It wasn't much farther now, she could already see the tree line not a half- mile ahead. If they just kept walking, maybe they'd make it before the storm hit.

Sarah drew a deep breath, her eyes closing momentarily, her step faltering slightly as she did. Glancing at the sky she shrugged the rucksack higher on her back, making the straps more comfortable on her shoulders.

Not too far now.

The group was small, by some standards, but large enough now that they may be able to keep a community alive once the storm had ended. There were children, the youngest eighteen months, the eldest nine years, young couples, old couples, singles from all ages, both men and women. There were at least three families and more than half a dozen single parents carrying children too young to walk.

Sarah herself was single and childless. She was a teacher, of English and History, a useless talent now, perhaps, but she hoped that one day in the future, it may once again become useful.

Some of the others though; she believed she had struck lucky with them. One of the men was a carpenter by trade, another two were electricians. There was a doctor, a nurse and a vet. But there were also the labourers, another teacher, blue collar workers, lawyers, some unemployed and house wives and husbands as well as the elderly and one or two infirms.

She huffed, her mind running over all the possibilities of what was to come if they survived the storm.

They were closer now, so close she could smell the trees.

But the storm. The sky was raging, the clouds so thick that though it was midday in July, there was no sun. They were walking by torchlight. Picking their way through unsown fields, over fallen dry stone walls.

They were heading for the underground station inside the hill. Everyone knew about it, few people had ever actually been there. Sarah had. It had been here idea to head for it as soon as the power went. It was protected, it was roomy, it was below ground - just enough so that the temperature would be constant.

They could set up inside and - hopefully, if they survived the storm when it hit - set up a small community within.

Some of the children, the older ones, were becoming distraught at the sight of the sky. Their parents tried to console them, eventually telling them simply not to look, to try to ignore the rolling clouds, the funnels appearing in the distance. They were nearly at the hillside now.

Sarah glanced once more at the sky, confirming what she had heard the children wailing about. Tornadoes were beginning to form on the horizon. They looked small, toy-like, but she knew it was only the distance, they were massive, larger than any tornado ever recorded. The damage would be disastrous.

The tornadoes were only the beginning.

Weeks, months before the power had gone, when the news was still running, experts had informed the world that the weather was going to deteriorate. There had been 3D models on screen, holograms in the streets, even VR connections for those who wanted to experience the destruction before it happened. Just the once, Sarah had tried the VR, morbid curiosity in preparation of what was to come.

The VR was only that. The reality was more terrible than any of the experts had dared to dream. Within weeks the sky had turned black - they hadn't seen true sunlight in over two months - the temperature had dropped, the rain had come down in sheets for days on end.

Today was a dry day, the first one in weeks. It didn't help as much as she had hoped. The ground was like sludge, most had given up with shoes or boots and were now going barefoot, carrying the forsaken luxuries instead.

Sarah shook her head, trying to dislodge the unwanted memories, the unwanted thoughts; she tried to concentrate once more on the hill before them.

They were almost there! A hundred yards, no more, and they would be at the entrance, and they could go down, deep into the ground where it was safe.

She turned slightly and rallied the others, telling them to keep going, they were almost there. The children took heart and began to trot along to keep pace with her as she led the way.

Within minutes they were there. It was exactly as she had remembered it. The solid steel door was one of the old types, with a handle. You had to pull this door open with your own strength - which was one reason she had headed for the place.

She pulled the door open and stood, holding it open against the increasing wind as the others trailed inside. As the last person stepped in, she looked about her. The world was dark, windy, muggy. The tornadoes on the horizon were bigger than ever, outlined midnight black against the dark storm coloured sky.

Maybe - maybe one day, they would be able to return to this world. And maybe, if they learned from their mistakes, they would treat it better next time.

With one final look, she closed the door behind her with a final ringing boom, then made her way to the head of the party.