This story is largely build-up and world building for the following chapters. Please have patience with me. Chapter 2 will be coming shortly. Thank you!
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Part I
Claire examined herself in the bathroom mirror. She cupped her breasts through her tiered frill trim olive green mini dress. The cut was fairly low and barely contained her large breasts. Claire released her chest and wondered how Austin would react to her outfit at the homecoming game later. She flicked off the bathroom light and made her way down the hall, kicking open the cracked door to her brother's room with her brown leather mid-calf boot.
"Are you coming out tonight?" Claire shouted to David as she continued down the hall to her room.
"Nah... I'll probably just stay in," replied David, sitting at his computer desk.
"Really? Again? You didn't come out for my eighteenth birthday last week either," Claire shouted from her room, rummaging through the items on her dresser.
"I know. I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you, I promise," assured David.
"I'm holding you to that!" exclaimed Claire, brushing her long blonde hair in front of the dresser mirror.
David felt guilty ditching his sister again but he couldn't pass up the opportunity. Their parents were gone on vacation to visit David's uncle and family. Once Claire left, he would have the house to himself... and Sylvia.
David turned to look out the window. The sun was dipping below the distant tree line. The ten acres their grandfather left to them at the edge of the city was mostly an empty field of grass that David hated mowing. Other than that, there was the two story ranch and the large shed behind the house. Two birds chased each other around on top of the white shed his grandfather built.
David's attention snapped back to his phone vibrating on his computer desk. He picked up the phone, looked at the bedroom doorway and then opened the hidden text message. It was Claire's best friend, Sylvia.
Is she gone yet?
David smiled to himself, typing back: Soon.
David placed his phone back down, excited about the fun he'd have with Sylvia later. David resumed his video game, smashing draugr with his character's ax. His phone started ringing. David looked down to see that it was his father calling. David prayed it wasn't his parents calling to inform him that they were coming back early.
"Hey dad, whatsup?" started David.
"David! Where are you!? Where's Claire!?" shouted his father on the other end.
"What? We're home. What's wrong?" asked David, startled by his father's tone.
"Listen to me! Get your sister! Go to the shed! Under the rug is a door! The code is your birthday!" his father yelled.
"Dad, what the hell are you talking about!?" David said confused.
"Bombs, David! The government just announced it!" he exclaimed. Emergency broadcasts blared from David and Claire's cellphones. It read Imminent attack! Shelter immediately! David jolted from his chair, adrenaline pumping through him.
"Where are you guys?" asked David.
"I think someone hacked my phone," Claire stated casually from David's doorway.
"David, shut up and listen to me! Get your sister and go to the shed, now! Stay down there until we come get you!" his father demanded impatiently.
"Okay. Okay," David agreed, shaking.
"If we don't get to you wait at least--," David's father started, but the line cut off suddenly.
"Dad? Dad?" David shouted, but no answer came.
"What? What did he say?" asked Claire, worry setting in as she read the fear on David's face.
"Come on!" exclaimed David, stuffing his phone in jeans pocket and pushing past Claire.
"What's going on?" she implored, still standing in the doorway behind him.
"Let's go!" shouted David, gripping Claire's wrist and dragging her with him.
"David! Where are we going!?" demanded Claire, following him down the staircase.
David didn't answer. They turned down the hallway at the bottom of the stairs and ran through the kitchen out the back door. David continued running across the wet grass to the shed, still gripping Claire's wrist. Arriving at the shed, he flung the door open, let go of her wrist and pulled up the rug on the floor. A solid hatch door lay underneath. David dropped down and punched his birthday into the PIN pad. The hatch forcefully popped open.
"Go!" David demanded, gesturing Claire down the stairway under the hatch.
Claire was shaking and confused but she complied, quickly stepping down a long set of stairs below the shed. David followed behind her, shutting and locking the hatch behind him. It was pitch black for a moment until Claire turned on her cell phone flash. David did the same and the two continued down the stairs to another locked door. David entered his birthday into the door again and the seal released. They stepped inside the room, locking the metal door behind them.
Claire flicked the light switch on the wall, but nothing happened. David used his phone light to find a generator in a small room immediately to their right. David fumbled with it for a moment but managed to power it on. The light overhead flickered on, illuminating the room. It was small but functional. In front of them on the right side of the room was a small sink and stove top. To their left were two white mattresses on the ground with some blankets. Further at the back of the room was a pantry closet on the left and a bathroom door at the back wall.
"I knew grandpa was a little extreme but I never knew it went this far," said Claire, looking around the room.
"Maybe not so extreme after all...," replied David.
"Are you going to tell me what the hell is going on now!?" implored Claire, turning to face her brother. David looked down at his phone. No signal. He wondered if their parents were alright.
"Something about the government... and bombs... then the call ended," he answered.
"Ended? Did you try calling back!?" Claire shouted, panic setting in.
"No, I--," started David, but was interrupted.
A massive quake suddenly rattled the shelter, knocking Claire to her feet. The overhead light flickered. Aluminum cans fell to the ground in the pantry. David braced himself against the metal door. The blast roared through the ground, reverberating off the walls. Various items in the kitchen and bathroom continued to fall until the quake faded and the shaking ceased. The light stopped flickering. David and Claire looked at each other terrified...
Part II
Claire stood bent over on her elbows at the kitchen counter, finishing her tomato soup. David was laying on his back on the mattress closest to the entrance. He was drawing in a notebook while picking at some jerky. He looked up to inspect Claire who was facing away from him. His eyes lowered back to the notebook, where he was drawing a picture of Claire eating at the counter.
"What time is it?" asked Claire without turning to him. David rotated his wrist to see the hands of his watch.
