Apocalyptic Rebirth: With a repairman system space, she rises again.-Chapter 50: How to explain an apocalypse to children.

Sunshine’s sleep remained uninterrupted, and her eyes were not opened even as Hades carried her to the helicopter so that they could fly back home to Quinn manor.

She opened her eyes when the helicopter was already in the air. It was only for a brief moment that lasted long enough for her to realize that she was leaning against half of Hades’s upper body.

When she tried to move, he pressed her back with his hands and shook his head. "Just sleep." He mouthed to her.

He knew that she slept for at most four hours a night. Sometimes one or two. He was surprised that she was not suffering from daily headaches.

Sunshine yawned, closed her eyes and went back to sleep. Hades used the rest of the time to review the real time updates that Owen was sending to him.

The apocalypse was trending online. More and more people were beginning to believe that something was going on. Even those that did not believe in Pastor Salem were discussing the erratic changes in the weather during the year.

Hades had a feeling that things were going to change starting from this very day. When he saw the news on Garrick Voss, he was not that shocked. Everyone who was angry about his party and their dead relatives would be clamoring for a piece of him.

He scrolled through his phone, looking at the list of all the things he had planned to do in that year. It seemed he would be doing none, so he deleted them all and then visited his calendar.

There were 114 planned events and reminders.

"Guess I won’t be attending these after all." He muttered.

Sunshine muttered something. He looked away from the phone and turned his eyes on her. She was still sleeping and clutching on to his shirt with fingers that were as determined as those of a clingy kitten. On a whim, he took a picture of her. She would probably be embarrassed later to see this.

The helicopter landed on the Quinn manor grounds and he carried her out of the helicopter. The kids were outside, waiting for them.

"Mommy." Castiel screamed and run to them.

His high-pitched call startled Sunshine awake. While she yawned, Hades set her down and intercepted Castiel. "Your mother is tired; I will carry you."

Castiel responded by pouting and giving Sunshine hopeful eyes. But his father had sharp eyes, and he noticed the neediness in Castiel’s eyes. So, he broke into a run and took Castiel back into the house.

Sunshine, Ariel and Earl followed. They were walking slowly, taking their time as if they had forever. More supply trucks were parked in the driveway and other places on the grounds.

The tents had been refilled. All of them contained things that Sunshine had to take into her space. But she would do it later, after filling her stomach with some mushroom pizza.

"Is it true that zombies are coming?" Earl slipped his hand into hers and looked up at her with childish curiosity.

She tugged on his hand and shook her head. "No sweetie, not zombies." If it were any other time, she would lie to him, but this was not any other time. "Mmm, do you play survival games like Fallout?"

"He plays Dead zone." Ariel replied.

Sunshine had never played any of those games. Nimo was the gamer, and she was very talkative about the games she played.

But how did one explain an apocalypse to children that were seven- and ten years old Sunshine did not know but she decided to go for facts.

"Well...okay...it is not zombies but monsters that look like animals. Very, very large eagles with claws the size of cars and cows with crystal horns, Lions with red eyes whose roars can cause an earthquake, caterpillars that can replicate themselves, cats with six legs whose purrs can hypnotize, flying fish whose fins cut like blades, crows that can mimic human voices and lure victims into shadows and mist. Ants...."

"Suni," Ariel called her.

"Mmm." She looked down.

"You are scaring Earl." He told her.

He was talking about Earl, but he was trembling too.

Sunshine carried Earl and she took Ariel’s hand. "Don’t worry babies, I will teach you how to fight and we will all protect each other. Mostly, it will be us the adults protecting you. But you should learn to protect yourselves too. The apocalypse won’t last forever; we just need to survive until it comes to an end."

"Is that why you gave us swords?" Ariel asked her in his serious voice.

Sunshine nodded.

"Are they cool like the one you used to destroy our house?" Earl asked her. "And our swing, and the trees in the backyard and...."

"I will get you cool ones." She rushed to answer.

****

That evening, President Finch addressed the nation, sharing his sympathies and those of his government and his party. It was the same standard speech until he announced something unexpected.

"I have been informed that Garrick Voss was shot a few hours ago and he is undergoing surgery in the hospital. The moment he recovers charges will be brought against him for inciting the public.

There are those that have been spreading false rumors about an apocalypse and in doing so have created panic which will result in chaos, looting’s, riots and stampedes. The central figures in this movement have been identified as Pastor Solomon Salem and one prophetess Moon Raine.

We suspect that they could be active threats against the country, and they will be detained for questioning."

The speech continued but for the Quinn’s it might as well have ended because they were exchanging stunned glances.

"I knew that mouth would land her into trouble one day." Cassia Quinn shook her head disapprovingly.

Sunshine leaned towards her husband. "Now you know why I did not want any information about the apocalypse coming from me." She whispered.

Nodding, Hades agreed. "They are in trouble especially if the secretary of defense is involved." He shrugged and continued to eat.

Sunshine almost felt sorry for Moon....almost. But she could not really bring herself to do so. Moon had brought this on herself with all the cheap fame she was running around chasing.

What her cousin failed to understand was that there had been many players in the apocalypse. People that were now interested in her.

Moon would be lucky if Ceaser Rommel did not personally push her into the mist.

Despite the president’s speech and reassurances, panic buying was already underway. People were swarming supermarkets, malls and factories like bees descending on a banquet of spilled nectar.

Fires were already raging in different cities, and the apocalypse had not yet even arrived in full force.

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