Covering Nuke

Jamie was starting to get bored in her class while her teacher went on about some history lesson. It was yet again some boring lecture about some old guy from a long time ago. Jamie thought, “I can’t wait for summer vacation to come and then after that be in middle school finally,” she thought middle school would be more interesting than fifth grade history at least.

As the teacher was talking, Jamie passed a note back to her best friend Brian. The note said, “What are doing when class lets out?” Brian looked at Jamie and motioned swimming. It was a hot day out and it made sense to go to the town pool.

After class had let out for the day, Jamie and Brian went home to grab their bathing suits. They rode their bikes to meet up at the town pool. After changing in the locker rooms and putting some sunscreen on, they jumped into the pool. It was so hot out, the water felt great.

Jamie and Brian also invited their other friend Laura to meet up at the pool. Laura hadn’t shown up yet, “I wonder what’s taking Laura so long?” Jamie said to Brian. “She’s probably just taking too long deciding what bathing suit to wear, like always,” replied Brian.

Then all of sudden, both Brian and Jamie saw Laura pull up on her bike outside the fence. She looked distraught. “Laura!” yelled Jamie from pool, “What’s wrong? Get in here!” But Laura shook her head a yelled at both of them to get out the water. That was when the towns’ tornado sirens started to go off.

“You guys,” pleaded Laura, “this what I am trying to warn you about.” Jamie and Brian were now out of the water and at the fence with Laura. “There’s something terrible going on,” Laura continued to say, “I was watching the news and rode straight here to warn you, a virus was released into the atmosphere that is affecting the all adults. Specifically anyone over the age of 16.” Brian and Jamie looked at Laura like she had gone crazy. “I’m serious, get out of there and go home to check the news yourself. They are telling adults to isolate themselves and send the younger kids away.”

Brian and Jamie ran to their bikes and rode home to see what was really going on. Laura followed after them. When Jamie got home, Her mom was crying in front of the TV. “Oh Jamie! Thank God you came home,” Jamie’s mom ran from the TV to her, “ You need to pack a backpack and get ready to go on a trip. I don’t have much time or that much information but there is a virus that is going to affect your father and me soon. You can’t be around us. They’re having the kids go to safe houses without adults. They’re stocked with what you’ll need to survive for a while until things are figured out.” Jamie couldn’t believe what Laura told them was true. The sirens were still sounding in the distance and the world felt like it was crumbling to Jamie in that moment.

Jamie ran upstairs and packed a travel backpack with only things she knew she would need. On her way back down her mom and dad were now both in the living room watching for updates. As soon as they saw Jamie again they embraced her and told her the instructions they were giving the kids of her neighborhood. They wrote them down and put it in her backpack.

Jamie’s mom looked at Jamie and told she loved her so much. Her dad did the same and looked away as he held back tears. Before Jamie left to meet up again with Laura and Brian, her mom took of her necklace from her neck and put it around Jamie’s. It was a heart shaped locket that had been passed down through her moms’ generations. Jamie wasn’t supposed to get it until she turned 18 but her mom was giving it to her now. “Mom,” Jamie started to cry, “I don’t want to leave you guys.” Now all three of them were crying but there wasn’t much time left to hang around. The kids had to escape and find shelter before the virus hit their town.

Jamie said her last goodbyes and left her house. None of the situation felt real to her but she had to go meet up with her friends to make it to the shelter.

The three friends met up at their street corner. Each of them had a packed bag and all of their eyes were puffy from crying. Brian led the conversation, “Okay, we need to get to the shelter. Apparently once the virus hits the adults are going to go crazy.” Brian started pedaling his bike. Laura and Jamie followed after him. “Guys, I’m scarred,” said Jamie. “We’re all scared,” said Brian but we have to keep it together and make it to the shelter.

The shelter was a couple miles away. All the roads were empty. There were just kids riding there bikes trying to get to the nearby shelter.

It did not take long to get to the shelter. Once all the kids from the neighborhood were accounted for the door was locked from the inside. The only communication to the outside world was a radio and television set to keep the kids updated on the situation.

Jamie, Laura and Brian found where they would be sleeping in the shelter and went back into the common area with all the other kids. “Doesn’t this seem just out of the blue,” said one of the kids. “Yeah, and who released this virus?” asked another kid. “None of this makes sense,” many kids said at once.

Just then, on the news appeared the president. He was addressing the country. “My fellow Americans, at this point all the kids should be in their shelters. It is my job to inform the public what the situation is. Earlier today the public was told that a virus was released and that this virus would only affect those of the ages 16 and up. (After a long pause) There is no virus; the actual threat is atomic. The virus was made up to make sure the younger generation was put away swiftly. There was not enough bunker space for everyone. The hard decision was made to spare the young and let them live on. The bombs will be hitting anytime now, I suggest you grab your love ones and pray. There is nothing else we can do stop this air raid. God be we us.”

Before anyone could react, “BOOM!” There the sound of a huge explosion and the earth shook. The TV went fuzzy and all the children went into a panic. Jamie, Brian and Laura looked at each other and burst into tears. “So they’re all gone,” said Jamie through sobs, “just like that. How could this happen? Why did this happen?”

“I don’t know why this happened but I know once it’s safe to go out again, I am going to find out,” Brian said sternly wiping the tears from his eyes.

This day was the end of the quaint life for this trio of friends. And the beginning of their journey to find out of happened on the day of nuclear attack on the US. “They’re going to pay,” whispered the three.