Meeting Prince Harry in an Apocalypse

Day 2

Lea awoke to the sound of birds chirping. The calmness felt surreal after the chaos of the previous day. She wished it was all a dream, but waking up in an abandoned house confirmed the reality.

One by one, the group stirred.

Harry spread a map on the table. “Let’s take the widest road nearest to the water and food sources. This should be it. If we can’t get through for whatever reason, we’ll switch to smaller roads.”

Jeanna nodded. “That seems alright. It should take us a couple of days if there are no delays. A day if we can find a ride and avoid roadblocks.”

“Let’s hope for a ride. We have an elderly in the group. I myself haven’t traveled across cities on foot, especially not during a zombie apocalypse,” Harry said.

He looked around. “Would it be fine if I lead the way?”

“Sure,” Lea said.

They gathered their things and prepared to leave the house.

Harry stepped outside and scanned the area. Seeing nothing, he signaled the group to come out. They exited with bags slung over their shoulders and weapons ready. “I don’t see any roadblocks ahead of us. We can try to start up some cars. I think I see a couple over there,” he said, pointing in the distance.

The group walked a few meters under the hot sun. Mark lagged slightly behind, keeping an eye on their back trail.

Gerard turned to Lea. “Are you okay, sis? You don’t seem very well.”

Lea, a bit pale and sweating, replied, “I’m fine. Don’t worry about me. Just look after Mom.”

“Okay,” Gerard said, falling back to where their mother was. He leaned close to Sydney. “Keep an eye on her.”

“Sure,” Sydney replied, moving quickly to the front line.

“Everyone alright?” Jeanna asked, checking in with the group.

Sydney signaled an “okay” with a nod. Gerard and Mark also gave thumbs-up gestures.

Ahead, a few zombies appeared, staggering toward them. Harry and Jeanna moved in front of the group. “Let’s take them down,” Harry said, gripping his weapon tightly.

Jeanna nodded. “On my count.”

“Three... two... one!” They charged forward.

Behind them, “Hey, you alright?” Sydney asked, glancing at Lea with concern.

“Gerard sent you to babysit me?” Lea chuckled.

“If you call it that,” Sydney laughed, a playful grin on her face. “You know, I watched all of your shows when you were in Broadway. I’d fly to London or the Philippines if I could, but I’ve got to study and work.”

“That’s so thoughtful. Thank you. I’ll make sure to send you special tickets after all of this is done,” Lea said, her voice lightening at the thought.

“I’d like that very much,” Sydney replied, her smile brightening the tense atmosphere around them.

In the front of the trail, Jeanna caught up with Harry, trying to catch her breath. “I can’t believe I hate this more than leg day,” she joked, forcing a grin.

“Just a few more meters and we’ll hopefully secure a vehicle. Then we can cram everybody in,” Harry replied, quickening his pace.

“If we’re stealing a car, might as well steal two. Why cram?” Jeanna rolled her eyes, knowing Harry was just kidding.

They continued a few meters down the road and spotted several cars. Harry approached one, opening the door and starting the engine with surprising skill.

“Now, where’d you learn that?” Sydney asked, eyebrows raised in surprise.

“Oh, you know. As the troublemaker child of my mum, I picked up a lot of things from low places,” Harry teased, a smirk on his face.

“Lea, Gerard, Ligaya, and Mark, you go in this one,” he instructed, pointing to the car. “The tank seems full, so we should be okay until we reach New Jersey.”

As they climbed in, Harry unlocked another car for Jeanna and Sydney. He slid into the driver’s seat while Lea took the wheel in the other vehicle.

They started to go down the road.

After a while while driving, Harry glanced at his phone, which showed 45% battery. There was still no signal, but a message had somehow come through, perhaps while they were sleeping. From Will: *Go to the nearest functional government. We have contacted all of the governments in the US to take care of you while we are working our way to you. Everyone is safe. Granny is safe. Dad is safe. Mum is safe. But we're all worried about you.*

He didn’t share this with the others, instead typing a quick reply: *I’m heading to New Jersey. The government bombed New York, so I had to flee. I’m with some people I just met. Don’t worry about me.*

Jeanna noticed Harry’s expression as he read the message but kept quiet, her curiosity piqued. Sensing her gaze, he finally spoke. “It’s my brother. They’re saying they’re alright.”

He paused, then added, “I left a message saying I’m heading to New Jersey, in case it goes through.”

Jeanna smiled slightly, though fatigue lingered on her face. The cars fell quiet with each of them lost in their thoughts as the reality of their situation settled in.

Harry felt a weight pressing down on him. The image of Meghan crying and begging for his help as zombies devoured on her. He tightened his grip on the steering wheel, trying to push the thoughts away, but they clawed at him relentlessly.

Jeanna, sensing his tension, glanced at him, “Hey, want to talk about it?”

He forced a smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “It's alright… just a lot on my mind.”

Jeanna met his gaze, her expression filled with empathy. “We're here. If you need anything."

“Yeah,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Thanks. I appreciate it.”

As they continued down the road, Harry took a deep breath, steeling himself against grief that threatened to overwhelm him.

He glanced at Jeanna. They were alive, and they had each other, Sydney, Mark, Lea, Ligaya, and Gerard. That had to count for something.