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Upon watching the WBZ news report of the Teddy Williams Tunnel’s collapse, a sense of impending doom washed over Peter. He deduced that with one less exit for the Z’s, a greater number could funnel into Cambridge, making escape nearly impossible. He swiftly stood up and began packing, selecting only essential items as Anne and Kai watched the news.
Kai asked, “What does this mean, mom?”
Anne grimaced as she replied, “It means they are preventing the outbreak from leaving Boston.” She glanced up at Peter, who was already discarding anything that could weigh them down. She understood his actions – survival was now more important than holding onto memories.
It was nearly 0600, and the sun would be rising soon. Peter looked at his family and stated, “Once the sun is up, we are leaving immediately. We are only taking what we need, Kai. I’m sorry.” His face was stern, unlike the perpetually smiling father Kai was used to seeing. Kai understood the gravity of the situation and began packing his essentials: water, clothes, and food.
As the sun began to rise, Kai and his family stood at the threshold of their home. Peter turned around and knelt down to Kai, placing his hand firmly on his shoulder. His tone was grave, leaving no room for misunderstanding.
“Kai… my son, I love you. If your mother or I, or both of us are unable to continue, you MUST never look back and keep running. We want us to survive together, but that might not always be possible. We love you and will always love you, but IF the worst happens, you must leave us. Your survival is more important than all of us surviving. I love you, Kai.”
His grip tightened, and he pulled Kai into a tight embrace. Kai’s emotions swirled within him, tears cascading down his cheeks as he clung to his father’s shirt. “I… I love you too, Dad,” he managed to say, then turned to his mother, “I love you too, Mom.”
In the soft glow of the morning, Anne and Peter shared a tender moment. Peter, reaching out to his wife of thirty years, began to speak, “I love you Anne, and..” but Anne interrupted him, her eyes filled with determination, “Peter, we will get through this. I love you.” With those words, they locked into a lasting kiss, an unspoken promise between them.
While his parents shared their moment, Kai was dealing with his own internal battle. Gripping his bokken tightly, he recalled his training, remembering that too much force could either break the wooden sword or his wrist from the backlash. He took a deep breath, grounding himself in the reality of his new world.
Peter, after breaking from the kiss, turned towards Kai and patted his head affectionately. He then proceeded to open the door, mumbling under his breath, “This is the point of no return.” It was one of his favorite sayings about writing, yet now, it held a much deeper meaning.
As the door swung open, the first light of day painted the sky in hues of red and yellow. It was a beautiful day, a stark contrast to the nightmare they were living. Peter scanned their surroundings. The road was deserted, no Z’s in sight. With a nod to his family, they began their journey towards Broadway.
Peter, a Cambridge local, knew the way to the casino. He had driven past it hundreds of times in his life, but he never imagined he’d be walking towards it in such dire circumstances. He estimated that it would take them a little over an hour to reach there on foot. With each step they took, their old life was left further behind, but ahead lay the hope of survival.
