I heard a faint cracking noise as I placed a foot on top of the old wagon, ready to hoist myself up on top. Mentally convincing myself that it would be fine, I pushed my aching body over the top and collapsed, heaving, on the slightly arched roof. From up here, I could see everything; the shimmering ocean, the wide full moon like an unblinking eye, and, slightly closer, the garish lights of the old theme park slowly shutting off, one Ferris wheel bulb at a time. No one had set foot in there for years, but whoever had been last had clearly left in a rush, not shutting down the main ride. The carts had long since stopped their slow spinning, but the lights were still shining.

I watched another flicker for a few seconds, and then disappear amongst the darkness. It had once been a huge, omnipresent circle looking over the thick moorland, but the hundreds of lights were gradually being extinguished, starting from the bottom and working its way around, anti-clockwise over the circle. It did look like a clock, actually.

Or a countdown.

I scrambled backwards as the realisation hit me. It was like a timer. Another light dissipated. There weren’t many left at all, now I looked. Maybe only... I counted.

Three.

My sudden movement had made the old wagon give way at last (I had been so stupid), and, with a final CREAK, I felt the wood crumple beneath me. I scrabbled for the edge, but to no avail. As I plunged into darkness, I spotted yet another light go.

Was it my imagination, or were they moving faster than before?

I was far away from the theme park, it was true. I was on top of a hill, the park at the bottom. But it was still only two hundred metres or so, and, as pain blossomed outwards in great spikes from my ankle, from my unexpected fall, I realised I wouldn’t be going anywhere any time soon. There was no one nearby to call for help. A tear of desperation leaked from the corner of my eye, as, only a few moments later, a great burst of orange, a mushroom cloud of dust and ash imploded into being, the force tipping the entire caravan over.

I screamed as my body was crushed.