Hell on Earth
Chapter 5
**Calli’s P.O.V.**
My eyes open to an unfamiliar sting. “Shit!” I quickly swipe the seemingly harmless ember off of my arm. I am now sitting in the back of a pick up dark green pick-up bed with Joey, Jake, Jared, and Mike. Joey… has his arm around me? I lie back down gently and face the sleeping Joseph. He looks like an angel when he sleeps. An angel is exactly what we need too. I like the sound of that … Joey being my angel. I snuggle into his chest and press my lips to his heart. Thank you angel.
The background noises have somewhat subsided. No more blood curdling screams and no more explosions. Just the soft murmur of crumbling buildings and a cry every once in a while. This is completely gut wrenching, a nearly barren wasteland where hopes and happiness crumbled within ten minutes. Families ripped violently from one another’s arms and the lifestyle as we all know has vanished. At least now I have a true family, the same family that has always been there without realizing it.
I feel something on the top of my head and I look up into the most breathtaking emerald eyes. Strange how even in this dull and gray setting his eyes still glow. We look into one another’s eyes and I feel tears well up. His eyes are telling me everything he can’t or hasn’t. The green pools almost seem to engulf me as his crooked smile takes hold. I feel my heart lift as his head comes closer to mine. He stops barely and inch away from me and I close the gap as our lips meet. His arms encircling me giving me a sense of protection. His thumb making small circle in the small of my back. We both pull away and he quickly pulls me into his chest. I can hear his steady breath and I notice his silently crying. Unlike me, Joey has lost his parents. Parents that he loves very much. Hell who wouldn’t love them. I mean, even I did and I only met them a couple years ago. Oh Joey…why did this all happen to you? You’ve never done anything wrong…
**Joey’s P.O.V.**
I leave my lips rested upon Calli’s head and my eyes relaxingly close.
Why am I alone? Where am I? I look around and see nothing everything is in black and white. I am barefoot and only have on a pair of old blue jeans. The ground is covered in brick. There is water everywhere.
“Mom? Dad?” nothing except for an echo. I am alone. I look up and see that there are empty buildings surrounding the brick road. Why is everything black and white? I follow the road I see a guitar. It is completely black but it is broken. Everything here is broken. Windows, doors, cars…. Everything. I start to shake I’m so cold and the water is every where. I have nowhere to go.
“Joey?!” I hear mom.
“Mom where are you? Mom!”
“Joe come one!” I hear my dad too. I can’t see them. I get scared I just sit down in the middle of the road with guitar in hand. I sit there and start to play. I feel a strange sensation as I trace my fingers down the neck and strum the strings. It isn’t broken anymore. I start to play a song my dad taught me, I play Good Riddance. I feel safer like my dad is right here with me but he isn’t. I play until I hear people more clearly. I close my eyes and listen to my father’s voice.
“Your going make it Joey. Hold on, you’ll make it. You have to Joe we need you. Joey…. I need you.”
I play louder and louder. I play and then it all stops.
I open my eyes to see the city is gone and so is my guitar. I see my dad in a brightly lit room. I am laying in a hospital bed. My dad has his head resting on my hand, we are alone.
“Dad?” I barely whisper. He lifts his head and I see his tear stained face. At this very moment he wasn’t the lead singer of Green Day he was just my dad. My dad who had seen my soccer games, the same dad who used to read me bed time stories. I’ll have to admit though he was the same dad who wasn’t there for nearly half of my life, he hadn’t seen me leave on my very first real day of school, hadn’t been there for my first tooth I lost, but when he was there he was great. He was the perfect dad. I want to be like him too. Before I had realized what had happened my dad was smiling and was hugging me.
“Joey, Oh my God.. Joey.” he wraps his arms around my neck. “Joey I’m so sorry. I never wanted to leave you.”
“You haven’t left me dad… you’re still here.” he tries to smile as he runs his hand through my hair.
“Joey… take care of yourself okay? Watch over your little brothers too,”
I nod and bite my lip and my throat nearly closes as he continues.
“If I could I would change everything. I would have never been on tour and I would have been a father to you guys. I mean, a real father. I would be home when you needed me. Joey… don’t ever doubt that I love you. I love you more than life and I love your brothers too. You all are so important to me in everyway possible.”
“Dad… I love you too, and you were a real father. You were t he b-best anyone could ask for,” I pause so i can swallow the lump in my throat. “How many kids can say their dad is a rock god?” I chuckle and slowly my wall of fake stability deteriorates. I throw my arms around him.
“Joey don’t forget me please. I want to be home so bad. I want to see you grow up, get married. I want to be a grandfather. I’m so sorry…” He breaks down too. My mother walks over and sits on the other side of the bed and cradles us both.
“Joseph, we love you and no matter what we will be here. Whether or not you can see us. If ever you need somoen to talk to just talk to us. We may not respond but we’re listening to every word. Please stay strong for your brothers, Calli, Mike, and Tre.”
“Tre is alive?” She nods.
“Tre and Frankito are.”
“W-What about…” I don’t want to finish. She shakes her head sadly.
“Ramona didn’t…” she can’t finish either… Tre…I drop my head. We have to find Tre. Suddenyl something occurs to me…
“Where is Stella?” I ask frantically.
“She is with her mother and is fine. Please tell Mike that.”
I nod and give my mother anf father a hug and kiss goodbye… the LAST hug and kiss goodbye before I am yanked from their arms and into the old pick up truck.
I awoke screaming. Mike has me by the shoulders trying to wake me up.
“Joey, joey wake up come on!” I wrap my arms around him and let loose all of the tears that had built up throughout my dream.
“Mike… Stella is alive!”
My eyes open to an unfamiliar sting. “Shit!” I quickly swipe the seemingly harmless ember off of my arm. I am now sitting in the back of a pick up dark green pick-up bed with Joey, Jake, Jared, and Mike. Joey… has his arm around me? I lie back down gently and face the sleeping Joseph. He looks like an angel when he sleeps. An angel is exactly what we need too. I like the sound of that … Joey being my angel. I snuggle into his chest and press my lips to his heart. Thank you angel.
The background noises have somewhat subsided. No more blood curdling screams and no more explosions. Just the soft murmur of crumbling buildings and a cry every once in a while. This is completely gut wrenching, a nearly barren wasteland where hopes and happiness crumbled within ten minutes. Families ripped violently from one another’s arms and the lifestyle as we all know has vanished. At least now I have a true family, the same family that has always been there without realizing it.
I feel something on the top of my head and I look up into the most breathtaking emerald eyes. Strange how even in this dull and gray setting his eyes still glow. We look into one another’s eyes and I feel tears well up. His eyes are telling me everything he can’t or hasn’t. The green pools almost seem to engulf me as his crooked smile takes hold. I feel my heart lift as his head comes closer to mine. He stops barely and inch away from me and I close the gap as our lips meet. His arms encircling me giving me a sense of protection. His thumb making small circle in the small of my back. We both pull away and he quickly pulls me into his chest. I can hear his steady breath and I notice his silently crying. Unlike me, Joey has lost his parents. Parents that he loves very much. Hell who wouldn’t love them. I mean, even I did and I only met them a couple years ago. Oh Joey…why did this all happen to you? You’ve never done anything wrong…
**Joey’s P.O.V.**
I leave my lips rested upon Calli’s head and my eyes relaxingly close.
Why am I alone? Where am I? I look around and see nothing everything is in black and white. I am barefoot and only have on a pair of old blue jeans. The ground is covered in brick. There is water everywhere.
“Mom? Dad?” nothing except for an echo. I am alone. I look up and see that there are empty buildings surrounding the brick road. Why is everything black and white? I follow the road I see a guitar. It is completely black but it is broken. Everything here is broken. Windows, doors, cars…. Everything. I start to shake I’m so cold and the water is every where. I have nowhere to go.
“Joey?!” I hear mom.
“Mom where are you? Mom!”
“Joe come one!” I hear my dad too. I can’t see them. I get scared I just sit down in the middle of the road with guitar in hand. I sit there and start to play. I feel a strange sensation as I trace my fingers down the neck and strum the strings. It isn’t broken anymore. I start to play a song my dad taught me, I play Good Riddance. I feel safer like my dad is right here with me but he isn’t. I play until I hear people more clearly. I close my eyes and listen to my father’s voice.
“Your going make it Joey. Hold on, you’ll make it. You have to Joe we need you. Joey…. I need you.”
I play louder and louder. I play and then it all stops.
I open my eyes to see the city is gone and so is my guitar. I see my dad in a brightly lit room. I am laying in a hospital bed. My dad has his head resting on my hand, we are alone.
“Dad?” I barely whisper. He lifts his head and I see his tear stained face. At this very moment he wasn’t the lead singer of Green Day he was just my dad. My dad who had seen my soccer games, the same dad who used to read me bed time stories. I’ll have to admit though he was the same dad who wasn’t there for nearly half of my life, he hadn’t seen me leave on my very first real day of school, hadn’t been there for my first tooth I lost, but when he was there he was great. He was the perfect dad. I want to be like him too. Before I had realized what had happened my dad was smiling and was hugging me.
“Joey, Oh my God.. Joey.” he wraps his arms around my neck. “Joey I’m so sorry. I never wanted to leave you.”
“You haven’t left me dad… you’re still here.” he tries to smile as he runs his hand through my hair.
“Joey… take care of yourself okay? Watch over your little brothers too,”
I nod and bite my lip and my throat nearly closes as he continues.
“If I could I would change everything. I would have never been on tour and I would have been a father to you guys. I mean, a real father. I would be home when you needed me. Joey… don’t ever doubt that I love you. I love you more than life and I love your brothers too. You all are so important to me in everyway possible.”
“Dad… I love you too, and you were a real father. You were t he b-best anyone could ask for,” I pause so i can swallow the lump in my throat. “How many kids can say their dad is a rock god?” I chuckle and slowly my wall of fake stability deteriorates. I throw my arms around him.
“Joey don’t forget me please. I want to be home so bad. I want to see you grow up, get married. I want to be a grandfather. I’m so sorry…” He breaks down too. My mother walks over and sits on the other side of the bed and cradles us both.
“Joseph, we love you and no matter what we will be here. Whether or not you can see us. If ever you need somoen to talk to just talk to us. We may not respond but we’re listening to every word. Please stay strong for your brothers, Calli, Mike, and Tre.”
“Tre is alive?” She nods.
“Tre and Frankito are.”
“W-What about…” I don’t want to finish. She shakes her head sadly.
“Ramona didn’t…” she can’t finish either… Tre…I drop my head. We have to find Tre. Suddenyl something occurs to me…
“Where is Stella?” I ask frantically.
“She is with her mother and is fine. Please tell Mike that.”
I nod and give my mother anf father a hug and kiss goodbye… the LAST hug and kiss goodbye before I am yanked from their arms and into the old pick up truck.
I awoke screaming. Mike has me by the shoulders trying to wake me up.
“Joey, joey wake up come on!” I wrap my arms around him and let loose all of the tears that had built up throughout my dream.
“Mike… Stella is alive!”