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Chapter 20
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2022-05-14 10:42:00The bullets riddle the side of the house, and Ryder and Reese both duck down, flattening their bodies to the ground. Tobe and I join them, squishing our bodies as flat as they can go, and we simply wait for this all to be over with. When the bullets cease, Ryder gets up and begins shooting again. but this time, his eyes widen, and he throws himself down to the ground just as a fiery bomb explodes ten feet to our left.
The front door bursts into flame, and the flames begin creeping slowly along the windowsill and up to the ceiling. "What the hell just happened?" Tobe shrieks, staring at the growing flames with a deer-in-the-headlights expression on her face.
"Molotov cocktail. They've got more prepared. This place is gonna be completely engulfed in flames soon, and we can't stay here. Head for the back door, and we'll circle around through the trees and make our way to the boat."
Reese shoves me and Tobe toward the back d
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On the morning of our fourth day in Frank's camp, Frank himself finally comes to visit us. When he pulls the tent flaps aside, Naomi cringes, and Melissa and Tobe both start to cry. He doesn't look at any of them though; he walks straight over to me, and crouches down in front of me."How are we feeling?"He has to already know the answer to that. I can finally see out of my left eye again, but I'm sure it's still black. I have two swollen and broken fingers on my left hand, and my ribcage, back, and legs are riddled with footprint-shaped bruises. It hurts every time I move, but I refuse to show him that pain; he'll just get off on it.I'm not going to answer, and he knows that. It's the same question he's asked me several times over the last three days, and I've never answered. I don't think he really expects me too, but he always asks anyways. Every time he checks in on us, which is several times a day.He doesn't usually stay long. He just comes in and tests me before leaving again
Last Updated : 2022-05-1575 Days Chapter 22
Frank pauses when the gunfire starts, and he looks uncertain. He's not sure whether he wants to stay and finish with me, or go see what's going on. If this decision is hard for him, he's even crazier than I thought if he's willing to risk the lives of most of his men just to teach me a lesson.He snarls, and grabs me by the ankles before hauling me back towards the mattress. I kick and scream, trying to free myself, but it's no use. Frank's mind is made up; this is what he's going to do, even if it kills us both. He throws me back down to the mattress and unbuttons his pants.The gunfire gets louder and closer, and I know that whatever's out there right now is heading this way. If it's zombies, I'll be eaten alive in the next few minutes, hopefully before Frank can finish whatever he plans to do to me. If it's raiders of some kind, I'll probably end up in a similar predicament later, just with more sane people.Frank drops down to the mattress and pins my arms to my sides.I whimper,
Last Updated : 2022-05-1675 Days Chapter 23
We spend the next four days preparing supplies for when Ryder hopefully gets better. It rains almost nonstop after we fix Ryder's bandages, and Naomi and I fill two five gallon buckets of water, strain them, and boil the water. Then we take a funnel from what's left of the kitchen, and fill almost fifteen bottles with fresh, hopefully clean water.There isn't much else to do, except sit around and think about my nightmares. I've been having them since Ryder and Reese rescued us from Frank and his Warriors. Each time it's the same dream: a feeling of helplessness, pain, and confusion. Then Frank's face, cruel laughter, and the feeling of being thrown down onto a mattress. Thankfully I always wake up after that.Ryder hasn't moved much in the last four days, and he's going to be in no shape to leave the island for a while, so Naomi and I take the time to get to know each other better. She's sixteen years old, and was a star on her high school's cross country team. She was a straight A s
Last Updated : 2022-05-1775 Days Chapter 24
I nod, and look at Naomi. "He's right. If we wait to leave, we'll be doing it with no food, no water, and no ammunition. We won't stand a chance out on the open road. If we're gonna go, we have to go now."Naomi sighs. "That's the problem. I don't want to go. I like this island. We have the woods to hunt, and we can start a vegetable garden; I found your seed packets in your supplies. We can collect the rainwater, and we can find a better house, one with more room, and that isn't destroyed by fire.""Those things won't last forever, Naomi. Listen, it doesn't rain here everyday. We need to leave.""I don't understand why," she complains. "We could have a real life here. Where else are we gonna find that's anywhere near as safe as this one? Once we clear out all the zombies here, there won't be anymore. We won't have to live in constant fear, always looking over our shoulders. Why would you wanna leave that?""Because..." I have to stop, because I don't really have an answer. This place
Last Updated : 2022-05-1875 Days Chapter 25
When we reach the mainland, Reese and I both help Ryder out of the boat, and he gasps with pain when we let him go. His face is pale and he's started to sweat, and I wonder if we should have just stayed on the island and given him more time to rest. He's definitely not going far in his condition, and I don't want anything to happen to him.Reese checks his rifle, and nods his head to Naomi. "You're with me. The jeep is about a block from here; we parked it a ways away because we didn't want anyone to see it. Sam, you stay here with Ryder, Tobe, and Melissa." He looks uncomfortable at that thought for a second, but I shake my head."We'll be fine. Just hurry back."He nods, takes one look at Naomi, and sighs. "Let's get this over with. The sooner we leave, the sooner the group is back together. Come on," he says, turning and jogging down the dock. Naomi takes one last look at me before following after him.I tighten my grip on my gun, and move closer to Ryder. He wraps his good arm aro
Last Updated : 2022-05-1975 Days Chapter 26
Naomi and Tobe talk about anything they can think of: favorite movies, favorite fashion designers, and favorite sports. It turns out that Tobe was a cheerleader when she was in school, which doesn't surprise me since she's so gorgeous, and Naomi did cheer for a couple of years before joining the cross country team.They spend the next hour talking about famous cheerleaders that I've never heard of, and I try to tune them out. I have a couple of books in the back, and I turn around and start digging for one. I decided I needed something to keep me occupied from now on, and I start to read about vampires and witches. It's not really what I like to read, but it kills the time enough so that I'm not constantly bored.Reese stops the car when it gets dark, and the six of us get out to set up a makeshift camp for the night. We have blankets and Reese and Ryder have their sleeping bags. We divide everything between the members of our group, and com
Last Updated : 2022-05-2075 Days Chapter 27
The house is mostly destroyed on the inside, and it's so dark it's impossible to move around in without flashlights. Whoever boarded up the windows did an amazing job, because absolutely no light gets through to the first floor. The darkness makes it impossible to see the blood soaked into the entryway carpet, or the bloody smears along the walls.Ryder, Tobe, and I stay downstairs with Melissa while Reese and Naomi check the upstairs. Naomi comes back down with a handful of long, thin candles, and she distributes them to us. "Alright, how are we doing this?" she asks once the candles are lit. "Are we going to take turns guarding her?""I think we should lock her in the upstairs bedroom, and just check on her periodically," Reese says."I agree," Tobe says, startling me. She sees me watching her and shrugs, managing to look both proud and ashamed at the same time. "I've survived this long, Sam, and I'm sorry, but I'm not
Last Updated : 2022-05-2175 Days Chapter 28
Tobe's screams wake me in the morning. At first, I think it's remnants of a dream I can't remember, until I hear something clatter to the floor, and scrambling feet. Reese and I are downstairs near the couch, and we're on our feet in an instant, and we're racing for the stairs.Tobe is trying to shut the bedroom door, and I can see Melissa's fingers, which are curled into dangerous claws, digging at the wood. Tobe is still screaming, and is trying to slam the door shut again. I'm not sure why it's open in the first place, but I when I reach the top of the stairs, I lunge for the still open door.Before I can reach it, the door flies open, and a newly turned Melissa rushes out into the hallway. Of course, I was in too much of a hurry to grab my gun, and I'm completely weaponless. She doesn't go for me though. Instead, she turns and leaps at Tobe, knocking her to the ground. Tobe has time for one scream before Melissa has her teeth embedded in
Last Updated : 2022-05-22
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We rejoin the group by the vehicles. Ryder is still standing guard on top of the truck, always vigilant and aware of anything going on around us. For a minute, all I can do is stand at the back of the parking lot with Todd and stare at Ryder. He's made it possible for us to feel as safe as humanly possible while out on the road, and he takes all of the faith we have in him seriously. He'll never let us down... He turns and spots us. The corner of his lips twitch, and I know it's as close to a smile I'll get while he's on guard duty. That almost smile falters as his eyes roam over my body, and I know the exact instant he sees the wounds on my face and arms. His gun drops to his side and he jumps off the roof of the truck to the bed and hops over the tailgate, hitting the pavement with a loud thump. He heads over to us with long, purposeful strides. I can tell how furious he is from the way he clenches his hands until the knuckle are white and the way his nostrils flare. He reaches ou
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"You'd let complete stranger in?" Aaron asks, as if he can't believe she would be stupid enough to do that. "Aren't you worried about what they might do? To you or your kids?" "Of course I am!" she snaps. "But we won't make it here alone. I need help gathering fuel and protecting this place. Against my better judgment, I'm trusting yours. If you think they're safe, send them back this way if they're willing. I don't have much of a choice," she says. Reese nods. "I understand." "Thank you so much," Tuyen says. "I really appreciate it." "Don't worry about it. If we meet anyone on the road, Ryder and I can assess them. If they're trustworthy, we'll let them know you're taking people in." She smiles gratefully at Reese, but then turns her attention to me. "To be honest, I'm not sure how reliable this cure information you have is, but for all our sakes, I hope it pans out for you." "Me, too." "Stay safe while you're out there trying
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Out of the corner of my eyes, I notice Ryder and Aaron suddenly go tense. Tuyen catches our behavior as well and smiles. "Don't worry, I have to keep this area locked up because the kids like to try and get in here to snack. If I let them take what they want, we'd run out of food for sure. So I always lock it. Nothing to be worried about."She sounds honest and sincere, but there's no telling if she's trustworthy or not. You can't be too careful these days. There might be madness lurking beneath that sincere face, and it might be too late to take caution."Stay close to me," Ryder whispers, his breath hot on my ear from how close he is. He makes sure his words don't carry-they're for my ears and my ears alone. And I take them to heart.I sidle closer to Ryder, feeling my arm brush against his. I take comfort in the warmth and closeness he offers. My hand drifts down until it's resting against the grip of my gun, and I notice the others move their weapons closer so they're ready to use
75 Days Special Chapter 7
I slide down from the rooftop and hop down into Ryder's outstretched arms. He catches me effortlessly, like I weigh next to nothing, like he hadn't been previously wounded and left almost helpless. He looks down at me, eyes full of worry. "Are you hurt?""No," I say breathlessly. "I'm okay for now, and so are those kids." He sets me down and I feel strength start to return to my legs, my earlier fear almost forgotten. "I can't believe there are still children left alive. I thought for sure they would all be long dead by now."We watch the two boys, who may actually be brothers now that I get a better look at them. They're comforting each other, checking to make sure they're both unharmed. We turn our attention to the strange girl who came out of nowhere. She's busy staring at us, clearly sizing us up and determining whether or not we're a threat to her and the boys in her care.Finally, after a very tense minute that has Reese and Aaron shifting nervously, she walks over to us. She st
75 Days Special Chapter 6
Ryder pulls over to the side of the road a few hours later, cutting the engine. He flexes his fingers and winces at the stiffness in them. Hopping out of the truck's cab, I stretch my legs for the first time since we left, feeling the strength slowly return to them. We've been following Interstate 29 since we left at dawn, and we're just outside the South Dakota border, which is quite the journey.The others get out of the vehicles, stretching their tired and aching limbs while we have the chance. Madison catches my eye and nods as she arches her back until it cracks. With a contented sigh, she walks over. "I'm getting hungry. We should use this quick stop as a lunch break, too. We might not get a spot like this to stop in again."I nod in agreement, eyeing the area around us. Ryder's expertly chosen our location, choosing a spot that's easy for us to defend. We leave the highway and walk for twenty yards, coming to the top of a small, grassy hill that overlooks the highway and the su
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Madison nudges me. "Don't," she says. "Don't doubt yourself. Not now. We're way too close to doing this for you to question your choices now. Reese will get over it eventually. And if he doesn't, it's not your problem." I sigh. "You're right." Is she though? Ryder steps around Reese and his eyes find me instantly. "Well, I think we're just about ready to go. We've just gotta pack the food into the vehicles and decide on who is riding together. I'm gonna drive the truck, and I think Aaron should drive the jeep. Sam, I want you with me so I can keep an eye on you." I nod. "Okay. Reese, I think you and Naomi should ride with us, too. Madison? I think you should ride with your people. You'll know how to work best together, and you guys probably trust each other a little more." Madison nods. "Sounds like a plan." Thankfully Reese decides to stay quiet, and he doesn't object to our plans. He just hovers in the corner, glaring at nothing in particular and making sure we all know how muc
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When we get back home after our supply run, Ryder and Aaron go over every inch of Reese's new truck, looking for imperfections. I catch snippets of their conversation, but I don't understand most of it since they use the proper mechanic terms, and I've never been that great with the subject of vehicles. The best I can do is drive one, and even then I'm a little iffy about it. But if it were to break down somewhere, I would be in so much trouble.Rather than stay outside and watch the guys look over our new ride, I head into the kitchen. There is an open can of peaches left over from the lunch the others had about an hour ago, and I dig in with a plastic fork. Daisy sits at the kitchen table, sipping at a bottle of water. She has this look in her eyes that I've noticed every once in a while. It's a look that says "I've lost someone important to me; someone that I'll never get back". Madison told me that Daisy lost her twin sister Rose when their school safe haven got overrun a
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Hours later, the jeep jerks to a halt in front of the only car dealership in the area. Reese pockets the car keys, but he doesn't exit the car. He just sits there rubbing his temple as if he has a migraine, and I wait impatiently for him. After a thirty minute drive into town from the middle of nowhere, I'm feeling anxious to stretch my feet, and to get this done, and waiting for him does not make me happy.Finally Reese slides out of the jeep, slamming the door shut behind him. Rolling my eyes at his attitude, I head into the dealership parking lot to look for anything that will be able to fit us all. The sound of Reese's boots clunking against the pavement is the only indication that he's deciding to follow me, and I hope he's paying more attention to our surroundings than I think he is.I constantly scan our surroundings, always on the lookout for any sign of movement. The gun belted to my side feels right at home on my hip, and with it always within my reach, I fee
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"Breakfast is ready," I shout, loud enough to be heard over the ruckus in the living room. Walking over to the kitchen doorway, I lean against the frame and watch the contest going on. Both Ryder and Aaron are sitting on opposite ends of the living room table, clasping each other's right hands. Their free hands are behind their backs, and the others are watching and cheering them on, waiting to see who wins the arm wrestling contest.As I watch, Ryder begins to get the upper hand. Slowly but surely, Aaron's smaller arm begins to lower to the table, but it doesn't go down. It hovers just above the wood while Aaron struggles to hang on for just one more minute. Before Aaron can recover, Ryder slams his arm down on the table, effectively winning the contest.Reese and Naomi cheer while Todd and Madison pat Aaron on the back. "It's okay, Aaron. You'll get him next time," Madison says.Aaron smiles good naturedly, and leans across the table to offer Ryder his hand. T
