Love Prevails: A Zombie Nightmare Read Free Page A

he didn’t do that just to make it more interesting. We totally slaughtered them. It felt good to be on the offensive for a change."
    "I know what you mean. Oh man, I just thought about Jill and Kara. We were caught up in this so fast I haven’t had time to worry about them."
    "I’m sure they’re fine," Keith said. "We’ll find out soon enough."
    As the victorious warriors approached the village, unexpected somber faces lined up to greet them. Two men moved up to meet Bronson. "We have some bad news," one said.
    "What, did we lose someone? Was the village attacked?" Bronson said.     
    "No, the village wasn’t attacked. Elisabeth . . . Elisabeth and Teri are both dead."      
    "Dead? How?"           
    "Teri stabbed Elisabeth . . . Elisabeth grabbed a gun and shot Teri. Teri died instantly . . . Elisabeth, not long after."                 
    Bronson looked down, shaking his head. "Bitches. Ah well, life goes on." He turned quickly, and strode off as if unconcerned.
    Pete continued with the rest of the men toward the main area of the village. Keith picked up his pace to a trot and caught up with him.            
    "What is it with Bronson? He just lost his two women and he looks more pissed off than upset."   
    Pete continued walking without bothering to look at Keith. "Elisabeth was new. Teri, well, he’s had her over half a year. Probably tired of her shit by now. Not that great of a loss to him. He’s a busy man. Life goes on, you know."  
    "Yeah, I know. That’s what Bronson said, too. So what, the girls were nothing more than possessions? He’s the King? He just takes what he wants? He can always just take more?"        
    Pete stopped. "Now look, Bronson doesn’t take anything. Any woman that’s his he has earned. It’s our way. The way of our village."      
    "Okay, whatever." Keith became lost in a mixture of conflicting emotions.       
    "I hear that you and Steve did a fine job back there. Sure would be nice if you guys stuck around awhile," Pete said to break the deadlock.
    "Thanks, and to be honest with you, I have been considering it. I don’t know though. I don’t think Kara’s comfortable around here."           
    "Tell her to give it some time. There’s no rush. Hey, Ben’s boy Earl is coming of age tonight. You and Steve have earned a seat . . . we serve beer on special occasions like these."           
    "Beer? You guys still have beer?"     
    Pete chuckled. "Not beer like you’re thinkin’ of. We make it out of cane that grows wild here. It has enough sugars to ferment and packs a pretty good punch. The party cranks up after the women and children go to bed. Just us men, and you can watch Earl come of age.” 
    "I’ll check with Kara."           
    Pete scowled. "The men will expect you to be there." Then he turned and walked off, leaving Keith to contemplate his last statement.    
               
    *
     
     
    Night came. The villagers gathered in a communal area for a meal of venison and potatoes. The new arrivals sat at a table with two other families and shared stories of home. The conversations remained light and cordial, individual tales of past horrors avoided.
    A bell rang that signaled it was time to clean up and retire for the night. One of the women handed Jill a candle and lit it with a torch. The four ambled back to a vacant cabin in silence, considering all the possibilities of what their decisions might bring.
    Inside, the cabin was only one large room, fifteen feet square. Four sleeping bags awaited alongside a narrow table that had the legs shortened. It was just high enough to sit cross-legged under.    
    "I know we’ve been through a lot today, but we need to talk some things over." Keith used a sleeping bag for a cushion and sat by the table. "The positives are that there are food, shelter, and protection here. The two biggest negatives are the form of