Tallahassee, United States
9:10 a.m., August 19, 2010
Sitting in the classroom, Jason barely paid attention to what the teacher was explaining.
His mind was somewhere else.
More precisely, on Saturday’s exhibition game.
Ever since discovering that he was about to live through an apocalypse, every minute of his routine had become calculated.
Every purchase, conversation, and decision had a single purpose: to keep his family and the people he loved alive.
But that morning, a dilemma tormented him.
Did playing still make sense?
With the world about to collapse, spending an afternoon chasing a ball seemed like a complete waste of time.
Perhaps it would be better to use every remaining minute to continue preparing.
Buy more supplies.
Organize the motorhome.
Develop new strategies.
As he considered his options, his eyes traveled across the classroom.
His classmates talked without a care in the world.
Some complained about the test scheduled for the following week.
Others debated who would start in the exhibition game.
None of them had any idea that their lives would change forever in only a few days.
Jason lowered his head.
Then he smiled faintly.
No.
He had already done everything he could up to that point.
His investments were being liquidated.
The supplies were beginning to be stored.
The motorhome would be taken to the repair shop that afternoon.
Melody was helping with the books and equipment.
For the first time since discovering the truth, Jason felt as though he could breathe.
It was precisely because he possessed knowledge no one else had—knowledge that, in that world, would only be discovered long after the initial chaos—that he could allow himself to lower his guard for a few hours.
Besides…
Perhaps this would be his last opportunity.
His final football game.
His final Saturday wearing the school uniform.
His last chance to hear the crowd shouting his name.
To joke with Todd in the locker room.
To watch Heather leading the cheerleaders.
To find Melody in the stands.
His final day living as an ordinary teenager.
Jason looked through the classroom window.
The sky was clear.
The wind gently moved the trees in the school courtyard.
It was difficult to believe that all that peace would disappear in less than a week.
He took a deep breath.
I’m going to play.
Not because the game was important.
But because those moments were.
When everything ended, he wanted to preserve at least one final memory of what it had been like to live in a normal world.
The bell announcing the end of classes echoed throughout the school.
Jason was among the first students to leave the classroom.
He quickly placed his books inside his backpack and practically ran through the hallways.
He needed to get home as soon as possible.
That afternoon, he and Robert would finally take the motorhome to the repair shop owned by Jimmy’s father, Dennis.
In addition to the solar panels and reinforced bumpers, Jason intended to ask the mechanic about other improvements that could increase the vehicle’s range and durability.
Every hour saved meant more time to prepare.
Outside the school, Robert was already waiting for him in the pickup truck.
“Ready?” his father asked as soon as Jason climbed inside.
“Let’s go.”
During the first few minutes of the drive, they discussed ordinary subjects.
Saturday’s exhibition game.
Classes.
Their vacation plans.
Then the conversation naturally returned to the motorhome.
“So…
what else do you think we should do to it?” Robert asked, keeping his eyes on the road.
Jason seized the opportunity.
“If possible, I’d like to add a roof rack.”
“It would also be good to increase the battery capacity.”
“And perhaps install an extra water tank.”
Robert smiled.
“You’re certainly taking this trip seriously.”
Jason returned the smile.
“I want it to be our best trip.”
Robert nodded.
“So do I.”
As the pickup truck traveled through the streets of Tallahassee, Jason watched people walking along the sidewalks.
Children played in the parks.
Shopkeepers arranged their window displays.
Cars formed small traffic jams at the intersections.
Everything looked perfectly normal.
For a moment…
He allowed himself to believe that everything would work out.
That his plan would succeed.
That he would manage to protect everyone he loved.
That thanks to the knowledge gained during his previous life and his years of preparation, he was ready to face any challenge.
At that moment, Jason still did not understand that life never unfolds exactly as we plan.
Back at the school, Melody remained standing beside her locker.
She watched Jason climb into his father’s pickup truck and disappear among the other vehicles without even looking back.
She sighed.
Melody had hoped to speak with him before they left.
She needed to talk.
Ever since the previous night, her concern had only grown.
That morning, he had mentioned that the patients considered stable had been transferred to other facilities, while only the most critical cases—or those who could not be moved—remained hospitalized.
Even he did not know where the others had been taken.
That was already strange.
But there was something else.
Her mother.
Eleanor always sent a message.
It did not matter how busy she was.
Even when she spent entire days in the laboratory or was close to completing an important research project, she always found a few seconds to let them know she was safe.
The previous night…
No message.
No call.
No response.
Melody tightened her hand around the phone inside her pocket.
Perhaps it was merely because of too much work.
That was the most logical explanation.
Even so…
An uncomfortable feeling told her that something was wrong.
She looked toward the school gates.
Jason was already gone.
For the first time since their conversation at the ice cream shop…
She wished he were there.
Not to talk about the living dead.
Simply to tell her that everything was going to be all right.
But at that moment, Jason was too busy trying to save the future to realize that someone needed him in the present.
When they reached the repair shop, Dennis was already waiting outside.
The mechanic wiped his hands on a rag before giving them a broad smile.
“Robert!
It’s been a long time since I’ve seen this motorhome around here.”
Robert parked the vehicle and climbed out.
“It was time to give it some attention.”
The two men shook hands while Jason walked around the motorhome, examining every detail.
Dennis looked toward the boy and joked.
“So you’re the one responsible for making your father spend money.”
Jason laughed.
“Let’s just say I made a few suggestions.”
The three of them entered the motorhome and spent much of the afternoon discussing the modifications.
Robert insisted on installing the solar panels and reinforced bumpers.
Jason seized the opportunity to suggest several additional improvements.
“If possible, I’d like to install a roof rack.”
Dennis made a note.
“That can be done.”
“I’d also like to increase the battery capacity.”
“Add a more powerful power inverter.”
“And install an extra water tank.”
Dennis nodded as he mentally calculated the cost.
“All of that is possible.”
The mechanic then began offering his own suggestions.
“If you truly intend to travel through remote areas, I would install all-terrain tires.
They perform much better on dirt roads.”
Robert immediately agreed.
“Good idea.”
“One more thing,” Dennis continued.
“It would be worth installing an electric winch on the front.
You never know when the vehicle might become stuck in mud or trapped along an embankment.”
Jason exchanged a quick glance with his father.
“I like it.”
Dennis walked toward the back of the motorhome.
“I would reinforce the suspension as well.
With all these modifications and the additional luggage, the weight will increase considerably.”
Robert smiled.
“See?
That’s why I brought it to you.”
The three of them spent hours measuring, sketching, and discussing possibilities.
By the time the sun began to set, the list of improvements occupied nearly an entire sheet of paper.
Dennis removed his glasses, examined the notes, and scratched his beard.
“That’s a lot of work.”
Robert smiled awkwardly.
“Can it be done?”
“Yes.”
“But I’ll need a few days.”
Jason felt a slight tightness in his chest.
“How long?”
Dennis thought for several seconds before answering.
“If the parts arrive on schedule, I can have it ready on the twenty-third.”
Jason remained silent.
August 23.
That would leave only two days before the moment he believed would mark the beginning of the chaos.
It was a dangerously tight deadline.
While Dennis made his final notes, Robert silently observed his son.
Ever since dinner two nights earlier, Jason had seemed different.
It was not merely his enthusiasm about the trip.
It was the way he analyzed every detail of the motorhome.
Extra tanks.
Auxiliary batteries.
Solar panels.
A roof rack.
Reinforced suspension.
Tires for difficult terrain.
Now even an electric winch.
None of those modifications seemed unreasonable on its own. You are reading on g.com, the official source.
But together…
They appeared more appropriate for a long expedition than a simple family vacation.
Robert recognized that kind of planning.
During his years in the Army, he had learned that every piece of equipment served a purpose.
No one added weight to a vehicle without a good reason.
And Jason seemed to have considered every detail.
As Dennis explained how he would reinforce the suspension, Robert watched his son ask questions about range, fuel consumption, and load capacity.
Questions far too mature for a fifteen-year-old boy.
What is happening to you, son?
The question echoed through his mind.
No…
This was not rebellion.
Nor did it seem like an ordinary teenage phase.
Jason was preparing for something.
Robert simply did not know what it was yet.
He decided not to ask at that moment.
He knew his son well enough to understand that pressing him there, in front of Dennis, would only cause Jason to withdraw even further.
It would be better to wait.
On Sunday, after the exhibition game and when they were both calmer, they would have one of those conversations only a father and son could truly share.
Until then…
He would continue observing.
Without Jason realizing it.
On the other side of the repair shop, Jason continued discussing technical details with Dennis, completely focused on the conversation.
Not for a moment did he imagine that his father, trained for years to recognize patterns and unusual behavior, had already begun to suspect that something far greater lay behind all that preparation.
10:47 p.m., August 19, 2010
The Miller house was completely silent.
Jason sat at his desk, reviewing a list of supplies he still needed to purchase before August 25.
Some items had been crossed out.
Others had been circled in red.
There was still a great deal missing.
His phone vibrated on the desk.
When he saw the name on the screen, he frowned.
Melody.
He answered immediately.
“Hi, Mels…”
From the other end of the line came only the sound of unsteady breathing.
And then…
A muffled sob.
Jason immediately rose from his chair.
“Melody?”
She attempted to answer, but her voice failed.
“Hey…
Calm down.”
Silence returned.
Then she managed to speak between sobs.
“My mother…”
Jason felt his stomach turn cold.
“What happened?”
“She…
She didn’t come home…”
Another sob interrupted the sentence.
“Her phone is turned off…”
“The university says she left late this afternoon…”
“But no one knows where she went…”
Jason closed his eyes for a moment.
Everything suggested that Eleanor had already become involved in the events leading up to the outbreak.
Even so, his priority at that moment was something else.
Melody.
“I’m coming over.”
“You don’t need to…”
“Yes, I do.”
Without waiting for a response, he ended the call.
Jason quickly put on a jacket, grabbed his backpack, and opened his bedroom window.
Before leaving, however, he picked up his phone again.
He opened the conversation with his father.
“Dad, I’m sorry for leaving without telling you.
I know I’m still grounded, but Melody needs me.
I promise I’ll come back as soon as I can.”
He read the message twice before sending it.
Then he placed the phone inside his pocket.
Jason took a deep breath.
He climbed through his bedroom window and disappeared into the darkness of the night.
On the nightstand beside the bed, Robert’s phone vibrated.
The screen briefly illuminated the dark bedroom.
Without making any noise that might awaken Jennifer, he picked up the device and read the message.
Robert remained silent for several seconds.
Then he walked to his son’s bedroom.
The bed was empty.
The open window allowed the night breeze inside.
Robert looked toward the backyard and released a quiet sigh.
Instead of becoming angry, he placed the phone inside his pocket.
“Take care of her, son…” he murmured to himself.
As he closed the window, a certainty began taking shape in his mind.
Jason was hiding something.
And whatever it was…
He was willing to place the people he loved before himself.
I’m using AI to translate this story.
English is not my native language.
If you would prefer to read it without an AI translation, you can find the original Portuguese version on this same profile.