The Beginning at the End of the World: A Post-Apocalyptic, Dystopian Series (The Survivor Diaries Book 2) Read Online Free Page A
did, too .
Bailey and I showed off our costumes in the living room with “oohs” and “ahhs” from Annie and Mrs. Ingram.
“Now, you two sit down on the sofa because I have a big surprise for you,” said Annie.
Bailey and I sat while Annie left the room. We giggled at how excited she was. Mrs. Ingram wore a look of satisfaction on her face.
Annie brought Bailey a paper sack, and she sat waiting expectantly as Annie addressed us.
“And now, without further ado, may I present The Ghosts of Bad Halloween Costumes Past ?” she said in a low and official tone.
That’s when Jake, Adam, Ammie, Bri and Mark came through the double doors wearing the most ridiculous looking costumes ever.
Jake was wearing an old tutu I made for Ammie when she was little— on his head. He was carrying a bouquet of ugly, fake flowers and wearing a white “granny” nightgown over his clothes. I could only imagine he was supposed to be a bride.
Adam was wearing a sad Harry Potter costume with a lightning bolt drawn with an eyebrow pencil on his forehead and a black towel pinned to the back of his shirt like a cape.
Ammie starred as one of Santa’s elves, and Bri made for a very skinny Santa. They had obviously dived into the Christmas boxes when the Halloween costumes ran out.
Mark was the only one who actually had on a full costume; he was Superman. He must have found the outfit in one of the donation boxes in the ballroom. He ran through the room, letting his cape fly behind him, singing the theme from the old Batman TV show. None of us had the heart to tell the comical African man that he was singing the wrong tune. He was fabulous just the way he was.
I am not sure I can explain the skit that came next. It had a convoluted plot about how Harry Potter zapped them all to the North Pole, everyone except for Superman because of course he flew there. The bride may or may not have been marrying Superman, and that was all that I could follow.
It made Bailey laugh so hard she fell on the floor snorting. That was all I needed. She was as happy as I had ever seen her.
Following the evening’s entertainment, Bailey went from character to character saying “trick or treat” and holding up her paper sack for her rewards. Ammie threw in some plastic Mardi Gras beads, while Bri gave her a “Go National Guard” cap. Adam was the only one to give her candy; a snickers bar, her favorite. He said that he zapped it in all the way from Hogwarts, but I am sure that he had been saving it from one of his runs. Mark’s gift was touching. It was the American flag that he got when he came home from the Iraq War. It was in a beautiful triangle frame with his name engraved on a little metal plate on the front.
I turned my head so no one could see my tears. My family loves that little girl as much as I do. Like it or not, she is now a Balous-Patton. And I do think she likes it.
“Laura, when we have school again, can I wear my costume?” she asked while I was tucking her into bed.
“Sure thing, sweet girl,” I told her.
This was the best Halloween I have ever had.
November 2
The dark sky has dumped around three more feet of snow.
I was worried about sending out Adam and the other Out-bounders, but we were running dangerously low on food supplies. They have been trying to go through the snowy debris of where homes used to stand. I asked Adam to stay as close to the Village as possible, but I can’t imagine there is much that we and the other scavengers haven’t picked through yet around here.
There have also been more rumors about a group of over 100 Wanderers. Their numbers are now closing in on our population counts, that is, if they do exist. Jackson says that they are probably out there watching us and keeping tabs. He’s one paranoid SOB.
Jackson, Mark, and I sat in my dreary office.
“So, why don’t you go and do secret ops defensives, or whatever it is you do?” I mocked.
“As much as I wish he was wrong, we really need to
Bailey and I showed off our costumes in the living room with “oohs” and “ahhs” from Annie and Mrs. Ingram.
“Now, you two sit down on the sofa because I have a big surprise for you,” said Annie.
Bailey and I sat while Annie left the room. We giggled at how excited she was. Mrs. Ingram wore a look of satisfaction on her face.
Annie brought Bailey a paper sack, and she sat waiting expectantly as Annie addressed us.
“And now, without further ado, may I present The Ghosts of Bad Halloween Costumes Past ?” she said in a low and official tone.
That’s when Jake, Adam, Ammie, Bri and Mark came through the double doors wearing the most ridiculous looking costumes ever.
Jake was wearing an old tutu I made for Ammie when she was little— on his head. He was carrying a bouquet of ugly, fake flowers and wearing a white “granny” nightgown over his clothes. I could only imagine he was supposed to be a bride.
Adam was wearing a sad Harry Potter costume with a lightning bolt drawn with an eyebrow pencil on his forehead and a black towel pinned to the back of his shirt like a cape.
Ammie starred as one of Santa’s elves, and Bri made for a very skinny Santa. They had obviously dived into the Christmas boxes when the Halloween costumes ran out.
Mark was the only one who actually had on a full costume; he was Superman. He must have found the outfit in one of the donation boxes in the ballroom. He ran through the room, letting his cape fly behind him, singing the theme from the old Batman TV show. None of us had the heart to tell the comical African man that he was singing the wrong tune. He was fabulous just the way he was.
I am not sure I can explain the skit that came next. It had a convoluted plot about how Harry Potter zapped them all to the North Pole, everyone except for Superman because of course he flew there. The bride may or may not have been marrying Superman, and that was all that I could follow.
It made Bailey laugh so hard she fell on the floor snorting. That was all I needed. She was as happy as I had ever seen her.
Following the evening’s entertainment, Bailey went from character to character saying “trick or treat” and holding up her paper sack for her rewards. Ammie threw in some plastic Mardi Gras beads, while Bri gave her a “Go National Guard” cap. Adam was the only one to give her candy; a snickers bar, her favorite. He said that he zapped it in all the way from Hogwarts, but I am sure that he had been saving it from one of his runs. Mark’s gift was touching. It was the American flag that he got when he came home from the Iraq War. It was in a beautiful triangle frame with his name engraved on a little metal plate on the front.
I turned my head so no one could see my tears. My family loves that little girl as much as I do. Like it or not, she is now a Balous-Patton. And I do think she likes it.
“Laura, when we have school again, can I wear my costume?” she asked while I was tucking her into bed.
“Sure thing, sweet girl,” I told her.
This was the best Halloween I have ever had.
November 2
The dark sky has dumped around three more feet of snow.
I was worried about sending out Adam and the other Out-bounders, but we were running dangerously low on food supplies. They have been trying to go through the snowy debris of where homes used to stand. I asked Adam to stay as close to the Village as possible, but I can’t imagine there is much that we and the other scavengers haven’t picked through yet around here.
There have also been more rumors about a group of over 100 Wanderers. Their numbers are now closing in on our population counts, that is, if they do exist. Jackson says that they are probably out there watching us and keeping tabs. He’s one paranoid SOB.
Jackson, Mark, and I sat in my dreary office.
“So, why don’t you go and do secret ops defensives, or whatever it is you do?” I mocked.
“As much as I wish he was wrong, we really need to
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