After the Ending

by Lindsey Fairleigh

  “I’ll be in soon,” I said, rising. I walked behind the barracks, stumbling through the moonlit night toward the place the fireworks had originated. I had no idea what I was going to do, but I’d never experienced such unexpected kindness. Between the fireworks and Jake saving my life, again, I was unable to form any articulate thoughts.

  Finally, I heard Jake’s muffled voice and knew he was nearby. My steps became clumsier the closer I drew to him. I wasn’t sure he understood the magnitude of what he’d done for me. Wiping away another tear, I rounded a corner just as Harper and Jake exited a warehouse together.

  “Hey, Baby Girl,” Harper said quietly and continued walking back toward the barracks.

  Jake was locking the sliding metal door as I approached him. Time passed agonizingly slowly as I waited for him to face me. When he finally turned around, a look of surprise filled his eyes. I could feel a mixture of emotions emanating from him.

  Without hesitation, I shrugged my blanket to the ground, stood on tiptoes, and threw my arms around him. In the cold of the night, his body was like a furnace, and he smelled faintly of sulfur. “Thank you,” I whispered and felt his powerful arms wrap around me.

  He held me tightly against his body. “I’m just glad you’re okay.” The sincerity in his voice made my body pulse with unexpected pleasure, and I was filled with a sense of calm. I reveled in the moment we were sharing—one I knew I was lucky to have. Jake had given me the perfect gift.

  33

  DANI

  The days that followed my discovery of Grams’s fate passed quickly and unremarkably. I worked around the ranch, getting to know the animals and their needs. After assessing our supply levels, I knew that, before long, I’d have to do another scavenging trip—to the feed and tack store in Sebastopol. It would be a day-long trip, and I didn’t relish the thought of getting back in the saddle so soon. My butt still felt like it had cushioned a fifty-foot fall. I was surprised it didn’t resemble a purple and blue watercolor painting.

  In the back of my mind, and sometimes in the front, I worried about Jason, Chris, and Ky. I worried that I would never see them again, and that they would hate me if I did. But most of all, I worried that Cece and her minions had somehow overtaken them and that they were dead.

  The nights following my discovery were another matter entirely, further fracturing the two worlds I inhabited: the fixed world of reality and the fluid world of my dreams. In sleep, MG would join me—always banishing my increasingly horrifying nightmares of Cam. We would then discuss my Ability, increasing my use and understanding of it.

  With each passing night, my relationship with the mysterious man blurred. He had gone from stranger to instructor to partner, until eventually we were friends. Our discussions grew progressively complex and personal, filled with evaded questions and unexpected reactions.

  While I was mucking out a particularly disgusting stable stall, I recalled one especially confusing interaction.

  Dumbfounded, MG stared at me from across a round, wrought iron table. At my request for a fully-clothed setting, he’d taken me to a Parisian café for some coffee and pastries. In his swim attire, he was just too distracting—not that I told him that, of course.

  “You called how many to you?” he asked, surprised.

  “Well I didn’t exactly count. Hmm…at least a couple hundred? But I didn’t mean to. I was aiming for just the animals in the pasture.” I shrugged. “I guess my aim was a little off.”

  “I’ll say.” He took a healthy gulp of his café au lait, nearly choking on the steaming drink. “And when you dismissed them, they just left?”

  I nodded. “For the most part. I had to concentrate, but once I slipped into the right state of mind, it was easy.” Smiling, I remembered their soft mental touches. “Most of them said a goodbye of some sort, too. It was sweet…and odd.”

  Holding up his hand, he said, “Wait. You spoke to them, and they responded? All of them?”

  I nodded again, feeling too much like an oversized bobble head.

  MG closed his eyes and massaged his temples with his fingers, seeming to focus his thoughts. When he finally spoke, he sounded apprehensive. “And you’re certain that woman heard you?”

  “Yes, absolutely. And Jason too, even though I didn’t really mean to speak in his head.” I felt more than a little proud of my rapidly increasing control over my Ability. After I did something once—like call the horde of woodland creatures—it was easy to repeat. I hadn’t had the chance to practice, but I was fairly certain it would be that way with human minds as well.

  MG whispered something under his breath that sounded an awful lot like “Fuck” and began methodically mauling his croissant. “Do you think you can do the same things with people?”

  “What do you mean?” His darkening mood confused me.

  “Can you communicate with hundreds of human minds at the same time? Can they talk back?”

  “Probably,” I said, raising one shoulder. I knew from his reaction it was the wrong answer.

  Sounding completely resigned, he said, “I’ve come across quite a few people with Abilities similar to yours, but none is as powerful. None can hear responses. You have to be careful. You might be one of the most important people left alive, and we can’t risk your death.” After a deep breath he added, “Dani, you need to go to the Colony. You’ll be safer there than you are on your own.”

  “I’ll think about it,” I told him.

  “Is that where you are?” I grumbled to the nearly clean stall floor. Would I go to the Colony if MG was there?

  Thinking about going to Colorado to meet MG in person was oddly alluring. In my loneliness, he was the only person I’d really interacted with. He’d earned my trust by comforting me—listening to my struggles and helping me with my exciting new Ability. And above all else, the thought of hurting him with my presence didn’t muddle my insides like it did with Jason, Chris, or Zoe. Plus, he was acutely attractive and had made his interest known, which might lead to some pleasant diversions down the road. I didn’t, however, think we’d ever move beyond a mostly platonic relationship. At least life would be easier that way.

  For some reason though, the thought of sleeping with anyone besides Cam or Jason made me feel sick. Cam was gone, but Jason wasn’t. Not that it even matters…I might as well be his little sister. He doesn’t want me. He never has and never will.

  “Maybe I’ll just stay here forever,” I told Wings as I passed her stall and headed further into the stable. I’d taken to speaking out loud when mentally communicating with my non-human friends—somehow, it helped me feel less alone.

  “Yes. Good. Stay with family,” Wings responded, poking her head through her open stall doorway. Of course, she didn’t actually say “family,” though that was how my mind interpreted it. Instead, it was a jumble of images and feelings revolving around our motley group of animals.

  Oddly, her suggestion didn’t sound too bad. The heavy workload around the ranch made the days pass quickly, and the animals offered a certain level of comfortable companionship, especially since we were able to communicate in a rather unconventional fashion. I could become a post-apocalyptic pioneer—living off the land and growing old with nature as my only solace. It would be a hard life but peaceful in its own way.

  “Sounds lonely,” a male voice said from the far entrance to the stable.

  I swung around, pointing the shovel at the intruder. Recognizing the man’s friendly face, I gasped, “Ky?”

  “In the flesh.” As he approached, another man entered through the open door. His striking resemblance to Ky—smooth, angular facial features and straight, jet-black hair—barely prepared me for my friend’s next words. “That’s my brother, Ben.”

  “Your brother?” Shocked, I dropped my impromptu weapon. It clanged loudly on the cement floor.

  Ky stopped a few feet in front of me. “Yep. He found us at our house back in Fort Bragg. He was…surprised, to say the least.”

  I
nodded and then leapt forward, throwing myself into Ky’s arms. “I missed you!” I exclaimed, willing myself not to cry. I hadn’t known what had happened to Jason and Chris after the whole Cece incident, but if Ky was okay, it was likely that they were as well. “I miss you guys so much!”

  Ky wrapped his arms around me. “Me too, D. Me too.”

  A moment later, I released him and approached his brother. I extended my hand and said, “I’m Dani. It’s nice to meet you.”

  “Likewise,” he replied, shaking my hand quickly. His voice, unlike Ky’s, was tinged with the faintest Japanese accent. “You’ve caused quite a fuss. You’re…different than I expected.”

  “Shut up, Ben,” Ky told his brother.

  Turning my attention back to Ky, I asked, “How’d you find me?”

  “Remember what I said about the weird feelings I was having?”

  I nodded.

  “Well, with Cece, I could feel her anger and hatred building up until she did all that stupid shit. Now it’s happening with you, except you’re giving off sadness instead of anger. I’m not sure how, but I recognized the sadness as coming from you, and it got stronger the closer I came to you—led me straight to you. And…it feels like you’re about to do something really stupid.”

  “Well I’m not going to kill myself or anything,” I said defensively.

  Ky looked at his brother, who nodded. Seriously? Did he really think I was suicidal? And what’s with the need for brotherly confirmation?

  “No, but whatever you’re thinking of doing, it’ll leave you very unhappy, even if you don’t realize it now. That’s why I can feel the negativity—the sadness—pouring off you.”

  Pondering his assessment, I realized he was right. I’d been considering becoming a hermit, forsaking human contact altogether. Cutting out Zoe and Jason, Chris, and even Ky, would leave me miserable for the rest of my life. I could survive surrounded by only my four-legged friends, but in the end, death would seem like a relief.

  But I can’t go back. I didn’t want to be alone, but I also couldn’t stand the possibility that I’d endanger my friends again. Damn rocks and hard places!

  Ky continued, “Come with me and Ben. We’ll take you back with us.”

  Shaking my head, I said, “But Jason and Chris…they almost got killed because of me. I saw—”

  “What’d you see?” Ky asked, narrowing his eyes.

  Biting my lower lip, I sighed. “I saw Cece go after Jason and Chris at my grandma’s house.”

  After looking at his brother again and receiving another nod, Ky whistled. “So it’s true. Jason said he heard you, said he was sure you were out behind the house somewhere.”

  I brushed his words aside. “You abandoned them! That bitch and her sycophants nearly murdered them and you weren’t there!”

  Ky held his hands out in front of him and stepped closer. “Dani, you have to understand. Jason made us stay at his place while he and Chris checked your house. Cece and her idiots followed him…they were supposed to be looking for gas. The rest of us…we didn’t know what they were doing. We were just following Jason’s orders.”

  “Oh,” I said, my anger instantly dissipating.

  “You don’t have to worry about her going after you or anyone else. She’s long gone. So are John and the rest of her flock, and good fucking riddance! I’m pretty sure she’s actually controlling them, and not just with her pu—” Ky stopped talking and cleared his throat. “I mean, I think she’s like me…but her thing is controlling dumbshits who are stupid enough to touch her.” Ky shook his head in annoyance and continued, “The only shitty part about them leaving is that they took the Humvees and everything that was in ‘em.”

  I had suspected as much—that Cece was gone—and felt immense relief. It was short-lived. My stomach knotted as I registered the implications of Cece being able to control other people. How many can she control? How does she do it? And now she’s out there somewhere…

  “Please come back. If you don’t, I’m not sure how much longer the rest of us can stand Jason. He was a cold son of a bitch before. Now he’s rabid. He’s crazy moody, especially when he’s drinking. And by moody, I mean completely unreasonable. He’s becoming impossible to—”

  At his words, fury began coursing through my veins. I tried to contain it, but seeped out anyway. “And what would you do? Betray him? Abandon him? Attack him? You’re just like her!”

  “Holy. Shit.” Ky stared at me with wide, wonder-filled eyes. “No,” he said tentatively in my mind. “I’ll stand by him. I promise…Is this real?”

  Clenching my jaw, I nodded sharply. Remotely, I registered the confirmation that I could hear human responses telepathically.

  “What’s going on?” Ben asked.

  Ky shook his head. “It’s impossible.”

  “Oh, but your thing is possible? Don’t be such a hypocrite.”

  “She can…she can…,” Ky stammered.

  “I can talk in his mind. In anyone’s. I guess you could call me a telepath.” I finished pointedly.

  To my surprise, Ben simply nodded, accepting my claim without argument or exclamation. I studied him. What can he do? What about Jason? What about all the people Zoe’s with? Holy crap…what about all of the Survivors?! My friends and I needed to stick together.

  “I’ll come back,” I said definitively.

  Ky and Ben just stared at me, and we stood in awkward silence.

  “So…I’m surprised Jason didn’t come with you.”

  “He doesn’t know we’re here,” they said in unison.

  Interesting. “I will come back…tomorrow.” Ky looked baffled, so I explained, “I have some issues I need to sort out. Personal things. And, well, I can’t do it around Chris…she’ll get in my head and try to do it for me. I need to do it.” I paused, wondering how exactly I would sort out my feelings for Jason by morning.

  “Ky, promise me you won’t tell Jason where I am.” I stared into his brown eyes, and sensing his reluctance, willed him to give in.

  Hesitantly, Ky nodded. “Fine. I won’t tell him…today. But, I’m telling him first thing in the morning. You should probably be ready for him to storm up here…”

  “Great…,” I said unenthusiastically. An angry Jason…what a great way to start the day. I took my sudden apprehension out on Ben, who was nodding, again. “Why do you keep nodding?” I demanded, glaring at him.

  Wide-eyed, Ben said, “Oh, I…umm…I can tell when people are lying—you’re not.”

  Huh. “That’s useful.”

  He shrugged. “It can be kind of annoying. You’d be surprised how frequently people lie about stupid things.”

  “I can imagine.” Looking outside, I noticed it was dusk. “You guys should get going. You know how the Crazies like to come out and play at night.” I stepped forward to give Ben a brief hug. “I’m glad he found you alive.” Ky’s hug was longer, punctuated by an eager “I’ll see you soon”.

  A timid surge of joy shot through me. Finally, things were looking up.

  JANUARY

  34

  DANI

  I‘d been sleeping, but I was suddenly awake. I blinked, letting my eyes focus in the darkness. I was staring up at a post and beam ceiling, and it took me a moment to remember where I was—the front room of the ranch house. Grudgingly, I sat and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. The couch was warm beneath me, beckoning me to stretch out and fall back asleep, but there was something nagging the very edge of my memory. I had the vague impression that Jack had been in my dreams, showing me…something. Something important.

  Hackles raised, Jack slowly backed through the doorway from the hall, triggering my memory of the dream.

  The front door.

  The doorknob.

  Jiggling…just like I could hear it doing at that moment.

  Oh crap! I thought, piecing it all together. Somebody was breaking in, and the only doorway from my makeshift bedroom led to the same hall as the front door. I was in major troubl
e.

  I had just enough time to scramble off the couch and crouch by the doorway with Jack next to me before I heard the front door crash open. I panicked as I realized my gun was on the couch on the opposite side of the room—I’d stowed it under my pillow before falling asleep. Idiot!

  Maybe I can hide. Maybe they’ll pass me by. Maybe…

  The hallway’s hardwood floor creaked under the intruder’s footsteps, the sound growing closer with every passing second. I held my breath as Jack moved into the center of the room, snarling ferociously.

  “No Jack! What are you doing?”

  “Help you,” he responded solemnly. “Run away.”

  I didn’t have time to protest or even move before the man stomped up the hall and through the doorway. Focused completely on my vicious dog, he didn’t notice me flattened against the wall beside the doorframe. As Jack strung him further into the room toward the couch, and unfortunately my gun, I slowly inched closer to the hallway. When I placed my right foot in the doorway, the worn wood floor moaned. Horrified, I froze. I held my breath and looked over my shoulder at the man.

  His eyes met mine.

  Forgetting Jack, he lunged at me and shoved me back-first into the hallway wall. I hit it with a thud, knocking several picture frames to the floor. Glass shattered around my bare feet, but I’d hit my head so hard that I couldn’t stop myself from staggering. A shard sliced into my heel right before the intruder’s hurtling body slammed against mine. He smelled of rancid sweat and stale cigarette smoke, and his bloodshot eyes glinted wildly. He was definitely a Crazy.

  A second later, Jack attacked him. As he tore at the Crazy with teeth and claws, I attacked with knees and hands. My few self-defense lessons kicked in, possibly saving my life. I rammed a knee into his groin, then smacked his left ear with my open hand. I wasn’t sure if I’d actually landed the blows on purpose or if they’d been a random result of my frantic flailing. Regardless, insanity had hindered his physical prowess, and he was unable to block my strikes.