not decided (Personal Writing Book Practice Thing)

:Chapter 1: ROUGH DRAFT (NOT FINALIZED STORY LINE)

A loud thud at the front door shocked Reina and I. Flinching, I quickly placed my hand on my pocket where I kept my pocket knife, feeling the flat surface where the bulge of my weapon usually protruded. My pants' pocket pressed flush against my skin by my hand, harsh enough to feel the indentations of the wrinkles inside between the layers of fabric. The protective weapon was not on me, but even so, my hand lingered, almost waiting for my only defense I had to return, but I knew that was illogical.

Reina had dashed to the door, gun drawn in a matter of heart beats after the noise. The blond peered through the peep hole before letting out a sharp grunt, "Safe. It was just some kids' ball. They'll come get it. It's in the yard now, they accident kicked it at the front door." I nodded, my heart still pounding rapidly in my chest.

The tension was high, society wasn't on our side currently. Reina, my younger sister by a year, resided with me in a house on the edge of the suburbs, far from prying eyes, but still in a casual enough area with younger humans to avoid attention. Staying hidden was essential for us now, more than ever.

Silence held our living room, enveloping us in a strange comfort of knowing we were safe and nothing was here. No one was here. We were safe.

I could see Reina's hands trembling in fear, eyes closed tight. Panic still flooded through her, and I as well, our heart beats likely mimicking the same frantic beat, breaths releasing in desperate huffs. In a movement only described as stiff with anxiety, Reina retired the gun into her shorts' pocket.

I held out my hand trying my best not to shake and offer comfort to my sister. Her fingers grazed my palm before grabbing my hand tightly and pulling herself into my chest. My hand rested on the small of her back, rubbing in light, comforting circles that mimicked our Mother's calming ritual she had done since we were babies. Her shoulders relaxed, sagging with relief. She breathed normally, no longer the terrified girl I had comforted mere moments before.

I broke the silence. "You're so brave, Reina." I whispered. My hands grasped her shoulders, before gliding down her skin and gently holding her an arm's length away to look her in the face. "It's going to be alright. I promise." Reina's stark blue eyes glistened with tears, lips quivering like a child.

But, that's all we were: children. My sister fifteen, myself at sixteen. I felt grateful that we weren't any younger than we already were though. Like the young children in our situation... Young children that Reina's pitiful face reminded me of, the same helpless look hidden behind the tears. I tried to be the best older sister I could be, even if the age gap wasn't drastically different, I felt responsible for her mental health and wellness.
These times were tough, and, as gruesome as the truth was, most youth wouldn't make it through this epidemic that had started a mere six months ago. Bodies weren't uncommon in public and usually picked up quietly, completely ordinary to bystanders. People were accustomed to it. The idea of that was sickening--if Reina or I died we would just be one of the corpses of our kind found on the street, our bodies being stepped over or kicked by the putrid souls that despised our existence.

"How long?" Reina whispered softly. My head tipped to the side, I brushed away the tears that fell down her rosy cheeks.

"How long, what?"

"How long do we have to live like this?" She sobbed. "We got scared by a toy. A toy, Zia! We live in fear, scared to sleep in case we are found while unconscious, terrified at the thought of leaving the safety of our home that isn't even safe!" Reina started sobbing, her hands pulling in distress gently at her straight, blond locks.

I placed my hands on either side of her face. "Hey," I soothed. "It's alright. It will all be alright. Someone will stop this soon enough and we won't have to live like this anymore. The government will protect us like before. It'll all be fine. Then we'll go and find Mom and Dad and all move back into our home altogether, just like we used to." My words seemed to comfort her down once again. I hoped she would relax for good for the time being.