World Departed (The Cascadia Series Book 1) by Sarah Lyons Fleming

Author:Sarah Lyons Fleming [Fleming, Sarah Lyons]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-02-26T22:00:00+00:00

39

Rose

The road has been quiet since yesterday, especially after a series of explosions rumbled somewhere off to the west. At first, I thought it was thunder. We don’t get many thunderstorms in Oregon, and I always relish them. As a kid, I’d sit at our apartment window with Pop and Mom, watching lightning strobe on Brooklyn streets while thunder rattled the glass in the window frames. Thunderstorms were one of my favorite things, both because of the raw power of the spectacle and because my parents made me feel safe from that intensity.

But this was something else, something purposeful. On the one hand, I welcome living people. On the other hand, I don’t know who they are. Absurdly, my stress levels have been low for the past week, aside from zombie skirmishes. Though we’re barricaded in a house and surrounded by dead people, life behind the fence is calm, except for the worry about something coming through.

We’ve decided to give it a day or two and then drive into town. If nothing else, maybe we’ll find news of the outside world or the estimated date of zombie death. I’m no expert, but the thousands of zombies that passed yesterday looked pretty fucking mobile.

Thirty days, my ass.

I lift the well bucket and dump it. The kids sit at the patio table playing cards fifty feet away. I can’t hear what they say, but I see how Holly’s smile drops quickly when she thinks no one’s watching. Although she insists she’s fine, every zombie she kills seems to kill some of the life in her. She’s always required time to process big changes, and this is a change of epic proportions. I’ve been standing back to give her space, but I’m worried. In this world, you can’t fall down, then get back on your feet and brush yourself off with no harm done. Not with a zombie bite, at least.

Mitch, sitting on an overturned bucket, follows my line of vision. “She’ll be okay. It’s a lot to take in.”

“I wish she would talk to me. It’s not healthy to keep it all inside and pretend everything’s fine.”

“Gee, I wonder who she gets that from.” Mitch stares at me, then lifts her shoulders and releases them with an overdone sigh. “I guess it’ll have to remain a mystery.”

“Bite me,” I say, and she laughs.

I watch the kids a moment longer, long enough to catch the way Clara’s eyes drift to Jesse again and again. She had a crush on him in high school, and for a time I suspected Jesse liked her in return, but it never came to anything. I always thought they’d be good together. I had no doubt that beneath Clara’s wild teenage side beat a loyal, loving heart; it’s only now on display for all to see.

“Our girl is thirsty,” Mitch whispers. “What does Jess think of that?”

I send the bucket down the well. “It’s none of my business. Though I’m dying to make it my business.”

“Have you plumbed Holly for information?”

“No.

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