The Girl Who Stopped the Apocalypse (pjo fanfiction)

2- You won't have nightmares if you don't dream

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It had been six months since the Apocalypse started when we ran out of food. Everyday, I stared through my window as my neighbours tried to get out to get some food. I watched them get killed every single time. I saw little kids crying alone, and dying no long after.

I had to see  everyone dying and do nothing.

I'd learned the hard way. Once, I tried to throw a energy bar at a man who was dying of hunger in the street, running for his life.

He caught the food, ate it, threw the wrapper and then stared at me. I never would have guessed that he would launch a rock at me.

I still had a lump in my forehead, a painful remainder that kindess was useless in this new world.

Queen Marie was quieter these days. She would swing back and forewards, cupping her face into her arms and muttering strange things. However, the third day without food, she came back to her senses.

"Hazel, where is lunch?" She asked me, grabbing me by my arm so hard it left a bruise.

"We have no food. We'll need to go..." I doubted for a moment, then sighted "I mean, I will go to steal something. Everyone is probably dead now... Or, at least, as dead as you can be."

Queen Marie medited for a moment, then replied harshly.

"No, you can't go. What if something happens to you?"

For a second, something fluttered in my heart. Did she actually... care? She cared about me?

"Then what would I do? I can't just do stuff. Clean, cook..."

I sighted again and bumped my head with the wall. Stupid hope. Stupid, useless hope.

It was right then when I gave up on hope and grew up. I had to grow up already. If I wanted to have any chance of survival, I was gonna have to quit being a child.

"Hazel... Are you sure you need both of your arms?"

I first chuckled, but then gasped when I realized that she wasn't kidding.

"What do you mean?" I asked, not sure I wanted to hear the answer.

"I could eat... I mean, you don't actually need two..."

Was she... sugesting me to cook my arm for her? Queen Marie was actually out of her mind.

"That's it. I'm leaving" I told her.

And she wimpered. She cried like a little kid. But I was tired of being the adult.

I packed my stuff in my old schoolbag. I put on my camo pants, a black tank top and a grey jacket. I tied my hair with a bandana and grabbed a knife.

"You can't leave me alone! I'm your mother! You owe me your life!"

For once, I was not scared. I was determined, and tired of the way that things had been. And, on top of everything, I was fired up.

"I DON'T OWE YOU A THING!" I yelled "YOU HAVE BEEN EVERYTHING BUT A MOTHER TO ME! AND YOU THINK I WON'T LEAVE? WATCH ME!"

And, with those last words, I stormed off the house and into the streets.

It was reckless, I know. But I was done.

Once I was in the street, I realized that I wouldn't last long if I didn't learn to defend myself.

So I ran, ducked behind cars and tried to hide until I reached a building. I was searching for a supermarket that wasn't raiding with zombies.

My first encounter was just a few hours after I ran away. A big and fat zombie limped towards me, foam dripping off his open mouth. Panic set over me, but I tried to control it and stabbed it in the chest.

But, much to my horror, it did not die, but it kept walking, its putrid blood now staining the ground. 

So I kept stabbing. I kept launching my knife until I inserted it into one of its eyeballs and into his craneum. 

It dropped dead instantly.

I was about to throw up, because the situation was completely disgusting, and I had eyeball liquid dripping off my arm.

But disgust washed over and realizacion came next. I had discovered the way to kill zombies, even if it was absolutely repulsive. 

So I wasn't lost anymore. I walked more confidently, stabbing a few zombies up in their eyes and into their brains as I walked towards the shop.

My town was small, so the local shop was pretty tiny. Nevertheless, I raided in and ate as much  unexpired food as I could eat. 

Some minutes later, after I'd filled up my bag with energy bars, I came to the conclusion that I would die if I stayed in the village. Sure, it was less plagued with zombies than big cities, but resources were less, too.

I was drinking some gatorade when I heard it. Voices.

I rumaged through the cans until I found it. A small radio. It was on and the only working channel was emiting a message.

"Crisis state is declared. Everyone must be quarentined at home until further notice. Freeze food and stay calm. Zombified people must be taken to special quarentine locations at once. This is a message of the governme-"

A noise I reconized as a zombie shrieking and someone screaming of pain ended the message.

Okay... I tried to calm myself. Crisis state. That meant zombies were all over the country, if not the world. It was the Apocalypse. And my own moth- I mean, Queen Marie, had started it.

I exited the store knowing I had to take shelter somewhere more resorceful. But I had no vehicle, so I would have to walk.

And so I prepared myself for the hike. I walked in the street for hours, until twilight started. 

Walking alone through the night would be suicidal, so I decided to take shelter in a near gas station which only seemed to have a dozen zombies or so.

And it was right there when I saw it. I fell in love.

The most dazling car was parked right there. I didn't know much about cars, but I could tell it was gorgeous. It was some kind of jeep, with huge wheels. But the best thing was its bright purple colour.

I knew that car had to be mine.

I only had to kill a few zombies in order to get it. The last one, which could have once been a woman with blonde hair, had some keys in a purple keychain which I snached.

I filled the tank with gas until it reached the limit, and then I got in.

When I was seated inside it, I realized I did not know how to drive, for I was still thirteen. But my life depended on it. And it's incredible how quickly you can learn when your life depends on it.

One pedal for going foreward. Another for stopping. Wheel for turning. The more I stomp the pedal, the quicker it goes. Easy enough.

It was my first night driving. And I adored it.

The lights alighted the street ahead. The radio did not work, but there were some downloaded songs which played on loop. "Stitches" by Shawn Mendes and "So am I" by Ava Max. I related to both dearly and they turned into my favourite songs.

Right then, I promised myself I would only focus in my survival. I was done with kindess, it only brought misery.

You won't have nightmares if you don't dream, they say. So I'd just keep myself awake and in the real world.

I was alone in the middle of the Apocalypse, a thirteen years old girl driving a bright purple jeep.

Crazy, right? Well, it had only just begun.

Hello! I wanted to publish this part at 10 views but I realized I won't get views anyway so... Here it is! Hope you enjoy! And thanks for reading!

Julieta <3