This Is Us

Chapter 2: Home

It's just about noon by the time we get home. Jonathan and I walk up to a big dark red apartment complex made of bricks. It's about 6 stories tall and it looks just as broken as all the others ones up and down the street. We walk up the few steps into the building and make our way to the 4th floor where we call home.

We walk up the stairwell and open the door to D-34. I'm already tired from running away from the WASP. When we enter the small two bedroom one bath apartment, I see my dad sitting at the round dining table. It looks like he fell asleep while reading a newspaper article.. the same one he's been reading every morning. 

Jonathan goes off into the kitchen to put the few supplies we found into the fridge. I head straight to my room. I walk in to be greeted once again by the once vibrant pink walls. They're almost completely covered in posters and photos. Whoever's room this was seems to really take a like into music. When we first came here I found a broken guitar on the floor. 

My room is fairly small, there's a twin bed with ruined blue bed sheets and a dirty white pillow. A small desk sits in the corner right under a window. The closet is filled with clothes from all shapes and sized. The walls are covered in posters and pictures. 

I go to sit on my bed and yawn. I've never been this tired after only a few hours of scavenging. Although I didn't get much sleep last night. We kept hearing noises and I couldn't help but stay up even though Dad kept reassuring me that it was okay to go back to sleep. 

I take off my balaclava. It feels so nice to let my brown hair free. I wouldn't usually wear a balaclava but with this cold I'm thankful for it. I wouldn't usually wear combat boots either but the snow has been too high for some regular canvas shoes, with these, my ankles can resist the cold snow.

I lay back down and rest my eyes as I slowly lose myself in though. What would be different if this hadn't happen? What if the virus just stopped? What would happen if I lose my dad or my brother? If there's anything that I fear the most, it would be being alone. Without my dad or my brother... What if my mom was still alive?

I lost her a long time ago, too far for me to remember. I was only two years old and we were living in our first home in Indiana. The virus has already hit the streets but the worst that's happen was martial law. Dad said that every Saturday, military officials would test everyone on our block to see if we were infected. I asked him what they did to the infected and he only told me that they take them away. Now I know the darker truth behind that. 

They tested my mom. My dad wasn't home when they took her so it was just me, little Jojo, and her.  We were taken to a "hospital" where they killed people who had the virus, of course they couldn't leave us alone. They waited for Dad to get there to tell him the situation. He didn't take it too well. He ended up attacking the officials and they arrested him. Jojo and I were put in an orphanage for over a year until they let him out of the city jail. 

The first thing he did when he picked us up was find out what happened to Mom. We went to the same hospital and they said, she had escaped. Nobody ever saw her since. We went back to the house and found a note that she left.. It was a suicide note. She took her own life knowing she had the virus. 

Dad never told me what the note said, honestly I don't know if I want to know. At this point it's like he completely forgot about her. I never try to bring it up because it would only anger him. Jonathan just never mentions it at all, he always tells me to focus on the situation at hand.

I put my beanie on to keep my long hair off my face and walk out to the kitchen. Dad seems to be awake now but I keep to myself. I see Jonathan sitting at the dining table with him. He looks at me and motions me to sit with him. I can't help but sigh, I don't like family meetings, it's always about stuff like staying safe and watching out for the WASP. 

I sit down next to Jonathan so we're both facing my dad. The light from the window shines on our table. 

Dad's the first to speak up, "I know you get tired of these meetings but you know why I do 'em," He says this while looking at the table.

Jonathan sits up a bit, "So what's this one about?"

Dad sighs heavily, "It's about our night duties. As you know, we've been keeping the routine of each of us keeping watch for two hours per night. Well, tonight, we should all get some sleep "

Did my father really say this? I haven't had a full sleep in years. I can't help but smile and when I do, Dad laughs and so does Jonathan. 

"So? What do you say?"

"Y-Yes! Yes that's awesome," I blurt out

"Wait but what about the WASP?" Jonathan is worried as usual. 

My Dad raises his voice in a happy tone, "We've been living here for a while now, what are the chances of them coming on this one night?"

I quickly responded, "Don't jinx it! I'm already thinking about sleeping"

Not so long after the best announcement, the sun has gone down and we all head to bed on a happy note.