Read Lost in the Apocalypse for Free Online Page B

back, knowing he was unfortunately talking to her. “No more funny business. I’d hate to have to leave you behind.”
    She huffed and stalked back into the house, barely resisting the urge to slam the door. The rest of the group came in behind her and began stuffing things in their bags. She ignored them and walked to her room. She grabbed a clean duffel bag from the closet and placed it on the bed. In went a clean change of clothes, a notebook, a couple of pens, and a picture of her family. She didn’t need much.
    She had lost everything important to her.
    Emily carried her duffel bag outside and tossed it in the back of the truck. Then she went back inside and scrounged around the kitchen, looking for food.
    “We grabbed it all,” the female said to her. Then she smiled and said, “I’m Kari.” Emily took a minute to look at the woman. She wasn’t being mean. If anything, she seemed to be almost apologetic. It was a surprise coming from the stranger. After all, they were living in the apocalypse. Were people really kind anymore?
    The few survivors Emily had met on her journey had been incredibly hostile. No one wanted to help anyone else. Everyone knew there were few resources left, so you had to hoard what you could when you could get it.
    Even an introduction was unusual.
    “Emily,” she finally managed to say, and Kari smiled.
    “Nice to meet you,” Kari said. “Sorry about the introduction, though. Probably not the way you wanted to make new friends.”
    Emily just shrugged and headed back to the truck. She climbed into the bed where Scar and Green Hair were also sitting on their bags. She decided that even though this sucked, she might as well be nice. She’d already pissed them off. She didn’t need to be an unforgivable bitch.
    “I’m Emily,” she said to them.
    “Cody,” said Green Hair.
    “Robert,” said Scar. They all nodded at each other semi-politely. Robert gripped a rifle in his arms. After a minute, Kari joined them in the back of the truck.
    “Hey Butter,” she yelled, and the tall biker-looking guy came out of the cabin.
    “Yeah?”
    “Don’t forget the booze,” she winked. Butter rolled his eyes and went back inside, then came back with a bottle of vodka. What was left of it, anyway. It looked like someone had punished it pretty hard.
    Emily shot Kari a questioning glance, but Kari didn’t explain. Butter sat in the cab and Neil came out of the house, closed the front door, and came to the bed.
    Emily gave him brief, but accurate directions, and he nodded. He climbed in the front of the truck, started the engine, and then they were off. She tried not to stare at her cabin as it disappeared from view, but she couldn’t help herself.
    This had been her home.
    She hadn’t even been home for an hour and she was leaving again.
     

Chapter 6
    The wind was whipping her hair around her face and by the time they reached the house, Emily was ready for the apocalypse to be over. She pushed her hair back again and again until she finally gave up and decided to get used to the taste of it in her mouth.
    Kari took pity on her and handed her a hair band.
    “Is this the place?” Neil asked. Everyone got out of the truck and looked at the house in front of them. Emily nodded.
    “I don’t know the new owner. I was only here once.” It was last year for a church barbeque. She had spent the day hanging out with families and couples. No one cared that she was single or that she was new. They just made her feel welcome.
    She had seen the basement because one of the kids was excited about a new video game console his dad had bought. She had carefully sneaked down the rickety stairs with him to see the new setup. A few months later, the mother had gotten a job in a new city and the family had moved.
    She didn’t know who owned the house now.
    “Doors?” Butters grabbed a gun and motioned for the rest of the crew to do the same.
    “Front and back,” she said. “There’s one staircase