My hands are trembling because of those monsters. It vanishes my energy in one sweep. That's why, I decided to end this exploration.

After walking for about an hour, my wife and my daughter are sleeping soundly on the bed. I should not disturb them. Let's look around, maybe there is something I can get near this area.

Oh! Something can be drunk. One soda and some candies. Why all of them are mint flavor? Lily will not be happy with this. Because there is nothing to do. I decided to end this exploration and sleep.

After sleeping, Stephanie told me about what happened to Lily while I was exploring.

"It's funny right?" Said her with a laugh a bit.

Yeah, that's funny... It's terrifying. No! I should not think like that to my own daughter but... What's the suitable word to describe that other than terrifying? I approach Lily, there are no problems with her eyes. She smiled at me and hit me with her small hand.

"Ough... M-My stomach... It's hurt..." Said me playing around with my daughter.

"I am the hero! I will terminate the monster!! Gwarrr..."

She jumped at me and hit me continuously.

"Arg... I am... finished." Said me and pretended to die.

"Hehehe... I am the hero! I will save all the humanity!!" Said her loudly.

My wife is laughing while looking at us. Spending time like this is not that bad. Or maybe is me who is just busy all day.

Sun is setting down and we decide to sleep.

The next day, I tried to search my backpack again.

Crack*

Is it again? I am shivering... It looks like my biological instinct to catch something terrifying is near somewhere.

Crack*

This earthquake... It's bigger than yesterday!!

I look around, there is an abandoned house. Quickly, I ran to that house.

Wrrrr... Grrr...

Is it getting bigger!? Oh... That worm looks at me. My heartbeat... It's not faster than yesterday but still, that mutant gives me fear. My gun won't work on that mutant, maybe I should throw this grenade? No! It will invite other mutants!

Sniff*

Again, it disappears to the ground. Fiuh... Not like before, I wasn't scared until kneeled on the ground. Maybe it's just my body that can adapt very well to the new event.

L-Let's continue what I was doing.

Yesterday, I was trying to find the mall around here. Because it turned into a destroyed building is so hard to search if this ruined building is a mall or not. Slowly, I will definitely find it. But, that takes too long. And I am worried about my family while exploring.

Is it here?

I look at the ruined building full of handphones and electronic devices. One by one, I pull up the part of the building. Of course, I can't lift the big one but, my spirit not giving up on that. Start with small things and that will make you grow bigger and bigger. If you start from a big thing, it will just fall after reaching some point.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

Sigh* Today, it's a weary day. Nothing here... why backpack is hard to search? Like yesterday, I am back with some snacks and food.

"Look~ Daddy bring some snacks for you~" Said me to my daughter.

"Yay...!"

She jumped at me and hugged me. I pat her head and give her a snack.

"Why are you here?" Asked me to my wife who kneeled in front of me with her hands rising.

"C-Could I get one?" Asked her.

"Why?"

"You care for your daughter but not for your wife." Said her with a sad-looking face.

"Dad! Don't bully mom!" Said Lily getting angry.

Ugh... Judge from the time she spent with... Surely Stephanie is the longest.

"Here's your snack." Said me not bothering to ask again.

"Hehe~ Thank you." Said her while smiling at me.

Maybe, it's time for sleep. Exploring surely makes me exhausted...

Once again, I decided to look after my backpack.

After three days of searching, finally, I could find it near the military base.

Weird... I couldn't find human bodies while exploring. Where they have gone? Or... Is it too hot that all of them get burned to ashes? Then, why is it just us? If that's too hot until human bodies turn into ash, then the basement temperature will be higher than until we boil our blood. Because what? The sewer tunnel is connected to the outside after all.

Let's not think about it further. I will just say that is our family's luck.

"Ah! Finally, you find it!" Said Stephanie welcoming my coming.

"Yeah, so... When we will go out?" Asked me to her.

If that was me, I will answer tomorrow.

She keeps silent.

"Umm... Are we leaving our house?" Asked Lily while sucking her finger.

She notices it and explains it to Lily gently with the kid's language. I give up to explain something to my daughter. It will make her cry like before.

As always, she cuddles our daughter and waits for her until sleeps while I am waiting in our ruined house with some drink I got from exploring.

"It's safe for now." Said Stephanie hesitating to leave.

"You didn't wrong. This is our home after all. There will be some scares and some you know... The feeling didn't want to leave." Said me with a confused face because it was hard to explain the feeling to Stephanie.

She looks at me.

"No, it's not like that. I just... Envy." Said her while looking at me with her sad face.

Huh? Envy from what?

"You know Alex... I envy our daughter." Said her after looking at me.

"Huh?"

It's confusing. Why did she envy our daughter? Is it the mother's job is always take care of her kid?

"You seem confused about my question." Said her while looking down.

"Of course I am, I don't know what you envy about. We live in the same place, eat together, take ca-"

"Not that!" Said her stop my explanation.

"It's not that you dummy... You always care about our daughter but it looks like you never cared about me." Said her with her tears while looking at me.

I cover my head with my hands. I think that our relationship was already normal. I know that in the past I was cold to her. But, I change! I change everything and try to make you happy and feel comfortable with me. She smiled every day and didn't complain so I thought that our relationship was better than before.

"Sigh* Look, If I didn't care about you, I would leave you alone in this town." Said me logically.

"But you can't because she will cry right?" Asked her getting angry.

"Wait, wait, wait! How did it come to that point? If I really didn't care about you all, I would surely abandon you! And look at me now! I am desperately searching for tools for us to survive!!" Said me getting angry too.

She stood up and said with her angry face while pointing her finger at me. "So what!!? Are you telling me that you are super dad and I am just your burden!!?"

Sigh* Angry is not the option.

I looked at her and said. "Listen... You are already tired and the same as me too. Discussing this topic will make us tired even more." Said me after calming myself.

She is looking at me. While crying she leaves the area.

Sigh* I lean my head to my hand. it's not what I want to discuss at all. I believe I am a good one to my daughter. Why? Money, Attention, and support. All of them I gave to my daughter. And my wife? Surely she will get it. After all, if I am dead, she will be given part of my material.

I am really naive to think that our relationship is normal. It's the opposite. Why should we fight while on this pretty night? I hope it's not that loud to be heard by our daughter.

Sigh* I am laying my body. It seems I can't sleep with them tonight.

The next day...

Fortunately, there are some curtains for me as my blanket. I don't know what using a curtain as a blanket can be this warm.

Ah!

My wife looked at me surprised. I think she thought that I didn't wake up yet. So what now? We just keep staring at each other without any move sign.

"Sigh* So, what's your answer?" Asked me while avoiding her eyes.

"I-I think, this afternoon could do." Said her the same as me avoiding my eyes.

I stand up and leave the area after said. "Okay, I will get my vehicle."

What a worst thing to start my life.

I remember that my neighbor below the mountain had the most badass car I've ever seen. The mountain become more steep than the first I get into here.

Oh, dude! Look at this boy, so appealing and cool. This is a monster car. With its high suspension, It is ready for some adventure time! I am sorry but, this car is not gonna be used by its owner for eternity.