“What about Father Brambati?”
“A bad man who Travis was able to manipulate into helping him. Nothing else.”
“So, they weren’t like… the Unholy Trinity or anything?”
Bobby sighed. “No, they may have believed that they were, but that particular prophecy hasn’t begun yet. At least, not that I’m aware of. If they were, they probably would have gotten much farther in their mischief.”
“What about the earthquakes and red rivers?”
“I believe that Lucifer played a hand in that as well. Trying to draw out the child of God.”
“So, they wanted to destroy you because they thought that you were part of the prophecy that would finally destroy Lucifer forever?”
“That about sums it up,” he said. “Unfortunately, many lives were taken. But things will get better. The sun will rise and nature will be restored now. Your life will get back on track.”
I sighed and looked back to the bridge. “Speaking of which, you told me to wait. Why?”
His face became serious. “Because it’s not your time.”
“You’re saying that I’m going back?”
“The truth is, you’re needed now more than ever back on Earth.”
“Me? Why me?” I asked, almost disappointed. The pull to go over the bridge and see everything, was so strong that I felt a sudden sense of loss.
“To rebuild and help the other survivors start over.”
“You mean help clean up the zombies?”
He nodded. “Yes. There are also those who you’ve met along the way who need you now more than ever. Those whose hearts you’ve touched and are counting on your return.”
An image of Allie, frightened and hiding, made me sad. Then there was Kallie, the little girl at the orphanage. And Goldie…
“Okay. I understand.”
He smiled.
I cleared my throat. “Uh, so how does this work? Do I click my heels and say ‘there’s no place like home’ three times?”
“Funny. No, it’s much simpler. There is one more thing, however.”
“What?”
He looked over my head and smiled.
I turned around and screamed with joy.
My parents.
I flew forward and threw myself into their arms, crying.
“Oh, sweetheart,” said my dad, kissing the top of my head. “We’re both so proud of you.”
Although we were hugging, it was different. Not quite the same as back home. Our physical bodies were gone but I could still feel the warmth of their love, in the form of what I could only describe as some kind of energy.
“I’ve missed you guys, so much,” I said, loving them more than ever.
“We know,” replied my mom. “But what you didn’t know is that we’ve been with you. Watching and supporting you.”
“You have?”
“Yes. And like your father said, we’ve been so very proud of you. Looking after your sister, standing up for what you believe in. Caring for your friends.”
“Thanks.” I smiled sadly. “I guess I have to leave here soon.”
My mother, who looked more youthful and vibrant than ever, smiled back. “Yes, honey, but you’ll be back. Some day.”
“Yeah, but I kind of wish that I could stay. I mean, I know what Bobby said, but it’s so hard…”
“Once you return to Earth, you’ll be glad that you did,” said my dad, who’d lost the gray wisps and the lines on his face from all of the stress. “They need you down there, Wild One, and your adventure isn’t over yet.”
“I just miss you guys… and,” I turned to look at the bridge. “I really want to cross that bridge.”
“Of course you do,” said my mom. “And some day you will. Right now, however, you have some other bridges that need to be traveled.”
Images of Bryce flashed through my brain.
I smiled.
“Stay honest and true,” said my mother. “And above all else, don’t give up on the others. No matter how discouraging things may seem, don’t ever give up on fighting for what’s right.”
“Stay strong, honey,” said my dad, backing away. “We love you.”
“Wait,” I cried, as my mother backed away too. “Can’t we just be together a little longer? Please? I’ve missed you both so much.”
“We’ll be with you,” said my dad, taking my mother’s hand. “And someday, we’ll be back to accompany you over that bridge.”
Before I could respond, they both disappeared.
Wiping tears from my face, I spun around, looking for Bobby. Instead, I was caught with yet another surprise.
Nora and Billie.
They were standing on the bridge, holding hands and smiling at me.
Relieved that they were okay and together at last, I raised my hand and waved.
They both waved back.
“It’s time,” said Bobby.
I turned and found him standing in the grass again. I laughed. “You really have to quit doing that!”
He smiled. “Sorry.”
My smile fell. “Are you coming with me?”
He shook his head. “That particular adventure ran its course. You must go back alone.”
“But what about Bryce? He’s going to miss his little brother dearly.”
His eyes softened. “He’ll be fine. You’ll help him pull through it.”
“Can I tell him about you?”
“Of course. That’s why you’re going back. To enlighten others. Give them hope and tell them to live humbly.”
“Humbly? Even Henry?”
He chuckled. “Yes, even that Old Cowboy.”
“Okay.”
He suddenly looked troubled.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“You need to wake up.”
My eyes widened. “What?”
“Wake up. Quickly!” he hollered as everything went black.
26
Cassie
When I opened my eyes, I found myself in the parking lot of the mall, near Nordstrom’s. Surrounding me, were dozens of zombies. Unfortunately, these ones were not ignoring me.
“Really?” I asked, looking up at the stars. “You couldn’t have put me in a safer place?
A star twinkled in the distance. Obviously, those upstairs were not too worried.
“Okay, so you’ve got me covered.”
I quickly got up and began backing away as they approached me, growling and drooling hungrily. Fortunately, there were only about thirty of them, which was much better odds than earlier. Too bad I didn’t have a weapon.
“Crap.”
“Hey!” hollered a man’s voice, banging something loud behind me.
I turned to find Rob beating a metal garbage can cover with a hammer. Next to him were Mac and Carolyn, both holding weapons. I sighed in relief.
“I see you lost the ax!” yelled Mac, smiling grimly. “Guess we got here just in time.”
“I haven’t lost it, I gave it to my little sister,” I replied kicking a zombie in the face and sending him flying. I quickly turned and snapped a side-kick to the chin of another zombie, knocking him backwards.
“Good move,” said Mac, smiling as he began swinging his machete.
“Watch out, Carolyn!” I yelled as another zombie approached her from behind. He was so tall that he made her look like a dwarf.
She turned and gasped, then fired a single shot from her revolver, hitting the zombie in the head.
“Don’t waste your bullets,” said Rob, slamming his hammer into another zombie.
“Did you see the size of that one?” she shouted. “I couldn’t reach his neck if I was on a stepstool.”
“Always an excuse,” said Rob. “Good thing you have a list hidden somewhere so you don’t use the same one twice.”
“Men,” said Carolyn, flipping him off. From the little smirk on her face, I could tell that their relationship was almost as interesting as mine and Bryce’s.
“Cassie!” shout
ed Tiny.
I turned to find him and Justice jogging out of the Nordstrom’s. As soon as they got near, they started helping clear the zombies. When most of them were finished off, Tiny rushed over and gave me a hug, lifting me off of the cement.
“Girl, you gave us all a scare! Where in the hell have you been?”
“Long story,” I said when he put me down.
“Where’s Bobby?” asked Justice.
I sighed. “He’s gone.”
Tiny’s expression was somber. “Dammit, are you sure?” he asked, struggling with words.
“Yes. But, he’s not suffering, and I guess you could say, he always knew his fate,” I replied.
“He was the ‘Chosen One’ for real, wasn’t he?” asked Justice.
“He certainly was.”
“What happened to Nora?” asked Justice.
“Travis took possession of her body and she didn’t make it either,” I replied.
Justice shook his head. “Damn, what a nightmare.”
“Yeah, but I think the worst is over,” I said.
“Let’s hope so,” said Justice.
“Bryce is going to be heartbroken,” said Tiny. “He loved that boy so much.”
“I know,” I replied. “Uh, where is he?”
“Don’t know,” said Justice. “Those bat creatures flew out of the hole again and we split up. Tiny and I killed most of them and then decided to get Allie, since she was all alone.”
“Did you find her?” I asked.
“No,” said Tiny, looking grim.
“Crap.” I turned to Carolyn. “A young girl in her early teens didn’t show up at the restaurant, did she?”
“No. Nobody did. The only reason we came out here was because of this asshole in a white pickup started firing at the bar,” said Mac. “We decided that he needed to go.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Did you kill him?”
“That’s not an easy answer. Something crazy happened and I don’t know if you’ll believe it, but… the truck disappeared,” said Rob.
“You mean he took off again?” I asked.
“No, the entire truck disappeared. Into thin air,” said Carolyn. “Like ‘poof’.”
I bit my lower lip. “Believe it or not, it’s not as crazy as it may sound. There’s been a lot of weird stuff happening today. I’m talking weirder than zombies.”
“Damn right,” said Tiny.
“Where are Kristie and the girls?” I asked.
“They’re hiding in some clothing store. We should get back there,” said Tiny.
“You see Belinda’s car parked anywhere?” I asked, remembering what Bobby had said about her bringing him to the mall.
“That it?” asked Carolyn, pointing toward a black Sierra truck parked near the ramp.
“No,” I replied, thinking it looked familiar though. “But it almost looks like my grandparents’. Oh, my God! Maybe they’re here!” I started walking toward the truck. “I think that’s their license plate, but I can’t say for sure.”
“Wait for me,” said Justice, following me.
“Hey, are you Tiny the wrestler?” asked Rob, as they began walking with us.
Tiny grinned. “I guess you could say that I was.”
Rob held out his hand. “My son is one of your biggest fans. Hell, now he probably is your biggest fan now that there’s hardly anyone left.”
“You may be right,” said Tiny, shaking it. “Your boy okay?”
“Yep, thank God. They’re back at the restaurant. You guys want to join us for a drink and some food, you’re welcome to,” said Rob.
“We might take you up on that,” said Tiny. “After we round the rest of our group up.”
“We planning on going back to Atlanta?” asked Justice.
“Yeah,” I replied, stopping in front of the truck. “I’ve got some things that I need to take care of. You know, I think this really might be my grandparents’’!”
“Maybe they have Allie,” said Justice.
“I hope so. Let’s go back inside the mall and take a look around,” I said.
“We’re going back to the restaurant now that we know you’re safe,” said Rob. “Like I said, stop on over before you leave. We’ve been talking it over and are starting to think it might be better if we joined up with your group.”
“It would be a good idea,” I said. “With all of the looting and crime happening, the good guys are safer in numbers.”
“Hey, it’s Bryce,” said Justice, looking past me.
I turned around to see Bryce walking out of the entrance to Nordstrom’s. He stopped in his tracks, staring at me. The look on his face was of shock and disbelief.
“Cassie!” screamed Allie, running around him and toward me. In the distance I could see my grandparents walking with Kristie, Paige, and Kylie.
I ran, meeting Allie halfway. “Oh, thank God!” I cried, wrapping my arms around her. “I thought something may have happened to you.”
“They said you were dead,” she cried, tears running down her face.
“You were,” said Bryce, in an accusing tone. He stopped next to us. “You were. I saw you fall into the hole with Bobby.”
I stepped away from Allie and put my arms around him. He was rigid and stiff. “Bryce…”
“No,” he said, pushing me away. “I saw you fall! This has to be some kind of illusion or trick.”
I grabbed his hand and put it to my cheek. “It’s me, Bryce. I swear to God. I’m not Travis or anyone else. I know what this looks like, but I’m telling you the truth.”
He looked into my eyes and I could tell he wanted to believe, but was too frightened.
“I love you,” I whispered, kissing the inside of his palm. “I have ever since that first moment you pissed me off during sparring, and I kicked your arrogant ass.”
His face crumpled. He pulled me into his arms. “Cassie,” he choked. “Thank God. I thought I’d lost you.”
“Haven’t you learned yet that it’s not that easy to kill me?” I said, holding him tightly.
He snorted.
“I think this proves that I can pull my own weight,” I said. “Although, I shouldn’t take the credit this time. Bobby saved my life.”
“Bobby?”
I nodded.
“Where is he?” he asked, pulling away. He looked around. “Bobby?!”
“He had to stay, Bryce,” I said softly. “He was never meant to come back.”
He clenched his jaw. “No.”
“Yes,” I said, caressing the side of his face. I stared up into his eyes. “He sent me back to explain everything and to make sure that we had another chance. But, he didn’t suffer and he knew that this was his destiny. He knew it all along.”
The grief in his eyes broke my heart.
I pulled the back of his neck so our heads were together. “He saved the world, you know,” I whispered. “You should be very proud of him.”
“I am,” he choked. I could feel his chest convulsing as he began to cry. “I am so proud of him. I just wish I would have told him that more often.”
I looked up into the sky and saw a shooting star. I smiled. “He knows how you feel, Bryce. He knows.”
27
One Year Later
Cassie
“Don’t answer it,” whispered Bryce. “Maybe they’ll go away.”
We were lying in our hotel room, snuggling and goofing around. Now that most of the zombies had either died of starvation or execution, and nature had been restored, we were able to forget about the past for a while and enjoy the present.
“It could be Allie,” I whispered back, pushing him away. I slid out of bed and grabbed my robe, thinking of my sister, who although was just down the hall, I still couldn’t help but miss. Since our wedding, I’d moved in with Bryce while she and Adria had moved in with Kristie and Tiny. There were times when I felt guilty about the living arrangements, but Kristie said it was for the best, and that Allie was still young and needed a little
more guidance, which I definitely understood. I was newly married, I’d just turned nineteen, and I knew that trying to parent a new teen would be a challenge. Especially my sister. Apparently, we were both handfuls.
“That didn’t sound like her knock,” he said, staring at me from the bed. “Hers is usually a frantic pounding.”
“True.” My eyes lit up. “Hey, maybe it’s my grandparents?” They’d left for Texas a week before, to gather my cousin Victoria and then go in search of my aunt and uncle, along with my other grandmother, Judy. We still weren’t sure if they were alive, and although I’d desperately wanted to go with them, I wasn’t exactly in the right condition for a road trip.
“You look beautiful. Don’t cover up.”
I stared down at my pregnant stomach and sighed. “You’re just saying that because you think it’s a boy in this bubble.”
His eyes softened. “It has to be a boy.”
I flipped my hair over my shoulder. “Why do you keep saying that?”
“My mother always told me that baby girls take away their mother’s looks when they’re pregnant, but you’re more beautiful than ever.”
“Okay, now you’re just saying that so we’ll finish what we started,” I said, blushing as his eyes appraised the parts of me not covered by the robe.
He smiled seductively. “I didn’t even think about that, but I’m all for finishing what we started.”
I rolled my eyes and walked, or rather waddled to the door.
“I need your help,” whispered Paige, smiling sheepishly when I the door open.
I stared down at the two gowns she held in her hands. “What are those for?”
Her eyebrows shot up. “You didn’t hear?”
“No, what?”
“There’s going to be a prom! Next Friday.”
“What?”
“Since there are so many high school kids who’d missed it last year, the council has decided to hold a prom, to try and make life a little more… normal.”
The council, which included Tiny and Kristie, was a small group of survivors who’d been voted into decision-making positions for our ever-expanding “bunker.” After moving back to Atlanta, more and more people had showed up at the hotel, until it had become obvious that we needed some kind of leadership. I’d thought that Kristie and Tiny had been the perfect candidates and had been ecstatic when they’d been chosen as part of the council.
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