Earth's Revolution

~7~

Departure time. Maria's parents dropped her and her travel bag off at my house where we would be going to the airport together. I watched them say their goodbyes full with tears and hugs, knowing full well that would be me very soon. I took one last look at my house, my beautiful house. I would never look at it again, at least not in the same way it looked now. I hugged my dog and my sister who weren't coming to drop me off at the airport. My heart ached already for the pain I will feel later on. I hope I get to see them again soon. Maybe after finding the Walkers I would be able to join my family in the underground bunkers. I don't know exactly what we would be doing there, just that we had to. Duty called. Justice called. And I couldn't ignore a cry like that.
"Are you ready?" Maria asked. I noticed her parents had driven off at last, and now my dad was starting the car. I hugged my sister one last time and gave my dog the biggest kiss I had ever given. "I love you and I will miss you so much. I need to go now. Goodbye."
We walked off to the car together and sat in silence as we left the village I had known my entire life. The car ride was short, too short, and too soon we were parking and sobbing our goodbyes. My parents hugged me tight and wished me luck, saying we would be together very soon.
Then we were off, alone, about to enter the most exciting and scary chapter of our lives.

                                       ***

"Landing in Oslo, Norway," the intercom went and I felt the final drop as we touched the ground and soon, the doors opened. Almost immediately, the  entirety of the plane, composed mainly of people rushing back home as fast as they could to prepare for the shelter, jumped up and ran out into the arrivals wing. I had never seen people so eager and impatient to get home, but I guess it was normal. I had never even imagined we'd be facing apocalyptic vibes ever in our life and yet here we were, in Norway. Not the most apocalyptic place, but the reason we were here was bigger than anything I had ever faced in my life. The way out of the airport was fast as we had no other luggage than our rucksacks, and soon we were in a taxi on our way North to Fløs. Sure, it was a long taxi ride, but plane tickets were scarce at the moment, for obvious reasons. It was a miracle we had found some yesterday so fast.
On the radio, we heard the news suggesting people had started moving into the shelters, just as the government had promised. I checked with my parents to let them know we had got to Norway safely and, sure enough, my parents were on their way to the shelter which they said was "not far" from my school. They said I wouldn't be able to miss it when I came back from the Walkers as were signposts up in durable material to show the way for eventual latecomers. My entire life was already relocated in an underground bunker, bed and suitcase containing the little amount of life I had.
Meanwhile, I was travelling alone to a country I barely knew to be with people I had never met before. Damn, how did my life get to this point?