{"id":345,"date":"2013-07-22T14:42:06","date_gmt":"2013-07-22T14:42:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/?page_id=345"},"modified":"2013-07-22T15:20:32","modified_gmt":"2013-07-22T15:20:32","slug":"chapter-96","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/story\/chapter-96\/","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 96"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chapter 96<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m leaving on a jet plane.<\/i>
\nDon\u2019t know when I\u2019ll be back again\u2026\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

I think I\u2019m around Nick too much.\u00a0 He\u2019s rubbed off on me.<\/i><\/p>\n

But we are leaving.\u00a0 This time, it\u2019ll probably be for good.\u00a0 It\u2019s not safe here anymore.\u00a0 Probably never will be safe here again.\u00a0 Our sanctuary isn\u2019t such a sanctum now.\u00a0 Yet\u2026 will it really be safe anywhere?\u00a0 Somehow, I doubt it.\u00a0 Call it negative thinking if you want.\u00a0 I just see it as realistic.\u00a0 I leave the optimism to Nick.<\/i><\/p>\n

What if I\u2019m not ready to move on?<\/i><\/p>\n

It\u2019s not like I have a leg to stand on to argue against this.\u00a0 We\u2019re barricaded in the back of the church again.\u00a0 God, it feels like it did when this all began.\u00a0 Just with three different people, one more than the first time around.\u00a0 But it\u2019s not the same; it never will be.\u00a0 The beginning is what made us the family we are now.\u00a0 You can\u2019t replicate that.\u00a0 Things feel just as bad as they did then, though.\u00a0 Still, I don\u2019t want to go.<\/i><\/p>\n

This is home.<\/i><\/p>\n

And there\u2019s a reason why \u201cyou can never go home again\u201d was a saying.<\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cHold me like you’d never let me go,
\nCause I’m leaving on a jet plane.
\nDon’t know when I’ll be back again.
\nOh, babe, I hate to go,<\/i>
\nBut I\u2019m leaving on a jet plane\u2026\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Friday, February 1, 2013<\/i><\/b>
\nWeek Forty-One<\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re staring out the window again?\u201d<\/p>\n

Riley turned from where her gaze had been focused.\u00a0 Out in the distance, she knew Kevin was readying up a plane for their departure.\u00a0 Nick, Selena, and Shaun had gone with him to keep the zombies at bay while he did so.\u00a0 As soon as they returned, they\u2019d all go to the runway, where Kevin would be waiting, to board the plane and leave the only true home they\u2019d known since the Day of Unholy Resurrection had been set upon them.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah\u2026 I didn\u2019t mean to space out on you, Bri.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brian smiled, wrapping an arm around her and leading her back to the bundle of sleeping bags where Gretchen and Howie were sitting.\u00a0 Gabby was sleeping, something that seemed odd so late in the day, but Kevin said it was probably her way of coping.\u00a0 Dr. Kwak and AJ were up on the roof, back to AJ\u2019s old favorite pastime.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019ll be fine, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know that.\u00a0 It\u2019s not that\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is it?\u201d<\/p>\n

She shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cNothing important.\u201d<\/p>\n

The lie felt sour on her tongue.\u00a0 But what could she say?\u00a0 She knew Brian needed this more than anyone.\u00a0 He had been the one desperately trying to seek out more people, anyone who could help with Gretchen\u2019s pregnancy.\u00a0 She had even agreed with him.\u00a0 It was just so bittersweet, knowing they would be leaving the base for the unknown.\u00a0 The plague had hit the world, not just their own country.\u00a0 That meant nowhere was safe, that the same dangers would be there to greet them overseas.\u00a0 There was no guarantee that this new safe haven was actually safe.<\/p>\n

She sighed, sitting down next to her friends, listening to them talk.\u00a0 She knew she was acting distant.\u00a0 Riley wasn\u2019t trying to; she just didn\u2019t want to talk right then.\u00a0 If she did, she\u2019d say what she knew they didn\u2019t want to hear.\u00a0 Couldn\u2019t they find a way to fortify the base again?\u00a0 Maybe.\u00a0 Would it be logical?\u00a0 No.\u00a0 But she didn\u2019t want logic or facts thrown at her for once.\u00a0 She just wanted to know they hated the idea of leaving as much as she did.\u00a0 Vividly, she remembered their last expedition away from the base.\u00a0 Who was to say this would be any different?<\/p>\n

And even if it was, nothing would be the same.\u00a0 Her mind raced back, back to the beginning.\u00a0 Even before the base.\u00a0 Back to when it was simply her and Nick, unsure if they\u2019d survive, having no idea if there were others left, trapped inside a Target they\u2019d run into, watching the rain fall.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI love the rain.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

It was almost amusing, seeing the puzzled expression arise on his boyish good looks.\u00a0 He raised a brow at her, as she kept her eyes turned at the windows, at the storms she so adored.<\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cI love the rain; I love the wild way it feels.\u00a0 It\u2019s just\u2026 so freeing.\u00a0 It\u2019s nature unleashing its rage on the world, and I love every minute of it.\u00a0 I always would go out driving in it, out to this hill overlooking the beaches.\u00a0 I\u2019d get out, sit in the downpour, and watch the lightening come down.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cI wonder if it\u2019s trying to clean the world,\u201d he said softly.<\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cNo, if there\u2019s a God, He\u2019s trying to wash humanity away.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

It was in that moment that she\u2019d felt a connection.\u00a0 It was in that moment that she\u2019d felt safe, despite the undead roaming about, thirsting for their blood.\u00a0 Safety had always been a spotty feeling since April fifteenth, but that was the first time she\u2019d felt that way after that day.\u00a0 It was at the base where that feeling had been the most consistent.\u00a0 She remembered what it had been like to first arrive here, to see other people.\u00a0 Riley laughed, thinking of how she and Kayleigh used to argue so much in the beginning.\u00a0 She\u2019d been a different person then.\u00a0 She wondered if Kayleigh had known she\u2019d actually come to like her before she died.\u00a0 Death had come back to greet them twice more since their arrival at the base.\u00a0 Riley sighed; she wished she\u2019d been able to truly say goodbye to Jo.\u00a0 Then again, if that chance had been given, Jo may not even have died in the first place.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wonder if we\u2019d be leaving then\u2026\u201d she murmured.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d Gretchen asked, gazing at her with concern.<\/p>\n

Riley\u2019s eyes remained focused on the mural AJ had once painted on the doors, so long ago now.\u00a0 Why had they let him do that?\u00a0 The picture was simply beyond depressing.\u00a0 Despite herself, a grin formed on her face.\u00a0 AJ was definitely one of a kind.\u00a0 \u201cIf Jo was still alive\u2026 would we have sent out a signal?\u00a0 Would Selena, Shaun, and that scientist still have shown up?\u00a0 Would we still be leaving?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe might be,\u201d Howie answered, idly eating some chips, \u201cbut I don\u2019t think so.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can\u2019t change anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know that.\u00a0 My brain just doesn\u2019t shut off.\u201d<\/p>\n

Just then, the doors opened.\u00a0 Nick peeked his head in with a grin.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re ready when you guys are.\u201d<\/p>\n

Everyone gathered what little things they had.\u00a0 Brian was gently waking Gabby.\u00a0 As they filtered out, Riley hung back, giving another glance around.\u00a0 She had to take it all in.\u00a0 Memories would be all she had.\u00a0 They wouldn\u2019t all be happy, but she wanted to hang on to them anyway, as tightly as possible.<\/p>\n

\u201cRye, c\u2019mon!\u00a0 AJ\u2019s got the car running.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m coming.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou okay?\u201d Nick asked, as he took her hand and led her outside.<\/p>\n

\u201cYep, no need to worry about me.\u201d\u00a0 She flashed him a smile, ruffling his spiked-up hair.\u00a0 He looked so much better now that she\u2019d been able to cut it.\u00a0 Riley gave one last glance to the church as she got into the crowded Hummer, and they made their way to the runway, where the plane would be waiting.<\/p>\n

Goodbye, Kayleigh.<\/i><\/p>\n

Goodbye, Jo.<\/i><\/p>\n

Goodbye, home.<\/i><\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

\u201cNick, breathe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick sighed, as he tried his best to not look out the window.\u00a0 The insanity of his fear of flying, compared to what they dealt with daily, almost made Riley want to giggle.\u00a0 He shut his eyes again, and she simply grabbed his hand.\u00a0 Now that they had been airborne for hours and would hopefully be landing soon, she felt better than she had before.\u00a0 Home wasn\u2019t just simply the base, was it?\u00a0 No, it had to be more.<\/p>\n

She hoped, almost prayed, that it was the people as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re descending soon,\u201d Kevin announced.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank fucking God,\u201d Nick muttered.<\/p>\n

\u201cJesus, Nick, you know we\u2019ll survive; your lucky ass is on the plane.\u00a0 Hey, that reminds me, I still need to chop off your leg and replace my lucky rabbit\u2019s foot,\u201d AJ teased, snickering.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy, you wanna replace your bum one?\u201d Howie chimed in.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe we should start calling you Hop-a-long Cassidy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHop-A-Long-what?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust a really old TV show they used to watch in the Stone Age,\u201d Nick answered, still sounding a bit shaky.\u00a0 He refused to open his eyes.\u00a0 The plane took a sudden dip, and his face immediately went green.\u00a0 Riley grabbed for the sick bag and handed it to him.\u00a0 As he started vomiting, she shifted her gaze over to Gabby, who was staring out the window and looking excited, as patches of green landscape started to appear through the heavy clouds.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe someone my age will be there,\u201d she explained when she saw Riley\u2019s look.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou never know.\u201d\u00a0 I hope so.\u00a0 You need that.<\/i><\/p>\n

Selena was up by Kevin, giving him directions on where to go.\u00a0 AJ was staring towards the front of the plane, but wasn\u2019t saying much, which was typical of him.\u00a0 Brian turned in his seat to look at the oldest in their group, the Korean scientist.\u00a0 Riley\u2019s ears perked up at the question he posed.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow are we going to get to your place once we land?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is why we had Kevin travel at such a specific time.\u00a0 Those we left behind\u2026 we set a time for them to check the airport nearby every day.\u00a0 If Kevin lands at the right moment, they will see us come and help us get back.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd what happens if we don\u2019t?\u201d AJ asked, with a tilt of his shades.<\/p>\n

As if Kevin had heard them, they felt the plane bump and shift as it hit solid ground, still rolling forward.\u00a0 Riley leaned over Nick and stared out the little window.\u00a0 Through the gray mist, an endless sea of zombies could be seen roaming the tarmac.\u00a0 The moans were deafening.\u00a0 She sighed. Well, guess it\u2019s not that different from home, after all.<\/i>\u00a0 Despite knowing otherwise, she had still hoped.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, where\u2026\u201d\u00a0 Nick paused, looking on the verge of vomiting yet again.\u00a0 He took a deep breath and, after a moment, seemed more settled.\u00a0 The plane had come to a complete stop, which had to have helped.\u00a0 \u201c\u2026are these friends of yours?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBe patient,\u201d Shaun replied.\u00a0 \u201cThey know to be here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Riley raised a brow at him.\u00a0 \u201cSorry, I\u2019m not one for blind faith.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can\u2019t afford to be,\u201d Howie agreed.<\/p>\n

Selena was walking down the aisle, with Kevin in tow.\u00a0 Everyone seemed restless, looking out their windows again and again.\u00a0 The only noise they heard beyond the moans came from Gretchen, who was now expelling her own stomach contents into an airsick bag.\u00a0 Brian sat beside her, rubbing her back in small circles.\u00a0 Riley didn\u2019t envy her then; from what she knew, morning sickness was an evil thing.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019ll be here.\u201d<\/p>\n

In response, they suddenly heard the fire of gunshots.\u00a0 Two large vehicles \u2013 one a truck, the other a van \u2013 emerged out of the fog.\u00a0 Guns were sticking out through the windows, as they swerved to a stop in front of the plane.\u00a0 Zombies fell left and right.<\/p>\n

Selena smirked at them all.\u00a0 \u201cTrust us now?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s go.\u201d<\/p>\n

Everyone pulled out their weapons.\u00a0 Even with transportation so close, this wasn\u2019t going to be an easy thing.\u00a0 Kevin opened the side doors, activating the emergency slides for them to roll out on.<\/p>\n

Nick grinned.\u00a0 \u201cSweet!\u00a0 I\u2019ve always wanted to go down these in planes.\u201d\u00a0 He jumped down onto the inflatable slide, firing around at the nearby undead as he slid.\u00a0 \u201cWooooooo-hoooooooo!\u201d<\/p>\n

Gabby couldn\u2019t help but laugh.\u00a0 She glanced up at Kevin.\u00a0 \u201cCan I go next?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLet Riley go, then you, and I\u2019ll be right behind, alright?\u201d<\/p>\n

Riley caught the look their leader shot her.\u00a0 It would be Nick\u2019s and her job to make sure Gabby got to a car safely.\u00a0 She couldn\u2019t blame Kevin for being so protective of her.\u00a0 She was still so young in years, even if the world as it was now had aged her far beyond her time.\u00a0 She nodded and slid down to the tarmac, where Nick was shooting wildly, trying to wait for her.<\/p>\n

Gunfire could be heard from the cars as well, as the occupants tried to clear out a path for them to run.\u00a0 Once she landed, Riley regained her bearings and jumped to help Nick keep the incoming undead at bay.\u00a0 He smiled at her. \u201cFun, ain\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n

Once Gabby was down, Riley wrapped her arm around the girl and ran with her and Nick to the van.\u00a0 They opened the doors quickly and slid in without question.\u00a0 In the front, there were two people.\u00a0 One was a young woman with short, wavy, blond hair that just barely reached the nape of her neck.\u00a0 The other was a large man who had obviously worked out excessively in the life before.\u00a0 The top of his head was shaved, and although he looked tough, his green eyes, peering at them in the rearview mirror, looked friendly.\u00a0 Not that it mattered; they had no choice but to trust now.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs Shaun okay?\u201d the woman demanded.<\/p>\n

Nick nodded.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, he\u2019s fine.\u00a0 Oh!\u00a0 You must be Liz.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s talked a lot about you,\u201d Riley added.<\/p>\n

The woman smiled.\u00a0 \u201cYes, I\u2019m Liz, and the big softie next to me is Ashton.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m Nick, this is Riley, and the youngin\u2019s Gabby.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, you must be the people lucky enough to survive in the States.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYep.\u201d<\/p>\n

A few minutes later, AJ, Brian, and Gretchen slid into the backseat.\u00a0 Riley could see AJ leaning a bit on Brian for support as they climbed in.\u00a0 She knew his leg would never be the same.\u00a0 He would always have that noticeable limp slowing him down.<\/p>\n

\u201cKev and the others are in the truck.\u00a0 Let\u2019s blow this fucking zombie wannabe orgy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick laughed.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s AJ, and this is Brian and Gretchen.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, guys\u2026\u201d Ashton said with a smile.\u00a0 \u201cWelcome to London.\u201d<\/p>\n

The conversation on the drive was stilted and awkward at first, yet they quickly forged a connection, a bond.\u00a0 There were just too few humans left in the world not to.\u00a0 As the others talked, Riley found herself retreating inwards, the way she had in the beginning, when she\u2019d first arrived at the base with Nick.\u00a0 While she was less hesitant about letting people in, she still found it hard to really open up immediately.\u00a0 Her gaze was focused on the countryside.\u00a0 It was so simplistic and, yet, so beautiful, as long as she ignored the roaming ghouls out in the hills.<\/p>\n

After almost two hours of driving, Riley had just about dozed off.\u00a0 Between the stress and emotional upheaval of leaving Florida and the hours they\u2019d been flying, she was simply exhausted.\u00a0 She had curled up as much as she could, using Nick\u2019s chest as a pillow.\u00a0 He kept stroking her hair, an action that soothed her.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, we\u2019re here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Immediately, she sat up.\u00a0 Up ahead, a castle loomed before them.\u00a0 It looked straight out of any fairy tale she\u2019d ever read as a child.\u00a0 More importantly, it looked impenetrable, from its stone towers down to the drawbridge they were driving over to get across the moat.\u00a0 There was an aura of strength about this impressive building, and Riley had to admit, using it as a base seemed downright brilliant.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is Bodiam Castle\u2026 but we simply call it home.\u201d<\/p>\n

And now, so will we, <\/i>she thought with a smile.\u00a0 Maybe now, we\u2019ll actually be safe at last.<\/i><\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

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Chapter 96 \u201cI\u2019m leaving on a jet plane. Don\u2019t know when I\u2019ll be back again\u2026\u201d I think I\u2019m around Nick too much.\u00a0 He\u2019s rubbed off on me. But we are leaving.\u00a0 This time, it\u2019ll probably be for good.\u00a0 It\u2019s not … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":8,"menu_order":96,"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\/345"}],"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=345"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/345\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":372,"href":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/345\/revisions\/372"}],"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=345"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}