Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Chapter 7: Always Be Brave

After about five minutes of sitting in the quiet, I remembered my dad's words, I need you to be brave. I took a deep breath. I couldn't be someone's Prince Charming someday if I didn't learn how to be brave. I felt fairly certain the bad people had left my house, so I very quietly opened the closet door just a little. My bedroom door was open, the person must have left it open after he said there was nothing in it he wanted. I crawled along the floor and got to the door. I stood up slowly and went down the hallway until I got to the living room. I peeked around the corner to see if there was anything dangerous. There was overturned furniture everywhere. I looked around a little more and saw something I never in a million years thought I would see.


My dad was laying on the carpet, with the bookcase laying on top of him. There was blood coming from under him. All I wanted to do was make it better, so I rushed over to the bookcase and tried to push it off him, but it was too heavy. I got frustrated and didn't know what to do, so I just went over and sat with him. I didn't know if he could talk to me since he had been quiet this whole time. I was scared to touch him because he was already hurt, and I didn't want to make it worse.

"Daddy? Daddy, can you hear me?"


I felt a little better when he opened his eyes, looked at me, and smiled. His voice was so soft and quiet, unlike his normal voice.

"Hey, little man, you're okay."

"Daddy, I'm scared, I tried to push the bookcase off you, but it's too heavy. You need to get out from under there!"

"Hey, shh, look at me. You did good, trying to help. It's okay that it was too heavy, it's not your fault, but I can't really move."

"Why did this happen?"


"I don't know, but you've got to be brave."

"Daddy, there has to be something I can do!"

"I know you're scared, but what you can do is sit with me, just like you are, and keep talking to me, okay?"

He coughed a lot and looked like he was in even more pain.

"Daddy, who did this to you?"


"A soldier."

"I thought soldiers were supposed to help."

"You're right, some of them are, but-"

He closed his eyes as he started coughing again, looking like it hurt to breathe. He opened his eyes again, looking at me intensely.

"Son, I need to tell you something. I feel like I don't have much time to talk to you-"


"No, Daddy, don't say stuff like that, you can't-"

"Please, always remember that I love you. Even when I'm not here, I will always love you, okay?"

"Ok, I love you too, Daddy. Please don't die!"

"I wish I could control that. I love you, Sebastian."


All of a sudden my dad's legs, which were previously bent at the knee, went flat on the floor, and his head turned slightly as his eyes closed. His chest stopped moving and he wasn't coughing or smiling anymore. I put my head next to his chest, and couldn't hear his heart anymore. I shook him because I wanted to believe he had just fallen asleep. When he didn't respond, I cried because I knew he was gone. There was no one else who would take care of me, and I felt so alone.


My dad was the one who was always there, to comfort me when I got hurt, to help me when I was confused, and he always made me feel loved. I laid my head on his chest and hugged him as I cried. I had just lost the one person in the world who meant everything to me.


In the blink of an eye...
...four lives fell apart.

One lost his job...
...two lost each other...
and the fourth lost his father.

36 comments:

  1. This update made me realize that I should have been thankful for every apocalypse movie I watched so far, as the script writers usually are to much of a coward to mention what will happen to the small children... not to mention the VERY small children

    Looking forward to where you will take this one, Lateknight

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    1. Hehe, I'm pretty evil. >:D LOL, on a serious note, I hardly ever play with Sim children, even in my legacy, so I thought I'd challenge myself in this story. I too, noticed that in apocalypse movies, they rarely ever show what happens to the children, so... I thought it might be interesting for both me and readers if I threw a child into this story. I always thought, hey, children suffer from the end of the world too. They don't always get lucky and have grownups nearby.

      Thanks for reading, anna! :)

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  2. That poor little boy. I wanted to give him a big hug. I don't even know what to say, this chapter was so sad, yet beautifully written. I love that he got to have that last exchange with his dad. I'm so worried about him now, what will happen to him? ((Needs a hug and tissue))

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    1. *hands tissue, hugs tightly*
      Thanks for the compliments. He was very lucky his dad wasn't gone already before he got to talk to him one last time, but seeing your dad die can really fuck with your head. Those were some very meaningful last words from his dad, which is something the little boy can take with him forever, though. I really wanted to explore a child's perspective because they get affected from apocalypses too, not just the grownups. I am happy it is proving effective. We'll find out what happens to the boy in later chapters, I'm still figuring out how to write this story, LOL, and which of the four characters I want to go with for the next chapter.

      Thanks for reading, amandralynn! :)

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  3. hjdkajbfkjahfkjdaa. Ughh. Whyyy?!?! That's soo sad. I wonder how he'll pay the bills... *Whistles and rolls eyes* The soldier is so dumb. I just feel like flinging a brick at his head. *Sighs* I got nothing else to say .-.

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    1. Ooh yeah, fling bricks at the soldier, he deserves it. The soldier shouldn't have killed the dad, but he was a jerk, and felt like he wanted to lord power over the dad when the dad resisted him. LOL, the bills. Society is going to become very different and chaotic, so bills probably won't be something the kid will have to deal with, he'll probably have to worry more about how he's going to survive on his own. o.O Why is cause the end of the world spares no one, not even small children. Mostly I thought it would be interesting to tell an apocalypse story from a child's point of view because I always play with adults, and I wanted this story to challenge me.

      Thanks for reading, parabee! :)

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  4. *wales uncontrollably* OH GOD
    NO. Not the hot father.. *cries more, drool and tears everywhere*

    *takes 20 minutes to wipe everything away and regain composure*
    ...
    *wales more*
    LOLL

    T_T I'm so sad that he died.. Poor little Sabastian.. I feel so sorry for him.
    Fuck those """"""soldiers""""" ....Was that enough QuOTaTionS? Ugh.
    *rushes to next chapter* XD

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    1. LMAOO @ the drool everywhere... omg... I'm still laughing, but this is a sad chapter. I feel so insane right now. o.O

      ............
      ...........
      *4 hours later*
      ...........
      *still laughing* Jessssssussss.

      Okay. *wipes brow* That was maybe enough quotations, maybe. LOL. Those soldiers... *shakes fist* Doing their jobs so shittily. They really should be executed for doing this to the citizens they were supposed to protect. -____-

      Yikes for Sebastian. He's so unlucky right now.

      Thanks for reading and commenting! :D

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  5. Oh no!!!! Now Sebastian will have to be a little man. Those soldiers should have their dicks cut off and shoved down their throats and that is just for starters. I knew that it wasn't going to be good for Sebastian. Now what will he do? He can't go outside. I am worried about him. I hate when kids are left in a vulnerable situation like this. I want to see more and know that Sebastian will be ok. Write the next chapter uber quick ok?

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    1. LOL, hey, thanks!
      Yeah, Sebastian will have to become a little man, like his dad always called him. Those soldiers need to be relieved of duty. -___- They were supposed to do a routine check for guns, not kill the citizens! They're corrupted... and it's sad.
      You're right, Sebastian has to stay inside. :( You're also right, Sebastian is a main character, so he will be okay. As for what he will do or what will happen to him, we will just have to wait and see. :)
      Thanks so much for reading and commenting. :D

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  6. No, no, no, no!!! :'-( :'-( :'-( Poor Sebastian!!! May I just adopt him or something? *cries a little* Why did he have to see his father die? *cries some more*

    Those last lines were beautiful <3.

    Oh, and I also think having a child in this story may make it more interesting :-D.

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    1. Hi! *hands Kleenex* LOL, sure you can adopt Sebastian! I'm sure he'd love having someone as kind as you raising him. LOL.

      The conversation Sebastian had with his father in his last moments was bittersweet. I wanted it to be that way because I didn't want Sebastian to not have a chance to talk to his dad one last time. I also wanted his dad to leave Sebastian with some of the most important words a child can hear, "I love you" especially in a world like this one, where love is going to be a rare commodity. Sebastian will always have that memory of his dad and it will keep him strong in the future when he has to grow up in this shitty world alone.

      I'm glad you liked the little poem at the end. Since I started the story with a poem, I'm actually going to try writing little things like that scattered throughout the entire story. <3

      Yes! I think so too. I don't often play Sim children much, cause well, they're boring to be honest, and I never really know how to portray them in things like a standard legacy. However, with this story, I wanted more dynamic and because it was an apocalypse thing, I thought, children get affected too, it's not like the apocalypse goes "Oh hey it's a child, I'll spare them." LOL. The other reason I wanted to use a child in this story is because I'm not doing this as a legacy, yet I still needed time to progress, so as the child gets older and grows up, I can cover the time progression that way. I'm glad you think it'll be interesting, I'm certainly going to try to make it interesting. :)

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    2. So, you think I'm kind? :-D :-D :-D

      Sebastian will at least have those last memories to cherish of his father telling him he loved him. They must be of some comfort to him given the sad predicament he's in :-(.

      I know what you mean about Sim children. I kind of love them, though, but there's only so much you can do with them in game... so, yeah, boring! LOL

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    3. Heehee, yeah I do think you're kind. :D
      Yeah, Sebastian was lucky in a way that his last experience with his dad was one of really comforting words. Some people don't get that chance when a loved one dies.
      LOL, right? They are always going to school or doing homework. :D

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  7. Wow, that was horrible. The way you described the father dying and Sebastian watching him was just heart-jerking and I will honestly admit that I had tears in my eyes. The way that your writing this makes everything seem very real and close. A child watching a parent die, a husband losing his wife to trafficking, a man losing his job. It's really good... :)

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    1. The end of the world... spares no one... not even little boys. *cries* This one made me cry too. Hehe. Ooh... you thought everything seemed real and close? I like that... sweet, haha, I've seen lots of end of the world stuff that was more "fantasy" based, so I'm trying to make mine more close to home. I'm glad it's having that effect. :)

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  8. Oh LateKnight, I'm sitting here crying! How so sad for Sebastian. I'm going to go hug my kids now. . .

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    1. T_T wow, that's amazing. I made myself cry when I was writing this chapter. I just love when my writing has that large of an effect on my readers. <3

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  9. It's so sad and heart breaking, but you write it so well! Poor Sebastian, I can't image what he's go through, watching his father die. The Prince Charming be brave part at the beginning to him holding his dad at the end had me holding back tears...

    I like reading from Sebastian's point of view and am looking forward to what happens to him.

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    1. Aww thanks, I appreciate it. The waterworks flowed from me as I was writing this, LOL. :) I'm happy you like Sebastian's point of view, it's my first attempt at having a child be a main character.

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  10. No! So sad and moving. Aweful how Sebastian had to be there when his dad died, but at the same time so comforting that he got to talk to him one last time.

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    1. Thanks. :) This was so sad for me to write. I wanted this chapter to be bittersweet because I wanted Sebastian to have that last perfect memory of his father in such an imperfect time. :)

      Thanks for commenting!

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  11. So sad! You are evil, you know! :) However, you've done a wonderful job sucking us all in! So, I'll keep reading. :) However, there had better be some more hope around the corner because I'm not sure how much longer I can take it. :)

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    1. Why yes, I do know I am evil. LOLL. You are at the end of me introducing the characters, so story lines will start becoming less of a "pours crap on characters' heads" and more of their daily lives and how they're adjusting to what's just happened to them. Well... it is an apocalypse story, so... there'll still be bad stuff, but not in such huge doses as it was in the beginning. The end goal of this challenge is to restore hope, so of course, there will be hope coming. :)

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  12. This is so good so far. I lived that last few lines that tied together that characters. And a, I right to think that Sebastian is the first name we've had. I look forward to finding out how these tense and fascinating tales become entwined. :)

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    1. Thanks very much. :D Haha, those last four lines are my attempt at some poetry. XD
      Yeah, you're right, Sebastian is the first name I've revealed. Everyone else's name will come out now too, in their chapters. :D

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  13. I knew this was coming and yet it still made me cry :(

    Poor little Sebastian. I hope he finds someone else to take care of him as he's so alone in such a scary and terrifying world.

    I noticed that this is the first time you've actually named one of your characters. I'm wondering if there's a reason for that?

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    1. LOL, you're not alone, I cried writing this. XD *hands tissue*

      Sebastian's going to grow up really quickly mentally, since he's been thrown into a very unfortunate situation.

      I wanted to start out this story with chaos, by throwing the readers directly into the turmoil of what's happening in order to set the scene. They do all have names, I just haven't revealed them, as part of the chaotic setting I was trying to show. These four characters you've read about are the main characters in the story, and these chapters you've just read all happened on the same night. The reason I've given Sebastian's name at this time is because this is the last "introductory" chapter, so the characters will start to come together, and their names will be revealed in later chapters.

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  14. Poor Sebastian :( His dad was so sweet and I feel bad....I wish Sebastian could've helped him but he died. I can't wait to see how Sebastian survives on his own without his dad...I'm guessing his parents are divorced. It seems like the government is behind this all....I love stuff like this...conspiracies and mystery :)

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    1. Yeah, poor little Sebastian. :( This is how his adventure starts. If he had been older, like a teenager, then perhaps his dad could have been saved. It's sad because he's just a little kid, so he didn't have very many resources.
      Good guess about his parents, but they're not divorced. I cover that in a different chapter.
      Haha, I'm glad you're enjoying it, I like that stuff too, so this story is really fun to write, even though it's hard sometimes making sure everything ties together. XD Haha, someone from high up is giving bad orders, for sure.

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  15. Oh my god. I'm so upset right now! Though, in a good way...like the good way that comes from reading something that's written so well, that you actually give a damn about the characters. Did that even make sense? I hope so, otherwise I might be coming across as a real psychopath! Poor Sebastian :( That's pretty much the worst thing ever, gah!

    This story is 70 degrees of stressful. I feel so badly for all of them. That being said, I MUST KEEP READING MORE, lol. You really know how to draw a reader in XD

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    1. Aww, it's okay, this chapter was meant to draw an intense emotional response from readers, whether it be anger or sadness, or a combination of both, so yes, what you said made complete sense. I wanted this apocalypse story to be as realistic as I could make it, so I thought, an apocalypse wouldn't spare a kid just because they're a kid... hence Sebastian's story line.

      These first chapters happened on the same night, not too long after the attack happened, so I wanted to write it as stressful and intense as I could, I am glad to see that it paid off. Thank you very much for the compliments, and I am glad you are enjoying it.

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  16. SNAP! The dad wasn't able to tell Sebastian what was going on! I want to know! Lol. Very nice writing!

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    1. Hey! Thank you! :D
      The soldier was assigned to confiscate weapons from law enforcement, and the kid's father was a police officer. However, he didn't willingly give up his gun, so the soldier and him got in a fist fight, and the soldier's gun went off.

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