Harsh Winters

Chap. 1

As the news man blared on the tv, informing the viewers that a nuclear attack is set into motion, he provided the nearest vault. I stood in the living room shocked than remember my family was out at a relative's place so I burst out through the front door, running down the street as I watched some people panick and try to get into their vehicles, slowly I relaxed as I stopped down the street and looked around, watching other's reactions.

I approached a group of teens, drinking the finest and coldest beers from their coolers and they offered me a bottle "Here little buddy, you look like you need it! Man these old people always spreading fake news, like the apocalypse, come on man." A man said in a white T-shirt. I begin to hesitation but take the cold beer from his hand, I look at it than nodded in response and continued my journey to my family.

I watched as the youngest people partied, they laughed and joked about the incoming apocalypse, I saw as the wiser people rushed to safety, throwing their packages and bags into the back of their trucks and even trunks then I placed the cold beer on the sidewalk, not sure what to do with it and continued on.

The chaos that spread throughout the city like a poisoned plant in a field seemed to calm me, the inevitable doom and the result of mankind's failures soothed my troubles and I looked at the sky, the skys seemed to dance with each other until I finally made it to my family, checking the time on my watch, seeing that it was 30 minute walk.

I knocked on the door, patiently as if nothing was wrong, soon my mother answered the door and hugged me with tears in her eyes "Oh thank god! We were about to leave but we don't have any room in the cars to get you" She sobbed to me, I patted her back "I'll walk, it's not that far from the city." I explained calmly, she looked at me worried than nodded after I gave her a serious look.

I watched as they packed their stuff in the cars and taking both of the cars, leaving to the vault swiftly. I walked towards the city, looking at how people tried to close their shops and how people even broke into jewelry stores, taking what they can. I watched in disappointed as people fought and went crazy, this is why humanity was driven to the edge.

I went through the city, the vault on the other side of the city but it wasn't that far, I wanted to take my time and enjoy the chaos as time flew by quickly until I checked my watch once more, 55 minutes left, I wasted 1 hour wondering but I realized that I was nearly there.

I found a bicycle and rode it towards the vault, feeling scared once again and worried that I wasn't gonna make it, hoping that my luck was still great as before, I went faster like I never before, eventually I gotten inside a forest to get there faster and almost fallen off of the bike a couple of times.

I got to the vault, the doors were about to be closed until I shouted "WAIT! I'M RIGHT HERE!" I shouted at the guards who were going inside, they didn't notice me when I fell off my bike and then grabbed a rock. I got back up, starting to run quickly and throwing the rock at them with all my might, it caused the ground to shake and I stumbled.

The guards noticed me and hurried me to the entrance as the mushroom cloud began close in, I got up and continued to run before I collapsed in front of them, they dragged me in and shut the door in time as the shockwave knocked them down.

I heard my family cry out my name, panick in their voices and I got up, exhausted and walked over to them, passing all the people in the way and I saw all of my family than I ran to them, crying softly.

I felt their embrace as they hugged me, crying as well, everyone was here, suddenly a voice came over the speakers, welcoming us to a future underground.

"Welcome to your new home! We hope you like it here! We shall sent out a group of people to go out in a few months so get ready to pick who you want to help salvage for food and even create settlement outside the vault!" He happily explained, as a distant explosion boomed, that's when I know that is our new life.