The Bunker

Metallic creaks echoed around the confines like they were in a huge chamber.

In fact they're in a huge chamber.

Nora was slowly awakened by the bang of the heavy metal door slamming to each other as they were locked by a person far from Nora's sight.

The entryway she saw appears to be above them, like it was situated at the ceiling with a metal staircase adjacent towards it.

As she was witnessing the oddity of what's happening around her, she realized that she's no longer sleeping on the wooden table.

Lying on a hard surface dumbfounded, she realized that the only thing she can move are her eyes.

Not because she was paralyzed but she was strapped and tied from top to bottom—her mouth, her head, her chest, her arms, her legs, and even her feet, are all tied up tightly.

Nora tried to scream but it sounded more like a muffled moan to anyone who can hear it.

"HEEEEEY! JOHAAAAANN! WHAT THE WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?! HEEEEY!"

Although completely immobilized she can still see and hear Johann standing beside him.

Johann takes a quick glance over her as he continues to talk to someone whose face could not be seen by Nora as Johann's body was blocking the view.

Inaudible chatter can be heard as the two continue to talk, and argue over something clearly they're not agreeing about.

"No. She--- ------ ------ and ----- ---- not -------."

These are the only words Nora can hear from the woman talking with Johann since her ears was muffled with what's tying up her head.

Nora's presence being almost neglected by the two arguing, she wandered her eyes and looked around to get a clue of where she's at.

She saw the walls are made from metal, and it's very army-like but it's probably just because of the metal interior since everything else looks like a normal house…only fancier and quite minimalistic and modern-ish.

It has a kitchen, a bathroom (she assumed), a sleeping area although not looking too comfy since she's been lying on one and her back starts to ache.

She was thinking that it has to be a bunker and oblivious to her she suddenly uttered something in a loud, muffled yet almost clearly understood voice.

"THIS HAS GOT TO BE A BUNKER!"

The two looked at her and Johann replied mordantly.

"Yes, Nora. You're in a bunker. We're in a bunker."

The two continued talking but at that moment, she finally saw the woman Johann has been talking to the whole time.

As Nora described in her mind, the woman was tan like Johann, with wavy hair, light hazelnut eyes and an eyebrow of a makeup vlogger.

With a mouth which has its own mind, Nora was quick to say something about her eyebrows.

"OH MY GOSH. YOUR EYEBROWS. GOALS!"

The woman briefly looked at her and smiled a friendly smile then mouthed the words thank you.

After a few moments, they finally stopped talking probably concluded to a compromise.

They both looked at Nora, and Johann asked her a series of questions.

"Who are you really, Nora? What we're you doing outside by yourself? Are you with them? How are you still alive?"

The woman interrupted Johann.

"Let me do it, Jo."

That Jo thing they were rowing about suddenly popped up to Nora's head.

In her thoughts she was prompt to assume they're together, like together together.

The woman asked Nora calmly with a weirdly soothing voice, unlike Johann's rough, gritty and overly stereotypically manly voice.

"Nora, Jo is worried you're with the Siphons. And I think you're not. But what were you doing out there alone? Here let me help you out."

The woman removed what was tying Nora's head down so she can speak freely.

Nora replied without any hesitation.

"Since the thing, happened sixteen months ago, my brother and I have been going house to house for food after our supplies ran out. I have never had any contact to both of my parents since then because as you already know, no electronics really work after what happened. We were scared to leave the house because we heard our neighbors. And we just cant handle the sounds. We tried everything not to hear their screams."

Nora had to stop.

Her tears just flows unrelentingly on her cheeks.

She continued the story with her voice breaking up.

"My brother and I were starving so we had no choice but to leave the house. I just don't know how we're spared by them. I mean-- I-- every house from every direction, all I can hear were screams."

Nora momentarily stopped as she catches her breath and try to be compsed but failing miserably yet continued to tell the story.

"So we left the house without bringing anything with us but ourselves. I thought the Siphons were gone."

Bursting into tears again, Nora couldn't seem to finish the story.

"I-- I ju-- all I heard that moment wa--s my brother's scream and al- all I did was close my eyes."

Nora breaks down in a very silent cry.

The woman, not knowing what to say, just caressed Nora's head to comfort her.

Nora passed out as she was overwhelmed with emotions she still has not gotten over with.