The End of All Things

4. Family ties

RYLEE

Still shaken, we're too afraid to stop, though none of us will admit it first. We drive for the rest of the afternoon, the dimming landscape slipping slowly by as twilight approaches, pockets of smoke swelling into the sky whenever we pass an off ramp. There's about three hundred miles worth in the tank, and Emily and Jeremy are discussing where to go over a map. The names of the towns mean nothing to me, and it seems that half of them are Somethings-burg, a very German theme.

I jump at Caleb's gentle touch on my shoulder, snapping out of my daze. Only now do I notice our unintentional convoy of headlights that we had been pegged between on the interstate has disappeared. The last of the sunlight has faded beyond the horizon and we're left driving into the darkness of a small town, the only moving vehicle in sight.

"My aunt lives here," Jeremy explains, taking a left before hitting the main street and heading through a quiet neighbourhood, "I haven't been here for years, but I remember the house..."

I strain my neck to look at the homes we pass, none have any lights on but there's a faint glow shining through the gaps in curtains of some of them, candles maybe, or fireplaces. Either way, it's pretty obvious that the electricity's out.

He stops the car outside a simple looking brick house and we all get out of the vehicle. I didn't realise how hard both my hands were clinging to my seatbelt all that time until I have to force them to let go. The building is an ominous shadow in the darkness and I feel a shiver run down my spine, if no one's here, that means we're still alone.

Jeremy jogs up the front path ahead of us, hammering his fists on the door for at least a minute, yelling and swearing as he does so.

"He's making a lot of noise," I mutter, shifting from foot to foot.

Emily must share my nerves and calls out to him, "No one's here, Jeremy, just stop."

"They're gone," Jeremy turns back to us. He left the headlights on in the car and they create a sharp shadow on his cheeks as he clenches and unclenches his jaw, "well, she owes me about three missed Birthdays and Christmases, so..." He takes off around the side of the house and there's nothing we can do but follow, exchanging concerned glances.

Jeremy is rooting around in the potted plants near the back door when we catch up, dirt flying all over the tiled patio.

"She took the key," he mumbles, before grabbing the whole plant and throwing it through the glass back door.

I cringe away from the crashing sound as the glass chatters to the ground, if the neighbours didn't hear us before, they have now.

"Jesus Christ Jeer!" Emily shouts at him as he kicks away the rest of the glass so he can reach inside to the door handle. "I don't think your family will appreciate that, do you?" She looks him up and down with a hand on her hip.

Jeremy pauses and looks guilty for a second, but then his expression slips into a scowl, "fuck off." He opens the door and storms in, the sound of another door slamming reverberates through the house.

Caleb and Emily enter more cautiously, and I follow. Emily busies herself with looking for candles in the kitchen, with the help of her cell phone's light, as Caleb runs back out to retrieve his car keys. He's back half a minute later and starts to clean up as much dirt and glass as he can from the wooden floor.

I honestly don't know what to do with myself. This time last night I was soaking in a bubble bath after stuffing my face with room service food – curtesy of Mrs. Murdoch's open tab – and watching re-runs of South Park on the flat screen conveniently placed opposite the open bathroom door. I had been tired after spending the day walking around the city. Now the city's gone, I'm in a stranger's house in a strange town, and I don't know what the hell is going on.

As I'm having my silent panic attack, Caleb's taping some cardboard over the shattered remains of the back door while Emily inspects his work.

Jeremy emerges from one of the rooms, a cold, passive expression on his face. "There's a guy coming up the driveway with a flashlight."

Without moving I look over to the front window, seeing a bobbing glow behind the curtain.

"Do you know who it is?" Emily says, hurrying over to sneak a glance out the window.

"Don't!" Jeremy hisses, "great going Em, now they know we're in here."

"The smashing glass might have given us away," my attempt at sarcasm comes out quiet and rushed. Caleb's the only one who hears my mumbling and gives me an odd look.

"It could be help," she snaps.

Jeremy is about to reply but his face freezes when the person knocks on the door.

"Cheryl? Who's in there?" a male voice yells.

Before anyone can stop her, Emily unlocks the door and opens it wide. We're momentarily blinded by the flashlight, which makes me realise how dimly the candles light the room.

"Bloody scoundrels, get out of Cheryl's house! I don't care what's going on, breaking and entering is still a crime, and I-"

"Sir, sir!" Emily waves her hands about and all I can think is that she's lucky he's not the shoot first - ask questions later kind of person. "We know Cheryl, she's his aunt."

Jeremy steps forward when she points to him, nodding, "yea, my mum's name is Meredith, Cheryl's sister, from Noven?" It comes out sounding like more of a question, but the man believes it.

"Aye, I know of Meredith," he lowers the torch and leans against the doorframe.

I can see his face now, just a weathered old man with tan skin and a wiry mustache. I feel my fear ease up a little, he'll sort this all out, won't he? He's an adult, and adults help lost teenagers...

"She shipped out earlier today, after we saw the news on the telly, just packed up her boys and left. Then the power went out-"

"Do you know where she went?"

"No one teach you to not interrupt? They went away, I don't know, family or something? Don't know why she'd bother, though, we're safe here, plus they told people to stay in their homes. I suggest you do just that."

None of us say anything. I want to ask him what to do, but the words catch in my throat and I feel the familiar burn of oncoming tears. 

He smacks his lips together and starts to walk away, but turns before Emily closes the door, "Oh, and I know about that window, you just make sure you pay for the replacement before Cheryl comes back."