Zombie Parade

8: Routine

Percy POV

Working as a guard isn't that hard. Surviving in the real world is much harder than terminating a few zombies behind a perimeter of traps. The most action I get is when I have to stab the zombies stuck on the traps every morning and night. 

I spend most of my time with the other guards or with Estelle. I made the right choice by joining the survival group. The camp is a much safer place for a baby. 

"Hey, Stella, I think it's time for a change of diaper," I expressed. 

I set her on a blanket on the floor and got to work. over the past few weeks, I had gotten to know Stella on a much deeper level. She's a baby, but she still has her quirks. For instance, when she's sleepy, she doesn't rub her eyes. Instead, Stella yawns like a hippopotamus before screaming at someone to pick her up. 

There are other things too. For instance, Stella hates anything that tastes like broccoli. She's okay with any other vegetable Gerber food, but she hates broccoli. 

Grover even makes chunky meat to feed Stella. He cuts the chicken into very small, fine pieces in water so that Stella can digest it as a baby. Hestia is great at taking care of Stella, but the other members also help with her. 

Everyone is gentle with the baby, and they're a great help. 

I carried Stella in my arms while walking through the Native American exhibit. I have guard duty today, so I'm dropping her off at daycare (ie Hestia). 

"Percy, how are you settling?" Hestia asked. 

"I'm fine. The camp is a pretty nice place. Also, most of the members are nice. It's nice to have people around," I answered honestly. 

"Were you alone the entire time of the apocalypse?"

I sighed while setting Stella on the carpet. She crawled towards a set of toys on the floor. She chose to play with a maraca. Tyson and Ella were sitting on the carpet too, playing with legos, and building a castle. 

"Percy, I asked you a question," Hestia stated. I stared into her kind face before gesturing to the chairs nearby. They were around the fake campfire. 

"In the first few months, I was in a survival group. Some friends and I were on a beach trip, and we got locked down in a cabin. We decided that it's safer to stay in a confined area and isolate ourselves from the zombies. None of them were close friends, but we were celebrating the end of our junior year of college," I explained. 

"We stayed together for months. However, I wanted to come back to New York. I wanted to see my home again and possibly get momentos of my family. However, they didn't want me to leave. They didn't give me a choice."

Hestia rubbed my arm with her hand. "You always have a choice, Percy."

"Yes. I made my choice to leave, and I did."

My voice faltered while I stared at the kids. Tyson and Ella were trying to keep baby Estelle from knocking over their lego castle. The kids were laughing and having fun. I smiled sadly while gazing at their innocent nature. 

"But?" Hestia asked. 

"I had a high-tech walkie-talkie that we stole. We wanted to stay in communication, but they didn't talk to me after I left. They were angry." 

"Some people can be angry without any right," Hestia said. 

"I listened to their angry remarks and curses for days. Then, the communication died, and I haven't heard from them since. They died because I left," I whispered with guilt.