The Beginning at the End of the World: A Post-Apocalyptic, Dystopian Series (The Survivor Diaries Book 2) Read Online Free Page B
make a decision on what to do. The way I see it is that we have two choices; we stay or we run,” said Mark.
“It’s not running,” said Jackson, irritated. “It’s about finding the most strategic and the safest place to settle the Village.”
I could tell that Mark’s temper was about to steam over. He didn’t like agreeing with the Colonel in the first place, but when Jackson became argumentative, Mark became indignant. “Is it because when you say ‘strategic,’ you mean ‘strategic for battle’ not ‘strategic for supplies, our own belongings, and the hospital’?”
Those were all good points, especially the hospital. As far as I could recall, there was only a small clinic in the Valley where an old country doctor had his practice. Who knows if it’s even still there?
I used to go to Carmel Valley when I was a teenager. At the time, it had the only public pool for miles. It was a long ride out there, but my friends would pick me up, and we would make the drive together, giggling about boys the whole way. It was worth it in the summer. Monterey’s summers used to be in the fifty to sixty degree range before the Last War. The Valley would get into the ninety degree range, and my friends would get killer tans - and I would get killer sun burns - but those were such wonderful, carefree days.
I wonder what the weather is going to be like in the Valley this summer.
∞
I got a call from Jackson on our emergency walkie. I now had three separate walkies, each with its own purpose, besides being my own personal lojacks. I knew that if a call came on the emergency walkie it was about something big, but that the whole Village should not be alerted.
I ran out of the ballroom to the next street over, where I had been summoned. The day was bright and the glare of the snow burned my eyes. When I blinked away my blindness, I saw Cory on the snowy ground with Jackson standing over him trying to get zip-ties over his wrists as he wriggled around in the snow, trying to get away.
I ran to his side and noticed Levi Samuels standing behind Mark, who was facing him. He looked very agitated, and I knew that he had something to do with whatever was going on.
I knelt down next to Cory, my knees sinking into the deep powder. “Stop fighting him. He outweighs you by fifty pounds of muscle. Stop and we will figure this out.”
“Bring them to the ballroom,” I ordered.
“No,” Jackson contradicted. “This is security, and it’s my jurisdiction. Take them to the paddy.”
“The ‘paddy”— what is this, 1875? Is there a wagon that comes with that, Constable Jackson?” I asked, not understanding how there could be any type of prison that I wasn’t aware of.
I followed Cory, who fought being pushed in the direction Jackson wanted him to go. Jackson himself, followed by Mark, and Levi, and three others on the security team, determinedly aimed him in the direction they wanted him to go. Our feet sank in the snowy powder until we finally made it to a small house that I thought was one of our few remaining empty dwellings.
Mark seemed to have been there before, and I was feeling betrayed. He led Levi to a chair and went back outside. Before I knew it, he was back with wood, and he was starting a fire to warm the freezing and sparsely furnished room. I looked on feeling as if I wasn’t even in the room, like I was watching a movie and all of the actors’ movements were well choreographed. I stayed back as an observer.
After shoving Cory ahead of him into what I can only guess was a secure room, Jackson came and sat behind a desk that was near the fire.
“Okay, how did it start?” Jackson asked an uncomfortable-looking Levi.
Levi looked sheepishly at me. “He was saying that Laura had no idea what she was doing and that you all just follow her blindly.” I made a small, snarky noise before I had even realized it.
Mark sent me a look and took a seat next to him. “Go on, Levi. It’s okay.”
“He said
“It’s not running,” said Jackson, irritated. “It’s about finding the most strategic and the safest place to settle the Village.”
I could tell that Mark’s temper was about to steam over. He didn’t like agreeing with the Colonel in the first place, but when Jackson became argumentative, Mark became indignant. “Is it because when you say ‘strategic,’ you mean ‘strategic for battle’ not ‘strategic for supplies, our own belongings, and the hospital’?”
Those were all good points, especially the hospital. As far as I could recall, there was only a small clinic in the Valley where an old country doctor had his practice. Who knows if it’s even still there?
I used to go to Carmel Valley when I was a teenager. At the time, it had the only public pool for miles. It was a long ride out there, but my friends would pick me up, and we would make the drive together, giggling about boys the whole way. It was worth it in the summer. Monterey’s summers used to be in the fifty to sixty degree range before the Last War. The Valley would get into the ninety degree range, and my friends would get killer tans - and I would get killer sun burns - but those were such wonderful, carefree days.
I wonder what the weather is going to be like in the Valley this summer.
∞
I got a call from Jackson on our emergency walkie. I now had three separate walkies, each with its own purpose, besides being my own personal lojacks. I knew that if a call came on the emergency walkie it was about something big, but that the whole Village should not be alerted.
I ran out of the ballroom to the next street over, where I had been summoned. The day was bright and the glare of the snow burned my eyes. When I blinked away my blindness, I saw Cory on the snowy ground with Jackson standing over him trying to get zip-ties over his wrists as he wriggled around in the snow, trying to get away.
I ran to his side and noticed Levi Samuels standing behind Mark, who was facing him. He looked very agitated, and I knew that he had something to do with whatever was going on.
I knelt down next to Cory, my knees sinking into the deep powder. “Stop fighting him. He outweighs you by fifty pounds of muscle. Stop and we will figure this out.”
“Bring them to the ballroom,” I ordered.
“No,” Jackson contradicted. “This is security, and it’s my jurisdiction. Take them to the paddy.”
“The ‘paddy”— what is this, 1875? Is there a wagon that comes with that, Constable Jackson?” I asked, not understanding how there could be any type of prison that I wasn’t aware of.
I followed Cory, who fought being pushed in the direction Jackson wanted him to go. Jackson himself, followed by Mark, and Levi, and three others on the security team, determinedly aimed him in the direction they wanted him to go. Our feet sank in the snowy powder until we finally made it to a small house that I thought was one of our few remaining empty dwellings.
Mark seemed to have been there before, and I was feeling betrayed. He led Levi to a chair and went back outside. Before I knew it, he was back with wood, and he was starting a fire to warm the freezing and sparsely furnished room. I looked on feeling as if I wasn’t even in the room, like I was watching a movie and all of the actors’ movements were well choreographed. I stayed back as an observer.
After shoving Cory ahead of him into what I can only guess was a secure room, Jackson came and sat behind a desk that was near the fire.
“Okay, how did it start?” Jackson asked an uncomfortable-looking Levi.
Levi looked sheepishly at me. “He was saying that Laura had no idea what she was doing and that you all just follow her blindly.” I made a small, snarky noise before I had even realized it.
Mark sent me a look and took a seat next to him. “Go on, Levi. It’s okay.”
“He said
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