"No Calm" (Nature)

Elliot crossed his fingers – but not for his own survival. He could not care less what happened to him at this point, but for the other members of the group who he had worked and fought so hard for to keep alive, he did. He silently watched the missile flying overhead, and over the sea. “It’s headed over the Channel!” Reed remarked, “It’s going to destroy England!” While most people were concerned about the loss of their home country, Elliot was just grateful everyone around him wasn’t going to die. They continued to watch as it faded off into the horizon. “Where is it headed then?” Erica wondered. Seconds later, a mildly bright flash emitted from the country. It hurt everybody’s eyes slightly, but it wasn’t intense enough to blind them. Then another few seconds later, a powerful breeze followed, causing some of the group to wobble slightly, repelling their hair crazily in the draft. ONE DAY LATER

Elliot awoke all of a sudden in, what was now, his own bed. He rubbed his eyes, and for a brief second, he thought he was living in the old world again. Downstairs, he could hear some commotion. Part of him thought it would be best to just let it go, but then the other part of him didn’t want to risk any division within the group. Throwing his covers off, he slipped out of bed. When his bare feet made contact with the cold wooden floor, he wriggled his toes slightly. As much as he wanted to believe he could finally have a normal life, he knew that was a luxury nobody could afford anymore.

He had pulled a dressing gown out of the wardrobe, and tied it up as he trotted down the stairs. He could hear a French argument in the kitchen, concerned something was about to go down. “What’s going on in here then?” He crossed his arms at Celeste and Pierre, arguing over the table. “Look, if you’re arguing about leaving, then just leave. No one’s going to stop you.” They both shook their heads, Elliot had gotten the wrong idea, but he was looking away from them at the time so therefore did not see these gestures. “But if you want my group to leave, then think again. We’ve fought too hard and lost too much to just run away again.” Pierre, not saying anything, tapped Elliot’s shoulder, pointing to the table. “Oh…” He noticed two cans of beans. “Celeste here thinks we can heat them up using a campfire outside, I’m telling her we can’t and we just have to eat them cold. “Oh…” Elliot was beginning to realise he didn’t need to panic anymore, about anything.

Olivia was trying to help Gwen out after everything with Annabelle and Andy. “I met him all the way back in high school… I even remember the day we first met. He wasn’t the brightest spark, but he was still Andy. We even happened to be interested in the same work industry… That was long before Annabelle even existed.” Gwen was again staring into the wall, as though she was in a trance. “But Gwen, you have to remember: Annabelle is still your daughter. Regardless of the things she’s done.” Olivia calmed her. “Her name isn’t even Annabelle… Elliot dubbed her as that. She preferred it to the name I gave her nineteen years ago…” Gwen still looked into blankness, “But do you know what, Olivia?” She turned to face her, breaking free of her ‘trance’, “I raised a sweet innocent little girl, along with the help of my husband. The last spark of her existence died with him. Now, there’s a psychopath roaming around out there, a woman who is not my daughter.” Olivia was surprised by how strong Gwen still was, but also by how unforgiving of her daughter she had become.

“The day after Annabelle was born, and I took her home, I remember Andy being the first one to visit. She liked him a lot. He was even the first person she smiled at. But just imagine, Olivia, just imagine if he knew that one day, that baby would grow up to…” She couldn’t bring herself to finish the hypothetical sentence. “But he didn’t know that though, Gwen. Nobody could’ve. Just as no one could’ve predicted that Andy would start turning against all of us. She took him down when she had to. It’s the reason why we’re all still alive and finally free of the curse Vincent left behind.” But Gwen still begged to differ with Olivia, “He wasn’t cursed by Vincent at all!” She slammed against the bed, “I don’t know what happened to him. We all have fits of anger now and then, but that doesn’t justify murder!” As Olivia moved in to pat her back, she jumped up off the bed. “I can’t do this anymore, I just can’t!” She left the room in a state.

Erica and Tina had joined the others downstairs for breakfast. They looked outside the window, noticing Elliot and Celeste using a campfire to cook the beans.

“It’s a little technique that I used a long time ago,” Elliot was surprised by his own remark, “Wow, isn’t it weird how you can say things happened ‘a long time ago’ and they could still have occurred in the apocalypse?” Although Celeste’s English was improving, she could only interpret the gist of what he was saying. “Anyway, I did it with soup before. There’s no reason why it shouldn’t work with beans either.”

Erica noticed Tina smiling at Elliot and Celeste’s humane interaction, “Look at that,” she said, “That really is something rare these days. One person helping another.” Erica looked at her anxiously, “Tina, there’s something I want to tell you…” She turned to face her, “Anything Erica. You can trust me, always.” She took her hand, and held it tightly, “I’m in love with you. I have been for some time now. I can’t hide it any longer…” She was beginning to sweat slightly from how nervous she was. Tina looked down and then back up again, swallowing hard, “Erica… I love you too,” she smiled affectionately at her.

“Morning ladies, what’s for breakfast?” Reed had stumbled into the kitchen, but upon noticing how close they both were, he mimed the word ‘Sorry!’ Before leaving the room again.

Turning their attention back towards each other, Erica and Tina slowly went in to kiss each other. Now, it was Elliot and Celeste watching them from the outside, rather than vice-versa. “I told you,” Celeste leant over to Elliot, “That’s amazing. They work so well together!” Elliot was happy for them.

With Zach and Fabien now being the only two defectors from the Government – and perhaps the only two survivors of the base overall – they had a lot to discuss. “We’ve gone from living in an airfield to living in a mansion down the road,” Fabien pointed out, “Zach, do you really want to be here with all these people? I mean think about it for a second, nothing is perfect these days. Not anymore. How long do you realistically think we will last in this place before someone kills us for our past?” Fabien was concerned, but Zach was not, “Foxtrot – I mean, Fabien – I’m only fourteen, you seriously think any of these people could bring themselves to kill me? Besides, these people are lovely people anyway. Quite the contrast to the assholes you lead back in that dreadful place.” He did see Zach’s point, but Fabien’s track-record was a lot worse than his, “I’ve wronged all of these people at least once. I threw Elliot into a cage with a live tiger; I forced Gwen and Olivia to fight to the death; my idea of having a trial-system nearly got Reed killed; it was also my idea to have a last resort plan in the form of a radiation bomb.”

Zach rolled his eyes, “But Fabien, that’s not how I see it. Elliot bested the tiger against all the odds; Tina stepped in so that both Olivia and Gwen could live; you were the one juror who voted against Reed’s execution; Sierra was the one who actually ordered that missile to be constructed.” But still, Fabien couldn’t forgive himself, as evident by his expression. Zach therefore continued to support him, “Look Fabien, you brought out the best in all these people. Sure it had risks, and consequences too, but you ultimately made them more durable to survive in this world. I might not agree with how you went about it, but I do accept it. Now it’s time for you to accept your own choices, everyone else here already has.”

As he looked at Zach gratefully, he began to cough slightly, and then went into a coughing fit. “You alright?” Zach patted his back, “Cough up, buddy.” But Fabien just kept choking, he then dropped onto the ground. Looking up at Zach, his face had become swollen with blotchy red patches. Zach looked petrified, “Help! Someone help!” Zach rushed outside the room, “Gwen! Elliot! Someone? Please!”

“The beans are done!” Celeste said to Elliot. As she went to pick up the can, Elliot put his hand in the way, “Ah! Careful! It’s very hot! Here’s how you do it,” Elliot picked up a stick which he had been carved into a small open-triangle at the end. He placed it on the side of the can – it fit perfectly. “You see? According to the laws of all physics, the can now cannot fall regardless of how much you shake the stick about!” He tried to big himself up to be more intelligent than he actually was, but Celeste could see right through his little act.

Erica and Tina had rushed upstairs to see what the commotion was, “Fabien!” Due to them both having medical experience, they both bent down to help him. “Alright roll him on his side!” Tina asked Erica. As she did so, she jumped back from him, “Look at his arm!” As Tina rolled him fully onto his side, she and Zach were startled as well – his arm had swollen up massively, every vein bulged out of it, as the skin creased and swirled in certain areas.

“The hell is happening in here?” Gwen and Olivia entered, “Fabien!” She joined Erica and Tina on the floor around him, but then jumped away too upon noticing his blotchy-reddened face and his swollen-veiny arm. “What happened to him? Someone tell me!” But no one could answer. Zach gave it his best shot, “I was talking with him, and then suddenly, this just happened!” He didn’t know how else to word it, “He just started having an attack!” Gwen looked to Tina, “Can you do something? Can you save him?” She put his fingers over his neck as the choking abruptly stopped. “He’s not… Is he?” Gwen glared at her for an answer. Tina slowly pulled her hand away from his neck, rising to her feet. “I’m sorry everyone… He’s dead…”