The Beginning of the End (Peterick)

Chapter 3

-Pete-

I woke to a cold darkness and the soft snoring of Bronx, who was curled up into a tiny ball pressed to my side. Laughing softly, I carefully moved and stood up being sure not to wake him and went to start a new fire. The room once again filled with a soft orange light and a slow moving heat filled the room.

Not really having anything to do until Bronx woke up, I grabbed my old bass guitar and played a few songs. Sometimes I forget what its like to play and hear music. Funny how when the world ends things that were so important before, things that kept you sane and grounded, are so easily forgotten and brushed aside. Soon, I was lost in the music. I played songs that I haven't thought about in years, songs that I thought about every day, and played random cords that had no correlation to each other, but I thought sounded nice.

"Its been a long time since I've seen you play your guitar." Bronx said in a sleepy voice.

"Its a bass guitar." I said "But yeah, its been a minute. I'm a little rusty."

"I think you're the best!" He said with a big smile.

"Thanks Little Man. It means a lot." And it does. He's the only person in the world who's opinion I care about.

"Can we go get food now?" Bronx asked innocently.

"Yeah. Get your coat on and let's go."

I really hope we come up with something today. If we don't, I think we'll have to leave Chicago and look for greener pastures.

I decided to take a turn that we have never gone before, so maybe today will be our lucky day. We walked aimlessly down street after street wandering into a large, nice, neighborhood when it began snowing. The light gray flakes fell slowly on the ground, dampening the ash beneath it.

I noticed a house. Average size and well maintained.

"Wait here. Okay?" I told Bronx before going to the house. I knocked on the door waiting for an answer, but there was none, so I took the alternate entrance. I grabbed a rock that lined the sidewalk leading to the door and went to the window near by and hit the window with all the force I could muster. The glass shattered and fell to the ground, making more noise than I would have liked. I really hope nobodkt lived here now.

I climbed in through the window, accidentally cutting I'm hand on the glass making a deep long cut on my hand.

"Fuck!" I yelled. I'll get over it. Its not that bad. I pressed my hands together hoping to stop the bleeding as I walked through the house. All the dust was swept to the cornere and edges of the house and a pile of warm glowing ashes in the fire place. Well I just broke into a house that somebody lives in. Fucking great. Too late to turn back now.

I followed the clean floor to the kitchen, finding about ten cans. Unzipping my back pack, I picked up four cans and stuff them in my back pack. Before I could turn around and leave, something hard hit me in the back of the head, sending me to the ground with blurry vision almost unconscious.

"Wait wait wait!" I yell rolling over into my back. The guy pulled back his wooden stick before it made contact with my stomach.

"What the fuck are you doing in my house?!" He asked yelling.

"I'm just looking for food!!" I defended.

"Then you should have knocked on the fucking door until I heard! I was using the bathroom then I heard the window shatter! What the fuck is wrong with you?!"

"I did knock! Nobody answered!"

"I was using the fucking bathroom. Shit. You scared the fuck out of me!" He exclaimed tossing the two by four of wood aside. "Let me help you up." He said, stretching his hand out. I grabbed his hand and he pulled me up. "Do you have a name, Stranger?" The short guy asked.

"I'm Pete. What about you?"

"I'm Patrick. Sorry for hitting you.. Are you okay?" He asked looking concerned.

"Yeah I'll be fine I guess. I'll have a knot there though." I said laughing.

"Yeah.. Oops. Do you uh... You wanna stay for dinner?" Patrick asked.

"Sure! I'd love to, but I gotta go get something from outside first."

"Okay. I'll get a fire going and you just walk back in when you get it."

"Cool." I said running for the door to get Bronx.

The snow was calling heavy now and it was getting harder to see as the sun set.

"Bronx! Come on. We are going inside." I told him as I picked him up and ran back to the house.

"Its so cold, Daddy." He told me huddling into my chest.

"I know. We'll be warm soon." I said as I opened the door to Patrick's house. The somewhat warmer air hit us as soon as we walked in. I set Bronx in front of the fire and Patrick came up with a blanket, wrapping it around him.

"Its a small child!! I didn't think that a child was the something you had to get." He said smiling.

"Haha. Yeah. You like kids?" I asked.

"I love them! And its been so long since I've seen one." He told me.

"Daddy, who is this?" Bronx asked.

"I'm Patrick. What's you're name?" Patrick asked sitting down next to him.

"I'm Bronx." He said shyly.

"He's a little shy. He'll warm up to you." I told Patrick.

"I hope so. So what's for dinner?"

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I'm so sorry for these shit chapters, but I had to update because school starts tomorrow and I don't know how frequent updates will be anymore. Oops. I hope this story doesn't go to shit.
-Matthew