Nuclear Family by James D. Irwin

We look out for each other in the shelters. We're not a traditional family, but those of us who survived have a saying: radioactive waste is thicker than blood.

Nuclear Family by Lesley Whyte

I shouldn't be sitting here. Night will fall soon and that's one of the rules - never stay out after dark. Not if you want to live 'til morning anyway. But I was sifting through the books, pulling out pages to burn on the fire if it gets cold enough that it's a choice between lighting a fire and freezing to death. It's headed that way. It's been getting colder for weeks.

Ma always used to laugh at the term "nuclear family." When people said we were a nuclear family - which meant two parents, two kids, usually a dog, too, though ours died when I was six and Ma said we couldn't get another one - she'd laugh and say "this family isn't nuclear, it's toxic." People would laugh but I didn't really get it. I was going through the library books and found a cover with that exact line written on it. I felt the tears welling up and bit them back, biting down hard enough on my tongue to draw blood. Being found was one thing. Being found in a sobbing heap on the floor was quite another.

I ripped the cover off that book but left the pages, tucking it back into its place on the shelf. I stashed the cover in my bag and started tearing up bibles instead. There was no religion anymore and they had a lot of fucking pages. There were no families either, but I left all the books with happy families on the cover well alone. Bibles it was.

Nuclear Family by Sara Travis

“If they’re thinking they can threaten us with bombs, they got another thing comin’.” says Daddy from the top of the table. His pie sits untouched to the side of his plate, maps and papers covering the surface. 

I force the remnants of the rabbit pie from my teeth with a toothpick and lean over to get a better look.
“So, what are we gonna do, Daddy?” 

Daddy smiles so wide I can see the teeth at the back of his mouth, sparkling, pearly whites.
“We’re gonna act first, dammit. We’re gonna drop a nuke on their ass.”

Mama drops her cutlery to her plate with a clatter.
“Boys, for the last time – I don’t like you talking war at the dinner table. Joey, eat your greens.”

Nuclear Family by Solomon Blaze

The Devil takes you Hand;

God takes your Soul.

‘Cause your down this hole,

All alone...

If a Crow flies straight,

Then where’s the road?

Because I’m tired,

Of all this pointless Rock n’ Roll.

It’s all about:

Heart

And Soul,

And Love

And Hate.

‘Be a Man and take the pain.’

So Everything else can stay the same...

Nuclear Family by Nick Trussler

‘Could you pass the potatoes please darling?’

My father asks, though the words come out muffled through his radiation suit.

I pass what I think are the potatoes but when you have three eyes, purple skin and no tongue everything looks and tastes the same. Sometimes it’s hard being part of a Nuclear family.

Day Seventeen

And today's prompt is...

Nuclear Family