Free Defending No Where (The No Where Apocalypse Book 3) by e a lake Page B

perfection, how it moved in harmony with the others as if it had never gone missing from the gunshot wound.  
    This was going to be a great day.
    Golden waves of sunshine filled the main room of the cabin. The air temperature was perfect and allowed me to roam around bare-chested. My feet felt anew on the wood floor, sensing every crook and crack. And they didn’t hurt, not one bit.
    I was refreshed and ready for whatever needed to be done. And I knew what came next. I was certain now was the time to go after our attackers and right the wrongs they’d brought upon us.
    But that’s what made me stop. Where were the rest of us ?

    I listened for voices; perhaps they were just outside, working in the garden. That would make sense on such a wondrous day , I thought. Peeking out the window, I saw no one. And that bothered me.
    If they had taken a walk together, the group ran the risk of running into road scum. That would make them vulnerable and that was not a good plan.
    “What are you looking at?” a voice behind me asked. I turned to find Violet and a young lady standing behind me, hand in hand. At first, I thought it was Libby. However, the young lady had dark hair and looked to be six or seven years old.
    “Where is everyone else?” I asked, confused by the girl and the dress that Violet wore. The long green and blue plaid sleeveless dress hugged her now mature form. She wasn’t 15 any longer. She looked more like that of a 20-something woman.
    “Everyone else is gone, Bob,” she answered, releasing the girl’s hand and walking towards me. “It’s just you, me and Hope now. It has been for a while. Probably will be forever.”  
    She hugged me tightly. “I’ve missed you while you were gone. I was worried you might never come back.”
    I didn’t understand, not a word of it. “Where’d I go?”
    She looked up at me, stroking my clean-shaven face, running her fingers through my short hair.
    “Oh, here and there,” she replied, standing on her tiptoes, gently kissing my lips. “But everything’s okay now. Everything is as it should be.”
    She kissed me again, more passionate this time. As if…
    “What are you doing?” I asked. Why I didn’t try to pull away, I didn’t know. But I didn’t.
    She kissed me again, this time with an opened mouth. This caused me to think about pushing her away, but still I didn’t. I had no idea why I allowed it to continue.
    When the passion ended, she led me to the table. But not a table I was familiar with. This was a large, beautifully set table with dishes of orange and gold and a stark-white tablecloth. A tall glass of cold beer waited at my spot.
    I sipped the IPA, enjoying the mild taste, allowing it to swirl in my mouth before I swallowed. I almost cried as the familiar taste tickled my throat. It was perfect.
    Hope sat a plate in front of me. On it was a large steak smothered in mushrooms, just as I liked. Next to the steak was a pile of baby potatoes, covered in melting bright yellow butter. At the top of the plate sat a pile of bright green Brussels sprouts with hunks of bacon.
    Everything I loved, cooked perfectly and served with a smile.
    I stared at my hostesses as they stood over me. “Where’s yours?” I asked, cutting my first bite of bloody steak. Somehow, Violet knew just how I liked it.
    She sat on one side of me as Hope took a place opposite of her. “We don’t eat anymore, Bob. We don’t have to.”
    I stuffed the meat in my mouth and chewed. Waiting for the flavor to caress my palate, I smiled at her. “Why don’t you eat? You mean you ate earlier?”
    “No,” she replied, stroking my hand, kissing my moving lips again.
    Only then did I realize that the steak had no taste. Leaning forward, I inhaled the steam from the meat, potatoes and vegetables. Nothing registered.
    I looked back at Hope, but now she appeared tired and worn. Dark circles appeared where none were only moments ago. A glance at Violet showed the same. I spit the meat