Bo and Luke walked through the tunnels that ran deep underground. The tunnels were dank and musty, but they were at least safe. To only light they had to see by were torches they had made that burned constantly. They stopped walking at an underground lake. A large waterfall cascaded down from the rocks high up in the cavern ceiling. They undressed , and left their clothes on the rocks at the edge of the lake and went skinny dipping. The water was cooling an refreshing as they swam around.
     “Luke?”
     “Yeah what?”
     “Do you think that things have got any better out there?” Bo asked.
     “How should I know?” Luke asked in an agitated tone.
     “I don’t know . . . I was just wondering. Sorry I said anything.” Bo said.
Luke sighed, he hadn’t meant to upset Bo, things had just been tense lately. “I am sorry Bo, I didn’t mean to snap at you.”
Bo didn’t say anything he only swam to the edge of the lake, getting out and getting dressed.
     “BO WAIT!” Luke called out as Bo began to walk away.
Bo stopped walking and waited for Luke to get out of the lake and dressed. A moment later Luke caught up to Bo.
     “Bo I am sorry. Please don’t stay mad at me, all we have is each other.” Luke said,
     “I guess you are right . . . we are kinda stuck with each other.” Bo said.
They walked in silence for several minutes.
     “So, do you think things have got any better out there?” Bo asked. “I hate it down here. I miss being able to see the sun.”
     “I know, I do to, but it is safer down here. I don’t think that things have got any better out there, I don’t think they ever will be.”
     “Oh.” Bo said, in a distant emotionless voice.
     “Bo . . .” Luke said putting a hand on Bo’s shoulder.
Bo turned and looked at Luke, his dark blue eyes filled with a deep sadness. Luke squeezed his shoulder tightly, trying hard to hide his own sadness, from showing in his crystal blue eyes.
     “I am sorry Bo. I know I am the one that got us into this mess.” Luke said.
     “No, you saved both of our lives.” Bo said.
     “Yeah and what kind of life is this? Trapped beneath the Earth’s surface, never able to see the sun.”
     “We are safe and we still have each other.” Bo said, he hated being underground, but he knew the only way he managed to keep his sanity was having Luke there with him.
Luke gave an amused laugh.
     “What’s so funny?” Bo asked.
     “Just this conversation started because I was trying to cheer you up and instead you end up making me feel better.” Luke said.
Bo smiled and laughed. “I guess it is good that we are stuck with each other, nobody else would understand us.”
     It had been three months since the outside world had changed and was no longer a safe place to live. The temperature remain over a hundred at all times, the sky turned red and so had the sun that looked like a glowing ember of coal. The air had thinned to the point that made breathing difficult. Only mutants now remained on the Earth’s surface, most of which at one time had been normal human beings. Neither Bo nor Luke knew what had happened, they had heard a few rumours in the short time they had been above ground, before finding shelter including: it had been a nuclear fallout, a strange chemical warfare, even to go as abstract as to say aliens had caused the tragic events. Neither of them tried to think too much about their family they had lost, their Uncle Jesse and cousin Daisy. It pained them to think of the last time that they had saw Jesse and Daisy.

     Jesse and Daisy had both taken ill and only seemed to grow sicker with each passing day. They had both resided to the fact that they were going to die. Bo and Luke tried to do all they could to help them, and refused to leave no matter how much Jesse told them to.
     Bo stood in the front room, with wide eyes, not able to believe what was happening. Jesse stood with his shotgun pointed directly at Bo, it was something that he didn’t want to be doing but he knew it was the only way he could get the boys to leave the farm and to give part of his family a chance to survive.
     “Leave the farm.” Jesse said, in a firm demanding voice.
     “Uncle Jesse . . . please put the gun down.” Bo said.
     “What’s going . . . on?” Luke asked, his voice trailing off with shock as he saw the gun, after just came out from his and Bo’s bedroom.
     “You are both going to leave the farm.” Jesse said.
     “You can’t be serious.” Luke said.
     “I am serious. Neither of you are welcome on this farm any longer.” Jesse said, he still loved Bo and Luke as though they were his own sons, but he knew if they stayed at the farm they would die and the only way to make them leave would be to forcibly drive them away.
Daisy sat by the window, staring outside, she shared her uncle’s opinion and knew if she looked at the boys that she would break down and cry.
     “Uncle Jesse please . . .” Bo said, his voice trailing off as he couldn’t find the words.
     “We aren’t going to leave.” Luke said.
     “You are going to leave and you are going to leave now.” Jesse said.
Bo took a step closer to Luke, his heart beating wildly with panic, fearing that his uncle might actually kill him and Luke.
     “Do you plan on killing both of us if we don’t leave?” Luke asked.
     “If that is what it takes.”
Bo went to say something, but Luke put a hand on his shoulder as way of telling him to say nothing.
     “Okay fine. We will leave once we gather together a few things.” Luke said, understanding why Jesse was doing what he was doing.
     Bo followed Luke to their bedroom.
     “Why did Uncle Jesse do that?” Bo asked.
     “Because he knows if we stay here we wouldn’t survive . . . if we leave the farm we stand a chance.” Luke said.
     “But I don’t want to leave the farm.” Bo said.
     “We have no choice.” Luke said.
     “But how are we going to survive any better out there?”
     “I don’t know, but I will take care of you, no matter what I will protect you.”
     “I know.”
     Over the next week they found survival hard and that they were constantly in danger. They abandoned the General and moved into a deep underground cavern, where there was an underground lake and a large cavern they used as living quarters. A long tunnel connected the two, the only other tunnel led up to the surface a tunnel they never used.

     A young woman, who appeared to be Luke’s age, came running down the tunnel and ran into Luke.
     “Please don’t hurt me.”
     “We ain’t gonna hurt you.” Luke said.
The young woman looked at Luke and cast a glance over at Bo, a frightened look in her bright green eyes.
     “Are you okay?” Luke asked.
     “Yes.”
     “I am Luke Duke, and this is my cousin Bo.”
     “Dawn Meadows.” Dawn said, and smiled, her long red hair falling across her eyes. “Are you the only ones down here?”
     “Yeah. It is safe down here.” Luke said.
Neither Bo nor Luke saw the dark laughter in her eyes.
     “Are things still . . . bad out there?” Bo asked.
     “Yeah.” Dawn replied, not taking her eyes off of Luke.
     “How did you get down here?” Bo asked, sensing something about her that he did not trust.
Dawn didn’t say anything she just took a step closer to Luke.
     “What’s wrong?” Luke asked, thinking her reaction was strange.
     “I . . . am just scared.” Dawn said.
     “You have nothing to be scared of, you’ll be safe down here.” Luke said.
     After returning to the cavern, Dawn laid down and went to sleep. Bo and Luke stood on the far side of the cavern talking.
     “Do you think we can trust her?” Bo asked.
     “What do you mean?”
     “I mean . . . don’t you think it is odd how she just appeared here so suddenly? And if it is still so dangerous out there how did she even make it here?”
     “I don’t know. But I do know it is nice to have someone else around.” Luke said.
A hurt look past over Bo’s dark blue eyes.
     “I didn’t mean it that way Bo, all I meant was it is nice to know that someone else survived and that we are not alone.” Luke said.
     “Yeah . . . I guess.”
     “Don’t worry, everything will be fine . . . I will still always protect you.” Luke said.
     What they didn’t know about Dawn Meadows was that she was anything but human, and was in fact a mutant, a vicious creature of pure evil, she was temptress and she had her eyes set on Luke to be her next victim.
     Over the next month, Dawn continually tried to force a wedge between Bo and Luke, however she found that was something that was impossible to do. Dawn and Luke grew closer, and even though Bo distrusted her he was still polite to her. Bo could tell that Luke was growing closer to dawn and feared that Luke would abandon him for her or force him to leave the way their uncle had. Luke could feel himself falling in love with Dawn, though his loyalty and friendship to Bo didn’t diminish at all.
     Bo stood by the lake, skipping stones across the surface of the water, so deep in thought that he didn’t hear Luke approach.
     “What are you doing down here?” Luke asked.
     “Just thinking.” Bo said, not even turning to look at Luke.
     “About what?”
Bo didn’t respond not sure if he could talk to Luke about what he was thinking.
     “Is something wrong?” Luke asked, his concern apparent in his voice.
Bo shook his head, though Luke knew Bo well enough to know that something was in fact wrong.
     “You’ve been really quiet lately.” Luke commented, hoping to get Bo to talk to him.
     “Surprised you could tell, considering you spend every waking minute with Dawn.” Bo said, turning to look at Luke.
     “Is that what this is all about?”
Bo shrugged, not responding.
     “So you are jealous of Dawn?” Luke asked, though making the question as more of a statement.
     “No, I am not jealous . . . I just feel with her around there is no place for me.” Bo said.
     “That is NOT true.” Luke said.
     “I still don’t trust her.” Bo said.
     “I think you are just jealous because I have been spending so much time with her.” Luke said, jumping to Dawn’s defense.
     “I am NOT jealous. If that is what you think perhaps it would be best if I just left.” Bo said.
     “And where would you go?”
     “Up there.” Bo said.
Luke put a hand on Bo’s shoulder, and looked Bo in the eye.
     “I am not going to allow you to do that.”
     “What would you care if I left?” Bo asked.
     “You are the only family I have left . . . my best friend. I refuse to lose you.” Luke said.
     “Sure couldn’t tell with way you’ve been acting.” Bo said.
Luke squeezed Bo’s shoulder. “You know I care.”
Bo nodded. “I know.”
     Dawn had been standing in the shadows listening to the conversation, she frowned as she realized she never make Luke stop caring so deeply about Bo.  Dawn could tell that she would never be able to drive Bo away either, the bond between the two cousins was far too strong to ever be broken. Dawn decided to carry out her plan the very next chance she got. An evil smile crossed over her lips as she watched Bo and Luke walk away from the lake.
     The next day dawn set her plan into motion, while Bo was down at the lake she made her move on Luke. Luke was lying on his back, and dawn was sitting on his legs. She undid the buttons of his shirt and ran her fingers over the bare flesh of his chest.
     “It is time Luke.” Dawn said.
     “Time for what?” Luke asked, looking up at her with questioning blue eyes.
     “Time for your existence to come to an end.” Dawn said.
     “Is this some kind of joke?”
Dawn shook her head, her eyes shimmering with a previously hidden evil. Luke’s eyes widened, he realized that Bo had been correct to not trust Dawn something about her was indeed wrong. Vines extended from her body and wrapped around Luke’s wrists. Luke struggled to escape but his attempts were futile. He was not only concerned for his own safety, but the safety of his cousin as well.
     “Let go of me.” Luke said.
     “I have waited too long for this to stop now.” Dawn said. “Don’t worry about your cousin, his death will be quick, Bo won’t suffer as you shall.”
     “No.” Luke said, struggling to escape the vines.
     “Accept you fate.” Dawn said, another vine emerging and wrapping around his neck, preparing to crush the life out of him.
     Bo stepped into the cavern and his eyes widened when he saw what was happening.
     “GET OFF HIM!” Bo yelled rushing over to help Luke, though Dawn paid no attention to him.
     “Bo get out of here.” Luke said, speaking as loudly to his cousin as he could with the vine around his neck.
     “I am not going anywhere without you.” Bo said and tried to pull Dawn away from Luke, but couldn’t budge her.
A vine extended from her body and struck Bo, knocking him back several feet.
     “Bo . . .go.” Luke said, choking out the words.
     “No, not without you.” Bo said.
     “Please . . . save yourself.” Luke said, praying that Bo would listen to him and leave, wanting Bo to survive.
Bo grabbed a rock off the ground and lunged at Dawn, slamming the rock as hard as he could against her head, refusing to lose Luke to this mutant. Her body was like a hard metal and the rock only shattered and crumbled in his hand.
     “Please go Bo . . . I don’t want . . . you to die too.” Luke said, having accepted that his own death was at hand.
 Bo knew there was no way he could save Luke, and if he stayed  he would also be killed by this mutant. He knew if he ran he wouldn’t be deserting Luke, in fact he knew it was what Luke wanted, and by leaving he would be granting Luke’s dying wish.
     “I love you brother.” Bo whispered and turned and ran from the cavern with tear filled eyes.
     As Bo ran towards the surface he heard Luke scream in agony, and then there was silence, it was then he knew that Luke was dead. Bo kept running knowing he had no time to stop. Minutes later he emerged from underground, the light momentarily blinding him, as it had been months since he had seen it last. He noticed that the world seemed in worse condition then he had remembered it being in, it seemed almost dead. Bo walked a short distance and then collapsed to the ground and leaned against a tree and cried long and hard over losing Luke.
     After he had spent his tears Bo stood up and continued walking. A short time later, a pair of rough hands grabbed him from behind, pulling him backwards. He couldn’t see his attacker but he knew it wasn’t human. He felt hot breath on his neck and then sharp teeth sank into his throat. Bo gave a strangled cry and then went still as he felt the life draining from his body, he knew that he would soon be joining his family.