B: Books

Out of everything in the apocalypse that Carley mourned the loss of, she never thought that she would ever miss reading as much as she did.

Before the world went to hell, Carley used reading as a form of release, of comfort. She remembered the feeling of pure content she got whenever she curled up on her bed with a cup of tea and a book at the end of a long tiring day. Now, with the fighting in the group happening almost every day and the constant threat of death looming over her, Carley wished that she could just have one outlet, something to take her mind away from reality for even just a moment.

At one point she told Lee about her craving for reading. It was in the middle of a card game that they were playing her room, a way of passing the time that didn't involve just staring at the walls until they went insane. Lee had laughed and replied that he could relate. Being a professor, he had to keep up with all kinds of readings to the point where he actually started to enjoy them. His favorites were non-fiction, but he sometimes enjoyed a good science fiction novel as well. Carley however had a passion for mystery novels. Her favorite was "4th of July", a novel that was a part of the Women's Murder Club series. She could spend hours talking about the plot, themes and her favorite character Cindy Thomas. Lee had teased her about her favorite character being a reporter as well, and she playfully shoved him in return.

Their exchange led Carley to come up with an idea. During a supply run when at least one of them had to go out, they would stop at the library near the area in Macon where they looked for supplies and bring books to each other. Carley did her best to try and find the most interesting non-fiction and sci-fi novels while Lee looked for any mysteries that Carley would enjoy. It was sort of like a game, one that allowed them to always have something to talk about, to look forward to, and to always have something to take their mind off of just how bad the world was now. At one point Lee had even brought back a children's book for Clementine, and the look on her face as he handed it to her was more wonderful than he could ever describe.

At the end of one day when Carley came back into her room, she saw a small light blue book lying in the middle of her bed with a small note on top of it. Automatically knowing who it was from, she picked it up and read the note. "It's poetry. I thought I'd give you something different this time. The one on page 43 is my favorite." Sitting down on her bed, she turned to the page he mentioned and read.

Rest your head and close your eyes
Everything will be okay
For when you wake with the sweet sunrise
It will be a brand new day
Turn down the lights and pull me close
Feel only the beating of our hearts as we lay
For when you wake with the soft morning breeze
It will be a brand new day.

Relax your body and caress my soft hair
Let all of life's worries melt away
For when you wake with the warm summer scent
It will be a brand new day
Fall fast asleep and dream with me
Whisper "I love you, I'm here to stay"
For when we wake in each other's arms
It will be a brand new day.

By the time she reached the end of the poem, Carley's face was brighter than it had been in a long time and she found herself unable to stop smiling. Closing the book and leaving it back on her bed, she left her bedroom door in search of Lee.

A/N The book series I mentioned "Women's Murder Club" is an actual book series and it's really good! You should check it out if you have the time. Thanks for reading!