much. All I can tell you is that went south, altogether in one big group with the weird guys leading them."
"What's your name?” Amy suddenly blurted out as it sunk in that she was safe at least for the moment and in the company of another real, live human being.
"You can call me Joe. My real name's Joseph Hunter but I prefer Joe,” he stood up from the bunk and moved to one of the boxes that littered the room producing a bottle of water and offered it to her. “I'm sorry, Amy. I bet you're awfully hungry and tired from the look of you. Why don't you help yourself to some food and get some sleep. I'll keep watch outside. I have some things to tend to anyway. We can talk later, okay?"
Amy accepted the offered water and drank most of it in a single gulp. “Thank you, Joe,” she said as he left the room. He nodded and shut the huge door on his way out.
Amy ate a meal of Vienna sausages, Pringles, and cracker then stretched out on the bunk. A smile lingered on her lips even as she slept.
As the days passed, Joe told her the story of the town of Bloomington. Like everywhere else, it had been plunged into darkness and chaos the night the wave had struck the Earth. Joe told her about how he and his Pop made their way to the church that night with everyone else in the town that hadn't instantly been driven insane by the strange light in the sky that night. The church hadn't offered them any protection. The crazies outside attacked it time and time again whittling down it's the number of its defenders and their stockpile of ammunition. He told her how the pastor ordered those inside who “changed” shot and about how finally he and his Pop got of the church while they still could and made it here to their place of business. As far as they knew, by that time, the entire town was crazy except for them. He and his Pop had took shelter here in this backroom listening to the sound of those outside who'd changed pounding on the metal of the door and howling for their blood. Eventually the crazies must have realized they couldn't get inside and left the station. After that, there had been a few close calls, a few firefights with the mindless variety of things which couldn't shoot back, and the problem of venturing into the town for things that weren't kept on hand. But they managed, Joe informed her. When Amy asked where his Pop was now, Joe lowered his face into his hands and quietly told her that the things hadn't killed his Pop, he'd done that himself. When his Pop had changed, he shot the old man with his own shotgun and buried him out behind the station. It was the hardest thing Joe ever did in his life and it troubled him still.
Joe imagined before he met Amy that he too would go insane himself, it was just a matter of time and if not from the wave's effects then from just the pain of being alone. He'd been extremely happy to find Amy on his doorstep. He believed she saved his life by showing up when she did.
Amy was happy in this place too. In a matter of days, Joe had moved from sleeping on the floor to sharing the bunk with her at her request. They needed each other desperately to feel alive and for the hope, they found in each other's eyes. Joe's arms wrapped around her, after they made love at night, gave Amy a feeling of safety and allowed her to think that things would really be okay again someday.
What Joe had said about most of the creatures leaving the town had proved true as well. As long as they were careful, she and Joe could venture just about anywhere they wanted to go in the town for supplies or just to get outside. They never encountered more of the things than the two of them well armed couldn't handle. Each other was all they needed to rebuild a little piece of the world they had lost to the wave.
The conversation with the Freedom had been brief before its orbit had taken it out of range but the survivors of Def Con had
"What's your name?” Amy suddenly blurted out as it sunk in that she was safe at least for the moment and in the company of another real, live human being.
"You can call me Joe. My real name's Joseph Hunter but I prefer Joe,” he stood up from the bunk and moved to one of the boxes that littered the room producing a bottle of water and offered it to her. “I'm sorry, Amy. I bet you're awfully hungry and tired from the look of you. Why don't you help yourself to some food and get some sleep. I'll keep watch outside. I have some things to tend to anyway. We can talk later, okay?"
Amy accepted the offered water and drank most of it in a single gulp. “Thank you, Joe,” she said as he left the room. He nodded and shut the huge door on his way out.
Amy ate a meal of Vienna sausages, Pringles, and cracker then stretched out on the bunk. A smile lingered on her lips even as she slept.
As the days passed, Joe told her the story of the town of Bloomington. Like everywhere else, it had been plunged into darkness and chaos the night the wave had struck the Earth. Joe told her about how he and his Pop made their way to the church that night with everyone else in the town that hadn't instantly been driven insane by the strange light in the sky that night. The church hadn't offered them any protection. The crazies outside attacked it time and time again whittling down it's the number of its defenders and their stockpile of ammunition. He told her how the pastor ordered those inside who “changed” shot and about how finally he and his Pop got of the church while they still could and made it here to their place of business. As far as they knew, by that time, the entire town was crazy except for them. He and his Pop had took shelter here in this backroom listening to the sound of those outside who'd changed pounding on the metal of the door and howling for their blood. Eventually the crazies must have realized they couldn't get inside and left the station. After that, there had been a few close calls, a few firefights with the mindless variety of things which couldn't shoot back, and the problem of venturing into the town for things that weren't kept on hand. But they managed, Joe informed her. When Amy asked where his Pop was now, Joe lowered his face into his hands and quietly told her that the things hadn't killed his Pop, he'd done that himself. When his Pop had changed, he shot the old man with his own shotgun and buried him out behind the station. It was the hardest thing Joe ever did in his life and it troubled him still.
Joe imagined before he met Amy that he too would go insane himself, it was just a matter of time and if not from the wave's effects then from just the pain of being alone. He'd been extremely happy to find Amy on his doorstep. He believed she saved his life by showing up when she did.
Amy was happy in this place too. In a matter of days, Joe had moved from sleeping on the floor to sharing the bunk with her at her request. They needed each other desperately to feel alive and for the hope, they found in each other's eyes. Joe's arms wrapped around her, after they made love at night, gave Amy a feeling of safety and allowed her to think that things would really be okay again someday.
What Joe had said about most of the creatures leaving the town had proved true as well. As long as they were careful, she and Joe could venture just about anywhere they wanted to go in the town for supplies or just to get outside. They never encountered more of the things than the two of them well armed couldn't handle. Each other was all they needed to rebuild a little piece of the world they had lost to the wave.
The conversation with the Freedom had been brief before its orbit had taken it out of range but the survivors of Def Con had
Similar Books
