They were running around and screaming, but none of them even smelled like cookies.
Jack sat down, yawned, and looked around.
Katie walked up to him and leaned down to give him kisses. She wasn't smelly like the old man, but she smelled like a mother. He kinda liked it. Smothering him with kisses, she hugged him tight, then wandered off.
Still, there was no cookie.
Jack flopped down and began to chew on one paw, studying his surroundings. The human puppies may not smell like cookies, but maybe one of them would go get some. Yes, this was his best bet.
Nerit walked up to him, knelt down carefully, and patted his head.
“You're a good boy, Jack. ” She smiled and rubbed his ears.
As she reached into her pocket, his ears perked up and he thumped his tail.
With a smile, she slipped him an Oreo cookie and walked off.
Jack chewed it up, grinning to himself, then gulped it down.
Ah, now he could enjoy his day.
He stood up, stretched and headed out into the construction site.
Maybe if he was lucky, they'd let him sit up next to the guard so he could bark at the loud, stinky dead things.
Yes, yes, that sounded good.
Too bad he couldn't roll around on them though…
3. Silent Night
What had once been dubbed the “zombie corral” was now a very nice, walled-in courtyard decorated in a thin film of fresh snow that glimmered with the reflections of the Christmas lights strung all over the fort.
Katie leaned against the rail of the guard post, looking down over the wall where children were being hustled back in after an impromptu snow fight. The tiny snowflakes were still falling, but she knew that by morning the snow would already be melting away. Snow never lasted long in these parts.
November had been a hard month. Construction had gone into over drive. It had felt like it had been non-stop until December 16th. They had reclaimed Main Street, the former zombie corral, and moved the trucks out to a new perimeter. Bit by bit they were spreading out, making things more secure.
Travis was working long hours with Eric to map out their future expanded fort. At times, Travis looked overwhelmed as he sat deep in thought. It was a lot to worry about. At times, it consumed him. But every night, when he held her, she could see that he was happy and at peace with her.
Katie looked up. More flakes touched her lips and cheeks. The sky was clear and beautiful. She sighed at the wonder of it.
Nearby, down in the street, Bill and Katarina were trying to build a snowman with Peggy and her son, Cody. It was a peaceful scene. It made Katie smile. In a few years, Katie and Travis would have a little one to build a snowman with. If things didn't go to hell…
No, she couldn't think like that.
A few weeks ago, the bulldozing of the old buildings across from the hotel had brought many people up onto the roof to watch. Zombies had rushed the bulldozers and the snipers had picked them off. The bulldozer drivers also seemed to have fun running the zombies over.
The cabs had been encased in a protective mesh, so no one was lost, though there had been a scare when one zombie had dragged a sniper down off a truck. The sniper had shoved the tip of his rifle through the zombie's eye and had been rewarded by cheers from the onlookers.
This was definitely a strange new world.
And thinking of strange…
Below her, Calhoun was running around in the snow, his arms outstretched, his mouth open to catch the snow. Nearby, Eric and Stacey were running around playing with their little dog, Pepe.
The survivors in the fort were extending the wall and claiming long abandoned buildings. Some would be destroyed, others renovated. But it would take time, and time was a strange, strange beast that did very weird things.
Lenore and Ken slipped out of the city hall front doors to join Calhoun in the snow. They immediately began pelting each other with snowballs.