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End of The World	By : melissarxy1 Category: S through Z > The Stand Views: 1595 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own The Stand, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1-End of The World
- 1
Author's Note- I'm perfectly willing to admit that the character of Kate may be considered a Mary-Sue, if so, okay. I did my best to keep that from happening.
~*~

End of the World

~*~

Why does my heart go on beating?
Why do these eyes of mine cry?
Don't they know it's the end of the world?
It ended when you said goodbye -Skeeter Davis

~*~

It was a beautiful summer day. It wasn’t too warm this early. The smell of lilac and honeysuckle hung lightly in the air not quite masking the scent of decay that was beginning to waft through the air. A trembling, but beautiful voice rang out in the air. “There’s a land, that is fairer by day,” the woman sang. “And by faith, we can see it afar. For the Father waits over the way, To prepare us a dwelling place there. In the sweet by and by, We shall meet on that beautiful shore. In the sweet by and bye,” here her voice broke and she was sobbing as she sang the last line, “We shall meet on that beautiful shore.”

The person singing couldn’t quite be called a woman. She was still a girl but on the verge of becoming a woman. She was sitting before a freshly dug grave, trembling and looking dazed. Two other graves sat beside this one. Kate was petite with long blonde hair and intelligent green eyes. “I love you, mommy,” she whispered.

With a deep sigh she got to her feet. Her mother had been the last of her family to succumb to the flu. As far as she could tell she was the only person still alive in her town, and she had been having such dreams… Her mother had held on longer than anyone else in town but she still had worsened and passed away quietly four nights before.

She had decided on leaving town if not to obey the dreams at least to prove that she wasn’t alone. The flu couldn’t have taken everyone and left her completely alone. With that thought in mind she walked back inside and packed a backpack with three changes of clothes, a bag of chips, some canned food, a can opener, matches, and a family album. The bag was heavy but not too heavy.

She figured that she could stop for a sleeping bag when she started to get tired. A tent was out of the picture, she wouldn’t even know how to put one up. She got her bike out of the shed and hefted the bag taking a deep breath. This was hard, leaving everything she’d ever known. Stiffening her shoulders against the urge to cry again, she started paddling.

She had considered getting a car and driving but if she really wanted to find other people, that wouldn’t work plus, she hadn’t driven much and never by herself. The last thing she needed was to crash and hurt herself. Kate stopped only to eat so by the time darkness was following she was completely exhausted. She stopped at a sporting goods store and grabbed a sleeping bag that she’d be able to carry on her bike. She rolled it out under a big tree and fell into a deep sleep. She dreamt about the Walking Dude that night.

The sun and the sound of birds woke her. She got up and rolled her sleeping bag up. She opened a can and fixed herself some breakfast. After breakfast Kate threw the can away and broke into a gas station to steal a map and a couple chocolate bars figuring that after today’s ride she could use a treat. She stretched lithely, her legs stiff and aching.

With a deep breath she mounted her bike starting to ride again. She didn’t find anyone that day. It was two days later that she met her first living person. She hadn’t gotten very fair when she heard a baby crying. “What the…” she murmured skidding to a stop. She dropped her bike and walked towards an accident. The baby screamed on. Kate looked into the car and found a healthy screaming toddler in a car seat.

“Hey there,” Kate cooed. The baby’s crying tampered off to whimpers as he regarded her curiously. She tried to open the door but it was locked. “Damn it. Hang on, little guy. I’ll have you out soon.” A mother and father both lay hunched over in their seats.

She found a rock and went back to the car and started hitting the window. After ten minutes it finally started cracking. After fifteen minutes it broke and she was able to unlock the door. The stench was overpowering. She crawled into the back seat and undid the toddler’s seatbelt. He reached his arms out to her still whimpering. She finally got him out and held him against her.

“Hey, buddy,” she whispered. “Are you okay?” He murmured something burying his head against her neck. “Let’s get you cleaned up and into a new set of clothes.” She put her backpack back on but left her bike knowing that she’d need a new one with a baby seat. Already tired, she walked into the next town finding a department store.

“Who dies while shopping?” she wondered aloud looking at the corpses, one cashier and a few shoppers. She found a bowl; a jug of water, and a new outfit she figured would fit the child. She washed him and put him in a clean diaper. He allowed this with very little fussing. She was putting his clothes on when she heard the truck.

She jumped up and ran towards the road with the baby in her arms. The truck, which was driving towards them, slowed to a stop. It rolled up beside her. An older man, probably in his late forties sat in the drivers seat, two men sat beside him.

“Hello,” the man smiled as she just stared at him for a few moments.

“Um, hi,” she said.

“I’m Ralph Bretner, this is Nick Andros and Tom Cullen,” the man said.

“I’m Kate Jamson,” Kate said. “I’m… so glad to see someone else.”

Ralph turned to look at Nick who nodded. “We’re heading to Nebraska if you want to come along.”

“That’d be great. I just need to make a diaper bag for the little one,” Kate said.

“We’ll help,” Tom said hopping out of the truck.

“He’s also probably hungry,” Kate said. “I found him like twenty minutes before you showed up.” Ralph shut the truck off and the other two men climbed out as well.

“Have any of you been around babies?” she asked hopefully.

“I have… had a couple nieces and nephews,” Ralph said.

“What does he need?”

“You guys go ahead and start lunch if you want,” Ralph told Nick and Tom. “We’ll grab some stuff for the little one.” Nick nodded and waved him away. “He have a name?” Ralph asked as they walked back into the store.

“I’m sure he did,” Kate said, “but I have no idea of what it is.”

“Any idea of what to name him?”

“I haven’t thought of anything. I’m so glad you guys came by when you did. Today was the first time I’ve even changed a diaper.” Ralph grabbed a bag and they started to fill it. “I would have been lost trying to care for him. So you guys are going to Nebraska?”

“It was Nick’s idea to go, we’re taking our time, in case there are any other survivors. It worked, we found you. You’re the first person we’ve seen since I picked Tom and Nick up.”

“I noticed that Nick doesn’t talk much,” Kate mused, looking outside seeing Tom helping Nick start a fire, or trying to at least, he appeared to be more of a hindrance.

“Nick doesn’t talk at all,” Ralph smiled. “He’s a deaf mute.”

Her eyes widened. “Oh.” They walked out and she could see Nick patiently showing Tom what to do. He looked up and smiled as they approached. Kate sat on the ground and got out a jar of baby food and started to feed the baby.

“I guess we really should name him,” Kate mused.

“I like Logan,” Ralph said after the county she had found him in.

“Logan,” Kate said tasting the name. “It’s a great name.” His ordeal had apparently not affected his appetite. Logan ate two jars and then drank some of the bottle she fixed for him. He appeared subdued but otherwise fine.

Something was thrust in front of her as Logan settled down playing with a toy they had gotten him inside. She jumped looking up having almost have forgotten her companions as she cared for the toddler.

Nick smiled apologetically and offered her- her share of their lunch again. “Sorry,” she said flushing. He shrugged still smiling.

“I guess we’d better get going,” Ralph said after Nick had stood and thrown their trash away. Ralph put the car seat in and strapped Logan into it. He whimpered for a few moments but settled down quickly. Nick and Tom got into the truck and Nick offered Kate a hand. She took it and he helped her into the bed of the truck. She sat down next to him as the truck started moving.

The group sat in silence, Tom and Kate watching the surroundings, and Nick writing in his notebook. She watched him out of the corner of her eye. He’d chew on the end of his pen every once in a while. One blue eye was hidden by an eye patch but the other was gazing intently at the notebook. He looked over at her, she looked away quickly. He grinned to himself, seeing her cheeks redden. This might be interesting
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End of The World