Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 67694 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 338(@200wpm)___ 271(@250wpm)___ 226(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67694 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 338(@200wpm)___ 271(@250wpm)___ 226(@300wpm)
Dinner is rice and black beans with corn, sweet potato, lime, and green chilis. It’s very good. I am just stressed out and distracted.
“None of us want to spend more time with dead bodies,” says Naomi. “But I guess in the future, we need to be more careful and check if we can actually tell if they died from the flu or not.”
Natalia sighs.
“Whoever shot them could have also been long gone.” Leon shrugs. “This wasn’t a failure on anyone’s part.”
“We should leave,” says Avan. “Take the children and find somewhere safe away from these bastards.”
“Like how we ran from the military base?” asks Reema. “What are the odds there are going to be people like this everywhere?”
“High,” says Leon grimly.
Reema taps out a beat on the arm of her chair. “What we need is more people so we can defend this place properly.”
Dean frowns, but he doesn’t disagree. “In the meantime, I want to double up on the watch. I don’t like the idea of anyone alone out there. One person watches the road into town and the other walks the length of Church Street and Oak Street. Both with the walkie-talkies and binoculars. You’ll be in view of each other the whole time. But from the ends of those streets, you can pretty much see the other half of town. Hopefully if anyone is trying to sneak up on us, we’ll see them.”
THURSDAY
Watches are decided randomly. Dean and I are allotted the last one of the night. Which means we get a decent amount of sleep before being out there. So long as we’re able to not lie awake staring at the ceiling, stressing about the situation, of course. I managed to get a few hours.
No idea when I last saw the dawn. The sky full of stars fading as the horizon changes color. From black and gray to purple and blue. Then orange and gold as the day begins again. Birds start singing and the world awakens. It’s a beautiful thing.
I stand guard by the school bus. It keeps you mostly out of sight, but able to watch the road into town. Dean takes his turn doing the walk down Church and Oak. We both wear walkie-talkies and pistols strapped to our belts. My black leather jacket is done up all the way and a blue cotton scarf wrapped around my neck against the cool morning air.
Dean’s steps are unhurried and steady. And his head turns this way and that, keeping a lookout for attack or any sign of danger. There’s something about the set of his wide shoulders. It makes me feel like we’re going to be okay. Or maybe it’s my vagina talking. I don’t know. He has somehow become my emotional support safety item. But I am definitely now focusing on the road into town. The threat against us is real and valid and I need to concentrate.
Sophie and Hazel are delighted to be having their much-asked-for sleepover. They’re in one of the spare rooms at Natalia and Leon’s. It made sense, since they got picked for the daytime watch. I went over and read them a chapter of the dragon book to help settle them down to sleep. However, the whispers and giggling probably went on until midnight. They were so excited.
I didn’t used to have much to do with my neighbors. Nothing against them; life was just busy. People tended to come and go without me learning their names or much about them. I don’t hate being part of a tight-knit community. It’s nice to know we’re all doing our best and looking out for each other. Losing most everyone you ever knew makes you appreciate people more.
The road leading into town is still empty—the same as it’s been for the last hour. Mist rises from the ground as the sun slowly rises. Seems everything is silver and gold in the early hours. It’s magical seeing the world wake up like this.
Dean strides toward me in his big-ass boots, blue jeans, and Henley. Such a serious face. No doubt he is worrying about how to protect everyone. Life was so much simpler when I hated him. My thirst for the man has always been apparent. But when lust turned to like turned to…I don’t even know what this is. Shit sure got awkward fast.
“What?” he says.
“I was thinking about you.”
“So you frowned.”
“Yeah.”
“Makes sense,” he says. “Everything quiet?”
I just nod.
He is so pretty up close. The hard line of his jaw and the cut of his cheekbones. I love how rough his stubble feels under my fingertips. Heat radiates off his body and the temptation to lean into him is immense. To just bury my face in his chest for a minute and breathe deep. Comfort can be found there. I know it would make everything better.