End of the Line by Lara Frater Page B

volunteered to stay with Simon and Brie so Maddie could be here with me. Princess was absent as well. No surprise. Jim had an umbrella over Annemarie. She was still sick and I worried that her cold and the shock of her best friend’s death might make it worse.
                  Robert went to Mindy. He put his hand on the sheet that covered her body, and then said the Lord’s Prayer. Mindy prayed. She wanted to believe that God would save her from this. Maybe she was right. Maybe this was how he saved her.
                  Robert went to Eli, said the prayer again, and then moved to the woman. I wouldn’t do anything for her, if there were a Hell, that’s where she belonged. I almost stopped Robert from doing it, but I know I had to control my anger. He didn’t pray for her, instead said: “Lord, forgive you.”
                  “Doctor, you should say something,” Jim said. He always knew when the change subject.
                  I didn’t want to. I wanted to go back to bed and curl up with the cat but they were looking at me for words, advice, some thing to make everything right.              
                  “I will miss Mindy and Eli. Eli was a help to the council and he got the toilets to flush. Mindy was an amazing nurse. In another life, she would be a doctor. They were both stubborn and invaluable to this place, to our survival. We will miss them,” I paused. I wouldn’t cry. 
                  “Do you think you could show emotions for one minute?” Annemari e said with tears in her eyes.
                  “Come on, doc,” Jim said. “It’s okay to be upset.”
    Maddie put her arm on my shoulder. “It’s okay, honey. I know you have emotions and this upsets you. We’re all here for you.”
    They didn’t understand that is if I cried the memories would come flooding in. I would remember everything and I wouldn’t be able to hold it together.
    Instead I said. “I’m sorry if you don’t think I’m a good leader. I didn’t ask for this but I’m trying my best. I know you want someone to lead you out of the dark, to destroy the zombies and return us back to what we had. Abe made it seem like things would go back to normal. Maybe he killed himself when he realized the truth. I may not be a good leader by telling you, it isn’t going to happen. This may never end. The world we know is gone, billions of people are dead, people we loved and now we face extinction from the dead. We have only two choices: we die or accept this as our life. Always on the run from zombies and we may have to live here for a long time.”
                  “You’re upbeat,” Tanya said and for a change her voice had no hint of sarcasm. 
                  “I’m realistic.”
                  “I kind of wish we could make some trips outside,” this came from Ashley. “I mean Henry’s here and maybe he can fix up a car or something. I would love if someone could come with me to check up on my daughter. Abe thought it was too dangerous for me to go alone but he never found someone to take me.”
                  I’m pretty sure Ab e didn’t want anyone to leave.              
                  “The cars out there—“ Henry said. “They probably need starters, spark plugs, and maybe some gas additives, cause they haven’t been run in a while. I can also fix up one of them trucks out in the loading dock. It’s big and can deal with traffic jams. It’s bad out there—I’ll fix up anything for you, but I won’t leave again. You all shouldn’t. You got everything here. Everything is dead out there, even with the zombs.”
                  “That’s okay, we won’t force anyone out. Ashley, if no one wants to go—“              
                  “I’ll go,” Jim said.
                  I