They huddled together in that car for days, listening to the roar of battle going on outside. At one point Lauren had started the engine, but the sludge on the street had solidified, sealing the wheels.
But they couldn't stay there.
They were out of food and nearly out of water.
Anywhere had to be better than here.
"What do we do?" Andy asked her more than once, but she couldn't answer.
Finally it fell silent on the street outside. She reached for the doorhandle, pushing the door open a crack. He grabbed her wrist. "Don't."
"I have to see," she whispered back. They couldn't stay there.
There didn't seem to be anyone outside. She climbed onto the pavement, crouching behind the car door, and peered around.
The street was empty except for the bodies laid here and there.
"Come on," she whispered.
Andy still hesitated before finally following her. She gave a final glance either way before setting off for the end of the street at a sprint, her brother close on her heels.
The only noise were their footfalls, their heartbeats, and the alarms in the near distance.
They made it to Terrance Street before the sound of windows being broken and what might have been shouting met their ears. Lauren grabbed his arm and yanked him into the grocery store, pulling him to the floor behind the register. They cowered there, Lauren scribbling in her book, until the noise started to move away. She ventured out to peer through the window, keeping one hand up at an odd looking angle.
"When it starts to get light, we'll set off for home."
Andy frowned. "Why not go now?"
"There are soldiers out there as well. If we run into us they'll see we're human."
"If we go while it's still dark they won't see us at all."
"Yeah, and we might be blown to pieces by either side."
"Lauren, the world's tearing itself apart! We could be killed either way!"
"So better to at least play to one side!"
"And what if whoever that was comes back again? Anything could happen!"
"It already has!"
They were silent for a while after that, before mutually agreeing to leave an hour before it started getting light. The empty streets felt eerily foreign even though they knew every house, every shop and every sign. Everything was empty, damaged, and dangerous looking.
It was light by the time they made it back to their house. It felt like some kind of miracle to see it still there standing in the street.
Something in both of them had been worried they would arrive to a crater.
Lauren unlocked the door with shaky hands, got them both inside, and locked it behind them.
They both collapsed on the hallway floor and lay there crying.