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G A M E O F
S U R V I V A L

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𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐢 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝
𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫'𝐬 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬
𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞, 𝐢 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠
𝐢 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐚 𝐠𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐞, 𝐛𝐮𝐭
𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐧𝐞, 𝐧𝐨𝐰
𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐥

*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*

prologue
how it started for her

.·:*¨༺ ★ ༻¨*:·

ONCE UPON A TIME, in a far away place lived a family. There was a father, a mother, a son, and three daughters. They lived a simple life close to the coast of the pacific. Once a week, the father would drive an hour away to take his kids to see the blue waves. The mother would make sure she had their lunches packed and extra clothes in case the kids would get wet. Which they often ended up doing.

They lived in the northern middle of the golden state. Where it took them approximately an hour to be at the sunny beaches swimming around and two hours to be throwing snowballs at one another. Where they could drive off for half an hour and hike national parks and enjoy the waterfalls. A state full of culture. A place that welcomed anyone and everybody.

The parents made a promise to one another to break their generational trauma and stop it with them. They prayed for a better future for their kids. They didn't want generations of trauma piling on their beloved kids. They worked hard but they succeeded.

Until now.

The mother watched the current news intently. She paced back and forth looking outside the large windows outside the front yard. It was a foggy morning and the sun was hidden behind the gray clouds not daring to show his face to the people.

Cars were honking at one another rushing them. People outside were running as if their life depended on it. People were evacuating their homes leaving their belongings and only grabbing their important documents.

"-appear to be due to a massive outbreak of a highly infectious virus. We will speak with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for more details." The mother looked back at the tv paying attention as she made sure all doors were locked inside the home. "Director Walensky, what's the current situation?"

A woman sat behind a desk with a smile on her face trying her best to not scare the nation, "considering the level of spread, it appears to be a highly infectious disease. Those suspected of being infected become unusually aggressive-" the mother turned her head to the left once she felt her arm being pulled.

"Mama," her youngest daughter spoke, "why haven't we left for school yet?"

The mom showed a weak smile caressing her daughter's hair, "you won't be going to school today. You know what, none of your siblings will be going to school either."

"Porque?" Her daughter questioned in Spanish

The eldest and only brother walked inside the living room understanding what was happening. "Hey, you wanna come watch Thundercats with me?"

The youngest nodded excitedly leaving her backpack on the floor in the middle of the living room area. If this day was a regular one, the mother would have called her daughter back to pick it up but this time she stayed silent listening to the news.

"This just in. The National Security Council has decided to issue an evacuation of specific coastlines of Northern California. These counties are as followed: Santa Cruz, San Benito, Santa Clara, and Monterey. The counties around these counties please be prepared in case of evacuation. Remain at home and do not step outside unless required."

The mother swallowed as they were located in the Alameda county a few cities away from the evacuation. People here were already leaving. The oldest daughter stepped inside the living room standing beside her mother watching the news.

"Where's dad?" The girl asked looking outside the window to see a man fighting a woman before pushing her to the ground and stealing the groceries she had in hand.

"He went to go pick up your tia." The mom answered not leaving her eyes off the tv.

"I advise those near Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, San Benito, and Monterey counties to start evacuating as well." The news anchor suggested, "I repeat, please evacuate as quick as you can."

The woman's eyes looked away from the camera stopping whatever she was saying. A scream was heard lightly before the anchor woman stood up from her chair. She looked terrified for her life.

"Lock the doors!" A crew member yelled

"Cut the cameras!" The tv news was immediately cut replacing it with an ad for Stanford Hospital.

The mom turned the tv off glancing one more time out to the window as cars were abandoned in the middle of the streets. People were abandoning their cars and running to their homes instead. "Nina, come help me."

The oldest daughter nodded following her mother to the home office her parents had. The mother stood in front of the large shelf of books before pulling various types of books like a sequence. Some sort of code. The shelf nailed into the wall opened up halfway giving access to a hidden room.

The middle child walked inside the office watching her older sister and mother enter the secret room. She wasn't allowed to enter and neither was her younger sister. Only Vincent and Nina, the eldest were given permission.

"Rose," the girl jumped frightened turning around to see her brother behind her, "you're not allowed to be here. Go watch Thundercats with Ana, I'll be there in a bit."

Rose glanced to the empty entrance of the secret room before nodding and doing as told by her brother. Vincent pulled out his phone and walking inside the so called secret room before closing the bookshelf behind him.

The brother headed towards the security station displaying Rosie's and Ana's room on the main tv. He wanted to make sure the two sisters were fine by themselves before doing what his mother needed him to do. His phone displayed the current evacuation status and over half of the county was already gone even though they hadn't been ordered to evacuate yet.

The mother and Nina grabbed several large black duffel bags placing them on the metal table. Vincent was in the midst of looking for their gear. "I know this might be hard for you guys." Their mother spoke stopping the two siblings from doing what they were doing, "your dad and I never expected for something like this to happen. I never wanted my kids to be doing these type of things. To ever hold a gun but your dad said it'd be best in case anything happened."

The mother held in her breakdown as best as she could. She let out a few tears before wiping them away as she continued, "your dad's plan is to go up to the mountains and stay there for awhile see if this dies down or not. So, in case it doesn't we have to be prepared. Now we need to pack these weapons up into their designated bags. Nina grab ammunition as much as you can. Vincent help me pack the guns. I need to find the box."

The doorbell rang through the house causing the three to turn their heads at a smaller tv displaying the front porch. Outside stood their father with his sister and her son. "I'll go." Nina spoke up rushing outside the secret room.

The girl jogged to the front of the house opening the door as her father quickly entered making sure his sister was inside and safe. "Go to the office, Macaría." The father stated before turning to his daughter, "can you go tell your sisters to head to the office, please? I don't want anyone out of my sight."

"Si, papa." Nina responded in Spanish before heading to the shared bedroom between Ana and Rosie. "Hey, amonos para la oficina de papa."

The two girls looked up to their older sister both wanting to be like her when they become her age. "For what?" Rose questioned

"I don't got time for this, Rosalie." Nina explained motioning her hands to the girls to get out of the room, "dad said to head to the office, so come on."

Ana grabs the tablet before following Nina and Rose out the bedroom and into the office. The two young girls cheered in excitement once they were met with their cousin, Winston.

"Where's the box, Letty?" The father asked his wife as she pointed to the corner of the room.

"Over there, I already checked it. It has everything we need." The mother replied having all the important documentation of her family including her husband's sister who also was her best friend.

"Food?"

Nina pointed to the box next to it, "it's next to it. We made sure nothing was expired."

"We don't have a lot of time. We don't want to be the last to evacuate. I need all of these weapons off the shelves and into their bags." The father ordered helping out himself as his two eldest kids did what they were told.

The mother turned to her best friend who also was her sister-in-law. "You alright?" She questioned her.

The sister in law nodded, "I've been raised and prepared my whole life for something like this to happen. I just didn't think it would actually happen."

"That makes two of us." The father interrupted, "Macaría grab the knives from the cabinets. We can't leave those, Nina's best with them."

Nina had glanced to her parents hearing her name as she nodded agreeing with her father. She wasn't bad with guns but she was more skilled with throwing. The three sitting in the office continued to watch an episode of the old tv show that played on Tv back in the 1980's. It was their father's favorite childhood show which had also become their favorite ignoring a lot of the recent tv shows like Bizaardvark or Girl Meets World.

The family had finished packing their weapons as the two siblings headed to their rooms to pack clothes and what was essential to them. Vincent left his PS5 and his instruments. Nina left her collectibles and signed records of famous artists.

The mother grabbed a bag packing clothes for her younger kids while they were entertained with the iPad. Before their father would interrupt them.

"I need you guys to listen to me. I'm not playing around this time. Okay?" Their father stated as the two girls nodded and their cousin Winston had glanced over to his mom who also nodded to listen to his uncle. "We're leaving for awhile. We're going camping."

The aunt clapped her hands taking over her brother's lousy speech, "come on let's get in the car." The three kids did as they were told following her to the truck.

The truck contained five seats and they were a total of 8. The aunt buckled Winston and Ana into their car seats as she let Rosalie sit on her lap and turned the car on. The adults and eldest kids helped load all of their belongings.

"Vincent and Nina, you're on the trunk." Their father stated as the siblings climbed up on the back of the truck. Their father clasped the latch together making sure their items wouldn't be flashing against each other or flying out. "Here." Their father handed Vincent a rifle and handed Nina her sharp blade stars. "Use them necessarily."

Everyone got inside the truck. Their aunt grabbed her son sitting him on her lap. Their parents sat in the front, the father holding a rifle on his lap. "We'll be okay, Letty." Their father spoke to his wife a little smile on his lips as he pressed his lips on her forehead. "I won't let anything happen to us. Te lo prometo."

☆゜・。。・゜゜・。。・゜★

☆゜・。。・゜゜・。。・゜★

THE FATHER parked the car in front of the gas station looking around to make sure the place wasn't infested yet. They were close by to an evacuated city which meant the spread had arrived near there. "Okay, who needs to go to the bathroom?" Their mother asked inside the car as the three kids raised their hands. "Samuel?"

The father nodded grabbing his rifle getting out of the car. "Vincent, put gas in the car and Nina grab two red gallons to fill up with extra gas. I'll take them inside watch out for one another."

The parents walked inside with their sister each holding one kid. The bell rang through the AMPM convenience store. A few people were minding their business doing what they came here for. Rosie held onto her father's hand as he guided them to the only two bathroom there was. She walked through the isles full of snacks and junk food. Her stomach grumbled but she didn't dare say anything to her father.

Her dad's hand jiggled the doorknob realizing someone was inside. "Letty, grab Rosie, I'll take Winston with me."

The mother grabbed a hold of Rosie as the aunt handed him Winston. "I won't take long, okay? Have this." The father gave his wife the rifle he had around his shoulder before entering the men's bathroom with his nephew.

The mother stared at the rifle she held in her hands. Her husband was accustom to use it but she wasn't. She rarely ever held these killing machines. She hated the cold feeling it gave her especially when they were designed to kill.

The women's bathroom door opened revealing a young women around her late twenty's with two kids of her own. She smiled weakly before apologizing in an accent, "oh my apologies for keeping everyone waiting!"

The young woman moved out of the way for the family to enter. The aunt and Ana entered first. Her blonde hair fell down past her shoulders and half of her hair was tied up exposing her collarbones and shoulders. She had a light skin tone with light brown eyebrows with brown eyes. Her nose was red from the cold and goosebumps were covering her entire arms.

Beside her stood a young boy and a young girl. Both had jackets on and were huddled together sharing their mother's jacket. Each of them also had a red nose and were freezing from the cold. "Oh my, you must be freezing dear." The mother spoke taking her jacket off and handing it to the woman. "Here take my jacket."

The blonde girl shook her head rubbing her hands together, "oh! I'm alright! Thank you though!"

Rosie's mom shook her head insisting to the girl to take her jacket, "I insist, I have another jacket in the truck. Your kids are cold. It's no problem."

"Thank you," the woman shivered accepting the jacket before putting it on and feeling the warmth that surrounded her. "My name's Florence, this is Elizabeth and Isaac." The woman pointed at her kids smiling at them, "they go by Lizzy and Newt like-"

"Isaac Newton! Oh my, hello!" The mother greeted kneeling down to shake the kids hands. "My name's Letty and this is one of my daughters. Her name is Rosie."

Rosie glanced up to her mother for guidance as she turned to wave at the two kids in front of her. She was a few years older than them. The two kids waved back nervous not wanting to utter a word.

A bathroom door opened revealing the father and his nephew walking out. The father immediately glanced at the woman talking to his wife. He quickly noticed his wife's jacket on the stranger.

He smiled warmly at the little family, "who's this?"

Letty stood up handing her husband the rifle, "this is Florence and her kids. They were the ones in the bathroom before us."

"My name's Samuel," the father offered his hand as the woman accepted shaking his hand, "nice meeting you."

Nina filled the gallons with gas finishing up as Vince was inside the car already done filling up the tank. "Do you need any help with those, miss?" The oldest sister turned around to see a man in his late thirty's approaching her.

"No, I got it." Nina replied crouching down to grab both gallons. In the midst of grabbing them, Nina felt a pull on her neck. The man grabbed her neck pulling her away from the two full gallons of gasoline. "What the fuck is your problem, old man!?" Nina raised her voice gaining the attention of Vince inside the truck as she pushed the man away from the gallons of gas.

Before she could try grabbing the gallons the man pushed her against one of the pillars. A knife against the young girl's neck. Her eyes widen in fear, "shut up child. I'm taking these with me. Go find some elsewhere."

The sound of gun clicking grabbed the man's attention as he glanced behind himself. Vincent stood behind the man pointing the rifle at the man threatening his sister's life. "Get your hands off her."

A sly grin crawled up on the man's lips as he grabbed a hold of Nina by the hair. He used her as a shield with the knife still against her neck. Vincent was scared not knowing if he was going to be capable of what the man looked like he was capable of doing.

"Give me the spare gas and I'll walk away harming no one." The man explained unknowing of the family walking out of the convenience store. Lucky for the father, the man's back faced the store not knowing about the gun pointed behind his back. "Kid you don't know what you're doing. I'll kill your girlfriend."

The mother rushed the kids back inside the store keeping them safe from what was happening outside in the gas station. Florence stood next to them watching what was happening and fearing for the young girl's life. Nina's hands were up in the air and she was terrified to even breath feeling the sharpness of the knife. She felt the tip could cut her if she moved a centimeter.

"She's not my girlfriend." Vincent explained aware of his father pointing his rifle at the man. "She's my sister. Now let her go before I actually shoot you or she hurts you."

The man raised his eyebrow in confusion before Nina grabbed the knife from his hand. Her palm grabbed the sharp side throwing it far away from his reach. Her hand started bleeding as she turned around grabbing the shocked man's head with both hands on each side of his face bringing his head close to her knee. The force she used to bang his head against her knee was a lot as the man tumbled down on the floor fearing for his life this time. He didn't know a girl her age could contain that amount of strength.

The father stood speechless having the front row to a quick fight his daughter won. "Vete a la verga, pendejo!" Samuel yelled watching the man stand up terrified before running to an opened car and grabbing a bag before hopping on a bike and riding away.

The rest of the family rushed outside to tend to Nina who's hand kept bleeding. The mother rushed to her daughter noticing the deep cut that needed stitches. Vincent lowered the rifle his hands shaking from the nerves. "Samuel habre la cajuela hay tengo the first aid kit."

The mother grabbed the bottle of alcohol pouring a good amount on the bloody hand. Nina let out a scream feeling the burning sensation run through her hand and arm. Letty used a clean rag to wipe off the excess blood.

"She needs stitches." Florence spoke up with her kids on each side of her. "I can help. I'm a nurse." Letty nodded after agreeing with Nina. "I have a little box with me," Florence pulled out a small bag of materials from her purse.

"Hey come on up, Newt and Lizzy." Samuel stated offering his hands to help the boy who stuck to his mother. Lizzy grabbed a hold of Samuel's hand letting him lift her up on the truck.

Florence shook her head at her son, "come on, Newt, do as the nice man told you to do. Lizzy's already up there. I'll be up in a bit."

Newt nodded scared of the man who was a complete stranger to him. He sometimes wondered how trusting his sister was with other people. Sometimes he wondered how often it was that she was the outgoing one out of the two. Lizzy always expressed herself and for him too. Even though Newt was the older sibling, Lizzy acted like the older one.

Rosie sat on the truck bed as well next to Lizzy who smiled at her. Rosie was ten years old and the two siblings were approximately three years younger than her. So, Newt must have been seven or eight years old and Lizzy, six or seven.

"You guys are coming with us?" Nina asked Florence who had already started stitching her hand.

Florence nodded concentrated in the stitching, "your parents are very kind taking us with you guys."

Vincent glanced to his father for the explanation as Samuel started talking. "They've been waiting here for over three hours for the bus that takes them to the border of Nevada. The bus should've been here two hours ago and it looks like it's not coming any time soon."

"My husband is waiting for us in Carson City." Florence added, "he was suppose to fly here and we were suppose to explore San Francisco."

"Where do you guys live?" Vincent asked wondering where they were from since the accent she had was not from here.

Florence smiled, "we're from Southwark, London in the UK. We're visiting for the winter. It was my friend's wedding in Washington about a month ago. We've been exploring the coast but my husband had to fly to Nevada for a business meeting. We were to meet in San Francisco a few days ago but we haven't been able to get to each other because of the epidemic."

Florence went back to finishing up the stitching as she let Samuel continue as she packed up her supplies. "We're taking them toward Sacramento. Hopefully they'll be able to find another form of transportation there."

"Everybody ready?" Vincent asked as his parents got inside the truck and so did his aunt, his cousin, and his youngest sister. On the truck bed sat, Florence and her two kids, Vincent, Nina, and Rosie.

"Let's go!"