We should be on Warped Tour right now meeting thousands of fans, but we're walking through zombie infested California just hoping this shit is only here.

It's been a while since I wrote, I've been watching over everyone especially Mama and Vic. Mama's holding it together better than Vic. She's still very sad about Papa's death, but she knows we have to keep going. Papa ended his own life to protect us, the bite is what turns you.
Vic says he's okay, but I know him. He's been lying to us all. He has been completely different since Papa died. he has this feel to him that he wouldn't care if something killed him. I've been watching him more than Mama. I don't sleep till I know Vic's asleep and told everyone to quietly wake me up when Vic's awake. Yeah that means that I sometimes don't sleep much, but I care more about my family than sleeping.

Last night, Vic and I went out and found out that we're about 20 miles away from Nevada. We're almost out of California!

---

"Vic......Vic!" I had to say his name twice to snap him out of whatever trance he was in.

"Yeah, Mike?" me, him, Justin, and Kellin were the only people still awake. Justin and Kellin were on guard duty tonight.

"I just thought I'd let you know, I can't sleep so I'm gonna scout ahead. See if I can find how much further we need to go to get out of Cali."

"You're not going alone, right?"

"Everyone else is asleep, so yeah, I'm going alone. I can handle myself."

"God dammit, Mike. You are NOT going alone. I'm going with." Vic said. My plan was working. I needed to get him outside and alone to really talk to him.

"Okay, fine. if you insist." I said as Vic stood up and grabbed a baseball bat, while I had a machete. we made our way out the front door of our new camp out house where we were stopped by Kellin. Justin must be by the back door.

"What are you guys doing?" Kellin asked. I rolled my eyes.

"Can't sleep so we're scouting ahead to see if we can find out how much further we have till we're finally out of Cali." I explained and he let us go.

"He should have just let us go when they saw me." Vic grumbled after a while of walking, he was behind me. I stopped and turned to him.

"Everyone's worried about you, Vic. Nobody's gonna be letting you leave without a good reason or another person." I said then turned and started walking again. We quietly killed a few zombies along our walk till we found a sign that said Vegas was 20 miles away."

"I'm starting to realize this isn't why you told me you were coming out on your own." Vic said.

"You're right. I need to talk to you and knew you'd come with if I said I was going out alone." I said and Vic sighed.

"What do you need to talk to me about? I'm fine."

"Stop with that bullshit, Vic! I know you're not fine! You need to wake up! You've been lying to everyone saying you're okay when it's not true. Find your reason to stay alive, Mama and I did. And you need to stop holding everything in! Fucking vent to us, it won't bother us! Tell me what's on your mind." I ended softly.

"I'm leaving the group." Vic said emotionless.

"What?"

"I can't do this anymore."

"You're not leaving! I won't let you!"

"Why?! Why can't I leave?!"

"You'd really do that? We already lost Papa, me and you are Mama's only reason to keep living. Do you even care what you leaving would do to her? To me?"

"You both will be fine."

"No we won't, Vic! If you leave mom will lose herself and end up dying somehow, leaving me all alone and eventually suicidal. If either of us disappear, THAT will be the result!"

"Of course I care, but I can't stay when everyone looks to me to be the leader! I'm broken, Mike! I'm broken." Vic said with his voice wavering. He dropped to his knees. I kneeled down by him and caringly rubbed his back with one hand.

"Then let me take over till you're okay, or at least help. Nobody should be the sole leader of anything in this mess."

---

After that we walked back and went to sleep. I can only hope he listened to what I said last night and take it into consideration.

Notes

Awe Mikey wants to help his brother. Do you think Vic will consider what Mike said and not leave?

Hope you guys like this :)

-Rose