by Mark Tufo
“You bastard!” she screamed. She shot with vengeance as she advanced. “That was my favorite book!” Her pistol out in front, multiple blasts struck the shocked soldier in the chest. “Where am I going to get another copy of Highlander in Time!” she yelled over his prone body. Cedar was still fuming as she rounded the next corner and stood in a corridor, witness to a battle raging at the end of it.
“Someone is going to pay for this,” she said, looking down at the smoldering hole in her uniform. With her rifle up, she focused her anger and took carefully aimed shots as she moved ever closer. The Others fell away from her withering fire; again, confusion strangled their ranks as they were caught in a crossfire. Cedar pressed the attack; she thought she caught a glimpse of Lendor moving across from her. She had a sudden urge to wave but thought better of it. From time to time, she glimpsed the swish of a white tail. Now she knew the real reason why the Others could not marshal their strength; they had the numbers but were in complete disarray.
On occasion, a shot was fired in her direction, but it was hastily made and without any true aim. She’d not given much thought to her personal safety; that was right up until she heard the heavy footfalls of dozens, if not hundreds of boots coming toward her from the way she had come.
“Winter,” she said, when she realized her folly. “I die today, knowing I did everything in my power to help you. I love you, sister, and look forward to seeing you on the other side.” She turned to face the new threat, determined to make them pay dearly for every step they took.
“I’m coming! Hold on!” Winter yelled into the headset.
Cedar knew any help would take far too long. She had her finger on the trigger and her shoulders squared to the approach. “So many books unread,” she lamented as the first of them came around the corner. Her laughter rang out.
24
Reunited
“NO!” I cried out, running headlong into the enemy. I had to get to Cedar—nothing else mattered, certainly not my own life. Tallow and I were bringing down the Others in bunches, and then something strange began to happen. The soldiers first put their weapons down, then got on their knees with their hands clasped upon their heads. I had no time to accept surrenders; I shoved them over and aside as I rushed to get to my sister.
“What’s going on?” Tallow asked as we navigated pushed and sidestepped among the kneeling or dead Others.
“They’ve surrendered…or this is the worst trap ever created. Cedar?” I asked, terrified of not getting a response.
“You’re not going to believe this,” she replied. We met up in a juncture point of four hallways. A bloodied and battered Lendor, along with Frost, Ferryn, a hundred or more heavily armed Genogerians, and thankfully, my sister.
“We did it,” she smiled.
I let my rifle clatter to the floor as I hugged her tightly. We’d taken the ship. It was going to need months of work to be battle ready again, but even more invaluable was the data contained upon her onboard computers: the locations, the defenses; armaments of the entire Stryver and Others’ fleets. It was everything we needed to ensure our victory.
Epilogue
Where does one begin as you approach the end? So much had happened after Brigend had buckled away. I never did get a clear answer on how Graylon had come to our rescue. It seemed to be some great secret between the two that they were reluctant to share. Brigend, when cornered, would smile and look up. “One cannot question the motives of the heavens.” This was his standard reply.
Graylon was even less satisfying with his response. “Is it not enough that we were there?” After thinking on it for a good long while and conferring with Cedar, we came to the conclusion that somehow Michael had passed a message on. Both Brigend and Graylon would have gladly taken the credit for it if they could have; that they didn’t spoke volumes.
It was comforting and it wasn’t, knowing that somehow we had a distant ancestor that had the ability to look out for us. There was no telling what other secrets he had planned or had planted, waiting for us. I pained for the desire to spend more time with Michael and Tracy. Having been deprived of it for most of my life, I could think of nothing more important than family. I was thankful for my sister and the new family of warriors around me.
After hearing so much about it from Cedar, Tallow and I had a commitment ceremony, something very similar to what were called marriages. It didn’t make much sense to me. We’d been committed to each other from the beginning; whether we had a ceremony or not made no difference. But it meant a lot to Cedar and Tallow. I told them fine, if they were so into it, then perhaps they should be the ones that had the ceremony. Ended up being a beautiful occasion; all of our friends were there, and the good cheer poured that day helped to fondly think on those that had passed instead of the constant sorrow that afflicted us all. Tests for the Stryver virus had begun on all the uninfected, Tallow was indeed infected. He wasn’t one of the lucky ones who possessed the rare, natural immunity. Still, it was my hope we could find a cure; either way, I planned on living every day with him as if it were our last. For truly who could tell if it wasn’t? That day would surely come for us all; today, tomorrow, no one could say when.
Cedar had two suitors for her affection. I found it funny that she had pushed me to a commitment that she herself was having the most difficult time making. It wasn’t that Brigend and Lendor weren’t ideal suitors; I think it was that she was unwilling to open her heart back up after having it shattered by Serrot’s death. I understood that. I don’t think I’d ever be capable of love again if Tallow died. How does one pick up all those tiny pieces and put them back together? There would always be holes and jagged parts where it was rebuilt improperly.
The Progerians had needed no further impetus to join our cause than when we were able to bring a half changed Other to a council meeting. It had caused quite a disruption but there had been no dissenting votes.
The unending war had a new beginning, one which we could win, one which we could end. It was the dawn of a new era. We could fulfill the hopes of our ancestors, put the mistakes of their past behind us, and create our own destiny. Together, we would move forward, and I, for one, for the first time, anticipated with hope what our future held.
AUTHOR’S NOTES
I truly hope you enjoyed this book and this series. I know it took an abnormally long time to get it completed. This was a difficult one for me, as it was a labor of love and sometimes a constant source of frustration. I painted myself into corners more times than I care to remember! I think perhaps my foray into the Young Adult Dystopian world has come to a conclusion. It is high time to let Winter, Cedar, Tallow and the rest find their own ways among the ink-filled pages they inhabit. I will miss them as I miss any character that I leave behind. I came to love Winter’s stoicism and Cedar’s quirkiness. Who knows, maybe I’ll find a way to bring them along to another world!
Dystance The Series
Dystance: Winter’s Rising
Dystance 2: Cedar’s Conflict
Dystance 3: The Edge Of Deceit
About the Author
Visit Mark at www.marktufo.com
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Zombie Fallout Series
Lycan Fallout Series
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The Book Of Riley Series
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Timothy Series
Indian Hill Series
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Dystance Series
The Spirit Clearing
Callis Rose
Demon Fallout
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