In The End ~Watty2017 Entry~ (COMPLETE)

Nuclear

December twenty first, four days until Christmas and everyone's going into Costco or another place nearby store to get each other presents. I don't go. I don't want to celebrate such a stupid holiday where you buy people useless objects that they'll loose or sell in five months. The forest is growing back from its charred state when we came, the trees are growing taller, but covered in snow and we won't see any grass or plants until spring.

"We're back!" Nathan yells but I keep my eyes on my families graves, running my hands against the wood with my knees dug in the snow. I'm freezing, but I don't want to move or leave them again. I didn't even get to say goodbye to them and now, now they're gone and I can't do a thing about it.

"Olive," I look up slowly at June as she sits next to me, August on my other side. I look back down to my families graves. "Me and August picked out some gifts you can give the boys."

"I'm fine, thank you." I haven't really spoke since I broke down cry. They hum as the ground starts to shake and rumble. I look up and my eyes widen at the black dots growing larger in the sky. I quickly grab the twins hands and rush them into the van, pulling everyone in close as the explosions grow louder and louder and more frequent.

We are crammed into the van, in a huddled circle for hours, trembling, not speaking, holding our hands on our ears so we don't go deaf and trying to keep each other calm. The rumbles stop, the sounds of anarchy slow to silence and I lift my head from Chase's chest as Nathan slowly releases his arms from the twins.

The radio statics. I look back at Chase as he licks his lips, then looking down at me. I slowly get up and walk to the front of the van, tuning in on a station and listening to the static change into a talk news station. "The world is in a constant state of war. Stay where you are, the United States Military is rounding up general population. America needs to be rebuilt." The radio goes back to static. I turn back to them, my body shacking as they stare at me.

"Should we stay here or go looking for them?" Nathan asks as my heart beats rapidly. They'll be counting a death toll, separating us into groups and moving us places we should go. We can't split up, not after all this. I take my bag from under my bed and open it, stuffing in food, blankets and a pillow, taking the pictures of my family and stuffing in everything into one bag, ditching things I don't need. "Olive?"

"We're moving away from them."

"Are you crazy!" Chase exclaims. "If anything we should find them!"

"They'll split us up and count a death toll, move us to other groups of people and we'll never see each other again." I glare into them as they stare at me. "I'm leaving, and you can either join me or stay here and be split apart."

I turn back to my bag and continue to pack my things. Chase holds my wrist, pulling my bag away from me and looking at me. "Olive, we need this. We can say we want to be together but to be found, and be with people, this will be good for us." I stare at Chase as he waits for me to say something, but I can't really say anything. He moves his hand from my wrist to my hand, giving it a squeeze and softly smiling at me. "We need this." I lower my head and look at my lap.

"We're a family!" I look at August. "And Family doesn't leave each other!" She smiles and I sigh, leaning against Chase's chest and curling my head into him. He softly smiles and holds me, kissing the top of my head as everything falls silent.

–/\–/\–/\–/\–

The twins are fast asleep, Chase outside on night watch and Nathan sits on the edge of my bed as I lie still, staring blankly at the leather seat in front of me. "Olive," I hum. "Do you ever want to die?"

"What?" I sit up, looking at him as he looks back at me, his eyes red and puffy from crying.

"Do you ever just want to fucking die?"

"N-Not really. Nathan are you okay?" I move down to the end of the bed, sitting next to him.

"This world is shit. Everything's in udder chaos and I just-up is down, black is white and I don't even want to try to live anymore." His voice breaks as he lowers his head, his body shuddering and falling making him look vulnerable, his thumbs fumbling in front of him as he looks down.

"W-Why are you telling me this?"

"Chase is finally happy, I don't want to ruin it for him and I guess I thought I could trust you." He shrugs his shoulders, slumping over into himself.

"You can trust me Nathan," I softly smile at him, Nathan looking at me as I move my hand form his back to his shoulder. "We should get some sleep, be prepared for when the military finds us." He hums, standing up and limping to his bed and getting in, facing the wall. "Nathan, I think it's worth for you to be here." I crawl into my bed, cuddling into the blankets and feeling cold air tickle my skin. I lift my head as the door closes, Chase setting his gun down and smiling at me, taking off his boots and lying next to me, wrapping his arms around my waist an d digging his nose into my neck.