Survivors:

Group home page: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/buggerbreeze

CHAPTER ONE

Nirvana sat back panic overcoming her.  She counted to ten slowly, taking a deep breath between each number.  During the past hour her correspondent had been trying to convince her that humanity would be coming to an end the day after, at two minutes past midnight.  And he has managed to. 

Saturday 14^th of September at precisely 00:02, humanity with encounter the biggest unanticipated attack. 

 “See here, if he’s right, we will have only one twelfth of the world’s earth area which will remain intact.  And those areas are rural ones.  Areas covered by forests and deserts,” Andy, her younger brother whispered frantically making Nirvana jump out of her thoughts.  He showed her Arthur's world map.  It was so large that Andy had had to fold it in half in order to be able to handle it.  He had drawn circles of radii of one centimetre, which represented one kilometre, around the cities of America.  Their only way out would be to drive to the areas where the bombs would not have struck.  If Andy’s calculations were right, Corrine Willians was living in this particular region.  She had to get a plan working to save a maximum of people.  Now that she thinks of it she realises that strange things have been happening lately.  The ‘Alien Zone’ radio channel was shut down the week before.  Gothic TV channels have long interruptions and the journalists are having problems to communicate through telephone lines when broadcasting international news.  As America was not the only country encountering these difficulties they came to an agreement that it was a satellite problem.

The computer beeped:

“Are you still there?”  Nirvana did not reply but sat staring at the screen, Andy besides her was chewing gum as he always does when he is restless.  Her mind was working at high speed.  She had so much to think of and so little time to do it.  Andy kept quiet; he knew his sister was trying to think of a possible solution.  He was fourteen, a little computer genius as tall as Nirvana, with the same black hairs and mischievous grin.  While Andy has blue eyes, Nirvana brown ones; they had different fathers.  Andy was skinny and the parents were constantly worried about him.  At school he is always getting into trouble, he seems to attract it like a magnet.  Whereas Nirvana on the contrary was the girl who passes unnoticed in the corridors.  She was always quiet and observing.  Middlebury High is not her favourite place, she has learnt to be discreet about herself and to catch on her words; it’s only a matter of survival.  She was forced to change school when Arnold, Andy’s dad, lost his job and Nirvana and Andy had to attend public school.  For Nirvana it was not a big change, she had neither had many friends, nor ones that called at home.  Nirvana works on the school newspaper, she writes the ‘So Alien?’ column.  Josh, the paper’s redactor in chief, is very fond of her; he was shocked to learn that it took him a year to discover Nirvana’s talent for writing.  He had happened to be thinking about creating a new column but was lost for ideas, so he placed an ad on the notice board.  For Andy, it was a golden opportunity to play a new trick.  That night he and Nirvana filled replies to the ad with crappy things; ‘how to burst a zit’, ‘I’ve got a brain trouble’, ‘I think I’m gay’, ‘my younger siblings want to know about sex’, ‘my head is too big’ and the ‘so alien?’  …  They have had a good laugh out of it and would never have thought that Josh could possibly choose any of them.  But he did.  She took up the column because she had so little social activities and the rector was threatening to call in her parents.  Nirvana wrote her first article the next day.  She was not a supernatural power believer.  She was not even sure she believed in god.  So she decided to comment an article about a spaceship being seen heading for the pentagon, which was in most of the newspapers.  She gave rational and irrational possibilities to an eventual attack from an alien race.  It was hard work as collecting that information took more time than she had thought.  Fortunately it had its rewards; everyone bought a copy of the school newspaper.  It looked like everyone wanted to have a guideline; they wanted to know whether or not they should believe the rumours.  Nirvana brought the majority to think negatively.  She never thought that she would regret it until now.  The computer beeped a second time,

“We need to act, fast!”  It said.  Typing a quick reply she left the room leaving Andy quizzically staring at her reply on the screen: “Okay, what do you want me to do?”

  Eugénie was on top of the world.  Tomorrow would conclude a month that she and Ben Clint would have been going out steady.  And the latter had just phoned announcing that he wanted them to go to the annual Life Festival together.  Her parents would be there and she was sure that his would be too.  There would be no better occasion to introduce Ben to them.  Ben was perfect.  He was born into an aristocratic family; he was the eldest child, and also the apparent heir.  Her father is going to be very proud of her and for once he won’t object to the fact that she goes out with a boy from a public school.  The Festival would take place the next day at nine-thirty in the afternoon.  But to make sensations she planned to arrive at eleven.  Everyone would be there, except from Corrine.  Her parents were on a holiday trip in Europe and her brother would be out celebrating his eighteenth birthday.  They live in a house one kilometre away from town and were obliged to leave someone behind to look after the house when they are away, this time it would be Corrine.  Corrine and her had a very different background.  Eugénie lived in a huge house with a pool at the back whereas Corrine’s looked more like a farmhouse.  Eugénie was brought up in a posh bourgeoisie and attended a private playgroup then boarding school.  But as she was not bent on education, and consequently had a lot of problems at school, her father sent her to public school.  The latter came from middle class family and believed in hard work.  That is where she met Corrine, at Middlebury High.  They were in the same chemistry class and a friendship gradually sprouted.  They have gone through so much together that Eugénie thinks that their friendship is unbreakable.  Tiredness was overcoming her and smoothly she glided in the world of imaginary delights.

Nirvana came back into the room threw two sleeping bags onto the floor and pulled a huge backpack off her back.    

“Go fetch mum and Arthur’s sleeping bags, tents, and voyage bags.  Also everything dad brings along when we go out camping.  We are going to do the packing here, in my bedroom.  Mum and dad don’t come here often.”  Andy did not flinch, he was wondering if his sister was not flipping under the stress of such a serious event. 

“Go, move, what are you waiting for?”  Instantly, he broke into a run making for the parents’ room.  The computer beeped again.

“Listen, here is the plan.  We must get the greatest number of people two kilometres minimum out of town.  I must remind you that we have no idea of what kind of bomb will be used.  But according to our sources and the facts that we have all witnessed our efforts may be useless.  We have already placed ads all over the Internet sites about parties being held out of town.  But we’re not sure that a lot of people will attend.  Remember it’s Friday tomorrow.  Most people have already planned how to spend it.  Now if the catastrophe does happen, which I’m sure will, we will meet at the hideout.  I’ll send you the directions to reach it tomorrow.  Keep your mobile with you, if any last minute changes occur you will receive them before midnight tomorrow.  If your parents have a gun, bring it along as well as knives and bats: we don’t know who our attackers will be and how dangerous they are.  Bring torches, batteries, candles, oil and gas lamps, food supplies for the journey, and your essential utilities.  Electricity, water supply, and communication links will be surely interrupted.  There will be no radio channels, TV stations working, and no Internet, as no telephone lines will be left undamaged.  You have to prepare yourself and your groups’ moral to this total isolation you will be encountering.  Those instructions are to be applied if you survive the bombing.  The hideout can accommodate thirty persons per instructed.  It means that you are an instructed and you can bring in a maximum of thirty persons along.  We will accept more though, how can we refuse comfort to a race that will be in danger of extinction?  We are sceptical of the nuclear radiations that will be emitted by the bombs, missiles, or whatever.  We have no knowledge of their effects on the human body.  There are possibilities that we mutate into different specie.  The weather can as well be altered, remember our theory?  Pack up clothes for hot and cold weather.  This message can be helpful.  Print it out.  You know how to contact me.  Until our next meeting.”

Nirvana did as she was told.  She printed two copies of the text and made a list of everything that they would need.  Andy was back.  He had two other sleeping bags and was pulling with difficulty at three voyage bags.  She gave him the message and sat watching him while he read.

“Do you believe him, Nirv?  Why does he say we?  I thought it was only Joey the ex-computer genius at the NASA.  Since when has he been using ‘we’?”

 “He started saying ‘we’ only today.  But if you check the message on the P.C you’ll notice that he sent it via his address book to the folder group ‘survivors’, it means that we are not the only ones who have received this message.”  Nirvana did not reply to his first question.  She did not know what to say.  She does not want to believe Joey.  But the latter has been very convincing in his theories and Nirvana has not been able to detect flaws in it and except for the absence of material proof he could not be doubted.  

“What if we do mutate?  It would be cool if I had two heads or powers.  You know what?  We should get our hand tattooed so that we can recognise each other.  I mean you could get fatter or your hair may fall off, how will I know that you are my sister?”  

“Oh bugger off, Andy!  But I’m not sure that we will have time to do it.  And if we do mutate you can’t possibly look different.  You’ve already got an alien look…” 

She did not have time to finish her sentence; Andy had grabbed her pillow and was hitting her with it. 

“Ah,” she shrieked.  “Okay, I take that back, if you deny that I’m fat!”  They were laughing loudly punching and tickling each other.  For a short lapse of time, both of them forgot the threat that was menacing them. 

“Oh, Corrine, have you seen my other green sock, please?”  Corrine looked up from her book at Jason who was standing in her doorframe wearing only his boxer shorts.  His curly short brow hair was wet and fatigue had drawn two dark circles under his eyes.  ‘He has been studying for too long last night.  It’s a good thing that he is going to bed early today.’  Corrine thought.  It pained her to see her brother looking so tired. 

“Nope, what for anyway?  Are you intending to go to bed in your shorts and socks?”  She replied smiling.  Jason crossed the room in two long strides and sat on the bed next to her. 

“Tomorrow I’ve got an interview for a job.  I need to be looking spick and span.  How is it at school anyway?” 

“Jason, you are doing your last year, the exams are in three months.  You are on the school football team and the inter-school games start next week.  Cheryl dropped you because you didn’t have time for her.  Can you tell me how you think you’ll manage with a job on top of it all?” 

“I’ll manage, Corrine.  You know I’ll.  So stop fussing over me as if you’re my damn mother!” 

“Well I’m sorry Jason if I can’t stop myself from doing it.”  She looked back into her book upset at Jason’s remark.  Jason moaned, he had hurt her and he was aware of it. 

“I’m sorry too.  I didn’t mean to upset you but you needn’t worry so much.”  He said walking to the door.  “And for your information, Cheryl was a royal pain in the neck!  In fact I was the one who had put an end to our relationship but she wouldn’t go scream it to the world, right?”  Corrine tried to think of a reply but too late he was already gone.  Jason was very popular at school.  He was handsome, intelligent, has a tan year through, and is on the football team.  He was even going to be trying out for Law College after his exams.  Most of her friends have a crush on him.  Corrine shares some of his features.  She is average height with curly brown hairs and green eyes.  Corrine is pretty and has great interest in books.  She writes three articles for the school newspaper each week.  Her greatest ambition is to become a full-time editor.  She put down the book she was reading and went to get her writing pads.  Tomorrow was Friday she had to give in her three articles and she has not yet reviewed any of them. 

“Lets get to work,” she said to herself.    

CHAPTER TWO

I woke up that morning to the sweet smell of toasts and bacon.  Nothing that morning could have reminded me of the coming misfortunes except for my aching back and my sore eyes.  The previous night I had only allowed myself three hours of sleep.  Anyway, who would think of sleeping when humanity would be coming to an end?  

“Nicky, you’ll be late for school.  Hurry up!” yelled mum from the bottom of the stairs.  My mum hated to call me Nirvana, she says it reminds her too much of my dad, who loved the band’s music.  Well, I hated being called Nicky, so I never reply to it.  Anyways I knew it was not because of my father that she calls me ‘Nicky’.  It was because of her long lost friend; somehow, in a way unknown to me, Meredith Ross influences my mother to stop calling me by my name.  It was unbelievable how dead people could interfere in the livings’ world.  I glanced at my watch; it read seven thirty.  Quickly, I grabbed my favourite pair of jeans, my underwear, and my best t-shirt.  I had packed everything, except from these.  I took a bath, washed my hair, then straighten it.  I put on dark eye shadow, and some perfume, wore a wristband, a pair of funky earrings, and looked perfect for school.  My room was bare and it felt lonely.  A feeling I set aside for school.  Taking a glance in the mirror I noticed a red spot on my chin.  If tomorrow ever came I would have the biggest zit the world has seen.  Maybe it would be better if tomorrow never dawns.  Mother yelled again but this time with less patience in her voice, and I complied. 

  Arthur was sitting at the table reading his daily newspaper and sipping coffee from time to time.  His huge belly was all over the kitchen table.  Mum was frying some more bacon.  I sat at the table and buttered a toast while Arthur had his second helping.  He is a tall, obese man with brown hairs and blue eyes whereas my mum is a skinny dark haired woman with brown eyes and a fancy for mini-skirts.  Arthur looked up from his newspaper, and tried to smile.  The only thing I saw were remains of bacon and toast between his yellow teeth.  He is a nice man, but I can’t stop myself from being repelled by him.  I stared blackly at him.  I had found out over the years that if you looked stupid you had more chance to survive.  And Arthur does prefer me brainless; it helps him feel less threatened. 

“Where’s Andy, Nicky?” mum asked.  I did as if I hadn’t heard her, so she repeated her question.  “Where is Andy?” 

“Oh, I said sounding uninterested, he left for school early this morning.”  Then with more conviction, “mom, I’m getting worried for Andy, you know?”  This caught both their attention.  Arthur had put down his newspaper and was waiting for me to continue.  “He is facing some problems at school, oh I’m sure you know about that, but it’s him I’m worried about.  Do you know what he told me last night?” 

“Hang on right there, Nicky.  What problems does Andy have?  And no, we don’t know what he told you last night.”  Mum was getting suspicious.  Just like I had planned.  I could be such a good liar when needs be. 

“Well you know his school marks are getting bad.  And that girl who he fancies…  Anyway she’s going out with his best friend Dick…  Nothing that bad but Andy does feel sad and oppressed about them being an item.  And I smelled smoke on him yesterday.”  Arthur’s eyes would have fallen out of their orbits if it weren’t for his huge cheeks to hold them in. 

“What?  Andy’s marks are good.  Better than yours anyway!  How can you say such a thing about him?  I can’t believe this nonsense, Andy would never smoke, he knows it’s illegal at his age!”  Here we go again.  He just can’t help himself form feeling that I had insulted his genes.     

“Arthur calm down.  Nicky get ready for school, tonight we will settle this matter.”  Her expression was dull.   I gave Arthur a pathetic look then headed for my bedroom.  There I took my school bag, which contained some expensive literary books that I had sneaked from the school library and the precious rectangular box.  I locked my door and had a peak in Andy’s bedroom.  His room was messy.  Dirty clothes everywhere.  Mum will not doubt of anything when she will come in to clean.  Andy had some shopping to do.  As for his clothes, he had planned to do very quick packing while mum would be at work. 

On my way to school, everything was calm.  And like always, I was late.  I was so deep in my thoughts that I did not notice Silver Ross on his motorbike.  The latter had slowed down on seeing me.

“Nirvana!  Are you deaf, blind or what?” 

“Huh?  Oh hi, Silver.  I didn’t notice you.  Where are you heading?”

“Where do you think?  To school dummy!  Your hair looks nice today.  You finally gave it a wash and probably even combed it.  I didn’t know they were that long!”  I felt a tiny winy bit insulted still I smiled and instinctively slipped my fingers through my hairs.

“Yeah, they are long.  Okay, I admit I hadn’t combed them for a week.  But today I felt that it was just the right day to look pretty.”

 “It’s not quite it, but anyway you gave it a try,” he said teasingly.  “Do you want a lift?”  I thought about it.  It was the first time Silver offered me a lift and it probably would be the last.  Why not?  I climbed at the back and held onto him while he roared off his huge black Harley Davidson.  I have known Silver ever since I could remember.  Our parents used to be very good friends but then his mother, Meredith, died on my ninth birthday and his dad and him moved away.  We kept contact through letters and afterwards e-mail.  I did not see him again until my fifteenth birthday.  He had appeared at my gate on his motorbike.  In fact he had moved back in the neighbourhood the week before.  He had the same boyish grin as before but in his grey eyes I could read an unhealed pain.  He came in and after a glass of homemade lemonade and a game of cards; we were cracking jokes and had gained back our complicity. 

  While we approached school I began waving my arms at my friends and nagging Silver to ride faster.  He did.  Everyone was looking at us at least until the principal came to summon us in his bureau before lunch. 

  First class I had history.  I said goodbye to Silver then headed for class.  The teacher was late, what was very unusual, should I get suspicious?  Corrine was already seated with an open book in front of her.  And at the desk beside her was Eugénie surrounded by her own group of friends.  They both smiled up at me when I came in.  Corrine pointed an empty desk in front of her, my usual seat.  I declined and walked to the far back of the class.  Eugénie and I had attended at the same private school, another proof of the smallness of the earth.  I sincerely believed that it was my last day at school and I did not want it to be just an ordinary day.  The teacher came in with a frustrated look on her face.  Jimmy, Mark, and Dave followed her.  They had a look on their face that said: dare-me.  The three boys walked towards the back of the class.  I had taken Mark’s seat but thankfully he did not seem to notice.  His personal satisfaction had overruled him.  None of us knew why he looked so happy but soon enough the whole school would be gossiping about it.  Still, I could not resist my curiosity.

“You must have really angered Mrs Crane for her face to be that distorted.”

   Mark took a look at me as if seeing me for the first time smiled then said,

“We faked the results of last week’s test.  She knows it’s us but she just can’t prove it!  She even got us to go into the principal’s office.  The old man is even dumber than her.  He took ten full minutes to understand what she was telling him.” 

“So, Mrs Crane can’t do anything about it.  She’ll cancel the old test and give one out again.”  I said with a disapproving tone in my voice.  “Why don’t you just revise like everyone else?”  I was annoyed at him, as I had revised so hard for that test not that the results would be of any help to me, now.

“Oh, shit!  I didn’t think about that.”  Mark said.  We have been in the same history for nearly a year now and it was the first time we actually spoke. 

“Oh, don’t bother.  After tonight, there won’t even be a school, here.  Have you heard about tonight’s RAVE?”

“Nope, where will it be?”  He looked interested then.

“There will be the biggest wild bonfire party just outside town tonight.  I heard it from Silver; he is a last year and is one of the organisers.  There will be plenty of booze and illegal stuff, yaw know what I mean?”  He nodded eagerly and waited for me to go on.  I was lying through my teeth and I had no idea how Silver will take it when he hears that I’ve been telling stories about him, something he hates more than acne. 

“Everyone is invited, but there are rumours that say that at midnight precisely there will be a surprise, so be on time.  You can bring your girl and mates along.” 

Mark was silent for a moment.  Already his mind was working at high speed, there was money to make out of it, and perhaps he would have fun too.  He only has to find a girl for that particular night. 

“Where exactly will it be held?”

My mind was working fast now.  Where should I tell everyone to go?

“Uh, it’s about half a kilometre after Corrine’s place.  Know where that is?”

He nodded.  I was glad I had approached him he would bring a crowd along anything to thicken his wallet.  When I lifted my gaze I realized that Corrine was watching me.  She looked liked she was scared I would get into trouble with Mark.  If only she knew what I was telling him…  I gave her a reassuring smile and turned towards Jimmy,

“Hey, Jimmy.  You heard about tonight’s big RAVE?  Yeah…”Jimmy is on the school football team and he has got a big mouth.  If I’m lucky he’ll bring the whole football team. 

Midday.  I have passed the news to more than half the school that there will be a RAVE outside town that night.  Thankfully Silver was doing his last year so he comes at school only during the morning.  I had gain popularity in only one day and could hear my name in every corner. 

“Hey, Nirvana!  What’s going on?”  It was Corrine.  She caught my arm while we were going down the stairs and had no intention of letting go.  Corrine is a nice girl but too naïve.  I pretended not to understand.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that you did not come sit with us in history class and during biology you completely ignored me.  Just now, during lunch, I waved at you to come over but you only smiled.  Did I do something that has angered you or anything?  Cause its kind of embarrassing to be left hanging like a nerd in the cafeteria, you know.” 

“Corrine, no.  Of course not!  There’s nothing going on I just thought that you needed time to concentrate on your work.  You have so much to do for the school newspaper.  And also I’m aware that Eugénie needs you right now.”

   I could have slapped myself, how could I be such a hypocrite?  By trying to get to know everyone I had come to hear dirty stories about Eugenie’s boyfriend, Bill.  The latter was two-timing her with a girl from another school.  Everyone seemed to know about it and thought it normal.  The worse thing was that a teacher has caught him in a suspicious position with Mandy, the girl in question, in the boys’ toilets.     

Corrine looked surprised.

“What are you trying to tell me about Eugénie?  Everything seemed alright with Bill the last time I spoke with her and that was about three minutes ago.”

I had no idea how tell her the painful truth so I blurted it with as much tact as possible.

“Corrine, I didn’t want you to find it out like that but…  It’s Bill, ever since Eugénie and him have been going out together, he has been cheating on her.  From what I heard he was already going out with Mandy from Hardy School.  And tonight, I only hope that she’ll not go meet him or she might lose the little dignity she has left.”  Corrine looked confused.

“ Mandy?  I thought that he had gotten over her?  And how do you know that they’ll be meeting tonight?”

“It has all been planned from the beginning to the end.  Bill is a Machiavellian guy you should not trust a word he says.  To prove himself to his friends he accepted a dare and asked Eugénie out.  Tonight is the final round.  He has to dump Eugénie in font of all his mates and make it as humiliating as possible.  I don’t like that guy; in fact I do my best not to get words with him.  He can be dangerous when threatened.  You must tell Eugénie all I told you about him, it’s important that she knows what awaits her tonight.”

I watched as the colour drained from Corrine’s face.  She was in total disbelief.

“How can you be certain of what you are affirming?”  Her voice lacked conviction and spoke more than she would admit.  She has had her suspicions as well.  I told her that I had to go and headed for the newspaper office.  I had an advertisement about a huge RAVE to publish.

  Nirvana put her head down on the desk.  She felt exhausted and school was not over yet.  Corrine was sitting behind her and looked restless.  She was scribing notes on a piece of paper but she lacked words.  She hit Nirvana’s chair, the latter jerked attracting attention on her. 

“Miss Yongshire, is there anything the matter?  Est-ce que vous avez un problème mademoiselle?”  Mr Larose, the French teacher was looking at her his huge protruding nose opening at each word he said.  She never hates her Andrew’s name as much as when Mr Larose pronounces it.

“French class?  I thought I had algebra?”  Trying to look totally puzzled, Nirvana picked up her bag and headed for the door.  “I’m sorry, Sir.  Désolée Monsieur, je me suis trompé de classe.”

She walked into the hall and slumped to the ground beneath the school bell, if it was to ring for the end of school she would not miss it.  Unknowingly her eyes closed and she dozed off.  This is how Eugénie found her.

“Hey, Nirvana, wake up!  Are you okay?  You seem so tired.  You know, you should not sleep in the hall, what if the bell rings and the whole football team comes this way?  They will trample you like a herd of elephants!  Come on get up!”  Nirvana looked blankly at her.  She felt too tired to argue therefore obeyed.  Obviously Corrine has not told her the painful truth about Bill.  Otherwise, knowing her, Eugénie would have been in the toilettes crying her eyeballs out.  Nirvana steadied herself on her feet and grabbed her bag.  Eugénie was smiling good-naturedly and linked arms with her. 

“So, are you alright?  What class were you supposed to have?  Algebra?”  She said teasingly. 

“Na, Nirvana replied.  I have no idea of what class I was should be but it is certainly not algebra with Mr Fatso.  Anyway I have to go.  Thanks Eugénie for having awoken me.”

“No prob.”  Eugénie gave her one of her strikingly white smile and headed back to class while Nirvana took the direction of the school doors. 

  Outside, Nirvana took a look at her watch; she had ten hours before midnight.  She concluded that she would go home and catch some sleep.  The parking lot was empty.  ‘Great, no one will see me ditch school’.  Then she heard voices coming from behind a car.  Curious she rounded the car.  Jimmy, Mark, and Dave were ducking behind the car with an open pack of cigarettes in front of them, her favourite brand. 

“What do you think you’re doing, bitch?  Lower yourself or they’ll see us!”  Mark was hysterics.  But Nirvana stayed put. 

“Mark, be more respectful to the lady.  Respects Miss, I am the man whom they call Dave and what is your name sista?”  He was smoking marijuana his head tilting to the side.  Nirvana sat down and took a cigarette.  She lit it and took a puff before saying

“I’m Nirvana.”  Dave nodded and continued pulling on his fag.  Jimmy paid no attention to her, but Mark did enough for two. 

“Nirvana, huh?  How long have we been in the same class?  What… two years, now?  Today we spoke more than we did the past two years.  That’s very suspicious.”  Mark was watching her closely.  But Nirvana ignored his remark.  She was finishing her cigarette when two girls arrived.  They were both average height and skinny, Alice and Mary.  Alice is a blonde with blue eyes.  She was wearing a pair of tight black pants and backless top, whereas Mary was a brunette with dark brown eyes and who had a mini-dress on. 

“Oh, Dave!  I’ve been looking for you, baby,” whined Alice sitting in Dave’s lap.  The latter finished his fag and started massaging her boobs.  Mary threw herself onto Jimmy eating his mouth. 

“Sluts!” muttered Mark offering Nirvana another cigarette.  But she declined pulled herself up picked up her bag and said,

“Don’t forget for tonight.”  She had no intention of letting Mark believe that they had the same way of thinking.  No need of getting close to people that you are not even sure will be alive tomorrow.  Anyway she would qualify Alice and Mary ‘Original’ and not ‘Sluts’.  They are nice and helpful girls but like everyone here they hide their true nature behind a façade.  She walked away feeling high on the cigarette and marijuana smoke.  Her eyes were teary and her nose achy.  She reminded herself to buy a packet of cigarettes on her way home. 

  The shopping centre was on her way home.  Nirvana stopped by a tobacco store and bought three packets of cigarettes.  She paid by ATM card, her mum’s card.  The latter had no idea her card was gone from her purse.  Afterwards she headed for the drugstore.  She bought sanitary pads, tampons, condoms, and painkillers.  Carrying her shopping bags she got out of the shopping centre and began to walk home.  Two Harleys cordoned her, both riders had integral helmets, but Nirvana would recognise Silver anywhere.  The latter took off his helmet and said:

“Nirvana, you ditched school as well.  Today doesn’t seem to be your day.  What’s going on?”  Silver’s face had a deep frown and his eyes were solemn.  Nirvana knew that he was trying hard not to jump at her throat. 

“Silver, I need to tell you something.  Can we talk?” 

“Climb on.”  She knew that the only way to calm him and gain back his trust was to tell him the truth, the whole truth.  She understood Silver’s anger when he had heard that she had been telling rumours about him.  Silver cared for her as much as she cared for him.  She gave him her shopping bags and climbed behind him.  Silver chuckled at the bags, they were transparent, and the pads and tampons were conspicuous.  Silver rode her home and the other motorcycle followed.  Arthur and her mother were at work so she let them in.  When the other guy took off his helmet she identified him as Jason Willians, Corrine’s brother.  She had only met him once at Corrine’s birthday the year before afterwards she saw him occasionally at school but they never spoke.  Silver carried her shopping bags inside and both guys sat on the couch.  Nirvana gave both Silver and Jason a copy of Joey’s letter and waited as they concentrated in their perusal.  Jason stopped half way and said:

“This is bullshit!”  And put the paper away.  But Silver kept on reading not minding Jason.

“Please, read it through,” Nirvana pleaded to Jason.  He stared at her then resigned and resumed his lecture. 

“Nirvana, that’s the Joey Andy and you told me about, right?”  Nirvana nodded and Silver continued.  “That’s incredible!  Do you believe him?”  Silver had a severe tone and Nirvana was intimidated, she kept silent and let him pick out his own conclusion, he was always good at it. 

“You believe him.  Otherwise why would you go around school telling lies about me organising a RAVE tonight, and why would you go buy so many hygienic pads?”  Silver said giving a kick at her shopping bag.  Nirvana couldn’t stop herself from going red in the face.  Jason was watching them.

“Could someone please explain what is going on here?  It is obvious that this story has no head and tail.  I mean, Aliens in America?  And they have not been discovered?  It’s just a lame excuse she has made up so that you won’t blame her for telling lies on you!” 

“Hey, dummy!”  Nirvana was fuming.  “What’s your problem?  You can’t read or you just don’t understand English?  The aliens are not on earth; they are using our own technology against us.  And afterwards it’s all mathematics.  Numerous people have calculated the time at which the drones will be well aligned and have reached the same conclusion, tonight at two past midnight.  And anyway if they were all wrong… no.”  Nirvana shook her head.  “If they were right.  What if they were right?  Don’t you thing we should just try and save the maximum people we can?”  Nirvana looked at Jason.  Her eyes pleaded him to believe her but her face remained impassive. 

  Both boys were silent.  She had given them something to meditate upon.  It was common knowledge that drones have been paroling the aerial space but no one spoke openly about them being out of human control.  Unknowingly they were questioning themselves the same way Nirvana had done. 

“Jason, she’s right you know.  I mean if there is a risk, even a tiny winy risk, of attack we should rack our brains to try to save as many people as we can.  I know it’s not our job.  I mean there are the authorities, right?  But it looks like they’ve got their hands tied.  So at least, lets try and save our arses.” 

“Well,” Jason said, “It won’t kill no one to try…”

“Great, I knew you’d come around.”  Nirvana felt uneasy she took seconds to realise that she was jealous.  Silver has had no real friend before except from her.  Now she would have to share him with Jason.  That’s life but it was hard to accept. 

CHAPTER THREE:

“Okay, Nirvana, what’s your plan for tonight?  You’ve got a plan, right?”  Silver asked looking at her questioningly.  She felt reluctant to reveal her plans but hit it anyway.

“So, we all know what’s going on tonight, right?”

“Yeah, the fake RAVE.”  Jason replied cynically.  She felt like she wanted to slap him and a strong distaste mounted.

“The Life Festival, the biggest event happening every year at Middlebury.  Every one will be present.”  Silver replied.  ‘I could kiss you!’  Nirvana thought.  She nodded at Silver.  “And this is where the bomb will hit Middlebury, in the central park!”  Silver continued.  “So, what did you plan to do about it?  How will you try to get everyone out of the park and a kilometre and a half away from the place?  Ah, yes the RAVE!”

“Silver, don’t too excited.  The kids have been invited to the RAVE, but the parents and everyone else?”  Jason was right, but he thought that Nirvana had not thought about it.

“That’s where my plan begins.”  Nirvana said with a triumphal smile at Jason.  “Andy has hacked into the electronics of the park.  You heard about the light and sound system the mayor has implemented for the Festival?”

“Yeah, but who’s Andy?” asked Jason.

“My younger bro,” Nirvana said shortly and resumed her explanation.  “Well, he recorded sound tape and he is going to play it on the microphones at ten-thirty.  The message is about a bomb in the park and that if they did not leave he’d blow the place up.  It does sound convincing, you know.  And afterwards some friends of his are going to make a little show, start the panic.  There’ll be gunshots as well and when the people are going to start moving they’ll blow the clown stall with C4.  Don’t ask me where we’ve got it I won’t tell.  That will make the people hurry out and afterwards another announcement, this time by us…” 

“What do you mean us?”  Jason asked a frown deep in his forehead. 

“What do you want us to do?”  Silver sounded calm and controlled. 

“We are going to steal a police car and through microphones tell people to run for cover out of town.  We’ll make up an excuse on the spur of the moment…”Nirvana looked lamely at them.  “I did not find time to plan this bit.  I was too tired.  And I lacked ideas also I was scared that I was going to fuck up so many people’s lives…”She looked so broken that Silver pulled her in his arms.  She felt like all the pressure was crushing her to the ground.

“It’s okay, you’ve done your best.  And we are here now right, Jason?  We are going to help you out.”  Jason nodded with assurance and patted Nirvana on her shoulder.

“Well, you’ve got some packing to do.  Andy and I have already done ours.  Get all your oddments at Jason’s place.  His house is well outside town and it will be our meeting place.  I don’t know for how long but it’s the only place safe after the first attack.”

“What do you mean the first attack?  And how many people do you intend on bringing at my place?”  Jason was on his high horses again. 

“Well what did you think?  Why do they want everyone dead?  They must have some obscure motive in which we are not included.  And if they realise that not everyone is dead there will surely be another eradication.”  Nirvana replied in a low voice.  “That is why the sooner we get to the base the better it will be.  Andy has already drawn a route for us but it’s quite narrow.  The best would have been that we leave now but it would mean leaving everyone else to die.”  She got on her feet and walked to the window.

“But what if there is no attack tonight?”  Jason asked.

“There are going to be signs which will tell us if it’s nearing.”  Nirvana lent against the wall looking at him closely.

“What kind of signs?”  Jason never lets go but Nirvana felt glad that he was at least paying attention to what she was saying. 

“Before the attack all communications will be cut.  The +Tel Tower, the Big Ring, all the phone companies will be inflicted heavy damages by waves.  Their mainframe computers will crash causing radio interferences and fires in the buildings.  The police will be mobilised as well as all kind of authority.  When the waves will be sent Andy is going to shut down the sound system of the park so that it does not get crash.  It will last two minutes, enough to cause massive damages to electro-communications.  Afterwards we’ve got an hour and a half before…”She paused and looked at both of the guys.  They were concentrating on what she was saying trying also to visualise the scene.  “Before the big boom.  Naturally how are police going to know that the phone companies are on fire if they are not going to be able to communicate and receive signals?  That’s where we get into action.  We are going to stand guard at +Tel Tower.  Other groups will be at the other Phone Companies.  Thirty seconds before the wave we are going to break a window in the tower so that the alarm will ring at the police station and that they are on their way.  We’ll have to hurry because I’m sure you don’t want to get arrested.  They’ll take on after that, alerting the fire brigades and stuff…  We’ll steal a police car in the chaos and go meet Andy and tell him that he can take over from there.”  Silver’s face was impassive.  Jason was scrutinising her, sending shivers up her spine. 

“You have thought it all, well we don’t have time to either plan something else, so.  We will surrender to you.  But I suggest that we begin now.  Lets make some noise, waking people, yelling slogans, and putting posters.  By the way you should check if you’ve got more mail.”  Nirvana felt that it was the first time that Jason had said something sensible.  She nodded and climbed the stairs to her bedroom, the two boys followed.  Her P.C was on and she had two new messages.  One was from Andy.

“Hi, Fatty Nirvy! 

So, first of all, I’ve packed my things.  I’ve got two friends coming along tonight; by the way they are here.  They are looking into your things, (hope you don’t mind!  : P) 

Hi, it’s Ronnie!  Nice thongs Nirvana! 

Hi, it’s Ravi.  I like your bedroom…”

Nirvana hit her head with her hand.  ‘Andy, wait until I get my hands onto you, boy!’  She looked around in her room, nothing looked disturbed except from some drawers, which were half open. 

“Andy is such a joker!”  Silver chuckled while Jason tried to stop himself from laughing.  Nirvana went on reading.

“Well, we have checked out the park and everything is okay for the big night.  I’ve put the items we had to buy under your bed.  Text me if you have problem using the electronics.  Well sista, I guess that’s it.  Let’s leave our fate in Jah’s hands, Amen.”  By then, all three were laughing at Andy’s message.  Nirvana was too fond of her brother to be angry for long with him.  She shook her head and murmured, “pathetic.”  Andy had the skill of make you forget that a second before you were furious with him.  She opened the next message and found that it was from Joey.  There was a map attached to it.  She printed Joey’s message and three copies of the map.  While they read the message she studied the map with a magnifying glass and an actual map of the States.  The words ‘Calimpus Camp’ were written in bold letters in the map header.  She recognised the place; it was five kilometres north of town.  It was a famous place for stargazing.  It took Andy and Nirvana two and a half hours of travel non-stop to reach there by car.  A spot was circled in red ink with an arrow labelled ‘here’.  It was an area covered by trees and undergrowth, a private zone.  Nirvana was certain that there was no Calimpus Camp there a month ago.  And certainly a camp that could accommodate over thousands of people for a long period of time should be big enough to attract attention.  She read the epistle.

“The Calimpus Camp is found under the surface of the earth.  The entrance is in the middle of the Red-Oak Forest.  Its construction began three and a half years ago; it is now the size of New York and will be able to accommodate the same number of people.  It is divided into eighths and has enough food to last a lifetime as it has its own land for cultivation of crops.  At present time an eighth is already full…” 

“Wow,” Nirvana exclaimed in amazement while she continued staring at the paper without really reading it.  She didn’t know why but she had trouble believing that Calimpus Camp really existed. 

“You have not read the best yet,” Jason said.  “‘We have leisure facilities such as swimming, gym and football, handball, basketball.’  And so on, can that be true?  I mean it’s a real underworld city.  Is it safe?  What if the surface collapsed onto the city?  Do you think that at some point they are going to shut out the surface of the earth?  That we are going to be living in some kind of canned world?  That doesn’t sound good to me.”  Jason looked nervous and frustrated, while Nirvana was lost between belief and disbelief.  

“You should read on,” Silver said.  “Hear, ‘the camp is protected by a wall of thick metal and is found five kilometres from the surface.  We have come to the decision that it was a camp and not a city as it could house only a thirtieth of the world’s population.  We will live by artificial light and hope that nothing will make us cut ourselves from the surface of the earth.  Do remember to arrive before the attack at 00:02 for the opening of the doors.’  I think that they did their best to build this place but I have some doubts.  What if this place does not exist?”

Nirvana was perplexed.  “What do you mean?  That all this is bogus, that there is no survival camp that we are manipulated to go there?  Is that it?”  Silver nodded.  He sat down in front of the pc and faced his two friends.  His face was sombre he took a deep breath then said.

“You said that lately radio transmissions, television and even satellite signals were dubious.  So what if I assume that you have not been writing to Joey the ex-computer genius at the NASA but some freak…”

“Come on Silver!  I already told you that we would await the signs for the attack!”

“Sorry, wrong word, what if it was an alien trying to trap us?  What if they new that there would be some survivors and wanted to be clear of them.  The best way to kill us all would be to send the remainder of our specie to a specific place then exterminate us.  It would be well planned.  Also I think that it is fishy that the NASA who had been building such an extraordinary underworld city since tree years ago would lose control over their drones, and aircrafts.”  He was right; everything seemed okay in the first scenario, we blamed our government for their ineptitudes, like always, but thinking that they could have built this Calimpus Camp was implausible.  Nirvana hit her head.

“Shit!” she muttered under her breath.  She had completely forgotten that Andy would receive this message on his friend Ravi’s portable computer. 

“You should stop hitting your head like that, you know.”  Jason looked at her and gave her a curt smile. 

“I forgot that Andy had means to receive this message and that he would head for the Camp when leaving the park.  I must catch up with him!  But then what do we do?  If there is an attack we are all doom to die without the Camp.  The letter says that we have to be there before midnight.  It means that if you are right, that something is going to strike there too and Andy is going to be in a quandary.  Should he go or not?  What if he sends his friends there?  Oh god, I don’t want to think about that!” 

“Well we’ve got eight hours before midnight let’s head for the park.  But first Jason and I have to fetch come things from our respective places.  Meet you in an hour at the park.  Try and text Andy and his friends Ravi and Ronnie.”  He stared at Nirvana for a second then went on, “how come you accept my theory so quickly?  I mean, it’s something quite unbelievable, yet you are game to throw yourself in.”  Silver had a point there but Nirvana was lost for words. 

“What you don’t realise is that I don’t have a big family.  I mean the people for whom I care most are few.  My mother’s parents are dead, my dad walked out on us.  We’re not acquainted with Arthur’s family, for him and mom we have already something planned.  Which leaves only Andy and you left.  Both of you are aware of tonight’s dangers and while you are old enough to look after yourself, Andy is my main concern.  So, to answer your question, I’m willing to believe anything as long as I can keep those for whom I care out of danger.”  Silver nodded.  Nirvana wanted to ask him about his family, if he was going to try and call his dad.  Yet she didn’t.  Silver’s family is taboo stuff no one speaks about his mother’s death and the sudden inheritance of his father.  But then, no one knows the truth.  Nirvana felt guilty, she feels like she’s betraying Silver just by thinking about his family.  Jason was looking at Nirvana, but differently, with a hint of admiration.  He had not realised until now the bond that existed between those two persons.  Silver was not the talkative kind and from the little he had heard of the girl, he had imagined her as an unsociable person.  While now he discovers her through a very different angle. 

“Is my house still safe?”  He asked.

“Yes,” Nirvana replied.  “It’s on the opposite side of town.”  Jason nodded then they decide that it was time to go and the boys left.  Nirvana sat on her bed for a minute trying to think of everything that had just happened during the past hour.  Unexpectedly, she stood up and rushed to her brother’s room.  The map was on his bed she opened it and with a pencil drew a circle around the supposed Camp. 

“Our Cave,” she muttered under her breath.  Andy and her once got lost when they went stargazing and spent the night in a cave that was half way between town and the Camp.  ‘It’s our only prospect of survival.’  She folded the map and took her bags and her mother’s car keys and headed for the garage.  It was time for her to learn how to drive.

CHAPTER FOUR:

  Driving a car was harder than Nirvana had expected.  She had never felt keen to take up driving lessons and now she regretted it.  On getting out of the drive way she threw over the rubbish bins and damaged the lawn.  The car has long scratches on the boot and downwards.  She couldn’t manage the car and it stopped every minute.  Then she couldn’t go on any longer, she pulled up the car on one side of the road, climbed out then gagged.  How she hated monotonous car travel!  With small unsteady steps she walked towards the town centre.  The park was found in the middle of Middlebury Town.  It was surprisingly easy for Nirvana to find her brother.  He was sitting alone in front of the entrance fidgeting with Ravi’s portable computer.  He looked up as Nirvana approached and smiled. 

“Hello, so what’s up?” 

“Andy, I just can’t understand how you always manage to keep your spirits when things are going for the worse!  Anyway, guess you’ve received Joey’s message.  Well, I would better fill you in with what has been happening before Silver and Jason turn up…”

“So that’s it.  We’re doomed.”  Andy was losing his calm and Nirvana had no idea of how to cope with the situation.  She wished that Silver or even Jason would show up soon and relieve her of the weight of having to be strong again for Andy.  She put a hand on Andy’s arm and said gently, “We are going to make it brother.” 

Some how, for the first time Andy had difficulties to believe her.  This was far from being a playgroup fling, no kid was messing around him, and he did not need help. 

“Nirvana, do you realise that even your life is at risk.  You always seem to be forgetting yourself when it comes to my safety.  I’m not a kid anymore, you know.  I’m your brother and I am the one supposed to look after you.  So stop trying to make up for everyone and only try to look after your own ass!”

Jason showed up before she could retort back, he was alone, and was dragging a huge backpack.  He sat down next to Nirvana and sighed.  They waited in silence for Silver’s appearance.  The minutes went by slowly and heavily, the silence was persisting and becoming endurance.  Finally Jason broke the ice.

“So, since when did you know Silver?” 

“Uh, I don’t know.  Forever.  I have always known him.”

“Oh,” silence.

“See, my dad and her mother worked together long ago.  I have no idea for whom they worked for though.  No one talks about it.  They are forgotten ones; I think that’s why Jason and I kept contact.  We didn’t want to be forgotten too…” 

Jason did not understand a word she was saying.  ‘Girls always talk in riddles,’ he thought.  He was about to ask her to light his lantern when Silver ran to meet them.  Carol and Eugénie escorted him, Nirvana was surprised, but Jason looked to be in the confidence.  For hours afterwards they sat in the park chatting and letting hours pass by.  Talking about everything except from Nirvana and Silver’s background.  Jason was getting more and more suspicious.  He longed to asked questions but he had no intention of trespassing into Silver’s personal life.  ‘If only he had more trust in his best friend!’  Jason thought. 

“So, Nirvana, you believe in the forthcoming alien attack?”  It was more an assertion than a question, still, Nirvana replied.

“Eugénie, right now I’m not sure in what I believe anymore!  By the way Corrine, what do you think of it all?”  Corrine smiled, pushed her hair away from her face, thought for a second.  Then taking an intelligent air she said:

“I think that I wouldn’t mind a distraction!” 

“Aye, and what a distraction!”  Silver replied.  Then addressing to each of us he said, “You don’t seem to realise that there is a risk that tomorrow morning you’ll be waking up as an orphan.” 

“While you don’t or simply won't realise that the power and authority to save the world does not lie in our hands!.”  Nirvana replied.  “Hey, wait a second,” her face was lit with excitement.  “How about bringing down one of the drones?” 

“And what happens if the drone explodes?  Perhaps we could do that but it would be too risky to try.”  Jason replied and continued after a pause, “If you are right, Silver, there should be a drone flying over Calimpus Camp.  We could try to bring that one down as it is in a deserted area, but we would need a powerful rifle to be safe.”  At those words Nirvana looked at Silver, his father used to collect hunting guns.  Would he dare sponge one?

“I know just where we can get one free of charge.”  Silver replied giving Nirvana a satisfied smile.  “Okay lets get on moving, we have less time to shoot the drone now.  We’ll fetch the gun then head for the Camp.  Andy, you should stay here with your friends and meet us at the caves at 23:30, okay?”  Andy nodded.  “You know which ones I’m talking about?  The caves where you used to go sight-seeing?”  Nod again.  “That would leave him time to panic everyone out of the park and direct them to the RAVE just as he had planned.  But remember that panic time is one hour before our meeting time, okay?”  There was another nod from Andy.  “Nirvana, where did you leave your mother’s car?”

“Outside town on the highway.” 

“Okay, Eugénie and Corrine, you go fetch the car and bring it here and put all the bags inside.  Jason and you, Nirvana, are coming with me.  Lets go.”

  The Ross family owned one of the most expensive apartments of town.  In a high-rise building, it had a view on the park and all the corridors had surveillance cameras.  How they were going to get the gun out of the building was still a mystery for Nirvana.  When Silver opened the door of the apartment, they were rooted in amazement.  The room was richly furnished with antiques of great value.  The curtains were drawn and sunlight was making the well-polished wood glitter.  Silver urged them inside saying the vigil would get suspicious.  Nirvana felt a rush of excitement running through her.  Ever since she was little she had wanted to take a peek inside Mr Ross’s sanctuary.  Her curiosity was accentuated when she saw Mrs Ross, a day before her death, enter the room and hide a box inside an old desk.  It had happened while they were still neighbours and Nirvana had the bad habit of spying them.  She hoped with all her heart that the desk had not been sold when Mr Ross and Silver moved to this apartment.  The door opened and her wish was granted.  There in the middle of the room, under piles of books and papers, she saw the desk.  At first she was too shocked to move, she let Silver and Jason look for the gun while she tried to remember the exact movements of Mrs Ross.  The memory was vivid in her mind and she was sure of herself when she pushed all the documents off the desk with a strong movement of her arms.  She opened the first drawer put her right hand inside and took out a key which was taped to desk.  With her nails she traced the contour of the drawers searching for an uneven part.  There she scratched the wood until it began to peel revealing a lock.  Silver and Jason, intrigued by Nirvana’s strange behaviour, were watching closely.  They gasped in total astonishment when the key fitted the lock.  Nirvana turned the key; there was a loud thud, then silence again.  Excited, she opened the last drawer to find the box that had haunted her dreams for years now.  Yet she did not dare touch it.  There was a reason why Mrs Ross had so well hidden it.  Nirvana felt sure that the box contained her diary and that it was destined to Silver.  She looked at the latter and nodded.  No one spoke on the spur of the moment.  Silver stooped to seize the box and without paying further attention to it put it in his bag.

“Lets go,” he said.  Nothing betrayed the strong emotions he felt.  His heart had missed a beat when Nirvana had moved away from the drawer and he had seen the box.  He had been looking for it for years.  It was square and slim, covered in red velvet with embroideries.  His mother had sewed the velvet cover on the box herself while he had sat playing with his car toy at her feet.  There were drawings of leaves and little flowers all over it and the years had not tarnished its finery.  He walked faster trying to keep his mind away from the memory of his mother.  Jason carried the gun; it was a complete Modular Sniper System in a leather casing. He placed it, even if it was cold and heavy; inside his jacket and struggled to keep up the pace with Silver.  The latter and Nirvana were disturbed, but he had long since given up trying to understand them thus preferred to follow in silence.  Silver alone was an enigma but along with Nirvana, he is the worse brainteaser! 

  Eugénie and Corrine were waiting for them in front of the park.  Both girls were nervous, and soon Nirvana understood why.  While she rounded the car she noticed that one side of the car was totally trashed.  The driver’s door and the door besides were stuck, Eugénie could not get out, unless helped.  The latter began trying to apologize but was stopped by Nirvana.

“You are in no situation to make excuses.  Okay, let’s try to get you out of there!”  She was compassionate and understanding, yet she was dying to laugh at Eugénie’s clumsiness.  They dislodged Eugénie and Jason took the driver’s place, when all five were settled in the car they roared to the southern town exit. 

“It’s hunting time!”  Silver bellowed brandishing the gun and to the approval of everyone.   

  An hour had elapsed and we were bored.  Nirvana was squatting the ground behind Silver and Eugénie was scribing in Nirvana’s agenda.  She was looking for paper on which to draw as she had no other source than the dry leaves all around them.  Nirvana proposed her yearly agenda and she was prompt to accept.  I couldn’t figure how they could stay indifferent to the scenery and nature all around them.  The sunset made the sky a mixture of orange and red.  Nirvana thought that I did not notice her writing pad and Walkman tucked inside her jacket.  She had fetched them from her car while looking for the agenda.  I even doubt that she had offered the agenda heartily.  She never lets anyone see her works and always qualify them as ‘lacking,’ while she had a very fertile imagination.  She writes the best stories when under pressure or in extreme state of exaltation or sadness.  Her writing then becomes poignant and we can clearly see her state of mind.  Jason was conspicuously fighting a nearly lost battle to stay awake.  His eyes were partly closed and he had settled his head on his palms.  He gave no evidence, though, that today was supposed to be his birthday.  And what a birthday!  We are kilometres away from civilisation and our parents were in some modern European country.  His best friend is telling him that everyone will be dead tonight and he believes it.  Even though the rusticity of the countryside is breath taking, I keep wandering why I am here.  Eugénie convinced me to tug around.  “It would be fun,” she had said.  Anyway if Nirvana and Jason believed in a tale such as the ending of the word then there is a great possibility that they are right, naturally that’s alarming.  On hearing that Silver was of the party I had no second thoughts, I grabbed my coat and followed.  I feel like Boxer, the blind follower from Animal Farm of George Orwell.  Maybe I will be slaughtered as well, but I hoped not.  I pushed my hands inside the pockets of my jeans and took a deep breath.  Silver was lying flat on his stomach, watching the sky through binoculars.  Jason and him were on a rooster, every half hour one of them took a rest.  The gun was set up between them two on a plastic bipod.  I wanted to offer my help but was scared to intrude.  It was obvious they did not trust us, girls, with the material.  Still I doubt that they would refuse Nirvana, she seemed familiar with the gun using jargon such as '4 by 32 sniper scope'.  And along the way she revealed that she used to accompany Silver and his dad hunting, strange activity for a girl of eight.  I peeped at my watch: three hours had passed since we first left the park to look for the car.  Five hours to midnight and still nothing no drone carrying a bomb, no trace of the supposed Calimpus Camp, not that anyone here believed in its existence but I had hoped to witness something strange.  Something that would help me understand better what they are saying.  Silver’s jet-black hair was gleaming in the sun.  Nirvana’s head was moving in a rhythm and her lips were mouthing the words of a song she was listening.  Eugénie’s strokes with her pen had become regular and she looked satisfied with her drawing.  Suddenly Silver shriek making everyone jump in surprise.

“Look,” he said.  “There it is!  We have to be quick at shooting it or we will have to wait another hour for its return!”  Without giving us time to reply he picked up the gun and ran.  I searched the horizon for the wake of a drone but nothing.  The clouds were unperturbed.  Jason jumped on his feet and grabbed his bag.

“What are you doing, Corrine?  We’ve got to get the hell out of here!  Get moving!  Follow Silver, we’ve got to get cover behind the car, run!”  The car was two hundred meters away in the opposite direction but I did not care.  I thought that all this agitation was exaggerated and even while Nirvana and Eugénie pulled me along heading for the car I kept glancing back towards the sky.  It was getting darker by the minute and harder to recognise any form.  The girls kept pulling me frantically they were panting loudly but I was able to here a hissing sound.  I looked behind once more and saw it.  It looked like an innocuous miniature aeroplane.  Thankfully the girls did not let go of my arms while I slowed down, for the base of the drone opened and an automatic gun appeared.  It looked very much like a micro Uzi, which I saw from a magazine.  It began firing real bullets making deafening noises.  The next minute I thought that I was flying, panic made me run so quickly that my strides became jumps and the girls had to strive to keep up with me.  I ran in a straight line, unable to control my body.  My brain had stopped working and I forgot that my aim was to stoop behind the car.  I ran until a rock face obstructed my way.  Nirvana and Eugénie had kept on following.  There was a tree and it looked as if it was our only refuge.  As absurd as it may sound, the three of us hid behind it and waited.  The drone was surprisingly slow while the gun fired very rapidly yet it was not aiming at anything.  As the bullets hit the trunk sending pieces of wood flying into the air I held my breath and waited.  Then to my solace I heard a voice, Jason’s.

“Hey, you!  Come get me!”  He was yelling at the top of his voice and broke into a run.  He was a damn good runner and we watched with admiration, fear and relief as his strong athletic body moved upon the arid soil.  ‘No, Jason,’ I felt like yelling.  ‘Don’t do that.’

“That’s right,” Nirvana murmured behind my back.  My eardrums were pounding but I could still hear her, I was not deaf yet.  “The drone follows movement and noise.  If Jason were to drop down suddenly, it would follow the same direction for some meters while it kept shooting then think that it has killed him.  Lets hope that Jason had thought about that and we are right.” 

'Oh please God, make it be so!'  We moved swiftly towards the car taking great care not to make any noise.  Jason kept on running, he went in circles, trying not to venture too far from the car.  Meanwhile, Silver with his gun cocked and ready was waiting for the right occasion to open fire.  He aimed towards the supposed Calimpus Camp, and fired, one clean shot.  At the noise, Jason dropped flat on the ground and it worked.  The drone followed the noise moving away from us.  Jason picked himself up and trotted towards us.  After we were all safe behind the car, Silver aimed and shot the drone.  The blast it created was enough to overturn the car onto us.  We moved backwards as fast as we could so that we would not be crushed but without the car as a shield against the strong gust we were easy preys.  The sky was on fire it flamed then faded as particles of rocks and metal fell onto the ground.  The gusts sent us flying into the air towards the rock face, the next thing I remembered was my head hitting against the hard cold rock and my body slumping to the ground then complete darkness.

CHAPTER FIVE:

  I was sitting in a cave miles outside town when the explosion happened.  I ran outside the cave and stared at the sky.  It was glowing with red flames, which soon died.  I thought that I must have dreamt the scene, nothing like that happens around here.  Anyway, the sun was setting and that must have afflicted my already poor vision and I went back inside the cave.  I usually go there when things get nasty at home or when I just feel like getting away from everyone.  Lately I’ve been round the cave often enough to say that it was like my second home.  I pulled my glasses off and took a look around.  Everything was blurred.  My vision was worsening day after day and it was only a matter of weeks before I go blind.  A year before I would have panicked at that idea but now, nothing matters.  Father died the day before.  My parents were divorced a week after my birth.  They say their marriage was a total failure, well then I guess I am the second and last flaw they made together.  But I never had the leisure to think about them as an item, anyway none of them had a place in their busy life for lilt-oh-me.  But that was before my dad went blind.  Then everything changed.  He left his work and settled in a home for blind people, and mother married a lawyer, owner of his own small firm.  I lived in my mother’s house while she lived with her husband.  The latter did not want his family to think that he was taking the responsibility of a teenager who is not his daughter.  So the night of their marriage both of them came to me to announce the ‘news’. 

  Imagine your mother coming towards you, a smile lighting her face.  You smile back at her; she is so happy and she embraces you, you wish her well and you live happily ever after with your mother and stepfather.  Well that’s not what happened.  She came to me all right but her face was impassive, just the way she announces a client that she has lost his case and that they would need to try again and I said:

“Congratulations, mother.  I hope that you get the best moments life can bring with your new husband.  I hope he carries no genetic disease in his ‘little soldiers’ and that you have lots of normal kids with him.  I just hope that there’s a spare couch in dad’s home for when you’re bored of him and wish for a change of scene.”  My voice was filled with animosity and sarcasm and she felt it. 

“Kayla, you should not blame me for yours and your father’s disease and you know that we got divorced way before we found out about it.  Anyway I just want to tell you that you may live at my place until you have finished school.  Eric and I have discussed it and we have come to the conclusion that it would be better that way.  Also we will have someone coming in to look after you.” 

  It did not change anything from our way of living.  She was never at home before her marriage and it sounds like she will never be home after her marriage either.  I stared at her through my glasses and replied briskly:

“Well I never expected for more on your behalf, mother.  And you have got to hurry, your groom is waiting for you.”  Mother pasted a smile on her face and put out her hand for me.  If she was waiting for me to act like a loving daughter in front of her guests, then she was going to wait for a long time for I had no intention of showing any kind of feelings towards her.  I stared at her offered hand then walked away.

“Don’t count on me to join the party, mother.  You know better than that.”  I said loud enough for some of the guests to start tittle-tattling.  Some months ago Eric made a considerable lost in his business and had to sell their house to avoid bankruptcy.  They both moved in with Sheila, my housekeeper, and me.  It was a rough start.  Eric wanted the house for mother and him alone, and for the first time mother took my defence. 

“You cannot expect me to throw my daughter out of my house, can you?  So live with it.”  It sounded rather like she was using me as Eric’s punishment for having lost their magnificent little villa but I felt a little light rekindle anyway.  School life was all right.  To be clearer it was great.  I had my friends over the place all the time, throwing late night parties, and hanging around until late.  We even went clubbing during the school days.  No one was there to stop us anyway.  Sheila was barely six years older than us and would most of the time tow along.  I wore lentils and although I was not of a rare beauty, I was quite popular at my school.  But when those two came to live with us, everything changed.  Sheila had to leave and no more parties.  Eric strangely had a liking for classical music and would gladly miss mundane parties to stay at home relaxing on the couch with Mozart or Beethoven breaking their fingers to please him.  He was the kind of man that I would do my best to avoid.  He was tall, dark brown hairs and blue eyes.  He had an attractive square jaw, which was wasted on him as he snorted most of the time.  All my friends say that he is a hunk until they meet him in person.  It’s extraordinary how a grimace can disfigure someone.  During the past weeks my eyesight had deteriorate considerably and I had to wear specs.  It was common knowledge at school that Kayla Flown was going blind.  I was coping with it, taking Braille lessons, visiting my father every Saturday afternoon.  But then school exams came up and I missed visiting him for a week.  Now it’s too late, two days before he committed suicide he typed a letter, in Braille, saying that everything he owns was to be sold and that I was to inherit when I was legally of age.  That was all, no reason why he was committing suicide, nothing about us, nothing about me.  Then he climbed the stairs to the roof of the place where he lived and jumped off.  It was a building of six storeys and the medics had to collect his brain from the parking lot, it took three hours to clean it all.

  I could feel tears rolling down my cheeks.  I had cried so much already that my face was hurting.  I curled myself on the cave floor and sobbed until I fell asleep. 

Out of the blue someone came to the entrance of the cave and yelled hard at me:

“What the hell are you doing here?  Get up you lazy slum we’ve got to get going!”  I was startled and sleep prevented me from recognising the person.  The voice was boyish and unfamiliar, I sat up straight and realise that he was not of my acquaintance.  He looked fifteen, dark eyebrows and skinny arms.  He was frowning, his hair needed a cut, and there was a small scar on his eyebrow.

“Oh, I’m sorry.  I took you for someone else.  Who are you and what are you doing here anyway?  Don’t you know that we are under attack?”

“Huh?  Attack?  Who’s attacking us?  And who are you?”  The boy advanced with caution inside the cave and sat next to me.  He was wearing a t-shirt with cartoons on the front and a pair of nice jeans. 

“I’m Andy.  Yeah you’re right; we’re not under attack, yet.  But in a short while, yes.”  He looked at his hand watch and continued, “ten minutes to go, we should get moving.”

I looked at him suspiciously.  He sounded certain that I would follow.

“I’m Kayla.  What time is it?” 

“It’s eight to mid-night.  What are you doing here alone Kayla?  By the way, did you see a girl roving around?  She’s a bit fat, tall, black hairs and dark brown eyes.”

“No, I’m sorry.  I have been sleeping the whole while from six o’clock until now.”  Andy looked worried and I began questioning myself.  Could it be true that we would shortly be under attack? 

“Andy, I think that I should tell you that even if I’m not sure of what I saw but…  I heard an explosion and saw fire in the sky.  It did not last long, and I’m not too sure of my vision as I’ve got to change my glasses.” 

“At what time was that and in which direction?”  His voice was thick with worry.  Was it clever of me to have said that? 

“It was at about fifteen past six.  I had just arrived here.  Come on out, I will show you where.”  The air was cold outside.  Night had fallen quickly but the sky had cleared and the stars were shining brightly keeping company to the pregnant moon in her black velvet dress.  I pointed in the direction in which I saw the fire and Andy sighed.

“That’s Calimpus Camp.”  He said sullenly.  “That’s where my sister and her friends were.  It’s about thirty minutes walk from here.”

 “You must be wrong.  I come here very often and I can assure you that in thirty minutes walk from here there is nothing; no Camp.  I wouldn’t mind coming with you though.” 

“Calimpus Camp,” Andy began, “is found under the surface of the earth.  Its entrance is hidden.”  I looked at him puzzled.  Surely he did not expect me to believe that!  I felt like in my actual state of mind that I couldn’t care less if the world would be shortly coming to an end.  But believing in a hidden underworld city was just too much.

“Andy, have you considered the possibility that you have been in the sun for too long?”  He just smiled.  A crooked grin which, lighted his eyes.  I couldn’t help but smile too.

“Kayla, okay, it doesn’t matter if you don’t believe me.  Anyway, that’s why they went there, to see if it’s true.  Anyway if there is a blast then it’s not.  Then there is no Calimpus Camp, and it was a trick to lure us.  This cave is not risky; it’s out of the bombing zone.  Though it’s only an assumption that we are effectively out of line of fire…  I’ll wait with you, anyway my sister will come around here soon with her friends to fetch me, and we will set out altogether.  They will know what to do.”  He lay back against the cave and closed his eyes.  Exhaustion was written all over his face.

“Tell me about you.  How old are you?  You’re not a student at Middlebury High, or I would have known you.  Why are you here and what’s your story?”

“I’m sixteen and I go to Hardy School.  This cave is my hiding place.  I use to come here when I need to be alone and I haven’t got a story.”

“Oh, come on!”  Andy opened his eyes and straightened himself.  “Everyone has got a story!  Let’s see…”He said thoughtfully.  “My story is quite boring.  I’ve got an older stepsister, Nirvana; her dad disappeared when she was only a month old.  She doesn’t like my father and always calls him by his first name.  By the way I’m fifteen and Nirvana is sixteen.  We are atheists, my dad was catholic, but since he married my mum he stopped going to church and I’m not baptised.  Your story is about your origins your background, your parents.  It’s a summery of your life that describes you best.  Do you understand?”  I nodded.  “Well, begin!”

“My parents got divorced a week after my birth.  My mum’s mother, a rich widow gave me my name.  When I was six, my dad went blind and he had to drop his job and went to settle in a home for blind people.  Two days ago he committed suicide, that’s why I’m here, I thought I would like some time alone to think.”  Andy was stunned by that revelation and was lost for words. 

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.”  He said pulling me into a clumsy hug and held me there for a minute and I was moved by his gesture.  I only knew him for some minutes and already I had a soft spot for him. 

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