Lockey vs. the Apocalypse | Book 1 | No More Heroes [Adrian's Undead Diary Novel] Meadows, Carl (book recommendations for teens TXT) 📖

Nate carried on eating like nothing was happening. I love that about him. He doesn’t feel the need to butt in and defend me. He knows I can fight my own battles and lets me get on with them.

“I don’t think I like you very much,” declared Ariel, just a hint of quiver in her lip. Bravado.

“Oh no,” I said dramatically. “You don’t like me. Let me just sit here for a few minutes while I recover from this tragedy.”

Grace piped in then. “You obviously think it’s very clever to be sarcastic, don’t you?”

“Noooo,” I said.

Sarcastically.

“You know it’s the lowest form of wit?”

“Think of that one yourself, did you?” I snapped back, popping a cherry tomato in my mouth and presenting her with a cheesy grin as I chewed.

I’m such a people person.

It soon died down. Stupid people can’t deal with good sarcasm. It just highlights how stupid they are. It’s not the lowest form of wit at all; done right, it’s a fucking art form.

Anyway, after that little clash of heads, Nate announced he’ll be up and gone in the morning before anyone else rises most likely, so we’ve plenty of the day left to get the grim work of a mass grave done. Once we’ve got that boxed off, then we can start some real planning about the future.

Well, I’m absolutely beat, and I think it’s time I faceplanted into the blessed embrace of sleep. I’ll say goodnight, my dear reader.

Huh. I really need to give you a name. I can’t keep calling you “my dear reader” as… well… it’s pretty impersonal. I think we’ve gotten to know each other a little better. The more I write this shit down, the more I need to address it to someone. Dear Diary is… well... it’s a bit shit. Diary McDiaryface makes me titter, but it’s just too damn long.

Bah, I can’t think of this right now. So instead, dear reader, I’m going to sleep in a bed. Fuck yeah. Catch you on the flip side.

15th Entry

HELL’S KITCHEN

Holy fucking hell. Absolute carnage.

Nate disappeared first thing, must have been about 5am, as I heard the truck fire up and him piss about at the gates with the car, then he was gone. Once I was awake, I couldn’t drift off again, but I’d crashed out about 9pm anyway, so I’d had a damn good sleep, best I’d had in an age.

Freya was still asleep, Particles snuggled into her like a little teddy bear, her arm protectively around him. That little dog whore has done wonders for her mental state. Really helped her calm down and adapt. I’d probably be jealous if it wasn’t for the fact that Freya was just so fucking nice. I don’t think the woman has a malicious bone in her body and she looked like a fucking supermodel with no makeup on, hair everywhere, fast asleep.

Bitch. LOL.

I decided to head downstairs and make myself a brew. It was a bright morning and the simple act of sitting at a kitchen table with the sun just coming up, sipping at a steaming cup and enjoying the peace; well, that seemed like a little slice of serene normal after what had been a whole month of adapting to a new and broken world.

Of course, I’m not that lucky seeing as how Particles is currently using all his mystical ability to heal Freya’s anxiety.

Sat at the island was Ariel. I think she heard my eyes roll as I reached the foot of the stairs.

“You’re up early,” she said by way of greeting.

“Nothing gets past you, eh?” I said, thoroughly annoyed my plan for peace had been shat on by one of the two people I disliked the most.

I was surprised to see her reaction. She blanched a little, like the words had really stung. She didn’t respond with any comeback, or shitty condescension. Instead, she waited while I made my own brew and sat at the island, staring out the glass doors to the beautiful country morning. We said nothing for a little while, then her voice made me start a little.

“This is really happening, isn’t it?”

I was going to hit her with another rock of sarcasm to the face, but I stopped myself as I caught her expression.

Reality was sinking in. Her home, her family, her entire life… it was all gone. Now the shock of day one was over, and she was sitting alone with her thoughts, all the cracks were starting to appear.

The girl was still a bitch, no doubt, but she was still human. She still had people she loved, family that she’ll never see again, no skills applicable to surviving in a world of the damned. That crushing realisation that you have no place in this new and shattered existence, that you will have to rely on the goodwill and the skills of others to survive, had hit her hard it seemed.

Instead of a barbed comment, I stopped my sassy mouth and just nodded. Sometimes I guess, the first step on the road to forgiveness is realising the other person was born an idiot.

“I’m sorry,” she said then, completely taking me off guard. “For the things I said last night. I was just….”

“Forget it,” I said, waving it away. “It was a stressful day. I’m not exactly known for my diplomacy.”

That got a rueful chuckle from her and I thought, maybe she’s not so bad. It’s no small thing to cough up that apology and take a hit to your pride. Probably doubly hard for someone used to getting what they want, whenever they want it. Maybe, just maybe, there was a little spark of hope for her yet.

Then everything went to absolute shit.

When the scream sounded, my heart almost stopped. It was a woman’s scream and all I thought was that I hoped it wasn’t Freya.

Ariel and I shared a brief look then headed for the stairs, which rise to the upper floor in