Come and Find Me
~Prologue~
Prentiss had been the safest place in San Paro for so long, it was quite the surprise when that had been the location for the outbreak. No one had expected it, especially the man who had been infected first. It had happened so fast, by the time the enforcers had gotten any clue of what was going on, all of Prentiss was infected.
Momo didn't understand any of it at first, only being eight. It was summer break and she was at home, sitting in the living room on the couch, an old cartoon show playing on the TV. She sat there, entertained by the bright colors and humorous plot. Though, the sound of something banging against the front door caught her attention. Her parents weren't home and always told her to never answer the front door. But, they weren't home yet. Where were they? Maybe that was them at the door?
It wasn't odd for one of her parents to forget their keys. They didn't have a car, so they took the bus everywhere. Never had to lock the doors considering they lived so safe. So, Momo hopped off the couch, going to the front door. She stood in front of it, looking at the entrance. The banging was consistent, along with soft groaning on the other side. Who was out there?
"M-mom? Dad?" she called out softly. No reply. This was a bad idea. Her parents would've replied. And as she went to backup, an arm went straight through the door, the young girl screaming in horror. The arm was disgusting, reeking of something she had never smelt before. It was an odd color as well, and some of the skin was actually decayed and falling off.
It was only about a minute, but it felt like forever for Momo. The monster on the other side of the door was ripped away and loud cracks could be heard outside. It sounded like someone was breaking something. Momo just backed up against the wall, sliding down and bringing her knees up to her chest, tears falling down her face. Another arm reached through the same hole in the door, going to grab the knob and twist it. The door opened, revealing a woman standing there. She stared down at Momo, a stoic expression on her half-shown face. Momo just put her head down, allowing the person to stare at the kitty face her hoodie had.
"Heh. Cute jacket, kiddo," came the low voice. Slowly, she looked up, the woman in front of her, crouching to her height. "You all alone?"
Momo nodded, earning a sigh.
"Alright, that's great," she grumbled, "Well, there's some horrible shit going on outside and considering your now broken door, you're not gonna last long. And because I'm such a kind soul, I'm gonna take you with me so you don't have to be ripped apart."
"W-what?!" Momo looked terrified, her tears still falling. "What do you mean?!"
"Look, there was someone who got sick in Prentiss, alright?" she started, "That sickness started to spread, and it's highly contag- uh… catchable. That a word? Fuck it… Anyways! I don't wanna leave a little kid alone and have some hideous infected person come attack you."
"What about my parents?" she asked, wiping the tears away. "They haven't come home yet!"
"Uh… I don't think they will be home," she muttered, "If it makes you feel better, we can leave a note or something."
"My parents said I should never go anywhere with strangers," she spoke. The woman chuckled.
"Well, they're smart for telling you that. But, I'm pretty much your only hope for the time being," she replied, standing up. "C'mon, kiddo. Wanna leave that note for your parents?"
Momo nodded, standing up as well and walking towards the living room. A desk was placed in the corner. Momo opened the drawer, pulling out a pen and a piece of paper. The woman walked over, grabbing the pen and going to write on the paper. "The Needles Canalside in Havalynd. Kid is safe."
"Fuckin' hell this looks more like a kidnapping note," The woman grumbled, though she shook her head. "Alright, let's get going."
"What's your name?" Momo asked as she followed the woman out the door.
"Name's Rabbit," she replied, "You'll meet a few people in Havalynd. Kolyma, Shane, people like that. What's your name, kiddo?"
"Momo!" Rabbit chuckled softly at the happy reply.
"Alright, Momo. Uh… why do you have blue hair, exactly?" Momo looked up at her, reaching up to gently grab at her light blue locks. "I doubt your parents let you dye your hair..."
"I was born with it!" she told her, "Mommy says it's just something to separate me from the rest of the people!"
"With a birth name like Momo, you're already separated from everyone else."