The world ends on a Friday

Chapter I

I hate those stupid gimps.

Look at them, gathering around the Sagrada Familia like there’s only one place to go in Barcelona. Now I can’t find my brothers between all these people – not that it would be a great loss if they went missing in this stupid country forever, of course, but my mother thinks otherwise.

“Excuse me,” I tell a fat, middle-aged man, trying my best to be polite. “I can’t find my brothers. They’re twins. They look like me, you know, auburn hair, hazel eyes, tall for their age… They’re eleven. Have you seen them?”

“Em sap greu, preciosa, però no t'entenc.”  He smiles at me like a perv, looking severely plastered. His teeth look rotten. He doesn’t understand a word of English, of course. They never do – spics aren’t particularly gifted at languages.

Frustrated, I try to break through the crowd. I’m wearing my new high heels, and my feet are beginning to hurt – not to mention how hard it is to walk on ice. I never expected it to be snowing in Spain.

At last, I spot them.

“Come here, you little turds!”

“You said turds!” says Freddie.

“Yeah, she totally did! Meaghan is so naughty! She shall be punished!” says Georgie.

My brothers are named after the Weasley twins from Harry Potter. And my name is Meaghan. Go figure.

“Mam sent me to get you guys! Come on, now!”  I look at my watch and sigh. I’ve lost almost ten minutes looking for these idiots.

“There you are! It was about time! Remember, we’re visiting here! We don’t know this country.” Mam is there, her arms crossed, looking unpleased. It’s our first Christmas since dad died, so she’s taking us on holidays to Spain to cheer us up. “Well? What are you waiting for?”

But we don’t answer. We are busy staring at the sky, where a giant fire ball seems to be coming right at us.

It hits with great impact. I fall to the ground and quickly lose consciousness.