Last Fight of the Valkyries (39 page)

From across the front seat I yelled to them. “Hey Penn,
how's things?”

I knew Penn from our time in the relocation center. Kids were
grouped and called to meals by first names, so we were buddies.

The nearer boy bent down to look into the cabin. He had stormy
gray eyes and well-cropped hair, which was the style of the men and
boys up north. Part of me registered him as not unattractive. “Oh
hey, Perth. Things are...” He looked tired. I expected the
happy Penn I knew from our prior meetings.

“You guys want a ride?” It was the friendly thing to
do, though it wouldn't be comfortable for someone to ride in my
backseat—I had it ripped out.

Penn considered, eying the back and perhaps picturing himself in
the cargo area. He would have to squeeze back there, given the size
of his brother.

“No, I do appreciate it, but Garth here needs his exercise.”
His words conveyed the sadness of his eyes, though he was ever-trying
to smile through it.

I got a good look at Garth, who naturally turned toward the car
with the conversation. It was clear why he was holding the hand of
his brother—he'd been grievously wounded on his head. A large
swath of his brown hair had been shaved. The still-red wound scar was
impossible to miss.

“Hang on a sec.” I goosed the car ahead so I could
pull over, then I jumped out and walked back. Out of habit I grabbed
my leather jacket and pulled it on.

Next to us, a small stream cut through the pastures and provided
enough water to support some large cottonwood trees. They dropped
shade just off the roadway. We all made our way out of the sun.

“What happened, Penn?” I looked at his brother, and
got the sense he wasn't there. It wasn't that unusual given the state
of the world and mental health, but anyone who could survive such a
wound had to be a survivor. I remembered seeing Garth—he played
protective older brother—at the relocation center, but hadn't
seen him with Penn in the two years since.

Penn sat his brother in the shade and faced him so he could look
at the waterway. He then came over to me. I felt myself take a step
back as he neared. He spoke in a quiet voice.

“Garth was driving with the oil convoys up north this
spring. After the deep snow of the winter, the town captains all
wanted to get up there as soon as it melted. It was clear down here,
but too much snow remained in the Dakota's—the convoys had to
go slower than normal. Lots of losses, but we got our damned oil and
they got their food, right?”

He pointed back toward the creek. “And Garth got a hole in
the head as a souvenir. Now I have to take care of him, or he...”
Penn was only slightly taller than me—I've always been the tall
girl in school—and he was an epitome of strong and confident,
but when he looked at me I saw nothing but heartbreak in his soul.
Loss was expected out here, and us outsiders all lost pretty much our
entire families during the early months after the war, but I could
tell Garth was suffering something worse than death. Someone who
couldn't contribute would not have a long life. Penn knew where
things were heading, and what he might have to do to his brother.

I changed the subject. “Are you still driving?” There
were few good opportunities for kids who gave up driving. Unless you
were older, it was farming or wrenching, take your pick.

“Nah, I need to take care of Garth. I moved us into a
farmhouse not far up the road. We work with the other families
there.”

I wondered if it was true they
both
worked up there, but I
didn't press.

I was starting to get fidgety. They didn't want a ride, and I was
caught up on Penn's unfortunate life. I'd been standing still for too
long.

“Well, I have to—”

“Wait, before you go.” He also seemed anxious. While
he rubbed the back of his head he looked at me with embarrassment. It
was kind of cute. “I, uh, thought maybe you'd come by sometime
and I could look under your hood.”

My eyes must have lit up with surprise because he was quick to
continue. “No! I mean look under your car's hood. Oh, man.
Sorry, no. Let me start over.” He took a quick breath. “I've
spent a lot of time up in the big garages working on cars. I could
look under your
Camaro's
hood and help you tweak her.”
He pointed to my car. “Find a few more horsepower. That's all.”
His red face practically glowed.

I imagined my dad's response if he heard us talking. “Danger
K-bear, danger.” Always danger.

I'd almost never turn away help with tweaking my car's engine, but
seeing his brother, knowing the situation of them both, and feeling
the strange attraction despite all that was too much for me at that
moment.

I took one last peek into his eyes—I hesitated beyond my
comfort zone—before I turned around with a stiff wave. I shook
my head no.

“I'll see ya round, Penn. Good luck.”

I practically ran to the car, jumped in, and drove off.

“You should belt in K-bear. It isn't safe to drive without a
seatbelt.”

“I know, Dad. Damn.”

I was up over a hundred before I finally listened to his advice.
My mind was still a quarter mile behind.

###

Thank you for reading this short sample of
Post Apocalytpic Ponies
. If you enjoyed the sample, you can continue the story for free on
Kindle Unlimited
.

E. E. Isherwood has penned two books about post-apocalyptic
driving, four books about zombies, and several short stories from
both genres. He has designs for many more tales. His long-time
fascination with the end of the world blossomed decades ago after
reading the 1949 classic
Earth Abides
. Zombies are just a
handy vehicle which allows him to observe how society breaks down in
the face of such withering calamity. Fast cars can also help it
along.

Isherwood lives in St. Louis, Missouri with his wife and family.
He stays deep in a bunker with steepled fingers, always awaiting the
arrival of the first wave of zombies.

Find him online at www.zombiebooks.net.

E.E. Isherwood currently has four books in the
Sirens of the
Zombie Apocalypse
universe. He also has a series of high-octane
post-apocalyptic stories called the
Revolutions Per Mile
series. Visit his website at
www.zombiebooks.net
to be informed when future titles are launched.

The
Sirens of the Zombie Apocalypse
series

Since the Sirens

Siren Songs

Stop the Sirens

Last Fight of the Valkyries

Zombies vs. Polar Bears
[Release date June 23, 2016]

***

Book 1:
Since the Sirens
[
BUY
ON KINDLE
]

When 15-year-old Liam goes to stay with his ancient
great-grandmother for the summer, he immediately becomes bored around
the frail and elderly woman. He spends most of his time at the
library texting friends, playing video games, and reading dark
novels. But one morning stroll changes everything as the Zombie
Apocalypse unloads itself directly into his life. Now he and his
104-year-old guardian must survive the journey out of the collapsing
city of St. Louis while zombies, plague, and desperate survivors
swirl around them.

Book 2:
Siren Songs
[
BUY
ON KINDLE
]

After escaping the chaos of the collapsing city, teens Liam and
Victoria are faced with a difficult choice. Do they try to find
Liam’s parents or defend their suburban home from refugees and
the infected? They find new allies to hold things together, even as
the government appears increasingly impotent in the face of a
mutating virus. And why is a representative of the CDC trying to
enlist Liam’s 104-year-old grandma to his cause?

Book 3:
Stop the Sirens
[
BUY
ON KINDLE
]

Liam and his parents are reunited at last, but the matriarch of
their family has been taken to a covert CDC location for medical
experiments. Liam wants to mount a rescue operation, but they must
first reach a refuge, endure warring government agencies, and learn
Grandma’s location—not to mention survive a world awash
in zombies. With Victoria at his side, Liam finds his fortitude
bolstered by her faith. Together they begin to unravel the mystery of
the zombie plague.

Book 4:
Last Fight of the Valkyries
[
BUY
ON KINDLE
]

Liam, Marty, and Victoria are rescued from St. Louis. Now safely
in the defenses of the town of Cairo, IL, they are once again free to
look ahead—into the headwinds of the Zombie Apocalypse. Liam is
separated from his parents, Mel and Phil are missing, and Grandma's
status as a sane person is very much in doubt in their new town. But
when Liam finally realizes what's on the chip given to him by Colonel
McMurphy, he sees the way forward. Always with an eye toward saving
civilization, he takes his first steps in that direction.

Book 5:
Zombies vs. Polar Bears
[
PRE-ORDER
ON KINDLE
][Release date June 23, 2016]

Liam is more resolved than ever to solve the mystery behind the
zombie plague. He now has several clues—some gleaned at great
personal cost—about the zombies, although he remains unsure
who's behind the creation of the plague. Was it the secretive
National Internal Security division as he was originally told, or was
it the Patriot Snowball movement as reported by remaining government
officials? Everyone has an opinion, but the truth might lurk within
his own family. Meanwhile, Grandma Marty remains in Cairo, Illinois.
She is confused by her strange dreams by night, and afraid of what
she hears over the great defensive levees of the town by day.

COMING SOON

The
My Zombie Apocalypse
series

These short stories explore characters from the
Sirens of the
Zombie Apocalypse
world.

Liam

What if Angie had gotten to Grandma Marty on Day 0? How might that
have changed Liam's life as the Zombie Apocalypse began?

Jones

As far as we know, Officer Jones fell to his death during a heroic
rescue of many of his fellow citizens. But what if he survived his
crash?

OTHER TITLES

The
Revolutions Per Mile
series

A new series of driving adventures from post-apocalyptic author
E.E. Isherwood.

Book 1:
Post Apocalyptic Ponies
[
BUY
ON KINDLE
]

When the world ended, Perth Hopkins was one of the lucky few. She
jumped in her father's sports car and drove like a girl possessed to
escape the nuclear fires. Today, years later, she drives as a
high-speed courier between the small farming towns in the breadbasket
of a new nation. She's learning the rules of the road in the safe
interior—the pony pastures—but she craves the speed and
danger of the interstate. Those routes are run by the older girls...
When one of those girls shows up in her life, she's forced to
consider whether she really wants to see what's over the distant
horizon.

Book 2:
Post Apocalyptic Mustangs
[
PRE-ORDER
ON KINDLE
][Release date May 12, 2016]

Perth is tossed into the high-speed world of "The 70."
Interstate 70 was once a major artery across the United States, but
what's left of it in Kansas has become a dangerous route traversed by
brave couriers carrying pieces of the Old World between the surviving
towns. Perth's driver, Jo, claims she is the best of the best of the
couriers remaining on the highway and she wants to introduce Perth to
how things work by doing a simple run from Hays to Salina. But Perth
quickly suspects she's been seduced into being her co-pilot for an
entirely different destination.

Book 3:
Post Apocalyptic Chargers
[June, 2016]

###

All these books are self-published. Self-publishing runs on word
of mouth. Your review on the product page is that
word
. It's
like fresh blood to my zombies. It keeps them going. It makes them
stronger. Please consider taking a few moments to pen a
brief
review of my book on Amazon
. Just a few words of encouragement
will help me write many more adventures.

Review or not, you've already shown your support when you invested
your time and treasure in this tome. From the bottom of my heart I
thank you for purchasing and reading
Last Fight of the Valkyries
.

E.E. Isherwood

Thank you for being a reader of my work. I value your support more
than I can say. I also love interacting with fans. To contact me,
yell at me, become a beta reader, or find more stories about the end
of everything, look for me online:

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