Spores

Arthur didn't know his world would end that day. Eggs and bacon were sizzling in the pan. The toast popped out just when the sirens went off."What the hell is going on?" his wife yelled from the staircase, a towel wrapped around her head. "What's that noise?"The children appeared on either side of her, eyes wide, hands over their ears to block out the blaring sirens.Arthur sprinted to the front door and peered out. The street was chaos. People ran from house to house. Families carried out their children and luggage. Car doors slammed and cars sped off into the distance. And that was when the panic-derived calm settled in, and he went into automatic mode."Kat, get the bags. Pack the essentials. Ron, Erin, grab your favorite toy and get back down here in two minutes."Without waiting for a response, he turned and stormed into the kitchen. At his touch, cans and packaged food toppled from the shelves into the bag at his feet. Corn. Tomatoes. Beans."Kat, where's the fucking camping cooker?"They didn't usually swear in front of the kids. Today seemed a good day to ignore such self-imposed rules.Note from the author: I have decided to share the first paragraphs of the story with you instead of a spoiler-laden book description. If you read on, be warned: there are spoilers ahead. Below is the short description of the Water & Earth series and contains information that will reduce your enjoyment of the first two books.When the surface of the earth becomes uninhabitable, humans flee underneath the oceans. Well, those who are lucky enough to get into the utopia. Many are left fighting for limited living space in cave systems created by the last large earthquake in the San Andreas Fault. Those who didn't get into the bubble cities live alongside those who didn't uphold the high standards of the society.