by Lynn Lamb
Jackson looked completely befuddled. He deserved it. After all, he decided to do this with me right there.
He sat there without saying a word. I sighed and told him. “Ask her to forgive you, and tell her what an idiot you can be sometimes. And don’t tell her about the pregnancy. It’s my call who finds out and when.”
“Ah, I’m sorry, Naomi. I should have told you myself before you heard it from someone else. Oh, and I’m a jackass. Ol’ Jackson, the jackass.”
What? I just shook my head at him.
“Fine, is there anything else?” she asked.
“No, nothing else. Good-bye, Keaton.”
No more came over the airwaves. I knew that someone else was hurting because of our relationship, and I felt badly for her.
February 3
Adam told me that he thought that we would make it to the compound by tomorrow morning or afternoon with the time we were making. Getting out of the cabin sounded good to me, but what I was really looking forward to was seeing Penny.
There was a light sprinkle as we made our way through the day. It was pleasant compared to freezing rain and blizzards.
During this last day or so I began to get the Village ducks in a row. I used some of the transmission times to prepare everyone for our life in our new homes. Many people would have to share a house until we could start construction on new buildings. After sleeping in tents and RVs in very close proximity, I felt certain that sleeping in a real bed would satisfy everyone enough to not complain too much.
I looked over the list that Baldwin gave me of everyone who was already in the Valley compound.
Military and their families:
Lieutenant Naomi Keaton, Navy, Science and Climate Change
Sergeant Albert Walker, Ballistics Expert
Chief Warrant Officer Craig McBride
Major Julia Knight, Water and Irrigation Specialist
Harrison Knight (Captain Julia Knight’s husband and Computer Security Specialist)
Jordon Knight (age sixteen)
Corporal Carlo Batista
Colonel Carl Delgado
Carmel Valley civilians:
Susan Henry, owned the small grocery store in the Valley
Drew Henry, owned the small grocery store in the Valley and horse breeder
Joshua Henry (age twelve)
Anna Henry (age sixteen)
Dannie Waite, Farmer/husbandry
Sarah Hall, Nurse
Oliver Glover, Solar Photovoltaic Electrician, installs solar panels
Deborah Gordon, Librarian
And that put our total Villager count at ninety; ninety people I was responsible for finding a way to bring together in the spirit of survival, if nothing else.
The military that came together before the war successfully found people with jobs that were important for making a go of it. Maybe it was pushing it, but I couldn’t help but dream that some of these people would be willing to lead in our education efforts.
I had to ask Jackson about the Solar Photovoltaic Electrician, but apparently he was an expert in installing solar panels. We could also really use the farmer, horse breeder (for our three sad horses) and the nurse, but they all look good to me.
Of course, Penny’s family would be an important part of the equation. With his outdoor skills, Tuck would be invaluable. Penny was a PR consultant, and I was considering her for the part of go between with the MT and the Council (yikes, not an easy job, I hope that she is resting up) and the Communications Team Leader.
∞
As we came within minutes of our new life, I took a sigh of relief, which was followed by a sigh of trepidation.
As I was getting us ready for this new phase in our lives, it dawned on me how many different groups of people have come together since I began my run as a leader. We started before the war, just Jill and I going door to door, looking for others who were on the same page as we were. We moved from there to two different groups of people who only really knew each other’s voices over walkies-talkies. Then, all of the people who had not been connected to us on the walkies streamed from their houses in those first days of our freedom from the poisonous air. When the homeless joined us, I worried that we would always be divided by class warfare, but thankfully we rose above our prior prejudices. Next, we lost so many to the fire and the Sneaker Wave virus that I thought we would never recover our numbers. Jackson’s military team came riding in like the cavalry, just in time, while we were in the forest about to be attacked. And there were those we picked up on the road to the Valley and those who survived the battle in the winery.
And with each new combination, we morphed into something new, something different. Now it is time to morph again for our continued survival.
The End
Thank you for taking time to read The Beginning at the End of the World. If you enjoyed it, please consider telling your friends and posting a review. Just click on this cover or button, sign-in, and it will take you straight to the review page. Write as much or as little as you like. Leaving a good review is like tipping the author. Thank you!
Sneak Peek:
Moving Mountains,
The Survivor Diaries (Book III)
February 4
“What’s that?” asked Holly, awakening the rest of us ladies in the cabin at 6:45 in the morning. We had decided to sleep in as much as we could so that we would be alert and ready to see our new home. “It looks like someone made a fishing hole in the middle of the ice on the river. Look.”
I stood next to her and saw the hole she was referring to. “Looks like that to me,” I said. “Does anyone mind if I take a shower first? I have a crick in my neck from sleeping on the overstuffed chair.”
Adam’s voice came over the speakers, warning the entire caravan that we were about two to two-and-a-half hours away from the compound. “We will be at the bridge in about forty-five minutes. After that, we will have an uphill climb with lots of curves,” he told us.
After a hot shower, I went to get dressed before we began to climb. I picked a lacey pink cami with a black cardigan and jeans. Finally, I put on a pair of black rain boots with laces up the back for the inclement weather. All of the women took showers and got ready to go. I dressed Bailey in a pink sweater that matched my cami. I cleaned her little snow boots the best that I could, but they were getting small on her, and for that I had no quick fix.
I was starting to feel more than just morning sickness. I was nervous and excited. I have to admit that some of the nerves came from meeting Naomi, but I was excited for the rest, especially seeing Penny.
“Brace for stopping,” said Adam. “We made it.”
And although I could really only hear the occupants of the cabin, I imagined that I could hear everyone’s cheering. With all that happened, and the forty days it took us to go no more than ninety-eight miles, we had arrived. And never would I forget that we lost two people along the way.
As the vehicle came to a stop, I could see a large, stone, two-story house. I had imagined something very different from what the compound actually looked like. The buildings were a combination of expensive and what might have been moderately priced homes. They were spaced far apart, and I could tell that they spanned over several streets. I could see a ranch, with horses and a variety of farm animals. It was like a mixed-up puzzle of a neighborhood. It had a little of this and a little of that.
I opened the door and stepped out onto the porch with the ladies close behind. Bailey took one of my hands and Holly the other. What was coming was seven months in the making.
In front of the stone house were two lines of people on either side of the front steps. On one side was a formal, very straight line of people in uniforms. On the other side, there was more of a clump of people in street clothes.
The Villagers and MT began to swarm out of our transportation, making for some chaos at first. They looked a bit bewildered and overwhelmed. I felt a surge of something that I hadn’t felt that strongly since the beginn
ing of the Last War; shyness.
But then I saw the front door to the house open and out poked a very familiar face.
“Would you mind staying here with Ammie?” I asked Bailey. She was more than happy to oblige in the huge crowd. I handed Bri my video camera to record it all.
Holly took me by the arm and we began our way over the rain and snow soaked ground. We mucked and tried to move as fast as we could, but between the sludge and the crowd it took us a few minutes to make it to the house. Holly ran up the stairs and threw herself into her sister’s outstretched arms. I slowly walked up the stairs, trying to convince myself that it was really happening. Then I moved more quickly when I saw her look over at me and we locked eyes. I was the next to throw myself into her arms and all three of us just sobbed for several minutes, until something caught our attention. Everyone, from the Village and the Valley, was fervently cheering and yelling.
This wasn’t just our reunion. It was a ray of hope for everyone missing loved ones.
Jackson came to my side and handed me the megaphone. “The floor is all yours, my lady,” he said with a curt bow and a wave of his hand towards the stairs.
It took me a moment to compose myself, and in that time everyone grew silent. “Welcome home, Villagers.”
End of Moving Mountains sample preview.
Moving Mountains,
Book III of the Survivor Diaries Series
The apocalypse—I’ve got this— right?
I’m Laura and I juggle it all; family, new love, pregnancy, and my job’s hella demanding. Oh, and I do it all in the snow-drenched, post-apocalypse of global nuclear war. My job— keeping my people alive.
We have finally made it to our promised Garden of Eden only to find it could never really exist.
From the ashes of the old world, evil has risen. I toyed with it— I wasn’t ready— and it’s plunged me into a downward spiral towards blinding darkness. Now, I might be losing the one thing that makes me a leader; my humanity.
And that evil has set off a chain reaction. A clan of Wanderers might be on their way to take everything we have built, or perhaps to implode the Village with their basic needs: food, water and shelter.
Just when you think that you got the hang of the apocalypse…
More about the Survivor Diaries
I sincerely hope you enjoyed reading The Beginning at The End of the World as much as I did writing it. The Villagers have finally found a peaceful existence, or have they? Find out in Moving Mountains, Book III of the Survivor Diaries Series!
Positive reviews are an author’s bread and butter, so I thank you in advance for your time.
Please remember to leave a review on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1S4rn5K.
To find out more about the Survivor Diaries Series, please visit these great websites:
Author’s Website: www.lynnlamb.com
Facebook page: www.facebook.com/thesurvivordiariestalk.page.
Email address: [email protected]
Twitter: http://twitter.com/DiariesSurvivor
If you “like” my Facebook page, you will receive the most up-to-date information about the latest Lynn Lamb releases. Also, you can sign up to receive email alerts and newsletters:
http://www.lynnlamb.com/email-alertscontact.html
Author’s final note: remember that our earth is our only home, so please live everyday knowing that we must protect it and all of our neighbors who dwell here.
Thank you, Villagers!
Sincerely,
Lynn Lamb
Q & A with Author Lynn Lamb
A Conversation with Lynn Lamb on
The Beginning at the End of the World,
The Survivor Diaries, Book II
Q: We know that Laura’s background was based on your own. How much do you, Lynn Lamb, have in common with Laura Patton?
A: At the beginning of Book I, Monte Vista Village, I based the character on some of the facts of my own life; however, as the story unfolds, she grows very much into her own person. Laura and all of the characters are constantly surprising me. I know that it sounds strange, since I am the author, but they really do have their own individual voices. Sometimes I find myself talking to my computer screen, asking the characters why they do certain things, or warning them, like “Don’t go there.” They don’t always listen to me.
Laura has become the person I want to be when I grow up. I would love to have the ability to lead others through completely pure intentions.
Q: Book II has some real action, twists and turns. If you had to pick one, which event has the biggest impact on the story?
A: I think the Sneaker Wave plague probably had the biggest effect. Before that happened, there was always the possibility of foraging for food and relying on the trappings and some of the creature comforts of the old world. Now, the Villagers have no way of knowing if it will ever be safe to sift through the debris again. So, this virus becomes the catalyst that propels them in their decision to move to the Valley.
The Villagers are now forced to find a new way of existing, and Laura nails it on the head when she says that they will have to create something entirely new, something the world has never seen. Of course, that doesn’t mean going back to the pre-industrial age. Laura envisions a world that looks nothing like the past. To Laura, it means taking what they already know and using it in a way that is sustainable, such as using solar power rather than fossil fuels, but she also wants a world without the threats of war or hunger, which is something that humankind has never come close to accomplishing.
Q: There are a lot of survival methods used throughout the books. Are these things that you actually have done in the past?
A: Not at all. I am not really an outdoorsy person. I do love to plant and garden, but I have no expertise in things like survival seed vaults and snow caves. I have, however, done copious amounts of research for my books. I can’t guarantee anything that works for the Villagers, but I would probably try some of it if I found myself in a similar situation as Laura and company. So, this is my disclaimer: I do not guarantee any of the survival techniques for the post-apocalypse found in these fictional stories.
Q: It’s really convenient that there are Villagers whose expertise allows them to reach their goals of no longer being completely reliant on the technology of the past. How does Laura reconcile that in her mind?
A: That’s all part of the plot. In this book, Colonel Jackson and friends reveal some of the secrets that they have been holding onto. The military “good guys” who were “outed” by Laura, had picked certain people within the military who they knew would be assets in creating a new world after the war. They also chose neighborhoods that would have some highly educated people in them. In Book I, we learn that the Monte Vista Village was close to a hospital, so of course there were doctors and other medical personnel in the area. Jackson’s revelation that he picked that community once he saw Laura will be something that is explored more deeply in future books.
Q: How could such a flawed character as Laura end up leading as effectively as she does?
A: Laura’s flaws make her relatable. All of us are seriously flawed; some are just better able to hide it than others. And some of Laura’s perceived flaws are really her strengths. She is highly emotional, and many of the male characters are made uncomfortable by it, but she knows it is through those emotions that she is able to tap into her own humanity.
Q: Team Mark or Team Jackson?
A: Me? Well, in the beginning it’s Team Mark, but I am now Team Jackson, all the way. Laura’s relationship with Mark is something of the old world, and it implodes in the post-apocalypse when she becomes a leader. I don’t think Mark can really accept her in the role, but Jackson absolutely understands that she is everything a leader needs to be and more. He wants to help nurture her strength, but Mark wants it to be the way it was, which we find out wasn’t all that great. I love the scene where Laura is explaining to her nieces the difference in her relationships between the
two men, and how she sees herself reflected in their eyes. Jackson and Laura bring out the best in one another. Jackson is definitely Laura’s soul mate.
Q: Why does Laura give Jackson her diaries to read when she knows there are some serious criticisms of him in them?
A: Laura is honest to a fault, and she not only wants to have that honesty in her relationship, but she wants him to understand what honesty means in their new lives.
Q: Why does Laura pick Colonel Fitzpatrick to promote to General instead of Jackson? Wasn’t it risky when it comes to her relationship with Jackson?
A: Laura does what she has to for the good of the Village, above all else. That’s part of what makes her the best person for the job. It’s obvious that the MT needs one person in charge, and she sees that Fitzpatrick is the peacemaker in their group, much like herself. He is also more of a people person than any of the others, including Jackson. And to Jackson’s credit, he understands that and has faith in Laura’s choice.
Q: Do you have a favorite scene?
A: More than one. I love the scenes that take place between Laura and Jackson in the snow cave. When Jackson asks her to forgive him for shooting Rolette, you just know how well he understands her. He is so good about calming her fears with just the tone of his voice. I also love when Laura realizes how much she wants him. The whole symbolism of tunneling into the snow cave works really well when they decide to pursue a physical relationship right there.
Another of my favorite scenes is the one where Bailey comes up to Laura and Jackson and begins to repeat some of the things Laura and her family have said in the past about him. I was going to end Book II with that scene because I love how the child was leading Laura to learn how to milk a goat. It was such a funny scene, and it makes you feel like there is the possibility of a real future for these people if they are willing to adapt.