The New World (Tales at the End of the World #1)

Chapter 29

Morgan stood in a barren wasteland. The dirt beneath her boots threatened to invade her lungs. The heat rapidly changed to cold and she wished she was wearing a thicker coat.

Before her stood her family. Her mother... Her father... Her siblings Robert and Hailey. It brought tears to Morgan's eyes.

"Mom, dad!" Morgan cried out rushing to her parents when she was violently thrown back.

She stretched out her hand watching her family disintegrate into ashes and blow away. The wind blew her hair violently as Morgan cried and cursed.

"Morgan!" she heard a voice called out.

The eighteen-year-old stood in the eye of the storm widening her eyes at the sight of her teammates. They were bloodied and weak. Their eyes looked rabid. Something was definitely off.

"Flint," She said to the boy who called her name only to be pushed away.

"You have led us to the slaughter," Tracy snapped.

Morgan grew confused, "What?"

"A leader is supposed to keep the group together and alive. Not dead," Rachel agreed.

"You're worse than a criminal," Arthur snorted.

Morgan stood as they threw insults at her. Each was worse than the last. Finally she broke her silence, "It wasn't my fault. None of it was!"

"Then explain this!" Evelyn spat.

Morgan saw the hatred clouding Evelyn's face. It was unnatural and suffocating. Evelyn knelt down to a corpse. The brown hair, lifeless grey eyes. It was Nigel.

"No!" Morgan rushed over, but was stopped by Evelyn who held his body in her lap.

"No," she cried out, "You've done enough to our group. You killed Nigel. He was too blind to see how much a monster you truly are. Just stay away. You are a horrible leader," Evelyn hissed.

Bill picked up Nigel's body as the group walked away. Morgan rushed towards them only to be blocked. By an invisible shield. She placed her hands on it and then brought on to her nose catching the blood from the impact.

When they had vanished into the storm, Morgan was trapped and broken. Her cries were louder than the wind and her emotions were more ravaged than the storm. She was no leader. She was nobody.

"Morgan!" A voice shouted causing her to sharply turn her head up.

Then she felt nothing.

Three breaths.

Two.

One.

Then nothing.

"Morgan wake up!" Nigel said shaking Morgan's body jolting the girl awake.

Morgan opened her eyes wiping away the dry tears. She stared into Nigel's concerned eyes.

"Is everything okay?" He asked, "You were having a nightmare."

Morgan gave a mute nod and Nigel passed her a glass of water.

"Drink this," he advised, "It'll make you feel better."

"Sorry I woke you up," Morgan apologized gesturing to the remainder of the group who was still sleeping.

Nigel shook his head, "You didn't wake me up, it's fine. Do you feel a little better?"

Morgan nodded her head calming down. She feared the nightmares. She did not want to fight them alone.