Chapter X - Jacob leads an excursion to the nearby town of Chadron, discovering a small group of survivors who had been trapped inside a building.

Interlude - Dean's Story. Camping within the national forest on that first dreadful day, Dean speaks of his experiences and how he met the church group.

Chapter IX Continued - The survivors leave the forest in order to raid a nearby town for supplies.

Chapter IX - Jacob and his group, along with some volunteers from the nearby lake camp, begin to construct a wood fence, the intention being to use this as a simple defense while building something more long term.

Interlude - Miranda's Story. Miranda relates her experiences at the time of the change and how she managed to survive on her own.

Chapter VIII - The group finishes their exploration of the Nebraska National Forest, selecting an isolated location in which to establish a permanent home.

Interlude - Susan and Timothy's Story. Susan and Timothy, two of the survivors who had been hiding in the Nebraska National Forest from the beginning, share what happened on the night of the change and their efforts in the days following.

Chapter VII - Jacob and Briana begin to explore the forest, something the survivors already in residence had been hesitant to do, and rescue a blind woman who had been hiding in her house since day one.

Interlude - Briana's Story. Briana concludes her story, covering the time between fleeing her house in the morning and meeting Jacob hours later.

Chapter VI - The group finally reaches their destination, the Nebraska National Forest, only to find another group of survivors already living there.