A Place for Tomorrow

Chapter 1

*A/N- This book may contain triggering scenes in the chapters, this book is set in the future after the world has lost all humanity, and the stories of some of the survivors are not pleasant, please be warned. 

The year 2040...

“Ella, we have been here for five days, can we go check on them” my little brother Arron asked me in a whisper.

I thought about his question. I haven’t heard any noises in the past day, I was wondering the same but my eleven-year-old brother and eight-year-old sister are my top priority now.

“I will go check, stay here and keep an eye on Holly, I don’t want to wake her up right now” I told him.

He nodded and grabbed his shotgun and came to the hatch with me, I flipped it up and looked around before crawling out. He poked his head out and made sure the area was clear like I was, and he nodded it was safe. Closing the hatch behind him, I picked my way silently to the house listening for any noises or signs the strangers might still be there.

Father and I have run into a few before, but they were passing through mostly. We only had to kill a few that wanted to do things to me that didn’t sound good but infuriated my father.

Out of my nineteen years on this earth, I have killed a total of eleven people. Two were sick and asked to put them out of their misery, which I obliged.

Coming up on the backside of the cabin I sat for ten minutes and didn’t see any signs of life around, so I slowly stalked towards the side of the cabin. Still not hearing anything I peeked around the front to see tire tracks that looked two days old, and the front door cracked open.

My mother’s screams echoed in my head from a few days ago, and I had to calm my breathing before entering. I have seen some gruesome things, I have heard those screams before, but not from my mother.

Bending down, I picked up a small rock and threw it at the front door, and waited to see if there was a response from inside. Satisfied that it was empty, I made my way around the front door.

Opening the door with my gloved hands, I had to the urge to gag, it smelled like rotten meat, and decay, oh no! I tightened the rag I had over my face and took a couple of steps inside, the house looked empty, all of our supplies were taken or used right here.

I heard a groan from inside the master bedroom and ran to open it. When I walked in I found out where the stench was coming from and doubled over holding my stomach so I don’t get sick.

“Ella...” I whipped my head up and nausea hit me harder, as I looked at my father tied into a chair beside the bed, he looked beaten, b****y and bruised. I ran to him when he started coughing up blood making me stop dead in my tracks.

“Father...” I whispered with sadness.

“They were infect.. *cough cough*.. infected. Don’t touch anything else” he told me. I looked at him carefully and seen his nose was running with blood, and blood seeping out of his mouth with bloodshot eyes.

I started to look at the rest of the room, knowing the smell wasn’t fully him, it was something dead... that someone was my mother.

She was tied to the bed with her hands in some type of rope, her eyes closed and she was n***d. I knew what they did to her, and I knew they made my father watch, the tears started rolling down my eyes before I knew it I was crying.

They had killed her before the virus could and that I was grateful for. But I swore in my mind that if I find them, I will t*****e them until the virus takes the bastards down.

I looked back at my father and he was still coughing. I wanted to untie him but I knew better than to go near him, my long sleeve shirt, gloves, and mask might not be enough to keep me safe.

“Tell the kids I love them, that we loved them...*Cough*... You know what to do. Be my strong girl, I know you can, and take care of them” He told me in between wheezing.

I knew he wanted me to end his misery, it is one of our plans, the backup plan. I nodded my head and lifted my pistol towards his head and whispered “I love you too, I promise to protect them with my life” and pulled the trigger before I could second guess myself.

Running out of the cabin, I had to get out of there, I couldn’t breathe from the sight, smell, and what I had to do. I fell down on my knees and cried for a while until I couldn’t anymore, gathering myself back together careful not to touch my skin or face, I stood up.

I had to tell my siblings that my parents are dead, but I refuse to tell them how. A little lie wouldn’t hurt, my brother had nerves of steel like me, but my little sister was still so innocent, I couldn’t risk it.