The End

Chapter Two

Harper jerked awake violently. She writhed in the sheets, feeling as though she were falling, but stilled when she realized it was just her vision warping dangerously. She rubbed her eyes, chest heaving with each ragged breath. Something felt wrong. She was used to the silence of the house, especially at night, but she hadn't even heard herself move around in bed. She felt as though she was missing out on something important.

The door lurched open, revealing a haphazard Antheia. Her face was scrunched up as if she were shouting, but Harper could barely hear her. It was all muffled noise, but it was better than nothing. Harper shook her head frantically, trying to tell Antheia that she couldn't hear. Antheia rushed forward to grab Harper's hand and yank her out of bed, pulling her into the hallway where Orion was already huddled.

Antheia pulled the both of them into the kitchen. Now that they were closer to the windows, Harper could hear a faint wailing. She turned to her daughter in confusion. She noticed for the first time that Antheia's face was tear stained.

"Sirens... evacuate... button?" Harper could barely make out some distorted words from Antheia, but it was enough for her stomach to drop in realization. She scrambled into the kitchen to press a button on the side of a cabinet.

The floor in the middle of the kitchen collapsed steadily, forming a staircase that dropped down into a dark tunnel. Antheia led Harper and Orion along into the darkness. The stairs ascended behind them to reform into the kitchen floor. Harper's ears rang, the only sound she could hear within the silence of the tunnel. Rays of light extended from Orion's eyes. Harper figured he was using his installed internet to display it. When she focused on the projection, she could make out some sort of website that he was browsing.

She felt a tug on her hand from Antheia. Her daughter stared at her with concerned eyes. "What happened back there mommy?"

Harper was still so stunned from the hectic minutes before that she didn't register that she could hear clearly now. "I don't know... I couldn't hear anything." She blinked and then looked down. "But I'm fine now. I can actually hear you."

Antheia smiled hesitantly. "That's good." Her eyes were conflicted as she turned her gaze back to the floor.

Harper smoothed her hair down. "Antheia, are you okay?"

Antheia bit her lip and rubbed her elbow. "I'm sorry mommy, I didn't mean what I said last night. I just wanted to make you feel better. I'm so sorry." Her voice broke at the end, making her hide her face in shame.

Harper stopped and forced Antheia to turn and face her, placing a finger under her chin to lift her face up. Antheia obliged, but kept her eyes averted. "Honey, it's fine. You never knew your father, and you've never faced death like this. I suppose it's only natural you'd react that way. You might've said the wrong thing, but you've apologized, and that's what matters. I love you despite your mistake, because you overcame said mistake and apologized."

Antheia still looked doubtful, but she smiled genuinely when Harper hugged her. The tunnel was silent except for the quiet, cheerful humming of Orion, who seemed mostly unaware of everything around him. Harper ruffled her daughter's hair in the way she knew Antheia didn't mind and then pulled away.

"Let's continue on then, we don't know how much time we have left before they close." Harper hurried on, hustling her kids as the urgency fully kicked in. Antheia giggled but stopped short as her eyes focused on the light Orion's eyes were emitting. She could see that the website he was viewing was a video playing audio.

"Orion, it's the middle of summer," she stated. Harper looked down at her questioningly.

Orion side-eyed her carefully, trying not to blast her face full of light. "Oh I know!" He hummed in acknowledgement.