But not she. She remained
Suddenly, her senses stirred when she spotted living flesh. It was a small one with long dark hair in a braid down its back. It walked behind another one with yellow hair, and an animal on four legs sauntered beside it.
Maria didn’t care. All she cared about was meat. With a growl, she reached for the small one. Her curved fingers almost had it when the animal turned on her with a fierce snarl. Before Maria could react, the animal pounced. Its heavy body bore her to the ground, and ivory teeth tore out her throat.
The last thing Maria saw was the yellow-haired human aiming a sharp stick at her face. After that, nothing but darkness.
Epilogue I - Dylan
Dylan threaded her fingers through Nick’s as they walked down the path of remembrance. It was a beautiful summer afternoon, and the air was redolent with the smell of ripening fruit. Bees buzzed between the branches of the trees, and wispy clouds floated in a pastel-blue sky.
The cobbled path wound between rows and rows of fruit trees: Cherry trees, peach trees, fig trees, apple trees, lemon trees, and orange trees. Just about anything that would grow with a reasonable amount of success.
A brick wall covered in names bordered the path, and now and then they’d stop to gaze at a specific one: Richard, Ethan, Brenda, Mike, and many, many more. All of them brave souls who sacrificed their lives for loved ones.
Because they lacked the space, they couldn’t have a cemetery. Instead, Amanda had come up with the idea of a fruit orchard where everyone’s ashes could be scattered after cremation. Dylan found it to be a lovely thought. A mite depressing, but beautiful.
“I’m glad it’s all over,” Dylan said.
“Well, not really,” Nick replied. “There are still tons of zombies out there.”
“I know, but there are no more hordes. Not after Mount Weather mopped up the other one, and we took care of the rest.”
“You’re right, of course. We can finally start over. Humanity has a fighting chance now. At least, we do. I don’t know about the rest of the world,” Nick said.
“We’ll find out soon enough, I suspect,” Dylan said.
“True, and until then, I plan on being as ordinary as possible,” Nick said.
Dylan snorted. “You? Ordinary?”
“You know what I mean,” Nick said. “No more tackling zombies for me.”
Dylan laughed. “I get it. No more heroics and grand battles for us.”
“Exactly. From now on, I plan to focus on normal things like mowing the lawn and learning how to cook.”
“Cook?” Dylan asked.
“Well, one of us has to seeing as you can’t,” Nick said.
“Mm, while you are in such a domestic frame of mood, I have a confession to make,” Dylan said.
“What?” Nick asked with a suspicious frown.
Dylan gripped both his hands and drew him off the path. “This is rather serious, so please, don’t freak out.”
“Now, you’re scaring me.”
“It’s nothing to be scared about, but it is a big responsibility,” Dylan said, gazing deep into his eyes.
“What is it, Dylan?” Nick said. “Spit it out.”
“Well, pretty soon, there will be three of us,” Dylan said.
Nick’s eyes widened. “Three of us?”
“That’s right. How do you feel about the pitter-patter of little feet around the house?” Dylan said, studying his expression in minute detail.
“I don’t know what to say,” Nick admitted. “I mean…this is huge. This is so much more than I expected so soon. How would we…can we do it?”
“It is a big deal,” Dylan agreed, enjoying his panic to the fullest. “I hope you’re not unhappy about this?”
“Unhappy? Er, no! Of course, I’m happy for you. For us,” Nick stuttered.
Dylan allowed the moment to stretch out before deciding to put him out of his misery. “Mandy Baker’s dogs just had puppies, and I told her I wanted one.”
Nick’s jaw hit the ground. “You evil little witch. You really had me going there.”
“I did, didn’t I?” Dylan said, laughing long and hard. “You should’ve seen your face.”
“That was just cruel,” he muttered, folding his arms.
‘But so worth it,” Dylan crowed.
“I’ll get you back for that,” Nick vowed.
“Oh, I’m counting on it,” Dylan said.
Suddenly, Nick frowned. “A dog? Another George? Not a chance in hell.”
“Oh, come on. He’s not that bad.”
“That dog is a monster,” Nick vowed.
“Just think about it. You’ll have two monsters in the house,” Dylan teased, drawing closer. She stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the lips. “It can’t be that bad, right?”
Nick hesitated. “Maybe not.”
“Just give it a chance,” Dylan coaxed.
“Alright,” Nick conceded. “For you, I’ll give it a shot. My beautiful monster.”
Epilogue II - Tara
Tara walked along the newly-laid cobble road toward the school, carrying a leather suitcase in one hand. Tree branches swayed above her head, and the leaves cast dappled shadows beneath her booted feet. One heel slipped on a smooth stone, and she stumbled. “Oh, crap.”
“Careful, my love,” Saul cautioned, reaching out one hand to steady her progress.
She flashed him a grateful smile. “Thanks, babe. I probably shouldn’t have worn heels today.”
“Why not? You can do anything you want now,” he said. “We’re on the brink of a new world.”
It was true. Or, almost true. Yes, the undead were still a danger. Even though they could no longer infect people with their bite, they could still kill. But their numbers were dwindling, and their hold on the future lessened with each passing day. Humanity had survived its worst nightmare and was clawing its way back into the light.
All over the country, communities were popping up, led by enterprising leaders. These miniature cities were well-fortified and blended in with the land. Solar power and aqueducts provided many of these with electricity and water, while power stations and water plants were being revived. Willing hands built schools, clinics, churches, and homes, the materials stripped from old cities that were now little more than ghost towns.
Trade routes crossed the land, while
