Free The Breadwinner Trilogy (Book 1): The Breadwinner by Stevie Kopas

attacking one another, eating one another.  But who in the world just decides to start eating their neighbor?”  She put an emphasis on the word eating as she continued talking.  “But seriously, this just sounds like Isaac said, a bunch of hype they’re tryin’ to get us to buy into.  I mean, I’m okay with them cancelling school and all, but there’s been three accidents on our street in two days and they’re not even cleaning it up.  Why are they tryin’ to scare us like this?”  She looked over at her brother, who was busy with his phone despite knowing it would not work.  “If they’re tryin’ to scare us, it’s working a little, but I don’t see the point in shutting our internet off.”  She rolled her eyes and sat back in the chair when she was done speaking.
    “I know, I know it seems crazy and pointless,” James started, “but if this is as serious as they’re making it out to be, then we need to just be patient and concentrate on the important stuff.  Maybe right now, we need to take it seriously, just in case it is.”  He noticed his son wasn’t paying attention and thought of Eliza, his son’s girlfriend.  “Look kiddo, I know you’re worried about her,” Isaac looked up at his father with a scowl. 
    “I don’t even know where she is.”  Isaac mumbled.  “There’s a bunch of crazy shit, sorry, stuff, happening out there and she could be anywhere!”  Isaac realized he was raising his voice and thought of his mother, she always taught them that when family discussion was in order, they never, under any circumstances, raised their voices at one another.  “I’m just pissed is all dad, I wanna check in on her.”
    “I know son, but you need to realize Eliza is more than likely with her mom and dad, and she’s probably having a similar conversation with them like we’re having right now.”  He placed a reassuring hand on his son’s from across the table.  “What you two need to be concerned about right now though, is each other.  Not your friends, or girlfriends or whoever, you need to worry about the people sitting next to you.”
    “Well yeah dad, I know that.  But are you ok?”  Concern suddenly haunted her voice.
    “I’m ok, V.” James answered with a smile.  “I’m not worried about me.  What I’m more worried about are the two of you being able to handle what we’re supposed to be prepared for.  James got up from the table, taking the remote in his hand.  He motioned for the kids to follow him to the living room and have a seat on the couch.
    He turned to the local news, cutting off the recycled politically correct garbage for a more honest channel and clicked the volume up a couple notches.
    The local news anchor, an extremely slender and very beautiful black field reporter’s face filled the screen.  She stood in the county baseball field and spoke about the current status of Oceans County affecting the local sport season, as if trying to take the edge off of what was soon to come.  The way she spoke seemed serene, almost normal, as if she knew the whole thing was just a hoax to begin with.  While she was speaking, a fight had broken out behind her and was escalating quickly.  The screen immediately cut to an in studio anchorman announcing breaking news.
    “As we have been discussing,” the pale faced anchorman announced, “we have breaking news from government officials.  A curfew of 6pm will be enforced in accordance with yesterday’s announcement of a state of emergency.  Any person seen on the street after the restricted hour will be taken into police custody.  On a national level, the president has announced that a nationwide school and job suspension be put into place.  Any person outside of their homes between the hours of 6pm and 10am will be detained by local authority.  Between authorized hours, we are urging you to remain in your homes regardless unless absolutely necessary.”
    Veronica scrunched her nose up at the