Hide & Seek (On Hold)

Chapter 2

Annabelle nodded and looked back down at the man, glaring. "What the hell?" she asked.

The man looked back at her, with a pleading look in his eyes. "Please. Don't kill me." Annabelle looked away just because she expected the boy to shoot, but he didn't. He grabbed the man by the neck, opened the door angrily and threw him out, and locked the broken door behind him.

"I'm sorry for that," the boy said. Annabelle looked at the boy for a moment.

"Leave"

"What?" he asked surprised.

"Leave. Now"

The boy nodded and walked outside. She heard a punch outside and a groan. Annabelle thought about making the boy leave for a moment and walked outside feeling bad because it was so cold outside. The boy was in the middle of the dark street walking slowly. She could tell that he was cold by how slow he was walking.

"Wait!" Annabelle called out and ran down the sidewalk to the boy. He turned around to her. She noticed all he was wearing was a flannel and some jeans.

"I'm sorry for making you leave!" she called out to him. The boy turned around to Annabell and kept walking. "Can I at least have your name?!" she shouted. 

The boy turned around."Nolan"

Annabelle nodded and walked over to him. "I'm sorry, I just don't know what happened. You can come in for a bit if you want."

Nolan genuinely smiled at her for a second and followed Annabelle back to her house. She motioned for Nolan to sit down on the couch while she walked into the kitchen to make some hot peppermint cocoa. Annabelle slowly walked into the living room to give him the hot cocoa. He was sitting down on the couch looking through her family album. Nolan quickly shut the book and looked up, as if he wasn't looking through it. 

"Sorry, I didn't mean to be looking through that," he said. Annabelle finally noticed how cute he was with his high cheekbones and jawline. He had the dark brown hair and broad soldiers, with light blue eyes. 

"Oh it's fine"

"Where's your mom?" he asked.

Annabelle remembered what her parents always taught her about strangers and how not to tell them when your parents were gone. 

"Oh, she's just...watering the plants in the backyard," Annabelle said, picking up a piece of glass from the vase and staring at it. 

"She's not home is she," Nolan said and sipped some of the hot cocoa. 

Annabelle nodded. 

"And your dad..?" Nolan asked.

"Uh, he died" Annabelle mumbled, feeling awkward for telling to much to a stranger. Nolan nodded and looked down at the coffee table. "Do you know what happened to all the energy?" Annabelle asked, trying to change the subject. 

Nolan's eyes widened as he looked at her. "You haven't heard?" Annabelle shook her head, suddenly getting worried that something might have happened to her mother. "Well you know how there's been a World War going on for a few years?" he asked. Annabelle nodded. "Well, China nuked New York today. The nuke had such a force that all of the energy on the east coast. And now pretty much the whole US is chaos. The man we saw back there? That's what he was talking about. He wasn't lying. The world really is ending, and there's nothing that we can do" 

Annabelle set down her cocoa and started at Nolan. "You're not kidding?" he shook his head. "I can't believe I didn't hear anything about this" she said and stared at Nolan.

He shrugged and stood up. "Well I better get going, but thank you so much for your hospitality"

Annabelle stared at him in shock for a moment. "Are you kidding? You can't leave right now! It's a war-zone out there!"

Nolan shook his head. "No, I wouldn't want to put your family in that position." he stood there for a moment and tilted his head slowly. Oh I forgot! I never got your name honey"

Annabelle blushed. "Annabelle, but I'm not letting you go out there. At least stay the night"

Nolan shook his head. "No, thank you though Annabelle". He started his way towards the door, but just as he started opening the door, the first nuke had hit.