Read Online Deadly Night: Jenni and Katie's Untold Tale: A Short Story From the As The World Dies Universe (As The World Dies Untold Tales Book 4) by Rhiannon Frater - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Rhiannon Frater
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guts. Can’t kiss you, but I’m glad you’re okay.”
“Thanks,” Jenni said, giving him a coy smile. “After my shower, I expect some love coming my way.”
Juan laughed. “Any time, Loca .”
Jenni definitely enjoyed her sexual romps with Juan and knew she was falling for him. It was scary, yet wonderful at the same time. With a flirtatious smile, she climbed down off the sentry platform and headed for the outdoor showers Juan had constructed a week before.
The footfalls behind Jenni made her heart sink. Weaving through the blue tarp tents and shanties made of wood pallets, she walked toward city hall and the shower stalls. Nerit kept pace behind her.
When she reached the shower curtain over the doorway, Jenni whirled about. “Get this over with. Lecture me.”
Nerit exhaled. “Jenni...”
“No. Just do it. Let’s get it over with. Let me guess how this goes. ‘Jenni, you shouldn’t be so impulsive. Jenni, you should check with me first. Jenni, don’t be so dumb.’”
“How about ‘Jenni, don’t throw your life away’?” Nerit’s gray eyes were so piercing, Jenni felt skewered.
“I’m not,” Jenni answered at last.
“This is not a conversation I want to have with you because I’m not even sure you’re going to hear my words, but I can’t just let you continue this way without trying to speak sense into you. I know I’m not Katie. She’s the only one you really listen to, but could you at least give me a moment of your attention?”
Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Jenni said, “Okay. I’m listening.”
“We all have regrets. We all wish we’d done something different in those horrible moments when we were faced with the hard choices.”
...fleeing the bedroom where Benji was nothing more than meat...
“I know you suffer every day, Jenni. You may not talk about it, maybe not even to Katie, but you do. You’re haunted just as much as the rest of us. You live with the guilt that you’re alive and those you loved are not.”
...the front door shutting and Mikey isn’t with her...
“I understand that you want revenge against the zombies. You want to save others so they don’t suffer what you have.”
...the tiny fingers under the door...
“And, in the end, it’s your life to do with as you please.”
...falling off the porch, terrified, alone, nowhere to go...
“If you are going to let go of this life and embrace death, then I ask of you two things.”
...the white truck on the lawn...
“Jenni, don’t throw your life away foolishly and without thought. And don’t risk Katie’s life, too. You know she’ll always be there to save you.”
...Katie on the lawn holding the rifle. “Get in the truck!”...
“Jenni? Did you hear me?”
Nodding mutely, Jenni felt tears in her eyes. Nerit was right. Jenni had ignored Katie’s admonitions. Looking back over the night’s events, Jenni realized that her spurt down the road hadn’t really changed events. The zombies Katie and Jenni had killed before the rest of the people from the fort had arrived wouldn’t have been enough to get into the truck. Alan and Rob had still died. If Jenni had listened to the warnings and advice of others, the risks to her and others would’ve diminished. In the end, they were lucky no one from the fort had died.
“Jenni, you’re a very brave young woman. You’re also fragile as glass and strong as steel. You’re loved and needed. Remember that.” Nerit stepped back and gestured toward the shower. “I won’t keep you any longer.”
“Thanks, Nerit,” Jenni said, the words hard to speak. She hated being wrong. She hated others being right.
“One day, we may all have to make that hard choice again. Don’t make it come sooner than it needs to.” A whisper of a smile flitted over Nerit’s lips, then she strode away.
Pushing back the shower curtain, Jenni stared into the shower stall. It was circular, enclosed on all sides by blue tarp, and the roof was made of chicken
“Thanks,” Jenni said, giving him a coy smile. “After my shower, I expect some love coming my way.”
Juan laughed. “Any time, Loca .”
Jenni definitely enjoyed her sexual romps with Juan and knew she was falling for him. It was scary, yet wonderful at the same time. With a flirtatious smile, she climbed down off the sentry platform and headed for the outdoor showers Juan had constructed a week before.
The footfalls behind Jenni made her heart sink. Weaving through the blue tarp tents and shanties made of wood pallets, she walked toward city hall and the shower stalls. Nerit kept pace behind her.
When she reached the shower curtain over the doorway, Jenni whirled about. “Get this over with. Lecture me.”
Nerit exhaled. “Jenni...”
“No. Just do it. Let’s get it over with. Let me guess how this goes. ‘Jenni, you shouldn’t be so impulsive. Jenni, you should check with me first. Jenni, don’t be so dumb.’”
“How about ‘Jenni, don’t throw your life away’?” Nerit’s gray eyes were so piercing, Jenni felt skewered.
“I’m not,” Jenni answered at last.
“This is not a conversation I want to have with you because I’m not even sure you’re going to hear my words, but I can’t just let you continue this way without trying to speak sense into you. I know I’m not Katie. She’s the only one you really listen to, but could you at least give me a moment of your attention?”
Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Jenni said, “Okay. I’m listening.”
“We all have regrets. We all wish we’d done something different in those horrible moments when we were faced with the hard choices.”
...fleeing the bedroom where Benji was nothing more than meat...
“I know you suffer every day, Jenni. You may not talk about it, maybe not even to Katie, but you do. You’re haunted just as much as the rest of us. You live with the guilt that you’re alive and those you loved are not.”
...the front door shutting and Mikey isn’t with her...
“I understand that you want revenge against the zombies. You want to save others so they don’t suffer what you have.”
...the tiny fingers under the door...
“And, in the end, it’s your life to do with as you please.”
...falling off the porch, terrified, alone, nowhere to go...
“If you are going to let go of this life and embrace death, then I ask of you two things.”
...the white truck on the lawn...
“Jenni, don’t throw your life away foolishly and without thought. And don’t risk Katie’s life, too. You know she’ll always be there to save you.”
...Katie on the lawn holding the rifle. “Get in the truck!”...
“Jenni? Did you hear me?”
Nodding mutely, Jenni felt tears in her eyes. Nerit was right. Jenni had ignored Katie’s admonitions. Looking back over the night’s events, Jenni realized that her spurt down the road hadn’t really changed events. The zombies Katie and Jenni had killed before the rest of the people from the fort had arrived wouldn’t have been enough to get into the truck. Alan and Rob had still died. If Jenni had listened to the warnings and advice of others, the risks to her and others would’ve diminished. In the end, they were lucky no one from the fort had died.
“Jenni, you’re a very brave young woman. You’re also fragile as glass and strong as steel. You’re loved and needed. Remember that.” Nerit stepped back and gestured toward the shower. “I won’t keep you any longer.”
“Thanks, Nerit,” Jenni said, the words hard to speak. She hated being wrong. She hated others being right.
“One day, we may all have to make that hard choice again. Don’t make it come sooner than it needs to.” A whisper of a smile flitted over Nerit’s lips, then she strode away.
Pushing back the shower curtain, Jenni stared into the shower stall. It was circular, enclosed on all sides by blue tarp, and the roof was made of chicken
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