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JOSIE OFTEN DREAMED OF PIETRO. Growing up, they weren't like other siblings. Being twins, they always said they had a connection that ran deeper than just being brother and sister. And all throughout childhood, even when they got older and entered high school, they remained close.
When they were about to turn 8, their parents offered them the chance to have their own separate birthday parties instead of the joint ones they'd been having since turning 1. But they took one look at each other and politely declined. They were each others best friend, why wouldn't they want to continue celebrating together?
When Josie was lucky, the dreams were good. Often fun memories. Like the time they snuck out to go see a new movie. Or when they were in elementary school and their parents took them to Disneyland for the first time.
Her favorite dream was also one of her favorite memories with Pietro. Although it started out in heartbreak. The twins were 14, and the boy that Josie thought she was going to marry (because when you think you're in love at that age, you think it's forever) decided he didn't want to be with her anymore.
As soon as Pietro saw his sister fighting back tears, it didn't take too many guesses to figure out why. He was ready to go and beat that boy up, but Josie begged him to just leave the boy alone. She just wanted to forget he existed.
Later that evening after Josie had showered and changed into her pajamas, she walked into the living room and was met with a huge surprise. Pietro had transformed the room with huge blankets and pillows, making them their very own movie fortress. They stayed up all night watching Josie's favorite movies, and by the time they both crashed out at nearly 3am, Josie forgot all about the first boy who broke her heart.
Now when she was unlucky, which was more often than not, they weren't dreams. They were nightmares. And most took place during the night of the outbreak, and the immediate days surrounding it.
Images of Pietro killing their mother and father only so Josie wouldn't have to be the one to do it often played on a loop. This particular nightmare usually ended right after Pietro struck the final blow.
Josie wishes more than anything that she could go back to the weeks after the outbreak. Knowing what she knows now, she'd do so many things differently. Instead of trying to leave New York and wander aimlessly, she'd encourage Pietro to go straight to Boston.
Maybe then they wouldn't have gotten separated. Maybe then Pietro wouldn't have run off in the opposite direction so that Josie would have a better chance at escaping the swarm of infected that found their hiding spot.
