Thoughts on "All That's Left In The World" & Other Stories

Synopsis:

(Part 1: All That's Left In The World)

A post-apocalyptic book by Erik J. Brown it tells a story from 2 perspectives of Andrew and Jamison 2 16 year old survivors. In this story, the world has fallen victim to a deadly “superflu” which caused another worldwide pandemic (much worse than COVID-19 I might add) which caused much of the human population to die out in less than a year leaving millions of people dead. With the Internet down, modern currency rendered useless, the world becoming lawless and violent, and food and medical supplies becoming scarce society has officially collapsed and the remaining survivors have no choice but to either band together into settlements (often intimidating other people into joining under the threat of starvation) or figure out a way to survive on their own. Andrew, a dry and heavily sarcastic pop culture fan, is from Connecticut, he had lost his family to the superflu and upon his baby sister dying he decided to leave. Having spent months alone and accidentally killing fellow survivors (with family) in self-defense when they attempted to rob him; Andrew decides to travel down south to see their family and inform them of the death of their loved ones. However, his carelessness proves to be his undoing when he steps into a bear trap in the forest and injures his leg. Fortunately, the trap was old and he was able to get his leg free overtime without forced amputation but needing help and a place to heal and disinfect his wound he stumbles upon a lone cabin and winds up encountering Jamison. Jamison is from Philadelphia. His mother is a nurse and the cabin was a vacation home that utilized solar power and electric water heaters. Jamie spent much of his time alone in the cabin frequently doing inventory on food. Soft-spoken but empathetic and generous after hearing Andrew’s pleas and unwilling to take a life despite his trespassing he decides to help him using his mother’s notebook she had written for Jamie to survive as a reference to properly care for any injuries or situations he may find himself in. Although naturally not trusting each other due in part to the circumstances the world is in; gradually the 2 begin to grow closer although secrets were still kept from each other; the 2 even begin to learn from each other and enjoy each other’s company Andrew wanting to become a better person and Jamie realizing he doesn’t have to be alone. The boys also find themselves growing feelings for each other but are too shy to admit it partially due to Jamie being straight passing. As their feelings grew they both had a desire for the other to stay with them. However, in the weeks of Andrew’s recovery, the boys suddenly found themselves being raided and robbed by bandits of their supplies and food meant to last them months (implied to be a desperate attempt to intimidate them into joining their ranks and strengthening their numbers against other hostile settlements). Both boys felt guilty over the event, Jamie because he believed he couldn’t stand up for him and Andrew despite being outnumbered and outgunned, and Andrew because he believed he led Jamie into nearly committing a rash act that could’ve gotten both of them killed. Unable to deal, Andrew takes a leave while Jamie goes on an unsuccessful hunt leaving a note behind. Despite feeling heartbroken over his leaving and unable to bear the thought of being alone and isolated once more, Jamie catches up with Andrew and tags alongside him with intentions to travel down South to Washington DC where supposed foreign aid was arriving to assist in relief efforts. After weeks of traveling together, avoiding hostile threats, and growing closer together the 2 find themselves befriending an elderly survivor by the name of Henri. Henri offers the 2 shelter and a place to sleep for the night. Henri bonds with the 2 boys individually, having figured out that Andrew was lying to Jamie about where he was going, and giving Jamie advice on trusting others despite the circumstances. She also reveals she has a daughter named Amy who lives in Florida and is worried about her survival. Upon leaving the 2 discover that the monsters Henri warned about earlier were hungry lions that had escaped from the Zoo and began making a meal out of dead bodies or survivors unfortunate enough to encounter them. This forced the 2 to split up temporarily while Jamie fended them off and managed to avoid them before reuniting with Jamie and confessing he was aware of his lies. Guiltridden over nearly getting Jamie killed, Andrew confessed his history before meeting him and stated he intended to go to Alexandria to confess his murder to their family The Fosters regardless of the consequences feeling honor bound to do so. Upon arriving at the house from the Address, the 2 discovered that the family had passed away long ago leaving Andrew very distraught. The next day he with Jamie’s help mowed the lawn in their backyard in an attempt to bury the family and honor them before continuing on their journey this time heading towards DC to seek out the supposed foreign aid that was requested to arrive. Upon arriving at an airport location where they were scheduled to arrive however they meet a lone small family of survivors who inform them the aid will not arrive as a result of the superflu infecting and compromising other nations with the last government official overseeing the relief committing suicide. Still seeking purpose the boys decide to journey to Florida to inform Henri’s daughter of her survival. En route, they encounter another settlement, Fort Caroline. Despite the community welcoming the boys into their ranks they felt unnerved by their presence and eventually realized they stumbled upon a highly conservative and possibly racist militia. A female secretary, Cara helps the boys pack their bags, reclaim the guns that were confiscated (sans bullets), and quickly take their leave traveling over 100 miles for days to create distance between them using a map Cara laid out in roads and areas not yet claimed by them. However, while resting and swimming (in the nude 🤭) in a river the boys have been found by the son of the man who took them to Fort Caroline who tracked them down accusing them of stealing their property despite the gun belonging to them originally. Threatening Andrew’s life a naked Jamie used a handgun to kill the man in the face and wound his associate forcing him to flee. Knowing this will lead to harsh repercussions the boys immediately leave in the opposite direction. Jamie was particularly mortified at resorting to killing despite rationalizing it to protect Andrew he was still unnerved by his actions and closed himself off from Andrew much to Andrew’s growing concern. Using the detours Cara mapped out to prevent further incidents. The 2 found themselves followed by Cara. Initially, they were distrustful with Jamie even threatening to kill her before realizing that Cara was also trying to flee from Fort Caroline. Continuing their original objective they journey down to Florida. While making camp one day, Cara confronts Jamie over his feelings for Andrew and begs him to confess them assuring him that Andrew reciprocated them. While Cara leaves to find water, Andrew returns however he has been gagged and ambushed by members of Fort Caroline who reveal that there are search parties all over the south for the 2 in retribution for the death of one of their own. While they are distracted, Jamie believing they will die soon decides to confess his feelings for Andrew before kissing him. Fortunately, the boys managed to find the pocket knife Henri had given them to cut their bonds off and escape while Cara provided a distraction using their gun. Unfortunately in the confusion, Jamie had been shot in the back. While the wound itself is nonfatal, due to a lack of modern medicine they were unable to tend to it properly, and without enough antibiotics, they could not disinfect or stabilize the wound. Members of Fort Caroline decided to fall back to tend to their wounded. By this end, Andrew and Cara desperately searched every town they infiltrated to find something to stabilize him but with no luck with Jamie growing worse and sicker by the day as infections began to take root. Eventually, they find themselves at a dead end as a large fence bars their way with no way through or around. The 2 begin to lose hope before being found by a couple of men who take the forlorn survivors in and manage to stabilize Jamie inside their settlement. Reuniting with Andrew, he alongside Jamie and Cara meets Henri’s daughter Amy as well as her granddaughter Henrietta II who thanks them for their efforts as well as sympathizes with their pain. She explains that people from all over have found their way to the settlement after being disappointed by the rumors of the EU being false or encountering their traders. Many bring talents of their own to assist in building the Settlement and trading with others. They had also blown up the bridge that led to the Settlement so that the open road was the only way in. She offers to have the boys and Cara stay in the settlement in exchange for their services in trading with the other settlements and finding her mother to which they agree. After Amy leaves the 3 survivors take in everything in front of them as well as what they had to do to survive and protect each other. Andrew comforts Jamie as he cries in tears before looking on at a new day.

In the epilogue (presumably from Andrew’s point of view), both boys have settled in the Keys settlement. Frequently they have discussions about whether they should stay or leave, despite the security and safety they’re offered they both recognize the danger they can find themselves in as the 2 are still wanted by Fort Caroline and other hostile settlements could potentially attempt to wage war or aggression against the Keys Settlement for their supplies and loyalty. While the boys are unsure they understand they have each other in the event something bad happens and decide to bench the conversation for another day before returning to their temporary home.

(Part 2: The Only Light Left Burning)

A few months have passed since Andrew, Jamison, and Cara found shelter and safety within The Keys settlement in Florida. While living peacefully however things have been tenuous between Andrew and Jamie lately primarily due to differing goals and opinions. Jamie in particular believes that they should return to his mother’s cabin in Pennsylvania where they first met to avoid any aggression from Fort Caroline while Andrew believes they should instead try to make the Keys their home and have a sense of community and family. Things were made even more complicated when a naval Admiral by the name of Hickey frequently butt heads with Andrew due to his serious demeanor clashing with Andrew’s dry wit and sense of humor. Eventually (despite Jamie’s warnings) Andrew winds up getting kicked off the boat they were supposed to be on to travel to retrieve Amy’s mother Henri. This causes a back-and-forth argument turned awkwardness between the 2 causing even people outside of their relationship to become frustrated if not annoyed by their bickering. Andrew remains upset that Jamie wants to abandon the mission to retrieve Henri despite feeling indebted to her for her kindness as well as their entire mission to go down to Florida to inform Amy of her survival in the first place, and Jamie is upset at Andrew for making it seem like he wants him to leave even though the crew can manage on their own and it wouldn’t make a difference whether or not Jamie stays with them. This left an aura of uncertainty between them and left them concerned for the future, nevertheless, Jamie agrees to leave with the crew alongside Cara (believing some space would be good for them) while Andrew is assigned to watch over the other orphans with Daphne De Silva an elder lady in her mid-60s who’s also a published author and has been in the Keys settlement long before the bug as an Islamorada local. Among the orphans was Taylor, a smart Alec 13-year old, who acts incredibly mature for her age, “No-Filter” Frank a kid who by the name has no filter and is incredibly nosy, and “The Kid” a 6-year-old mysterious boy who refuses to open up about his past or reveal his real name only answering to “kid”. Andrew has also bonded with a queer 40-year-old man by the name of “Rocky Horror”. Though perplexed at the name, Andrew does not pry on account of how cool it sounded. Like Andrew he’s also a self-described “cynical bitch” with a dry wit. Upon finding out he is a gay man, Andrew sought him out for sex advice only to be dumbfounded by the “batshit” just communicate approach. Nevertheless, he found an older brother figure in Rocky Horror who begrudgingly tries his best to help with what’s going on between Andrew and Jamie while not directly getting involved with Cara and Daphne also having concerns to share. One day while adjusting the AM radio on the 42-foot sailboat to hear a broadcast from a Cuban native named Blanca to fill the silence and avoid thinking about Andrew (to Cara’s exasperation), Jamie hears a frantic broadcast from Blanca and Daria a translator realizes that they are experiencing a bad storm… a hurricane thus putting their mission in jeopardy. Meanwhile, Andrew is again stuck babysitting the orphans and while doing a headcount he realizes one of the kids is missing and (fearful of Daphne yelling at him) immediately deduces who so he rushes to find him while Taylor (a smart-alec 13-year-old) watches the other kids. Andrew finds “The Kid” attempting to “wash” his stuffed hippo Bobo near a nonfunctioning waterpark. After scolding “The Kid” for wandering off he takes him back to the camp where they meet Rocky Horror. Rocky Horror, after answering some questions from “No-Filter” Frank, drops off Andrew’s birthday gift for Jamie which is a 2-way radio to allow them to communicate overseas. While the 2 discuss Andrew’s worries about Jamie, Daphne returns leading Andrew to realize that he needs to talk to Jamie. Jamie on the other hand had received word from the committee that The Keys may get hit by a hurricane by a small chance thus the boat trip may be delayed for a while until the storm passes and the water is clear. The next day, Rocky Horror entices Andrew to dance with Jamie after convincing an acoustics band to play a slow song for them. After some convincing, Andrew grabs Jamie for a dance. However, the 2 were rudely interrupted by Captain Hickey who informs him and he later relays that the committee is desiring to prepare for the storm and use a school that used to be a hurricane shelter to store supplies and keep some of the people in. After setting up supplies in the gym, Andrew and Jamie get into a conversation (whilst playing with Frank and making an effort to avoid arguing in front of him) with Jamie still feeling as if they should return to the cabin before winter hits while Andrew wants to make the most of it in the keys causing another disagreement between the 2 as Andrew does not want to just survive he wants to live peacefully without hiding and Jamie realizes that Andrew does not want to go to the cabin because it seemed like an irrelevant fantasy at this point. Feeling a lull in the argument Jamie goes to sleep. However, the full brunt of the storm begins to rage and the school begins to flood forcing everyone to quickly move the supplies and the orphans upstairs managing to do so after much progress. However, in the chaos, the building collapsed on the other side taking the lives of Liz and some of the orphans (including Frank) much to Andrew’s visible despair. By this day, it is revealed to be Jamie’s birthday. After the flood subsided, many buildings collapsed from the hurricane, and the boat they were going to use was also damaged by the storm thus messing up their plans to see Henri indefinitely. After scavenging the remaining supplies and items of use, Andrew, Jamie, Cara, and the others regroup in a town library in Key Largo. Andrew and Taylor are still very disheartened by the deaths of some of the orphans. Just when things look bad they eventually grow worse when Rocky Horror sends an associate who tips off Amy who informs Jamie, Andrew, and Cara that the committee of The Keys settlement, desperate for supplies, fuel, and aid (as no other settlement wishes to trade with them) informed Fort Caroline that Jamie is within their borders and are thus sending troops to apprehend him in exchange for help. All 3 are horrified at the revelation that their so-called home is no longer safe for them. Realizing Jamie was right to be worried, Andrew gives in to his despair. More so Amy decides to accompany them with Henri-Two on their journey as she is also visibly disgusted with the committee for turning their back on Jamie despite his service to them and is unwilling to face Fort Caroline’s wrath if they aren’t able to hand him over nor raise her daughter in a hostile environment. This makes Andrew feel even worse as his mind immediately worries for the wellbeing of the kids, fearful of the kids being put under the harsh order and burden of Fort Caroline, Andrew openly desires to take the orphans with them despite Jamie’s disagreements. Taylor and the orphans agreed to accompany them and they all begin to plan their exit. Daphne resisted the notion at first before being told of the infamous hierarchy and structure of Fort Caroline. Rocky Horror also accompanied them out of fear of facing any retribution for tipping them off as well as well as desiring to avoid Fort Caroline. Taking a leave back to their former home (which has now been damaged by the storm), Andrew picks up the gun and rifle Jamie previously owned as they all begin to take their leave with Andrew somewhat saddened at the idea of leaving on yet another perilous journey to ensure their safety. After avoiding the security they begin the journey straying far from the road and keeping the kids from getting rowdy. Due to their small legs, they had to move slower than usual and even pick up the kids who were tired and had to make camp for the night when they were all tired. At one point they spotted a truck with Admiral Hickey heading up the road but fortunately, they managed to avoid it. Rocky Horror had hotwired a truck allowing to create some distance between them before running out of gas in Saratota. While attempting to boil water, Andrew and Jamie begin getting caught up in the moment and nearly have sex but Jamie stops him out of fear of it not being the right moment disheartening Andrew. Curious and wishing to communicate with someone with more experience Jamie seeks out Rocky Horror to explain his dilemma (using a metaphor to keep the topic vague around "the kid"). Rocky Horror merely suggested communicating and trying to just move within the moment understanding there is no perfect moment, especially given the difficult era that they are in. Now reassured, he attempts to try again with Andrew near a mattress store only to be shocked when they see Admiral Hickey. Hickey tries to reason with the 2 arguing that they can do a fair trial to decide if he’s guilty or not but the 2 naturally disagree arguing that they wouldn’t make the trial fair for Jamie and he would die either way. Still outnumbered and outgunned they were forced to back down while Admiral Hickey and his troops figure out what to do next. Speaking privately with Daphne she implores him to leave because their lives are genuinely in danger while the others will be fine and safe. Still perplexed, Andrew sleeps still torn between fleeing with Jamie for safety and abandoning his new family or sticking with them. His thoughts were interrupted when the camp was suddenly attacked by a gang of hungry alligators hailing from a nearby swamp. Chaos ensued with Captain Hickey’s troops open firing and trying to deter them but the reptiles seem to come in swarms. Fortunately, the fire and dead bodies managed to deter them allowing Andrew, Jamie, Amy, Daphne, Kelly, and the kids to get to safety. However, "the Kid" was too frightened to move from his sleeping bag, Andrew not thinking runs after him and attempted to push the hungry Alligator away only to accidentally have his arm bitten ferociously as the creature attempted to bite it off fortunately he was saved by Jamie and Taylor who managed to the stab the alligator and force it release Andrew. His fingers on his left arm were badly mangled and damaged with his thumb missing as he was unable to physically move them ahead of a throbbing pain in his arm. The overwhelming pain and blood loss later cause Andrew to suddenly pass out but "the kid" is saved and the runaways from the keys take both vans from Admiral Hickey’s crew (with Taylor slashing their tires to keep them from following them again) to continue their journey. Over the next few days, the group regularly had to tend to the kids due to their frequent nightmares and trauma. Andrew in particular was in unrest due to the neverending pain in his arm and the need for antibiotics to counter any infection. As uncertainty begins to plague the group, they suddenly encounter a band of survivors called “The Nomads” who explain that they hail from all over and previously were threatened by Admiral Hickey’s men. They are led by a man named Cal. Noticing that most of them are all children and women they offer hospitality to get some distance. After discussing the matter and knowing it will be easier given the many days of travel they have to do as well as them nearing Fort Caroline territory and Andrew needing medication they agree. The group is taken to meet the rest of the nomads, while setting up camp Cal directs Andrew to Dr. Jenn to get his arm looked at but explains they haven’t found any antibiotics yet. Jamie, Cara, and Rocky Horror check out an old distribution center in hopes of supplies and giving Andrew proper medication (though intentionally keeping the Nomads in the dark). They managed to raid a deceased man’s locker discovering some expired candy, porn, and over-the-counter drugs. He gives the antibiotics to Andrew who offers to share them with the other nomads creating another disagreement between them as Jamie is more concerned about their group of people while Andrew still wants to repay the nomads for their kindness. Eventually, Jamie gives in and lets Andrew give them to Dr. Jenn for distribution. Their argument makes Andrew worry about Jamie’s questionable morals and decisions as his behavior as of late has concerned him. Cal then learns of Jamie’s exhibition and offers to recruit him to raid other stores for supplies. Knowing this can benefit them, he agrees. Meanwhile, Andrew meets Niki a black girl around Cara’s age, and her little brother Jamar who looks to be around Taylor’s age. Finally satisfied at having her brother play with people his age, Jamar begins to bond with Taylor. From Niki, they learn more about Cal’s former settlement in Louisana, explaining they had fled as a result of a power-hungry religious madman believing he had a divine right to lead people through the difficult time had begun to oppress his people and withhold supplies from them cutting off the hands of those who protested or resisted. Eventually, the others joined the group putting a table on the conversation. Later Andrew visits Dr. Jenn to get his wounded arm looked at. She explains to the boy that he appears to be suffering from nerve damage due to his inability to move his fingers and affirms that treating nerve damage is a tricky process and is now impossible as a result of the bug thus Andrew’s best bet is attempting to manually reset his connection between his fingers and his brain by moving the fingers himself once the pain goes away. Later Jamie, Cara, and Rocky Horror accompany Cal and a few other Nomads to raid a few more stores in a nearby town for supplies. Finding a secret room in a supermarket (owned by a Nazi) they managed to obtain loads of food and ammunition. When Cal inquires about Jamie’s past, Jamie gives a vague answer regarding some of his history due to him being unsure whether or not they can trust Cal. Jamie also inquires about Cal’s previous settlement and what happened to their former leader. Cal confesses that they had killed him to prevent his influence from spreading and endangering anyone else. Though Jamie remains ambiguous with Cal’s attempts to emphasize using religious examples he nonetheless lightens up that maybe the bug was some sort of “universal convergence” to bring people together. Eventually, The Keys group discuss their next move, deciding it may be safer and quicker to travel with the Nomads they agree to accompany them on their journey to Maryland before splintering off. A few days later Andrew and Jamie check a Dick’s Sporting Goods in hopes of looking for coats and heavy clothes for the kids due to the harsh winters up north. While there, Jamie discovers a wanted poster detailing his features and desires a reward for his capture. Keeping this a secret from Andrew and the others to not worry him or give the nomads any reason to use him as leverage he lies and leaves the store. On the way out everyone hears a faint song (The Mexican Hat Dance) echoing through the distance. Unnerved the group takes their leave to avoid trouble. Meeting with the camp however things take an abrupt turn when Daphne suddenly collapses dead with her death ruled as a heart attack. Unable to have a breakdown around the kids, Andrew and Jamie enter an old amusement park where they explore a Tunnel of Love ride. Getting an idea, Andrew convinced the others to host Daphne’s funeral there knowing she would’ve loved it. Four days later, after a random stop as a result of "the Kid’s" stomach issues they encounter a woman named Hannah and her son who invite them to stay with them calling it a Christmas goodwill towards survivors. Unsure whether or not they are trustworthy, Cal, Jamie, Rocky Horror, and Cara decide to take them up on the offer and give the all-clear to the others (much to Andrew’s frustration over the nomads considering killing them if things go sideways). Upon arriving at the settlement Jamie was amazed at how hard they were trying to function as a society. His amazement quickly drops and turns into horror when he sees Sherrif Grover Denton (from the previous book) causing a very scared and paranoid Jamie to flip out and take his gun out irrationally believing the nomads were setting him up to be captured and revealing the wanted poster by the time Andrew and the others arrived Jamie was still spiraling until Andrew and Cara convinced him to calm down and disarmed him to prevent any further incidents. Cal and the others confirmed that they were just as confused as Jamie and Denton clarified that he was not the one that shot Jamie but stated that he was only sent to apprehend them because they were believed to have stolen from them. However, their escape had caused disarray among Fort Caroline with Denton being blamed for incompetence and later the rise of crime had caused people to turn on him. Eventually, he and Nadine (from the previous book) had enough and managed to escape. Although still not trusting Denton, they believed his story but left both Andrew and Jamie feeling very uncomfortable and uncertain. Believing they cannot stay for long, the 2 desire to plan their leave to separate from the group and move back to the cabin on their own to protect the others in case Fort Caroline does locate them. However, Jamie talks with Cal and gets the idea to instead go with his troops to try and stop Fort Caroline from gaining too much power and killing Danny Rosewood. Upon telling Andrew and Cara his plan naturally, they are against it with the former extremely appalled at Jamie’s desire to take a life and tries to get Jamie to reconsider and instead just hide back in the cabin but to no avail as his mind is made up. Heartbroken and extremely upset, he confronts Denton and blames him for Jamie’s resolve instead asking him to accompany on this journey and make sure he survives. The next day the group splits up from Farewood with Jamie leaving without even saying goodbye to Andrew (as Andrew tried to make himself scarce in one last-ditch effort to dissuade Jamie from leaving). Andrew, Cara, and Amy carry on leaving the orphans and Kelly back at Farewood knowing they are now in good hands but are accompanied by Rocky Horror (still having no desire to be around kids), Taylor, and "The Kid" himself (who doesn’t want to leave Andrew despite being safe). As they continue their Journey, Jamie alongside Cal, Niki, Denton, and the other volunteers begin to make their way towards Fort Caroline. Only familiar with Niki, Jamie talks to her and asks her reasoning for accompanying them on the journey despite the danger. Niki explains that she is doing this to protect Jamar in case Fort Caroline begins to rise in power and begins to spread their influence. Eventually, Cal reveals that he plans to have Jamie be used as bait and their “prisoner” to have their people subtly create destabilization within their community and cause tension. Although nervous due to Jamie’s paranoia, he sees no other alternative and goes through with the plan. Meanwhile, Andrew’s team continues traveling up to Bethesda eventually joined by Jamar (despite knowing how pissed his sister would be) due to him seeing the group as a family and his connection with Taylor driving him to do so. Thanks to Rocky Horror they managed to secure a vehicle from a house to help get them further up to Maryland. On the way there they stopped at a library to pick up an Atlas. Taylor later discovers some of Daphne’s romance novels (with her name bigger than the title) and takes as many as they can carry with Taylor reading them throughout their journey (shying away from and skipping the adult jokes and innuendos to Rocky Horror’s humor) and Taylor marking them and leaving them out in the open (effectively making a trail). While searching for shelter, "the kid" randomly disappears during a bathroom break added with the sound of the Mexican hat dance they heard earlier causing the group to panic as they search for him only to come across 2 middle-aged brothers from Cabo San Lucas, Mexico who have been journeying in their ice cream truck since societal collapse and have been road tripping to explore America like they always wanted. The eldest Ramiro explains he plays the music for the youngest Hector because he tends to wander and get lost and the music helps him relocate Ramiro and the truck. Hector was the one who found the Kid while they were all searching for him. To Andrew’s astonishment, Ramiro takes particular interest in Rocky Horror and appears to be flirting with him. He listens in as he explains their history and why they’ve been journeying all the while the rest of the group is enjoying “ice cream” and bonding with Hector. Andrew even learns more about Rocky Horror’s past such as him being deadnamed by his parents after he came out as trans but was accepted by his brother and loved unconditionally by him before he died a long time ago. While the others are sleeping, Rocky Horror and Ramiro continue talking throughout the night eventually Ramiro requests that Rocky Horror accompany them on their journey across the states and beyond until finally running out of fuel for their truck. While happy for Rocky Horror, Andrew was also sad at losing a member of his growing family was now separating as well as his worries for Jamie growing. Nevertheless, the group shares a heartfelt goodbye as Rocky Horror departs with Ramiro and Hector. Back to Jamie, the group had finally begun their mission to storm Fort Caroline only to discover the entire settlement in disarray. To Jamie’s shock and surprise, the people had begun to rebel against Danny Rosewood having had enough of his ineptitude at leadership and overall selfishness when crimes began to go up and children and innocent people began to die with no aid to help them. The rebels had managed to corner him in a small area with his followers intending to starve them until they came out. With the plan now ruined both the nomads and rebels were forced to fall back as Rosewood’s followers began to open fire. Despite the danger and their troops dying, Jamie refuses to leave until Rosewood is dead and manages to sneak his way to a building. Hearing a nearby conversation that his followers plan on abandoning Rosewood he realizes he is truly losing and vulnerable he manages to confront him after watching him kill someone. To Jamie’s surprise and exasperation, however, Rosewood does not even recognize him until he blatantly reveals that he killed his son Harvey making Danny hostile and blaming Jamie for the mess that he had made. While venting to Jamie about his son finally becoming a leader and stepping up, Jamie begins to have an epiphany that Rosewood’s hate and pressure are what caused Harvey to become the person that he is rather than Harvey genuinely being hateful. This Jamie began to feel sorry for Harvey. Rosewood at the end of his rant holds his gun out causing Jamie to do so in self-defense but Jamie finds himself unable to willingly take a life or hurt anybody (ahead of the safety still being on) and lowers his arms. Before Rosewood can shoot Jamie in his show of mercy, he is suddenly shot and killed by Denton who trailed Jamie alongside Niki. In his last moments, Rosewood remained unrepentant and stated Jamie should’ve died instead despite being told that he did try to kill him before dying. Still angry he merely cursed Jamie and dies verbally hoping him to have a miserable life. Jamie is no longer upset and now pitying Rosewood as well as recognizing the same anger and frustration in himself and realizing his revenge mission was pointless because Danny Rosewood’s own mistakes had turned his men against him decided to forgive him for his actions against him and move on. With that the 3 leave the vicinity, Jamie also learns to forgive Denton when he is told he only accompanied him to ensure his survival as atonement for nearly getting him and Andrew killed and was trying to protect him from Fort Caroline. Realizing he is sincere and now realizing how stupid he was to abandon Andrew and his family for his reasons, Jamie takes his leave back to Faraway while the others clean up Fort Caroline. Arriving there as expected Niki was incredibly pissed to find out Jamar had left with Andrew and the others and decided to accompany Jamie on his journey to Henri’s on foot (passing up the chance to drive there on account of him not knowing how and wanting to give Andrew more space and time). Concurrently, Andrew and his group finally reach Henri’s place and we learn her surviving daughter Kristy and granddaughter Ellie have also reunited with their mother to Andrew’s visible happiness. While everyone catches up and meets each other, Henri speaks with Andrew about Jamie. Andrew is particularly concerned about Henri due to her visibly ailing and her coughs becoming worse. Nevertheless, Henri remained grateful to Andrew for reuniting the remainder of her family and even considered Andrew and Jamie a part of it. While she shares some sorrow over Jamie’s resolve she also helps Andrew better understand why Jamie departed from the group which was to protect them and keep them safe after everything they’ve been through. Though he now realizes this Andrew further wishes that he could’ve convinced Jamie that they still could’ve fled together and still protected each other. A few days later, Andrew decides to depart with the orphans partly to give Henri’s family more time to spend with each other before she passes away due to her condition getting worse and mostly because he doesn’t entirely want to see Jamie just yet when they reunite. Cara stays behind with Henri because of her desire to visit her family home. She finally confesses to Andrew that her family did not perish from the bug rather their house was set ablaze with them in it due to rumors of them carrying the bug despite being immune to it. Nevertheless, she desires to confront her past and visit her home. Andrew shares a heartfelt final goodbye before finally leaving with the orphans with Cara promising to send Jamie after him to catch up. On Jamie and Niki’s end, they spend weeks on the trail, the 2 even managed to tame and pick up a stray dog they named Newt on their journey. One night Jamie confesses that despite feeling foolish for leaving Andrew and despite everything working out he’s still afraid Andrew would look at him differently. Nevertheless, they continue and discover Daphne’s books Taylor had left behind for them to find on their trail. Eventually, they make their way up to Henri’s and are greeted by the woman in question alongside Cara, Amy, Kristy, and Ellie. Although somewhat disappointed that Andrew decided to depart instead of waiting for Jamie he nonetheless made himself feel at home and despite his exhaustion and disappointment, he decides to journey to meet up with Andrew at the cabin. However, things took an abrupt turn when a blizzard hit forcing Jamie and Niki to stay with them for an extended period (spanning for weeks) only leaving to pick up supplies. Back to Andrew after weeks of traveling he and the Orphans finally found their way to Pennsylvania however Andrew is confronted with another problem (one that Taylor realized long before he did) he does not know where exactly the cabin is. While looking for shelter they wind up coming across a hostile man who threatens Andrew and the kids until they come peacefully and are taken to another settlement by the name of Bittersharp which is run by Howard himself. Rather than being hostile to them as Andrew anticipated, Howard (while treating Andrew’s wounds) explained that they were getting desperate due to a lack of available resources and people so they resorted to trying to scare Andrew & Jamie into joining up with them but his wife Raven was against the idea. A few days after stealing their food Howard attempted to recruit them and resolve things peacefully but they had already left the cabin by then and have not returned until now. Although grateful for Howard providing the orphans shelter, Andrew still desires to return to the cabin and wait for Jamie there. Understanding this, Howard escorts Jamie to the cabin the next day (which is 10 miles away from the settlement) catching him up to speed on what has happened the months they were gone. Upon arriving, however, Andrew discovers the cabin to be disheveled and left in disarray due to a large tree crashing in on the building and grass and fungi growing on the walls. Despite this major setback, Andrew is confident he can restore the cabin to its original glory. Howard knowing such is impossible without help and resources offers his settlement’s assistance in exchange for Andrew’s help around the settlement when they need it and he’s available too. Realizing Howard was never a bad guy merely misjudged he accepted his help. Eventually, the snow cleared away at Bethesda but Jamie remained at Henri’s still struggling to leave to see Andrew and unwilling to leave Henri when she wanted him to stay regarding her and her daughters as family and wanting to be there for them especially when she passes away peacefully in April. Cara senses this and eventually confronts Jamie making it aware that while she knows he feels guilty over leaving Andrew, he cannot get away from his feelings on top of that Niki still desires to see her brother but cannot do the journey alone and needs Jamie with her. Understanding this, Jamie departs but not before giving Cara his address to the cabin for when she decides to see them there and saying his goodbyes to Amy. Weeks have gone by as the cabin was restored to its original glory with the solar panels used to power the house have been traded in exchange for raised beds. A working well was nearby as well to compensate for the lack of running water. The kitchen was made bigger as a result of one of the bedrooms getting destroyed by a tree added with an outhouse and root cellar. With the house finally completed and as a bonus, Andrew’s left hand was given a mechanism to allow him to grip things when he needed to. Now knowing the remaining orphans are safe and nearby he says his goodbyes sharing a heartfelt hug with "the Kid" who finally reveals his real name to be Albie to Andrew’s satisfaction as Albie now reveals his utmost trust in Andrew and regards him as family. Returning to his new home via an ATV he places Jamie’s garden gnome he had given his mother (affectionately named Holly) and peacefully waits for Jamie’s arrival as he is sure in his heart that Jamie is still alive. As the days went by, both Jamie and Niki stuck to the route Cara mapped out for all of them. They also found Daphne’s books left behind by Taylor further filling Jamie with hope. Eventually, the 2 finally arrive at the cabin, with Niki and Newt giving Jamie time to see Andrew. He opens the locked door and is greeted by a gun holding Andrew wielding the weapon to his face as payback for their first encounter (having practiced for months). Elated to see each other the 2 lovingly embrace before Andrew meets Newt and is instantly excited to meet the dog as well as Niki with Andrew solemnly confessing that Jamar is nearby but requires another hike to get there. Jamie notices the changes to his house and is curious about what happened but Andrew shushes him and they embrace again this time with Jamie picking him up (awww cute). As they begin to journey, Jamie attempts to apologize and vaguely explains what occurred. Although anxious he is relieved when Jamie reveals he misses the kids and regards them as family. After that the 2 rest in the cabin for the first time since they left. Jamie gives him the raffle ticket Andrew gifted him on Christmas in exchange for a story and Jamie requests him to read one of Daphne’s books he had picked up. Elated Andrew begins to read as the 2 boys begin to settle into a new life together after all that has happened and all the pain they had to endure to achieve their peaceful life.

9 years later in the epilogue, both Andrew and Jamie are now 27-28, are still madly in love with each other, and still living peacefully together. Sometimes, they get visits from the family they’ve made on their journey such as Cara and Albie (whose POV was being told in the epilogue). Albie is now 16 and has still been living peacefully on the farm with Howard, Raven, and the others. He also has a horse named Apollo and a pet dog named Luna (given to him because she’s terrible at the jobs she was assigned to). We learned that Taylor and Jamar have gotten together and now have a kid. Against Niki’s wishes Jamar and Taylor decided to take their newborn (now 5-year-old) Eli out to explore the land they traveled and visit their homes. Howard and Raven now have multiple daughters although he keeps trying to have a son. Albie soon visits Andrew and Jamie and has dinner with them talking about how much has changed as the cabin has grown bigger since when he first saw it. When the topic of Taylor and Jamar comes up, Albie begins to remember bits of his life and how happy his family was before the bug although still traumatized by some bad memories he’s happy to remember the good ones such as the time he spent watching the fireworks with his parents. Andrew also makes a snide comment about how everything is more peaceful now than when they first ventured out in the country with everyone now knowing they have each other to rely on if things ever got worse. They talk until well after night and it’s time for Albie to leave. He says his goodbyes before mounting Apollo and calling Luna over back to Bittersharp while Andrew and Jamie see him off both waving goodbye while having their arms around them proud of the man Albie is becoming and happy about their future and how everything worked out for them despite the many obstacles and suffering they had to endure.

Thoughts:

I for one think the book was really good. This guy I’m talking to Zach recommended I read it after I brought it in December. To be honest the story was excellent and it was one of the best books I ever read. A huge step up from the last one. It’s come to a point where I finished the book in less than a week. Normally it takes me a little more than that but I was so invested I had to see how it ended. I remember when I took a film class back in the Fall of 2022, I was writing a script where me and my twin Sho were one of the survivors in a post-apocalyptic world after an atomic bomb in Japan went off. Slowly while surviving we were growing closer and began to realize we have feelings for each other. I never really got that far ahead of my writing mostly because my teacher said the story needs to be simplistic with supplies we can work with and there’s no way I can do a desert setting cause that’s what was in mind. I dream big you guys so sometimes I reach higher. So instead I just dumbed it down to us training at a gym and then leaving for coffee and getting into a discussion that ends with him leaving and my cat meows at me as if to tease that I like him. But getting back on topic, I enjoyed the book very very much, I was mentally hoping they weren’t gonna die at the end and it would be a bittersweet ending but I think despite the tensions it ended on a good note. I was a little worried about the book too it felt so real like something like this can happen in real life and it probably can but at the same time, the parts where the 2 begin to develop feelings and protective emotions for each other ultimately outweighed any doubts and made the book read worthwhile. It reminds me that you can meet special people even randomly. One thing that stood out was the ideology of hope. With the world thrown into chaos and society crumbling, there’s hardly any hope left in the world. All there is to life is just surviving and scavenging. Throughout the book, I noticed the boys are still searching for a purpose and a will to keep living instead of succumbing to fate and ending their pain. Besides each other, they want a reason to believe in something higher than themselves. Andrew hasn’t met a human being kind enough to show mercy and compassion since the super virus took its toll while Jamison spent most of his time alone. Both boys found something they hadn’t felt in a long time, the idea of hope. Despite their world constantly crashing down on them and the disappointments that followed they still try to make sense of their journey and do what they can. You know the saying “Where there’s a will, there’s a way”, I know people would probably just end it all there, but the book kinda of makes a note that no matter what happens, humanity’s always going to thrive and make it through the tough times. I always believed that which is why I worry more about what happens presently than in the future and just try to make sense of and enjoy the journey as we get there. Another thing that stood out was the diversity. The book also touches upon people of color with a few minor characters being defined as black and a part of the story is a driving factor of it upon realizing that Fort Caroline is highly conservative with a lack of color. Jamie’s desire to follow and protect Andrew kind of reminds me of me. Sure I’m soft-spoken at times and a man of few words but honestly people I care for I would gladly stick by till the end. Feelings that I felt towards my twin Sho or even Orlando for a time. That’s just who I am. Andrew’s dry sense of humor & sarcasm I can also get with because that makes a significant part of my personality. Overall I heavily enjoyed the book and believe it to be a great escapist story!

“Ok ok ok ok… there’s a fucking sequel and it just came out; why am I just now learning of this” was my exact reaction when I saw the sequel for the book on Amazon. The day before I left for my cruise I was amazed. So much so that I made an impulse buy immediately bought the digital version and downloaded it. I have been reading nonstop on my phone, tablet, and iPad whenever I find the time to just read and finish it. By the time I finished this sentence, I was at least almost halfway through. I had to let my 2 biggest book fans Zach and Andrew (my friend) know about it. Hell, I might even surprise one or the other with a copy 😋. The other day right after my cruise I went with Andrew to a bookstore named Giovanni’s Room and brought an additional copy! Yet another impulse buy but I do not regret it at all!!

You know how in relationships you’re always prepared for the good and the grand moments you know like them remembering your birthday, giving you chocolate on Valentine's Day, or trying to do little things like taking you out to your favorite restaurant and sending cute little "thinking about you" text. But you also have to be mentally and physically prepared for the bad. I have never been in anything serious but I have witnessed relationships fail over disagreements my mom is a victim of that ultimately. All couples unfortunately hit a rough patch because they disagree on how things should be done. The other just wants you to see it from their point of view and sometimes they may come off as harsh or cold. That honestly scares me a bit because I have never been in something like that. The crazy part about this particular disagreement is that technically they both weren’t wrong and had valid arguments. Morally speaking Andrew just wants to build a new family and retain some societal structure and normalcy after losing his biological family to the bug and being forced to run away to protect himself and I can only imagine the emotional pain he felt when Amy dropped the bomb that the Keys Settlement sold out Jamie for food and supplies. Even Jamie understood Andrew’s point and why he didn’t want to leave anymore and instead just build a new home but he also had a valid argument. The longer they stay the harder it’s gonna be to leave and because the 2 were wanted men that makes it worse for themselves and the people around them if they stuck around for long and it did. Jamie’s ethics waning and his becoming more hardened is extremely understandable considering the future they’re living in seems uncertain and the fact that they’re just surviving makes the ideology of hope seem more threatening. Andrew holds onto beliefs that being a good person and caring for others regardless of the sacrifices is also important hence the disagreement between the 2. I feel Andrew’s emotional pain as well. He’s hurt and has been since losing the old world he originally knew and wants to try hard to build a new world only to be disillusioned that it’s not real to the point where he even wonders if is it worth it and has no problem potentially losing his life and ending all of the pain.

The ending was so heartwarming and once again I’m a big softie for romance they waited months to see each other despite no communication and no way to tell if the other was even alive. I love how the epilogue was told in Albie's (the Kid’s) POV who became their little brother (or son). And more it takes place 9 years later and shows how peaceful things had become for everyone. I love how the second story comes around full circle and resolves where the first left off and gives a better (though slightly bittersweet) ending. I felt like how I did when I first read What If It’s Us and Here’s To Us. While they don’t get married at the end (as far as we know), it was still tearful to read how everything worked out. I even got misty-eyed while rereading it on my college campus. Andrew got the chosen family he always wanted and desperately needed plus Jamie, and Jamie realized that violence wasn’t the answer and received closure about his fears. I’m not gonna lie Rocky Horror being a trans man made me feel extremely bad because I laughed at that chosen name and I said to myself how silly that was but then he opened up about his life and him being deadnamed and my mind was blown when I realized it wasn’t to forget his old life before the bug but to create a new life for himself as a man because he never clarified he was even trans before only another queer survivor (plot twist) although rereading it I now understand the hints and implications. The impulsive decision to leave with a man you only just met seems wild but I guess at their age you gotta move things along quickly when you don’t know how much time you have left. I still wished Andrew didn’t lose his “hand” in the process but I sure was happy when they reunited and got their “happily ever after”. As soon as I finished reading I said I gotta tell Zachy about this… no lie the story made me think about him for a bit and I kept him updated on how far I have gotten throughout my cruise only finishing the book after 3 days. I was like I need a big hug from him… he sent me his virtual hugs however but I want the real thing 🥺.

Ranking:

Overall Score: 10/10 (Both Books)

Characters:

• Andrew: A gay 16-year-old boy from Connecticut and survivor of the Bug. He is a pop culture fan with a dry wit as a result of his upbringing hardened by the experiences of humanity’s regression. He also harbors a massive crush on the British actor Tom Holland. He harbors a dark secret and heavy guilt over having to kill in self-defense and was alone and near willing to die on his mission to inform the Fosters Family of their parents' deaths. Upon meeting Jamie and being taken care of by the boy, Andrew begins to realize that he doesn’t have to journey alone. He loves to tell stories and relay movies to Jamie and was touched by how kind, empathetic, and understanding he is despite being used to how selfish and violent the world has become around them. His only “living” friend (at the time) and later boyfriend, Andrew has come to see some of the beauty in the otherwise stressful time. Although he means well his cynicism and dry wit tend to create some trouble shown by his interactions with Howard and Admiral Hickey. In Andrew’s mind, he likes to make light of certain situations to avoid being seen as bitter and complaining constantly. By the second book, while still in a relationship with Jamie, Andrew is struggling with the idea of rebuilding a perfect and close nit family and because of this he has begun to butt heads with Jamie who believes they need to leave soon to avoid creating any danger and difficult situations. Having grown fond of Amy as well as the kids he was assigned to take care of after getting kicked off the boat, Andrew refused to abandon them. He became disillusioned when The Keys Settlement eventually turned on them and revealed Jamie’s location forcing them to flee once more. Throughout the sequel, Andrew was conflicted between being selfish and looking out for only himself and Jamison (as well as Cara) or caring for others despite the liability they may pose to him even going so far as to risk his life protecting a young boy fleeing with them from a feral alligator (losing a thumb and paralyzing his fingers on his left hand in the process). Although trying to save face with his infamous wit, while not suicidal, Andrew was admittedly tired of simply surviving and even had no qualms about actually dying due to the frequent physical and emotional pain he’s been in. Because of their different opinions and desires to handle a situation, the couple began to hit a rough patch and have been arguing a lot recently. Eventually, to Andrew’s horror and disappointment, Jamie decides to go on a mission to kill Rosewood to keep everyone safe. Of course, Andrew disagreed with this notion because of the person Jamie became after being forced to kill Harvey knowing that such an act would destroy him and make him unrecognizable to Andrew. Although he came to understand Jamie’s reasons and desires to protect everyone he still wished that Jamie came to his senses and accompanied them. Eventually, he made his way back to the cabin and with Howard’s help spent months renovating and repairing the house for Jamie’s return before taking up residence there. His hand had received a mechanism to help him grip things and the pain in his arm had mostly gone away with the nub on his thumb sewn up. however. Many months later the 2 reunited with Andrew humorously holding a gun to his face as payback for their first meet and Jamie revealing he picked up a stray dog along the way. He was notably relieved that Jamie did not kill anyone and Fort Caroline has now been destabilized. He forgives Jamie for leaving and the 2 begin a new life in the cabin. By the epilogue which takes place 9 years after the original book Andrew is now 27-28 years old and is still in a strong relationship with Jamie as the 2 still live a stable life in the cabin with Albie (an orphan Andrew bonded with) visiting them often.

• Jamison: A friendly 16-year-old (now 17; 26-28 in the epilogue) teen from Philadelphia. As revealed on a wanted poster, he is at least 6’3. Jamie is a man of wit that can almost match Andrew’s but also a kind and caring soul. Taught by his mom to do no harm he expresses hesitance to kill despite being taught how to hunt by his mother he could never bring himself to do so. Despite this, Jamison was more adept at surviving on his own and had before meeting Andrew. Thanks to his mother’s notebook and observations in the medical field he is fairly familiar with the human body and how to treat serious wounds which came in handy when Andrew broke into his cabin seeking help. Deep down he harbors some shame for his hesitation to take a life being unwilling to put down or let his dying mother overdose on painkillers to end her suffering, convincing himself that she may get better. He believes himself a coward and is even afraid of the pitch-black darkness. Before meeting Andrew, Jamie was alone, frequently doing inventory on food and medicine to pass the time and avoid driving himself insane from the isolation. Upon meeting and bonding with the intruder, Jamie has come to enjoy time with Andrew and is secretly overjoyed to have the company and sense of purpose. When Andrew decides to leave one night, unable to bear the thought of being alone again and secretly afraid that Andrew will get hurt again, Jamie leaves the comfort of his home to accompany him on his journey despite knowing that Andrew is keeping secrets from him. Slowly but surely, Jamie began to develop feelings for Andrew despite previously being “straight” but was unsure how to act on them nor did he know whether or not he reciprocated them. His feelings have also caused him to become braver and have more desire to protect both himself and Andrew putting himself in harm's way against a pack of hungry lions, and hostile survivors, and killing a man when he threatened to shoot Andrew. Eventually, Jamie confessed his love for Andrew and despite nearly dying after being shot, tried his best to keep Andrew happy and not worried about him. By the end of the book, Jamie is fully healed and is in a strong romantic relationship with Andrew. Jamie’s dialogue also implies him to be agnostic which is touched upon in the second book not sharing religious beliefs and maintaining a more spiritual stance despite being brought up Catholic. By the second book, while still in love with each other, the couple begins to bicker due to their different desires for their future. While Jamie still wished to return to the cabin to avoid a confrontation with Fort Caroline, Andrew began to have a change of heart after bonding with some of the refugees and looking after some orphans believing that they could rebuild a family and home there. Jamie disagreed because they are still strangers, not natives, and correctly assumed that they would give them up to avoid conflict or a potential war causing the 2 to hit a rough patch in their relationship (to everyone’s growing concern and annoyance). His fears eventually became realized after a massive hurricane devastated their settlement and Amy later broke the news that The Keys settlement revealed Jamie’s location to Fort Caroline in exchange for supplies forcing them to leave what Andrew began to consider his home. Because of his nearly dying as well as killing to save Andrew from being hurt, Jamie had become hardened from the experience and became more of a realist. While still madly in love with Andrew and fiercely protective of him, Jamie was mainly concerned for Andrew and Cara’s safety rather than that of the others (initially) due to believing they can hold them back or deter them causing Andrew to become worried about Jamie’s disposition especially when Jamie decides to break off from the group to kill Danny Rosewood horrifying and disgusting Andrew as such is unlike Jamie who was originally hesitant to take a life and was horrified when his hand was forced the first time. However, upon confronting him, Jamie found himself unable to do it nor was he willing to take a life purely for revenge. Upon finding Fort Caroline in disarray and realizing how much of a victim Harvey was, Jamie realized how pointless his revenge mission was and how foolish he was by not listening to Andrew. Having learned to forgive those who caused his suffering and pitying Danny Rosewood and his son’s fate he decided to return to Andrew with Niki accompanying him (mostly because her brother left with him). Due to the long journey (as Jamie does not know how to drive a real car as well as being fearful of seeing Andrew) and the snow forcing them to stay with Henri for well over a month, Jamie retained some doubts over seeing Andrew along with his desires to not abandoned his new “family” after Henri died but it convinced by Cara to continue on Andrew and Niki’s sake. Along the way, they pick up a stray dog which they affectionately named Newton or Newt for short. After many weeks of traveling upstate by foot, Jamie finally returns to the cabin which was newly renovated thanks to Andrew, and reunites with his boyfriend apologizing for leaving him and introducing him to Newt. In the epilogue which takes place 9 years later, Jamie and Andrew now take up a permanent residence in the cabin and are still very much in love with each other. The cabin has also gotten bigger (in Albie’s perspective) and the 2 occasionally receive frequent visits from Albie, the orphan they bonded with along the journey, and his animal companions.

• Henrietta: Nicknamed Henri for short. An older woman in her late 60s who’s also a survivor of the bug. Her voice is slightly “scruffy” as a result of frequent smoking. She encounters Jamie and Andrew when they go past her neighborhood in Bethesda scaring the 2 out of their wits by sneaking up on them with a shotgun. Despite the 2 being strangers, she takes them in to stay with her for the night. Though naturally, the 2 were suspicious of her, they warm up to her when she demonstrates she means no harm. Having mothered kids of her own she can also see that Jamison has feelings for Andrew as well as Andrew hiding something from the both of them and gives the 2 advice on trusting one another (separately ofcourse). She reveals much of her life as well, her husband passing long before the bug and some of her kids shortly after the bug. She had intentions to sell her house but because of the bug she was confined to the house and started death cleaning coming to terms with her life and the possibility that her kindness might even be the death of her one day. Her concern for her daughter Amy serves as one of the driving parts of the plot as the boys (having nothing better to do besides surviving) decide to travel down to Florida to inform Amy of Henri’s survival. Henri’s generosity also winds up saving Andrew and Jamie’s lives when they are captured by angered members of Fort Caroline, the Swiss Army pocket knife she gifted them which was originally her husband’s allowed them to cut through their bonds and narrowly escape. By the end of the book, the Keys settlement made arrangements to sail to Maryland to pick up Henri during one of their trades and reunite her with her daughter with Jamie and Andrew helping. However, due to a hurricane that damaged the boat and the Keys settlement growing desperate for supplies, Jamie and Andrew were forced to flee this time with Amy accompanying them alongside a group of orphans and other folks they regarded as family. After months of traveling with Jamie splitting from the group, Andrew managed to reunite Amy with her mother with her meeting her 2nd granddaughter. They also discover her other daughter Kristi and granddaughter Ellie have reunited with Henri prior. Despite the numbers, Henri welcomed them all to stay in their home for as long as they needed to, grateful for their effort to reunite their family, and had no problem allowing Cara to stay with them after Andrew left. However, due to a lack of available health care to keep her alive, Henri began to ill and despite everyone knowing she would die soon she still was happy to spend her final moments with her family and has even come to regard Jamie and Andrew as a part of it being eternally grateful to them for their help reuniting her with Amy and repaying her kindness even though they didn’t have to. When Jamie and his friend Niki arrived, Henri again welcomed him to her home and allowed them to stay with them despite being snowed in for well over a month. In April, A few days before Jamie left Henri dies peacefully having spent her last days with her family and the people who helped reunite them, and was later buried in her backyard.

• Cara: A tall skinny friend of Jamie and Andrew from Easton, Maryland. She has a natural talent for mapping out roads and areas. Quiet and reserved she doesn’t talk much and is easily flustered. She was taken in by members of Fort Caroline when her family was killed and was given a job mapping out routes and running a motel on the outskirts of town howevershe discovered too late that the settlement was an oppressive, conservative militia that sought to conquer and restore America to its traditional ways. Unable to flee on her own and Sheriff Denton unable to help her she stays in the town welcoming in new members and mapping out their roads. She later meets Jamie and Andrew. The 2 having figured out quickly what they were getting into asked Cara to map out roads for their escape. Cara took the opportunity to help herself escape as well and later rendezvous with the boys. Naturally, they were suspicious of her after having been ambushed once by the militia but later realized her real intentions. Cara then accompanied them on their journey to Florida and assisted in helping Jamie when he was wounded. She was the one who insisted that Jamie confess his feelings to Andrew recognizing how protective he is around him and encouraged him to explore it. Having spent more time than anyone else with the boys, the 2 have come to regard Cara as a family and she serves as a big sister to them. In the epilogue and second book originally Cara was assigned to help map out routes and have the Keys settlement sail to Bethesda howeverdue to a hurricane the ship was destroyed and desperate for supplies the Keys Settlement was forced to reveal Jamie’s location to them in exchange for supplies putting everyone’s lives in danger and forcing them to flee. In the story, Cara reveals more of her past to Jamie and Andrew, the reader learns that her family survived the Bug and worked in the medical field to treat it only to lose many patients. Eventually, due to their immunity to it, people related to those who perished began to suspect that the family was spreading the bug, and when Cara had gone out for more supplies she had discovered her house had been burned with them in it. When she returned to Maryland, Cara decided to stay with Henri and Amy to visit her old home and come to terms with their deaths. It’s implied she visits Jamie and Andrew occasionally. 

• Amy: A kind and tender-hearted woman who resembles a younger version of Henri. She lives in Islamorada, Florida with her daughter Henri II. She owned a bookshop called Henri’s Hideaway. Before the bug, Henri made plans to reunite with her and settle in Florida with the remainder of her family but was unable to when society collapsed and the phones went down leaving both unsure whether or not the other survived. Feeling indebted for Henri’s generosity as well as desiring purpose in their otherwise chaotic world, 2 boys Jamie and Andrew decided to travel and reach out to her to inform her of Henri’s survival and give her the Swiss Pocket Knife Henri gave them that was originally her father’s. Grateful she thanks the 2 and reveals how she and the other survivors managed to band together to rebuild a new society. In the sequel, Amy remains a close friend to Andrew and Jamie howeverafter a hurricane that devastated the settlement and much of their supplies, Amy learns from an associate of Rocky Horror that the committee of the Keys settlement had revealed to Fort Caroline that Jamie is in their borders in a desperate attempt to gain some more food and supplies after being refused aid by other settlements. Understanding that Jamie is no longer safe there and disgusted with their actions and attempts to sacrifice Jamie for their wellbeing, Amy and Henri II are among the others who flee with Jamie and Andrew to head up to Bethesda on their own to reunite with her mother managing to do so despite not wanting to originally and managing to reunite with her sister and niece in the process. She also has picked up Andrew and Jamie’s habit of calling her daughter Henri-Two. Despite departing, Amy regards both Jamie and Andrew as family and promises to open their home for them when they need it. 

• Rocky Horror: A 40-year-old trans man from The Keys Settlement, bits of his origin came to light as the story progressed. Self-described as a “cynical bitch” just like Andrew and tends to be sardonic and sarcastic, Though no desire to get involved with their relationship Rocky Horror serves as a bit of an older brother figure for Andrew occasionally (though passively) weighing in on their relationship when they began to bicker more and trying to nudge them as well as giving them advice on their relationship. Although generally an open book, he hasn’t told anyone about his life outside the Keys before the bug up until he met Ramiro where the reader learns that Rocky Horror is a trans man who wasn’t accepted by his family except for his elder brother. He was deadnamed by his parents causing endless frustration and is somewhat content with the collapse of society seeing it as payback for the oppression of queer people such as himself. His elder brother Vincent (Vinnie) also has Down syndrome much like Hector. He had died 20 years ago but served as Rocky Horror’s biggest supporter. He is covered in tattoos minus a couple of scars on his chest (implied from his vague dialogue to be from top surgery) and speaks with a gruff voice according to Andrew. He is somewhat tech-savvy as he managed to put together a radio communicator as a birthday gift for Jamie and later fashioned a solar-powered cart and hot wire trucks after much effort. He fled with Andrew, Jamie, Cara, and the orphans to avoid being labeled the only queer man in the settlement as well as avoid any punishment for tipping everyone off and carried on with them on their journey despite finding another settlement in Faraway (having no desire to be around kids). Upon meeting and being flirted with by Ramiro who accepts him for the man he is, Rocky Horror decides to accompany Ramiro and his brother Hector on a journey throughout the States in their ice cream truck beginning a romantic relationship with him and parted ways with the group.

• Albie/The Kid: An orphaned child who took up residence at the Keys settlement in Florida. He is 6-7 in the majority of the story and 15-16 in the epilogue (which was told in his POV) he remains mysterious and soft-spoken (likely due to the trauma of losing his family and inability to open up to those he cannot trust) and refused to tell anyone his real name even when they tried numerous times to find out instead answering only to “the kid” (though Daphne refrains from addressing him as such). Like any child, he is curious, occasionally defiant, imaginative, and looks to those he considers his friends/family for support. He bonds with Andrew (and later Jamie) throughout the book and seems to look up to them as older brother figures and people he can trust as Andrew was assigned to watch them with Daphne after being kicked off of boat duty by Captain Hickey and he bonds with Jamie due to Andrew’s stories about him fending off lions as well as saving Bobo (his stiffed hippo) from the Alligators. When the group was attacked by hungry Alligators, Albie was too scared to run with them instead hiding in his sleeping bag. Andrew seeing this rushes to protect him causing his arm to get mauled, losing a thumb, and paralyzing his other fingers but saves the kid’s life. Despite the long journey ahead of them, Albie refuses to abandon Andrew and seems upset when he overhears Andrew and Jamie’s intentions to leave the group later he sneaks away to accompany them to Henri’s home and Jamie’s cabin with Andrew unable to say no and admitting he would’ve still missed him. He has a stuffed (comfort) hippo by the name of Bobo and gained another Pokémon Bellibolt plush that he named after himself (though everyone else didn’t know that at the time) which he later gave to Hector after befriending him on their journey. By the end of the book, the kid seems to now regard Andrew as family and tends to follow his example (sometimes swearing and repeating what Andrew says to him to his visible disapproval), he now trusts Andrew enough to reveal his true name and now lives in Bittersharp Farm with the other remaining orphans being cared for by Howard and Raven. By the epilogue, he seems to only remember parts of his life before the superflu mostly bad memories related to the bug but also remembers watching the fireworks with his parents (apparently not knowing what they are presently based on his description). He also reveals he cannot remember his parents' names only their faces. He remains very close to Andrew and Jamie often visiting their cabin with his horse Apollo and his dog Luna having kept her as a pet after being shunned by the others for being seemingly useless.

• Taylor: A 13-year-old orphan from the Keys settlement being watched over by Daphne and later Andrew. She is a sassy, smart-mouthed teen who acts very mature for her age. Despite being younger she often undermines Andrew and treats him like an equal or an inexperienced inferior but shows more respect to those with more authority like Niki. Not much is known yet about her history before the bug but she tends to help out watching the other orphans. She journeys with Andrew, Jamie, and the others out of the Keys settlement when it is no longer safe to live in. She helped save Andrew and The Kid from feral Alligators and later slashed the tires of Admiral Hickey and his crew’s vehicles to keep them from following them further. Upon traveling with the nomads, Taylor begins to meet and bond with a fellow 13-year-old named Jamar and begins to spend much of her time with him. Despite not needing to after finding stability and safety in the faraway settlement, Taylor still accompanies Andrew and the others on their journey up north with Jamar sneaking away and tagging along due to his feelings for Taylor and seeing the rest as part of their family. En route the gang finds a library with some of Daphne’s books, getting an idea she picks out most of them and reads them to the others (shying away from the suggestive content to the other’s amusement) and when finished she writes in the book on when it was read and leaves it behind for Jamie or the others to find. She stays alongside Andrew, Jamar, and "the Kid" when they meet Henri and journey back up to the cabin (becoming heavily annoyed when she suspects Andrew does not know where it is). Despite a tense first encounter Taylor and the remaining orphans found shelter and a home at the Bittersharp farm just 10 miles away from the cabin and began a new life there. In between the 9-year gap, both Taylor and Jamar would have a son named Eli, and when he was 5 the 3 (against Niki’s wishes) decided to journey out farther into the country to show their son the world and their homes.

• Niki: A young adult around Cara’s age and a close friend of Jamie as well as Jamar’s older sister. She is black and described as tough as nails and highly protective of her family and those she loves and cares about. She and Jamar both hail from Garland a small city in Texas. Originally they came from a Louisiana settlement and had met Cal in Arkansas. While the leader was a religious Church Pastor who believed it was his destiny to lead them through this difficult time he treated everyone with respect and kindness. However he suddenly died and his son Phillip took over in his place, however, things got rough when supplies began to go missing and their families began to starve and those who attempted to raid the supplies Phillip was hoarding to feed their families would be punished severely and had their hands cut off. Worse they saw no use for the elder survivors and had begun to cut their rations and imprisoned those who attempted to share Niki and Jamar’s grandmother was no exception. When her grandmother was caught having more food than her usual portion thanks to Jamar, Niki stepped in his place and was incarcerated. Eventually, the people in the settlement had enough and staged a revolt ending with Phillip being killed to prevent any more damage and his corruptive influence from spreading. Thus Niki and Jamar traveled with Cal and the other Nomads. She accompanies Jamie on his mission to storm Fort Caroline with Cal and the other nomads. While fond of Jamie and understanding his worries she clarified she was doing the mission to protect Jamar from any oppressive settlements and stop them from gaining too much power. However, upon Rosewood’s death, she realizes how silly it was to leave Jamar instead of being thereupon finding the settlement in disarray regardless of their interference and returning to Faraway. However, to Niki’s fury, she finds Jamar had left to accompany Andrew and Taylor on their journey leaving behind a note. Naturally, this gives her all the more reason to accompany Jamie up north. During their journey, they find and tame a stray dog which they named Newt who accompanied them and became their pet. While anxious for her brother’s well-being when she was forced to wait out a massive blizzard at Henri’s house, she was reassured by Cara that nothing would happen to him with Andrew. After a long journey, Niki reunited with Jamar and presumably took up residence at Bittersharp Farm along with the other orphans. In between the 9-year gap, Niki protested Jamar leaving with Taylor and her newborn nephew to explore the world anxious for his safety but gave him her blessing but still worries and even considered leaving to find them herself before being talked down and assured by Cara.

• Jamar: Niki’s little brother around Taylor’s age, Taylor’s boyfriend, and Eli’s father. He is a black teen who is pretty passionate and snarky, especially to his elder sister who watches over him and tries to protect him from harm. Before the apocalypse, Jamar and Niki had a typical sibling dynamic often getting on each other’s nerves but since the bug, he has grown more reclusive especially when the settlement they were in attempted to imprison him and cut off his rations for giving his grandmother extra food. Following that he began traveling with the nomads but mostly kept to himself. Not having many kids his age to hang with he quickly began to bond with Taylor a fellow orphan and nomad. To Niki’s surprise, his bond with Taylor allows Jamar to become more open and comfortable almost returning to his old self when he starts arguing with Niki. Regarding Taylor and the others as his new family and desiring to be with her, he sneaks away from Faraway to accompany Andrew, Rocky Horror, Amy, and the orphans on their journey to Henri’s and later Jamie’s cabin. Although understanding Niki will be reasonably upset he knows she’ll still respect his decision. He and Taylor both take up residence at Bittersharp farm with The Kid. In between the 9-year gap, Jamar and Taylor would sire a son named Eli and when Eli was 5 the 2 (now 18) decided to venture out to explore the world and show their son where they lived knowing that they had a home and family to come back to if things ever get tough for them.

• Cal: A retired former CIA agent and survivor of the bug as well as a member and de facto leader of the Nomads. Before 2021 he was stationed in Afghanistan but had been called to withdraw along with his unit and their assets. Though they were supposed to be rescued in Kabul they had never made it back with Cal unsure of their fates. Following the collapse of American society due to the bug, Cal and the other nomads took up residence at a Louisiana settlement but the leader was a Church Pastor, while he was fine his son exhibited power-hungry behavior and when his father died peacefully in his sleep, his son Phillip had taken over and began cutting supplies from getting to people while he seemed to be fine. He also began abusing his authority and punishing those who attempted to raid their supplies to feed their families and even had rules in place to starve the elder citizens. Eventually, Cal and the others had enough and staged a coup managing to kill Phillip to prevent him from gaining too much power and keep his influence from spreading. After that Cal and the other survivors including Niki and her brother Jamar decided to journey out in their RV and truck in hopes of finding a more kinder and open-minded settlement. He followed and bumped into Andrew and Jamison’s group of nomads upon spotting them being held at gunpoint by men from The Keys settlement and later offered his assistance in getting them far up north. Upon learning more about Fort Caroline and Jamie’s story, Cal convinces Jamie to try to take out their leader Danny Rosewood partly to prevent him from gaining too much power much like Philip, and mostly in an attempt to rebuild the settlement in a more peaceful less conservative manner. Cal’s plan originally was to use Jamie as bait and try to destabilize them before going in for the kill however upon arriving they found the entire settlement to be chaos and were forced to fall back. Cal was not “seen” when Danny Rosewood was finally killed but it’s implied he stayed in Fort Caroline to help clean up the area and have them become a more inclusive settlement.

• Chris: A black survivor no older than 18 with 2 younger siblings Keith and Desirae. He was one of the people traveling to Washington DC to seek the foreign aid that was rumored to come through various Graffiti art. However, by the time he got there long before anyone else, he discovered that the Aid was a bust as the Bug had spread and compromised other nations with over 70% of humanity dying out. Left with nowhere else to go and knowing it’s too far (and dangerous) to walk to their Aunt in Chicago, Chris and their siblings take up a temporary residence on one of the planes hoping someone with flight experience can help them travel to Chicago and later relays the info to Jamie and Andrew when they arrived. 

• Benjamin Wilson: Described by Chris as the last Government official during the outbreak. He attempted to help restore order by promising help from other nations and personally looked into it as several European nations initiated a mandatory quarantine which has been rumored to work. Unfortunately for him, things weren’t much better or different as the Bug had compromised other nations regardless of the quarantine leaving no hope for what’s left of American society. Wilson was among those infected by the Superflu. Disillusioned that he couldn’t save anyone and provided false hope for anyone who heard rumors, he decided to commit suicide leaving behind the letters to confirm his story to anyone desiring to know the truth.

• Daphne De Silva: The world’s best-selling romance novelist as she claims. She had lived in Florida before the bug and was friends with Amy prior when she attempted to sign her books at her bookstore. She is described as being in her 60s with messy white hair tied to a bun and only wears sunglasses even when it rains. After the bug and societal collapse, Daphne took responsibility for watching over the orphans including Andrew, Albie, and Taylor with Kelly and later fled with them out of concern for Fort Caroline invading and taking over. She remained rationally understanding and was beloved by the orphans and residents. She’s also implied to be somewhat strict as she tends to scold and yell at the kids for wandering off or not obeying the rules. Daphne was particularly concerned about the well-being of the kids and wished for them to grow up with structure and stability. During their journey, however, Daphne unexpectedly collapsed dead with her sudden death ruled as a heart attack much to the the shock and horror of those around her. By this time the group was around an amusement park and getting an idea, Andrew decided to host her funeral at an inoperable Tunnel of Love ride. Despite her death, her legacy continues to aid the group on their journey as Taylor and the others spot her romance novels (with her name larger than the title) and grab as many of them as they can carry to read on their journey (with Taylor shying away from the suggestive content and innuendos to Rocky Horror’s humor). Every time the group finished a book, Taylor would leave it behind and write when they had read it effectively leaving a trail for Jamie to find and later having Andrew read one of them to him.

• Ramiro & Hector: 2 brothers from Mexico. Ramiro is in his 40s while Hector is only 32. Hector also has Down syndrome. Before the bug, the 2 lived in their home city with Ramiro running an ice cream truck business. The 2 promised to one day visit the US and journey there but had found themselves unable to due to life demands and circumstances. When the bug came and killed many of the humans off the brothers remained the only survivors in their family and decided to journey out to the US and road trip on their ice cream truck exploring as much of America as they could before returning home or running out of diesel fuel for their truck. Because Hector tends to wonder, Ramiro often plays the truck jingle for him to find his way back so he doesn’t get lost. The nomads heard it one day on their journey but decided to venture away from it. At one point Hector and Ramiro encounter the nomads on their way to Bethesda, Maryland when Albie befriends Hector who had gotten lost again. Despite being strangers, Ramiro was welcoming of the group having admitted to enjoying hosting dinner parties. Ramiro reveals much of his life before and after the bug. He enjoys making “ice cream” for Hector and himself using shelf-stable milk though Hector despises shaved ice (raspados). Notably to Andrew and Cara’s delight, Ramiro takes an interest in Rocky Horror who also reciprocates his attraction going as far as to reveal much of his previous life despite not doing so before, Ramiro was even understanding Rocky Horror’s plight as a trans man. Eventually, Ramiro asked Rocky Horror to accompany them on their journey to explore the states and venture out to places like Canada and South America until they ran out of diesel fuel. Although a little upset Andrew and the others accept his choice and depart. Hector on the other hand spent his time bonding with Jamar and Albie about Pokemon revealing the plush he was carrying is a Bellibolt, later when they leave Albie gives him his Bellibolt plush named after himself (though Hector likely does not know that).

• George & Joanne Foster: An elderly couple whom Andrew had met in New York before meeting Jamison. The 3 had acquainted themselves while raiding stores for supplies. They had intentions to head down to Alexandria, Virginia to reunite with their family as well as potentially head to Washington DC to see the alleged foreign aid that was rumored to arrive. Andrew had caught up with them and they allowed him to share their campfire. While Andrew doses off, however, he overhears them attempting to rob him of his supplies. When he woke up to confront them, George held him at gunpoint and refused to give him back his supplies. Joanne sympathized and attempted to mediate but Andrew instead charged and fought back accidentally killing George upon bashing his head with a rock and taking away the gun. Joanne grief-stricken attempted to charge Andrew only to be shot and struck down as well in self-defense. This act deeply haunted and traumatized Andrew despite them threatening him, he felt deeply ashamed at the act enough to try and bury them but found the ground being too hard. Remorseful, he journeys down to Alexandria to inform their family of their passing with Jamie eventually tagging along. Upon explaining the incident the 2 arrived at the address but found that the family had already perished long ago and found their corpses huddled together to Andrew’s grief and sorrow. Having found the closure he needed, Andrew does a good deed by mowing their lawn to bury their bodies as a final act to let them rest and apologize for their losses.

• * Sheriff Grover Denton: A former sheriff from Fort Caroline and an associate of Nadine and Cara. He expressed some fatherly concern for Cara when she found out the type of settlement Fort Caroline is in but advised her to keep her head down understanding they won’t allow her to leave. He helped show Andrew and Jamie around Fort Caroline. When they attempted to flee from the settlement and killed Harvey Rosewood for threatening them, Danny Rosewood angrily sent his forces after them Denton included. Originally they planned to bring them back to Fort Caroline for a trial but Denton began to have a change of heart after ambushing them and silently listened to Jamie and Andrew declare their love for one another. Realizing he’s made a mistake Denton “allows” them to escape after Cara opens fire at a distance to distract them though Jamie was shot. When Rosewood returned he blamed Denton for letting them escape only for Denton to call him out on his selfishness and using their resources for a revenge mission. Convinced they decided to return to Fort Caroline however things only got worse as the crime worsened and Selectman began changing the law to benefit themselves. Rosewood still held Denton accountable but the citizens of Fort Caroline were fond of Denton still. To turn the people against him allegedly Rosewood had committed a bunch of crimes and because Denton was the sheriff the citizens there held him accountable so new deputies were hired but things had gotten no better as the new deputies began to abuse their authority and everything had grown worse. Realizing that the settlement was becoming destabilized, Denton, Nadine, and six others fled and sought refuge in a settlement called Faraway in North Carolina. Coincidentally, Jamie and Andrew were also invited sometime after, and upon seeing him again Jamie had flipped out in paranoia and believed this to be a setup before Denton calmed him down and explained everything. While still not trusting Denton, Jamie agreed to remain cordial. Cara also revealed that he and Nadine are gay. Out of concern for his safety as well as Andrew wanting him to go with them, Denton accompanies Jamie to make sure he survives the encounter and is the one to provide Cal necessary information. His presence allowed the rebel citizens of Fort Caroline to differentiate them from friend or foe. When Jamie disappears to find Rosewood, Denton, and Niki follow and he saves Jamie’s life by shooting Rosewood dead ending his threat and influence for good. Knowing his work is finished and unwilling to return to Fort Caroline and rebuild he gets Jamie and Niki away from the area confessing the real reason for his coming and remorse towards the pain he indirectly caused the 2. Jamie realizing his sincerity and coming to his senses decides to forgive Denton and the former sheriff sees him and Niki off as they return to the north for their family and loved ones while Denton remains in Faraway.

• Harvey Rosewood: The youngest son of Danny Rosewood, one of the leaders of Fort Caroline as well as a major antagonist of the first book and overarching antagonist of the sequel. He has a patchy beard and mustache and is described as tall with bright yellow teeth. His best friend is Walt. Like the rest of his clan, he is highly conservative, homophobic, arrogant, conceited, and violent by nature. Despite only knowing them for a short time Harvey takes an immediate dislike towards Jamie and Andrew. Not only for being outsiders but because he immediately deduced Andrew and Jamie’s unspoken attraction to each other and Andrew’s queerness. Andrew also immediately took notice of Harvey’s silent opposition when he gave them a dirty look and this made him wary of Fort Caroline. It is strongly implied he was the one responsible for stealing their bags and guns from the motel (which shouldn’t have happened according to the secretary processing the items) while the boys were out exploring the settlement and later confronted Andrew unsettling the boy with his unnerving smile and implications. When the boys escape Fort Caroline, Harvey and Walt follow and confront them (while they are resting in the lake) accusing them of stealing their property even though the guns belonged to them prior and they had traded the food for. Ironically his conservative views, arrogance, and behavior later cost him his life when he threatened to have Walt slowly kill Andrew. Not knowing the rifle he was holding had no bullets (as guns can only be registered one per person in their society), Jamie using quick thinking managed to use the handgun to wound Walt and kill Harvey by shooting his mouth before he had time to react killing him instantly. Unfortunately, this had violent repercussions as a wounded Walt returned to Fort Caroline and lied stating the boys ambushed them and killed Harvey causing a massive manhunt out for the 2 leading to Jamison nearly getting killed when he was shot by a stray bullet. Harvey’s death has a lasting impact on everyone as Jamison was declared a Wanted criminal by Danny Rosewood. Danny’s desires for revenge had caused destabilization within Fort Caroline as he started neglecting his people and even attempted to blame Sherrif Denton and allegedly committed various crimes to have him seen as useless and hired deputies to compensate only for them to abuse their authority. Eventually, many people had enough and began to revolt leading to Danny losing many of his supporters as they had grown restless. By the time Jamie returned he almost didn’t recognize him until he declared he killed Harvey. Danny becoming hostile vented to him how Jamie should’ve died so Harvey could step up and become the leader he wanted him to be. After Rosewood is shot by Denton, Jamie then realizes that Harvey’s behavior was as a result of his father pressuring him causing him to feel remorseful over killing Harvey. As a dying Rosewood continues to curse Jamie he informs him of what he did before his death hoping to give him closure.

• * Danny Rosewood: One of the head selectmen and leaders of Fort Carolina. He speaks with a southern drawl. He meets the boys when they stumble upon his campground after being drawn to the fireworks. At first glance he appears friendly, loud, and welcoming to his subordinates and even outsiders should they prove themselves harmless however by the end of the book his true colors later reveal himself to be incredibly power-hungry, selfish & conservative. His dialogue suggests he is misogynistic as well and has a low view of women giving them more basic jobs at Fort Caroline and making a bigger deal about his wife being in the Air Force than it is. He is also somewhat ignorant and delusional as well as he seeks to return America to its original state when it’s heavily implied (and later directly shown) that he cares more about establishing power for himself and targeting those who resist. He refused to give Walt the proper health care he needed after he was wounded by Jamison instead wasting resources targeting the boys for killing his youngest son and openly admonished his men including Sheriff Grover Denton for refusing to go further on his quest for vengeance after they escaped. Eventually, his men had enough and called him out on his selfishness and they all reluctantly agreed to return to their home and worry more about their security. To deal with his frustration, Rosewood attempted to pin the blame on Sherrif Grover Denton who was sent to arrest him and make it seem like he was useless. More than that, selectmen of Fort Caroline had been growing more and more concerned about Supremacy and using the law to benefit themselves causing civil unrest among them. In an attempt to scapegoat he allegedly committed various crimes leading to the people believing the sheriff was useless and hiring new deputies to compensate however, they abused their authority and started framing people for crimes they committed completely putting the entire settlement in disarray and eventually causing the Sheriff, Nadine, and a few others to leave. By the time Jamie got to Fort Caroline, he found the settlement in complete disarray and chaos with many people rebelling and growing tired and frustrated with Rosewood’s abuse and had cornered him and his loyalists taking away their food and supplies as well and he didn’t even recognize Jamie who confronted him until he confessed that he killed Harvey. When he finally attempted to kill Jamie and blamed him for the mess Rosewood caused he was shot and killed by Denton. In his final moments, he remains unrepentant merely wishing Jamie an unhappy life and believing he should’ve died instead so his son can step up to be a leader uncaring of whether or not he attacked Jamie first nor acknowledging the misunderstanding. His words made Jamie pity Harvey and realize his beliefs came from Danny. As he dies and ignores Jamie’s thoughts, Jamie forgives him before taking his leave back to see his boyfriend.

• * Howard: A formerly hostile man who is the head of a Pennsylvania settlement 10 miles from the cabin. He has a habit of smoking cigarettes. He had staked out Jamison’s cabin for a few weeks and made a plan to rob him of his food and supplies (after food within the nearby town became scarce) only leaving enough for him and Andrew to survive for a few days. His wife Raven states that their attempt to intimidate them is merely for “performance” with Howard also reciprocating the claims. Their dialog and Jamie’s epiphany imply that they are trying to force Jamie and Andrew into working for them as a means to help strengthen their numbers and security in exchange for food and security to avoid any incidents with other hostile settlements. His actions later influenced Andrew to leave with Jamie following not long after leaving the Cabin uninhabited. The sequel reveals that Jamie and Andrew’s suspicions were correct, as Andrew reunited with Howard after many months of traveling he explained that he was trying to force them into their group via intimidation but clarified he was only trying to help strengthen their numbers so they can help out around. He felt somewhat remorseful for scaring Andrew and Jamie and robbing them and even offered to make amends by restoring Jamie’s cabin to its original glory as well as caring for the remaining orphans they brought along with them on their journey. He remained on great terms with Andrew and Jamie by the end of the book and has had 4 daughters between the 9-year gap though he’s trying to have a son.