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Chapter 22
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75 Days Chapter 23
We spend the next four days preparing supplies for when Ryder hopefully gets better. It rains almost nonstop after we fix Ryder's bandages, and Naomi and I fill two five gallon buckets of water, strain them, and boil the water. Then we take a funnel from what's left of the kitchen, and fill almost fifteen bottles with fresh, hopefully clean water.There isn't much else to do, except sit around and think about my nightmares. I've been having them since Ryder and Reese rescued us from Frank and his Warriors. Each time it's the same dream: a feeling of helplessness, pain, and confusion. Then Frank's face, cruel laughter, and the feeling of being thrown down onto a mattress. Thankfully I always wake up after that.Ryder hasn't moved much in the last four days, and he's going to be in no shape to leave the island for a while, so Naomi and I take the time to get to know each other better. She's sixteen years old, and was a star on her high school's cross country team. She was a straight A s
75 Days Chapter 24
I nod, and look at Naomi. "He's right. If we wait to leave, we'll be doing it with no food, no water, and no ammunition. We won't stand a chance out on the open road. If we're gonna go, we have to go now."Naomi sighs. "That's the problem. I don't want to go. I like this island. We have the woods to hunt, and we can start a vegetable garden; I found your seed packets in your supplies. We can collect the rainwater, and we can find a better house, one with more room, and that isn't destroyed by fire.""Those things won't last forever, Naomi. Listen, it doesn't rain here everyday. We need to leave.""I don't understand why," she complains. "We could have a real life here. Where else are we gonna find that's anywhere near as safe as this one? Once we clear out all the zombies here, there won't be anymore. We won't have to live in constant fear, always looking over our shoulders. Why would you wanna leave that?""Because..." I have to stop, because I don't really have an answer. This place
75 Days Chapter 25
When we reach the mainland, Reese and I both help Ryder out of the boat, and he gasps with pain when we let him go. His face is pale and he's started to sweat, and I wonder if we should have just stayed on the island and given him more time to rest. He's definitely not going far in his condition, and I don't want anything to happen to him.Reese checks his rifle, and nods his head to Naomi. "You're with me. The jeep is about a block from here; we parked it a ways away because we didn't want anyone to see it. Sam, you stay here with Ryder, Tobe, and Melissa." He looks uncomfortable at that thought for a second, but I shake my head."We'll be fine. Just hurry back."He nods, takes one look at Naomi, and sighs. "Let's get this over with. The sooner we leave, the sooner the group is back together. Come on," he says, turning and jogging down the dock. Naomi takes one last look at me before following after him.I tighten my grip on my gun, and move closer to Ryder. He wraps his good arm aro
75 Days Chapter 26
Naomi and Tobe talk about anything they can think of: favorite movies, favorite fashion designers, and favorite sports. It turns out that Tobe was a cheerleader when she was in school, which doesn't surprise me since she's so gorgeous, and Naomi did cheer for a couple of years before joining the cross country team.They spend the next hour talking about famous cheerleaders that I've never heard of, and I try to tune them out. I have a couple of books in the back, and I turn around and start digging for one. I decided I needed something to keep me occupied from now on, and I start to read about vampires and witches. It's not really what I like to read, but it kills the time enough so that I'm not constantly bored.Reese stops the car when it gets dark, and the six of us get out to set up a makeshift camp for the night. We have blankets and Reese and Ryder have their sleeping bags. We divide everything between the members of our group, and com
75 Days Chapter 27
The house is mostly destroyed on the inside, and it's so dark it's impossible to move around in without flashlights. Whoever boarded up the windows did an amazing job, because absolutely no light gets through to the first floor. The darkness makes it impossible to see the blood soaked into the entryway carpet, or the bloody smears along the walls.Ryder, Tobe, and I stay downstairs with Melissa while Reese and Naomi check the upstairs. Naomi comes back down with a handful of long, thin candles, and she distributes them to us. "Alright, how are we doing this?" she asks once the candles are lit. "Are we going to take turns guarding her?""I think we should lock her in the upstairs bedroom, and just check on her periodically," Reese says."I agree," Tobe says, startling me. She sees me watching her and shrugs, managing to look both proud and ashamed at the same time. "I've survived this long, Sam, and I'm sorry, but I'm not
75 Days Chapter 28
Tobe's screams wake me in the morning. At first, I think it's remnants of a dream I can't remember, until I hear something clatter to the floor, and scrambling feet. Reese and I are downstairs near the couch, and we're on our feet in an instant, and we're racing for the stairs.Tobe is trying to shut the bedroom door, and I can see Melissa's fingers, which are curled into dangerous claws, digging at the wood. Tobe is still screaming, and is trying to slam the door shut again. I'm not sure why it's open in the first place, but I when I reach the top of the stairs, I lunge for the still open door.Before I can reach it, the door flies open, and a newly turned Melissa rushes out into the hallway. Of course, I was in too much of a hurry to grab my gun, and I'm completely weaponless. She doesn't go for me though. Instead, she turns and leaps at Tobe, knocking her to the ground. Tobe has time for one scream before Melissa has her teeth embedded in
75 Days Chapter 29
After lunch, I find Ryder and Reese both sitting on the couch in the living room, and I join them. Naomi is busy cleaning herself in the bathroom with a bucket of cold water, and the guys are both talking quietly. I take a seat on the couch next to Ryder, and he looks at me. "Hey.""Now that we're here, what are we gonna do about protection?" I ask. "Are we gonna try and build a fence around this place? Are we gonna build a sniper's nest or something?""There's a tree house about a hundred yards downhill from here. There's a rope ladder that can be pulled up in case of attack, and we can use that to shoot out of.""A tree house?""It's pretty basic. It's got four wooden walls, two of which have small openings for windows, and it's pretty sturdy. I'd like something better, but it'll do in case of an emergency.""Have either of you explored the area around the cabin yet?"No, I was gonna wait and see if you or Naomi wanted to come with me. Someone has to stay here with Ryder and keep hi
75 Days Chapter 30
Zombies are shuffling up the driveway. They're still a few minutes away, but that doesn't change the fact that there are over a dozen of them grouped together. "The car. They must have heard the engine and come running," Naomi says quietly."It would have been the only thing making noise for probably miles. There's no telling how many of them heard. There could be hundreds of them on their way here.""And we'll never reach the jeep in time," she says, looking at me. "Leave the fruit. We have to warn the guys."The two of us ignore the spilled fruit, and we race up the hill to the cabin. "Ryder!" I shout, hoping someone is paying attention. "Ryder!"Reese sticks his head out the door, spots the zombies, and swears. He ducks back inside, and I can see him rummaging around for the rifle with the scope. He takes a handful of ammo, grabs his stuff, and jumps out the front door. "Reese! Where are you going?" Naomi asks. She's panicking, and I don't blame her."Our sniper's nest."Ryder grab
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