A Broken World (Book 3): Fractured Memories

by Lauck, Andrew

  “Yeah, but it’s part of my charm.” We started walking back to the horses, but she stopped me.

  “Eric, be serious, are we ready for this?” I smiled.

  “We’ll be fine.” I helped her mount her horse before doing the same, riding toward the city together. I couldn’t help but think of the compound at Cedar Lake, and again at San Antonio, when I had turned my back on being a part of that world. Leaving that part of me in Washington, I finally felt like I was ready to be part of civilization again.

  We hadn’t been gone as long this time, but everything looked different for some reason. The sun was brighter, the air more invigorating, and the destruction that I once found so depressing became something to rebuild.

  Pulling up to the gate, we were stopped as usual before the lieutenant on duty recognized us and welcomed us inside. With the infected mostly deceased, the expansion project had grown in the short span of time, removing the blockades to streets that I had never seen. As we rode, I watched families playing, couples holding hands, and instinctively reached for Jessica’s palm. My fingers interlaced with hers and she smiled, full of beauty and hope.

  The hotel was right where we left it, and we tied the reins to one of the hitching posts that Harper had commissioned. My feet carried me through the lobby and up the stairs to the second floor, not even realizing I had reached their door until my hand lifted to knock. For some reason, my stomach was in knots and I stopped myself.

  “What’s wrong?” Jessica asked, worried.

  “I just…is this really it?” I turned to face her, unsure of what I would say when the door opened. “Did we actually make it out alive?”

  “Yeah, I think we did.” She smiled again grabbed my hand, knocking for me. Anxiously waiting, my heart practically leapt into my throat when the knob turned and the wood parted to reveal Katherine. For a moment, there was nothing but silence and staring, but she quickly broke into a wide grin and threw herself at me in a hug.

  “Oh my God!” She cried, literally and otherwise. Matthew charged into the hall, ready to kill something before he saw the reason for her sudden outburst. Folding a knife back into his pocket, he walked up behind her and waited to shake my hand. It turned out to be a long wait, because Kat didn’t let go for some time.

  “I think we’ve waited long enough, so what’s the big news?” I asked when we finally shuffled into the apartment and closed the door. Kat looked over her shoulder at Matthew, who held her and smiled.

  “We’re pregnant!” Kat exclaimed, clearly unsure how I would handle the news. I froze in place, looking from her to Matt, then back. I stepped forward and hugged both of them, unable to find words for how happy I was. The short version of what came next is that we all sat down and talked over lunch, not taking for granted the fact that we could do so. At the end of the meal, I stood to wash off the dishes and Kat followed me to the kitchen.

  “So, were you serious? Are you here for good this time?” The hope in her tone made her voice crack. I glanced to my right, her eyes watering, and nodded.

  “Yeah,” I said softly, “I’m here for good.” It would be a long time before that realization would sink in, but she burst into tears again and hugged me.

  “I’m so glad you made it back.” Feeling Kat’s tears on my shirt, I looked past her at the table, where Matt sat talking to Jessica. This was my family.

  “Me, too.”

  Epilogue

  Saying Goodbye

  So, that was it, the happy ending to a story that I always expected to go the other way. I’ve been sitting here for hours, reading a journal that I had to brush the dust off of, feeling like a stranger to the man in the pages. So much has happened, some of which I had forgotten, that I’m surprised that I made it out alive. If it hadn’t been for my family, I never would have. Closing the last page and staring out the window of my house, I looked out at the neighborhood outside and couldn’t believe how much had changed in fifteen years.

  Hannah was feeling much better, helping Marcus to raise Antoinette, and they were taking great care of Sampson, who seemed to love being pampered after his years in the service.

  Kat and Matthew had a son named Gabriel, because in the end he was a hero deserving of remembrance, and, later, a daughter, named Mary after Kat’s mother. Gabriel was a teenager already, so if I didn’t already feel old I sure as hell did now. He definitely took after his father, but he had Kat’s eyes and her good heart. I absentmindedly rubbed my thumb over my fingers, touching the ring that now resided there.

  Jessica and I had finally taken the plunge six years ago, making the decision to tie the knot after an incredibly embarrassing proposal that I’d prefer not to share. Kat had been so happy at the wedding, having broken down when Jessica asked her to be the maid of honor. Mary made an adorable flower girl, of course, being only three at the time. It was a beautiful ceremony, followed by an amazing honeymoon that I won’t discuss.

  As I sat in that empty house, with Jessica out visiting, I looked around the room, the spotless walls, the carpet by the door, and couldn’t help but think of how much was lost to get here. Anthony, Matheson, Dave, Teresa, Douglas, Maxwell, Conrad, the name of the fallen Ranger, Gabriel, and so many other heroes that had given their lives so that we could survive. They had given everything for a future that they believed was worth fighting, and dying, for, a future built on sacrifice and loss that I would never take for granted.

  I don’t know if these journals will be around in a hundred years, or if I’ll be long-forgotten by then, but if you get a chance to read these, I hope you realize how close we were to extinction. I hope you’ll take the advice of a great man and live life to the fullest, because life is all we have, and the bonds that we forge are what makes things interesting.

  There hasn’t been an infected sighting in almost ten years, the number of ferals have dwindled to near-mythical status, and raids have become infrequent as more and more outposts are built, showing people the way back to civilization. The nuclear zones are still off-limits, and will be for years, a reminder of a broken world that almost was.

  Still, as I look out the window, past the children and houses, on to the world beyond, I wondered if there wasn’t a shadow lurking, staring back with hunger in its eyes, waiting to return.

  The door opened and Jessica stepped inside, shaking me from my trance.

  “Eric, they’re never coming back.” She smiled, knowing what I was thinking and still as beautiful as always. “Now, put on a nice shirt. Gabriel’s out of school and we’re meeting them all for dinner. I know a certain little girl that can’t wait to play dolls with her grandfather.” She laughed at that last part, enjoying the fact that I had a soft side. I stood and walked over, pulling her close and kissing her on the lips.

  “How did I get so lucky?”

  “Well, with the population so reduced I was forced to lower my standards,” she responded without hesitation, grinning. “You barely made the cut.”

  “Ouch!” I joked, and she laughed.

  “Oh, toughen up, Eric.” She shook her head, biting her lip. “Honestly, sometimes I wonder what happened to that badass I fell in love with.” I picked her up, carrying her toward the bedroom.

  “I’ll show you what happened,” I growled.

  “Eric, put me down! We don’t have time for this!” She half-heartedly struggled, but I set her down anyway.

  “Alright, then, my point is made.” She frowned.

  “You’re ridiculous.”

  “I know, but it’s one of the many reasons you love me.” I pulled my shirt off the back of the chair and shrugged it on, stopping as we went to the door. “Jess, did you ever think we’d end up here?”

  “Honestly, no, but I’m really glad we did.” She held up a finger, her eyes growing wide. “Oh, I almost forgot!” Jessica ran back to the bag she had brought in and withdrew a small box, bringing it to me. I took it and found a watch inside, the watch I had worn for many years.

  “While I was in tow
n, I got a new battery so you can finally tell the time. Happy birthday, Eric.”

  “Thank you, but you didn’t have to do this.”

  “I know how much it meant to you.” She leaned up to kiss me. “Now, come on, we’re gonna be late.” With that, Jessica walked through the door, heading for Kat’s house down the street.

  I followed after her, staring at the hands ticking on the watch. I really had the most amazing wife, because I had never remembered to get a new battery after all this time. Smiling at my fortune, I felt the sun overhead and thought of Gabriel.

  “See you on the other side, brother,” I whispered to myself, stepping through the door and closing it behind me, sealing the journal inside and all of the fractured memories within.

  The End

  About the Author

  Andrew Lauck has studied theatre, film, and writing for years. His passion for writing stems from communicating with fans and fellow authors. He loves films, videogames, and books, especially those in the horror and zombie genres. Andrew lives in Texas with his wife, to whom he attributes much of his inspiration and never misses an opportunity to score points with, and daughter, to whom he attributes any gray hairs. He invites his readers to find his author page on Facebook (facebook.com/sleeplessandoutofmymind) or Twitter (@ThatOneAuthor) and start a conversation.