Son, I Loved You At Your Darkest

Chapter One: Introduction
Imagine the worst fear of America since 2001 coming true. Imagine the worst terrorist attack against the American people wiping out the population with the exception five strangers. Five people having to live together, fight together, hope together and dream together. Well, you can stop imagining, it's what we're living.

Chapter Two: Meredith
Well, I never thought it could happen. I never believed in bioterror or any of the stuff Mrs.Kayne taught us in Biotech. I mean she usually talked about cows and corn and stuff like that, so when we started talking about serious things, why should I have listened? But that's beside to point. The point is most people in this country didn't believe it could happen. I don't even think the government believed in it. One of the people that did believe in a mass bioterror attack against us was Professor Quinhern. She spent almost 30 years of her life searching for vaccines, cures and treatments to some of the deadliest and most potential viruses to be used for bioterror. The whole time we've been living here, she's been telling us how she was right. She's been telling us "If only America would have listened" more than five peoples lives have been spared. In my opinion, I trust her. The truth is that after September 11th happened there was a large amount of fear concerning biological attacks. However, after years passed by, America stopped caring about. I wish we hadn't, I wish we would have been more open-minded. Than our families and friends would still be alive.

Chapter Three: Andrae
Let me tell you the truth about this whole thing man. We've been living here by ourselves for a little less than a month now. We're afraid to leave. We think if we walk out that door a sudden swarm of anthrax spores or small pox spores or god knows what will come in this filthy bunker and we'll all die. Does it matter anymore? I mean look at us! We're close to dead already. That crazy professor is making us "ration" the food she's got in here. In simple terms, it means we eat as little as possible to stay alive. I would much rather be dead right know. I could see my wife and my kids again. There is only one person in this place I can stand to be around and that is Jeremy. He's only 8 years old. His father left while his mother was still pregnant with him. His mother was sick even before this epidemic hit. She fought through it only to die of anthrax. Poor Jeremy was abandoned with no where to go. He reminds me of my son Devon. They're around the same age. Jeremy gives me a reason to keep living. If I died now, I'd abandon him just like the rest of his family and that's the worst thing I could possibly do.

Chapter Four: Rowan
I'm not used to living this way, you know? I was always sort of pampered. I was part of high society you could say. In my family, money seemed like an endless fountain. And girls, let me tell you about girls, they swooned over me. If one gilr didn't fit my liking, there was always atleast 5 replacements. But now, there is no use for money. If we ever left this bunker, we could just steal whatever we wanted. And the women, there is only two here. One being the professor who is like a hundred and two years old. The other being Meredith. She is gorgeously beautiful and intelligent.Her deep brown eyes are almost soothing, even in the situation we're in. He long blonde hair seems to shimmer in the few rays of light. Her lips are full and her skin has no imperfection. On top of all that, I love talking to her. I can hold a conversation with her and never get bored. However, she seems to be turned off by me. That's something I have never experienced before. Rejection is a hard thing to deal with. I try not to think about it most of the time. I try and focus on the surviving. I think I'm the only one here that doesn't know what has been happening. Even little Jeremy probably knows more than I do. All I know is that people are getting sick and dying.

Chapter Five: Jeremy
Its been a long, long time since I saw my mommy. Last time I saw her, she was being rushed to the hospital. I know she's all right though, the doctors know what they're doing. They can cure anything! But I like it down here too. I especailly like Mr. Andrae. He found me and brought me down here and has been taking care of me while mommy's away. He tells me stories about Diana and Devon and Dominique. They sound like nice people. Someone here scares me though. I think they call her a professor. Whatever she is, Andrae says it's her fault we're here in the first place. She's never said anything mean to me but then again she hasn't said much to me in the first place but if Andrae doesn't like her, I don't like her either.

Chapter Six: Professor Quinhern
I'm sure you have probably heard different stories by now but I am going to tell you the truth. I was a scientist for the U.S. Military. I work on vaccines for biological threats like anthrax and small pox. I knew that it was a huge threat to American society. The further and further away we got from September 11th, the closer and closer we got to a biological attack. That's what I tried to tell the public and the government but no one listened. I found a potential vaccine for all the viruses on the list of potential bioterror weapons, but the government refused to fund me. I spent all my money on research of these vaccines and came up with what could have saved our country. But the government wouldn't mass produce it. So I was left with only a small amount that I reproduced my self. I had 5 doses before this attack hit. That's why only five of us are surviving today. This attack didn't come in the way I has expected it to. Instead of releasing a large amount of spore into the air, Japan actually genetically altered humans so that the diseases were in there genes. I know that is a lot to handle at one but let me explain it to you. First of all, America was always expected an attack by the middle east. However, while we were focusing our attention at them, Japan was working long and hard and created the deadliest weapon on the planet. Now to explain the genetically-altered human part. DNA has a total of 23 pairs of chromosomes. When DNA splits to reproduce, the ends of the DNA are temporarly open. In this stage of reproduction, Japan added an extra pair of chromosomes which contained genes with the anthrax and small pox viruses. Once the cells grew into an embryo and a fetus and then a human, the people were released into America. They looked normal and were all together normal with the exception of the viruses. Japan had created a bioterror super weapon. The people traveled across the country, infected almost every person they came in contact with. That is what happened to America and that is why five people who would have normally never noticed each other are spending every moment of the day with each other.

Chapter Seven: Meredith
Today I saw the real Andrae, the evil Andrae. You would have never thought he could be such a hideous person by the way he acted around Jeremy but he is. Today I was practicing my vocabulary with Professor Quinhern since she is the only intelligent one in this place. As always, Rowan was watching and listening intently while I practiced. But that's besided the point. So anyways I was practicing my vocabulary with the professor because I didn't want to get behind in my school work while the attack was going on. Andrae saw this as a lost cause and he expressed his opinion in his own way.

"Nurture?" Professor Quinhurn asked me.

"Nurture, I know this one. Um... to provide with nourishment?" I answered, slightly uncertain.

"Word for word, good job Meredith." She answered.

"Why don't you try the word usless?" Andrae interrupted.

"Pardon me?" I replied.

"You know, usless. What you're doing is useless. Or maybe pointless is the word." He responded.

"Andrae, why would you say something like that? She's only a child!" Professor Quinhern said, attempting to remain calm.

"You stay out of this woman!" Andrew shrieked, obviously not trying to keep himself collected. "Why are you putting false hope in her mind, Quinhern?!? Don't you realize we are never leaving here?!? There is no point in studying because there will be no schools if we ever get out of here! Why waste her precious time telling her of hope and dreams that will never come true why can't you just be truthful with her!"

"Atleast I am being optomistic. You are being pesemistic and absurd. There is still hope no matter how little there is" the professor was becoming more tense.

"I'll give you hope lady!" Andrae reached for the rusted metal chair beside him.

The events that followed were almost a blur. Rowan jumped up from the couch he was laying on and pushed me out of the way. We both fell to the ground. Andrae through the chair with all his strength at Professor Quinhern. She luckily moved out of the chairs path before it hit. It was the first time I had ever seen a metal chair shatter against a cement wall and I hope it is the last.

I felt tears running down my face. I was shaking uncontrollably with fear but a sudden soothing feeling came over me. It was Rowan. He has landed on top of me when he pushed me out of the way. He saved me from injury or perhaps death. I looked into his peircing blue eyes to find him gazing back into mine. Our faces very so close together and the passion was growing. He lowered his lips to kiss mine but I moved away.

"Thank you." I whispered quietly and pulled myself off the floor.

Rowan just sat there shocked and watched as I walked to the bedroom for women.

Chapter Eight: Rowan
Yet another rejection from Miss Meredith. You know, you think she would be thankful enough to kiss you after you save her life. But I guess not. And even if I hadn't saved her, I felt the chemistry. She had to have felt it too. The feelings were there! No matter how much she didn't like me she has to realize we were meant to be. The feelings, the passion it's all there. Why can't she just open up a little and give me a chance? I'm not a bad guy you know? She could fall in love with me. She could love me the way I love her right now.

Chapter Nine: Jeremy
Today was scary. The professor lady made Mr.Andrae mad again and he threw a chair at her. And Mr. Rowan and Miss Meredith were on the floor together. I didn't understand what was going on. I wasn't even supposed to be watching. I was peeking through a little crack in the door of the boy's bedroom when it all happened. I wish we wouldn't fight like we do. I wish everything could be nice and happy like it is on Disney channel. I wish everything could be like the Suite Life of Zach and Cody. They live in a really cool hotel and get everything they want. And whenever they get in trouble no one gets mad and everything gets worked out.Why can't every problem in the world, no in the UNIVERSE be solved within half an hour like Disney channel?

Chapter 10: Andrae
I have nothing to say. Everyone is probably making me look like the bad one in the events of today but it wasn't my fault you know? That woman in polluting Meredith's mind with lies and she needs to know the truth. I may have lost my temper a little but I cooled down. No one got hurt anyways, except the chair. And I brought Rowan and Meredith closer together. Not everything I do shouold be looked down upon. I guess I kind of have the reputation of the bad guy in this bunker. It's because I'm the only person here that is being honest to themselves. I don't want to die here, especially with these people. I want to live my life to the fullest. I want to do everything before I die. I want to go paragliding and I want to learn how to surf. I want to go crowd surfing at a Red Hot Chilli Peppers concert. But what am I talking about? None of the will ever happen. Only in my dreams. That's why it would be better for me to just die now. I would have eternal dreams of happiness instead of painfull days of sorrow and depression.

Chapter Eleven: Professor Quinhern
I won't talk about what happened yesterday, what's passed is passed. I'll tell you about what we woke up to this morning. The door on the roof of the bunker was open this morning. Do you understand what that means? That means someone left the bunker and exposed our afe environment to every kind of spore that killed millions of people. So I fastened the door shut and scrubbed the whole bunker with a specially formulated disinfectant that I created. I forced everyone into one room and made them wear gas masks for protection. No one has shown any symptoms of contamination yet but it will take a couple days. I hope to God that no one has become infected because of someone's carelessness. I just wish none of this would have happened. I wish all of America had never become infected. Or I wish that even before that that the American government could have been more intelligent. That way maybe a country would have come to save us. Maybe if we hadn't become the world's enemy, most of the population of the United States would be alive today. They would be playing with their children, going to schools, going to work, going to movies, getting married, having children. Maybe the world could have been so much different today if simple mistakes by the U.S. government were fixed.

Chapter Tweleve: Meredith
I was in the girl's bedroom reading my favorite book: The Bible. It gives my hope and it reminds me why I am fighting for my life. It fills me greatfulness for Jesus Christ and his sacrifice. Christ died so that I could live. It is one of the most beautiful things that could ever happen. I was reading my favorite passage, John 3:16 when I heard a knock on the door.

"Come in." I said. It was Rowan. This time I was actually greatful to see him. My heart started to beat faster and a small smile came upon my face.

"Hey" He said smoothly.

"Hey"

"What are you reading?"

"Oh, I'm reading the NIV Bible. You ever read it?"

"Actually no, I haven't."

"You haven't?!? Well, would you like to?"

"Sure."

"I'll start you off with my favorite passage, John 3:16."

"Okay, go ahead."

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son...." I became lost in thought. I couldn't believe I was discussing religion with Rowan. However, he seemed to be listening. He was being open minded and willing to learn.

"That's deep." He said, interrupting my thoughts.

"Isn't it? God loves us so much."

"Then why is this happening to us Meredith?"

"Well Rowan, we are still on earth. While we are on earth God will test our faith. He wants to make sure we are with him through the bad and the good. And as a positive, God helps you through trails like this. He keeps me happy and upbeat while I'm here."

"I always wondered why you were so happy, I mean everything has been kind of...unhappy."

"You could be as happy as me too you know. God loves everyone and all you have to do is love him back. He can help you through this trail like he's helping me."
"Okay, well what do I do? Do I like ask or what?"

"Well, would you like to pray with me? You can ask God for forgiveness of you sins and try to live you life according to the Bible from this day on."

"Yes, I want the love that you have."

"Let me just tell you now it won't be easy, the devil is everywhere trying to tempt you. Are you ready for it?"

"I'm up for it, let's pray."

"Dear God, loving father, please forgive Rowan of his sins and help him walk with you from this day forward. He realizes it won't be easy but he wants to try to live according to your word. Dear Lord, you are so loving and forgiving we love you so much. In your name we pray, Amen."

"Thank you Meredith"

He learned over and hugged me. I could see the water lines from where tears had rolled down his cheeks. I held him close and felt my eyes swell with tears as well.

"Hurry anyone, somethings wrong!" We heard Jeremy's voice yell from outside the door. We looked into each others eyes and ran out the door.

Chapter 13: Jeremy
It was the scariest moment of my life. Well, not really, almost as scary as my mommy disappearing. But still it was scary. Mr.Andrae was feeling really bad. He was coughing up blood and his chest was hurting and he could barley sit up in bed. I screamed for everyone to come into his room so some one could make him feel better. The mean lady was the first one to get there. Once she looked at him she made sure no one else entered the room. She made them put on the gas masks again and go to the far side of the bunker.I screamed at her. I couldn't believe she was making everyone leave him. He needed love! Love makes everything better! She pushed me into Miss Meredith's arms and told her to take care of me. She closed his door.I was kicking and screaming in Miss Meredith's arms but she wouldn't let me go. We sat in the kitchen, which was furthest from where Mr.Andrae's room was. We sat in silence just watching the door. After forever, I heard a loud bang.

"Stay here and watch Jeremy!" Mr.Rowan said to Miss Meredith. He stood up and ran to the door. I was screaming for her to let me go but she never eased her grip. Mr. Rowan came back out of the door with his arms around the professor lady. She was shaking with blood down her shirt and a gun in her left hand. You could see tear streaks down her cheeks and her crying still hadn't been controlled.

Chapter 14: Professor Quinhern
Today had to be the worst day in the bunker. However much I hated Andrae's attitude I would have never wished for this to happen to him. I wouldn't wish this on Adolf Hitler or Osama Bin Laden. Andrae had become infected with Anthrax.He had all the symptoms. He was in so much pain he could hardly get up.

"Were you the one that left the bunker?" I asked him gently.

He gave a weak nod.

"Why?!? You could have killed all of us?!? You have gotten yourself sick because of leaving! What is so great out there that you risked your life and our lives for?!?"

He began to cough up blood again. I tried to calm him down but it wasn't working and I could tell it wasn't going to work. He lifted his hand to point toward something on his nightstand. I looked over the see a shotgun.

"What?!? No Andrae I won't!" I answered his gesture. He gave another weak nod.

"Maybe I can find a cure, maube there's a chance."

I looked deeply into his eyes. He was in a severe amount of pain. But for the first time, I saw compassion. It was as he wanted to die to prevent the rest of us from becoming infected.

"Andrae, no..." I choked on my words and began to cry.

"Please..." He faintly whispered.

I reached for the shot gun and pointed it at his head. He closed his eyes, it was his time. I felt tears running down my cheeks, I could barely hold the gun straight I was shaking so hard. But I placed my finger on the trigger and pulled. I fell to the ground and began weeping uncontrollably. The next thing I know Rowan was pulling me to my feet and escorting me out the door.

"What happened Professor?!?" Meredith asked immediatly.

"It was his time." I answered quietly.

"What do we do?" Rowan asked, he seemed to be the most collective of the bunch.

"We have to wrap his body in the sheets and leave him in that room. If we open the door again we could risk more spores coming in here. No males are to sleep in that room again. We will move everyone into the female bedroom."

They all seemed to understand and went to work preparing everything. Rowan helped me wrap up Andrae's body in his sheets. Meredith and Jeremy went to work taking extra pillows and blankets into the girls bedroom. It was just another day at the end of the world.

Chapter 15: Meredith
After the..."incident" yesterday, the boys began sleeping in our room. Jeremy slept in Professor Quinhern's bed while she slept on the floor instead. Rowan started out sleeping on the floor next to my bed. However, we were both restless.

"I can't believe it..." I started the conversation.

"Don't think about it. Don't talk about it. What happened is done and there's no use worring about it right?" Rowan answered, quite bluntly.

"Right, you can't change a hair on your head from black to white by worrying.But still...I...I" I began to break up. I was holding down tears.He sat up to look at me, then he moved to sit on the bed next to me.

"Hun, what's done is done, we can't fix it and it's not like you caused it. Nothing we could have done would have prevented it. Atleast Professor prevented him from suffering too long."

"I know, it's just..just..."

"Shhh. Just relax and go to sleep." He kissed my forehead and started to move back to his make shift bed on the floor.

"Wait, stay here...with me. Just hold me, I need the comfort." He smiled at me.

"Are you sure?"

"I haven't been so sure in my life."

He crawled into bed next to me and wrapped his arms around me.

"Don't ever leave me" I told him.

"They would have to kill me to get me to leave your side."

I sense of comfort swept over me and I fell asleep in his arms.

Chapter 16: Rowan
Last night I felt closer to Meredith than ever before and technically I was. But I mean emotionally, there was a connection. When I first got into this bunker, I would have never just held her like I did last night. But I understand much more about life because of her. She has made me see the more important things about life. Andrae made me realize why I should savor the life I have. I never know when or how it might end. In hte morning when we woke up she rolled over and turned to look at me.

"Thank you." She whispered with a small smile on her face.

"I would do anything for you." I answered.

"Let's go get some breakfast sweetheart." She grabbed my hand and pulled me out of bed. I followed her into the kitchen.

"What are you in the mood for Rowan, frozen pancakes or frozen waffles?" She giggled.

"How about some waffles, let's change it up a bit." I laughed back.

She took the packages out of the freezer and heated them in the microwave. While we were waiting for them to finish, she asked the big question.

"Did you mean what you said last night?" She asked.

"What part?" I questioned.

"The part about you never leaving me."

"I meant every word." I got closer to her and wrapped my arms around her. Our faces were so close I could feel her breath on my face. The microwave beeped to let us know our waffles were done.

" I'll get it." I said. I took the waffles from the fridge and split them up evenly for us. She sat on a stool at the counter and began to read a newspaper from before the attack. I stood behind her and place my arms on her shoulders. We ate breakfast in silence but our signals were saying everything.

Chapter 17: Jeremy
I don't know what I'm supposed to do now. Andrae left me, just like mommy. Now the bad lady isn't being bad. She's actually taking care of me and spending time with me. She's actually really nice. I can't believe I hated her. Like this morning, when Mr. Rowan and Miss Meredith left she stayed with me and played with my trucks. She even gave up her bed so I could sleep in it. She remind me alot of my mommy. She has the grayish whitish hair and the blue eyes like my mommy. She even wears glasses that look like my mommy's. Everyone says I look like my mommy but my hair is blond, not white.Anyways, I spent almost all my time with her now.She is so nice. I hope she never leaves, I don't know what I would so then.

Chapter 18: Rowan
Today was the day. Today everything changed. We had become so used to living the way we did but everything started to change. Meredith, Jeremy and I were playing hide-and-go-seek while Professor Quinhern was writing in her journal. I had already found Jeremy in the linen closet.

"Come one, help me find Meredith!" I said to him playfully.

"Okay!" He answered enthusastically. He started running down the hall. I turned left into the kitchen and saw her crouching under the counter.

"Found you!" I exclaimed.She giggled and crawled out from under the counter. I put my arms around her and leaned in to kiss her. Suddenly, all four of us heard a sound fromthe entrance to the bunker. The door handle was turning. We huddled together and watched as a man in a bioterror suit opened the door. He had been lowered down by a helicopter.

"Is everyone alright down here?" He asked.

"Yes, yes were fine!" Professor Quinhern yelled over the sound of the helicopters wings.

"Just climb up this ladder and we'll take you to a hospital and get help." The man answered.

Professor Quinhern helped Jeremy up the lasdder first and then followed him. Meredith started to make her way towards the ladder but I grabbed her arm and pulled her close to me. I lowered my face to hers and kissed her. I pulled away quickly, realizing what I did.

"I'm sorry." I whispered.

"Don't be." She said and pulled my lips back to hers. It felt like magic from the top of my head to the tips of my toes. I know she felt the same way. I showed her up the ladder first and then followed her into the helicopter. We were finally being rescued, by Canadians in fact.In the helicopter Meredith laid in my arms all the way to the Canadian hospital.

"Don't ever leave me." I whispered in her ear.

"They would have to pry me from you arms." She answered.

It was as if the whole time God was watching over us. He was. Through everything that happened. From tears to murder. He loved us. He knew we would be saved. He planned it from the begining. God loved us at our darkest.