Title: Haven

Summary: The world is no longer a happy sunshine place, even if the sun is still high in the sky heating the car. Even if the music I'm listening to is upbeat and catchy. Even if the radio promises a safe place to sit this out. The world we knew is gone, and now we need to figure out what this world is now. And figure out how to survive.

Rating: T (but maybe M, I'm not really sure where this should be)

Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious, just the idea for this story.

Prologue

April 15, 2012.

We'd heard about it when it started on the East coast. Slowly it engulfed the whole United States, creeping its way toward us. We had time to prepare, but preparing and practicing was never going to really prepare you for the real thing. Now the alarm was blaring over my episode of Drake and Josh, and I nearly screamed when it went off. They were here. They'd reached California.

I lay on my bed stunned for a long time until I realized I needed to get going. I swung my legs off of my bed and stood up, searching the roof for my shoes. They were tucked under my bed.

I slipped them onto my feet, packed some extra socks and flew down the steps behind Trina. Mom and dad were already in the living room bags getting topped off with the rest of the supplies we might need.

Trina was a mess, sitting on the couch quaking with fear. Dad screamed orders at us and I ended up doing both things until the car was packed and I was pushing Trina into the backseat.

People were slamming doors closed and throwing things into their cars, dad joined them hurrying into the fleeing masses. As soon as I was safe in the car I noticed my shaking hands, how my heart slammed against my ribcage trying to burst out of it, the slight whimpering sound I was making.

"Tori, listen to your pearpod." Mom whispered to me, I took off my seatbelt and scrambled into the backseat, pulling my pearpod free and pushing the buds of my headphones into my ears.

We drove for a long time, trying to get to the checkpoint at the safety center. Our doors were locked, even though nobody had seen any of those creatures. Those things. The zombies.

"Don't worry. Once we get inside we'll be okay." Mom was saying as dad leaned into the backseat and pulled up his gun bag. He handed me a gun, put one in his lap and then, slowly handed one to Trina and mom.

They had spent the time we had to prepare, pretending this wasn't happening while Dad taught me how to use different weapons, clean the guns, and figure out which guns required which ammo.

I wasn't under the delusion that everything was rainbows and sunshine, because my boyfriend had been on the East coast on vacation when the epidemic had started. He called me to tell me he was coming back, and he was on the phone with me when he died.

The world is no longer a happy sunshine place, even if the sun is still high in the sky heating the car. Even if the music I'm listening to is upbeat and catchy. Even if the radio promises a safe place to sit this out. The world we knew is gone, and now we need to figure out what this world is now. And figure out how to survive.