Swarm (Dead Ends) Read Online Free PDF Page B

care that only a father can give to his daughter. “A dentist actually but I did go to medical school. Couldn’t decide between psychiatry and dentistry.”
    “I think you made the right choice. I’d guess it’s a lot easier to diagnose physical pain than it is mental pain.”
    “Amen to that.” He seemed a little more relaxed now, perhaps because he could tell I wasn’t a psycho or a looter just trying to take advantage of a bad situation.
    I nodded towards the entrance, “have you been inside yet?”
    “Yeah, there are a few more people. Most of the employees took off when they realized all of the radio and TV reports weren’t a prank. They took most of the guns but there’s plenty of freeze-dried meals and jerky. But we’re saving those in case we need them. For now, there’s plenty of perishable food from the café that can keep us for weeks if no one else shows up.”
    “You plan on staying a while?” I asked in an almost accusatorial tone that surprised even me. It clearly caught him off guard.
    “Uhhh…. yeah” he responded in a “no-duh” sort of way. “We’ve got food, shelter, and access to TV and radio to follow what’s going on though its nothing but static right now. It’s the only thing that makes sense at the moment.”
    I knew he was right but even with everything that had happened I still wanted nothing more than to get to the coast and hear those waves lapping up onto the sand before it was too late. I didn’t know the extent of what was happening but if my life was going to end any time soon, I wanted it to be on the beach – my beach – where I could at least die happy.
    I tried my hardest to push any ideas of leaving this place behind out of my head. I was always a loner, better suited for life on my own. Other people always felt like a burden to me – a weight that held me down and prevented me from doing whatever I wanted whenever I pleased. But based on my actions earlier today, I realized that you can teach an old dog a new trick or two. No more running away. Maybe these people could offer help in ways I couldn’t imagine. If nothing else, they would be emotional support. We’re all experiencing this crazy even t together and misery certainly loves company. For the first time in my life, the thought of being alone actually scared me.
    The air was getting cold and I was in serious need of a real meal. I shivered and turned to Paul, who was attempting to wipe the remnants of sticky sugar and fake coloring off of his daughter’s lips and mouth. Zoe didn’t pull away as most kids do when mommy or daddy is trying to clean them up. She barely even noticed, still dutifully sucking away at the sugar-filled novelty that had clearly become her salvation.
    “Well, I guess it’s time to meet the lucky survivors” I said in the plainest voice I knew how, making sure to keep my words bereft of any whimsy or humor. Laughing may be my coping mechanism but I was keenly aware that other people may view it as insensitive, annoying, or a sign of serious mental instability. And they’d probably be right about all three.
    “Are you okay to climb?” Paul asked. “You look pretty banged up.”
    “Yeah, I don’t think the pain can get much worse at this point. I can handle it” I said confidently even though I was dreading movement of any kind at the moment.
    My body creaked, cracked, and popped as I slowly made it to my feet with Paul’s help, his firm grip giving me some much needed guidance. Just as I managed to make it upright, a shot rang out – I had all but forgotten about the mysterious gunshots I had heard before clumsily escaping to the roof – and Paul’s grip went limp, his face a mixture of surprise and fear as he slumped over, blood already pooling up in his abdomen before he went to his knees. I attempted to grab him as another shot rang out, ricocheting off the tin roof seemingly louder than when it had first left the gun. I didn’t have the strength to hold on as