All That Remains

Chapter Nine

The counselor sat behind his desk with a pen and notepad ready. "All right, Jacob, tell me your dream."

"Before I begin, Counselor Max, I want to tell you that this might be my last dream dealing with this."

"Your last dream?" He bent over so that his elbows touched the surface of the wood and folded his hands together. "What makes you think that?" 

"It just stopped. Two nights ago was the last time I dreamed, but last night, I had none."

"You could have one tonight."

"I don't think so. The dreams happen in order every night. The ending of the last one felt like the end."

"Well, Jacob," the counselor said scratching his head, "Tell me everything that happened."

"Okay. Here it goes:"

...

"This way ma'am," a soldier said escorting Martha out of the large truck. Jacob jumped behind her. Suddenly, a wind picked up, throwing sand in their faces. "Everyone inside. When the doors close, they won't open!" 

Jacob, Martha, and the other refugees with the soldiers made their way to a small building in an abandoned town. Luckily for them, the old buildings were blocking the wind. All Jacob could see were a few other families, armed marines, and the agents they came with.

"So, is there some secret bunker around here?" he asked the top agent.

"You're about to see it."

As they passed a few motels and a gas station, Jacob looked into the distance to see Phoenix. "There's the capital," he informed. 

Martha looked in the direction her son was pointing. "That's where your father and I me--" 

The ground shook violently, forcing everyone to fall over. The refugees began to scream. "What's happening?!" Jacob shouted. Just a mile away, he could see a rocket launching from the ground. As it rose into the air, the shaking stopped, and the smoke billowed. 

"It's starting," a man said. 

"What's starting," asked a woman refugee. 

"World War 3."

"He's right," the agent said to Martha. "A marine told me earlier they lost contact with Washington."

"It was nuked?" Jacob asked, frighteningly.

"Shh! Yes, sadly. It wasn't the only place though. New York City, Atlanta, Jacksonville, they're gone. We have to retaliate. If we use conventional weapons, we will be wiped off the map, and the international community will be at the mercy of Russia and China."

"But we'll survive, right?" said Jacob. 

"Of course. When the war ends, the cryogenic chambers will be opened. There are several facilities that have been built like this one around the world." The agent stopped when he heard a woman shouting.

"Oh my God!" 

Everyone turned their heads. Jacob saw a huge mushroom cloud rising clear out in the desert. "Phoenix."

"Keep moving folks!" a marine shouted.

The small crowd found themselves in front of a post office. Three marines went in first, before one returned and said, "All clear!" 

Everyone entered in a single-file line. "A post office?" a man questioned.

"Wait for it," the agent said to Jacob, knowing he heard the man's comment.