My Heart Died With This World

He's Only 17!

"No way!"

"Mom. Please." My mom shook her head.

"You are not going out there. Not my baby boy." I threw my fork back on my plate, making a loud noise. "I can't believe you would allow this Peter!" My father calmly put his hands together and rested his chin on them.

"I believe he's old enough."

"He's only seventeen!" I sighed.

"And next year I'll be eighteen. Then nineteen. Are you going to wait for these walls to fall before I actually kill one of those things. You're protecting me from protecting myself." I watched my mom look down at her lap.

"I just want to keep you safe." She whispered. I started playing with my hands.

"I understand. But you can't protect me from the inevitable." She looked between my father and me. "I'll be safe mom." She stood up, gathering our plates. She stood in front of me with a pointed finger.

"You will pick up on studies. Stay with your friends. If you get in a close call, you do everything to make it back to me. I don't want to be like Vivian and Victor. I don't want to wait at the gates like a widow." She kissed the top of my head.

"I will mom." She left towards the kitchen and I smile at my dad. It disappeared when I saw him frowning.

"You shouldn't have pulled that card." I gave him a funny look.

"What do you mean?"

"Blackmailing your mother."

"I didn't blackmail her. I told her the truth!"

"You know she's scared of losing you." I sat back in my seat, glaring at him.

"You shouldn't have used the same thing on Jack. He had to shoot his sister. You were being heartless."

"I'm not going to give him pity." I jumped as he slammed his fist on the table. My dad has changed a lot since the apocalypse started. He things he's the leader of this whole little community. I bit my lip.

"Would you kill me?"

"What?" I locked eyes with my father. I swallowed the lump in my throat.

"If I g-got bit and turned.....would you put a bullet in my head?" He locked his jaw.

"For the good of the group, yes." I held back the tears in my eyes. "But as a father, I would die before I killed you." I reached my hand across the table to touch his. He pulled away before I could even get close. "You should get some rest. Big day tomorrow." I watched as he walked out of the dining room, leaving me alone. He never says he loves me anymore. He stopped as soon everything went to shit.

"Goodnight." I whispered to no one. I was nervous. I didn't want to die just because I was stupid. I jogged up the stairs to my room. Thanks to my dad being the one that found this place, we got a nice mansion near our command center. I ran my fingers over the records I had hanging up of my wall. I pressed the tape on the posters that were starting to fall down.

I plopped down on my water bed and snuggle under the covers. I probably wasn't going to fall asleep. I thought of all the people that have gone missing, their pictures lining the walls. I imagined the eldest son that was the Fuentes'. I wonder if he survived like they so desperately wished. I wondered if he was good looking, if he's nice. I rolled on my side and looked at the guitar my dad found on a run. They told me how he loved to play guitar. I wanted to hear what my guitar could do.

I wanted to meet him. What was his name again? I sighed. I think it started with a V. Vincent? No I think that was his middle name. Va. Ve.

"Vic." I nodded to myself. That sounds right. It just rolled off the tongue. "I hope you're alive. I really want to meet you." I pulled the covers to my chin, yawning. Maybe I will fall asleep tonight with dreams of the boy I wish to meet.