{"id":278,"date":"2013-07-22T03:58:31","date_gmt":"2013-07-22T03:58:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/?page_id=278"},"modified":"2025-04-15T00:47:48","modified_gmt":"2025-04-15T00:47:48","slug":"chapter-66","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/story\/chapter-66\/","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 66"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chapter 66<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

I\u2019ll never feel safe again.\u00a0 I realize that now.<\/i><\/p>\n

Prior to this year, I\u2019d never suffered a major tragedy in my life.\u00a0 I\u2019d never been in a life or death situation.\u00a0 Being a military wife, I\u2019d known plenty of others who had, but never myself.\u00a0 Then I lost the baby, and for the first time, I knew the full meaning of grief.\u00a0 And then the zombies rose, and I knew fear.<\/i><\/p>\n

Now I know what it\u2019s like to try to overcome that fear, to try to go on with life and pretend that all is normal, and to fail.\u00a0 The truth is, although life has gone on for a select few of us, nothing will be normal again, not even when we try to make it so.\u00a0 I wouldn\u2019t say it was easy for us to be lulled into a false sense of security, but somehow, it happened.\u00a0 We\u2019d been living outside the church for a month, and we truly believed that the base was clear, that it was secure.\u00a0 As long as we stayed within its walls, the undead couldn\u2019t get us.<\/i><\/p>\n

We were wrong.<\/i><\/p>\n

Inside the base, we tried to find things to do to keep ourselves sane, to keep our lives as normal as possible.\u00a0 We discovered ways to have fun and forget our grief and our fear, if only for awhile.<\/i><\/p>\n

We were na\u00efve.<\/i><\/p>\n

Even on the base, zombies were still a threat.\u00a0 And now I know that, for as long as the dead walk the earth, they\u2019ll continue to hunt us.<\/i><\/p>\n

We are vulnerable.<\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Sunday, July 8, 2012<\/b>
\nWeek Twelve<\/i><\/p>\n

Gretchen wasn\u2019t really an outdoorsy person, nor was she the type of woman who felt comfortable flaunting her figure in a bathing suit, but even she was looking forward to a day at the beach.<\/p>\n

She enjoyed the ride in the back of the pick-up truck, feeling the wind whip through her hair and the sun beat down on her bare back and arms.\u00a0 In one of the houses on base, she\u2019d found a swimsuit that fit her, and she wore it under a pair of shorts for the ride to the beach.\u00a0 She knew she didn\u2019t look nearly as good as Riley, who sat across from her in a cute bandeau bikini that showed off her athletic body, but in this new, undead world, she didn\u2019t really care.<\/p>\n

Brian and Nick were in the cab, and once they\u2019d pulled the pick-up into an empty parking lot, they turned off the engine and eagerly jumped out.\u00a0 They came around back to lower the tailgate and grab the supplies they\u2019d brought \u2013 a cooler with drinks and a little picnic lunch, some towels, and a beach umbrella they\u2019d borrowed from one of the houses \u2013 while Gretchen and Riley climbed down from the truck bed.\u00a0 Gretchen looked around; they were at the very tip of the peninsula on which the base was located, and she\u2019d never been that far.\u00a0 To her left was a small marina, packed with boats, and to her right, a wide strip of beach, sprinkled with palm trees and a few little pavilions.\u00a0 Out in front of her, stretching all the way to the horizon, was water.\u00a0 Technically, it was just Tampa Bay, but it might as well have been the open ocean, for as far as she could see.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis looks awesome,\u201d said Nick, a big grin on his face.<\/p>\n

Riley nodded.\u00a0 \u201cI can\u2019t believe we\u2019ve been here this whole time and never come down here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know!\u00a0 Man, I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve ever gone this long without going out on the ocean.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t wait to get in the water,\u201d Gretchen chimed in.\u00a0 The sun was starting to become uncomfortable; she could feel it baking her skin.\u00a0 The water looked invitingly cool and refreshing.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, let\u2019s go then!\u201d\u00a0 Like a little kid, Nick shouted, \u201cLast one in\u2019s a rotten egg!\u201d and took off running.\u00a0 Brian chased him.\u00a0 Riley looked at Gretchen and grinned; then she ran after them.\u00a0 Gretchen laughed and followed them at her own, leisurely pace, carrying the supplies they\u2019d forgotten.<\/p>\n

Ahead of her, she watched Nick wrangle off his t-shirt as he was running and drop it in the sand.\u00a0 Brian was right behind him, as they charged straight into the water with a huge splash.\u00a0 Riley kicked off her flip-flops and went in after them.\u00a0 Gretchen set down the supplies, took off her shorts and shoes, and dug out the sunscreen she\u2019d made sure to find and bring along.\u00a0 She didn\u2019t know about the other three, but without it, she\u2019d soon look like a lobster.\u00a0 She applied a liberal amount, rubbing it into her arms, legs, chest, and as much as she could reach of her back.<\/p>\n

\u201cNeed help?\u201d\u00a0 She looked up, and Brian was standing there, dripping.\u00a0 Behind him, she saw the trail of his footsteps leading up from the water, where Nick and Riley were splashing each other.\u00a0 Like Nick, he\u2019d taken off his shirt, and she realized that, despite living with him for almost three months, it was only the second time she\u2019d seen him without a shirt.\u00a0 Her eyes dropped to the scar that ran down the center of his chest, and she wondered if he, like she, was just the slightest bit self-conscious.<\/p>\n

She smiled at him.\u00a0 \u201cSure.\u201d\u00a0 Handing him the bottle of sunscreen, she turned around and held her hair so that he could get the back of her neck and shoulders.\u00a0 Despite the heat, a shiver ran through her as she felt his hands on her skin, leaving goosebumps in their wake as they rubbed in the cool cream.\u00a0 It felt good, yet it was strange to have another man touch like this, even in a platonic way.\u00a0 Usually, Shawn would be the one doing this for her, and in that moment, she missed him terribly.\u00a0 A sudden wave of guilt washed over her, as she imagined him fighting zombies, trying to get home, while she was down here relaxing on the beach, as if she were on vacation.<\/p>\n

Brian must have felt her stiffen.\u00a0 \u201cSorry \u2013 little cold, huh?\u201d he laughed, misreading her tension.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll warm it up this time.\u201d\u00a0 He squirted out some more sunscreen and rubbed it between his hands before he brought them up to her shoulders.<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks,\u201d she said, trying to get her mind off her husband.\u00a0 \u201cI guess it\u2019s stupid to worry about skin cancer when there are zombies to deal with, but I don\u2019t really want to peel for two weeks after I get burned.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNah, this was a good idea,\u201d replied Brian, his hands light on the nape of her neck.\u00a0 \u201cI should put some on, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

When she felt his hands come off her, she turned around.\u00a0 He squirted another blob of sunscreen into his palm and started to rub it over his own skin.\u00a0 She couldn\u2019t help but watch as his hands ran up and down his own arms; for such a little guy, he had really nice arms.\u00a0 They were muscular, without being too bulked out \u2013 she didn\u2019t care for bulky guys.\u00a0 He had a couple of tattoos on his left arm; she had noticed them before.\u00a0 The one on his shoulder was of a cross on a rock, with a banner beneath that said \u201cRock of Ages.\u201d\u00a0 Even if she hadn\u2019t known he had once been a minister, it was obvious religion had been important to him.\u00a0 Below that, encircling his upper arm, was a band of words.\u00a0 She\u2019d asked him once what they said, and his eyes teared up as he explained they were lyrics to a song he\u2019d written for his wife and sung at their wedding.\u00a0 Gretchen had found herself wondering about his wife; she must have been something special.\u00a0 She hoped Leighanne had appreciated him when she was alive, had realized how lucky she was to be married to a man like Brian, had loved him as much as he obviously loved her.<\/p>\n

She watched the way his hand slowed down over the tattoos, rubbing them carefully, as if the sunscreen might smear the ink.\u00a0 His fingers moved lovingly over the words he had penned, words now permanently etched upon his skin as an everlasting symbol of love for his wife.\u00a0 It made her wish she had something to represent Shawn that way.\u00a0 When they finally found each other, maybe they could get matching tattoos.\u00a0 AJ might know how to do them; he\u2019d certainly spent enough time in tattoo parlors to learn.<\/p>\n

The bottle of sunscreen made a loud, squelchy farting noise as Brian squeezed out more, and they both laughed.\u00a0 Gretchen kept laughing as Brian moved to his chest, putting a dab of sunscreen over each nipple, then drawing a U-shape with it over his stomach to make a smiley face.\u00a0 It was such a juvenile thing to do, but it was still funny.\u00a0 She giggled, and he grinned, rubbing it in until the face disappeared.\u00a0 That was Brian; serious one minute, a clown the next.\u00a0 She got the impression that he had always been the type of guy who used humor as a defense mechanism.<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks,\u201d he said when he was finished, closing the bottle and handing it back to her.<\/p>\n

\u201cSure,\u201d she replied, shoving the bottle back into her beach bag.\u00a0 She pulled out the towels and spread them across the sand, while Brian set up the beach umbrella, angling it to create a patch of shade.<\/p>\n

A high-pitched shriek rang out across the water, causing Gretchen\u2019s heart to leap in her throat as she spun around.\u00a0 Brian had already started running toward the ocean, but suddenly stopped in his tracks, sending sand flying up from his feet, as he saw the same thing Gretchen did:\u00a0 Riley was sitting on Nick\u2019s shoulders now, her head thrown back with laughter, as he held on to her legs.<\/p>\n

Brian glanced back over his shoulder and met Gretchen\u2019s gaze, and they both shook their heads, laughing, as Gretchen\u2019s racing heart gradually slowed down.\u00a0 Even on a gorgeous day like this, she was going to be constantly on edge, always watching for signs of danger.\u00a0 Riley and Nick, the happy couple, seemed to be having fun, but she knew she was not going to be able to relax enough to truly let her hair down.<\/p>\n

Even so, when Brian said, \u201cWell?\u00a0 Shall we join them?\u201d she nodded and followed his footsteps from the dry sand to the wet sand and on into the water.\u00a0 The waves, warm as bathwater, lapped over the tops of her feet and swirled around her ankles, rising up to her knees and then her thighs as she waded out further.\u00a0 The water was above her waist when she and Brian finally reached Nick and Riley, who was still high above the waterline on Nick\u2019s shoulders.<\/p>\n

\u201cC\u2019mon, let\u2019s play chicken!\u201d shouted Nick, his shining face still sporting the same goofy grin.\u00a0 He was definitely back in his element.\u00a0 \u201cGet on up there, Gretchen,\u201d he said, swatting one of Brian\u2019s shoulders.<\/p>\n

Gretchen looked doubtfully at Brian, not sure he could even support her.\u00a0 Nick was broad-shouldered and tall, and Riley was trim and tiny, but she probably weighed the same as Brian.\u00a0 He seemed more confident, though, and grinned sportingly at her.\u00a0 \u201cC\u2019mon, get on,\u201d he said, lowering himself into the water.\u00a0 He went under, squatting on the ocean bottom long enough for her to maneuver her legs over his shoulders, and then he rose up again, his arms wrapped around her legs to hold her on.\u00a0 As she was lifted out of the water, Gretchen teetered unsteadily for a few seconds before finding her balance in her perch on Brian\u2019s shoulders.\u00a0 He felt bony enough to break beneath her, but as she\u2019d thought before, he was stronger than he looked and stood quite steadily in the water.<\/p>\n

\u201cReady?\u201d said Nick, turning so that he and Riley were facing Brian and Gretchen and moving in closer, so that the two women were within arms\u2019 reach of each other.\u00a0 \u201cThree\u2026 two\u2026 one\u2026 fight!\u201d<\/p>\n

Before Gretchen could even brace herself, Riley had pushed her backwards.\u00a0 She could feel herself sliding off Brian\u2019s shoulders and dug her knees in, trying to hold on with her legs, but to no avail \u2013 off she went, toppling backwards into the water.\u00a0 She surfaced, spitting salt water, and wiped off her face.\u00a0 Nick and Riley were laughing, but Brian asked, \u201cYou okay?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFine,\u201d said Gretchen, breathless.\u00a0 \u201cThat was\u2026 quick.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRematch!\u201d said Riley.\u00a0 \u201cC\u2019mon, you can do better than that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reluctantly, Gretchen climbed back on Brian\u2019s shoulders, and they played again.\u00a0 She was ready this time and lasted a lot longer before Riley finally knocked her off.\u00a0 She wasn\u2019t surprised to find out that Riley was competitive, even more so than Nick, who was egging her on.\u00a0 Brian was almost as bad, though, and kept insisting they go again.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy don\u2019t you get on my shoulders this time?\u201d Gretchen finally suggested, laughing.\u00a0 She was only kidding, but to everyone\u2019s amusement, they actually did try it.\u00a0 She was not as strong as Brian, though, and couldn\u2019t support his weight on top of her nearly as well as he\u2019d managed hers.\u00a0 They switched partners and had her hold Riley when Brian sat on Nick\u2019s shoulders, which worked out better, and Brian and Riley put up a good fight before he finally knocked Riley into the water for the first time.<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry, Rye,\u201d he apologized immediately when she surfaced, looking almost appalled at himself for beating a woman, but Riley was laughing.<\/p>\n

\u201cSuuure, you are,\u201d she said sarcastically.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s okay; I let you win \u2013 I wanted to get wet.\u00a0 It\u2019s way too hot to be out of the water that long!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOhh, I see how it is,\u201d Brian replied, equally sarcastic, and they all laughed.<\/p>\n

Done with chicken fights, they simply swam.\u00a0 The ocean water was warm, but kept them cool compared to the sweltering heat on land.\u00a0 They stayed low, dunking beneath the surface occasionally to keep their heads and shoulders wet.\u00a0 Without realizing it, they had drifted further out into the bay.\u00a0 Gretchen was no longer standing in waist-deep water, but water that came up to her neck.\u00a0 She treaded water, her toes barely skimming the ocean bottom.\u00a0 The beach was in sight, so this didn\u2019t concern her.<\/p>\n

Until Nick suddenly screamed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat the FUCK!\u201d\u00a0 He whirled around in a spray of water, his arms flailing with panic as he tried to keep afloat.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d Brian demanded, his voice sharp with alarm.\u00a0 Gretchen was already propelling herself backwards, towards the beach.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomething fucking bit me!\u201d Nick shouted, his voice shrill.\u00a0 His blue eyes were wide, practically bulging out of his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you sure?\u201d asked Riley, her own eyes widening with horror.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2026 I dunno\u2026 felt like it!\u00a0 Something definitely grazed my leg,\u201d Nick insisted, though as they all looked frantically around, they could see nothing beneath the water, no dark shadows.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s go in,\u201d Gretchen said nervously, beckoning the others to follow her.\u00a0 \u201cWe should take a look at it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick didn\u2019t need to be told twice.\u00a0 He started paddling after her, and Brian stayed close to him, but Riley hung back.\u00a0 All of a sudden, they heard her started to laugh.\u00a0 It started out as a snicker, then exploded into a full-blown belly laugh.\u00a0 They all stopped, their feet finding the bottom as they turned back to look at her.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry!\u201d Riley sputtered through hysterical laughter, slapping the water.\u00a0 \u201cI shouldn\u2019t have\u2026 I just didn\u2019t think you\u2019d be so gullible!\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick\u2019s jaw dropped, and his face took on the look of a wounded puppy.\u00a0 \u201cThat was you?!\u201d he cried in dismay.<\/p>\n

Riley laughed harder.\u00a0 \u201cIt was just a little pinch!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFuck you!\u201d\u00a0 At first, Nick looked legitimately angry, and Gretchen couldn\u2019t blame him, but then he let out a shaky laugh, drawing a wet hand weakly over his face.\u00a0 \u201cDamn, I shoulda known\u2026 I thought a fuckin\u2019 shark bit me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShark?!\u201d said Brian and Gretchen at the same time, and she knew he had been thinking the exact same thing she had.\u00a0 \u201cYou thought \u2018shark\u2019 and not \u2018zombie\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick snorted.\u00a0 \u201cWhat would a zombie be doing way out here?\u00a0 You think they got the coordination to swim?\u00a0 Fuck no, man\u2026\u00a0 Didn\u2019t I ever tell you I\u2019m afraid of sharks?\u201d<\/p>\n

Brian laughed.\u00a0 \u201cNo!\u00a0 You?\u00a0 The ocean lover?\u00a0 You\u2019re afraid of sharks?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d admitted Nick grudgingly, now sounding embarrassed.\u00a0 \u201cI always have been, ever since I was a little kid.\u00a0 Probably cause I spent so much time in the ocean.\u00a0 I mean, you hear about shark attacks in Florida sometimes\u2026 doesn\u2019t happen often, but it does happen.\u00a0 And okay, so yeah, I probably just watched too much Jaws<\/i> as a kid, too\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDa-dun\u2026 da-dun\u2026\u201d<\/i>\u00a0 Predictably, Riley sunk low in the water and started humming the Jaws<\/i> theme, as she glided smoothly toward Nick.\u00a0 \u201cDa-dun-da-dun-da-dun-da-dun\u2026\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cStop!\u201d\u00a0 Nick sounded like a little kid again, as he twisted out of her reach, splashing her in the face.\u00a0 \u201cSeriously, Rye, don\u2019t; it freaks me out!\u201d<\/p>\n

Riley\u2019s giggle sounded more like a gurgle through the faceful of water, but once she\u2019d wiped her eyes, she smiled apologetically and said, \u201cAlright, alright, I\u2019ll stop.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t know it was like a phobia for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, it is,\u201d said Nick.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t really mad at her, but Gretchen could tell he was serious.\u00a0 It was a little funny that a happy-go-lucky guy like Nick was so deathly afraid of sharks, but Riley\u2019s practical joke wasn\u2019t.\u00a0 They were all paranoid about being attacked by zombies, and even out here in the ocean, they hadn\u2019t left that fear back at the beach.<\/p>\n

They had just decided to head in for their picnic \u2013 in fact, Gretchen and Riley had already started swimming for shore to get it set up \u2013 when it happened.\u00a0 There was a sudden shout, quickly silenced, and then Nick screamed.\u00a0 Again.\u00a0 Gretchen quickly looked back, but Riley said, \u201cDon\u2019t.\u00a0 He\u2019s just trying to scare us.\u00a0 Payback, you know?\u201d<\/p>\n

Gretchen couldn\u2019t see Brian.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe just went under!\u201d Nick shouted, twisting left and right in the water, looking all around.\u00a0 \u201cSomething dragged him under!\u201d<\/p>\n

Gretchen\u2019s stomach lurched, but Riley insisted, \u201cThey\u2019re fucking with us.\u00a0 He\u2019s just holding his breath underwater.\u00a0 Wait, he\u2019ll pop up laughing in a few seconds.\u201d<\/p>\n

Riley didn\u2019t even turn around, but Gretchen waited and watched.\u00a0 No Brian.<\/p>\n

Nick suddenly went under, and she gasped, afraid he had been pulled under too, until he popped back up, sucked in a breath, and went down again.\u00a0 He was searching, she realized.\u00a0 Searching for Brian.\u00a0 Gretchen had already started swimming toward him when he surfaced again, screaming, \u201cHelp me!\u00a0 Help me look!\u201d<\/p>\n

She fought the waves, spitting out salt water each time one of them crashed into her face, frantically trying to make it to Nick, who seemed to be drifting further and further away.\u00a0 \u201cBRIAN!\u201d she shouted, looking all around for signs of a disturbance underwater.\u00a0 With the waves, it was hard to tell.\u00a0 The water was too deep here; she couldn\u2019t see through it at all.<\/p>\n

\u201cBRIAN!\u201d she heard Nick yell helplessly.<\/p>\n

And then, as if he\u2019d heard their calls, Brian suddenly crashed through the surface between them, his arms windmilling wildly, as if he were trying to fight off an invisible force.\u00a0 He flailed and thrashed in the water, trying to keep himself afloat, but too panicked to do a good job of it.\u00a0 His head kept going under, before he fought to get it up again.<\/p>\n

Gretchen and Nick swam toward him as fast as they could, coming in from opposite directions.\u00a0 Gretchen reached him first and slipped her arms under his, holding him up as she tried to swim backwards, kicking furiously to keep them both afloat.\u00a0 But he was heavier than she\u2019d expected, and she didn\u2019t have the strength to swim with him.<\/p>\n

When Nick appeared, it was easier.\u00a0 He grabbed one of Brian\u2019s arms, and she grabbed the other, and together, they towed him through the water, making a beeline for the beach.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat happened?\u201d asked Riley, her face stricken, as they grew near.<\/p>\n

Brian shook his head, too out of breath to answer.\u00a0 No one spoke until they were safely on the beach.\u00a0 Brian collapsed in the sand, his thin chest heaving, and coughed out mouthfuls of seawater.\u00a0 Not sure what else to do for him, Gretchen sank down beside him and clapped his back, like she would to burp a baby, waiting for him to catch his breath again.<\/p>\n

Finally, Brian rasped, \u201cWe\u2019re not safe here.\u00a0 They\u2019re in the water, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a zombie?\u201d gasped Gretchen, her heart hammering in her chest.\u00a0 \u201cAre you sure?\u201d<\/p>\n

Brian nodded grimly.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sure.\u00a0 It must\u2019ve been walking on the bottom.\u00a0 It grabbed my ankle from underneath me and pulled me down.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid it bite you?\u201d Riley asked, and Gretchen saw her eyes shoot down to Brian\u2019s bare ankle.\u00a0 It looked unscathed.\u00a0 There was no sign of blood on his body or on the sand beneath him.<\/p>\n

He shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t think it wanted just my leg.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBraaaainsss\u2026\u201d moaned Nick under his breath.\u00a0 Gretchen and Riley both looked at him, shocked that he would make a joke at a time like this.<\/p>\n

But Brian grinned weakly.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe so.\u00a0 It dragged me all the way down.\u00a0 But I fought it off before it could sink its teeth in.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s still out there\u2026\u201d said Nick, now staring out at the bay.\u00a0 They all followed his line of sight, watching\u2026 waiting\u2026<\/p>\n

And then a dark shape rose out of the waves.\u00a0 It was a head, they realized, as a pair of shoulders followed, and then a torso.\u00a0 Gretchen drew in a breath and held it, frozen in fear, as the zombie staggered slowly, but surely into the shallows.\u00a0 Nick and Brian were both right; it looked much too clumsy to swim, which meant, with no need for oxygen, it had simply been walking around on the ocean bottom, waiting for prey to drift within its reach.\u00a0 And surely, it wasn\u2019t the only one.\u00a0 The water was probably teaming with the undead.\u00a0 Tampa Bay had become the Undead Sea.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s go,\u201d she said shakily, as the zombie grew closer.\u00a0 The water was below its waist now, and it was near enough that she could how bloated it was from the water, its pruny skin sagging off its decomposing flesh.\u00a0 Its cloudy eyes bulged from its puffy, gray face, and water trickled from its open mouth as it let out a moan that raised goosebumps on her skin.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s just go.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d said Nick, and when she glanced at him, she saw that his jaw was set.\u00a0 \u201cNot before we kill this thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWith what?\u201d asked Riley, looking around.\u00a0 \u201cNone of us brought a damn gun.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen we\u2019ll have to improvise.\u201d\u00a0 Nick looked around, too, and his eyes came to rest on the beach umbrella.\u00a0 He hurried over it and yanked it out of the sand.\u00a0 The bottom was pointed, like a stake.\u00a0 Gretchen felt sick, imagining how he was going to use it.\u00a0 \u201cGrab the cooler, Rye,\u201d Nick added, and Riley hurried to get the small cooler, still heavy with their lunch.\u00a0 \u201cGretch, you take Brian and head for the truck.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gretchen felt guilty for being relieved, but she didn\u2019t protest being let off the hook.\u00a0 She helped Brian to his feet, as Nick and Riley crept closer to the waterline, weapons in hand, waiting for the zombie to make it out of the water.\u00a0 Her eyes fixed determinedly on the truck, she heard, rather than saw, the confrontation that followed \u2013 the hungry moan of the zombie, the guttural shout from Riley, the thud of the heavy, plastic cooler colliding with bony skull, the moist splatter of something hard plunging through something soft.<\/p>\n

When Gretchen finally chanced a glance back, Nick and Riley were trudging towards them, carrying the cooler and her beach bag, and the zombie lay still on the sand, the colorful beach umbrella protruding from one of its eye sockets.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can come back tonight and have a little bonfire on the beach,\u201d said Nick, so deadpan that she couldn\u2019t tell if he was kidding or not.\u00a0 \u201cBut for now, let\u2019s get the hell out of here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gretchen couldn\u2019t agree more.\u00a0 They climbed back into the truck and peeled away.\u00a0 She sat in the back with Riley, hugging her knees to her chest.\u00a0 Despite the sun beating down on her, she couldn\u2019t stop shivering.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

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Chapter 66 I\u2019ll never feel safe again.\u00a0 I realize that now. Prior to this year, I\u2019d never suffered a major tragedy in my life.\u00a0 I\u2019d never been in a life or death situation.\u00a0 Being a military wife, I\u2019d known plenty … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":8,"menu_order":66,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"onecolumn-page.php","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/278"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=278"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/278\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":590,"href":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/278\/revisions\/590"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=278"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}