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I think we finally all reached the general consensus that it was the month of June. John determined it by his allergies as they started to act up like they did every year.

Meredith said he was insane, that a world without industry didn’t pollute the air.

It felt like June. So we all agreed.

Jason and I didn’t stay in Cleveland. We went back to his house for a few more days before heading to the meeting spot in Illinois.

On the way there, we crossed through farmland and met a woman named, Grace. She and her husband were denied entry to Salvation. Their application rejected. She told us that many made a pilgrimage there, but rumor had it, they died while camping outside the wall.

She didn’t go because she was uncertain of its location. Her husband said it was out west and hard to miss. But, like her, he wasn’t sure where.

Someone once told her in was in Iowa.

Grace gave us fresh supplies. We were grateful and noted her location to one day return.

There were actual survivors living in Champaign. Not many, maybe fifteen. They welcomed us and had it not been for the buggy, they would not have believed our story. Four days after we arrived, John and Meredith showed up. They looked the worse for wear.

“We’ve been to hell in back,” John said.

I believed it. His face had healing bruises, as did Meredith’s. Grant had been murdered, but actually in a sense, saved their lives, because when the ‘Wreckers’ looted their belongings, they never found the battery to the buggy.

After resting, they headed our way.

They never made it north. Upon hearing nothing was left, they figured, why bother.

Against the advice of the Champaign survivors, we packed up to search out Salvation. We were given an invitation to return.

Even though it hadn’t been a long time, enough time had passed that we all had clear minds and determination.

My family survived the virus.

They were possibly at the place called Salvation.

I need to go there and Jason vowed to stay by my side in my search. For that, I was grateful.

John and Meredith wanted to go, if civilization was booming behind a wall, they wanted to be there.

It was a real place, out there, somewhere in the west. We didn’t know where, but that didn’t stop us from looking.

Our search has begun.

We would take it one day at a time.

The name of our destination was ironic. It was called Salvation, and that was what we searched for in this godforsaken world.

I believed and was certain, in time, we would find it.

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End

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