章 2: Last meal

'In a world turned upside down, amidst the horrors of the apocalypse, hope flickers like a fragile flame—binding hearts that refuse to let go.'

The atmosphere turn upside down because of the unexpected happening right now,

Vins who literally searching for the girl that he wants to protect, is now infront of of the girl that he was looking for, like destiny just brought them together to see each other.

"I can't believe this, you are alive!! The one last thing that i remember...your friends told me that you got in a accident while practicing a cheerleading, your head got smash at the ground...they are worried at you so they brought you at the clinic...", she said while looking at his head, trying to take a look on his head injury.

"Is that so? I don't actually remember how i got there...well now i know...i don't actually feel anything when i woke up yesterday...", he said while tapping slightly his head, trying to see if there's any injury, but there's nothing.

"..mhm, i don't know what's happening to your body, but i don't care...why you searching for my daughter by the way?", Tei ask while crossing his arm, "Are you planning something to my daughter!?", he said with a mas tone.

"Of course nothing bad sir, she just popped out on my mind when...when i'm thinking what should i do next...i think my heart want to protect her in this kind of situation..", he said while touching his chest, and smiling at the old man, this makes Fionna blush a little and look away, walking towards her room upstairs. "...yeah, that's right..i will protect her no matter what!", he said with full of confidence.

"Like you saying that we can't protect our daughter!!!??", Tei yelled at him, which make Vins flinch, "N-no!! That's not what i meant sir! No no!!", he keep trying to convince the old man that he misunderstood him.

Night has come, sun is already setting out, stars start glowing, and the whole subdivision become a silent and dark place. Vins was at the balcony, watching the stars alone, when suddenly Tei appears besides him watching the stars too, " Wahh!! You scared me sir...", he said laying his body at the balcony, and sigh heavily. "You told us earlier that...you will protect my daughter right?", he said and this makes Vins get up and stand straight, "Yes sir...i said that..and i meant it..", he said full of confidence again.

"I like that...someone to watch my daughter after we die huh...that's nice of you, why? She was just a stranger..", Tei said while staring at the night skies. "I like your daughter actually...since the first day of our school year, i fell in love to your daughter...so much..", he said with a smile on his face, also blushing.

"..you know, i don't like mt daughter getting boyfriend in early days, i want her to finish studying...but because of this fucking apocalypse, our dream for her is nothing now...", he said while clenching his fist tightly. "...Vins right?, can you...promise me one thing?", Vins suddenly felt heavy because of what Tei wants him to do, a promise.

"...promise me, that you will protect my daughter as long as your breathing, as long as you have in your senses, as long as you living...you got it, young man?", Vins was now looking at his hand, and felt heavy for some reason, he quickly turn to face Tei, and he can see to the young man's face that he was determine to protect Fionna, even death is equivalent of that promise.

"I will sir, i promise over my dead body, i will protect her...no matter what...", he said and this makes Tei smiles, he grabbed him and put his arm on his shoulder, both of them watch the starts together, and have a little more conversation.

Morning has come, sun is now rising, and the growling outside is no longer can be heard. Fionna enter the room where Vins is sleeping because her mother told her to wake him up, "Vins wake up, my mother s—VINS!!!", she was startled because Vins is sleeping with his body was bending too much. As she woke him up by punching his face, Vins was now walking at rhe stairs with Fionna, "If my mother is the one who woke you up, she will literally yell at you nonstop! Luckily i'm the one who woke you up..", Vins yawn and slightly look at Fionna, he smiles.

Vins saw Chloe with her new hairstyle, it was now short and straight hair, unlike the first time she met her, Chloe's hair was so long, it was tied in twin ponytail. "Wow, kid you look cute now...more cute as i say..", he smiles and pat her head gently. Tei was drinking his morning coffee and reading an old newspaper. "Vins you come with me later, we will make a quick run at the convenience store outside of the subdivision..you know it right?", Vins nods because he saw it before they enter the subdivision.

"Before that men, you must eat some breakfast first, its not good running with an empty stomach...", Aissa smiles and serve the food to them, they are having a potato mash and chicken breast. The five of them start eating and having a conversation like a family, "So you woke up in the clinic and you saw now one there?", Fionna said and this makes him confused, because the apocalypse happened last month. "That's weird...looks like you got coma for one month..or few weeks..", she said and this makes Vins think deeply. "Mhm, i guess so...but how's that no one try to take me out there? Are they scared that i just turn out to be a weight bag?", Vins said, "...that's sad kid, no one remember you that your in the clinic...do they?", Tei said and that makes him too curious.

After they eat, Tei and Vins immediately set out to make a quick run at the convenience store outside of the subdivision. They took two bags, and two weapons, since Tei was a former military, he have some licensed guns on his closet, he took one magnum for Vins, "Wait...you gonna let me use this? I don't even have the license to use this..", he said while taking the gun. "Come on kid, in this situation, you have no choice but to wield one...licensed or not..", Tei said while smiling at him. Vins just took it and smiles back at Tei who getting up and taking the bag that they will use.

They go out the house, while looking around seeing if there's some infecteds wandering around the street. They left the house and take a quick run towards the convenience store outside of the subdivision, little did they know, someone was staring at their house for a long time, a black figure in the shadow was smiling and laughing silently.

At the convenience store, it was totally ransacked and nothing barely left, "Its still not ransacked see? We can still have more foods for a month..", Vins looks at the place," It is totally ransacked...look at the place sir, its barely have some goods..", Tei didn't care about what he was saying, he just continue taking some left canned foods and others stuff from the convenience store. Vins looks outside and see if there's anything he can loot, a van is open in the road, he tries to take look at the van, seeing if there's some left foods and useful items on there. Tei look at him and just sigh, he look away and continue taking some canned foods.

Vins got a box of clothes, canned foods, chips, and even almost expired drinks. He took all of them and tries to see if there's more he can find inside. Suddenly, "Hey kid, do you remember what i told you last night? About the promise you made..", Vins stops and slowly glare at the old man, "...what is it about?", Vins said while looking back at the van.

"I don't know...i feel like the time is near, please don't forget about your promise...protect our daughter...okay, i can feel that i'm gonna die sooner or later..", Vins eyes narrow, it seems like he doesn't like what the old man is saying, he took a quick look at the old man and say, "...Do that while your still alive, don't worry the first thing i will do when you die is to bring your daughter in safety...i promise that", Vins said while finishing looting the van.

Tei suddenly pull out a chocolate bar that Fionna likes very much, he break it in half and giving the other half to Vins, "By taking bite in that half part...i'll giving you the rights to protect my daughter, by yourself..", Vins start laughing because it was too childish for an old man like him, Tei also laugh and they both start eating the chocolate bar, "...i promise sir, i will do everything i said right now..", he smiles and both of them are now walking back towards the house to brought back all the goods they got.

"Someday, you three will probably meet some strongest peoples in the world...maybe somewhere else in this world...there's a youngish who can even kill someone than you..", Tei said with a huge smiles on his face, Vins just chuckled and ignores what he said. As they both walking back towards their house, Vins eyes widened, and Tei's vines suddenly become visible, both of their reactions are mixed of fear and anger, because their eyes is now staring at a horrible state of their family.

From a far, they can see Fionna, Aissa and Chloe kneeling infront of few men with guns on them, "Well well well, look what the mother got...a beautiful young lady here..what a luckily for us..", the leader said to his men. Tei's anger is now on its limitations, causing his nerves to burst out of anger, he rush towards the bandits, wanting to kill them. Vins didn't get a chance to have a double decision, so he start shooting the bandits using his magnum, which cause the bandits to get startled and hide behind some stuff around the street. Tei approach a one bandit, and quickly grabbed its feet, smacking his back at the ground, one bandit was about to punch Tei, but he quickly give a heavy blow on the stomach this bandit, causing its to puke.

Meanwhile, Vins use the gun wisely and points it to the bandits perfectly, killing two of then quickly, "We just about to get SOME FUN!!!! This two bastards!", the leader said when suddenly...tears comes out on Tei's eyes, blood splatter in Fionna's face, scream comes out on Chloe's mouth, and Vins eyes widened, when they saw Aissa getting showered by bullets. The leader of the bandits was laughing crazily now while pointing his gun to Aissa, "Jackpot..", he said with a menacingly smile on his face. "AAARRGHH!!", Tei's in rage now, grabbing every bandits and smashing them at the ground and wall. Chloe's scream echoes in the whole subdivision, attracting so many infecteds, Fionna's cried and scream can be heard too, as her heart suddenly screaming from pain and agony. "...t..this is...my..f..fault", Vins mumbles to himself while his eyes are shaking in fear, tears falls on his cheeks, gritting his teeth, clenching his fist, and putting down the gun. Vins just killed not just bandits, but also someone important to the girl he loves. He blame himself for the death of Fionna's mother, and he will never forgive himself for killing her mother. Vins, behind a car, was now on the ground, bowing and crying so hard.