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whose eyes confirm that he did in fact take the immunizations.
    "It's settled then. Sebastian and I will take the shot and we will do our best to survive this. You two will go inside and you will move on. If it is meant to be, we will find you." My mom kisses my dad passionately on the lips then stands up and pulls Sebastian and me into her arms.
    "I can't go mom." I cry into her shoulder. My dad comes up behind me and joins in on the family hug. We cling to each other in a mess of limbs and tears.
    "I love you so much." My mom cries.
    "I love you," My dad whispers.
    "Wuv you." Sebastian whimpers.
    I take a deep breath and say a very shaky, "I love you."
    This is it, the end of the world for me. I had known the second I entered this tent that my life would never be the same. I wish I had known that my heart would be ripped from my chest and trampled on. I wish I could cease to exist at this very moment, but I know I can't. I have to cling to the hope that my mom and my brother will make it. I have no choice but to keep moving on. I'm broken beyond repair but when the officials come to take my father and me into the facility I force my feet to move. I take one step and then another. My heart feels as if gravity is pulling it down so hard that eventually it may fall right out of my chest and become one with the earth. I look back down the long white hallway to see my mom and my little brother walking in the opposite direction. That's when I feel it fall, my heart, it's gone. My chest is only a hollow shell and it will never be filled again.
    My dad puts his arm around my shoulders and together we walk through the heavily leaded doors into our new home.

CHAPTER 3 (The first day inside.)
     
    The musty smell within the mountain shelter permeates my nose. Small strands of single bulb lights line the main hallway illuminating the six-foot high tunnel. My dad keeps his head ducked down partially because of his height but my guess is that it's more due to his family having just been ripped apart.
    There isn’t much room to either side of us but we can still walk comfortably. I'm grateful in this moment that I'm not claustrophobic. We follow the string of bulbs slowly and cautiously taking turns, feeling the rock on either side of us. A damp artificially cool draft begins hitting our faces the further we get into the tunnel. A few feet later I begin hearing noises: people talking, water dripping, paper crumbling. Up ahead the lights get brighter and we are able to make out a few figures.
    As we near closer to the figures their faces become more visible. Everyone looks rather emotionless and they are all dressed identically in pale green scrubs. While the scrubs look horrendous, it is a huge step up from those creepy biohazard suits. I guess since we have all passed the test, they no longer need to worry about contagions.
    A plump woman with unusually frizzy brown hair greets us with an arm full of pamphlets. She is smiling broadly and has an uncalled for cheeriness to her demeanor. “Well, on behalf of F.E.M.A. we want to welcome you to your new home.” She hands us each a pamphlet and continues, “Inside you will find instructions and information about life in the shelter. On page two there is a map. Please note which direction you are facing now: it's East. Room assignments are given on a first come first serve basis. May I please see your passports?"
    My dad hands her our stamped passports.
    "Okay, lets see here," she says while scanning the documents with her eyes. "Looks like you will be in the Blue wing; that's numbers 400 through 499." She continues by giving my dad directions to where the Blue wing is. "We ask that once you find your living quarters you write your name on the nameplate outside of the door and report to headquarters to log it into the system. Once you log in at headquarters you will be given your clothing allotment for your stay here. Any questions so far?”
    My dad and I look at each other and shake our