My parents were already busy trying to drain out the water that had uninvitingly entered our home. Luckily the water hadn't yet reached the kitchen, meaning only the hallway would have damage. Heavy sandbags had been put in front of the front door and the kitchen door to prevent further water from entering. Poppy grabbed a bucket and began scooping up the murky sewage water, as did I, wrinkling my nose at the unpleasant smell. My arms ached as I lifted more and more heavy buckets, the water shrinking down from the middle of our shins to our ankles.

An hour later all the water had been begrudgingly transported back outside and the floor had been mopped dry. The old wooden floor had lifted in places and darkened where the water sunk beneath the panels. My mum looked down at it in dismay; I'm not used to seeing her without a gleaming smile from ear to ear. My dad clapped his hands together and gave a sheepish smile, looking like he was about to say something but then changed his mind. Jasper's howling suddenly broke the silence between the four of us.

I walked into the living room and everyone followed. Jasper sat on top of the sofa next to the window, howling in rhythm, whilst staring out of the window. The raindrops were the size of watermelons, all crashing off the ground. Jasper began furiously scrapping his paws against the window as the rain got heavier. The water was accumulating fast and there was now a fast flow of water passing through the street which looked to be about knee high. Most houses in the street had sandbags in front of their doors like us. I felt sympathy for those who didn't, thinking about the water flooding inside of their homes at a very fast pace. Fear started to enclose my heart.

"What's that noise?" My mum shouted, giving us all a fright. We all sat very still trying to listen for something other than Jasper's consistent scratching.

"I think that's my phone!" Poppy exclaimed, running back through the hallway to retrieve it.

"Oh her poor mother! I never thought..." my mum said, guilt taking over her face.

We sat silently listening to Poppy try and reassure her mother. After a few minutes she returned back to the living room, her head held high trying to smile.

"Is your mum alright Poppy?" My dad immediately asked.

"Yes, she's just rather panicked. Is it okay if I stay the night? My mum said warnings have been made on the news to stay indoors," Poppy explained, whilst fiddling with her hair.

"Yes of course, you're always welcome to stay here! I'm sure it'll be safe to go and see your mum tomorrow," my mum replied, not looking too sure about her response.

"At least you live at the top of a hill; it means there's less chance of flooding. Let's put on the news, see what's being said about this rain," my dad said, reaching for the television remote.

"My mum said the astronomer is being interviewed at six," Poppy said, sitting down on the sofa next to me.

The rain poured down, big black clouds filled the sky making it pitch black outside, which felt spooky since it wasn't supposed to be dark for another four hours. I looked over to my mum as I waited for my dad to find the right channel. Her eye's wandered vaguely around the room, making her look distant from the world. She sat slumped against the sofa, her face droopy, with big sad eyes. It scared me to look at her. My mum was usually the happiest person I knew; it made my heart physically ache to see her this way. Thoughts raced through my mind as to why she looked this way and what I could do about it. Then I remembered, as if it had just slipped my mind, "the world is going to end in just thirty days." The thought of that is enough to make anyone look sick of their life. My dad noticed me staring and put his arm around her.

I laid back on the sofa, and pulled Jasper onto my knee. I stroked his soft cool fur gently, feeling his heartbeat slowly decrease back to a steady pace. We all sat uptight and silent watching the news, wanting answers to follow up the announcement which was made two days ago. Poppy crossed her legs and then uncrossed her legs; she fiddled with her hair and bit her nails, which was unlike her. My dad looked the calmest of us all.

"Good evening and welcome to Scotland's local news. Tonight's main topics are around the weather conditions we are currently facing and information on Dr Austin Reed. The majority of Scotland has faced torrential rain for a number of hours today, causing devastating floods for many families and businesses. Weather forecasts predict the rain should slow down throughout the evening and come to a complete stop by early hours of the morning. However we advise people to stay indoors for the time being, due to the dangers of the fast flowing floods." The news reporter took a short break from her speech, turning to the next page of her notebook and clearing her throat before beginning again.

"It was earlier announced that Dr Austin Reed was going to be interviewed this evening, which was going to be broadcasted worldwide to put everyone's minds at rest and give you all some details on the situation we are facing. However, Dr Reed has been unable to make it to the agreed destination for the interview, due to weather conditions. The interview will still go ahead, and we hope to announce the date and time to you very shortly."

"He couldn't make it for an important interview of that sort, are we supposed to believe that! The guy probably doesn't even exist!" My dad yelled.

"You'd have thought he would have planned ahead and left plenty of time to spare. Surely he could have predicted this rain, since he clearly thinks he knows everything that is going to occur on planet Earth by the day!" My mum chuckled, already looking relieved.

I looked at Poppy and she looked back at me. "I've never heard of him and I'm studying all three sciences at college," she said, shrugging her shoulders.

The air was suddenly filled with a positive vibe after the news reporter's speech, making us all doubt the story that turned our lives around two days ago. I scrolled through social media sites on my phone, my newsfeed already filled with opinions on the situation.

"Dr Reed had his day of fame trying to frighten us all, he'll never turn up to that interview because he doesn't have a story to tell!"

"I knew it was all a scam, predicting the number of days we have left is impossible!"

I didn't come across a single post where someone was defending Dr Reed; a cloud of relief came over me.

"Thirty days! Who is he kidding; we have the rest of our lives ahead of us!" My mum shouted, throwing her head back with laughter.

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Authors Note: I hope you're enjoying 30 Days To Say Goodbye so far! :)

My highlight of the chapter: I liked the humorous ending, who doesn't like a good ending eh...

Questions of the chapter: Do you think it will be a good ending or are they predicting too early? What was your highlight of the chapter?

Don't forget to show your support through leaving feedback, so I know whether or not you're enjoying it. Thanks for reading! Don't forget to add 30 Days To Say Goodbye to your library to receive update notifications! :)

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