QuillMistress

You’d think seeing the future would give me a head start on surviving the apocalypse. I had it all planned—until everything I knew shattered when my husband sacrificed himself to save me and our son. Now it’s just me, my three-year-old son Leo, and my cursed gift of foresight that only seems to kick in when it’s nearly too late.

I’m doing my best to keep us safe, to find food, to make some kind of plan—

“Mommy?”

I glance down, trying to ignore the tug on my pant leg as I focus on our supplies. “Not now, Leo. Mommy’s thinking.”

“Mommy!”

I sigh and finally look down. My three-year-old is standing there, clutching… I blink. “Leo, where did you get a knife?”

He shrugs, grinning like it’s the most natural thing in the world.

My heart stutters. “No, really. Where did you find that?”

I try not to laugh. I mean, he’s three. Maybe he just—found it somewhere? But the next day, it’s a water bottle. Then, a tiny flashlight, somehow with batteries still inside. 

I don’t even know what else; he’s pulling things out one by one with the pleased grin of a kid who’s just figured out his favorite game.

Well, we may just survive this mess after all.

Now, if only the universe could have spared me from him. I don’t even know his name, but I know his type: tall, broad, and annoyingly handsome, with an air of calm control that’s out of place in this chaos. Ex-military, if I had to guess, with a voice that’s just as infuriating as his smirk. The man has a habit of showing up at the worst—or best—possible times, with a gun at the ready and secrets buried as deep as those bright green eyes.

I mean, he’s probably useful, but I’m trying to keep my eyes on the prize here: survival. 

For Leo and me. 

Because, foresight or no foresight, nothing is guaranteed in this new world—except the fact that people like him are trouble.

Apocalypse Days: I Rule with Foresight and a Powerful Son

The fall was sudden and disorienting, the cold shock of the water stealing Zara's breath. She clung tightly to Leo, her arms wrapped protectively around his small body as they were swept into the current.

The water was ruthless, dragging them under and tossing them about. Zara struggled to keep Leo's head above the surface, her lungs burning as she fought for air. Each time they surfaced, she gasped, her grip on him slipping in the muck.

She didn't have time to think. she just held Leo, fighting to keep him above the waterline.

Winter surfaced nearby, his eyes scanning frantically until they locked onto Zara and Leo. With powerful strokes, he cut through the water, reaching them in moments. His strong arm wrapped around them, pulling them toward him.

"Hold on!" he shouted, spitting out the water.

Zara clung to him, her body trembling from the cold and the fear. Leo cried out, his small hands clutching her shirt, his face pale and terrified.

76: The Safe (?) World A Little Closer