Maybe we can stay for a while, maybe we can wait, we can hope, but in the end reality will catch up with us. It's better to face it now instead of just waiting to die. If we break free when the aliens are distracted by the rest, it is much better than waiting for them to come to us. It's better to leave here before they come in and find us.
"Oh," I whispered.
I shook my head and raised my hand to stop Aiden from speaking. I can't hear, at least not now. I understand what they mean, but I can't hear them speaking loudly. Bret put his hand on my shoulder, I didn't shrug his shoulder. He is a good man and strong, and I need his comfort and strength now. "We will stay here today," Cade said.
"No, we have to wait a few more days," Abby protested.
"They have not yet begun to walk through the interior of the buildings in this area. The longer we wait, the more likely they are to come here. No matter how many people they have, they still need a period of time to inspect all the houses. We have to be in them. Leaving here before reaching us, we should leave under the cover of night.
"You don't even know if they are searching all the houses and buildings!"
"What do you think they were doing at our house last night?" Aiden asked. My mind was spinning, thinking about everything I did, everything I didn't know. Abby must keep going. Aiden will take care of her and protect her with his life. "We must bring as little as possible. It will be more difficult at night, but it can provide us with cover."
"Wait," Abby choked. "we can not."
"It'll be okay, Abby," I assured her as I hugged her. "Everything will be fine, just wait and see."
"But we can't leave her here alone. We can't."
"We won't," I promise.
"Beth," Brett protested.
I shook my head, hugged my sister tightly again, and let her go. I told myself that it was nothing, because I knew it was not like this.
Evening seemed to come sooner than I expected, and it wasn't until I tiptoed back upstairs and looked out the window that I realized that this was not the real night. At this time, the big ship moved above our heads, blocking the radiance of the sun.
"We should act as soon as possible," Brett said.
I didn't say anything because there was nothing to say. The bag of food is by the back door. Tears rolled down Abby's young cheeks. I know what he is thinking, but this is impossible. He is the stronger one of us; he must be the one with Abby.
"I'm not going."
I turned to Cade, and my mouth drooped when he said these things. I should say those words; that is what I should say, not him. He won't be the one who stayed. "No."
"It won't be you, Beth." I continued to be dumbfounded at him. His eyes stared at mine closely, like fragments of black ice. "No matter what you think."
"You don't know what I'm thinking!" I retorted.
"Yes, I know, and it won't be you."
"She is our mother!"
"Peter is very nice to me, I won't leave him," Cade said.
"Then I will stay with you."
"No."
""Do not! You can't refuse me!" I took a deep breath, and before I continued, I controlled myself. "You can't make a decision for me. "
"Bethany," Abby whimpered.
I glanced helplessly at the other people gathered in the room. Even if I didn't tell anyone else, they seemed to have guessed that I planned to stay. They know me very well, but I think Cade is the first person to know that I have decided to stay with my mother.
I read the truth from Cade's merciless gaze. He does not intend to change his decision. When I decided to stay, everything was fine. I have controlled the situation, I have accepted the fact that I will be alone. But at the thought of Cade’s staying here, I was scared. I can't leave him here. If I do, I will never be able to forgive myself.
"It has been decided," Cade said firmly.
"By whom? When?" Jenna asked, eyes sweeping around the room.
"It's us," Bright replied. He grabbed my hand, and when I tried to break free, he grabbed my hand tightly. "When you fell asleep last night."
"You knew you would do this last night?" I panted, unable to look away from Cade.
I just found him, I hardly know him, but I can't lose him. I just can't do it. Without him I would be very empty, I don't know how I know, but I do. Without him, I would become empty, broken, and become my own body. Just yesterday, I haven't spoken to him for a year. But a lot of changes occurred within 4 hours. He reawakened the memories and emotions I had buried for many years. No matter how hard I try, now I can no longer bury those feelings. I might be too young to realize this, but Cade once had a part of my heart when I was a child, and I never got that part back. Maybe he even has all of my heart, which is why I feel nothing but friendship for another man.
Cade Marshall stole my heart when I was five years old, but I only realize it now.
"Yes," Aiden replied. "We must go now, Bethany."
"No. I won't go."
"Please, please, please," Abby pleaded. "Don't leave me." I opened my mouth in protest. I was shocked by the revelation rolling in. It's not just Peter, I know that Cade did it for me, to ensure my safety, and I can't let this happen. "Bethany." Abby's hand gripped my arm so tightly that it left a bruise. "Bethany, please," she whispered.
"Abigail..."
"Don't leave me. We can't leave Mom and you. Please Bethany, I can't lose you two."
I closed my eyes and heard her heartfelt pleading, moaning in my heart. I bit my lower lip, holding back the hot tears. This is terrible, terrible.
"Bethany..." Aiden's voice slowed down. He didn't stop because he didn't know what to say, but because a woofer started to shake the store. Abby started to tremble and approached me tightly. The ground under my feet began to vibrate, and the goods on the shelves began to clink.
I held my breath, my heart beating deafeningly in my ears. A loud bang shook the store, making me a little staggered. When Abby's nails pierced my arm, she couldn't help sobbing. As the glass rattled more powerfully, the window vibrated inside the glass window. Something slipped off the shelf somewhere in the store. I jumped up, and when it shattered on the ground, I bit back and screamed.
Abby buried her face in my chest because something else fell on the floor and broke. When the whole store shook violently, I barely held back a scream. Jenna couldn't do the same thing, she burst into tears with fright. Cade covered her mouth with her hand, pulled her to his chest, and the store shook again. We waited, holding our breath, to see if Jenna's screams overwhelm the increasing noise.
When the floor rolled, the ground under my feet seemed to disappear for a second. When the board of directors began to split into pieces from the mighty gang, I staggered to the side. The front window glass shattered and the glass cracked inward. I avoided Abby and covered her with my body because I tried to protect her from the cutting debris. Brett grabbed us and pulled us back, and another powerful blow knocked down the shelf, causing a light shelf to fall. Abby sobbed loudly because she didn't cry aloud.
"Shhh, Abby," I whispered frantically. "Please be quiet."
The lights flickered on the windows, jumped on the broken window frames, and then moved on. "What's the matter?" Jenna screamed.
"Quiet!" Cade ordered.
Another loud noise trembled across the building, shaking us all around. Although I have never experienced an earthquake, I imagined that this is the feeling of an earthquake. There was a sensation of undulations and tumbling, which made me staggering sideways. The world under my feet was completely unstable, and the ground felt like it would fall from my feet at any time.
There was a harsh twisting sound in the air. I winced and held Abby tightly, because the noise was getting louder and louder, and the harsh sound pierced the night sky. Abby's groans were drowned out by the louder and louder noise. Brett pushed us back, let us follow him, and the lights illuminated the shop again. A wave of twists, undulations, and falls caused the floor under our feet to fall out, and more planks were broken into pieces. This time, when we leaned to one side, I couldn't suppress my frightened cry. I hobbled, struggling to hold Abby, struggling to keep my balance on the swaying floor.
"We must get out of here!" Brett hissed.
He pulled me back, more windows were broken, and the shelves in front of the store began to roll down like dominoes. If we stay here, the whole store will trouble us. The smashed shelf behind me touched the back of my leg. I stumbled forward awkwardly, my legs weak, and almost dragged Abby down. Brad and Abby managed to get me up, but only reluctantly.
"We have to go! We have to go!" Jenna screamed.
Cade drew her towards us, his jaw closed, his nostrils opened, and another exciting impact shook the building. Before long, the whole building will collapse. This is not the west coast, this building was not built to withstand earthquakes. Even so, it can only survive a moderate hurricane.
Aiden hurriedly walked towards us, his arms raised above his head protectively, and the ceiling began to fall like raindrops. "Mom!" Abby yelled. "What do mom do?" (to be continued) (end of this chapter)