A Broken World (Book 2): Shattered Paradise by Lauck Andrew

Author:Lauck, Andrew [Lauck, Andrew]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Tags: Horror | Post-Apocalyptic | Zombie Apocalypse
Publisher: Severed Press
Published: 2017-11-14T05:00:00+00:00

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After two days of bed rest and recovery, I was refreshed and no longer feeling like death. Once I was able to stand on my own, Murray gave me a tour of the outpost grounds. I could tell that he was trying to convince me to stay as we walked, since he dropped several subtle hints, but he understood that I had to leave. It wasn’t just about finding Katherine anymore, but a search to find myself again after unleashing the worst parts of me. That darkness still lurked just below the surface of my sanity, and I needed to find a balance again.

Outside of the hospital, the outpost was a different world than the one I had come to know. Murray wasn’t lying about what they were accomplishing, with a nearby hotel open for survivors that were just passing through. They had simple amenities with clean, running water, which, to someone travelling miles across the current landscape, was everything. A restaurant was also visible from the hospital, with a chef that Murray swore was famous.

Just as quickly as the new sense of hope for humanity came back, though, it rushed back in to remind me of the sacrifices required with the bodies of everyone who had died taking the city. Walking past a set of hastily constructed guard towers, a burial detail crossed the street carrying six coffins.

Looking farther down the path, I could see a graveyard with wooden tombstones marking the graves. Past that was a testament to Murray’s story. Downwind of the outpost, smoldering corpses formed a mass grave in a trench.

“Damn fine people gave their lives to take this place, Eric.” Nodding to the trench, he added, “Those were the ones that were bitten in the assault. We couldn’t spare the bullets to make sure they didn’t rise, so…” He was lost in the memory for a moment. “Taking this town was no different than any other, which is why we can use good ones like you and Jessica.” Murray looked at me and put his hand on my shoulder. “I’m serious, Eric. I understand why you have to leave, but I’d ask you to at least consider helping us take back our civilization.”

As I thought back to everything that I had been through since the last time I’d parted ways with Murray, I had one of my darkest thoughts yet. Between the cannibals, Schafer, and the arena, I had my answer.

“With all-due respect, there’s no civilization left, Murray. We’re all just trying to put pieces back together of a shattered paradise that no longer exists.” Looking beyond the bodies, I could see Samantha with a smirk on her face, knowing I had come to accept that everything was lost. Her black dress blew in the light breeze, even though I knew that, rationally, she wasn’t real.

“I’m sorry you feel that way, Eric, but all we can do is try.” He frowned and patted my shoulder. “Like I said, just think about it, okay?” The burial detail finished stepping across my vision and Samantha was gone.

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