Doris, Stay Strong!

At Eugene's comment, Gavin shook his head and smiled.

"if Mexican zombies weren't going to pour across the U.S.-Mexico border into Texas, I'd thank Mexico just like you do."

With that, he waved to Eugene.

"Go start the car. I don't like being this close to zombies."

"Fuck, big shots always have demands. Little guys just want a Coke, Quarterback!"

Eugene chuckled and climbed back into the Old Ford with a cheeky grin.

Watching Eugene's retreating figure, Madison sneered.

"What a fucking drama queen."

"Better to be a little dramatic. At least it means you still have a conscience."

Gavin patted Madison on the arm, then climbed onto Tyrannosaurus.

After finishing the whole bottle of Coke, Madison strode back to the RV.

When Madison got on board, Winnie left the bed at the back of the RV and went to the couch behind the driver's seat. Leaning over the back of it, she asked Madison,

"Are we going to Palmer, like the boss said?"

"Heh, you catch on fast. That's right, Gavin's the boss. He's the best boss I ever had. He brought me more honors and money than I can count!"

As Madison chatted, he started the RV. While following Tyrannosaurus as it turned around, he continued,

"Don't worry, kid. In less than twenty minutes, we'll be watching the sunrise by the Artificial Lake outside Palmer Town."

"I'm not worried. I'm just kind of hungry. Maybe when we get to the lake, I can wake Mom up and ask her to make us breakfast?"

As she spoke, Winnie turned back anxiously to look at her mom, who was unconscious on the bed.

The elementary schooler was already worrying about where her mom fit in with the group.

At school, the girls who ruled the roost loved picking on people like her mom.

Winnie even thought that if her mom were shrunk down and put in her elementary school, she could make her cry all day.

At that, Madison sped up and patted his stomach.

"Breakfast, huh? I only had one burger this morning, and so did Gavin. A little stew would hit the spot."

Then Madison glanced at Winnie and asked,

"Hey, kid, is your mom a good cook?"

"Of course she is. Cooking and cleaning are all she knows how to do. But I never thought the boss would be Gavin. I even have a poster of him at home!"

"That's right, ha ha! Gavin King, the biggest celebrity in Texas."

"Anyway, I'm Madison. Madison Kornasek. What about you?"

"Winnie Baker. Thanks for saving us!"

Winnie gratefully held out her hand to Madison.

Madison smiled and shook it, then said,

"Are there a lot of kids like you at school? Are kids these days really so grown-up?"

"What do you mean, grown-up? I'm already twelve. I'll be starting middle school next year!"

"Is that so? Middle school, huh? When I was in middle school, I ran with a gang with my cousin. Too bad I never got the chance to steal a car."

The two of them kept up a lively back-and-forth.

Madison had fathered plenty of children. He was young, but he had lots of experience with kids, and soon had Winnie giggling.

Amid the laughter, the woman unconscious at the back of the RV slowly shook her head and somehow came to.

"Winnie..."

The woman called weakly, but Old Mac and Winnie couldn't hear her.

"Winnie... are you there?"

She gradually sat up, bracing herself against the bed as she lifted her upper body. In her confusion, she saw a massive figure occupying the driver's seat of her RV.

"Ahhh!!!"

In an instant, screams filled the RV, nearly making Madison and Winnie jump out of their skins.

"Oh my God!"

Winnie gaped, then hurriedly jumped off the couch and ran to her mom!

"Mom, please be quiet! Please stop screaming. I'm scared!"

As she spoke, Winnie threw herself onto her mom's legs and reached up to cover her mouth.

Once she was sure her daughter was safe, the woman let out a sigh of relief. Then she suddenly realized what was happening and pulled Winnie tightly into her arms.

"Oh, God..."

The woman sobbed as she clutched Winnie. Her stifled cries soon filled the RV.

Hearing her mom cry, Winnie rolled her eyes and patted her leg.

"Doris, stay strong. You're the one who taught me that!"

"Sniff... I will. I... sniff... Kenny was bitten to death by them. I saw it with my own eyes. Your dad, my husband, is dead... sniff..."

Though she said she would stay strong, Doris couldn't stop seeing her husband's death before her eyes.

Strong?

Could being strong really help anyone overcome the pain inside?

Hearing her mother cry, Winnie worriedly pressed her lips together.

She was afraid the group's leader would get fed up with her mom.

Just like the girls at school who rejected and picked on the dumb kids who did nothing but cry.

So Winnie struggled out of her mom's arms, braced herself against her leg, and said,

"Mom, stop crying. If you keep crying, the boss will come and punish us!"

"Trust me, Gavin's really scary. He lifted another grown man with just one hand and threw him to the ground!"

"Huh...?"

Even in her grief, Doris couldn't help opening her mouth in surprise.

"What boss?"

"Of course, our future boss! Mom, you don't think the two of us can take on those things that eat people, do you?"

Winnie rolled her eyes so hard they nearly disappeared. When was her mom going to grow up?

Doris stared at her in confusion and asked dazedly,

"We were rescued?"

"Obviously. If nobody had rescued us, I wouldn't even know how to park!"

"Wait, you don't have a driver's license. How could you... Oh, God, what did I do to deserve this punishment?"

"And Edward, Edward... sniff..."

"I need to call the police. I have to call the police. I... I need to call your grandparents, too!"

At that, Doris seemed to get a little of her wits back, and her voice gradually quieted.

Once the sounds behind him died away, Madison, in the driver's seat, let out a long breath and kept his eyes on Tyrannosaurus up ahead.

On Tyrannosaurus, Gavin held the steering wheel with one hand and used his phone to look up Palmer.

He found a promotional video for Palmer and watched a little of it. Then he put his phone away and considered how they could use what he'd seen in the video.

As he thought, Tyrannosaurus covered sixteen kilometers and gradually neared Palmer.

Gavin began to slow down. He picked up the eight-power binoculars again and scanned the surroundings.

When the Artificial Lake came into view, he exhaled, turned right off the road, and drove onto the grass, which gradually opened up around them.

As the RV rolled onto the grass, the jolting made Doris, who was silently crying with her phone in hand, shudder.

Winnie jumped off the bed excitedly.

"We're almost there!"

"Where? The police station, or a shelter?"

Doris sat up with the phone clenched in her hand and climbed to the window to look outside.

The sky was beginning to glow with the light of sunrise. Along with the East Coast's frequent morning mist, it looked almost dreamlike.

Gazing at the scenery before her, Doris felt tears well in her eyes. This must have been the view Kenny wanted to show her.

But now...

Oh, God, why did she have to face all this?

At least she still had her daughter.

If Winnie had died too, Doris would have wanted to curl up under the covers, have a good cry, then put the gun in her mouth and pull the trigger.

Maybe that would have been easier.

Still crying, Doris turned to Winnie and couldn't help pressing her lips together.

For her daughter's sake, no matter what happened, she had to keep living!

Doris, stay strong!

After silently encouraging herself, Doris wiped away her tears and got off the bed.

She went into the shower room and looked at the bloodstain on her forehead in the mirror. Then she turned on the faucet and slowly washed it away.

She hadn't even finished washing her face when the vehicle stopped. The sudden jolt made her grab the wall for support.

Then she felt something jump onto the roof. The heavy footsteps made every hair on her body stand on end.

After parking, Madison went to the aisle and glanced up at the roof with a smile.

"Gavin's quick. Come on, kid. Bring your mom outside for a look."

"Did you tell your mom about the stew? I'm really looking forward to it. Gavin will love it too, ha ha!"