Gathering

"I stand at the foot of the porch steps and stare mindlessly out across the lake I've looked over my entire life, trying to find comfort in the view and the memories of all that has happened. It's hard to conjure up an optimistic view of the future.




Only a few days have passed since first Top, then Amelie, and then DeeDee have been removed from my life (and theirs). I haven't spent the time doing much other than moping around the family property that now feels even bigger than when I was a child."




How did it all go so wrong?




We were a team. A group of survivors ready to take down anything that came our way. But in less than a day, they were all gone. Now it's just me and the dog. I'm left wondering about my future. What do I do now? Should I stay in case Eve comes looking for me? Should I leave and go look for her? Does it matter?




I worry about Eve.




She stayed behind to take care of her dying father, but there's no way he is going to last long, and a nasty winter is coming. Without heat and company, will she make it? She's probably cold and alone in a house with a dead body.




My big sister, Morgan, is one of the precious few people left who made it through the zombie apocalypse and is heading my way. She's far out west, but once she puts her mind to something, almost nothing can stop her. Not zombies, not a group of humans sheltering themselves and their secrets behind the walls of a madcap fortress, and not even a pirate.




Survivors and zombies alike are gathering. And no one will be able to predict what's coming.




Time for round three.