002 Endings
The end of everything they knew came very quickly. A few hours after the earthquake everything went dark. When the light—such as it was—came back, all the color had bled out of their world and there was screaming in the streets.
Toby tried to make them stay in Rock Porium, where it was vaguely safe, but they fought and argued until he let them go. They promised to stick together as long as possible and to come back once they knew what was happening.
Almost half a day later Xander found Chip wandering aimlessly along Main Street. The red head had a streak of dried blood down one arm and, like Xander, he was filthy.
"Chip!" Xander caught his good arm when it looked like he was going to keep walking, trying to stop him and look at his injury at the same time. "Are you alright?"
"My house is gone." He said it as though he couldn't quite believe it, and Xander couldn't blame him.
His own neighborhood had been totally untouched...and completely empty. Several houses were open but no one was around; even next door's cat was missing. He'd had to force himself to search his home, terrified of what he might find, terrified of what he might not.
There'd been no sign of his parents or his baby sister.
"You're bleeding. Are you ok?"
Chip touched his arm, frowning. "Someone knocked me over. Where are the girls?"
"With Toby, I hope. Come on."