to piece together. The power was out everywhere, no fun being out and about when you can’t even see your hand in front of your face, much less whether zombies are after you. I wouldn’t have taken that chance either.
Ryan continued his narrative. “The next day, early on, we saw some army guys heading back the way they had come and then nothing. No cars, no fighting, nothing. Benny and Chirp said it was time to go.” Ryan looked down at his feet. “Mister, I was scared, for… for my sister.” ‘Nice recovery,’ I thought. Can’t ever show weakness in front of your friends, especially not your friends.
“We had been safe in the store the night before, there was no way of telling what was happening outside. They called me chicken but promised they would send help back.” “That was a long time ago,” Angel added softly.
“And have you tried to go home since then?” Tracy asked, her arm still wrapped protectively around Angel.
“Me and Dizz went down the hill and to the edge of the woods a few weeks ago, but all we saw were zombies. I’m pretty sure we could have made it to either of our houses, but I didn’t want to know by that point. My mom knew where we had gone, if she was…” He paused as Angel looked at him. “Um, well, she would have got us if she could, that’s all I meant.” “And you haven’t had any zombies come here?” I asked incredulously.
“Early on there were a few outside, but none ever tried to get in. And then they just started leaving like they were being called or something.” Chills ran up my spine.
“What now?” I asked Ryan.
“Don’t know,” he said, shrugging his shoulders.
“What do you mean Talbot? We can’t just leave them here!” Tracy said hotly.
“You think taking them with us is the wisest choice?” I said, matching her tone. “You know where we are going, right? Into the damn teeth of the enemy!” Tracy flinched at my outburst. “I think that they’re light years safer here than with us!” Angel started crying. “You’re an asshole Talbot!” Tracy said as she turned and walked away.
“Whatever, I’ve been called worse by better!”
“Dick,” she added, flipping me the bird over her shoulder.
“Geez mister, you sure do have a way with the ladies,” Sty said in wry admiration.
Ryan looked dejected that we weren’t the cavalry. “I’m sorry kid,” I told him. “You do not want to go where we are going.” “The Summoner?” he asked apprehensively.
I involuntarily staggered back a step as if he had given me a physical blow. “How… how could you know?” “She keeps showing up in my dreams,”
“Yeah. Ryan’s kind of psychic,” Dizz said half-jokingly and half with awe.
“Psychic?” I asked Ryan. “Anything else you could tell me?”
“Yeah,” he said solemnly. “You shouldn’t follow her.”
CHAPTER FIVE – BT and Meredith
“I’m going with you,” Meredith, Ron’s second oldest told BT as he placed some ammo cans in the back of the SUV.
BT stood up, towering over the girl. “I’m more the solo type,” he told her sternly.
“Oh, you’re all lone wolf and shit?” she said sarcastically.
“I am a giant man. I know this, so why are all you Talbots not afraid of me?”
“What time are we leaving?” she asked, not in the least nonplussed.
“Your father isn’t going to let you go.”
“I’m 23, I’m pretty sure I can make my own decisions,” she said, poking a finger at his sternum.
“Wonderful, looking forward to the company,” BT said without much conviction.
BT would have left hours earlier if not for the fight that raged in the Talbot household. Meredith had made her decision known and Ron had snapped.
“I am 23 years old, Dad. I am by all conventional methods of societal acknowledgement an adult.” “Don’t go pulling that psycho-babble mumbo jumbo you learned in college, that I paid for by the way, on me. This isn’t telling me that you’re going to Paris for
Ryan continued his narrative. “The next day, early on, we saw some army guys heading back the way they had come and then nothing. No cars, no fighting, nothing. Benny and Chirp said it was time to go.” Ryan looked down at his feet. “Mister, I was scared, for… for my sister.” ‘Nice recovery,’ I thought. Can’t ever show weakness in front of your friends, especially not your friends.
“We had been safe in the store the night before, there was no way of telling what was happening outside. They called me chicken but promised they would send help back.” “That was a long time ago,” Angel added softly.
“And have you tried to go home since then?” Tracy asked, her arm still wrapped protectively around Angel.
“Me and Dizz went down the hill and to the edge of the woods a few weeks ago, but all we saw were zombies. I’m pretty sure we could have made it to either of our houses, but I didn’t want to know by that point. My mom knew where we had gone, if she was…” He paused as Angel looked at him. “Um, well, she would have got us if she could, that’s all I meant.” “And you haven’t had any zombies come here?” I asked incredulously.
“Early on there were a few outside, but none ever tried to get in. And then they just started leaving like they were being called or something.” Chills ran up my spine.
“What now?” I asked Ryan.
“Don’t know,” he said, shrugging his shoulders.
“What do you mean Talbot? We can’t just leave them here!” Tracy said hotly.
“You think taking them with us is the wisest choice?” I said, matching her tone. “You know where we are going, right? Into the damn teeth of the enemy!” Tracy flinched at my outburst. “I think that they’re light years safer here than with us!” Angel started crying. “You’re an asshole Talbot!” Tracy said as she turned and walked away.
“Whatever, I’ve been called worse by better!”
“Dick,” she added, flipping me the bird over her shoulder.
“Geez mister, you sure do have a way with the ladies,” Sty said in wry admiration.
Ryan looked dejected that we weren’t the cavalry. “I’m sorry kid,” I told him. “You do not want to go where we are going.” “The Summoner?” he asked apprehensively.
I involuntarily staggered back a step as if he had given me a physical blow. “How… how could you know?” “She keeps showing up in my dreams,”
“Yeah. Ryan’s kind of psychic,” Dizz said half-jokingly and half with awe.
“Psychic?” I asked Ryan. “Anything else you could tell me?”
“Yeah,” he said solemnly. “You shouldn’t follow her.”
CHAPTER FIVE – BT and Meredith
“I’m going with you,” Meredith, Ron’s second oldest told BT as he placed some ammo cans in the back of the SUV.
BT stood up, towering over the girl. “I’m more the solo type,” he told her sternly.
“Oh, you’re all lone wolf and shit?” she said sarcastically.
“I am a giant man. I know this, so why are all you Talbots not afraid of me?”
“What time are we leaving?” she asked, not in the least nonplussed.
“Your father isn’t going to let you go.”
“I’m 23, I’m pretty sure I can make my own decisions,” she said, poking a finger at his sternum.
“Wonderful, looking forward to the company,” BT said without much conviction.
BT would have left hours earlier if not for the fight that raged in the Talbot household. Meredith had made her decision known and Ron had snapped.
“I am 23 years old, Dad. I am by all conventional methods of societal acknowledgement an adult.” “Don’t go pulling that psycho-babble mumbo jumbo you learned in college, that I paid for by the way, on me. This isn’t telling me that you’re going to Paris for
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