DEAD (Book 12): End

  Other Titles by TW Brown

  The DEAD Series:

  DEAD: The Ugly Beginning

  DEAD: Revelations

  DEAD: Fortunes & Failures

  DEAD: Winter

  DEAD: Siege & Survival

  DEAD: Confrontation

  DEAD: Reborn

  DEAD: Darkness Before Dawn

  DEAD: Spring

  DEAD: Reclamation

  DEAD: Blood & Betrayal

  DEAD: End

  DEAD Special Edition

  DEAD: Perspectives Story (Vols. 1-4)

  DEAD: Vignettes (Vols. 1-4)

  DEAD: The Geeks (Vols. 1-4)

  DEAD: Snapshot— {Insert Town Here}

  DEAD: Snapshot—Portland, Oregon

  DEAD: Snapshot—Leeds, England

  Zomblog

  Zomblog

  Zomblog II

  Zomblog: The Final Entry

  Zomblog: Snoe

  Zomblog: Snoe’s War

  Zomblog: Snoe’s Journey

  That Ghoul Ava

  That Ghoul Ava: Her First Adventures

  That Ghoul Ava & The Queen of the Zombies

  That Ghoul Ava Kick Some Faerie A**

  Next, on a very special That Ghoul Ava

  That Ghoul Ava…on the Lam!

  DEAD: End

  Book 12 of the DEAD series

  ©2015 May December Publications LLC

  The split-tree logo is a registered trademark of May December Publications LLC.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living, dead, or otherwise, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  This book is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of the author or May December Publications LLC.

  Printed in the U.S.A.

  A moment with the author…

  Finales can be so scary. After all, you have committed so much of yourself to a long-running series. And while you always knew that nothing could last forever, you tried not to think about it. After all, what new and exciting thing would you find to fill your time?

  Believe me when I tell you that this book you are holding represents some agonizing moments for me as a writer. Take away the whole thing about this being the conclusion to a series that I have poured thousands of hours of my life into and simply consider that you hold a part of my dream in your hands.

  When I was younger (like in junior high) I dreamed of being a writer. I had just finished Stephen King’s The Stand. Maybe it was simply because I did not want the story to ever end, but I remember thinking, Is that it? It just seemed so anti-climactic after the rollercoaster ride that the rest of the story had been. Still, I accepted it and, after a second, third, and tenth reading, I came to find peace in how Fran and Stu got to live “Happily Ever After” with Tom Cullen and a new baby in a world safe from Randall Flagg.

  That was my first taste of something that would sink its hooks into me and never work free. The next thing was that fateful day when I first saw Dawn of the Dead in the theaters as part of a double-feature. That was another ending that made me yearn for more. Really? Peter and Francine taking off from the roof of the mall as the zombies reached skyward (don’t get me started on how they got up there or how some of those “feature” zombies seemed to regenerate—Nurse Zombie, Gun-toting Zombie and the one I named Chester Tate Zombie just to mention a couple).

  How can that be the end?

  I think we have all said that at some point in our lives when referring to the series finale of a book or beloved television program. I never appreciated the pressure of delivering a conclusion until now. Sure, I have the Zomblog series in my resume, but if you ask me for an honest answer, I don’t think I was really satisfied that I provided a finale as much as I did an end.

  A finale just sounds like it should be spectacular. An end is just that…an ending. In my opinion, a finale should provide a sense of satisfaction for the person reading or watching it. The audience should read that last word and be able to lean back, sigh, and close their eyes in contentment.

  I do understand that entertainment is a fickle mistress. What is one person’s “greatest thing ever” will be absolute drivel to somebody else. That is the nature of the beast. If that were not the case, we would all think that Michael Jackson’s Thriller was equal to Pink Floyd’s The Wall. I am not sure if I am making my point clearly, but what I basically want to say is that I know some of you will finish this and be prompted to write me a gushing letter of adoration, while others will (to put it bluntly) be pissed and rip me a new one. I’m okay with that. Although, it would be nice if you at least told me which one you were in the email subject line so I can be prepared.

  Love it or hate it, I will always be okay with you telling me exactly how you feel. (Although, to that one young lady who wanted to be my “sugar mama” and keep me in luxury so that I could write twenty-four/seven, I appreciate it, but I really am happily married, and I do fear that you would find life with me far too boring since I hate talking to anybody when I write and can be very grouchy when disturbed.) I am a big boy and can accept criticism. I believe it only makes me a better writer. Case in point, I do feel that I really streamlined the Vignettes sections of these books by the time I finished DEAD: Fortunes & Failures thanks to the honest constructive criticism and feedback from a few dozen readers. Believe it or not, I almost killed the Vignettes section after that book. I would have if not for some wonderfully helpful input from readers who loved the Vignettes but had some suggestions on how they might be more cohesive.

  All this rambling is my roundabout way of welcoming you to DEAD: End, the finale of the proper DEAD series. Proper? What do I mean by that? If you don’t already know, I will tell you in just a moment.

  So, what can you look forward to in this (hopefully) Grand Finale? Well, I want to give you closure. Yes, the world will keep spinning after you reach that last page, but I want you to be able to feel good about or mourn the lives of the people you have come to know over the past few years. You know me well enough to know that anything can happen and nobody is promised a happy ending. However, not everything is bleak and dreary. I want you to have some moments where you can smile. That being said, this is still the zombie apocalypse.

  Or is it?

  That is the other thing you might have noticed as the series continued; zombies stopped being the focus a long time ago. Yes, the zombies will still be there, but we are now well into the post-apocalyptic era and they just are not the scary monster they were in the beginning.

  I do hope that you will reach the last page of each story line and take just a moment to let it sink in. Say your goodbyes and then move on to the next one. I would be VERY appreciative if you perhaps committed some of those thoughts on paper and then shared them with a review at the end. Of course you are also welcome to drop me a line and let me know directly—good or bad.

  Now, some have asked what I will do next. I can say very happily that I will take a few days to relax and soak it all in. After a few pats on the back (self-inflicted or otherwise) I will dive into my horror/comedy series, THAT GHOUL AVA. Also, the DEAD: Snapshot—{insert town here} series will continue until people stop buying them. I can reveal here that Kevin and Catie will get (at least) a three book series involving their travels and adventures. Additionally, Adam, the journal keeping vigilante, will be getting his own series at some point in the future as well.

  I have rambled enough, and I know many of you just skip this to get to the
story, but for those who have indulged me, I will step aside right after I give some thanks to those I would be remiss in omitting.

  I want to start by thanking my wife, Denise. She has never wavered in her belief in me as a writer or author or whatever you want to call me. I want to thank my Beta Readers: Melena Stacey-Duff, Nelson Wilbanks, Niamh Clancy, Heather Burns, Kary Lawrence, Dawn, Spengler, Candice Douglas, Tammy Gaylord Beard, Jeff Shoemaker, Sophie, and Caron Hirst. You did the hard part. You helped make this book a better, cleaner read and pointed out my many mistakes. I may have still missed a few, but that number would be much greater without your keen eyes and helpful suggestions.

  Vix Kirkpatrick. Buddy, you have been on board for a long time. You have never stopped being my friend even when the cool kids bailed. You probably know this story better than I do. Thank you for everything.

  Wanda Beers. You may be anonymous to some, but never to the people in my house. Your secrets are safe, but my gratitude is public.

  To the men and women who matter—those who serve in law enforcement, fire departments, hospitals, and last but not least, the military. You make the world safer and give of yourselves every single day. Thank you is never enough.

  Ms. Bose. You were the one who told me to write every single day. You taught and motivated me to chase my dream by encouraging my path down the zombie fiction genre with the words, “No story is ever done.”

  Last, to you. You have read my books. Some of you despite being warned away…others just out of curiosity, and some because you really like my stuff. Whichever category you fall under, I would not be here today living my dream without you. Your support, emails, and reviews have been so wonderful and supportive. Thank you. Sincerely. Truly. And now…

  You’re still here? It’s over…go home. Go!

  TW Brown

  October 2015

  HINDSIGHT, PERSPECTIVE AND OTHER WORDS

  Be honest. When you first read about Steve rescuing Thalia from the apartment building in The Ugly Beginning, did you ever, in your wildest dreams, imagine the journey you would take with this series? I, personally, was just looking for a good zombie story that stood out from the hundreds of others that I’ve read. I looked at my first review of Book 1, and I don’t think I had a damn clue. Let’s face it: DEAD is so much more than a zombie series. If we took out the undead, and left in the human conflict, we’d still have one hell of a gut-wrenching epic. Steve would still be a noble hero, Garrett would still be a despicable bastard, and Kevin would still be the inspirational underdog…so on and so forth, a world complete with good guys and bad guys, but, most often, characters that defy a nice, neat label.

  How many times did you catch yourself saying, “I would never have done that” or “I would have handled that differently,” whenever a character made a decision that leads to their own suffering and/or death? Many people in the DEAD world were worried they were headed down an unredeemable path, questioning how the apocalypse changed them. Let me ask you this: how has this journey changed you? If you’ve made it to the end of this series, you’ve watched the characters grow up, grow old, grow sick and grow beyond their perceived physical and mental limitations. You didn’t read these books, you experienced them. Knowing what we know as readers, it’s easy to judge…to rationalize…not so easy to predict, and I think that’s what we all love about the DEAD series: there are no guarantees. No one is safe.

  I’m not sure if this introduction should be a eulogy or a toast, so, instead, I’m going to dedicate a song to the characters, the fans and – of course – TW Brown:

  Take Me Back

  By Kongos (Lunatic album)

  And once again the question’s asked

  I answer "yes" but the moment’s passed

  I’m guess I’m always tomorrow-bound

  How many more till I’m underground?

  Oh, oh, I remember now

  Too far below to turn around

  Too bright a light to let go now

  Take me back my friend

  Take me back on home

  As always,

  Ursula K Raphael,

  Author of The Survivor

  October 17, 2015

  A few words from super-fan, Melena Duff before you plunge into the END.

  Welcome to DEAD: End. If this is the first book you’ve purchased of the DEAD series, my strong suggestion would be for you to set this book (or audible, if you’re listening) aside and run straight away to buy DEAD: The Ugly Beginning, which is the first book in this series. Now that that’s out of the way, let me introduce myself. My name is Melena Duff and I’m a huge fan of TW Brown’s DEAD series. I’d wager to say the biggest fan. So much so that I’ve had certain scenes from King’s Misery floating around in my head at random times while reading this series. (Sorry, Todd, that you’ve had to find out this way. I hope this doesn’t disqualify me from further interaction with you.)

  Thank everything, I suppose, that I’ve got a bit more self-control than Annie Wilkes. I think. I mean, I must have, because Mr. Brown has not only (spoiler alert! Be advised if you’ve disregarded my first suggestion and have continued on with this book, while not reading the others) killed my own beloved Misery related character, but a bunch of others that I loved nearly as much. It’s a zombie apocalypse book. I knew that deaths would happen. But trust me when I say that no one is safe, not even the protagonists. I’d like to say that the agony in which I’ve suffered since my first discovering the DEAD series is my fault, because I didn’t go into the books expecting a bleak outcome, but that isn’t entirely true. I did expect that end result, which is why it is all Mr. Brown’s fault. He compelled me into forming bonds with his characters, despite my better judgment. He took me on journeys, sometimes twisted and cruel, and others that were funny and remarkable, where I watched the development of these people he gave birth to. I witnessed boys turning into men. I watched women emerge as leaders, and the weak turn into the strong through a series of events that often had me closing the pages and claiming I’d never read another one of his books. Instead, I’ve read each book two or three times, not only because they’re that good, but because I wanted to revisit a time wherein a beloved character of mine existed. It would take me sometimes weeks to finish a book, simply because I was that involved in an individual that he’d just brutally offed.

  I hope none of my mentioning of character deaths is making you think that I don’t love this series. Or (again, if you’ve not heeded my warning and you’re still trudging onward, despite not having read the first books of the series) rethink going to the beginning and devouring these books like they’ll possibly be your very last meal. Because that’s as far from the truth as you could ever get. As much as the deaths of so many of my favorite characters have bothered me, it hasn’t kept me from continuing onward or singing the praises of these books. Nor will it keep me from eventually reading this last book of the series. You read correctly. I’ve not even read this book, yet here I am, introducing you to it. I was actually a beta reader for DEAD: End, and had to ask Mr. Brown to remove me from the list, because of its contents. I’m not ready for this series to close. I don’t know if I ever will be. I’m sure I’ll read parts of it, then take a break, go back and reread the other novels, then come back to this one. It will be a lengthy process and I intend for it to be so. I’d like to stretch out the end as much as possible, especially when I’m saying goodbye to so many characters I adore, in one fell swoop. Not because they all might die, but because this is the last book in the series, in general.

  Although, saying farewell is inevitable when you’re reading a zombie book, I suppose. Or even a series of books, where an end is eventually going to happen, regardless of who dies or doesn’t. It’s hard to let go of something you’ve enjoyed so much. You’re sorry to see it go, even while you’re happy to have gone on this remarkable journey with this or that person, and having gotten to witness their growth, their pain and their happiness. I do hope that DEAD: End brings joys, interminglin
g with the sadness, and I trust that Todd will bring that to the table, when closing up the DEAD series. If that’s not the case, will I (or you) leave here wondering what was the point of it all? Possibly so. Possibly not. For myself, I honestly don’t believe so, because ultimately, having your favorite character die shouldn’t affect your overall opinion of the book. I say shouldn’t, because even if that’s the case, sometimes it will happen. Nonetheless, we have to remember that what we’re reading is a book where death and violence has become not only the norm, but the expected.

  One of the things that sets these books apart, I’ve felt from the beginning, is the realism, zombies aside. It’s not realistic reading any longer if all our favorite characters survive this new, cruel world. It’s not realistic if we don’t have the good, the bad, and the ugly of human nature that Mr. Brown continually touches upon. Yet, that’s the one thing that I didn’t really count on when going into these books. The thing that I didn’t prepare for when I bought the first, thinking I just wanted a zombie book to listen to while I worked. I thought I’d get the blood and gore and zombie action. I thought it’d be a superficial, entertaining read; a quick scratch to an itch I had at the time for this particular genre. I didn’t know I’d get pulled into these characters’ lives, and find myself immersed in the growth or plummet of one’s humanity and bearing. The books were anything but lightweight, and only some of what I expected, as Mr. Brown’s surprising twists became unraveled throughout the pages. When you become that invested in a book or series, it’s inescapable that you won’t want to see the end of it. Even so, here we are. In the end. I don’t know about you, but I’m thinking that Annie Wilkes might’ve had a really good idea, after all.