May Peace Grace Us

Chapter 1: Reset

Opening her eyes and seeing a rather familiar and nostalgic ceiling, Aila was startled awake. Fine beads of sweat falling upon her forehead and green eyes widened in fear and a strange sense of acceptance. Her breathing was heavy, like she had been in a very long marathon and just started to stop running.

Turning her eyes over the room in a cautious manner, she inspected her current situation.

The room was clean and tidy, so far from the usual sight of what a room looks like she was used to. She remembered dust, grime and the prudent smell of decaying matter that is the normal she recalls about rooms. After all, when have you seen a clean room on doomsday? Maybe big bases have them, but she had never been a part of such a place.

She was a nomad in as far as she remembered, ever since the dead began walking on the earth's surface. Taking shelter wherever is safe enough and accompanying people who are trustworthy enough to keep vigil for the night. They often sleep in broken buildings and makeshift bases until her untimely death.

Taking her mind off what she had experienced, Aila took a look at the digital lock beside her bed. It says '6:30, Tues, 06/01/2x43'.

"June 1, 2x43?" Aila said in wonder as she stared in daze at the display of the long-lost digital clock in her strange and familiar bedroom.

"I'm back one year before the apocalypse?" She murmured to herself as she stood up from the bed and ran to the bathroom to get confirmation of her conjunctions.

She immediately sought a mirror and saw her eighteen-year-old self. The brown hair which she was very proud of during this period of her life looked healthy and glossy. Healthy pink lips that she used to put heavy red to follow with the trend is now back to her. Green eyes sparkling in a rather strangely-mature than she never though she could be more.

"I'm back!" Aila broke down as she examined her own reflection. She really missed this period of time. Where everything was still so mundane and good.

She let herself loose and released all the tension she had as the apocalypse progressed. Letting out all frustrations that were bottled up and finally being free from all those regrets from the past.

Taking her bearing back, she started to wonder how she was back to life again. This is the third time she has lived and she's determined to live well this time around.

Her first life was short. Bearing the name of Fortin, everything was by design. At twenty-one, she spent the majority of the time running away from her family and finding her purpose in life by writing stories. Only to die in a manner not worthy of her last name.

Her second life lived longer than her first life, reaching almost her thirties before embracing the warm hug of death. Spending the majority of her late teenage years surviving, scavenging whatever there is to eat and fighting off the undead.

And now she's back in her eighteenth year of her second life, still living with her warm and understanding parents as Aila Justine. Though this time period is just one year away from the turning point in the whole world.

She was sure she was back in her second life as her room was the same as she had remembered it. Minimalist in design and her things were arranged accordingly by her neat freak self. Especially the little bulletin board on the side which held her plans for life.

She's happy being back. Taking a little look at her current plan, she ripped away the plans for the next two years. They no longer apply, so she had to make a new one.

Fixing herself a little, she immediately went downstairs to find her mother cooking breakfast for the family. She might have been quite clumsy due to her excitement that she made some noise as her mother immediately knew of her presence.

Her mother smiled at her. The green eyes they shared lightened up in greeting. Her blonde hair kept in a messy bun as she finished brewing a cup of coffee.

She tried her best to calm herself upon gazing into the figure of her mother. The mother in her memory was dead, rotting on the side of her face which was torn off from a nasty bite by an undead. She had also turned into the walking dead and Aila remembered shooting right into her forehead to grant her peace.

That painful memory she had to bear flooded her mind in a way that almost muted her. By some fate, thankfully, she had another chance to be with them again.

"Good morning Aila.", her mother said as she set the table.

"Good morning Mom." Aila replied as she took the plates and helped set the table.

Her mother was surprised by her initiative to help, but gladly allowed her daughter to help her. Usually she helps at dinner and never in the mornings. Her daughter is often dazed in the morning and not in a good condition to help around at this time of the day.

"You're quite early today." The mother said, taking the dishes and putting them on the table. "It's unusual for you to be awake at this hour without anything planned for the day. And you haven't told me of any plan if I remember well. Classes have yet to start, so there is no reason for you to be up this early."

Aila was quiet in the face of her mother's questioning. She knew that she at this age was really not a morning person. Don't say waking up at six when you can wake up at eight was the type of teenager she was.

Her parents in this life were quite lenient on her, with their almost free-ranch style of parenting. Aila had developed this type of attitude. Unlike her first life where her life was set on following a set of rules and schedules, she was a wild running horse in her second life. She was indulged enough to do whatever she wanted as long as she didn't cause too much trouble to their family of three.

"I had a bad dream that woke me up this early in the morning. I wasn't able to sleep again so I decided to get up early." Aila explained simply as she took a seat at the table.

Her mother hummed as she prepared another portion of breakfast. She asked her what it was all about and Aila lied about not remembering what it was. A few minutes later, her father came into the diner.

Her father kissed Aila's cheek as well as his wife's. He took a seat and took a sip of the hot coffee that his wife had brewed for him.

Aila's eyes stung seeing the loving gestures her parents were showering each other. She dearly misses this sight. And for so many years she had to long for these scenes to appear again before her.

The father in her memory was more hideous and inhuman than the man before her. Her father was in an even worse state than her mother when he turned into an undead to ensure her survival. Flesh on his abdomen was torn off with his internal organs mostly gone. She remembered needing to throw explosives at him as her father had instructed her to do in order to save herself.

Masking her emotions, Aila greeted her father for a good morn. With a blinding smile, the man gave her a peck on her forehead like she was still the young girl he used to tuck into her bed. Wanting so badly to cry once again, Aila playfully shoved her father in the side like she was a rebellious child who did not like to be treated so childishly. At the moment she did so, Aila masked her emotions in hiding and put up a familiar mood of getting along with her parents.

A while later, the mother joined the table and they started eating. It was silent, but harmonious. And Aila hates to break it. But she needs to.

"Mom, Dad." Aila started as she put down her utensils. "I have something to say."

Her parents noticed the weird determination that their daughter had as she said those words.

"What is it?" Her father said as he also put down his utensils.

"I decided not to enroll for the next semester." Aila said as she fiddled with her fingers under the table.

She decided upon it when she was fixing herself upstairs. Education may be important, but at the end of the day, unless you are in the specialized fields of medicine, it's basically useless most of the time. Preparing for necessities for survival is much more important than studying in this situation at hand.

"I want to work for a year before going back." Working is a much better choice to do at the moment. The paycheck is hers alone and what she buys is nobody's business as it's her own money. Though she has enough savings from various gifts her family has given her over the years, anything extra is better than nothing. Even if that extra is like a penny to the mountain she hoarded.

Her mother had a worried look upon her face hearing what her daughter had just uttered. Aila knew that they would have some misgivings about her choice. They really want her to get a degree and see her proudly walk upon the stage to show off her achievements.

"What made you think so? We can support you and your plans for your future. Why do you want to stop and get into the workforce at your age?" Her father said as he observed his daughter.

"Indeed, why? Are you unsatisfied with something? Tell us we might be able to help." Her mother said.

"It's not like that." She answered quite quickly. Feeling a fear she has not experienced after the death of her loved ones in the apocalypse.

"Then why?"

"I want to have some experience and add it to my resume in the future. I'm still quite young and I only have to take four more semesters to graduate. So I think this is the best time for me to start them." Aila reasoned out. Giving them a piece of mind that she did think of this decision thoroughly.

The couple took a look at each other to have some sort of silent communication before the father cleared his throat.

"Are you sure about this?" He asked her for further confirmation. "You can start taking those experiences after you graduate. And by that time your resume will be much more attractive to employees than what you can put up currently."

"I'm sure of it, Dad. Will you guys allow me?" Aila asked as she glanced her eyes at her parents'.

Her parents could only sigh as they resigned to their daughter's request. They could only bemoan that she is now grown up and is ready to spread her own wings. Though they did remind her that if things got a bit hard in her job, they are here to support her to continue her education. If she really wants to continue working but has problems with whatever job she wants to get, they are willing to help her out by directing her to her aunt or uncles who have business that may need a hand.

Aila smiles gratefully at their concerns. She assures them that everything will be alright. That she is now all grown up and capable of taking care of herself as well as them.