NukeTown

A Story by HaleyJoy

It is noon of August 17, 2032. The sun is shining bright on the crowd of people as they waited with anticipation to enter NukeTown. They waited as the red Nevada dust blows camly in the mild wind. Standing in the crowd is a man with dark brown hair and deep green eyes. His name is Rylan. Rylan is as excited, but he is also nervous. Everyone else who is there also have this mix of emotions. He looks around, searching for somebody to talk to. He is looking and looking, but everyone is already in a conversation. Rylan is thinking excitedly about how he is going to be remembered, but he is having doubts.

Suddenly, the ground starts to shake. Looking up, the crowd saw that the huge walls of their soon to be home were opening. A tall man appears. He looks like one of those snobby kids with rich parents. He is well put together. The man stood on a stage so everyone can see him. As the man looked over the crowd, silence fell over them.

Clearing his throat, the man spoke, “Hello all, and welcome to your new and final home,” everyone cheered. “I am Oryn, and I will be your governor for the next two years. You all chose to be here, because you all want to be remembered. In two years the nuke will be dropped and completely demolish our town. After that all of our names will be in History books. You may do whatever you please, but the one and only rule is you cannot leave. Now, you may all enter your new home.”

Quickly, the crowd rushed into NukeTown. Rylan, not wanting to be crushed by the huge crowd, waited for them to settle down. As he waited, he saw a young woman; she looks to be in her 20s. The woman has long, wavy black hair, and grey eyes. She seemed to be waiting for the crowd to settle down. Rylan slowly walked up to her.

“Hey,” he said nervously, “I’m Rylan. If you don’t mind me asking, what’s your name?”

Shyly the girl answered, “I’m Willow. Nice you meet you Rylan.”

Even though six months have passed, time felt like only a minute. Rylan and Willow are great friends. Rylan also has two other friends, Rain and Martin. Rylan is thinking about the one night that Rain, Martin, and Willow were at his house. All of them were eating pizza and talking.

Martin stood up, looks at the time, and starts heading towards the door. “Hey guys, I have to go to a football game,” he said while getting his things.

“Really? But it’s so late,” Rylan asked as he looked at the clock, it read 11:54 p.m.

Slowly Rain gets up, “yeah, I have to go as well. I’m reading a book about nukes, how they work and what they do. It’s getting pretty interesting.” He said following Martin out the door.

“Okay,” Rylan sighs. “See you guys tomorrow?”

They both said “yes.” Then they shut the door and went to do their things.

These six months went by in a flash. Rylan feels a loss of excitement about NukeTown. After encountering Willow something changed about him. I don’t want to be here anymore, he thought. Why would someone come here to die? Because they want to be remembered? Living in this town is like being a guinea pig. I came here because I was so lonely, but now that I met Willow I feel important. I’ve never had a friend like her.

As the time slowly passes by, Rylan is and has been continuously trying to convince Willow, Rain, and Martin that living in NukeTown isn’t right. In the meantime, Rylan has started building an underground bunker. He has to keep this from Oryn’s eyes; if Oryn finds out about this, there will most likely be a punishment, he could get killed earlier then he’s supposed to.

The months went by, one by one. Eight months have passed. Rylan has convinced Willow that NukeTown is bad, Rain agrees, but Martin is still on the fence about it.

“Martin, can you just listen to me?” Rylan asked angrily. “I’m trying to put sense into your head. The government thinks we are guinea pigs. This town is like the titanic, people died but only a few. We can be those few.”

“Rylan, being here is my choice whether you like it or not.” Martin says he is on the verge of blowing up on Rylan. “You don’t know what life was like back at home.”

“Listen, please just listen,” pleaded Rylan. “I’m in the process of making a bunker when the nuke comes. We can go in there and be safe.” Unknowingly Rylan is speaking too loud. Somebody over hears.

Martin hesitates, “I will listen, but I won’t promise I will go into your ‘bunker.’”

The next morning, there is a loud knocking at his door. Rylan is a sloth. He gets up and goes to the door. Opening the door, he sees Oryn who is standing in his doorway.

“Hello Rylan, may I come in?” Oryn quickly asked.

“Um yeah, sure. I just woke up.” Rylan is confused about why Oryn is at his home.

“Do you know why I am here?” Asked Oryn as he sat down at the table.

Rylan shook his head. He is confused.

“I am here because someone overheard you talking to your friend. I think his name is Martin? Anyway, you apparently said something about a ‘bunker’?” Oryn asked as he looked around, taking mental notes of Rylan’s house.

“You come to my house because of a bunker?” Rylan laughed, “I thought you said we can do anything here, except leave?”

“Yes, I did say that.” Oryn replied, “But…”

Immediately Rylan interrupted, “Is there a problem with me building a bunker? Yes or no?”

“I just don’t want everyone to change their mind about being here. I don’t want them to try to leave. So you better not go and try to change people’s minds.” Oryn states angrily. I swear to god, if this spreads, he’ll be sorry. Then he got up and left.

Only one more day left until August 17, 2034. Rylan is having really bad anxiety. What if the bunker doesn’t hold up? He thought. I need to spend every last minute with Willow, Rain, and Martin.

“How many people have you told, and who wants to go into the bunker?” Willow asked curiously.

“Only five people, other than you and Rain. But I’ve told so many other people,” Rylan sighed. “Have you convinced Martin?”

“Not yet, but he’s getting there. Rylan, I know your bunker will work. Don’t worry,” Willow said as she wrapped her arms around Rylan, hugging him. Hoping she can’t help calm him down.

The day has come. It looks like any other day.The sun is shining, but everything about it feels off. The time to say goodbye forever is like a wave that is about to crash upon them. A bell rang at ten to wake up everyone. The nuke is coming at two in the afternoon. Only four hours left.

“Do you really wanna die?” Rylan asks to the man standing next to him.

The man looks at him like he’s weird, “Well, yeah. That’s why I’m here.”

“But why would you wanna die? Life is beautiful. We just waste our time,” says Rylan. “Every life is precious.”

“Look man, I don’t want you to convince me not to be here. I chose to be here.” The man says then he walks away.

Willow walks up to a woman, “Hey, are you excited?” she asks.

“Yes, I can’t wait!” The woman spoke with joy.

“Honestly,” Willow starts, “I don’t really wanna die. I wanna live.”

“Then why are you here?” asks the woman.

Willow replies, “I guess I changed my mind.”

The time is almost upon them, the clock read 1:50 p.m. Willow and Rylan looked up, they see a plane. They can faintly hear the small plane.

We still have time. Why is the plane here now? He looks around at the tall walls and sees what seems to be a figure at the top of one of the walls. He looks around again searching for people that are missing. Then realization hit him. The figure is Oryn. The plane is coming to pick up Oryn.

The small plane drops a rope ladder. 1:55. Oryn jumps onto the ladder and began to climb. At the same time another plane is heard. The sound this new plane is making is like a low and continuous roar.

Rylan knows he has to start heading to the bunker. 1:58 p.m. Rylan grabs Willow’s arm and says, “We need to go to the bunker now. Collect as many people as you possible can and run.” He looks at Rain and says, “The same for you. Martin, we need you to come with us, please.”

“Rylan, this is what I chose,” says Martin. “I’m sorry.”

Rylan looks away, close to tears, “If that’s what you want.” Quickly Rylan runs and grabs two people, who are looking up smiling at the plane, by the arm, and pulls them to the bunker.

1:59 p.m. Rylan and Willow collected as many people as they can and put them into the bunker.

“Where’s Rain?” Willow asks in a panic.

Looking out the bunker door, Rylan sees Rain who is trying to get Martin into the bunker. “He’s there,” Rylan points to Rain who is pleading with Martin.

As the plane inches closer, a look of horror appears on Martin’s face. He begins to run towards the bunker with Rain. The plane is overhead by now. Just in time Martin and Rain climb into the bunker. Rylan closed the door and they are now waiting.

Silently the nuke fell. Time slows down. Waiting in anticipation they huddled together.

Outside, people are screaming. They realized they don’t want to die, but it is too late. The nuke hit. Like someone jumping into the pool, they wait for the wave to hit.

All of a sudden, there is thunder. The bunker is shaking. The earth is a baseball. A baseball that has just been hit by the bat.

We’re not gonna die, we’re not gonna die Rylan thinks over and over again. He looks up, everyone is terrified. We’re not gonna die.

The bunker stopped shaking. Rylan secures himself, so he does not fall. Slowly Rylan walks to the bunker door. Opening the door, the light hit them, like a slap in the face. Adjusting to the light, the people who are still alive because of the bunker, climb out. The walls are destroyed, houses demolished. Everything is rubble.

A wave of emotions hit the people. Everyone is crying, because of loss and freedom. Friends have been made in this town. Even then they walked around lost souls, but now they will remain it forever.

“We’re free,” Willow chanted joyfully. “Rylan we are free.”

Rylan is dumbfounded, “It worked, my bunker worked.” He managed to say.

Embracing Rylan Willow repeated, “It worked.”

Rylan smiled when Willow hugged him. He says again, “it worked.

Rylan, Willow, Rain, and Martin, hand in hand, began to walk out of the dreaded NukeTown. They walked into the dry Nevada desert. The sun still shining in the light blue sky. Happy to be free again. Their souls not lost.