Chapter 4 - Today Is Always Gone Tomorrow

"I can't believe they're gone…" Abbie wipes her eyes on the small green bed in my chamber.

"Don't say that…maybe they found a safe place or something!" Bradley snaps at her across the small room, then turns to you. "What do you think?"

"I think they're alive."

I were sitting on my own bed, in between their beds, and I lean back. Bradley crosses his arms, and Abbie releases a big sigh.

A loud banging noise startles the whole bunker. My friends jump on their beds, and I rush to the door. When I open it, I find Philip banging on a pan in the living room. The others come out of their chambers, and confused chattering fills the room as I follow them.

"So, since I'm the oldest and obviously the most capable of organizing things here, I'll happily elect myself as the leader. This is our only and best chance for survival, until we come up with something to get out of here." He throws the pan away.

"You're only 16. What makes you better than us?" Bradley shrugs and crosses his arms next to me. Philip steps closer and gives him a firm push on the chest.

"What doesn't? I think I've found the best person for toilet cleaning duty." He laughs and looks around. "I'll assign everyone to do something. We'll get this community working. We'll survive, I'll make sure of that. Enjoy your day off, it's the last one. That's all." He crosses his arms and keeps smiling as all of the students walk into their chambers, along with me.

"Screw him…" Bradley jumps onto his bed and frowns.

"You shouldn't have spoken up." Abbie leans against the wall and glances over at me.

"Whatever…he won't be able to organize anything. He's still a bully, nothing more. I just hope we can get out soon, or I have a feeling that rough times await us…" He glances at the closed door. A worried, uncertain feeling about the future fills the room.

Two Years Later…

"Well, happy birthday," I murmur to myself as I tap on the small pixel candle on my Identification Card and watch as it blows out. The lights flicker on the card. The battery in it has to be replaced every year, so it's a wonder how it could still be working.

I glance at the information section and smile as the number 11 at the age section fades away and switches to 12. I stuff it into my backpack and release a slight sigh when I think about the past two years down here, without any information about the outside world. I've been trying to get out, but without the password to the door, it seems to be impossible. Peter somehow came up with a calculation which got everyone's hopes up. Until the variation of the password came to 387420489.

I leave the room I share with Bradley and Abbie, then take a look at the 'assignment' chart. Cleaning duty in the living room, again. My frown turns to a slight smile when I see Bradley's toilet cleaning and Abbie's ration handout duty. The latter has been harder, since the stock is running low on food. Ever since Philip elected himself as the leader, he has taken his duties very seriously. He's still a bully, but no one can question his ability as a leader, since the community goes more or less smoothly. With that thought, I make my way towards the living room.

"Finally. Get to work!" Philip walks by proudly. "This room isn't going to clean itself, you know."

"Why don't you do it yourself, then?"

"Because I can do nothing while you do the work. Obviously. Now get to it, before I get mad." He shrugs and grins.

He walks past me quickly, murmuring something. I pick up the broom and mop, then start cleaning the living room.

Hours later…

This is probably the most boring job ever, I think as I almost pass out from boredom, when Philip walks around and rings a hand bell. As much as I hate him doing that, I know it means it's finally lunchtime. I drop the broom and mop to head down the corridor. I pass the living quarters and head towards the kitchen. where you stand in line.

"I swear, if I have to work there one more day, I'll kill him!" I look to my right and see Bradley frowning with bright red cheeks.

"At least it's entertaining," I chuckle. "Try cleaning the living room for hours."

I keep chattering until you're next. Abbie hands me a plate with smaller rations than yesterday, and I give her a disappointed look unintentionally. "Sorry, Baron, we're low on stock. You know that."

I nod and force a smile, then head to the table and sit down. Seconds later, Bradley accompanies you. "I don't know how long I can take this horrible thing they call food. I'm actually glad we're low on stock," he says, poking his food with his fingers.

"You realize we'll die if we run out, right?" I say as I close my eyes and swallow a mouthful of green pottage. Bradley shrugs and does the same. "We can always eat each other. I'd start with Philip." He smiles. "I hope Peter will find out the password real s-"

A loud explosion interrupts him, and the whole bunker shakes for a minute. "It came from upstairs!" Bradley says and jumps up running towards the living room with the others. The alarms go off, and the whole bunker flashes in red. Memories strike me unexpectedly, but I get up from my seat and follow the others to the living room and gasp.

Two armed people with gas masks step out of the smoke and walk down the stairs.

"Look what we have here. A kindergarten party! Looks like they've got themselves a working community. How cute is that?" says a tall man as he waves his rifle around.

"They would be good for labour," a shorter man says, scratching his head with his revolver.

"All right," he nods. "Round up the tough ones, and the ones with working gas masks. And kill the rest," he says as he walks into the living quarters.

Minutes later, a handful of us were standing behind the tall man, with tied hands and gas masks on, ready to leave. I am the first in line and keep glancing back at the ones that count as expendable. They beg and cry heavily. I can feel my stomach tie up in knots, but knowing that both Bradley and Abbie are with me is reassuring.

"Who knows what the outside world now looks like?"

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