The First Days (As the World Dies 1)

"Thank God someone came for us," the blond woman exclaimed.

"Gretchen, good to see you alive. "

"Same here, Juan," the stout woman answered.

Belinda locked the door behind them. "We've been here since it started. "

"We were almost out of food," the teenager said.

"We're here now," Jenni said with a smile. She felt a little weird about Belinda, but liked feeling like the rescuer.

"Oh, Lord, we've been eating snacks out of the vending machines. We're almost out," Gretchen said.

"We got locked in when Mr. Marsters showed up with a bad bite. He said someone bit him as he was stopped at a stoplight. We tried to help him, but he died," Belinda explained.

"We had heard about them coming back and we took no chances and were carrying him out when he did come back," Gretchen added.

"We almost didn't get away from him. He tripped and fell and that is when we managed to lock the door," Belinda finished.

Jenni studied her a bit longer. She was fairly sure that librarians were not supposed to be attractive or sexy.

Juan quickly explained about the fort, the situation, and all they had endured. Gretchen kept clasping her hands and saying, "Dear sweet Jesus. "

The teenager just seemed dazed. Belinda kept hugging Juan, which really annoyed Jenni.

Jenni wasn't sure she liked any of them.

"So there are no doctors or nurses in the fort?" Gretchen asked in horror after Juan was done with his story.

"Nope. Clinic got wiped out right away. That's why we need books," Juan answered.

Belinda clasped her hands over her mouth and tears welled in her eyes.

She shook it off and said, "Okay. Give us the list. "

Juan rummaged around in the pocket of his worn jeans and pulled it out.

Belinda took it and immediately scanned it.

"Okay, we'll divide it up, load up the book carts, and get out of here,"

Belinda said.

Jenni tried not to frown at her. Who had put her in charge anyway?

But being the good sport she was, Jenni trudged along behind Gretchen, pushing a book cart while it got loaded up with what looked like a bunch of really boring books. Juan went with Belinda and the teenager collected all the remaining candy from the vending machine.

Jenni was almost disappointed when they got out to the truck and there were no zombies in sight. She was feeling edgy and irritable and wanted to shoot something.

They all squeezed into the truck. Belinda sat next to Juan with the teenager on her lap. Gretchen squeezed in next and Jenni ended up crammed in last, almost on top of Gretchen.

The trip back was even more boring than the trip out. Again she saw some zombies trapped in houses, beating on windows, but none broke out.

She thought of Mikey, sighed, and felt even more like shooting stuff.

Back at the fort, the ladies were helped up over their defenses and into the construction site while Juan loaded up the old pallet Travis had built with the books while Jenni and others stood watch.

Finally, she went over the wall, Juan behind her.