Fire and Fear

It all happened quickly, taking everyone by surprise. 

The screams came first, from the town centre just ahead of the group of three friends, two black wolves - near identical twins called Rowan and Quin, and a pink cat, Havoc.
Havoc paused first, their ears twitched as they stared ahead at the town centre, the twins slightly ahead of them, both looked torn between going elsewhere or continuing to see what all the screaming was about. 

Next came the explosions. 

The three of them were thrown backwards by the force of the explosions that ripped through the town centre, the screams silenced in a swift and violent manner.
Havoc, being used to being thrown about, recovered slightly quicker than the twins, pulled their head up just in time to see something headed to their friends. 

It happened so fast, and afterwards could only Havoc remember glimpses - the sky, filled with an unnatural red, and tainted with fire and smoke. 

Rowan and Quin, their only friends, trying to pull their heads up to watch their impending doom.
That red glow, sending an explosion right at the twins.
Their own arms outstretched, reaching futility for their friends, to save them? Embrace them?
And then - 

There was silence. 

A heavy, thick silence that bears no comfort. 

Havoc opened their eyes, the first thing they noticed was that they were several feet away from where they were before, the next thing is that they were bleeding, mostly from superfluous scratches, the third, they were holding onto something. 

Havoc looked down, their breath catching as they saw Quin’s face, blood seeping from a wound on his jaw, after inspecting their friend further, Havoc pulls their jacket off, quickly, clumsily, their fingers barely responding, and they wrapped it around Quin’s foot, although it was so mangled you could barely call it that anymore.
Once they had secured Quin, Havoc stood, wincing from the pain of hundreds of bruises and small cuts, and slowly moved back to the spot they had last seen Rowan in. 

As Havoc reached the rubble, they let out a shaky breath, dropping to their knees. 

They could tell immediately. 

Rowan was dead. 

Tears fell as Havoc stared at his body, how could they have let this happen? Why couldn't they have saved him as well? 

Why weren't they strong enough?

A weak noise from Quin reminded them of their remaining friend’s condition, of their limited time, and they stand again, giving Rowan one last look before turning away. 

Havoc picked up the smaller boy easily, and walked towards the commotion in the distance, a rabble of people rather than fleeing prey.
They needed to get Quin medical help, they needed to know what's going on, they needed to get someone to help them with Rowan’s body. 

He was only 17.