The Luminosity Series (Book 1): Luminosity (24 page)

“Yeah?” he asked, blinking hard.

“Thank you for being here, Ev…” I breathed out a sigh.
He faked a quick smile again as I rose from the cot, aiming a painful glance at
the wall. But the ache still lingered afterward. He focused his vision to my
feet as I approached him. “You okay?” I asked in a concerned whisper.

“I’m fine…” He winced. I grabbed his arm as he tried
to turn away again. This time, his eyes were clouded with guilt.

“No you’re not,” I said, shaking my head, refusing to
let him pretend again. Evan disguised his tears with anger, struggling to
appear stronger than he felt.

“Listen, Aubrey,” he sighed. “If we make it out of
this, you’re going to have to accept that we’re probably going to be
separated.” His voice shook when he spoke. What he was trying to tell me was
vague and unclear, as it always was before dropping a bomb of bad news.

“Why? What are you saying?” I asked, looking to him
dreadfully as I caught my breath.

“I’ve been meaning to tell you… I didn’t qualify into
the colony selection. I’m sorry, Aubs…” he said, his eyes now bigger, wider,
and wetter with the onset of emotion. And within those exchanged glances, I
fell apart again.

My eyelids fluttered as the dizziness took me. He kept
me on my feet, my hands shaking as I raised them to my forehead.

“Aubrey… It’s okay,” he said, blinking hard. I glared
at him in disbelief. Out of control now, I pushed myself away, clenching my
fists as the agony rose in my chest.

“No. This isn’t okay.”

“Please don’t do this.” He was unsurprised by my
reaction.

“Don’t do what?” I huffed, my eyelids flickering under
the pressure..

“Don’t be upset…”

“It’s not you I’m upset with, Evan,” I panicked.

“There was always a good probability this would happen
anyway,” he said.

“I don’t care,” I choked. “There has to be a place we
can go…”

“But there isn’t, Aubrey...” Evan raised his voice.

“I can withdraw myself from the qualification.” My
breathing picked up speed.

“And throw away your one chance at survival?” he
asked, shaking his head in a grimace.

“It’s too late for me anyway, Evan. I wouldn’t make it
long down there before they figured out who I was. Someone knows our family is
still alive. It’d be a trap, just like this place,” I said.

“But you can’t just give up your chance on account of
your suspicions, Aubrey,” Evan said in anger. Tears formed in my eyes.

“Someone is trying to lure me in. Why else would I
find that compass? And why would Aubrey Ellis qualify into a colony if she was dead,
or—or related to Andrew?” I asked.

“I don’t know. It could’ve been a glitch like your
mother said,” Evan sighed, scratching the back of his neck.

“After those people came after us? No. I won’t believe
that,” I said.

“Listen, if Aubrey
Adams
doesn’t at least try
to get into a colony, all of this would have been a waste of time,” he said.

“Maybe it always was a waste of time. Nobody can
change this. All we have left are the people we care about… like you once
said,” I whispered.

“I know it’s hard to imagine right now, but think of
the possibility that one day you could be happy again. You could be with
someone who could give you the things I couldn’t. A family... a legacy… a
future. Don’t throw that away on me,” he said, his focus switching back and
forth between my eyes.

“I can’t do that to you.”

“It’s the only way this works,” he said with a sigh.

“How can you suddenly be okay with this? Our entire
lives have been a lie, Evan. Everything we’ve been told. Everything we’ve seen.
All the suffering, all the people who have died… it’s been for nothing. All of
it. I won’t live in a world where their deaths are meaningless, and neither
will you. And I won’t leave you behind again either,” I said, nodding my head
frantically.

“It wasn’t easy for me to accept this—the truth about
you and our past. But what’s happened… it is what it is… I fought for a long
time, thinking there was more to life than what was inside these borders. That
there was a possibility we’d be together in the end. And this might be where it
ends for us, but not for you. You have a chance to see better days—to live on
from this war. You have to try, Aubrey. Or else we all die for nothing,” Evan
said, catching his breath.

“I won’t let you give up on yourself…” I muttered. He
shook his head.

“There comes a time when we have to let go of people,
Aubrey. You were the one who taught me that,” he said.

“But we don’t know what will happen after this,” I
lashed out. Except, if we made it out of this, we knew exactly what would
happen. Evan would die alone in a facility where he’d take his final breaths.
If chosen, I’d descend into a colony to dwell, to mourn the only ones who had
ever given my life purpose, forever hidden in the depths of lies. But as usual,
escape became my only defense mechanism in these moments of despair.

“Either way, I won’t let you do this. There
is
a reason you survived that crash, Aubrey. Don’t you see? Your life always held
meaning, you just had to find it. You can’t give that up for me now. Not when
you’re this close to the end,” he said in a weak voice. And with those words, I
covered my mouth, facing the wall with my back to him. I was too exhausted to
look at him afterward.

After several moments of painful silence, I peeked
over my shoulder. Evan rested beside the cot, passed out into a deep slumber
with his head angled to the side. I blinked the tears away as I leaned back,
peering at his worn face at random. And in the darkness of the cellar, I cried
myself into a wakeless sleep.

The next morning, I woke to static. A man’s voice
broke up through the airwaves. Evan smacked the side of the radio hoping it
would get clearer, but the static prevailed. He groaned in frustration, shaking
his head as he gave up. After glancing back at me twice, he realized I was
awake.

“Sorry, I needed to see if I could pick up
anything...” he said, guilty, yet restless.

“How long was I asleep?” I yawned while rubbing my
eyes.

“I’m guessing a good eight hours...” he said in
satisfaction.

“What about you? Did you get any sleep?”

“A little...” He gave me a reassuring glance.

“What did they say on the radio?” I pulled myself away
from the wall. He sighed before sitting next to me on the cot.

“I couldn’t make out much. All I heard is hundreds of
bombs were dropped last night. A lot of people are injured, some killed. They
didn’t say who attacked us, but the good news is they’re gone,” he said. He put
his head down, gawking at his boots in deep reflection before staring up at me.
“Our troops are preparing for an evacuation. The missiles sparked fires inside and
outside the territories. It’s done a lot of damage, and it’s only a matter of
time before the fires spread. We have to get to town so we have a chance,” he
said, jolting his head back in a wince.

“What?” I asked.

In the second I stood up, he grasped my sudden panic.
But even he couldn’t reject that something about it seemed odd.

“Aubrey, they’re evacuating the territories like Aaron
told us…” he said, peering up at me. I paused, my heart hammering in my chest.

“But… Did they mention what towns were struck, or—or
how many people...” I was unable to finish my sentence.

“No. The damn thing cut out before I had a chance to
listen. But we need to get back into town. If they’re sending civilians to the
camps, we can’t miss the boat. Besides, we have to find the others,” he said.

“And I have to go after my mom and sister... I—I can’t
leave without knowing where they are.” I gripped my fists in dismay.

“Then going back is our best chance at finding them,”
he said, rising up from the cot.

“But what about your mother? What if they figure out
who I am? It isn’t safe for me there,” I said. He sighed.

“It isn’t safe here either. We’re at war. If they’re
retreating the territories, it means this must have been a major threat. We
have to go along with their evacuation plans or else we’ll be left for dead,”
he said, facing me in pity.

“But the territories have been attacked before,” I said,
struggling to sound reassuring as my eyes swelled.

“Not like this. Besides, our fences and our borders
aren’t enough to protect us anymore. Our defense is weakened by the threat of
our own people. It’s too dangerous to keep civilians in the territories any
longer. We have to cooperate so we can get to a secure location or else… we’re
done,” he warned.

“But we’re not safe there either, so what does it
matter?” I asked.

“But we can’t stay here, Aubrey. Not if you still have
a chance. And I won’t let you use this place as an excuse to stay,” he said, glancing
back at the shelves aligning the wall.

A sinking sensation overwhelmed me as I suffered the
aftermath of his words. What bothered me most was knowing he had completely
lost sight of the threats still lurking within the borders. We weren’t safe in
town. Nor would we be safe in a camp further regulated by military. There was
no telling what the evacuation camps would even be like, and leaving everything
we had ever known behind was something I never wanted to repeat. In those last
few moments in the cellar, escaping their control became my last resort.

♦  ♦  ♦

A dusty beam of sunlight radiated against the
stairwell leading out of the cellar. The smell of smoke reached me before I
coughed again. Evan loaded supplies into the car while I slipped into some
different clothes. I was dirty, and desperately needed a shower, yet the clean
fabric still felt amazing against my skin. But as happy as I was to get out of the
darkness, fear awaited me above. And as much as I wished to feel protected by
my mother’s preparatory cellar, nothing would defend against the devastation
I’d soon experience.

“Evan?” My voice echoed as I put more of our things
into my bag. After no response, I threw it over my shoulder and captured one
last glance behind me. I took three steps above the cellar, enough for the
world above to come into view again.

Upon first glimpse, the sight left me breathless. The
garage was now a skeleton of what it was, much of the woodwork damaged, leaving
only the beams and framework behind.

Through the passing fumes, a coral glow lit up the
sky. The atrocious stench of char and burned leaves filled the air, reminding
me of the night past the border. I turned a full circle, but what I saw next
sent me to my knees. A pile of rubble billowed ahead of me, broken into
countless pieces of wood, brick, and stone. My mother’s house. Trees became boney
black entities, partials of what they used to be. The gray smoke surrendered to
the blue clearing that tried to fight its way through, a single ray of light
peeking through the clouds, revealing the dust shimmering in the air. A layer
of ash and debris covered the old mustang. When I noticed him standing there, I
lunged toward him. Both of his hands rested against the driver’s side door, his
arms extended forward while he looked down at the ground, coughing and spitting
to the side. Aiming his sight forward, he breathed in the dusty aftermath.

“Are you okay?” I coughed, my tears stinging my cheek
with warmth.

“I’m fine…” He sighed.

“Maybe we should wait this out a little longer. We can
stay in the cellar until the fires burn out,” I suggested. He clenched his eyes
shut tighter before peering up in devastation.

“By then it’ll be too late, Aubrey,” he said, snapping
his arms back from the car. He paused as he stood on the driver’s side, looking
out at the house as a thick breeze cleansed the dirty air. He was right. If
they were clearing the area, it’d be a ghost town by this time tomorrow. “We
have to find out what’s going on. Like you said last night, we don’t know what
will happen yet,” he said.

“That was before you told me they were going ahead
with their evacuation plans,” I mumbled.

“Yeah, but we still know nothing about these
evacuation camps. Besides, if we don’t go back, I’d be abandoning my family.
They probably think we’re dead.”

I understood how painful it was knowing that someone
you loved had disappeared. So did he. Even harder was not knowing if they were
alive. But all that remained was my fear of being discovered. Now, I had no
other option than to ignore it.

I glanced over at him before opening the door.

“I’m sorry about your mother’s house, Aubrey...” he
said. My bottom lip trembled as the tears came, but I refused to look at him.

“Let’s just go...” I said.

“Are you sure there’s nothing you want to—”

“No. It’s gone...” I snapped bitterly. He sighed
before sitting in the driver’s seat, attempting to start the ignition. And to
our relief, the car choked on the filthy air before roaring back to life.

♦  ♦  ♦

We dodged the drifts of dust, tree branches, and other
debris on the highway. Every radio station stayed silent, adding to the eerie
sights surrounding us, countless black helicopters swarming above the smoke like
insects.

As we arrived at the entrance to the barricades, I
took a deep breath. Twice as many guards and soldiers stood by, motioning for
us to stop upon approaching. I swallowed back the intimidation as several
guards circled us.

“Sir, are you aware there’s an emergency evacuation in
place?” the soldier asked.

“Yes,” Evan said as another soldier neared me.

“Miss, please step out of the vehicle,” he ordered.

“What’s going on?” Evan asked over the clattering of
helicopter blades. The soldiers searched us, ignoring his question.

“Please state your full names and explain where you’re
coming from,” he demanded. Evan’s eyes flashed to me as I stood there,
frightened by their questions.

“My name is Evan Lee Maxwell, and this is my
girlfriend Aubrey Rae Adams. We’re civilians. We’re just trying to get back
into town, sir,” he said, looking back at the soldier.

“I need to see a citizen identification card from both
of you to run through the system before I can grant you access,” the soldier
said. I swallowed, aware my identity was a fraud, that my truth was still out
there, waiting to be discovered. Evan looked at me, knowing there was no way to
avoid this. Panic flooded my mind as he handed them our cards.

“Can you explain to us who did this?” Evan asked.

“Sir, I’m afraid we cannot disclose that information
right now. You will be given instructions on the emergency evacuation procedure
in place. In the meantime, we ask that you please stay calm.”

“What about Grand Junction? Can you tell me if they
were hit?” Evan asked. I froze from his words.

“Sir, they suffered a direct hit. The town was a total
loss after several bombs went off inside the walls. Over ninety percent of the
city burned before we could respond. Search and rescue teams are scouring the
area for survivors as we speak,” the soldier said.

I overheard everything. Grand Junction, the place
where my mother and sister were, was gone. Thoughts of them sickened me as the
words came so effortless to him.

“No!” I screamed.

“Were there any survivors? What about Boulder? Were
they hit too?” Evan asked through his teeth in a panic.

“Boulder was hit just as hard, but most of the town
was evacuated before the bombs hit. Now, you both need to obey our commands,”
the soldier stated. Evan’s gaze wandered to the ground.

“Miss, get back in the vehicle!” the other man
ordered.

“No! You have to take me to Grand Junction! I have to
find them! Please!” I cried out as he held me back.

“Aubrey!” Evan shouted.

“All clear!” The guard signaled to open the gate
entrance. Evan choked on his breath as he winced, blinking in horror.

“Sir, get in your vehicle. Someone will assist you
into town where you are to report to the campus auditorium for further
instruction,” the soldier said.

“Her family lived there! Now tell us! Were there any
survivors?” The soldiers at the gate held up their rifles, aiming them in
defense. Two more guards grabbed him by the arms, holding him back like a
prisoner.

“Evan!” I screamed.

“I order you into the vehicle, sir, or we will be
forced to shoot,” he said. I hyperventilated as the guard analyzed me again. Evan
had no choice but to give up the argument.

“Aubrey, get in the car,” Evan said, swallowing back
his pride.

Tears rolled down my cheek, glaring at him as the
soldiers let him go. By the time he put the car in drive, gravity left my body,
forcing everything to move forward in slow motion. I couldn’t think. I couldn’t
speak. I couldn’t breathe.

While gripping the steering wheel, he observed as the
horrified look on my face transpired.
Maybe this was how it was supposed to
end—in chaos and confusion. Maybe the coming darkness was never the real
threat. Perhaps it was only a distraction from our own destruction.

Once we passed the gate, I lost hope upon the sights
ahead of us. As we rolled through the streets unnoticed, my nightmares came to
life. Preoccupied, the military regulated the town in full force. An army of
guards lined the streets, armed and ready to shoot, some shouting through
megaphones, ordering civilians off the streets. People cried in panic,
demanding the information Evan and I sought. Some resisted. Others surrendered,
knowing they didn’t stand a chance against them. Barricades aligned the
sidewalks as Humvees strolled the cluttered, trash-filled streets.

I screamed as the glass from the rear windshield shattered
behind us, a charred brick from one of the bombed buildings now resting on the
trunk. When I snapped my head back, a man flew forward with his hands bound
behind his back, forced mercilessly to the chalky ground by military police. He
must’ve thrown it at us. Evan winced, looking at me before his driving got more
aggressive.

Once we made it past Main Street, we were in the clear
as we barreled through the unguarded barricades leading up to Cedar Ridge.

♦  ♦  ♦

The desolation seemed unreal, regardless of how much
we’d already seen. Trash littered the quiet streets, blown by the hazy winds
from uncontained fires. Cars remained empty with their gas caps open, robbed of
fuel. Red X’s covered the remaining houses, emptied and evacuated. A withering
American flag in an abandoned yard took my breath away as we made our way
through the cluttered street. Ripped and torn, it swayed in the wind, remnant
of the dark moment in history unfolding.