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Five years ago, the apocalypse happened.
No alien invasions, or corrupt governments nuking each other.
It was a disease. A plague. A virus.
Miraculously, I survived, along with five of my best friends. Everyone else on the planet?
Pff. They're dead. All of 'em. All eight billion people on this planet are dead and gone.
It's just me.
Well, me, Emily, Amalia, Dillon, Christopher, and Elena. Now, we have to figure out how to survive.
And I promise you, we will.
"Okay guys, does anyone have a better idea?"
"Amalia, only you would think trying to find the fabled cure would be a good idea," I shoot back.
"Hey, it's only a matter of time before one of us catches it from one of these gross nasty corpses."
"Emily! Whose side are you on?"
She raises her hands. "Hey, hang on, I'm just sayin', is all!"
"Well," Dillon jumps in, "the least we can do is look, right?"
"Guys! Come on!"
"They do have a point," Elena says thoughtfully.
"Chris?" I say, giving him an exasperated look.
"Sorry, I'm with them."
"Oh my-" I roll my eyes. "Fine. But if we all die, I'm going to kill you."
A week later found us standing at the door of a massive underground facility. Amalia was going at the thick metal door with a blowtorch, like the ones you see in the movies that can cut through steel like butter. After ten minutes, she had a gaping hole in the four inch steel. However, we had to wait until the next day to enter the facility, as the metal was still dripping in molten rivulets deep into the night.
By the time morning rolls around, it's cooled off enough so that we can slip inside. As the unofficial leader of the group, Amalia goes first. Also, she kinda shoves us out of the way. She does that sometimes.
Anyways.
It's pitch black inside the tunnel, except for a pinprick of light where the hole is. Christopher slowly walks to the front of the line, blazing torch in hand.
Fire's the only reliable source of heat and light these days, in case you couldn't tell.
"Eighth door on the left," Dillon says, voice echoing in the inky dark.
"This isn't creepy at all," Emily says. You can practically hear her eyes roll.
"Here," Elena says breathlessly.
The door is wide open, an even darker blackness spilling out of the aperture. Bravely, or stupidly, in my opinion, Amalia steps into the dark. Sighing, the five of us pile in after her.
The door bangs shut behind us, and old, yellow florescent lights flicker on. Amalia yelps and I back up into Chris, who clutches my arm tightly.
"Welcome, survivors, to the lab. I am the scientist, who, when the plague began, attempted to find the cure. The cure to save the world."
Dillon raises his eyebrows in the dim lighting. "Dramatic much?"
"Sh," I hiss.
"Unfortunately, I-" The voice cuts out in a spasm of coughing. "Excuse me. As I was saying, I have contracted the virus. The cure is complete, but I am no longer able to distribute it. In fact, as I record this, I am nearing the end of my life. You-" More coughing. "You need to distribute the cure. Unlock the vault. Place the vial in the distributor. The door will unlock and the cure will pass into the world. The disease will be eradicated. You have one hour. If you do not release the cure within that time, the facility will self-destruct. Please- " Another fit of coughing. "Save our world." A horrendous gurgling scream issues through the speakers and Amalia screams with it, throwing Dillon at the door.
"IF SOMETHING COMES THROUGH THAT DOOR, I'M FEEDING YOU TO IT!"
The lights flicker out, then slowly on. Strange music begins filtering through hidden speakers and a countdown appears on a screen.
"Why me?" he asks calmly.
"THAT! That is why! You're so... CALM!"
Emily snorts. Then I realize she's sitting with her hands inside a massive console.
"How long have you been sitting there?" I ask.
"A while."
I slap my forehead. Everyone begins talking at once and Amalia screams at the top of her lungs.
"SHUT UP GUYS!"
The room falls silent with the exception of the music.
"Okay. Let's get out, huh?" Everyone nods and Amalia goes and starts touching everything, trying to find clues.
"Mia."
"Wha-?" I said turning to Chris.
"I just... Shoot, this is gonna take a while to explain."
My cheeks flare. "Better get started, then. They'll be able to figure this out."
"Alright. Here goes.
"Five years ago, that last show we did together, you gave me that note, remember? It had your number and a bit of fluffy stuff."
"Yeah, I remember. You never responded. I overheard that you didn't have a phone, but I wondered..."
He rubs the back of his neck. "I didn't know how to respond. I- None of the other girls in class were like you. They were catty, you were quiet. They fell all over me, you avoided me like the plague." He rolls his eyes. "No pun intended."
I laugh lightly.
"Anyway, I couldn't figure you out. You never talked to me, but I caught you looking at me one time, and you were so nervous in partnering, and then-"
"Maybe I didn't know how to respond either," I whisper.
He sighs. "Does this mean...?"
"Ugh, Chris, yes!!! Finally!"
I grab the back of his neck in a boldness I didn't know I possessed and push my lips against his.
A loud scream pierces my ears.
"WHAT HAPPENED?!" I yell.
Amalia looks at us with a wild grin on her face.
"Y'ALL KISSED!!!! It only took, like, NINE years and the apocalypse, but you kissed!!! Oh, also, we released the cure with fourteen minutes, eighteen seconds!"
Dillon cheers and we all turn around. The door slowly opens.
Chris takes my hand. I smile at him and give him a quick kiss on the cheek. I extend my hand to Amalia, who takes Elena's, and down the line it goes.
Holding on to each other and our futures, we walk toward the light of day.
ns 15.158.61.51da2
