My first story guys, so please leave review. Thanks for reading! :)
My life was far from perfect, I was deep in debt , working at my dream job almost made up for it. My wife Sarah was my high school sweetheart, we've been together for 13 years. The real dark cloud in our lives was atomic war, horrifying even though it had been there for sometime. I guess that's just something you cant get used to.
"Honey! can you do something about these bobby-pins? They're everywhere, this is the tenth one today." I sighed as I sat the offending object on the sink. Why does she always leave these laying around? She smiled as she walked into the room. "Sorry dear, I like to have some everywhere. In case of an emergency, ya know?" That lopsided grin stopped my heart, i forgot about the bobby-pins as i pulled her in for a kiss.
We had a plan, Sarah and I. No matter where we were we'd meet at the vault. No matter what. we even practiced drills. She worked across town at Oaks Elementary while I was working from home often than not.
When the sirens went off I ran out the door, down the street and through the neighboring field to the vault. There were armed guards at the gate, they demanded i show them my ID. i pulled it out only to have it quickly snatched from my hands. "You're on the approved list, hurry in." the man in power armor barked out. "What about my wife, has she been through yet?" "No time for that, get in now or move over. Next!" He shouted over my head. So i moved inside the gate, surely Sarah had got here already?
We were hustled into a small building, a group of about twenty of my neighbors. I tried to spot Sarah's blonde mop over the crowd. Once we were inside the large metal gate shut behind us. An older man in a military uniform was standing on a podium in front of the crowd. He cleared his throat. "Excuse me! Quiet! You are all here for one reason. and that reason is to survive atomic annihilation !In just a moment the floor you are standing on will lower into the vault where you will begin your new lives. Vault-Tec would like to thank you for choosing them for all your nuclear-war survival needs . Good luck." As he finished the floor shuddered and slowly lowered itself.
I was still panicking over Sarah when we reached the ground level, A bright room filled with a sterile looking environment. We were told to form a line, while doctors checked us off one by one with lists they held on clipboards. Everyone that passed through was vaccinated and handed a vault-tec jumpsuit. I was next in line when a radio crackled on the shoulder of an armed guard standing in the corner I hadn't noticed before. "THE MISSILES HAVE LAUNCHED." blared over the radio in a robotic voice, the guard quickly silenced it after receiving a dirty look from one of the doctors.
When it was my turn the doctor asked my name "John Garret." "I see here you have no allergies?" "That's right." "Any new injuries since you registered?" "No." "OK, hold out your left arm please." "Just a moment, please. I haven't seen my wife. Can you tell me if shes here?" "Sir, the administration team will have to help you with that. Please hold out your arm." I rolled up my sleeve and held it out while looking into her cold eyes. Something seemed off in her manner. Of course i was probably just worked up because of Sarah. The sting of the needle drew my thoughts back. "Here is your complimentary Vault-Tec jumpsuit, please head through the large door on the left."
Walking through the doors was like watching a science fiction movie, like the ones i watched when i was a kid staying up past his bed time. there were computers and machines everywhere, gleaming white with blinking lights. It was overwhelming. A mans voice drug me out of my dazed state. "You will be decontaminated in these chambers before we take you to the lower levels. This will also help you acclimate to the pressure changes. Please step inside so we may begin."
I entered the chamber determined to get answers about Sarah when i was finished. I pictured her face and smiled as the door dropped down. Then it was cold.
~200 years later~
Where was I? I rubbed my eyes to try to bring them into focus. It wasn't working. I was in a..tube..? Then it hit me, the vault! Where was Sarah? What happened? I started banging my fists against the small window in front of me. The front of the tube opened allowing me to exit, and gasp fresh air.
The room was dark, a far cry from when I had first viewed it. What happened here? Where was everyone? Most importantly, where was my wife?
After what seemed like hours stumbling around endless rooms, looking for any hints of human life I decided my best bet was to leave the vault. If no one else is down here obviously the bombs never fell. I probably fell asleep in my decontamination tube and the vault personnel forgot about me? The only thing left to do was hope the elevator still had power. God I hope so.
I fiddled with the generator next to it for quite awhile in the dark. Finally! It sparked to life. I swallowed in anticipation as I climbed onto it and pressed the 'UP' button.
The reception room was as dark as the vault had been, even with windows. It was dark out, I must have been down there for hours. Sarah was probably worried sick about me. Vault-Tec is asking for a lawsuit with this I mumbled under my breath.
I stepped outside and made my way towards the fence gate. It was difficult in the dark, I almost tripped twice but I made it. Walking through the field was the real challenge.
As I approached my home I noticed that it seemed to be in severe disrepair, along with the other homes in my neighborhood.'It cant be.. They looks destroyed, nothing like when I left.. There was a sinking feeling where my heart was supposed to be. I sprinted to the house, and ran in where the back door used to hang.
Everything was destroyed! The roof had gaping holes where I could see the stars, the windows were all blown out. Tears were streaming down my face, i felt numb, cold. I slowly walked towards the bedroom, hoping my bed was still there. As I passed the bathroom I stopped, there on the floor was a skeleton lying in front of the sink.
I held back the vomit in my mouth and rushed forward. Although the clothes it was wearing were mostly grey rags now I recognized the pattern on the rags, the dress she had been wearing to work that day. I couldn't breath, everything started to turn black. I fell to my knees and let out an anguished howl.
Hours passed as I lay on the cold floor next to my wife's bones. The realization that I was alone, she was gone, everyone was gone, held me there until the sun started to creep through the holes in the ceiling. As if it had any reason to rise again?
When the tears ran out, and I had emptied my stomach four times I stood up, using the sink to balance myself. As i put my hand on it I felt something. Looking down I saw a bobby-pin. HER bobby-pin. I picked it up and held it to my face.
I stumbled into the bedroom and crawled under the bed. My safe was still there, still locked. After entering the combination I felt a small spark of something, not quite joy, but something. My fathers service pistol was still there, with the box of ammo he had left me. At the time I had scoffed at it, what would I ever need a gun for? Now I was grateful I hadn't donated it. I opened the box and grabbed one bullet. Then I stood up to make my way to the bathroom when the old portable radio caught my eye. Wondering if it still works I picked it up to bring with me.
Returning to the bathroom with my bounty was difficult. Seeing her there again, thinking of how afraid she must have been in her last moments.. I swallowed hard and sunk down next to her. Putting the radio next to me, and began to load the gun. Once it was loaded I turned the radio on, at first it was just static. I fiddled with the dial for a moment and a voice came on announcing the next song. "Next up we have a ballad for all the heartbroken out there, its the Ink Spots with 'It's All Over But The Crying." The song started playing and a tear slid down my cheek. How fitting was it that THIS song, our song play right now?
I closed my eyes as i cocked the gun, put it up to my head and pulled the trigger. I died with her bobby-pin digging into my hand.
~~~I'm trying to forget about how much I care for you~~~