All Chapters of Rejected Before The Apocalypse, Now I'm The Queen: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

AUTHOR’S POV The hunter crouched beside a patch of disturbed earth."Footprints."Garrick moved beside him."How many?""Several. Small ones."Elena knelt to examine them.The impressions were shallow and uneven, pressed into the damp soil. Some were clearly made by children. Others appeared to belong to adults.They led away from the main trail and disappeared beneath a cluster of bushes."Could be survivors," Garrick said."Or people who passed through before us," another hunter replied.Elena studied the direction of the tracks.There was something about their pattern that troubled her. The smaller footprints were scattered, as though whoever had made them had been running. One trail ended abruptly beside a tree, where the soil had been scraped away.She stood."We should follow them."Garrick looked at her."We came for supplies.""I know. But if there are children out here, we need to find out whether they are safe.""And if they're infected?""Then we'll deal with that when we

AUTHOR’S POV "Don't stop!" Garrick shouted.Elena tightened her grip on the stretcher.They burst through the front doors and into the clearing.The hunters moved ahead, checking the path. Garrick remained beside Elena while she and another man carried Finn between them.The children ran close behind, frightened and exhausted.They had barely reached the tree line when a sharp howl rose from the school.Another answered.Then another.The infected were gathering.Elena did not look back.She kept moving, one careful step at a time, listening to Finn's strained breathing beside her.They would get him to safety.All of them.She had made that promise.And she would keep it.The journey back to the mountain settlement took longer than expected.Finn's injury made it impossible to travel quickly, and the children were exhausted. They had gone nearly a day without a proper meal, and their fear made every unfamiliar sound seem like a threat.Elena walked beside the stretcher, checking Fin

AUTHOR’S POV Later that night, Elena stepped outside the communal hall.The settlement was quiet. Most of the survivors had gone to sleep, exhausted by the day's work. A few guards remained near the perimeter, their silhouettes barely visible against the darkness.Garrick was waiting near the entrance."You should rest," he told her."So should you.""I will. After we talk."Elena folded her arms against the cold."What is it?"He glanced toward the infirmary."The children.""What about them?""People are already talking. Some say bringing them here was too dangerous. Others say we should have gone looking for more survivors."Elena sighed."People will always have opinions.""They're also asking what happens next."She looked toward the dark mountain ridge."Tomorrow, we'll inspect the eastern approach and reinforce the perimeter. We'll need to find more food, repair the remaining shelters, and establish a better system for treating anyone who arrives sick."Garrick nodded."And th

AUTHOR’S POV "We'll be establishing a proper treatment area in the building beside the communal hall. Anyone who is sick or injured should report there. We'll record symptoms, injuries, and the medicines administered so we can track what we have and avoid wasting supplies."She paused."We will also separate anyone who develops a high fever, unusual confusion, or other symptoms that suggest infection. That doesn't mean we will abandon them. It means we will treat them as safely as possible while protecting everyone else."A nervous murmur passed through the group.Elena waited until it subsided."I know some of you are worried about these rules. I am, too. None of us has all the answers. But we cannot survive if everyone does whatever they please."She lowered the paper."These rules apply to everyone. They apply to me, to Garrick, to Lydia, and to every person in this settlement. No one gets special treatment because they are stronger, louder, or more important than someone else."H

AUTHOR’S POV When Elena passed him, he glanced at Caleb and then at the bandage around the stranger's arm."You don't even know whether he's telling the truth," he said.Elena stopped."No, I don't.""He could be a raider himself.""He could."Roderick looked irritated by her calm response."Then why let him inside?""Because he's injured, and we can help him without surrendering our security. He'll be observed, his belongings will be checked, and he won't be allowed to wander around without permission until we know more about him.""And if he betrays us?""Then we'll respond to what he actually does, not what we imagine he might do."Roderick shook his head."You're too trusting."Elena's expression hardened."No. I'm careful enough to recognize danger, but I refuse to become cruel simply because the world has become dangerous."She turned away before he could answer.Behind her, she heard him mutter something under his breath.But he did not stop her.That evening, Elena found Cale