CHAPTER 1: A PROLOGUE

CHAPTER 1: A prologue

The world is full of monsters, like a vine of sour grapes. People hurt each other in an attempt to feel safe, respected, and even happy. But in a world of sour grapes, there is hope. A small handful of sweet grapes still lie hidden within the bunch.

1985

A beautiful woman gave birth to a healthy baby girl. The woman looked at her daughter, then to her husband. They both looked down at her brown eyes, then to bits of her brown hair that was faintly showing. A nurse stood nearby.

"Have we decided on a name?"

The parents looked at each other, then to the nurse.

"Emma."

1991

Emma giggles as her father throws the beach ball and she races to catch it. She runs as hard as her little legs can take her, feeling the breeze in her hair and the sun on her cheeks. The birds chirp in the distance. It's a beautiful day. Nothing could spoil this. Emma catches the ball and throws it back at her father.

"Daddy! Catch!"

Her father laughs as he catches the ball.

"Oh, you're very good at this, aren't you?"

He throws the ball back at her and she catches it easily once more.

"How about a new game?" He suggests. "Keep away!"

The father teases as he holds the ball close. Emma runs around trying to catch it but she can't, and her father laughs as she tries.

"Come here, come get it."

"I'll get it!" Emma laughs. "I'm fast!"

The father keeps the ball away from her and she keeps running around, laughing and trying to catch it.

"Come on. I'm gonna get you."

The father fakes a misstep and she takes advantage of it, stealing the ball from his hands and making a run for it. He laughs and pursues her, trying to catch up to her as she dashes away.

"Ahh I'm gonna catch you!!! Mwahahaha!"

Emma's father lets out a laugh and dashes and catches Emma. He spins around holding her in his arms. Emma looks up at her father with her eyes full of wonder.

"Daddy! When I grow up, I'll be like you."

Her father laughed and kneels to her level.

"Oh, will you now?"

"Yes, just like you! The coolest person ever! And a soldier!"

Both Emma and her father laughed. Though the father's smile faded slightly.

But grapes grow. Those who wanna survive gotta work hard and stay smart. And those who can't stay ahead, end up rotten.

As time passed, Emma started going to sports classes, picking up new hobbies, and learning new things. And as the seasons changed, Emma changed too. She was a little taller now, a little faster, a little stronger, and a lot smarter. But some things always stay the same, for her, it was the dream of being a cool soldier like her father, a dream she would never give up.

2002

The year Emma turned 17 on a fairly normal morning, she was sitting at the breakfast table with her parents. Her father had just come home after a rough mission and was eating breakfast quietly. Her mother was chatting away about her upcoming wedding in their family while Emma listened silently, stirring her food with her fork.

"Sweetie, may I talk to you for a moment?" Her father suddenly broke the silence.

Emma looked up from her food with surprise and nodded.

"What is it?" She asked, setting her fork down and waiting for his reply.

"Emma," he began, looking at her seriously. "I know how much you admire me and my work. But, have you ever thought, maybe there's something better? Something safer for you to do instead?"

Emma remained silent, staring at her father, waiting for what was next. The father sighed and continued.

"The army's been tough on me," he explained. "And with the world the way it is now, I'm worried that joining the army isn't the best choice for you. There are so many other paths you can take, and you're so smart and talented. Why not try something different?"

Emma's heart sank, the air seemed to seep from her lungs. This wasn't the conversation she'd been expecting and she felt like her father was attacking her dreams. She didn't want to consider other options, she wanted to be like her father. She wanted to make him proud.

"But, Dad..." she began, still trying to process his words.

"Emma," her father interrupted with a sharp tone, "I mean it. Joining the army is a dangerous path. Look at me. I've seen things you couldn't imagine. I've seen friends killed right in front of me and experienced horrible things. Don't take this lightly."

Emma nodded, silent and dejected, as she stared into her food. She was silent for a few moments before she managed to reply.

"I know, Dad. But this is what I want. Can't you support me? Can't you just let me do this one thing?" She asked softly.

"This one thing?" He echoed. The corners of his mouth turned downwards. The look in his eye was soft, not sharp, and he looked at her mournfully. "Honey, I support you and everything you do, but I just want you to be safe. Just imagine if my mission today had been different. What if I..." he paused and looked down, not wanting to finish the sentence.

"I know, Dad, I know," Emma said softly.

She hated the guilt-inducing what-ifs that her father was throwing at her. She understood his concerns but she just wanted to go her own way.

"Please," Emma said quietly. "I know it's dangerous. If you're not going to support me I'll find the funds myself, but please just give me your blessing. Don't make me go behind your back."

The father sighed and looked at his daughter. "You're a hard woman to say no to, Sweetie," he chuckled, trying to lighten the mood."I don't want you to go behind my back. But you're an adult and this is your choice. I won't stand in your way and I'll support you as much as I can. But I'm also going to worry. You understand that those two things can coexist, right?"

Emma nodded and looked up at her dad with a small smile. "I understand," she said softly. "Just don't worry, okay? I'm tough and I can take care of myself. I'll be so careful, you won't believe it. And anyway, I learned from the best."

The father chuckled once more. "So you did," he said with a soft smile. With that the two went back to eating their breakfast and they resumed chatting about the wedding. Emma looked at her father and felt relieved to know her decision had been accepted. She would still worry on his behalf, but she was now determined to prove him wrong and show him she could handle herself.

2003

Time had come and gone, and now Emma worked very hard and was 18 and on her first day at the military camp. She was nervous and excited, her heart beating faster as she tried to focus on the instructor's directions. It was all very new and different from her life as a child, but even as she was scared, she was thrilled to have the opportunity to prove herself.

In a way it was refreshing, she'd been so used to being wrapped in cotton wool and protected by her parents and now she was taking the responsibility into her own hands. It made her feel energised and powerful.

She tried to remember every word the instructor was saying and focused on her tasks as she went through the training. Her entire body was shaking with nerves but she knew she could handle anything the camp threw at her.

As the days turned into weeks and weeks into months and months into years, Emma grew more confident and soon she was flying through the training taking orders and doing missions with ease. She felt like she could take on the whole world. She was happy to be here, doing something she was good at and feeling strong and independent.

A few years down the line, Emma was a fully-trained soldier and had been on many missions. She was also starting to gain a reputation for the brave and daring things she was doing. She'd taken on the highest-risk missions without fear or hesitation, proving her dad wrong once and for all.

But life is full of surprises. Sometimes sweet, sometimes sour. Emma was 24 and was in her room at camp when her phone rang. She jumped to her feet and reached for her phone, curious as to who it would be. Her heart jumped when she saw it was her dad calling. Her breath caught in her throat as she answered quickly.

"Hi Dad, what's up?"

"Emma," he began, a hint of worry in his voice. "Are you alone? Somewhere private?"

Emma grew even more worried upon hearing this and she looked around the room, realising there was nobody there.

"I'm alone, yes," she answered. "Is something wrong?"

"Something's happened, and I need you to listen very carefully," the father said urgently. She could hear a hint of urgency and panic in his voice that immediately grabbed her attention. Emma frowned and grew even more alarmed. Her father was rarely this anxious or worried and she suddenly found herself on edge.

"What is it?"

"I need you to come home right now, okay?" her father said.

His words unnerved her. There was a strange undertone in his voice, and she couldn't think of any reason why her father would ask her to come home unless something terrible had happened.

"What is it?"

Emma said softly, trying to remain calm and collected. Her heart was thumping in her chest, and for some reason, she felt the urge to keep her breath steady.

"Just get home quickly, okay?" her father said with a firm tone. "It's important, and we need to talk when you get here."

Emma's heart skipped a beat at that last part. When her father said they needed to talk she expected the worst, it must be really bad if after all this time he needed to have a serious talk with her for the first time ever.

"I'll be home soon,"

She was trying to remain composed despite the sudden rush of fear that hit her. She began gathering her things and heading for the door of her room. Emma rushed outta her room and informed her seniors that there was some emergency at her home. She quickly rushed out and booked a cab to her hometown On her way home, she mulled over her thoughts, everything that could have happened. What would make her father, so usually calm and collected, so anxious? What could be wrong?

She was already planning every worst-case scenario on her way back home, the thoughts and images racing around her head. She would try to breathe to calm herself but all that did was make her breath shorter and faster. Finally, she arrived back at the house and immediately ran inside.

"Dad, I'm here!"

she called out after rushing inside, hoping the worst hadn't happened for real. As she ran through the door, she found her father sitting on the sofa waiting for her, looking more worried than she'd ever seen him.

"Dad!"

Emma rushed over to him and sat down. She was trembling with nerves as her mind was still racing with the worst-case scenarios she'd come up with.

"Please, tell me what's happened. Can't you just tell me right now? What's wrong?"

The father looked at his daughter with surprise and he then took a deep breath. He hesitated for a moment before he finally spoke.

"A few days ago, your mom had a scan and the doctors discovered that... uhm... she... uhh she was pregnant again."

Emma froze at the words. She'd heard them but didn't believe them. Her mind went completely blank at the thought of it, the reality of another child in this already busy household sinking in slowly.

"A-Another..." she said slowly. "You're sure it's true?"

She already knew the answer. The dad stared at his daughter for a few moments, studying her face to gauge how much he should say next.

"They did three tests, and the results were the same," he said. "You're going to be a big sister."

Emma blushes and lets out a shaky breath. Just hearing the words was hard to process, and she couldn't imagine what it would be like in reality. She had always liked being an only child, and now she was going to have to share her parents and everything else with a new baby.

"You're 56! For Christ's sake!"

He sighed and rubbed his forehead.

"I know it's not ideal, but it's not like we.. I mean... uhm.. l-let's not talk about it. Your mom wants to keep this baby, and we want her to be happy, right?"

Emma didn't know what to say, the whole situation was embarrassing. She wanted her mom to be happy, but she also couldn't imagine having a younger sibling, it felt wrong to her. She tried to push back those feelings as she considered what her dad had said.

And so, just like Emma, after 9 months, another seed, Jason, came to life. But just like any other seed, Jason also needed someone he could depend upon and someone to look after him. After only a year of that, Emma's parents gave Jason's responsibility to Emma. Things started going bad from there. Jason would stay at Emma's apartment mostly. Emma's parents even asked Emma to leave the army, to which Emma would often reply in a mean way and she'd have arguments with her parents.

The new reality was clear: Jason was Emma's responsibility now. The kid spent most of the time with her in their shared apartment and her parents had made it very clear that they weren't interested in helping out with his needs. Her frustration with the situation grew each day as she was forced to care for him. She didn't hate the kid but she resented the lack of support she was receiving and it was beginning to feel like she was being forced to raise her brother on her own, which wasn't okay.

Emma was in the midst of this frustrating situation when she got home from a store one day, while being on a call.

"Y.. yes, I'm sorry, commander. It's just that I've a whole lot of family pro-"

She was soon cut off mid sentence by her commander's heavy yell.

"THAT'S NOT MY GODDAMN PROBLEM!"

Emma sighs and speaks again with tiredness clear in her voice "I get it sir, I'm sorry. I just... I'll come back at the-"

"Oh no! No no no! You don't need to come back. Since you enjoy holidays so much, here's a gift for you. You don't come back! Stay there and enjoy your permanent holiday from the army!"

Emma's eyes widens at this as she speaks hurriedly.

"What?! No no no. Please you can't do this to me! Please, you can't just do this to me. I.. I'll be there as soon as I-"

"COME BACK WITHIN 2 DAYS! IT'S ARMY, NOT A JOKE!"

"Y... yes, sir I get it. I.. I'll be-"

Before she could complete her sentence, the call gets hung up on her from the other side.

Emma groans in anger. She threw the groceries on the floor angrily. She was mentally exhausted and just wanted to sit down to drink and smoke, hoping to unwind and forget about all the worries and everything that happened for a moment. She wanted to yell at her parents for this, for leaving Jason with her to ruin her life. She started blaming them for ruining her life by leaving annoying Jason with her. She didn't ask for this!

As she went to head past the hallway, she felt a small tug at her leg. She looked down and saw Jason gripping her ankle with his tiny hand, looking at her with that sweet grin and big eyes that always managed to get to her.

Emma felt a sharp pang of guilt as she looked down at him. She knew it wasn't Jason's fault that he needed so much attention and care, but her patience was growing thin. She was feeling overwhelmed and exhausted.

Then, for Emma's luck, Emma's parents finally returned. Her mother looks at Jason. Emma's mom cooed at the baby.

"Aw my baby boy."

Emma looks at her mom.

"Finally! Do you even know what happened?!"

But Emma's mom continued to coo Jason, not paying attention to any of the words her daughter barked.

The sight of her mom cooing over Jason was too much for Emma to take. She hated seeing how her mom seemed to have no problem being a parent to him, while she, the older sister, was forced to take on the parent role. With Jason constantly clinging to her, it all felt so unfair.

Emma's dad wiggled his fingers, completely ignoring Emma, cooing at Jason.

"Aww is my baby boy bored?"

Emma's frustration was reaching boiling point. Her parents were clearly having a great time focusing solely on Jason, while she was feeling like nothing more than a nanny to him. She hated the way they seemed to ignore her when Jason was around as if he was the only one that mattered.

She wanted to scream at them and tell them how she felt, but her parents were acting like children themselves, showering Jason with constant affection.

At that moment Emma's mother looked over with a smile. "You know, honey? Maybe you should leave the army now."

Her mom was encouraging her to quit her job. She couldn't believe it. She was overwhelmed and overworked. Not only did she have to take care of Jason, but her parents were constantly trying to make her take on more tasks, and now they wanted her to give up her dream too.

This was the last straw for Emma. With all these frustrations and her parents' total lack of support, everything was coming to a head. She snapped.

"I'm not quitting my job!" she yelled. "I can't believe you would even suggest it, don't you guys care about me at all?"

Her mom looked surprised.

"Well, we just feel like you should spend more time at home," she explained gently. "Jason needs someone to look after him, and you're the only one that he wants. And besides, after all the pregnancy and stuff, I'm mostly very tired, no matter what. I'm old! And so is your dad. Please you gotta look after him. Be a good sister."

"Look after him? He's your son!"

Emma exclaimed, feeling all the frustration from before spill over into rage.

"Why do I have to be the parent? Why are you treating me like a nanny? I'm your daughter! You both brought him into the world! It was your call! It's your responsibility! You made your bed, lay in it!"

Her parents frowned but her mom was the first to speak.

"Honey, you know we love you, right?" she started. "But Jason needs our attention and you're his sister, it's your responsibility to help out and look after him."

Emma couldn't even believe they were saying this. This wasn't fair. This was a blatant case of parentification and they couldn't even see how wrong it was.

"I'm not his parents! I've got a warning from the Army for Christ's sake!" she yelled, feeling her emotions running high. "And it's not my job to take care of jason. That's your responsibility."

Her parents grew quiet at the firmness in her voice. They didn't know what to say to that and they clearly weren't expecting this level of aggression from her. Her mom looks at Emma's dad.

"hun? you should talk to her"

Her dad took a deep breath and then stepped forward. "Hey, I know this is a lot right now," he began. "But we're just asking you to help out for a little longer. Jason is very young and he needs his big sis to watch over him. And we know how much you love taking care of him. And besides, it's safer at home, no?"

Emma felt like she was going to lose her mind. Her father's calm nature was really ticking her off, and her mom's quietness was adding to her irritation. Every word they said just pissed her off more and more.

"I know you love him," her dad continued. "And we get that being a big sister can be overwhelming sometimes, but there's no one else who can take care of him like you do. Plus he adores you."

"No one else can take care of him like me?" Emma echoed, fist clenched together angrily, she felt like she was about to erupt. "I shouldn't be the one taking care of him at all! I should be out somewhere, settled or doing my work in the army! You guys are his parents! Not me!"

Her dad didn't answer. He was clearly not used to Emma talking to him in this tone and he couldn't think of a response that wouldn't set her off more. Her mom was also quiet, not sure what to do next.

So this argument keeps on going on, but nothing changes. As a result, Emma had to stay away from the army for which she was punished from time to time. And Emma who's 28 now, with Jason who's 4 her place started getting mad at everyone and everything.

After years of being forced into this role with no support and little appreciation, Emma's tolerance had reached its limit. She had been struggling with anxiety and depression since being forced to leave the army and take on full-time parenting responsibilities while her parents continued to ignore her needs. Now she was left alone with Jason at her apartment and she was feeling so overwhelmed and angry that she just couldn't keep it in anymore.

She had already yelled at her parents on many occasions, but it didn't seem to make a difference, they would just dismiss her as being "overdramatic." Jason was playing with a toy in front of her as she angrily paced the floor. She had no idea how to keep herself occupied and she couldn't bring herself to go near Jason, he needed so much attention but she just wanted him to not require anything of her for a minute.

That's when little Jason, who was playing innocently throws a rubber ball at Emma and giggles. This caused her mood to worsen.

"Can you not?" she barked at Jason, not caring that he was just a 4-year-old.

She continued pacing, her anger levels growing and her frustration boiling over.

"All you do is demand my attention and expect me to stop everything to take care of you!" she growled, feeling fed up and trapped. "Can't you just spend more than five minutes without making me do something for you?"

Her yelling only made her even more angry and she continued.

"I'm sick of you needing me all the time! I can't even take five minutes to myself without you crying or coming into my room asking for something. Just leave me alone!"

Jason timidly responds, tears pooling in his eyes "But... but I wanted to play."

"Well, I DON'T CARE!!! I don't want to play! I just want to relax. For one hour. Or twenty minutes even. Just go play with your toys and stop demanding my attention!"

"But what if you want to play with me?" Jason asked.

his bottom lip starting to tremble. He didn't really understand what made her so angry, he was still just a little kid.

"I don't want to play with you, and I don't want to spend time with you! I want to be by myself!" Emma yelled at him. "I NEED time away from you! I can't constantly have you attached to my ass, do you get that?!"

All of a sudden Emma's phone starts ringing. It was her mother.

"Hey, sweetie! I just wanted to let you know that I and your father are out in the market so... it'd take us some more time to get there."

Emma couldn't even process what her mom was saying because her anger was taking over again. She was trying to calm herself down but her mom's words were only making her more irritated.

"I don't CARE! I'm not watching Jason anymore! I've had it with his constant whining and neediness!" she yelled, her temper exploding despite herself.

"But Emma, he's your-"

"He's my WHAT?! What is he to me except some brat who can't entertain himself without me?" Emma barked, having no patience for this discussion right now.

"I don't CARE, I'm not watching him, YOU can when you come home." Emma continued shouting at her mother through the phone, not letting her get in a word.

"Please, Emma, just-" her mother started, but Emma cut her off. "I'm not doing it. Not anymore. Find someone else to watch over your precious perfect little boy."

Emma cut the call and without even looking at Jason, she stormed outta her apartment, to the park nearby to cool herself down.

Emma stormed out of her apartment, not wanting to face Jason and his sad puppy dog eyes that were probably just begging to play. She paced angrily at the park instead, her mind a whirlwind of emotions trying to process the argument that had just taken place. She needed some time to cool down and collect herself.

The sound of children playing and laughing in the park around her was deafening to her in her state. She felt like the worst person in the world for yelling at Jason the way she did, but she was so beyond exhausted and felt like no one saw her need for a break.

Her walk was interrupted by a blood-curdling scream. A scream loud enough to freeze her legs. Emma jolts whirling around to find the source of the sound. Her eyes widened.

Hundreds of people were screaming and running away in terror. A large horde of creatures follows in hot pursuit. Their skin was rotten, peeling off to reveal bones in certain spots, and their pupils were white, irises nowhere to be seen.

Then it hits her, Jason. In her anger, she had left the apartment door open.

"JASON! JASON!" Emma rushes back to her apartment screaming.

Her heart broke at the scene that laid before her, chills ran down her spine. She was too late. One of those creatures, people with rotten skin, was eating Jason and devouring his face. Her own heart skips a beat as she looks at Jason's big round eye on the floor and his chubby cheek filling creatures mouth, but she soon snaps back into reality. She grabs a chair nearby and starts smashing the monster's head with it. She looked at Jason, who was dead and his eyes were still open, dead. It was too late and Emma believed it was all her fault. She is to blame and no other. She screams, cries, and repeatedly smashes the creature's head with the chair.

"NOOOOOOOOO YOU SON OF A BITCH!!! NOOOOOO!!!"

Emma yells, seeing red. The blood runs outta the creature's head, face, stomach, arms and legs like water.

And so, chapter 1: a prologue of the story ends here.

Jason groans

To be continued