The Storm Shelter

Darlene sat on the dirty wood floor of that old house, hands pressed tightly together. It had been three days since she actually prayed . With food getting low and how cold the nights had been she wasn't even sure if any one was listening , so why bother. This morning was different , there was a level of desperation in her silent stance. It had been three weeks since " The storm of the Century", and the earth felt silent. She didn't know for sure because she wouldn't dare step foot out of the storm shelter. It was old and remote, but had kept her and Lauren safe these last few weeks, and if this was going to be anything like those end of days movies ,she just knew what ever was outside needed to stay there . "Nope no Zombies for me" she thought. She was just happy she could make it there in time. Well for what happy was worth at that point.

Darlene only worked a mile or two from the daycare where Lauren was. She had fixed it that way exactly for situations like this . The plan was to leave work, grab Lauren, stop by the house , grab what she can , and hit the road . The cabin was only 2 hours away in the middle of nowhere. Her Poppa built it . He told her "Any thing ever happen get here, you will be safe and anything you could need is here, your families spirit will be here". Well sure didn't feel like anything she could need was there. It was the same little cabin she remembered from fishing as a child. A chair , a couch , a twin bed, a toilet, Tv, Radio ,a wood heater ,a old refrigerator and a hot plate . There was no food or water left in the cabin to prevent it from being destroyed by bears. "This is definitely not all we need" Darlene thought out loud . No fishing poles, gun, can goods , water, " "We are going to starve or be killed". Once again Mad Max and the Thunderdome flashed still shots thru her brain. How would she ever make it thru this.

She contemplated opening the door for at least the last five days .Now that it was quiet. The quiet scared her terribly. Not even the chirp of a bird. Once the wind stopped , everything stopped.She couldn't help to think could her and Lauren be the last two people left on this earth. Sometimes she thought she heard something outside and that scared her more than the silence.Never the less Lauren was almost 1 and Darlenes over productive breast milk was not enough and draining her dry. They had one granola bar and a half a bottle of water left. She knew she was going to have to do something to get them food and water, Most likely go outside was the answer, the thing she definitely did not wanna do. The idea sent cold chills down her spine.

Lauren was a good baby , there day went by as normal. Being that the small shack still had power. They watched old DVDs that were placed next to the ancient DVD player in the living room. Lauren stayed attached to Darlene since they got there. A mixture of nerves and hunger the only time Lauren was not in Darlenes lap was when she was sleeping. She would have to take Lauren with her if she went out there. 'How would she protect her" she thought , as she watched Lauren sleep. According to her watch it was 948 pm.With the windows boarded up she could not tell the day from night . Her watch was the only connection to the world out there. She assumed the sun and moon were still rising and falling according to the time. She hoped , but in the back of her mind she wasn't sure what was happening out there .

This night would be the roughest one yet. It rained every night. Thunderstorm so loud it would shake the house. She knew that sound. It was was so cold, she wrapped Lauren in every blanket and piece of cloth she could find. Including those old couch covers. She could usually use the cushions to cover her , but tonight the cold was stagnating . She hadn't been this tired and hungry . She wasn't gonna make it like this. If she didn't make it , Lauren didn't make it. In her mind she would do everything she could to prevent that and protect her daughter , but what could she really do to stop it. Some kind of way the storms hadn't destroyed the old shack with there nightly rein of terror. She was trapped , she couldnt die , couldnt leave, and couldn't stay.

Her watch said 7:25 am. She had made it thru another night, barely. This morning she decided to say something . She spoke to God , her ancestors the boogie man or who ever may have been listening ." I am here" she whispered as tears softly built up in her eyes. " I think I am the only person on earth, well me and Lauren." " I cannot take another night , and without me Lauren will not make it another day" "Grandad ,God, universe..if your here...please show me what to do"with that final plea to the world she put her head in her hands and wept for all humanity. The kind of cry that almost makes you sick, your last cry. She was taught to believe life was bigger than her, and she was loved by God and the universe. This did not feel like love. She felt tortured and alone. She did not know if she was begging for her life or for death.

Lauren had been extremely fussy that afternoon.I was not like her , even hungry she barely fussed. She gave her the rest of the granola bar and filled her with as much milk as she could tolerate for her to consume. Nothing seemed to calm her. Darlene got frustrated, she just needed a moment . As she attempted to detach Lauren from her lap , Lauren threw a fit, she grabbed the silver heart locket around Darlenes neck and yanked as she tried to hold on for dear life. "OH NO !" Darlene yelled as the locket snapped and fell to the floor. Darlene buried her head in her hands once again, this time in a cry of defeat. Her grandmother gave her that locket before she died . Just like the words of her granddad the locket was supposed to keep her safe. " Its all a lie" she thought ," Nothings gonna keep us safe, we are all alone" . She left the locket on the floor and consoled Lauren , who quickly dozed off . Darlene placed Lauren down, she looked at her watch . 7:45 pm. It wouldn't be long before the storm would come. She had no hope she would make it till morning .

She decided she would clean a little. So if anyone found there bodies later they would say the died in a neat tomb. As she swept she was finally confronted with the locket on the floor. It was hard to look at it down there , it had always been around her neck. It was broken and so was she. She wept. Thru her tears she gently picked up the locket as if it was made of glass. Something fell out thru her fingers . A small silver key. She held it up , it was plain . No markings . It was old , she could tell by its distinct shape . "Why in the world is this in there " she thought. Darlene was truly shocked she had never bothered to open the locket, but she wore it everyday with out fail.

She sat in the chair and admired the key. Turning it this way and that . Then something caught her eye from across the room . A old wood chess. She had never seen anyone open the chest it was very unremarkable .She always figured it had some fishing stuff in it . It had a small silver lock on it , a old lock." Theres no way this is the key to that lock "she spoke out to the empty cabin. She stood up and walked over to the chest. She took a deep breath as she put the key in the hole. Then she turned it ..and it unlocked.

It took her a moment to open the chess as she stood in dis belief that it opened ."How would my grandma know I would be in here to open it ?" she thought . She had never discussed anything about the cabin or the contents of the locket with her Nanna. She was literally given the locket the day before her grandmothers death.Darlene slowly opened the chest . Inside was a , picture and larger key . The picture was of her and her Poppa holding her first big catch in front of the large South Carolina flag that covered the back wall of the cabin . She quickly looks back at the flag on the wall and then again at the picture . "Ok now this is getting weird" she thought. Even tho nothing was as weird as the current state of herself and the world .

She stood up with the key from the chest and walked to the wall with the flag. She looked the flag over as if it was going to open up a magic key hole. As if she had been given instructions she ripped back the flag from the wall, and to her amazement under the flag was a door. With a lock. " You have got to be kidding me" she thought as she quickly tried to stick the key in the lock. Click. it opened . After she took the lock off she looked back at Lauren sleeping. Some kind of way she knew that what ever was behind that door was going to change everything . She opened the old wood door . She turned back and went in the kitchen to get the lamp , it was extremely dark in there. She quickly found a string to the light hanging down from the ceiling and turned it on . Darlene could barely believe her eyes. Inside of this tightly packed small room were guns, bullets, can goods including baby food, blankets , water, a map, several tubs and bins. There was even fire wood packed high to the ceiling .Darlene dropped to her knees. It was overwhelming, everything Darlene had ever prayed for was in there .

On the wall there the was a envelope, titled Darlene. In a state of awe Darlene slowly takes the envelope down off the wall in Nanas handwriting it reads: My Dearest Darlene , If you are reading this , the world has ended and we are long gone. The fact that you are reading this right now is your destiny. I know you are probably very confused but there is something you need to know.When your granddad was 27 he had a dream. In this dream a angel came to him , the angel said "In your bloodline lies the human that will save humanity . He was told he would know who it was and to build a cabin made of concrete in the middle of the woods and near water. Cover the concrete in and out with wood so she is protected from the treacherous storms .Fill her cabin with only things she needs ,and reminders of love and humanity. The Angel told him you will carry with you a female child , and she will be the new mother of the earth, all humanity will have a piece of her. These two people are very important, raise them in love peace and teach them to come to faith in times of trouble, and when it is time I will be there."

Darlene slept well that night , warm and fed.Lauren the same. Darlene now realized why she had been stuck in the middle of heaven and hell . She realized she had been chosen and was carrying precious cargo. Her faith in bigger would lead her tomorrow .... she would open the door of the shack .Not as Darlene, but as the protector of humanity. For now she rested peacefully , holding all the hope for her future in her arms , and her story of destiny in her heart , she was brave , it was true , and she was never ever alone. Even after the end of time...