Surviving Beyond the Zombie Apocalypse Read Online Free Page A

focused on where we needed to go.
         Like other times that I had gone outside since the world had gotten strange, I became fully aware of a sense of dread at being exposed to the shells. The sense had grown with Lawrence no longer around.
         “So tell me again about this store,” I said to Kat a while later.
         “Not much to tell. Like I said, there’s a CheapMart a little ways up the street. You know what a CheapMart looks like, right? Seen one, you seen them all.” She shrugged.
         “Okay, but what’s around this store? Do you think there are shells inside?”
         She looked genuinely concerned with answering my questions as she took a long time before responding. “Sorry, I can’t really tell you. I know it’s important to remember that stuff so that we can be ready for whatever might happen and all that. But the thing is, I’m not really sure. I mean, I never really noticed those kinds of things. I had my mind more on getting in and out of there as fast as possible, you know? That was all that mattered. Does that make sense?”
         “Yes, it does,” I answered, nodding. “With the way things have gone off the rails, keeping your mind working properly on the present goings on is not a small achievement.” I laughed despite myself. “I have not been entirely successful in managing it.”
         She looked at me as if not certain whether I was pulling her leg. “Are you serious? ‘Cuz you seem like a completely together, my shit don’t stink, no time for BS kind of guy.” Something like a snort came out of her nose, and Kat regarded me for a moment before continuing. “You really had trouble wrapping your head around the craziness that hit?”
         “I’d say trouble wrapping my head around it is an extremely mild way of putting it.” I smiled at Kat. “As dumb as it probably sounds, not until Taylor and Christina showed up and I realized that keeping them safe mattered more than keeping myself safe did things start to make some sense.”
         “Oh, it makes sense?” she asked quickly. “How about you explain it to me?”
         “Okay, maybe makes sense isn’t the right way to say it. It’s more like…uh…more like it wasn’t until Taylor and Christina showed up that I discovered some sort of purpose, something to concentrate on and dedicate myself to.”
         Kat was not completely successful at containing her giggle. “You sound totally like one of those born again goofballs you see on TV or sometimes outside the grocery store, handing out booklets and trying to save you.”
         “Okay, give me a break. I’m not trying to introduce anyone to the Lord. All I’m doing is trying to explain to you that when all this shit hit the fan or however you want to describe it…when everything changed, I really didn’t know for sure if there was any reason to keep going. I mean, it all seemed pretty hopeless. But then these guys came along, and they needed somebody to take care of them. You probably won’t believe this, but I have not always been the world’s most sensitive and giving person.” I paused to let Kat respond, but she said nothing. “Okay, so I guess you don’t have any problem believing it. Anyway, the two of them give me something to live for. I promised to keep them safe from the shells, and I intend to do that.”
         Kat’s expression made it impossible for me to tell if she was really serious about what I said or simply bored by my words.
         “So what do you think? Am I just some lame guy who gets his kicks by bossing kids around?”
         “No, you are definitely not a lame guy,” Taylor answered. I had not seen him listening. “Nothing lame about keeping a promise.”
         In the next instant, Christina had me in a hug at my waist. I am certain that it must have been a pretty funny sight. However, looking at the others, all I saw were misty eyes.
         “Thanks for taking