Jillybean's First Adventure [An Undead World Expansion] by Peter Meredith

Author:Peter Meredith [Meredith, Peter]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Zombie Apocalypse
Published: 2018-06-13T04:00:00+00:00

***

Author’s End Note:

From a biographer’s perspective there were many interesting aspects of this story, not the least of which was Jillian’s absolute reluctance in telling it. She found the outright fear she demonstrated to be degrading and unfit to be told given the rest of her many heroic deeds.

I was able to persuade her only by stroking, what I have described in other works as: “an infinite ego, justified solely by the history of her time, the shape of which was molded almost exclusively by her own hand.” When I explained that, although her initial all-consuming fear was utterly normal, her ability to overcome it was in fact, singular. This has been proved painfully true. Only a handful of other children her age lived through the early stages of the apocalypse, yet none were ever on their own so completely or accomplished so much as such a young age.

There was another aspect of this story that was fascinating from both a writer’s point of view as well as a psychoanalytical one, and that is the juxtaposition of Jillian’s first display of raw courage and the first stirrings of her utter ruthlessness.

I’m sure you’re asking yourself, “What utter ruthlessness?” The answer came out of what I thought was more or less a throw-away question at the end of my final interview.

“Did you ever see Becca Risbon again?” I didn’t expect much more than a simple yes or no. Instead, Jillian froze, her blue eyes, misty now with age, went completely blank and then her head began to go side to side, very slowly. “No,” she said.

It was as bald a lie as I had ever heard, but I didn’t take offense since Jillian herself wasn’t even aware of it.

“Are you sure?” I asked, skating across ice that was both thin and dangerous. Doubting the Queen has led to more than one death and who knew how many disappearances. Despite this, I persevered. The job of biographer is not for the faint of heart, after all. “Perhaps you saw Becca and might have forgotten.”

Instead of growing angry at my temerity, Jillian grew still and unsettlingly cold. “Who are you again?”

At this seemingly simple question, I could feel my face grow stiff and my pulse begin to race. Jillian had a towering intellect that had lost nothing in seventy years. She was as razor sharp as ever and she definitely knew who I was. The woman in front of me was not Jillian. I was in the presence of Eve and though she was small and thin, and I was a robust six-feet, young and strong, a wave of goosebumps rashed out across my flesh.

Eve was the stuff nightmares.

“I’m Ezekiel Cross. I’m your b-biographer.” I was abruptly aware that Jillian invariably carried weapons and that Eve would know exactly where they were.

“Ah, she’s looking to polish her image,” Eve said, sitting back, one hand sliding out of sight. I tried not to notice. She went on, “Good for her. She needs it, but I don’t.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.