Apocalypse? So what I got a 5 year old to raise!

8

Waking up, the chilled air stroked my bare skin.

It's winter now. For some reason, I had convinced myself that winter during any kind of apocalypse would be warm, yet every year I'm proved wrong...

Winter is the worst, as I have a very lacking set-up for the cold due to my incorrect assumption. However, today will be different, just as it always is because today is Christmas! Because of the... unique, situation surrounding my bun's upbringing, I've raised him in a somewhat unusual manner. I haven't told him Santa isn't real because he is still my baby boy and I'd hate to ruin the magic, however every year I purposefully avoid the topic and make it clear that his presents only come from me. The goal was to have him forget about Santa as he was only 5 before everything happened and he should forget, the reason I want him to forget about Santa is that I don't want people to trick him using lies like Santa.

Danny is 10 this year and I'm 30, although I'm proud to say I don't look a day over 26. It's not just me being very confident either, I noticed that my appearance hasn't really changed since Danny was 6. I think it might be a result of how I was meant to die at 26 in the original however I'm clearly alive and kicking. My appearance has changed slightly over the years but not in the way you might expect. The main difference between me now and me at 26 is the length of my hair and how healthy it is. Since the apocalypse began and I got my powers from the jade I have been able to look after myself more so my skin and hair and such is more healthy and looks better as a result.

Regardless, it's crazy how time passed so quickly. The plot for the original should be starting around the new year in a few days... Danny's birthday is May 23rd and mine is April 16th which is why Danny was 10 at the beginning of the original novel.

I was minorly concerned that the start of the plot line of the original would affect me and Danny's peaceful life. Danny, as the villain, was a major character of significance to the story so I can't help but be anxious over the story's beginning. The only thing I can be sure of is that I will protect Danny with all I have, I don't care if the world itself becomes my enemy! No one can hurt my child.

At the beginning of the novel the protagonist, Aiko, an eight-year-old boy is separated from his older brother when he runs away to get a toy when they had gone out to retrieve food. They were in an old mall in the city the villain lived in. Aiko meets Daniel when Aiko is running away from a zombie that found him after he got lost. Daniel actually saves him before hinting at them being friends as he believed they were the same, left alone to fend against the world at a young age. That's why he felt so betrayed a week later when Aiko's older brother and parents showed up to take him home. And so forth began Daniel Charles's role as a villain.

I have no problem with Aiko, but I see no reason to risk my son's happiness and possibly even his life for that boy.

Even if I wanted to save the boy myself, I don't know what city he was in when he gets lost. So I decided to help him if I see him and if not, I won't. Not a particularly complicated plan.

With my plan in mind, I went about my days as I always have. When I was cleaning up the house I noticed that Danny was bored so I suggested we go for a drive to the city and then walk around.

The number of zombies in the city is both high and low, let me explain. The number is high considering that there are no humans for the zombies to eat anywhere near the city and in such cases usually the zombies would wander off in search of humans to eat elsewhere however the zombies here haven't for a few main reasons. The first and most prominent of which is me. The zombies are terribly afraid of me and for good reason so they are too afraid to leave in case they wander upon my home as they know I come from outside the city. The second reason is that compared to other cities where it's silent due to the lack of human upkeep after so many years this city is in a much better state due to my semi-regular checks which I do in order to keep my bun safe. However, the number is also low as there aren't actually that many zombies here.

Due to this you may or may not be surprised by the lack of passersby in the city. So my surprise when a young boy came running towards me and Danny, with a tear-stricken face and a tail of zombies that quickly dispersed after they turned the corner and noticed me, was immense.

I crouched down slightly so that I was about the same height as the child and opened my arms in a gesture of offering a hug whilst my usual smile was printed on my lips. The boy didn't hesitate for a second and came flying at me. The boy had slightly long black hair that had lightened ends from dust, and big black eyes that were covered in a film of tears. His face was flushed from his crying and his eyes were a tad puffy and red. Overall he looked like you would expect a child that was just being chased by zombies to look.

"Hun, why are you here on your own?" I asked with concern after comforting him in my embrace for a while.

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Hope you enjoyed the chapter!

Sorry for not posting for a while, life was crazy.