Chapter 12 Pezzie
Pezzie had always knew happiness , her mom Charlene was the sweetest person and made sure everyday that Pezzie was okay , her dad Ridge wasnt home often due to his military job but he would call everyday when possible , he was a kind man . She was from a good neighborhood a small one where everyone was waving at each other , she would make sure she waved at everyone when she walked her dog. Even school was going well, she had good grade , a passionate teacher and a bunch of friend in her class . Yep even at the age of thirteen , she knew she had a good life , she was thankful for everything she had . She knew her mom had it rough , she guessed it was hard being a army wife, it was rough, she was old enough to pull her own weight , she was doing everything she could , dishes , her bed anything to help . She was at school when the tv first talked about the outbreak . A couple of senior at high school were talking about it ,she thought it was a hazing process .But then a second case , came and a third one , she was getting worried more and more .She would have told her mom , but she knew she had so much on her plate already , a couple of week went by no news ,no news at all which was odd to Pezzie .
- No news ,means good news , she said hopeful
She had to be hopeful, her father was coming back in eight days and thing would get better . She was eating dinner alone and feeling lonely she decided to open the tv , it was the news, an urgent report , there was a number of cases in the city , people who were attacking each other , people who were infected that were overly aggressive and dangerous , she was getting scared she switch channel but it was on every single channel .Then she heard the doorknob turn , her heart jump
- Hi dear , i've brought you pizza .
It was her mom she sight in release , she quickly close the tv maybe her mom didnt know yet, she didnt want her to know hoping to protect her , she had a hard time finding sleep she was scared, so scared and only her dad being back would reassure her .
- Seven days , she said in the dark , seven days i can do it .
As she went to school , they were men in big white hazmat suit with a mask to breath , they took her and shine a flashlight in her eyes , it hurted but didnt last long , they were told to stay in the gymnasium. Was the whole school told this ? Why we're theyre so little people they were only a couple of hundred out of a thousand . She heard whisper of people being taken away , her mom came to get her from school , saying
- Its okay sweetie , we are gonna have a girl talk.
As they arrived home , she saw giant boxes of food after giants box of food, why did they need so much .
-Whats going on mom , asked Pezzie
-Its complicated , I need you to promise me two thing , do not open the door to anyone and do not go outside .said her mom
- Okay mom , simply said Pezzie. Is dad still coming
Her mother smiled and nod , they had her favorite meal that night a delicious chicken parm , it help her relax a bit , it was so nice that evening , her mom had put music, they dance happily after , she couldnt remember the last time she enjoyed herself that much . She went to sleep that night, smiling thinking , six more days . The next day a man had come , he had installed wooden board on theyre windows inside and out , when she had asked her mom why.
-Dont you think your already tan enough, little tapdole think of the fortune we will make saving on solar cream ,had been the answer.
She knew her mom was only trying to be reassuring , Pezzie was smart , smarter than her age , she had guessed that the infected number were growing , that a lockdown was a probability . She understood that food would get scarced and that the people would steal in chaos . She knew exactly what her mom was doing, she had stockpile and was protecting the good they had , they hugged and she felt her mother soft hand caress her hair . They were gonna make it , Pezzie thought, they would survive , five more days and her dad would be there . The fourth day had been peaceful they spent the day watching old dvd of disney movie , she was too old for that but if it made her mom happy why not theyre was three days left what could possibly happen .The next day had broke Pezzie heart , the man didnt do a great job in the attic , there was a hole just big enough to peak trough on a board , she made sure her mom was sleeping and she went to go take a peak she was seeing people steal , a car was burning , people fighting, all society , all rule had seem to stop existing . She had seen a women being bitten almost eaten by another person , they had fallen to the ground before the bitter was killed by another man . The man had tried helping the women , but she had bitten him , how was that possible , that women was suppose to be dead. Was that how people were infected ? Through being bitten? She was safe at least they could wait for her father , there was only two days left . That night she had ,heard people screaming begging for help, she felt like a bad person, not helping them , she wanted to desperately, they had food for a couple of week and could maybe get two or three more people and still be safe , but she had promise her mother . She woke up to growl and thump , she ran to the attic to look outside the street was full of people walking strangely most of them were covered in blood . They scared her , her dad was coming the next day , but she now understood that going outside wasnt safe anymore , the world had reached the point of no return , life would change forever and even though her dad would protect them , but even with his military background he couldnt possibly change that . She went downstairs to eat and saw her mom arguing on the phone
- What do you mean , hes not coming , she said , yes I do understand the importance of the bigger city but he has a family and we need him too .
She hung up , right away Pezzie knew her father wasnt coming , she saw that her mom start crying, she came to hug her .
- Its okay mom , we have food and water , plus we are safe , I have been observing them , I don't think they can open door or force ours thanks to the work we did .
Her mom looked at her mouth wide open, shocked .
- You knew , of course you knew you are smart ,said her mom they broke the hug and watch a couple comedy before heading to bed . The growling at night persisted she was getting use to it, no what kept her up was that her father wasnt coming the next day , her only hope now gone. She woke up , but didnt leave bed because she felt sad , her mom came to get her hours later and hugged her , Pezzie followed her in the kitchen , her mom flicked the switch of the light, but nothing , she tried once more ,still nothing. Pezzie knew electricity would end in this apocalypse she just didnt expect it to be that quick , it was fine , they had ton on food that could be eaten cold and tons of desert she thought, trying to be positive.
Beside they had tons of table game to keep themselves entertained , they played a game of monopoly that lasted the whole afternoon . A sudden very hard knock came at the door , Pezzie mom hold her tighly , but the voice that was screaming to open the door was familiar , Pezzie eye watered , it couldnt be , she ran to the attic and saw an army vehicule parked in the driveway her father was there . She ran and open the door , a group of man came in ,four to be exact they were armed , she recognized her father and jump in his arms
- Hey pipsqueak he said , man fortify the door we are setting up camp here
Her parents kissed , everything was back to normal , there was another good news , her uncle Tye he was her dad bestfriend and they been to war together as far as she could remembered , Tye was a good man , her mom once told her she had thought Tye was flirting with her and she had hated him since they met , until Tye brought his boyfriend home , that had made Pezzie laugh and thats how he had become her uncle . They spend the night listening to her father stories , he had been deployed in a near city , but Ridge had convince his squad to do a quick stop by , he had joke that they all had resisted till he mention free food , she didnt know the two other guy they seemed nice enough thankfully , after the diner was done her father told everyone to rest as theyd be leaving early morning . The next morning they waited till everyone was ready ,filled the car with provisions and left , they wanted to hit the big city , Pezzie was relieve that they left the house . The house was safe yes ,but would have been a target sooner than later .The road was safer , harder but safer ,they arrived at the big city that afternoon . But it was as Pezzie had expected , the city was chaos , she could hear the growl, gunshot , screams . Her father was speechless , her mom sobbing , things seemed to be hopeless
- We are leaving its too late ,said Ridge
One of the younger soldier said
- But sir , we have our orders and this is the future of mankind, as they run toward the middle of the city
- Then mankind is lost ,said her father
