This was the end for him and he knew it, there was nothing else he could do. He was exhausted and running on fumes. There were too many of them to fight and the Returners were only inches from him on both sides. He would be damned if he'd go down without a fight. With the last ounce of strength he could muster he drove his blade into the head of the closest Returner. The others overwhelmed him and pulled him to the ground. Their teeth and nails ripping into his flesh, tearing him apart.
When the pain hit, he screamed as his eyes rolled back and his last breath escaped his lips. His last thoughts flashed to when he'd first met Jessica and Emily. He smiled as Flash ran towards him his tail wagging happily.
Jessica heard Jacob screaming from inside the building, tears ran down her face as she ran. She wasn't sure how far she had run, but she didn't stop to look back. Briella and Emily were ahead of her, she could see them now.
"Wait for me," Hollering as loud as she could, she hoped they'd heard her.
The girls stopped and turned. They looked around to make sure no Returners were near. It didn't take long for her to catch up with them and she immediately hugged her daughter and Briella. It was then both of them realized Jacob wasn't with her. They looked at each other, faces filled with sadness. There was no time for them to be sad right now, they needed to get to the house.
"Run," Jessica said, not wanting to waste anymore time.
The three women continued to run as fast as they could towards the house. It seemed like it took them hours and time had slowed around them. When they finally reached the house, they stopped on the front porch and caught their breath. Their lungs ached for air, but they knew they couldn't stay outside. Jessica reached above the overhang of the porch and pulled a key down. She unlocked the door and opened it. The girls went inside first, Jessica following behind them. Before shutting the door she turned and looked back in the direction they had come from. The thought of Jacob, Joe and all they had been through overwhelmed her. Tears began running down her face as she broke down and sobbed.
Epilogue
The cool air of winter had come to Greenstone late this year. It was almost the end of December and today was the first day it had actually felt cold. The temperatures had just started to dip below fifty degrees and no snow had fallen. No large hordes of Returners had been seen in the area for four months now, just the occasional straggler. Two months ago a handful of people had arrived seeking refuge from the road and had said the same thing. They hadn't seen many or any hordes of Returners for several months. It seemed the plague of the century might be coming to an end.
Jessica stood staring out the window of her room looking at the garden they had planted in the backyard. It had long since been picked, the food preserved for their winter supply. It was a reminder of how far they had come since last spring. Emily was outside taking clothes off the clothesline and putting them in a laundry basket. Seeing her mother looking down at her she waved before heading into the house.
Jessica smiled and waved back before turning and walking to a small bookshelf in the corner of the room. Taking a book from it, she sat down on the edge of the bed and opened it to the last page which she had bookmarked. It was Jacob's diary, she had found in his backpack. She'd read the whole thing except for the last entry. Up until now she hadn't been able to bring herself to read his last thoughts. Today she decided it was time, hopefully it would give her closure.
"After everything that's happened. All the bad things, I finally feel like I have a family again. I just hope once we make it to Greenstone we can get back to some semblance of normalcy. At least whatever you want to consider normal in this day and age. I can honestly say I've fallen in love with Jessica, she's an amazing woman. It’s weird to think we've only known each other for a few days. It feels as though I've known her for a lifetime. I think once things have settled down I'll tell her so she knows how I truly feel. It's nice to know love can still grow in this shitty existence. Briella and Joe seem to be in love as well. You can tell by the glow those two have when they're together. If I were to ever have a daughter it would be Emily, she's such a smart and great kid, tough as nails like her mom. Our little family gives me reason to look forward to tomorrow and beyond."
Jessica closed the book and placed it back on the bookshelf, tears ran down her face. Even though Jacob had never told her he loved her, she had known. It was weird how two people who had just met could feel a spark like that so quickly. She was glad she had finished reading it, even though it made her heart ache.
The sound of a baby crying and a light knock on her door made her look up. Briella came in holding a baby. Shortly after they had gotten back Briella found out she was pregnant. Briella told her about the day her and Joe had made love in the pool by the stream, it must have happened then. The baby arrived a few weeks ago and had been a little early, but he was healthy.
"Hey hon, everything okay?" Briella asked as she walked over and sat down on the bed next to her. She handed the baby to Jessica who began to rock it back and forth.
"How's little Joseph doing?" Jessica asked as she played with the baby.
"He's doing good. Just wanted to make sure you were alright. I heard you crying."
Jessica stood up with the baby and looked at Briella. "I am, just thinking about some things is all."
Briella understood what she meant. They had all often reflected back on the last few years lately. "Why don't we go downstairs and see how Emily's doing. Casey and Brian are coming over for dinner in a little while. They're bringing some venison with them."
Jessica liked the idea of a nice meal. Casey and Brian were twin brothers who had come to the town a few months back with the group seeking refuge. Both men were always willing to help them out, splitting wood, helping with chores around the house or whatever else needed to be done. Both of the boys were excellent hunters and helped keep them stocked with game. The girls had worked out a barter system with them and returned the help by mending clothes, canning food and having them over for dinner whenever they could.
Jessica handed the baby back to Briella. "I'll be down in few minutes."
"Don't be long," Briella said as she left the room. She could hear Emily humming a song downstairs as she folded laundry.
Jessica walked over to the window once again, and stood there with a smile spread across her lips. Despite her sadness and all they had lost, she knew things would be alright.
About The Author
Born and raised in the small town of Milo, Maine, Thomas Washburn Jr discovered a passion for writing, art and storytelling at a young age. Spending countless hours working on his creations.
Like many things in life as Thomas grew older his passions changed from writing, literature and art to music. He spent several years from 1995 to 2012 playing in various bands, playing hundreds of shows around Maine and the rest of New England. Writing lyrics for the bands he played in gave him a chance to tell stories through a different medium.
During that time period he also wrote several unpublished short screenplays as well as a feature length screenplay.
If you enjoyed any of his works, please take time to review it and leave feedback on the page you bought it from. As an independent author it will help spread the word. Also please take the time to visit the following page to keep up to date on all future projects from Thomas.
facebook.com/thomaswashburnjrauthor
Books by Thomas Washburn Jr
Fiction
The Returners
Legend Of North Lake & Other Short Stories
Mr. Witcher
Non-Fiction
So You Want To Be In A Band
Table of Contents
Copyright
DEDICATION
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Cha
pter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Epilogue
About The Author
Books by Thomas Washburn Jr
The Returners Page 17