Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
JOCELYN OFTEN THOUGHT OF HER LIFE BEFORE. Before, normally meaning her entire life up until things went to shit. Being 36 now, and only 16 when the outbreak happened, she couldn't help but think that life was unfair. It was her junior year of high school when everything changed, and she hated that she didn't at least get to graduate.
Of course after having these thoughts, she'd feel guilty. She wasn't the only one affected by it all. And others had it so much worse. But still, when things were quiet, Jocelyn wondered what her life might be like if things were... normal.
After she graduated high school, what would she have done? College was always the plan, but so was taking a gap year to travel and see the world. Where would she have travelled? Who would she have met? And where would she have eventually gone to college?
Some would say that those thoughts were pointless. It didn't matter what you thought your life might've ended up like, because... well, it just didn't.
Jocelyn knew she'd never get to travel and have those experiences now. And even if by some miracle she did, it wouldn't be the same. She'd been through too much, the world had hardened her. Traveling and just being free, that dream was long gone. Back then the biggest thing she had to worry about was would she make it to practice on time, or would the guy she had a crush on finally ask her out.
Now her biggest worry was dying. Although more and more these days she considered the fact that death might be a blessing in disguise. What sort of life was this, in the QZ?
She used to love to read, any mystery / thriller that she could get her hands on. And one of the things about normal life that she missed most, was going to the used bookstore down the street and taking her time roaming each and every aisle. But these days, Jocelyn couldn't even remember the last time she held a book.
And one other passion, that she'd get to share with anyone, she missed writing.
Though thinking of things 'before' mostly meant her life up until the outbreak, it often meant thinking of what Jocelyn referred to as the last good day.
Most of the day was uneventful, and that was just how she liked it.
School seemed to go by slower than usual, and once the final bell rang, it was actually a challenge to not run out of the building and rush home.
After finishing all of her homework in less than an hour, Jocelyn received a text and was informed that there was a party happening a couple of blocks away. Now, her parents weren't extremely strict or anything, but she knew there was no way they'd let her go out, especially when there was school the next day.
But as more and more texts began to come through, all some variation of wanting to know if she'd be at the party, Jocelyn began to debate the idea of sneaking out. She'd done it a few times and knew it would be easy enough. Luckily for her, both parents were heavy sleepers. And her twin brother wasn't one for parties, but he'd never rat her out.
Once she decided, time turned into what felt like the worlds longest waiting game. But finally at exactly 9:30pm, the twins said goodnight to their parents, who then went into their room.
Leaning against the doorframe to his sisters room, Pietro grinned. "You know if they catch you, you'll be grounded forever right?"
"True, but you're too good of a brother to tell them," Jocelyn shrugged, returning his smile through the reflection in her vanity mirror. "Got any wild plans tonight?"
Pietro simply shook his head, "this family only has room for one rebel, and I'm pretty sure you've held that title since we were kids. Besides, I actually am exhausted and will be going to sleep like the good child I am. You heading out soon?"
As he asked, her phone chimed. "Yup, rides here. You suuure you don't want to come? Who knows, you may actually have fun."
Just before Jocelyn climbed out of her window, she felt something hit the back of her head. Turning around, she saw a wadded up piece of paper on the ground.
"What, you didn't see that coming? I love you, be safe!"
"I love you too, I'll text you when I'm heading home even though you'll be asleep."
As she left the house that night, Jocelyn had no idea that that would be the last normal conversation she ever had with her brother.
The party ended up being a bust. Not even an hour in, everyone's phones started going off with calls and texts, and within minutes the house was cleared, save for a few kids who were still trying to figure out what was going on.
Jocelyn checked her phone, but wasn't surprised to see no missed calls or texts. Pietro was much like her parents, in that he was pretty much dead to the world when he was asleep, so she knew it'd be pointless to call and ask him what was going on.
When she finally exited the house, Jocelyn discovered that her bad luck had continued, when she realized that her ride left without her. But since she only lived .3 miles away, she began the walk home.
As she finally reached her street, Jocelyn couldn't help but notice that her street seemed... oddly quiet. And across the street from her house, the lights were on and the front door was wide open. But exhaustion had quickly crept up on her, so she shrugged it off, focused on changing into comfy clothes and going to bed.
Looking back at that night, Jocelyn wished more than anything that she had paid attention to her surroundings. That she had called Pietro to wake him up and ask what the fuck was going on.
After climbing back in through her bedroom window, Jocelyn changed and went to her and Pietro's bathroom to brush her teeth and take her makeup off.
And in the end, she knew calling Pietro, and even paying better attention outside would've been pointless, because absolutely nothing could've prepared her for what she found when she finally exited her room.
────────── · 。ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ──────────
a/n: just wanted to get jocelyn's intro to the outbreak out of the way, joel coming up next chapter!
