𝗧𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘄'𝘀 𝗟𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵 | an apocalyptic novel ©

Chapter 98

Rely on me

2035

Valencia

"I spy with my little eye... a tornado?" I mumble under my breath.

Aidan's smile falters when he looks out of the window over my shoulder. I look at him, questioning.

"I am so glad that you are here because if you weren't until right now, I would be running to you," he says.

"Well, I am here," I reply.

"Yes, and I am glad," he smiles, forced.

I turn around and also look out of the window. The wall of clouds is now right above our neighborhood, dousing it in an eerie light.

"Well, I think it's a tornado?" I guess when I spot something shaping itself in the distance.

Aidan sees it too. "Let's not guess," he says sternly and grabs my wrist to pull me along with him.

I let it happen, and let my feet move automatically since my eyes are still glued to the scene outside.

A tornado is wiping over the Bronx.

And we are stuck here.

Aidan drags me with him to the back, almost to the back room of the shelter, but suddenly, he lets go of me and crouches to something on the ground - the hatch.

"Valencia? Grab our backpacks," he demands. I blink. Our backpacks are still standing near the door. Without second thoughts, I run toward them and shoulder them, running back to where Aidan has opened the hatch to the underground bunker.

I stare down into a dark void. "There is a ladder. Climb down," Aidan quickly explains, seeing my skeptical look. "Trust me."

I sigh and grab the first ladder rung that appears in my sight. Then, I carefully step down rung by rung, until I see Aidan following me from above. Our backpacks weigh me down slightly, but I grind my teeth until I feel solid concrete under my Converse sneakers. Then, the hatch above our heads falls shut, taking away any remaining source of light.

Absolute darkness surrounds me. I can't see anything, but I feel someone squeeze past me and then I hear a click!.

The room I am standing in lights up by three fluorescent lights on the ceiling that buzz alive.

We are in Aidan's underground bunker. It is a small room with a curved ceiling, about thirteen feet long and eight feet tall.

The interior consists of a bed, one table with two chairs and a dresser. Most of the space is taken up by a generator buzzing in the one corner, a kitchen counter with a camping stove top - like the one from upstairs - and three tall metal shelves filled to the top with food stock.

On my right, a small section is separated from the rest of the bunker, and I spot an aluminum sink with a mirror that is shattered on the edge behind it.

"Welcome to my bunker," Aidan says and dramatically bows.

I put our backpacks next to one of the chairs and stood in the room, not knowing what to do.

"So... is this where you always went when an anomaly happened?" I ask, hesitantly.

"Sometimes, yes. For example when a tornado like right now struck." He shrugs casually.

I smile. "I like it, it feels livable."

Aidan looks through the contents of the one metal shelf standing next to him. "Do you want something to eat?" he asks, holding up a can of food.

I'm starving.

The food stilled my hunger. I sit on the ground, with my back leaning against the hard concrete wall while Aidan looks at me from the opposite side of the bunker.

"You do know I have chairs to sit on," he notes sarcastically.

I nod, briefly. "Yeah, I do know. Are you judging my standards, Mister Rayman?"

"Never, Miss Forther," he jokingly mocks.

Internally, I am unwell. Not physically, but mentally. Too much is happening, too fast.

Above our heads, there is probably a tornado tearing apart the Bronx, and we put our trust into a small underground bunker to protect us.

I see Aidan walk over to me and hear the military dog tag rattle on his chain when he bends down to look me in the eyes. "It's alright, we are safe here. I promise."

I have to raise my head to look at him. "Yeah, sure," I say, lost in thoughts, although I can physically hear him roll his eyes. He drops down to crouch in front of me. "I don't know how to convince you otherwise."

I sigh. "I wasn't expecting you to."

We both don't know what to say to each other. We just lock eyes, and somehow that is an answer. I hear rumbling above the ceiling of the bunker, which makes me visibly shiver. Aidan sits down next to me, also leaning against the wall. After some time of sitting in silence, he clears his voice. "Yeah, I kind of do get why you chose to sit here."

I pull my knees to my chest and rest my chin on them. Another loud noise makes me shriek, this time it sounds like it came from inside of the shelter. My hands are pressed flat against the ground, I don't dare to move. I feel cold skin touch my bare arm. When I look to the side, Aidan has crossed his arms in front of his chest, making them touch mine.

"You are cold," I bluntly state.

"Yeah, I don't feel it," he replies monotone.

I scoff and have to restrain myself from rubbing my eyes. "Are you always so straightforward with your answers?"

He scoffs too, in the same manner. "Should I not be?"

"It is fucking awkward, every time we talk so closely," I finally admit.

Aidan tilts his head to look at me. "It is."

His smile is not what I need right now. I have to turn away - to swallow, to stay calm. My hair falls into my face in the process. "I should cut it," I mumble under my breath.

"What - your hair or the tension?"

This question makes me almost choke on my breath.

"What?" I ask in return. Aidan chuckles. "I said what I said."

"You're not about to kiss me, are you?" I ask.

He laughs. "No." Although, his saying that doesn't sound honest. "Would you... punch me if I did?"

"What-" escapes my lips.

He nudges my side. "I'm just fucking with you, Jesus."

Is he though? Aidan is right. It agitates me. It has been almost five months of knowing each other and we still haven't managed to get any closer. And the fact that we both know it - feel it - is infuriating.

"Whatever," I sigh and lean my head back and close my eyes. I am tired, still, I can at least try to get some sleep while I'm at it.

There is surely no other reason.