Perish • Ben Parish

Epilogue

Although there was much uncertainty left in the world, I was certain that Zombie loved me and I loved him. And that was enough for me.

Nugget Pov 

"Bones sinking like stones," I sang softly, gazing up at the ceiling from my bed. 

I pulled the covers up to my chin to cover my bare skin. Christmas morning had come, and with it, the cold. 

I wasn't sure how long it had been since the destruction of the Others. A couple months at least. We had left the base, running away from the devastated legacy of the Others. We were still somewhere in Ohio...maybe it was Dayton...or Cleveland. No matter, we'd found a big house, more impressive than our homes before the waves. The house stood by itself in the quiet of an extensive stretch of farmland, with nothing and no one around for miles. 

Finally, after so long, it was quiet. It was quiet and we were at peace. 

I sighed, clenching my jaw to keep from trembling. Every time I reflected on the past and that the Others were gone, I thought of Cassie. She had sacrificed herself for all of us. 

I brought a hand up to my eye, wiping an emerging tear away. I should have told her how much she meant to me before she'd gone- before she had left for good. I should have told I never meant to be rude to her- she was my sister and I would always  love her. 

"All that we fall for," I sang, finishing the verse I'd started. My breath locked in my throat as a strangled sob erupted. 

"Nugget? Are you okay?" Canary asked, the door opening with a creak. I heard her foot steps echo on the wooden floor as she ventured over to the side of my bed, kneeling down. 

She leaned over, brushing the hair away from my forehead. "She loves you," Canary said, "And she knows you love her too." 

I looked up at Canary and nodded briefly, sniffling. 

Ever since Cassie had sacrificed herself, I'd woken up crying in the morning. And without fail, Canary was there every time, reassuring me that all would be okay.