The Explosion

Chapter 11

Rosemary jolted awake to an ear-piercing scream. The second she awoke, she bolted off the sofa with her eyes barely open and dashed up the staircase.

"What's happening?" Thyme asked, worried.

"Stay there!" She yelled back as she reached the top.

She darted right into her bedroom and was met by a shrieking, rolling Vivian. "Mummy! Daddy! No!" She called out as she reached out a flailing hand.

"It's okay, sweetie, it's okay." Rosemary tried saying but Vivian just kept rolling and shouting; oblivious to Rosemary's soothing. "Vivian, you need to wake up. It's just a dream." She tried again, carefully grabbing Vivian and holding her still before putting her hand to Vivian's forehead. Rosemary let out a sigh of relief as Vivian's eyelids started fluttering. "There, there, butterfly. You're okay." She sat Vivian up and passed her the glass of water from the dressing table next to the bed.

"My mummy and daddy aren't here." Vivian whispered to Rosemary. "They're gone. They're gone."

"I know sweetheart, but you have to stay strong, okay? You have to stay strong, Vivi."

Vivian immediately burst out sobbing and Rosemary immediately freaked out but tried her best not to show it. "What's wrong? Did I say something?"

"Vivi. My- my daddy calls me Vivi. Only my daddy calls me V-Vivi."

"Oh, I'm so sorry, butterfly. I'm so, so sorry." Rosemary said to her as she pulled the young girl forward and into her arms. "I won't call you that." Rosemary said, almost saying the name. Luckily, she got a ferocious nod of agreement in return. That was the very moment that Thyme came rushing into the room, a huge wok in hand.

"What was it?" He yelled frantically before noticing that no bad guys were actually in the room.

"Real scary, Ty Ty. I think you got them all." Rosemary replied with a laugh, making Vivian giggle slightly too.

"Are you okay, Vivian? What happened?" Thyme asked, sending a humorous face his sister's way before placing the wok quietly on the floor taking the girl's hand.

"She had a nightmare." Rosemary explained, realising that Vivian was still too shaken up to talk. "Stay here." She said, seeming to have suddenly come up with a great idea. She made her way across the room and half climbed into her wardrobe. Thyme took the time she was taking to move onto the ned and hoist the sniffling girl onto his lap. She immediately snuggled into him, causing a smile to rise upon his face. "Here!" Rosemary announced triumphantly as she made her way back to them with something in her hands. She sat down next to Thyme and Vivian detached herself slightly from him, looking up at her curiously. "This is for you, butterfly." She was holding a cuddly butterfly. The colours were a bit worn but it had a yellow body with a black, stitched on smiley face and pink winks with yellow spots. "The name 'Vivian' always makes me think of butterflies." She explained softly, "And this was my favourite toy when I was younger. I've had it since I can remember, and now I want you to have it."

"You do?" Vivian stuttered sweetly.

"I do. So, you must look after her, okay? She is your little butterfly."

"What is she called?"

"Well, I called her Shelly. But you can call her whatever you want."

"Shelly. I like Shelly." Vivian said with a happiness in her voice.

"I'm glad, butterfly." Rosemary replied, passing Vivian Shelly and beaming widely as the she gave the toy a tight, loving hug and closed her eyes.

"I love her." Vivian whispered, and Rosemary and Thyme shared a look of fondness. If anyone had been looking at them through a window, they would have seen a pure, happy family cuddled up together on a late Tuesday afternoon.

*

"Where on Earth have they gotten to?" Lily asked no one in particular as she and Max roamed the empty hallways of the one busy hospital. Most people must have hidden in rooms for shelter when they felt the earthquake as most of the hallways were free of bodies. She looked at Max who seemed to be in another dimension as he walked along beside her. She reached out her left hand to his and gently made contact. Max made no attempt to hold her hand back so she pulled it back acceptingly. Why would he want to hold her hand, for goodness sake? He'd just found his parents. He's probably so shaken up that he's forgotten I'm even here. Lily fought back the tears that pricked at her eyes; she just wanted to hold someone, to hug someone, to find some form of comfort in someone. But her mum was dead, Zoe was wherever she was and Max seemed to be in the land of depressed zonk, so that wasn't really going to happen.

Despite her attempt, a single tear dropped down onto her cheek and she lifted up her right hand to brush it away. She felt bad for wiping it away, her mum deserved a proper mourning, but right now she had to make sure that Zoe and Mia were okay, and that Max would be okay and that they would all be okay. Because that was going to happen. She needn't worry. As soon as she wiped away the tear, another one spurted out and she didn't bother to clear it away, she let it flow down as it was followed by others. She took in a sharp intake of air as she felt a hand wrap around hers. She looked down and, through her blurred vision, she saw that Max had taken a hold around her hand as she had started crying. She turned her head up to see that he was still looking at the floor, but slightly less phased out. She gave his hand a slight squeeze and he gave her one in return before he stopped to turn and face her. "How is this possible?" He asked, knowing that he wouldn't get answer.

"I don't know." Lily replied staring sorrowfully into his chocolaty brown eyes. He stared back into her sparkling blue eyes for a few seconds, mesmerised by the colours of green and grey that were also present before pulling her into a hug.

"What are we going to do?" Max asked as he pulled away from the embrace but kept their hands interlinked.

"Pray that his hasn't happened to the rest of the world. Pray that we still have someone waiting for us... pray that we can make it through this." Lily said quietly.

She was so amazing. She had everything you could ever want in a person. Max loved how, even though she was going through something truly impossible and heart-breaking; something that most people would just react to by crumpling to the floor and never getting up, she was still there for everyone around her. She was still looking out for everyone's best interests.

"You are such an amazing person. You know that, flower?" He said nervously, hoping that she wouldn't think that he was being inappropriate.

"You think so?" She asked him, seeming to search his eyes as though they would tell her if that was what he really felt.

"I know so." Max stated matter-of-factly.

"Thank you." Lily whispered back.

The hallway's silence surrounded them and stole away any words that could be said so that only their thoughts remained. Their bodies drew closer so that Lily could feel Max's warm breath tingle against her skin and she consciously quietened her breathing, scared that it was too loud. Her heart rate accelerated rapidly when Max took a slow step even closer and looked deep into her eyes, as if he were looking deep into her very soul, as if he were searching for something. His soft hands withdrew themselves from hers as they coiled around her waist, tightening their grasp as Lily stepped inwards and wrapped her arms around his neck. This was it. They were actually going to kiss. Lily couldn't believe-

"Guys!" A voice echoed loudly down the just-empty corridor. The two quickly pushed themselves backwards with shock and Lily stumbled into the wall behind her, crossing her leg other the other and crossing her arms over her chest, fooling nobody. Zoe raised – or attempted to raise – an eyebrow at this failure of an action and continued her speech. "You need to see this." Lily used her foot to shove herself back up again and started walking after Zoe who had already turned around and started leading the way. Max stared after her, willing for her to turn around and look at him, but she didn't. Her head was hung low with embarrassment, her blonde hair rolling over her rigid shoulders. After a couple of moments, Max gave up staring after the girl and followed suite.