Introduction

"Everything will be okay."

At least, that's what I have been telling myself for the past couple of weeks. I keep repeating it over and over in my head like a broken record as if that will somehow make it true.

My name is Alexis. My friends and family used to call me Lexie. Day Zero, as I have dubbed it, happened on June 6th, 2018. The supreme leader of North Korea finally launched a nuclear war on the United States, something that no one saw coming. Sure, a lot was going on in the news, but no one was prepared for what happened next.

I'm walking throughout my childhood home and looking at all the pictures lining the walls. Our family isn't perfect, but we all love each other, and I wish more than anything that they were here with me right now.

With nuclear warfare destroying the world, I have kept a sense of normalcy staying in my parent's house. Lucky for me, they are enthusiastic doomsday preppers and so we have plenty of supplies stored in the basement should anything crazy happen.

Unfortunately, I have been by myself for the past few weeks because my mom and dad took my sister Elizabeth up to Iowa to visit my aunt. That is a full day of travel by car even without stops. I will have to make the trip considering I haven't heard from them since shit hit the fan. The good thing about being out in the country and alone is that I have seen no other people yet. I am anxious because I don't know what to expect when I finally do.

I came back home for summer break in college and was supposed to make the trip with them, but some of my old high school friends desperately wanted to meet up. My mom didn't have a problem with me staying behind because they would only be gone for four days and I'm not as close to my aunt as them.

My phone has had no service, and the radio in the basement plays nothing but static nowadays. I've been spending my time playing different scenarios out in my head, filling myself with anxiety and dread. I never realized how much I rely on my phone until it became a useless scrap of metal.

I can only imagine that people are losing their minds with how important electronics are to people. Not only that, but with no way of finding out what is going on in the world and everything happening so fast, I am sure that there are plenty of people who assume laws don't apply anymore.

Normally I love spending time alone, but ever since the national broadcast and the United States going off the grid tech-wise I am not sure what to do. I sigh in frustration as I run my hands through my long hair. Massaging my scalp with my fingertips, I command my headache to go away.

What if my family is dead? What if I can't find them? Or, my favorite, what if I make it to my aunt's house and they aren't there anymore?

The stress is overwhelming, and my emotions are going haywire. I didn't take an interest in emergency preparation the way my parents did. There is no way to know if I will even make it to my aunt's house. I feel like people will go insane and rioting after everything has happened. My small stature is not well equipped for self-defense.

I gathered up some food and water in my backpack. I need to decide when I will leave to look for my family. The longer I stay here, the less of a chance I have at finding them. I need to get going as soon as possible since I don't know what obstacles may hinder my journey.

Things look normal from my view out the windows of the house, but it's not exactly normal for the government to shut down all lines of communication. I throw a change of clothes from my dresser into my backpack. Just another t-shirt and jeans, my preferred clothing to be honest. I've never been one to wear frilly things and prance around.

I step into my parent's room and the familiar scent of my mom's rose shampoo greets me. I smile and close my eyes, taking in the soft smell and remembering my mom. My fingertips trail across the top of their mahogany dresser as I walk further into the room, looking at the knick-knacks my mom has scattered around. I will miss all of this. The thought of not returning to this house with my family terrifies me.

I decide to wait until tomorrow to leave the house after weighing the pros and cons. Pros being that I will be more mentally and emotionally prepared along with being well-rested and less likely to forget anything important. A good night of sleep will surely refresh my mind and body before I throw myself into the unknown. Crawling sluggishly into my bed, I pull my fluffy comforter up to my face and revel in the comfort of being at home, probably for the last time.

I gaze longingly at the family photo on my nightstand. It's me and my sister clinging to our parents, and we all have enormous smiles on our faces. It's from the family vacation we took two years ago to the beach. My eyes tear up, but I just roll to the other side of my bed and clamp my eyes shut, praying for rest.