Veil Of The Undying

Chapter 21

Ronan

We have food to last us for months, but I'm already thinking about the future.
Gasoline will go bad by next year, so we'll have to rely on the two horses we have for transportation.

We need to be more vigilant about people than feeders. Our supplies are precious, and people will kill for them.

Marcus and Ava have been on their best behavior lately, but I'm not trusting them completely.

Liam and Aria have grown closer; he has romantic feelings for her, though I'm not sure about her feelings in return.

Aria's progress has been impressive. She's improved and has become quite adept at killing feeders around the farm. She's no longer the frightened girl I saw pinned under Bob that night.

She's also learned to ignore Ava's manipulative tactics, About time for that.

We've discovered that animals can also turn into feeders, so we've stopped eating them and are now strictly vegetarian.

Looking back, when I escaped prison, I never imagined I'd end up doing all this or staying with a group. If it weren't for Aria, I would have left that night at the house after grabbing my bag. My initial excuse was Ava's medical skills, but it was really about staying for Aria. Now, she seems to be managing well on her own. I find myself questioning why I'm still here.

While feeding the horses, I heard screams coming from outside the farm gate. I rushed out, joined by Aria, who was already holding her gun, ready to shoot. Good Girl.
Marcus, Liam, and Ava followed.

"Aria and Marcus, follow me. Liam and Ava, stay behind the gate and make sure nothing gets in," I ordered. They complied.

We approached the source of the noise and found an old man, a woman, and a pregnant young woman surrounded by feeders.

I was about to suggest we retreat when Aria began firing at the feeders, drawing their attention. I joined in, and Marcus quickly followed. There were about nine zombies; Aria took down at least five of them. Watching her, I felt a sense of pride, like a teacher watching a student succeed.

As the last of the feeders fell, I approached the survivors, gun still aimed. "Anyone bitten?"

"No, we're fine," the old man replied.

"We'll need to check," I said. "Marcus, check them for wounds."

After a brief inspection, Marcus confirmed, "They're clear."

Before I could say more, Aria told them to come inside. She really should stop making decisions on her own. They followed us to the farm, where Liam and Ava stood guard at the door, guns raised.

"Put your guns down; they're okay," Aria said. Liam complied immediately, but Ava still aimed her gun.

"Put your gun away," I ordered her, and she immediately relented. Aria rolled her eyes at that.

"Thank you," the old man said to Aria. "Please come in; you must be tired."

Aria took them inside and quickly provided them with food. The pregnant girl looked to be around Aria's age or a bit younger, with a sizable bump-probably eight or seven months along. That means we might soon have another mouth to feed. I can't afford that; they'll need to leave once they've rested.