Apocalypse (OLD)

Part 4

Sammy's POV

We received the news a little after Lucinda and Alexander came back.
    "Lockdown? Radiated?" I asked, my heart dropping slower and slower with every word. A guard had come in and requested to speak to the head of the house. He was adorned in a bright yellow hazmat suit and a big gun I didn't know the name of. When I told him there wasn't one, he nodded and requested i bring everyone in. We all gathered on the couch and the floor in the living room to listen to him. His voice was muffled by a gas mask.
    "The whole town is on lockdown. Thirty seven square miles enveloped by a wall. Everyone inside is radiated and dying at a slow pace. We're working on putting a cover over the quarantined area. The cure will be ready in a few months. You guys are young and new, so you shouldn't turn fully for a while. Once the signs of infection start to show, like a nose bleed and hallucinations, make sure youre as far away from anyone as possible. We dont need you to kill them." He paused, looking us in the eyes. "Weapons are definetly nessacary, dont go anywhere without them. Take care of yourselves, food will be dropped every week starting next week."
    He had adjusted his weapon and left. Now we were staring after him, our faces frozen in fear,  and hearts practically jumping out of our chests.
    "There's no way to phase out of it?" Lucinda suddenly said.
"I guess not. You begin to show signs and then you're dead."
    "Where's Justin?" Will asked, looking around. "He's smart, maybe he can figure out something we can do." Lizzy gripped his hand and shook her head.
    "He's messing around with computers in there. I think he wants to be left alone." She dropped his hand.
    "So what now?" Alex asked. "Sit here and continue life like nothing happened?"
"I mean, what other choice do we have" I asked. I stood up and grabbed my crutches, heading for the kitchen.
    "Riight." Alex muttered, following me. "Need help?" He asked, pointing to the fridge.
    "What."
"Making dinner."
I nodded. "Right. Yeah sure."
     He grabbed some glasses and filled them with various liquids from the fridge. "Whats gonna happen to us." He muttered, pouring me some cranberry juice.
"I dont know Alex." I replied, putting a pot of water on the stove. I put the box of noodles i was holding down and wrapped him in a hug.
"Im sure we'll survive." I said into his hair. "We survived the fallout. We're like cockroaches." I let him go and he nodded. "Smile." He didnt. "Alex. Smile." He bared his teeth. "What the hell is that?" I asked, recoiling. He laughed. "Ha." I said, turning back around. He left the kitchen just as Justin came down for his meal of a MRE and a water. "Justin." I said, blocking him from leaving the kitchen.
    "I heard." He muttered, trying to duck under my arm.
"No, not that." I said, pushing him back. He set down his stuff on the counter and pushed up his glasses.
    "What." I let out a sigh of relief. He was going to talk me.
"Eat dinner with us please."
"Why should I." He asked, crossing his arms.
    "We're your family." I said, crossing mine as well.
"Yeah well..." He broke his gaze. "I just..." He looked back up, stumbling over his words. "You... I don't..." He took a heaving breath.
"Justin just tell me."
    "I dont want to." He murmured.
"Ugh fine." I pushed past him and he stumbled, almost falling over.
    "Sam..."
"Go back to your room." I turned to meet his eyes again. "I hope youre the first to get infected."
    "You dont mean it."
"I do." I turned back around.

Alexander's POV

"Justin! Hey bud!" I called after him, but he was already upstairs.
    Lucinda came over, her face a mix of confusion and concern. "Alex. He was crying."
I looked up from setting the table. "He was?" I asked. "What happened between him and Sammy?"
    She leaned around me to watch Sammy cook. "I cant tell if shes mad, sad, happy, or what."
I gave her a soft smile. "It was probably just a couples fight."
    She shoved me and went to help put the dishes on the table. I focused on Sammy, searching her eyes. They stayed hard as she scooped the noodles onto the plates. Every now and again, I caught them dart for the stairs. Eventually, we all sat down, and with Sammy right across from me, all I could see in her is fright.
    "We're going to die, aren't we?" She asked shaking.
Lizzy set her fork down and rub her back."Sammy. No. We're perfectly ok."
    Sammy, still quivering, nodded. Lucinda eyed me and I shrugged. I couldn't offer any condolences. When we were done, Sammy put all the dishes away and announced she was going to her room. Carl offered to walk her, and they left. Will left as well, with Jess in tow.
    I leaned back and forgot boxes don't have backs. "Ahhh!" Lizzy caught me and picked me up.
"Be more careful. Lucinda, I'm going to our room as well." She let go of my hands and trooped up the stairs.
    "I guess I should go too." She patted my shoulder and left me alone. I had bunked with Justin for the first night, but now I was sleeping on the couch. The girls all shared a room, and Carl had his own room. I had to feel bad for the guy. He was distanced from even Will and Jess, despite the fact that he lived with them for ten years. I crashed on the couch, flipping on the tv. I stuck Back to the Future in the player and fell asleep while watching it.