The Girl Who Stopped the Apocalypse (pjo fanfiction)

3- Family is found in the darkest of times

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I found shelter in a shop beside a gas station in San Francisco Bay. It was really full of zombies, but also has planty of suplies.

It was my second week living on my own, and I didn't regret running away for a minute.

That day, I planned to raid the local museum. Yeah, I know. I shouldn't be stealing at a museum, but it was the Apocalypse. Besides, I needed a weapon larger than a knife in order not to get to close to zombies when I stab their brains. I needed a sword.

I took tape and bandaged my knuckles and wrists with it. My hair was now in boxer braids, and I'd fixed my trousers so many times that I was nearly sure it had more of my stitches than the actual ones. I'd need some new clothes, too.

I grabbed my knife and my schoolbag. It was time to go on a good ol' raid.

I went to the street and took a deep breath of the putrid and death smell. The sky was grey and cloudy. Zombie moans were heard. So, all in all, a good morning.

My first kill that morning was a fat lady that walked sideways. I stabbed her without flinching. I'd grown accustomed to it.

After that, I collected some of her smelly blood and rubbed it in my skin to mask my smell. Zombies haven't got very good eyesight, they guide themselves basing on smell. So, if I masked my odour, they would leave me alone. 

I decided to leave my car parked and walk through the city. It was close, after all.

First of all, I reached the clothes shop. 

There were only five zombies inside, all wearing fancy dresses and complicaded hairstyles. I didn't plan to end them all, but at the end I had to.

Me being small and swift really helped while fighting the slow zombies. I figures that's why most of the zombies were adults. Teens were the last hope of survival. Well, and some children.

I searched through the place trying to find comfortable clothing in the smallest size. I found a couple of t-shirts, some more camo pants with lots of trousers and a pair of black combat boots which I adored. I also grabbed a grey parka and some underwear.

I leaved the store not feeling really pleased. Shopping wasn't my favourite activity. But I was keen for the next stop.

I ran through the streets, and most zombies ignored me. However, there was one which kept eyeing me. So I stared back. 

He seemed oddly familiar, with black hair and pale skin, although I couldn't really remember who he was.

However, he was covered in zombie goo. So, zombified. 

I got closer, my knife in hand. When I was inches from him, however, I saw his eyes. Instead of the usual cloudy iris and blodshot eyes that zombies had, his were black as coal. I saw reconizion in his eyes, just as mine were wide open.

"Nico?"

"Hazel?"

We both broke into loud sobs and started hugging.

"Oh gods, I thought you were dead!" Nico said through his tears, while he put my hair behing my ear and kept touching my face, as if he could not quite believe that I was there.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry." I wiped his tears with my finger "But we're finally together now. Gods, I sure missed you"

"I missed you too little sis"

We hugged for a long time. Just a few years ago, Queen Marie had forced me to move with her to that tiny cold village where no one knew us, taking me away from my siblings, Nico and Bianca. I'd lost all hope on seeing him again, especially when the Apocalypse started. 

But, there he was, right in front of me.

"Where's Bi?" I asked, hoping she was there, too.

"Bi..." His face darkened "She was bitten a few months ago... She-she killed herself before she transformed. Said she didn't want to be a zombie. She wanted to die."

"Oh Nico" I hugged him. I noticed he hadn't grown much. Like me, he was short and lanky. "I'm sorry. But, you know, she was brave. She made her decision"

"I know, but it's hard. At least you're here"

"Yes" I told him. I knew I'd promised myself not to open up again, but this was different. He was my brother. I teared up again "I won't leave you again"

"Mom's dead too, you know..." He said "I'm all alone"

"My... my mo... I mean, I ran away" I knew I could be honest with him "She was out of her mind, Nico"

"Don't worry. We'll take better care of each other than our parents" He assured me, and I believed him.

"Yeah..." I wiped my tears away and straightened "Well, do you wanna come with me to raid a museum?"

It was the most fun thing I'd done in ages. Running beside my brother, hearing his laugh again... We got in the local museum and ran through the expositions until we reached the greek-roman one.

My eyes settled on a big spatha which seemed made of gold.

"Look!" I caught it in my hands and swinged it. It was heavy, but I knew I'd get used to it. I knew it would be my weapon.

"It's bigger than you, Haze" He giggled, and reached for a greek sword whose blade was dark and shiny, like his eyes "Woah, look at this"

After we both had settled for our weapons, we started training with them. We severed the heads of several statues, killed some dissecated animals and stabbed some dinosaur skelletons. 

Our laughs echoed through the place. We jumped and stabbed, screamed and danced. I cartwheeled through the big rooms while Nico attempted to climb the curtains. 

After touching everything with a "do not touch" sign, we decided it was time to test our weapons in real life.

"Slaying monsters attempt one is on!" Nico cried while we ran outside.

Our noise attracted  half a dozen of zombies that we slayed quickly. It was much easier than using a knife, as I didn't have to get that close in order to stab into their rotten brains.  After a few minutes, we ended the horde.

We both layed on the ground, covered in zombie blood, exhausted yet extremely happy.

"That. Was." Nico started saying while panting

"AMAZING!" I finished

The two of us walked to my shelter in the gas station. I was excited to show Nico my car, and his reaction was worth it and completely priceless.

"You have A CAR?!" He asked, wiping his eyes as if he wasn't seeing clear

"Yep. It's the best. I drive it for hours when I'm sad. It's pretty cool"

"You know how to drive?!" He seemed really confused

"It's not that hard" I said "Besides, who cares if I run over a couple of zombies..."

"Hazel, my own sister, I didn't know you were such a baddie" He giggled

"Well, watch me" I smiled "We're in the middle of the end of the world. Either you're mean or you're dead"

"Fair enough" He breathed outside on last time before coming in "Everyone, hear me out!" He yelled "THIS IS ME!!!!"

I shook my head and laughed "YES!!! THIS IS US!! UNSTOPPABLE SIBLING!!"

That night, I wasn't alone anymore. I stared at Nico, as his chest slowly rised as he snored. I smiled. Because it had been in the middle of the Apocalypse, in the darkest of times, when i'd found my brother, my family. I was never going to let him go again.

Hello! Third part! Yay! Gotta warn next one won't be so nice, though. But you'll have to wait to find out... Also, Thanks for reading! You can't imagine what a read feels to me, it's awesome!

Julieta <3