Castaways || Michael Clifford [Completed]

Chapter Thirteen

When I woke up, Michael was cuddled up to me with his arm around my waist. I could feel the heat radiating off his warm body. I glance at the clock on my night stand to see it flashing 1:23. The power must've went out while we were either asleep or at Walmart. My phone starts vibrating like I have a call coming in. I sit up with Michael grumbling and answer it.

"Hello?" I ask. On the other end, I can hear a bit of scream crying. This call is really starting to make me nervous.

"Oh thank the Lord. Clarity, we need you. Oh, it's Luke and I stole June's phone while she sits in a corner screaming," Luke says. "What the heck is going on? I would've thought the phone lines would be down with what's going on."

"Luke, slow down. You are talking like really fast. I don't know what's going on but do not, I repeat, do not leave wherever you are," I reply.

"Luke, is that her?" I hear Ashton shout in the background. Luke replies with a yes and Ashton shouts with relief.

"Where are you?" I ask.

"At my house. We were in the pool when everything went haywire. I really would've called sooner but I couldn't find a cellphone. Mine disappeared," Luke answers.

"We'll be there. Just give us an hour or so to get up and around," I say.

"Who's we?" Luke asks. "Please tell me you have Calum and Mikey with you."

"Yeah, they're with me. Michael's actually right here and Calum's down the hall. They're alright," I reply. I hear Luke sigh with relief.

"Thank you. I don't know what I would do if they were missing. Are your parents there?" Luke questions.

"No. Mine went to work yesterday and never came home. You?" I say.

"No clue. Went to go get more groceries at Walmart and never came back," Luke says. My heart drops hearing this. Luke's parents were at Walmart when we were but never made it back.

"Luke," I start quietly, "Michael and I were at Walmart yesterday when this all happened and the only human we found was Calum. There was no one else in the store."

"You mean, they just disappeared? Or worse?" Luke asks, his voice going higher.

"I'm sorry Luke, I don't know what else could have happened," I say.

"Just...just tell me you'll be here, okay? We need you, all of us," Luke says.

"We will, promise," I confirm. We share our goodbyes and end the call.

What really confuses me is that Luke and I have rarely spoken and it was not on friendly terms. It's like the end of the world changed something, relationship wise as in friends. I don't get how he can be all cold and then the next day say he needs me. I promised we'd be there so looks like this morning is cut short.

"Michael, time to get up," I say, shaking his arm. He groans and pushes me away. "Is that really how it's going to be? I knew this marriage was going downhill."

"Who said it's going downhill?" he asks, his voice raspy from sleep.

"Wow, you're up," I state. He squints at me and immediately closes his eyes again.

"Yeah, your voice woke me up when you started talking on the phone. Who was it? How does the signal even work?" Michael asks.

"It was Luke. He's with Ashton and June. His parents were in Walmart yesterday when we were," I say.

"That poor boy. What did he say about it?" Michael sits up and rubs his eyes.

"He just said to promise to be over there and I did. He said they needed me which really confuses," I reply.