The next day.
Knock, knock… Knock, knock, knock.
"Emily, honey… Emily, wake up. You must go to class," my mother said, waking me up in her usual affectionate tone.
"I'm coming, Mom, and thanks for waking me up," I called softly, sounding sleepy.
"Okay, but don't go back to sleep or you'll be late. I'll have your breakfast ready," she said mockingly, probably remembering the many times I told her I'd come downstairs and then fell asleep.
"That never happens, Mom!" I shouted, embarrassed, as I felt her footsteps moving away from my bedroom door.
Today I felt completely exhausted.
The fight with Dad last night and these endless days have affected me more than I thought.
Yesterday, my father came home very upset and worried.
When I politely asked him how he was feeling, he just took me to his room and started a tedious conversation about how things are getting complicated in the city, and we should be prepared for any situation.
He even went so far as to say, "Let's move to a safe place I prepared."
At that moment, I looked at him in surprise due to the extreme state he was reaching.
He also asked me not to go to class these days, arguing that he could take a leave of absence, just while things were sorted out.
I was so angry that I simply recommended that he go to the psychiatrist in an annoyed tone as I left his office, but not before slamming the door.
"How could he possibly miss the anniversary just because of a supposed fever?" I thought at that moment.
On top of the problems at home, I've had problems with teachers and some classmates.
Many of my classmates, and even some teachers, have missed classes. This has caused many people to consider postponing the anniversary or even canceling it.
At first, these absences weren't noticeable, but yesterday it was already clear that many of the cafeteria tables were empty. Also, some classes didn't have a teacher assigned due to their absence.
Worst of all, it seemed like those people had vanished from the earth.
No matter how hard we tried to contact our classmates, they didn't respond. And in the case of the teachers, all we got was an email requesting leave of absence as the reason for their absence.
"Are you ready?" my mother asked when I had finished dressing.
"Yes, I'm ready," I replied as I opened the door and hugged my mother.
"Let's go eat."
An hour later.
"Emily, did you realize the emails the teachers sent were generic?" Amy asked, sitting next to me with a gossipy attitude.
"What do you mean?" I asked, confused.
"The kids think a government agency, or the military kidnapped them and sent those messages so they wouldn't worry anyone," Amy explained. "Don't tell me you're paranoid now too… Two days ago, you said nothing was happening, and now you're acting like the world was going to end," I said ironically.
"I know I said that on Tuesday, but now I have more information," she said suggestively, tempting me to ask.
"Okay… What information did you find?" I asked reluctantly.
"Yesterday my dad said some employees were absent from his company and received a message like the one the teachers were receiving. Also, yesterday I received a video they deleted from a streamer in another country, in which monsters don't die," she said with excitement instead of fear.
"Are you okay?" I asked Amy, touching her forehead.
"I don't have a fever," she said, taking my hand away from her face. "And I'm not delirious either," she added, pouting.
"It all sounds very strange… You're acting just like my dad," I said casually.
"You see, even your father seems to know something… By the way, back to the topic of absences and the military, I heard they're planning a march, even…" Amy was saying when the teacher entered the room with a young Asian woman.
"Everyone to your seats!" the teacher shouted. "I'm pleased to announce that we'll have a new classmate who transferred from Japan and chose our wonderful high school," the teacher announced in a serious tone, something that didn't fit with the words she was using.
"Konnichiwa…" she said, abruptly ending what she was saying when she realized she was speaking Japanese.
"I mean… Hello everyone, I'm Yuki. I'm from Japan, as you may have noticed. I don't speak English very well, so I hope you can help me," Yuki introduced herself, starting out embarrassed, but then she gathered more courage and finished her presentation flawlessly.
"Well, Miss Yuki arrived just in time for the anniversary celebration, so she'll be able to adapt perfectly… Sit next to that young lady, this is Amy, and she'll introduce you to the school in the afternoon," she said to Yuki, who quickly sat down in an empty seat next to me, avoiding being observed by others for much longer.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Yuki," I said, offering her the key for a friendly shake.
"Thanks in advance for your help… Emily," she said, hesitating at last to call me by my name.
"Don't worry about the formalities. I know that in Japan, it's not customary to call people by name unless they're close friends, but here, you can call everyone by name; that's the norm," I said in a friendly tone, trying to seem more approachable.
"I understand. I'll try to get used to it," Yuki said, grateful for my consideration.
"I'll give you a tour of the facilities this afternoon, and maybe you could help me with the preparations for tomorrow's anniversary," I offered Yuki.
"Sure."
A few hours later.
"This is the library, which houses one of the largest stocks of physical books in the city, and also a large repository of e-books and scientific papers," I showed Yuki the library.
After the morning session was over, we were given the afternoon free to organize preparations for tomorrow's celebration. There were also a few activities taking place this afternoon and tomorrow before the official celebration.
The activities included sports competitions, music contests, cultural knowledge tests, physical and agility challenges, among others.
Before starting the tour, Amy and I accompanied Yuki to the cafeteria and ate a leisurely lunch.
However, with Amy, it couldn't be peaceful.
She took the opportunity to ask him many questions about Japan and the country's education system. She also inquired about his past, but Yuki seemed reluctant to talk about it.
After that conversation, I thought Amy would accompany me on the tour for Yuki, but she ran off, shouting, "I have to get more information!"
On the tour, we visited several laboratories, the gymnasium, the various sports fields, study rooms, the staff room, and finally, we stopped at the library.
"It's incredible how many books there are here," she said, gently touching the spines of the neatly arranged books.
"Yes, although not many people enjoy reading," I commented as we walked between the shelves. "Usually it's not this empty, but because of the anniversary, there's no one here now," I added as we listened to the sound of our footsteps reverberating through the library.
"Do you like reading?" Yuki asked me.
"No, not really. Although I have read fantasy novels online," I replied casually.
"Hahaha… Me neither, but I like the silence of libraries. I've read novels online too; it's very common in Japan. There are even die-hard fans of different genres," she explained.
"I see… I'm sorry to pry into your business, by the way, but… I'd like to know, why did you transfer?" I asked cautiously, trying not to force her to answer.
"Um… Well… I had some personal problems at my high school… I mean, in my town, and, my parents come here for work," Yuki replied, hesitating, even correcting some of the things she was going to say.
"It seemed like she was going to say she had problems at her high school," I thought worriedly.
"I see… Sorry again if that was an awkward question, I just wanted to get to know you better," I said, flashing a friendly smile.
"No problem, it was just a difficult time…" Yuki was saying when a scream interrupted her.
"Emily! We have some news," Amy exclaimed as she quickly approached with George, the boy from the basketball club.
"Tell me," I said in a resigned tone while whispering to Yuki to excuse Amy, although she seemed amused by Amy's attitude.
"The protests will take place today… Right now, people are gathering in different parts of the city," Amy said with an excited tone.
"Is that true?" I asked Amy, surprised.
"Yes… George was included in a private outreach group, where there is an organized, even violent, mobilization if the city officials don't answer people's questions," Amy explained, pointing at George.
"Hi, George," I greeted him in a friendly way.
"How are you, Emily?" he asked.
"I'm fine… I was accompanying Yuki on a tour of the facilities," I replied, subtly including Yuki in the conversation.
"Oh! A new colleague… I'm George, it's a pleasure," he said as he approached Yuki, who took a step back in alarm.
"H… Hi," she said, greeting George from a distance.
"A shy girl, I understand… I'm sorry for approaching so abruptly," he said kindly, noticing Yuki's discomfort. "George… The news," Amy urged, noticing that no one was paying much attention to the matter she found so exciting.
"It's true… This group is preparing things on a much larger scale than we think. They're offering Molotov cocktails and even…"
At midnight.
"Mom, Dad isn't home yet," I said to my mother, sounding worried. "Has he called you?" I asked.
"He didn't tell me anything… Although before nightfall, he said they were speeding up preparations for that new house. Besides, it might have been delayed because of the protests," my mother said confidently, though I could tell she was just pretending to be strong so I wouldn't worry.
"Mom, what do you think of my dad's change of attitude these past few days?" I asked, changing the subject.
"Your father is worried, darling… He's doing what he thinks will be best for everyone—for you and me—he's even helping the families of the men who work for him," my mother replied, gently stroking my hair.
"Is he even helping his workers? I didn't know that," I reflected, amazed. "What has him so worried? Do you know, Mom?" I asked expectantly.
"Yes, I know, but he asked me to…" my mother replied as we both heard my father's car pulling into the garage.
My mother and I walked quickly toward the garage.
"Ron how are you?" my mother asked as she hugged him tightly.
"I'm fine, dear. I was delayed by the protests… They were out late causing havoc downtown and other parts of the city," my father replied as he approached me and hugged me back. "How are you, Emily?" he asked in his usual kind tone.
"I'm fine, Dad," I replied.
We all headed to the kitchen to make ourselves a late-night snack while my father recounted in detail what he saw in the protests. He seemed calm as he mentioned them all, but I noticed his gaze wandering and he occasionally frowned. He even sighed more than usual.
He was clearly worried.
We continued to chat about different topics while we ate our snacks.
We talked about work, about my high school issues, about the gossip my mother had heard. We all seemed to have agreed to make this moment one of worldly enjoyment only.
We didn't bring up any topics that could cause conflict in this moment of peace that arose naturally.
Just as I was entering my room, my father called from his office.
"Emily, I need to talk about something," he said in a serious tone.
"Okay."
------------------------------
Emily's Diary
Date: November 19, 2026 (night)
----
My father tried again to convince me not to go to school tomorrow.
I know he's doing it because he's worried.
But he really didn't want to miss school tomorrow.
He even started telling me some facts I didn't know.
Have the armies and governments of various countries around the world been preparing for months?
Another pandemic?
A deadly virus?
Now even I'm getting worried.
Now it all fits together!
Even after all that, my father couldn't convince me.
Although we reached an agreement.
Tomorrow, two of his men will be closely watching me for my safety, and right after the anniversary is over, I'll go to the new house.
I just hope those guys don't embarrass me.
.
----
.
[A/N: CHAPTER COMPLETED
Hello everyone.
A new chapter about our spoiled girl who seems to be starting to notice that things are worse than they seem.
Will the apocalypse begin soon, or will she be able to enjoy her life a little more?
-----
Read my other novels
#The Walking Dead: Vision of the Future.
#Vinland Kingdom: Race Against Time.
You can find them on my profile.]