All Chapters of No Cure For The Poisoned World: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Cole sucked in a breath, and without another thought, threw herself forward.Flashes of her past flood her mind. Like looking at shiny gold treasures in a chest. Cole remembered the moments when her parents smiled, when her sister giggled, when things were simple, safe and beautiful…Her ears filled with distant flutters of bird wings. Until the flutters became pops again and murmurs became shouts."COLE!"All at once, her gray eyes opened, and the full moon’s glory filled her vision."COLE WHERE ARE YOU?" A voice shouts. Cole's heart pounds as she realizes it was Tuck shouting for her. She frantically looked around, seeing that she had indeed landed on the terrace. While her attacker lay unconscious on a broken table; which was crushed under his weight."COLE!"Another shout makes Cole turn her head to the right, finding the house door. Right away she knew Tuck was checking every room on the third floor.The floor creaked, drawing her gaze left again, and Cole's gray eyes went wide. A

Natalie's scream pierces through noises of gunfire. The sound reaches Eris, who rushed from his spot near the front door. Into the living room, where Natalie was pinned under a man who hasn't met him yet.Eris yanks him off, slamming him to the floor and beating him in a rage. Natalie got up, firing shots toward the yard as she neared Eris. "They're retreating! Eris! Those bastards have our supplies!"Standing up straight, Eris stood over the unconscious man and glanced at the window. Then at Natalie. "You're injured". he says, looking at a bullet wound in her left arm."It's just a flesh wound". Natalie sniffles as she casually reloads her silver pistol. "I'll be fine…" She exhales, but Eris could tell she was trying to hide her pain."Let's go get our stuff back". Natalie takes the lead and heads for the door.--Curled up on the floor, Cole holds her sore stomach while the intruder reaches down for the weapon. Only to be shoved into another wall. Cole turned her head to see Vincent

"Cole." Eris's husky voice was softer now, laced with an undercurrent of tension. He exhaled, his brows knitting in concern. "I know I can’t force you to eat… or make you sleep. These things aren’t easy. But my hope—" he paused, choosing his words with care, "is that someday, when the world’s not so broken, you and Tuck will get to be kids again. Do normal stuff… stay out late, go to school, have holidays…" His voice trailed off, distant, as if lost in a memory. "You remind him of someone important. His best friend. They got separated when she got sick."Cole blinked, her eyes rising to meet his, a flicker of curiosity there. Eris seemed to catch himself, his expression guarded now, like he had revealed more than he intended."I’m telling you this so you understand what’s coming. When Tuck finds out you’re not eating…" His gaze shifted briefly to the shadows beneath her eyes, the fatigue evident in her pale face. "And not sleeping either."Eris fell silent, studying her. For a moment,

After years of isolation, Cole got used to sleeping alone. Now there was someone snuggling her like a mama cat.It felt good.Safe…Vincent continued this every night, until the power was restored.The next few days felt like a month. Salvaging parts, fixing the power, doors repaired, broken windows boarded, and damaged walls patched. Cole was resting, Tuck was ordered to go scouting with a separate team. All while Vincent and Eris were summoned to the training room. They faced a restless 'Natalie' who was determined to train them harder. Both Eris and Vincent were back in training with Lieutenant Natalie Yuki. She went over close combat, weapon assembly, all types of potential escape routes and vulnerable points within the house. Plus, how to store explosives to keep from blowing the whole house up."I think I remember why… I chose to go to med-school…" Eris pants, laying on the training room floor. Right next to Vincent, who got tossed out of the ring as well by Natalie's best soldie

Cole rose from her bed. The sun had not yet risen. The bedroom is pitch black and silent. Apart from the soft tweets of birds that echo as the dawn approaches. Cole sits up anxiously and stares at nothing while twirling the end of her braid with her finger. Lost in her own thoughts, she didn’t hear when the bedroom door was opened.Only when the lights flick on, Cole snaps her gaze toward the entrance.There stood a figure suited in black, holding a bag in his left hand. “Hey Cole.” Tuck hesitates but nears her bed anyway.Cole watches as he set the bag down and unpacked its contents. He spreads each item on the white bed sheet. She stares at the strange outfits and mask. One outfit was black thermal with a hood to it. While the second was some kind of astronaut suit?“You’re going to have to change into this… Doctor’s orders.” Tuck explains. “This thermal one might be a little loose. I modified it to unzip in the back and the pant legs too. I have plenty of socks for you and gloves. T