Apocalypse
We tried everything, but it was imminent. The leaders were old, and instead of wisdom were full of ego. There was no way to calm the situation down.
The sirens started blaring, as I ordered all my subordinates to head towards the bunker. We had at best 5 minutes before the missiles hit our soil, and maybe 6 before ours would hit the ‘enemy’.
We always knew, it would only take one country to fire their missile and for the chain reaction to occur. The world map was showing lots of blips as I ran out of the room.
I had about three minutes, as I ran towards the bunkers. I hoped that my family was already inside, safe and sound. I prayed that they would forgive me for cutting it so close.
I had about a minute left as I reached the entrance and punched in the code. The door slid open and I dashed in, slamming it shut behind me. I heard a loud thud as the lock engaged. We were hopefully safe, for now. I looked around the room, and saw dozens of people huddled in the dimly lit space. Some of them were crying, some were praying, some were even staring blankly at the walls. I searched for my wife and kids, but I couldn’t find them. I called out my daughter’s name, everyone but my family stared back at me.
‘Where were they?’ I thought to myself. As I ran to the nearest monitor, I heard the first blast. I looked through the list of registered occupants and there were almost 50 names on the list… but none of them were mine or my family’s. How could this be? Did they go to another bunker? Had they been turned away? Had they been caught in the blast?
A surge of panic and anger coursed through me. I couldn’t think straight. Grabbing the nearest person, I shook him urgently. “Where are they?” I shouted, desperation in my voice. “Where are my wife and kids?”
The man’s face contorted with fear and confusion. He stammered, “Who are you? What are you talking about?”
I took a deep breath, my anxiety clawing at my chest. “I’m their husband and father,” I said, my voice trembling. “They were supposed to be here, but there names are not on the list. Please, I need to find them.” I let go of him and backed away. The weight of a terrible mistake settled upon me like a suffocating shroud. I had mistakenly entered the wrong bunker, sealing my fate to die among strangers. My family, somewhere out there, their fate uncertain—alive or dead. Overwhelmed by despair, I sank to the bunker floor, burying my face in trembling hands. Uncontrollable sobs wracked my body as the world outside faced its apocalyptic demise.