15 Years Later

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Journal Entry – Day 1

I found this journal today, buried in the basement beneath a pile of old boxes and junk. The pages are yellowed, the ink faded, but it's still legible. It belonged to my dad, Michael.

I never knew him. Mom said he was a brave man, a hero, but that's all I got—stories, and a name. He died before I was born. This journal... it's all I have of him now.

I've read through some of it. The last entry was from Day 236. He was bitten, and Peter, his friend, had to cut off his arm. They were in Sacramento, trying to get supplies. I can't even imagine the pain he went through.

Journal Entry – Day 2

I spent all night reading Dad's journal. It's like I'm hearing his voice for the first time, learning about the man everyone said was a legend. He was just trying to survive, just like the rest of us.

The Commonwealth is different now. It's bigger, stronger, but there's still danger everywhere. Raiders, infected, and sometimes, other survivors who've lost their humanity.

I know Mom didn't want me to find this, didn't want me to see how bad it really was back then. But I'm glad I did. I need to know who my dad was.

Journal Entry – Day 3

There's an entry in the journal where Dad talks about finding Mary's grave. I didn't know Dad had kids before. Mom never mentioned her. I think she was too heartbroken to talk about it.

I can't imagine what it was like for Dad to find her like that. He must've been devastated. But he kept going, kept fighting, because he had to. For Mom. For me, even though I wasn't born yet.

I wish I could've known him. I wish he was here to teach me how to survive, how to be strong. But all I have are these words on paper, and they'll have to be enough.

Journal Entry – Day 4

Mom finally caught me reading the journal. She wasn't mad, but I could see the pain in her eyes. She told me more about Dad, about how he saved her life more times than she could count.

She told me about the day they were ambushed in Sacramento, how he fought like hell to protect the others, even after losing his arm. She said he was always thinking of us, even when he knew he was dying.

She never remarried. Said no one could ever replace him. I guess that's why she's always so sad, even when she's smiling.

Journal Entry – Day 5

Mom told me how Dad signed up for the Commonwealth military. He wanted to give us a better life, something stable in this fucked-up world. It worked for a while. We had a decent house, food, and security.

But then, the Commonwealth was attacked. Raiders breached the South Gate, and some infected got in. Mom said it was chaos. People were screaming, running. Dad was on the front lines, trying to hold them off.

That's when she found out she was pregnant with me. She told Dad, and for a moment, everything seemed like it might be okay. But it wasn't. Dad was sent on another mission to Las Vegas, and he never came back.

Journal Entry – Day 6

I'm going to find out what happened to him. Mom says he died out there, that Peter and the others saw it happen, but I need to see for myself. I'm not a little kid anymore. I'm fourteen. Old enough to know the truth.

The Commonwealth is still here, still standing. We've rebuilt, stronger than ever. But I feel like a part of me is missing, a part that died with my dad in that place.

I'm going to start training, just like he did. I'm going to join the Commonwealth military, and I'm going to find out what really happened out there. If he's alive somehow, I'll bring him home. If not... I'll make sure his grave is marked, like he did for Mary.

Journal Entry – Day 7

Mom doesn't know what I'm planning, and I'm not sure how to tell her. She's been through so much already, and I don't want to hurt her more. But I can't just sit here and do nothing.

Dad fought for us, for our future. Now it's my turn. I'll keep this journal, just like he did, and one day, maybe I'll have a son of my own who will read these pages and know who his father was.

Maybe, just maybe, I'll find some peace in all this madness. But first, I need to know. I need to know the truth about what happened to my dad.

Even if it kills me.

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