At End's Gate

TIME WASTED

Paige stood up to see Conner packing a few items in their supply bag." James what's wrong?" He started breathing heavily and stammering." Breath. What's going on?"

"The explosion in the north is about to happen."

"That's not a big deal. We can hide in here until it stops."

"That's the problem. Paige the radiation levels are fluctuating here. The explosion is happening here. The explosion site is our house," he said with a frustrated look.

"Okay. How much time do we have left?"

"Thirty minutes," James said stammering.

Paige looked at Alexis. She was trying to open the door. Her hand was trying to punch in the password but she was shaking. Blake ended up punching the code. The door opened. Lisa was helping Conner. "Let's go!" Conner shouted.

The girls got out. Blake followed. Paige was still in denial. She stood still." Paige!!!" She looked at James." Let's go. Run!"

"Paige snap out of it," Conner shouted. "Run!"

She ran toward the exit." I'm fine. Let's go." They were all now in the living room.

"Everyone gather essentials now. We only have one minute for that," Conner commanded.

Lisa and James went into the bedrooms and piled up clothes and placed them in a satchel. Blake and Alexis went into the kitchen and took food supplies as well as the food capsules. Conner went into the bathroom to gather toiletries. Paige followed him. She wasn't talking." Paige I need you to be stable now. You hear me!"

"Yes. I'm fine." Her mind kept on telling her that she had to do something. She could hardly think because of their present situation. They ran towards the house exit. They got out of the house with about twenty minutes to spare. Paige suddenly ran back into the house.

"Paige what the hell?" Conner shouted.

Paige didn't even bother to listen. She ran up stairs into her mother's room. She looked under the drawer and took the box. Paige ran downstairs. Conner was just coming up the staircase. Her movement stopped when she stepped into a broken part of the staircase. She couldn't move. She felt numb and her heart skipped a beat." Conner I can't move!"

Conner shouted out to James." James I need you to take the others to a range far from this house."

"How about Paige?"

"I'm bringing your sister. Go!"

Conner came up to her. He started trying to move her leg. She screamed. Her leg was stuck." It's going to hurt but you have to deal with the pain," he said his voice deep with anxiety. Paige nodded. He pulled her out. He carried her, her arms wrapped around his shoulder. Her legs crossed behind his back. He hugged her back tightly. He ran forward. Paige was looking at everything behind them as Conner ran. She placed the box in a small bag she found in her mother's room. She held the bag tightly in her fingers. Conner wasn't even slowed down by her weight. They were now outside. Paige heard voices cheering.

"Run!" James shouted. Paige then saw the house she grew up disintegrate. Conner started running faster. The explosion happened so sudden. The current pulled jerked the two of them. Paige hid her face in Conner's shoulder. Conner's hold on her tightened as they moved with the explosive current. Luckily they survived. They landed near the others. They ran to them.

"Are you guys okay?" Alexis asked.

"Paige are you okay?" Conner asked.

"Yeah."

Conner smiled." We're good."

"Woo hoo," Blake cheered." Paige don't pull a stunt like that ever again."

"Okay." Paige smiled. She looked at Conner. She started crying." Thank you. I'm so sorry. I almost got you killed."

"No no don't cry. I promised to protect you. I just hope whatever you ran into the house to look for was very important. Important as in star wars light saver important." He laughed." Cheer up. We survived."

"Paige I'm sorry I didn't find out earlier. We wasted a lot of time in there."

"J it's not your fault. We checked together the radiation levels. We didn't see anything but you came through. You actually saved us. If it wasn't for you we would have been blown into smithereens without a fight. The time wasted with us unaware is far better than the time we would have lost if you didn't check. Thank you."

James smiled.

"Let's move. We can talk comfortably when we find safe shelter," Conner instructed.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter. If any of you guys are fans of Imagine Dragons check out their new song Whatever it takes. The song definitely rocks.