by James Hunt
“And when I kill them, I’ll be sure to let them know that it was their mother that let this happen to them.” Edric aimed the rifle at Wren, his finger on the trigger. “I can’t wait to see the look on their faces.”
“You won’t get the chance.”
Doug lunged at Edric once more, and he spun around, shooting Doug in the head. The distraction lasted only a few seconds, but it was enough to give Wren time to pull the pin on the grenade. She released the lever and tossed it toward Edric and then scrambled in the opposite direction. She heard him shout something, but in her frantic pace she couldn’t decipher it. She made it two steps when the sounds of the gunshots suddenly intermixed with a pain in her back, and she felt her body run cold as she collapsed to the ground. The adrenaline subsided, and the last thing Wren remembered hearing was the explosion that ripped Edric to pieces.
Chapter 13 – One Month Later
Iris paced the floor restlessly. Ben sat in the corner, frozen. Nathan drummed his fingers nervously on the table’s surface. All three of them had the same anxiety etched on their faces, though the roots of their apprehension differed.
“I don’t like it.” Iris stopped, saying the words aloud to the room as much as herself. “I don’t like the idea at all. It’s too soon for something like this.”
“Everybody’s for it,” Ben replied. “It’s what she would have wanted.” The mustache on his upper lip curved downward. “And if we’re going to do it, then we need to start now.”
“Ben’s right,” Nathan replied, chiming in, ceasing the percussive drumming. “We haven’t had any contact from anyone on the outside since Edric was killed. We don’t know who’s out there, and we need to find out. We need to start establishing a connection.”
“And what happens when people want what we have?” Iris raised her eyebrows. The grey in her hair had whitened, and the age lines across her face had grown more prominent. “We’ve just got this place back on its feet.”
“All the more reason to start now.” Nathan stood. “We’re stronger than we were before. We can help.”
“It’s what she would have wanted,” Ben said.
Iris lowered her head. “I know.” She rubbed the creases on her forehead, the loose skin rolling between her fingers. “All right.” She drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “We’ll start sending scouts to look for people. But we do not make contact until we’ve observed them. I don’t want us taking any chances with anyone until they’ve been fully vetted.”
“Agreed,” Nathan said.
Ben nodded and softly repeated to himself that it was what she would have wanted. The three of them left their chambers and stepped back out into the town hall. Their population was less than half of what it was when they arrived, but the fence had been finished, supplies had been recalculated, and they still had more than enough to last for a few years.
Iris smacked her gavel, calling everyone to order. “We have listened to and heard everyone’s opinion. And based off of the community’s voice, we shall start looking for others to bring to the camp. Anyone that comes to us will be given asylum, but thoroughly vetted and closely monitored.” She reached for the gavel but hesitated. She twirled it in her hands then set it down. “I know many of you were moved by what Wren Burton did for this community. By all she sacrificed. Humanity should never be something that’s lost in times of crisis. It should only be strengthened. Our actions shape us. How we conduct ourselves will shape the future. And though she is gone, we will keep her spirit within all of us.” She lowered her head, a smile gracing her lips at Wren’s memory, then smacked the gavel.
***
Reuben cracked his knuckles then turned the spit outside the cabin. The four rabbits crackled, and the grease from the meat sizzled into the fire below. Chloe sat on his right, while Addison was on his left. “Should be done soon.”
“I’m starving.” Chloe threw her head back and overexaggerated the throwing of her arms. “It smells so good.” She leaned closer, but Reuben pulled her back.
“Easy now. We don’t want to cook you.” Reuben patted her on the back and reached for the spit, slowly, still recovering from his fight back in town. He tore into the charred flesh, and determined with a satisfied grunt that it was done. “All right. Time to eat. Zack!”
A log split in two, the axe wedged right in the middle. Zack looked over from the logs of firewood and limped over, his leg still acclimating to the freedom from his cast, not all of his strength completely returned. “Smells good.” He took a seat next to Addison, wiping his hands on his jeans, then playfully wiped them on Addison’s hair, which triggered a squeal and a giggle.
“All right. That’s enough, you two,” Reuben said. “Chloe, why don’t you run inside and get the rest of the party, huh?”
“Okay.” Chloe jumped to her feet and sprinted as fast as her tiny legs allowed. Before she went inside, she ran her fingers over the old bullet holes in the cabin walls and then pushed the door open. The cabin had grown even smaller from the sudden increase in occupants, but never had it felt more like a home. “Mom, food’s ready.”
Wren looked up from the pistol on the table and smiled. “I’ll be out in a minute.” Chloe disappeared back outside, and Wren tucked the pistol in her holster and pushed up from the chair gingerly. Bandages protruded from the collar of her shirt and she walked slowly, the effort of breathing still difficult from the gunshot wounds.
Outside, Wren found a seat next to Zack. The girls split one of the rabbits, while Reuben, Zack, and she had their own. She closed her eyes as she bit into the meat and cleaned every last morsel off the bones. Once they were done, the kids played, and Zack returned to the firewood. “If you get tired, sit down. Don’t push it too hard.”
“I know, Mom.”
“He’ll be okay,” Reuben said, tossing the bones into a pile. “You’re sure you still want to go tomorrow?” He raised his eyebrows. The wounds on his face had mostly healed, and the beard helped cover up what hadn’t.
“Yeah. It’s time.” After the attack on the camp and Edric’s death, she awoke in the infirmary with her kids surrounding her and Reuben sitting in the corner. It was nearly an hour before all the tears had dried. Once Doug was buried, they left the community and returned to Reuben’s cabin. Though Iris and the others were more than supportive of having them stay, she couldn’t. It was a part of her life she needed closed. And with Reuben’s help and a large supply crate from the community, they had everything they needed. And even if they didn’t, the community was only a day’s journey. “We’ll start with some of the smaller towns. See what we find there.”
“It’s risky. We don’t know what it’s like out there anymore.”
Wren watched the girls play, chasing after one another with sticks, then looked to Zack splitting wood. Everything had changed. But they needed to move forward. “It doesn’t matter what we’ll find. Whatever it is, we’ll be okay. If it’s broken, we’ll rebuild it.” She turned to Reuben and smiled. “It’s time to start putting the pieces back together.”
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Static Omnibus
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Static Fade To Gray- Book 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7 – One Month Later
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Static: Blackout- Book 2
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13 – One Month Later