May We Meet Again

Chapter Five

Here we are again ... I'm embarking on a new journey of a fanfiction story. This time, we're going with a post-apocalyptic vibe. I recently watched The 100 on Netflix. I'd been intrigued to write a story based off that show/series of novels. I decided to write it for NaNoWriMo. I'm starting almost halfway through the month, but I'm determined to, at least, get something going.

In regard to how many chapters, update schedule and all that jazz, I'm not certain, but I'm hoping to get a big chunk written in the next fifteen days.

I do apologize for the delay. A couple of things happened ... one, I had to put my sweet little furbaby (the aforementioned cranky dog) to sleep. She had a pretty substantial seizure that resulted in paralysis in her back legs. I loved my baby girl. She was my best friend and constant companion through my divorce, my mom's death, and COVID-19. I will, in time, get another furbaby, but for now, I need to grieve her. For those of you passed on condolences for my Wrigley. I appreciate it.

Two, I'm going back to school. In a new position. A new position that will undoubtedly give me more grey hairs and stomach ulcers. I can't say how it'll impact my update schedule, but we'll have to see.

I wanted to add more in the previous chapter, but it seemed like a good stopping point. So, what I had, I started the next chapter. But, things are growing between these two. Bella is still coming to grips with her time in the prison and her father's black and white take of her crime. Now, we may bounce back and forth between Bella and Edward. We'll also hear more from what's going on up in the Ark.

Chapter Five: On the Ground ... Five Miles from Mount Weather

Edward

The next morning, we got up and packed up our campsite. Tyler and I doused the fire while Emmett and Bella tried to figure out a way to cross the river. After some wandering, they found a location where the river trickled down to a stream that we could cross without any fear of being devoured by some insane water monster.

We ate what was left over from dinner before leaving our campsite. Alice was limping, but she was still moving. By mid-day, we were halfway to Mount Weather. We also saw proof that the terrain we were crossing had once been a city. There were street signs, abandoned stores and crumbling homes. Bella used a Geiger counter to check the radiation levels and whatever wasn't too irradiated to touch, we took. Namely, we found handguns, ammunition, hunting knives, pots, pans, utensils, and some other camping gear. We also needed some clothing, but the fabrics had disintegrated from years of exposure to the elements and radiation.

We also found several neighborhoods. In one of the houses along the way to Mount Weather, we found some more backpacks. It made it easier to carry our finds.

In one of the deserted homes, Bella was standing inside a nursery, staring blankly at the crib. The furniture was covered in a fine layer of dust and what could have been a cheery room was covered in a pall, with grey walls and decaying wood. I walked over to her, jumping back when I saw what Bella was staring at. Inside of the crib, there was a skeleton of a child. "Fuck me," I gasped.

Her lips curled up in a sad grin, but her eyes were trained on the skeleton. "This baby and its family never stood a chance," she whispered. "The first of the bombs went off in the Ohio River Valley. The radiation coated this neighborhood ... this baby ... knew nothing but pain."

"Now, it's at peace," I murmured, picking up a tattered blanket and covering the remains. "At least, I hope it is."

"Could you imagine living during this time?" she asked, shuddering visibly. "Watching everyone you know slowly die from radiation poisoning?"