Rosemary first stared in bewilderment as she saw Lucy fall to the floor before screaming in anguish. She looked at Peter and realized that he was no longer the same as before. She tried crawling to where Lucy's gun was but noticed that her arms had lost their strength. Still determined to survive, she used her shoulders instead to crawl towards the weapon. It was slow and exhausting, but she wasn't going to give up just yet.

But even in such a state, it was futile. Peter reached the gun first and kicked it aside. He dropped the briefcase and pointed the gun at her. In anguish, she looked up to see the once father figure of her life and cried when all she could see what a militant zombie ready to pull the trigger.

So this is how I die? She thought while sniffing her tears. I couldn't even protect a single person, and here I'm going to be killed by Dad.

She closed her eyes and accepted her fate, awaiting her death. The militant showed no mercy and was able to pull the trigger when a Jack Knife was suddenly thrown straight towards the right arm which held the gun. It struck with such force that moved the arm away as Peter pulled the trigger, missing the shot. Both were startled and looked back to see who threw the knife.

Peter was bewildered when he saw me getting to my feet. I was panting and still finding my footing after defeating Zombo and winning back my body. I looked at him for a few second and then began walking towards him.

At this, Peter became angry as the only memories he now had was those of hate towards me. Still able to move his right arm, he aimed at me and fired at my stomach. I staggered back when I got shot, but still proceeded, this time at a faster pace, with the bullet coming out from my stomach and the wound healing instantly.

"Die... Die!", exclaimed Peter as he fired more rounds, "Why won't you die?!".

The more I got hit, the more I instantly recovered and increased my pace, until he suddenly screamed in a loud voice, "Die!!!", and gave me a headshot.

I felt it, the bullet piercing my skull, making a hole through my brain, and coming out from the opposite end. At that moment I blacked out and looked as though I would fall backwards, but my senses came back, I regained my footing, and speeded up to where Peter was. I speared him to the wall and knocked off the gun in his hand. Peter looked at my forehead and saw no wound, only blood originated from where I had received the headshot.

Bewildered, he exclaimed while struggling to get himself free, "How is this possible?! Why won't you just die?!".

I let go of him and began punching him until blood flowed and part of his teeth was missing. I then replied while panting, "I can't afford to die until I've redeemed my sins against humanity".

"You, you!", he barked while spitting out blood and continued while panting in between sentences, "We all died because of you. Curse you! Curse you!!!".

I bowed my head and forcefully pulled out the knife from his arm, making him scream in pain, "I am very sorry it had to be this way Peter". With that, I stabbed him on the forehead, finishing him off with one blow.

I looked back and saw Rosemary staring at me the whole time. Now she looked like someone who was about to sleep. She first mumbled out, "Monster", before passing out. I clinched the Jack Knife tightly and then turned to go until I heard Lucy's voice, "James?".

I looked back and saw Lucy looking at the ceiling, her eyes gleaming with the little life she had left. I rushed towards her, knelt beside her and gasped. She had taken two gunshots, one on her stomach and the other on her forehead and yet she was still alive.

"Is that... you James...?", she asked again while tears left her eyes.

"No it's me, mom", I replied while holding on to her right hand, "I'm right here!".

"Oh James. I've always... wanted to... apologize for everything", she said as the tears kept flowing, "I left both... of you because... of petty reasons. I lived... everyday regretting... that decision. If only... I hadn't left".

I didn't reply, but kept on listening as she continued, "If only... I had been... the mother Joe... had always... wanted. I could... die in peace. Will... you forgive... me James?".

She paused as though she had finally died, but her hand twitched and she continued, "You... forgive me? Oh thank you", she said while she cried, "Thank you for... forgiving me. But... what about... our son? How... will he survive?".

She paused again before saying, "You're right. He... has Rose with... him, so he'll... definitely protect her".

Then suddenly she asked, "Will you... forgive me... Joe?".

By the time she asked, I was already crying from the bottom of my heart, so much that I exclaimed, "Yes! I forgive you! So please don't die! Just don't die and live! I don't want you to leave me again!".

To my surprise, she moved her head a little to her right and replied, "Look Joe. He's smiling... at you".

I followed her gaze, and for a moment saw my father looking at me with a smile on his face. I didn't know whether it was a ghost or a delusion, but I didn't care either. I just cried when I saw him and asked, "Dad?".

Mom spoke while dad's lips moved as though he was the one talking, "You can still make things right Joe. Ana's with the cure. Find it and save the world".

"No, no!", I exclaimed while bowing my head down in shame, "Screw this world! What profit is there to save the whole world and lose your own family? I don't want you guys to leave me all alone!".

Lucy moved her hand slowly and placed it on my head, while dad also placed his hand on where Lucy placed hers, "You are... never alone".

I held Lucy's hand while crying. She paused for a while before asking, "Was I... a good mother... Joe?".

"You're the best mother in the whole world", I replied while holding her hand firmly.

"That's... the first time... you called me... a mother", she choked out the words as blood escaped her lips.

She immediately replied as she felt her lifeforce slowly diminishing, "Then... promise me, that... just as... she will... protect you, so... will you... also protect... her".

"Even if it costs me my humanity, I will protect her", I vowed while I looked into her eyes. She looked back and smiled, saying, "That's the... Joe I know...", before dying with her smiled still intact.

I kissed her forehead, closed her eyes, stared at the ceiling for a while and for a long time, mourned her death.

***

I started hating my mother when kids always brought their parents to school for various events. Dad was always busy in work so most times he never came, except the Science Convention where he would always want to see what project I had whooped up to get first place. Every kid always had at least a mother with them, while I had none. Some kids obviously made fun of this, adding more fuel towards the hatred towards my mother.

Since Dad never wanted to talk about her, I ended up wanting to prove her wrong. Rather than search for her when I was old enough, I decided to build up a family of my own, with a wife who would never abandon her child like she did. Ana would have been that wife, so that once she gave birth to our child, I would have looked for my mother and show it to her face that she was wrong to leave us in the first place and I was better off without her.

When Lucy had reappeared into my life after humanity's fall, I couldn't help but hate her the more. She, who could have confronted Dad in his darkest times, dared to show up in front of me to announce that she was my mother and she wanted to help. Because of such feelings, I built a wall between us, with an infinite height and an endless length, to separate myself from her. No matter what she did or said, it could never penetrate that thick wall of hate.

I hated her for leaving me in the past. I hated her for causing Dad grief. I hated her for falling in love with another man. I hated her for taking care of another child while the one she bore was left behind. I hated her for reappearing into my life and trying to play the role of a mother in this apocalypse. I hated her so much that I wanted her to just disappear.

Why, then, is the wall crumbling? Why is this wall of hate falling? It wasn't broken through by a battering ram nor bombarded with explosives. Oh I see, it's because the woman whom I had hated for so long wasn't the same as before. She was someone who had genuinely repented from her mistakes and seek redemption, yet I had kept pushing her away. Now I see why the wall had grumbled, because the woman whom I refused to forgive was now dead.

Mother, I thought while filling up her grave, I no longer bear any grudge against you. If father can forgive you after everything that had happened, then there's no reason for me to keep hating you. My only regret was neglecting you while you were alive.

I finished filling up her grave and looked at Peter's grave.

Peter, I bear full responsibility of everyone's death. Believe me that if there was any way I could exchange my life for theirs, I would not rethink it. Wherever you are, please find it within your heart to forgive me.

I then sighed and looked at the remaining graves of every other person who had all died.

To the rest of you guys, I thought as I bowed my head at the graves, I am sorry.