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Looking toward Katie and Kevin, she could see them waving at her to jump into the pool of water below. They didn’t understand, she realized.

She slowly stood and raised her arm to show them her hand. Blood, hot with her life, trailed down her arm.

“No!” Katie’s shout echoed throughout the mall even over the roar of the water and the cries of the dead.

Tears filled her eyes as she saw Katie turn to Kevin and saw him hand Katie his rifle.

She kept her hand up as her victory salute. She had done the right thing.

There had been no running away this time. She had faced the monsters and she had saved people she loved. There was no fear anymore. Just joy. She had won.

The zombies were coming up the narrow staircase but they didn’t matter anymore.

I love you, Juan. I love you, Jason. I love you, Benji. I love you, Mikey. I love you, Katie.

Katie raised the rifle.

Yes, I did the right thing. This is how it should be. Absolution is good. I can face God and myself once more. I saved the children. I saved those people. I saved the ones I loved.

The zombies were so close now.

Jenni smiled a beautiful, intense smile as peace filled her and tears fell down her cheeks. She clutched her hand tightly over her head, the blood pouring more fiercely.

“It’s been one helluva ride,” she whispered to Katie.

Jenni saw the flash at the end of the rifle. It was bright and brilliant. It just didn’t flash. It exploded out toward her. A brilliant white pure light.

It was warm and beautiful and it filled her senses. The smell of death disappeared, the pain disappeared as all she felt was love.

Her body fell in silence from the top of the waterfall, just out of reach of the clutching hands of the zombies as they breached the top. As she fell, her leg hooked onto a rock for a second, twisting her around so she slid down onto a maintenance ledge hidden by the falling water. There she rested in the cold water, out of reach of the zombies forever.

If the ones who loved her could seen her, they would have seen that her silent form was laying face up, the tiny hole in her forehead covered by her long black hair. Her raven locks floated around her head like a halo as the blood she had sacrificed slowly turned the water around her red.

What would have given them true comfort was this: On her face was a happy, satisfied smile.

3. Beyond the Light

Juan woke slowly. His eyes flickered open and he took a deep breath.

Something felt different. Wrong. The gray morning light filled his bedroom in the makeshift clinic in the hotel. The light felt cold.

“Hey,” Jenni’s voice said as she slipped into view.

“Jenni,” he whispered, tears unexpectedly filling his eyes.

“Hey, baby. ” She sat down next to his bed. Her long dark hair was soaked with water and fell across her brow and face.

“Why are you wet?” he asked as her hand took his. She felt so cold and damp.

“You know me. A total klutz. ” She waved her hand, grinning.

“You were kidnapped. ”

His mind felt jumbled and confused. He tried to focus on her, but her form seemed blurred around the edges by the morning light streaming around her.

“I know and it totally sucked. We got stuck in this awful mall and there was this bitch of a Senator and it was just bad. ” Jenni rolled her eyes. “A mall. Can you believe it? Ugh. So annoying. ”

“But you’re here now,” Juan said with relief. “Oh, Jenni, I was so worried. ”