𝗧𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘄'𝘀 𝗟𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵 | an apocalyptic novel ©

Chapter 24

Uneven Cracks

2031

Aidan

While the world drowned in chaos, slowly and surely, my Everything drowned as well, in a small apartment in South Korea - one fateful day, one argument.

Perhaps if I listened it didn't happen.

"Mom, I don't- I can't. Not to him, not today, please..." I whisper to my mom. She presses her lips together and silently grabs my hand. In her eyes, I can see a bit of sympathy.

I get why she married my dad.

In times like right now, it isn't an option to marry by love. It isn't an option to marry for money. Hell, money doesn't even have a value anymore.

It is to marry a man who has a high status in society - someone who cares and shows valor, one who can provide for a family.

Someone like my dad - who is an employee in the military, a Commander of the South Korean army, to be exact.

And now, since I am sixteen, it'd be my turn to follow in his footsteps. In forced recruitment, the United States of America is looking for young recruits to serve as rescue services for refugees.

"We can't argue about this anymore, Aidan. For his, mine and mostly your sake. I mean, look at us, we are barely a family as it is," my mom quietly says to me.

She is right about that, ever since my sister passed, everything has been different. It's like an essential link to the chain of our family had been torn out.

I don't want to join, I can't join. I don't want to be my dad. I don't want to be like him, not even remotely close.

Focusing back on reality, I feel my mom's hand on my cheek, her thumb rubbing small circles on my skin.

Although I should feel comforted, I don't, I feel betrayed.

"Now come on, say Hello to him," she urges me as we both hear the key in the lock of our apartment door.

No.

But my body moves against my will.

I don't get far because the door swings open and instantly gets slammed after a tall figure enters.

He looks just like me, with the same pale skin and short dark, slightly wavy tousled hair.

"Mari-An?! Dinner!" he demands without even looking toward me frozen in the doorway to the kitchen. Perhaps I am invisible, I feel tiny in his presence.

I hear my mom mumble something in Korean followed by the squeal of the hinges of our fridge.

She is probably getting his food.

My dad ignores my presence fully.

He walks past me, his eyes glued to the floor until he plops down on the sofa and turns on the Television.

After he switches between the static image always appearing at first and then between the three channels, I try to listen in to what the news reporters have to say.

We rarely get an image of how the rest of the world is holding up.

So I'm trying to know my best from the little information given to us in portions.

"Recent search has proven that- Fifty people dead after flooding in- California is in severe critical hurricanes and- New York hit by acidic rain-"