Blood Moon by Gwendolyn Harper (books for students to read .TXT) 📕

Plucking at the worn hem of her shirt, Caitlin took a step forward.

“We’re going to be traveling for a while,” she said. “Try to find that group you told us about.”

“The Rejects?” Jorge asked.

“They might know something about the Ark camps,” she said. Glancing over her shoulder, she continued. “We’ll be heading north west. I don’t exactly which route we’ll be taking, but when we cross any major roads, I’ll mark the signs with a red X.”

Debbie and Jorge both frowned in confusion, but they didn’t speak.

“If something happens, and you have to leave this place,” Caitlin said, gesturing to the church around them. “You can come look for us. You won’t be alone.”

“We can’t offer much,” Booker admitted. “Can’t promise we’ll have settled anywhere. But you’re welcome to join up with us if y’care to.”

Jorge jerked his chin and Caitlin swore she saw the sheen of unshed tears in the dimly lit sanctuary.

“Thank you,” he said. “That’s…”

Caitlin couldn’t stop herself from pulling the man into a hug. She knew what he meant, even if he couldn’t say the words.

Goodbyes had never been easy.

Now, with every connection came the weight of mortality and the unknown, and that only made parting ways that much more difficult.

As they stepped outside, a voice called out.

“Donald… Donald, wait…”

Pushing past Jorge and Travis, Lucille shuffled out with her walker. Her white hair and crepe paper skin looked even more fragile in the morning light.

“Donald, where are you going?” She asked, moving as quickly as she could towards Booker. “They’ll be here any minute, you have to…”

Turning, Booker bent down, taking her shaking hands in his.

“Don’t worry, sweetheart,” he murmured. “I’m just goin’ to the store. I’ll be back to fix the sink.”

“You’ll be back in time for dinner?”

He smiled softly at her. “Yes, I promise.”

Placing a gentle kiss on her cheek, he let go of her and nodded to the others.

“Y’all take care.”

Descending the stairs, Caitlin heard Debbie say, “Stay safe.”

As they drove off, Caitlin watched the smoldering pile of Geeks and the sign for New Hope Church out her window until they disappeared from view.

Chapter Ten

Missouri

One week later

Booker stared ahead at the stretch of road, keeping the steering wheel steady with just his wrist.

“Still drives me nuts when you do that,” Caitlin said.

Glancing over, he smirked. “’Cause y’think it’s poor drivin’ or ‘cause it secretly turns ya on?”

Turning her attention back to her book, she said, “Both.”

A laugh rumbled deep in his chest, and Caitlin fought not to grin herself.

The plains around them were vast, dotted with only a few trees, and the rich greens and yellows of late summer were a comfort to watch blur past her window.

It had been hours since they’d seen even one Geek stumbling around in a field, so Caitlin had decided to read while the light was still good.

Nicole shuffled in her sleep, stretched out in the back, and Booker glanced behind him to check on her.

It was a subtle habit Caitlin had witnessed him do hundreds of times, and it never failed to warm her through and through.

Reaching across, she sunk her fingers into his hair at the nape of his neck, softly combing it as he drove. She smiled to herself as he leaned into her touch.

“Hair’s getting long,” she murmured, raking her nails over his scalp.

Booker hummed, lips twitching. “Don’t suppose a barber shop survived the end of the world, huh?”

“That’s alright. I actually like it.”

Looking over, he arched an eyebrow at her. “Oh yeah?”

“I’m not saying you should let it go totally wild,” she said with a chuckle. “But a little length is nice.”

Facing the road again, he smiled and shifted in his seat so she’d have better access to the back of his head.

“But if it starts to look like a mullet, I’m taking a pair of scissors to it in your sleep.”

Booker laughed. “Sure thing, darlin’.”

They drove in relative quiet, the drone of the engine becoming white noise.

With her hand resting on Booker’s neck, Caitlin started reading again.

“What’s on the lesson plan for today?” He asked.

“Soil irrigation,” she said. “If we’re going to grow a healthy variety of crops, we’ll have to make sure they get the right amount of water.”

“Whaddya wanna grow?”

Glancing up, she scanned the surrounding land.

“I’m not sure. Tomatoes, cucumber, peppers…” She looked down at the diagrams in her book. “Wheat and corn go a long ways. Maybe even soybeans.”

“Gonna have your own tofu factory?”

“Maybe, if it means you won’t eat my share.”

Making a disgruntled noise, he said, “I’d never eat your share of anything.”

“I know, Jack,” she said, pulling a little on his hair. “I was kidding.”

“Hm.”

She was just about to reassure him again, but as she looked up something in the distance caught her attention.

“Slow down,” she said, leaning forward. “What is that?”

Easing off the gas, Booker squinted at the large square of white in the middle of the road over a quarter of a mile away.

“Is that a sign?”

“I can’t tell,” she said. “Pull closer? But be careful.”

It felt like a crawl as they drove towards the mysterious object.

Caitlin could finally see it was a huge piece of plywood, painted white with a message scrawled in dark letters. It blocked the whole two-lane road, propped up and bolted to the stand.

“Stop. Do not advance. Danger,” Booker read. “Living and dead alike.”

“Well that’s not ominous at all…” Caitlin muttered.

Booker frowned. “Groaners can’t read. Why’d they try to warn ‘em about danger?”

Realization dawned on her.

“No, I think they mean the danger is the living and the dead.”

Booker read the sign again and scowled.

“Goon squads,” he said, turning