“Mary, you didn’t save the man you died protecting, but your sacrifice wasn’t in vain. You saved me, and my son. You never had a place that felt like home, you once told me, and I knew that feeling until very recently. But you’re wrong, girl. You have a home. This is your home. My heart is where you’ll live on, for as long as it beats. I saved your life, in a manner of speaking—saved you from the wreckage of your past. But really, it’s you who saved me. You made me believe I could be more than just the runaway single mom making ends meet. You taught me that I could help people, and that I…that I deserved to be helped, in return.”
She took a shaky, deep breath, and let it out slowly. Wiping one eye, she said, “I’m a better person for having known you, Mary. We’ll never forget you, and as long as Weldona is here, we’ll be just a stone’s throw away, okay? Drop by and talk to me in my dreams from time to time, would you?”
Her throat tightened, choking off her voice at the end.
Hunter, the strong, brave young man who had proven himself a better son than she deserved, stepped up beside her and squeezed her around the waist. “She knows, Mom. And she’s in a better place, now. It’s the rest of us who need her to talk to, not the other way around.”
Christine nodded, wiping her eyes again.
Darcy said, “Jeez, Hunter. You’re such a butt-kisser. Mom knows that already.”
Instantly, Mary’s words from before all this, from another lifetime it seemed, echoed through her mind. Your brother isn’t a butt-kisser. He’s polite, which is something you should learn. You catch more flies with honey than vinegar.
Christine smiled, remembering Mary’s voice, the way she always knew what to say to defuse the tension. She’d be missed, more than she would have ever imagined.
As the first shovels of dirt echoed atop the simple wooden box, Christine felt herself jump at the sound, and turned to bury her face in Hunter’s shoulder. He rubbed her back, arms around her, and just that simple gesture made her feel a bit better. Hunter, the healer…
Hunter, the hunter.
Already, people talked about how he ran into danger, not away from it like his father. He had their respect, even if he was too focused on other people’s needs and praising their virtues to notice his own. Someday, all of this chaos and death around them would pass. Someday, they’d rebuild what was lost. Hunter would be part of that, she had no doubt. And no matter what challenges he faced in the future, Darcy would be at his side, guarding his back, adding her wit and cunning to his fierce courage and inner strength. This wasn’t really the end of the world, after all. Maybe it was just the birth of a new one, or the rebirth of an old one.
She only wished Mary could have been there to see him finish growing into the man he’d become. But maybe Mary really would come visit her dreams. She smiled, thinking of all the things she’d tell her friend when Mary stopped by at night, while she lay snug in a warm bed in a town she’d once wanted nothing to do with.
For the first time, Christine felt she’d done what she set out to do—she’d protected her kids, and they were growing into people worth being proud of. Hunter wasn’t the only one who’d changed in this crucible.
# # #
THE END
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Also by JJ Holden
Dark New World (9 Book Series)
Dark New World
EMP Exodus
EMP Deadfall
EMP Backdraft
EMP Resurrection
EMP Retaliation
EMP Resurgence
EMP Retribution
EMP Redemption
** NOTE: The Dark New World series contains strong language and graphic depictions of violence **
EMP Crisis (3 Book Series)
Instant Darkness
Instant Chaos
Instant Mayhem
** NOTE: The EMP Crisis series contains mild language and graphic depictions of violence **
Age of Survival (3 Book Series)
Age of Survival
Age of Panic
Age of Revival
** NOTE: The Age of Survival series contains mild language and graphic depictions of violence **
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About the Authors
J.J. Holden is the co-author of the DARK NEW WORLD, EMP CRISIS, and AGE OF SURVIVAL series. He lives in a secluded cabin and spends his days studying the past, enjoying the present, and pondering the future.
Henry Gene Foster is the co-author of the DARK NEW WORLD series. He resides far away from the general population, waiting for the day his prepper skills will prove invaluable. In the meantime, he focuses on helping others discover that history does indeed repeat itself and that it’s never too soon to prepare for the worst.
For updates, new release notifications, and more, please visit: www.jjholdenbooks.com
Get in touch: [email protected]
Inception of Chaos: A Post-Apocalyptic EMP Survival Story Page 51
