The Start Part 2
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Thomas's POV
I finished taking a shower and got dressed in my bedroom, a small room tucked beneath Noona's. It's six feet tall and has a single-sized mattress, a blanket, two pillows, a small study table, and a cabinet where I keep my clothes and college books. A family picture hangs on the wall, featuring my grandparents and parents, along with some corkboard and drawing materials. There is also a picture of a girl and me, she was the love of my life and I have been working hard doing multiple jobs to go and see her again.
Reflecting on my life with my loving grandparents and the girl I loved the most i think I will be okay, I'm grateful I met Noona. I'm sensitive to people's energy, and she doesn't bring negativity; instead, she offers a comforting warmth that fills me from the inside. I had been on the verge of extreme sadness, but with Noona and the twins around, they gave me a reason to keep going. The twins, especially, are joyful and uplifting, significantly lightening my mood. Their presence makes my grief feel lighter. Losing my grandparents, who passed consecutively due to old age and the heat, shocked me deeply and brought immense sorrow, leaving me without any remaining family.
I have been searching for her on social media. She is the daughter of my dad's boss, and we really fell for each other. I just hope she's safe and doing well. I just need a little more money, and then I can finally meet her in person and bring her back to meet Noona and the twins. If it weren't for my parents' sudden decision to move out of the country, we would probably still be together, maybe even engaged or studying side by side.
Every day feels like an eternity without her, but I'm holding onto the hope that we'll reunite soon. The thought of us together keeps me going, and I can't wait for the moment when I can finally see her again.
"Tom?" I heard Noona call knocking on my door waking me up in my daze as I opened my door.
"Yes, Noona?" I replied, peeking out.
"You said you're an architecture student, right?" she asked, handing me some architectural drawing materials.
"Yes. Why? Do you need help with something?" I asked, taking the materials and allowing her into my room.
"Can you help me draft a bunker designed for extreme natural disaster safety and survival?" she said suddenly, prompting me to think.
"Of course, but I need some information on the specific type of apocalypse," I answered, rubbing my chin as I envisioned a draft.
"Yes, I have it here. And I will give you enough money to meet your girlfriend." she said, handing me an iPad with a file open about the bunker requirements.
"Alright, I'll work on it now!" I said energetically, which made her laugh.
"You can start tomorrow. For now, go get some sleep," she said as she walked out, gently closing the door behind her.
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Eunice's POV
After finishing my checks on everyone, I returned to my room, quickly dressed in the gear I had prepared, and climbed out of my window. I stealthily closed my door and activated my night vision goggles, ensuring nothing was amiss in the surroundings. I began walking towards the falls upstream to access the cave. Carefully, I studied the area, searching for a way to safely enter the cave hidden behind the waterfalls.
If this cave has adequate space and a source of clean water, I intend to use it as our safe house during the extreme heat waves and droughts. In my past life, it took about a month before the disasters began, but it seems my rebirth altered the timeline, and I need to ensure my siblings' survival.
After observing how the water cascades, I identified a way in. Without a moment's hesitation, I jumped into the water, swimming against the current in the weaker sections and climbing the crevices of the rocks until I successfully emerged.
Once inside, I adjusted the brightness of my headlamp and slowly walked through the narrow passageway, checking each hole and crevice. So far, I hadn't encountered any snakes or insects. The passage stretched around 200 feet long, standing five feet tall and three feet wide. However, as I ventured deeper, it opened up wider and taller, reaching 20 feet in height and 9 feet in width. The first 10 feet felt cramped.
When I reached the end, I was welcomed into a spacious area with seven chambers. I methodically checked each chamber one by one. One of them led to a cold spring pool with active stalactites dripping water, providing a perfect source of drinkable water that could accommodate ten people.
I should check the temperature of this room, I thought, pulling out a thermometer. The reading came in at 18°C (64.4°F) - ideal for cooling down supplies.
Kneeling, I took a sip and splashed my face with the cool water after removing my balaclava. Suddenly, a large snake, patterned dark brown with grayish-brown and lighter stripes, emerged from the stream, its triangular-shaped head accentuated by reddish-orange tones. It moved slowly and deliberately, causing me to instinctively back away.
"Shit," I muttered, searching for a weapon in my storage space while retreating. About four feet of the snake's body was now visible, approximately 1.5 feet in diameter.
I grabbed a gun and a vibration generator, adjusting it to emit 90 Hz to disturb the snake's senses while aiming for its head.
The snake hissed, clearly agitated by the generator's noise.
I charged at it, trying to target its head, but its long tail struck me on my shin, causing me to stumble.
"Ow!" I yelped, quickly recovering. I pulled out a combat tomahawk and threw it at the snake's head. It embedded into the flesh, but didn't cut through completely.
"Hissss!" it cried in pain, providing me a window of opportunity. I fired several shots at its head until it lay still.
"Is there another snake in here?" I wondered, chopping the head off and rummaging for the heart, ensuring it was dead before disposing of it and cleaning up the bloody mess.
*Ten minutes later*
I took out a glow stick and watched it fall to the bottom of the spring pool. Satisfied with the silence, I changed into a wetsuit, donned flippers, and put on my snorkeling goggles, diving in as the pool was around 14 feet deep.
Using my headlamp, I searched for the snake's den, resurfacing for air before plunging back down. I discovered some luminous stones in the den and brought one back up to examine thoroughly, placing it on the floor of the pool after inspecting the area. As I surveyed the chamber, I encountered small critters and eliminated them to ensure it was completely clear of poisonous insects or reptiles.
"That was a lot of work. It's already 6 AM," I yawned, hopping back through my window. I changed into a silk gown, allowing myself two more hours of sleep before waking up to prepare a simple breakfast of French toast, eggs, bacon, milk, and juice. Setting the table, I knocked on the doors of my siblings, calling them for breakfast while ensuring the RV remained cool and comfortable.
"Thomas, Fiona, Dahlia! Wake up, breakfast is ready!" I called to the three of them as I sat at the dining area, watching television.
"Morning," Dahlia mumbled as she walked into the bathroom.
"Sissy, morning!" Fiona exclaimed, rushing into my arms for a hug before darting into the bathroom after Dahlia.
"Morning," Thomas murmured, waiting outside the bathroom while Dahlia leaned against me, still sleepy.
"I'm done! Morning, Brother Tom!" Fiona chimed cheerfully, hugging Thomas before taking her seat.
"Did you go out last night, Noona?" Thomas asked as he sat beside Fiona and helped her with her plate.
"Yeah, I found a cave yesterday while fetching water. I went out to check it last night," I replied, yawning as I filled Dahlia's plate.
"Thank you, Sissy/Brother," the twins said in unison.
"Thank you for the food," Thomas added as we all began to eat.
"Tommy, can you watch the twins? I need to sleep for a few more hours. Please make sure they study all morning," I requested, climbing back up to my bedroom for a much-needed rest.
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Fiona POV
While Sissy was sleeping, Brother Tommy helped us wash the dishes. After that, we headed to the study area at the back of the RV. Brother Tommy adjusted the height of the table and assisted us with our workbooks, helping us practice our writing and reading skills.
"Brother Tom, Sissy said she will give us a spelling quiz today," Lia announced, pointing at Sissy's record book.
"Wait, wait, wait," I said, trying to stop Brother Tom.
"You're going to make another reason, no, Brother Tom, go on!" Lia reprimanded, handing the record book to Brother Tom.
"No, I'm not good at it yet," I reasoned, my eyes glued to the paragraphs.
"That's why we practice and train, so we get better," Lia said, patting my shoulder.
"No fair! You're smart, I'm not," I groaned, resting my head on my palms.
"Okay, okay, enough. Noona will give the quiz later. For now, just study and practice your writing skills," Brother Tom smiled, picking up a book.
"Okay!" I exclaimed, jumping and punching the air.
"I'm going to get water," Lia chuckled at my antics, walking towards the bathroom.
"I'll take a shower," I said, climbing into my room and opening my side of the closet.
Humming a tune, I pulled out a pink jumper dress, pink Crocs, and a pink bowtie with white flowers. I carefully carried my clothes downstairs and headed into the bathroom. I thoroughly scrubbed myself in the shower, then brushed my hair and got dressed. I asked Brother Tom to help me dry my hair while I applied moisturizer and brushed my teeth.
"Lia, your turn!" Brother Tom called, heading to the laundry room with my wet towel.
"Yes, coming," Lia replied, entering the bathroom with a green t-shirt, white skirt, and green Crocs. She locked the door behind her.
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Third Person POV
While the twins were busy getting showered, Thomas went to the laundry area. He placed the towel in the hamper and organized the used clothes, towels, and linens. The girls' underwear was usually washed by Eunice, and Thomas helped with the rest-a decision made the night before to avoid any awkwardness.
"Brother, I'm done! Can you help me dry my hair?" Dahlia asked, already applying sunscreen.
"Alright, coming," Thomas replied, heading toward the bathroom.
"Brother, can I use my iPad?" Fiona called from the living room, seated on the couch.
"Are you finished with your workbook?" Thomas asked, Dahlia following close behind.
"No, but I'm almost finished," Fiona answered, hurrying to the study area and opening her workbook.
"After you both finish, you can use your gadgets," Thomas said, entering the bathroom.
"Yay, thank you, Big Bro!" the twins chorused excitedly.
Several hours later, Eunice woke up, headed straight for the bathroom, took a quick shower, and changed into an off-white halter-top, gray flared high-waisted shorts, brown flip-flops, and tied her hair into a messy bun.
"Alright, what do you want for lunch?" Eunice asked, checking the available ingredients.
"Ground beef!" Fiona chirped.
"Potatoes," Dahlia added.
"Anything, Noona," Thomas replied, walking into the kitchen to help wash vegetables.
"Alright, here you go," Eunice said, playfully handing Thomas a piece of ground beef.
"Dahlia, Fiona, help me peel the veggies," Eunice called. She'd already minced the onions and garlic, setting them aside.
"Sissy, the potatoes are peeled," Dahlia said, handing Eunice three large potatoes, which she chopped into small cubes.
"Me too! The carrots are ready," Fiona added, handing Eunice four peeled carrots, which she also chopped.
"Noona, the peas and ground beef are ready," Thomas nodded, as Eunice retrieved a jar of tomato paste, oyster sauce, soy sauce, mustard, salt, pepper, and spices.
"Okay, make some flatbread on this griddle," Eunice instructed, handing him a non-stick griddle.
Eunice added a bit of olive oil to the pan, sautéed the onions and garlic until golden, then added the ground beef until browned. She added the potatoes, carrots, and peas, mixing them together. A spoonful of tomato paste, a teaspoon of mustard, a dash of hot sauce, oyster sauce for umami, and soy sauce for color were added. Fifty milliliters of water were added to deglaze the pan, followed by garlic powder, dried oregano, and fresh basil. She covered the pan and simmered for ten minutes before turning off the heat.
"Come on, kids, help me wash the greens," Eunice called to the twins, as she chopped lemons.
They enjoyed a simple lunch of ground beef with potatoes, carrots, salad, and flatbread. After lunch, Thomas strung up the hammocks, and they all napped under the trees with a portable air cooler. Eunice, meanwhile, wandered through the forest, collecting plants, fungi, medicinal herbs, wild fruits, vegetables, and tree sprouts, meticulously organizing her finds. When the heat subsided, she returned to the RV, stocking the pantry and refrigerator with her forest finds, as well as ice coolers, waterproof bags, new snorkeling goggles, life vests, floaters, and waterproof covers.
"Fiona, Dahlia, Thomas, come and change into your swimming clothes! I'll show you the cave!" Eunice called from the RV window.
"Yes, coming!" the three answered in unison, racing towards the RV.
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Eunice POV
"Alright, sunscreen, snorkeling goggles, and life vests on!" I called out, helping Dahlia and Fiona into their life vests.
Dahlia wore a yellow diving suit, Fiona a pink one, and Thomas wore sky-blue board shorts and a dry-fit shirt. I helped them all into their life vests and we dove into the water, heading towards the cave entrance. I climbed out first, pulling them up one by one. I also made sure they had headlamps and aqua shoes on to protect their feet.
"Okay, choo-choo train, line up and turn on your headlamps!" I announced. I led the way, Fiona holding my waist, Dahlia holding Fiona's shoulder, and Thomas holding onto Dahlia's.
"Sissy, I can't see!" Fiona giggled, tickling me.
"I can see, but Sissy, it's so small!" Dahlia exclaimed.
"Alright, watch your heads, shoulders, and legs-you might bump in this part of the cave. Let's walk in slowly. It's slippery," I cautioned, guiding them carefully. The kids were excitedly looking around, exclaiming at everything they saw.
Once we reached the wider area of the cave, I held onto Fiona, who held Dahlia, who held Thomas' hand. We entered the spacious chamber. I gave them a tour, pointing out the cool spring and the amazing glowing stones beneath the water.
"You can jump in there, but no peeing in the water," I called out as they enjoyed the cool water.