Mara I woke before dawn, much earlier than normal. The city was a dangerous place, father had warned us many times. But I knew I had to go there. Ben was dying, and the only way he could recover was if I got him medicine.

It was quiet and chilly as I made my way out of the circle of huts that made up our village, clinging onto my wooden bucket. Usually Gai would be driving to market now, with his vegetables, the men would be on their way to work . . . but the war changed everything. There were no men left, and every day more letters arrived, more women were crying.

I walked along the dusty dirt track, passing by a pair of starved, bony birds fighting over a scrap of bread. I thought of my own larder at home, consisting of a handful of rice grains and a single slice of bread, barely enough for one person, let alone a family of seven.

My feet aching, my throat parched, I knew I could not go much further. Had I taken the wrong route? Just as I was thinking of turning back, I caught a glimpse of the shining, glittering city over the hill, its high towers rising into the sky. And that’s when the bomb went off. Emilia Opening my eyes, I stretch and yawn. I scramble out of bed, checking my phone. There’s a new message from Violet: she wants to go last-minute shopping before the state ball tonight. Something about her shoes not going with her dress. I suppose I could make it after school, only for an hour. The state ball’s not til eight.

I pick out a midnight black top and skirt, slip them on, and take out my curling tongs. When each lock has been turned into a ringlet, I quickly apply some navy eye-liner, grab my schoolbag and head out the door. I’ll get a hot chocolate on the way to school, and that’ll do me for breakfast.

Tim is waiting beside the jeep. Its black armour glints in the morning sunshine as I climb in, plugging in my earphones. The other girls always get to school quicker than me, their drivers are much faster. But I don’t really mind, because Tim allows me time to look over my notes before exams and double check my homework.

I glance through the tinted window. We are nearing a café. “Here ok, mi-“ but Tim doesn’t finish his sentence. A loud explosion goes off, and the jeep starts to roll down the hill.

Mara I cough and splutter, rubbing my eyes, then slowly pick myself up. I’ve still got a job to do, bomb or no bomb.

Suddenly a young girl comes running out of the city. She is dressed in jet-black and her hair is elaborately curled. Her eyes are outlined with expensive make-up and she wears silver earrings. She carries a mobile phone, something I have only seen once before, in the hands of a wealthy traveller.

A white girl. I start walking away quickly, but not before she spots me. “Did you hear the bomb?” Emilia I quickly unstrap myself. Tim is unconscious in the jeep, he will be too heavy to move. The best thing I can do is seek help. The door is jammed, so I climb through the front window.

What was that? The war has never affected the city before. The closest I’ve come is hearing explosions far off in the distance, and reading newspaper headlines.

The usual morning traffic of the city is not there, all is quiet. I walk towards the entrance of the city, then start into a run.

I step outside, onto the tarmac road that leads to the next city. I look around, bewildered. I’ve never been out of the city before. It is supposed to be unsafe and unnecessary to travel. The city is supposed to have all the resources we need.

Crunch. Crunch. The sound of a light treadfall fills the air. I turn, and see a girl, about my own age a little bit away. She has bronze coloured skin and short, ebony braided hair.

She is thin and barefoot and looks as though she hasn’t eaten for days, wearing only a sandy coloured, short-sleeved dress.

I have never seen anyone so neglected and poor as she is. I didn’t know there were people suffering as much as this. It is outrageous! How many more others are like her?

Am I dreaming? Am I asleep in the jeep? I pinch myself, and instead of asking is she ok? Does she want something to eat? I ask: “Did you hear the bomb?” She nods. So it is real.

“Do you know where it went off?” Just as I ask this question, a new smell of smoke fills the air. I turn around. A black cloud surrounds a circle of huts in the distance, a village. Flames rise up into the air.

“My village!!!!” screams the girl, and she runs towards the fire.