The small crack of light blinds me when the shelter door is being opened. After ten days in near darkness, my eyes hurt at the smallest of light. The shelter entrance is packed with hundreds of people who wait to see the world again. We all shield our eyes as the light pours more and more into the room. The crowd gasps when the world is finally revealed. Cora squeezes my hand with her own. I pull myself closer to her.

“Oh my God…” Cora whispers in disbelief. The crowd in front of me blocks my view, and I jump up onto my toes, catching a quick glimpse of what awaits me. I stand still and my heart drops. I’m speechless.  We all are. After minutes of silence and awe, people slowly start exiting. I drift towards the world ahead, refusing to let go of Cora’s hand. I move a few steps more, and a scream pierces through the silence. My whole body jumps and chills radiate from my center.

“Kim! Kim, my baby!” A woman yells. I let go of Cora and quicken my pace to see what is happening. I take my first step outside onto the gravel and I freeze.

Everything is dead.

What used to be plants and flowers and trees is now a field of dirt and rock. Small flames consume patches of dead leaves and grass. Smoke-filled fog covers the brown sky. Bodies lay distorted and lifeless, scattered across it. People cry and run and scream and kneel by their dead loved ones. I stand for a good while - I don’t know how long - with Cora close to me. She takes my hand once again and we walk, exploring our now unrecognizable world.

My breaths slow and my senses blur. All I can see are the bodies upon bodies whose lifeless faces stare deep into my eyes; all I can hear are the screams and wails of their families and friends who never got to say goodbye mixed with the harsh pounding of my heartbeat. My head spins. I look deeper into the faces of the bodies. Terror lays in the expression of each one, making the hairs on my body stand.

Cora gasps and covers her mouth with her hand. Confused, I look at her, and follow her gaze. My stomach drops. I am going to be sick. Cora falls to her knees and bursts into sobs.

“Mom...Dad…” I whisper in shock.

“No!” Cora screams. “No!” I stare into the wide eyes of my parents, who lay dead in eachother’s arms. I drop next to Cora and the tears start to fall. I thought they were with the President. I thought they were safe.

After I have nothing left to cry out, I take one last look at them.

“We really should go.” Cora whispers. I nod in agreement. I turn my body and walk away from them. “Wait.” She says, and she runs back to them and takes something off of their clothes. She hands the objects to me. It's their nametags. 

Mrs. Kristen Ericksen
Chief of United States of America Medical Services Association

Mr. Aaron Ericksen
Member of United States of America Medical Services Association

I put them in my pocket and take a deep sigh. I take Cora’s hand and we walk, to nowhere in particular, to try to fathom what is happening.

“Max, look at me.” We stop walking and I obey her.

“Cora?”

“Now that they’re gone, it’s my job to look after you. I need you to know that I am never going to leave you and I’m never going to let anything happen to you. Never. We are here for each other and we have to stick together. Okay, Max?” I nod my head. Tears still stain her face. “I love you.”

“I love you t-”

A loud sound explodes from the sky, silencing my small voice. Everyone looks up, and a helicopter descends from the fog. 

“This is the United States Government. Make way for the air vehicle. Warning...” A speaker repeats from the aircraft. A giant circle clears up, and within a minute, the helicopter lands on the ground. Two big men in black suits step out before turning around and helping a middle aged woman out of the craft.

“I am President Laurie Gibson of the United States. I am here to inform that you all have survived the final nuclear bombing of the Third World War.”

I look down at the destroyed earth from the helicopter window. Cora sits next to me, and she sleeps with her head against the wall. President Gibson sits in front of me, along with her two bodyguards and the pilot. The only sound to be heard is the propeller spinning on top of us. I lean my head against the window and close my eyes.

“I’m very sorry for your loss.” President Gibson breaks the silence. Cora wakes up and slowly lifts her head to look at her. “Your parents meant a lot me as well. Not only were they VIP’s in the medical field, they were very good friends of mine. I just want you to know that I send out my condolences to both of you.” Cora and I remain silent.  “We will be to D.C soon, so make sure you're ready.” Minutes of silence pass by.

The aircraft begins to descend as the White House become visible ahead. The buildings around Washington D.C. don’t seem to be impacted as much as the rest of the area. Buildings are partly destroyed and knocked down. Trees are fallen and plantation is wilted or dead, but still existent. The sky is clearer, and a few sunbeams highlight the district. The White House stands strong, clear, and seemingly untouched.

We land fast and smooth at an open area near the White House, and Cora, President Gibson, and I are escorted from the helicopter by the bodyguards. Cora and I are led to a large group of people who stand in the open space. President Gibson is led to a podium with a voice magnifier. 

“Ladies and gentlemen, as you are more than likely aware, most homes and communities were destroyed by the nuclear bombs.” People in the crowd start yelling.

“This could have been prevented!”

“My husband wouldn’t be dead if you had warned us!”

“You should've tried for peace, not power!”

“Calm down! Remain calm!” President Gibson yells. The crowd returns to silence. “I am here to help you.” People start to yell again, but she continues anyway, and the crowd settles down once again. “Underground emergency residences are being prepared for all of you. Right now, I need everyone to keep in an orderly fashion and make sure you are with the head woman of your family.” Cora places her hand on my shoulder and pulls me close to her side. The crowd around me shifts and moves to follow the instructions. A loud noise interrupts from behind. Everyone turns. Large military vehicles drive up to the area.

“Staying with your group and remaining calm and organized, find your way into a transportation vehicle.” President Gibson continues. Military women and men exit the vehicles and help to manage the crowd. “More instructions will be given at the destination. Thank you.” She leaves the podium and I watch her as she enters the helicopter again. Someone shoves me forward.

“Boy, who’s your head woman?” A scary military woman asks. She has a large, dark scar on her right cheek. I point to Cora and grab her arm. “Alright, go to that line.” The woman commands as she points to the line.

“Yes, ma’am.” Cora says as we walk to our place. We get in line and wait to enter the vehicle.

“Cora, what is happening? I’m scared.” I say. She looks at me and smiles comfortingly.

“Don’t worry, bud. They’re helping us out. Plus, we’re sticking together through everything. Nothing will happen to you.” She pats my shoulder. I give her a small smile. We move up in line and get stopped by a military medic upon entering the vehicle.

“Names and ages?”, the man asks.

“Cora Ericksen. 15”

“Max Ericksen. 9” I say, as the man enters the information into a strange looking device. 

“Okay. Stand still.” The man commands. Then, he pulls out two injections and puts them in our arms. “You’re good to go.” Cora and I enter the vehicle and sit beside each other. Our heads quickly turn when a group of people gasp from outside.

“Help! My son has fallen!” A woman yells. On the ground next to her lays a young boy who looks to be around my age. Put my face close to the window to look at him clearly. He is struggling to breath and appears to be in pain. He coughs and vomits on the ground beside him. The boy unbuttons his shirt. Red burns cover his skin.

“Please, someone, help!” 

I lay in the uncomfortable bed of my room for the fifth night in a row. Cora sleeps next to me, her breaths slow and loud under the oxygen mask. I look at the clock nearby that reads 2:36 am. So much has happened; my thoughts have been keeping me awake lately.

Everyone has been instructed to follow follow safety regulations since that little boy died of radiation poisoning. We have to wear oxygen masks all the time, shower twice a day, wear radiation suits, decontaminate our clothes and food on a daily basis, and we’re not allowed to leave the residencies. None of it has been working. It seems like by the hour ten more people are being taken away by medics, coughing and puking and covered in burns. The President says the population lowers by three percent a day. Nothing has been able stop it.

There’s been a lot of rumors and protests against the government about the war. Some people believe that The President is behind all of this and that she started this war to prove that she’s powerful. They blame her for murdering the Earth and their families. Others just think that something could have been done to prevent this and are angry because they think the government didn’t try to keep this from happening. Then there are some who are angry because they believe in peace and just want everyone to get along. I don’t understand why people are so quick to blame The President. I know her and she wouldn’t do anything to hurt of any of us. She’s here to help us, which is why we’re here in safety right now.

I turn to face Cora.

“I love you, big sis.” I whisper. “I hope you know that. You’re all I have left. I know before Mom and Dad died I would never admit it, but it’s true.” I stare at her for a few minutes before facing the other direction and closing my eyes. It doesn’t take long before I finally fall asleep.

I wake up from loud screams that echo down the hallway outside my door. I shake Cora just before someone bangs at the door.

“Help! Let me in! He’s trying to get me! HELP!” A man screams. Cora runs to the door and opens it, and the man charges into the room. “Close the door, NOW!” Before the man can finish talking, someone grabs Cora’s arm with a growl and she screams.

“HELP!” I watch in horror and join her screams and she struggles to not be dragged away. I hurry towards the emergency button as the man swings at the person with a metal pipe. “Get off of me!”

“Let! Her! Go!” The man swings between each word, and I frantically push the red button on the wall as I scream for help. Within seconds, I hear heavy footsteps and yelling from in the hall.

“Get the tranq!”

“He’s got the girl!”

“Be very careful!”

“FIRE!”

Crack

It’s silent.

“Are you okay?” A woman asks. I run out the door. Three soldiers stand with guns on their shoulders. One helps Cora, another helps the man, and the other keeps an eye on the attacker.

“I’m fine. He got my arm.” Cora says, breathing heavily. A large open gash is on her lower arm, and blood pours out of it. The sight makes me nauseous.

“Cora…” I say in worry. “He tried to kill you!” I look at the attacker, and silence chokes up throat. Its skin is pink and raw with no hair on its body, and dried blood falls from its ears, eyes, and mouth. It twitches from the stun of the tranquilizer and the bloodshot eyes stare right into mine. My heartbeat pounds in my ears as a shudder ripples down my spine. My head spins at the gruesome sight.

“Oh my God. Oh my- That’s my son!” The man runs over to the inhuman body and kneels beside it.

“Stay away from it!” A soldier commands.

“That’s my son! He woke me up because the radiation got to him. Burns were appearing...he was in pain. So I was getting ready to call someone up to help him. But I turned around and he came at me and attacked me. He was this!” He points to the creature. People are starting to exit their rooms to explore this disturbance, and they gasp and gag at the sight. “I yelled for help and I ran. He chased me, just growling and screaming at me.” The man sobs. A soldier sees the growing audience and interrupts him.

“Inform Mrs. President and call more medics. They’re all coming with me.” 

Nowhere is safe anymore. Outside, the radiation is too much. Inside, there’s dangerous protesters and The Others. The Others, that’s what we call the people who end up like that man’s son. Those inhuman creatures. No one really knows why they turn out that way or how. We just know that it's the radiations loophole into not killing them. No one knows what happens to them either. After the change, they get taken by the government. More rumors start to spread, people grow angrier by the hour, and protests are becoming dangerous.

“We should have never let women in charge!”

“All the government cares about is itself!”

“If only we had a say in this, my family wouldn’t be dead!”

“You don’t even have the audacity to respond to us and you think you’re a good leader?!”

Cora and I stay out of it. The President is our friend and we know all of this is unnecessary, but we don’t want to get beat by a protest gang. We just try to protect ourselves.

Ever since Cora had to get her arm stitched, she’s been helping out there at the medical center. Though not the most experienced, she’s picked up some skills from Mom and Dad, and the people there really need the help. The number of deaths increases daily, and there’s not enough medics to keep up. So, that’s what she does, leaving me either by myself or trying to help along with her.

“I’m drained. I don’t know how much I can take. You can go to dinner without me, Max. I’m going to go to sleep.” Cora tells me when we step into our room. Protesters’ yells echo down the hall.

“I don’t want to go out there alone. I’ll stay with you.”

“Okay.” Cora whispers as she lays down in her bed. Her breaths are slow and heavy. Her face looks flushed.

“Are you feeling okay?” I ask with worry.

“Just tired that’s all. I need to shower.” She gets up from her bed. “Thank you for helping me out today. You’re the best.” She smiles at me before gathering her things to shower. She walks into the washroom and closes the door behind her.

I plop down on my bed and sigh. 

A voice echoes through my mind and my vision is all a blur.

“If they only knew...If they only knew…” The unfamiliar voice repeats in a chant-like manner. A scene of medical tables with syringes and chemicals fades into sight. Doctors operate one of The Others, and on a table next to it lays a radiation poisoned woman. Black blood is being drawn from the creature, and the woman is hooked up to a strange machine. The voice begins to laugh, and a blurry figure walks into the room, causing the doctors to stop and salute.

“We are here to help…We are here to help…” The voice repeats before fading off, revealing a new scene.

Cora and I walk hand in hand down a dark pathway that seems to go on forever. We laugh and talk like happy siblings should, before she stops dead in her tracks. I stand confused, looking at her, while she suddenly falls to the ground with her hands around her neck, gasping and coughing up blood. I watch in horror and yell for help, though no words escape my mouth. Before long, Cora lays still and quiet. The voice laughs once again, and it echoes into my right ear through my brain. In my left ear, Cora’s voice faintly cries, “We’re sticking together. I’ll never leave you…”

Everything becomes black and silent, and gradually the faint, awful wails of humans and Others slowly become audible. I try to cover my ears, but the noise continues to grow louder and louder in my head. I feel my heart rate increasing and my breaths getting heavier.

The scene changes back to the first one. The blurred figure gestures with its hands, and the doctors scramble back to work. The figure walks up and examines the bodies, nodding in approval. A man runs in with a device and types info into it.

“Stay out of this, Max! This is my job! Stay out of this!” A loud whisper shocks my eardrums. The wailing and growling of The Other gets louder and scarier, and the doctors start to yell in fear. The creature on the operating table sits up quickly with a big snarl and throws his arms against the doctor in front of him, knocking him to the ground. The creature charges in my direction, grabs my shoulders, and shakes my body. I try to scream and I try to fight, but for some reason I can’t, and my heart pounds and my thoughts scramble. My head pounds in pain.

“Max!” A familiar voice begins to fade in. “Max, please wake up.”

Reality hits me. I wake up and sit up in bed to Cora shaking me. A sharp pain pierces my head, and I rub the spot with my hand.

“Max, something’s wrong with m-” A burst of coughs interrupt her sentence. “Call the medics, now.” She runs to washroom and vomits. I quickly run to the emergency button and press it, then I run to the washroom, wet a rag with cold water, and place it on Cora’s neck, who leans over the toilet. I rub her shoulder for comfort, and before long, there’s a knock on the door. I run up and open it.

“My sister is sick! She’s in the washroom!” I tell the medics.

“Okay, son. Remain calm. We’ll take care of this.” One of the medics says while the rest go to find Cora. Within seconds, Cora is being carried out into the hall and placed in a gurney. I look at her faint and weak body and my eyes fill with tears. If something happens to her, I’ll be all alone. I’ll have no one.

“Cora…” I say as I walk up to her. I reach for her hand.

“I’m sorry, but you can’t come with us. We don’t want you getting sick too. But we’ll let you see her sometime soon, so don’t stress about it. Go wash yourself and go back to sleep. We’re gonna take care of ‘er.” A medic says, blocking my path to my sister. I’m too scared and small to argue, so I just nod my head in obedience, holding back tears. The medic pats my shoulder as they walk away with Cora. When they are out of sight, I walk back into the room, take a shower, and lay back in my bed.

I can’t fall back asleep. Instead, I lay on my back and stare into the pitch black. A small pain lingers in my head, and I remember my dream. My skin tingles in fear and uncertainty as I flashback on the gruesome images and scary voices of that medical lab. The blurred figure of that person haunts my thoughts, and I struggle in not knowing who it is. Questions float through my mind as I wonder who the woman on the operating table was, what those doctors were doing to her, and why The Other was being operated on beside her. I question the voices too, asking who they belonged to and why they were saying those things.

I suddenly remember the scene with Cora, and my heart sinks in my chest. The scene in the dream and the scene in real life seem so similar. The coughing, the fainting; everything. It’s like I knew this was going to happen. I shiver at the thought.

My mind races with more and more thoughts that keep me up until the morning creeps up on me. 

It’s been three days and they still aren’t letting me see Cora. They tell me it’s because she just needs rest and space so she can improve, but I know it’s because she’s getting worse. I sneak in there sometimes when the medics change shifts and new ones come in, because they’ll let me in to help volunteer. Every time I see her, she looks worse and worse. I stare at her for the second time today, her face pale, her eyes closed, and her skin starting to burn. I sigh and hold back tears. I don’t know too much about medicine, but I do know that if this continues, there’ll be no saving her. She’s lucky to have even made it this far. I overheard a doctor say that she’s developed a partial immunity to the radiation from working around the other patients for so long, which is why it’s affecting her at a slower rate. I take another good look at her and I feel sick to my stomach. So I say goodbye to the medics for the day and head back to my room.

I've been having more dreams lately like the one from the other night. Vivid scenes of government offices, operating rooms, dying people, and The Others, yet everything is still so blurred at the same time. I wake up with a throbbing headache every time it happens. Like the dream with Cora, some things that I dream about seem to be coming true. Two nights ago, I dreamt of angry protesters breaking through the entrance of the underground residencies. Yesterday, the government started allowing people to leave, due to the growing fear of being trapped with The Others.

I snuck onto one of the lab computers in the medical lab and did some research over what has been happening to me. Scientists call it precognitive dreaming, where you can see the future within your dreams. No one really knows what causes it or how. I still don’t completely understand why this is happening, especially to me, and it’s terrifying.

These past three days without Cora have been hard and lonely, and I’m really worried about her. If she dies, this will be the rest of my life. If she changes to one of The Others, who knows what the government will do to her. And what about everyone else? More than half of the people here are dead, and so many are sick and dying. Families are living in pain, grief, and anger over the fact that nothing can save the people they love. They still just blame the government, because they don’t seem to be doing anything about it.

I want to do something about it. 

Cora hasn’t been getting any better, and I have been on a roll these past few days to find a way to heal her. I’ve been doing more research on the lab computers about anything I can find on radiation. I’ve also been trying to interpret my dreams, which just keep getting more confusing, but I seem to never find an answer.

I hear the footsteps and voices of the third shift medics coming up the hallway, and I quickly log off of the computer and exit the room. I take one quick glance Cora, before taking off to the cafeteria for lunch. I don’t eat my food, and I sit by myself and think.

I reflect on my dream from last night. The dream was a lot less vivid and clear than the others. Many scenes of small groups of people hiding, running, and sneaking around the vast, dead world flashed through my brain. Strange whispers of the word goodbye in many languages echoed in my mind. I zone out the world around me and put all of focus into what the dream could mean.

I need to escape. I need to get everyone out of here.

Someone clears their throat behind me. “Max Ericksen, we need you in the medical center ASAP.” A familiar voice says. I turn and make eye contact with a middle aged woman in a doctors uniform. Her nametag reads:

Alyssa Bernok
Chief of United States of America Medical Services Association

She is Mom’s replacement.

“Y-yes ma’am.” I stutter. She nods her head in approval and walks away. I follow her to the medical center. When I step into the room, my eyes make immediate contact with President Gibson. Three of her bodyguards stand in a line behind her, blocking my view of Cora.

“Max, you’re going to have to come with me. I have some news for you.” Something feels odd.

“With all due respect, ma’am, may I ask why?” I ask, confused.

“Don’t worry. I just need to talk to you privately. Please, come with me.” She responds. I catch a glimpse of some commotion behind the body guards. Cora’s still body lays on a gurney, and she is being wheeled out of the room.

“Wait, Cora! Where are they taking her? Cora!” I yell. The President swears under her breath. I try to make my way towards my sister, but the guards will not let me through. “Please, Cora!”

Crack

Pain penetrates through my neck. Darkness floods my senses.

Black.

My senses kick back in, and I wake up in a strange room. I lift my head with my sore and tender neck and take a look around the room. Bodyguards stand in front of each entrance. I am sitting in a chair; The President sits in a similar one in front of me. She smirks upon seeing my waking.

“You’re a very special boy, Max.” She says.

“Where’s Cora?” I demand.

“I’m here to talk about you, not her.” She responds. I remain quiet. “I know you have noticed some changes lately about yourself.” I stare at her, not saying a word. “Max, please. You need to cooperate with me here.” I nod my head hesitantly.

“How do you know?” I ask.

“I know a lot more than you think.”

“What do you mean?” I ask. I am beginning to feel scared.

“Don’t worry, I am here to explain everything. You just have to promise me that this stays between you and me, or else someone could end up hurt...I just...really need your help,” She responds. I nod once again, not knowing what else to do. She clears her throat. “It is a pretty well known fact that my mother was President before me, so I have been involved with the politics of this country for quite awhile now. Well, this war has been planning to take place for awhile, and other countries have been aiming to experiment with radiation for public safety reasons for a few years. America has become so hated by other countries throughout the centuries, and I wanted to be able to gain respect from them by conducting their experiments for them.” I sit still in confusion and shock.

“The best way to do this was to start a cyberwar with North Korea, to lead up to the bombing of the country. When we brought everyone to the residencies, we gathered everyone’s DNA, some basic information, and injected each of you. For some, it was only basic body fluid, but for others we implanted a gene that was intended to cause radiation immunity. However, none of them turned out as planned, and though they did become immune, they became inhuman. You’re the only one that reacted positively, Max, and I am asking that you use your gift to help us.” She finally finishes talking, and a nice smile is plastered across her face. Surprise and anger rises through me.

“You planned this whole thing? This was all just some stupid experiment?”

“We did it to help-” I interrupt her

“No! You killed thousands of people! You killed families and innocent people! And for what, a stupid experiment?” She is starting to lose her calm, and begins to become defensive. 

“We are desperate for power, and sometimes the extreme has to be done to get there.”

“But what about the people? Do they not matter to you?”

“The people aren’t always correct. The government has always kept things from the people, and it’s always been to protect them. Nothing has changed because of this.” She defends.

“This isn’t for protection anymore. My parents, your own people, are dead because of you!” I hold back tears as I say it. I have to be strong. Cora and them would want me to. The President keeps silent, and her face and body loosens.

“I want to fix this, but I need your help. I can’t do it without you. Please help.”

“No.”

It’s been about 6 months since I escaped the U.S government. A few other people made it too, because I found a group of people who fled just like me. Many are protesters, and some are government employees who didn't like what was happening. They call themselves The Vagabonds, and they accept me with open arms. We sneak through the night and hide ourselves from the eyes of others.

I don’t know what happened to Cora, or if she’s still alive. I don’t know what happened to everyone else or The Others either. I still dream about them sometimes, but I still can’t make any sense of them. As time goes, the dreams become more and more of a blur. Some nights I don’t dream at all.

My life has become a series of questions and nothing, and I often wonder why I’m still alive. But I am. I am here. I don’t know what I am going to do from now on, but I’m alive. I made it through what many didn’t, and even though I lost the world, I fought against power, defied the laws of death, and I made it here. Cora would be proud of me. Mom and Dad would be proud of me.

I will try to continue to look ahead and make this life my own.