Page 23 (1/2)

She shrugs and ss

I whistle, hoping he can hear me, as I walk to the farmhouse It’s a beautiful property but the house is aoff and the inside looks like it’s suffered through an earthquake The stairs are shifted It’s a perfect place for the animals and infected to hide I close the crooked front door and don’t go in It’s one of the rules I have--don’t go in unless there is no other option At this point, going in is an option only for curiosity’s sake

The trees look aht and green, and the apples are bright and red They are ready to harvest fast this year

The dry borderlands are surprisingly good for far I pick another apple and walk towards Anna She’s staring off into space, holding her leaf of food, but notHer eyes drop down as a blush crosses her face but she doesn’t sine the pain she’s in

I know that pain It’s a dusty, dry, hollow ache in ainst his hand He wasn’t normal, or functional, or sane, but he was s don’ttowards the hills and see if it’s the right way"

My words pull her fro herself to eat Our footsteps are the only sound surrounding us, besides the slight whistle of the ind through the orchard The fruit is al water The juice it makes in my mouth as I take small bites, quenches some of my thirst

We are out of water and ammo, and I am out of care If I drop dead in the dusty hills in front of us, I don’t care I want Leo, Sarah, Jake, and even Star, but I want Will more I even want Bernie more because I want that look in Anna’s eyes to come back Her face isn’t sad; it’s the opposite I can see she’s grateful for what she had, even if it was short lived Her bravery knows no bounds, and I aain She will be She has been disappointed so much in this life, that even a broken heart can’t stop her spirit

We enter the denser forest, picking up the pace I have no gun, or bow, or anything I have ht the world looked like; I never gave it one, it feels like the world is broken I think I finally knohat it feels like to be nor, but I haven’t I’ve survived and now I’m not sure I want to

We hike until one She sits down on a rock in the middle of nowhere and shakes her head

I nod, "I know We’re lost" I whistle again and sit down next to her The forest is silent, not a good sign

I don’t even want to listen to the sounds of the forest I just want to close my eyes

"You have to stop, E them sparkle; they’re so blue Her lip quivers as she shakes her head, "You have to stop I see it He wouldn’t want this to end you I see the anger and will to live are gone They would want us to find the others and be safe"

She is still the fragile girl standing outsideto sacrifice herself for Jake

My eyes fill with tears, "I just don’t kno to feel" My voice cracks "He died for h that bullet I’er than he was"

She nods, "I know, but he didn’t want you to get shot" Her voice h moan of the infected when she whispers

I closefaster than I can cry the e parap arounders into his fur I feel her ar his crazy wolf noises I can’t stop shaking

His shtly I nod, "I know I’ain"

Anna cries into hi and hugging His head lifts, looking behind us I swear he’s looking for Will and Bernie His yellow eyes scan the hill and thenharder He puts his head into the wind and cries out the haunting sound hebecome part of the wind on o ho hard She sbehind his shoulder toto trust us for a while

At the bottonize the road we’ve co around nervously until we reach the entrance to the driveway My heart lifts a little e get in view of the house It looks the saers Just a house, a rock pile grave, and a yard filled with memories I don’t want, but I love anyway I love the fact I can closeout Her eyes look behind us, but she knoe get closer Her eyes drop Her destroyed expression becomes part of the memories I don’t want Jake’s face is next He looks past us His gaze settles on Anna’s face Whatever the look on her face is, it tells hi her and waiting for her to change the news

Star does soone?"

I nod once She shakes, crying silently "Will too?"

I nod again, hugging her back

Jake sees us, his blue eyes glisten with the tears filling theot hionna co down his face Leo walks to hiainst him

Jack’s son coether and lowers his gaze Sarah bursts fro her and Star

"You made it back" She looks pasther down on the grass Her little face loses the joy she had She starts to cry silently, turning away frorave Leo follows her, as does Andy when he co out of the house They sit next to the rock pile with their backs to us Andy holds her hand So I’ve ever seen Even Leo doesn’teach other