Dad's loud voice wakes me up from my nap. It jolts me, and I sit up, looking around as he slams open the door to Cain's room.
"We have to move, now."
"What? What's going on?"
Sleep is still present in my mind, and everything is really foggy. Mom appears next to him, and she reaches for my arm.
"We have to go, Dizzy!"
She yells, pulling me off of the bed. I can't feel my legs just yet, but I stand, and try to pull myself from her grip.
"Mom, wait! Wait! What's going on?"
"There isn't time, we have to go!"
Dad pushes me while mom pulls, and I struggle.
"Wait! Wait! What's going on? Let me go!"
I'm able to get out of mom's hold, but dad catches me as I try to run back up the stairs. He's far stronger than mom, and hoists me over his shoulder. No amount of punching or kicking will make him put me down, I know this from being a kid.
"Are you ready?"
Dad says to someone in front of him.
"Let's go, there ain't time."
It's Gob. Gob's here, so that means Zack is here, but why.
"Dad what the hell is going on?"
"A storm, Dizzy. A very big, and violent storm. The house may not hold up, and we have to get to shelter."
A storm? Since when does the Capital Wasteland have storms? Especially ones people are afraid of?
"Wait! Wait what about Cain?"
"We can't bring him, we have to go!"
Dad yells, as he puts me down and ushers Gob and Zack and mom out the door. I know this is serious, and I know I should obey, but it's Cain. I can't leave him behind. Then again, I can't really stand up to my dad when he's like this. It's all business with him, so a bit scared, I listen. If I don't, I know the consequences are going to be dire.
Stepping outside, I know instantly what dad means, by not having time. By the storm being scary and dangerous. Winds whip against my face, and mud gets sprayed on my face. I use my arm to protect my eyes, but it doesn't help. I can hardly walk, with the wind pushing against me.
"Dad! Dad!"
I yell, knowing mom is up ahead with Gob and Zack. Feeling dad's arm around my waist, I feel my feet leave the ground, as he carries me through the strong winds.
"Hold tightly!"
We have to yell because the noise out here is so loud. Metallic bangs tell me things around Megaton are falling. Pressing my face against dad's armor, I open my eyes a bit, and see a bolt of lightning light up the sky. More bangs, as more things fall down and hit the ground.
"What about Cain!"
I yell, holding fast to my dad's armor as the wind picks up. He pushes on, his grip on me, tightening. Up ahead I hear my mother calling for dad. His pace quickens, and soon I feel her hands close to my legs.
"Hold on, both of you!"
Dad tells us, and I look over to see mom holding on to dad's pants. He walks behind Gob and Zack, making sure if they fall, he can pick them up.
"Where're we going? Dad! Dad we have to get Cain!"
"We can't, Dizzy! Put your head down!"
I don't know how dad can walk in these high winds, but somehow he does. Mom said he was a lot stronger than I knew, so I guess this is a display of that.
"Keep going! There's the path!"
Mom yells, and echoing bangs from Megaton and pieces falling to the ground overplay the noise of the wind in my ears. But what about Cain? We can't just leave him there, we can't just walk away. But we are. We're leaving him back there, with the things falling and the high winds. What'll happen to him? Is he going to be okay? I know better than to jump from dad's hold and try to run back. Because there'd be no going back for them. They'd leave me in Megaton to deal with the possible downfall of our house. But would that be so bad? Morbid as it is, would it be so bad to join Cain, and perish beside him?
No, Cain is not going to die. This is just a rare, bad storm. He'll stay there, and the house will be fine, and he'll be fine and then when this passes I can go back to him.
"Hurry! The wind is picking up!"
Dad yells, and I feel a third body press close to us. Picking my head up, I notice dad pushing Gob and Zack up a path with his legs. The dust and mud flying everywhere makes my vision hazy and blurry. I don't think I could see an arm's length away, even if I tried. But here dad is, pushing a group of people, with nobody helping him. He's just moving up and on. I hide my head, as more wind starts to hit us.
It seems like forever, before the wind stops hitting me, before the rocks stop smacking against my arms, and the noise is silenced. When I realize it's safe, I pick my head up as I feel dad putting me back down.
"Dad? Mom?"
I say, as they look at me. We're in a dark place, and the smell of earth is all around.
"It's alright, Dizzy. Just stand still."
My eyes aren't adjusted, and I frantically feel for someone, anyone. Eventually I find Gob, and cling to his arm.
"It's alright, Diz. Just relax."
Gob says, and I hold his arm tighter.
"Where are we? What about Cain? Dad you have to go back and get him!"
"I can't, Dizzy. It's too dangerous out there right now."
There's a sad undertone in his voice. I try my best not to think of it right now. Try my best to think that everything will be okay. Squeezing Gob's arm, I push down all the turmoil, and I hold back from running back to Megaton. Even though I know I would probably get lost, and then get hurt in the wind.
"Alright, done. Everyone ready?"
No one says anything, and in the dark I try to find mom. She mutters something, so I know she's ahead of me, and soon I hear a loud noise. Like air leaking out of something. It isn't long after, that light floods where we are. Turns out, we're in a cave. A man-made one, because it's really circular. In front of me, a giant gear turns and makes an opening, to something brightly lit.
"…What…?"
Dad looks at me, his face illuminated by the light coming from behind the gear-door.
"This is where your mother is from. Where it will be safe for us, until the storm passes."
"Holy shit Dez…I've never been inside here before…"
"Not many people have, Gob. Not many people leave, either. They might be hostile…"
Mom grabs her gun, but dad grabs her arm.
"You're fifty years old, Dezbe. The citizens you once knew, are probably retired. Their children are in charge, now."
She nods, and frowns.
"Then lets hope we don't have to kill them."
With mom leading the group, dad makes sure I'm in the middle, and well-guarded, as we step into the vault. At least, that's what I think this place is. Both of them said where mom came from was called a vault. I've never been inside one, just heard stories about them. They smell nice, and clean. The lights are bright, but dim enough to sleep in. It's all steel, and our feet tap against the floor. Everything is clean, and everything seems to have a life. Like if the walls could talk, they would tell amazing stories.
"Wow…you lived well here."
Gob says, looking around with as much curiosity as I have.
"We lived sheltered lives here, Gob. It's not all as crisp and clean as you see."
We enter a big room, with other rooms coming off of it. A sign above the door says it's the Atrium.
"We are born in the vault, we live in the vault, and we die in the vault. It was a motto almost everyone lived by. Everyone here, was so brainwashed to thinking that the Overseer was the only voice of reason. I'm not sorry I left. I hated it here. The safety it offers comes with a price."
Mom tells everyone, as her hands touch the walls lightly. I want to think about this place, and about how mom grew up here until she was nineteen. There's posters around, encouraging procreation. Did mom have to read these signs, too? There isn't much time for thought, because a voice from down a long hall booms at us.
"Who are you?"
I jump, and hold dad's hand. He looks down at me, and back ahead. In front of mom is a man in a jumpsuit. He looks about my age, but maybe a bit older. He stares at mom, a pistol in his hand. She takes out her own gun, and dad stays still. I think he knows to let her reason with her own people.
"Are you the new Overseer?"
"I am, but who are you? And how do you know our terminology? You're not from here!"
He raises his pistol, but my mom holsters hers. What? Is she mad? I look at dad, who squeezes my hand to calm me.
"My name is Dezbe. I lived here decades ago, my father's name was James. He was a physician."
"No one has ever left the vault! I'll shoot! Who are you people? What is that?"
The man points the gun at dad, who doesn't seem phased. He looks away, more interested in the interior of the vault, which after a while, seems dull and mundane.
"Amata Almodovar was the last person to leave this place."
"How do you know her?"
Mom knows a lot, and I want to go get Cain. I'm still worried about the gun in the man's hand. And what's an 'Overseer'?
"I'm from the vault, I told you this. There's five of us, and one of you. We've lived on the outside, and your pistol doesn't scare me. If you look in the records, you'll find me. If you don't want to give us shelter until it's safe to us to return home, we'll take it by force."
Mom's words are powerful, and I can tell they scare the man threatening her with his gun. Thinking her words over, the man eventually holsters his pistol. Is everyone here asleep? There's nobody around except him. Everyone seems to breathe a sigh of relief, except dad. He lets go of my hand, and takes his rightful place beside mom. I see them together, and I feel sad.
Before I really know what's going on, though, dad lunges forward, with his knife out. He has the man against the wall, knife to his throat. Mom stands watching, her hands on her hips, and a really childish look on her face.
"Drop the vile."
Dad growls, and something falls from the man's hands. It's a needle, a glass one, and it has something in it. Mom picks it up and puts it in her pocket. She sees me watching, and smirks.
"Your father knows best."
Mom has lost it. Dad has lost it. Gob and Zack don't even bother to stop him. They just look around. Has dad always been this crazy? What was in that vile? How did he even see it? Eventually, after making the man plea for a bit, dad lets him go. Mom walks over and wraps herself against him. Has everyone forgotten about Cain?
"Let's go."
Dad says, pushing the man forward with his shotgun. Mom's still all sorts of into him, and we all follow without argument. The man leads us to a big, bright room. There's an eating place, and two bedrooms. A terminal is in one of the rooms, and mom makes her way towards it.
"Everyone is going to be sealed inside until we leave, but if you're good, my husband here won't kill you. Understand?"
She says, and the man nods as dad gives him a reinforcing smack over the head.
"What about Cain?"
I ask, my voice echoing as the doors around me seal. A sad look goes across mom's face as she clicks and types on the terminal.
"We have to wait. We can't bring him here."
"Why not?"
I ask her, and she looks at dad. He's busy watching the man mom called the 'Overseer' while Gob and Zack busy themselves in another bedroom.
"Because…we will die, if we leave. Cain can't be carried in here. It would risk everyone's safety."
I can't believe mom's words, but I can't fight them, either. Defeated, I sit down in a chair and hang my head. I don't even really know what's happening outside, to my house, to Megaton, or even to Cain. Fighting back tears is hard, but I manage.
"…Can someone just tell me what's going on outside at least?"
Looking over at dad, I see he's taken the pistol from the Overseer man and made sure he has no other weapons. He hands me the pistol, since my gun was left at home, and sits beside me.
"A strong storm. One from pre-war times. It was too dangerous to stay in Megaton. This was our only option."
"…I want to go home. I want to see Cain."
"You will, when the storm passes."