Fighting to Survive (As the World Dies #2)

Fighting to Survive (As the World Dies #2)

Rhiannon Frater




Author's Note

“The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.”





This popular quote sums up the last six months of work on this novel.

The entire trilogy was first published online and there are over 1,600 pages of manuscript pages. We knew that we would have to revise and edit the manuscript into three novels, but felt the work was fairly complete and this should not be a big issue. Originally, my husband and I thought we could have the book ready to publish in Fall of 2008.

We were wrong.

The second book, originally titled Struggling to Survive, ended up missing a lot of scenes that I could have sworn were in the original manuscript. After much investigation and reflection, I realized that what was so clear in my head never made it onto paper. Entire scenes, huge chunks of plot lines, and important moments of characterization were missing. Since the original was written piecemeal, often when I was traveling for work, I didn't always know where I had left off when I wrote the next chapter. This resulted in the second book not being nearly as ready as we thought.

So I ended up writing about Jenni and Katie once again and was able to weave the missing scenes back into the manuscript. By the time I finished, over one hundred new pages were injected into the story. All the vital missing scenes are now present in this version.

As I revisited the world of the fort, I realized something I had not before. The title was wrong. Katie and Jenni and the others were not struggling to survive: they were fighting. Fighting zombies, bandits and, in some cases, each other. Thus a new title was born.

I hope you enjoy As The World Dies: Fighting to Survive.





--Rhiannon Frater





Dedicated to my loyal fans. Your encouragement

keeps me writing!





Thanks to George A. Romero for your movies,

and all the wonderful nightmares you’ve inspired.

Those nightmares ended up in this trilogy.





Special thanks to Mom for your constant support of my writing and your dedication to helping me achieve my dreams. You are the greatest!





And to my husband for your technical expertise,

encouragement, and patience when I spend long

hours writing.





Somewhere in Texas...





The fort...





Chapter 1





1. Terror in the Darkness





The hallway was barely illuminated by the blue light shimmering up the stairs from the TV in the living room. The light flickered along the walls and ceiling, providing just enough light to make out her path. Groggily, Jenni walked toward her youngest son's bedroom, which was located near the top of the stairs. She shoved her long dark hair out of her face and glanced down the staircase. Through the railing slats, she could see her husband, Lloyd, in the living room, where he spent most of his time at home staring at a plasma-screen TV. She could just make out the black silhouette of his head against the brightly-lit screen.

Warily, wanting to avoid alerting him to her presence, she hurried into Benji's room.

The Mickey Mouse night-light illuminated the room just enough for her to make out the form of her sleeping three-year old son. Resting in his racing car-shaped bed, his little hand was thrown over his dark blond curls, his lips parted as he softly snored. Smiling, Jenni knelt down and tucked in his Winnie the Pooh blankets around his body. He was just recovering from a cold. She wanted to make sure he didn't get chilled. Her fingers gently caressed his soft, full cheek then smoothed his curls back from his face. He resembled his father in coloring and facial features. She prayed every day that he did not have his father's violent temper or cruel streak. She wanted him to grow up and be a good, strong man who would love his family and protect them: not brutalize them and make them fear him.

A noise from downstairs startled her. She tensed, waiting for the sounds of Lloyd's footsteps on the stairs. Instead, only the distant hum of voices on the TV wafted up to the room.

Lloyd hated for her to “coddle” the boys. He grew annoyed with her checking on them at night and accused her of spying on his late night habits downstairs. Frankly, she preferred it when he remained down there watching his porn, calling his girlfriends, and leaving her to sleep alone in their bed.

“I want you to not be like him,” she whispered to Benji as he slept. “Don't be like him.”

She kissed Benji's forehead and breathed in his sweet baby smell. She loved him so.

Drawing back, she looked over at the side table. There was an oatmeal cookie still on his plate, but the milk was gone. Both the boys enjoyed a nighttime snack before bed. She didn't see the harm in it. She used all natural ingredients in the cookies and they were delicious. Feeling a little hungry, she grabbed up the cookie and began to nibble on it.

Don't grow up to be like him, she wished.

He won't grow up, a voice answered her.

She frowned as she chewed the cookie. That was a horrible thought to think.

He doesn't live past tonight. You know that. Remember?

“No,” Jenni whispered, pressing her hand to her forehead. “No.” She didn't want to remember.