《After Z》Chapter Thirteen
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"Oh shit," Nick said. "Okay, first, and I know how this sounds, but the dead are rising. Okay?"
"I see." Zita took a hold of Marv's leash, hand on his collar to keep it from jingling. "Maybe you should, uh... tell me the whole story."
"Right," the guy said, confidence in his voice for the first time. "Okay, so, you know how these riots started up a few months ago? Well, I'd been noticing a few trends similar to biological pandemics and zombie movies dating back to-"
Zita guided Marv quietly out of the restroom, heading for her small haversack under the picnic overhang. She could still hear Nick's even cadence, the near-lecture a certain sort of guy would get into when telling someone - usually a woman - about a topic he was passionate about. Eventually he might register her utter lack of response, but by then she and Marv would be long-gone, on their way to finding a new place to hide and wait.
Away from this new and unstable danger. As if she didn't have enough problems.
***
At first, Nick had been confused when he discovered that Zita had slipped away during his explanation - and explanation that she'd asked for, by the way. Then he'd felt a little bit humiliated, before settling on chagrined. He absolutely understood why a single woman alone with her dog wouldn't trust a random guy in the woods. He'd pulled a bit of a dipshit move, surprising her that way.
That's why, perhaps, when he stumbled on the family campsite while looking for a deep woods site to move his tent to, he hadn't revealed himself. Instead, he took a knee behind some bushes to scope them out - something that he knew was infinitely creepier than just going up to say hi - but groups had started to make him a little nervous.
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There were two parents and two kids, a teen girl and a boy of maybe twelve. They seemed to be in good spirits, and well supplied, with a large cooler and a mesh bag of non-perishables hanging from a tree. At least, they seemed more put together than he or Kev had been, and geared up for a longer haul.
Mom and Dad - whatever their names were - were cleaning out the fire pit, while little Bobby and Lily (as he'd named them in his head) were preparing fishing lures by their camp's table.
Fishing. That was a good idea. Did you need a license to fish? Nick didn't know, but it didn't matter, he had to avoid the ranger either way. But fish were a lot easier to catch and prepare than rabbits and other small game.
Maybe he could stop by with some fresh meat and trade for supplies, later, when everybody was on the same page about societal collapse. It was frustrating that he couldn't just... talk at people, and make them understand. Like Mom. Like the guy on the road. Like the girl in the bathroom and her dog. He had logic! He had reason! Why couldn't anybody just... just LISTEN?!?
Mom seemed to look right in his direction and Nick froze, hunching lower. Last thing he needed was to be accused of peeping when, technically, he was spying. It'd be even harder to convince them of his good intentions if they caught him being super creepy.
She looked away, and Nick slunk off into the woods, heart beating. Maybe they were right. Maybe he was a creep. Maybe he was destined to be the last survivor of a world devoured by the insatiable dead. Maybe it'd serve them all right.
No, that was mean, that was petulant, and Nick was better than that. He stopped and picked up a stout branch, one capable of – he imagined – shattering bone and pulping muscle if wielded with enough force. If the people would not accept him, maybe he'd have to become their unseen protector. A vigilante of the woods, if you will.
He'd find some way to save everybody. That'll show 'em.
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Summoned
“Per aspera ad astra." Death. Mercilessly, it comes for all. But when a young man is given a second chance – a second life – to experience what he never has, what will he do? Leave the burdens of his past behind, improving upon his faults? Or will he collapse back into old sins, wasting the opportunity given to him? Perhaps even he himself does not know. * Join Andre on his journey as he explores a new world – one ripped straight from the pages of a D&D campaign he's never played. He will face monsters. He will face men. And above all, he will face himself. The story’s genre is your standard progression fantasy, isekai: magic, a system, and a level of technology suspiciously underdeveloped. I’ve borrowed tropes from various books I’ve read like “The Second Coming of Gluttony”. The similarities are there (particularly in the beginning), but I assure you the story is my own. It’s in the first-person perspective and has its own quirks, characters, and world for you to become immersed in. The upload schedule for this will be different from the usual fictions on this site: I’ll release chapters in batches rather than so many a week. I’m a college student, so I don’t want another deadline to worry about. Depending on the popularity/demand of the series, I might increase or decrease the rate of releases. Other than that, I hope you enjoy the story! P.S. This is my first fiction so make sure to point out mistakes wherever you see them. I’m doing this, partly, to increase my skill as a writer. However, be kind! I’m fragile, you know? Warning: ***This is far from your happy-go-lucky, feel-good adventure story. There will be content that some of you might not be comfortable with. And if you're already feeling skeptical reading this, click away and don't come back. If you're still here, what are you waiting for?***
8 171I Am Not The Main Character
Laying listlessly on his couch, Daire recalled his favorite book. "He killed them all." That cheeky author... The last book in the series rested on his lap. Completed. The characters never to rise again. "It can't be over." Closing his eyes, he whispered a prayer. A wish to set things right. (Cover Artwork is my copyrighted original. You can view the full image on my instagram @scanlonaustin)
8 335Cata Maestra
Hey. I'm Maestra.Life sucks. It's a fact everyone knows, and something I've experienced twice. But want to know something else?Death sucks even more. Especially when you're alive to remember it, and only it.And that's the only thing that keeps me going. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Yo, welcome to my first attempt at making a story. Feedback would be very highly appreciated, so feel free to leave criticism where you see fit. Also posted on ScribbleHub!
8 124In Z Finite
This is the story of Zarco, a young guy with a magic stone and not much else, and Caelum, a wingless "angel". "Caelum-That's stupid... Zarco-Eh, it is..." Ahem, anyway, a lot of action & adventure awaits them, as they are forced together on a journey in search of some magic stones of legendary power. "Zarco-Liar! We're currently doing a lot more of "trying to survive" than rock picking around here! Caelum-Yeah, that is pretty misleading." Ok, screw this, I am out, if nobody read this story it will be your fault. "Zarco-The hell are you talking about, you're the one who wrote this... Caelum-Since our writer is unreliable, I will finish this. This story at its core is just a fun rump, focused on action, adventure, and a lot of comedic dialogue and exchanges. If you had at least a chuckle reading this then you will probably enjoy the story. Zarco-Yo, thanks for reading till this point, we will meet again at the pages."
8 87Gilded Cage~ Shapeshifter Rebirth
"You're just my tool. Know your place." It's her duty to follow her master's command. Even at the risk of injuring herself or losing her mind. It's his right to make use of her cold-heartedly. Even discarding her when she had become useless. She was a bird trapped inside a gilded cage, slowly losing her mind in the process.He was the heir of the country, regretting things he had lost in the process of power chasing. Could she ever be saved? Could he get back what he had lost? A love story between an antagonist and a side character.Melancholic Sword Apprentice (hidden shape-shifter) × Cunning Cold-hearted Master of Ivory Manor
8 101Never grow up [1/2]
Meredith, Derek and their 3 kids deal with daily life when their youngest daughter needs a bit more help than their oldest kids as she has a disability
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