The End of the World and Other Signs of the End of the World - ONC 2021

Juliet: Attempt #5

I woke up gasping for air.

I squinted into the darkness of my room, trying to recall the events of yesterday.

Had it been the missiles that ended the world? I vaguely remembered one missile that had come right at us, and then flying through the air, and then... nothing.

Something felt weird. Had I died?

The sounds of rocks on my window shook me out of my thoughts, and I got up to pull back my curtains and wave at Auggie. He waved back, but his face was unreadable.

I quickly got dressed and went downstairs to find my parents bustling about the kitchen. 

"August is here," I told them. "We're going to go look at a new astrological formation."

I hugged them, and they made me promise to use sunscreen. I swore I would, and grabbed my lockpick water bottle. 

I decided Auggie and I needed to get out of the city, so I grabbed a backpack and quickly filled it with things I might need; some food and water, a sweatshirt, papers and pens. Then I remembered he was still on my porch.

The second I opened my front door, August threw his arms around me. 

I stumbled back into my house. "Whoa, dude, you all right?"

"Are you all right?" He asked me.

"Yeah? What's wrong?" 

August glanced at my parents' front door cam. "Let's go. I'll tell you on the way to the bus." 

He'd packed a bag, too, so I guessed we were going on a trip.

We were silent all the way down my street. 

"Auggie. You're looking at me like you've seen-" It hit me, why he was looking at me like I was a ghost. "Wait. Did I die yesterday?"

He looked startled. "How'd you know?"

"I recognize the look on your face." I'm sure I'd looked exactly like that for most of yesterday. It took a long time for my brain to accept not-dead Auggie. "How did it happen?"

"The missile." He doesn't explain much more. "Then there were nukes. The world ended."

I squinted. "That's... it?"

"More or less."

"Sure. So we're going on a road trip today?"

"Right!" Auggie's eyes brightened. I couldn't understand why he adored planning so much, but at least it made him feel better. "Because obviously the Americans weren't happy that we took control of their drones."

"I noticed," I said wryly.

"So I was looking it up, and they've got this space... defense... something or other office in New York. I think we can get there before 9?"

"August, it's, like, a nine hour drive." Was he planning on teleporting.

"I know. I got us plane tickets. We should be there by eight-fifteen." Auggie set his jaw. "This is going to work. I know it will."

"Shit, dude, when does the plane leave?" I checked my watch. It was almost six. 

"Seven."

"August! The bus ride itself is going to take an hour!"

"It'll be fine. We'll make it." He was determined. Auggie was rarely stubborn about anything - he said stubbornness prevented creativity, which I thought was unbelievably stupid. But he was serious about this.