Apocalypse Z (A Zombie Novel) by G.E. Swanson Read Free Book Online Page A

talking about?”
    She stopped, held her hand out, and looked at Dedee. “Do you want me to tell him about it? Or maybe you could just ask him for yourself, right now.”
    Dedee’s eyes got huge; she shook her head and said, “No.”
    He looked into the room. “Ask me what?”
    “Nothing,” Dedee said quickly as she jumped up from the bed and ran down the hallway to the living room.
    He returned to the living room and went back over to the window. Jet stood back and thought about what Dedee and Lisa had said about Jeff liking her. But what if they’re wrong? What if he likes Dedee better and becomes her boyfriend? What would I do then? She thought about what Dedee had asked her and wondered. Would I be the one asking to barrow Jeff someday?
    She had to find out and wondered if she should just ask him. But what if the answer I get isn’t the answer I want? Maybe it would be better if I didn’t know—that way I could at least still have hope. But not knowing would always leave a cloud of doubt hanging over her head. She was becoming very confused and her mind felt like it would explode. Jet began to feel insecure and nervous and wondered what she could do to find out.
    She took a slow deep breath and let it out. Slowly, she made her way over to the window and stood next to him. She moved her hand over slightly and brushed the back of his hand with hers, but he didn’t respond. When she tried it again, she held it there so it was almost touching his. She felt disappointment as his hand moved away from hers.
    She felt like her spirit had just nosedived and crashed hard. Just when she was about to walk away, she felt his palm then his fingers gently lacing up between hers. She smiled and her whole mood changed, she felt like her spirit had grown wings and started to soar. The fear of rejection had scared her so much, that she almost let the chance slip by and she was relieved she hadn’t.
    With a beaming smile, she looked up at him as he watched the street. He looked down and smiled at her, then gave her hand a gentle squeeze. She felt there was a reason why they were there and had heard the accident and why she was the one who found him in the backseat. She knew somehow fate had played a part in it all and they were meant to be together.
    Jet heard the door leading out to the garage open. She noticed Mark and Lisa come in and sit at the table. They talked for a minute and she saw Lisa smile. It was a genuine, happy kind of smile, something she had not seen Lisa do since all this stuff started. Mark got up, came into the living room, and asked, “Dedee, Jet, are you ready?”
    Dedee had been watching Jet and Jeff, and her reply was slow. “Yeah.” Then she slid off the couch and sat on the floor. She watched as everyone came into the room and found a place around her. She started with some basic stretches and demonstrated them. After the first two stretches, she stopped. Everyone sat waiting for the next one, but Dedee didn’t proceed.
    Concerned, Lisa asked, “Is something the matter?”
    She stared down at the carpet as if in a daze. Without looking up, she asked, “Why are we doing this?”
    Lisa looked around at everyone, but no one spoke up. “Just like Mark said, we can’t afford to get lazy and sluggish.”
    Dedee sighed. “No, I mean… this whole thing?” And she waved her hands around before she continued. “What is the purpose of just surviving? What is there to look forward to?” Her eyes started to swell with tears and the room was silent. “We fight these stupid zombies just to live? Only to exist? There has to be more to it all. Why did all this have to happen? Why?”
    Lisa looked at Mark, hoping he may have an answer, but he too was looking around for one. She hoped someone had the answers because, at times, she wondered the same thing. As they all sat in the living room, they heard several loud moans from outside. They were followed by a loud rumbling and the floor beneath them began to