Loid

                                    

                                          
Boooooooong!!!
Anya stared at the clock tower in silent anticipation, waiting, hoping, praying that nothing would happen, that nothing would go wrong, that her message written in blood would get through to her father. 
"Papa's gonna be okay, right mister dog?" She whispered to the huge white dog next to her. He borfed in response and she felt her pounding heartbeat slow slightly. 
I wish I could make mister doggie see the future on command, she thought nervously. Then I'd see that papa's gonna be okay and—
Boom!
Anya gasped, looking back up to see a pillar of smoke rising from the other side of the building. 
Papa. No. No way, this can't be true!
"Mister dog, look into the future again!" she cried, shaking the dog up and down, tears gathering in her eyes. "Please! Tell me Papa's okay!"
The dog stared at her, not making a sound. Something in his eyes looked strangely sad. 
"Papa!" Anya leapt onto the dog's back and guided him to run forward, towards the cloud of thickening smoke. 
They ran for a few minutes until they reached the other side of the clock tower, then the dog skidded to a stop. People were struggling to their feet after being knocked over by the blast, and some people weren't getting up at all. Anya urged the dog to walk up to one of these people, a young man with a brown hat. But when they got closer she saw a mess of red that made up his face and felt vomit rise in her throat.
"W-we have to find papa..." she whispered hoarsely, guiding the dog away.
They made their way through the gathering crowd around the pile of rubble that now made up the clock tower. And at the very front were two bodies: one of a man with a gray mustache, and another of a man dressed completely in black. Both held guns and both were unconscious. 
They're not papa! Anya felt hope rise in her tiny chest, so much she almost couldn't breathe. He's still alive. He has to be!
"Wait! There's one more body in there!" someone in the crowd called, pointing to the top of the pile of rubble. Anya followed their finger, her eyes widening in horror. That teal suit, that blond hair...
"PAPAAA!!!" she screamed, kicking the dog in the side to get him to run up the rubble pile and to the body, ignoring the shouts from the bystanders. "Papa! Papa! Are you okway?" Her words were blurred by tears rushing over the edge and making her mouth pucker. 
"Borf! Bwooorf!" 
"Papa! Wake up!"
But Loid stayed immobile, crushed by tons of pounds of rock. A trail of blood ran from his ear into his mouth, not stopping. His eyes were closed, as if he were simply sleeping. But when people slept, they had dreams Anya could hear.  
Her father's mind was quiet.
Too quiet. 
Too empty. 
She'd failed. 
Peace was over. 
The world would go to ruin. 
But she didn't even care. 
All she wanted was for her papa to wake up. 
But he wouldn't. She knew that. He would never wake up again.