The Bunker

Day: 137 : Monica:

My mother died today. The airlock in her bedroom was breached while she slept, there are only three of us now. I thought I would be more upset, but I don’t think any of us expected to live this long anyway. None of us know why her airlock failed, but there’s been tension in the air for weeks, ever since our rations started disappearing. Radhika and I are convinced that Dev has been preparing to try and venture outside. Maybe he’s been stocking up. These days it doesn’t really matter anymore, and I’m convinced the end is coming soon… No one has radioed back to us in over two months, but my mom stayed hopeful until her dying day. I guess it just goes to show that faith can’t save any of us. Radhika is calling to me, it’s time for us to bury my mother. This is Monica signing off.

Day: 151 : Radhika:

Hello Mom and Dad, it’s Radhika. I know you may never read this, but part of me still believes you are alive and well out there somewhere. It’s been two full weeks since Joan died, and Monica hasn’t shed a tear. After so many deaths I know we have all been desensitized, but I feel like she’s not human anymore. I feel like I’m not human anymore. Every day I wake up in a windowless tin can, a thin layer of grime covers my skin, and I feel no joy. A year ago we were all together, do you remember that trip we took to Hawaii? Dad's prescription glasses got swept away into the ocean, and for the rest of the trip all he had were his old contacts. It all still feels so real, and when I close my eyes I feel the wind slipping through my fingers. When I open my eyes, I am taken back here, and I remember everything. I feel like I'm losing parts of myself. Huge chunks of my life I no longer remember. I need to be free. One of these days I’ll make a break for it, but I can’t trust the people left in here to help me. I’ve been keeping some extra rations for myself for when it's time. I know it’s bad, but you can’t survive here by being good. I’ve been talking to someone who claims to be on the outside through the radio for about a week now, and no one knows about it but me. They say it’s safe to come out now, and they have entrusted me with their coordinates. This may be my last entry for a while as I prepare, but I will keep you updated. I love you both and pray for you every night. Your daughter, Radhika.

Day: 154: Monica:

I am completely sure that Dev has been the one taking extra rations for himself. Radhika told me she recently caught him leaving the pantry with full pockets. If I’m being honest I’m not sure what is real anymore. Everyone is on edge these days, even Radika is starting to act suspiciously. I need to stay sharp. I’ll document any other details I may notice about my fellow crew members. This is Monica signing off.

Day: 160: Dev:

I’m going crazy. I think. I’ve been hearing voices recently. They aren’t in my head I’m sure of it but every few days I am positive I hear two people having a muffled conversation. One of the voices is unrecognizable, but I’m positive the other is Radhika. The other day I walked in on her and I could’ve sworn she was talking on the radio, but she insisted it was broken and she was just trying to fix it. She claims that after Joan’s death she wanted to surprise Monica by fixing the radio, and so I shouldn’t mention it to her. I don’t know what the hell is going on, but I am gonna keep to my damn self from now on. I just want to survive. Part of me thinks I need to talk to Monica myself, and just figure out what all is going on. I guess I’ll keep this thing updated on our conversations. Peace.

Day: 160: Radhika:

My locket has been lost for a few weeks now, and I have been looking for it everywhere. It’s one of me and you guys on the beach when I was younger. It’s the only human part of me left, and I will not stop looking until I find it. Dev is onto me, so I’m am moving faster than ever to get out of here and come find you both before I end up dead. - Radhika

Day: 162: Monica:

I’ve had a lot to think about the past few days. Dev and Radhika have been unusually tense the past few days, and yesterday I caught Rad in my mom’s old room. After she died we didn’t touch it, I guess it just didn’t feel right. Radhika said she was just paying her respects but after she left I saw something new in the room. A broken necklace, a heart shaped locket on it. I had seen Radhika wear it every day since this bunker closed its doors. I hadn’t seen it on her for a while, come to think of it. I think it’s been a few weeks since she’s worn it. I’ve been thinking a lot about my mother's death recently, and a breach in the airlock doesn’t make any sense. This bunker has only been up and running for less than half a year. Besides, all of our other equipment is completely fine. I can’t really believe the idea that Radhika may have had something to do with my mom’s death, but who knows who any of these people really are. I need to keep myself on guard. Who knows what these people are capable of. Monica signing off.

Day: 171: Dev

I feel like I’m gonna die soon, like, everything has been super tense between all of us for the last month. I don’t want to go to hell, or wherever I could end up, so I need to confess. I killed Joan. She had been disappearing a lot since we got here, and I knew there was something hinky going on. That night I went into her room just to try to get her to talk. Once I told her I knew she was trying to sneak out, she started to panic. I hadn't attacked her, but she was starting to make me very very angry. I had no choice at that point, and so I smothered her. I really didn’t mean to hurt her in any way. It all happened so fast. It was an accident, but I knew Monica wouldn't see it that way. I just put her in bed and tidied everything up a bit. Nobody saw me. In fact, when Monica found her the next morning she immediately assumed a breach, and I let her. Don’t worry though because I covered my tracks. When Radhika goes to bed she takes off her locket, so all I needed to do was put it in Joan's room a little roughed up and let Monica come to her own conclusions. If I die, please please don’t send me to Hell. I really used to be a good person.

Day: 175: Radhika:

I’m leaving today. Monica is on my tail after she found me in Joan's room. I knew going in there was a risk, but Joan had been hiding something before she died, I needed to find it. As it turns out, she too was stealing supplies and had hidden away a map, leading her out of the bunker and to a nearby location which she had circled. Next to it were the words ‘SAFE HAVEN?’ I figured out that this spot was the same as the coordinates I was given by the mysterious outsider. She was planning on trying her luck outside too. I am leaving now and I pray I will see you two soon enough. I love you both, Radhika.

Day:175: Monica:

The people around me are evil, I know this now. I caught Radhika in the hallway and confronted her with the locket, she lied through the teeth and I trembled with rage. She killed my mother that night. I know this now. She left me no choice. Neither of them did. I was surrounded by scheming and cutthroat animals who were going to leave me for dead down here. Dev wanted me to starve so he stole the rations, Radika was jealous that my mother was still alive so she killed her to make sure I felt the same pain she did. Yes, yes, I know it all now. They left me no choice they… They had to die. They DESERVED to die and I deserved to be the one standing over them holding a knife. I got to kill them both before they could kill me. I am the survivor. They thought they could fool me but I survived them both. I win. This is Monica signing off.

EPILOGUE

Day: 136: Joan

Monica and I have been locked in this bunker for what feels like forever. I’ve managed to keep it together so far but recently I’ve noticed she hasn’t. I think she’s made up imaginary friends to cope. One named Dev and another called Radhika. Recently these have turned from harmless coping mechanisms to something darker, I believe. Some days she’ll speak to me like she’s a whole different person. Like she is Radhika and Dev… I’m looking to find us a safe haven with other people, maybe then she’ll go back to normal. Yesterday she caught me on the radio with someone and later on I found the radio destroyed beyond repair. I tried to tell her that there are areas that are safe now and that we can leave. She doesn’t want to, and even mentioning it throws her into a fit of rage. I am starting to fear for my own safety, and I will keep you updated as the days continue on. For now, I must rest. - Joan