chapter one   /     lights are on
(   september 26, 2003   )

THE UV RAYS OF THE SUN flushed beautifully against the light olive skin of her husband. Without even realizing, her finger had began to lightly trace over each and every crevice, every winkle, every dip in the skin so carefully she was surprised when he stirred in his sleep. He sniffled but didn't open his eyes. She giggled, an evil thought popping into her mind.

She pinched his nose closed, causing him to start snoring through his mouth until he coughed and woke himself up. Blinking away the sleep, Joel Miller rolled his eyes at the unsuccessful attempt of his wife pretending to roll over in sleep, allowing a smile to grace his lips that morning. For a minute, he simply stared at her. Waiting for her to break character.

When that didn't happen, he led with his favorite morning wake-up call and began peppering her cheeks in kisses, smiling into her neck when she started giggling uncontrollably. The man fueled the fire by running his hands up her- his shirt and tickling her sides.

"Joel!" She heaved, wringing from side to side to try to avoid the wrath of her evil husband. "Get off me you old log!"

He stopped immediately, giving her a serious look, aka his natural face. "Old...log? Oh, I'll show you an old log."

"No, no, no, no.." she protested but was instantaneously cut off by her own lungs giving up on her as Joel turned his back against her chest and laid his body weight on top of her.

"Gonna wave the white flag, my Belle?" Joel asked proudly

Using the little oxygen she had left, Isabella breathed out her words. "Never."

Just then, the product of their shared love walked into the bedroom.

"Uh...happy birthday?" Sarah asked, standing in the middle of their room in pure confusion.

"Sarah! Help!" Isabella called out desperately.

Her daughter snickered and shook her head, placing her hand on her chin to look at her parents in awe. Growing up with parents like them, Sarah was confident their love would do nothing but grow as the years on. Her blind faith in their love was only what she strives for in her own life.

Slightly reluctantly, Sarah stood at the end of their bed and held her hand out for her father to take, yanking him off of the dying woman who sucked in a vast amount of air. Isabella slipped her hand under head and swung the pillow directly in her husbands face, nearly knocking him backwards off the bed.

He gasped, "Oh, that's how we're playing, huh?" His hand reached for his own pillow.

"Dad!" Sarah groaned, pointing towards her imaginary wrist watch. Joel's eyes lit up, remembering the day and looking down at his own watch, albeit broken.

"Right, right, right, I'll be down in a minute, don't worry." He gave her a tight lipped smile, Sarah rolled her eyes and walked away like a typical teen—something he adored about her.

Still in bed, Isabella ran her fingers through the side of his hair and placed a kiss on his cheek. "Happy birthday, my love."

He held her arm in his arms, his pupils dilating and a growing smile on his face. "A happy birthday, it is indeed."

. ˚ ⚘ ˏ'۰ ˖* ℘

"You get your, uh, homework done?" Joel asked right as Belle hopped down stairs, struggling to button her jeans. "Fractions?"

At the same time, his wife and daughter looked at him as if he'd grown two heads before turning and laughing at the same time.

Joel pretended to shiver, "Jesus, it's like you cloned yourself."

The two girls stopped and looked each other up and down, nodding approvingly and smiling at each other, moving over to the dining table.

"Aw, don't worry, babe. You two share some similarities." Isabella said in an attempt to comfort him.

Joel chewed on his eggs and shrugged, "Like what?"

Both girls opened their mouths to answer, sharing a look once more and still coming up with nothing. "Yeah, okay, I'll accept the clone assumption." Bella agreed.

Joel suddenly stopped chewing, picking an egg shell out of his mouth and showing his daughter with a look. "Calcium." She waved him off, "Anyways, maybe the next one will be exactly like dad and we'll have two clones in the house."

Isabella immediately stopped eating, dropping the fork as a wave of nausea clouded her upchuck reflexes, and Joel coughed into his fist.

"The next one? Well, aren't you planning ahead?" He mumbled, slightly surprised at the suggestion but not completely opposed.

Just then, Tommy burst through the door unannounced and looking for food. "Who's planning ahead?"

"Uncle Tommy, say you agree with me."

"I agree with you, little Sarah." Tommy said, looking through the fridge, not even acknowledging the conversation.

"You see? Uncle Tommy is team baby." Sarah said happily, pointing her bacon between her parents.

And with that, his attention of now on the family of three. "Woah, woah, woah, y'all are having another baby?"

"No"

"No"

"Yes"

The three looked at each other.

Tommy snickered from the kitchen and took another bite of his chicken wing. "You guys are funny."

"You, shut it." Joel warned. "Concrete guys gonna be there?"

"Yeah, they said maybe."

"Maybe? We can't frame until we pour. We're not gettin' paid until we frame."

"Well, we could bring someone else on, get the job done faster." Tommy suggested

"No, no. I'm not splittin' this job. I barely wanna split it with you." Joel immediately shot down.

"We could work a double."

"Literally? Today?" Sarah cut in, disappointment lacing her round features.

Joel sighed, "I know. I'd be done by nine. By nine, right?"

"Yeah." Tommy said off handedly, more invested in the wings than the conversation.

"Bring a cake." Bella stated, picking up the empty plates and heading over to the sink.

"I'll bring back a cake." Joel supported immediately. "I promise."

Abruptly, the morning music cut to a radio broadcasting, "...continued disturbances in Jakarta, but are advising U.S. citizens..."

"Jakarta. Where is that, Middle East?" Joel asked

"Doesn't ring a bell. It's definitely a country. Or maybe part of Asia?" Bella snickered at her brother-in-law.

"Jakarta isn't a country. Being a part of Asia isn't mutually exclusive with being a country, and in fact, it's the capital of Indonesia." Sarah educated them, a similar smile growing on both parents lips.

"Shit. At least one of us is smart." Tommy joked. Isabella sucked her teeth and turned around sharply, raising her eyebrow at him. He flinched before covering it up with a wide smile and open arms. "Besides my beautifully intelligent sister, of course." Tommy complimented, pulling her into a side hug, Bella hummed and gave her brother a side eye.

Joel chuckled and stood up from the table, "All right. Finish up quick, we'll drop you off."

"I'm still eating my eggshells." Sarah mumbled, trying to waste time.

"You got seven minutes." Joel rebutted.

"Your t-shirt's inside out."

He looked down at his shirt that was, in fact, inside out and shared a knowing look with his wife who gave him with a shrug and turned her attention elsewhere. "Shit."

. ˚ ⚘ ˏ'۰ ˖* ℘

"Hey, neighbor!" Called out Mr. Adler from his side of the lawn, feeding the older woman next to him. Sarah winced but turned to them to them with a kind smile.

"Oh, hi."

"Uh, Connie was askin' after you, since you haven't been over in a while. Oh, and your mother too." He explained. The curly haired girl gave her father a 'help me' look.

Joel smirked to himself and shoved his equipment into the trunk. "Make 'em happy." He whispered to his daughter.

"I could come by after school, but just for, like, a little bit?" Sarah suggested hesitantly.

"Oh, she'll take whatcha got. Y'all can bake, whatever." Isabella walked out of the house, not recognizing the conversation at hand and walking straight into it. "Oh, Isa, Connie was asking for you."

Turning around slowly, Belle smiled at the them. "Oh, what for?"

"Said she misses having a baby around, wants to know if y'all are gonna be popping out with some more soon." The woman's jaw dropped, her daughter sucking in a deep breath and giving her a knowing smile as Joel attempted to look busy as to avoid all forms of conversation.

She glared at Sarah. "Uh, well I-uh, don't know, yet, Mr. Adler. Maybe?" She sputtered awkwardly.

"Alright well, we got a lotta extra here. Y'all, y'all want some biscuits?"

The little bell in the teens mind rung happily. "Dad, you love biscuits." She said to Joel.

"I do." He agreed till noticing the way said biscuits were being fed. "But I'm on Atkins." Belle shook her head and pushed his shoulder as she sat in the car.

"On what now?"

"It's, uh... You know what? We gotta run, but Sarah'll be by later. She'll stay as long as you want. Tell ya all about Atkins." He teased, closing up the truck door and opening the backseat door for Sarah as he laughed.

"Great! I'll let Connie know."

"Solid." Sarah sighed, sitting next to her mom. Tommy started the car and began the journey to everyone's destination.

"Belle, how long you staying at the hospital?" Joel asked his wife.

"Don't know, takes like, four hours to even get called in." She shrugged and turned to the girl on her shoulder. "I won't be pick up after school, you know which buses to take, right?" She hummed and nodded.

"I thought they gave you a week of vacation, sissy? Is it over already?" Tommy questioned.

"That's nursing for ya', it never really ends."

. ˚ ⚘ ˏ'۰ ˖* ℘

"So, how old is she now? What is she like? Tell me everything!" The woman asked eagerly, excitement bubbling in her veins as she placed her medical equipment on the stainless steel side table.

"She's 14." She gasped, placing a hand over her heart at Isabella's answer.

"Oh, stop, I might cry. One day I'm delivering her and the next she's 14?" The doctor turned on the computer next to Bell's head and opened up a bottle she was all too familiar with. "I'm just grateful you didn't choose some random hospital to go to give birth in. Nobody better than your best friend to delivery your first baby, right?" She winked.

Isabella chuckled and unbutton her jeans, pulling them down just enough for the woman to place the jelly substance on her lower stomach.

"So, how's your little boyfriend, Jemma?" The doctor looked up at her friend through her eyelashes, giving her a glare and placing the white ultrasonic transducer on her belly with no warning, causing Belle to hiss at the cold compression.

"Not funny. He's such an asshole, I can't believe I even-" she sucked in a deep breath with her eyes closed and shook her head, "doesn't matter. What matters is..." Jemma's voice trailed off as she focused on the black and white Sonographic screen in front of her. "you're pregnant."

Belle chuckled, "Don't be mad at me cause your boyfriend is a piece of-"

"No. I'm serious, Isa. You're pregnant." Jemma breathed out.

Despite the ringing in her ears and the alarm bells that rung in her mind, her heart rejoiced at the thought of another baby. Another baby with the man she loves, another baby that her first one can enjoy, another baby to love for as long as she has left was a future she couldn't get enough of.

"Really?" Her voice cracked.

Jemma smiled through the tears that welled up in her eyes and turned the screen in her direction, showing her the tiny blob on the screen. "It's about the size of an apple seed, 5 weeks, but, yeah. Look."

Isabella sucked a shaky breath, and allowed tears to flow freely down her cheeks, a sob making its way up her throat. Jemma laughed and leaned over the table to pull her best friend into a tearful hug, not caring how the jelly smeared against her lab coat.

The doctor pulled away and wiped her tears, "We have to celebrate. There's this cute cake spot in the city that can make a pregnancy cake in like, five minutes, I swear. I can tell Mel to take my shift-" 

"No, no, Em. I gotta..." she sat up, swallowing the nausea that rose up her throat, "I gotta make sure Sarah's home from school and Joel's bringing home a cake later, anyway."

Nodding, Jemma helped Belle wipe the jelly off her belly and off the high table. Once everything was tossed to the side and organized, the blonde woman pulled her best friend into a tight hug, still sniffling.

"God, I'm gonna stuff my face with cake and alcohol in your honor." She joked, causing them both to laugh. "Tell Joel I said "happy birthday", and a fat thank you for making an auntie of two."

Belle rolled her eyes but agreed to her request, lifting her pants and making her way back home. Disregarding her terrible decision to take the bus back home, the curly haired woman looked out the window as the sun hit its golden hour and illuminated her beautiful city. Every street corner was one she'd experienced with people she loved and for that, she knew her second child was to be raised here, at home.

Even as she walked down to the end of the cul-de-sac of her neighborhood, her mind couldn't help but imagine a tiny little variant of her husband running up and down the streets, full of life and love with a college aged Sarah still making time to play with them.

Speaking of Sarah, Isabella prepped the lecture in her head as she reached for the door handle, expecting it to be unlocked, as per usual. Surprise was evident on her face as she stepped into the house, locking the door behind her.

"Wow, you finally locked the door. Who died?" Belle joked, taking off her shoes and hopping on the couch next to the magazine reading teen.

"Oh, please, I lock doors...sometimes." She mumbled.

Her mother chuckled lightly but scanned the side of her features, a serious expression on her face. When she pushed a few strands of hair behind her ear, Sarah looked away from the magazine to give her her attention.

"What's up?" Her eyebrows furrowed together. So observant.

Isabella took a deep breath, pressing her lips against her daughters temple. "You know I love you, right? More than...anything in this world and the next."

Sarah smiled, "Don't tell dad that." She joked, "But seriously, what's up?"

A beat of silence fell over them.

"I'm pregnant."

Sarah's smile dropped, she shifted up in the couch. "Shut up. Are you actually?" When her mom nodded, she squealed and stood up excitedly.

"But-" Belle interrupted, holding her smaller hands and sitting her back down, "you cannot tell your father. Not yet."

"Why not?"

"Well, Gemma made reservations for us at a steakhouse tomorrow and I'll invite everyone. Tommy, Jemma, grandma, all of them. Then, I'll break the news."

"Like a...post birthday celebration."

Belle giggled, "Exactly."

Sarah nodded and tucked herself into her moms chest, pulling her into a tight hug. "I love when you listen to me."

"Technically, I'm 5 weeks along so, this is not your doing."

She shrugged, "Yeah but, I wasn't exactly subtle about wanting a sibling."

The two girls giggled in each others arms, enjoying the quiet between them and the placid energy that swaddled them in a bubble of protection. Just for them. Just for that moment.

"You locked the door for once. Good job." Joel interrupted.

Sarah groaned and moved to turn the tv off, "Not you too." The man hobbled over to the couch and flopped down next to Sarah, throwing his arm over his eyes and groaning. "It's 10." Sarah reminded.

"I know." He groaned, taking off his shoes. "They... gave us the wrong size for the headers. That doesn't mean anything to ya. I'm sorry."

"Where's the cake?" Isabella asked, tucking her head on her knees.

Joel sighed. "Shit."

"C'mon, man." The teen complained, although her voice was annoyed, she was far from it. How could she be annoyed when she was one of the first people to find out she's getting a sibling?

"I'll get us one tomorrow."

"Swear, or you don't get your present." She threatened lightly

"You got me a present?" His interest was instantly piqued.

"Swear. On my life."

Sarah leaned behind the nearest pillow and pulled out a small grey box.

"Wow." Joel mumbled, teasing the fancy set up of it all.

"Fixed it for you."

"Did you?" Joel questioned, examining the watch.

"What?" Sarah panicked for a second

"I don't hear anything." She leaned closer to see what see what he was talking about, only to click her teeth and push him away with an annoyed smile. He laughed heartily and tilted the watch to show his wife, who shook her head at his antics.

"That was lame. You're lame."

"Yeah, I know. Where'd you get the money for this?"

"Drugs. I sell hardcore drugs. Ow!" Sarah joked, squealing in pain when her mom pinched her side.

"It's better than what I do."

"It was only $20, which I stole from you." She admitted casually, ignoring the side eye from her dad. "I could've stolen 60, but I put the change back because I'm an honest thief."

"Hell, as long as it wasn't mine." Isabella snickered.

"Hey, it's the thought that counts. And you were never gonna do it for yourself, so."

Joel paused, taking a minute to admire his daughter, the compassion she grasped so well at such a young age, the intelligence that consumed her whole—no doubt a product of Isabella. And as his eyes flickered between both of them, he realized he never wanted anything more. It didn't matter if Isabella produced ten more clones of herself over and over again, he'd love them all as if they were the first and adore them just as he has adored her all these years.

"Thank you." He said, as truthful as he'd been the day he said "I do."

"Oh! There's one more. Borrowed it from the Adlers." Sarah handed him is favorite movie, watching how his face lit up as he read the description.

"Oh, this is the one with the deleted scenes."

"Yeah, imagine how bad those have to be." She chuckled. "C'mon, pop it in. While it's still your birthday."

Sarah leaned her back against her fathers chest and her legs laid across her mothers lap, getting comfortable.

"Don't fall asleep. Either of you." Joel warned

"'Course, I won't. It's too riveting." Sarah mumbled against his chest.

. ˚ ⚘ ˏ'۰ ˖* ℘

Isabella flinched when Joel's phone rung, interrupting the sleep that threatened to take her in. Sarah was long asleep but such a time, her head falling to his lap and a soft snore indicating her state of mind.

"Sorry." Joel whispered, using one arm to rub Belle's across the couch, the other answering the phone. "Yeah? Goddammit. Now? Well, which jail? Travis County? Okay." He hung up. "Fuckin' idiot."

"Tommy?" Belle asked, leaning her head on her hand.

"Yeah, got himself locked in jail. Travis County." He explained, she hummed, her eyes already falling. "I'll be back quick, I promise."

"'S okay. Take Sarah upstairs, I'll get her dressed." She mumbled, reluctantly standing up from the couch and stretching her tired muscles.

Once Joel placed the young girl on the bed, he quick his wife a quick peck before running off to grab his younger brother. Deep inside, Isabella felt a sense of nostalgia rushing over her. Changing her sleepy baby while she still slept reminded her of when she did this all those years ago, how she'd still be doing in a few years now. Maybe it was the pregnancy hormones or the prospects of a new addition to her already perfect life, but Belle couldn't stop the tears that welled up in her eyes as she tucked Sarah into bed after slipping off her shoes and replacing her jeans with some plaid pajama pants.

Kissing her forehead, Belle stepped out of the pink bedroom to sluggishly walk into her own, sitting on the edge of the bed and turning on the tv. Sleep for her was no longer in the cards so she'd hoped to get a good laugh out of whatever terrible sitcoms were running at the moment, yet as she turned form channel to channel, they all showed the same message.

Different reporters, although trying to remain composed, speaking hurriedly on the matter that seemed to be taking the city by storm. The woman speaking in front of a set changed the setting to a man reporting live from what was assumed to be a highly dangerous area. Police and special forces guarding the area and yelling at other reporters nearby.

"The situation at hand is not getting any better here at the Austin City Hospital, police are trying to maintain the...the, uh, the attacks but it doesn't seem to be going well." The man said, his hands shaking as he held the microphone and kept glancing behind him multiple times. A screech overcame the sound system of the news station, the camera shakily turned towards the sound only to be flown backwards and have viewers seeing the night sky on their screens, the only indicator of what happened to the camera man being his screams of anguish and the repeated gunfire from afar.

Choking on the air, Isabella instinctively held her stomach and ran downstairs to find her phone. She fumbled with the old brown jacket till she finally flipped open her phone and scrolled through her contacts, hesitating between Jemma and Joel. She bit her lip in consideration but clicked the center button, nervously pulling at the skin on her nails as it rung.

"Hello?"

"Jemma! Are you okay? I heard on the news about the stuff in the city and you said you were going there and I was so worried-" Isabella spoke in one breath.

"Oh yeah, I heard about-" she coughed, "about that. Look, uh, it's not really a good time, Isabella."

The woman froze, a chill running up her spine. "Jemma? Are you okay? What happened? Tell me."

"I...I don't." A growl rumbled from the other end. "Goodbye." The line went dead.

Suppressing the bile slowly creeping up the walls of her throat, Belle went to find her husbands contact, only to find his number already displayed on the tiny screen.

She didn't waste a second in answering. "Joel-"

"Belle! Are you okay?"

"Yes but, Jemma she-" she choked a sob, "I think she has...whatever's going around."

"It's okay, my love, me and Tommy are rushing home now but we keep getting held back. Look, stay inside, lock all the doors, hide in a closet with Sarah if you have to just don't go outside. You hear me? No matter what you see, or what you hear, do not go outside until I get there."

She nodded to herself, peeling the skin around her nails harder and drawing blood. "...Joel?"

"Yes, my Belle?"

"I'm scared." She whispered.

He paused, likely swallowing his own fear. "You're right to be, but I will do everything in my power to keep you and Sarah safe, alright? Don't you ever doubt that."

"...Joel?" She considered telling him

"Yes, my Belle?" He whispered through the phone, nearly breaking her heart.

She decided against it. "I love you. Please make it home safe."

"Five minutes. I love you."

The line went dead, again. Yet this time, she wasn't certain if he was turning into a craven that attacked that newscaster. She wasn't certain of anything, nor could she do anything about that uncertainty.

What she could do is pack. A few shirts and pants of hers and Joel's, lots of underwear and even some winter essentials into a gym bag at the back of their closet, nothing too heavy. Her eyes couldn't help but linger on the Polaroids in her drawer, cursing herself before shoving them in her back pocket. Throwing the bag over her shoulder, the woman hurriedly rushed into Sarah's room, finding her rubbing the sleep from her eyes with a mixture of fear and confusion across her face.

"Mom? What's going on? Where are you going?"

Belle sighed and crouched down in front of her, holding her arms in her hands. "We're leaving. It's not safe, now, I don't know all the details but we have to go." She stood up. "Where's your book bag? Bring it to me so I can put your clothes in."

The teen stood up but didn't move. "Downstairs. Wait, what about dad? A-and Uncle Tommy?"

"They're on their way here now, just-" Belle halted her frantic yet strategic clothing grabbing to take a breath, attempting to regulate her emotions. "please, Sarah...please just listen to me."

Although she didn't see it, the girl nodded and went downstairs to follow her directions. As soon as she left, Belle allowed herself to double over and let out a squeaky sob, one hand holding her stomach as the other one covered her mouth. She was never good under pressure or stress. When her face didn't show it, her stomach sure would.

Years with a military family teaches one to be strong, to fight back, to control their facial expressions—but certainly not their stomachs.

The ringing in her ears grew loudly as she stumbled over to the nearest bathroom, barely opening the lid before dunking all the contents of her stomach into the water. She gagged at the uncomfortable feeling of her stomach contracting itself and forcing all the bile upwards but continued doing that until she felt okay enough to pull away and lean against the wall.

When the ringing finally stopped, the house felt oddly...quiet. No sound of shuffling or Sarah's voice filling the walls, something she hadn't had for fourteen years and just because of that, it made her panic even more.

Isabella stood up from the bathroom floor and ran out, rushing downstairs with Sarah's name constantly coming out of her mouth. Panic rattled her bones when she couldn't find her inside, even more so when the thought of her going outside began to feel real.

Her feet carried her out to her front porch before her mind could register what was going on, just then, the newly terrified teenager ran out of the old house and onto the front porch. In her frantic state, her eyes still managed to find her moms, who instantly ran into her, yanking her close in her arms much too scared to let go.

"I told you not to leave." She whispered into Sarah's ear, holding her head tightly against her shoulder out of fear that she might slip away again.

A loud screech broke them out of their bubble, their once crippled elderly neighbor fully ran towards the two girls as if she'd never known them, a hatred overcoming the woman. Isabella pushed Sarah behind her right as familiar truck lights blindsided them.

"Get in the truck! Right now! Move!" Joel shouted, pulling the two girls into the backseat just as they had that morning, except this time, there was no room for laughter.

The fallen woman stood up, causing everyone to flinch.

"What are we doin', Joel?!" Tommy shouted as she began running towards them as fast as she could.

Fighting against the Joel from 8 hours ago, he raised his bat and swung at the elderly woman, hard. A deadly crack rang loudly in their ears as she collapsed.

Turning back to his family, Joel placed his hands on Sarah's cheeks, checking for any injuries.

"You killed her." She mumbled

"Baby, I'm sorry." He whispered sadly.

"Joel, we gotta go." Tommy reminded, stepping back to the drivers seat of the car and getting inside.

"Sarah, listen to me..."

Tommy turned his body towards his nervous sister-in-law who fingernails were covered in small patches of blood, he reached over and placed his hands over hers. "Hey, sissy. It's okay, you know I'd protect you and little Sarah with everything I've got, right?"

She looked up at him, nodding. "I know, I know."

"Hey. Let's go. Come on." Tommy called out.

Joel instructed Sarah into the backseat where she immediately reached for her mom, her hands subconsciously sliding over Belle's stomach as she rested her head against her shoulder. Isabella wrapped both arms around her and squeezed, never wanting to let go. It seemed as though every time she did, another problem would arise.

"Joel?" Called out a neighbor from the distance

"Denise, you get back inside the house! You lock your doors! Now!" Joel shouted, the Tommy in him trying to save whoever he could.

Tommy grew impatient. "C'mon, c'mon, get in!"

Tired screeched against the road as Tommy pulled around the cul-de-sac, stopping when the other mutated neighbor made an appearance and began charging at the vehicle. With no other option, he drove straight though them, ignoring the calls of protest from the neighbor.

As they drove away, the two girls couldn't help but peak back at the roundabout, the street they once shared their happiest memories on turned into a gruesome sight where their neighbor was killed. Belle swiftly turned Sarah's eyes forward.

"Don't look." She whispered.

"You take 70..."

"71, I know."

"Daddy..." Sarah spoke up

"We don't know."

"They're saying it's a virus. Some kind of parasite." Tommy explained, not comfortable keeping the poor girl out of the loop.

"Is it from terrorists?" She asked, memories of the last one fresh in her memory

"We don't know."

"Are we sick?"

Joel looked at her through the rear view mirror. "No. Of course not."

"Why did things blow up?"

Nobody answered her but Tommy tried tuning the radio. "No cellphone, no radio. Minute ago, newsman wouldn't shut up."

"How do you know?"

"What?"

"How do you know we're not sick?"

"They're saying it's mostly people in the city. That's why they got the highway blocked off." Tommy said in an attempt of comforting her.

It did quite the opposite as Sarah's eyes hesitantly flickered over to her mother, who worked as a nurse at the city's hospital.

"Mommy...?" Both men in the front looked at them through the rear view mirror before sharing a look.

"No, Sarah." Belle denied immediately.

"But your shift today-"

"I didn't go to the hospital today, okay? I was at the gynecologist." She admitted with hefty hesitance.

Joel quickly turned in his seat, "What? Why? Is everything okay?"

"Regular checkup, I'm fine, everything is fine." Her and Sarah shared a look as well, despite Joel knowing it was a lie, he let it go.

"Here! Right here! Hey!" Waved a family desperately, their car clearly out of service.

When the car slowed, Joel rapidly turned back in his seat. "What are you doin'?"

"Got a kid, Joel."

"So do we. Keep driving." He demanded without hesitation.

"We could put them in the back." Sarah whispered, her eyes clinging onto the family on the road.

"Somebody else'll come along." Belle whispered to her, stroking her hair and kissing her forehead.

"Fuck! Everybody had the same fuckin' idea." Tommy cursed, "I can't get through this."

"All right, all right. Let's think it through, we'll think it through."

"Fuck!"

"All right, take the field. We cut across and we pick up on the, on the west side."

By this point, Isabella's ears began to fade in and out, her eyes falling forward as the feeling of stress bubbled in her stomach again. She held her stomach and leaned back against the car seat, the constant bumps not helping her situation in any way.

"Mom? Are you okay? Is it...?" Sarah whispered, holding her hand against her chest.

Belle shook her head, "I...I'm not good with stress. I'll be..."

"What the fuck?!"

A large airplane, too close for comfort, abruptly flew over the truck with about three more following. All parties inside the truck groaned and covered their ears. The truck bumped through back alleyways and odd turns until they were in more crowded area, civilians running and screaming for their lives.

"Tommy, you can't stop here."

"I can't drive through 'em all."

"Are you serious?!"

"Just keep goin'!"

The two brothers argued incessantly as the car reversed, too caught up in themselves to realize the danger just a few feet away. With her mind lulling her into a haze, the only thing that registered was an ear crushing boom and that feeling you get on a roller coaster going upside down.

Only difference being that this wasn't a roller coaster, and the seat belt buckle wasn't supposed to be digging so harshly into your skin it felt like you'd be cut in half.

"Isabella? Can you hear me? Yeah, I got her, you get Sarah!" Tommy called out, his voice muffled in her ears as he unclipped the seatbelt and carried his sister-in-law out of the car.

The younger man set her down on her feet, holding her up by the waist and trying to grab her attention. "Sissy, can you walk?"

She nodded, her brain finally catching up the situation right as a police car flew straight into the truck they all once lied in. The two stumbled back but Tommy remained upright, holding Isabella close to him and peaking through the fire to find his brother and niece alive.

"Belle?! Tommy?!" Joel cried out

"Head to the river! We'll find a way." He assured him

Belle sucked in a much need breath, "Get her out of here, Joel! I'll see you on the other side."

With that, each party ran in opposite directions.

"Next two blocks just straight ahead there should be a clearing to the river." Tommy explained, running in front of Isabella and looking back every few seconds to make sure she was still behind him.

Once they had made it to what was supposed to be an open clearing to the river, they found their exit blocked by a large bus tipped on its side, similar to the one she had ridden on the morning of.

"Ah hell." Looking around at the horror, the younger man tried to think as his brother would. "Look, I'm gonna get on top of the window side, make sure it's secure, take the gun."

"But what if-"

"I don't hear anything on the other end. I should be fine. Just watch my back, alright?"

Belles nodded, forcing her mind to remember all that her father had taught her about the military and about how to shoot. Her mind was vigilant in the moment, focused on protecting her brother.

"I'm up! Seems good to me. Come I'll pull you up." Tommy crouched down from the top of the buss, holding his hand out for the shotgun and placing it behind him before using both hands to pull the woman up.

Belle swung her leg over the edge of the bus and stood to her feet, not realizing it was glass she was standing upon until the fragile material snapped right out from under her feet. Before she knew it, she had fallen chest first into the fire engulfing vehicle.

"Shit! Are you okay?!" Called out Tommy from the top.

Coughing out the rest of her lungs, Isabella sucked in any oxygen left, groaning in pain when she felt the broken glass seeping into her skin with no mercy. All around her body small and large shards pulled blood, and as she lifted her head off the ground, her brightly colored eyes connected with the dead and dark ones of someone fully crushed against the weight of the front of the bus.

Before she could scream, her brother-in-law from above let out a series of curses and pulled the trigger of the shotgun.

"Come on, sissy. These fuckers are doubling in numbers, we gotta go!" The younger man paused his shooting to bend down towards the window, holding his arm out for her to take.

Belle let out a strangled cry as she pulled herself up, using Tommy as a crutch to stand atop the bus and looking down at the ruins that once was the town she loved. Everything was gone.

Belle winced as Tommy set her down on the dirt covered ground, clutching her stomach.

"Oh my- it's okay, you're okay, sissy. Everything's gonna be okay." He mumbled to himself, pulling small pieces of glass out of her hands and face.  Once he removed the smaller pieces, his hands found themselves drifting under her shirt, he hissed and pulled away when they made contact with a sharp much too large to remove. "Sissy..."

"Don't take it out. We...we have to find them, Tommy." Belle insisted, removing his hand and wrapping her arm around his shoulder. When he didn't move, tears filled her eyes, "please, just go."

Nodding hesitantly, Tommy pulled her to his side closely and began the descent towards the river. Belle's eyes strained against the all-consuming nightfall, the only light source coming from the river where a military man stood lone. Despite seemingly being on watch, his attention was drifting elsewhere as he moved from his original position to walk down the hill.

In his negligence, he failed to see the two individuals closing in behind him. The only words they heard from the officer was a small, "I'm sorry," before raising his gun. The weapon shined harshly against Joel's skin, tears and blood smeared across his face as he mumbled something.

Letting go of Belle, Tommy raised the gun at the officer, knocking him down before he even knew it. But Isabella's attention was elsewhere.

Hidden in the tall grass, a bright pink shirt contrasted heavily against the world around them.

Ignoring everything in her body wanting to shut down to save her from the constant pains of glass edging themselves deeper, Isabella stumbled over to the recognizable shirt that belonged to her daughter. Her knees buckled under her as she took in the scene in front of her; pink hues turned a daunting red faster and faster.

"No, no, no." Joel rushed over in tears, pushing against the wound like he'd remembered from before. Trying, anything to make himself for even a second that he could save her.

But Isabella wasn't granted that luxury.

The nursing school never really prepares one for death, especially not the death of their own.

"Should we get here up? What do we do? Belle, what do we do?" Joel cried out.

She didn't respond, simply shaking her head and leaning over Sarah's terrified eyes. With shaky hands, the young girl reached for her moms belly.

"B-..ba- baby..." she sputtered out, trying to communicate a final message.

Belle shook her head and smiled down at her warmly, placing her hand on her cheeks, "You're my baby, Sarah. You."

Despite the pain, Sarah attempted to smile, squeezing her fathers hand and allowing her eyes to flicker between both of them one last time until the light held her in its arms and floated her soul away. And in a minute, she was gone.

She didn't hear her parents cries of anguish or see the way her father cradled her close to his chest like when she was a baby. She would never physically see what became of them and if she did, they knew she'd be so...so disappointed.

WORD COUNT,,, 6642
AUTHORS NOTE,,, lord I have never written a chapter long
nor this DEPRESSING. If you stayed through till the end I
will literally love you forever, lmk how you liked it and I swear
the next chapters aren't gonna be this long lmao. GO FOLLOW ME
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