Chapter 13: Dinner and a Toast
Rudolph Alinsky
May 2023
One year after outbreak
Loveland, Nebraska
Season 2
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"And what's your name?" I asked one of the little girls that requested to hold Juna. She had beautiful light brown skin with freckles on her nose and cheeks. She had monolid brown eyes and dark chestnut brown hair that fell almost at her waist.
"Airianna."
"What happened to your eye?" She had a scar above her left eye. She didn't respond, her silence worried me. I had also noticed a few other cuts and bruises along her arms.
"Rudi, can I talk to you?" Steve asked me, I didn't even know he was here.
"Sure." We left the children, I felt comfortable leaving Juna with Edin, Khai, and Ash.
"So you've met Airi and you've noticed her injuries. She came here at the start. Her dad, Nicolás, died only a few weeks after. She goes outside the walls on her own without a weapon because Catherine refuses to let me train her. Rudolph, I'm worried about her, she's only ten."
"Steve, that's terrible."
"I know, but there's nothing I can do. Catherine doesn't believe me when I tell her she goes out there. I've tried to talk her out of doing it but she doesn't listen. "
"Maybe I can. I don't know if she'll listen any better to a newcomer but we have to try something. She seems like a sweet kid. I don't know if I'll be able to sleep comfortably at night knowing that she might not come back one time."
"So you'll talk to Airianna?" Steve asked.
"Yeah, I'll talk to her."
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Ethan Warren
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They invited us to dinner that evening. I haven't had a hot meal since Christmas. Leah didn't show up. Camila didn't either. Rudi skipped out because he had to put Juna to bed.
Catherine gave us a two story house in the corner of the town. There was enough room for us all. There was even air conditioning. It felt wrong to have electricity.
"I'd like to make a toast to our new arrivals," Catherine started, "We built this place to protect people from the cruel outside world and it fills me with so much joy when people find their way here. I wholeheartedly hope you and your family are able to find peace here, Mr. Warren. To the new arrivals!"
"To the new arrivals!"
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After Death (Season 2)
HorrorSeason 2 of the After Death novel The group unexpectedly is forced to flee their once safe and peaceful home and begin their journey to find something better. Their destination is the west coast but during their trip they find a place that they thin...
