{"id":288,"date":"2013-07-22T04:07:10","date_gmt":"2013-07-22T04:07:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/?page_id=288"},"modified":"2013-07-22T15:32:16","modified_gmt":"2013-07-22T15:32:16","slug":"chapter-71","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/story\/chapter-71\/","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 71"},"content":{"rendered":"

PART VII: \u00a0THE DIVERGENCE<\/strong><\/p>\n

Chapter 71<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

I always thought I\u2019d have a big family.\u00a0 I come from a big, loud Cuban family, myself, and when I married Luis, we both assumed we would have the same.\u00a0 But my first pregnancy was hard; there were complications, and after Gabrielle was born, I lost the ability to have any more children.\u00a0 At the time, I was just grateful to have my baby, safe and sound, but there came a time, when Gabby was two or three years old, when I desperately wished I could give her a little brother or sister.\u00a0 Luis loved Gabby with all his heart, but I knew he would also have loved a son, a boy to carry on the Lopez name.\u00a0 Instead, we had just our precious daughter, who was destined to be an only child.\u00a0 We were a small family of three, but we were tight-knit and happy, until the night that tore our family apart.<\/i><\/p>\n

The others here lost their families to the Osiris Virus, but I actually feel I\u2019ve gained one.\u00a0 Kevin, Howie, Brian, and AJ are like brothers to me; Gretchen, my younger sister.\u00a0 Nick could be the son I never had, and Riley is like another daughter, an older sister for Gabby.\u00a0 I felt the same way about Kayleigh, God rest her soul.<\/i><\/p>\n

That\u2019s the only downside to bonding like a family; while it feels so good to love and be loved, it hurts so much to lose a loved one.\u00a0 Kayleigh may have rubbed some the wrong way at first, but we all loved her, and now, we all miss her.\u00a0 We all wish we could have saved her.\u00a0 I know Brian blames himself for not getting to her in time, though from the sound of it, there was nothing he could have done without getting himself killed, too.\u00a0 Howie\u2019s been a wreck; he was closest to Kayleigh, and it was his turn at guard duty she was taking.\u00a0 If it hadn\u2019t been his birthday, he would have been out there instead when the zombies attacked.\u00a0 He wouldn\u2019t have stood a chance.\u00a0 And Kevin\u2026 as our leader, he\u2019s shouldered a lot of the responsibility, too, for letting Kayleigh go.\u00a0 It\u2019s not rational, but I can understand the feeling.\u00a0 It\u2019s natural to want to protect your family \u2013 and to feel as if you\u2019ve failed when you can\u2019t.<\/i><\/p>\n

These people are all my brothers and sisters, my sons and daughters, and my greatest fear is losing another one of them.\u00a0 But in the undead world, where fear is an everyday feeling, loss is inevitable.<\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Saturday, September 22, 2012<\/b><\/b>
\nWeek Twenty-Two<\/i><\/p>\n

The mood around base had been dismal in the month since Kayleigh had died.\u00a0 Life seemed more like it had been when they\u2019d first arrived at MacDill, than how it had been on Howie\u2019s birthday \u2013 Kayleigh\u2019s death day.\u00a0 It was as if they had regressed.<\/p>\n

They didn\u2019t move back into the chapel or any such nonsense, but they did spend less time on fun and more time on defense once again.\u00a0 Their safety on the base had been compromised, and the only answer was to try and secure it again, the best they could.\u00a0 Kevin\u2019s solution was to build a fence that ran the length of the beach \u2013 essentially, a sea wall, though its purpose was to keep the zombies at bay, rather than the waves.\u00a0 They had started on it the day after Kayleigh\u2019s funeral and worked tirelessly on it every day since.\u00a0 They used tools and lumber from the wood shop located at the arts and crafts center on base, and when that wood ran out, they started chopping it from the forest that covered the southwest corner of the peninsula.<\/p>\n

Everyone helped.\u00a0 The strongest men \u2013 Kevin, Nick, and AJ \u2013 oversaw the logging work, while Brian, Howie, Riley, and Gretchen assembled the fence.\u00a0 Even Gabby proved useful by holding boards while they hammered and bringing more nails, while Jo spent her days in the swampy, mosquito-infested woods, helping drag logs into the bed of the truck and making sure no one got crushed underneath a falling tree.<\/p>\n

The work was hard and hot, but it gave them purpose, kept them occupied, and took their minds off of Kayleigh.\u00a0 A month after her death, they still weren\u2019t done, but they paused to acknowledge the anniversary.\u00a0 They went to the chapel, their usual meeting place, and lit candles for Kayleigh.\u00a0 Brian, who had officiated the funeral service, led them in a prayer.\u00a0 Jo had felt closer to him ever since he had opened his heart to God again.\u00a0 Their differences were forgotten.\u00a0 In fact, everyone had been getting along better, as they worked together to fortify the base and each other\u2019s spirits.<\/p>\n

It came as a surprise to Jo when, on that one-month anniversary, Kevin said, \u201cWe can\u2019t stay here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Everyone looked at him, equally shocked.\u00a0 \u201cWhy not?\u201d Howie demanded.\u00a0 \u201cWe have everything we need here.\u00a0 Once the wall is finished, we\u2019ll be perfectly safe again \u2013 safer than anywhere else, at least.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kevin gave a nod.\u00a0 \u201cYes\u2026 but for how long?\u00a0 Eventually, we\u2019ll run out of food.\u00a0 We\u2019ll run out of fuel for the generators.\u00a0 We\u2019ll run out of supplies.\u00a0 That\u2019s if the zombies don\u2019t pick us off one by one.\u00a0 What happened to Kayleigh \u2013 and to you, Howie, and to AJ before that \u2013 could happen again, to any of us.\u00a0 We think we\u2019re protected, but we\u2019re not.\u00a0 Not really.\u00a0 They\u2019ll find another way in, another hole in our defense, another flaw we\u2019ve overlooked.\u00a0 We\u2019ll never truly be safe.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGee, thanks for that optimistic outlook,\u201d said Riley sarcastically, rolling her eyes.\u00a0 Beside her, Nick chuckled.<\/p>\n

Kevin shrugged, unapologetic.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s the truth.\u00a0 We\u2019ve done a good job at surviving so far, but we can\u2019t sustain ourselves here forever.\u00a0 Our best chance for long-term survival is to increase our numbers.\u00a0 We need to find more survivors.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy?\u201d AJ spoke up right away.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ve got a good thing going here, a good group of people.\u00a0 We don\u2019t need anyone else fucking that up.\u00a0 And anyway, if we have more mouths to feed, we\u2019re just gonna run out of food and everything else that much sooner.\u00a0 Besides, we\u2019ve already looked for other survivors, remember?\u00a0 We didn\u2019t find jack shit.\u00a0 Everyone\u2019s a fucking zombie.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe looked here,\u201d Kevin replied, leveling his gaze with AJ\u2019s.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m talking about a broader search.\u00a0 I think we need to get out of Florida and see what else is out there.\u00a0 We have no idea what the situation in the rest of the country is like.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe entire East Coast was affected,\u201d Gretchen said.\u00a0 \u201cNew York, D.C.\u2026 it just spread down the coast.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kevin\u2019s answer was simple.\u00a0 \u201cThen we go west.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEasier said than done, cous,\u201d said Brian.\u00a0 \u201cIt took Gretch and I a whole week just to drive down from Georgia.\u00a0 The major roads are blocked with traffic, and without power, the gas pumps are down, so refueling will be an issue.\u00a0 Not to mention the hordes of zombies roaming around.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI agree, driving is impractical,\u201d replied Kevin.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll fly instead.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUhh, what?\u201d Nick laughed nervously.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a pilot, remember.\u00a0 We\u2019re on an Air Force base.\u00a0 There\u2019s plenty of planes here \u2013 and plenty of fuel.\u00a0 We can cover a lot more distance, a lot more quickly, and we won\u2019t have to worry about zombie attacks in the air.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick snickered.\u00a0 \u201cUnless it turns into Zombies on a Plane<\/i>.\u201d<\/p>\n

AJ immediately chimed in with his best Samuel L. Jackson impression:\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s it!\u00a0 I have had it with these muthafuckin\u2019 zombies on this muthafuckin\u2019 plane!\u201d<\/p>\n

The two of them cracked each other up, and Gabby joined in.\u00a0 Jo\u2019s disapproving frown quickly quieted her.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can go all the way to the West Coast,\u201d Kevin continued, ignoring the jokes.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd what if it\u2019s the same situation out there?\u201d AJ asked, serious once more.<\/p>\n

Jo saw Kevin\u2019s jaw tighten, his lips pressing into a thin line.\u00a0 \u201cThen we\u2019ll have to come up with a new plan.\u00a0 But we have to check it out.\u00a0 We need to know what we\u2019re dealing with, how widespread this plague is.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jo wasn\u2019t sure she wanted to know, but she could appreciate Kevin\u2019s logic.\u00a0 It would be good to find more survivors, if there were other groups like theirs out there.\u00a0 It was just a big \u201cIf.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo who goes?\u201d Howie asked, looking around.\u00a0 \u201cDo we all go?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think some of us should stay behind,\u201d Jo spoke up quickly, \u201cto protect the base and finish the wall.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 She didn\u2019t like the idea of taking Gabby into the unknown, back out into a world overrun with the undead.<\/p>\n

Kevin met her gaze and nodded.\u00a0 \u201cI agree.\u00a0 We don\u2019t need everyone to go.\u00a0 Just a few of us \u2013 a small expedition.\u00a0 We\u2019ll fly out, spend a few days scouting the area, then come back to report our findings.\u201d<\/p>\n

It sounded practical and reasonably safe.\u00a0 They just had to decide who would stay and who could go.<\/p>\n

\u201cJo, Gabby, Howie, and Gretchen will stay behind,\u201d Kevin decided immediately.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t say it in so many words, but Jo knew and accepted that he was naming the weakest among them.\u00a0 She and Gretchen didn\u2019t know how to fight zombies nearly as well as the rest of them, and Howie was a liability.\u00a0 And, of course, there was no way she would allow Gabby to go.\u00a0 \u201cAJ, I think you should stay too, to help guard the base.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd what if I\u2019d rather go?\u201d asked AJ defiantly.\u00a0 Jo had never seen him disagree with Kevin, despite how different they were.<\/p>\n

Kevin\u2019s reply was calm, but firm.\u00a0 \u201cI need you here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Perhaps it was the subtle flattery, the idea of being needed, that worked.\u00a0 In any case, AJ stopped arguing and agreed with a sullen nod.\u00a0 \u201cFine.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDoes that mean the rest of us are going?\u201d Nick asked.<\/p>\n

Kevin\u2019s sharp, green eyes turned on him.\u00a0 \u201cDo you not want to?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick didn\u2019t look particularly enthusiastic, but he shrugged and replied, \u201cI\u2019ll go if you need me to.\u201d<\/p>\n

AJ snorted.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t sound so excited, dude.\u00a0 Kev, I\u2019ll trade with Carter if he\u2019s gonna puss out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick\u2019s face reddened.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not pussing out!\u00a0 I just have kind of a\u2026 fear of flying\u2026\u201d he admitted, mumbling the last few words.<\/p>\n

This time, AJ snickered outright.\u00a0 \u201cI think you\u2019ll have more to be afraid of than the fuckin\u2019 plane on this trip, kid.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know,\u201d Nick said, smiling sheepishly.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo are you in or out?\u201d Kevin demanded.<\/p>\n

Nick\u2019s adam\u2019s apple bobbed in his throat as he swallowed hard.\u00a0 Jo could practically see him steeling himself.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll go.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf Nick goes, so do I,\u201d Riley jumped in immediately after.\u00a0 When Kevin eyed her uncertainly, she added scornfully, \u201cI think I\u2019ve proven that women can fight zombies, too, you know.\u00a0 This isn\u2019t the nineteenth century.\u00a0 You did work with female soldiers in the military, didn\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Jo expected Kevin to look affronted that she was basically accusing him of being a chauvinist, but all he said was, \u201cOf course, but they were well-trained.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re looking for well-trained soldiers to go on this mission, it looks like you\u2019ll be going alone,\u201d she retorted coldly.\u00a0 \u201cI may not have the brawn, but I\u2019m just as good a shot as Nick \u2013 and I\u2019m not afraid of flying.\u00a0 No offense,\u201d she added, patting Nick\u2019s arm.<\/p>\n

\u201cFine,\u201d Kevin said with a nod.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re in.\u00a0 Brian, what about you?\u00a0 Stay or go?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo I have a choice?\u201d Brian asked mildly.<\/p>\n

Kevin looked annoyed.\u00a0 \u201cOf course you have a choice.\u00a0 No one\u2019s being forced into anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

Under his breath, Jo heard AJ mumble, \u201cYeah, right\u2026\u201d\u00a0 If Kevin caught it, he didn\u2019t react.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen I\u2019d rather stay and help with the wall,\u201d replied Brian.\u00a0 Jo didn\u2019t miss the way he looked at Gretchen when he said it.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlright.\u00a0 So Nick, Riley, and I will go.\u00a0 The rest of y\u2019all will stay behind to guard the base and keep working on the wall.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was decided.\u00a0 Jo asked the only question that remained:\u00a0 \u201cWhen will you go?\u201d<\/p>\n

Kevin\u2019s answer came promptly.\u00a0 \u201cAs soon as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Monday, September 24, 2012<\/b><\/b>
\nWeek Twenty-Three<\/i><\/p>\n

While Jo, Gabby, Brian, Gretchen, Howie, and AJ spent Sunday working on the wall, Kevin, Nick, and Riley spent it preparing for their trip.\u00a0 Nick and Riley gathered supplies, while Kevin fueled up a small plane, made the necessary calculations of how far it could travel on a tank of fuel, and plotted their course.<\/p>\n

They wasted no time.\u00a0 By the next day, they were ready to leave.\u00a0 It felt too soon to Jo, who was not ready to see her new family split up, but she went with the others to the air field to see them off.<\/p>\n

Kevin had already pulled the plane out of one of the five, large hangars; it sat ready on the runway.\u00a0 They all helped him load the cargo hold with the rations and supplies they were bringing along, and then they milled around on the tarmac, knowing it was time for the trio to go, knowing they would soon have to say goodbye, but not knowing how to.\u00a0 No one seemed to want to be the first to start the farewells.<\/p>\n

Finally, Kevin said, \u201cWell\u2026 I guess we should get going.\u00a0 I wanna leave us plenty of daylight to get there.\u00a0 We\u2019ll need to stop at Buckley to refuel in order to make it all the way to California.\u201d\u00a0 That was the plan, to head straight to the opposite coast and try their luck there.\u00a0 It was too long a journey for the small plane to make on one tank of fuel, though, so Kevin intended for them to stop at another Air Force base in Colorado.<\/p>\n

Brian stepped forward and shook his cousin\u2019s hand, pulling him into a tight hug.\u00a0 \u201cBe safe, cous,\u201d he said, patting Kevin on the back.<\/p>\n

When Brian released him, Kevin offered a tight smile.\u00a0 \u201cYou know I will.\u00a0 You were always the reckless one when we were kids, not me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brian chuckled, nodding.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, who\u2019d have guessed I\u2019d grow up to be a preacher, and you\u2019d be the pilot?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWho\u2019d have guessed the world would be overrun with zombies?\u201d was Kevin\u2019s reply.\u00a0 Jo had come to understand his dry sense of humor well enough to know that it was meant to be a joke, but no one laughed.<\/p>\n

When Brian went to hug Nick next, Jo approached Kevin.\u00a0 Before she could say a thing, he smiled at her and said, \u201cYou hold down the fort while I\u2019m gone, Jo.\u00a0 I know AJ\u2019ll think he\u2019s running the show, but everyone will look to you as the true leader.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope not,\u201d joked Jo, laughing lightly, but she knew there was some truth to it.\u00a0 Just as Kevin was the natural father figure in their group, she was easily the mother.\u00a0 Without him around, she would have to be the glue that held the group together.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019d better come back soon, safe and sound.\u00a0 It won\u2019t feel right here without you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kevin nodded.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t worry.\u00a0 I know what I\u2019m doing.\u00a0 We\u2019ll be back.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

But as she watched her daughter run to him next and throw her arms around him, as she saw Kevin ruffle Gabby\u2019s hair, as she heard him remind her to listen to her mother, Jo was struck by an awful feeling of dread.\u00a0 She had the sense that something was going to go wrong.<\/p>\n

She said nothing, but as she watched the three of them climb into the plane, Kevin waving before he closed the cabin door behind him, Jo somehow knew it would be the last time she ever saw him.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

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PART VII: \u00a0THE DIVERGENCE Chapter 71 I always thought I\u2019d have a big family.\u00a0 I come from a big, loud Cuban family, myself, and when I married Luis, we both assumed we would have the same.\u00a0 But my first pregnancy … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":8,"menu_order":71,"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\/288"}],"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=288"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/288\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":381,"href":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/288\/revisions\/381"}],"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=288"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}