We continue through the thick smoke. This time we crawl to breath in healthier air. My hands bleed, because of the shards of metal and glass that I would crawl on. Before me was a crack in the ground. A train car’s front was in the hole while its back was lifted in the air. I heard calls of help, screaming, and crying. We were finally near more people, but not how we pictured them to be.

“Where is Luna?” Yixing asked.

“She was behind me”, Jongdae spoke.

     We became quiet for a moment because we knew where Luna had gone. My mind could only think of Tao though. Could he have ended up in the same place? He cannot be. He would never leave me.