Okay, I need some feedback. You know I love you guys cause I was up until 10AM writing another twenty some pages. Now do you guys want lengthy chapters, or would you prefer if it was broken up? I'm so sad that this story is coming to an end! I really love writing it. I'm thinking I have to do a sequel though, so we'll see. Enjoy!


"Adelaide…"

Addy gasped, opening her eyes. She was standing in darkness she could never have imagined possible. The only sound was her quick, nervous breathing bouncing off the walls, the shuffle of her feet as she tried to feel around. Her arms didn't touch any walls. She couldn't even see her hand when she held it up to her face. She tried to stay calm, but with the complete absence of light it was impossible to tell how big a room she was in. A tiny, pinprick of light appeared. She couldn't tell how far or close it was.

"Adelaide…"

She heard her name again, a faint whisper. That pinprick of light quickly grew bigger and brighter. She raised her hand to shield her eyes from the white glow. When it faded, she was standing alone in the middle of the desert. She lowered her hand, squinting in the sunlight. She could hear the wind blowing across the plains, but nothing else.

"Addy!"

She spun around, searching for the source of that voice. She saw nothing. The sky was getting cloudy, darkening. The sand was hissing quietly as it moved with the wind. She had a feeling that she wasn't alone. The hairs on the back of her neck prickled. She turned her head to the right slowly. She could see a figure standing behind her out of the corner of her eye. She turned around cautiously. She recognized that long, braided hair anywhere. She was wearing the green shirt Addy had given her for her birthday last year. Her chest tightened and her eyes prickled.

"McKanna?" she whispered.

Her tanned skin seemed paler than it should. She tilted her head to the right, as though trying to train in on the sound of Addy's voice. When she turned to face her, it seemed like she was moving in slow motion. Addy had to take a step back, eyes wide. McKanna's eyes were black and empty. Blood was dried on her face like she'd been crying red tears. There was a dark red spot on the stomach of the front of her shirt like she'd been stabbed. She smiled and held her arms out for a hug.

"Addy!" she said happily, voice echoing, reverberating in her skull.

Her eyes filled with tears and she took another step back. "I'm so sorry… McKanna, I am so sorry that I can't be there to help you."

"Addy?"

She jumped and whipped around. Kalven stood there wearing a confused expression, eyes black. She had a gash running up the left side of her face. Standing to her left was Brooklyn. She was wearing a similar expression. Her red hair was matted with red, blood dripping down her fingertips onto the desert sand. She turned around in a circle, panic sinking in. When she saw her sister Bellatrix, she froze. Time stood still as she looked into her sister's dead eyes. It looked like the side of her neck had been ripped open and the front of her shirt was soaked in red. Addy was crying, in hysterics. Was this what was actually happening to everyone she cared about?

"This is your fault," Bellatrix said to her, her voice cold and hollow. "Your fault!"

"Trix, I'm sorry… for everything I ever said. I didn't mean it. I forgive you. I do."

"Addy," they all said, voices echoing all through her head.

"Help me," McKanna said. "Come home. I need you."

"Don't leave us like this," Kalven and Brooklyn said simultaneously.

"You're a coward," Bellatrix hissed.

Addy collapsed to the ground, cowering. She pressed her hands over her ears and closed her eyes, trying to block it all out.

"I'm sorry!" she yelled as she rocked back and forth. "I can't help you. I have to do this. I'm sorry I can't be there. I'm sorry… I'm sorry… I'm sorry."

They started closing in around her, everyone talking all at once until she couldn't tell what they were saying. One of them grabbed her wrist and she screamed as they dragged her down into darkness.


Addy woke with a start, jolting out of her sleep. She sat up panting and closed her eyes, wiping the cold sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand. She looked around her. Sunlight was starting to come through the boarded windows. She pushed herself to her feet and stretched her arms over her head with a yawn. Something didn't feel right. She heard someone shuffling things around back in Bob's office. She moved around the diner looking to see who was missing. Audrey was lying on the floor asleep, but her mother wasn't beside her.

"Howard!" Sandra yelled from the back room.

"Shit," Addy hissed as she grabbed a metal spoon and clanged it on the counter. "Hey! Hey! Wake up! Sandra's losing it guys!"

"Help me! Please, someone help me!"

She strained her ears to hear it, but… was that Howard yelling? She ran to the back room and grabbed Sandra, trying to drag her away from the desk she was attempting to push away from the door.

"Get off of me!" Sandra snapped.

She shoved Addy with more strength than she thought she had. She hit the ground with a yelp as Kyle came running in.

"Hey! Hey, what are you doing?" he yelled, grabbing her around the waist.

"Let me go!" she screamed hysterically.

"No!"

"He's alive! Let me go!"

She thrust her elbow back into his chin. He staggered backward and fell into one of Bob's file cabinets, knocking his head on the way down. Addy was scrambling back to her feet as Audrey came through the door.

"Mom," she said quickly. "Mom, what are you doing?"

Addy pushed back against Sandra, keeping her from moving the desk any further than she already had. Audrey ran right up to her mom and tried to push her hands away.

"Mom, stop!"

"He's alive," Sandra replied.

"He's not."

"Your father is alive. Let go of me!"

She shoved Audrey hard as the two of them scrambled. Addy let go of the desk to catch her, but they both ended up toppling to the floor. Sandra made for the door.

"We need some help in here!" Addy yelled.

Seconds later Percy came through the door. "No, don't!" Sandra was already pulling the door open and running out. "Come back! Come back!" He chased her out the door, grabbing her arm to try to stop her. "Come back!"

Addy pushed herself to her feet and ran to the doorway. Her stomach flipped. Howard was tied upside down to a makeshift cross. He was covered with boils and burns that seemed to be pulsating. Percy grabbed her around the waist. Howard screamed as he swelled up. It looked like he was about to pop. She didn't want to see this. She ducked back inside the door right before she heard a wet sort of explosion that made her gag. Sandra continued screaming and sobbing as Percy carried her back inside. There was a soft hissing sound and a horrific smell with it – like burning flesh. Percy let her go and she staggered forward, screaming her husband's name. He leaned on the door frame, a sort of glazed look on his face. Audrey and Kyle held her mom down once she collapsed to the floor. Charlie and Jeep ran in the room looking alarmed. Charlie was looking at Percy with the same wary look that Addy was.

"Percy?" she said cautiously.

He fell forward, not even attempting to catch himself. His spine was exposed from shoulder to waist. Addy's stomach turned. She felt like she was going to be sick. She weaved past everyone and shot for the bathroom. She didn't think she'd have anything left to come up, but it just kept coming until there was nothing but acid (ironically). She washed her face and hands and sat on the floor shaking as she tried to catch her breath. She lost track of time, trying to clear that image from her mind. She finally gave up and slipped back out into the diner. Someone had tied Sandra to a chair, arms behind her back. Audrey was kneeling in front of her pouring some kind of pill into her palm.

"Here," she said quietly. "Um. Mom, if you take one of these, you're gonna feel better okay?"

Sandra nodded and sniffled, allowing her daughter to pop one in her mouth. She took a sip of water from the cup being held up to her. She was crying silently. Audrey rubbed her knees, trying to console her. Addy recognized that look on Sandra's face. It was nothing but pure contempt.

"This is your fault," Sandra told her. Audrey looked so hurt. Her tone only got more hateful as she continued. "We were only moving because of you. We sacrificed everything… for you."

Audrey shook her head. "No. You-You wanted to go. You-You said that you wanted to."

"I loved my house. I loved my life, and you have ruined it. You ruined everything! Everything."

"Enough," Kyle snapped. Audrey put a hand over her mouth. She looked like someone had just punched her in the stomach. "You're just gonna sit her and torture your daughter like this?" He looked down at Audrey. "Can you come help me find a station that actually works?"

She looked at her mother for a few long seconds before following him. Addy sighed and ruffled her hair. She seated herself at the bar near the table Charlie was sitting at. She looked lost in thought as she bit the end of her thumb. Addy folded her arms and rested her chin on them. She thought back to the dream she'd had with frightening clarity as she stared down at the stains in the wood. She wished now more than ever that she could call them. She just wanted to know that they were okay. She sighed and closed her eyes, listening to the static of the radio. After a couple of hours of torturous silence, a few crackled words made it through.

"Wait," Audrey said eagerly. "You guys. Oh, my God, I'm hearing something!"

Addy sat up and turned around in her seat to listen as Charlie and Kyle gathered around Audrey.

"We're on our own here, people. If you can hear my voice we're getting the first bits of good news since this Apocalypse began nearly 48 hours ago. A militia has formed on the outskirts of Las Vegas and begun to engage those affected." Michael glanced over at the radio. Addy tried to gauge his reaction, but he returned to gazing out the window after only a few seconds. "I'm getting unconfirmed reports of other militias gathering in Death Valley, Zion, and Red Ridge National Parks in the Mojave Desert."

"Red Ridge," Charlie said eagerly. "That's only an hour up the road from here."

"Does that mean we can leave?" Audrey asked hopefully.

"No," Michael replied, finally turning around. He set the gun slung across his shoulder on the nearest table. "We're not going anywhere."

"What?" Charlie said, standing up indignantly.

Kyle scoffed. "I don't know about you white boy, but I gotta get the fuck out of here."

Michael shook his head. "No." He looked over at Charlie. "I won't risk being on the move when the baby comes. It's too dangerous."

Charlie looked down at her swollen stomach, lip trembling. She looked around at everyone and swiftly made her way to the bathroom.

"Too dangerous?" Kyle asked. "What the fuck you mean, too dangerous?"

The silence that followed allowed for the radio to come through. "May God give us the strength to survive… and have mercy for those who are already lost."

Addy shook her head and laughed dryly. It was ironic, since God was the cause for this in the first place. She returned to resting her head on her arms. She was so exhausted. She may as well get some sleep if she could. She took a couple of painkillers and closed her eyes, willing the pounding in her head to end. She wrapped herself in Michael's coat again and slowly drifted into unconsciousness.


Addy could see herself standing outside the diner. Darkness had fallen. The moonlight glinted menacingly off the abandoned cars and wreckage. The wind howled as it whipped past. She looked around, fighting the panic twisting her guts. There was no one in sight. She turned toward the diner. There were no signs of life inside, though she hoped that was the idea. Still, it was disturbing that no one was up top and on guard. A glass bottle rolled noisily across the gravel to clink against her heel. She looked down at it curiously before looking over her shoulder.

A little girl was standing beside one of the wrecked cars. Addy squinted in the darkness, straining to see her. The blood in her veins thickened. It was McKanna's youngest daughter, Kim. She had those same soulless eyes and blood smeared around her mouth. She was grinning at her, hands clasped behind her back.

"Kim?" Addy said quietly. "Kim… What're you doing?"

There was a flash of light and she threw her arms up to shield her eyes. When she lowered them, there were hundreds of people swarming the diner. Strangely, none of them seemed to pay her any mind. She looked back at Kim. She was standing right in front of her, that same twisted grin on her face. She felt a searing pain shoot through her body. She gasped and pressed a hand to her chest. Kim held up her blood-covered hand. Was that… a heart? Addy suddenly felt cold and hollow. She slowly looked down. Her shirt was covered with blood. She could hear the steady pat of it dripping onto her shoes. She couldn't breathe. She looked back up at Kim and watched her take a bite out of her heart.