Free Web NovelChapter 97: Chapter 97 It’s time to leave now Pearl.
Yayyy!"
Pearl jumped excitedly before immediately turning toward Sunny.
"Did you hear that, buddy? I’m going with you!"
"Bark! Bark!"
Sunny barked enthusiastically while wagging her tail so hard that her entire body shook with excitement.
Pearl suddenly paused before turning back toward Ivy curiously.
"What’s her name though?" she asked while pointing at the dog.
"It’s Sunny," Ivy replied with a warm smile. "My two daughters were the ones who named her."
Then her expression softened even further as she looked at Pearl.
"You’re more like my daughter now too."
Pearl’s eyes widened slightly at those words. freeωebnovēl.c૦m
Before the little girl could react properly, Ivy gently patted her head affectionately before turning back toward Mr. and Mrs. Smith.
Alright then," Ivy said. "We’ll both be back soon."
The couple nodded in response, though Mrs. Smith still looked slightly emotional watching her daughter leave with another woman for the first time since the apocalypse began.
Without wasting any more time, Ivy turned around and began walking down the mountain path with Pearl and Sunny following closely behind her.
The cool wind brushed against their bodies while Sunny happily ran ahead occasionally before returning to Pearl’s side again.
Soon, Pearl’s eyes landed on the massive armored vehicle parked below the mountain.
Her mouth slowly fell open.
"Whoa..."
The vehicle looked enormous and intimidating up close, almost like something taken directly out of a military movie. The heavy steel exterior, reinforced windows, and massive tires immediately made Pearl stare at it in awe.
"You own this too?" she asked in disbelief.
Ivy simply smiled lightly.
"Come on. Let’s head back."
---
By the time they finally arrived at Ivy’s base, Pearl was already overwhelmed with shock.
The moment she stepped into the compound, her eyes widened dramatically at the sight before her.
Different farm crops filled large sections of the area.
Fresh vegetables.
Tomatoes.
Peppers.
Corn.
Even fruit plants carefully arranged around the compound.
"You have so much food..." Pearl whispered in complete disbelief.
In the apocalypse, food was more precious than gold.
Most survivors could barely find canned goods to survive on, yet Ivy had somehow managed to build an actual farm.
Pearl was still trying to process everything when Sunny suddenly ran ahead excitedly.
"Bark! Bark!"
Pearl quickly followed after the dog before finally stepping fully inside Ivy’s home.
The moment she entered, she froze completely.
Her mouth slowly stretched open once more.
This time, even her jaw started hurting from how wide she had opened it.
Her stunned gaze moved around the room slowly.
The refrigerator.
The softly humming air conditioner.
The television.
The clean kitchen.
The bright lights overhead.
Everything looked so normal... so alive... as though the apocalypse had never happened at all.
Pearl felt her heart tremble emotionally.
Ever since the world collapsed, survivors only cared about finding food, water, and shelter. Things like home appliances had practically disappeared from existence.
But here...
This place still felt like a real home.
Warm.
Safe.
Peaceful.
For a brief moment, Pearl almost forgot the world outside was filled with monsters.
And just then....
"Wahhhh! Wahhhh!"
The loud cries of a baby suddenly echoed across the room.
Pearl immediately turned toward the sound, only for her gaze to land on two girls staring directly at her curiously.
One had bright curious eyes while the other stood slightly behind her sister shyly.
At the same time, Ivy quickly walked toward the crying baby nearby.
"Oh, my darling," Ivy said softly as she carefully picked little Hope into her arms. "Mommy’s here now."
Almost instantly, the baby stopped crying.
Ivy gently rocked her while smiling affectionately.
"Oh sweetheart... were you waiting for Mommy to come back?"
Meanwhile, the two girls had already approached Pearl excitedly.
"Hi!" the older girl greeted brightly. "I’m Aria. What’s your name?"
"I....I’m Pearl," Pearl replied shyly.
"I’m Lila," the second girl added softly while hiding partially behind Aria.
Sunny happily circled around all three girls while wagging her tail excitedly.
"Bark! Bark!"
Pearl couldn’t stop staring at them.
For the first time in months, she was seeing children around her age smiling, talking, and acting normally instead of crying in fear or hiding from monsters.
The atmosphere felt so warm that her chest tightened emotionally.
Ivy turned her attention toward the children only to discover that they were already interacting happily amongst themselves.
Aria and Lila excitedly asking Pearl countless questions.
Sunny remained beside them, happily accepting endless pats from all three girls.
Watching the scene before her caused Ivy’s expression to soften deeply.
****
The night sky stretched endlessly above Ivy’s base, the glow of the moon illuminating the quiet compound while the cool wind brushed gently against the trees surrounding the shelter while the soft sounds of children laughing filled the air.
Ivy sat quietly on a wooden chair outside the shelter with little Hope resting comfortably in her arms. The baby suckled gently on her mother’s breast while Ivy absentmindedly stroked the child’s tiny head lovingly.
Not too far away, Pearl, Aria, and Lila were playing happily together with the toys Ivy had once scavenged for her daughters before the apocalypse became too dangerous.
Different toys were scattered across the ground.
A stuffed rabbit.
Tiny building blocks.
A broken doll Aria still treasured dearly.
The three girls laughed endlessly as Sunny ran around them excitedly, occasionally barking while trying to steal one of the toys for herself.
"Sunny! Give it back!" Aria shouted between fits of laughter as the dog ran off with one of the stuffed animals in her mouth.
"Bark! Bark!"
Pearl burst into giggles before chasing after Sunny together with Lila.
After lunch, the children had played nonstop, completely immersed in each other’s company.
Even Pearl who had witnessed horrifying monsters and experienced the cruel reality of the apocalypse firsthand had slowly forgotten the outside world for a few precious hours.
Here, inside Ivy’s base, things almost felt normal again.
Almost.
But eventually reality returned.
"It’s time to leave now, Pearl. Your parents must be worried about you already."
