Chapter 17: We're Okay

Ethan Warren

December 2022

Seven Months after outbreak

apartment, Minnesota

Season 1

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The first snowfall was yesterday. We all had fun making snowmen, having snowball fights and simply forgetting this is the end of the world. Dallen's leg healed perfectly. Rudolph's been up and walking since early October. Khai built a metal fence around our house to keep the dead out and just so we could get some fresh air without having to climb all the way up to the roof. She also tore down all the walls on the first floor so we could have a dining room table, a place to store weapons, and a place to talk. She then did the most and found a heater that could run with gas and not electricity. I was grateful for everything she was doing but I didn't want her to feel like everything was her responsibility. She deserved to feel at home just like the rest of us, not to carry the pressure of making us stronger. That was something we had to equally work for, we all were burdened with the responsibility of doing our part.

My birthday was supposed to be November 4th but we kinda lost track of the days. Edin's was sometime this month but we didn't know the exact day. They told us it was the 11th. Being an adult feels exactly the same as being a kid in this world. I know I should probably just forget about caring how old we all are, it didn't matter. But I needed something to hold onto.

Christmas was soon, we didn't know when but we knew it was soon. We decided we'll celebrate it next week. The dead haven't been much of a problem lately, maybe it was the change in weather, we can only guess, but it was nice nonetheless.

Ashton kissed Rudi, it was really cute. They had just finished making snow angels in the backyard. I could tell Rudi didn't feel the same about Ash but he just couldn't bring himself to crush the little man's dreams.

We were sitting pretty at the end of the world. We were lucky and we knew many others weren't and we were brought back into that reality when we heard the screams. There were people outside, and it was up to me if we were to help them or not.

We had to help, that's still who we are. I pulled out my handgun that I keep in the back of my pants. Khai keeps hers in the inside pocket of her jacket. The others went inside to grab theirs from the first floor.

Khai and I opened the gate, we killed the dead but we didn't put our guns down after, we kept them pointed at the skulls of the newcomers. Two women and one man.

"Thank you, thank you so much. God appreciates your kindness," the man thanked.

"God left a long time ago, who are you and what do you want," Khai interrogated.

"Do you have room to spare? My friend here is pregnant, we fear the baby will come soon and we don't have the resources to provide for it. Please help us, friends. We will do whatever you ask," the preacher begged.

"Get inside," I ordered. Khai gave me an angry look but she didn't say anything in protest.

"God bless you, sir. God bless you."