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"You decided on a death sentence," Katie corrected him

Travis moaned and covered his face with one hand "I knoas justdone"

"Ed was upset?"

"He said we should have taken it to the fort"

"I agree But it’s done now, isn’t it?"

"I should send so softly, Katie shrugged "I don’t know I don’t give a damn what happens to her, but if it adversely affects the fort"

"Maybe we should bring her back for justice at the hands of the fort people" Travis sighed "Just when I thought I would get so out there, are you?"

"Nah I’ll send out solanced at the clock "I’ll head downstairs andto breakfast soon"

"Then you’ll come back up for at least a few hours of sleep?"

"Yeah Yeah Unless so else happens" He kissed her soundly, then her belly, and gave the reproachful looking German Shepherd a pat on the head "I’ll be back"

Bone weary, Travis pulled on his boots and headed back out the door

2 Walking Haht ered in the wispy grasp of the haze, but ely e the country back roads

A herd of cows gathered around a pond huddled together for war they had been on their own

Just since last year, the world had changed drastically The few houses they passed were desolate looking creatures Before winter had set in, nature had already begun the process of diss

Katarina drove the Huhtly and slung over one shoulder Beside her, Nerit stared out at the dead world with a thoughtful expression on her face Curtis and Dale sat in the back, quiet and half-dozing Despite hot coffee and donuts, it was too easy to want to fall back to sleep on a cold ," Nerit decided

"Huh?"

"For nature to take back the planet" Nerit motioned to the fences that were already down

Katarina looked over at a far to hell"

"Not surprising A her nose with a Kleenex Allergies were hell on everyone it seemed

"Yeah Expendable society is what it’s called, I think," Katarina said with a nod

"Humanity That is what is expendable" Nerit shook her head "We went down so easily"

"Some of us are still here," Katarina pointed out

"The lucky and the too dah

"I knohich category I’m in"

"Me, too Me, too…" Nerit said

"Dahed

"Me, too"

"If I had still been living in Houston, I would be eating soht now," Nerit decided

"Weird hoorked, huh? If you ot easier somehow"

"The initial shock of it all wears off and the survival instinct kicks in"

Katarina ran a hand over her hair, then sighed "It almost feels like this is normal Ya know? Like this is just how life is"

"This is how life just is now The old way is just that…old Gone Lost"

"And now people are hitching up and having babies…"

Nerit bobbed her head "And expanding our ho in love…"

With a tilt of her head, Nerit regarded Katarina "You like Bill"

"He’s nice," Katarina said after a ood Ralph was nice" Nerit suddenly stiffened, looking ahead