Apocalypse

How it Ended

It was now 2020, two years since the first outbreak, and there was a group just outside the city lines. They'd survived for a long time in the cover of a canyon by a forest. In the camp's prime, they numbered about 30 people, but lately were down to 12. They had lost a lot of scouts in the city, hence some of them dying of starvation.

They were led by a former detective, William Hughes. In the beginning, his wife and two daughters had survived along with him. One was now married with a child on the way, and the other was single to her father's dismay. The rest of the community was a modge podge of broken families. Some with family members who died in the first wave, some of starvation, and others never returned from searches. They had their fair share of squabbles, but they held together.

"Why can't you just try to find someone? Stacy found Jamie and they hit it off just fine. Isaac had Erika before they..." They paused sadly over the death of the couple. Erika and Isaac came with a son when they first joined the group. Becca was good friends with the kid, she was really the only person he would talk to after finding out his parents had been changed. Though her father couldn't stop there. He had to keep the argument going. "Why can't you do that? It's the end of the world, humanity is at stake here." William stood firm, arms crossed against his chest facing his daughter. His daughter, Rebecca, stood and angrily paced as they argued over her future in the camp. It had already gone on for nearly half an hour and both were getting irritated at the other's stubbornness.

"Dad, I'm more focused on survival than romance and I'm not just gonna marry the only guy in the group close to my age just to reproduce! Justin is 5 years older than me and I don't like him. He's strange. He drinks. I'm not settling just because you think me having a kid can 'save humanity'." She turned her back to her father.

"The only reason you don't like Justin is because I introduced you. He's a good kid. Give him a chance." They spoke all this in the privacy of their family's tent, with one spot vacant since her mother died. The tent could hold four, but her sister had been staying with Jamie ever since her father, the declared leader, did a 'marriage' ceremony for the two of them. Ever since her sister met Jamie, her father was adamant Rebecca try and find someone. Justin, so far, was the only guy in the group who was close to her age, albeit five years older. Her father stressed even more over Rebecca when her sister found out she was pregnant. William would go on and on about saving humanity, and all it took was time, patience, and finding the one who would continue your lineage.

"That's a lie. I tried to get to know him but I don't like him. I'll never like him."

"How did you try exactly? I've never seen you talk to him."

"Oh, but he's tried talking to me plenty." Becca snorted. Her first experience with him had been at a bonfire, a small one for safety purposes. Rebecca was there, but wasn't vocal. Justin on the other hand had been drinking his fair share and was talking nonsense. She was immediately turned off by his touchy personality. It started with him just wrapping his arm around the guy next to him, then led to him trying to flirt with her. Justin had shoved his way next to her on the log and was being overly touchy. Not something she was interested in or ever would be. And that wasn't the first time he'd done something like that either. Her father threw his hands in the air in exasperation.

"No, that was a bonfire. You said next to nothing to him. You're going to have to try harder than that."

"Try harder than-"

"These are the end times. The very survival of our species is at stake. It only takes one step in the right direction. Justin is a good guy, if you just try and be more like your sist-"

"SISTER! Of course. Stacy's so perfect with her kid and all. You think this is helping survival? Well in my opinion, not like it matters to you, having a child while things are still so new and uncertain is dangerous. Besides, she never would've met this Jamie guy if none of this would've happened. I think Stacy's being stupid." Rebecca clenched her fists in anger. She wanted to throw the cot. Even before the apocalypse Dad always favored Stacy. William went over and stood at mother's empty cot. He sighed.

"Your mother could always get through to you..." He sat down on her cot with his head in his hands. She had died at the hands of another survivor. A scout had come back dehydrated, hallucinating from heat stroke. She went forward with some water, but he went ballistic and murdered her in front of her husband. William shot that man down without a second thought. That was about the time the group decided to make him the leader. He wasn't afraid to make the hard decisions. "If only she were here..." This statement only made Becca angrier.

"Wow. Okay. Yeah, mom could definitely get me to marry someone I barely know and would NEVER associate with should things be normal. At least mom didn't play favorites." She huffed. Rebecca's voice dripped of sarcasm and anger.

"Favorites? Becca! I love both of my daughters equally! And so did your mother. And stop talking that way about Justin! These times are hard enough as is, he's dealing in any way he can, and I say he's doing it quite well. As for your sister... Just because she is pregnant does not automatically make her the favorite!"

"Whatever dad. You constantly tell me to be more like Stacy. You brag on Stacy. Never me. She gets married. She gets pregnant. She's pretty. Then there's just me. Single. Plain. Disappointing."

"At least she's making the most out of our miserable situation. You sit in the tent and wallow or go off into the woods by yourself." Becca's jaw dropped.

"Because I'm tired of being shoved into a relationship with a drunk. If I step out of the tent for breakfast you always seem to be talking to Justin and asking me to join. Or if something needs done, 'Oh why don't Becca and Justin go?' I don't like him dad. I'm not weakening myself or lowering my standards just because you think you can save the human race! You couldn't even save mom!" Becca stopped and covered her mouth. "Dad..I'm sorry..." He simply nodded and beckoned to the tent flap.

"Get out. Maybe Justin will let you stay in his tent for the night. Try that on for size."

"I'd rather be bitten by a zombie." She snapped. Yes, her comment about mom had been out of line, but Becca was not going to put up with that response. Fight after fight, he still never understood. "I'm not going to argue with you anymore." Rebecca stomped out of the tent out to the woods after grabbing her axe.