"I need to finish the gates," Juan said standing up. "We can't take any risks if we have more to worry about than just zombies. "
Jenni looked up, tears streaming down her face. "If they'll just shoot an old man without a thought what would they do to us?"
Katie had her arms around Nerit, comforting her. "We need to just make sure we are ready for them if they do show up. "
Travis nodded and walked over to Nerit and laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Nerit. I liked Ralph. "
Nerit smiled at him slightly. "And he liked you. But he did teach us one final important lesson. "
"What's that?"
"It's the bite that brings them back. We have nothing to fear from the ones who die naturally. " Nerit sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose with her fingers. "And for that, I am grateful. "
Epilogue
The reality of the new world, in all its brutal and violent glory, had enveloped the Fort. Not only was the threat from without, but also from within. A murder had been committed by one of their own and despite the rigorous investigation instigated by Bill, the murderer was not found.
There was some relief that normal death did not bring about a zombie birth due to the aged population in the Fort. Ralph dying a peaceful death was a comfort to those who knew h
im in life or over the CB.
Nerit found a place for herself in the Fort relatively quickly. She had one true desire: to keep going. No one stopped her when she immediately found work to do.
Juan and Travis worked tirelessly on the gate system, only taking a few breaks to sleep or eat. The construction crews not only fixed the first gate following Travis' plans, but erected the second gate as well. Incorporating the old newspaper building into the Fort, they soon had a working garage. The only problem with the old offices was the years of filth and grime inside of them. For a long time, the building had sat derelict and to clean it out completely would take weeks or maybe months. It was inhospitable. They needed the hotel.
Meanwhile, Katie, Nerit, Jenni and other volunteers worked hard on construction of a gated entrance that would open to the hotel. Nerit seemed energized by the work and her dog, Tucker, and Jack sat nearby watching it all with great interest. Katie and Jenni threw themselves into the task, working so hard they could barely stand the pain of their aching muscles when they laid down to sleep.
Jason gave up his bed to Nerit and moved into a room with another teenage boy survivor. Jack reluctantly went with him and gave up his spot to Ralph's old hunting dog.
Katie woke up on several nights to see Jenni sneaking out to be with Juan and was happy that at least her friend had found some happiness in this dead and rotting world. She continued to struggle with the ghost of Lydia, feeling guilt for any ounce of happiness she found. The only way to deal with the guilt was limiting her time with Travis and she knew it hurt him. But what else could she do?
The guards maintained their posts watching for zombies and possible human bandits. The world seemed even more dangerous than before and everyone was on edge.
The winds shifted and April fell away to give birth to May. The world grew hotter and fiercer. The bluebonnets faded away to tall grasses and the spring showers gave way to long hot days. Despite all they had endured, they all sensed the one unavoidable truth none wanted to speak of.
The worst was yet to come…
THE END