Chapter 2- (DANIEL'S POV)
Maya cleared her throat behind me as we silently made our way to my apartment. She opened her mouth before shutting it and shaking her head. I smirked and shook my head.
"What?" Maya asked.
"Oh nothing," I said as I dug through my pockets for my key.
"Wait!" Maya said, nervously wringing her hands together. I raised an eyebrow and motioned for her to continue. "Are you sure this is ok? I don't want to intrude on anything. Plus, I barely know anything about this condition. I don't think I'm the best person to come and look at your sister. Also for all I know you could be a gangster and kill me, leaving my body in this apartment with the other victims. But wait, that would make you more of a serial killer. Oh, and let's not even get started on-"
I chuckled interrupting her rambling. "Ok, are you done?" I asked. Maya nodded her head and took a deep breath.
I fumbled with the key, unlocking the door, and motioning for Maya to go inside ahead of me. I watched her look around my apartment with curiosity and then saw her eyes focus on one figure. The figure, who happened to be sitting on the couch, narrowed her eyes directly at me. I gulped which made the figure smirk. They cleared their throat, before speaking.
"I hope you know, Daniel, that you are running very late tonight. I hope you have a good excuse, brother, 'cause you had me worried sick!" The seated figure worriedly stated.
"I'm sorry, Rose! I wasn't able to get your medicine. He screwed me over again. But I found someone who can check you out." She turned around and looked at Maya, then looked back at her eyes narrowed.
"That still doesn't excuse you for disappearing for hours, without telling me," I rolled my eyes at her antics and plopped down next to her on the couch. I sighed and gave her my best puppy eyes. She gasped and stopped narrowing her eyes," That's not fair! You know I can't stand your puppy eyes," she embraced me tightly. We broke our sibling bonding from the sound of laughter.
"So, who's this pretty lady, Dan?" Rose questioned while smirking at me. I laughed and introduced Rose to Maya. The girls then went into Rose's room so Maya could perform the check-up there. Without the "annoying pestering" from little brothers, as Rose put it.
I sighed as I plopped down on the sofa. If Rose only knew how long she had left... The last time we could afford to go to the doctor, he estimated she had three years left. That was more than three years ago. I could tell she was losing strength daily. She stopped cooking for us, I had to take that over about four months ago. I also had to quit my job so I could stay home and care for her.
The slamming of the door brought me out of my negative thoughts, I smirked instantly knowing who it was. "Diego, don't slam the door!" I yelled at my younger brother, who had just gotten home from work and the first day of his junior year in high school. Diego threw his bookbag on the ground next to his shoes and tumbled to the living room. I pointed at his stuff on the floor, knowing Rose would hate that. He huffed and turned around, putting them in the correct spots, instead of haphazardly thrown around the room.
Diego, Rose, and I are inseparable. We're more like best friends than siblings. I mean, don't get me wrong, of course, we have our spats. That's mostly Diego and I. We spend hours just talking and messing around with each other. Diego slowly walked over and joined me on the couch. I ruffled his hair while sighing," How was your day?"
He sighed and fixed his hair," It was terrible. Did you know that school got canceled today because none of the faculty or teachers showed up? I also couldn't work because my manager wasn't there to open the doors. How was your day, bro? I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair as I thought of events from today.
"I paid Kaleo the money for Rose's medication, and he jumped me. I figured you wouldn't have any school after Maya told me adult disappeared."
Diego wiggled his eyebrows at me," Oooo, who's Maya? Danny Boy?"
I shoved him playfully," She's a soon-to-be sassy doctor. Who happens to be in Rose's room at the moment," Diego sighed and relaxed further on the couch while we waited for them to finish.
We stayed in the living room for ten more minutes before Maya left Rose's room. Maya waved at Diego, who waved back and walked into Rose's room, leaving the both of us in the living room.
"What's your prognosis, doc?" I asked hoping for good news.
"Well, her lungs are filled, all I know is that her fight will soon end. She's one strong gal," I gulped and nodded.
I sighed and ran my hands through my hair, as I processed this information. "Ok, how long do you think she has left?" I spit out, not registering that my Rose was wilting away. Maya shrugged her shoulders and bossily gave me instructions on cleaning my injured leg. I nodded," Thanks for your help, and if you need anything, you know where to find us."
"See you around, Daniel," Maya muttered.
"Do you need me to walk with you back home?" I asked, suddenly remembering my manners.
She shook her head and smirked, "I'm a big girl. I also grew up with two older brothers so I know how to pack a punch. Go to your sister, embrace one of the last times you will see her."
I joined Rose and Diego in her room for her last moments on this Earth as she turned twenty-one years old.
The next day, we buried her right by our parents and older sister.
------------------------------------------------4 Months Later------------------------------------------------------
Diego moved out of our shared room and into Rose's old room. I have seen Maya around the city while picking up supplies. After many weeks of running low on supplies, I decided to go outside and pick up supplies. I have thrown getting supplies back because of all the craziness out on those streets.
People, or should I say teenagers, have been robbing different places. It's like a living Fortnite, or Hunger Games, out there. You never know when someone might jump you and leave you in an alley buck naked. I decided to go to the safest grocery store I knew had the least amount of people there.
It still hasn't hit some of the population that the whole adult race is gone. As I walked on the four-lane roads that used to be piled with cars constantly, I was thinking of how hectic life used to be. Now it seems like I am the only one left out here. I hate being alone. I kind of expect someone to come out from behind a dumpster with a camera saying that this was all a prank, and then everyone's parents return to them. But that's not realistic.
I arrived at the grocery store and headed to the firearms stored in the back of the convenience store. I went to reach for a shotgun but before I could place a finger on the shotgun, I saw a black streak run past me. I jumped over the firearms counter and ducked, waiting for the black streak to attack. I heard a gunshot inside the store and jumped at the sound, thinking of the worst. I tested my arm to see if I could reach the shotgun without sitting up and felt my hand wrap around the cold metal of the shotgun.
I grabbed it and started looking for the ammo. I groaned and rested my head against the countertop. My head jerked back up after my fingertips felt what could be an ammo box. I duck down and grab the object that my fingertips brushed. I emerged from my hiding spot and started looking for the mysterious black streak. I wanted to chase it away or injure it. I certainly did not want to kill the black streak. However, I knew if it came down to their life or mine, I would do anything to save my life.
As I started walking through the first aisle, careful to not make a sound, I heard someone gasping as if they were caught hiding. I ran towards the gasp and saw the black streak hovering above them and looking down at them a hungry glint in their eyes. I cocked my gun, gaining the black streak's interest. The black streak looked up and smirked at me.
I saw that the black streak was a dude, who started raising his weapon at me. I saw he was thinking of shooting, so I shot at his hand right before he shot. This threw off the dude's shot, and I felt something graze by my ear as a shot went off. The dude grasped his shooting hand in pain, dropped his gun, and ran off. I gasped with disbelief that I had saved someone from their death. I walked over to the black streak's gun and took it from the ground before someone had another terrible thought of shooting someone.
I looked over at the hyperventilating person," Well, lookie who we have here."
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A/N: Hey y'all! I'm back! I am currently going to college at a new university and working part-time. I was super busy this summer and past spring. I will try to finish this book in 2024.
Who do you think Daniel found? Comment below your favorite part of this chapter. Thanks for reading!
-Leah:)