FLY ME TO THE MOON
i. HALCYON DAYS
❝WE'LL ALWAYS BE TOGETHER.❞

"MAMA, I CAN'T REACH," the young girl complained as she stood on the tips of her toes, stretching her arm as far as she could. Yet, she failed to reach the white that peeked out from underneath the sage green. As a last attempt, she jumped high to spread the green paint but the stark white still glared back. She huffed, blowing a piece of her blonde hair out of her face. "That's it, I'm quitting."

"Oh? I never thought the Sarah Miller would be a quitter," the older woman teased, stealing a glance at the pouting girl. Her blue Halican Drops t-shirt ━ which had been bought when the two had attended the band's concert the year prior ━ and purple-checkered pajamas were stained green, but it didn't seem like the young girl minded.

Despite the open window, the strong odor of chemicals had filled the air over the past few hours as the mother-daughter duo painted the walls belonging to the nursery a light-toned green. It had taken a few months to pick the theme of the nursery since everyone ━ including the extended family ━ had an opinion on what the room should look like. The parents-to-be had looked over seemingly thousands of designs before they had settled for the green and white dinosaur theme, but it had been worth the struggle since everyone had fallen in love with it. It would be ironic if the newest addition to their family hated dinosaurs.

"Dad still isn't home," Sarah complained, plopping down onto the green bean bag next to the wooden dinosaur model ━ the best and most expensive piece of decoration in the whole room. Her blue eyes focused on the stick-on stars taped to the ceiling. "I actually believed him when he said he would be home by eight. Of all days to be late, he chose today."

"I know, darling," She whispered softly, letting out a deep sigh as her dark brown eyes flickered to the fossil-shaped clock on the wall. It was a quarter after eleven ━ the two had started their painting session around eight o'clock and exhaustion was starting to set in. After a few moments of deliberation, the mother-to-be decided they were done for the night. After all, it would still be another month before the baby's arrival. She set the paint roller into the pan, moving toward the white rocking chair near the crib before she took a seat. "I didn't think painting would be so hard."

"Me neither," Sarah agreed, turning to face the tired expression on the older woman's face. "This baby better appreciate all the hard work we're putting in for him."

Never in a million years did Julia Miller think she would be a mother ━ the woman had always be career-driven and ambitious from a young age. She had always dreamed of working in the medical field, wanting to do her part to save the world. But, then she had fallen in love with her best friend, Joel, and the two had a whirlwind romance that Julia never wanted to let go of. Of course, she never let go of her dream. Julia worked as a DNP nurse at the local hospital, but had taken a leave of absence after she had hit seven months. Fortunately, Joel earned enough to keep the household running and Julia had some money saved up to afford a few months off work.

"I'm sure he will," Julia reassured, rubbing her enlarged stomach as she looked over the half-finished room. Plastic sheets covered most of the furniture, making sure not a speck of green paint would touch the pieces.    

"So, have you and Dad thought about names yet?" Sarah asked, smiling sweetly at Julia ━ the same smile she displayed when she wanted something. In the beginning, Sarah had been against the thought of a baby joining the family since her friends had pessimistic views on siblings. But, as the months went by, the young girl warmed up to the idea of having someone to take care of. Now, she counted the days till Julia's due date.

However, before she could answer, the blaring sirens of police cars sounded outside as the blue and red lights filled the room. "I think they're coming for you, Sarah."

"Crap, they found out about the drugs," Sarah laughed, remembering the joke she had told Julia at the mall when she had picked out her father's birthday present. "But, seriously, I wanna know about the names. Uncle Tommy said you two had some in mind."

"No, Uncle Tommy has some names in mind," Julia smiled, shaking her head as the conversations she had with the younger Miller brother came into mind. He had suggested the names Tom and Joel Jr ━ though, no one had liked his suggestions to his dismay. "I haven't thought of names yet. I'm hoping one will just hit me."

Sarah grinned, jumping to her feet as she rushed to Julia's side. Her small hands took a hold of Julia's as she put her best puppy-dog eyes on display. "Mama, I really like the name Adam."

She hummed, recognizing the name immediately. After all, she had watched the Werewolf movie series with Sarah a million times. Though, the last installment of the series was supposed to hit theaters next month and Julia had already made reservations for herself and Sarah. It had been the only way to get the young girl to stop talking about it every second of the day. "Isn't that the name of the boy in that movie ━ Dawn of the Wolf?"

Her cheeks turned a soft pink, causing the young girl to hide her face as she let out a small laugh. "No?"

"You know what, I like the name Adam too," Julia reassured, ruffling the girl's blonde hair. If it made Sarah happy, it made Julia happy. Even though the two shared no blood relation, Julia had always seen the girl as her own. She loved Sarah more than anything in the world and would do anything to assure her happiness. "Now, we just need to convince Joel."

The smile on Sarah's face faded, causing Julia to grow concerned as she placed a gentle hand on the girl's cheek. Sarah huffled, taking a seat on Julia's lap ━ the girl being careful not to put pressure on her mother's baby bump. "I guess it's a good thing we didn't throw him a surprise party since he wouldn't have even showed up."

"He's trying his best, Sarah," Julia whispered softly, understanding her step-daughter's pain. When she was growing up, her parents were always away at work as well ━ the two of them being lawyers for the biggest law firm in all of Texas. She sighed, rubbing Sarah's back in an attempt to cheer her up. "Maybe, I should go back to work? It could take the load off your dad and he'll be able to spend more time with you."

"No!" Sarah gasped out, staring back at Julia with wide blue eyes. She shook her head, holding Julia's hand with a tight grip. "Anne's mom, Laurel, is a doctor too. Remember that sickness they were talking about on the news? Well, Anne told me her mom got sick after one of the patients had bit her. And now, she hasn't seen her for a whole week!"

Julia knew Laurel ━ the two worked at the same hospital, but Laurel worked in the emergency department while Julia worked with the intensive care unit. The sickness Sarah mentioned was one Julia had heard about countless times ━ from her co-workers and the news ━ but there hadn't seemed to be any factual information out yet. The CDC hadn't said much, but they had told citizens to wash their hands, social distance, and wear masks if they were out in public. Julia rarely left the house, but she worried for Sarah and Joel. School and work forced the two to constantly stay out of the house, but if Julia had it her way ━ the two would not leave the house until this disease was gone.

"I wouldn't worry too much about it, baby," Julia whispered, kissing Sarah's forehead ━ the fear of losing her child to some unknown sickness scared the shit out of Julia. She would rather die than face the death of her children. "Everything will be okay."

It was silent between the two as they rocked back and forth ━ the movement was lulling Julia to sleep, but the older woman tried her best to stay awake for the remaining minutes of the day. After all, they couldn't say goodbye to September 26th without wishing their favorite man in the world happy birthday.

"Sarah! Julia!" the familiar voice called out from somewhere downstairs, causing a small smile to spread across Julia's lips as she opened her eyes to the unfinished room. "I'm home!"

"He's here!" Sarah jumped to her feet, running out of the room. When Sarah was on a mission, nothing was going to stop her.

Unfortunately, Julia could not spring to her feet with such energy ━ the massive baby bump did not allow for much movement. She took in a deep breath, steadying herself as she used the unpainted wall for support. Being pregnant was something Julia was done with, wanting the baby to be here as soon as possible. "Sarah," Julia called out, hearing her daughter's heavy footsteps as she ran against the hardwood floor. "Be careful going down the stairs!"

Ring. Ring. Ring.

Julia sighed, looking back into the hallway to the room she shared with her husband ━ the source of the incessant sound. She could hear Joel calling her from downstairs, but she couldn't let her phone ring. What if it was the hospital? What if they needed more hands on board to help deal with the enormous number of admittance? As hard as pregnancy was, Julia couldn't turn her back on her job. "I'll be right down!"

She walked into the pristine bedroom, finding the phone buzzing next to the flatscreen they had displayed in front of their bed. Marlene. It was late ━ even later in Boston where her young sister was located. Why was she calling?

"Hello?"

"Julia, thank God," Marlene's panicked voice filled the small speakers of the cell phone, causing a frown to appear on Julia's face.

"Marls, what's wrong?" Julia asked, listening to the sharp breaths Marlene took on the other side. What the hell was going on? She could hear the sound of sirens and angry shouts in the background, but she couldn't make out what was happening.

"It's all gone to hell, Jules," Marlene breathed out. It sounded as if she was driving, but it was hard for Julia to tell with all the static coming through the phone. "I can't get a hold of Mom and Dad ━ it's not like them to ignore our calls."

"Maybe they're asleep?" Julia suggested, feeling a deep pit start to form in her chest as she clutched the phone. Something was wrong. Her sister wasn't one to panic over something minuscule. "Marlene, you're starting to scare me. Please, tell me what's going on."

"Julia, the ━"

Silence.

"Hello?" Julia mumbled, waiting for a response from the younger Abel. "Marlene, you still there? I swear to God if this is another one of your stupid pranks, I am going to kill you."

Her ears were greeted with the sound of the dial as it began to beep ━ the call had been disconnected. But, Julia wasn't about to let Marlene get away with such a call. She immediately called back, waiting for a response but the call never went through.

"What the hell?" Julia gritted out, letting out a frustrated sigh as she sent Marlene a few texts. She pleaded for the girl to call her back when she had the chance. For now, the only thing Julia could do was wait. Her thoughts drifted to what Marlene had said about their parents. Why hadn't they picked up? Julia knew for a fact that her parents always had the ringer on blast and would pick up the phone no matter what. She was about to call them, but someone had wrapped their arms around her waist. "Jesus, Joel, don't do that."

"Is it a crime to give my wife a hug?" Joel mused, placing a gentle kiss on the nape of Julia's neck. She shivered, feeling his hot breath send goosebumps down her spine ━ the worries she previously had melted away as she remembered the birthday they were supposed to be celebrating.

"Well, since it's your birthday, I am willing to let it slide," Julia whispered, turning around in his arms to face her loving husband. She smiled up at him, wrapping her arms around his waist. Julia wanted to close the distance between their lips, but the bump prevented her from doing so. "Do you know what time it is, Joel?"

"I know, I know," Joel whispered softly, letting out a deep sigh as he stole a glance out the door to see where Sarah was. Julia could see how sunken his eyes were ━ the man worked too hard and the thought always made her feel guilty. "But, Tommy got into this fight with the contractor and he's threatening to pull the plug."

"Seriously? But, y'all have already bought the material and hired extra bodies?" Julia whispered, placing a gentle hand on his cheek. He leaned into her touch, closing his eyes as he let out another deep sigh. "It's going to be okay, my love. Don't worry, alright? I'm sure a few apologies are in order, but there's no need to lose all hope yet."

"Easier said than done," Joel grumbled, shaking his head. "I wouldn't trust that man any further than I can throw him."

"Hey, don't talk about work around Sarah, okay?" Julia whispered, leaning forward to place a small kiss on his cheek. Normally, the two were open with Sarah and didn't hide too much from the young girl. "She's already so stressed."

"Is she doing okay?" Joel asked. His brows furrowed in concern as a more serious expression took over his playfulness. When it came to Sarah, Joel would go to the ends of the world for her.

"Yeah, she's fine, but her friend, Anne, mentioned something about her mom being sick to her," Julia whispered softly, not wanting the young girl to overhear their conversation. "She was stressed about that. Then, you had to show up late."

"Don't worry, I'll make it up to her," Joel reassured, giving his wife a warm smile. He looked out the door, seeing Sarah emerge from her bedroom with a small present and a birthday card. "Let's get this party started, huh? Don't think I didn't notice that cake y'all baked for me."

"Okay, birthday boy," Julia laughed, patting his back as she led him out of the room. "I think you'll really like your cake this year. Managed to find a coffee-flavored cake recipe online."

Joel stopped in his tracks, looking back at Julia with the brightest grin. "Oh, woman, you own my heart."

━ ━ ━

THE BITTER AROMA OF THE BLACK DRINK remained in the air long after the cake had been cut and devoured, causing Julia's nose to wrinkle in her dreamless slumber. She would never understand Joel's obsession with coffee, but she reckoned it was the same as her obsession with cheesy soap operas she watched on the daily. Even now, she could hear the chatter of the TV and the lights that danced beyond the veil of her eyelids. But, in her hazy state, she couldn't make sense of it.

"Mama, wake up."

"W-What?" Julia mumbled, sitting up as she waited for her eyes to focus on the young blonde who stood in front of her. She looked around, realizing Joel wasn't beside her. She turned to look back at her daughter. "Sarah, baby, what's wrong?"

"Uncle Tommy called," Sarah mumbled, rubbing the sleep from her blue eyes. She shuffled back and forth on the balls of her feet as she stole a glance at the TV, listening to the words that the reporter said.

"It appears what we initially reported as riots seem to somehow be connected to the nationwide pandemic," the reporter started.

"He sounded worried, looking for Dad," Sarah continued, speaking over the TV as she climbed into bed with Julia. She got under the blankets, shivering slightly as she cuddled into Julia's side.

"We've received reports that victims afflicted with the infection show signs of increased aggression and ━"

Her mind flashed to the emails she had received from the hospital that had urged them all to wear masks and protective gear to fight against the unknown infection that seemed to get worse as the days went by. It had infected most of the world and almost every country had been put on lockdown to battle the unknown disease. When Julia was still working a few months ago, she had noticed a surge in hospitalizations but it didn't seem to be this bad.

"That's close by," Sarah pointed out, looking up at Julia.

"I'm sure everything is fine ━"

━boom!  It was enough to shake the house, causing the two girls to let out sharp gasps. Julia tightened her grip on the young girl, shielding her from whatever was out there. But, the blast never reached them. She let out a shaky breath, moving out of bed to look out the window that overlooked the city. Sarah was directly behind her, gripping onto her pant leg for support.

"Oh, Jesus," Julia muttered, watching the smoke that surrounded the city and the buildings that burned bright. She took in a deep breath, steadying herself as she looked down at the frightened girl. "Okay, just stick close, Sarah. We're going to find Dad and figure out what the hell is going on."

"O-Okay," Sarah whispered, taking Julia's hand as the two exited the bedroom but not before noticing the TV that flickered with static ━ the connection had been lost.

Julia led the two downstairs, keeping Sarah behind her to protect her from the unknown threats that could be lingering in the house. Her legs felt numb, causing the woman to take in a deep breath as exhaustion slowly spread across her body. The soft buzz of her husband's cell phone on the kitchen counter filled the quiet atmosphere, leaving Julia in confusion. Joel rarely left his phone. Sarah rushed over, picking up the phone to take a look at the texts that flooded the notifications.

"What it's say, baby?"

"It's Uncle Tommy again," Sarah replied, handing the phone to Julia. "He's coming over."

"What in the world?" Julia questioned, looking over the messages as the feeling of dread hit her. Marlene. Is this why she had called? She hadn't been able to contact their parents. Did something happen to them? Was Marlene okay? Julia lost her balance, falling against the kitchen counter as she felt sick to her stomach.

"Mama!" Sarah called out, holding onto her arm to steady her as she looked up at her with wide eyes and a trembling lip. "Dad! Where are you? Mama needs help!"

Sarah left, rushing toward the study which was located off the kitchen to the left. She disappeared into the study as Julia struggled to catch her breath. Her hands shook. Was Marlene caught in the riots? Why did the call disconnect? Is Marlene dead?

No. No, Julia couldn't think like that. She picked up Joel's phone, unlocking it with the passcode before she dialed Marlene's number. "Pick up, pick up, pick up."

"Hi ━"

"Oh, thank God!"

"━you've reached Marlene Abel."

Her heart sank.

"Mama, I found him!" Sarah's voice filled Julia's ears, causing her to wipe away the tears that streams down her cheeks. The blonde kneeled beside her, giving her a warm smile. "It's okay. Daddy is fine. He's in the study."

Julia placed a gentle hand on Sarah's cheek, forcing a smile on her face. She didn't want to scare the young girl with the thoughts that had been plaguing her. She needed to protect Sarah.

"Has anyone come in here?" Joel asked, walking into the kitchen with his revolver in hand. His eyes were wide as he kept glancing out the window, looking out for something.

"No?" Julia started, standing up to her feet with Joel's help as he stood close to his girls. Her eyes flickered down to the gun in his hand. "Joel, what's going on?"

"It's the Coopers," Joel replied, stealing another glance out the window as he shielded Julia and Sarah. He moved closer to Julia, whispering in her ear to keep the news hidden from Sarah. "I woke up to screaming and I went to check it out. Jesus, the things I saw. Fuck, I think they're... sick."

"Sick?" Sarah asked, causing Joel to flinch as he looked at the young girl who clung to every word that escaped his lips.

At those words, someone ━ no, Jimmy Cooper ━ banged on the sliding glass door in the study. The harsh sound echoed throughout the house, causing the three to panic as they took slow steps back. Screams overtook the sound of broken glass as the sick Jimmy Cooper burst into the study, moving toward them with a snarl. His eyes were pale white as he screamed, causing Julia to push Sarah behind her as she grabbed a kitchen knife.

"Jimmy, stay back!" Joel shouted, aiming his gun at the man's head but it seemed as if he hadn't heard a word as he growled. His head tilted to the side as his hazy eyes watched them with blood dripping down his chin. Julia struggled to recognize him. She had seen him in the morning, dressed in a suit and tie as he got into his white SUV for his shift at the office. Jimmy Cooper had been a kind man who adored his wife and two sons, but as he ran toward them with ill intentions ━ Julia knew he was no longer the kind man she used to know. "Jesus, stay back!"

His vicious snarls were silenced by the bang of Joel's revolver, causing their ears to ring as they watched the crimson blood pour out of Jimmy's skull. Julia could see bits of his brain and hair clinging to the painting on the wall, causing her to gag as she turned away from the gruesome scene. As a nurse, she was used to the sight of blood but this was different.

"You shot him!" Sarah cried out, shaking her head as sobs shook her body. She had her arms wrapped around her as she stared up at her father, causing Joel to kneel before her. "I saw him this morning. He was fine."

"Sarah, listen to me," Joel started, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. He spared a glance at his wife, taking in her shaken appearance. "There is something bad going on. We need to get out of here. Do you two understand me?"

"Tommy's coming," Julia whispered, ignoring the nauseous she felt as she leaned against the counter for support. Her mind wandered to her parents and Marlene ━ God help them.

Light burst through the curtains from the living room, causing the three to freeze before they heard the familiar voice of Tommy outside. Joel led Sarah toward the door, letting out a sigh of relief. He opened the door, greeting Tommy. "I've been calling you!" Tommy snapped, glaring at Joel as he took in a few shaky breaths. "They're saying half the folk in the city have lost their goddamn minds."

His voice faded into oblivion. Julia was frozen in place, staring at the blood that slowly moved toward her. It was inches away from her bare feet ━ the color almost looked black in the darkness. Was this the same fate her loving mother had met? Had her father been ripped to shreds by a group of the infected? Is this what Marlene wanted to warn her about? What had happened to her? Is she dead? Julia began to sob, shaking her head as she stared at her fallen neighbour. He had been covered in blood prior from coming into their house. Julia knew his family was gone. The Coopers were dead and they were going to meet the same fate.

"Julia!"

Joel gripped her shoulders, shaking her out of her trance as he shushed her softly. "It's okay, Jules. It's okay. I'm right here."

"M-Marlene," Julia sobbed, shaking her head as her trembling hands gripped his gray shirt that was covered in specks of blood. "She's gone, Joel. She's gone!"

"Julia, it's going to be okay," Joel reassured. His voice was quiet as he held the woman close, leaving a few kisses on her forehead. "Look, whatever happens, we'll be together, okay?"

She looked up at him, meeting his brown eyes that she loved more than anything in the world. In his arms, Julia felt safe. "Together?"

"Together."

♡

My first chapter is finally here! I have to admit it took me a few drafts to get to this point, but I am somewhat proud of it. I had written a version before, but I made some changes to the book so I had to scrap it. I do have other chapters pre-written, but I have to edit everything because of the changes. But, I am still extremely excited to write this book and share Julia's story throughout act one!

I am debating whether I want to write all three acts at the same time because they're all their own separate stories, so it is possible for me to write everything at once. But, I feel as if it will make the story super confusing if I update the book out of order. So, I think I will pre-write Elena (act two) and Rose (act three) as I write Julia's story. Hopefully, I will be able to do it! I have to admit that this book is super complicated because I am telling four stories in it. But, I think I can do it if I plan properly and actually make an outline.

Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Please, let me know your thoughts! I would love to know what you guys think! I hope the next chapter will be posted soon!

━━━ AMARA.
[ CHAPTER POSTED ━ 07.23.2020 ]