{"id":352,"date":"2013-07-22T15:03:30","date_gmt":"2013-07-22T15:03:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/?page_id=352"},"modified":"2025-02-05T00:49:13","modified_gmt":"2025-02-05T00:49:13","slug":"chapter-99","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/story\/chapter-99\/","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 99"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chapter 99<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Set me as a seal upon thine heart,<\/i>
\nAs a seal upon thine arm;<\/i>
\nFor love is strong as death,<\/i>
\nJealousy is cruel as the grave.<\/i>
\nThe coals thereof are coals of fire,<\/i>
\nWhich hast a most vehement flame.<\/i>
\nMany waters cannot quench love,<\/i>
\nNeither can floods drown it:<\/i>
\nIf a man would give all the substance of his house for love,<\/i>
\nIt would be utterly condemned.<\/i><\/p>\n

(Song of Solomon 8:6-7)<\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Love is still alive in this world of death.\u00a0 My heart is glad.<\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Thursday, February 14, 2013<\/b>
\nWeek Forty-Three<\/i><\/p>\n

It was Valentine\u2019s Day, but if there was love in the air, it was smothered by the stench of rotting flesh.<\/p>\n

Standing at the top of the northwest tower, Brian wrinkled his nose.\u00a0 The large moat surrounding Bodiam Castle kept the zombies a safe distance away, but on a blustery day like this one, the breeze wafted their odor right over the top of its turrets.\u00a0 There was no such thing as stepping out for a little fresh air anymore, not in the world of the undead.\u00a0 Even the picturesque English countryside was marred by the sight of zombies roaming the land.\u00a0 Their moans were carried on the wind, making them seem much closer than they appeared.<\/p>\n

The sound was unsettling, but Brian reassured himself that they were relatively safe at Bodiam Castle.\u00a0 Even if there were zombies in the moat \u2013 and he was willing to bet there were \u2013 the uncoordinated undead could never scale the castle\u2019s thick, stone walls.\u00a0 It had originally been built to withstand an attack from an invading army, and six centuries later, it was being used, once again, for the purpose of defense:\u00a0 defense against an army of the undead.<\/p>\n

Brian was tired of fighting.\u00a0 He was a lover, not a fighter \u2013 or so the saying goes \u2013 and on that day, of all days, he just wanted to focus on love.<\/p>\n

There was still love left in this world.\u00a0 He saw it when he looked at Nick and Riley, holding hands when they thought no one was watching.\u00a0 He heard it when he was greeted each day by Kevin saying, \u201cMornin\u2019, cous.\u201d\u00a0 He smelled it when he found Liz cooking dinner for Shaun and the others; he tasted it when he filled his stomach with the simple meals, lovingly prepared.\u00a0 And he felt it when he curled up with Gretchen under the covers of their bed, cuddled close together for warmth, his hand resting on her belly, which harbored the greatest love of his life.\u00a0 Their unborn child, a new life created out of love, was proof that both love and life still existed.<\/p>\n

But it was hard to focus on love without feeling sadness.\u00a0 Brian\u2019s heart was full of love, but heavy with grief.\u00a0 On days like this, the memories weighed on him, and the pain dragged him down.\u00a0 For how could he think of love without thinking of Leighanne and of Brooke and Bonnie?<\/p>\n

On their last Valentine\u2019s Day together, Brian had taken the twins to school, their bookbags stuffed with Valentine cards addressed to their classmates, their lunchboxes packed with heart-shaped peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and hidden love notes from Mom, their arms laden with handcrafted Valentine boxes and homemade cookies for their classroom parties.\u00a0 Leighanne had been a room mother and went to school to help out with the parties.\u00a0 When she brought the girls home that afternoon, Brooke and Bonnie told Brian every last detail of their day, which included showing him every Valentine they\u2019d received and sharing something about the kid who\u2019d given it to them.\u00a0 He could still hear Brooke babbling, \u201cAnd this one\u2019s got Spongebob on it, and it says, \u2018Soak it up and be mine!\u2019 and it\u2019s from Kyle M.\u00a0 He got in trouble yesterday for running in the hall,\u201d <\/i>and Bonnie adding, \u201cYeah, he gets in trouble all the time\u2026\u201d<\/i>\u00a0 After show and tell was over, they all fancied themselves up and went out to dinner together, Brian and his three lovely Littrell ladies.\u00a0 And when they were home again and the twins tucked into bed, he and Leighanne had enjoyed a private celebration in their own bedroom.\u00a0 If they\u2019d known they would only have two more months together, they would have made it last all night.<\/p>\n

It was hard to believe it had just been a year since that night.\u00a0 To Brian, it felt like it had been a whole lifetime, and in a way, it had.\u00a0 That was his old life, and this was his new life.\u00a0 The old Brian had died along with Leighanne, Brooke, and Bonnie.\u00a0 The new Brian was born the moment he met Gretchen.\u00a0 She had saved him, not just from the zombies, but from himself.\u00a0 In that respect, he owed his new life to her.\u00a0 It was as different from his old life as Gretchen was from Leighanne, but he was glad to be alive and in love again.<\/p>\n

Still, it was impossible not to feel some guilt, especially on days like this.\u00a0 His family hadn\u2019t even been gone a year, and he was already starting a new one.\u00a0 He knew in his head that Leighanne wouldn\u2019t judge him, that she would want him to be happy, and that Brooke and Bonnie would only be sorry they couldn\u2019t be there to play with their new brother or sister in person.\u00a0 But in his heart, he still felt like he\u2019d been unfaithful in some way.<\/p>\n

He\u2019d been praying every night for guidance, and there on the tower, he folded his hands over one of the crenellations and bowed his head once more.\u00a0 \u201cFather, I pray You light my way and show me the right path,\u201d<\/i> he silently pleaded.\u00a0 \u201cI know that I\u2019ve sinned, and my faith has wavered, but that faith has been restored.\u00a0 I vow to follow You, Father, wherever you lead me.\u00a0 I just feel a little lost lately, and I\u2019m not sure if I\u2019m going in the right direction.\u00a0 I guess what I\u2019m hoping for is a sign\u2026 some small sign to let me know I\u2019m heading the right way.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

Brian knew that God wasn\u2019t a genie; He answered prayers, but He didn\u2019t grant wishes on command.\u00a0 So he nearly jumped out of his skin when, as if on cue, he heard a deep voice proclaim, \u201cBrian, my son.\u201d<\/p>\n

His heart leapt out of his chest, as his eyes shot upwards, half-expecting to see a face in the clouds over his head, like Simba\u2019s father in The Lion King<\/i>.\u00a0 But the sky looked just as flat and gray as it had all day, so Brian spun around.\u00a0 He shouldn\u2019t have been surprised to find someone standing in the doorway \u2013 an earthly being with a sinful smirk on his fully-human face.\u00a0 Brian\u2019s heart, which had been pounding in his throat, slowly sunk.\u00a0 He felt his face heating up and imagined his cheeks were even redder than the prankster\u2019s hair.<\/p>\n

\u201cHeh, gotcha,\u201d chortled Shaun.\u00a0 \u201cSorry, mate \u2013 couldn\u2019t resist.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brian returned his gleeful grin with a weak smile.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re not exactly what I was praying for.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, but you<\/i> are exactly what I\u2019ve been looking for,\u201d countered Shaun, still grinning like a fool.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m hoping you\u2019ll do me a massive favor.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brian pounced upon the opportunity to toy with him.\u00a0 \u201cAnd why should I do you a massive favor, after what you just did to me?\u201d<\/p>\n

Shaun didn\u2019t miss a beat.\u00a0 \u201cBecause you\u2019re a good Christian man and, therefore, a forgiving man.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brian grinned and held up his hands.\u00a0 \u201cYou got me there.\u00a0 What do you need?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m in need of a minister to marry Liz and me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brian felt his eyebrows lift in surprise.\u00a0 \u201cYeah?\u00a0 You and Liz are ready to take the plunge?\u201d<\/p>\n

Shaun rubbed his hands together and sucked in an anxious breath.\u00a0 \u201cHope so.\u00a0 She\u2019s been ready \u2013 for about nine years now, mind you.\u00a0 Thought she\u2019d have given up on the idea by now.\u00a0 But, as it\u2019s Valentine\u2019s Day and I\u2019ve nothing else to give her, why not my hand in marriage, eh?\u201d<\/p>\n

Brian grinned.\u00a0 \u201cYou know that\u2019s not a real good reason to marry someone.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cZombie apocalypse, mate.\u00a0 Who needs reason?\u201d<\/p>\n

Brian laughed, and so did Shaun.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m only joking, you know \u2013 I love Liz, I do.\u00a0 Always have.\u00a0 Just never been great with commitment.\u00a0 But at this point, I think we\u2019re pretty well committed to one another no matter what, so might as well make it official, right?\u00a0 It\u2019d be nice to have a happy occasion to celebrate \u2018round here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brian nodded.\u00a0 \u201cThat I agree with.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo you\u2019ll do it then?\u201d\u00a0 Shaun raised a hopeful brow.<\/p>\n

Brian smiled.\u00a0 \u201cLike you said\u2026 might as well make it official.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shaun\u2019s face split into a wide grin.\u00a0 \u201cSplendid!\u00a0 What time?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou mean today?\u201d<\/p>\n

Shaun shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cWhy not?\u00a0 Today\u2019s Valentine\u2019s Day \u2013 perfect day for a wedding.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brian couldn\u2019t argue with that.\u00a0 In the undead world, there was no use taking time to plan and no point in waiting.\u00a0 Life was short, and the future was scarce.\u00a0 They had to live each day as if there would be no tomorrow.\u00a0 \u201cHow about sundown?\u201d he suggested.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019ll give me some time to prepare.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBrilliant.\u00a0 It\u2019ll give me a chance to propose!\u201d<\/p>\n

Shaun flashed a cheeky grin over his shoulder and took off down the stairs, leaving Brian to shake his head.\u00a0 Shaun reminded him of an older version of Nick, with a little splash of AJ for added color.\u00a0 But as he watched the top of his ginger head disappear, Brian realized that Shaun\u2019s proposal might, indeed, be the sign he had been searching for.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery young girl dreams of having a fairytale wedding in a castle.\u00a0 Every young boy dreams of defending a damsel in distress in a castle that\u2019s under siege by an army of the undead \u2013 in his video games, at least.\u00a0 But not every young boy and girl grow up to see their dreams come true.\u00a0 Shaun and Liz did.\u00a0 They\u2019re living the dream \u2013 which, in this case, may be more of a nightmare.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brian paused, as a round of chuckles echoed through the chapel ruins.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey stayed together through the zombie apocalypse, and like I\u2019ve always said, if your relationship can survive zombies, it can survive anything.\u00a0 That\u2019s why we\u2019re here today, to celebrate the union of husband and wife.\u00a0 Or, to keep this modern, Zombie Slayer and\u2026 Shaun.\u201d<\/p>\n

Raucous laughter this time.\u00a0 \u201cI thought this was a wedding, mate, not a roast,\u201d Shaun whispered out the side of his mouth, winking at Brian.<\/p>\n

Brian shrugged and grinned.\u00a0 \u201cGuess that\u2019s what you get when you give a guy less than a day\u2019s notice,\u201d he shot back, not bothering to lower his voice.<\/p>\n

In reality, Brian was in his element and enjoying every minute of this makeshift wedding ceremony.\u00a0 He had always enjoyed performing marriages; they were one of the highlights of his former career.\u00a0 There was no greater joy than taking two people who were happy and in love and joining them as one in God\u2019s eyes.\u00a0 Brian respected the sanctity of marriage, but he always tried to keep his sermons light-hearted; it was one of the reasons the congregation back in Atlanta had flourished under his ministry.\u00a0 He believed faith and fun should go hand in hand, just as Shaun and Liz stood before him on the crumbling altar of what had once been the castle\u2019s chapel.<\/p>\n

Behind them, everyone else had gathered to witness the special occasion.\u00a0 Even AJ had showed up, though he stood awkwardly apart from the others, arms crossed over his chest.\u00a0 In the opposite corner of the room, Selena struck a similar pose.\u00a0 Nick and Riley stood side by side, their arms locked around each other\u2019s waists as they listened to the sermon.\u00a0 Kevin, Howie, Gabby, and Gretchen formed a small group of their own, separate from the original castle-dwellers.\u00a0 Brian couldn\u2019t help but catch Gretchen\u2019s eye as he proceeded with the vows.<\/p>\n

\u201cWill you, Shaun, have Liz to be your wife?\u00a0 Will you love her, comfort and keep her, and, forsaking all others, remain true to her as long as you both shall live?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI will,\u201d whispered Shaun, suddenly solemn.\u00a0 As if in response, a lone zombie moaned, somewhere in the distance.<\/p>\n

A shiver ran down Brian\u2019s spine, but he forced himself to smile and continue.\u00a0 \u201cAnd will you, Liz, have Shaun to be your husband?\u00a0 Will you love him, comfort and keep him, and, forsaking all others, remain true to him as long as you both shall live?\u201d<\/p>\n

Tears sparkled in Liz\u2019s blue eyes.\u00a0 \u201cI will!\u201d<\/p>\n

Brian sensed she\u2019d been waiting a long time to say those words.\u00a0 He wondered what it would be like to hear them again from his own lips, to promise himself to a woman he\u2019d only known a matter of months.\u00a0 A little rush of anticipation swept through him.<\/p>\n

When it came time for the ring exchange, he asked, \u201cMay I have the rings, please?\u201d and the boy, Callum, stepped forward, digging a pair of rings out of his pocket.\u00a0 They were nothing but simple, sterling silver bands, looted from a display of handcrafted Celtic jewelry in the castle\u2019s souvenir shop, but the bond of love they represented was more beautiful and priceless than any piece of jewelry.\u00a0 Shaun and Liz slipped the rings onto each other\u2019s fingers in turn, repeating the promise, \u201cWith this ring, I thee wed\u2026 in sickness and in health, in poverty or in wealth, till death do us part.\u201d<\/p>\n

Death\u2026 the threat of it hung over the castle like the heavy clouds of midwinter, but as the groom kissed his bride, their love seemed powerful enough to keep it at bay.\u00a0 This was a happy day, one of the few they\u2019d shared since the dead had risen.\u00a0 It gave Brian fresh hope that life would go on, that one day their nightmare would be over.\u00a0 He found himself gazing again at Gretchen, who was glowing, her hands folded over the beginnings of a baby bump, and he prayed that love and faith in the Lord would protect them all.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

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Chapter 99 Set me as a seal upon thine heart, As a seal upon thine arm; For love is strong as death, Jealousy is cruel as the grave. The coals thereof are coals of fire, Which hast a most vehement … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":8,"menu_order":99,"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\/352"}],"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=352"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/352\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":582,"href":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/352\/revisions\/582"}],"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=352"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}