On The Surface

All I remember from April 7th, 2008, was the loud crash followed by the sounds of my mother screaming. All I remember was my dad getting my sister and I to a small jet that took us to who knows where. All I remember was running into the small bunker, being frightened and worried.

In the year of 2008, we were already having climate change really bad. Terrorists had released a bad chemical into the air, causing the climate to change significantly. Places that were usually super hot, now had icebergs and snow that appeared overnight. Places that were cold, had dried up to desert land. People suffered. People worried. People went crazy.

We had been living in a tiny apartment in the state of Texas. It was the Summer of 2008 and my 12 year old twin sister, Blaire, and I were sitting in our room with the T.V. on and the air conditioning blowing on us. Everything was fine until we heard something crash in the living room. My mother screamed for help, but there was nothing we could do. An iceberg had just crashed into the side of our apartment complex.

“AHH!” I yelled as loud as I could, hoping my dad would find us and luckily, he did.

“We have to go, now!” I remembered Dad saying. “Grab one thing and let's get out of here.”

I was so scared I didn’t ask any questions. Neither did Blaire. All we did was grab one thing. I brought a camera, which could be helpful, and Blaire ran into the living room and picked up our chihuahua, Mickey. Who could forget about Mickey?

Dad came back into our room carrying a box that was labeled EMERGENCY FOOD. “Get down to the car!”

Dad held our hands and the box of food, as we stumbled down the flights of stairs. I didn’t ask where Mom was, we really needed to hurry.

We got in the old truck because that was the only car of ours that would fit all the food we brought. That box was HUGE!

I remember falling asleep in the car with Mickey by my side. I remember waking up, startled to see that I was on a small jet with a few other families who I didn’t recognize. There was a couple, who were named Amanda and John. There was a family of four and I was interested to play with the kids who were about my age. The kids were Camille and Emma. Finally, there was an old woman, who was named Betty.

The small jet suddenly landed in the middle of a dead field and we all rushed off the jet into a small hole in the ground. Dad went first, climbing down a wooden ladder into the hole, I went next, followed by Blaire, and the other families.

At first, the hole was something I didn’t recognize. After a while I remembered something from when I was seven years old. We had built things like this! It was a bunker.

Five years later: In the Bunker

“Brooklyn, it’s time to go hunting. We need to keep an eye out. Come on!” Blaire called.

Unfortunately, we’ve been here underground in the tiny bunker for five years. Five years! Also, that box of emergency food didn’t last nearly a week. And, I hadn’t realized that all Dad had packed was expired canned beans, canned fruit, and a few jugs of water. That’s why we had to go on the surface to hunt for food and grab water. We raided houses that had been left by other humans. Food, water, and any other valuable items is what we took.

“Coming!” I got up from the card table and ran into the main room where the hatch to the surface was.

“I love you.” Dad kissed my forehead and climbed up the ladder. Just before he opened the hatch to go hunting with Amanda and John, and Emma and Camille’s parents, Jeniffer and Aaron, he turned around. “Betty, don’t let the children get into trouble while they are on duty!”

Betty was snoring on the sheets we had collected from houses. That’s what we had to use as beds.

“Get the binoculars.” Camille said. “We can open the hatch and look around. It’s not like Betty’s gonna see us.” She snorted.

“Don’t you think it’s just a bit dangerous?” I asked. “We’re not supposed to go up there without parent supervision or parent approval. There’s no parents here now.”

“What if I need fresh air?” Camille argued.

“You don’t. Well, I suppose we haven’t had a bit of fresh air since yesterday evening, but it’s still dangerous.” I said.

“Just a look. Come on!” Before I could say no, Camille and Emma were up and out of the hatch. Even Blaire did!

I ran up the ladder after them, since there was nothing I could do.

Wow.

I took a deep breath of the cold air. I cannot believe that Texas turned to icebergs after the chemicals!

Camille turned back to me and smiled. “See? It isn’t so ba-”

“OH MY GOSH!!” Blaire yelled and opened the hatch to get back inside.

What’s wrong? I thought, but then I saw the sight for my own two periwinkle eyes.

An iceberg- the size of two football fields!- was about five yards away from our hatch.

“That’s going to hit us- Maybe by tomorrow! We have to get out of here!” Emma panicked as she swept her black hair behind her shoulder and climbed down the hatch.

We all went down the ladder, panicking in the small bunker with the only sound of Betty snoring.

“Don’t worry. The parents will be back within an hour. Before sunset at the latest. Why don’t we have dinner with the left supplies that we have. Come on.” I walked into the kitchen and opened the boxes of food.

The box was sad to look at. Gross, too.

We had expired beans, probably the same ones from five years ago, canned spinach, canned fruit, canned soup, canned tuna, and some gross canned anchovies. As you can see, lots of canned things. Most, I really, really hate.

“Gosh,” Blaire peeked into the box. “I can see why we needed to do a hunt for more food. Speaking of which, our parents should be back by now.”

“Maybe they got a lot of food. No need to worry.” I opened four cans of tomato soup. “Time to eat!”

“Dearies!” I heard Betty call in the morning as we were all sleeping in bed. “Have you seen my teeth?”

We all got up and went to where Betty was bent over searching for teeth. “No, Betty. We haven’t seen your teeth.” Camille went to the kitchen and opened the boxes.

“Hey, did our parents come back?” Emma asked with worry in her voice.

“No, dearie, I’m afraid they haven’t.” Betty replied.

“Oh, that’s not good. I’ll go open the hatch, maybe I’ll see them.” I climbed up the ladder and opened the hatch.

I took a breath in and then let it out. It was so cold, I could see my breath.

I turned around and- Oh. My. Gosh!!-the iceberg was right next to our bunker. We had to get out of there- NOW!

Rushing inside, I told everyone to pack up our most valuable items and then to get out of the bunker.

I don’t think Betty heard me though, because she just sighed and sat on the couch like nothing was wrong.

“Betty, we’re in a little bit of a crisis. We need you to pack up a few items and then we need to get out of here. Let’s go.” I explained to the little old woman.

“Say something dear?” She asked. She didn’t hear me the first time.

“Yes, Betty,” I sighed. “Grab a few things and let’s get out of here.”

“WHAT?” Clearly, if she had a hearing aid it was turned all the way down. 

I lost my temper, took Betty by the hand, and showed her to the ladder where she climbed up and went out the hatch.

Emma ran out of where she kept her stuff, with a blanket and a bag full of beans and soup. Followed by Camille, who had her makeup bag and brush.

“We’re not going to a beauty pageant, Camille.” I said. “Why don’t you bring something a little more… well, important.”

“So you’re saying my beauty isn’t important?” Camille snapped. She was always so sassy when it came to her beauty.

“Fine, but don’t tell me I didn’t warn you when you complain.”

Blaire ran into the room with things that could actually help us. “I brought blankets, some food, and of course, Mickey.” 

“Great, I’ll get my stuff and we need to go. Make sure the group has everything they need.”

“Got it.”

I went to my suitcase, where I kept all my stuff. I grabbed my camera, some Chip’s Ahoy Cookies I’d been saving for a time in need, and a photo of me with mom. We looked so happy then. Our feet in the sand with shovels in our hands, building sandcastles.

“If only you were here.” I whispered to the photo as I put it into my backpack.

I climbed up the ladder and said goodbye to the bunker.

The wind blew my hair back behind my face and I got goosebumps. I can’t believe that we're in Texas and the weather is like 25 degrees fahrenheit! 

“Where should we go?” Asked Blaire.

“When our parents go hunting they usually head west. That’d be towards those mountains over there!” I pointed.

“Well, if we want to be there within three days, we better start heading now. Come on.” Emma started to walk into the forest when we told her to stop. Poor Betty had absolutely no idea where we were going, what was happening, or what we were doing.

“Betty,” Camille started. “I can barely walk either. In these pink heels, it’s very hard on me. But, if I can do this, you can probably walk for three days.”

“When I was your age,” That’s how Betty started everything she said. “I walked for water. Sometimes it would take me a week to find water. So, we better get going.” That was the first time I heard Betty talk. She got up from sitting on the ground, and headed for the forests, just as Emma had.

Two days later: One Mile From The Mountain

“Can I please open that bag of cookies?” Camille asked as she saw it sticking out of my bag.

“No. We can open it when we get to our parents.” I replied.

“Well, how and when are we going to find our parents? My feet are hurting in these heels.”

“If you paid attention, you would know we need to turn around.” Emma said.

I turned around to see a little green grassy hill and on the top, there was a little gray camping tent. One I would recognize anywhere. It was the tent our parents were in!!

Run!

On the way to the little green hill I tripped on tree roots, rocks, and I slipped on some moss. Though, I still got up and swiftly walked toward the hill, not wanting to get my clothes any more muddy then they already were.

“Dad!” I yelled. “Dad, I’m here!”

A man with brown ruffled hair and a short beard came out of the tent with firewood in his hands. It was Dad.

“ Brooklyn! Blaire! Kids!!” He was overjoyed as he grabbed me in a tight hug. “I’m so sorry! We saw glaciers coming- on land!!! We were scared so we left and started to make camp here. But it’s dangerous. We need to find another bunker.”

“Once I noticed you were gone, I knew we needed to leave. I saw the glaciers too. I’m pretty sure our bunker is breached.” I told Dad the whole story about what happened over the past few days. Then, we decided we just needed to relax for the night.

The campfire warmed us and we warmed canned beans for dinner. We told stories and laughed together. And it was almost time for bed when I realized the beauty of the moon tonight. I climbed onto a glacier nearby that was easy enough to get onto.

“Brooklyn!” My dad suddenly yelled. “Get off now!! That is in a lake that’s super toxic!!”

Before I could run to him, I slipped and fell back on my head. I remember hitting the water and then something dragging me under. 

And all I could see was the black.