Chapter 6
Nick’s POV
“Mom, it’s really hard to
explain. I just can’t come home,” I
said.
“Nickolas! I can’t
understand how you could do this to your family in a time like this! We’re all near the end of our existence, and
you’re just going to turn your back on us?” she exclaimed.
“You don’t understand! I’m
not turning my back on you guys. I’ll
always be there. I- I just can’t be
around anyone I know right now, when I don’t even know myself,” I said to her.
“Nicky, I just need to see you once more. Your family needs to see you,” I could hear
the tears in her voice.
“Mom, I love you. Tell them
all I love them too,” I said. I sighed
one last time, and hung up.
I looked up into the dark night sky, and stared intently at the
comet that was already showing. I didn’t
tell my mom where I was, because I didn’t even want the chance of her finding
me coming up.
Giving the comet one last longing glare, I jumped into my car and
sped off.
***
Sammy’s POV
I picked up my two bags that were carrying the only things I owned
and walked out of my first, and only apartment.
When I reached the parking garage I noticed someone standing by my car.
“Hey!” I shouted. The
person casually glance up, and slowly stepped into the light.
“Hello, Samantha,” he hissed.
I glared.
“John, what are you doing here?” I asked.
“Well, I see as the world ending and all would be a great time to
get together,” he said. I rolled my eyes
and unlocked my door.
“John, I wouldn’t date you if you were the last man on earth, and
I was the last girl,” I said.
“Who knows, that’s what it may end up being,” he sneered. I slammed the door shut and started the
engine. As I drove away, I looked in my
rear view mirror and saw John standing there cynically, glaring at my
retreating car. I felt a shudder go down
my spine, and new the way he was glaring couldn’t mean anything good.
Nothing could happen. I was
going home, and even though it was the end of the world, I would still be happy
since I was going to be with my family and nothing could change that. At least, I hoped so.
***
Even though the playing of the press conference had ended several moments
before, the scene where a one Dr. Sloan spoke the words that would forever
strike fear in the hearts of millions kept running through my mind as I stared
at the blank screen.
I suddenly snapped out of my daze with
a start when Darrin sat down in front of me wiping away the tears I didn't
realize were falling down my face gently.
"It will be okay, you know," he said quietly.
I looked at him with a 'what crack are you on look' and solemnly said,
"You mean dying is a good think Dar? Truthfully I'm terrified of it.
I never imagined dying before my twentieth birthday. I always imagine dying when I was old!"
I sighed as I watched Darrin give me a sympathetic look. "I
guess I'm being selfish. I'm not the
only one this is affecting. I'm just
scared."
"I know, sweetie, but you know what the good thing about this is?" he
asked. I shook my head and waited for
him to respond. "At least we won't die alone. We will have each other until the very
end."
I pulled my knees up to my chest and rested my head on top of my folded up arms
as I thought about Darrin’s words. I realized that he was right, and in a
way what he said brought me comfort, but I was still scared out of my
mind, and I knew I wasn’t alone in that feeling.
“I’ll be back in a few minutes,” Darrin said softly as he got up from his spot
on the bed. “I have a few calls to make and I will go check on Dakota
while I am at it.”
I nodded solemnly and changed my position, this time lying face down on the
bed. I knew Darrin was probably calling his parents and then he would
probably call all of our friends from work if he had the time.
I sighed and allowed my eyes to drift
to a picture by my bedside of my parents, Darrin, and I, two summers ago in
Germany, where my parents were currently living during happier times.
During the span of three years, both sets of grandparents had died, my
parents both moved to a different country because the Army sent my dad to a
military base near Frankfurt, Darrin and I started dating, my parents adopted a
baby girl I have never seen in person, but have watched her grow up in
pictures, as she was only a few months away from her first birthday, and I
graduated high school and was attending college, while holding down a full time
job.
Yes, I must admit my life has been stressful
at times but as I look back on it now, it was all worth it and I’m glad I made
the decision to stay in Virginia and live with Darrin when my family moved, I
hoped I would get one last chance to see them before this event happened and
destroyed everyone’s lives.
I looked up suddenly as I heard Darrin
walk on the bedroom carpet in his socks and jumped as he threw himself down on
the bed next to me.
“Hey anyone awake up there?” I asked quietly as Darrin stared at me. I
stared back into his blue eyes and felt my eyes fill with tears as I realized
that ever second ticking away would be a second closer to our deaths.
“Yeah, just thinking.”
“About what?” I questioned as I ran the back of my hand over my eyes to wipe
away my tears.
“Just something I need to ask you later. But you need to call your
parents. They may not have heard the
news yet, since it is very early morning where they are at.”
I glanced at the clock and realized
that he was right, there was a good chance my parents hadn’t heard the
news because of the 6 hour time difference and thinking about it, they probably
weren’t even awake yet.
“Yeah, you are right,” I said as I grabbed the cordless phone off of the
night-table and pressed the number that accessed my parents telephone number
from the memory. Just before I was ready to hang up after the 6th ring, a
sleepy male voice answered.
“Hello?”
“Daddy?” I nearly whispered as the tears I tried to keep in earlier started to
fall unyieldingly down my face.
“Heidi, honey is that you? Is anything wrong?” my dad asked in a more
alert tone of voice. In the background, I heard a baby crying and knew it
was little Shannon probably crying because the phone had woken the usually
restless baby up. Then I heard my mom’s voice ask what was wrong.
“Daddy, there is a comet coming straight for us, and everyone one of us is
going to die, except for about a million or so people will be kept in a shelter
under Texas for about twenty years, and the rest of us die. There is only a month left!”
I knew I was babbling and was probably
scaring my parents to death with my panicky voice and hurried
explanation, but once I had told my parents, I felt like a weight had been
lifted off of me, but the tears
continued to flow. I heard nothing from the other end except for
Shannon’s soft whimpers from where I assumed my mom had brought her into their
room to comfort her.
Finally, after a few moments of silence, my dad spoke up, “What do you mean
sweetheart?”
“When Darrin and I came home from his parent’s house we were watching TV and a
special news conference came on and it announced the information about the
comet that I just told you and” my voice trailed off allowing my parents to
process the information.
Just then I heard what sounded like a
TV come on and fluent and panicky German coming from the airways and I knew
that the German TV stations were programming news reports about the comet.
A few minutes later after my parents got over their shock enough to speak my dad
announced that they would get the first flight available back to Virginia and
they would keep us updated. Just as I was getting ready to end the call
Darrin reached for the phone and I handed it to him, suddenly anxious to get
out of the room and made my way to the living room where a small black lab
puppy lay asleep on a blanket by the couch. I gently picked the puppy
that Darrin had given me for Christmas up and placed him in my lap, absent
mindedly petting the silky black fur as I continued to let my mind wander, not
being
able to concentrate on just one thing.
“Okay, I’m ready to ask you that question I was going to ask you early,” a
voice spoke up from the doorway, and I unintentionally jumped at the sudden
scare.
“You need to stop scaring me like
that!” I gently scolded, as I moved over to allow Darrin to sit beside of me on
the couch.
Darrin sadly smiled and picked up my left hand and touched the engagement ring
on my finger, as I looked on in confusion.
“Will you marry me?” he asked quietly, causing me to listen closely to hear
what he had said.
“I thought we went over this the other night, of course I will marry you Dar.
Are you losing your memory in your old age?” I joked, suddenly feeling
the carefree way I used to feel before I heard about the comet.
“You are only three years younger than me, my dear, so if I am losing my
memory, you will be soon to follow,” he said with a grin, and he suddenly grew
serious again. “I meant, will you marry
me when your parents arrive here? I know this is sudden but we don’t have
much time left and when I die, I will die happy knowing that you were my wife,
even if it was for a short period of time.”
I nodded as tears yet again came to my eyes for what seemed like the hundredth
time that night, but this time they were tears of joy. “Of course I will
Darrin. I love you.” I said without hesitation and I smiled as I saw a
huge grin come over his face.
“So, I guess this means you told my parents?”
“Yeah, I know I should have let you tell them the news, but I had to let them
know before
I asked you that,” he answered sheepishly.
“It is okay, Dar. I forgive
you,” I reassured him, suddenly letting out a loud yawn, as the exhaustion of
the day’s events began to take their toll.
“I guess we should get some sleep now,” Darrin announced, as he picked Dakota
up off of my lap and place him on his blanket. I nodded sleepily and
walked back to our room quickly climbing into bed and falling asleep almost
instantly hoping that I would wake up the next morning to find out that the
comet news was all a nightmare, not knowing that more nightmares would soon
come.
***