Authors Note: Hi! first i want to apologies if i have bad spelling. i would like to warn you its unedited. i just wrote this without even correcting. enjoy! :)

PREFACE

"you can't take my angel away from me, she belongs here not in the city." Hershall yelled in a hushed voice. He knew he couldn't have his daughter leave him and his family to go to California with her grandparents. It was risky and stupid. For one, he had a bad feeling, that it wasn't safe for his little girl. He looked at the red sports car that was filled with packing bags, and saw his little Nikita sleeping peacefully in car seat. Nikita was 6 years old, who had long beautiful brown hair with dimples on her flushed cheeks. She had amazing electric blue eyes that seemed to stun people when looking straight at her. It was amazing really to have such a beautiful little girl that he would always love and care for. She was his life. Hershall looked back at Nikita's grandparents who sadly was his in-laws. His in-law's were rich of course, full with luxury and the best cars but hershall never really liked them at all because of their jugement of their way of living.

John, Nikita's grandfather sighed And then said 4 sentences that changed hershall's life.

"We're taking Nikita. we already spoken to our daughter and she has agreed with us that Nikita will live with us in our care. You no longer have to worry. She will be raised right."

Hershall looked at his wife shocked that she had agreed to send her away. Hershall felt betrayed by his wife. Josephine was the mother of Maggie, n lil nikita. She was like Nikita in so many ways. Their personalityand appearances were exactly the same. With the same long brown hair and with the dimples that would always appear when they were smiling. She loved her daughter as much as hershall. But how can she do this to him.

Hershall knew he wouldn't win this battle. So he did the only thing that seemed right to him at the moment. He simply just Walked away. Back to where he was always happy. The farm.

When Nikita and his in-laws left, hershall walked up the old wooden stairs and right into his little girls room. Closing the door, he sat down on pink blanket that had dolls and teddy bears on it. He tried to remember all the good times he had with her. Where him and his little girl would play dolls and talk about the farm animals. And where they would just make fun of her uncle Otis and her siblings. Hershall laughed, accidentally spilling over tears. How could Josephine, his wife, do this to him. He felt betrayed. he needed her back. But where to start? He shouldn't have let them go. John never told them where he lived. Except the fact it was California. He laughed. silly him. He should just let her go see what happens. When she wants to come back she will. It's her choice not his.

"Herhall?" Josephine called through the otherside of the door. "can I come in?" hershall wiped his tears off his face and stood up with all his strength. "come in." he said his voice slightly shaking. Josephine came in with her eyes all swollen from the tears that were still falling. they stood facing each other in silence. Both staring into their eyes.

"I'm sorry." she said quietly breaking down. She sat down on the bed and cried as if she hasn't before.

"please forgive me hershall. Please forgive me." Hershall sighed, as mad as he is with his wife he knew he still loved her. Hershall sat next to Josephine and said 3 simple words. "I forgive you."

As John and his wife, cassandra, left the farm, John felt a huge relief to get out of there. He hated the farm. And he desperately needed to get Nikita out of there. He felt he was doing the right thing for her. She needed an education. An by living on a farm wasn't the best thing when it came to education. John looked at his wife with love and grabbed her hand. "are you sure we are doing this right? I mean do you think it's better for Nikita?" Cassandra said squeezing his hand. John took a deep breath and Said, "I'm sure. She doesn't need to be around a bunch of hillbillys." Cassandra pulled her hand back and look outside seeing trees flashing by as a blur. "John, their not hillbillies. Their our family and just because they live on a farm doesnt make them hillbillies." John pretended not to hear that. Instead he looked down the road and kept on driving without saying a word to Cassandra. After hours of driving, John decided to drive to a hotel so they can rest. Cassandra looked at him confused. "where are we driving too? We still got 150 miles till we get to california." John took his wife's hand "well I decided that we should go to a hotel and take a rest before leaving back home." Cassandra gave him a look, "I don't know John. I think we should keep driving. I don't feel right about this" John sigh, "oh come on Cassandra, your exhausted. Nikita is exhausted. I think we need to go to a hotel, sleep it off, eat breakfast and then we can leave."

Cassandra looked at him, she wanted to say no and tell him to drive back into the intersection but he was right. She was exhausted. She needed to sleep on a bed and eat real food. Not junk food. Cassandra sighed. "well, I am exhausted. Alright. Just one night though." John smiled in victory. "alright hun"

After 20 minutes of driving, John had finally found a 5 star hotel. It was a nice hotel with a inside pool and hot tub. They served breakfast in the morning, a computer room and a workout room. Everything they were looking for. They needed to relax. When they got to their hotel room, it had a living room, 2 rooms and a small kitchen. It was like a mini apartment. Cassandra carried little Nikita ,who was still sleeping, into one of the bedrooms. Cassandra didn't want to wake lil Nikita. She looked like an angel when she slept and cassandra didn't want to wake her up from that.

Chaos was happening everywhere. Car's on fire, children and women running for their lives. There were some people who had thrown a rock in a window to get the tv's. People were attacking others as if they were animals. It was a riot of course. But what could have been the cause of that. John, who was looking out from his 5 story high hotel room, looked down at the streets and saw that the swat team had just began to detain people from attacking others. There was some people who were on the ground, that were not moving. John guessed that they were either unconscious or dead. He was of course shocked at what he was witnessing, What to do? He thought to himself. He had no idea. But he knew this buliding was not safe. They needed to get out of here. He regretted the idea to stop and sleep in a hotel. He regretted he didnt listen to his wife who said she had a bad feeling. Did he listen? No of course not. they shouldnt have done it. They should've went on driving, singing along as they drove back to California. Their home. John, quickly went to his room and pulled out his luggage and started putting his and cassandra's clothes in. While john did that, Cassandra who was in another room comforted crying Nikita.

"I want daddy." she kept saying. "Shh, it's ok baby. You'll see your daddy soon ok soon.." Cassandra coo'd

"Cassandra!" john's said his voice cracking. Cassandra looked up and picked up crying Nikita to where John was.

"we need to leave. Grab Nikita's things. We have to be quick." Cassandra nodded and quickly pulled Nikita to her room.

"Nikita, sweety, listen to me ok? Are you listening?" said Cassandra bending on one knee clutching onto her shoulders. "you need to stop crying ok sweetie!" Nikita nodded tears still flowing down her cheeks. "be strong, can you do that for me and your grandpa?" Nikita nodded. "good, go grab you clothes quickly." as they were packing their was a knock at the front door. Cassandra carefully left the room with small nikita behind her and walked Towards the hotel door. Checking the eye hole, they saw no one. Cassandra thought she was going nuts. Then it happened again. Another knock. Cassandra quickly grabbed an umbrella for defense and pushed Nikita back, who looked scared out of her mind. Opening the door slowly, cassandra gasped. she saw a cute little boy with blond hair and looked about 8 years old. He had blood all over his shirt and pants but seemed to not be hurt. "help me," was all he said before he fainted right before her feet. Cassandra quickly picked up the boy in and closed the door locking it shut. Putting him on the couch, she checked his pulse. Still breathing. Cassandra let out a huge breath not even knowing she had held it in.

"John!" she yelled frantically.

"I'm coming Cassandra. Hold on." John said coming out of his room with luggage's but stopped immediately seeing a little boy on his couch. "god damn it. What happen to him?" he said dropping the luggages and went towards the boy. Cassandra pushed the boys hair from his face and quietly said, "we found him outside of our door. He said help me then he fainted." John looked around. "Cassandra go grab the food we bought for the road."

As Cassandra went to the kitchen, John checked the little boy to see if he gotten hurt. But it was a miracle seeing no scratches or wombs from the people that were attacking citizens. We have to go now. John thought. He pulled the little boy over his shoulder, grabbed little Nikita's hand and went towards the kitchen. "almost done?"

"yeah." Cassandra said breathlessly finishing putting the last bag of chips in her bag. "let's go." she said not looking at him.

"wait, my Teddy bear ." cried Nikita. "it's right here niki." Cassandra Said holding out a Teddy bear. Nikita grabbed it eagerly and quietly thanked her grandma. still sad to what had happen.

"let's go, we have to hurry." John put his hand on the door knob and was about to open the door but before he could do that Cassandra put a hand on johns chest and pushed him back

"wait. Let me hold the little boy. You cant protect us with him on your back." cassandra said holding out her arms. John signed and took the boy off his shoulders and into cassandra's arms. John stared at the little boy in cassandra's arm. He reminded him of his little girl who was at the moment with the hillbilly. "I hope our daughter Is ok with that hillbilly." John muttered as he opened the door. Right now John regretted not having a weapon. It was dangerous out there. But what could he have grabbed. A butter knife. No. Before they could start protecting each other they had to get out of the city.

"where we going grandpa?" little Nikita said tears still in her eyes. She couldn't let them fall. Not in front of them. she had to be brave. "we are going home Nikita. This city is too dangerous. We have to get our car which is in the garage."

he said to all of them. While walking down the empty hall, they heard noises coming from one of the rooms. John didn't want to find out. His main goal was to get his family out of here. When they go to the lobby, they saw people grabbing their luggage, and heading out towards the garage. They too had to get out of the city. Away from the riot. When they finally got to the garage, Cassandra felt safe. It felt great to be near people who had the same goal as them. John opened up his sport's car putting the unconscious boy in the back with Nikita and then put the rest of the stuff in the trunk. As they started the car, John put his hand on his wife's.

"let's go John. Let's leave this nightmare." She said squeezing his hand. John smiled and left the garage and out towards the city. "we need to find a way out of here. No freeways. Surly everyone is panicking and leaving to the freeway. It's going to be packed and that's one thing we dont want."

The city was in ruins. People attacking others and houses burning. Tears were brought to Nikita's eyes again except this time she couldn't stop them from falling. As time passed by, Nikita closed her tiny eyelids and fell asleep.

Cassandra watched in confusion as she saw people walking on the freeway. It seemed like they gotten tired of waiting in their cars and decided to walk. When they got back on the road, John was relieved. "I should have listened to you. When the riot happened, I felt like I put Nikita in danger. Now we have this other kid and we don't even know who his parents are and if they are dead or alive?" Cassandra took a deep breath. "John, u didn't know. Who knew that this riot was going to happen. Let's just head back home and forget this riot ever happened." Cassandra smiled and put her hand to johns.

Yay! So, this is the beginning. and take note, the zombie apocalpse didn't happen yet. it was a riot. i didn't want the zombie apocalypse to happen yet. it was a riot, alot of people killed others and the city wasn't safe for them. just clearing that up. and hershall does have other children, they will be in the next chapter. The next chapter is when nikita is grown, 16 and its god knows how long since the apocalypse happened. so hershall's children will be introduced into the chapter too. So review and tell me what you think. again, sorry for bad grammer. didn't edit this.