Last week, I published Seek Emergency Shelter. Same nightmare. Less time to breathe.
My phone shrieks, punching straight into my chest. I flinch. The mug slips. Coffee hits my bare foot, heat biting.
The screen flares white.
EMERGENCY ALERT
INCOMING MISSILE THREAT
SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER
THIS IS NOT A TEST
IMPACT ESTIMATE: 14 MINUTES
Not a test.
Sam. Grade school. Soccer practice. Outside.
Lily. High school. Debate practice. Inside.
My hand closes around the phone, hard enough to ache.
Lily in the doorway. “You never choose me.”
I didn’t answer.
She didn’t wait.
The room tilts back into place.
My breath stalls, scrapes back in.
Keys. Door.
The space splits.
Sam—wide sky, nowhere to hide.
Lily—contained, not safe enough.
My heart hits once.
Choose.
(c) 2026 Lynne Curry, first published in Literary Garage on May 10, 2026