“Maybe it always was a waste of time. Nobody can change this. All we have left are the people we care about… like you once said,” I whispered.
“I know it’s hard to imagine right now, but think of the possibility that one day you could be happy again. You could be with someone who could give you the things I couldn’t. A family... a legacy… a future. Don’t throw that away on me,” he said, his focus switching back and forth between my eyes.
“I can’t do that to you.”
“It’s the only way this works,” he said with a sigh.
“How can you suddenly be okay with this? Our entire lives have been a lie, Evan. Everything we’ve been told. Everything we’ve seen. All the suffering, all the people who have died… it’s been for nothing. All of it. I won’t live in a world where their deaths are meaningless, and neither will you. And I won’t leave you behind again either,” I said, nodding my head frantically.
“It wasn’t easy for me to accept this—the truth about you and our past. But what’s happened… it is what it is… I fought for a long time, thinking there was more to life than what was inside these borders. That there was a possibility we’d be together in the end. And this might be where it ends for us, but not for you. You have a chance to see better days—to live on from this war. You have to try, Aubrey. Or else we all die for nothing,” Evan said, catching his breath.
“I won’t let you give up on yourself…” I muttered. He shook his head.
“There comes a time when we have to let go of people, Aubrey. You were the one who taught me that,” he said.
“But we don’t know what will happen after this,” I lashed out. Except, if we made it out of this, we knew exactly what would happen. Evan would die alone in a facility where he’d take his final breaths. If chosen, I’d descend into a colony to dwell, to mourn the only ones who had ever given my life purpose, forever hidden in the depths of lies. But as usual, escape became my only defense mechanism in these moments of despair.
“Either way, I won’t let you do this. There is a reason you survived that crash, Aubrey. Don’t you see? Your life always held meaning, you just had to find it. You can’t give that up for me now. Not when you’re this close to the end,” he said in a weak voice. And with those words, I covered my mouth, facing the wall with my back to him. I was too exhausted to look at him afterward.
After several moments of painful silence, I peeked over my shoulder. Evan rested beside the cot, passed out into a deep slumber with his head angled to the side. I blinked the tears away as I leaned back, peering at his worn face at random. And in the darkness of the cellar, I cried myself into a wakeless sleep.
26 OBSOLETE
The next morning, I woke to static. A man’s voice broke up through the airwaves. Evan smacked the side of the radio hoping it would get clearer, but the static prevailed. He groaned in frustration, shaking his head as he gave up. After glancing back at me twice, he realized I was awake.
“Sorry, I needed to see if I could pick up anything...” he said, guilty, yet restless.
“How long was I asleep?” I yawned while rubbing my eyes.
“I’m guessing a good eight hours...” he said in satisfaction.
“What about you? Did you get any sleep?”
“A little...” He gave me a reassuring glance.
“What did they say on the radio?” I pulled myself away from the wall. He sighed before sitting next to me on the cot.
“I couldn’t make out much. All I heard is hundreds of bombs were dropped last night. A lot of people are injured, some killed. They didn’t say who attacked us, but the good news is they’re gone,” he said. He put his head down, gawking at his boots in deep reflection before staring up at me. “Our troops are preparing for an evacuation. The missiles sparked fires inside and outside the territories. It’s done a lot of damage, and it’s only a matter of time before the fires spread. We have to get to town so we have a chance,” he said, jolting his head back in a wince.
“What?” I asked.
In the second I stood up, he grasped my sudden panic. But even he couldn’t reject that something about it seemed odd.
“Aubrey, they’re evacuating the territories like Aaron told us…” he said, peering up at me. I paused, my heart hammering in my chest.
“But… Did they mention what towns were struck, or—or how many people...” I was unable to finish my sentence.
“No. The damn thing cut out before I had a chance to listen. But we need to get back into town. If they’re sending civilians to the camps, we can’t miss the boat. Besides, we have to find the others,” he said.
“And I have to go after my mom and sister... I—I can’t leave without knowing where they are.” I gripped my fists in dismay.
“Then going back is our best chance at finding them,” he said, rising up from the cot.
“But what about your mother? What if they figure out who I am? It isn’t safe for me there,” I said. He sighed.
“It isn’t safe here either. We’re at war. If they’re retreating the territories, it means this must have been a major threat. We have to go along with their evacuation plans or else we’ll be left for dead,” he said, facing me in pity.
“But the territories have been attacked before,” I said, struggling to sound reassuring as my eyes swelled.
“Not like this. Besides, our fences and our borders aren’t enough to protect us anymore. Our defense is weakened by the threat of our own people. It’s too dangerous to keep civilians in the territories any longer. We have to cooperate so we can get to a secure location or else… we’re done,” he warned.
“But we’re not safe there either, so what does it matter?” I asked.
“But we can’t stay here, Aubrey. Not if you still have a chance. And I won’t let you use this place as an excuse to stay,” he said, glancing back at the shelves aligning the wall.
A sinking sensation overwhelmed me as I suffered the aftermath of his words. What bothered me most was knowing he had completely lost sight of the threats still lurking within the borders. We weren’t safe in town. Nor would we be safe in a camp further regulated by military. There was no telling what the evacuation camps would even be like, and leaving everything we had ever known behind was something I never wanted to repeat. In those last few moments in the cellar, escaping their control became my last resort.
♦ ♦ ♦
A dusty beam of sunlight radiated against the stairwell leading out of the cellar. The smell of smoke reached me before I coughed again. Evan loaded supplies into the car while I slipped into some different clothes. I was dirty, and desperately needed a shower, yet the clean fabric still felt amazing against my skin. But as happy as I was to get out of the darkness, fear awaited me above. And as much as I wished to feel protected by my mother’s preparatory cellar, nothing would defend against the devastation I’d soon experience.
“Evan?” My voice echoed as I put more of our things into my bag. After no response, I threw it over my shoulder and captured one last glance behind me. I took three steps above the cellar, enough for the world above to come into view again.
Upon first glimpse, the sight left me breathless. The garage was now a skeleton of what it was, much of the woodwork damaged, leaving only the beams and framework behind.
Through the passing fumes, a coral glow lit up the sky. The atrocious stench of char and burned leaves filled the air, reminding me of the night past the border. I turned a full circle, but what I saw next sent me to my knees. A pile of rubble billowed ahead of me, broken into countless pieces of wood, brick, and stone. My mother’s house. Trees became boney black entities, partials of what they used to be. The gray smoke surrendered to the blue clearing that tried to fight its way through, a single ray of light peeking through the clouds, revealing the dust shimmering in the air. A layer of ash and debris covered the old mustang. When I noticed him standing there, I lunged toward him. Both of his hands rested against the driver’s side door, his arms extende
d forward while he looked down at the ground, coughing and spitting to the side. Aiming his sight forward, he breathed in the dusty aftermath.
“Are you okay?” I coughed, my tears stinging my cheek with warmth.
“I’m fine…” He sighed.
“Maybe we should wait this out a little longer. We can stay in the cellar until the fires burn out,” I suggested. He clenched his eyes shut tighter before peering up in devastation.
“By then it’ll be too late, Aubrey,” he said, snapping his arms back from the car. He paused as he stood on the driver’s side, looking out at the house as a thick breeze cleansed the dirty air. He was right. If they were clearing the area, it’d be a ghost town by this time tomorrow. “We have to find out what’s going on. Like you said last night, we don’t know what will happen yet,” he said.
“That was before you told me they were going ahead with their evacuation plans,” I mumbled.
“Yeah, but we still know nothing about these evacuation camps. Besides, if we don’t go back, I’d be abandoning my family. They probably think we’re dead.”
I understood how painful it was knowing that someone you loved had disappeared. So did he. Even harder was not knowing if they were alive. But all that remained was my fear of being discovered. Now, I had no other option than to ignore it.
I glanced over at him before opening the door.
“I’m sorry about your mother’s house, Aubrey...” he said. My bottom lip trembled as the tears came, but I refused to look at him.
“Let’s just go...” I said.
“Are you sure there’s nothing you want to—”
“No. It’s gone...” I snapped bitterly. He sighed before sitting in the driver’s seat, attempting to start the ignition. And to our relief, the car choked on the filthy air before roaring back to life.
♦ ♦ ♦
We dodged the drifts of dust, tree branches, and other debris on the highway. Every radio station stayed silent, adding to the eerie sights surrounding us, countless black helicopters swarming above the smoke like insects.
As we arrived at the entrance to the barricades, I took a deep breath. Twice as many guards and soldiers stood by, motioning for us to stop upon approaching. I swallowed back the intimidation as several guards circled us.
“Sir, are you aware there’s an emergency evacuation in place?” the soldier asked.
“Yes,” Evan said as another soldier neared me.
“Miss, please step out of the vehicle,” he ordered.
“What’s going on?” Evan asked over the clattering of helicopter blades. The soldiers searched us, ignoring his question.
“Please state your full names and explain where you’re coming from,” he demanded. Evan’s eyes flashed to me as I stood there, frightened by their questions.
“My name is Evan Lee Maxwell, and this is my girlfriend Aubrey Rae Adams. We’re civilians. We’re just trying to get back into town, sir,” he said, looking back at the soldier.
“I need to see a citizen identification card from both of you to run through the system before I can grant you access,” the soldier said. I swallowed, aware my identity was a fraud, that my truth was still out there, waiting to be discovered. Evan looked at me, knowing there was no way to avoid this. Panic flooded my mind as he handed them our cards.
“Can you explain to us who did this?” Evan asked.
“Sir, I’m afraid we cannot disclose that information right now. You will be given instructions on the emergency evacuation procedure in place. In the meantime, we ask that you please stay calm.”
“What about Grand Junction? Can you tell me if they were hit?” Evan asked. I froze from his words.
“Sir, they suffered a direct hit. The town was a total loss after several bombs went off inside the walls. Over ninety percent of the city burned before we could respond. Search and rescue teams are scouring the area for survivors as we speak,” the soldier said.
I overheard everything. Grand Junction, the place where my mother and sister were, was gone. Thoughts of them sickened me as the words came so effortless to him.
“No!” I screamed.
“Were there any survivors? What about Boulder? Were they hit too?” Evan asked through his teeth in a panic.
“Boulder was hit just as hard, but most of the town was evacuated before the bombs hit. Now, you both need to obey our commands,” the soldier stated. Evan’s gaze wandered to the ground.
“Miss, get back in the vehicle!” the other man ordered.
“No! You have to take me to Grand Junction! I have to find them! Please!” I cried out as he held me back.
“Aubrey!” Evan shouted.
“All clear!” The guard signaled to open the gate entrance. Evan choked on his breath as he winced, blinking in horror.
“Sir, get in your vehicle. Someone will assist you into town where you are to report to the campus auditorium for further instruction,” the soldier said.
“Her family lived there! Now tell us! Were there any survivors?” The soldiers at the gate held up their rifles, aiming them in defense. Two more guards grabbed him by the arms, holding him back like a prisoner.
“Evan!” I screamed.
“I order you into the vehicle, sir, or we will be forced to shoot,” he said. I hyperventilated as the guard analyzed me again. Evan had no choice but to give up the argument.
“Aubrey, get in the car,” Evan said, swallowing back his pride.
Tears rolled down my cheek, glaring at him as the soldiers let him go. By the time he put the car in drive, gravity left my body, forcing everything to move forward in slow motion. I couldn’t think. I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t breathe.
While gripping the steering wheel, he observed as the horrified look on my face transpired. Maybe this was how it was supposed to end—in chaos and confusion. Maybe the coming darkness was never the real threat. Perhaps it was only a distraction from our own destruction.
Once we passed the gate, I lost hope upon the sights ahead of us. As we rolled through the streets unnoticed, my nightmares came to life. Preoccupied, the military regulated the town in full force. An army of guards lined the streets, armed and ready to shoot, some shouting through megaphones, ordering civilians off the streets. People cried in panic, demanding the information Evan and I sought. Some resisted. Others surrendered, knowing they didn’t stand a chance against them. Barricades aligned the sidewalks as Humvees strolled the cluttered, trash-filled streets.
I screamed as the glass from the rear windshield shattered behind us, a charred brick from one of the bombed buildings now resting on the trunk. When I snapped my head back, a man flew forward with his hands bound behind his back, forced mercilessly to the chalky ground by military police. He must’ve thrown it at us. Evan winced, looking at me before his driving got more aggressive.
Once we made it past Main Street, we were in the clear as we barreled through the unguarded barricades leading up to Cedar Ridge.
♦ ♦ ♦
The desolation seemed unreal, regardless of how much we’d already seen. Trash littered the quiet streets, blown by the hazy winds from uncontained fires. Cars remained empty with their gas caps open, robbed of fuel. Red X’s covered the remaining houses, emptied and evacuated. A withering American flag in an abandoned yard took my breath away as we made our way through the cluttered street. Ripped and torn, it swayed in the wind, remnant of the dark moment in history unfolding.
As I cried, the tears blinded me from the sights in front of us. After turning off the engine, we sat in the driveway. And as he placed one hand on my back for comfort, we both fell apart, together. This was the end for Golden. The end for us.
Several brush fires now burned out of control in the distance, their flames spiraling in the wind. The banging and swinging of doors gave the howling gusts a frightening touch, but the silence between was worse as the popping of gun shots and disorder persisted from the town below. The massive red X loomed against his father’s rustic home, demandi
ng we turn around. I stood by his side, the two of us fighting to let go of a past we had only just discovered.
As we crept inside the house, we kept our guard up while scanning the main level. I trailed behind him, cautious of the potential danger we were in. The large bay window had been blown out. Dust blanketed the hard floors, imprinted with footsteps from guards during the raids.
After clearing the downstairs level, Evan signaled me.
“Look for anything we may have left behind. I’ll check upstairs,” he whispered. I nodded, giving him a gloomy glimpse before turning around.
After he made it halfway up the stairs, a loud thud came from the bedroom, forcing him to stop mid-flight. Whipping back to face me like a deer in headlights, my eyes widened as he pushed forward. Striving for silence, my heart banged, drumming at a pulse-like beat inside me, and after only a few seconds of its torturous thumps, I sprang after him.
Standing beside the door to the closet, Evan remained motionless. The drapes blew in the wind behind us, creating phantom-like shadows against the walls. Anticipation filled us as he approached the doors. But before I could stop him, they flew open.
A man with a baseball bat swung violently against Evan’s shoulder. He fell against the floor, gripping in pain, blindsided by the sudden attack. But before I decided on a course of action, a girl sprang up from the floor. Relief hit me at the sight of her golden hair and familiar face. And to my surprise and relief, Kylie and Nick appeared before us. Nick towered over Evan before letting out a deep sigh, Kylie’s cries escaping through her panicked breathing.
“Oh my god! Evan!” She dove out of the closet. Nick froze as he helped Evan up, a sudden remorse overtaking him.
“Nice to see you too,” Evan groaned, nodding at him as he brushed the dirt off himself. Only then did Kylie’s scraped up face and Nick’s swollen black eye hint at their struggle.
The Luminosity Series (Book 1): Luminosity Page 23