The First Days (As the World Dies 1)

Katie guessed hunger had finally made Nerit's voice register with the girl. She watched Nerit tenderly shovel a little bit into the girl's mouth. The girl slowly closed her mouth and her jaw worked slightly. For some reason, it was too much to bear. "I need a breather. " Katie stood.

Nerit nodded. "I know. You go. I will stay with her. "

Katie walked out of the kitchen and out onto the balcony. She stood there, gripping the railing, taking deep breaths. She felt like a bitch, but she couldn't deal with this right now. She just couldn't. Yet she couldn't just stand out here and not do anything at all.

Moving through the living room, she snagged her rifle and went downstairs to help the men load the pallet. They were surprised to see her, but she simply said, "I need to help" and no one protested. She immediately began to help pack up the boxes with supplies while Ralph stood watch over the street.

Everything was boxed, labeled and taped shut. Once the load was done being packed onto the pallet, they began securing it down with ropes, a large hunting net, nails and wire. By the time they got done, Katie was certain nothing would be tumbling off the thick pallet. Travis had made it complete with a thick, heavy metal wire in the frame that hooked into thick towing chains in all four corners. They all connected to a large metal loop. Katie knew that the plan was to hook the pallet unto the crane's hook back at the fortress and use it basically as an elevator to lift them all up and over the wall.

She had felt leery about this plan at first, but seeing what Travis had concocted, she felt a bit more secure.

As the

y walked inside, Travis took hold of her arm and drew her back.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, sure…" Katie started to pull away, but Travis held firm.

"I don't think you are. "

She pressed her lips together, then sighed. "That girl…Jenni was like her in the beginning. Staring ahead, not talking, just blank. Then she snapped out of it. "

Travis flinched. "Oh. "

"I see what Jenni could have been in that girl. If she hadn't run outside but had holed up in a bathroom or a bedroom…"

"Oh. " Travis rubbed her arm lightly and kissed her forehead very tenderly. "But Jenni's okay. "

Katie closed her eyes and nodded. "It's sheer luck, Travis. You, me, Jenni, all of us…being alive. Being okay. We were just lucky to get to safety.

We could have all been Laura. "

His fingers were very tender as he stroked her hair, trying to calm her.

"Yes, but that reverend saved you and you saved Jenni. "

"And you saved us," Katie added. She fastened her gaze on him and sighed. "This world is fragile. It hurts so deep. I can't bear to think too far, too much, of what it would be like to lose…" She faltered.

"Jenni. "

"Or Jason. Or Jack," she hesitated. "Or you. Nerit. Ralph. "

He smoothed her hair gently and gave her a little hug. "I have nightmares…waking nightmares. I see people-the people around metransformed into those things. I have since the first day. Juan, the Mayor, Peggy, others. When you were sick I kept seeing you as one of those things.

Just for a split second. A waking nightmare of my-"

"-fear. "

"Yes. " He sighed. "I was talking to Jenni that first night. I was thinking how beautiful she was, then for a moment, for a flash, I saw her as dead as one of those monsters. "

Katie looked up at him, her eyes full of tears. "I think we all have those fears. "

"We'll take Laura home with us. We'll help her find her way back to us, to the land of the living. We'll keep each other alive. " Travis' voice was determined, full of emotion.

Katie wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly to her.

"Help each other be strong. "