Life After The Undead (Book 1) (41 page)

He
shrugged.
“Hard
to
say.
Where
we
live,
they
don’t
bother
us
much.”

“Where is
that?”

He
flashed
a
smile.
“Now
that’s a
secret.”

Something
in the
pit
of
my
stomach
fluttered
and
my
skin
grew
hot.
Quinn
’s
entire
face
beamed,
and
his
eyes
squinted
a
little.
I
saw
the
emotion
in
his smile,
felt its
warmth
and
sincerity.
It
’d
been
a
long
time
since
I
’d
seen
a
smile
like
that.
I felt my
face
flush,
and
I
turned
away.

I
suddenly became
very
self-conscious. I
’d
always
been
on
the
thin
side.
Even
at
seventeen,
I
had
very
little
curves.
My
hips
were
flat,
and
my
chest
only
had a
hint
of
breasts.
It
never
really
bothered me
before.
I
was
only
fifteen
when
the
first
attacks
had
happened,
and
then
all
I
wanted
in
Florida
was
to
be
left
alone.
I
liked
boys,
but
I also
read
a
lot
of
books
about
serial
killers.
In
junior
high,
I
constantly
scrutinized
their
actions
and
intentions. Like
the
girls,
they
started
to
think
I
was
weird
and
avoided
me. In
Florida,
I
couldn
’t
do
it.
I
couldn
’t
be
“normal.”
The
world
was
filled
with
zombies.
Why
would
I
care
who
was
going
with
who
to
the
dance?
Why
were
we
even
having dances?
Being
out
in a
truck in
zombie-
infested
land
changed
things.
Was
it
the
ideal
place
to
find
love?
Of
course
not,
but
it
was
the
new
reality.
If
it
was
going
to
happen,
I
couldn
’t
think
of
a
better
place.

I
averted
my
gaze
to my
lap and
cleared
my
throat.
“I
understand.
You
don’t
want
us
to
find
you.”

He smiled
again.
“Sort
of.”

I
turned back to him. I couldn’t get enough of that smile.
“How
long
have
you
lived
out
here?”

“All
my
life.”

“Why
didn
’t
you
leave
when
the
attacks
started?”

“Didn
’t
have
to.
We
weren
’t
bothered
by
the
zombies.
Still
aren’t,
really.”

“How?”

Quinn
shrugged.
“I
guess
we
’r
e
too
far
off
their
radar.”

“Are there
a
lot
of
you
out
here?”

He
shook
his
head.
“Not
really.
Most
of
the
population
fled
to
where
it
was
safe.
Can’t
really
blame
them.
I
t’s
not
an
easy
existence
out
here.”

My
forehead
wrinkled
in
confusion. “Then
why
do
you
do it?”

“Because
it’s
better
than
the
alternative.”

Quinn
slowed
the
truck
onto
an
exit.
We
pulled
into
a
gas
station,
and
he
scanned
the
area.
A
few zombies
lurched
on
the
horizon,
but
they
wouldn
’t
make
it
to
our
position
for
a
while.
The
other
truck
pulled
up
to
the
pump
next
to
us,
and
the
younger
of
the
two
brothers
climbed
onto
the
roof
of
the
cab.
He
signaled
for
me
to
open
my
door.

“If
you
get
on
top,”
he
said,
“you
can
see
for
miles.
It
gives
them
peace
of
mind
and
you
the
ability
to
watch
their
backs.”

I
climbed
on
top
of
the
truck.

Quinn
got
out
and
started
fueling
the
truck
without
shutting
it
off.
He
and
the
other
guy
conversed
with
each
other
while
they
filled
up,
and
I
kept
an
eye
on
the
approaching creatures.
I
found
it
odd
that
the
guys
could
be
so
relaxed
and
talk
as if
they
weren’t
being
hunted.
What
if
there
were
undead
in
the
gas station?
What
if
they
surprised
them from
the
other
direction?
There
was
a
lot
to
be
on
the
lookout
for.
The
zombies
might
be
slow,
but
there
were
a
lot
of
them,
and
they
always
seemed
to
pop
out
from
the
most
unlikely
places.
I
guessed
that
was
how
comfortable
they
felt
with
us
on
the
roof.
That
was
a
lot
of
trust
to
have
in
someone.
I
was
slightly
flattered.

I
didn’t
draw
an
easy
breath
until
I
was
back
in
the
truck
and
on
the
highway. Even
though
I
’d been
on
the
roof,
well
out
of
harm
’s
way,
I
’d
still
been
scared.
I
was
very
nervous
for
Quinn
and
his
friend.
What
if
one
of
us
froze?
Or
missed
the
shot?
I
tried
to
put
it
out
of
my
mind.
It
was
part
of
life
out
t
here
that
I
had
to
get
used
to.
I
volunteered
to
drive,
but
Quinn
said
he
was
fine.
The
landscape
changed
again
from
rolling
hills
into
expansive
valleys
bordered
by
rocky
mountains.
The
sky
turned
a
deeper
blue,
and
the
air
was
crisp
and
cool.
I
cracked
my
window
and sucked
in a
deep
breath.
I
closed
my
eyes
and
focused
on
the
breeze
as
it
blew
through
my
hair.
I
couldn
’t
remember
the
last
time
I
smelled
air
so
clean.
I
was
about
to
fall
asleep
when
the
truck
bumped
me awake.
I
opened
my
eyes
and
looked
at
an
expansive
city
before me. Quinn
stopped
the
truck
in
front
of
a
construction
yard
surrounded
by
a
chain
-
link
fence.