Shattered World (Shattered #3)

Chapter Twenty-One

“ T he waves are going to keep coming! We need to move now!” Rainer shouted down the line.

Pulling Sasha back into his side, he held Lucas firmly, gripping the side of the building as he slowly shuffled forward. The rest of us did the same, following his lead. Our steps were small, the pace slower than a snail, but inch by inch we made it to the next building.

Everything on my body froze as we moved from building to building, others following our path, some finding different ways to make it to the museum. But when we stepped inside the broken windows, I knew we had done it.

The floor inside was flooded, the water already up to my knees, but the current wasn’t as strong, allowing us to move inside.

Dozens and dozens of people were already inside, sprinting through the water and toward the back of the museum where the exhibit was. Rainer led the way, stopping when we reached the entrance to the bunker, at least ten guards standing above the door. The door that sat underneath at least two feet of water.

How the hell were we going to get inside? The question was answered for me when one of the guards lifted the edge of the door, water spilling inside as a single individual dipped down, hopping into the unknown.

Within seconds, the door was shut, only a few fractions of water escaping and entering. There must have been another door after the initial one, in place for a situation such as this. But even if they could prevent the first door from flooding, it would only last for so long. Eventually, the water would fill up.

Rainer and Sasha tried to push through the people in front of us, probably realizing the same as I had, but they stood in the way, refusing to give up their spot. I couldn’t blame them. Not when we were trying to do exactly the same.

Minutes passed, the water in the room filling up higher and higher, wetting my thighs, as hundreds more people streamed into the museum. Loud voices echoed in the room, people screaming that they needed to get inside, and I knew it wouldn’t be long until chaos ensued. These guards needed to hurry up before all hell broke loose.

Eventually, it was our turn and the guards shifted, one of them holding out a hand. “Papers.”

Was he kidding? My mouth gaped open as I struggled to fit my hand into the pocket of my pant, pulling out the completely ruined piece of paper. The others did the same, Rainer slapping the sopping wet mass into the man’s waiting palm.

The man scanned his eyes over the paper, noting the jumble of letters that had melted together from the onslaught of water. He opened his mouth, maybe to deny us entrance, when a woman at his side whispered something in his ear.

Nodding, the stern features of his face melted, and he threw the paper into the puddle of water at his feet.

“Fuck the papers! All of you are getting inside this bunker,” he shouted and yells of elation sounded through the group.

My heart beat an unsteady rhythm as the man opened the bunker door, Sasha the first to hop through. One. Rainer dropped Lucas through the hole before following. Three. Warner and Stephanie were next. Five. Aiden followed suit, dipping beneath the surface of the water. Six. Murphy ushered me forward, but I refused to leave him behind, even if only for a second.

With our hands tightly wound, the man opened the door, our bodies dropping beneath the icy water. My eyes struggled to stay open as I slipped beneath the surface and through the opening. The door was immediately shut after us, a few drops of water falling on my head as the water circled my ankles. Eight.

Tears sprung to my eyes as the gravity of the situation settled in my heart. Eleven of us had started this journey. Eight of us had survived. Eight of us were going to live.

The bunker was larger than anything I had ever anticipated. Clearly, it had been created for at least ten thousand people and yet as the hours passed and more people trickled in; I knew we were lucky to reach a few thousand.

No one had been prepared for the meteor to hit this early. It was a miracle in itself that as many people managed to make it as they did.

We weren’t sure where to go after we entered the bunker, those that had been in charge either late or not making it at all. And so everyone found themselves in a large cafeteria like area.

There were no loud voices anymore, no animosity or desperation to save themselves over the person next to them. Instead, the silence of guilt sat heavy on all our hearts.

There was a hint of happiness, the relief of knowing we had survived. But I couldn’t ignore all the people that had been lost, the millions whose lives never stood a chance. But as Rainer wrapped an arm around me, Warner’s cold hand on my thigh, and Murphy’s heated stare across from me, I knew the guilt would eventually fade.

That together, we could create a happy life, one that was worth living. A life that would make those who had sacrificed themselves proud.

“Hello, can I have everyone’s attention, please?” A voice sounded through a microphone, disrupting the quiet peace.

My head swiveled toward a platform in the left corner of the room, an elderly woman standing atop it. She held the microphone to her mouth, her eyes scanning over all the faces in the room.

“I am here to inform you that as of five minutes ago, the bunker’s doors were closed. The flooding water had become too much. As of now, this is part of the future of the human population, willing the bunkers in other areas were also successful.”

Mutters of disapproval sounded at her use of the term successful, and the woman frowned, realizing her misstep. There was nothing successful about millions of people dying.

However, she didn’t let the mutters stop her, continuing, “My name is Angela Ricken. I have been entrusted with the care of this bunker. Unfortunately, these next steps will take longer than anticipated. The plans we had in place to match everyone to their rooms will not be possible any longer, given we have no idea who is here.”

This time, soft chuckles sounded throughout the room. Briefly, I wondered how many people inside were like us. Who had fought for their lives, refusing to give up, even when the entire world was against them. I hoped there were more.

Angela continued to speak for several more minutes, explaining the process of assigning rooms, figuring out identification, and additional things that would take place in the next few days to months.

We weren’t just here for several weeks. This bunker was here to sustain us for fifty years. Which meant jobs would need to be assigned, a school started for the children, a government elected. None of this would happen overnight and who knew if it would be successful. For all we knew, the future of the population would die with us if we screwed up.

But several hours later, my worries faded as we approached the officials in charge of identifying everyone.

Each of us gave our full names, Murphy filling in for a frozen Stephanie and Lucas.

“And your relation?” The man asked, and heat warmed my chilled body when Warner spoke.

“We’re a family. All of us.”

Maybe the world had ended. Maybe this entire ordeal would end up as a massive disaster. But my family, the ones who had found me at my weakest and helped me discover my true strength, I knew we’d thrive.