Chapter 1: Sixty Days to Get Even

"Luke, please! Open the iron gate! The zombies are right behind me!"

Nova Gregory banged her bleeding hands against the thick steel door of the safe house.

It was freezing cold outside. Heavy snow fell from the dark sky, and her thin coat was ripped and soaked in mud. Down the hill, twenty rotting zombies were running straight toward her. Their yellow teeth snapped together, and black drool dripped from their chins.

Inside the warm safe house, the yellow lights were bright.

Nova’s husband of two years, Luke Palmer, stood safe behind the bulletproof glass window. Right next to him stood Nova’s dad, Walter Gregory, and her stepsister, Bella Martin.

They were sitting around a warm fireplace, eating hot steak and drinking red wine.

Worst of all, this safe house—and every single piece of food inside it—had been bought with Nova’s dead mom’s money!

"Nova, stop banging on the door! You are giving me a headache," her dad said coldly through the wall speaker. "There is only enough food left for the three of us. Go find somewhere else to hide."

"Wait—that is my food! And this is my house!" Nova cried, hot tears freezing on her cold cheeks. "And Luke! You are my husband! You promised you would keep me safe forever if I gave you my mom’s two billion dollars!"

Luke laughed. Right in front of Nova’s eyes, he wrapped his arm around Bella’s waist and pulled her close.

Bella was wearing Nova’s favorite diamond necklace and rubbing a round baby bump under her sweater.

"Wake up, you stupid princess," Luke sneered through the speaker. "You faint every time you see a single drop of blood! Why would I want a weak, useless wife like you at the end of the world? Bella and I have been together behind your back for three years. She is having my baby. The only reason I married you was to take your mom’s two billion dollars and her farm."

"Don't feel too bad, big sis," Bella giggled, taking a big bite of juicy steak. "Look behind you! You are about to become zombie dinner!"

Nova spun around in terror.

The pack of zombies had reached the top of the snow hill. A huge zombie with half its face missing jumped right at Nova’s throat.

BANG!

A loud gunshot echoed through the snow. The zombie’s head blew apart, and dark blood splashed across the bottom of Nova’s dress.

A tall, broad-shouldered man in a ripped black police jacket stepped right between Nova and the monsters, swinging a heavy iron axe.

It was Cyrus Hart—the quiet, scarred ex-cop who used to live down the street from her family’s house.

"Get behind me, Nova!" Cyrus roared.

He fought like a wild lion. With every swing of his axe, he chopped down another monster. Even when two zombies bit deep into his shoulder and back, he didn't make a sound. He grabbed Nova around the waist with one strong arm, lifted her off the ground, and tried to carry her toward his heavy motorcycle.

"Cyrus! Put me down, you're bleeding!" Nova sobbed, holding onto his torn jacket. "Why are you doing this? You barely even know me!"

Cyrus coughed up bright red blood. Yet when he looked down at her pale face, his dark, scary eyes were softer than warm water.

"Three years ago, on the day I got framed and kicked off the police force, it was pouring rain," Cyrus whispered, his deep voice shaking as he shielded her body with his own. "Everyone else spat on me. You were the only one who gave me an umbrella and a hot meal. I loved you from that day on, Nova. I swore I would keep you safe... even if it costs my life."

Before Cyrus could take another step, fifty more zombies jumped down from the roof of the safe house, burying both of them in the freezing snow.

Even at the very end, Cyrus kept his big arms locked tight around Nova like a shield, taking the bites meant for her back until his heart stopped beating.

Then, sharp teeth tore into Nova’s neck.

As the cold darkness pulled her down, she stared up at the bright window where Luke, Bella, and her dad were clinking their wine glasses and laughing.

If God gives me one more chance, Nova swore in her bleeding heart, I won't be a soft, stupid crybaby anymore. I will take back every penny, protect the man who died for me, and watch those three monsters rot in the mud!

Gasp!

Nova’s eyes flew wide open.

She sat straight up in her chair, grabbing at her throat and breathing hard.

Wait. Why wasn't it cold? And why did the air smell like sweet butter and fresh strawberries?

Nova looked down at her hands. They were clean, smooth, and white. There were no zombie bites. No blood. She was wearing her pretty pink silk dress.

And she was sitting at the long dining table inside her family’s big city mansion!

"Ugh, look at her! She fainted just because the kitchen chef cut his finger slicing beef!" Bella’s loud, annoying voice rang out across the table. "Luke, how can you stand being married to such a weak little crybaby?"

Nova froze. Slowly, she turned her head and looked at the big gold calendar hanging on the dining room wall.

August 15th.

Nova’s heart started pounding so hard against her ribs that it hurt.

The deadly Red Flu and the Red Rain didn't turn people into zombies until October 14th!

Sixty days.

She wasn't dead. She had come back in time sixty whole days before the end of the world!

Across the table, her husband Luke pushed a thick stack of papers and a gold pen in front of her. He put on the sweet, handsome smile that used to make her heart melt.

"Honey, since you're awake now, hurry up and sign this," Luke said softly, reaching out to pat her hair. "Your dad and I talked it over. Since you faint at the sight of blood and get scared so easily, it is way too hard for you to run your mom’s shipping company and that big Ocean-Cliff Farm she left you. Once you sign the money and the farm over to me, I will take care of you forever."

Her dad, Walter, banged his spoon on the table. "Sign it right now, Nova. A weak girl like you can't handle two billion dollars."

In her past life, Nova had believed their sweet lies and signed those exact papers right at this table. The very next morning, Luke and her dad took all her money and kicked her out of the company!

Under the table, Nova squeezed her hands into tight fists. As she did, the sharp point of her dead mom’s old diamond ring poked her finger, drawing a tiny red drop of blood.

The blood soaked right into the ring.

Zing!

A warm golden light flashed inside Nova’s head.

Suddenly, without even closing her eyes, Nova could see a giant, magical world right inside her own mind!

There was a huge storage warehouse the size of ten football fields where time stood completely still. Next to the warehouse were rich green fields where fruit and vegetables grew ten times faster than normal, and right in the middle bubbled a crystal-clear Healing Spring that smelled like sweet mountain air.

Mom’s ring isn't just jewelry, Nova thought, her heart jumping with joy. It's a magic storage space!

"Nova? Are you deaf?" Luke frowned, tapping the paper. "Be a good girl and sign on the bottom line."

Nova looked up at Luke, Bella, and her dad.

Slowly, she picked up the thick stack of papers with both hands.

Luke grinned and poked Bella’s foot under the table, thinking he had just won two billion dollars.

RIPPPP!

Right in front of their greedy faces, Nova tore the contract in half. Then she tore it again, stood up, and threw the paper pieces straight into her dad’s bowl of hot soup!

Splash!

Soup splattered all over Walter’s tie. The whole dining room went dead silent.

"Nova! Have you lost your mind?!" her dad roared, jumping up from his chair.

"What is wrong with you, babe?" Luke asked, his fake smile slipping as he tried to grab her wrist.

Nova pulled her hand back fast and wiped her skin on a napkin like Luke was covered in dirty bugs.

"What's wrong with me is that I finally woke up," Nova said, giving them a bright, icy smile. "Not only am I keeping every penny of my mom’s two billion dollars and Ocean-Cliff Farm, I’m locking all the bank accounts today. And Luke—since you and Bella think I’m such a weak crybaby, my lawyer will bring our divorce papers to your office before dinner. We are done!"