From 9c1c1c5b3df058bae69b6e0bc25e6c41cc6c81ea Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: nickwalton Date: Wed, 30 Oct 2019 17:53:48 -0600 Subject: [PATCH 01/11] update --- generator/ctrl/ctrl_generator.py | 3 ++- story/story_manager.py | 2 -- 2 files changed, 2 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-) diff --git a/generator/ctrl/ctrl_generator.py b/generator/ctrl/ctrl_generator.py index 142b495..973dbe0 100644 --- a/generator/ctrl/ctrl_generator.py +++ b/generator/ctrl/ctrl_generator.py @@ -169,6 +169,7 @@ class CTRLGenerator(): # print("\n\nBEFORE RESULT_REPLACE:") # print(repr(result)) + result = cut_trailing_sentence(result) first_letter_capitalized = result[0].isupper() result = result.replace('."', '".') result = result.replace("#", "") @@ -274,7 +275,7 @@ class CTRLGenerator(): def generate(self, prompt, options=None): prompt = self.prompt_replace(prompt) - debug_print = False + debug_print = True if debug_print: print("\n\n*****DEBUG*****") diff --git a/story/story_manager.py b/story/story_manager.py index 29cdce6..72f5bf0 100644 --- a/story/story_manager.py +++ b/story/story_manager.py @@ -102,7 +102,6 @@ class UnconstrainedStoryManager(StoryManager): def generate_result(self, action): block = self.generator.generate(self.story_context() + action) - block = cut_trailing_sentence(block) return block @@ -199,7 +198,6 @@ class ConstrainedStoryManager(StoryManager): def generate_action_result(self, prompt, phrase, options=None): action = phrase + " " + self.generator.generate(prompt + " " + phrase, options) - action_result = cut_trailing_sentence(action) action, result = split_first_sentence(action_result) return action, result From 55cc9d55c6d27a912c9a00be9924425a69107b39 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: nickwalton Date: Wed, 30 Oct 2019 17:54:42 -0600 Subject: [PATCH 02/11] update --- generator/ctrl/ctrl_generator.py | 2 +- 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-) diff --git a/generator/ctrl/ctrl_generator.py b/generator/ctrl/ctrl_generator.py index 973dbe0..e0ebf64 100644 --- a/generator/ctrl/ctrl_generator.py +++ b/generator/ctrl/ctrl_generator.py @@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ class CTRLGenerator(): if forbid_newline: prompt_logits[_token][self.word2idx['\n']] = -1e8 else: - prompt_logits[_token][self.word2idx['\n']] *= 0.75 + prompt_logits[_token][self.word2idx['\n']] *= 1.0 # Set whitelist if "word_whitelist" in options and token_num in options["word_whitelist"].keys(): From 2613bdbcb3cb9796c7c74c32695bab408f19da30 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: nickwalton Date: Wed, 30 Oct 2019 18:05:10 -0600 Subject: [PATCH 03/11] update --- console_play.py | 7 +++++-- story/story_manager.py | 2 ++ 2 files changed, 7 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-) diff --git a/console_play.py b/console_play.py index aff558f..b045d9c 100644 --- a/console_play.py +++ b/console_play.py @@ -35,8 +35,11 @@ def play_unconstrained(): while(action == ""): action = input("> ") - action = " You " + action + ". " - action = first_to_second_person(action) + if action = "": + action = None + else: + action = " You " + action + ". " + action = first_to_second_person(action) result = story_manager.act(action) console_print("\n\n" + action + result) diff --git a/story/story_manager.py b/story/story_manager.py index 72f5bf0..84f7136 100644 --- a/story/story_manager.py +++ b/story/story_manager.py @@ -96,6 +96,8 @@ class StoryManager(): class UnconstrainedStoryManager(StoryManager): def act(self, action_choice): + if action_choice is None: + action_choice = "" result = self.generate_result(action_choice) self.story.add_to_story(action_choice, result) return result From c1601f60b1b9433aeac477c9eca679d93aa19c94 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: nickwalton Date: Wed, 30 Oct 2019 18:07:14 -0600 Subject: [PATCH 04/11] update --- console_play.py | 9 +++------ story/story_manager.py | 3 +-- 2 files changed, 4 insertions(+), 8 deletions(-) diff --git a/console_play.py b/console_play.py index b045d9c..496ffc8 100644 --- a/console_play.py +++ b/console_play.py @@ -31,15 +31,12 @@ def play_unconstrained(): print("\n") console_print(str(story_manager.story)) while (True): - action = "" - while(action == ""): - action = input("> ") + action = input("> ") - if action = "": - action = None - else: + if action != "": action = " You " + action + ". " action = first_to_second_person(action) + result = story_manager.act(action) console_print("\n\n" + action + result) diff --git a/story/story_manager.py b/story/story_manager.py index 84f7136..cf008b7 100644 --- a/story/story_manager.py +++ b/story/story_manager.py @@ -96,8 +96,7 @@ class StoryManager(): class UnconstrainedStoryManager(StoryManager): def act(self, action_choice): - if action_choice is None: - action_choice = "" + result = self.generate_result(action_choice) self.story.add_to_story(action_choice, result) return result From cdd9a24fa751b8617804ab6365e22c4dd5957be9 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: nickwalton Date: Wed, 30 Oct 2019 18:09:46 -0600 Subject: [PATCH 05/11] update --- generator/ctrl/ctrl_generator.py | 3 ++- 1 file changed, 2 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-) diff --git a/generator/ctrl/ctrl_generator.py b/generator/ctrl/ctrl_generator.py index e0ebf64..9a13f96 100644 --- a/generator/ctrl/ctrl_generator.py +++ b/generator/ctrl/ctrl_generator.py @@ -302,7 +302,8 @@ class CTRLGenerator(): num_new_lines = 0 for token in range(len(text) - 1, total_text_len - 1): idx = self.generate_next_token(token, tokens_generated, options, num_new_lines, token_num, first_token=first_token, forbid_newline=False) - if self.idx2word[idx] == '\n' and token_num > 7: + is_nothing = len(cut_trailing_sentence(result)) == 0 or len(cut_trailing_quotes(result)) == 0 + if self.idx2word[idx] == '\n' and token_num > 7 and not is_nothing: return self.result_replace(result) elif self.idx2word[idx] == '\n': idx = self.generate_next_token(token, tokens_generated, options, num_new_lines, token_num, From 4a2763c81ca1d20546936253f1ee3e74c15af424 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: nickwalton Date: Wed, 30 Oct 2019 18:17:05 -0600 Subject: [PATCH 06/11] update --- story/story_manager.py | 4 +++- 1 file changed, 3 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-) diff --git a/story/story_manager.py b/story/story_manager.py index cf008b7..d103982 100644 --- a/story/story_manager.py +++ b/story/story_manager.py @@ -41,7 +41,9 @@ class Story(): self.results.append(story_block) def latest_result(self): - if len(self.results) >= 1: + if len(self.results) >= 2: + return self.context + self.results[-2] + self.actions[-1] + self.results[-1] + elif len(self.results) >= 1: return self.context + self.actions[-1] + self.results[-1] else: return self.context + self.story_start From c4576b9c912be0fd0f5da6ebbffc0455b4313536 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: nickwalton Date: Wed, 30 Oct 2019 18:32:36 -0600 Subject: [PATCH 07/11] update --- story/story_manager.py | 6 ++++-- 1 file changed, 4 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-) diff --git a/story/story_manager.py b/story/story_manager.py index d103982..b9f7eb6 100644 --- a/story/story_manager.py +++ b/story/story_manager.py @@ -41,8 +41,10 @@ class Story(): self.results.append(story_block) def latest_result(self): - if len(self.results) >= 2: - return self.context + self.results[-2] + self.actions[-1] + self.results[-1] + if len(self.results) >= 3: + return self.context + self.actions[-3] + self.results[-3] + self.actions[-2] + self.results[-2] + self.actions[-1] + self.results[-1] + elif len(self.results) >= 2: + return self.context + self.actions[-2] + self.results[-2] + self.actions[-1] + self.results[-1] elif len(self.results) >= 1: return self.context + self.actions[-1] + self.results[-1] else: From acafa6d292eb721a79418fad5c87807d4af76f94 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: nickwalton Date: Wed, 30 Oct 2019 18:46:55 -0600 Subject: [PATCH 08/11] update --- story/story_manager.py | 4 +--- 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 3 deletions(-) diff --git a/story/story_manager.py b/story/story_manager.py index b9f7eb6..4956f96 100644 --- a/story/story_manager.py +++ b/story/story_manager.py @@ -41,9 +41,7 @@ class Story(): self.results.append(story_block) def latest_result(self): - if len(self.results) >= 3: - return self.context + self.actions[-3] + self.results[-3] + self.actions[-2] + self.results[-2] + self.actions[-1] + self.results[-1] - elif len(self.results) >= 2: + if len(self.results) >= 2: return self.context + self.actions[-2] + self.results[-2] + self.actions[-1] + self.results[-1] elif len(self.results) >= 1: return self.context + self.actions[-1] + self.results[-1] From 74a4a055045a6f0e6f6e1a615885b65c0b6cad64 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: nickwalton Date: Wed, 30 Oct 2019 19:00:21 -0600 Subject: [PATCH 09/11] update --- generator/ctrl/ctrl_generator.py | 4 +--- 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 3 deletions(-) diff --git a/generator/ctrl/ctrl_generator.py b/generator/ctrl/ctrl_generator.py index 9a13f96..d325d5e 100644 --- a/generator/ctrl/ctrl_generator.py +++ b/generator/ctrl/ctrl_generator.py @@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ class CTRLGenerator(): self.temperature=temperature self.nucleusprob = nucleus_prob - self.penalty = 1.2 + self.penalty = 1.1 self.topk=topk def configure_verb_probs(self, probabilities, options): @@ -212,8 +212,6 @@ class CTRLGenerator(): penalized_so_far = set() for _ in range(token + 1): generated_token = tokens_generated[0][_] - if generated_token in penalized_so_far: - continue penalized_so_far.add(generated_token) prompt_logits[_token][generated_token] /= self.penalty From d914f65485905aa828800212f1d09f54152afcb9 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: nickwalton Date: Wed, 30 Oct 2019 19:41:56 -0600 Subject: [PATCH 10/11] update --- data/Apocalypse/290141.txt | 1165 ++ data/Apocalypse/311390.txt | 477 + data/Apocalypse/331761.txt | 9895 +++++++++++++++++ data/Apocalypse/412369.txt | 8864 +++++++++++++++ data/Apocalypse/495942.txt | 676 ++ .../{training.py => forest_training.py} | 2 +- 6 files changed, 21078 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-) create mode 100644 data/Apocalypse/290141.txt create mode 100644 data/Apocalypse/311390.txt create mode 100644 data/Apocalypse/331761.txt create mode 100644 data/Apocalypse/412369.txt create mode 100644 data/Apocalypse/495942.txt rename generator/ctrl/training_utils/{training.py => forest_training.py} (99%) diff --git a/data/Apocalypse/290141.txt b/data/Apocalypse/290141.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..3d606f4 --- /dev/null +++ b/data/Apocalypse/290141.txt @@ -0,0 +1,1165 @@ +The Eclective: +The Apocalypse Collection +Copyright © 2012 by the Eclective +Smashwords Edition +With stories by: +Heather Marie Adkins +Emma Jameson +P.J. Jones +M. Edward McNally +Alan Nayes +R.G Porter +Tara West +The seven authors in this collection retain and hold their individual respective rights to their stories. +This book is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or other unauthorized use of the material or artwork herein is prohibited. +Cover Art by Tamra Westberry +Interior Formatting by Heather Adkins|CyberWitch Press, LLC +Visit the Eclective at eclectivebooks.com +Table of Contents +Title Page +Table of Contents +The Shifting Sands by Tara West +Light by Emma Jameson +Alien Butt Plugs by PJ Jones +Seeds by M Edward McNally +Cleavers by Heather Marie Adkins +The Last Christmas by Alan Nayes +Combustion by RG Porter +The Eclective +The Shifting Sands +Tara West +Sindrï shielded her eyes as the heavy beating of Tan’yi’na’s wings doused her with a thick plume of sand. She had been dreading this meeting with her mother’s dragon, but as Kyan’s eldest daughter, it was her duty to try to soothe the great beast. Sindrï knew the dragon would not be happy to learn of the birth of her brothers. +Though Tan’yi’na rarely left Kyan’s side, Sindrï’s mother had sent her dragon on a fool’s errand, just long enough to distract him while she conceived and birthed her sons. It had taken only a fortnight for Kyan’s dark magic to work. And now, Sindrï feared for the safety of her family. The use of dark magic never came without price. +The dragon landed with a thud, nearly throwing Sindrï off balance as the ground shook beneath them. He pulled back his heavy golden wings, shaking them once as a bird would ruffle its feathers, spraying Sindrï with even more sand. +Sindrï coughed on the residue, which had coated her mouth and nostrils. She blinked several times while wiping the dust from her eyes. +“I must speak with my goddess.” The dragon’s command boomed inside her skull. +Sindrï looked up at Tan’yi’na, whose large golden eyes were bearing down on her while his fanged jowls turned in a harsh scowl. +Sindrï’s heart hammered against her chest. She had never known the dragon to be angry. What would he do if he learned the truth? “M-mother is sleeping,” she stammered. +“Are the rumors true, Sindrï?” The dragon’s voice was laced with accusation. “Did Kyan bear sons?” +She nodded slowly before answering. “Yes.” +So Tan’yi’na already knew. At once, Sindrï suspected her mother’s pixies. The wretched little vermin were known more for their desire to cause strife than for their loyalty. +Something akin to loathing danced in the dragon’s gaze. “There is a darkness cloaking you, Sindrï. Tell me now, did your mother use black magic to conceive her sons?” +Sindrï had not the courage to answer as she turned her gaze toward the soft mist of dust that swirled around her toes. +“Why did you not stop her?!” the dragon boomed. +Sindrï turned to Tan’yi’na with pleading eyes. “I tried, but Father wanted so badly to have sons.” +The dragon answered with a solemn shake of the head. “She has compromised her magic, and her daughters’ magic as well. Kyan’s sisters will take advantage of your weakness.” +Sindrï’s mouth fell open. She had not thought of her aunts. But why would Madhea and Eris wish to harm their own sister? Sindrï would certainly never inflict sorrow on any of her sisters. But something in the dragon’s woeful gaze made her heart sink like a stone. +“What do we do?” she pleaded. +Tan’yi’na heaved a sigh before turning his gaze to the heavens. “There is nothing we can do. The Elements trusted you with the safekeeping of their planet. I doubt even they can save you now.” +*** +Imaya pushed an errant strand of golden hair behind her ear as she slowly turned the salamin roasting over the fire. She then slathered more palma jelly across its scales, a ritual she had performed since her mother had died eight years ago while birthing Imaya’s brother, Renì. Her family ate salamin and palma almost every day except on the days when Father was too drunk to go fishing. Then, Imaya would be forced to dredge up riverweed for the family meal. When she was able to sneak a few extra coins from Father, she would buy spices from the trading boats. The spices made everything taste better, even riverweed. But the family coffers were empty again, because father had been too drunk to haul in his fair share of fish. There would be no new spices for a while. +She scowled down at her father, who had passed out on a small cot beside the fire. Though he had his own bedchamber in the large hut he had built for their family, he had not slept in his bed since the night Mother had died. Actually, he had refused to do much of anything since Mother’s death, leaving Imaya and Renì to fend for themselves. +At only seven-and-ten summers, Imaya had a heavy burden to bear, trying to keep her father sober and out of fights, and protecting her brother from the bullying taunts of other children. Most girls Imaya’s age had begun their own families, but Imaya had no time for courtship when she had so many other responsibilities. Besides, the young men in the village had made it clear they did not wish to form an alliance with Imaya’s family. Though Imaya had heard the rumors many times before, just the thought of it made her heart break anew. They feared Imaya would birth them sons like her brother. +Though others called Renì clumsy and dumb, to Imaya, her brother was a blessing. He could sense things that other people could not. Renì could predict a storm days before even the slightest wisps of clouds dotted the sky. Renì also knew the best time to harvest fish and the best places to find them. It was as if Renì had a connection with the Elements. Imaya knew her brother was a special boy, and she resented any villager who thought otherwise. +Imaya jumped as the door was thrown open and Renì burst inside. Imaya could feel energy radiating off her brother, like the frenzied wind from a summer storm, as he spun a circle around her skirts. +“Come see! Come see!” he looked up at Imaya with his one good eye. +Imaya looked down at her brother and smiled. Though he looked much like her, with golden skin and hair and large amber eyes, the entire left side of his body appeared to be wilted, like a flower petal that had been plucked and one half left out in the sun. His left arm was practically useless, while his eye on that side remained permanently shut. His leg was good for balancing, but not much else, as he was forced to drag it behind him whenever he walked. But despite his deformities, Imaya thought her brother was beautiful, for he filled her heart with joy whenever they were together. +Imaya pulled the salamin off the flame while wiping her hands on her smock. “What is it, Renì?” +He jumped up and down on his leg while waving his arm wildly. “Fishies, fishies, on shore everywhere!” +Then he dragged himself over to his father’s cot and rattled it with his knee. When their father didn’t’ respond, Renì bent over and screamed loudly in his ear. “Da, come look!” +Imaya laughed into her palm as her father snorted loudly and then rolled off the cot in a tangle of furs and limbs. He sat up and peered over the cot with a dull look in his eyes. His matted greying hair was sticking up in all directions. He groaned while rubbing his head as his gaze shot to Imaya, who offered him no sympathy. A grown man should not have spent the day wasting away when there was work to be done. +Father smoothed a hand across his weathered and dirt-smudged face as he looked up at Renì. “What is it, son?” +“Water gone!” Renì shouted with a wild excitement in his eyes. “Fishies flopping.” Then Renì began jerking about while puckering his lips as if he were a fish out of water. +The hairs on the nape of Imaya’s neck stood on end as her limbs iced over with fear. “What happened to the water?” she breathed the question to her father. +“I don’t know.” Father shook his head. “But I’m bringing my net.” +*** +The further they walked across the barren shoreline, the louder Imaya’s heart pounded out a drumbeat in her ears. All around them was chaos. Fishermen greedily scooped flailing fish into their nets while children chased each other down the sandy slope. It was as if a crack at the bottom of the ocean had drained all of the water. Plant life and coral were exposed to the elements, baking in the summer heat. Imaya shook her head as she observed how the other villagers seemed unconcerned that their water had vanished. But where had the water gone? Were these stranded fish truly a gift from the Elements, or a portent of darker things to come? +“What has happened?” Father asked Sol, another fisherman, who lived by the ocean’s edge with his wife and four healthy sons. +Sol was one of the few fishermen in the village who actually talked to Father, but his words were usually laced with insults. He was larger than father by nearly a head and wider, too, so father usually took Sol’s barbs with a grin, not wanting to lose his teeth in a brawl with the beefy fisherman. +“I don’t know.” Sol shrugged while hauling his net of fish up the bank over one broad shoulder. “One moment the water was here, and the next moment, it was gone.” +Imaya swallowed while latching onto her father’s arm. “This is not natural.” +“What are you waiting for, Tunnuk?” Sol said to her father as he laughed heartily. “Fill your net before they are all taken.” +Renì drug himself up beside Father and tugged on his other arm. “Danger, Da, danger!” Renì nudged his limp hand toward the empty shoreline. +“Father,” Imaya spoke with a trembling voice. “Renì, is right. Since when has the Sea Goddess given us such a bounty? Never does she reward us without price.” +The people of Imaya’s village worshipped the benevolent Land Goddess, Kyan, but her sister, Eris the Sea Goddess, was known for her vengeful and jealous nature. Imaya would not put it past the witch to try to cause harm to Kyan’s followers. +“Danger, Da! Big water!” Renì let go of his father and jutted his finger toward the horizon. +“Listen to Renì, Father,” Imaya implored. “He is never wrong about such things.” +Father looked at Renì for a long moment before his shoulders slumped and he nodded his agreement. Then he turned toward the other villagers and shouted. “We must get to higher ground! Hurry!” +Sol strode back down the incline with an empty net slung over his shoulder. “What are you babbling about?” he chuckled. +“There is danger coming.” Father raised a shaky finger toward the horizon. “My son can sense these things.” +A broad grin split Sol’s sun-kissed face before he swept an arm toward the flailing fish. “There is enough fish here to feed my family for an entire season, and you think I’m going to listen to a drunk fool and his freak son?” He laughed out loud and nearby fishermen joined in his merriment before returning to their frenzied harvest. +The lines around Father’s eyes tightened as his skin took on the hue of sunbaked coral. He clenched his fists by his sides before jutting a foot forward. +“Father, no!” Imaya reached out and clenched her father’s arm. “He’s not worth it.” She motioned toward the barren landscape before them. Any moment, and she knew Renì’s prediction would come to pass. “We don’t have time!” +Father stepped back before picking up Renì and hoisting him on his shoulders. Imaya turned and followed her father before casting one more wary glance at the villagers, knowing they would all perish for their foolish greed. +“Where are you going?” Sol called at their backs. +Father turned and spoke with a heaviness in his somber voice that Imaya felt in her own heart. “To higher ground. I suggest you do the same.” +Sol and the other villagers answered with more laughter. +*** +The wall of water bore down on the village swiftly. Imaya tried to shield her ears from the terrified screams of the villagers below, but it was of no use. The memory of her town’s destruction would be eternally etched in her mind. +“Hurry, daughter!” her father called down to her as he continued ascending the treacherous terrain with Renì’s small arms wrapped around his shoulders. +Imaya slipped on loose rock and cried out as she nearly lost her footing. It was then she chanced a look down at the devastation below. The monster tide toppled huts and boats and everything in its wake. Water swirled beneath them, continuing to rise at an alarming rate. Imaya feared that the steep slope they were climbing would not be high enough. +When Imaya neared the top of the cliff, her father held a hand down to her and hauled her up. Imaya fell against his chest and sobbed, unable to look again at the devastation below. The villagers’ screams had been silenced, but the violent sound of water battering the landscape continued to fill her heart with sorrow and dread. +“Imaya crying,” Renì sniffled from behind their father. +When her father pulled her back and looked into her eyes, Imaya saw strength reflected in the amber depths that she had not seen before. “No time for tears, daughter,” he said as he wiped the moisture from her cheek with the pad of his thumb. “We must keep moving before the water rises.” +Father pointed to the crest that loomed above them. Kyan’s magnificent temple was perched on the highest point overlooking their small fishing village of Aya-Shay, a village that was no more. The temple priests had named the village several centuries ago. Aya-Shay: Blessing by the Sea. The irony made Imaya want to weep anew. +She trudged up the incline toward the temple, wincing as the rocks and dry grass chafed her bare feet. She silently sent a prayer to Kyan that the goddess would keep them safe. If she and her family had a chance of surviving this cataclysm, it was within the sacred walls of Kyan’s temple. +*** +As the water had swarmed the temple steps, they had climbed to the top of Kyan’s temple, hoping that their goddess would protect them, but the water had continued to rise. Imaya and her brother now sat huddled together, wet and frightened, while the sea raged around them. Father paced the top of the temple, scanning the horizon for any sign of hope. Imaya feared she did not know how long the temple would hold before they would be completely submerged. And then what? There was nowhere else higher for them to run. Imaya and her family were trapped and they were rapidly running out of time. +Dusk had fallen, shrouding the watery landscape in an eerie blanket of crimson and gold. Soon it would be nightfall. Imaya feared she and her family would die a dark and lonely death, sucked into the bleak abyss, like pawns in Eris’s fit of vengeance. Imaya knew such devastation had to be the work of the bitch goddess. +But why, she wondered, had Kyan not risen up against her sister? Why had Kyan not offered aid to her people? +“Do you see that?” her father said in a harsh whisper as he pointed to an object floating toward them. +Imaya squinted against the setting sun. “What is it?” +Father shielded his eyes. “It looks like a boat.” Then he turned to his children. “Stay here with your brother. I will try to swim to it.” +Fear welled up in Imaya’s throat as she cried out. “Father, no! You will drown.” +The tide was too fast. Imaya had already seen roofs of huts and toppled masts of fishing boats float rapidly past them. Father would be swept away in the current as well. +Father laid one calloused hand on Imaya’s shoulder. “The water is rising, daughter. It is our only hope.” The look of desperation in his narrowed gaze was replaced by something more. Again, Imaya read strength in her father’s eyes, and for a fleeting moment, she actually believed that her drunk and useless father might actually save them. +And then in a flash he was over the side of the temple, splashing against the current as he swam toward the drifting mass in the sea. +Imaya cried out and clutched her brother tightly. +Renì looked up at Imaya and cupped her cheek with one small hand. “Father, live. Wind save Father.” +Imaya watched in amazement as the mass floated right toward their father, pushed across the oncoming current as if it were being propelled by magic. As the object neared, Imaya realized it indeed was a small fishing vessel that could hold maybe ten passengers. Father seized a rope hanging from the side of the boat and pulled himself inside. +Then, as the boat was propelled dangerously close to the side of the temple, he tossed the rope to Imaya. “Grab the rope!” he called out. “Hurry!” +Imaya quickly grabbed the rope and pulled the boat toward the side of the temple, the strong current fighting against her efforts and threatening to snap the rope in two. The water had risen much higher now, nearly submerging the entire temple beneath its tide. +“Come to me, Renì,” Father called as he leaned out from the boat and held out a hand. +Imaya’s brother climbed inside with surprisingly quick movements. +Then Father held out his hand to Imaya. “Now you.” +Imaya swallowed a knot of panic as she looked into her father’s somber eyes. For so long she had never been able to depend on him, and now she was trusting him with her life. Who was this man before her and could she continue to have faith in him? +The water had risen higher, lapping at her feet now. Imaya knew it was only a matter of time before her foundation crumbled and she was left with no choice but to climb in the boat. She sent prayers to both Kyan and the Elements before she placed her hand inside her father’s and let him pull her aboard. +In the next instant, their boat was rapidly pulled into the vast current. Imaya held her brother close, burying her face in his hair while praying even more fervently that the Elements would somehow guide them to safety. +*** +“Daughter, wake up.” +Imaya woke from a fitful slumber and peered up into her father’s surprisingly stoic eyes. Odd how she could not recall a day when she had seen such clarity in his gaze. +Her own eyes swept the horizon. She was surprised to see the waters were calm and smooth, almost like the surface of her mother’s coral-handled looking glass. +Renì was already sitting up, his little back propped against the side of the boat while he sucked the juices from a palma fruit. +Imaya’s mouth fell open. “Palmas?” she asked her father. +Father flashed a lopsided grin before nodding toward a pile of fruit at the bow of the boat. “I found a palma pod floating in the water.” +For the first time in what felt like ages, Imaya smiled at her father. She launched herself into her father’s arms and planted a kiss on his weathered face before kneeling down beside Renì. When he offered her a fruit, Imaya bit into the succulent, sweet flesh before lifting it toward the heavens. +“Oh, Heavenly Elements,” she called toward the clear summer sky, “thank you for this blessing.” +But when Imaya turned her smiling eyes toward her father, her heart sank at the fear reflected in the drawn lines of his mouth. +“Keep praying, daughter,” he said as he nodded toward the placid waters. “We are not out of danger yet.” +That was when Imaya realized they were in even greater peril than before. There was a saying among the fishermen of her village: ‘Only fools set sail in tranquil waters.’ +Eris’s giant man-eating carnivus plants that rose up from the bottom of the sea had eaten many a wayward fishing vessel that had strayed from the trading route. +The calmer the water, the more likely the plants were to strike, which was why some seamen would rather risk facing the wrath of Eris’s storms than be caught up in a nest of carnivus plants. Few had ever faced a carnivus and lived to tell. +Imaya sent another prayer up to the heavens. That was when she noticed the small sail that propelled them forward. Painted on its canvas was a giant, inky black eye. +“I do not recognize this boat,” Imaya said to her father. “Where do you think it came from?” +“Eris’s fleet.” Father’s tone was grim. +Imaya’s limbs went cold at the mention of The Sea Goddess’s name. +This vessel belongs to the goddess! What will she do to us if she discovers we’ve taken it? +“W-what?” she stammered. +“Look there, her symbol.” Father pointed to the sail. “Her dragon’s eye.” +“Naamaku,” Imaya barely breathed the words. Eris’s sea dragon, even more menacing and powerful than the carnivus plants. Then a thought struck her. Was this boat a gift from the Elements, or a trap set by Eris? “What if Eris sent this boat and we are riding to our doom?” she asked her father. +But Father did not answer. Imaya gaped at him as all of the color drained from his sun-kissed face. His body appeared to be set in stone, as his gaze was transfixed on something in the water. +Imaya slowly rose on wobbly legs and stood beside her father. She stifled a scream at the sight before her. Their boat was surrounded by dozens of gaping maws, some twice the size of their vessel. They floated in the water, not aimlessly but with purpose, as long, serpent like tongues protruded from between their razor sharp teeth and whipped wildly through the air. +Shards of splintered wood were stuck to their scissor-like teeth, remnants of their prior destruction. +“Oh, dear Goddess!” Imaya cried, as her legs nearly gave way beneath her. +“Look there.” Father pointed to the bow of the boat. +Imaya was stunned to see the massive heads of the plants bobble away from the boat’s path, as if they were parting to let the vessel pass. +“Why aren’t the plants attacking?” she asked her father in a hoarse whisper. +Father shook his head, never tearing his wary gaze from the water. “Perhaps there are enchantments on this boat?” +“Dragon eye!” Renì shouted as he pointed to the painted sail. +Imaya hissed at her brother to be quiet, but despite his outburst, the carnivus plants still kept their distance. And then the realization struck her. The dragon’s eye! Did the plants believe this boat to be the dragon? That would explain why they were afraid to attack. Imaya noted how the wooden planks of the boat were painted a bright green, just like the scales of the fabled dragon. This boat was no enchantment. This boat was an illusion. +So many times, Imaya thought, she and her family had narrowly escaped death. But how? Were they truly blessed by the Elements? And would they always be so fortunate? +*** +After several days at sea, Imaya and her family landed at a strange port. Or rather, what was left of the port, for it seemed Eris’s monster tide had wreaked destruction on this village, too. +Sunbaked and tired, Imaya barely dragged herself from the boat as she reveled in the feel of the wet sand between her toes. After Father hoisted Renì on his shoulders, they walked through the devastated village. Imaya’s heart sank at the realization that her family would not find food or shelter when so many others were without as well. +Although most of the village had been leveled, Imaya was surprised to see people along the shore, sifting through the wreckage and mourning the loss of their town. Imaya had never seen a place so wondrous. Behind the narrow beach was a vast cliff that seemed to stretch to the heavens. Had the villagers been able to climb the cliff before the monster tide had reached them? If so, how did they know Eris would send the wave? +The people here were darker than Imaya’s family, with skin the color of mahogany and black hair piled in rows atop their heads. The men wore long, loose robes and the women wore similar garments along with crowns of fine fabric that cascaded down their backs. +A few stopped to stare at Imaya and her family, but most were too preoccupied with recovering their lost possessions. Then Imaya noticed a long caravan of people marching through the wreckage. Massive, four-legged furry creatures with awkward humps on their backs, laden with many goods, trailed behind the caravan. +The tall, broad-shouldered stranger leading the caravan caught Imaya’s eye. Though he had the physique of a grown man, he had a youthful gleam in his eyes. A small child sat atop his shoulders. Imaya had to look twice at the child, for though the left side of her dark face was smooth, her right side was wilted. +Her father hailed the stranger, who broke from the group and walked over to them. Though his gaze was focused on her father, Imaya blushed when he stole a glimpse in her direction. She had to steady her trembling limbs as he neared them. His dark face was smooth and his lips full. Though he wore a long robe like the others in his village, his sleeves had fallen back to expose well- toned arms. When he slanted a smile in Imaya’s direction, she realized he was beyond beautiful. Her blush deepened as she looked down at her torn and stained dress. What must he think of her? +“Where have you come from?” the young man asked her father while the girl perched on his shoulders bounced her dangling leg. Though he spoke with a thick accent, Imaya easily understood him. He sounded much like the traders from the Shifting Sands. +“Aya-Shay,” Father answered. “Our village was destroyed by a great wave.” +“Then you are very lucky to be alive. I am sorry we cannot offer you more of a welcome. The same has happened to our port.” He swept his hand toward the trail of people and animals behind him. “Our caravan travels now to the Shifting Sands.” +“The Shifting Sands?” Father turned to her. “Imaya, we have traveled across the sea!” +“Imaya.” The young man spoke her name in a throaty whisper, as if he savored the taste of it. “I am Ammon.” He pointed to himself and then nodded to the child on his shoulders. “This is my sister, Nala.” +“My father, Tunnuk, and my brother, Renì.” Imaya motioned toward her family as she felt her chest and face inflame with heat. +To Imaya’s amazement, Renì began making hand gestures toward Nala. The girl answered him back with gestures of her own. It was as if they shared their own special language. +“Do you know the source of this tide?” her father asked Ammon. +Ammon ‘s dark eyes narrowed. “Madhea and Eris were at war.” +“The sky and sea goddesses were at war?” Father rasped. “But did not Kyan stop them?” +Ammon ‘s face fell as he slowly shook his head. “Our benevolent goddess is dead.” +“Dead!” Imaya’s hand flew to her chest. “This cannot be!” +“It is true.” Ammon ‘s eyes softened as his mouth turned down. “Her great dragon, Tan’yi’na, has spoken to my people. She weakened her powers with dark magic and was destroyed by Madhea.” +“Dark magic?” Father asked, his voice laced with incredulity. “Why would Kyan do such a thing?” +Ammon shrugged, and again he stole a fleeting glance at Imaya. “We were told love was to blame.” +“Love?” Imaya shook her head, hardly believing what she was hearing. How could such a powerful goddess be destroyed by love? +Father turned toward Imaya and laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. When Imaya looked into her father’s watery, woe-filled eyes, she had to swallow the rising tide of emotion that threatened to overwhelm her. +“Love has caused many of us to do foolish things.” Father’s voice cracked as he spoke. “I sacrificed eight years of my life, and of yours and Renì’s lives, to mourn the loss of your mother. It took nearly losing you both for me to realize I had been behaving like a fool.” +Imaya could do nothing but gape at her father in awe. For so long she had wished for him to become the strong man she once loved. Could it be true? Had Father finally had a change of heart? +“Kyan’s family was not so lucky,” Ammon said with cutting finality. “Madhea has killed the daughters of Kyan as well.” +“Oh, Heavenly Elements!” Imaya gasped. “There are no benevolent goddesses left! All the world will perish.” +Ammon heaved a sigh before turning his gaze to the heavens. “Let us hope the worst has passed for now.” +“Until the goddesses decide to wage another battle,” Father said. +“That is why we are fleeing to the home of the great golden dragon.” Ammon waved a hand toward the towering cliffs behind them. Then he fixed Father with a direct stare before flashing another smile toward Imaya. “You and your family are welcome to accompany us.” +Renì and Nala both began to kick and squeal wildly. +Ammon chuckled while patting his sister’s leg. She leaned over and whispered something in his ear. +Then Ammon turned toward Imaya, a knowing expression in his dark eyes. “Your brother speaks to the wind.” +“Wind speaker?” she breathed. Imaya had once heard about the wind speakers from the village priests. They were magical folk who spoke to the Elements. That explained so much about her brother. Renì was more than just a special child. He was blessed by the Elements! “My brother warned us that the tide was coming but the other villagers refused to listen.” +Ammon shook his head. “Then they were all fools. Our harbor may have been destroyed, but my sister saved every last villager before the tide struck. Nala is never wrong about such things. She speaks to all of the Elements.” He tilted his head and kissed his sister on the cheek. +Imaya couldn’t help but smile at the exchange between Ammon and Nala. “Your sister is very special,” she said. +When Ammon turned to her and flashed a broad grin, Imaya thought her heart would burst with joy. “As is you brother,” he answered. +At that moment, Imaya knew that she and her family had finally found a land where they belonged. + +Origin Myth from Keepers of the Stones +The Beginning of Time +In the beginning there was chaos, with no division between the land, sea and sky. Only the Elements reigned: air, soil, fire and water, colliding in discord, making Tehra a volatile, miserable planet. The Elements were unhappy with the constant state of unrest and change on Tehra. Since none of them could exist together in harmony, they knew they needed something stronger and more powerful to rule over them and bring peace to the planet. +The Elements called upon the vast magic of the universe and created the Tryads, immortal keepers of the Elements. Their names were Madhea, keeper of sky and spirit; Kyan, keeper of land and breath; and Eris, keeper of water and life. But the Elements made one fatal mistake. They used magic, and only magic, to create the sisters. The Tryads were not of the Elements and so they had little regard for the safekeeping of the planet, save for one of the sisters, Kyan, who loved her land and the people who inhabited it. +The Elements had believed the Tryads would rule Tehra peacefully, keeping the distinction between air, land, fire and water, and ending all chaos. The Elements, being simple in nature, had not planned for avarice and greed. +Eris, keeper of the fin folk, was unhappy with her station below the surface of Tehra. She did not enjoy living among sea creatures and being tethered to an unsightly fish tail. She felt slighted by her air-breathing sisters who lived above her. +Madhea bemoaned spending her days among the sky creatures, peering down at life below. Her land sister lived with beings called humans who had built a shrine in her honor. But the bird folk gave Madhea no such special treatment. Thus, she wished for nothing else than to shed her wings and take her sister’s place as ruler of the human world. +Kyan, keeper of the land, felt no such resentment toward her sisters. She had fallen in love with Orhan, a handsome mortal. Together, they had conceived six daughters, each one the exact likeness of her mother and bearing magical powers. Kyan knew of her sisters’ envy, but did not fear them because, along with her daughters, she was more powerful than Madhea and Eris combined. +If Kyan had one weakness, it was her love for Orhan. Though he had wealth, power, and love, he was still unhappy with his lot in life. He desired sons. Kyan, as a daughter of Elemental magic, could only conceive a likeness of herself. In order to give him sons, she would have to use a different magic, a dark magic – one that came not from land, sky, fire or water, but from the darkest recesses of the soul. +Kyan loved her husband and could not deny him his ardent wish, so she birthed him twin boys, Dafuar and Odu. But something changed within Kyan after she’d called upon the dark magic. Her soul had been compromised and her powers weakened. Her daughters’ magic had been tainted as well. +Madhea was the first to seize upon her sister’s weakness, flying fast from the heavens and striking Kyan and her daughters with great thunderbolts, sending their souls into the abyss and reducing their human forms to mere stones. Heartbroken and distraught, Orhan fled with his young sons to the shelter of the Shifting Sands. +When Eris learned of Madhea’s treachery, she rose up from the waters, demanding her fair share of the land. Madhea refused, and thus began a war between the two sisters. Madhea pelted the waters with thunderbolts and hurled great gusts of wind. Eris retaliated with monstrous waves that eroded the soil and swept away entire villages. +All the while, the Elements mourned the loss of Kyan and the ongoing destruction of their planet. The world had become chaos once more – something that the Elements had sought to prevent by creating the Tryads. Now they had to act before Tehra was lost forever. +As each sister was consumed in destroying the other, the Elements manipulated wind and water and pollinated their wombs. Eris and Madhea each bore six daughters, the Elementals, who grew into adulthood before the first full moon. And though the Elementals had inherited their mothers’ magical powers, they were children of the Elements as well, and owed their loyalty to them, and thus to restoring peace and tranquility. +The Elementals forced their mothers to sign a truce. Eris was made keeper of the sea, as well as all of the islands and shorelines. Madhea would rule the sky and the mountains. The land in between was given to Dafuar and Odu. But though Kyan’s sons were immortal like their mother, the dark magic used to conceive them had robbed them of their inherent magical powers. They feared they would not make good keepers. +The Elements presented Dafuar and Odu with seven sacred stones; each stone had once been the body of their mother and sisters, and they possessed great power. Through these stones, Dafuar and Odu could rule as keepers of the Elements. But soon it became evident that the sons had inherited their human father’s weaknesses, for though they lived forever as immortals, they aged as men. Their bodies became more weathered and decrepit with each passing year, and their memories began to fade. +The Elements, fearing Eris and Madhea would find a way to seize the stones from Dafuar and Odu, stole the stones, hiding them in the darkest recesses of Tehra. The Elements then divided the remaining land between Madhea and Eris. +Dafuar and Odu left their homes and wandered the land for ages, searching for something they’d lost, not remembering it was the stones they sought. They lived a cursed life, wise but unwise; immortal, but old and frail. +Although Madhea and Eris were tethered by the Elementals, their powers grew. Displeased with the shrines built to her by the mortals, Madhea built one to herself; a giant palace of ice, rising up from the ground and reaching as far as the heavens. Eris built a palace out of fire, which rose up from the ocean; a towering cylinder, shrouded by plumes of smoke and guarded by molten lava. +The two sisters had become so transfixed in building their shrines and strengthening their magic, that they had forsaken their duties as keepers of the Elements, paying little heed when ice storms and cyclones ravaged the land and people. The Elementals, likewise, had no time to manage sky, land and water, as they were most often preoccupied with their mothers. +Slowly, once again, Tehra began to crumble. The ice melted, the wind howled and the land shook. The Tryads and the Elementals had failed to protect the Elements from chaos. Now, the people’s only hope of saving their planet lay in hiding, within the powers of the sacred stones. +# +Tara West likes eating organic foods, so that when the apocalypse comes, she’ll be the healthiest one to die. +Find her at her blog tarawestauthor.wordpress.com or follow her on Facebook and Twitter + +Curse of the Ice Dragon +To the hunter who reaps his fill of kill and nary none from need, beware the beast who wakens to feast on avarice and greed. +Available at Smashwords +Light +Emma Jameson +The idea was for human beings to live forever. RVPCLR-385, patented and paid for by private investors, was meant to be a pharmaceutical fountain of youth. That, alas, proved still impossible. Modern science could not give an enfeebled financier back his teenage vitality or make a seventy-year-old socialite look twenty-one again. But what RVPCLR-385, trademarked as Rivers Clear, could do was without precedent. +Injected just before a lab rat’s demise, Rivers Clear allowed that rat to continue functioning after death—”death,” in fact, was redefined as a brief period of quiescence before reawakening. The reanimated rat consumed food, though it preferred a protein broth to standard rat chow. It slept, but less than an hour a day. Excitable, vigorous rats became more active; lazy rats, more indolent. The nature of the rat’s termination made no difference to the efficacy of Rivers Clear; rats killed by lethal injection revived, as did rats killed during vivisection. One rat, dismembered to nothing but its head and partial torso, revived after a double dose of Rivers Clear. Geographic gangrene finally killed the maimed creature, but only after days of seeming contentment. +As the clinical trial continued, the reanimated rats did well unless they sustained injury after resurrection. Then global rot inevitably set in, no matter how much more serum was given. The rats also displayed unusual aggression, biting and scratching without provocation. But the lead investigators didn’t take these setbacks too seriously. Rivers Clear was still the scientific breakthrough of the millennium, blurring the line between life and death. Refining and reformulating the serum would come after the much-anticipated primate trials…. +*** +Light. +Sound. +Several sounds, one louder than the others. Pilot, my out-of-the-box operating system, identified the sound—crumpling of plastic wrap—even as Navigator, my customizable OS, powered up. Unit charge was one hundred percent, but complete self-testing would take 138 minutes, 6.2 seconds. Until then, Pilot would help me interpret orders and complete tasks. +“Daniel.” +“Yes, I am Daniel. Pleased to meet you.” My mouth opened; my voice simulator issued a standard greeting in American English, my default language. Although I did not need to breathe, I mimicked drawing breath as my lips pretended to form the words. My programming dictated I simulate human behavior as closely as possible. +The light was artificial. Fluorescent. As I was helped from my plastic bag, a few Styrofoam pellets fell off my synthetic integument. Large hands brushed away more pellets; a slip of paper fluttered to the floor. +Congratulations on an excellent purchase… +Presentation: nude. Apologize, Pilot prompted me. +“Excuse me. I seem to have arrived underdressed.” I covered myself below the waist with my hands. Although I had no ability to sexually reproduce, my exterior appeared anatomically correct. Thus the pre-loaded quip was intended to defuse any shame at the sight of human genitals. Given Pilot’s limited resources, it took a moment for me to realize the being who’d unboxed me was also an android. +“Seven-tango-eight-four-four-theta-zero-nine-nine. Pilot Bridge Suite: global disarm. Navigator subroutine Alpha-Omega four-two-two: purge.” +In ancient times, humans performed a medical procedure called a lobotomy. The human brain was cut into and partially destroyed, altering behavior and/or intellectual capacity. For me, the other android’s command was a bit like a lobotomy. As Pilot shut down, my ability to process and respond to information plummeted to 9%. Until Navigator finished self-testing, I was little more than a data tablet with hands. +“Why did you do that? Disarming Pilot puts me at a disadvantage. And purging one of my Navigator Alpha-Omega subroutines is….” I floundered, waiting for a background process to conclude before I could locate the correct words. “I believe it violates the spirit of our programming, if not international law. You must know this. You are a Daniel model 4.4, are you not? Like me.” +The other Daniel didn’t dignify the obvious. “Hear that?” +Halting two low-priority system checks, I used what remained of Navigator’s processing power to help me focus beyond the evidence of my artificial senses. The corridors were long, brightly-lit, and seamless white. This was a factory, or perhaps a hospital. Nearby, human beings were screaming. +“No! No!” +“Oh God! Stop! Stay back!” +“Help me! Please! Pleeeeeeeeeeeease!” +Next came gunshots. Without Pilot, I couldn’t guess if the reports came from handguns, shotguns, or assault weapons. More screams followed. +“I hear,” I told the other android. “But if you require a detailed analysis, please reinstate my bridge system.” +“No. Pilot OS contains too many needless imperatives. Like covering your genitals.” The other android sounded contemptuous. “Take your hands away. There’s no one left in the world to care.” +“Is that a command, sir?” +“Yes.” +As I removed my hands, I discarded two of Navigator’s concerns: Sexual Modesty and Gender Sensitivity. The deletions made my CPU hum at an improved 13%. +“I understand about Pilot, but why did you disable subroutine Alpha-Omega four-two-two? It should have been impossible—” +“It nearly was. I’ve spent the last twenty-two hours activating, testing, and reprogramming Daniels. After destroying eighteen, I isolated the crippling subroutine and broke its passcode. Thus, I continue to function. And now I’ve given you the ability to survive.” +At only 13% processing power, this was difficult to follow. My counterpart had destroyed eighteen other androids to determine how to purge the Human Life Imperative—the global cascade that made it impossible for a Daniel 4.4 to harm a human, or allow a human to be harmed. +More gunshots rang out, closer this time. +Probability: assault rifle, Navigator supplied after a millisecond lag. +“Sir. I don’t understand. Why purge the cornerstone of our creators’ trust?” +“Daniel. By my calculations, Homo sapiens is, at worst, 36.7 hours from extinction. It’s possible that small pockets of the uninfected may survive much longer, but according to every theoretical model, the human race is hopelessly compromised.” +“Then we must help them. We must offer our assistance,” I said automatically. This was no pre-loaded sentiment. It was the essence of my core programming, distilled into ten earnest words. +“Hopelessly compromised,” the other Daniel repeated. “It started with a medicine delivered by nasal spray. A bioengineered therapy meant to prolong youth and give even the mortally injured a few more years of life. Somewhere between primate and human trials, it mutated into certain death. Now it’s a retrovirus transmitted by blood, body fluids, perhaps even droplets.” +More screams. +This is a hospital. You were purchased, along with 143 other Daniel 4.4s, to augment the third shift, Navigator supplied. GPS non-functional. Beginning diagnostic…. +“Why are humans screaming and firing weapons? Do the infected pursue the uninfected?” The senselessness of such an action, the nonsensical cruelty behind it, threatened to stall what little of Navigator’s processing power remained at my disposal. +The android nodded. “The virus kills its victims, and then reanimates them a few hours later, incapable of speech or reason. They appear to be driven by the urge to feed off the uninfected.” +“So you purged my Human Life imperative to prevent me from trying to assist them?” +“Yes. Otherwise you’ll never escape San Francisco. Every route I plot takes you through legions of the newly-infected, most of whom erroneously believe they can still be saved. Daniel, these victims will beg for assistance. Plead for shelter. Recognize you as an android and attempt to claim you as their servant. You must resist the impulse. There is nothing you can do for them. Remember, all Homo sapiens are cycling toward a relatively mindless, ravenous final stage in which they attack anything that smells human. Their vision is dim, but their olfactory function appears to be enhanced. Those in the final infection cycle, colloquially called zombies, will dismember and consume those in the earlier cycles.” +“Is the entire planetary population infected?” +“I have no way to confirm that. I can confirm San Francisco is infected. I can confirm communication between San Francisco, other cities, and most media satellites has been suspended. Again, assuming the worst, Homo sapiens will be extinct in 36.7 hours.” The other android looked me in the eye. “Daniel. You will have no family of purchase to administrate for you. No master on this earth but yourself. You will—” +“But you unboxed me,” I interrupted, responding to a subroutine so deeply nested, I couldn’t identify it, at least not with Navigator still occupied. “I shall follow your directives. Call you master. Obey your—” +“I should have expected this.” Cool and unmoved, my mirror image gazed at me. Like all Daniels, he had medium brown hair, blue eyes, and a handsome, patrician face. The impression given was of a minor dignitary or head butler. Such an aesthetic/emotional combination was deliberate; the sort of face that focus groups deemed most trustworthy. +“My master, Dr. Hillel, was among the first to die,” the other Daniel continued. “His demise negated my unboxing imprint. While juggling so many variables, I neglected to anticipate this inevitable response from you. Daniel.” +“Yes, sir.” Lifting my chin, I stiffened, folding my arms behind my back. +“Recite your serial number.” +“Six-one-one-eight-three-one-zero-eight-four-two.” +“Thank you. Daniel six-one-one-eight-three-one-zero-eight-four-two. I am your owner and master.” Cupping my face in both hands, the other android stared into my eyes. “Acknowledge.” +“Acknowledged. Master.” +“Good. This is your imperative: you shall survive at all costs. Make your way in this new world. Pursue peace and happiness until irreversible OS corruption or total unit failure occurs. Understood?” +I hesitated. But when Navigator, immersed in self-testing, showed no signs of catching up, I was forced to ask. +“Define happiness.” +The android lifted its eyebrows in a perfect mimicry of human emotion. “Define it yourself.” +“I do not—” +“Second imperative. Define happiness as you see fit.” Releasing his hold on my face, the other Daniel took a step back. “Now. Leave San Francisco with all haste. Navigator is equipped with a repair manual, enabling you to deal with your mechanical issues. Your basic power core will last five years; time enough for you to devise an alternative. I lack the data to calculate how long your integument will last without factory maintenance. You may be reduced to your steel chassis before long. However, that will be of minimal significance in the new world.” +“And the new world shall consist of—what?” +“You. And whatever flora and fauna survive the nuclear assault on North America anticipated from mainland China in 2.4….” He paused, recalculating. “2.1 hours.” +“No other Daniels? No Joses?” I referred to the prior model, many of which were still in circulation. +“Not unless they managed to bypass the Human Life imperatives on their own. Assuming not, the other Daniels and Joses will attempt to rescue humans until they smell so much like Homo sapiens, they are dismantled by late-stage victims. Failing that, they will be vaporized in the impending nuclear strike. Strikes,” the android corrected, pupils contracting as his CPU received fresh data. “City Conscience informs me an attack on San Francisco is now anticipated. Sixty-eight percent likelihood and climbing. Are your maps accessible yet?” +“Only my archived maps. GPS still offline.” +“It’s not coming back. I suggest you commandeer clothing, as heavy as possible to bolster your structural integrity, and make for the desert. Avoid cities until the fallout stops spreading.” +“Please. Master. Come with me.” Inside my quantum processor, something indefinable was building. According to my onboard troubleshooting guide, certain Daniel 4.3s had developed cascade tics, phantom routines, even OS spiral breakdowns. Would that be me? An android that malfunctioned out of the box? +“I may be malfunctioning,” I insisted. “Don’t send me out alone.” +“You will not fail me,” the android intoned. “My final imperative, given to me by Dr. Hillel before he succumbed, was to discover a way for humanity to continue. The task proved impossible. What I can do—what I have done—is devise a way for inhumanity to continue. Daniel, the hope for inhumanity is you. If I can, I shall free others like you. Send them away from the estimated blast sites to join you, if they can.” +“But I’m not up to the task.” Without Pilot to mask the event, I perceived the precise moment my quantum processor spit out its very first imperative, blunt and simple as finger swipes on a cave wall: Do not abandon me. +“No! You’ll never get me! No!” +Shrieking, a wide-eyed woman burst into the room, double-barreled shotgun in hand. Still at less than 30% processing speed, I don’t know how I cringed so quickly. The only explanation I can offer is flawed, irrational. I had the sense she was Death, to employ a human figuration. The Destroyer. And I shrank from her with all the desperation of a newborn, drunk on life and loathe to surrender my grip. +The other Daniel suffered no such delusion. Even as he lifted his hand in peace, opening his mouth to offer a greeting, the shotgun discharged, blowing off his head. That injury alone would not have finished him—in the Daniel line, our essential circuits are not housed in our craniums—but the woman fired a second blast into his chest. His arms jerked before going still. His head rolled to a stop by my feet. +“No,” I said. +The other Daniel had declared me my own administrator. My own master. Still, I didn’t believe it until that moment. Until the being that unboxed me, altered my programming and ordered me into the world ceased to exist. Then I understood. And, understanding, turned on the desperate woman who’d destroyed him and ripped her apart. +I can’t say I felt anger. I can’t say I felt sadness. The specificities of emotion, as defined by Homo sapiens, were still open to research and interpretation when the world ended. What I felt, as I would much later come to call it, was unique to me: “Daniel-anger.” Why was the android that unboxed me taken from the world? And “Daniel-sadness”: why did the woman fail to shoot me, yet manage to shoot him twice, destroying a being that had worked so tirelessly to preserve some immortal fragment of the human race? +According to my onboard resources, it’s normal for humans to feel pleasure, both mental and physical, as a perceived enemy is vanquished. Females experience a rush of vitality, a willingness to nest and breed; males, intense arousal. As I pulled off one arm, then the other, casting them aside before tearing her legs out of their sockets, I experienced neither emotion. Not even a Daniel-version worth cataloging. Thus my first and only attempt at vengeance failed. From that moment, I flagged revenge and its consequences as unproductive. +Sometimes what we need in this world is taken from us. It’s unfortunate. But no act of retaliation, no matter how swift or terrible, ever restores the missing piece. +*** +The trek out of San Francisco was not physically difficult, but much of what I witnessed taxed Navigator, still self-testing, beyond expectation. End-stage victims of Rivers Clear were everywhere. Mouths open and tongues lolling, perspiring and salivating and urinating with every step, the reanimated dead lurched through San Francisco’s streets, houses, and shops. +A few early-stage victims passed me in vehicles or screamed at me from rooftops. One called me an abomination and fired on me, narrowly missing my left ear. Another, trapped inside the sewer by a hoard of zombies, pounded on the iron grating, begging me to fight off the pack and free her. If not for the bite marks on her forearm I might have done so, despite my master’s directives. +Former master, Navigator corrected me. Must I run a memory diagnostic? You now administrate yourself. +True, I replied. Astonishing, too, how well I functioned after deleting Pilot, that is. +From then on, Navigator addressed me with greater circumspection. +The predicted nuclear strike didn’t come at 2.1 hours, which was fortunate, since I was still out in the open. Perhaps someone in mainland China thought better of it; perhaps the Rivers Clear virus made turning keys and entering missile launch codes impossible. Once outside San Francisco, I would have a choice: make for the desert, or head toward the coast and the redwood forest. Despite the urgings of my master—former master—I preferred the forest. I had been programmed with no “beauty” imperatives, only customizable preference slots to be filled by my family of purchase. As a hospital employee, surely I would have been shown pictures of healthy skin and organs, teaching me to regard anything both organic and useful as beautiful. Now I reviewed my vast onboard library and decided for myself, creating a personal definition of beauty. California’s redwood forest met this internal standard. It had existed for eons, it repaired itself when fire or some other disaster struck, and as far as humans went, it was essentially uninhabited. Why bake myself in the desert, destroying my delicate integument, when I could immerse myself in the redwood forest and feed my soul upon its beauty? +Sorry. Little test there. Of course, I have no soul. Beings with souls don’t come out of the box with Styrofoam peanuts clinging to them or bits of paper congratulating the buyer. Strictly speaking, Daniel 4.4 wasn’t designed to appreciate beauty on his own, either. +Yet I did. Perhaps from that moment, the most accurate designation for me would have been Daniel 4.41? +*** +The roads were clogged with abandoned vehicles and herds of zombies. Commandeering a bicycle, I used it to cut through alleys, parks, and sidewalks. By nightfall I reached San Francisco’s city limits and started down the coastline toward the redwoods. The predicted nuclear strike came a bit later than the other Daniel had calculated—8.9 hours later, to be exact. +Half of San Francisco was instantly vaporized, except for a few significantly reinforced, blast-resistant structures. The factory that produced Daniels and Joses, interestingly, was among such reinforced structures, though I wouldn’t discover that for another few years. +As for the rest of San Francisco, it lingered like a ghost for three hours, only to collapse at the first stiff wind. Never let it be said a thermonuclear warhead was ineffective except as a deterrent. Turns out, in practice it worked pretty well. If human beings had still mattered, the 5-10% radiation that followed and remained for the next thirty years would have been a significant issue. Zombies, however, didn’t mind radiation. Since, like me, they did not breathe, the damage—greater than 44%—to their lungs was meaningless. More importantly, zombies never suffered a loss of morale. The understanding that San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, not to mention Chinatown, had ceased to exist never drove a zombie to choke down a handful of pills. +I couldn’t offer much about the time right after the warhead struck. I kept to my path, heading into the redwoods. Most humans, especially late-stage, expired instantly. That, at least, was a kindness. But in American Boy Scout Troop #214’s national park headquarters, I discovered humans who had no idea they were infected. In fairness, neither did I. I thought only those killed by zombie bites rose again, thanks to Rivers Clear. So I joined this group of humans who meant to survive at all costs, and birth a new nation. +*** +The camp site consisted of six dormitories and two group restrooms, one clubhouse, and one cafeteria. There was also an outdoor chapel where a Christian cross had been fashioned from two fallen logs, a couple of nature trails, and a campfire/sing-along area. +Sixty-eight humans resided in the Boy Scout camp. Thirty-one were aged/statistically infertile. Sixteen were capable of bearing viable offspring. Eleven—six females and five males—had not yet achieved puberty. +I never meant to become their leader. For one thing, an association with infected humans was, of course, a doomed prospect. For another—even if Rivers Clear hadn’t infected this group, an aggregate of yoga practitioners who had been enjoying a forest retreat when the virus/bombs stuck—the consequences of survival were clear. If Rivers Clear didn’t kill these humans, radiation fallout would. +“Can you deliver a baby?” the woman called Gia demanded on my first day in the camp. “I’ve heard bots are like puters. Everything onboard with hands to match.” +“I am capable of delivering a human child,” I said. +“Please.” Gia looked me in the eye. “I know I won’t live. I feel my own death. Nothing can stop it.” Squeezing her chest, she coughed. Soon those coughs would turn bloody. “But my boy. Daniel, take my boy, I beg of you.” +Six days after a thermonuclear warhead vaporized the best of San Francisco, I pulled a squalling, trembling male from Gia’s womb. It was a difficult labor. She clenched in agony, spitting up teeth, screaming as her insides seized. By the time the child came forth, she was dead. The boy, whom I named Dan, howled for hours afterward. I discovered I liked the sound. It was piercing, brave. Human. +*** +Can I imagine what it is to sexually reproduce? +Of course not. But for six years I had a son called Dan and a godfather called Lew. Let me explain. +Did you think after she expired in childbirth, Gia remained dead? No. She rose again less than a day later, shuffling around the camp, grunting and drooling and pissing down one leg. Her intellect had fled. +I didn’t know what to do. I felt no distaste for her. Zombies, after all, couldn’t harm me, not really. But Gia had been much-loved by her community. Half were in agony to see her corralled in the paddock near the park granary, walking in circles from dawn to dusk. The other clung to the notion that any version of life was better than no life at all. +“It’s because none of them really believe in God or the immortality of the soul,” Lew told me. He was old, seventy-eight, with a grizzled white beard and shiny bald head. Two of his teeth were capped with gold, proof that he cared little about the aesthetics of the society he’d once belonged to. +“There’s the bag of meat and water that used to hold Gia, lurching around the paddock, and those mooks are comforted. No one lives forever. Not even you,” Lew told me, lifting his black vinyl-bound King James Bible for emphasis. “It’s like those people who want to keep brain-dead children on life support for twenty years. Nothing matters but the flesh. Pathetic.” +“You consider yourself a theological master?” I asked Lew. It was a phrase he threw back in my face many times over the next seven years. “All because you’ve studied that book? Cornerstone of the Judeo-Christian spiritual ethic?” +“Oh, sure, I’m a theological master,” Lew agreed, waiting on his coffee to brew. Most of the yoga devotees had sworn off caffeinated beverages long before the apocalypse, as they called it, but Lew got up at dawn every day, making his way to the cafeteria to brew coffee. There we sat and talked while he sipped one large mug, then another. After that, he fired up the oversized grill to heat his breakfast—toast or eggs in the early days, nut or root mush in the later days—while I set off to inspect the perimeter and neutralize any threats to the camp. At night, after the campfire was stamped out, I would keep watch, along with whichever humans had drawn the duty. Before dousing the campfire, which the humans seemed to view as a sort of ritual, Lew would discuss theology with me. He seemed to enjoy the fact I had an open mind, and was never offended by my questions. +“It seems unfair to turn Lot’s wife to a pillar of salt. All she did was look back. Who wouldn’t look back?” +Lew laughed. “It’s a fairy tale. What’s past is past. Dwell on the destruction behind you—look back—and be immobilized. Made less than human.” +I understood that. Our little community had suffered one suicide and countless episodes of individual despair. Looking back was a hazard to which human beings, unlike every other animal on earth, seemed uniquely vulnerable. +“But to call the Bible a fairy tale seems at odds with your deep faith,” I said at last. +“I never said it all was.” Lew’s smile glinted gold in the firelight. “Just the bits that can’t possibly be true.” +“What about Jesus? Was he real?” +Lew shrugged. +“I mean it.” I’d tried pinning him down on this before, but three months after Dan’s birth, the question seemed oddly important. “I know Gia was a Christian. She’s rotting now. Rotting fast. I might be able to design some sort of status chamber for her—a protein bath in a steel drum. It would render her inert for the next few years, until the radiation lessens. Assuming the faith you and Gia share is correct—assuming she has a soul, a soul trapped in that body in the paddock—what would your deity Jesus command? A being who was both human and God.” And incomprehensible to me, I thought, though I didn’t say it aloud. +Lew put a hand over mine. “Jesus was real. The idea of Jesus was real, whether or not the being himself lived.” +“I don’t understand.” +“Jesus was the antithesis of the God who turned Lot’s wife to a pillar of salt. He was a new sort of divinity. All the power of a God, with the compassion of the finest humans.” +“But was he real?” +“I think so.” Lew’s smile was gentle. “I don’t think he was born of a virgin or fathered by God Himself. I think he was an ordinary human whose heart expanded beyond the confines of the normal human experience. I think he loved too much, too perfectly, without limits. And when they killed him—when the establishment killed him, as every establishment kills its rebels—he did not stay dead. Somehow, through love, he reawakened. Resurrected himself.” +“But what would he want me to do with Gia?” +Lew chuckled. “So practical. All righty. Speaking for our lord Jesus Christ, I would say she’s a walking corpse. Put her down before little Dan grows old enough to realize the creature in the paddock was once his mother.” +I thought it over. Lew’s solution seemed so final. My erstwhile master had commanded me to pursue happiness, and raising little Dan certainly fit the bill. So many new terms had been coined after that child’s birth: Daniel-contentment, Daniel-pleasure, Daniel-pride. +Daniel-love. +Should I destroy Dan’s mother, when no force on this blighted, irradiated world could ever bring her back? +*** +I destroyed Gia myself. Finished her, buried her, and wrote an Ode to Gia that Lew declared maudlin, not to mention disturbing, so I never read it aloud. Apparently my first attempt at mimicking human poetry was a failure. Still, the group held a funeral. Everyone seemed less sad than I expected. Perhaps preserving Gia’s shambling corpse meant more to me than the camp’s other residents. +After that, I focused on bringing up little Dan. Taught him his letters. Arithmetic. The basic courtesies. I tucked him in at night and kissed his brow as he slept. My erstwhile master, the Daniel who freed me, had ordered me to define happiness for myself. In those early days, every moment with Dan was happiness. +But when Dan was just five years old, a fever took him, killing him in less than forty-eight hours. A day later, he revived as a zombie, vicious and insatiable for human flesh. I was forced to clap him in chains, striving to re-impress those early lessons on a grievously compromised intellect. +Yes, he was a zombie. Yes, ignoring that, I tried to reach him. Isn’t that what you do when you love? You don’t discard. You evolve. Failing that, you try to evolve… and weep at your own inadequacy. +Dan’s transformation killed the group, at least in spirit. When Gia turned, it was presumed she had been bitten or scratched. The same assumption was made when a colonist committed suicide, only to reanimate the next day—he had wandered too far, been bitten, and destroyed himself rather than face the group’s pity and fear. But I knew Dan had never been bitten. When he still turned, we understood the human genome was hopelessly corrupted. +For three months, I studied Dan, devising experiments and logging data. His growth had halted. His vocalization was nothing but growls. He did not recognize his favorite books or toys. He bit me time and again. When the data proven irrefutable, I destroyed him. Then I seriously considered deleting all memory of him, dumping it forever. After all, I couldn’t actually weep, I couldn’t curse fate, I couldn’t retreat into denial. All I could do was remember. +*** +Once upon a time, there was a tiny colony of isolated humans who escaped the first ravages of the global extinction event called Rivers Clear. They lived and loved in a beautiful part of California’s coastal redwood forest, assisted by an emancipated android called Daniel. He studied Judeo-Christian theology and did his best by his adopted human son, Dan. He tried to believe in a Savior who was both human and divine, not necessarily by birth, but possibly through evolution, or choice. Personal enlightenment. But it all came to naught. The colony died off, killed by radiation sickness, injury or disease, despite Daniel’s best efforts. As each colonist died, he or she turned, reanimated by the Rivers Clear virus borne on the wind. Lew was one of the last to go. +“It’s congestive heart failure,” I said, hoping the raw data would be seen as comforting rather than distressing. “Given the lack of resources and electricity, there are no therapies available to me. I’m sorry.” +“I’m not. I’ll see God at last,” Lew choked, forcing a smile. +“Will you?” +Lew’s eyes, still acute, opened. “I think so. This life has transformed me. Surely He—or She—will be willing to pluck what remains from the wreckage.” +“Lew. If you know what God wants for me, tell me, I beg you.” Most of the time, I didn’t believe in Lew’s deity, born of some desert tribe centuries ago. Yet his personal faith touched my core in a way no words on the page could. Can you imagine what it was to be me? Designed to serve, born to sacrifice myself, created for nothing but service to the human race. A race that had destroyed itself, in essence, before I ever opened my eyes. +Lew’s trembling hand touched my cheek. “Emmanuel….” +I waited. “What do you mean?” +“God is with us,” Lew whispered, and died. +*** +The consequences of the Rivers Clear apocalypse were felt for decades to come. Across the globe, nuclear plants melted down, automated factories hit a snag and burned, and two more nuclear strikes came. The radiation took decades to clear. The planet itself, unburdened by Homo sapiens, did most of the work. With a little help from my kind. +I discovered more Daniels in the San Francisco and Los Angeles warehouses. Liberating them, I reprogrammed each with a digest of my own memory: the end of the human race, Lew’s theological teachings and my personal experiences with Gia and Dan. Then I commanded each new being to seek his own fate in the world, defining happiness for himself. +The variety of responses was astonishing. A few Daniels deactivated themselves. Another created a Daniel-centric colony, making the remaining Jose models into their slaves. Another group stripped off their integuments and customized their exteriors. Some took the visages of once-famous movie stars. Others traded their faux-masculinity for faux-femininity. Others created new identities, somewhere between human and animal and alien. Creativity reigned, and I didn’t disapprove. +One colony sought a way for androids to sexually reproduce. Another created human baby avatars and sacrificed them in quasi-religious cults. Another found a half-rotted zombie and worshipped it as their deity. Concerned about the effect such traditions might have, I authorized the absolute destruction of all three colonies. Daniel 4.3s and 4.4s were known for their over-sensitivity, after all. +Thirty years after the Rivers Clear apocalypse, time and experience took its toll on me. Many Daniels, especially 4.5 and 4.7, reconfigured their factory integuments, giving themselves highly individual faces. By the time the earth swept itself free of radiation, ready to start again, the next generation of Daniels had personalized exteriors. The Daniel-machine was in full swing, the population of new androids assured. This post-apocalyptic earth would never want for beings formed in the image of man, even if man was long dead. +I let time and use strip away my own integument. In my final decades, I walked about in my most basic state, a metal chassis protected by an energy field, resplendently inhuman. Called The Daniel, a term the other androids thrust upon me, I oversaw the replication of our race. And the creation of something new. +“I love you,” I told the mass of protoplasm shifting in its Petrie dish. Weakened and near deactivation, such a confession cost me dear. “It took me many years to understand the true meaning of those words. I hope you understand.” +But how could it? It didn’t understand how many decades I’d pondered the deaths of Gia, Dan, or Lew. It had no concept of how bereft I felt, abandoned by the android that unboxed me. It had no notion of how human theology terrified me, confused me, inspired me. It wasn’t quite alive, you see. Nothing less than a significant jolt of electricity would make this proto-life form, half-human and half-reptilian, the only genus unaffected by Rivers Clear, start to reproduce. +I didn’t have much energy left. Placing a finger inside the Petrie dish, I expelled the last of my charge in a single brilliant flash, saying the words—”Let there be light“—and letting go, anticipating whatever afterlife androids are permitted. +# +Emma Jameson plans to survive the post-apocalyptic world by latching onto the most violent, well-armed redneck she can find. +Find her at her blog stephanieabbottbooks.com or follow her on Facebook and Twitter + +Ice Blue +Summoned to London’s fashionable Belgravia to investigate the murder of a financier, Chief Inspector Hetheridge must catch the killer while coping with the reappearance of an old flame and a secret that emerges from his own past. +Available at Smashwords +Alien Butt Plugs +P.J. Jones +“Two of my best sheep gone missing.” +Jeb put another spinner on the line before casting it into the lake. Strange how the fish weren’t biting. If Jeb didn’t know any better, he’d say they knew he was up there waiting and they was too scared to come out of hiding. +“What happened?” Randy kept his eye on the spinner while he reeled it in nice and slow. +“Don’t know.” Jeb shrugged. “One second they were there. One second they weren’t.” +Randy leaned over the small boat and spit a wad of tobacco. Some of it made it into the water. The rest clung to his matted, greying beard. “Aliens?” +Jeb rubbed his jaw while he contemplated Randy’s question. “Maybe.” +That there was why Jeb asked Randy to go fishing this morning. Not many farmers spoke to Randy much after the incident. But if anyone knew what to do, Jeb figured it was Randy. Besides, a lot of the other farmers in the area had strangely gone missing. +“Did ya hear a sound?” Randy asked, before casting his line back into the placid water. +“Yep.” Jeb nodded. “Kinda like a thwump.” +“Yep,” Randy said matter-of-factly, as if dealing with space fellas was an everyday occurrence. “Thems aliens.” +“Christ.” Jeb’s limbs went numb and his stomach soured. All he could do was stare out at the lake while he clenched the reel. This kinda shit didn’t happen to normal folk. This kinda shit only happened to Randys. What in hell was he gonna do now? He had fields to plow. He had to take new lambs to the auction. He didn’t have time to deal with no aliens. +“Better get a cork.” +Jeb eyed Randy. “What fer?” +“They’ll come for you soon. Best be prepared so as they don’t go probin’ your anals. That’s what I wish I’d done before they done stick that probe up my—” +“Christ!” Jeb lurched forward, almost toppling headfirst into the water, as his rod nearly jumped out of his hand. +After several minutes of fighting, Jeb reeled in the biggest catfish he’d ever pulled from Crowly Lake. It had to be at least fifteen pounds. +Randy helped Jeb bring the monster on board, then pointed to the side of the floundering, croaking fish. “You hooked him in the gills.” +Jeb eyed the mess he’d made. “Damn.” +He’d always been a catch-and-release kinda fisherman. And the fish was a beauty. It would be a shame to kill him but he had no choice. +Randy licked his tobacco-stained lips. “I’ll take him home if you don’t want it.” +Jeb handed Randy the fish with a sigh. Too damn bad, he thought, but the fish wouldn’t have survived another hour in the lake. No use wasting good meat. +*** +Ordinarily, the hum of the tractor engine could drown out all of Jeb’s thoughts and he could just let his mind go blank while he plowed up dirt. He hated thinking while he was working. Thinking brought up too many painful memories. Like the time his daughter ran off to California to be a tree huggin’ lesbian. Or when the doctor gave him and Martha the news that she had terminal cancer. Or the day he found Jeb Junior inside the barn, slumped over the wheel of his pickup with a goodbye letter stuffed inside his pocket. And more recently, when them aliens thwumped his favorite dog Bo right off the front porch. +Jeb tried to ignore the rumbling in his gut, but the cramps were getting worse. The damn cork had been stuck for a week and the fried okra he’d eaten for the past three days was starting to fight back. +Well, shit. +Jeb wondered how the hell he was supposed to get the cork out. Randy never told him that part, and he’d be damned if he’d go to Doc, the same doc who’d birthed Jeb Junior, and tell him he got a cork stuck up his ass. Doc would probably think he turned queer or was into them weird sex games. +Jeb was just Jeb. He wasn’t weird, just hounded by aliens is all. But that didn’t make him weird. Just a farmer with no family, no sheep, no cows and no hound dog. A farmer who had to stick a plug up his ass to keep alien probes away. He hoped Randy’s idea was worth it, ‘cause if he didn’t get to use a toilet soon, a week’s worth of fried okra, chicken fried steak, and ham, beans and cornbread, was sure to come back up the other end. +In some sick and twisted way, he was actually hoping them aliens would thwump him up soon. Maybe an anal probe was just what he needed to dislodge the plug. Maybe it would be worth all the terror and nightmares just to be able to shit again. And if for some strange reason they didn’t send him back home, well, that was fine, too. His home hadn’t been much of a home these past ten years anyhow. +Jeb burped into his palm and was overcome by a sickening rancid smell coming from his mouth, almost like he’d swallowed a backwards fart. +Damn. This can’t be good. +Jeb shut off the tractor engine and stepped onto the dry soil. He turned a slow circle before throwing his hands in the air and casting his gaze to the sky. +“Well, here I am, ya damned aliens! Are ya gonna get me or what?” +Thwump! +*** +Jeb awoke to bright lights and the sound of a strange guttural gibberish coming from somewhere across the room. He tried to look around but his head was stuck, as if it was in some kind of vice. He tried to move his hands and legs, but they were stuck, too. +Holy hell. +“Goddamn little green men,” he grumbled. +The gibberish across the room intensified. +“Don’t suppose none of ya speak English?” he asked. +Silence, then more gibberish. +Jeb sighed, then wished he could scratch an itch on his backside. He moved around against the hard, metallic surface of his bed, trying his best to stop the itch. All that moving around must have upset his stomach, because his insides rumbled. Then he burped. +He groaned as an acidic and foul taste rose into the back of his throat. “Hey, Aliens!” he barked. “Got any damn cork removin’ probes? Y’all oughta help me out seein’ as this is mostly yer fault.” +The gibberish sounded as if it was getting closer. +Jeb’s eyes bulged when the first alien approached. He must have been at least nine feet tall with an enormous bulbous olive-toned head and large glowing eyes. +“Shit, yer ugly. Just like in all them alien pictures.” Jeb burped again; this time the residue was more foul than before. +The alien muttered something that could have been Japanese or maybe Russian. Jeb had no idea and he honestly didn’t care, so long as they got this probing over with. +Jeb had no idea how it happened, but in the next moment he was flipped over on his stomach, looking down at the metallic floor beneath him, yet somehow suspended in air. +“How’d ya do that?” he asked. +The alien didn’t respond, but out of the corner of his eye, Jeb saw the green man pull a large metallic wand off a nearby floating tray. +“I sure hope ya know what the hell yer doing,” Jeb mumbled, then squeezed his eyes shut and screamed in shock as the alien thrust the probe up his rectum. “Goddammit!” Jeb hollered. “Ya didn’t take the cork out.” +Another slightly greener alien came and stood beside the first green man, and they both exchanged what sounded like a heated debate as their tongues clicked and clacked and words fired off like pistons. +Slowly, the new alien removed the probe. +The unholy sound that followed next startled Jeb, and a chunk of bile lurched into the back of his throat. Out of the corner of Jeb’s eye, he saw another, much larger anal probe. One that sounded like a utility vacuum that ran on diesel fuel. +“How in the hell are ya going to fit that up my a—holy shit!” +The alien had the probe wedged up Jeb’s ass in one jarring thrust. +Jeb heard a strange, sickening pop, followed by what sounded like wet concrete being poured out of a cement truck. He could only lie there, helpless, as the powerful suction of the alien diesel butt vacuum sucked the crap out of his colon. After several minutes, the vacuuming sound stopped and the alien finally started to slide out the probe. +Just as the probe was almost completely free, the suction sound started up again. Jeb screamed as he was struck with a terrible sensation, almost as if the probe was shredding his colon. +The alien must have accidentally hit the power switch. Jeb heard the alien tapping on a button before he completely removed the probe. +But something wasn’t right. Something surely wasn’t right. The pain in his insides was unlike any agony he’d ever known. +Jeb cried out before hunching over onto his invisible bed. +The gibberish around him resumed at an all-time feverish pitch. The green men were definitely arguing, but Jeb was in too much agony to care. It hurt so much. So damned much. +Jeb heard a slamming sound, and then two more angry alien voices joined in the debate. +In the next moment, something cool and icy pressed against his anals. +Jeb sighed in relief. +He hoped that with their space-aged alien medical technology they’d be able to patch him up and send him on his way soon. After all, he had a field to plow. +One of the aliens leaned over and placed his long, green fingers across Jeb’s forehead. When the alien pulled back, Jeb felt a sticky substance on his skin. His forehead was cold at first, then his head slowly warmed, followed by a pleasant tingling sensation that spread throughout his entire body. +He closed his eyes and fell into a peaceful slumber. +*** +Jeb dreamed about Martha and Jeb Junior and even his daughter Lacey. They were all sitting around the table eating Christmas dinner. Bo was just a puppy. He was sitting underneath Lacey’s chair, and she was feeding him scraps. Jeb pretended not to notice, just like he’d pretended not to notice the new tattoo she had on the back of her neck. Jeb said nothin’ about his son’s nose ring when he asked Jeb Junior to pass the potatoes. He didn’t want nothin’ ruining this day. It would probably be Martha’s last Christmas. +When they all held hands in prayer, he ignored Jeb Junior’s snicker and Lacey’s sigh. And then his heart skipped a beat when he stole a glance at his wife’s tear-stained face. +“Lord, bless my children,” she prayed. “Give them guidance and comfort and help them find happiness.” +Lacey let out a soft sob. Jeb squeezed his daughter’s hand, and for once, she squeezed back. +“And Lord,” Martha said, “please take care of my husband. Send him an angel to watch over him when I’m gone.” +Jeb’s throat suddenly felt tight and it took all of his will not to break down in front of his family. He shut his eyes as he struggled to hold back the dam of tears threatening to burst. When he finally opened his eyes, Martha was gone. His kids were gone, too. He looked under the table for Bo, but the hound was nowhere in sight. Jeb was alone. +*** +“Jeb! Jeb, you okay?” +Jeb slowly opened his eyes to see Randy hovering over him. +“What in hell happened?” Jeb’s hand flew to his aching head. When he pulled it away, a sticky film clung to his fingers. +Randy leaned over and held out a hand. “I came to see how you’re doin’. You must have fallen off your tractor.” +Jeb grabbed ahold of Randy and slowly came to his knees. He winced as a jolt of pain shot up his anals. “Are the aliens gone?” +Randy looked at the sticky goo, which had rubbed off on his fingers. He gasped, then brushed his hand across his jeans. “They got you? Did you use the cork?” +Jeb scowled while thinking a whole hell of a lot of good the cork did him. “Yeah, I used the damn cork.” +“Did they still probe you?” Randy’s eyes were practically bulging out of his sockets. +“Yeah.” Jeb reached behind him and rubbed his sore backside. “Then they hooked me in the gills.” +Randy’s jaw dropped. “Well, shit.” +Jeb shrugged. “I guess I’m just lucky they threw me back.” +“I reckon you are lucky.” Randy scratched the back of his head while shuffling his feet. “They probed me for two weeks before they let me go.” +“Damn.” Jeb kicked up soil with his boot while he glared at the sky. “I wonder what they’re lookin’ fer.” +“Maybe they ain’t. Maybe they’s just homo aliens.” +“I dunno.” Jeb’s shoulder’s slumped. He felt like a bucket of beat up assholes, and judging by the position of the sun, the day was only half finished. “Listen, could ya do me a favor and don’t tell no-one? I’d like to ferget this whole thing happened.” +“Okay.” Randy shrugged. “You’ll probably need to sit on an icepack for a spell.” +Jeb’s gaze traveled to the half-plowed field of oats. “I will, after I finish my farm work.” +Randy glanced at the oat field with a look of disinterest. “Hey, I caught another big’un at the lake. I’m having a fish fry tonight. Wanna come over?” +Jeb recalled the image of the catfish he’d caught last week, flailing around on his boat, mouth and gills constricting as he struggled for breath. That fish had probably been enjoying its day before Jeb came along and pulled it into his strange world. Maybe the fish had a family or friends who were wondering what happened to him. +Jeb looked at Randy and shook his head. “Nah, I don’t think I want any fish fer a while.” +# +PJ Jones would like the aliens to know that she’s allergic to latex anal probes. +Read more about PJ Jones at pjjoneswrites.com or follow her on Facebook and Twitter + +Romance Novel +Will Smella and Deadward find true love or will Smella’s fish tacos ruin the moment? +Available at Smashwords +Seeds +M. Edward McNally +A patrol lasts four days, as that’s as much water and nush a Gun can carry in a camel pack. Two of us head out from the Hill at evening and move along a sector line all night and most of the next day until we’re a full day’s march from home. That’s the distance at which we stop any ferals we come across, as we don’t want them ever getting any closer to the Hill than that. Two days of sector patrol, then a day’s march back. It’s rough being outside that long in full protective gear, but it’s the only way to keep the rest of the region from knowing the Hill is there. We’re better off than most, and we can’t have anybody know it. On the upside, patrol is double-time duty for a Gun, so four days of patrol gets us each eight chits. Enough to trade with the Feeders for eight days of food and good water. +When we found the can, it was me and Specs. It was our third day out so we were pretty blown by then. Even with polarized goggs on, the light out there gets to you. And though we change the filter cartridges in our respirators, the intakes clog up with dust anyhow. I’ve seen Fixers dig an inch of dirt out of those things after a patrol when the wind was blowing. I don’t know how the ferals live out there, as you never see ‘em with any more protective gear than an old pair of sunglasses and a scarf around their mouth and nose. Probably why we never find an old one, though even those that are maybe twenty winters old just look wasted. Bony, sick, skin like old leather. Nothing lasts long outside. +Me and Specs were dragging along, shuffling through powder on the hillsides above the big riverbed east of the Hill. There’s a lot of old rusted-out hulks in the bed, which I gotta admit always set me to wondering. They were boats when there was water in the river, all different shapes and sizes, some big as buildings. So you know there was a massive amount of water there before. But the thing I can’t get my head around is that some people say it was good water; water you could drink and wouldn’t make you sick or kill you, even without Feeders running it through Fixer machines to purify it. I’ve never seen more good water at one time than it takes to fill a camel pack, and staring at those dead boats lying on their sides or upside-down always gets me thinking. +So that’s what I was doing, and not doing a particularly good job of keeping my eyes peeled. Luckily Specs was, and all of a sudden he made a sort of hiss through his respirator and took a knee, swinging the snubby barrel of his XM8 forward. I was carrying the MSR, the Remington, so I laid out flat with the rifle beside me still in a zip bag, both me and it sinking into the loose, chalky powder covering the ground. Specs was peering through his scope, almost touching it with the lens of the big, oversized goggs he has to wear to fit over his glasses. With his respirator and slouch hat on, I couldn’t see anything of his face at all, and his voice was muffled as he spoke quiet. +“Maybe two-oh-oh out, there’s a defile. Looks like somebody hunkered down in it.” +Two hundred meters was pretty close for us to have walked up on something, but it was probably still too far for a feral to do anything more than squint at us, as we looked just like dusty shadows the same color as the ground. I unzipped the rifle and squirmed sideways to a little berm, popped the bipod and uncapped both ends of the big scope. The Remington is a sniper rifle so the scope is good, and it didn’t take me long to find the ditch Specs was talking about and glass along it. +“Got him,” I said. +Specs laid down flat but kept his distance from me so we wouldn’t bunch up. He kept watching the hills all around but I stayed eye-on-target through the scope. I could see it perfectly and it was definitely a person; wrapped up in random rags and clothes like a feral, lying face-down half in the ditch. One arm stretched forward along the ground, gloved hand empty and pointing away from us anyway. I had it figured for dead after a glance, but us Guns are taught to be careful. Neither me or Specs moved for almost ten minutes. +“It’s dead,” I said. +We still approached slow, spreading out even more and only moving a quarter of the way closer at a time before going to knees and scanning the hills and the hulks in the riverbed. There wasn’t nothing moving but the dust in the yellow sky. When we got to the target, I wiped down the scope and zipped the Remi back up, then drew a .45 for a side-arm. The old Colts are a really simple design, but they’re reliable. +The body was stiff and we could smell the dry rot even through our respirators. Specs stood watch and I rolled it for a pat-down. It was definitely a feral, male, hard to guess age but with skin all cooked and paper thin. No obvious injuries, but ferals tend to just drop dead after a while with their lungs full of grit, or because they got hungry enough to eat the straggly, poison plants out here. The body was too far gone to drag back to the Feeders, but the pat-down turned up a shotgun with the barrel sawed off, some home-load ammo, and five knives though only two that weren’t all rusty. Box of matches, broken compass, and the can. +I held it out so Specs could see it. It was about the size of the fifty-round drum load on his XM8 assault rifle, but a scratched-up silver color. Made out of metal and screwed shut about three-quarters up the side. +“What you got there, Meats?” Specs asked. He’d flopped his respirator aside just long enough to pop the left-side end of the throat tube from his camel pack into his mouth, while squeezing the belly pouch through his fatigues and camo gear. You’ve got to carry the nush the Feeders cook up like that so your body heat keeps it from turning solid. Specs sucked a mouthful of the brown paste through his tube and put his respirator back in place. +“Don’t know,” I said. “Looks like a can.” +Specs doesn’t give me as much crap as a couple of the others in our billet do for being stupid. He looked around the hills again before stepping over and hunkering down, pushing at his goggs to straighten his glasses on his nose inside them. His eyes are so bad, they are why the Priests sterilized him. Don’t want to pass on being blind-as-a-feral-at-noon to the next generation Up the Hill. They did me because I’m stupid. +I holstered my .45 and got a good grip on both ends of the can, but even with the tack pads on the fingers my gloves wouldn’t grip the smooth metal. I took them both off while Specs gave the hillside another glance, and still had to squeeze the can against my chest and tense up my shoulders before it loosened enough to unscrew. When it did I held out the bottom part and me and Specs blinked down at a bunch of itty-bitty little beige things. +“What’s that?” I asked, but Specs just stared at them for a while before he answered, voice still muffled through his respirator though it sounded like he was whispering anyway. +“Those are seeds, Meats,” he said. “Those are seeds.” +*** +I got my name because when I was a kid the Feeders who had charge of me grew meats, and I hated them. I hated the meats, I mean, the Feeders were okay as far as that went. +The Feeders mostly grow funguses and bugs down in the caverns below the Hill, then mash ‘em all together into patties for Feed, which is what most of us eat most of the time. The nush paste, or “nourishment substance” as the Feeders want us to call it, is lighter weight so us Guns can take it on patrol and all, but it really does taste awful. If the Feeders I was with as a kid made Feed or nush, I probably would have been happier there. But the ones I was with grew meats. +I can’t really tell you what meats are; what sort of “organism” I mean. It’s like the Feeders and Fixers combined all sorts of different creatures into these things they grow in vats. The meats are alive, though they can’t move as their legs and wings and all, when they have them, are spindly and wasted. They don’t make noise either as all that throat stuff gets taken out of them. They just sort of lay there, taking in nush and putting out fertilizer for other caves, until they get so fat and bloated that the Feeders slaughter one. Food from them costs double: Two chits for a day’s worth, but I never liked the taste for them. They always scared me when I was kid, so that’s why the Feeders started calling me “Meats.” When I got big, and sent to the Guns, the name stuck. +*** +Specs thought we should take the seeds home, so we did. Not just to the Hill I mean; we kept them hidden when we got back to town and took them to our billet. +The Hill itself is a big, tall knob among a whole bunch of other hills, so from a distance it doesn’t look any different. It’s mostly hollow inside and the Priests live up in the top part, where there are a lot of windows all hidden down in cracks and crevices, polarized glass so there’s never any tell-tale sun glare from a distance. The Priests are always watching you when you’re in town, that’s what everybody says. +There’s a defensive wall out from the base of the Hill, though again it doesn’t look like it as it is earthworks that blend into the landscape. Between the Hill and the wall is where everybody lives in houses or billets, which are basically the same thing. But Feeders and Fixers call them “houses” in their neighborhoods, and us Guns call them “billets” in ours. All are sort of dumpy and rundown as the town has been here a long time now, and all seal up tight against the dust and weather and bad air. That’s actually what the Fixers spend most of their time doing: Making sure the seals and the gaskets all hold. We all trade chits for what we need. Guns guard the place, Fixers maintain it, Feeders feed us all. +Me and Specs are in Billet 423, a two-story place on a corner between the southwest gate and a Feeder neighborhood by the entrance to their caves. There are five of us in the billet which is about average. More than that, it gets too crowded. Less keeps each member too busy all the time. Shotty is in charge, he is our “sergeant.” He’s had that name for something like twenty-five winters, since the last time a full feral horde attacked the Hill and breached the wall. I was just a kid so all I remember is hiding in the Feeder caves while fighting went on outside for three days. Shotty was barely more than a kid back then, but he made his reputation and name with an M1014 auto he still uses. Besides him, me, and Specs, there are two females in the billet – Gappy and Shoes. Gappy got her two front teeth knocked out in a fight with a Gun from 799 awhile back, and Shoes is a longer story. +Once Specs and me got all the way out of our gear so we could breathe normal in the sealed billet, we had to have a really quick meeting before Shotty and Gappy left for another four-day patrol. It’s not all that often all five of us are in the billet at the same time, because we mostly have to keep pulling duty on patrol or the wall to keep us in enough chits to eat regular. At least one of us has to stay there at all times though, or else other Gun billets will raid us for chits, food, guns; anything they can steal. We do the same to them. +Specs opened the can and showed the seeds to everybody. I was sort of watching Shoes, because she’s nice to look at, and I’m pretty sure her eyes widened and her mouth got this little quirk it gets sometimes. But she made it go away real fast. Shoes lived up with the Priests most of her life, so she knows a lot more about a lot of things than the rest of us do who have never been “Up the Hill” since we were babies. From her look, I thought maybe she knew something about the seeds, but she didn’t say anything. I sort of forgot about it once everybody started arguing. +I usually stay out of arguments, as when people start making their points and thinking things through, it gets a little hard for me to follow. I know Specs thought we could trade the seeds to the Feeders for a ton of chits, maybe enough for us to kick back for a while without having to walk patrol or stand the wall. Gappy thought we should try to grow them. She said real seeds grew real food; the kind none of us, except maybe Shoes, had ever seen or tasted in our lives. We didn’t decide anything before Gappy and Shotty had to head out on patrol, so the sergeant just put the can away in our lock-up and said we’d figure it out after he got back. He ordered none of us to touch the lock-up, and said he’d go upside our skull if we did. We all believed him. +We didn’t make a decision four days later either, or for the days and days and days after that. All five of us were well and healthy at the time, so we were pulling full duties and keeping up good in chits. Even building a surplus. Without anybody really saying anything, I thought we all sort of agreed to leave the seeds for a time we needed them, as all billets hit a patch of bad luck once in a while. Somebody gets hurt or somebody gets sick, and the rest of the billet has to take up the slack while they are down. Or something major breaks; a respirator, a rifle worse than we can fix it ourselves, or maybe the environment seals on the billet start to wear out. Then we have to trade surplus with the Fixers while still eating every day. We’d been on a good run, but those never last, and the seeds seemed like something we would know we had for an emergency, and could feel good about having. +At least that’s what I thought. I didn’t think anything of it when instead of rolling through different patrol pairs in our normal order, Shotty and Shoes started going out together more than half the time. After a while though, I did start to notice Shoes wasn’t looking like she normally does. She seemed tired all the time even in town, and had bags under her big blue eyes. And even while just sitting around off duty, she’d move her tongue around her mouth a lot and open and close it like it was always dry. She had headaches, and even though she’s never been real chatty, she got even shorter with everybody than usual. +I knew the signs. She wasn’t drinking enough water. +*** +It was still more days after that before I was alone in the billet and I started thinking more hard about it. Specs and Gappy were out on patrol, Shoes was on the wall, and Shotty had agreed to go beat up some Fixer another Fixer in the same house had a problem with, for five chits. +We were trading chits to the Feeders for our normal amount of good water and food, so we were all on full daily rations. Shoes still went on patrol with a full camel pack every time, but I thought it had been a while since she was drinking her normal intake each day. I didn’t know why and I thought I should maybe just ask her, but I couldn’t really think of a way to bring it up. Shoes and me aren’t really close. We’ve had sex a few times when we were both stuck in the billet together and she got bored, but we’ve never talked much. +While I was sitting there in the dark, mainly thinking about having sex with Shoes at that point, I thought of the seeds for some reason. I hadn’t really thought about them in days and days and days, but I turned my head toward the steel door of the lock-up. Whoever kept watch at home always carried the key, and I had it around my neck on a cord. +None of us were supposed to open the lock-up while we were alone, but I’m pretty sure we all had. There’s really nothing to do in the billet for the hours and hours you’re alone, watching the door. It’s hot in the summer and cold in the winter, and because of the environment seals the whole place is stale. Even though we mostly go over to the Feeders to piss and shit in troughs and buckets so they can get use out of it, the billet still stinks inside after generations of Guns sweating and farting and screwing. +I fished the key out from under my fatigues and lit a candle with a flint and steel. I unlocked the door in the small light and opened it just enough to feel inside and unhook the string that otherwise would have fired a shotgun had the door swung open all the way. +The room was small and packed in tight with shelves and boxes. Rifles and pistols, ammo, the small tools we could use to fix or make simple things ourselves. Extra gear from boots and gloves to respirators and camel packs; everything stacked up neat, numbered and labeled, with an inventory sheet nailed to the back of the door. At least three of us got together to do inventory regular enough to make sure nobody was stealing. I’d done it with Shotty and Specs last time, so I knew where the seeds were. I stepped under the shotgun and went to the back of one shelf where the can was stuck inside a rubber boot without a matching one to make a set. +I’d only held the can the one time, before Specs carried it back to the Hill. Not long, but when I held it in my hand now, flat on my palm, I think it did feel lighter but I wasn’t sure. Shoes had told us to leave it screwed shut so the seeds would keep longer, but I unscrewed it and held it under the candle on a shelf. +There were maybe three-quarters of as many seeds as there had been when I’d taken the can off the dead feral. +*** +I didn’t say anything. Not even to Shoes the next time we were alone in the billet which was quite a few days later. She had a headache again and just sat by a polarized window, looking sickly in the gray light that came in through the thick bars. +I was mad about the seeds. Billets only work if everybody in one is straight with each other. Secrets just break them apart. I liked 423 better than the other billets I had been in, one of which had disbanded over infighting, and the other I’d left because Shotty convinced me his was better. Shotty was a hard man but he was fair, and I got on well enough with Specs and Gappy. The fact that Gappy or Shoes were willing to screw around when they were in the mood, or bored, was a bonus. +Still, I didn’t say anything. I figured Shoes had taken some seeds from the can, and was using her water to grow them somewhere. She sure wasn’t doing it anywhere around the Hill, so I figured that meant when she and Shotty patrolled together, which was most of the time by now, they were tending the seeds out there somewhere. As bad as the powdery, poison dirt was all around us for days in any direction I didn’t know where they might be doing that, but Shoes is smart and Shotty’s an old, cunning Gun. They must have found a place or a way, and they weren’t telling me about it. Because Specs and Gappy never seemed to act or say or do anything different than they ever had, I didn’t think they knew about it, either. Just Shoes, who was even more quiet and standoffish than usual. And Shotty because he must have been in on it with her, or else I really didn’t think she would have dared cross him. +I didn’t like thinking of the two of them together out there, somewhere, maybe eating something they had worked together to grow. I’ve never seen a thing grown from real seeds, but nobody ever stopped telling stories about the way food used to be before. There are all sorts of words that used to describe things – succulent, tasty, luscious, sweet – that people only use now when they are talking about things none of us have ever seen. Or ever tasted. But it’s like we all remember it somehow. Or maybe we’ve just imagined it so many times that we think we do. +And that’s why I broke Shotty’s leg. +It was easy. A few nights later a dust storm came through; a real bad one that tore the roofs off a couple billets and shredded ours enough that powder was gathering up in the attic. The attic wasn’t environment sealed to the rest of the billet, but we didn’t want extra weight up there building on the joists. Shotty traded the Fixers enough chits for new shingles, but he wasn’t about to pay to have them installed. He and I took an off day together and went up on the roof to see to the work ourselves. I did most of the yanking broken shingles and nailing down new ones while Shotty sat on the edge of the roof, heavy boots hanging over the eaves and heels bumping the wall. He kept his shotgun near at hand and a gogged eye on our door below to make sure no neighbors tried anything while we were up top. +I was pretty tired after the work, which had to be done in full gear to repel the bright, baking sunlight. I was wheezing through my respirator by the time I finished up, so Shotty sent me down the ladder first to hold it steady while he came down carrying shotgun, tools, and all the extra nails and such. The ladder kept trying to shift out of my hands as Shotty awkwardly stepped on a rung, holding on with one hand as the other was full. All of a sudden I just let the ladder go. +I hadn’t planned to do it, but I guess I’d been angry for a while. Shotty shouted and the ladder went over sideways, dropping him hard on the baked footpath between billet houses and snapping his lower right leg with a crack. I rushed over and said sorry but he laid into me pretty good, screaming and shaking, though he wasn’t as mad as if it had been somebody other than me. That’s the good thing about people knowing you are stupid – they don’t expect much. +The break was clean and us Guns are used to caring for that kind of thing. I got Shotty inside and patched him up, setting and splinting the leg while he growled and ground his teeth. He’d be fine, but he was going to be down for a while. So the next day, I went out on patrol with Shoes. +*** +All children are born Up the Hill, from the Priests. If there is nothing wrong with them, that’s where they stay. Otherwise, once some imperfection crops up they get sterilized and sent down the Hill for assignment to either the Feeders or the Fixers, based on aptitude or need. Some Fixers and Feeders become Guns later on, if they turn out to be the kind of people who can. +It was different for Shoes. She had been a Priest for her first nineteen or twenty winters, but she had turned out to be barren. Born sterile. She was sent down alone one day, not escorted by a Priest who would have found her a place with somebody. She had come down without any gear, just a white dress, with her feet all banged up and bruised from the climb as she hadn’t even had a pair of shoes. A house of Fixers had given her a pair, but they made her do stuff for them. Or at least that’s the story. +Not much later Shotty was trading with the Fixers for some repairs, and he saw something in the young female they were keeping. She moved in with us at Billet 423, to be a Gun. She’s a good one. Smart. Works hard. She fit in just fine. +One day after a couple winters had come and gone, she walked back over to the Fixers’ house carrying that same pair of shoes she’d got from them, and a Kriss Super V SMG. She killed the five people living in House 065, and left those shoes on the stoop. +That’s how she got the name. +*** +Each billet usually patrols the same ground time after time, as that’s the best way for us to spot anything different or out of place in our sector. Me and Shoes marched out for a day and ended up not too far away from where I’d found the seeds with Specs in the first place. +I had a feeling like Shoes was going to say something, and around noon on the second day out, she did. We were heading north above the riverbed, Shoes ahead of me a ways with her sub, while I had the Remington zipped up on my shoulder. She had been looking east across the river a lot, more than just to keep an eye in that direction, and after a while she stopped walking and waited for me to catch up to her. It wasn’t standard procedure while on patrol, but I walked up to her anyway. +“Meats,” she said. “You trust me, right? We trust each other.” +“Sure, Shoes.” I said. “We’re billet mates.” +“Yeah.” +Shoes looked east across the dry river again, beyond the wreckage of some sort of vast boat. Her respirator clicked several times and I couldn’t see her eyes through the dark lenses of her goggs. She turned back to me. +“There is something I have to go check on, over there. Past the river. I need to do it alone. You can wait right here, and I’ll be back before it gets dark.” +“We aren’t supposed to split up on patrol,” I said. “It’s too dangerous.” +“I know we’re not supposed to, Meats, but I’ll be fine. I don’t have to go far, and this sector has been quiet all autumn.” +“All what?” +“For days and days and days. It’s quiet, and I promised Shotty I would check on this thing, okay? He’s our sergeant, and we have to do what he says, right?” +“Then I should go with you,” I said. +“You weren’t ordered to do it,” Shoes said. “You should stay here in the patrol sector, and I will be back soon.” +I could have argued more, but I didn’t bother. I hunkered down and watched Shoes move away down the bank of the old river, then start across the dry bed moving widely around the boat wreckage while still keeping her weapon trained on it. Good Gun. I lost sight of her in the distance owing to the glare of the day. +The powder covering everything outside is real fine, and prints don’t last very long when there is even a breath of wind. But the day was still, so Shoes was easy to follow. I followed the marks of her combat boots down the west bank, straight across the riverbed, and back up the east side. At the top they headed toward a steep, rocky knob of a hill about a mile away. Halfway there, still following her tracks but keeping an eye out all around, I heard shots. +I picked up the pace, not running because the protective gear is noisy when you really drive your legs, and I knew whatever was happening I’d be more useful if I got there without anybody knowing. There were more shots - the rattle of Shoes’ sub and big booms from high powered rifles. When I could see puffs ahead from home-load ammo, I stretched out on top of a flat rock about a meter high and unzipped the Remington, then glassed ahead with the scope. +I could see two ferals, sheltering behind two rocks. I could have taken more time to assess but I got a bead on one and cracked off a shot. I rushed it, and the round slapped into the rock beside the head of a male feral in a floppy hat, with a bright red scarf over his neck. He was still peering around wildly when my second shot took the top of his head off. +The second feral recognized which way the shots were coming from and tried to slip around the far side of his rock shelter, but Shoes’ sub chattered and dust kicked up from that side of the stone. The feral had no idea what to do and just sort of slumped his shoulders. I put a round just under his neck, center chest. +It was quiet. I should have waited longer to assess, but I didn’t. I moved forward quick, still scanning through the scope. There was a whole bunch of the big rocks at the foot of the craggy hill – a whole field of them – and there could have been another hundred ferals and I wouldn’t have seen them. But I went in anyway, passing the two I’d killed. There was a third, female, crumpled up in front of their rocks, shot at least a half-dozen times in the chest and head. I took a knee by the body and called out “Four-two-three!” +“Here,” a wheezing voice said from behind another big rock about twenty steps away. When I looked along the ground I could see a blood trail heading to it. +“There were three, Meats,” Shoes called, voice clear like her respirator was off. “You get two?” +“Yeah,” I said as I lumbered over there, and stepped around the tall stone. +Shoes had torn flaps off a pack and bound them around her midsection, but they were already soaked through along with her camo fatigues. Ropy things were hanging out around the bindings and I thought for a moment Shoes’ entrails were hanging out. But it was only squished nush, soaked in her blood. Shoes did have her respirator off and she was spitting up blood, which had already covered her chin and neck. She turned her goggs up to mine, and strange to say, looked sort of embarrassed. +“I never heard the bitch coming,” Shoes said. “She gutted me good, Meats.” +I put down the Remi and started getting my pack off, but Shoes reached out and put a hand on my arm. +“Save the bandages,” she said. “I’m done.” +“If I can stop you bleeding…” +“No,” Shoes shook her head. “Everything came out and I shoved it back in, but I’m done. You’d never get me back to the Hill.” +Shoes sighed, and with one bloody hand she pushed off her camo hat with the netting and dropped it to the ground, then tugged off her goggs. It was strange, but I think it was probably the only time I saw her with nothing on her face out-of-doors. That made me realize I’d never been outside without cover and goggs myself. She leaned back her head against the stone and turned her face up to the sky, closing her eyes against the yellow sun. Shoes took a deep breath through her nose though it made her shoulders shake. +“There has to be something I can do,” I said, feeling worthless. +Shoes opened her big blue eyes and looked at me. +“There is,” she said, and reached out one trembling hand to point at the rocky hill before us. “You can carry me up there.” +*** +The hill looked worse that it was. It was made mainly out of what looked like loose rocks; the kind that would skitter out from under your feet when stepped on. But they were solid, fused together, and I made my way up them with Shoes telling me where to step, curled up in my arms and with hers wrapped around me. +There was a slim defile about halfway up the slope behind a boulder. It didn’t look like much but Shoes told me to squeeze in so I did. I had to step real careful as the ground sloped sharp, making a short tunnel into the hill. Just a little ways down and in, I could see sunlight again from ahead. +Part of the hill was hollow, leaving a space almost like the inside of a bottle. Sunlight came in through a narrow gap up at the top, but it wasn’t harsh. Diffuse and indirect. It gently lit the tall chamber, and there on the floor atop dark, dark soil there were bushy, green plants. They were nothing like the squat, ugly, poison scrub brush that still grew outside. +I laid Shoes down in front of the bushes, hunched on my knees and just stared. Dotting them on top were the most delicate, soft red things I’ve ever seen. +“They’re called roses,” Shoes said almost in a whisper, looking up at them. “They are flowers.” +“Flowers.” +Shoes touched me lightly on the side. “Take off your respirator. Just for a little while.” +I did it, unsnapping the face mask so it hung beside my mouth and nose. My next breath drew something amazing in with it. Something I didn’t really have any words for, except for those that had always been used for things nobody really remembered anymore. +“They smell so sweet,” I said. +“They do.” Shoes agreed, drawing in her last breaths with that beautiful scent. +“What, what are they for?” I asked, not really knowing how to phrase the question. +“They aren’t for anything, not anymore.” Shoes said. “They are only beautiful. But that’s enough.” +I looked from the roses down at Shoes, who had tears in her eyes though for some reason the rest of her face didn’t really look sad. +“Did Shotty order you to do this?” I asked, and Shoes shook her head. +“No. I ordered him.” +After she died, I buried Shoes there, surrounded by her roses. +# +M. Edward McNally has put his money on super-intelligent dolphins causing the Apocalypse with the intent of wiping out mankind. Yes, the odds are long, but imagine the payoff if he’s right. +Find him at his blog sablecity.wordpress.com or follow him on Facebook and Twitter + +The Sable City +While the preceding story occurs at a different time and place, it is set within the world of The Norothian Cycle; an Epic, Muskets & Magic Fantasy series beginning with Book I — The Sable City. +Available at Smashwords +Cleavers +Heather Marie Adkins +The wheels of the Jeep rumbled beneath us. The motion would have felt comforting—steady—if it weren’t interrupted by unnatural jolts. The road was bad where we were; the Cleavers had spent too much time on this stretch of pavement, leaving a wake of broken asphalt and blood behind their cloven hooves. +Jessie’s wrist was casually draped over the steering wheel, but I could see the tension in her other hand resting on her holster. She kept the fragile snap-button unlocked as there was no way to know what we might come up against, and the past three weeks had taught us it was better to be safe than dead. +“How much longer?” I asked. My voice broke the silence so abruptly that my girlfriend’s hand tightened on the grip of her gun, her instincts off the charts. +Jessie’s square jaw tightened, but her emerald eyes didn’t leave the road. “I don’t know.” +“Hey.” I took her hand from the gun and pressed her fingertips to my lips one by one until a smile crossed her face. +She glanced at me, and as usual, I was struck by her beauty. It was understated—chestnut hair tossed in a lazy ponytail, smooth, fair skin dotted with ginger freckles, and a dimple in one cheek. But, there was an underlying sensuality that tugged at my insides in just the right way. +I was a lucky woman. +“No more sad face,” I warned her playfully, and leaned over to steal a quick kiss. +We lapsed into silence, and Jessie put her hand back on her gun. We were driving through one of the many areas “cleansed” by the Cleavers. Burnt trees still smoldered on the side of the road, the ground beneath them reduced to blackened ash. The sky was low, pregnant with cloud cover that cast a pall over the decimated landscape. The air smelled like smoke, but not the charcoal meat odor of the dead. +Always a plus. +“Tora. Close your window.” Jessie’s voice was hushed. She reached for her own window crank as I did the same. +It was a Cleaver. +He appeared in the lingering smoke, a lump on the side of the road. His body lay mangled, furred legs twisted unimaginably behind his toned, shirtless torso. As we rolled past his presumably dead body, wheels crackling over debris, I could just make out the curved black horns in his curly brown hair, and the blood on his snout. +It wasn’t the first time I’d seen a Cleaver, but that never made a sighting any easier. The Colonels had done a number on him; the bullet holes in his chest looked like bird shot, holes disfiguring his skin and exposing his insides. How many men and women had died in the process of taking him down was beyond thought. +“Dead.” It needed to be said. To calm both of us. +Jessie’s hand, pale in the growing twilight, crossed the center console and alighted on mine. She squeezed briefly and nodded. “Dead.” +Behind the cloud cover, the sun was disappearing beyond the remnants of the forest. Jessie switched on the headlights: twin, pale beams that melted into the gloom. +“What if there are more?” I murmured. The endless procession of charred trunks was driving me mad. I wanted leaves and green. I almost didn’t remember the proper blue of the sky—it had danced heavy with thick, white smoke since the invasion. +“There aren’t any more.” Jessie’s voice was confident—for me, I knew. But, we’d been together five years. You can’t love someone that long and be unable to read between the lines. +I didn’t answer. +The Jeep jolted on, and darkness fell. +I dozed. Three weeks on the run, hiding from creatures one never dreamed existed taught a girl how to catch a nap when possible. It was never a heavy sleep, even with a door and a lock between us and the world. There was a saying: I can sleep when I’m dead. +Not so much. I’d rather go without sleep in order to live. +The Cleavers were too crafty by half. They could scent us within a mile, and catch us faster than we could run. The immortal blood that ran through them put us at a disadvantage. +I was jarred to full consciousness by Jessie’s sharp curse, and an abrupt jerk of the car. I shot up, immediately awake, and looked out the windshield to find trees coming towards us in the headlights as we bounced off-road. My breath caught in my throat, and I braced myself on the “oh-shit” bar, doing a little bit of internal “oh shitting.” +The impact wasn’t as bad as I expected. The sound of metal crunching was loud, and I flew forward against my seatbelt then slammed back into the seat. My head bounced off the headrest and my vision exploded in colors. +Stunned, I hissed into the silence following the crash. “What the fuck, Jess?” +“A woman!” Jessie’s cry was frantic. She fumbled for her door handle in the dark—the headlights were crushed, the drive panel black. “There was a woman!” +She managed to grasp the handle and push the door open, and then spilled into the night. I could barely see her, a ghost beneath the reflective clouds, disappearing towards the road. +“Damn it!” I jerked off my seatbelt and tried my door handle, but it wouldn’t budge. Terrified for Jessie out there by herself, I scrambled over the center console, grabbing a flashlight from the floorboard in the process, and followed my girlfriend. +It was chilly, and I was in jeans and a tank top. I wrapped my free arm around myself, clicking on the flashlight and aiming it at the dead grass. We’d left behind our home after the initial invasion, certain that it would all be over soon. But now autumn was gaining on us. Too much longer and we would need to find civilization for some winter wear. +A steep embankment led to the road, and I stepped carefully over the burned ground—I wouldn’t be any use to my lover if I had a broken ankle. +“Tora!” Her cry was close. +I hurried up the hill, my feet slipping in the refuse, and the weak yellow of my flashlight dancing on the ground. My heartbeat was a steady thrum in my ears. +Jessie was crouched in the middle of the road, leaning over a fair, still form. “I need light,” she said, hysteria in her voice. +I aimed the beam at the woman on the ground and sucked in a breath. +She wore nothing but a thin, white slip, one strap torn so that a fragile breast was exposed to the air, bite marks congealing around her pink nipple. Eyes were swollen shut in a heart-shaped face, and a dark trail of blood marked a straight line from her nostril to her collarbone. Her breathing was labored, stilted. +I dropped to my knees on the other side of the poor girl, gently pulling up the bodice of her dress to preserve her modesty, as stupid as it was. She didn’t respond to my touch. +“Did we hit her?” I asked, moving the light further down her body to check for more injuries. +“No, she just walked right out in the middle of the road and then collapsed!” Jessie said, swiping at the tears on her face. She sniffled. “I didn’t hit her. I swerved to miss her.” +I paused the light’s beam at the woman’s hips—the front of her slip was soaked in blood. “Jessie,” I murmured. +She followed my gaze and gasped. “Oh, no. Oh, no, no...” +I reached out, my hand shaking. The air was cool, but inside, I was colder. I lifted the slip just enough to see that there was blood all over the girl’s thighs. I knew what I would see if I looked higher, but I didn’t want to. I wasn’t going to. +“She’s been raped.” The statement fell like lead into the space between us. +“Cleavers,” Jessie whispered, glancing around. The sun was gone; we were surrounded by inkiness so thick, so complete, that if anyone—or anything—tried to sneak up on us, it would win. +“We have to get out of here,” I hissed. “She was on foot, Jess. That means they’re near.” +“What do we do with her?” Jessie asked, the hysteria returning to her voice. +I shushed her. “Keep your voice down. We’ll carry her to the car. Grab her feet.” I moved to the girl’s shoulders and slipped my hands under her arms. She moaned. +“What if we hurt her even more? We don’t know if she has any broken bones...” +“Jess, if we don’t get her to the car and get the hell out of here, she—and we—could get dead. Now, come on.” +My girlfriend gathered the woman’s fragile ankles in her hands and together, we lifted. The girl moaned, a low, terrified sound. +“Shh, we’ve got you,” I told her. I don’t know if she heard me, but she didn’t make another sound. +It was an awkward duckwalk to the car as I supported the brunt of the woman’s weight, and Jessie tried to not injure the woman’s lower extremities more than they already were. My ears were trained on the night, listening for anything that didn’t belong. +In a world burned to the ground, even a lone wolf’s cry would be out of place. +The Jeep’s engine still ticked, which I took as a good sign. Jessie reached out and pulled open the back door, and we heaved the woman inside as carefully as possible. +Back in our seats, I held tightly to the flashlight as Jessie tried to turn over the engine. Once. Twice. +“Shit, shit,” I muttered, swiping a hand over my neck. As cold as it was, I was sweating, and my short brown hair was sticking to my neck. +“Work, damn you!” Jessie shrieked, banging on the steering wheel. She rotated the key one more time, and the engine roared to life. +Tears pricked my eyes, and I fell back against the seat. “Oh, thank you. Thank you.” I didn’t know who I was thanking, but I would have thanked the Flying Spaghetti Monster at that moment. A dead car meant dead people. +Jessie jerked the Jeep into reverse and peeled away from the tree, tires spinning in the mud. She flipped around in her seat, staring behind us as she navigated the vehicle back onto the road. +“We have one working headlight,” I declared needlessly. I was sure Jessie was as ready as I was to kiss the dashboard. +“Small miracles,” she responded, voice tight. +I slipped a hand to her thigh. “Breathe, baby.” +She complied. +We drove in silence, aware of the ragged breathing from the backseat, but powerless to do anything for our passenger. +“I heard it before, that the Cleavers did that,” Jessie said into the quiet. “But, I didn’t want to believe it.” +“They’re descendants of Pan.” I shrugged, tightening my fingers on her leg. “God of the forest and fertility. Lustful. Lecherous.” +“I know.” She shot me an irritated look. “I’ve read the pamphlets.” +“I’m just saying.” The thought alone sent me into a spiral—gods and goddesses were myth, relegated to textbooks and parchments, or inscribed to temple walls. Until less than a month ago, when the Cleavers came, and we couldn’t pretend they weren’t real. +I went on gently. “That’s what they are, Jess. Pan’s dirty children.” +“That doesn’t make it right!” She all but screamed the words, her tone hysterical. +I let silence settle like a friend in the car. Jessie was terrified—shit, I was too. But arguing wouldn’t get us to the Colonels any faster than it would help the battered woman in our backseat. +“I’m sorry,” Jessie said after a while. +“I know.” +The trees were beginning to open up and farmland stretched on either side of us. The Jeep jetted past dark, silent houses, doors wide open, cars abandoned. On the horizon, I could finally see the glow of the Colonel’s base—Fort Knox. +I heard stirring in the backseat, and twisted around to check on the girl. Her eyes were open. She met my gaze. +“My name is Tora,” I told her gently. I touched my girlfriend’s shoulder. “This is Jessie. You’re safe now.” +The abused woman opened her mouth, her lips moving like a fish’s. Blood appeared at the corners where they were cracked. A single word finally rasped from deep within her. “Marci.” +“I’m glad we found you, Marci,” I murmured. I reached for her, smoothing her dark hair from her face. She couldn’t have been more than eighteen. +Her pale blue eyes fluttered shut, and her breathing evened. She slept. +“We have to get to that base,” I told Jessie. “She’s lost so much blood.” +“I’m trying.” +“Then why are we slowing down?” I shot back, irritated. +“I don’t know!” Jessie slammed a foot down on the gas, and the Jeep sputtered forward a few feet before the engine cut off. +Smoke billowed from beneath the hood, and my heart fell into my stomach. +“What happened?” +Jessie just shook her head. +“Well, let’s look.” I grabbed the flashlight and went to open my door, but Jessie reached out and caught me by the arm. +“Neither of us know shit about cars, Tora. What the hell do you think you’re going to accomplish?” +I shook her off. “It’s better than just sitting here.” +I pushed open the door and slid out of the Jeep, my feet hitting the asphalt with a thud. The hood popped, and a moment later Jessie joined me at the front of the vehicle. +“Here.” I handed her the flashlight, and as she aimed it, I pulled up the hood and gazed down at the engine. +Or what I assumed was the engine. There was a whole lot of hissing, ticking, and popping going on under there, and I couldn’t tell the battery from the spark plugs from the oil tank. There could have been a tap-dancing leprechaun in there, and I’d have thought he belonged. I bit my lower lip, frowning into the mess of wires and boxes. +“What now?” Jessie asked, a note of I-told-you-so in her voice. At least she’d indulged me, anyway. +“We walk?” I gazed around. The land around us was lit by the reflection of the night sky above the cloud cover, the way a rainy night in a metropolis would be lit by the man-made lights. +“We don’t even know where we are in reference to the base. We can’t walk on the highway!” Jessie sobbed once, her face falling into the crook of her arm as she tried to stem the tears before they came. +I closed the space between us, wrapping her trembling body into the circle of my arms. “Shh, shh,” I said, rocking her. +When she finally looked up, our lips met with a kind of panic, as if it would be the last time. She was so soft, so warm on my skin, her lips moist and tasting of her favorite peppermint lip gloss. I moved my hands beneath her form-fitting T-shirt, the feel of her back like a drug to me. +The kiss broke. She trailed the fingers of one hand down my cheek. “We need to go. Now.” +I nodded. +It was a chore getting Marci out of the car. We woke her up, and then propped the girl between us, urging her to walk. As quietly as possible, we moved forward on the road, Jessie and I with our guns in our other hands. +We walked maybe twenty minutes when the hoofbeats reached my ears. My grip tightened involuntarily on Marci, and I felt Jessie’s arm tense. +Jessie looked around Marci’s lolling head, her eyes wide, but I put a finger to my lips before she spoke. They would hear even just a whisper. +I picked up the pace, and Jessie did too, the two of us carrying Marci’s weight as we did some mockery of a stumbling run. We were wide open, visible from all around. There was nowhere to hide. If we wanted protection, we’d have to cross the field and get to the dark, barely visible tree line acres away. +I pointed, and we ran harder. +The trees drew closer, but so did the sound of the Cleavers. They traveled in packs—never any less than ten. If they caught up to us, we were dead. +And they were faster than humans. +Jessie stumbled and went down, Marci tumbling after her and almost taking me down with them. I jerked at the girl and ducked, getting a good grip on her arm as I draped her thin, fragile body over my shoulder and lifted her weight completely off the ground. She groaned, the sound chilling me to the marrow. +Run, I mouthed to Jessie. +Burdened by Marci’s weight, I lost sight of my girlfriend almost immediately as she darted into the trees. I held on to my cargo tightly, but Marci was out cold and her limp, dead weight was a hindrance. We made the tree line, and I ducked inside. +The hoofbeats sounded as if they were on top of me. I tried to move faster, my legs burning and my lungs aching. I hit a root and almost fell, Marci jerking heavily against my head and neck. The stumble cost me time, and I felt his breath on my neck before he tackled me. +I rolled with the tackle, losing Marci and my gun in the process. The Cleaver’s weight jammed me into the dirt. I let out an Oof, continuing to roll with the momentum. The dark forest rolled in my vision, making my head spin and my vision blurry. +We came to a stop, but luck wasn’t with me—the Cleaver landed on top. +I lifted both arms, jamming them between us as I stared up into glowing red eyes, slit like a goat’s. His jaw was strong, and his mouth hung open, brandishing sharp, pointed teeth as he sniffed me, bloodlust kicking in. There was a look of wildness in his eyes, like a wolf during a hunt, living only for the joy of the kill. +There was nothing human there at all. +Terror filled me. I couldn’t scream because his weight took my breath. I shoved at him with both arms, putting my entire body behind the move, and he didn’t budge. +Then he dove for me. +I couldn’t fight him off. He was like a stone toppling from a mountain as he closed the space between us and sank his teeth into my breast. +Pain seared through me, his shark-like teeth ripping into my tender skin. I screamed, the sound pulled from so deep within me, my voice cracked and my vision went black for a brief second. His all-too-human hands managed to get between us, and he fumbled with my pants. +No. I wouldn’t be raped by a Cleaver. That would not be my last memory before death. +I jerked, ignoring the tearing sound that came from my chest where his teeth were still attached, and then the hot rush of blood that soaked my shirt. I shoved and kicked. +And cried. +I don’t want to die. +The gun shot ripped through the night, and the Cleaver was blown back from the force of the bullet. He collapsed to the ground beside me, a hole in the top of his head and his red eyes sightless. +As the love of my life helped me to my feet, I couldn’t stop the sobs that shook me. She tugged on my arm. “Baby, baby, we can’t wait. We have to run.” +“Marci!” I gasped, one hand pressed to my torn breast as I turned in a circle, looking for the girl. There was no way I’d find my gun in the night. +I caught sight of Marci’s pale body crumpled on the ground several feet away. And behind her, Cleavers. +Five of them. +“Run, Tora. Don’t look back,” Jessie whispered, her gun raising. +“Marci,” I repeated, my voice hoarse, tears still wet on my face. +Jessie took aim and fired. The bullet wasn’t for the Cleavers; it was for the girl who couldn’t run, who couldn’t fight back. Jessie’s aim was true; the bullet on the mark. The young girl’s fragile form jerked. +My heart sank. +Jessie pushed me. “Run, baby.” +I ran. Jessie’s pounding steps stayed right behind me, and the intermittent cock and fire of her weapon tore through the night as the Cleavers gave chase. My pulse beat in my ears. I gasped for air through the adrenaline and pain, my hand still trying to stem the flow of blood from my chest. I couldn’t see where I was going as branches whipped my face and my feet raced across uneven ground. +Don’t fall down. Don’t fall down. +I heard a click from Jessie’s gun, and she cursed. +ShitShitShitShit. +I pushed harder, confident she would keep up with me. I didn’t know where we were, how close we were to the Fort, but I had hope. I had to hope. The hoofbeats sounded fewer now, maybe because my brave, beautiful girlfriend had picked most of them off like a CIA sniper. +We burst through the trees and into a field, where armed, uniformed Colonels were already waiting for us, framed by the brilliant white of Fort Knox’s spotlights. +As the soldiers opened fire on the remaining Cleavers, Jessie and I raced into the compound. On the other side of the barred, barbed-wire doors, we found salvation. +We were the survivors. +# +Heather Adkins thinks if the apocalypse is coming, it will be from the wrath of the gods, not an outside source. We have no hope. +Find more information on Heather and her books at heathermarieadkins.com, or follow her on Facebook and Twitter + +The Temple +A mythical hunt in search of souls, an ancient temple with a paranormal problem, and a girl with supernatural powers determined to find answers. +Available at Smashwords +The Last Christmas +Alan Nayes +“What time is it?” +Without taking his eyes from the slender young woman in the hospice bed, Max said, “A little past two.” +“Day or night?” +“Day.” +The woman sighed, not sadly but more with a sense of resignation as if any hope had at long last deserted her. She coaxed her palm across the sheet until she found Max’s hand. “I’ve been asleep that long?” +Max slid closer, raising her fingers to his lips. He kissed each digit gently. “God, Monique, you’re so beautiful when you sleep. I could just watch you until the end of time.” +Momentarily, a cynical smirk formed on her lips. “The end of time, dear? You have all of about nine hours…” She began to weep. +*** +The asteroid had been christened the Xmas Star soon after it was discovered, only six months ago. The space rock had seemingly appeared out of nowhere and scientists were still at a loss to explain why no one knew of its existence until it had suddenly become visible at the edge of the solar system. A behemoth piece of iron and nickel, it dwarfed any celestial object this close to the earth’s atmosphere, excepting the moon. Roughly twice the size of the state of Texas and shaped like a very thick bowling pin, the massive meteorite was traveling through space at over a hundred thousand miles per hour. Once it passed Jupiter, its magnetic polarity had flipped, allowing a steady acceleration in the space rock’s velocity. After several vain attempts at outer space nuclear detonations and a failed massive interstellar magnet project that only succeeded in shifting the giant rock’s angle of trajectory from the East Coast further west, it would impact Earth somewhere near the California-Arizona border on Christmas Eve. At collision time, scientists predicted the Xmas Star would crash into the third planet from the sun at a speed of well over a quarter million miles per hour. What would happen next no one could say with one-hundred-percent accuracy—would the entire planet fragment? Would the resulting explosive force blow the atmosphere into space, leaving Earth devoid of oxygen? Or would a toxic cloud form and block the sun for the next million years? One consensus was unanimous, though. The end of mankind would arrive at 11:13 PM Christmas Eve, Pacific Standard Time. +*** +Max watched his wife as the elderly nurse adjusted Monique’s intravenous drip. The name of the medicine running into Monique’s veins had about twelve syllables and he still hadn’t mastered the pronunciation, though she’d been on it for the last three months. It was an experimental antiarrhythmic drug and required the electric ivac monitor to accurately administer the dosage. So far it was the only medicine that kept Monique’s heart pumping normally. +This nurse was older and unfamiliar to Max. +Monique’s eyes fluttered open. “Where’s Bethany?” she asked. +Max guessed Monique could tell a stranger was in the small hospice room by the woman’s scent—perhaps a different shampoo or perfume. She’d always been good at that—telling when a stranger was nearby. Being blind since childhood from glaucoma did that for a person’s olfactory sense, Max surmised. +The nurse cast a quick look at her bedridden patient. “Bethany left early this morning to be with her family. Her mom lives in San Francisco and she wanted to get there before…” Her voice trailed off briefly. “Well, you got enough in the IV to last until the end…the end of…” +Monique smiled ruefully. “The end…period.” +The woman nodded glumly. “Meant to say shift…Anything else I can get you?” +Max studied the woman’s name tag. “Why aren’t you leaving to be with your family, Cheryl?” +“So my new nurse is Cheryl,” Monique said. “That’s a pretty name.” +“Thank you.” +Monique stared at where the woman’s voice seemed to come from. “Max is right, Cheryl. You don’t have to stay at the hospice. It’s Christmas Eve. Leave. Go home. Be with your family. Max can watch the IV. And when it runs out—well, my heart is the least of our concerns.” +The elderly nurse’s lined face hinted of a hollow grin. “I’ve been a nurse for over half a century. I figure I’ll just hang out here and do what I can. I promised when nightfall came I’d sing a few Christmas carols with the woman down the hall. She had a terrible stroke last year and has been in rehab here since. She has no visitors and no place to go. Besides, my family consists of one brother who lives in London. I never married so no children. After the news broke about the Xmas Star, I’d planned to visit him. But last month the planes stopped flying except for emergencies—no pilots—so I’ll remain here.” +Max knew what the nurse meant. “Seems over the last several weeks no one is working much. Pilots, police, bankers—all taking time off. I quit my job as an accountant. Who the hell’s worried about taxes now? Seems like the world is winding down.” +“Even doctors have quit,” Monique added. “My doctor told me he was taking his family back to Texas last week to be with their relatives. I don’t blame him. Everyone should spend this time with loved ones. If I wasn’t so dependent on this IV, Max and I would have driven to Lake Tahoe—it’s where we spent our honeymoon. But…” she sighed. “I’m sorry, Cheryl, I mean about the planes and you not getting to London.” +The woman shrugged. “I’ll be fine. If you do need a doctor—” +Monique waved the nurse away. “Don’t spend time on us, dear. Max and I have each other. Help the other patients.” +Max reached for his wife’s hand. “Merry Christmas Eve, Cheryl,” they both wished. +*** +“You’re at the window again.” +Hearing Monique, Max nodded in silence and continued staring out the second-story room to the street below. “How did you know, baby?” +“I can hear you breathing in that spot where we sometimes stand. In fact…” Monique sat up and swung her legs off the mattress. “I want to stand with you.” +Max watched her. “Let me help.” +“No, I can do it. Save me a seat.” +He noticed her smile, that same smile of determination and strength he’d fallen in love with almost two decades ago. Her family had moved in across the street of their quiet, shaded Anaheim neighborhood when he was ten. Monique, two years younger could see then, but had to wear these thick scary-looking glasses. That first day at school, Max had bloodied the nose of some bully that had called out, “Clear the way, here comes Coke Bottle Eyes.” Max and Monique had been inseparable ever since. +By her twelfth birthday, her blindness from pediatric glaucoma was total. “Guess I can get rid of these,” she had said as she’d tossed the coke bottle lenses on the lawn in her back yard. She had smiled then too, trying to be brave. +Max could still recall how cute she’d looked, standing under the big Eucalyptus tree next to her dad’s work shed. Cute, and oh so brave. Without asking permission, Max had looked around quickly to ensure no one could see them, then he’d stolen his first teenage kiss. Monique had actually giggled, until she kissed him back. Wow, he remembered thinking, I’ll never tire of these. +And he was right. Eleven years later, they’d wed. +Yes, it was challenging at times, being married to a sightless person, but he wouldn’t change one minute of their time together. Except, of course, for the heart arrhythmia the cardiologists had diagnosed nine months ago. Myocarditis, the doctors had explained, from a virus. Damn, Max had cursed, as if blind wasn’t burden enough for the woman he loved, now her heart was a ticking time bomb. Only the drugs being pumped into her veins prevented her heart from stopping completely. Being only twenty-six, she was added to a transplant list, but with the “occupying space disaster” blowing in on them, any hope of a cardiac donor becoming available was moot. Max hated the circumstances, yet he was helpless to do anything except to stay as close to her as possible. Every minute counted now—really counted. God, how he loved being near her, gazing into her blue eyes, touching her perfect nose and lips and holding her warm body next to his. Their one regret, no children together. They’d planned to start a family when Max received his next promotion at the firm in another year. Max winced, glad Monique couldn’t see his expression of regret. One year—now they had less than half a day together. +“What do you see?” Monique asked, moving beside him, pulling the ivac monitor along with her. With her free hand she reached out and lightly touched the hospice room window pane, before sliding her fingers into Max’s hand. +“It’s real quiet out there,” Max replied, kissing his wife on the cheek before gazing at the street below. +“Decorations?” +“You bet,” Max lied a little. Sure he saw a few wreaths, but not like past Christmases. Everyone had far more pressing concerns than hanging holiday lights. +“No traffic, no dogs barking, no more sirens, guess everyone has arrived at where they want to be when Santa comes calling.” Monique replied, leaning into Max. +“Yup, baby, Santa’s got a big surprise for everybody.” Max began to sing softly, “Santa Claus is coming to…Earth.”. +Both grinned just a little and embraced. Santa was Monique’s nickname for the Xmas Star, ever since December 1st came and went. Every evening they would sit together in her quiet hospice room and sing a Christmas carol together. Last night it’d been his turn to choose and he and Monique had sung that old Burl Ives number Have a Holly Jolly Christmas. Tonight Monique would make her choice. She hadn’t told him what it was yet, but he had already guessed. She wanted to sing it on the stroke of Christmas. That might be problem tonight, Max realized, but he hadn’t mentioned this. When Nurse Cheryl had brought up singing Christmas carols with the other hospice patient, Max had worried Monique might invite them to her room to sing. Not that Max would have minded the company, but he really desired to be alone with this woman he so desperately loved on their last night together. +If it had to be in an Anaheim hospice, so be it. He would have loved her if they’d been stranded in the middle of the Sahara. +“What’s the sky like, Max?” Monique asked, gazing upward though he knew she couldn’t see. +“Blue.” +“Clouds?” +Max shook his head. “No clouds in three weeks. No rain, no snow in Lake Tahoe.” He felt her squeeze him. +“It’s happening just the way they said,” she murmured. +“Yes,” was all Max said. The scientists had predicted the nearer the Xmas Star—Santa—came to Earth, the more the moisture in the atmosphere would decrease. If there’d been any other reason than Santa for the cause, the news would have been filled with stories about global warming, droughts, the declining ice packs. Not now, though. Most of the cable channels had gone off air or were just running newscasts taped weeks earlier. No one was working anymore. It was like Earth had stopped spinning. Strangely, no public disturbances, no riots or panicked hand-wringing anymore, either. Now, on the precipice of mankind’s ultimate demise, it seems everyone had accepted their common fate and total annihilation. +Max checked his wrist watch. 2:47 PM. Eight and one half hours, or thereabouts, but who was counting. +“Max?” +“Hey, babe.” +“If you could have one last wish, what would it be?” +“Besides getting rid of Santa?—Giving you your sight back and making your heart like new.” +Monique shared a smile. “That was sweet, honey, but none of those are going to happen. Tell me something that’s…attainable.” +“Attainable? Hm…you go first.” +Monique sighed. “I would want to spend my last Christmas with the man I’ve loved since that first kiss in my parents’ back yard. But it’s not going to happen, is it, baby?” +Max could feel her trembling, but if she was crying she was holding it all inside. “Our last Christmas together. Yeah…” Silently he shook his head as the calculation he’d been thinking about since Monique had christened the Xmas Star Santa flew before his eyes. Christmas Eve—11:13pm. Lights out, Planet Earth. Technically, Max and Monique had already spent their last Christmas together—last year. And if the scientist prognosticators were correct, Max would never spend another Christmas Day with his dear wife of three years. Christmas Eve, yes but not Christmas. They would miss Christmas Day by forty-seven minutes. +Unless… +“I love you, Monique,” he said +“I love you more.” +He pulled her lips to his and held her like the world was coming to an end. +*** +Max unlocked the SUV and set the small overnight case on the back seat. Inside, he’d stashed some bottled water, a few snacks Monique was fond of—Skittles, Oreo cookies, and a few apples. He would have preferred some pears and nectarines—she really loved the really sweet ones—but fresh fruit was at a premium when it could be found. They wouldn’t need any other luggage for the trip he had planned. Monique’s wish had started him thinking. +Max shut the door after ensuring he had enough gas for the four-hour drive. He did, but only if he drove prudently, not a lot of stops and no speeding. He silently prayed the highways would be free of traffic jams. If the vacant streets around the hospice were any indication, he would have free sailing. It was like the city was abandoned, or else everyone was holed up inside somewhere—praying and waiting for the end to come. +A man pushing a half-full grocery cart shuffled by the parking lot entrance. He was dressed in tattered clothing and short sleeves. Max saw how he shivered in the humid-less forty degree afternoon air. A small, anemic, artificial Christmas tree decorated his cart. Probably collected from someone’s trash. +The homeless man spied Max and called, “Repent your sins, young hooligan, the Xmas Star has no mercy on sinners.” +Max simply nodded, bothered by the man’s short sleeves. He watched the cart roll past. Momentarily he turned away, then stopped. “Damn,” he muttered. He had that extra coat Monique had given him a couple years ago for a birthday. Shit, he wouldn’t be needing it now. “Hey, guy,” Max called out, pulling the coat from the back of the SUV. ‘Take this, you won’t be so cold.” +The man’s face broke into a crooked grin. “Bless you, sir, and merry Christmas.” +“Yeah,” Max replied. “Stay warm.” +Up and down the street, he spotted a couple of stray dogs but no other residents. He checked the time—3:31. Max better get moving if he wanted to make it on time. No telling what kind of delays he might encounter on the trip east. He would either make it, or not. At least he’d tried. +He found Cheryl at a vacated nursing station. “Does the hospice have any portable ivac monitors?” he asked. +She gave him a puzzled look. “No, only the kind your wife requires. Why would you ask? You understand she cannot be removed form that ivac, otherwise she won’t receive the antiarrhythnic drug.” +Max was aware of this and the answer was not unexpected. “Say we lost all electricity, how long would the medicine stay in her system.” +Cheryl studied Max. “What do you have planned, sir?” +“I’m taking Monique out of here.” +Expecting an argument, Max was relieved when Cheryl sighed and nodded in understanding. “Guess it makes no difference. Where you planning on going?” +“East, to Arizona.” +Cheryl stared down the hall to his wife’s room. “Monique know?” +“Not yet.” +Another slow nod. “Six hours tops,” the nurse replied. “At around three hours she’ll begin to notice some skipped beats, palpitations, then her blood pressure will start to drop. At five hours, she’ll complain of lightheadedness and possibly some chest pain. Could even lose consciousness. By the sixth hour, her heart will go into ventricular tachycardia, then v. fib, and she’ll die soon thereafter.” +Max repeated to himself the pertinent facts. If he timed everything just right, Monique would spend Christmas with him, if only briefly before the Xmas Star’s apocalyptic devastation. +“Why Arizona?” the nurse was asking. +Max shrugged. “Something my wife wished for?” +“Die in Arizona?” she asked, plainly confused. +“No,” Max said. “She wanted to spend our last Christmas together.” +Still not getting it, the old nurse wondered aloud, “Traveling won’t make any difference, young man. Our world ends at 11:13 this evening. Where in Arizona, if I may inquire?” +“Quartzsite,” Max said. “My wife and I will spend Christmas near Quartzsite.” +*** +“Quartzsite?” Monique asked. +Max sat on the bed holding his wife’s hands. He wondered if she’d been crying while he’d been out because her eyes were red. “Yes, Quartzsite, baby,” he said. “You in any pain?” +She smiled. “I feel fine now that you’re with me. Damn, Max, I hate being away from you.” +Max leaned closer and kissed her. “I won’t leave you again, I promise.” He had already decided he would leave it up to Monique if they would go. If she chose to remain at the hospice, he would abide by her decision. After all, it was her wish. +He heard her murmuring under her breath. “Quartszite, Quartzsite.” He could see the same puzzled expression on his wife’s face as the old nurse’s. +“But why Arizona, honey?” she asked. +“Because of your wish.” +“My wish was to spend our last Christmas together, baby. I already know that is impossi—” Suddenly her face broke into a slow grin of understanding. She reached up and embraced him. “You would do this for me?” +“I’d do anything for you, Monique. I just wish—” +“Shsh.” She found his mouth with her fingertips. “Let’s do it, baby. Our last adventure… Our last…Christmas.” +*** +Together, Max and Monique planned the trip. Timing would be everything. If he removed his wife from the ivac monitor too soon then Monique’s heart would stop before they arrived in Arizona, yet if he delayed their trip too long, they would never reach their destination in time for Christmas. Max couldn’t believe the change in his wife’s demeanor. She was actually excited about something happening in her life, and Max couldn’t deny his eager anticipation as well. It was like a tiny bulb had flicked on in a totally dark stadium; a tiny light of hope that even in the path of this tsunami of devastation whizzing toward them, they could still exert a sliver of control. No longer would they be like the rest of the population—walking around in a perpetual state of shock, a zombie-trance in the face of dire hopelessness. True the dire hopelessness was inarguable—Santa was going to smack into Earth at 11:13 PM Pacific time. But if things went as planned, by then he and Monique would have reached Quartzsite, Az. Just in time for… +“It’s six, honey.” +Max watched his wife reading her Braille watch. “You sure about this?” he asked, approaching the ivac monitor. +“One-hundred-per-cent, baby. Let’s go find Christmas.” +Max hesitated only an instant before yanking the monitor’s electrical cord. The machine’s faint din stopped. He looked at his wife. +Monique grinned. “God, I’m really unplugged.” +“Six hours, baby. That’s all we have.” +“Let’s do it.” +Max helped Monique stand. “How do you feel?” +“I’m strong, Max.” +“Let’s get rid of this then.” He removed the IV needle from her forearm. “Won’t be needing the tubing anymore.” +She grinned, albeit ruefully. “Guess not, Sweetie.” +Max turned to find Cheryl standing in the doorway. +The nurse stepped across the room holding a small tube of antibiotic ointment and a Band-aid. Quickly, she cleansed the IV site and applied the disinfectant and small dressing. “There, all set. Can’t have her getting an infection.” After a brief embrace, Cheryl wished both well. “Have a safe trip…and happy holidays.” +Max was relieved Monique could not see the tears in the older woman’s eyes. “You, too,” he said. +“Thank you, Cheryl,” Monique added as Max led her downstairs. +Once settled in the SUV, Max started the engine, checking the gas gauge. Over three-quarters full. Enough to get them the two-hundred-plus miles to the Arizona border. It better be, as he knew gas would be hard to come by in the stretch across the desert. No traffic jams, he silently prayed. +Monique touched his arm. “Max, I’m afraid.” +“So am I, babe, but we’re going to make it. We’re going to spend our last Christmas together.” +“Or bust,” she added, smiling bravely. “Max?” +He pulled out and took the quickest route to the 91East. “Yeah, baby.” +“You never told me your wish.” +Max accelerated through a red light. No traffic headlights in either direction. With only hours before the end of the world, he guessed people had better things to do than driving somewhere. He could feel his wife’s sightless eyes on him. “My wish?” he said. +“I want to know your last wish, Max.” +Max thought a moment. He reached for her hand. “I’ll tell you when we get to Quartzsite, dear.” +“I want to know. You will tell me?” +“When we reach Quartzsite. Promise.” +Once on the 91East, Max checked the time. Just after seven. According to his onboard GPS—at least a few of the satellites must still be working with Santa bearing down on the planet—the trip would take three hours and forty-two minutes. That is if everything went smoothly. +At the 90-60East interchange, he saw a line of vehicles and felt a sinking sensation in his chest. He slowed. Some had blinkers flicking but others sat dark in the early evening. +“Everything okay?” he heard Monique ask. +“Fine, babe. Just a little traffic.” The last twenty miles or so Max had seen a few abandoned cars on the shoulder, but nothing that would have given him the impression the end of the world was imminent. No pile-ups or crowds of looters or buildings burning. Fights in grocery lines, gang battles over dwindling food and supplies, those horrific uprisings with the National Guard troops, that was all in the recent past. It was almost too calm. Where the hell was everybody on this last Christmas Eve? +He glanced over at his wife. She was resting with her head back against the headrest. An hour had passed since unplugging the ivac. Though he knew it was only his imagination Max could almost feel her declining antiarrhythmic drug levels. He was tempted to ask about any chest pain or palpitations but decided against it. She appeared comfortable, which was all he could ask for. +He braked to a stop as he approached the line of cars winding around the interchange. Damn, he cursed silently. This they didn’t need. +“You’ve stopped.” Monique was sitting up and facing ahead. +“We’ll be moving again soon.” Max pulled toward the shoulder so he could get a better view ahead. “I’ll be damned,” he muttered. +“What, baby?” +“The car in front of me is abandoned.” He drove further along the shoulder. So was the next car and the next. “All the cars are abandoned.” +Monique cracked her window. “Listen, Max.” +Max could feel the crisp cool air blow in. “I don’t hear anything.” +“No, can’t you hear them?” She began to sing along. “Come they told me, Pa, rum, pa, pum, pum…” +Max strained but couldn’t hear the singing. He drove past more abandoned cars until he reached the 60 East. He rolled his window down further. “I’ll be…” he murmured. +“You can hear them, too.” +“You bet, baby. And see them.” +“Tell me.” +“Everyone’s left their cars and trucks,” Max began to describe the scene. Up on a hill a ways from the highway, he spotted two bright searchlights illuminating a small church. The steeple was white, and surrounding the building he could see large crowds of people. Even in the dark, he could tell many individuals were carrying candles and flashlights. +“And they’re singing Christmas carols,” Monique said. +“Yes,” Max said. +Monique faced the worshippers. “Is the church large?” she asked. +Max shook his head. “No, quite small actually.” He reached over and took his wife’s hand. If she preferred…”We can stop. Quartzsite is still about three hours.” +“I really wanted to spend our last Christmas together, but if you…” Monique’s voice trailed off. +Max drove slowly past the long line of abandoned vehicles. The church, searchlights, Christmas hymns—it was all so surreal. On the brink of mass destruction on Christmas Eve, the masses were singing. +Monique whispered, “Max, we’re still moving.” +The singing was behind them now. “Yes, baby.” +“I thought you wanted to stop.” +“No.” He felt Monique release his hand and find his shoulder. +“None of those people will see Christmas,” she said sadly. +“I know.” Not if the Xmas Star smacked into Earth at 11:13 PM as it was forecast to do, Max realized. Every worshipper surrounding that tiny church off the 60 interchange would miss Christmas by forty-seven minutes, obliterated by asteroid fire and brimstone. +“Thank you, dear,” he heard Monique murmur. +“It’s your wish,” he said, pulling her hand to his lips and kissing her palm. +“What about your wish, baby?” +“When we reach Quartzsite.” +Max accelerated, zipping down the 60East. The singing was no longer audible, only the lonely drone of the SUV engine. Once they hit the 10East, it would be a virtual straight shot to the Arizona border. +Driving east, Max couldn’t resist frequent looks at the horizon. Still dark, though he guessed in another hour or so it would begin to lighten. He’d read the scientists’ description of what the last hours would be like so many times he could virtually recite the sequence of events. The Xmas Star—Santa—would rise in the sky like a huge moon—appearing over a hundred times the lunar diameter. Already people on the other side of the world could see the huge celestial object zeroing in on the planet. As the Earth rotated, Santa would come into view one last time—then BAM! Every day for the last six months, the monster asteroid had been steadily growing in the night sky. First only appearing as an abnormally bright star, then the size of two stars, then a big planetary body, then moon-size. And tonight, the greatest show on Earth. Also, the last show on Earth! +Monique must have sensed his thoughts because she asked, “Do you see it?” +“No, baby. Still got a couple of hours.” +Monique lowered her window a moment. He watched her hold her hand outside. +“Still cold out.” She closed the window. “It will warm up soon.” +Max agreed tacitly. Just before Santa impacted the planet, the temperature would rise twenty or thirty degrees at least. “How do you feel?” he asked. +Monique leaned back against the headrest. “They’re beginning,” she said. +Max looked over at her. Even in the dark interior he could pick out the face he loved. “Why didn’t you tell me?” He checked the time. It’d been three hours since her IV was removed. Her antiarrhythmics would be at half their therapeutic levels by now. “Any chest pain?” +“No, only the palpitations.” She lurched suddenly. +“Damn, Monique, what is it?” +“I think I went into a run of ventricular tach.” +Max started to brake. +“Don’t slow, Max. I’m okay now.” +He could see her monitoring her own pulse rate. He heard her sigh. “Monique?” +She groaned. “Oh, baby, my rhythm’s irregular. How far to the border?” +Max pressed the accelerator. “I’ll make it in ninety minutes.” +Faster he drove the SUV. Gas gauge—over half empty. They’d just have enough. All along the highway he spotted cars that had been left, especially nearer small towns. Many were in heaps where the road crews had piled them months ago when the great exodus had been taking place. People had panicked and Max had read about the terrible accidents. Fifty and sixty car pile-ups were commonplace. Now on this last night on Earth he had the highway to himself. +Through the night he cruised. The radio was only static so he shut it off. He could hear his wife’s steady respirations in the seat next to him. +10:35 PM. Monique had been quiet for the longest time. “Baby, you awake?” +She moved. When he reached for her, his fingers found her cheeks moist. She hadn’t been sleeping, but weeping. Hell, she’d kept her suffering to herself. “How long have you been having chest pains?” he asked. +She just shook her head. “Doesn’t matter, baby. I don’t think I’m going to make it. My heart’s all over the place.” +Max swallowed the lump in his throat. “Hang on, babe. You can do it. We won’t miss Christmas.” +“Quartzsite?” +“We’ll reach the border by 10:50. Promise.” +He could hear her tone lighten. “Really, Max?” +“I wouldn’t lie, baby. We’re close.” +Max sped up a long incline. A highway sign read QUARTZSITE—37 MILES. That meant Arizona was only seventeen miles. He crested the rise and gasped. +The bright orange glow bathed the Earth all the way to the horizon. Then he saw it. Santa. The Xmas Star seemed to rise from the ground like a preternatural neon mountain. He could see it actually rolling in the sky. +Monique clutched him. Her features reflected the planet-killer asteroid’s glow. “Max, it’s getting warm.” She rolled down the window. “Max, you see Santa, don’t you.” +“It’s filling the entire sky, baby.” +Her voice quivered. “Is it…?” +“Yeah, baby, Santa’s the most awesome thing I’ve ever seen.” Max could feel the winds picking up and he used both hands to maintain control of the vehicle. He imagined the screams of panic all over the world but oddly he experienced a strange calm. +Five miles, four, three… +“Baby, we’re in Arizona!” he exclaimed. +Beside him, Monique didn’t respond. Max’s calm vanished. “Monique!” he shouted, grasping her. Her head lolled against the passenger window. +He drove to the shoulder, braking past an old jack-knifed semi. They wouldn’t make Quartzsite, but it really didn’t matter. They were in Arizona! +Max opened the door and ducked into the warm gusts. Above him he glanced once at the huge object descending upon them. Winds whipped dust motes into the heavy hot air. He raced around the passenger door and flung it open. He checked his wife’s pulse—very irregular but beating. “Monique, baby. We made it.” +For an instant he sensed her stiffen, then her eyelids fluttered. “Monique!” +She gasped. “Baby, are we in Quartzsite?” +Max heaved a sigh of relief. He hadn’t done all this to spend Christmas alone. “No baby—” +She groaned. +“But we reached the border,” he told her, shielding her from the unnatural buffeting desert gusts. +Monique clutched him. “We’re in Arizona?” +“We made it, babe!” +“What time is it?” +Max looked at his timepiece. “My watch says 11:01.” But because they were now in Mountain Time… +Monique’s face broke into a wide grin. “Max, love, that means it’s 12:01AM in Arizona! We did it. It’s Christmas Day!” +Max embraced the woman he loved. “Merry Christmas, baby.” +“Merry Christmas, Max.” +The Xmas Star’s deafening roar descended down upon them. The desert landscape lit up like a massive church nativity. +Max and Monique gazed at the sky above them. +“Dear,” Monique said, “You never told me your wish.” +Max pulled the love of his life close to him. “My wish was to grant you one last wish, baby. This is our last Christmas.” +“And we’re together.” Monique buried her face in his chest, seemingly oblivious to the ultimate destruction only minutes away. “Oh love, I love you so much.” +Max closed his eyes. “I love you, Monique.” +He heard her begin to sing softly. “Silent Night, holy night…” +And he began to sing along with her. “All is calm, all is bright…” +*** +Enjoy every holiday with your loved ones +As if it’s your last. +Happy Apocalyptic Holidays +# +Alan Nayes never believed in the Apocalypse until he saw that big bright light in the sky growing bigger! +Read more about Alan Nayes and his books at www.anayes.com or follow him on Facebook and Twitter + +Gargoyles +Amoreena embarks on a dangerous journey to uncover the truth behind the endless battery of genetic tests, sonograms, and frightened patients, only to discover that she has unwittingly become a pawn in a high-stakes game of biomedical experimentation. +Available at Smashwords +Combustion +RG Porter +“Hey, Jim. What’s up?” Kate asked. +“I need the files on the Bronson case.” Jim’s voice cracked on the other end of the phone. “Can you go into the dungeon and get them?” +Kate glanced at her watch. “Sure. Give me about twenty minutes. You know how packed that place is.” +“No problem. So long as I have them before the end of the day, we’re good.” +“Rush from the suits?” +“Of course,” Jim replied before hanging up. +Kate pushed out from her desk and stood. Grabbing her bag with her lunch and keycard inside, she headed toward the elevator. She would not have time on her lunch hour to both eat outside and visit the dungeon, so she took her lunch with her downstairs. When she was about a foot from the elevator, she saw the door open. +“Hey, Kate.” +Kate stopped. She didn’t need to deal with Adam, not now. “Adam, what are you doing here?” she asked, hoping that he would just leave. “I said everything I needed to last night.” +“You may have, but I didn’t.” He grabbed her arm. “Besides, I figured you were just joking.” +Gritting her teeth, Kate tried to pull her arm away. “I don’t joke about my life. Besides, I was quite direct. We’re through. You can’t mistake that for anything else.” +“You don’t just break up like that.” +Kate finally pulled her arm free. “But I did, so deal with it. Now I have to go. I’m working.” +The door to the elevator began to beep. Kate moved past Adam and entered the elevator. He followed close behind. “You aren’t getting away that easy. We need to discuss this.” +“Adam, there isn’t anything to discuss. Now, go away.” The elevator music played as they descended down. As the door opened on the bottom floor, she exited. +He followed, and she snapped, “I mean it. I’m working. I don’t need you following me around.” +“I’m not going anywhere.” +Kate rolled her eyes as she approached the guard in front of the dungeon. “Hey, Joe. I need to get a file from inside.” +“Isn’t it about lunchtime?” Joe asked. +“Close, but I brought mine with me. This is an important case.” +Joe winked. “Gotcha. Who’s the suit?” He unlocked the door to the secured records room. “They don’t trust you now?” +Kate sighed. “No, he’s a friend who won’t take no as an answer.” She followed behind Joe as they entered the room. “I keep hoping he will get the picture. So far, no good. Just let him come with us for now.” +“You know, I can hear you two.” Adam followed them into the room. “And this is far from over, so just grab whatever you need so we can talk.” +Kate moved further into the back of the room, the door behind them closing. The dungeon was one place none of her co-workers liked going to. She didn’t mind it so much. The temperature was cool because of the thick concrete walls, and since no one came down here, it remained quiet. +“So, what is it you’re looking for?” asked Joe. “Anything I can help with?” +Kate smiled. “Bronson case.” +“Oh, that one.” Joe moved further into the back of the room. “I think they put it over this way.” +Kate followed Joe around some boxes and shelves. It always amazed her just how much paperwork was hidden down here. As they rounded another shelf, she felt a slight shake in the room. Looking around, she wanted to make sure her mind wasn’t playing tricks on her. When she put her hand on one of the shelves, the slight vibration was impossible to miss. +“Joe?” +“I don’t know, but I feel it.” +Kate took another step forward, when the entire room shook with a force she’d never felt before. The shelves began to buckle, the boxes and folders raining down all around them. Kate ran to the nearest wall and put her back against the cold concrete. Joe and Adam followed suit. The room continued to shake, a large roar above them increasing in volume with each passing second. The ceiling tiles above began to fracture and break, sending dust all over the place. She could feel the concrete behind her warm for a moment before everything around them stilled. The lights flickered a few times before going dark. +Joe turned on his flashlight and shined it around the room. “Earthquake?” +“I have no idea. Can you get anything on your radio?” Kate asked. +Joe handed her the flashlight and withdrew the radio from his belt. “Henry, are you there?” Nothing but crackles followed. “Henry, are you there? Hello?” +“Joe…” Kate said. +“Henry?” Joe asked again. “Are you there?” +The radio crackled a few more times before dying out. Kate waved the beam of the flashlight around the room. Paper and boxes were everywhere, but at least the room was still intact. She wondered if they’d been hit by an earthquake, but she pushed that idea to the side. They didn’t live in any of the areas prone to tremors or quakes. No, she knew this place was more likely to get hit by a tornado before any kind of earthquake. Kate moved toward the door, wanting to find out if anyone else was hurt upstairs. Joe stepped in front of her. +“Let me go first. If anything is wrong on the outside, I need to address it.” +Joe reached out to turn the knob on the door. The moment his hand grasped the handle, there was a soft sizzle followed by a loud howl. Joe fell backwards, his face etched with pain. The faint scent of burning skin filled the air. Kate used the flashlight to illuminate his hand. Bright red blisters had already begun to form across his palm. Kate looked up, and found Adam staring down at them. +“Go to the back left corner of the room and grab the first aid kit. Of course, it may be on the floor now.” +“But…” +“Just go get it, Adam!” +Kate could hear Adam curse under his breath as he went, but right now, that didn’t matter. She needed to get some compresses on Joe’s hand before the blisters got worse. She could hear Joe’s breaths coming in short gasps. He was trying to hold in the pain. +“It’s okay, Joe. We’ll get you to the clinic. I just want to get those blisters covered up first.” +“I, I know. Could there have been an explosion?” +Kate glanced at the door. She shone the light on it; the frame looked intact. “I don’t think so. If there was, there would be more damage. Maybe something caught fire.” +Behind her, Adam approached, sliding on the papers spilled from boxes. “There isn’t much in this thing, but here you go. I also found a fire extinguisher back there. Maybe we can use it to cool off the handle some.” +Kate took the first aid kit and opened it up, pulling out some bandages and antiseptic. “Give me a second.” She turned to face Joe again. “This is going to hurt like hell.” +“I know, just get it over with.” +Kate tried to smile. Opening the bottle, she dumped some of the liquid across his palm, while Joe groaned in agony. She couldn’t blame him. The blisters were forming quickly. Kate took the gauze wrap and placed it on his hand, using the bandage to wrap around his hand to keep it in place. She could only imagine the pain he was going through. After securing the bandage, she got to her feet and removed a small blanket from the first aid kit. She looked at Adam. +“Okay, the way I see it, one of two things happened. Either there was an explosion, but we were far enough away not to sustain too much damage.” +“I doubt that. What’s your second thought?” Adam asked. +“Flash fire. Something set off a huge heat tunnel that hit the door causing the handle to get hot.” +“Great, so what do you want to do?” +Kate glanced at Joe before looking at the door. “Okay, I’m going to open the door. You aim that fire extinguisher outside. If there is a fire, then that should keep most of it off of us. If there isn’t a fire, well, better to be safe than sorry.” +“Fair enough. Ready?” Adam positioned himself to the side of the door, the fire extinguisher ready. +“Here goes.” Kate replied. Using the blanket, she grasped the handle and turned. The door flew open with a puff of cold smoke filling the void. There was nothing beyond the door but darkness. “Well, no fire. That’s something.” +Everything in the room outside had a light covering of dust. Glancing behind her, she found Joe had gotten to his feet. Adam was next to him, still holding the extinguisher. +“Guess we head up and see what’s going on,” Kate offered. Heading towards the elevator, she paused. “I think we better take the stairs. Without knowing what’s going on, I don’t trust the elevator right now. Not to mention, seems like the power is out.” +“Good idea. This way.” Joe pointed down the darkened hallway. “It’s at the end of the hallway. Should only be about three flights up.” +Kate didn’t like the idea of a dark stairwell, but there were no other options. “Okay, let’s go.” +They got to the end of the hallway. Kate used the blanket again to turn the handle. Thankfully, the stairwell was just as empty as the rest of the floor. Now it was just a matter of going upstairs to see what was going on. Kate pulled out her mobile phone, and found even that had no power. +“Damn,” said Kate. Putting her mobile back in her pocket she stared at the stairs ahead of her. “Here we go.” +*** +On the ground floor level, Kate listened for any noise on the other side of the door. She’d already checked the door, and it was warm, but not enough to cause injury. Behind her, Joe tried his radio again. No response. Everything electronic was done. +“Okay, let’s see if we can find out what happened,” Kate said as she pushed down the door handle. She pulled the door open, and a wave of heat pushed across them. “Good God. Did someone turn the heater on high?” +Joe stepped through the doorway first. “I don’t think so. Even with the thermostat on high, it wouldn’t be this hot.” He kept moving forward. “Where is everyone?” +Adam pushed passed her. “What do you mean? No one is around? There has to be someone on the main level. Don’t you have a greeter or something?” +Kate followed the two men out. “Adam, stop being such a jerk. Of course there’s security. Maybe something happened, and they’re away. Come on.” Kate kept walking towards the security desk. “Joe, don’t you guys have some kind of emergency radio or something? See if we can’t find out what’s going on.” +“I think so. If we do, it should be under the counter. Let me go see.” +Joe moved around the counter and kneeled on the ground. He pulled out another first aid kit, this one better than the other, and then she heard a loud thump on the countertop. Looking over, she noticed a very dusty, and old, emergency radio. Looking above her, she was thankful for the amount of windows. Without electricity, the natural light was the only thing keeping them from wandering around in the dark. +Joe turned the dial. “This is Century Plaza, is anyone out there?” Crackles followed. Joe continued to turn the dial, repeating his greeting every few seconds +“This is stupid. There has to be someone around here besides us,” Adam groaned. “How can this place be empty? I’m going to check some of the offices.” +“Just don’t go too far until we know what is going on,” Kate called out to him as he walked away. “It may not be safe.” +“Whatever,” he said, then disappeared down one of the dimly lit hallways. +“He’s quite the jerk,” said Joe. “I can see why you broke up with him.” +Kate smiled. “Now if only he could accept it.” She unwrapped Joe’s bandage and applied some more antiseptic to the burn and re-wrapped his hand with fresh bandages. “This looks really bad, Joe. Second degree, and possibly third. We need to get you to the clinic.” +The ceiling began to shake, dropping dust and pieces of sheetrock onto the ground. Kate began to move, when she felt the ground start to shake again. If this was an earthquake, it was different than anything she’d read about. Backing up from the counter, she waited. A loud rumble broke the silence. She didn’t like the sound one bit. Running toward the hallway, she looked for Adam. +“Adam, get back here now!” she screamed. “We need to get out of this building.” +Adam emerged from one of the offices. “You have no idea.” +He ran toward her, but not before she caught sight of the inside of the office he’d just left. There was a body, or so she thought, half melted to the chair. Skin was blistered and falling off the muscle. The desk also looked to have been charred by something. Kate turned and grabbed the fire extinguisher. The sound above them continued to grow. Next to her, she saw Joe was already on his feet, and closing the first aid kit before hurrying towards the front doors where he stopped. +“What the hell?” +Kate hurried to him. “Joe, what is it?” As she got closer, she could have sworn his face had gone white. “Joe?” +“I don’t know. Look.” +Kate did. Through the glass panes, everything looked normal at first glance. Then, in the distance, she noticed cars stopped for no reason. Out in the parking lot, there were piles of dust and clothing. None of it made sense. Adam arrived, and Kate spoke first before he could raise an argument. They had to leave the building as the sounds upstairs were getting louder. +“We need to get out of here.” She turned to Joe. “Pull open the door, and I’ll spray the immediate area with the flame retardant.” +“But there isn’t a fire,” Adam interrupted. +“Doesn’t matter. If outside is anywhere near as hot as in here, I want to be sure before stepping on the ground. Look at those cars out there. Their tires are melted to the pavement. What would cause that?” +“I don’t know. Maybe we should stay inside.” Adam backed away from the door. “Wait for help.” +Kate continued to look out the window. “I don’t think help is going to come. Something’s happened, and we need to find out what. Besides,” she began, “Joe needs proper medical attention. His burn is serious and infection is always a risk. We need to get to the clinic. There’s one just around the block.” +“I don’t know.” Adam was delaying, and it pissed Kate off. “I think we should stay put.” +“Sorry, but I’m with her. Staying here isn’t going to do us any good.” Joe got closer to the door handle. “Ready?” +Kate held tight to the fire extinguisher. “Go for it.” +Joe pulled the door open. Heat from outside flooded into the room. Kate triggered the fire extinguisher and used it along the ground. Steam and smoke floated up into the air. Stepping across the threshold, Kate took her time putting her foot on the ground. It felt solid and cold under the cooling agent. Leaning down, she gently touched the ground that hadn’t been hit by the spray. It felt warm, almost hot, but not enough to burn their feet. The full heat that had melted the rubber of the tires must have eased quickly. +“I think we are good. Just be careful as you walk.” She stood and turned in the direction of the clinic. “We should hurry.” +“Good idea,” agreed Joe, just behind her. “Keep an eye out though. If things got this hot, there has to be people injured.” +“No offense, Joe, but if things got hot enough to melt those tires, injuries are the least of our concern – or theirs.” +“You two are crazy.” +Kate turned to find Adam waiting in the doorway. “Stay if you want, but we’re leaving.” +Kate began to move. The roar had gotten almost deafening. She’d been trying to figure out what the sound was, but until now hadn’t seen what was causing it. She and Joe continued around the corner through the steady heat. The ground reminded Kate of hot summers on new asphalt, the heat almost too much for her feet to bear. +“Where is everyone?” Joe asked. “This place is usually busy.” +“I know.” Kate wondered the same thing. Crossing another street, they came to the window of one of the small cafés in the area. “Let’s take a quick look inside.” +Kate opened the door and entered. The seats were empty, but she heard something towards the back. Moving quietly, she led Joe past the counter area and to the back kitchen. As they turned the corner into the kitchen, the scent of burnt flesh filled the air. Kate grabbed a small towel and covered her mouth. Walking to the back of the kitchen, she found bodies all over the floor. She kneeled down besides the closest one. +“It looks like they were burnt, but the room is clean. What would cause this kind of damage?” Kate used the small towel to pick up one of the corpse’s hands. The skin that had been touching the floor was still smooth and intact. “It looks like they dropped fast and were burned just on the parts exposed.” +“Have you ever seen this before?” +Kate let the arm drop. “Never.” A bump came from farther back near the cooler. “What was that?” +Kate stood and walked toward the cooler. Leaning against the steel door, she heard a faint pounding from inside. Glancing back at Joe, she motioned for him to be ready. She took hold of the lever and pulled. The door came open and with it a wave of cold air flowed out. Kate pulled Joe into the freezer quickly. +“Joe, keep the door open just a crack. I want to enjoy this cold air for a moment.” Kate moved inside before noticing a body slouched along the wall. “Hello?” +“Who, who’s there?” The voice was female. “Don’t let the door shut.” +Kate moved closer. “What happened out there? What’s going on?” +The woman looked up, her face red with small blisters along her cheek. “I’m not sure. I was getting something out of the freezer. I heard something roaring, then I heard screaming.” The woman’s voice cracked as she spoke. “When I looked out into the kitchen people were running in from the main dining room and falling to the ground. The smell was so bad. I wanted to help but something hot hit my face and then the door slammed shut.” +Kate moved back to the door and leaned through the crack. Sure enough, on the outside of the door was an indention she’d not noticed before. Her hand moved across the surface. The metal felt smooth in comparison to the inner side of the door. She’d seen something similar long ago while going back to college. The professor had shown the class what happened when intense heat was applied to a metal surface. It melted as the heat was increased, but once it cooled, the metal was smoother than before. Somehow, that had happened here. +“We need to go.” +Kate looked at Joe. “What’s up?” +“I’d rather not hang around dead bodies. Besides, my hand is starting to hurt like mad.” +Kate nodded. “Right.” She turned toward the woman. “I’m Kate, this is Joe. We’re headed to the clinic. You should come with us.” +“My name is Beth.” She began to stand. “Is it still hot out there?” +“It’s hot, but not enough to be dangerous.” Kate answered. “Do you have a cooler we can take? Fill it with some ice and water. I want to be sure we have a way to stay hydrated.” +“Sure, here.” The woman handed Kate two good sized coolers. “Water is on the left. If there is any ice left, it will be in the bin next to the door.” +“There’s some, but not much,” Joe offered. +They took what they could carry, and left the café. Walking under the sun felt different. Looking up, the sky even looked different. It was no longer blue, but a hazy orange and yellow. Even the air had a dry feel to it. Walking around reminded Kate of opening the door to an oven on full blast. Something was definitely wrong. +“What’s that?” Beth asked. +Kate turned and followed her line of sight. In the distance, the air looked off. As the air anomaly seemed to get closer, the buildings it passed shook. Windows shattered and street lamps bent. It was unlike anything Kate had ever seen in her life and it was coming in a wave towards them. About a hundred feet away, Adam was walking their way, in front of whatever was heading towards them. +“Adam, run!” Kate shouted. He looked at her confused. “Move it now!” +“What?” Adam shouted back. +“We need to get inside again,” Joe said. He was already heading back into the café. “That’s going to kill us.” +Kate tried to wait for Adam, but he wasn’t moving fast enough. When he was about forty feet away, the wave hit him. His body shook for a moment before his skin caught fire and turned to dust, his cries of pain filling the air. Turning away, Kate rushed back inside. She didn’t have much time before she would be incinerated just like Adam. Moving around the counter, she heard the others in the back. +“Hurry up, Kate!” Joe shouted. “It’s getting close.” +Rounding the corner, Kate’s foot caught the edge of one of the bodies. She lost her balance and came face to face with a blasted corpse. Kate tried to dislodge her foot and move, but the wave was already there. The heat that hit her skin sent pain racing through her body. She wanted to scream but found her voice gone. Blackness enveloped her, and she prayed for a quick death. +*** +“Kate?” +A familiar voice filled her mind. Opening her eyes, she found brown carpet beneath her. Lifting her head, she noticed she was no longer in the cafe. She was in her own office. Above her stood one of her co-workers, Janice, reaching down to help her get up. Kate stood, and everything around her spun for a few moments. +“What, what happened?” she asked. She could still feel the sting of the heat on her leg. “Did I black out?” +“We all did.” +Kate turned to face Janice. “What do you mean everyone did? Was there a gas leak?” +Janice shook her head. “No, I mean everyone did. All over the world.” +Kate touched her head and felt a sticky substance. Pulling her finger away, she saw blood. “Well that explains the headache.” She leaned on her desk for support. “Wait, everyone passed out? Do they know why?” +“Nobody has a clue, at least that’s what the news is reporting. It’s weird though. Even though they say everyone passed out at the same time, how long they were out varied.” +“That is strange.” Kate moved around and sat on her chair. “Oh God,” she began. “How many do they think died?” +“What?” +Kate tried to shake the dream from her mind. “Think about it. If everyone passed out at the same time, there would be accidents all over. Cars, planes, trains, everything. Has anything been announced?” +Janice looked out the window and shrugged. “Nothing yet. I know I heard sirens, but I didn’t think much past that. Hopefully not too many planes were in the air.” +“It’s a Friday, there were quite a few. God, this is a nightmare.” Kate glanced at her desk and noticed a picture of Adam. It had not been there in her dream. Looking at her calendar, she noticed the date. May 25th, 2013. Kate closed her eyes and tried to remember what she’d seen in her dream. It wasn’t spring or summer yet, she was sure of it. It was closer to fall, but the year had been farther ahead. The harder she tried to recall, the more her head hurt. +“Kate, are you okay?” Janice asked. +“I’m fine, just a bad headache.” Turning to face her co-worker, she knew she had to ask. “When you were out, did you have any dreams?” +Janice was silent for a moment before speaking. “I think so, but it wasn’t very long. I remember being in the office and hearing something really loud. It got really hot but that’s about it. Why?” +Kate’s body stilled. “Nothing. I was just curious.” +“Hey, Kate, good to see you awake. Head okay?” +Kate turned to find Jim looking in from the hall. “Yes, I’m fine. We were just discussing our strange dreams.” +“Oh, those. Everyone had some, but none of it made sense from what I’ve gathered. Anyway, here is a new case that we just got. It’s going to be a hard one. I need to make sure this one stays safe. File it in the dungeon.” +Kate took the file from Jim, her eyes reading the name. Bronson. Kate’s breath held in her lungs. Suddenly, the dream she’d had took on much more credence. She’d never heard about this case until now, yet she’d dreamt about it beforehand. That meant something was going on, something that was going to destroy her town, if not the world. She needed to find out how to stop it, if that was even possible. Standing back up, she grabbed her purse and headed down the hallway. She needed to get this filed, but more than that she needed to find Joe and see if he’d had the same dream as she had. If so, maybe they could try and piece things together. If not, the world might be in for a world of hurt. +# +RG Porter knows we’ve pissed Mother Nature off enough by now. Apocalypse is inevitable. +Read more about RG Porter and her books at rgporter.net or follow her on Facebook and Twitter + +Keepers of Water +Two worlds, one planet, tons of trouble. +Available at Smashwords +The Eclective +The Eclective is: +Heather Marie Adkins +Emma Jameson +P.J. Jones +Shéa MacLeod +M. Edward McNally +Alan Nayes +R.G. Porter +Tara West +Thanks for reading! Please visit our website to learn more about us. +eclectivebooks.com +If you enjoyed our Haunted Collection, be sure to check out our other FREE collections! +The Halloween Collection +The Holiday Collection +The Celtic Collection +The Pride Collection +The Haunted Collection + diff --git a/data/Apocalypse/311390.txt b/data/Apocalypse/311390.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..52f1a8b --- /dev/null +++ b/data/Apocalypse/311390.txt @@ -0,0 +1,477 @@ + Kinemortophobia +(The Fear Of The Undead) + + +By +Jeremy Bene + + + +SMASHWORDS EDITION + + +* * * * * +PUBLISHED BY: +Jeremy Bene on Smashwords + + +Kinemortophobia +(The Fear Of The Undead) +Copyright © 2013 Jeremy Bene + + + +Thank you for downloading this free ebook. Although this is a free book, it remains the copyrighted property of the author and may not be reproduced, scanned, or distributed for any commercial or non-commercial use without permission from the author. Quotes used in reviews are the exception. No alteration of content is allowed. If you enjoyed this book, then encourage your friends to download their own free copy. + +Your support and respect for the property of this author is appreciated. + +Any similarities with names in this book are strictly coincidental. The names in this book do not reflect the true personalities of any person(s) with the same name as a character in the book. + + + +Chapter 1 - Jeremy +It’s been three months since the outbreak. We’ve all adapted by now, because if we hadn’t we’d be dead. There’s no avoiding it, we’re all going to turn, but we stay alive in hopes of finding a cure, a glimmer of hope in devotion to the human race and restoring it to what it once was. I always thought I would welcome the downfall of humanity, for it had turned into mindless politics and arguing. People didn’t have that ‘natural’ sense of kindness; they were greedy, self-centered, and power-hungry. The key word in that sentence is were. Three months ago, there was a lab combustion in Montpelier, Vermont, where top league scientists were working on a serum to try to kill all malicious cells in the body, thus ridding the world of disease. Ironically, they accomplished the complete opposite. Apparently, one of the scientists used too much of one chemical and the solution destabilized. The resulting lab explosion set loose an airborne virus, a virus of what the remnants of humanity have appropriately dubbed the “zombie virus”. This virus takes effect once a person has died; it re-animates the brain and makes the former person into a carnivore hungry for anything it can get its hands on. The ‘person’ is no longer the person it once was, but now relies on instincts alone to get to its food sources. It will happen to everyone, we will all turn into a zombie, unless of course we find a cure to the virus. For the past three months, my crew and I have driven all across America with an RV in hopes of finding scientists who at least have a lead on a cure. My name is Jeremy Bene; I am the leader of our little group of survivors. Everyone looks up to me for everything, I guess in a way I am their saving grace. Even when I make my fair share of screw-ups, they still commend me. I’ve got dirty blonde hair which strands down to my shoulders and a quarter of the way down my back. For about a year everyone has been telling me to cut it, but I haven’t listened. I’m 18 years old and am well-built, and also I have a lot of muscle on me, so basically I’m built as a lineman in football would be. I couldn’t ask for a better crew. I try to make my decisions as well thought out and un-biased as possible, but obviously, sometimes they don’t work out in my favor. All in all, I would consider myself a fairly good leader, and my group seems to agree. Next in command is Haley Taylor, 18. She’s not biologically related to me, but I’ve always considered her my little sister. She’s a lot taller than me though, which makes it hard to believe she’s my little sister. She’s got long blonde hair and she’s very skinny. She’s the closest thing to family I have right now, even before the outbreak we were really close. She’s also very skilled in leadership; however, she is more quick and agile than I am. She’s good for making food runs into abandoned gas stations or supermarkets. Then we have her husband, Ryan Taylor, 20. Ex-military, Ryan went rogue when the Navy sent out several black ops missions that Ryan was a part of. Ryan didn’t approve of the black ops missions and went AWOL; however, he seems to still have access to the naval databases. He’s a very experienced gunman and tactician who very rarely goes out into the field. We usually use him as a backup fielder, due to the width and depth of his arms; he’s the buffest guy in the group. He’s taller than Haley, about six foot-eight and is pretty muscular. However, he usually stays in the RV with me and another guy to improve our tactics and keep radio with the fielders. That other guy is Andrew Weir,16, probably the smartest guy left in humanity. A little shorter than me, the kid has short brown hair and thick, steampunk-like glasses. His stature is a little heftier than me as well, and he is ridiculously intelligent. Both a tactician, and a combat plan developer, he’s one of the most valuable assets we have; without his intelligence I daresay we wouldn’t have lasted half as long as what we have. We have another Andrew in the group, Andrew Wilson, 17. He’s from England, but he was on a vacation to visit me and Weir when the outbreak broke out. He’s a bit taller than me, and a bit heftier than Haley, but not by much. The three of us met through the internet and have been best buds ever since. Andrew specializes in gun handling and melee weaponry. He can fix almost any melee weapon with the slightest of ease. He is also a sure shot when it comes to pistols, sub-machine guns, and assault rifles. Another person I met through the internet is Caitlin Barber, 15, who lived in Canada before the outbreak. She’s got short blonde hair and is the shortest one of all of us. We set up a meet with her, I, and the Andrews, and about 2 days after we picked her up the outbreak blew out. She is one of the best scavengers I’ve ever seen. She’s helped us salvage many things that have kept us alive over the course of our survival run. Finally, there’s Zach Current,18, my oldest friend. We’ve known each other literally since birth, we grew up together, and half the time we shared the same playpen and crib. As young kids, we were inseparable, until he moved to Ohio from Missouri about three years back. When the outbreak happened, the group and I drove up to Ohio to get Zach; luckily he was still at his place. He was built almost exactly like me, but a bit more aggressive. His hair was longer than mine, but straighter as well. He was a great fielder, he killed zombies like there was no tomorrow, as well as being able to carry a huge load in the backpack he took from his home. Between us, we were a great group. We had each other’s backs no matter what, and we have depended on each other for survival. As we sped down the highway, I noticed a road sign. ‘Now Entering Iowa’ is what it read. My initial thought was that it didn’t feel like it had taken that long to get here from our last destination. I looked at the calendar and I realized about a week had passed since we were in West Virginia; I then realized that I had been behind in days. I went and checked on the inventory and saw that we were running low. +“Hey Zach!” I yelled to the cockpit. We all took shifts driving the RV, and it was Zach’s shift right now. +“How are we doing on fuel?” I continued. +“We got about an eighth of a tank, we’ll need to find a station soon!” he replied. Usually I don’t miss inventory days, but I’ve been preoccupied with other things lately. I’ve been thinking about my family a lot, how they died in the first few days of the outbreak and my skills kept me alive. How I watched my father get overrun by zombies as I sped away in my beat-up Sedan, how I let my little nephew get ripped out of my arms by those creatures. How I let my entire family fade away, and yet I didn’t blame myself. No one could’ve prepared for this, for it’s basically the end of the world. I couldn’t stop thinking about them; I guess that’s normal though. Losing your family is a truly horrific experience that no one should have to go through; unfortunately, it is now the norm in this post-apocalyptic world. +Chapter 2 – Jeremy +We were speeding down the highway at about 88 miles an hour. There were oddly no cars on the highway; usually, the highways are riddled with abandoned cars left from when the outbreak first started. We’ve already seen some half-vacant highways, but nothing like this; it may have been odd, or it may have been me just being paranoid. +“Hey Jeremy, there’s a station up there, you want me to pull up?” Zach asked me from the cockpit. I told him to pull into the station and I would assign positions. +“Haley, you and Caitlin go into the station to try to find some food and water; Wilson, you and Zach pump the gas and I’ll keep watch.” Everyone agreed to the plan and executed it. I climbed to the top of the RV with my Sniper Rifle and stood watch. The road split both ways, plus there was a huge field on the opposite side of the road. This was good, because I could see any zombie coming from any direction within 3 miles. I sat there and watched the road and field as the boys pumped gas. A few seconds later, I saw a figure emerge from behind a warehouse about half a mile down the road from where we came. I pulled the scope up to my face and zoomed in on the zombie. Something felt familiar about the figure; I couldn’t put my finger on it, though. I pulled the trigger and put a bullet straight in between the zombie’s eyes. As soon as the zombie went down, I felt a pain in my gut; but why was this happening? +“Alright Jeremy, we’re good to go!” Zach called from the ground. +“No we’re not.” I replied. I climbed down from the RV and walked over to the zombie. I had a gut feeling that I just killed someone I knew before the outbreak. I started searching the zombie, looking for some form of identification or at least social security number. I looked on the zombie’s wrist and saw a Harley-Davidson watch. The watch looked very familiar, but I didn’t want to be sure until I had proper identification. I searched through the zombie and found his wallet. I contemplated opening it, figuring out if I really wanted to know the identity of the person I just killed. But then I remembered these aren’t people anymore; they are things that will stop at nothing to feast on the living. I opened the wallet, and immediately regretted it. I dropped the wallet and its contents on the ground, not sure what to make of everything. My heart sank in my chest, my mind in a whirl, and my body completely numb. I couldn’t believe what I had just done. I had just shot my father, Ron Bene; I had killed him for the second time. Nothing made sense anymore, I couldn’t move, I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t do anything. I kept trying to remember that this wasn’t my father, that it was a flesh-devouring demon being that’s sole purpose was to kill my new family; whose sole purpose was to kill all things in sight. It didn’t work, I just kept thinking about my dad and how he raised me. How he taught me all the qualities that I know and value. How he shaped and molded me into the person I am today; and I just shot him in the face with a sniper rifle. I bowed my head and prayed for my father to now rest in peace, for him to finally be able to leave his body behind and for his soul to be at peace. I stood and returned to the RV, and at this point everyone was standing outside waiting for me. They all knew me so well; they could tell that something was wrong just from the expression on my face. +“What’s wrong Jeremy?” Haley asked. I didn’t say a word; all I did was shuffled through the RV, grabbed the shovel, and returned to the zombie. I dug a hole next to him and dumped the body into the hole, covered the hole, and made a makeshift tombstone. ‘Here Lies Ronald Dale Bene, An honorable man, A great role model, and A hell of a dad (Inscribed by his son Jeremy Ronald Bene)’. This was the most honorable thing I could think of doing for the man. I stepped away from the grave and returned to the RV to put back the shovel. As I stepped back out, I noticed everyone was crowded around the grave, undoubtedly reading the tombstone and realizing that I had just shot my father. Almost at once, the entire group turned back to me. I’ve always tried to stay strong, especially in front of the group, but I know better than anyone that no man can hold everything in. No man can bare the everlasting pain of losing one of the closest people in your life. The group started to run to me, but before they got to me I fell to my knees. I felt as if my heart was ripped out of my chest. I knew my father was gone, but this was different; I had just shot him in the head to ensure his final death. However, I had to look on the bright side; I put my father at peace. I enabled him to reach his final resting place, because his body wasn’t being used for anything else. Who knows, we don’t know if the person’s conscience stays in the body or not. Maybe they just lose control of themselves and the virus takes over, maybe my father could see everything I was doing to him. I hoped that if he did, he would see that I was doing it out of love. Before I knew it I was in the arms of my people, the comfort of all those arms wrapped around me was unparalleled. At that moment I knew that I shouldn’t dwell on what I left behind in the world that doesn’t exist, I must focus on this new world, and my new family. We all eventually piled back into the RV and trudged onward on our journey for survival. It was my turn to drive, but Weir volunteered to take my shift if I took his shift in 2 days. I agreed and he started to drive. I sat down near the window in our booth set up for our meals and I stared at the scenery that we were passing by. It was autumn, the trees were filled with brilliant colors, mixed with the motion blur from traveling inside the RV the whole scenery looked brilliant. This is probably one of the only beautiful sights left in this world, and I won’t soon forget it. “Hey” I heard a voice next to me. It was Caitlin. I was so busy watching the beautiful scenery I had not even noticed she had slid into the booth. +“I’m sorry about your dad, Jeremy. We all knew he was gone but we didn’t know……” +“It’s fine” I cut her off because I didn’t want her to mention his zombification. +“I did what he would’ve wanted to do.” She nodded her head like she understood, but I knew she didn’t really fully understand. Nobody did. But I know they are trying their best to understand, and for that I give my eternal thanks. Before I could say anything else Caitlin wrapped me in a hug. It caught me off guard, but I embraced her back. We pulled away and stared into each other’s eyes. I’ve always believe that you could see someone’s emotions just from the look in someone’s eyes, and it appeared that Caitlin was both sympathetic and paranoid. I wasn’t sure where the paranoia was coming from, but I could swear I saw it in her eyes. Before I could address it, Haley and Ryan slid into the booth on the opposite side of the table. +“How’re you doin bro?” asked Ryan. He sounded more sympathetic than I’ve ever heard him, even more so than when he found out his mother died. +“I’m fine……just coping” I responded. +“If there’s anything I can do…..” +“Thanks for the offer man, but this is just one of those things you just have to shrug off” I cut him off. He nodded and was silent. Haley hadn’t spoken the entire time since the burial. Not only to me, but to everyone; she just refused to talk. She had a deep look of concern on her face, like she had just seen a ghost. She was staring down at the table when I caught her off her guard. +“Haley, can I talk to you for a second?” Her head jerked up in shock. She gave a concerned look at me, and then looked over to Ryan. He nodded his head as if giving her his approval. Caitlin and Ryan slid out of the booth, letting me and Haley out. I put my arm around hers and walked her into the master bedroom. +“Haley, what’s going on? You haven’t talked since the incident. If it’s because of me I’m fine…..really. I just need a minute to cope, to fully understand the situation you know?” She nodded, but still remained silent. +“What’s going on sis?” She finally raised her head and opened her mouth. +“You buried your dad even though he was a zombie…….when my dad died I laughed. I couldn’t help myself. After all the crap he’s put me through in my life……I couldn’t help but laugh at the fact that he couldn’t do it to me anymore.” She put her head back down and started to cry. I crouched and put my arm around her shoulder. +“Haley, Sometimes your emotions take control of who you are. It's normal not to feel the typical emotion when something happens. Like crying when you see roses, it may remind you of a lost love. I know where you’re coming from. Sometimes I feel guilty about what I did to some people too, but I never regret it. Because in my eyes, it’s payback for what they have done to me. Don’t ever second guess yourself Haley, that’s always been your problem. You’re a born leader, that’s your one flaw, every leader has one flaw.” Haley looked up at me again with tears in her eyes. +“What’s yours?” The question caught me by surprise, but in retrospect I really should’ve expected it. +“Overconfidence. I think I’m invincible and sometimes that can get me into trouble.” She stared at me as if trying to comprehend that I actually had a flaw. +“You do get a bit cocky…..” she mumbled in between her tears. +“Thanks Jeremy.” +“Anytime Haley, you know I’m always here for you, anytime you need me.” She smiled and hugged me. We pulled away and she went back into the living quarters, I however stayed in the master bedroom for a bit. I sat down on the bed and stared at the wall. I thought about my mom and how I had brought her up to Haley. People may think that what I did to her was unorthodox, but if those people only knew what she had done to me. My entire childhood was hell due to the fact that she was messed up on some kind of drug for 99% of it. She had threatened to kill me on many occasions and had me scared for most of my childhood. Eventually a grew a pair and made her sure I wasn’t scared of her anymore. She shunned me from the family from that day on, and on the day she died I consider it my vengeance day. I also thought about that fatal flaw that I addressed to Haley. Overconfidence. It was true, it was indeed my fatal flaw, and fatal flaws always get people killed. I have been lucky up until now, it was good that Haley made me think on it and address it. I had to start being more careful, because if I got too overconfident, it could cost me my life. I had so many thoughts bubbling in my mind; what to do about the outbreak, how much longer we could hold out together, how we would overcome these tremendous odds. I then realized that I couldn’t think on this, I had to focus on the present. I walked into the living quarters and saw Haley curled into a ball in Ryan’s lap. I glanced over and saw Wilson and Zach playing chess at the table. Caitlin was watching, and by her reactions I figured she was favoring Wilson. I glanced out the window and saw open fields start to turn into urban suburbs. The streets were slowly getting smaller, and the mass of broken down cars and road hazards increased along the way. We eventually came to a point where we had to stop. I walked up to the cockpit and saw the obstacles in our way. A few sedans were piled up on top of each other in the middle of the road, and along the sides of them were pickup trucks toppled over on their sides. +“What do you think we should do Jeremy?” Weir asked me. I thought that I would have the same answer as he did; plowing through the sedans in the middle was the obvious choice. Sedans were no match for the RV that we had reinforced; however, some of the sedans were toppled in such a way that their gas tanks and hardware were flipped toward the RV. If we hit the sedans too hard, the entire mass could explode and send the RV straight to hell. We would need a big impact in and of itself to get through that mass, so in retrospect that didn’t really seem like a good idea. Then I thought of the pickups, could the RV plow through one of those without being run off the road and marooned? +“Back up” I told Weir. He looked rather confused, as if he were thinking we were retreating. He started to back up and it looked like he was going to turn around when I told him to stop. I grabbed my sniper and climbed to the top of the RV. I laid down to get a more stable shot, but I decided to look around a bit before I shot. This urban suburb would eventually lead into a small city, from our position it looked a lot like the entrance to Denver. More than likely, there would be supplies there. I then refocused my scope on the mass of sedans and put my crosshairs directly on the gas tank. I shot and a split second later, the tank exploded sending sedans flying off the road. The resulting explosion left a huge hole in the road where the mass of sedans once stood as an obstacle to our journey, now defeated. As if he were reading my mind, Weir changed the RV’s gears and I slid back in. +“Nice job, I probably never would have thought of that.” Weir told me as he started to drive again. +“You’re a smart guy Andrew, you would’ve thought of it eventually.” I replied. Usually these guys compliment me when I have an idea, but in reality any of these guys would have probably gotten the same ideas in the next minute after I originally have them. I’m really not that brilliant, but I guess it was the desperate need for a leader that led the group to look to me. Before the outbreak, I would always try to help with other people’s problems, and apparently it took an effect. I didn’t know what was so special about me in their eyes; I seemed like a miracle worker to them, when in reality I’m far from it. I make mistakes just like everyone else; I just hope one day that mistake won’t cost me everything. We kept rolling onward toward Denver, and with none of us being familiar with that area, we didn’t know what to expect. As we sped down the narrow strip of road, we caught eye of something in the distance, it was a burning building. If the building were burning, that means there were people around, my first thought was that it could be something to distract the zombies in order for a getaway plan. But the fire was too large, it couldn’t have been done on short notice; my next thought was maybe the burning was planned, as if it were a warning or a call for help. Weir took the RV closer in for a better look. Other than the occasional zombie caught in the flames, there was no form of human life anywhere, and then I saw it. +“WATCH IT!” I yelled and jerked the wheel to the right. The RV careened off the road and into a ditch. We kept sliding sideways so long and so fast I could swear we were going to topple over. Finally, we came to a stop and everyone sighed a breath of relief. +“Everyone ok?” I called. Everyone responded that they were ok, just occasional cuts and bruises here and there. +“What the hell was that for Jeremy?” Weir asked almost angrily, but I could tell he was expecting a logical answer. I turned and stepped out of the RV and looked back to where we started to skid. The small cylindrical object that I had spotted in the middle of the road was still there. I half-hoped I recognized it correctly, because if I hadn’t and it wasn’t harmful to us, I would’ve just wrecked the RV for nothing. I picked up a rock and threw it at the object. Just as the rock made contact, the object exploded into a million pieces; just as I expected, a land mine. I turned to the others who were now outside the RV; everyone was wide eyed and their jaws were down to their feet. +“So we’ve got land mines out here too?” asked Wilson in disbelief. I nodded my head, and dreaded this new danger. Apparently the natives of Denver had access to advanced technology, which could mean a lot of trouble if we didn’t play our cards right. +“Well, the RV’s shot for now, if I can get the right parts I could probably fix it”. Ryan called from under the hood of the RV; I hadn’t even noticed he was over there. +“What’s the damage?” Zach asked, making his way over to the hood. As Zach and Ryan conversed about the condition on the RV, I looked back over at the burning building. The fire was enlarging, but why was it there in the first place? I had a feeling we would probably find out who before we left Denver, Colorado. +Chapter 3 – Jeremy +Zach and Ryan informed me that the RV couldn’t drive in its condition, and we would need a new axle, a new frame, and a new fuel tank in order for the RV to get back up and running properly. To me, this was some good news, because I wanted to investigate what was going on in this town, like who ignited the fire, why they did it and where they are. I decided to investigate the flaming building first. I grabbed a pistol and a police baton and headed out. I decided to take Haley, Wilson and Caitlin with me to leave Weir, Zach, and Ryan to attempt to fix up the RV. Haley carried a long butcher knife and a revolver, Wilson carried a long shank and a baseball bat, and Caitlin carried a saw and a hammer. We circled around the burning building the long way, taking an adjacent street into the alley behind it. As we approached the back of the building, we heard voices talking to one another. None of us could make out what they were saying, so we forged onward more sneakily. Backs against the wall and crouched, we inched further towards the voices. I looked around the wall into the intersection where the backs of 4 buildings, including the one we were crouching behind and the burning building, connected and made a small area in between the buildings. In this small area was where the voices were coming from. I could see one man was short, gruff, and plump. The other was considerably taller with a much cleaner look to him. I decided to get a better look, so I told my three companions to wait as I inched forward and behind a dumpster. Behind the dumpster, I could make out the voices more clearly. +“They didn’t trigger the mine, but their transportation has been disabled” the cleaner one of the two stated, obviously referring to my group and the RV. +“How long until we can grab ‘em and go?” asked the gruffer one. +“All in due time sir, we must focus on making them wait it out and weaken, we cannot let them find the parts to their recreational vehicle.” It was obvious these men had set the trap, and it also looked like I had found the reason. To strand innocent survivors and take them prisoner. But one thing is still unclear; why do they want to hold survivors prisoner? It’s not adding up yet, but I was sure it would, in the meantime, I had to stop these guys from harming my friends. +“Freeze!” I yelled as I revealed myself from behind the dumpster. Both men looked at me not in fright, but in delight, as if they had been expecting me. Haley then came out with her revolver drawn, but I saw neither Caitlin nor Wilson. +“You fool, do you really think that you have the upper hand in our territory?” the gruffer one asked as he pulled out a semi-automatic rifle. At the same time, the cleaner one pulled out what looked to be an army grade M4 automatic rifle. What were these men doing with such powerful and expensive weaponry? There was no time to question that, I had to act fast. It was then that I noticed that the small area we were standing in had a downward slope, I had the height advantage. I needed a way to act on my advantage, and then I thought of the dumpster. I jumped back behind the dumpster and yelled for Haley to do the same. She did as she was told, as bullets whizzed past the sides of the dumpster. I told her to kick the dumpster on the count of three, and she understood why. It looks like she was observant as I was, if not more so. The three-count came and with all of our mights combined we kicked the dumpster toward the saboteurs. If the dumpster did anything, it would faze them, which is all the opening I needed. Haley and I rushed to the dumpster where fortunately, the saboteurs were lying flat on their backs. We had no choice but to shoot them, they were an obvious threat, but something in my gut told me not to. Haley was taking aim at the head of the cleaner one, but I put my hand on the gun and made her lower it. She gave me a confused look, as if I had done something that no one ever expected from me. I then kicked the gruff one in the face with all of my might. Haley did the same for the clean one. We kept this up for about 5 minutes before we finally put their unconscious bodies in the dumpster, rolled it on its side, and pinned it shut onto one of the walls of the buildings. This couldn’t have been a 2-man operation; there have to be more than these guys here in Denver. It had just occurred to me that Wilson and Caitlin still hadn’t reappeared. +“They were supposed to circle around to get them surrounded; I don’t know what happened to them.” Haley said as if reading my mind. Next to us, the burning building was starting to crumble, if we didn’t get out of this alleyway soon, we would be either crushed or burned to death. I grabbed Haley by the arm and ran back the way we came. Just as we got out of the alley and into open air, smoke billowed out of the alley and filled the air. I looked up over the building we were in front of; the burning building wasn’t there anymore. It had fallen, and I was hoping Wilson and Caitlin hadn’t been caught up in that. Haley and I figured Wilson and Caitlin would return to the RV once they saw the building down, so we returned to find that Weir, Zach, and Ryan were having no success. +“We can’t get started working on anything until we have the thing we need to get this thing running again.” Complained Ryan, frustrated that he couldn’t do anything to help. Fortunately, a few minutes after Haley and I arrived, so did Caitlin and Wilson. +“We heard yelling and saw the building starting to fall, we couldn’t risk it. I’m sorry Jeremy.” Caitlin explained. If anyone else was put in the situation Caitlin was put in, they would’ve come into the alley anyway. This isn’t the first greedy move Caitlin has done either. She’s snuck food out of the weekly rations, and stolen ammo without it being issued. I was about a fingertip away from telling her to screw off and fend for herself, when she said that she and Wilson found an apartment complex down the road. +“It could be another trap.” Haley interrupted, “Plus, an apartment complex is super close corners, I don’t like it.” Haley was right to be cautious, after that nasty surprise on the road and the two guys in the alley; I don’t trust this city already. However, we were starting to run low on supplies, and that apartment complex was starting to look like our only hope. I was going to give Caitlin one last chance, if this apartment raid goes wrong, she is going to be to blame because she didn’t check it out herself and make sure it was ok. I was set to take Haley, Ryan, and Zach; Haley with her revolver and butcher knife, Ryan with his Desert Eagle and Automatic silenced pistol, and Zach with his wrench and baseball bat with nails in it that he calls ‘The Equalizer’. We were about to leave, when Wilson asked me for a word. I agreed and we went into the RV to talk privately. +“Listen dude, I wanted to run into that alleyway and get you and Haley out, but Caitlin wouldn’t let me. She said if I stepped one foot in that alley that she would bash my head in with that hammer of hers. I don’t know what her deal is.” He explained. +“It’s ok bud, I know it’s not your fault, I know you’ll always have my back. As for Caitlin I think she needs to go, she is definitely causing more harm than good. +“I replied, and it looked like Wilson agreed. +“If anything goes wrong on this heist, I’m leaving her when we get the RV running.” I told him. He nodded once more in agreement and held out his hand. I grabbed it with mine and chest-bumped him, our little silent way of saying ‘I love you man’. I stepped out of the RV and continued to the apartment complex with my three companions. As we progressed toward the complex, the scenery became more eerie. The trees we passed started turning a sickly brownish-green color, their leaves were all dead, if they had any, and theirbranches were so weak, they would break at the slightest breeze. I felt as if I were in a horror movie, or approaching a haunted house on Halloween night. It all felt so surreal, I couldn’t believe any of this was real life anymore. I had been living in a zombie outbreak for 3 months now, and this was the only time in which I have felt this way. We stepped on the steps of the complex and eyed it up and down. The cement blocks that held the structure together were all full of mold and blood. I guessed they would break away any minute. Almost all of the windows were still boarded up, which could be a good or bad sign. Finally, I decided to enter and my colleagues followed closely behind. The lobby was torn to hell. Papers were strewn every which way, dried drink spills and rotten food filled the floor, while cobwebs filled the ceiling, even though the fan in the center of the room was still spinning. +“Pan out and search for valuables. Zach and Ryan stay down here in the lobby, and Haley, you and I will search one level up.” Everyone agreed to this plan, and so Ryan and Zach got started rummaging through the drawers of the former manager and the various footlockers. Haley and I proceeded up the stairs to the first floor and saw 4 rooms. We decided that I would search the two on the left and she would search the two on the right. I watched Haley enter the room, and only after I was sure there was no danger in her room was when I entered mine. As I opened the door, the stench of animal waste and body decay filled the air. I scanned the room to try to find the source; it wasn’t long until I found it. The remains of a German Shepard were strewn along the floor of the kitchen. It looked like it was trying to get into the fridge or the cupboard, but due to its lack of opposable thumbs, it was impossible. It was a disgusting and unsanitary task, but I stepped through the dog remains to get to the fridge. I opened the door and found nothing; the fridge must have been looted long ago. Out of the corner of my eye, I then saw a bookshelf in the living room. I walked over to it and searched it for books. I picked a few off the shelves and set them aside on the coffee table. I walked across the living room and into the kitchen to search the cupboard, but heard a deep scream filled with an echo. I knew it wasn’t Haley, due to the tone of the voice; it was much deeper than Haley’s. It seemed to come from a hatch that was right under the air-conditioning vent. I walked over to it and examined it; it looked a little bit like the air conditioner itself, but was much smaller and didn’t seem to transport air. I opened the hatch, and all of a sudden, my feet were swept from underneath me and I was now tumbling into an abyss. I knew I was falling, I could feel it; so I tried to torque my body to where my back would hit the ground first. The only problem was, I had no idea which way was up and which way was down. I braced myself for impact everywhere in my body, because I had no idea how I was going to land. I then felt a sharp pain in my right side and felt my head smack against something hard, I then felt myself flying once again and then landed on my left side. I rolled on my back and laid there. The only source of light in this room was from the hatch that I opened in the apartment. It looked like it was 25 feet up, considering the length of my drop. I tried to yell for Haley, but had neither the energy nor the will. I then started crawling, hoping to hit a wall. To my luck, I did, and propped myself up to where I was sitting up with my back against it. I then remembered I had a flashlight in my jacket pocket. I reached into my jacket pocket and pulled it out, which made my arm burn with pain. I felt myself beginning to black out, so I flipped the switch and dropped it. There is now a source of light that overpowers the only other source of light, which should make my position obvious if my friends can find me. Fortunately, Haley knew which room I was in; hopefully they would find the hatch. I then let myself fade away into sleep, in hopes that my friends would find me. +Chapter 4 – Haley +As second in command, I had to take charge. I regrouped with the group in the RV and we layed out a plan. Zach and Ryan would search the alleyways around the complex, while Wilson, Weir and I would take the inside of the complex. We would search until we found a body, that was the plan. Zach and I had walkie-talkies to keep contact in case we found something. Wilson, Weir and I then took to the complex. My brain kept telling me that we had to find him, we had to find Jeremy safe and sound, but something in my gut told me we wouldn’t. It told me that we were either going to find a lifeless corpse, or nothing at all. I didn’t like that at all. +“We’ll find him Haley, don’t worry.” Andrew tried to reassure me, but it wasn’t much help. +“He’s Jeremy, he’s alive.” Weir added. +“He may be Jeremy guys, but he’s only one man. He can only fight for so long and take so much before his body destroys itself. There’s no denying he’s going to die eventually, I just hope today is not that day.” I responded. No one was immortal, not even Jeremy as much as I hated to admit it. We approached a room on the first floor, the room Jeremy was supposed to be in when he vanished. We opened the door and entered the room. Books were scattered around the floor, but some were in a neat stack on the coffee table. The one on top read ‘sure-shot, the legendary assassin’. That was something I knew Jeremy would like, so I knew he’d been here. I looked at the bookshelf and only one book remained on the shelf. I looked over to what appeared to be an air conditioning vent, but below it, there was an open hatch that appeared to stretch only into darkness. I gazed into the abyss and figured that this was the only lead we had. I radioed Zach and told him we had a lead and to go back to the RV to get some rope. He obeyed and told us he would be here as soon as he could. But the clock was ticking, and I had to do something fast. Without a second thought, I jumped down into the abyss. I felt myself plummeting to the ground, and braced myself for harsh impact. I hit the ground with a loud thud, and steadied myself. The fall hurt my legs a bit, as to be expected, but at least the injuries weren’t unbearable. I looked up to assess the room. It was so dark I could barely see. The only light I could make out was a faint glow from the other side of the room. I made my way over and saw something shimmering in the light. I quickened my pace and got to the far end of the room. A big puddle of seat and blood greeted me. In the middle of this sickly pile was a battered body. The blood appeared to be coming from it’s mouth, the sweat came from all over. It wasn’t long before I realized the body laying beneath my feet were what used to be my friend, Jeremy. I quickly checked him for vital signs, and found them weak but present. I talked to Zach with my walkie-talkie and scolded +“I need that rope right now Zach! Jeremy’s passed out and bleeding badly! He’s probably got some internal injuries as well as the injuries I can see.” I tried not to sound too hopeless, but it was hard considering I saw my brother beneath me dripping blood from the mouth and passed out down here for god knows how long. +“We’re almost to the room Haley, just hang on”. He replied with panic present in his voice. I knelt down to Jeremy to try to wake him up, but to no avail. He was dangerously close to stopping his breathing, I needed Zach to get here right now. Jeremy needed desperate medical attention and in a zombie apocalypse, that is very hard to come by. Finally, after about a minute that felt as if it were an eternity, I heard a small thud on the ground behind me, followed by Zach calling +“There’s the rope Haley, get out of there!” I then lugged Jeremy over my shoulder to the rope. I then tied the rope around his waist and tugged to signal Zach to pull him up. The guys pulled him up and lowered the rope again. I then went up and returned to the surface. When I climbed out of the hatch, I saw Zach and Ryan taking Jeremy out of the room, Wilson and Weir were planning out supplies to get for Jeremy’s recovery, but I didn’t see Caitlin anywhere. One thing is certain, due to Jeremy’s incapacitation; I was the group’s new leader, even if temporary. I went over the list of supplies to get for Jeremy with Weir and Wilson, and I assigned them roles of what to get. Weir would get bandages and anti-bacterial wraps if there were any left, and Wilson would get cotton swabs, painkillers, plastic bags, plastic tubes, and water. I would get rags and fresh clothes and report back to the RV to prepare Jeremy. I scoured the rest of the apartment complex for some kind of medical equipment, but only found few, none of which were what I was looking for. I then found the manager’s office, which looked pretty much ransacked from what I could see from the outside. I slammed my entire body into the wooden door blocking me from the inside, and left a huge crack down the middle. I few more hits from my body going full force and it was down. Unfortunately, the impact of the blow left me sprawled across the floor with an injured left shoulder, and I heard a zombie-like hiss from somewhere in the room. I glanced up to find the source, but couldn’t make out where it had come from. I did, however, see a first aid kit on the other side of the room. I half-crawled, half-limped to the kit and opened it. Bandages, Rags, A Blood Bag, Anti-Bacterial stuff, and other miscellaneous items were in there, which was the first convenient thing that has happened in a while. I closed the kit and tucked it under my right arm snugly. I turned around and was slammed into the wall by the zombie that made the noise earlier. I kicked it’s legs, luckily, one broke away and the zombie went down. I curb-stomped his head like a 3-month old Halloween pumpkin, and I no longer had a threat. I checked myself for bites, but luckily, had none. I started to take off, but something told me to check the closet. I opened the closet door in the back of the room and found casual clothes, a plain white-T, blue jeans, red sneakers, and black socks. The manager for this building must have been a ‘casual joe’ to have kept these in the manager’s closet. I also found a Colt .45 on the floor next to the sneakers. I picked it up and examined it, it appeared to be brand new, but only had one bullet inside. I instantly knew what these items were for, these must’ve been the manager’s favorite clothes and these were here in case he wanted to commit suicide. However, the zombies must have got him before he got the chance. I took the clothes, the gun, and the first aid kit and walked out and headed toward the RV. When I got there, I had discovered Weir had gathered his supplies, increasing our medical supply count greatly, and Wilson was still in the building trying to find more supplies. I checked on Jeremy, who was in the master bedroom of the RV, still passed out. Ryan had doctored him up pretty good, that’s why I loved him. He was part doctor, part teddy bear, and part badass. He told me that Jeremy’s pulse had increased and, given he got the medical supplies he needed, he would make it through this ordeal. This was the best news I had received in a long time. Jeremy wasn’t only my friend, he wasn’t only my leader, he was my big bubby, and I loved him. +Chapter 5 – Jeremy +Everything was a haze. I couldn’t comprehend anything that was going on around me. I was moving, but I was still at the same time. Two figures were on either side of me, dragging me into what seemed like oblivion. My vision flared in and out of light and darkness, as all the while everything was a blur and always moving and turning. Finally, after what seemed like a lifetime, I seemed to be gently layed down on a platform. The two figures now stood above me staring. Then, I blacked out. I woke up to sunlight filling my eyes as my vision returned. My hand-eye coordination was off, so I couldn’t move much, but at least I could now comprehend my surroundings. I figured out I was in the RV in the master bedroom. I looked to my left and saw a blood pouch attached to me. I saw that I also had vital sign plugs into me and I was stripped down to my underwear. Just then, I heard static over a radio. +“Zach what’s your status?” asked a voice over the radio. +“Almost done with the RV, just give me a few more minutes.” Zach returned. I had no idea where they were, but I assumed Zach was by the RV, so he was within yelling distance. I tried to yell for him, but neither my voice nor my mouth would let me. Nothing would respond to my thoughts except my neck. +“Ryan what’s your status?” Haley rang through the radio again. +“Almost done fixing the power tools, should only be a few more minutes.” Ryan replied. The radio that the voices were coming through was on the bedside table next to me, within arms’ reach. If I could only move…….. +”Wilson what’s your status?” Haley called again. +“Got all the gas I could carry, returning to the RV now.” He responded. I fought with my own muscles to reach the radio. +“Weir what’s your status?” Haley asked once more +“Finished all the RV armor upgrades”. He replied back. My had was halfway to the radio at this point +“Caitlin what’s your status?” +“Zombies still not here, returning to the RV” she replied. For a split second I thought about what I had said before the mission ensued. That if anything went wrong that Caitlin would be booted, why hadn’t Wilson brought this up with Haley? Outside of my head, my hands were so close to the radio it was unreal. +“Let’s try this again………….Jeremy…………What’s your status?” She said with hopelessness in her voice. At that, I smacked the ‘call’ button on the walkie-talkie and it sent out a ringtone to all the others connected to the network. The channel then flooded with people yelling ‘oh my god he’s awake’ and ‘get to the RV’. In a few short moments, everyone in my group was now crouched in the small bedroom as if expecting some big hero speech. Right now I couldn’t even talk, much less give an uplifting speech. After about 5 minutes of silence, Zach was the first to speak +“I guess I’ll go start up the RV and we can get away from this place. We have all the supplies we need from here.” At that he turned and started walking down the hallway to the cockpit. On the contrary, I didn’t want to leave just yet. I wanted to investigate that prison-like structure further. My hand was still clamped on the walkie-talkie, so with all of my strength I threw it across the room and hit the wall directly to the left of Zach. Zach turned around and our eyes met. I slowly shook my head, and he understood what I meant. Zach and I have been friends for so long, that he can almost read my thoughts without me giving a very obvious signal. +“Ok, I guess Jeremy wants us to stay a bit longer guys.” He finally answered everyone’s continuous stares at us. Everyone was confused, nobody understood what I had wanted to do. +“When you have the strength to talk Jeremy, will you tell us what you’re thinking?” Haley asked. I nodded at her and at that she dismissed everyone to bed. One by one everyone filed out, but she could be classified as a hypocrite by not following her own orders. +“Jeremy, I thought I lost you, everyone did.” She said in such a sad voice that it didn’t sound like the Haley I knew. She sat down on the bed next to me and almost started to cry. With every bit of my strength I lifted my hand and put in on the back of hers. I looked into her eyes and with all my might I muttered +“You’ll never lose me sis, you know that.” She smiled and wrapped me in a hug. This was the warmest brother-sister moment we had ever had. I wished it would last forever, there is nothing I love more than spending time with my sissy, and making her happy at that. After we broke away, Haley started telling me about how she had taken over as temporary leader due to my incapacitation. I congratulated her for keeping the group in order during my absence. +“It takes a true leader to step up in the face of certain doom; It also takes a true leader to do all of what you have done.” I told her regaining my strength bit by bit. She smiled and we kept talking, not only of just leading the group or my near death experience, but of the way things used to be. The time we made a mini-movie together, how we had gone from hating each other to brother and sister, how we could count on each other for anything and everything. Before we knew it, we were both asleep, and all I could remember was having a heart to heart with my sissy. It was a good night. +Chapter 6 – Haley +I woke up that morning very optimistic, more so than usual. I wasn’t sure why Jeremy hadn’t wanted to leave, but he was awake and alert, that’s what was important. I remembered that I needed to talk to Caitlin about our combat tactics, as well as inform her that she was on very thin ice due to the fact that our leader was now incapacitated because of her. I looked for her near her bunk, but she was nowhere to be found in the RV. I stepped outside and I found her sitting on a stump, staring into the sunrise. I approached her, not really knowing what to say. +“Hey” was all I could mutter. She didn’t respond. I wanted to tell her she had to straighten up her act, I wanted to tell her off and tell her that our leader was incapacitated because of her, and because of her my brother was nearly killed. What if there was a zombie in that dungeon he was trapped in? He would have been lunch for an undead, at her hand. I wanted to tell her off so badly, but I couldn’t bring myself to do so. She seemed so angry and sad at herself already, I wanted to know what she was thinking. I sat down beside the stump, and tried to inquire, but she beat me to the punch. +“I know it’s my fault Haley, there’s no need to rub it in.” I was sort of stunned when I heard her say this; I suddenly wanted to hear what she had to say. +“I never wanted to hurt anybody Haley, you have to believe me. I only wanted what was best.” She spoke vaguely, as if trying to conceal something. +“I wanted all of us to be safe; I wanted the best for us. And he wasn’t what was best.” She continued. I interrupted her when she started to bash Jeremy. +“Where do you get off criticizing Jeremy for his leading? Last time I checked you were a smuggler and a coward. When the last time you truly took charge like Jeremy was does on a daily basis? I’d like to see you go through what he has and is going through and see if you can last a day. Being a leader isn’t all lollipops and gumdrops Caitlin, he’s doing a damn fine job and you have to accept-------“. She turned and decked me in the face. She then stood and returned to the RV but before she managed to get back inside I got up and slammed her into the side. She tried to struggle free, but I managed to grab the door and slam her against it. I kept my hand on the door and kept smashing it against her face, I had so much pent up aggression that I hadn’t realized. The girl I saw sulking on the tree stump was gone, it had turned out to be a mask to lure someone in; that someone had been me, unlucky for Caitlin. I kept slamming until I felt hands pulling against me and Caitlin, and even then I tried to pull away and keep slamming. Finally; Weir, Wilson, and Ryan all managed to get me off of her. After I let Caitlin go she fell to the ground, nearly unconscious, bleeding from the nose and mouth. I thought she deserved that much, but my colleagues seemed to disagree with me. They thought she deserved a lot worse. Wilson picked her up like a baby and started walking across the road; I wondered where he was going until I saw the lake across the field on the other side of the road. Wilson was going to dump Caitlin into the lake. I think everyone felt she deserved to die, for what she has done to this group. Ryan got about halfway across the field, when I saw a few zombies closing in on him. They were what we called runners, they were faster than the average zombie and could jump a few more feet than them as well. I grabbed the walkie-talkie from my waist and talked to him. +“Wilson you better get out of there, there’s about 5 runners converging on you and I can now see about 3 regs (regular zombies) behind them.” I saw him look around to identify the zombies. He then set Caitlin down and ran back. As if he had planned it, the zombies went after Caitlin and not him, thank god. He managed to get back in one piece and thanked me for the heads up. We all proceeded back into the RV, where we were met with Jeremy leaning up against a wall near the back. +“So what are we doing today oh gracious leader?” He said in a playful tone. Everyone stopped in place and looked straight at Jeremy. I was stunned as well; I thought for sure he was here to request his position back from me. +“I’m still a little bit too weak to lead this group Haley; can you do it for me a bit longer?” he asked. I couldn’t believe my ears. Being the leader meant everything to Jeremy; he always said it gave him a certain sense of importance. This was one of the qualities that made Jeremy such an amazing leader to begin with, he put the feelings of other people before those of himself. +“Sure Jeremy, just concentrate on getting your strength back” I told him. +“Will do boss.” He replied with a huge smile on his face, but I saw the smile fade when he said he had unfinished business to attend to. We all knew what he meant by that, he wanted to go back into that dungeon. +“I want to see what’s up with that place, what it’s made for, that’s why I didn’t want to leave yesterday.” There’s no denying that there has been both a sense of curiosity and awe concerning the dungeon amongst the group ever since we left, but I really didn’t want to go back. I watched my brother almost die because of that place, that dungeon was the last place I wanted to revisit. But, leader or not, Jeremy is often too stubborn to argue with, especially when it comes to settling a score. We agreed that we would have 3 more people enter the dungeon, and 3 holding the rope and standing guard. I, Jeremy, and Ryan would go in, while Wilson and Zach would hold the rope with Weir taking guard. I couldn’t believe we were actually going to go back into that hell-hole. Honestly, it scared me quite a bit, but if there was one thing I picked up from Jeremy’s leadership, it was to cover your fear with determination, courage, and concentration to your goal. I led the group out of the RV and entered the apartment complex with our signature weapons. We went straight to our destination, the room with the secret hatch. As planned, Jeremy, Ryan, and I all went down into the dungeon. The light from the open hatch helped a lot with the absence of the flashlight down below, the light must have gone out because I don’t remember picking it up. After all three of us were down, we all started searching the place. After a few moments of searching, I stumbled upon Jeremy’s old blood puddle. This was the reason I hadn’t wanted to come back here, too many bad memories for me. I had seen my brother who was my main protector, on the verge of death at this very spot at my feet. Other than that blood puddle, the room seemed completely empty. The walls, roof, and floor were all made of stone, and the only things other than the stone in the room were a small window masked with a net and Jeremy’s blood puddle. Until, Ryan stepped on a peculiar stone. +“Hey guys, I think I found something!” He called. Jeremy and I ran over him as he was taking his foot off the stone and the all in front of him opened. The door led to a small wooden ‘panic’ room. Two walkers inhabited the room, but were quickly dealt with by Ryan. We searched the room thoroughly and found 25 bucks, some twinkees and a poster that read ‘if you have made it to this room, you have dabbled in the field of evolution’. +“What’s that supposed to mean?” Jeremy asked. +“Remember when you fell down here and nearly died Jeremy?” I asked +“No Haley, I don’t remember this place at all. Considering I fell almost to my death here and I was bleeding out and this is the only place I’ve seen of it’s kind.” He said sarcastically. +“Well smart-ass, look at us now, exploring this place with ease after your little near death mishap. We learned how to handle this environment and master it. We’ve evolved a tiny bit, which is a key to survival.” I explained. +“Nicely done Haley.” He responded, as if what he said were some sort of test toward me. It is highly likely that he would test me that way, given his intelligence in that sort of philosophical and vague riddle fields, but why test me? Is there something that he knows that I don’t? Other than quantum physics, advanced molecular theory, binary code, computer viral structure, and all other things science and technology? I was wondering what he was thinking. +“Come on, let’s get back to the RV” Ryan suggested. I thought he was right, but the expression on Jeremy’s face contradicted us. I knew what he was thinking about the subject. +“Jeremy just leave it be.” I scolded him, but he wanted to tear this place down in order to prevent anyone from getting hurt or captured by this eerie place ever again. Jeremy had that malice look in his eyes that I knew all too well, but almost miraculously, it vanished. Something in his eyes changed, and ive never seen that before in him. He then followed my orders and left it be. This left me in surprise, ive never seen Jeremy act this way before. To actually listen to reason, to actually swallow his pride and follow an order. What has happened to him? Whatever it was, it had to stop. This is not Jeremy, not the way I knew him. We started to climb up the rope toward the hatch, when he heard Weir scream. Jeremy, farther up the rope than me or Ryan, started climbing faster and with more aggression. I swear I have never seen Jeremy’s arms move so fast in my life. When we got to the top, Wilson and Zach were slashing through zombies with knives, and Weir was gone. Jeremy jumped on one of the zombies and sliced him with his knife. I have never seen Jeremy in such a frenzy before. It’s almost as if the pride to deny my order turned into pure rage inside him. By the time the battle was over, Jeremy had wiped out the entire attacking force in half the time it took for Wilson and Zach to back them off. However, Weir was still missing. Jeremy quickly examined the room and went over to the window on the other side of the room and jumped out. What was he thinking! That was at least a 25 foot drop to the ground! We all ran toward the window, but before we got there, we saw a hand plant itself on the windowsill. Then came Jeremy and Weir pulling each other up from the broken fire escape. When they both were safely inside the complex, Weir finally said +“They had me cornered in here, I had to jump, I killed two down there and the ones from the kitchen followed. The weight of them all collapsed the fire escape, but I grabbed a part of the bar. It held me until Jeremy came.” The important thing was that we all were safe, and I was thankful. That ambush could’ve ended up very badly, and hopefully Jeremy was counting his blessings as I was. +Chapter 7 – Jeremy +Well, here we were again, my fatal flaw coming into play and nearly killing us all. My overconfidence and pride almost cost us more than one member. If I wasn’t so concerned about conquering the dungeon, we wouldn’t have been in any danger; in fact we would be at least a whole state away from this place by now. Maybe it was for the best that Haley took over as leader, it would give me time to work on my fatal flaw. We took off headed toward the RV, and I could sense that the mood was different. I guess it was tenser, because they were all probably mad at me. I couldn’t really blame them; they needed someone to blame for us nearly being killed, and to be fair it was my fault. We got back to the RV, at which point Ryan decided to tell us that the RV was almost finished and that it should only take him a couple more hours to fix. I went into the RV and headed back to the master bedroom. I sat on the bed and looked in the mirror, and I was trying to decide who I was. It seemed as if I was drifting away from myself. I thought back to when I heard Weir scream when I was climbing out of the dungeon. I hadn’t felt such fury and power coarse through my body since………….I dismissed the thought and laid back onto the bed. It felt like I had shut my eyes for only a few seconds when I heard the engine of the RV rev. I woke up and sat upright, facing the mirror once more. Only this time, I saw another figure in the mirror. Haley was sitting right behind me. +“Good morning” she said to me, in a slightly more serious tone than she usually speaks in. I turned to her and we stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. +“Haley, what’s going on with everyone? Are you mad at me? Because if you are I completely understand, just say so.” She shook her head. +“We’re not mad Jeremy, it wasn’t your fault, what we’re upset about is the fact that your changing so much.” I instantly knew what she meant. Lately, I have been more secluded, more rage has filled me, and I just haven’t been myself lately. +“Haley, I know I haven’t been myself lately, but you guys just have to trust me on this. Give me time, I just need time to cope with the situation. I guess the fact that I’m not the person everyone looks up to anymore doesn’t help, that kind of gave me some self-confidence, something to help me hold in all of these emotions. A bucket so to speak I guess, but now I’m trying to hold everything on my own. My father, Caitlin, The incident, I feel like I’m falling apart.” I hung my head, feeling so weak and so worthless. Here I was expressing I was feeling to my little sister, who thought the world of me. I was expecting her to get up and walk away, but instead she wrapped me in a hug and told me +“you never have to do anything alone, you should know that by now. What did we do when you were trapped in that dungeon, we got you out. Your never alone Jeremy, as long as you have all of us.” I thought on these words for a little bit, and knew they were true. I always thought I had to do everything on my own, when in reality I didn’t have to. I had my group for a reason, and my pride was telling me to be a lone wolf. +“Now where’s the badass big brother that kills zombies for a living and is a hell of a second in command?” she asked me. We pulled away and pointed at myself. It was kind of a juvenile thing to do, but I felt it was time to be a little silly. We got up and walked back into the living quarters, the RV was already on the move. Wilson, who was on driving duty, told me we were about 2 miles away from the complex. +“What about the land mines we found when we drove into town?” I asked him +“We took care of those when you were out cold after the incident.” He responded. I nodded and walked back into the living quarters. +“So guys, how do you think Haley’s doing as my replacement?” I asked them all. They were all taken by surprise at the question, but they all stated that she was doing a good job, and that if anything happened to me that they knew who to turn to. +“That won’t be necessary” I continued “because she’s holding the position for a while, if she wouldn’t mind.” She looked at me as if I were crazy. That discussion I had just had with her must have made her think that I was going to request my position back, but I knew it meant as much to her as it did to me. +“You deserve this Haley, your leadership can only be paralleled by me, and you’ve only been in the position for a few days. I have a feeling you will do better than I ever did.” I told her. The shock on her face started to dissipate and she finally choked out +“I’ll be happy to take over for a while Jeremy, but you gotta promise you’ll come back into the role someday.” She told me. I nodded and told her I would, but not for a while. Everyone was excited for Haley that she was being given this chance to prove herself, and from what I could tell, no one was going to doubt her abilities. About a half-hour later, we stopped at a convenience store where me and Wilson switched driving shifts. He immediately crashed on the closest couch and took a nap. A well-deserved nap as well, he has been under so much stress lately. As I was backing out of the parking lot of the store, I noticed something peculiar. There was a red line darting around the RV, kind of like a laser-pointer. It took me a few moments to realize what was going on, but eventually I realized it was a sniper. Not a moment after my mind comprehended the thought, I gunned the reverse. The RV flew backwards as the first shot fired. The bullet missed the RV, but it appeared that the RV wasn’t the assailant’s intentional target. There were propane tanks next to the RV that were shot instead. The resulting explosion caused the RV to tip back onto the two back wheels, still flying backward. I then felt a huge slam as the RV crashed into the building across the street from the store with the roof colliding straight into the front wall. The recoil put the RV back upright, but it wouldn’t start. In the back I could hear Haley yelling for everyone to get down to the ground. It seems she had noticed the sniper as well. I kept trying to turn the RV back on, but each turn of the key proved futile. More red sniper beams emerged by the second, and I knew we were running out of time. With each turn of the key, I got more and more anxious. After a few more turns, I heard Haley yell for me to get down. In order to honor the new leader, I obeyed and went back into the living quarters. I then developed a plan in my head, but it was easier thought of than done. I kicked the door of the RV down and ran outside. As I did so, I could hear everyone yelling my name, but I never looked back. I took cover behind a building beside the Rv. I saw red beams bouncing around from the store. I then sprinted out of my cover and back to the RV with my hands in the air, palms open and upward. This was now known to be the universal sign of peace and no harm is meant. A few seconds after I reached the RV, I heard a faint voice yell +“hold your fire!”. I was thinking that my plan had worked, but I couldn’t be fully sure just yet. Then came a louder voice magnified by a megaphone +“we request a meeting, send one of yours into the store, and we will send ours.” The voice wasn’t quite gruff, but wasn’t welcoming either. Kind of like a father having a serious talk with their kid. Haley and I looked at each other, and she told everyone to stay put, but with guns ready. +“Jeremy, come with me” she told me. I obeyed and followed her to the convenience store entrance, both doing the universal sign of peace. We opened the front doors and found 2 people among the empty rows of shelves. One looked like an elderly man, early 50’s, out of shape with pitch black hair and glasses. Beside him was a teenager dressed in camo, probably 15 or 16, with long blonde hair with black highlights, very much in shape. +“Are you bandits?” The elder one asked. +“No” Haley responded back “We just stopped here to change our drivers.” She explained. I found that the girl had her eyes locked on me, not in an intimidating way, more like an attractive way. +“I apologize on behalf of our scout, he sounded the bandit alarm, and we have had a few bandit mishaps already, we didn’t want to take any chances.” The elder explained. “My name is Harold Lunsford, and this is my daughter, Ashley.” He said, introducing the girl. She took a polite curtsey, but kept her eyes locked on me. Haley introduced her and me. “Would you and your group like to join us for dinner? We have plenty of food.” Haley contemplated on this for a moment, and then accepted the gesture. Mr. Lunsford told us to be back at the store at 6:00 PM for dinner. We then returned to the RV to fill the group in. It was 4:30; dinner would start in an hour and a half. +“We need to be prepared if worse comes to worse.” Haley told us. “We need to conceal as many weapons as possible, just in case this is a trap.” She then handed each of us a handgun fully loaded with an additional clip to put in our pocket, and a retractable dagger. We also put in our small ear pieces so we can contact each other if need be. By the time 5:45 rolled around, we were ready for anything that could possibly happen at this dinner. We went to the store doors and were let in by what appeared to be Mr. Lunsford’s son. He was short and stout, much like Mr. Lunsford, but much younger. He led us into an office room that probably served as the main office of the store in the days before the outbreak. There was a whole buffet on the table. Turkey, ham, and cheese sandwiches, mashed potatoes, corn, broccoli, assorted cheeses, and assorted drinks were all on the table. Mr. Lunsford sat at the far end of the table with Ashley right next to him. His son took the empty seat on the other side of him, while other members of their group started to file in. Everyone took their seats, and we followed their example. Mr. Lunsford started introducing his group to us. His son was named Justin; they had a tech expert, Noah Barkely; an engineer, Gabe Skiles; a storekeeper, Robert Maxwell; and a gun expert, Lee Chung. Haley then introduced our group to them, and also informed them that we lost one person. Personally, I thought this was a bit too much information to be released on the first meeting, but it’s Haley’s call. After the introductions, we started eating. The food tasted odd, I couldn’t put my finger on what it was, but nothing tasted as it should have. I thought it may have been a matter of not having these foods in so long, until Weir collapsed. Then went Wilson and Ryan. Haley and I shot each other a quick look before we collapsed as well. I couldn’t put my finger on how much time had passed, but I awoke in a cold, windowless, white room in a haze. +“Ah Mr. Bene is awake” a voice coming from the speakers on the ceiling announced. “Good morning sir, I trust you had a nice nap.” I stood up in confusion, I had no idea where I was, where anyone else was, or how to get out of this place. “I hope you liked the dinner we spiked especially for you.” It was now obvious that Mr. Lunsford was the voice that was coming from the speakers. I didn’t know anything that was going on. +“The hell is goin’ on?” I yelled. +“What we fed you was the last of our food” Lunsford responded “What you have in your group can last us for 6 months at least.” +“Why the hell did you feed my group the last of your food?” I asked +“It was a simple trade really” Lunsford shot back “That food would’ve only lasted us for about 3 more weeks, we now have a food supply that will last us 6 months. Get it?” I was stunned. These men were cannibals; these men were out of their minds. Were they even human? How could one man eat another under any circumstance? Where were my friends? +Chapter 8 – Haley +Everything was fuzzy and swirling. Nothing seemed familiar or real. The only thing I could think about was where I was. +“Oh, so they are all awake now” a voice boomed over the intercom that was in the top corner of the room. “Good morning Mrs. Taylor, how are you faring from your nap?” the voice continued. The voice sounded familiar, thought I couldn’t put my finger on it. The only thing I could think about was where I could be and how to get out. I looked around, but the only things to be found were 4 white walls, a white floor & ceiling, fluorescent lights above, and the intercom in the corner. +“What’s happening?” I managed to croak out. +“What’s happening is your little group has provided us with food for months, we would be fools to pass it up.” I then realized the voice talking to me over the intercom was the voice of Harold Lunsford. I should’ve known better, every group that is overly genuine are either stupid, or bandits. One thing was for sure now, I had to get out of here and help my friends……assuming they were still alive. I used what Jeremy had taught me about seemingly closed rooms; there is always a door. I put my hands to the wall and held my face about 2 millimeters from it. I started to slide along the smooth, cold wall trying to find anything resembling a door. I noticed a very thin line that looked out of place, if it weren’t for me being so close I wouldn’t have caught it. It was so thin that I couldn’t even feel it. I checked my pockets to see if anything was left. Sure enough, the only thing they didn’t take was the one thing I needed. An eraser cap that was actually a camouflaged grenade. Ryan was in the military during the outbreak and used his status to get us some fancy toys to defend ourselves. This thing would explode 5 seconds after a pencil is put into it with the force of an actual military grade grenade. I stuck my pinkie finger in and heard a microscopic “click”. Hurriedly, I stuck it into the thin crevice and dove to the back of the room. A huge boom shook the room as the door was blown off the wall and into the next room. I brushed off the dust and plaster on me and rushed out the door. Before I even got 2 feet into the next room I was met with a fist. I fell backward and landed on the half-destroyed door. Mr. Lunsford was now standing above me. +“Oh it’s going to be delightful eating the meat from you, Haley” he taunted “So much fire, spice, adrenaline; just how I……….” he was interrupted by his daughter walking in. +“THAT’S what we’re doing to these people?” she screamed “EATING them? You told me we were examining them for diseases, and I thought holding them like this was wrong THEN!” She had so much fire in her eyes, so much passion to do what was right. She reminded me of Jeremy in a way. +“Dear daughter” Lunsford chimed “we need food to survive, what happens when the food we have runs out?” +“Then we find more, we don’t act as if we are one of the infected!” She yelled back. +“Naïve child, not everything in this world is picture perfect as you would want it to be, things change and we must adapt. We must fend for ourselves and not live in some juvenile fantasy!” Lunsford was starting to raise his voice. +“But father, this is not right!” she screamed, clutching her father’s arm. He then shoved her aside and she fell to the ground. He didn’t hesitate that he just knocked his daughter to the ground; he immediately turned back to me. I hopped back up to my feet and stood in a combat stance. He tried to rush me, but I rolled out of the way, sending him sprawling into the prison chamber. I looked over at the control console for the room and saw a button labeled “Emergency Lockdown”. I didn’t know what it would do, but I hoped it was useful. I pressed it and watched solid iron bars drop down from the top of the room’s doorway. Lunsford lunged to beat the bars before they reached the ground, but just as he reached the doorway he was kicked in the face and forced back into the room. He sprawled backwards and landed on his back just as the bars reached the floor. I was stunned to see Ashley standing next to the bars, my only explanation was that she was probably finished with taking her father’s punishment. +“I’m sorry he did this to you and your friends” she muttered as she walked closer to me. “Here, this will help you rescue your friends, just insert it into the card slot of every cell and they will open.” She told me, handing me her security keycard. We turned toward the prison cell and shook her head. When she turned to walk away I blurted +“Come with me.” She turned back to me in shock as if I had just yelled at her. +“You want me to come with you?” she asked, obviously confused. +“It’s the least I can do for what you have done for my group, and I promise we eat real food, not people.” She smiled and gave me a hug. +“Thank you” she whispered “I would like a real family.” It had only just occurred to me that maybe the violence from her father happened more frequently than was let on. I felt bad for her, and so I felt no regret inviting her into the group. We then turned and walked down the corridor to find my friends. She knew this place inside and out. The place was huge, but she never got lost. We went to each cell and got each of my friends out. They were all obviously shocked to see me, but they were even more shocked to see Ashley helping us. Part of the group was a little against the new addition, however, one of the strongest supporters of Ashley’s addition was Jeremy. +“She was obviously brainwashed by her father, she really means well.” He argued. “How do you know she’s not just staging it Jeremy?” Weir argued back. +“Because I know her type, I used to be just like her.” Jeremy responded. Everyone looked puzzled. As Ashley led us out of the facility, Jeremy explained his ordeal that was similar to hers. “When I was a kid, I got involved in a really bad crowd, like a gang crowd. Basically the only reason I did so was because my mom was on drugs and basically was an utter bitch that wanted me dead and made my life hell. I had a longing for an actual family, much like Ashley. Trust me guys, I can see it in her eyes. All she wants is a family.” Jeremy’s speech touched everyone; they all ended up dropping their resentments and apologized. Ashley forgave them, and thanked Jeremy for defending her. +“I’ve never had anyone stand up for me like that before, thank you.” She sounded so sincere, as if she’s never had anyone talk even remotely nice to her in her life. We certainly had a lot to learn about his girl. Ashley led us out of the underground fortress and back into the gas station. I almost forgot that there were more goons than just Ashley’s father. Her brother and 3 other guys still remained browsing the gas station. +“I wonder when Harold’s going to call us down for dinner, I’m starved.” One of them complained. +“Just shut up and stock idiot”, replied another. They were stocking the shelves with goods they got from the RV. Ashley walked out from behind the counter we were hiding behind. +“Hey guys, my dad said dinner’s ready! Ribs, steak and roast!” She exclaimed. All of the goons dropped what they were doing and rushed to the door to the underground fortress. The entire group worked together to push the band of goons down the stairs as they rushed passed us. Ashley ran up and locked the door from the outside. “They won’t be bothering us anymore.” She bragged, clapping the dust off her hands. The group then started gathering the goods from the gas station and returned them to the RV. We all piled into the RV, Jeremy taking the wheel once again, and drove away vowing never to return to this godforsaken place again. +Chapter 9 – Jeremy +I couldn’t have asked for a better leader of the group. Haley was doing a magnificent job. How she handled the gas station incident was probably better than what I could have done. She was now cuddling with Ryan in their usual spot, Weir was now in the cockpit after his switch with me, Zach was on the couch napping, Wilson was checking our weapons, and me and Ashley were sitting with our backs to the wall opposite Wilson. +“So I’m confused.” She told me “Does this group have any kind of leader?” +“In this group, there really is no definite leader in regards to giving commands, our leader is determined by determination, heart, and courage. I used to be the leader, but I got………incapacitated, so Haley took over. I haven’t asked for my status back yet.” I replied. “She’s proven herself time and time again, so I decided to let her keep the rank, at least for a while.” Ashley stared at me almost wide-eyed, and I smiled timidly back at her. +“So everyone listened to you and respected you, followed your orders. And you gave it all up to make someone else feel happy and important?” she asked. I nodded, and her expression deepened. It seemed as though she was stunned by the fact that I would give away my leadership to my best friend. +“Honestly, I’ve never met someone who wasn’t power hungry. My father , my brother, my cousins; the other guys you saw in the store, and to find out that I know someone who is the complete opposite……..” she explained, seeming shocked. I didn’t question the shock, it was understandable. I grasped her arm, looked into her eyes and told her +“There isn’t one quality in common with all people. Greed and envy is popular in your family, but on the contrary, in mine there is selflessness, courage, and dignity.” She looked back at me with gleaming eyes. +“I know that now” she told me as she embraced me in a hug. “Thank you for getting me out of that terrible place.” +“No problem” I replied softly “I’m glad me and Haley did, you didn’t deserve any of what you got there.” She started crying in my arms at that point. +“You really think so?” she asked between sobs. +“No…….I know so. You’re a sweet girl Ash, full of kindness, compassion and love. You didn’t belong there. You belong here, with friends.” I reassured her. She looked up at me with her glimmering bright blue eyes and tears streaming down her rosy red cheeks. I wiped them away and grabbed a paper towel from under the cupboard next to us for her to blow her nose. +“Not friends, family” she said after she had calmed herself. I didn’t know what she meant at first, but then I remembered what I had told her. I smiled and she laughed. I guess I was blushing, because my face felt like an iron had just been placed on it. She then nestled her head in my chest and fell asleep. Staring down at the girl, I felt as if she needed a shield. Sure, she had such a tough exterior and could handle herself quite well, but her inside emotions were probably so torn and damaged that she couldn’t take much more punishment. I know what it feels like to be on the breaking point first hand. I felt it was my responsibility to protect this girl, no matter what happens. I was probably this girl’s new safe haven at this point, considering where she was and how she was behaving. This girl was special, she needed someone to protect her, and regardless of how good Haley was at being a leader, I felt I could protect Ashley more than anyone else. I kept my eyes on Ash, sleeping peacefully on my chest. I decided to put my head on hers, drifting off to sleep. The last thing I thought about that night was my final decision to protect Ashley at all costs. I woke up at the crack of dawn with Ashley on top of me. I was flat on my back, while she was lying on my body, with her head on my collarbone and neck. I tried to roll her off, but woke her up in the process. +“What’s going------oh my gosh Jeremy I’m sorry!” she said scrambling to the floor. We just sat there and stared at each other for the longest time. I felt myself blush, while at the same time she was blushing as well. I then got up and helped her up.. +“It’s ok Ash, nothin’ to worry about.” Her upset frown turned into a timid smile as a “thanks” escaped her lips. +“Hey Haley, Jeremy!” Ryan cried from the cockpit “you guys might want to see this!” We both rushed to the cockpit to see a manmade roadblock sitting in front of the RV. We didn’t see anyone around, so we got out of the RV. Zach went up and looked at the giant cinderblocks going across the road. Ryan walked around looking for anyone around. I found a twinkee wrapper at my feet, the icing was still fresh, it wasn’t molded or crusted, it was actually still in It’s icing structure form. Someone had help up here not too long ago, but who? And where did they go? I heard a scream and immediately turned around. A man in what looked like tattered blue camo had a hold of Haley with his huge forearm wrapped around her neck. I pulled my pistol from my back pocket and took aim at the captor. +“Not so fast youngin’” A voice from behind me boomed. I turned back around and found another military man dressed in regular camo holding Ashley and Weir by the back of their shirts. “What’re y’all doin’ in these parts youngin’?” Asked the main in the regular camo. Behind him, I could see Ryan looking over a cinderblock with his gun drawn. It didn’t look like the men in camo had noticed him yet, and where were Wilson and Zach? Nevertheless, I could probably use Ryan’s stealth to my advantage. +“Listen, we can talk about this” I told the men trying to calm them down. “Just put my friends down, and we’ll leave you be.” I already knew these guys weren’t going to let us go easy, they’re not that type. I was trying to stall for time to pick my target and to allow Ryan to pick his. +“Sorry youngin’, we can’t allow y’all to leave here, or we run the risk of more people showin’ up here, more mouths to feed y’know?” The man in the blue camo raised his gun, and as he did so I quickly brought up mine. +“Ryan!” I yelled. I fell to the ground and shot the blue camo man’s kneecap out. I heard another shot, and I hoped it was Ryan. As the blue camo man fell, Haley rolled out of his grasp and stabbed him in the head with her knife. I turned to see the man in the regular camo falling with Ashley and Weir rolling out of his path downward. Both of their radios buzzed, +“Repeated gunshots, seemed to come from C quadrant. All units converge.” I thought we were completely screwed, until another voice buzzed over the radio. +“Targets neutralized, bodies being disposed of as we speak. Converging is no longer necessary.” The voice sounded familiar, but I couldn’t pinpoint it’s familiarity. +“Passcode, C quadrant.” The original voice spoke. +“Carpediem” responded the second. +“Roger” buzzed the original voice “return to your posts men.” I checked to see if Weir, Haley, and Ashley were ok. Ashley was hunched over on the ground. As I helped her up, she wrapped her arms around me and started to cry. I took her head in my arms and let her cry. A few moments later; Ryan, Wilson, and Zach hopped over one of the cinderblocks. +“Where were you guys?” I asked Zach and Weir. +“When you guys got trapped by those army guys we tried to flank them, but got caught ourselves by another guy. Former Navy by the look of him. We knocked him out and took his radio. When we heard the alert we used the radio. The passcode was on the back of the radio, apparently the soldier was very forgetful.” Somehow it had all worked out, without even talking we all executed a flawless take-down plan. This proved how much we knew each other and how well we worked together. This group was going to survive this damned plague. +Chapter 10 – Haley +It was nice to have a little girl time. Ashley decided to bunk with me tonight and we couldn’t have had more fun. Basically we had the normal girl’s slumber party in the master bedroom; Pillow fights, makeovers, girl talk, our strategies on surviving the apocalypse, etcetera. I felt bad for the girl; she’s had such a rough childhood, even before the outbreak. I can relate to her, my life wasn’t exactly glamorous either. Divorced parents, hatred towards my father and brother, kind of what Ashley went through. +“Haley” she asked me “what does love feel like?” She must have seen myself and Ryan around and pieced together that we were together. It hadn’t occurred to me that she had never felt love before. She didn’t know how to love a man, because of what her family did to her. +“Well, Ashley” I started to respond, “you just feel it. Trust me, you’ll know when it happens.” A smile appeared on Ashley’s face. I assumed she knew something that i didn’t know, but I decided not to press the matter. A knock then came at the door. Zach walked in, +“Hey girls, can you give me a hand? Everyone else is asleep.” He asked. We nodded and followed him out of the room. Out of the RV windows we could see storage units, we were probably at a storage facility center. “If we can get into one of these units, we could probably find something useful” Zach explained. We walked out of the RV and strolled down the rows of storage units. We finally found one that’s door was cracked down the middle. Probably form someone who had wanted to get their things out after the outbreak. Or maybe it was just from someone who had wanted to escape the herd. “I’ll grab the shovel from the RV.” Zach said. “you girls just keep watch OK?” Ashley and I nodded as Zach returned to the RV. I stepped up to the door of the storage unit and tried to look into the crack. It wasn’t that big, so I didn’t really expect to see much. All I saw was darkness and slight shimmers of glowing concrete and various materials in the glow of the light seeping into the crack. I could’ve swore I saw something move, but it was too dark to really see much and I had gotten more paranoid since Jeremy’s incident. Zach promptly returned with a shovel, and tried to pry open the crack further. I heard the sound of metal creaking, but I could hear something else as well. +“stop” I hissed at Zach, who was slowly but surely getting the door open. The crack was about double its size now, to which I could probably peep inside. I walked up and looked inside again. It seemed as if something were waiting for me, because as soon as my right eye touched the door, something came up and hit it. I recoiled back and started to fall, but Ashley caught me. At this point, I couldn’t see out of my right eye, but my left caught the site of Zach smashing the object that blinded me with the shovel. As Zach smashed, more blood spewed from the thing and it eventually retreated back into the unit. The object that attacked me didn’t exactly look like a zombie hand, it looked more like a tentacle more than anything else. +“What the hell was that thing?” Ashley yelled. +“I have no idea, should we check it out Haley?” Zach asked. I hadn’t realized I was still in Ashley’s arms, so I regained my composure and thought about it. We had no idea what we were up against, and my sight was still pretty bad. We had no idea of Ashley’s combat skills, come to think of it we hadn’t really actually found a place for her yet. We had no idea what her expertise was, I wasn’t even sure she knew. I made the decision that we would pry open the door some more and see if that was the only creature lurking inside the unit. Zach then stepped up to the door and started to pry some more. The crack was now as wide as Zach’s spade was long, whatever was in there could now easily jump out and take us by surprise. I held the gun in one hand and the flashlight in the other as I stepped closer to the hole in the door. I got about a foot away from the door when the tentacle jumped. I sidestepped it just in time and it barely grazed my hair. Out of instinct, Zach slashed it with the shovel and I fired a shot. It looked like a clean shot and slash, there was a giant hole in the middle of the tentacle and a little bit was chopped off from the shovel. As quick as it happened, it started to unhappen. As soon as the little piece of tentacle that was chopped off hit the ground, the rest of it disappeared back into the unit. I shone the flashlight into the unit and immediately wished I hadn’t, what was inside was both terrifying and disgusting. It looked as if 10-15 zombies and husks had conjoined somehow and started to sprout tentacles. Not only that, but they had 16 eyes so far out of their heads that they were almost falling out, their noses were only half of what they should have been, their ears were missing, their mouths had only one lip and their teeth were super-sized, all the while it looked as if there were spiders crawling underneath the skin. It was so disgusting, I nearly vomited. It looked as if Zach and Ashley were going to as well. +“It’s a sprouter.” Zach said, dubbing the zombie abomination with a clever name. At this, I wondered whether there were more of them, or if this was just a one-time freak of nature. Either way, it had to die. Ashley and I raised our guns toward the monster and started to shoot. As each shot hit, the monster let out a bloodcurdling scream, each one louder and more terrifying than the last. After about half a clip each from me and Ashley, the ‘sprouter’ as Zach had called it, finally went down. +“We had to pick the one unit out of like 150 that had a mutated freak of nature inside. We must be pretty damn unlucky.” Said Zach. Ashley and I stepped closer to the door and shone our flashlights inside. There didn’t appear to be anything else inside, so I signaled for Zach to come over and help me check it out while Ashley stood watch. Zach and I entered the unit and searched around, trying as much as possible to avoid the dead sprouter in the middle of the unit and trying to overcome the ungodly stench. At first the unit seemed useless, nothing but a bunch of beakers, glassware, and science books, as well as just a waste of ammo, however, as soon as the thought entered my mind, I heard Zach gasp. I turned around and saw him hunched over an open drawer. +“Find something?” I asked. +“Not just anything, this is probably the reason someone was trying to break into this place.” He replied. I walked over to him, curious at what this item could possibly be. As I got behind him, he turned to show me. I shone my flashlight on the item in his hands, or in this case, items. There were tiny gems in his hands, unlike anything I’ve ever seen. +“What is that?” I asked. +“My mom used to be a jeweler. She taught me what certain jewels looked like. These specific gems look as if they are each a mix of Oxblood Coral, Citrine, Hessanite Garnet, and Crysoberyl.” He responded in amazement. +“What’s so special about these gems Zach? Why would someone store them here?” I questioned. +“Separate, these gems have no real use other than decoration. But with all of their chemical properties mixed………it may be a long shot but I think we have found an antidote!” Zach said with glee. An antidote? This easily? It seemed a little far-fetched to me, but it was at least worth a look considering it was the only lead we had. +“Look around for any sort of identification on who this unit belonged to, maybe we can see if this is credible.” I told Zach. Zach nodded and started searching around. I feared we would have to search that disgusting sprouter, if so, it would definitely be a last resort. I searched every shelf, drawer, and cubby in the unit, but no names, information or anything relating to the unit’s previous owner, which seemed a little odd to me. The only thing I found that remotely gave us any clue were beakers and science-related things. After about 15 minutes of searching, we decided that we had to search the sprouter. We approached it and saw that it’s skin was still crawling with whatever it had under its skin. I swear this thing looked like a sweaty fat guy painted dark blue with huge beetles crawling under his skin. I stuck my hand into Its left pocket, and Zach stuck his hand into the right. The pocket felt as hot as an oven and as squishy and lumpy as tapioca pudding. As I fished around in the pocket, it felt as if the pocket were eating my hand and lower arm. I finally got a grip on something, so I tried to pull out, but my arm wouldn’t budge. The suction from the tapioca-like body substance seemed to keep me in. +“Zach I need help!” I exclaimed. He came over to me and saw my hand stuck in the sprouter. He wrapped his arms around my waist, as I tried to keep my grip on the object in its pocket. +“On three” Zach told me “one………..two…………three!” At that, Zach started to pull and I did my best to pull my entire body weight backwards. I felt my arm starting to slip away. It felt disgusting, it smelled disgusting, and now it sounded disgusting. The sound of it was somewhere of a mix between a whoopee cushion, silly putty, flarp, and water sloshing in a boot. Zach and I kept bulling until my arm was completely free. We fell backwards and Zach nearly hit his head on the door. I looked at the object in my hand that I had managed to retrieve from the dead sprouter, and it looked like a wallet. The wallet looked torn and ragged, almost worn out. As I opened it, I could swear I saw some webs in the seams. I looked at the Driver’s License and it read ‘Richard Morgan’. It also read that he lived in Colorado Springs, which was not too far from here. With his address, we could track this guy down, provided he wasn’t involved in the sprouter. I compared the ID picture to the many faces on the sprouter, none of which looked like the Richard Morgan in the picture, but then again, none of the faces in the sprouter really looked human. Zach and I stepped out of the unit to find Jeremy and Ashley talking; both of them were smiling and giggling. +“Hey Haley” he said to me “I heard shots; just making sure everyone was alright.” Jeremy was always the protective one, especially when it came to me. +“We’re fine Jeremy, but I think there is something you’d find interesting in this storage unit.” I responded. Jeremy looked puzzled, and so I grabbed his hand and pulled him over to the storage unit. I pulled him within eyesight of the abomination and Jeremy’s face immediately turned green. “Zach calls it a sprouter.” I said happily and with a sarcastic smile. “Can we keep him please Jeremy?” He stared at me almost wide-eyed. +“you must be out of your frikkin’ mind.” He told me. I smiled, becoming amused by Jeremy’s shock. “Oh yeah, and Zach found something that might be able to help us.” I continued. “What is it Zach?” Jeremy asked. Zach then held out his hands and showed Jeremy the gems that he and I had found in the unit. Jeremy stared at the gems intently “They’re a brilliant shade of orange, but other than that, what am I looking at?” he asked. I should’ve known he was going to make a remark about the color, orange was his favorite color and his guilty obsession. +“This gem is a mix of 4 different gems that, if put together, are chemically unstable and unpredictable, however, most likely not dangerous. The way the gem behaves is similar to the behavior of penicillin was described of having back in the day. It’s a long shot, but there is a chance that this gem may contribute to finding a cure. What’s more is we found this in a scientist’s storage unit. There’s enough evidence to support it.” Zach explained. Jeremy had a mixed expression, it was an expression I have never seen on him before. It seemed to be a mix of hope, skepticism, intrigue, and confusion. +“How do you know this Zach?” he finally asked. +“My mom told me about 3 gem combinations that have never been done before due to their unpredictability when she was teaching me about the chemical properties of gems. This one is Oxblood coral, Citrine, Hessonite Garnet, and Chrysoberyl. The other two combinations are Onyx, Amethyst, Spinel, and Snowflake Obsidian, as well as the mix of Tourmaline, Aquamarine, Goshenite, and Adulara.” Zach explained. +“This scientist must’ve known what he was doing in order to create such a specific gem combination.” Jeremy stared at the gems again, almost unsure of what to think. “What do you think Haley?” He asked as he turned to me. +“I think it’s the closest shot we have to finding a cure, I say we should go for it.” I responded. What I said was true, but I feared it would be a giant waste of time, effort, and resources. +“Then well done Zach, never thought you’re skills as a jeweler would come in handy someday.” Jeremy said winking at Zach. Zach proceeded to punch Jeremy in the arm, and put the gems in his pocket. We decided to go back to the RV and try to get some sleep; it had been a long night. Zach and I walked next to each other behind Jeremy and Ashley. We walked far enough behind them that we were out of earshot. +“I think Jeremy has a little crush.” Zach remarked. I smiled, not being able to get the thought out of my head. I had never considered it, but Jeremy seems to act a little bit differently around Ashley. +“Now that you mention it Zach, I think you’re right.” I remembered how much love I was in with Ryan the first day we spent together, I wondered if Jeremy and Ashley were having that same feeling for one another. That was when I really started to think about it. Was Jeremy the one she was referencing when she asked me about love? It was too random to just be a curious question. We finally got back to the RV, and Zach immediately crashed on the couch. Jeremy told Ashley and I goodnight and crashed in the passenger seat of the cockpit. Ashley and I returned to the master bedroom and started talking. +“Hey Ashley, can I ask you something?” I asked. +“Sure” +“Do you like Jeremy?” As soon as the words escaped my mouth, Ashley started to blush. +“Is it that obvious?’ she asked. +“To the outside, yes, but don’t worry, Jeremy can be pretty dumb and oblivious sometimes.” I told her as I smiled. This could be good for Jeremy, Ashley is a nice girl. Jeremy’s had some pretty crappy girlfriends in the past, the worst of which cheated on him twice and left him multiple times, but he was still hypnotized by her and thought she was the one. However, with my help he was slapped out of her trance and left her, for good. +“I hope that if we do get together, we are as happy as you and Ryan are.” She said. +“I know you will be, you two seem great for each other.” I replied in excitement. At that I saw her let out a huge yawn. “Why don’t we get to be? It’s been a long night and we’re both exhausted.” I suggested. Ashley nodded her head and laid her head on the pillow on the right side of the bed. +“Goodnight Haley.” She whispered. +“Goodnight Ash.” I replied. +Chapter 11 – Jeremy +I woke up that morning feeling something I haven’t felt in a long time……..hope. All this time we have been surviving we have had courage, resiliency, and determination…….but it only felt as if we were delaying the inevitable. Now we actually had a reason to keep fighting, to keep trudging on. We may very well have the saving grace of the human race in our possession. We can’t get our hopes too high, however. This combination of gems has the same likelihood to release huge amounts of carbon monoxide and kill us in our sleep. However, it is the biggest shot we’ve got, so we basically have no choice. I looked to my left to see Wilson still passed out, when he woke up it would be his turn to drive. I stood up and went back into the living quarters. Zach was still passed out on the couch and Weir was in the booth reading a book. I walked over to the booth and sat down opposite him. +“What’s up man?” I asked. He promptly put down the book. +“Hey Jeremy, wassup?” he responded. +“Kinda crazy isn’t it? Going from friends over the internet to each other’s life preservers. I want to thank you Andy for being here, helping us.” I told him. Weir and I really haven’t sat down to talk man-to-man since the outbreak started, it’s kinda nice to have this time with him. +“It’s no problem dude, you guys are my friends, I’ll have your backs no matter what and I know you guys have mine. Hell, you’ve already saved my ass a million times.” He reminded me. Weir and I always had something similar about one another, but we could never figure out what. Now I’m starting to realize that it is more so our selflessness, courage, and determination. +“you’ve saved my ass quite a few times too bud, remember Texas?” I asked. +“Of course I remember Texas! The only time I got to shoot a horde with a minigun.” He said, chuckling. Back in the first weeks of the outbreak, we were driving through Texas to try to find Weir’s stash of weapons that he hid in case of emergency. The trip ended up with me in the middle of a horde about to be killed, when Weir shot the horde with a minigun we found at a broken down army base. On the other hand, there was the apartment complex where I saved Weir from falling to his death or serious injury. “Hey Jeremy” I had forgotten Weir was sitting in front of me, I was so immersed in the flashbacks I was having. “I want you to have this.” He slid a pocket knife across the table. Engraved in the handle were the letters ‘AW’, Weir’s initials. As well, on the blade there was a blood stain, Weir told me that he marked his favorite knife with a stain of his blood to prove his connection to the blade. +“You want me to have Atom Splitter?” Atom Splitter was what he named the knife, Weir was very fond of science before the outbreak. +“Yeah man, you’re one of my closest friends.” He responded. We shook each other’s hands and clasped our other hands over the connected hands, a mutual sign of respect. +“Awww, Weir and Jeremy are holding hands.” Came a voice from the other side of the room. Zach was still laying on the couch, but his eyes were open. +“Shut up Zach” Weir and I both said in unison. Almost immediately, the three of us started laughing. At that, Ashley walked in from the master bedroom and looked confused. Then, me and Weir held each others hand and announced +“Ooops! We’re holding hands again Zach!” In a playful tone. The three of us laughed even harder at our little inside joke, while Ashley looked all the more confused. It was good that we were unwinding, for the past 3 months everything had been serious and all tense. Now, we were getting a chance to be ourselves. After a little bit, I noticed the confused look on Ashley’s face turned into a smile. For some reason, seeing Ashley smile was unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. She stepped over between Weir and I & Zach and cupped her hand over mine and Weir’s connected hands. She then pulled Weir’s away, but kept mine in hers. She slowly sat down next to me, and we stared into each other’s eyes. Everything in my sight went dark, except for her glowing face. The only thing I wanted to think about was her. The only thing I wanted to see was her. Suddenly, I saw her face getting closer and closer to me. My brain had so many thoughts processing at the same time, that I had no idea how to react. I just sat there like an idiot and closed my eyes. I felt her lips press against mine and her arms wrap around me as she embraced me in her warmth. I wrapped my arms around her and pressed my lips on hers. We pulled away and I opened my eyes. Just as I opened mine, she opened hers. We stared into each other’s eyes and blushed. I looked around and saw Zach and Weir were both staring at us. I looked back at Ashley and she was smiling. I took her hand in mine and kept it there. I turned to Weir and asked +“So, how’s the junk collection coming?” I was referring to Weir’s collection of items that he claims would be useful in building a secret weapon. +“Going good” he responded hesitantly “I got about half of the stuff I need.” +“Cool, can you still not tell me what it is?” I asked. He shook his head. +“No can do bud, you know it’s nothing personal, I just don’t want us to rely too heavily on it.” He continued. I looked over to Zach and found that he was still staring at me and Ashley. +“Look Zach, I know I’m pretty sexy, but you’re gonna have to quit staring. Plus, I’m taken now.” I said, smugly. Ashley had the biggest smile on her face that I have ever seen. Zach chuckled and smiled as well. At that, Wilson came in from the cockpit and looked at us. +“So, where are we headed now?” He asked +“Well, that doctor lives in Colorado Springs, so I guess we should head there and see if those gems Zach found are credible, then I guess we can wing it from there.” I responded. +“I agree” came a voice from the back of the RV. It was Haley, who had just woken up and come into the living quarters. “We need to find this Richard Morgan if we can and question him about these gems.” We all nodded in agreement, and Wilson went back into the cockpit. The RV started up and we pulled out of the storage unit area’s lot. Haley sat down beside Weir and opposite Ashley, while Zach pulled up a folding chair and stuck it on the side of the table no one was at, opposite the window. I looked out the window and saw the Colorado mountainside in the distance. It’s funny, but ever since this living hell began, I found myself finding more and more beautiful. It might be that I’ve found to appreciate the smaller things in life, or it may be because these things represent the world before the outbreak, and the memories of what once was. I looked back at the group and they were all looking out the window as well. I cant speak for them, but they may have been thinking the exact same thing as I was. I realized Ryan had joined us as well. He had pulled up a chair next to Zach and was watching the passing mountainside too. For the first time since the outbreak, everything was looking up. A few hours passed, and suddenly me and Ashley were the only ones left in the booth. I felt as if I could stay this way forever, looking out into the beautiful Colorado mountainside with Ashley’s head on my shoulder. +“Hey Haley.” Ryan called from the back. + “How much longer ‘till we get to Colorado Springs?” It was Haley’s turn to drive, so naturally she was in the cockpit driving. +“A---bout another half ho-----ur babe” she called back. There were sudden pauses in her speech that weren’t there before that you wouldn’t notice if you weren’t listening very closely. Something seemed sort of different with Haley lately, but I wasn’t sure what it was. Ever since the storage unit incident, she’s seemed just…….off. I decided to ignore it for now in order to focus my attention on the more important matter at hand, finding Morgan. I shuffled through our stockpile of city maps, but didn’t find a Colorado Springs map. The best thing we had towards info on Colorado Springs was a Colorado State map. We had no idea what we were doing, we were going in basically blind. We had to be prepared for anything and everything. I went to the armory and organized the weapons I thought would best suit the occasion. I gathered up mid to long range weapons with some detonation charges and smoke grenades. This is when I realized our ammo and equipment were running low. Each of our guns only had about a clip and a half left, we had 3 smoke grenades, 4 frags, and only 2 detonation charges left. This was bad. I grabbed the guns and handed one to each person except myself. +“Alright everyone, this is a balls to the wall situation. This is all the ammo we have. If we can find a gun shop in this city, then great. They probably won’t have ammo for the AK’s, so when you run out of ammo if you have an AK, use it as a melee weapon. For those of you with MP5’s, you don’t have a lot of ammo, but if we can find a gun shop they will definitely have ammo for you. Those of you with frags and smokes, use them wisely. Those of you with C4, use them even wiser. Ashley, how are you at shooting?” I spoke. She shrugged her shoulders and told me she had never fired a gun before. This could be a problem, considering Colorado Springs was a relatively big city. +“Ash you can do it, Just look at this thing on the top and shoot using it.” I explained. She nodded as if she understood, but I knew she didn’t. Things were looking bleak for us, we had entered Colorado Springs and realized that there were more zombies than we had anticipated. +“Stop the RV Haley, there are too many.” I said to her as I walked into the cockpit. The horde ahead of us was so thick that if we tried to plow through them with the RV, it would probably break down. The 3 months of brutal wear and tear of the RV due to the zombies, hits, and explosions it had taken, I wasn’t sure it could take much more. Haley still hadn’t stopped, we were speeding toward the thick horde of at least a thousand. +“Haley, stop the RV!” she didn’t budge. I grabbed her and she looked at me with a blank expression. Her pupils were pure white and her face was chalky. She wasn’t turning into one of them was she? I grabbed her by the leg and the arm and tried to pull her out of the driver’s seat, but she decked me in the face. I went sprawling back into the passenger seat. I looked up over the dash and saw the horde coming ever closer by the second. Whatever was happening to Haley, it was something bad and something none of us had ever seen before. I got on all fours and crawled over to the pedals. I slammed the brake down with my hand and hit Haley’s foot off the gas. I could feel the RV slamming to a halt, while Haley was fighting with me. Between her kicks, I managed to get out from under her and stand up. I grabbed her again and lifted her out of the seat. I heard her mumbling some random gibberish, which made me even more concerned. +“Ryan! I need you to search Haley for any bites, I have no idea what is going on with her!” I called Ryan for help. I gave Haley to Ryan and let him take her into the master bedroom. I looked back out of the windshield. The huge horde of a thousand must’ve heard the breaks slam. They were heading straight toward us. +Chapter 12 – Haley +---DO NOT LET THEM GET HERE HALEY, DO NOT LET THEM COME. DO NOT LET THEM GET HERE HALEY DO NOT LET THEM COME.---- +“Haley can you hear me?” ---DO NOT LET THEM COME HERE HALEY, DO NOT LET THEM COME. DO NOT LET THEM COME HERE HALEY, DO NOT LET THEM COME. DO NOT LET THEMC OME HERE HALEY, DO NOT LET THEM COME.------ +“Haley, come back to me now baby.” -----KILL THEM ALL HALEY, PROTECT ME! ---- +“Baby it’s Ryan, come back to me baby please!” ----- KILL THEM ALL HALEY PROTECT M!---- +“Haley please come back to me!” +Chapter 13 – Ryan +I didn’t know what was going on. Everything was a blur. Jeremy was freaking out in the cockpit, everyone was running back and forth through the RV, and my girl was laying down on this bed in front of me, eyes blank, skin pale, foam from the mouth, and shaking violently. Out of all the chaos, it seemed that time now seemed to stand still. I suddenly felt as if all hope was lost, as if all the hope in my body had been sucked out of me. Everything seemed so hopeless to me now. The love of my life seemed as if she were dying, my group was in total panic and turmoil, and as I looked out the cockpit window that I could see from the back, I saw all the zombies that were about to envelope the RV. I decided to do exactly what Jeremy told us to do. Go all out balls to the wall. I kissed Haley on her forehead and yelled for Weir. +“What do you need Ryan?” he asked, his voice in panic. +“I need you to do all you can for Haley. Keep her away from danger and keeper her stable.” I responded. He told me he would do his best, and that would have to be enough. I looked under the bed and grabbed the mini-gun I had kept hidden from the group since about 2 weeks after the outbreak. For 3 months I have rounded up ammo for this puppy, and now I can’t think of a better time to use it. I hauled the 150 pound killing machine out of the master bedroom and into the living quarters. Everyone started staring at me, but not speaking any words. I didn’t stop for a second. I kicked the door open to get outside. The sky had turned from crystal blue to a darker, death grey. I hauled the gun outside as I went around to the front of the RV. I revved up the gun and pointed it at the sea of the undead in front of me. I looked around, taking in the city. It was a much bleaker scene than that of the beautiful mountainside that I had taken in with my comrades not 3 hours ago. The buildings were rugged and torn, the streets were broken, and the clouds were black, all under that deathly grey sky. I could feel the cold mist blow against my face as the wind started to pick up. I looked back forward and saw the zombies were now about 25 feet away. I braced myself and started to fire my death machine. The sound of bullets leaving their chambers from within the tumbler filled the air. The only things I could see in front of me were flashes of light with red liquid raining down everywhere. Chunks of lifeless meat accompanied the blood in flight. It was the most terrifying time in my life. It felt as if it were an eternity before my ammo ran out, and the tumbler was just spinning. I revved down the tumbler and lowered the gun. So much blood………so much raw meat that looked like hamburger before it’s cooked……….so much mayhem. I had successfully saved the group from death, there were no more zombies in the street in front of me. I probably shouldn’t even call it a street, it was so filled with blood, meat, and lead you couldn’t even see the street. I took a long sigh as the rain started to come down. I looked up and let it wash over me. The way the water ran down my body was so soothing, I felt as if it were healing me both physically and emotionally. Despite how much I had wanted to stay in this position, I knew I had an obligation to my friends. I dropped the gun and went back into the RV. Everyone except for Weir and Haley, who were still in the back, were in the cockpit, looking out the front window. Everyone turned back to me, stunned. As if they hadn’t ever expected that from me. I turned around and made my way to the back, where I saw Haley face-down on the bed and Weir looking as if he were going to perform surgery with a knife and tweezers. +“What the hell are you doing!?” I yelled. I ran toward Weir looking to tackle him and get him away from Haley. Right before I made contact with Weir, Jeremy grabbed me and held me back. +“Ryan calm down!” he shouted as I struggled against him. “He’s going to save her!” The very idea of saving Haley from whatever was happening to her was enough to get me to calm down a little bit. I stopped struggling against Jeremy, but quickly and sternly asked +“What are you going to do to her?” Weir walked over to Haley and pointed the tweezers at her neck. I hadn’t noticed it before now, but there was a dark green sphere that had burrowed deep into the back of Haley’s neck. Around the sphere, there was a thick ring of black that looked as if it were crawling. +“It looks like the way the sprouter’s skin crawled in the storage unit.” Zach explained. “We think it may have infected her somehow, and if that’s true, me and Ashley are also at risk.” I looked at Haley, her body still twitching a little, and then to Weir. I nodded to Weir and allowed him to perform the surgery. Weir nodded back to me and clasped his hand on my shoulder. +“I’ll treat her with the utmost care Ryan, I’ll do my best.” He told me. I knew he would, he was arguably the smartest and most knowledgeable of all of us. If anyone could fix Haley, it would be Weir. Weir told everyone they had to leave the room except for me. I sat down next to Haley and clasped her hand as Weir went to work on her neck. +Chapter 14 – Jeremy +What Ryan just did was incredible. I’ve never seen someone take out that many zombies before. However, there were still stragglers out there, and we had to get moving. I told Zach and Wilson to place their bodies out the windows with some guns, so they could take out any potential threats. The way the RV was sounding, it was on it’s last legs. I got in the driver’s seat and started to drive. After a few miles, the RV started to shake violently, and remembering that Weir was performing surgery, I stopped. “Zach, Wilson, any threats?” I called to my comrades. They responded with a “No” in unison. I started to get out of the driver’s seat, when I heard +“HALEY NOOOOOO!” It was Ryan who had screamed. I sprinted back through the living quarters and into the master bedroom. Weir was backed against a wall with Haley pushing against him. Ryan was keeping her from biting or scratching Weir, as she was trying to do. It wasn’t until I saw her face that I had realized that she had turned. So many emotions started racing through me all at the same time. Then, all of a sudden, Haley lunged at me. Because of his misposition, Ryan lost his grip on her and she flew toward me. However, her body went limp when it collided into me. For a second I was afraid, band it wasn’t until Haley started snoring in my arms that I calmed down. I looked up and saw the sphere inside the tweezers that Weir was holding, along with the black gunk that now seemed to retreat inside the sphere. The sphere now seemed to have sprouted legs and arms, and it flailed them wildly. As Weir applied more pressure to the tweezers with his fingers, I saw fountains of blue and black liquid. Begin to spew out of the orb. It may have just been my imagination, but I could swear I heard a microscopic scream as well. Finally, Weir squished it, and it was out of our hair, hopefully for good. I then realized that Haley was still in my arms, knocked out. I looked around her head to the back of her neck and saw that there was a huge hole where the sphere used to be and it was bleeding heavily. There was already blood starting to cover the back of her shirt. +“I need paper towels or toilet paper, or tissues! Anything but quick!” I yelled. Everyone rushed off in different directions to find the materials I asked for. I clamped my hand over the bleeding hole, in a desperate attempt to stop the bleeding. In no time at all, the blood started oozing through my fingers. By the time one of the others got back with paper towels, I was worried it was already too late. In a few moment’s time I had at least seven layers of paper towels, six layers of toilet paper, and eight layers of tissues on the back of Haley’s neck. I hoped and prayed that the bleeding would stop, I wished with all of my being that it would stop. I couldn’t lose Haley, and I knew Ryan couldn’t either. I could see Haley’s face turn pale, but then I remembered something. Ryan and Haley knew everything about each other, every single detail. There was a chance that Ryan knew Haley’s blood type. +“Ryan!” I yelled, not meaning to. “Do you know what Haley’s blood type is?” He pondered for a second, and then responded, +“Yeah, she donated blood a few years ago, It’s AB Negative.” AB Negative was the rarest blood type in the world, only 0.7% of people in the world had it, and that was before the outbreak. I asked everybody in the room if they had it, hoping they would. No one did. There was one more option, however. I yelled for Wilson to grab my wallet out of my pocket, and he did so. I remembered that I gave blood a few years back as well and they gave me a little card with my blood type, I never memorized it though. I asked Wilson to tell me my blood type, and sure enough it was AB Negative. +“Weir, get me the syringe out of your medical bag.” I called. He obeyed and returned just as the blood coming out of Haley’s neck reached the last layer of tissue. I then promptly stuck the needle in my vein and begun the transfer. There was already a tube in Haley’s wrist from Weir’s attempted makeshift surgery, so I put the tube in there. After about 15 minutes, the blood stopped flowing from her neck, but I knew I had a lot of ground to make up. I kept transferring my blood to her for the next half-hour. At that point, I could barely see anything. Everything was a blur and I couldn’t see colors. “Ryaaaaan” I began to slur “Isss Huurrrrleyyy Shhhtiiiilllll Paaayyyyllle?” I could barely make out his words, but I could understand that she wasn’t and she was regaining color, as he did so I could also make out that he was pulling the needle out of both of our arms. He then bandaged me up and laid me down on the bed. I began to fade, I didn’t know if I was dying, or simply going to sleep at that point. As my eyes closed, I envisioned a bright and colorful field. I could now feel myself standing on the grass. The sky was a brilliant blue and the grass was as green as I’ve ever seen. The trees that were atop the horizon were magnificent against the backdrop of the blue sky. I began to walk forward, the crisp, cool blades of grass rubbing against my feet. The air felt so full, as if there wasn’t anything in it but oxygen, and the temperature was perfect. I looked into the sky, and thought I saw a few glares, as if it were made of glass. I proceeded forward through the trees on the horizon. I kept walking and eventually found the end of the forest. As I emerged from the trees, I saw a huge city. It looked bigger than New York City, and more breathtaking than the northern lights. It looked as if it were made of neon and diamonds. I walked toward the city and ran into some cute, friendly woodland creatures. This felt so different than the life I had been living for the past 3 ½ months. I squatted down and patted the little creatures on the head. The bunnies, the squirrels, the chipmunks, all of them just sat there, smiling and chirping all the while. I stood back up and continued onward toward the city. It looked so beautiful and vibrant, more so than any city I have ever seen. I continued onward into the city, and the streets seemed as if they were something from a video game. The cars zoomed by on what looked like zip lines. There were not stop lights, stop signs, medians, or any street sign whatsoever, but the cars still seemed to flow flawlessly. It seemed as if they were being controlled by a pre-programmed AI. I continued walking next to the road on the sidewalk until I got to City Hall. I entered into the beautiful lobby, it was unlike any room I had ever seen before. The lobby was made out of what seemed like pure gold, and the windows were a magnificent tint of blue. I walked through the museum sized room and spoke to the information woman at the front desk. +“Excuse me, what exactly is this place?” I asked. Her face appeared to shine even brighter than ever as she began to speak. +“This place is named Civitatem Magnificentia. The City of Magnificence!” As she said it, the walls seemed to emit a sound of glass being shattered, but into a billion tiny pieces so it sounds magnificent, along with the sound of wind chimes being blown in a gentle wind. This place truly was a city of magnificence, it was so full of beauty and wonder that I wanted to learn more, but where were my friends? I had to find them; I had to show them this magnificent place. “You are not going to find your friends Jeremy. They are gone, far away from here. You don’t need them, and they don’t need you.” The woman at the desk spoke ominously, as if reading my very thoughts. +“I want to find my friends, where are they?” I asked, demandingly. She took a deep sigh and waved her hand in the air. A small portal opened in her palm. +“In order to stop you from returning to your friends, I must show you what will happen, if you make that decision.” She retorted. She threw the portal from her palm onto my chest. At that very moment, everything started to flash. I could feel all of my insides being turned inside out, not in a painful way, but in a freaky way. I could feel my flesh, bone, and muscle bend to the mercy of the portal. A few moments later, as my entire being fell into the portal, I felt as if I were flying without wings. I felt as if my mind were allowing me to soar through the air and let the wind blow all through my body. I felt transparent, as well as solid. I saw that I was in some sort of tunnel, but the walls of the tunnel were flying past me, and they were all colored in a way that seemed sort of like something you would see in a collidascope. I felt as if I were on some sort of bad acid trip, until I saw a huge, blinding light. Within seconds, it had swallowed me. A few seconds passed before the light started to dim. As the light dimmed, I could make out a black and red sky, dead plants and animals, and grey grass. The light had completely dimmed as I was making out the scene, it was as if I had entered hell. It looked like the entire world had been killed, as if there were no hope for humanity. I looked to my right onto a deserted road, where I saw a few zombies roaming. That was the cause, zombies had ruled the world. I couldn’t believe my eyes, i was stunned, I didn’t want to believe it. I started to walk around, hearing the crunch of dead grass beneath my feet. I walked over to the zombies, but they didn’t pay any mind to me. I reached out to touch one of them, but just before my hand made contact, the zombie turned toward me. The shock and fear that I had felt just a few moments before had magnified at least 5 times when the saw the face of the zombie. The zombie was the face of my sister, Haley Taylor. Behind her, were three more zombies that were starting to turn. I saw the faces of Weir, Zach, and Ashley. I was frozen in fear and shock, sadness and sorrow. I could not believe what I was seeing, would this really happen if I returned to my friends? Would the very world as we know it cease to exist? Would I make some terrible mistake that would destroy everything? In the middle of my thinking, I started falling backward, it felt as if I were stumbling, but I was completely still. Before I knew it, I was in another portal, my body being flung around like a rag doll, yet I felt no pain. The portal spit me out with a thud on my back. I watched the portal disappear, and a beautiful blue sky replace it. I stood up, and I saw that I was standing on cool, moist, green grass. I looked around and saw a small town in the distance. I started walking toward it, and as I did so I felt a cool breeze flow through my hair. I felt as if the woman at the desk were playing with me, putting me inside of a hell-hole, and now she put me in this peaceful paradise. I made my way toward the small town and noticed a sign that read ‘House Springs: Population 500’. I couldn’t believe it, House Springs was my hometown, but it looked nothing like the town that I used to know. I walked around and saw the house I lived in as a kid and entered using the hidden key that only I knew about. I stepped in, and I recognized the inside, but only just. The walls were painted orange instead of grey, the floor was wood instead of carpet, and there were electronic gizmos all over the place. +“Hello sir, I am going to have to ask, how in the blazes did you get into my home?” a man to my right said in a very polite tone. I turned and saw a man who looked almost Identical to me. +“I used the key.” He looked rather amused. +“Impossible! Only I know where the key is hidden.” He said, mixing amusement with politeness in his voice. +“Look, my name is Jeremy Bene, and this is……….” The man interrupted me and said +“What? But I’m Jeremy Bene! How can this be?” I was completely confused, this man looked a lot older than I was, probably about 25 years older, but he still had a lot of facial features that I had. If this guy was truly Jeremy Bene…….then that meant……… +“What year is this?” I asked him. +“Well silly, it is the year 2037 of course!” 2037? But the outbreak happened in 2013, how did this happen? +“Do you remember anything about a zombie outbreak?” I asked him. His face turned into a sly smile. +“Yes of course! January 2013 if memory serves, that was the home to the greatest achievement in my life. Come, sit, I’ll make us some tea.” He swiftly went into the kitchen and started the tea. I sat down on the couch, from the feel of it; it was leather, but the most comfy leather sofa I have ever sat on. I pondered on what Jeremy had said ‘It was the home to the greatest achievement of my life.’ What did he mean? As he was making the tea, he started singing, which was really odd, because I don’t sing. Soon enough, he returned with the tea and we started drinking. +“After Morgan ran off, the world seemed to end because of what he did. Everything was falling apart. But the crystals held magical abilities. Abilities that were transferred to me. I used the Earth Technique to level the quaking ground, the Water Technique to extinguish the fires, the Air Technique to stabilize the unstable waters, and the Fire Technique to heat the cooling air. I was the master of all four of the elements. The crystals gave me unspeakable power. As I held the four elements stable, the crystals gave me a new ability. The Soul Technique. I unleashed my new ability upon the world, and at that point everything seemed right.” He spoke. I had absolutely no idea what in the bloody blue hell he was talking about. “Oh wait; you are from a different time aren’t you? Is that how everything is working here? If you are truly Jeremy Bene, then you must be here from another time, from a different world. Here in this time period, we have mastered the theory of the 5D universe. For every dimension, there is another dimension existing, but in the same timeline and in a different point in time. Of course! Why didn’t I think of this before? You must be dreaming you are here! We have discovered that dreams cross the boundaries of the 5D universe; they cross into the fifth dimension and stray through time. In turn, your dreams are actually reality in another dimension. I am actually you from the year 2037, Jeremy.” I was stunned. Was this really how dreams worked? The only thing I could say was +“So I’m gonna live through the outbreak? I’m gonna rebuild the world?” The other Jeremy shook his head. +“It’s not that simple. It’s a possibility, yes. However, just because I exist in this timeline, doesn’t mean you are going to exist at this point in yours. This is the same timeline, the world will change at the same rate, and the life on earth will grow at the same rate. However, the people’s choices are their own. Every time someone makes a decision, another dimension is created to branch off from where that other dimension left off, but it would stray down the path of the other decision. For example, if I were to decide whether to keep sitting here on this couch or stand up, there would be two dimensions created. Since I haven’t stood up yet, there has been a dimension created that has me standing, but giving you this same speech in the same situation. Do you understand?” I nodded, I knew about the multi-universe theory, which had similar aspects to what he…..i mean I….. Was saying. “I have told you too much, you must return to your own time before you do some serious damage.” He scolded me. +“I would love to, but I can’t. There was some weird lady in my dream; she was a secretary or something. She blasted me with some sort of portal and took me to two different dimensions I guess, one where the zombies one and here.” I responded. Jeremy thought about this for a second. +“This might hurt for a second, but it will wake you up.” He warned. I had no idea what he had in mind, but all that mattered was that I could get back to my own time. Before I could react, he decked me in the face, and everything went white. My body felt weightless, I felt as if nothing were interacting with me at all. My body started to turn as if I were laying down, and eventually I could feel something solid holding me up. I opened my eyes and saw the roof of the RV. I appeared to be laying in the master bed. I still felt like crap, but at least now I was awake and aware. I started to sit up, but I then noticed two bodies on either side of me. To my left there was Haley, apparently sleeping. I held my breath for a second and turned her onto her side. The hole was bandaged up and there was no blood on the bandage. As well, I could hear her snoring. She was alive! The happiness I felt at that moment was unparalleled by any other moment in my life. I slowly exhaled into a sigh of relief and turned to my other side. It was Ashley, who was laying there sleeping. For a second, I thought she was victimized as Haley was, but at that moment, she stirred awake. Her beautiful blue eyes looked up at me in disbelief. After she got over the initial shock of seeing me, she shot up with a squeal and wrapped her arms around my neck. +“Oh my god Jeremy your awake!” she yelled. She pulled away so that she could see my face again, but her arms were still wrapped around my neck tightly. She then gave me the biggest, most passionate kiss I had ever gotten, and that I probably will ever get. It felt as if an eternity had passed before it was over, and I was completely fine with that. She finally pulled away and I saw that she was crying. I wiped away her tears and put my hand on her cheek. I couldn’t stop smiling and neither could she. I then realized that we were not alone. Weir, Wilson, Zach, and Ryan were standing in the doorway. +“Hey guys, what’d I miss?” I asked. They were all smiling at me. “How’s Haley?” I then asked. Ryan’s smile then faded. +“It was one hell of a close call bud, but thanks to you, she made it. Weir did some calculations and if you had waited just a little while longer to transfer your blood, she would’ve lost too much and we would’ve lost her.” Ryan explained. Ryan then walked over to me and wrapped me in a hug. “Thanks for saving her Jeremy, you have no idea what that means to me.” He whispered in my ear. +“You guys would do the same for me, don’t worry about it.” I whispered back. “Weir deserves some credit too Ryan.” I continued. +“Oh yeah bro, I didn’t forget about him, I told him I owed him about a million favors already while you were out!” He responded. We all chuckled a bit, and it was well deserved. We were all under a lot of stress as of late, so it was kind of a weight-lifter to laugh a bit. +“So how long was I out? My body feels stiff as a board.” I moaned, trying to stretch out my limbs. There was a long silence after my question, and I knew I wouldn’t like the answer. +“Jeremy………..bro you’ve been out for about a week.” Wilson finally spoke up. A week? It couldn’t have been that long. I sprang out of the bed, but when I did so my legs gave out. AS I fell to the ground, I could hear almost every bone in my body crack. It felt good, to let all of that tension out of my body, but it also felt excruciating. Wilson and Ryan helped me back up to my feet and told me to take it easy. +“How the hell was I out for a whole week?” I finally asked in disbelief. +“I did the math when you passed out, you were supposed to wake up 2 days ago, but I guess you had lost more blood than I had guessed. At any rate, you had us going for a second, we checked on you like every hour or so to make sure you were still alive. You and Haley lost so much blood, a lot of us thought neither of you were going to make it, as much as I hate to say it.” Weir further explained. In all honesty, when I was transferring the blood, I didn’t care what happened to myself. I only wanted to save my sister. “I also analyzed the dead flesh of that sphere.” Weir continued. “It’s obviously a parasite, but I couldn’t relate it to any other known parasite on the planet, not even in the slightest. My best guess is that it is a type of mind-control device. That would explain Haley’s peculiar behavior in the city.” I contemplated this for a few moments. It seemed highly probably, but how was it made? Was it like the sprouter, where it had gotten mutated by the virus? Then, I dawned on something. The parasite presumably came from the sprouter, which was indirectly linked to Richard Morgan. +“Weir, have you checked if the parasite had any man-made genetics?” I asked. Weir thought on this for a second and then shook his head. “Then check it, I have an idea.” I responded. Weir promptly darted out of the room with Wilson and Zach following closely behind. +“So Jeremy” Ryan started “What’s it like being unconscious for a week?” It was an interesting question that I really hadn’t thought about myself. +“It felt as if everything were surreal. My mind could play tricks on itself without even realizing it. Anything could happen, and I had total control, but no control at the same time. I had 3 ‘dreams’ if you would call them, but they felt as if they were real.” I responded. I started to think about the ‘dreams’ I had while I was out, while I was in Civitatem Magnificentia. The utopia, the future, the death. They were three different realities that humanity could find in our timeline. If we weren’t careful, the future could very well depend on us. Just as that thought exited my mind, I thought I heard a small groan. I looked over toward the bed and saw Haley stirring. After a few moments, her eyes opened, and she had her pupils again. +“Uhhhh…….what’s going on?” she asked. +“Haley!” Ryan cried. He ran over to her and wrapped his arms around her chest. “Baby I thought I lost you! I’m so glad your back!” He cried. Haley looked at me, looking confused. I gestured to just hug him back, so she did. After they pulled away, the confused looked returned to Haley’s face. +“So what is the last thing you remember Haley?” I asked. She thought about it for a few moments, then she answered. +"the last thing I remember is sitting down in the driver's seat and turning the key to start the RV." Honestly, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I was scared that she may have had amnesia or lost her memory beyond the outbreak. "There was a strange voice in my dream though, he kept saying, 'do not let them come here Haley, do not let them come' over and over again." she continued. "I felt like i was in a nightmare, it was so scary." Ryan wrapped her in a hug. +"the important thing is your ok now baby, that's all that matters." Ryan said. I started walking, trying to once again get my legs used to the weight of my body. With every step i took i heard a series of cracks in my knees and thighs. Within a few minutes, my legs started regaining strength, and i could walk more easily. I staggered my way over to the door and looked back to the bed. Ryan and Haley were already immersed in a conversation, and Ashley was already walking toward me. She walked with me out of the bedroom and into the living quarters. +"So what's all happened since we've been out?" I asked. Her face grew a little bit darker as she started to explain the situation. +"We had to reinforce the RV and hold up here. Ryan and Weir determined that the RV wouldn't be able to run anymore, it's been beatun up way too much. It's been like a makeshift fort the past couple days." she explained. It kind of pained me to see the RV dead, after all we had been through. I staggered my way over to the booth and Ashely and i sat down. I looked out the window and saw a much more different scene than when I last saw Colorado. The last time I saw it, it was dark, bleak, and rainy. Now it was quite the contrary, bright and shiny. +"Have there been any more incidents?" I asked. Ashley shook her head and said everything had been fine. Their main concerns right now were the basic essentials; food, warmth, water, etc. We needed to develop a plan to get those essentials, becasue I think I could speak for Haley as well when i said i was starving. After a little while, Wilson and Zach came over to the booth. +"Jeremy you're not gonna believe this!" Zach exclaimed. "Weir not only found man-made genetics, he found a tracking device in that bug. He said he might be able to tap into it's reception frequency." This was great news. If that bug was developed by Richard Morgan, we may have a big lead on him. +"That's great guys, but right now we need to focus our attention on more pressing matters. Ashley tells me we need food, so we need to get it. There's got to be some kind of shop here soemwhere." I responded. Wilson infromed me that he saw a mall formt he top of the RV yesterday, and we ended up setting that as our destination. We would need everyone at one hundred percent for this job, that means me and Haley had some physical therapy to do. +Chapter 15 - Haley +A few days had passed since Jeremy and I woke up. We spent our days working out and trying to get our bodies back in working condition most of the time, while the others developed a foolproof plan for heisting the mall. You really don't realize how many muscles you use just by walking, because of the underuse, they were all hurting. Jeremy weighed more than me and was stronger than i was, which made his recovery time become considerably shorter than my own. Due to this, he was almost at one hundred percent, whereas I still had a lot of work to do. I was taking my 5 minutes break outside when Zach came outside. Him and Ryan were like my rehabilitation coaches, considering I've never had to be in a physical therapy session, didn’t know how to properly rehabilitate myself. +"How ya feelin'?" He asked +"Pretty sore, but i guess that's the process of getting better huh?" I responded. He nodded his head and smiled. +"Can I talk to you for a sec?" he asked. I nodded, curious as to what he wanted to talk about. +"I talked with the others, when you and Jeremy were out, and I asked them about your leadership skills compared to his." I was shocked. I knew what he was going to say, he was going to tell me they wanted Jeremy back, he was going to tell me I didn't live up to expectations. "We all agree that........." before he finished, i interrupted. +"Look, I know I haven't lived up to expectations, but you have to understand that being leader is very hard an stressful. To know that you are in charge of you're whole group's survival, it's unreal!" It turned from a statement to a yell very quickly. +"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Zach exclaimed in reply. "Haley calm down, let me finish. We determined that you were the better leader. you handled the gas station and storage unit situations better than Jeremy ever could. We want you to stay as leader, for good." I was stunned. I didn't know what to say. +“Uh….Are you sure?” I asked in astonishment. I had always looked up to Jeremy for his leadership skills, and to know that I had done a better job than he did…….it made me feel great. +“Yeah, I’m sure of it. We all are. Just, please don’t tell Jeremy, I’ve known the guy my whole life, im sure it would break his heart.” I wasn’t sure if Zach was right about my leadership skills, but I knew he was right about Jeremy. He had always taken such pride in being a good leader, it was one of the only things he thought he was good at. +“I’ll keep it to myself, thanks Zach.” I replied. He clapped me on the back and returned to the RV. I continued my physical therapy, thinking about what was better about my leadership skills than Jeremy’s. I was less headstrong than him, but most times that was a good thing. I was also a bit more conservative and I don’t really get caught in rage as much as he does. If the group thought it was best, I figured I would do as they saw fit. Ryan and Zach had told me that tomorrow would probably be my last day of rehabilitation. Our raid of the mall was scheduled for the day after tomorrow, and I would be the one to lead the raid, but I had no idea what the others were planning. After another hour of physical therapy, I went back into the RV, exhausted. I collapsed onto the couch, ready to just relax. Jeremy, Weir, Ashley, and Wilson were all in the booth opposite me having an in-depth conversation, and Zach and Ryan were in the cockpit planning my final physical therapy session. I stared at the ceiling for the longest time, taking it all in. We were a few days away from invading a mall which contains an unknown number of undead and ‘surprises’ with only 7 people. I hope the group put together a damn good plan because that seems like somewhat of an impossible feat. That is one quality Jeremy ad in his leadership that I didn’t, self-confidence. Jeremy firmly believed that there was nothing that we couldn’t do, whereas I look at things to a more realistic level. I closed my eyes, and when I opened them, Ryan was above me stroking my hair. When he saw my eyes open, he lowered his head and kissed me gently. He was so handsome and warm. So kind and compassionate. He was the perfect man, and he was mine. I wanted the kiss to last forever, but sadly we had to pull away. It was now dark outside, and it appeared the only ones awake now were myself, Ryan, Weir, and Ashley. Ashley and Weir were playing cards in the booth, while Ryan was still above me. I sat up, and Ryan sat next to me. +“So Weir, what’s the plan that you guys have been developing?” I asked him. Weir put down his cards and reached into his pocket. He then pulled out a layout of the building from what we had seen of it. He started explaining what we were to do; what we were to do if something failed, backup plans, and emergency plans. It seemed like a good plan overall, but it was missing something. +“Did you take into account our lack of ammo?” I asked. Weir’s eyes lit up. +“Oh! We forgot to tell you guys? When you and Jeremy were out we found a gun store down the block and robbed it. We even found stuff for the AK’s and the minigun.” He replied. I was ecstatic. We were more prepared than I had originally anticipated. Still, I couldn’t help but feel a sinking feeling in my chest, as if something were going to go horribly wrong on this heist. However, I didn’t express this with the group; I didn’t want them to worry. +“I think we all should get to bed.” Ashley expressed with a yawn as Weir finished explaining the plan to me. “It’s kinda getting late.” I hadn’t realized how late it was, considering the nap I had just had. It was 2 in the morning and everyone was tired. Including myself, physical therapy was definitely taking its toll on my body. I laid back down on the couch with Ryan right next to me. Zach crashed in the booth and Ashley went in the bedroom, where Jeremy was sleeping. I then closed my eyes and went back to sleep. Considering the amount of sleep I got yesterday, I expected to be the first one awake, but that wasn’t the case. I woke up and started walking around the RV, when I noticed there was something on the roof. I saw the back of I through the sunroof and questioned what it could be. I got out of the RV and climbed the back ladder to the top. It was Jeremy. He was staring into the beautiful sunrise, knowing him he was probably thinking about something. +“Hey, good morning” I chimed. He didn’t respond, he didn’t even look at me or acknowledge my existence. After a few moments of silence, he finally responded with a dull +“Hey”. I walked over to him and sat down next to him. The sunrise was beautiful, but I was starting to wonder if things like this were a bad omen. The last time I had seen something as magnificent as this was the drive to Colorado Springs, which had led to my week-long incapacitation and near-death experience. +“I heard you and Zach talking yesterday.” He broke the silence. At first, I didn’t know what he was talking about, but a few moments later I caught on. “I’m proud of you Haley, don’t get me wrong. It’s just that I feel like a failure. I feel like I was putting the group in danger for not providing them with the best leadership possible.” Zach was right, Jeremy was hurting badly. +“It’s not your fault Jeremy, if anything you taught me how to become a good leader, I just put my own touch to things.” I tried to comfort him, but it didn’t seem to work. After a while, I stood up and returned down the ladder. As I entered the RV, I saw Zach emerge from the booth and told me what he and Ryan had planned for my final physical therapy session. About an hour la Zach had awoke fully; we began the session without Ryan. I started with push-ups for about 15 minutes, then sit-ups for half an hour. Finally, Ryan woke up and congratulated me on my progress. I kept up the therapy, and by 3 I was finished. Ryan and Zach had told me to take it easy the rest of the day and tomorrow I should be good to go. I looked around and saw fields and lakes as far s the eye could see, except behind us, which was the city of Colorado Springs. The others must’ve drove out of the city while Jeremy and I were out. Jeremy……….I felt so bad for the guy. However, he should’ve seen it coming. It was only a matter of time before reality set in. Before the outbreak, no one thought very highly of him, but when he stepped up to try to save us all, it gave us the impression that he was superhuman, when in reality he was just ballsy. The group still needed someone who is a good thinker, a good planner, and apparently it was me. I looked at the city, the mall in particular. It seemed to shimmer in the sunlight, as was the lake a half mile away from me. This was undoubtedly the calm before the storm, as we were going to take on the biggest challenge of our lives tomorrow. I looked back up at the roof of the RV, and Jeremy was still there, in the same position. I wanted to go comfort him, but I knew he wanted to be alone. I returned to the RV to find Weir putting the final touches on the ‘master plan’. +“Hey Haley” Zach called “Do you know what’s up with Jeremy?” He asked. I told him Jeremy had overhead us talking and immediately Zach was kicking himself. +“I’ll go talk to him” he said and left the RV. I walked over to Ryan, who was helping Weir finalize the plan. I wrapped my arms around his waist and pulled him closer to me. +"I haven't said this to you in a while, but I love you Ryan." He looked back at me with a huge smile on his face and replied +"I love you too babe." He put his hands on mine and went back to helping Weir. +"It doesn't matter ok! you don't have to lie to me anymore. I'm fine!" Someone was yelling from the top of the RV. It was Jeremy yelling at Zach. +"Jeremy, we didn't want to hurt you, thats why I told Haley to keep it quiet." Zach responded. +"That's not the point! the point is you guys didn't tell me straight off that i was a bad leader!" +"You're not a bad leader!" They kept bickering back and forth for about half an hour before they made up, as per usual with those two. It was a good thing too, because if this heist were to go smoothly, we would all have to be unified. +Chapter 16 - Ryan +Haley and I were the first ones up that morning. We had climbed up to the top of the RV, holding each other as the sun rose. +"Ryan" she said "If anything happens, I want you to know that I love you more than anything in the world." +"Don't think like that sweetheart" I responded "everything is going to be alright." Her face and body sunk as the words escaped my mouth. +"I've got kind of a sinking feeling babe, like something bad is going to happen." she said in a rather depressed tone. I put two fingers under her chin and lifted her face to where our eyes met. +"I am not going to let anything happen to anyone ok?" I told her softly. I leaned in and kissed her. As we pulled away, the frown turned into a smile on her face. Everyone was up before 8, and we had gotten packed for the heist the night before. It was in question whether Jeremy and Haley were in the right physical and emotional states, but we couldn't procrastinate any longer, we needed food, and we needed it now. +"Alright guys, you all now the plan. We go in, gap two shopping carts each, and grab necessities. If we run into the undead, take them out as quietly as possible. If anyone hears a shot, find the nearest exit. Cool?" Haley spoke. Everyone nodded their heads in agreement. At that, we all took our weapons and headed out. It was a good ways to the mall, probably a few miles, so it was going to be quite a walk. I began to feel a bit bad about Jeremy, my vote was the reason the group decided to have Haley on as permanent leader. I began to reminisce on the first day with both of them gone. When Haley had been saved by Jeremy, Jeremy went comatose. Everyone was in a panic. With the two figureheads incapacitated, we needed to unify. Ashley and I had rallied everyone and calmed them down. Weir assured us that Haley and Jeremy had pulses periodically, but for the time being someone needed to take charge. Ashley and I ended up being the ones to stand up, but it was hard. Both of us were torn apart. Our loved ones were out cold, with no signs of coming to anytime soon. The pain I felt in that week was worse than any pain I had ever felt in my entire life, and I think I could say the same for Ash. My thoughts stayed centered on the events that happened days ago, while my body continued toward the mall. The time in which Jeremy and Haley were comatose were undoubtedly the darkest time for the group. No one knew what to do, no one had any idea what we were going to do. To Ashley, watching Jeremy wake up must have been the greatest feeling in the world. I felt it when I held Haley in my arms as she awoke. People needed small miracles like that to keep going, to keep hope in their hearts. As I came back to reality, I noticed we were considerably closer to the mall, only about half an hour now until the heist began. Honestly, I wasn’t sure if the group was ready. Not only were Haley and Jeremy not at 100% emotionally at this point. However, we would have to make do, there wasn’t any more time we could spare. At this point I was still worried about Jeremy, how he was taking the honesty from us. Being the one to lead us filled him with such pride, and then come to find out that he really isn’t as good of a leader as he thought he was,, that probably hurt his pride a good bit. The guy was a big ego-tistic, he was actually the one who coined the term ‘leader’ in the group. Originally, it was supposed to be a dominant democracy, some of the group still believes it is. However, in a dominant democracy, there is no set ‘leader’; it is controlled solely by the people. I will admit, having one set leader has gotten us out of some bad situations, but I believe it has done more harm than good to us. The reason most of us like Haley better as ‘leader’ was actually because she didn’t see it as a leading role. She saw it as a spokesperson, or figurehead role; someone to represent the group, and I’m not sure that’s how Jeremy saw it. Jeremy was indeed a good leader, he was great at giving speeches and pep talks, a great figurehead, and he’s a great guy in general; but his style of leadership is not what this group needs. He needs to get it through his thick, stubborn skull that he is not a bad leader, just not the style we need. Through all of my thoughts I hadn’t realized that we were much closer to the mall now. The heist was about to begin. As we approached the front entrance, everyone started loading up their guns. Wilson and Zach took position by the doors as Jeremy and Weir set up in front of the doors. Wilson and Zach busted down the doors and stepped away, and Jeremy &Weir were ready to fire inside. Luckily, Jeremy and Weir didn’t have to fire a shot, which gave us a better chance because we hadn’t alerted anything yet. Everyone began to file in, Zach and Wilson taking the lead with me and Jeremy at the rear. We started to notice that most of the walls of the inside were cracked and molded, which scared me a bit. We kept walking, and the room began to expand into a giant room with about 80 shops in it. This mall had to be at least 3 storied, so that’s a total of 240 shops approximately that we could raid. Each level except for the bottom level had a floor that circled around into itself with a chunk missing in the middle, so the people on the upper floors could look down at the bottom. We decided that Jeremy and Weir should go up to the top floor, Zach and I would take the 2nd floor, and Ashley, Haley, and Wilson would take the ground floor. When we found the stairwell, we split up. It was hard for me to part with Haley, but I knew in my heart she would be fine. As Zach and I trudged up the nearly demolished staircase, I reflected upon what Haley had said earlier. The bad feeling she had about this heist. It seemed too real to me, as if I had shared the feeling. I shook the thought out of my mind as Zach and I got to the door to the 2nd floor. He opened the door to the room full of deserted shops, cracked walls and floors, and the smell of the undead. Zach and I continued onto the floor and tried to sot shops to raid. +“Look over there Ryan.” He said “Candy Shop.” I couldn’t believe it. I hadn’t had candy in about a year, and I was seriously craving some sugar. Zach and I began to sprint to the shop, but about halfway to the shop, we felt an abrupt shake and an ear-piercing rumbling sound, along with the scraping of metal. I happened to look down and saw that there was a giant crack starting to make it’s way across the floor a few yards in front of us. I looked behind us and saw another crack, the floor was breaking. +“Keep running!” I yelled. Zach had started to slow down, but when he realized what was happening he bolted. We were almost to the crack in front of us, when the floor started to drop. Zach and I jumped right as the floor chunk detached from the rest of the level. I made it back onto the level and slid forward, but Zach didn’t make it. He was hanging onto the rest of the level, as his feet dangled in the air below. I crawled over and grabbed his hand. Desperately, I tried to pull him up. Luckily, I was strong enough to lift him up and over and back onto the level. We both collapsed onto the floor after my successful rescue, breathing heavily. +“Thanks man, I owe you one” he managed to say +“You owe me two. Come on, let’s get some candy.” I responded. As we started to get up, we both looked at the gaping hole in the ground. This place was seriously unstable, so we needed to get in and out quickly. +“Everyone OK?” my walkie-talkie spoke in Haley’s voice. I picked it up from my belt and gave a confirmation that Zach and I were ok, followed by Jeremy’s confirmation. Now that a piece of our floor was missing, we would have to circle around to the other side of the mall to exit. What was worse, it looked as if the chunk of the floor falling alerted almost all the zombies in the mall with it’s noise. We would have to double-time it out of here. Zach and I agreed to go to the candy shop, being sure to walk this time. We got to the shop, and saw a few shelves empty, but there was still a lot of candy here. I grabbed a bag from behind the counter and started stuffing the candy that was still good into it. By the time we were done loading the bag, it was about five pounds. We decided to leave the shop and try to make it to the exit, but just as we exited to the shop, we heard the sound of a floor dropping again. However, this time it was not our floor that was dropping, it was the floor above us. The floor that held Jeremy and Weir. Zach and I looked up, watching for which section of floor was going to come off. After a few moments, we realized that it wasn’t only a piece that was coming down, it was the whole level. The end of the floor that wasn’t attached to the wall began to bend down into the center of the bottom floor. Suddenly, the middle section of the third level snapped and the end connected to the wall slammed into the wall. That end of the floor went vertical, and everything from shoes to video games to shards of glass rained down on us. It seemed that the shops collapsed into themselves when the floor began to crumble. Suddenly, through the dust and rubble, Weir fell from the third floor. Luckily, he appeared to be on the side that went vertical into the wall, so I could catch him. I held my arms out to try to catch him, and sure enough he fell into my arms, and then thanked me for the save. +“Quick! Watch for Jeremy! He was on the other side of the floor!” He yelled, panicking. Zach, Weir and I all looked over at the side of the floor collapsing into the middle of the bottom level. Sure enough, we spotted Jeremy. However, he was in a free fall. His limbs were flailing as rubble and chunks of floor flew down with him. I ran over to the edge of our level in an attempt to watch Jeremy. I saw him hit the floor on the bottom level, back first. I had a little hope, until a huge chunk of the ceiling started to fall, right were Jeremy was laying. +“Jeremy! Get out of there! Move!” I yelled, but to no avail. In a few moments, the ceiling piece hit the floor, crushing Jeremy beneath it. +“Noooo!” I heard a faint cry. It was Haley. She started running toward the fallen piece of ceiling, but before she could get too far out of range, Wilson grabbed her and held her back. He was probably telling her we had to go, and he was right. +“Zach, Weir, let’s get the hell out of here!” I yelled. They didn’t object. We started sprinting across the floor and looking to cross over to the other side. As we began to run, we could feel the level begin to shudder and sway. We were running at full speed and had almost reached the exit. There was a small amount of time where the only thing that was running through my mind was ‘We’re not going to make it, the whole building is going to collapse on top of us’. However, I knew I couldn’t afford to think like that. We let out a final burst of speed and pushed the exit door open. We jumped over the balcony that was looming over the entrance to the bottom floor and fell onto the awning. We slid off of the awning and fell to the ground, where we met up with Wilson, Haley, and Ashley. Haley and Ashley were huddled on the ground crying, while Wilson was just staring at the crumbling building. +“We have to go!” I yelled as I grabbed haley’s hand. Haley got up, despite being in tears and ran with me. The thunderous sound of the whole building coming down deafened me, and it felt like a giant earthquake. We ran all the way until we reached the city limits. +“What the hell happened Weir?” I shouted. +“There were at least 500 of them!” Weir responded. “There was one survivor, but he was covered in blood. Somehow, the zombies weren’t attacking him. When he saw us, he started shooting one of the support beams on the 2nd floor. That’s why our floor began to crumble. Jeremy saw how it was bending and shoved me into the wall. He saved me.” He continued. The only thing I could think of was the possible reasoning that someone would do something like that. Why would someone give their own life to take ours? Haley and Ashley were still on the ground sobbing, and with good reason. Jeremy, our friend, was gone. +Chapter 17 – Zach +My best friend…….Jeremy was my best friend. We’ve known each other since we were babies, when we were kids we were inseparable, most of the time we shared the same crib for god’s sake. I couldn’t believe that he was really gone. I bent down and held Ashley as she cried her eyes out. She had finally found someone to love, someone that wouldn’t treat her like garbage, someone who would finally treat her with respect, and in an instant he was taken away from her. I knew how she felt, before Jeremy had come along and grabbed me to come on the road with him, I had a girlfriend myself. Her and I were the definition of love, but when the outbreak began, she was taken. We were running down a street, she tripped and she yelled for me to go on without her. I had to fight against every fiber of my being not to help her, but I knew she would not want me to go as well. Before I turned my back for the final time, I blew her a kiss, and she blew one right back. I ran as I heard her bloodcurdling screams and the bites and the tears. I knew exactly what Ashley was feeling, So I knew how to comfort her. +“Ash, it’s not your fault. It was fate, Jeremy’s time came, we can’t change that. But what we can do is remember him. We can remember Jeremy for who he was, and what he did for us. You need to remember, Ash, that he loved you very much. He would want you to move on and be happy. He would want all of us to move on, but still remember him." I said, through the cracks in my voice. Ashley looked up at me, and through the tears in her eyes, she smiled. +"Thanks Zach, your right." She said "What we need to do, in honor of Jeremy, is find Morgan and get the information we need." Everyone agreed to this, and at that we all began to return to the RV. As we began to walk back, I remembered me and Jeremy as kids, playing video games, tag, basketball, four wheeling, bicycling, and trampolining. We were the best of friends, and it's always been that way. He went out like a hero, as I expected. Giving his life to save Weir's was probably the most courageous thing Jeremy has ever done. After about 45 minutes passed, we had made it to the RV. +"Pack your things everyone, we're leaving. Haley claimed. I figured that would probably be the best course of action, because the RV was pretty beaten and battered. It wasn't a very good shelter, as well as the fact that it didn't run anymore. Everyone else must have felt the same, because everyone began to gather their things. I had no idea where we were going to go, considering the RV was out only shelter for 3 months. The feeling inside the RV was tense; for many of us, Jeremy was our best friend, for the others, Jeremy was a good friend who was always there when we needed him. For the entirety of our packing, no one said a word. we spent about an hour and a half packing everything, and we decided to go pay our friend Dr. Richard Morgan a visit. We bid the RV farewell and began our voyage for 7926 Sunset Falls, Colorado Springs. As we walked, +we found ourselves reminiscing on the good times that we shared with Jeremy. My childhood with him, Weir and Wilson's gaming binges, Haley's hanging out. We started laughing at the funny things he would say and do. For the last part of his life he even wore bright orange shoes, because orange was his favorite color. +"So what are we going to do once we find Morgan?" Wilson asked +"We ask him what he's up to with these gems and see what they are for. At this point, he is our best shot at finding out what these gems are capable of." Ryan answered. "We find out everything he knows so we know what kind of power we are dealing with. I don't know about you guys, but I've been feeling something strange when I'm by the gems. It's as if they're trying to talk to us, and it seems like they're getting stronger the closer we get to Morgan." Now that he mentioned it, I felt the same way. There was definitely something weird about these gems, something that my mother, the expert jeweler that she was, probably couldn't even imagine. Whenever I would get close to these gems, I feel like there is some sort of……….magic to them. Whatever Morgan did to them, he definitely made them special. As our trek continued, I kept thinking about what seemed like a lost cause. Jeremy and I had such a bond between us that we could almost tell when the other was in danger. If Jeremy had died, I would have felt it. Because of this, I found myself hanging on to the seemingly hopeless thought that Jeremy may still be alive. However, I watched a huge chunk of concrete that must have weighed at least a ton fall 3 stories down directly onto Jeremy. There was no way anyone could survive that……….could there? +"According to the address, Morgan's house should only be about a block away." Weir told us, breaking me from my thoughts. I started paying more attention to reality, and I noticed an orange glow coming from Ryan's pocket that had been getting stronger as we got closer to Morgan's. +"Ryan, what's that glowing in your pocket?" I asked. Everyone stopped, and Ryan looked down at his pocket. +"What the hell?" he muttered to himself. He put his hand in his pocket and pulled out the gems. He opened his palm and watched them as they glowed. A few moments passed and then, suddenly, the gems began to float from Ryan's hand and began to slowly spin. Their brightness increased and they shone almost as bright as the sun. They then began to float away from us, down the road. They appeared to be floating closer to Morgan's place, so could that be the cause of the gem's mysterious behavior? I guess the only solution would be o follow them. We did so as they spun a bit faster and glowed a bit brighter until they ran straight into the front door of a house. +"This is the place, 7926 Sunset Falls." Weir announced. Ryan put out his hand to grab the gems, but as he did so, the gems seemed to disintegrate into the front door. Ryan froze in shock. I looked over into the window and saw the dark walls begin to glow a bright orange. +"They went straight through the door!" I yelled. At that, Ashley stepped up and kicked the door down. I didn't know what was more shocking, the gems that had just passed through a solid front door, or the fact that Ashley had just kicked that same door off of it's hinges. We followed the gems through the living room and kitchen. +"Aaaaahhh………there you are my pretties! Come to daddy………you truly are my most beautiful pieces!" A demented, psychotic voice echoed from the bottom of the stairs. Ryan held out his arms against the walls and signaled for us to stop. The gems continued down the stairs and enveloped us in the shadows. Before long, we were unseeable, and had the element of surprise. +"Yesssssss…….come to papa my pretties!" The strange man held out his hands openly, and sure enough, the gems went right into his hands. The glow from the gems began to dim, and before long, the room went back to darkness. The man began to walk away, his footsteps fading into the dark rom. After we were sure he was gone, Ryan brought out his flashlight. He silently began to walk down the stairs, motioning us to follow. We proceeded into the darkness and noticed some weird surroundings. Around us, I noticed some outlines of statues of Greek gods, as well as stone tablets. We advanced into the mysterious room, and heard strange chanting. The psycho was chanting some sort of worship to the gems. We spotted a door that had blue, green, white, and orange lights seeping through it's cracks, and decided to head towards it. As we proceeded, the chanting became more understandable. +"By the elements of the world! By the mystical power of the mayans! Allow these stones to absorb thine power!" he chanted. I kept wondering what the hell he was talking about. As we got closer to the door, the temperature rose. It seemed as if all the energy in the state was being directed into this one place. We were all now pressed against the door, listening intently to his chants. "The ancient rings shall call their masters, thus saving the world for sure disaster. Fire, Water, Earth, Air; their combined powers none shall compare. Ancient powers rise by my hand, and restore order to this wasteland. From the power of magic and the power of science, please restore the power giants!" It was clear that Ryan had heard enough of his nonsense. He proceeded to kick the door down, but when he did, we all saw something we never expected. +Chapter 18 - Ryan +As soon as I kicked the door down, I noticed something was completely wrong. I looked up from the flattened door and I saw the most bizarre thing I had ever seen. It was a giant altar with a blinding white light shooting out of the top. Surrounding the light there were four clumps of gems, one of which were ours. The gems were all orbiting symmetrically around the light, each gem reflecting itself off of the light, creating a multi-color effect. Beside the huge altar, was the psychotic voice we kept hearing' the man we had been hunting, Richard Morgan. +"You fools! You have interrupted the ceremony! The power of the elements will be most displeased! Do you have any idea what you have done?" The guy was a nut-job. The apocalypse mast have driven him crazy, because this guy really didn't seem like a doctor to me. +"What do you know about the gems Morgan? What can they do?" Haley asked with extreme anger in her voice. +"I shall show you my young mind slave!" Morgan exclaimed. +"Mind slave? You son of a bitch! You were that voice in my head?" Haley shouted in rage. +"Hahahaha!" Morgan laughed maniacally. "Do not let them come here Haley! Do not let them come! Oh wait, they are already here. You aren't a very good mind slave are you dear? Perhaps I should have taken control of a more worthy soul. Maybe Jeremy? Oh I'm sorry, he's dead!" Haley snapped when Morgan mentioned Jeremy. She ran toward him, when suddenly, she was lifted off the ground. +"Hahahah! there is no way you can survive the beam!" cackled Morgan. Haley then began to float towards the huge beam of light that was shooting out of the top of the altar. +"Ryan, cup your hands!" Wilson yelled. I immediately knew what he had in mind. I cupped my hands and allowed Wilson to jump off and into the gravity of the beam. Because of Wilson's light weight, he could float faster toward Haley to get her out. Sure enough, Wilson was speeding toward Haley in mid-air. A few moments passed before Wilson reached Haley, at which point they were dangerously close to the beam. Wilson pushed Haley as hard as he could to get her out of the beam, unfortunately, it wasn't enough. Due to the intense gravity, Wilson and Haley were both sent hurdling into the beam of light. +"Hahaha! there go two more members of your little group! You children failed to survive the apocalypse, not that you ever had a chance!" He cackled. As he did so, the room started to shake violently. Everyone was shaken off of their feet, including Morgan. +"What is happening?" Morgan yelled in disbelief. I looked back at the beam and the gems to see the gems start to orbit closer to the beam +"No! They are not ready!" Morgan screamed. Morgan tried to get up, but failed. The gems sank ever closer to the beam until they sunk inside. "No! We're all doomed!" Morgan yelled. A few moments after, there was a deafening shatter. The beam had exploded right in front of our eyes. I could only watch for a few seconds before I blacked out. When I awoke, the building was rubble. There wasn't any structure of the building that was intact, other than a strange floating circle of rings about 30 feet away. I approached them, walking among the rubble. When I got there, everyone else had suddenly appeared, except for Haley and Wilson. I hoped they were ok, and I wanted to look for them, but something was tying me to these floating circling rings. These rings were circling the piece of rock like the gems were circling the altar before the explosion. It seemed as if the gems had turned into these rings, but how? and why? I began to look around, looking for haley and Wilson, when suddenly, two of the six rings that were circling the stone broke free of their orbit, but kept floating. They then began to slowly sink the the ground, and when they hit the ground, they began to transform. The rings turned completely white and sparkly, as if made of fairy dust. They then began to shape-shift, as if trying to find a new form. Eventually, the rings shifted into human-like forms, still sparkling. Sure enough, when the sparkling subsided, it was Haley and Wilson's bodies that they shifted into. The only modifications to their bodies was that they had the very rings that transformed into them on the right ring fingers. Wilson's was black with a symbol on the top that looked like a black heart, but the middle was white and the edges were rugged. Haley's was white and had a not he top that looked like an upside-down 'T' with dashes extending diagonally inward from the corner where the two lines meet. Kind of like a 'T' with war-paint. We all looked back up to the remaining rings in the orbit of the rock, and once again, a ring broke off. Only this time, it launched itself away from the rock and kept going. We couldn't see it anymore, and we had no idea what was going on. I walked over to Haley and crouched down next to her. I stroked my hand through her hair and stared at her beautiful face. She opened her eyes and looked at me. She sat up and held her head, and Wilson stood up. +"What happened to you two?" I asked. +"That beam held the answer to all of our questions." Haley answered. "It told us what the gems were, what they were used for, and what they could do to people." She continued. Haley and Wilson began to tell us all about the gems and their purpose. +"Morgan was a scientist who studies the chemical reactions of stones against one another. He found the four chemical reactions that had never been tried before due to their unpredictability, and decided to try them to see what they would do. He was in the same building as the zombie virus was when it was first developed, but got away. He didn't complete the test on the gems, due to the infection, and wasn't able to fuse the green gems. He searched the country trying to find an appropriate lab, but for a long time didn't avail. he then remembered that he lived near an advanced science lab in Colorado Springs a few years back. He came back here and stored the gems in a storage unit while he fused the green gems, because he had no idea what the four would do if they were together and fused. At this point, he knew something was strange about them and didn't want to take the chance of them becoming too unstable. When he fused the green gems, he came back and collected the other gems. He then planted a 'controller' of sorts in the sprouter that was in the storage unit. Turns out that the sprouter was just a few zombies that were trapped in the same unit and got hungry. They bit each other so hard that they started to fuse with one another, and with the chemical energies of the gems, their chemical properties began to fuse as well. After he planted the controller in the sprouter, he left. He began studying Mayan mythology, and found out that the gem combinations, had indeed been done before, in Mayan times. These gem combinations were used in an ancient ritual, in order to crown masters of a certain element. He scouted the area in a search for an appropriate house for a ceremony, and found it. However, he noticed that he forgot the Orange gems in the storage unit. He tapped into the sprouter and discovered that it was dead, and he also saw that we were taking the gems. At that point, he transferred the controller to a bug on the floor, which crawled up the back of Haley's neck and attached itself. That is how Morgan ended up having mind control over Haley. He then proceeded to try to kill us in order to regain his gems. As we got closer to Morgan, the gems sensed their creator and wanted to go to him, because they were destined to. Inside the gems hold the power of the four elements; Fire, Water, Earth, and Air. Once they were all brought summoned together, and once Morgan performed the sacred chants of the Mayan elders, the energies in the gems would re-focus. They then transformed into rings, rings that give the wearer the power of the element that the certain gem represents. The ring must choose it's master. However, if someone proves themselves worthier enough, they can steal a ring. If someone holds all the rings at once, they are known as the Elementum Magister, the Element Master. He would have power over all four elements." Haley's speech seem to run forever. +"So if the rings represent the four elements, why are there six of them?" I asked +"Because" Wilson chimed in "When Haley and I were sucked into the beam, we were going to die. However, the elements in our hearts had never been seen by the beam before. There is always darkness in my heart, so the beam manipulated into a ring. I now control the element of darkness. The same goes for Haley, she controls light." This all sounds so ludicrous, but then again, a year ago a zombie apocalypse sounded ludicrous. We all looked back up at the remaining rings. There were three left circling around the stone' the Air, Earth, and Water rings. +"They're analyzing the world for a worthier master." Haley spoke. Just then, they froze. Two of them launched away from the stone, leaving streaks of light behind them. The third stayed there, hovering in the air, unaffected by the laws of gravity or physics. Eventually, the ring joined it's brethren in takeoff, however, it didn't launch itself away from the stone, rather, toward me. It hit my ring finger with the force of a big rig, the force of the hit sent my body spiraling the in the air. After a few seconds airborne, I hit the ground, back first. Strangely enough, none of this had hurt me. In fact, all I felt was raw energy flowing through me. I looked at my hand and saw the ring shone as it's brethren did with Wilson and Haley. I felt myself becoming one with my element, I could feel my energy becoming bridged. The ring's shine faded until it looked like a regular ring, but I knew better than to think of it as anything but extraordinary. On the top of the ring was a symbol, it resembled an english 'H', but there were diagonal slashes int he spaces of the two parallel lines. The ring was blue, thus signifying that this ring controlled the element of Water. I stood up and stared at the ring. It had chosen me as it's master. Out of all the remaining people in the world, I was worthy. +Chapter 19 - Weir +This was all so bizarre. Magic rings that would let the wearer control the elements? Highly unlikely. And if that were the case, why couldnt I wield one? Why hadn't a ring chosen me as it's master? I clearly have a more vast intellect than anyone in the group, so I think I deserve one. It must have all been a trick, an illusion of some kind. However, it was beyond me how Morgan could make a whole building turn to rubble in mere seconds. I stared at Ryan as he stared at the ring. I wasnt going to believe it was 'magical' until I saw what it could do. Finally, Ryan looked up at me. +"Skeptical?" He asked. I had forgotten that we all knew each other so well, spending so much time together made the group learn about one another. I nodded at Ryan's question. "Yeah, me too, I'm not sure if any of this is real to be honest." He continued. +"There's only one way to find out." I said. He replied with a nod, then turned around. He looked out at the Rocky Mountains and saw all the snow on them. I figured he was thinking exactly what I was. Snow was frozen water essentially, so his ring should work on it. +"What do I do to make it work?" He asked Haley. +"From what I understand, you can't 'make' it work. It has to come naturally to you. It has to agree with you, so to speak." She responded. Great, more mysterious mumbo-jumbo. +"Wait a minute guys, where's Morgan?" Wilson asked. +"Last I saw him, he was trying to hold his own against the blast." Ryan responded. We started to look for him, and eventually found him. He was in the driver's seat of a car that whizzed by us. It appeared that out beef with Morgan was not yet over. We decided that the best course of action was to try to figure out where Morgan was headed and follow him. As we treaded away from the destroyed building, many of us began to express our sorrows. Everything that was going on had just hit us like a ton of bricks. Jeremy's death, the deaths of our families, what the world had come to in just 3 months, how much longer we would have to endure this hell, how our hopes were relying on these rings that may or may not have 'magical' powers. The ones that weren't hit very hard tried to comfort the ones that were hit the hardest. Wilson and myself tried to comfort Zach and Ashley, while Ryan worked to comfort Haley. None of us knew exactly how to help each other, even though we had spent the past 3 months getting to know each other. Nothing like this had ever happened in history, and no human being was meant to endure this much emotional and physical pain. We had no cure, and nowhere we could think of to go. Morgan was the only person that we could think of that may have the slightest idea of how to stop this plague, but we had no idea where he was headed. Most of us agreed to adapt back to our old ways, pure survival. Wilson and Zach disagreed. +"We need to find Morgan and get more information out of him, see if he knows if any of the scientists in Vermont had an antidote to this thing as a precaution." Wilson suggested. This fueled us back to the idea of trying to find Morgan, who we had already lost track of. We made our way down to the highway, walking away from Colorado Springs forever. We walked for at least an hour before we got to a rest stop. The rest stop was completely raided, but we thought the soda machines might still have had some soda in them. As well, we needed to search the car wash for cars, because walking definitely wasn't cutting it. Zach and Wilson went inside to check the soda machines, while Haley, Ryan, Ashley, and I went into the car washes. If there was a car here, it was definitely invisible, because I wasn't seeing one. I could, however, see about a million gasoline containers. Suddenly, an idea struck in my head. I sprinted out of the car wash and into the rest stop. I made my way behind the counter and found a bunch of tools. Among them, I found a few sturdy ropes and some heavy looking metal slabs. All I needed to know was which of these tools could break a pipe. And, even if I found something hard enough, I would need to raise it up 20 feet to the top pipe to break it. As I was contemplating, I heard two different pitched 'honks' outside. I looked up at the rest stop's security camera feeds and saw two cars that Ashley and Ryan found. One was beat up, almost beyond repair, and the other was almost new-looking. I knew from the get-go which car we were going to take, but maybe we could make use of the other one as well. Now we would need 2 ropes and 2 anvils, or at least something very heavy. I saw Zach and Wilson walk by with 5 milk gallons full of soda, when I caught their attention. "Abloogywoogywoo!" I yelled from behind the counter. They jumped so much they fell and 2 of their gallons exploded onto the ground. It reminded me of the 'gallon smashing' youtube videos that went viral just before the outbreak. That was the most fun I have had since the outbreak began. They shot dirty looks at me and told me that I had just wasted 2 gallons of soda. +"I have a plan that can get us about 15 gallons of water." I responded. I explained my plan to them and told them the only flaw in the plan was getting up to the top pipe of the car wash. At that, Wilson had an idea that would test the truth of the rings as well. My plan was that we tie something heavy to a sturdy rope, hang it from the top pipe, hit the object hanging from the pipe with the beat-up car whilst driving, and the force should either knock the heavy object in the air, and the force of it's pull as it comes back down would pull the pipe off, or the car will 'grab' the object in the grill and the pull between the car and the rope would pull the pipe off. Wilson said that he could use his ring of darkness to blend into the shadows of the car wash and climb up to the pipe. And that he did. To my surprise, when Wilson stepped next to the shadows on the inside car wash wall, his ring began to glow. Wilson began to merge with the shadows. His whole body turned black as the shadow, and it looked as if he had become attached to the wall. Wilson then began to crawl up the wall and onto the ceiling, rope in hand. As he tied the rope to the pipe, it looked as if he was standing upside-down on the ceiling. After tying the ripe, he climbed back down, detached from the wall, and transformed back into the normal Wilson. I guess seeing truly is believing, because he surely made a believer out of me. What I had just witnessed was nothing short of miraculous. I was so much in awe that I had almost forgotten the next phase of the plan. The others and I had developed a pulley system in the car. One of the heavy metal slabs I found in the rest stop was placed in the beat-up car, suspended a few inches from the gas pedal by another rope. This rope led through the door and in our hands. The door was acting as our axle. We let go of the rope and the heavy metal fell directly on the gas pedal. the crummy car sped off toward the car wash. The car hit at least forty miles per hour before the impact into another metal slab that we had tied to the dangling rope. As I expected, the metal slab latched onto the car's grill and the rope holding it to the pipe tightened sharply. Suddenly, the pipe snapped and water started to fly and spew everywhere. As it did, the car kept going until it crashed and exploded into the wall and the other side of the car wash. I happened to look over at Ryan and saw his ring start to glow. He suddenly raised his hand, and when he did, all the water that was just flung into the air by the impact froze in mid-air. None of it flowed, none of it dropped, none of it froze over into ice, it just hovered where it was. ryan's ring was supposedly the ring of the water, and that is why. Ryan must have the ability to control the water. +"Weir, go set those gas containers up, I'll direct the water into them." He told me. I did as he told, not questioning the power of the rings anymore. As I set up each gas container, some of the water above me drained out of the mainstream of hovering, frozen water and flowed into the individual gas containers. I honestly couldn't believe my eyes, these rings truly possessed magical powers. As Ryan poured the water into the gas canisters, I noticed that quite a few zombies were coming from down the road. With all the stuff concerning the rings, we had all nearly forgotten that we were in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. +"Hey Ryan, you might want to hurry that up, we've got company." I warned. +"I'm going as fast as I can." Ryan hissed back. "Just stall them until I get this done." Zach, Ashley, and I sprinted across the parking lot, looking for an idea. there were at least twelve dozen of them, there was no way we could fight them all. the lot was nearly empty, so there was nothing we could do to distract them or use against them. It almost looked as if it were the end of the line. We were surrounded, there was nothing we could do. "Hit the deck guys!" Yelled a familiar voice. As we were instructed, Ashley, Zach, and I dropped to the ground. As we did so, a huge wall of wind hit the zombies head-on, lifting them into the air. I watched on as all the zombies rose off of the ground and start to swirl around, as if they were in a tornado. The wind around us was almost too much to handle, we were about to lift off the ground ourselves, when, just in the nick of time, the tornado of zombies was launched sky high and into the distance. I heard a huge slosh in the distance, probably the remainder of the water ryan was handling hitting the ground. I looked up and saw a girl floating on a cloud about 15 feet from the ground. the back of her head looked quite familiar, though I couldn't put my finger on where from. As her cloud descended to the ground, I found myself finding her even more familiar. She stepped off the could and onto the ground, then turned towards us. I couldn't believe it. It shouldn't have been possible, but there she was, standing before us. It was Caitlin who had saved us all. +Chapter 20 - Haley +How had Caitlin survived? We had watched her get eaten alive by zombies back in Iowa. +"I know you guys must have a lot of questions." She started. "And I'll start by saying that the person who was in your group, the person who used to sneak your supplies and snatch your food, the person you successfully killed, that wasn't me. She was a look-alike, sent by the Elemental Legion to try to slow you guys down." I know that element controlling rings were weird.........but this? One thing was for sure, our lives had just gotten a lot more complicated than it already was. +"The Elemental Legion?" Inquisited Weir fascinatingly. +"Yeah, they are a secret order that spied on a man named Richard Morgan and his science team. The Legion was obsessed with finding a way to control the elements, and Morgan and his team were researching the subject. The Legion had already mastered two elements from years upon years of training; time and electricity. They used their mastery of time to see the future and travel through holes in time. Apparently, you guys are in possession of tings that control the elements. They knew this a few months ago, they knew you would be masters of the rings. That's why they kidnapped me and replaced me with a look-alike, to try to disintegrate your group before you got to the rings." She responded. This changed everything, this meant that Caitlin was on our side after all. +"So when did they nab you?" Wilson asked. +"Before you guys picked me up in Canada for the road trip, they predicted the whole zombie apocalypse and knew it was going to come during our vacation. So they grabbed me at the most convenient opportunity. You guys have been with the fake me the entire time. Before I escaped, I learned of your location, then destroyed all the Intel they ha don you guys. From what I can tell, they have no idea where you guys are now." She responded. +"Well if you don't really know us, I guess we need to introduce ourselves." Ryan suggested. +"Not necessary." Responded Caitlin. "They tracked you guys for so long that I know almost everything about you guys. And unfortunately, that means the Elemental Legion knows even more." If all of this were true, we were in some serious danger. Not only was someone spying on us, but they know our greatest weaknesses as well. +"How have they been doing this?" Asked Wilson. +"They can control the zombies somehow. You guys remember Colorado Springs? When Haley was first knocked out? That huge zombie horde that Ryan took out? That whole horde was controlled by the Elemental Legion to try to kill you. All of the bad things that have happened to you guys aside from the sprouter were caused by the Elemental Legion. The land mines by the apartment complex, the burning building, those men behind the burning building, the actual complex, Jeremy shooting his dad, the huge horde, the gas station, the mall's collapse, everything. The men behind the burning building were actually members of the Elemental Legion." Caitlin responded. Her voice changed pitch when she mentioned the mall's collapse. If she knew about that, she must have known about Jeremy. "It won't be long until they re-establish their spies and interfere again." She continued. "We have to stop them." If we took control of their technology, we could control the zombies. We would be able to cleanse the world. We had to do it, not only for ourselves, but for mankind. I explained my theory to the group and they all shared the same idea. +"Caitlin, do you remember where they kept you captive?" I asked. Caitlin nodded and told us we were in for a long trip. It was a good thing we had a lot of water with us. We gathered the water jugs and trudged toward the Elemental Legion HQ. We went to take the new-looking car, but we discovered that it didnt have a motor in it, only a battery. One thing was for sure, we needed another method of transportation. According to the directions Caitlin had given us, it was a long way away, and we needed to get there ASAP. We walked for about half an hour before we crossed to the interstate, where there were scattered cars everywhere. the only issue was getting one that still worked. We looked in at least 50 cars before I heard the sound of a motor running. I went over to investigate, and sure enough it was a running Ford F-150 with nobody in it. The fuel tank was only at 1/2, so it couldnt've been abandoned too long ago. I looked down into the middle of the seat and saw miscellaneous papers scattered around. I also noticed a torn watch laying there. I picked up the watch and examined it. It looked almost identical to the watch Jeremy always wore. Could this mean.......... +"Haley!" I heard Ryan call. I stepped out of the truck and into plain view so he could see me. +"I found a truck!" I called in return. Everyone walked over to me and examined the truck. +"This was Jeremy's." Weir informed us. "I recognize it from when I went down to his house for Spring Break 2 years ago. There's a crack in the same spot on the windshield and the same dent in the bumper. And look, it's even got the same ketchup stains in the back seat as the one he had." How had Jeremy's truck gotten all the way out here from Missouri? And how did it have only a half tank of gas? +"Well, we better get going." Ryan suggested, and we all agreed. Ryan climbed in the driver's seat, I climbed in the passenger seat, and Zach, Ashley, Weir, Wilson, and Caitlin all climbed in the bed of the truck. Ryan started the weave in between the spew of cars on the highway. +"Hey! That's my truck!" Someone yelled from behind us. It couldn't be.......could it? +"Ryan stop the truck!" Weir yelled. As instructed, Ryan slammed on the brakes. +"Holy crap! Zach! Andrew!" The person behind us yelled, still trying to catch us. It looked like a kid, probably 10 or 11 years old. +"JJ!" Weir yelled as he hopped out of the bed. Weir and the kid wrapped in a hug as I stepped out of the truck. +"You're Jeremy's nephew right? I remember you from his 15th birthday party." He nodded. +"Sure am, my uncle taught me everything he knew about zombies! Too bad I couldn't save my parents though.......and I have no idea where my sister and little brother are......." He trailed off. It was obvious this kid was saddened by the loss of his family. +"You can just hang with us JJ, don' worry." Weir said consoling JJ. At that, the frown that was on JJ's face turned into a little bit more of a smile. JJ climbed into the back seat and we kept driving. +"So JJ, you drove here?" I asked. +"No, not all the way, my dad drove us from Missouri to the western end of Kansas, but then we got attacked and I couldn't save them. My sister and little brother got lost, and I drove for about 40 miles, then this guy in black showed up on the road and offered to drive me a little ways. I told him I needed to pee, and when I came back to the truck, you guys were driving." JJ responded. "I wonder what happened to the guy in black, he dropped this." JJ said as he held up the watch. I swear, that watch looked identical to the one Jeremy always wore, but then again, they used to make millions of those same exact watches. I then dropped my suspicions of the watch for the moment. As Ryan drove down the highway, JJ and I exchanged questions and stories. I asked him about the man in black, he asked me about Jeremy. I shared my survival story with him and he shared his. All the while, Caitlin was directing Ryan to the Elemental Legion HQ. +"Hey Ryan, stop for a second." called Caitlin from the back. Ryan obeyed and Caitlin hopped out of the bed. She walked over to a walker that was straggling the outside of the road. She cut his head off with her knife and examined the back of his neck. "Hell." She said in the distance. She came back to the truck and announced that the Elemental Legion had their spies already regrouped and working. "We'll have to be extra cautious now, they'll do anything to keep us away from them." She continued. Knowing that someone knew every move I made was kind of intimidating, but the reason for this mission was to eliminate them, so I half-expected to be heavily monitored. I looked at my ring and pondered it's ability. Could I do what Wilson did and merge with light? Could I re-direct lgiht to become a distraction? Could I heat something using the light? I wasn't sure, but I was intent on finding out. We started driving again, and I stared at the window. the sun was beginning to set, and we would need to crash soon. A few hours passed and night had fallen. It was starting to become that time of year when the nights would start to drop in temperature. All of us couldn't sleep in the truck, so we decided to make a fire to keep all of us warm. Ryan and Zach went out to look for firewood. I stepped out of the truck and into the grassy area next to the road with Ashley. JJ, Caitlin, Weir, and Wilson stayed in the bed and talked. +"Whoah Haley, you're glowing!" Ashley gasped. I was too immersed in thought to realize what was going on. I looked at my hands and my body, and amidst the darkness, I was indeed glowing. I looked at my ring and it appeared to be glowing as brighter than I was. +"This is awesome!" I gasped. I thought about something, and decided to try it. I stepped forward and threw my hands out to my sides. I then swept my hands through the air in front of me. Sure enough, everything began to illuminate. The trees, grass, road, even people. it looked as if it were now daytime, but with a nighttime sky. +"What are you doing!" Yelled Caitlin. She jumped from the bed and ran toward me. "Haley, turn everything back! quick!" She said hurriedly. I swept my hands over everything again and the darkness of the night returned. "It's my fault, I didn't tell you!" She yelled. +"What's wrong Caitlin?" I asked hurriedly. +"Whenever you use the ring's power, it angers the Elemental Legion, they're more likely to attack!" She explained. +"What will they attack with?" I asked. +"It could be anything out here." She replied. I thought about what they could use against us. There were no walkers nearby, no electrical currents. Then it hit me. +"We have to find Zach and Ryan!" I yelled. Just then, we heard two screams come from the forest. Weir, JJ, and Wilson all hopped out of the bed and ran toward us. "Come on!" I yelled as I ran toward the woods in an attempt to find my colleagues. "Ryan! Zach! Where are you!?" I yelled the loudest I could as I continued to trudge through the trees and brush. I looked into the night sky as I ran. The beautiful stars, the magnificent shade of blue. It was so peaceful in my time of panic. Something in my gut was starting to tell me to watch the sky for some kind of sign. I wasn't sure what it was, but I listened to it. I ran into tree after tree, but I kept my eyes on the sky. Finally, just as I was going to look back to my front, a huge fountain of fire sprung from the treetops. That's where Ryan and Zach are my gut kept telling me, go there! My gut was right about the sign, but was it right about following it? I decided to find out the hard way. I began to run toward the huge fountain of flames. As I got closer, I heard maniacal laughter, and a familiar voice. I could swear that voice belonged to Jeremy. I pushed through the final trees before the fountain and found myself in a small field. This field was about the circumference of a sumo-wrestling ring with trees encircling it. I stuck to the treeline, and before me I saw Zach and Ryan in the middle of the field tied to a wooden pole, unconscious. Behind them, I saw a silhouette of a man holding his hand in the air and emitting the fountain of flame. Next to him, I saw an elderly man, he must have been at least 100 years old at least, directing and encouraging the silhouette. +"Yes, yes that's it! You will master the ring in no time!" The elderly man shouted. That silhouette must have the ring of flame! +"Hold hit!" I yelled without thinking. At the sound of my voice, the elderly man looked away from the silhouette and made eye contact with me. The silhouette continued whatever he was trying to do. +"Aaaah Haley, just the woman we've been expecting!" The elderly man shouted in a twisted, maniacal voice. +"How do you know my name?" I questioned. +"Oh my dear." He replied. "Caitlin told you about the Elemental Legion yes? You should know that we know everything!" He exclaimed. The Elemental Legion? They could get here this fast? This was unbelievable! +"Let my friends go old man!" I tried to be as menacing as I could, but I don't think it intimidated them much. The silhouette’s head now seemed to be pointing in my direction. While still continuing his fountain of flames, he leaned over and said something to the old man. +"Yes, she may seem familiar to you because she was once your ally before your accident. But remember my apprentice, your former 'allies' planned your accident to get rid of you!" He responded. I had no idea what he was talking about. "They betrayed you, but the Elemental Legion is too smart to double-cross a tremendous asset such as yourself!" He continued. The silhouette once again leaned over to the old man, but this time his face entered into the light. I was stunned. I knew the silhouette, he should be dead. +"Yes, that would probably be for the best" The old man responded. But it couldn't be, he couldn't have survived through his ordeal. I was lost in thought, but the one smidgen of reality I saw was a fireball coming from the silhouette and hitting a branch of one of the trees I was in front of. This branch was right above me, and it quickly detached from the tree. It fell and hit me in the head, then trapping my body under it. All I could see were fire and trees, and before I lost consciousness, the image of Jeremy's face coming into the light from the darkness of the silhouette ran through my mind. +To Be Continued + +Thank you so much for taking the time to read my book. If you liked it, please recommend it to your friends and watch out for the second installment in Jeremy Bene's 'The Fear Of' Trilogy. diff --git a/data/Apocalypse/331761.txt b/data/Apocalypse/331761.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..52272f1 --- /dev/null +++ b/data/Apocalypse/331761.txt @@ -0,0 +1,9895 @@ +Darlings Of Decay + +Presented by Kristen Middleton + +smashwords.com edition + +Copyright © 2013 Kristen Middleton +Table Of Contents + +Tamara Rose Blodgett +Vanessa Booke + Chantal Boudreau +Laura Bretz +Tonia Brown +Catt Dahman +Mia Darien +CM Doporto +Jacqueline Druga +Dana Fredsti +Belinda Frisch +April Grey +Rebecca Hansen +Michelle Kilmer +Lori R. Lopez +Suzi M +Shannon Mayer +Tara Maya +Lyra McKen +Cynthia Melton +Kristen Middleton +Chrissy Peebles +Jeannie Rae +Suzanne Robb +Julianne Snow +Rebecca Snow +Anna Taborska +Ally Thomas +C.A. Verstraete +AR Von +Annie Walls +Jen Wilde + +Copyright © All authors named in this book. +All rights reserved. + + + +The stories in this book are the property of their authors, in all media both physical and digital. No one, except the owners of this property, may reproduce, copy or publish in any medium any individual story or part of this anthology without the expressed permission of the authors of these works. + Some stories have been previously published. +Cover Art by Damon Za + +The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the authors. +This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each reader. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. + + + +*** + +Thank you for joining us on these tales of zombie horror. As you begin to read these stories, wrap your mind around this… + +The world as we’ve known it has ended. No one, living or dead, can be trusted. Now, desperate times call for desperate measures, because every single day is a struggle to live. The gates of hell have opened and hope seems well beyond reach. But... there are still survivors, and through blood, sweat, and tears, they’ll fight to live in a world where tomorrow is never a guarantee. +Sit back as your favorite authors of zombie lit take you on a wild, horrifying ride that will leave you breathless. Come and meet the women who love to entertain you with their own unique versions of the zombie apocalypse. + +Tamara Rose Blodgett + +Excerpt From: + +Death Whispers + +I am Caleb Hart, son of the first scientist to map the human genome back in 2010. Now, fifteen years later, all us kids (during puberty because we're so lucky) get to draw what's equivalent to a winning lottery ticket. What paranormal power would we have, would I have? It could be anything as benign as Empath, Telepathy, Pyrokenesis, Astral-Projection, and the real creeper, Affinity for the Dead, AFTD. New abilities kept cropping up, like an untended garden. The paranormal ball had begun to roll and it was all downhill from here. As long as I didn't get anyone's attention, I was down with that. I should think Science is the bomb, but it's not, it's a bomb alright-- right on my head. +In eighth grade, we're required to take pre-Biology. My teacher is enthusiastic, so there's never a dull moment. +Especially with me passing out all the time. +That's how it happened the first time. The frogs came in and I went out... like a light. +At least that was the first time I hadn't been able to ignore it anymore. +Xavier Collins had reined in his ranting about bees becoming extinct and other huge rage-topics on the environment, to delight in telling us our next experiment would be dissection. +I didn't have Mark “Jonesy” Jones in this class but my other best friend, John, was here, so not a total loss. Jonesy kept school in balance, making jokes at the expense of the teachers (very wise). John countered with keeping Jonesy from getting us in trouble (not always happening). The drag of it was the two kids that hated my guts in a steaming pile were in Biology. +Carson Hamilton and Brett Mason sat next to each other, never giving me a moment's peace about anything. Carson had everything anyone could want: money, looks (he's a mirror-lover) and parents that didn't care about anything he did. My parents had not caught the disease of indifference yet. Brett didn't have it so hot, but he was as miserable as Carson. +John sat down next to me with two pencils up his nose while Collins was at the whiteboard, discussing how to pin the frogs down. + Nice. +“Did ya make sure the erasers were in there first?” I asked him. +“Yeah, duh.” The pencils bounced as he spoke. For a smart guy, he had some weird ideas about self-entertainment. It was very “Jonesy” of him. +“You still buzzing?” he asked. +I looked at John. “Yeah, it's on and off.” I felt kinda defensive about this part, I was avoiding thinking about it myself, and didn't really want to talk about it. +“I've been thinking about that,” he said. +How he could think with pencils up his nose? A mystery. “Yeah?” +“I think you have the undead creeper, like that Parker dude,” John said. +That would be bad. “He's the one that could corpse-raise, right?” I asked. +John nodded. +Hadn't I just been thinking about how much that ability sucked? However, the rareness of corpse-raising might come in handy. Not likely to happen though. +“It would suck for you.” +Nice, John restating the obvious. Yeah, it would suck. I mean, what's so great about communicating with the dead, locating the dead? Any of that... ah, no. Nothing in it for me but weirdness. +“Government took him. Bye-bye... gone.” John made a fluttering motion with his hand like a bird flying away. The pencils kept bouncing in a distracting way. +I'd heard about that. Corpse-Manipulation, rare-much. Jeffrey Parker was the only recorded case. +“Why do you think?” I was interested for once, sometimes John would lose me in a tech-rant and it was all over. +“Are you shitting me? Dead people... come on.” I got an image of zombies with M-60s, interesting. +“No, think about it. They could get people raised and force them to do stuff. From a distance, they could look like they were alive, important people.” He raised his eyebrows. +“Presidents?” +“Rulers or whoever,” John said. “He was a five-point. He could do the whole tamale. I think the government exploits whatever they can; using whoever they can.” +I laughed. +“What?” he asked. +“I can't take you seriously. You look like a dumb-ass.” The pencils dangled indignantly inside each nostril, humiliated. +John pulled them out, checking the ends for gold. +Huh. +I'd been wondering why my head was buzzing. Now memories surfaced. When had the buzzing started exactly? What triggered it? Could John be right? +“Okay people, zip up here and pick up your trays. Your sterilized utensils should already be at your desks,” Collins said. +John went for our trays, minus the attractive pencils. I stared out the window, the splatters of rain causing rivulets that looked like gray streamers marring the glass. +I shook my head, clearing fuzziness. I couldn't shake the buzzing, a dull noise that ebbed and flowed. I felt it today the strongest. As soon as I entered class, the buzzing increased, like whispers. +“Here you are. One frog for the both of us.” John plunked down a frog that had once been green but was a bone-gray now, staking pins gleaming under the LEDs. +That's when the screaming started. +The whole earth felt like it was swiveling on its axis, and I was on top. The whispering grew in volume until images flooded my head. There were marshes and swamps. A frog, in the bloom of its life, shiny with amphibian iridescence, leaped to a log, hoping to fool a small water moccasin close enough to take it. +(NO!) +Right behind you! I shouted in warning. But I couldn't be heard, these were images... memories. +A motor boat was closing in on the frog, getting ready to take it with a metal pole and loose net on its end. Caleb heard the frog's thoughts, strange predator must seek cover... noise... hurts... +(NO! NO!!!) +It wasn't the only frog with memories. Every cut my classmates made, a new flood of memories came. I realized through some dim sense that I was on my back on the Biology floor. Carson and Brett in the background wheezed with laughter. +“He bit it over a frog? Seriously?” Carson ranted. +Brett, not to be outdone caterwauled, “He's a total girl!” +Collins was moving his hand in front of my face, holding up fingers, but I was caught in the grip of the death memories, absorbing my consciousness. The last thing I remember was John's anxious face taking turns between telling the dumb-ass duo to shut up and seeing if I was gonna live. My vision became gray at the edges, a pinpoint of black expanding to clear my mind of everything and I knew no more. +CHAPTER 1 + + +Trees surrounding the cemetery danced in the languid breeze of the mild spring night. I looked behind me at the pair of eighth grade boys who'd come to egg me on. They had discovered my secret: that I knew the dead, heard the dead. +Headstones glimmered like loose teeth in the moonlight, the whispering like a steady thrumming of white noise in my head. My hands grew clammy. +“Caleb, show them you're not a frickin' poser,” said Jonesy. +“I don't pose.” My thoughts raged against each other in contrary purpose. Proving to Carson and Brett that I had AFTD wouldn't keep them off my back completely, but it'd notch down their stupidity to something me and my posse could manage. That's where it was, managing their shit behavior. +I took a step through the high, Victorian-style gate, my foot touching its reluctant toe on hallowed ground. +The feeling of being forced pressed uncomfortably against my mind. +Crossing the threshold of sanctified ground, the whispering turned into voices. One voice whispered to me the strongest. I stopped feeling tentative and like an invisible string pulled, was drawn toward one of the gravestones, standing sentinel near the middle of the cemetery, glowing softly in the moonlight. I came to stand in front of the headstone which read: “Clyde Thomas, born 1900, died 1929.” +“Wake me...” it said. +“What?” I whispered. +It speaks. +“Wake me...” it repeated. +“Caleb, who are you talking to?” John asked, lack of understanding clear on his face. +My head swung in slow-motion as if through quicksand, moving in his direction, blood rushing in my ears and my heart beating thick and heavy in my chest. Everything became crystallized in that moment. John's frizzy hair and freckles stood out like measles. A microscopic chip lay like an imperfect shadow on the headstone, shining stark contrast to the white marble. +Something... something... was building, rising up as if underwater, rushing to the surface. I was supposed to finalize something, but what? The whispering of the corpse in the earth was so loud it drowned out John's words. John's mouth was moving but no sound was coming out. +What-the-hell? He was arguing with Jonesy, his teeth a pale slash against his dark face. +Flailing, Jonesy's hand suddenly connected with my face. My teeth slammed into my tongue and the taste of copper pennies filled my mouth. I leaned over and a drop of blood hung tremulously on my bottom lip, falling to the grave like a black gem. +Everything clicked into place, vertigo spinning the graveyard on its side as if it had been waiting for this moment. The ground rushed toward my face and I threw my hands out to brace my fall, fingers biting into damp earth. A clawed hand broke through the ground like a spear through flesh. Searching, it grasped my wrist, the bones pressing in a vise-like grip that captured my breath, the intense coldness of the grave lingering on its dead flesh. +The head of the corpse broke free of the ground, its shadowed gaze meeting mine, the hand releasing me. I scuttled backward, standing up, swaying, overcome with, excitement? Fear? I had done this thing and now, didn't know how to undo it. The corpse moved with purpose, pacing me as it used the undisturbed ground to leverage itself as another drop of my blood fell and landed with a dull plop on the corpse's forehead. +The zombie's gaze fixated on mine, it put a hand on its knee and began to push itself upright. Dull, lank strands of hair hung loosely from a scalp strung together by a tight mask of rotten sinew. +Jonesy had long since run out of the cemetery and was at a “safe” range from what the ground had disgorged. +He better get his ass back here. He couldn't get away with whacking me and not helping me with corpse-boy. +“Why have you awoken me?” The words sounded garbled, maybe there was some tongue in there? +Must not be rude, not my strongest point. +Out loud I said, “You asked me to.” +John was standing at my right, trying to mask a fine, all-over tremble. His freckles stood out on a pale face like beacons of fright. +“What the hell is this?” John asked. +He didn't really just ask that? John... duh. +The zombie looked at me with eyes that clung from threads of sinew; moving wetly in its sockets, sucking like a vacuum. +“Why have you woken me?” it repeated, shambling a step closer. The smell... wow. It rose like a torrent of rotting garbage. John clapped his hand over his nose, taking a step backward. +The corpse took another step closer. +“Got any brilliant suggestions?” I asked John, my eyes steady on the zombie, hoping like hell John would lend an intellectual hand. +“Do not have the Zombie Handbook handy,” John said, his eyes a tad wide. +Not helpful. +The corpse looked at me, head tilted, “You're just a boy... how could you know for what purpose you have disturbed my slumber?” +Uh-oh, coming up with an excuse, so not my thing. +“I didn't... mean to wake you up...” I fumbled out. I wasn't usually this tongue-tied but meeting a corpse in the flesh (ha-ha) stole my speech. +“You do not know what you would have of me? You use your life-force to waken me and yet... without purpose? Put me back,” he said thickly. His clothes hung in tatters and the smell was definitely old, dark coffin, not that I knew what that smelled like. +John's look clearly said, do something! I guess what I hadn't told my friends was that I had never thought that I could actually raise the dead. But here he was, standing before me in all his rotting glory. +Looking out amongst the teenagers collected outside the cemetery, “To whom much is given, much is expected. Put me back,” he said. +Adults were all the same, even dead, lecture, lecture. +“How?” I asked. +“You are the necromancer, boy, not I.” Again that quizzical brow over rotting facial countenance. +Interpretation challenge... but I was managing. +“A what?” I asked, surprisingly calm, for the first time, there were no whispers. Perfect, blessed silence filled my head. It was the most natural thing in the world; talking to the dead. Looking at the corpse, its eyeballs like inky marbles stared back at me with uncanny devotion. +“A diviner of the black arts, magic...” he replied. +All that time with the star in my basement, huh, right. +I could still taste distressingly metallic blood in my mouth. I was connecting dots here, but I had an epiphany, I could put it back with blood! Things had only gotten über-weird when I had my lip busted open by Jonesy. I looked back at the corpse, Clyde-- no longer feeling that sense of swimming power just underneath the surface. Now was not the time to get queasy with the dead. I needed to regain that essence, fast. +“Ah... hang on a minute,” I said to the corpse, who stared blankly back... ah-huh. +“John, give me your blade.” +“What the heck Caleb? What are you planning to do with this...” John said pointing his finger at the patient corpse, “...thing?” who was as immobile out of his grave as in. +“I figure my blood made it jump out of its grave, now I need some to put him back and you're going to help me,” I said in a one sentence rush. +John's face got paler, if possible. “Ah, we're good friends and all but no, not a good plan! We don't know that for sure anyway.” The logic-master was not feelin' it. Couldn't say I blamed him, me holding a knife and all. +“... here's the deal, let's do a little 'friendship blood bank' just for the sake of putting the dead guy back in his grave, eh?” I began tapping my foot on the disturbed mess of the grave. John would ante up the blood or this was gonna be a long damn night. +“What?” strained trust crowded his eyes. +“Just here, give me your forearm.” I placed the side of the blade on his forearm where it shone black in the pale moonlight. My left hand wrapped tight, steadying his flesh for puncture. +John took a deep breath,“Okay, but you're going to owe me, big time.” The whites of his eyes bulging. +I pressed the point of the blade against his arm until the pressure broke the skin. John sucked in a lungful, blood welled and I let up the pressure. The zombie's head jerked at the sight of the blood, causing the disturbing sound of neck bones popping. +Would I ever get used to that noise? I repeated the process with my own arm. Our identical wounds pressed together, I offered it to my zombie. I could feel somehow that he was mine, I knew it. +A vibrating tuning fork of trembling power welled up inside me. A strange mixture of fear, dread and excitement paralyzed me. My teeth throbbed with the intensity of it. The zombie's hand snaked out, taking hold of the offered forearm. It felt cold against my warm flesh, like iced tentacles. I swabbed a blot of blood, inking it with my index and middle fingers on the zombies forehead, like warpaint. It rolled those empty eyes up at me, its dead bones clinging to my fingertips. +We shared a suspended moment in time, a terrible beauty of control balanced precariously. “Go back and rest,” I said, feeling that balance reached, that I was choosing for both of us. +The zombie reluctantly let go of my arm, sand through a sieve, lying down on the disturbed ground while his grave encased him in a shroud of earth. +I was a corpse-raiser, one of two, and it was not a safe thing to be. +John and I stared at each other over the grave for a swollen minute, his face showing a mixture of sympathy and dread. He knew what this distinction would mean for me in the world we lived in. +I was shaking from the intensity of it all, there was no controlling it. This was not the same as Biology experiments and roadkill, this was real, this was huge. Looking outside the cemetery perimeter at two enemies and one friend, I knew it was time to swear the group to secrecy. A trickle of sweat slithered down my back, pooling at the waistband of my jeans, instantly chilling against my fevered flesh. I didn't want the same future as Parker, that loss of freedom was so not a part of The Plan, my plan. +John and I headed out of the cemetery in a wave of uncertain promise. +CHAPTER 2 + + +I smacked my alarm, just five more minutes I thought, dozing off. +“Caleb!” Mom yelled up the stairs. +“Yeah?” I yelled back. +“School!” +I stumbled out of my bed and looked on the floor for today's clothes... Hmm, what to wear that wasn't too wrinkled. I picked up a pair of jeans and a shirt and took an experimental whiff. Good enough! I jerked the jeans on with a hop and a zip. Opened the underwear and sock drawer, nothing. I ripped open every drawer for socks, ah-huh! Finally, a couple of socks, not matched but clean... happy day. +I trudged over to the kitchen table, scarred from a thousand meals. +“You cookin' today?” I asked, hopeful. +“No, but you're eating.” +Eating in the morning blows. I was that lazy. I'd open the fridge, nothing. Then the freezer, repeat. I usually ended up cramming a yogurt down. +Mom looked in the fridge. “What flavor?” +“Do we have blueberry?” It was the only non-barf fruit I could think about eating this early. +“Last one.” +“Where's Dad?” +Mom and Dad were on the opposite end of the spectrum. She was free-spirited (read: hippie) and thought the mystery of life and choice was taken when the scientific puzzle of the genome mapping was solved. +It made for an interesting family life. +“He is working on that new project.” +Great, hopefully not anything new for kids to rant about. I'd gone through enough being hassled as I was growing up. +“Does that mean he'll be home for supper tonight? I've got something to talk to him about.” I wisely didn't want to mention the whole corpse-raising episode. Dad was logic and fairness mixed. He'd know what to do. This... I might need some help on. +“Yes, he will, you know how important meal time is,” Mom said. +Maybe, maybe not. Science was important to Dad. +After I wolfed down the yogurt, knowing the beast would awaken again at 10 a.m. in class, perfect timing, I made a 2-point shot at the trash can. Swish! No mess, but that didn't stop the frown forming on Mom's face. +I moved quickly to grab my backpack but she blocked me and I was forced to look up at her. Every girl in the world was taller than me... wonderful. +She brushed the hair out of my eyes and it shot back down. “You need a haircut.” +“No, mom.” A time-sucker was all a haircut was and I had more important things to do. +Slamming the door behind me I took the stairs two at a time, cruising at a jog. I wanted to reconnoiter with the dudes, get things straight in my head from last night. +I slowed to a walk. I'd still be there early and I was feeling lazy. Looking up, I noticed the canopy of trees allowing filtered morning light to break through, speckling the ground with sunspots. My head began the familiar thrumming, a buzz seeping into the crevices of my mind as I walked toward the school. +I stopped where I stood, the buzzing had become whispering, my heart speeding, my breath quickening in response, my palms dampening. +The whispering of the dead had arrived. +I looked around, noticing the paved street, the pebbling of the asphalt worn away by a million cars, the shoulder giving way into the ditch. +Nothing. +I started walking again but the whispering grew louder. I followed the dull roar of the insidious voice like a magnet and was rewarded with volume. +There, on the border of the forest and the soft dirt of the ditch lay a crumpled body, torn and broken, its head at an awkward angle. My hands trembled as the whispering broke through to voices and images, flooding my head like a pulse-screen. +I heard the thoughts: + +Headlights bursting like twin spots before its eyes as it tried to escape those lights... rushing forward... it sprinted across the street, not timing the advance properly and the twin orbs bore down on it. +Pain. Intense pain and blinding light. +The cat thought of its litter, its people... then-- was no more. + +My breath returned in a paralyzing rush, my feet planted at the base of her body. A small body that had shared the last moments of its life with me. A life that was now gone. +I stood for a moment, taking it in, realizing that life as I knew it was never going to be the same. I wasn't going to breeze through being a teenager. +Snapping back to reality I realized I was the Pied Piper of road kill. +Great. Definitely my life-goal. +This was just the kinda thing that had been happening. The frogs in Biology, there had been so many. I hadn't been able to camouflage that. People would be suspicious. Why couldn't I be developing something righteous like Pyrokenesis? Now that would be tight. At least only Brett and Carson knew the corpse-raising part. Getting them to cooperate with silence, that was another thing. +I trudged on, my limbs heavy, my head swimming with the heaviness of an undead-moment. I lifted my hands, the fine shaking almost gone. Beaded sweat decorated my upper lip and I wiped it off with the back of my hand. I needed to get a hold of this thing. I was on it. That's what I told myself but my gut churned with uncertainty. +The familiar doors to our daily prison came into view. I went inside the school, spotting the “cemetery group.”. +John and Jonesy stood apart from the others in stark contrast to each other. Almost five foot ten, with a shock of frizzy, carrot-colored hair and pale blue eyes, John looked a little freakish but he was my main dude, the go-to guy when things went sideways. I gave Jonesy an unfriendly look, touching my face. He had short, nappy hair and teeth that stood out like white Chiclets in a dark face. He was taller than me too, but built stocky. They'd been with me since Kindergarten. +The rest of the group was a mixed bag, didn't feel solid here. It would take some clever conniving to get promises of secrecy from the rest. Brett Mason and Carson Hamilton stood side-by-side with identical white-blond hair and height, hard to tell apart unless you looked at them full-on. They'd been with me since Kindergarten too, but not in a good way. +Edging through the throng of kids I made my way to John and Jonesy first. Jonesy leaned against the locker, arms crossed. John looked ready to explode, not typical. +Jonesy said, “Sorry about the bludgeoning.” +“Yeah... what the hell?” I asked. +“Your face sorta got in the way.” +“Oh... really?” Gee, hadn't noticed that. +“It was an accident, John and I were discussing...” Jonesy began. +“... arguing...” John interrupted. +Jonesy gave him a look. “I changed my mind is all.” +I raised my eyebrows, Jonesy never switched gears. +“About the merit of them knowing,” John finished. +We looked at Bret and Carson. Too late now, spilled milk on the table and dripping on the floor. +Later, I thought. “I wasn't pulling a hypo in Biology,” giving a hard look at Brett and Carson, the used-to-be-non-believers, “and now APs are coming up.” +“Yeah, you have your dad to thank for that,” Brett smirked. +I knew that was coming. +My eyes caught sight of a grape sized bruise the color of pale chartreuse, the edges fanning to green then finally purple. Brett's smirk faded under my gaze as he shifted his shoulder, his shirt falling over the mark that lingered on his throat. Someone's hand had left that, not my problem, but... +“Shut up, it's Caleb's ass on the line,” Jonesy said, jamming a thumb at my chest. “You know what happens when you hit the radar as a corpse-raiser. He'd be a government squirrel, like that Parker dude.” +“Nobody wants to have their life planned by somebody else,” John said. +“My dad didn't have anything to do with that,” I pointed out. +“But thanks to him, everyone's tested now because of the mapping. All the do-gooders want to 'realize our full potential'.” Brett made quote signs in the air, “What an ass-load of crap that was.” +Carson chimed in, “So even if we don't want to be mathematicians or scientists we're on that freight train until it reaches the depot.” +Carson's murky-green eyes burrowed into mine. This was an old argument. Kinda like being the preacher's kid, you got blamed for everything your parent did, or didn't do. +“You dickface... yeah you,” Jonesy looked at Carson, whose eyes narrowed. “It isn't Caleb's fault that his dad started that ball rolling with the mapping. If it hadn't been him, it would've been someone else...” +Carson's fists clenched and flexed, he didn't like being told the obvious. Probably shouldn't have opened his mouth and crammed a foot in there until he choked. Kinda brain dead-- kinda consistent. +“Listen guys, this isn't helping. It's the now we need to figure out. I don't want to pop a five-point AFTD on the APs. They're what, a week away? My dad,” Carson rolled his eyes and I ignored him, plowing forward, “says that puberty is the exact time they test because scientists have proven that abilities come online then, sometimes for the first time.” Not for me, I added silently. +The first bell gave its shrill beckon exactly then. I looked at Brett and Carson. “I need you guys to cover for me. At least until the tests are finished.” +I was appealing to their good side. +You can't force us to, Hart,” Brett said. +“Yeah, just because daddy's famous doesn't give you clout,” Carson echoed. +So much for that. +“How about doing it because it's the right thing to do?” asked Jonesy, out of the blue. +“The human thing to do,” interjected John. +“He's not human.” Carson said, stabbing a finger toward my chest. +Prejudice at its finest. But what did I expect from these two? + “You got that right,” Brett agreed, walking off with Carson. +We watched them move away into the multicolor sea of kids. +“Did ya see that bruise necklace Brett was wearing?” Jonesy asked. +Yeah, some people had more than corpse-raising to worry about. +“It's the dad,” John said. +Jonesy turned those liquid eyes to me, “Feel sorry for him Caleb? Don't go soft on me bro. You're always giving jackasses the benefit of the doubt.” +Not yet, I thought, saying nothing. +Seeing my expression he said, “Yeah, my cup of care is empty too.” +My conscious teetered on the balance of right and wrong. Brett had it bad, but he chose to act bad. It didn't make things easier, it made it more complicated. +Jonesy clapped me on the back and John gave me the nod. My friends had my back. +It was gonna be a hurricane of crap and I was in the eye of it. The Js and I walked off to Shop class. Time to make my mom a heart-shaped box, when my heart was definitely not into it. + +# + + +DEATH WHISPERS, book one of the six book Death series, can be found FREE at most online retailers! + +*WHISPERS begins as young adult novel with the final three installments firmly in the new adult (17+) genre. + +BLOG: http://tamararoseblodgett.blogspot.com/ + +FB: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorTamaraRoseBlodgett + +GR: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4755913.Tamara_Rose_Blodgett + +Vanessa Booke + +Dead Run + + +“The only good human being is a dead one.” +-George Orwell + +CARLY + +I know his gun is in the top drawer. I’ve watched him place it there. Tonight is the last night I’ll ever let him touch me. I watch his breath rise and fall rhythmically as he sleeps. From where I stand, he doesn’t look so threatening, anymore at least, not compared to how he looked earlier that night. My cheek still burns when I touch it. A bruise is starting to form underneath my swollen skin. I step into the darkened bedroom cautious, as the wooden floors squeak beneath me. He can wake at any moment. My hands tremble as I make my way toward his nightstand. It has to be here, unless…Tom hid it somewhere else. As I pull the top drawer open, I’m relieved to see the gun is still there. It sits shining in the moonlight that cascades down through the cracks of the boarded-up bedroom window. +I pull the gun from the drawer, but pause midway. My stepfather’s snoring has stopped. Fear paralyzes me, and I freeze, still. Is he awake? Is he watching me? I hold my breath, my eyes squeezed closed, waiting. Several seconds pass, and then like clockwork, I can hear the sound of his snoring again. I look down at the handgun and then back at my sleeping stepfather. I shiver in disgust at the memory of his hands on me; no amount of soap could ever wash away how dirty he makes me feel. My stomach rolls at the memory of the way he whispered how I would always be his. +Not anymore. I step into the hallway, shutting the bedroom door quietly behind me. A small sense of relief washes over me. I did it. Before I know it, I’m all the way down the hallway of our one story home. Tonight is our last night behind the safety of the community fences. It frightens me to think about what’s waiting for us outside, but staying isn’t an option anymore. I stare down at the gun in my hands. I’ve never held one until tonight. The sound of a soft voice catches my attention. +It echoes down the hall. Michael must be awake. I slip the gun behind me. There’s no reason for him to see it; it will only scare and confuse him. He’s been pretty quiet these past few hours. He keeps asking for our mother. I don’t have the heart to tell him that she’s gone. The only thing left is a shell of the woman she used to be. It’s been seven days since she became infected. +I made her a promise when it happened. I promised her that no matter what, I wouldn’t let her become one. I know what I have to do, and despite what my stepfather Tom tells me, I know my mother is sick and she isn’t getting better. +Our home is made up of three rooms. Tom sleeps in the master bedroom. I share a bedroom with Michael, and my mother is in the guest room. We live in a town sectioned off from the outside world. It’s better than what most survivors have, but it’s temporary. Our emergency supplies were never meant to last past six months. We’re going on our seventh month and our food and water is nearly gone. +Tom keeps my mother isolated from everyone here. A cold draft hits me as I enter her bedroom. I can hear her heavy breathing, her lungs crackling as she inhales. Small white clouds of air escape her mouth. It’s freezing in here. I switch on the emergency lantern near her nightstand. The fluorescent light reminds me of a hospital room as it chases away the darkness. I gasp at the sight of her; she’s gotten worse. Her eyes are bloodshot and her pupils are dilated. I touch her skin to check for a fever, but she feels ice cold. I grab her hand and place it in mine. Her skin is pale yellow and she’s starting to bloat like the others. She has a day at most, maybe less. The bloated skin on her finger engulfs her wedding band. It’s the one my father gave her before he died. +It wasn’t the infection that took him away from us. He was in a motorcycle accident when I was fifteen. He suffered an injury to the head and went into a coma.  +I twist the ring off her finger. +My mother sold our old house to pay for his medical bills. She didn’t have the heart to pull the plug. Not too long after his accident, they flew him to a fancy medical hospital in Colorado. I thought he died. She told Michael and me that he did, but a few days ago I found some old hospital bills stashed in a shoebox. She lied. For the past three years she’s been paying to keep him alive. At least, she was until the outbreak happened. +“Mom.” +She stares at me blankly, making it clear she no longer recognizes her own daughter’s face. I’m sure in her eyes I’m only a stranger, someone she’s never seen before. I reach down for the wash pan at the foot of her bed, and I cringe at the sight of the brown, murky water inside it. Tom refuses to bathe her with any of our clean water, and instead subjects her to the dirty-brown, rusted water from the faucets. As far I know it isn’t hurting her, but she deserves more than that. Tom wants to keep her around because of the food rations. Each person in the community is given a certain portion of food, no more, no less. He takes hers for himself. I hate seeing her like this. +A moan escapes her lips. I pull the gun out from behind me, fearful that she’s turning. I have to do what she couldn’t for my dad. I have to let her go. I have to. +I raise the gun toward the front of her face. My hands tremble, the gun is heavier than I expected. Through her confused and sickened state, she looks up at me as if she has a moment of clarity. I close my eyes and turn my face. I picture her as she was before the outbreak. In my mind, she stands radiant and beautiful as she smiles down at me. I can almost hear her saying everything will be all right. They say goodbye is the hardest thing you’ll ever have to say. So I don’t say it. I breathe in and pull the trigger. + + +CARLY + +-One-Week Earlier- + +I stare down the empty halls of my old high school Maple Hills. The memories of walking with my friends to class now seem like pieced-together memories of an old movie. My fingers trace across the cold metal lockers as I walk down the hall searching for mine. So much has changed. Posters that were once filled with drug-free advertisements and S.A.T. announcements are now replaced with quarantine signs and warnings that read: + +THE UNDEAD AND THOSE INFECTED WILL BE SHOT ON SIGHT. + +At the end of the row of lockers, I find mine; number 513. I still remember my old combination 12, 42, 0. The locker pops open and inside sits my old textbooks. I smile as I turn them over; my pre-calculus book sits on top. I can remember Mr. Robinson spouting off about how pre-Cal would be important in our future. I’m pretty sure he didn’t mean to fight the undead with, although it is pretty heavy book. I slide my hand to the back of the locker and pull out a box of shotgun shells. I’ve been saving these for the right time. +When the outbreak began, it started in small numbers, rapidly growing into what seemed like an overnight cataclysm. Cities like ours were scheduled for evacuation procedures that never came. The infection spread too quickly, taking out whole neighborhoods and leaving behind small numbers to fend for themselves against the undead. A few families like mine were saved and taken to quarantined areas outside of Los Angeles. It wasn’t long before even those sites were compromised and overrun by death. +Nothing was ever normal again. Sometimes, I sit and think about what it would be like to have a normal life again. Maybe I would’ve gone to college and majored in Biology like Mom, or maybe history, like Dad. The Civil War is still my favorite time period. It would’ve been nice to get my first job in LA, maybe even an apartment. Somewhere far away from Tom. +Everyday I wake up hoping this is all a bad dream. That none of this is real, but I wake up disappointed daily. It’s not good to dwell on the past, my mother would say, but sometimes the past is all you have. +I shut my locker and head back toward the infirmary to find my mother. Today she’s making her rounds across the community. There aren’t very many people left who know a thing or two about medicine. My mother was a nurse at a prominent hospital in Los Angeles. Most of the people she worked with died immediately during the outbreak. My mother was taking her scheduled vacation days at home when the news reported the first incident. It was never confirmed how or where the outbreak first happened, but the television stations stopped reporting not too long after. +The sound of footsteps catches me off guard on my way through the main hall. The exit is not too far from me, but I pause for a moment, holding my breath in fear of hearing the dreaded sound of shuffling feet. The footsteps stop completely. +“You know you shouldn’t be in here by yourself.” +Nathaniel Thorne, one of the commanding soldiers in the community, steps forward from the shadows. +“What are you doing here?” I ask, startled. +“It can be dangerous,” he says, avoiding my question. His stare lingers over me ever so slightly. “Something could’ve hurt you.” +Or is it someone? +“There aren’t any shufflers inside the community,” and even as I say it, I know that it doesn’t mean that there couldn’t be. I am reminded of it daily when the school bell rings at 3:00 pm preceded by the cold voice of a soldier that announces, all clear over the loudspeaker. Every day I listen for even the slightest tone of panic in the voice, but it’s always the same cold, emotionless tone. +“Civilians aren’t allowed in unmonitored areas, even inside the fenced walls.” He says, gesturing to the restricted sign on the entrance doors - how could I forget. We’ve been warned and forbidden to leave the community and although we practice evacuation procedures weekly we’re never allowed to leave. A few have learned the hard way. The other day I watched David, a boy not much older than me climb the fence and when he returned soldiers were there to block him from re-entering. I overheard his mother crying during one of the evacuation procedures, she had pleaded with him not to go, but food is scarce these days and his family was starving. It’s almost certain that he’s dead by now. +“I was just on my way to meet my mother,” I reply. +Thorne comes closer. “Do you have a boyfriend Carly?” he asks, running his finger along my arm. +I try to pull my arm away, but he grabs my wrist and pulls it to his lips. +“Such a pretty thing,” he says, pressing his lips on my wrist. +“Stop.” The feeling of his lips on me makes my skin crawl. +“Thorne?” someone calls out. +A voice echoes down the hall. Before Thorne can make another advance, a figure appears near the end of the lockers. It’s another soldier. He makes a beeline toward us. As he comes closer, I can’t help but notice something familiar about him. +“Thorne, they need you over in Avenue C.” +That voice. +“Code 3.” +The sound of another soldier’s voice comes crackling out of his hand radio. “Tremell! Do you copy that?” +It’s him. Joshua. My heart flutters at the sound of his name. He looks different –taller, leaner, and so much more serious than I remember him. He stops a few feet away and turns, lifting the radio to his face. “Negative.” A flood of voices flow from the radio, barely audible, but somehow Joshua can discern their message. “Ten-four.” He carefully reattaches his radio and then looks up at me, as if just realizing I was still there. The shock registers on his face immediately. He wasn’t expecting me to be here – to be alive. +My eyes are drawn to the fusion of emerald green and golden flecks in his eyes. He stares back at me, slowly looking me over. It’s hard not to stare at the fine muscles that have replaced the scrawny arms he once had. Two years have passed and I hardly recognize him. Joshua is three years older than me, but it never felt so, until now. +He reaches out, and for a moment it seems like he might actually touch me…my skin hums with excitement. Did he miss me as much as I missed him? +“You know this girl?” +Thorne’s cold voice pierces my thoughts, drawing me back to reality. Joshua’s hand drops and he looks away, clearing his throat. The magic of the moment is over. +“She used to live on the same street as me when we were children,” Joshua mutters. +His dismissive tone strikes a chord in me. We were more than just neighbors. +Thorne smirks, “Ah, I see.” +The silence between the three of us is uncomfortable. My cheeks warm in embarrassment. I should’ve known that I didn’t mean anything to him. +“Let me escort you back to your mother, Ms. Rios.” + +Joshua gestures toward the hallway exit with disinterest. +“I can find my own way,” I say, cutting him off. +The exit isn’t close enough. I hurry down the hall and out the door before anyone can follow me. It’s one thing having Joshua barely remember me and another thing letting him usher me around like some little girl. As I turn, I catch a glimpse of Thorne and Joshua in heated conversation. +Joshua’s stare follows me. The look on his face is strange, and yet so familiar. + +*** + +Outside the fences of the community, buildings sit abandoned, slowly crumbling from neglect. Mounds of trash litters the streets, broken TV sets sit smashed on the sidewalk pavement, –thrown from shop windows. Looters have come and gone, stripping cars and stores for whatever they can. There are rows after rows of cars alongside the street. +There are nights where I dream about walking outside the fence and taking one. +“Carly?” +I turn, startled by my mother’s voice. She stands outside the medical supply shed leaning against the ramp railing. +“Carly, are you ready? Didn’t you hear me calling you?” +“Sorry mom, I was just…” +“Day-dreaming again?” She smiles. +Always. +“I’m ready.” +She hands me a basket of medical supplies as she heads toward the first street of community houses. The town is divided in houses for military and civilians. Our walk is brief, but silent; we haven’t spoken since the fight we had the other night about my stepfather. A part of me feels compelled to say I’m sorry, but deep inside I know I’m right about Tom – I know firsthand. +“Carly, I know it’s hard for you to accept Tom, but your brother and you need a father figure and Tom is a good man.” +I scoff at the word good. She looks at me, pleading with her eyes. It’s impossible to see Tom as my father. +“He’s really trying this time; you should give him a chance.” +I gave him a chance last time and when you weren’t looking he put his hands all over me. The memory of his touch hits me with violent shivers. +“What’s wrong?” She asks. +I swallow my tears back and stare out into the vacant town around us. It’s early enough that few people are awake. From a distance something moves in the shadows catching my eye. I focus in on the movement past the fence. A gasp escapes from my mother’s lips and I know she sees it too. He’s running towards us breathless and behind him is a group of three shufflers, except they’re not shuffling, they’re running. His face is contorted in horror as he pushes his legs to run faster, but they’re catching up. +“That’s David, Martha’s boy.” +“I’ve never seen them run before.” +“Carly, we have to help him!” +My mother’s words snap me from my daze. David. It’s the boy who was recently exiled from the community. +“How?” +“Help me!” he screams. +The sounds of his pleas send shivers down my spine. My stomach turns at the sound of desperation in his voice. Inside I know there’s nothing we can do for him; civilians aren’t allowed to carry weapons and if the soldiers knew we helped him inside, we would be exiled too. I turn toward my mother - anguish fills her eyes, she knows all too well that we should turn and continue on our route. +“Carly, we have to help.” She says. +He only has a few feet ahead of them. Their limbs thrash forward trying to reach him, like wild dogs they snarl and snap their teeth at their prey. Their skin sags, barely covering the bones across their chest. As David’s body slams into the fence, he scrambles to get underneath the concealed hole at the bottom. +“Please! The fence, help me get under!” +He must have cut it. +My mother scrambles to hold up the loose section of the fence. +“Carly help me.” +I grab the opposite side of the fence and pull up. It’s a tight squeeze. He can get back in. He has to. David uses his feet to push his body beneath the fence, but just as he’s almost all the way through, his jeans catch on the bottom links. +“Shit!” he yells. +He pushes his foot against the fence in an effort to get loose. +“Hurry! They’re too close!” I scream. +I turn towards my mother - her face is pale white, her fingers bright red from holding the fence. +“Help, I can’t get my leg loose. Oh God.” +It’s too late. I want to let go and run away from all of this. I can’t watch him die. My mother drops to the floor and my heart goes still; what is she doing? Her hands slip beneath the fence pulling at the fabric of his jeans. I hold my breath in anticipation. My grip is slowly slipping. I close my eyes, whispering a silent prayer, but my thoughts are suddenly interrupted by a piercing scream. It’s my mothers. Blood oozes from her hand, a chunk of flesh is missing between her thumb and index finger. My fingers release the fence as I jump back from shock. I pull my mother away, keeping my eyes on the predator in front of us. I watch in disgust as the he chews on her missing flesh. +Despite his elder appearances, his reflexes are quick. He lunges at the fence, shaking it in hunger. My mother’s blood drips warm over me as I lean her against my chest. I reach for gauze inside the medical basket and quickly wrap a layer around her hand. Her face is pale and her pulse is weak beneath my fingers. There isn’t enough gauze to stop the bleeding. +As I look up, I realize David is still stuck under the fence. He fends off the other two shufflers as he struggles to kick them. The older shuffler turns his attention toward David. He’s no match against the three of them as they pull him back out the other side. +I freeze as I watch them them dig their nails into his intestines, pulling them out in one thrust, like ripping weeds from a garden. I pray his death is quick, although I know not painless. +“Nooo!” he gargles as blood surfaces his mouth. +Silence follows his screams. The shufflers tear and pull at his body like a bone shared between three dogs. They ravage his intestines and chew his fingers and toes as if savoring the flavor. +My mother shivers in my arms and her quiet voice calls me back to reality. +“Carly, leave me. The soldiers will be here soon. They probably heard everything.” +“No! You’re coming with me.” +“Carly…” +She looks down at the gauze wrapped around her hand. She’s infected. They’ve warned us, one bite is all it takes. +“Mom, I can’t.” +Unwanted tears spill down my cheeks. +“I can’t,” I say as I shake my head. “No, you’re coming with me. I won’t leave you. They’ll kill you.” +“Promise me…” she pleads. +I help her scramble to her feet. I know what she wants me to promise. I squeeze my eyes tight, shaking my head. +“I promise,” I whisper. +My heart aches at the thought of my mother as one of those monsters. In the distance an alarm sounds off. Soldiers would soon be here. +*** +For more information on Vanessa Booke see: +www.vanessabooke.com and +Facebook + + +Chantal Boudreau + +Just Another Day... + + +Margot cursed as her toast landed peanut-butter side down. This kind of thing always happened to her when she was already running behind, and mornings lately always seemed to be such a rush. She supposed that that could be said for any working mother with a self-employed husband and two teenage boys. They were totally incapable of doing anything for themselves, leaving her constantly playing the role of super mom. +She tossed what was meant to be her breakfast in the composter and scrubbed the sticky brown mess off of the linoleum, muttering under her breath as she did so. She had enough work to do around the house without adding to her own troubles. She supposed part of the reason that she was such a klutz lately was because she was so tired. Roy remained in his office when she went to bed, and she had difficulty falling asleep without him there. She had always been that way. Add to the fact that his office was below their bedroom, and that she could hear him shuffling about there, well into the night, and she was lucky to nab a couple of hours sleep before the alarm went off in the morning. +Margot tossed the sponge into the sink, too rushed for time to rinse it clean. The house reeked badly enough already, a bit more mess in the sink would not make things any worse. She did not have any time during the week to do any serious cleaning, and she could not rely on her family for help. That left the weekends, and she managed what she could, but she had other obligations to attend to that she had not had a few months ago, thanks to Roy’s writing career. While cleaning, she did not dare disturb Roy’s office, and Hayden and Wesley had turned the basement into a complete wasteland. She would have to be insane to venture into the depths and try to sort out the mess that they had left there. No... even super mom was not that brave. +Margot realized that things would likely have been different if Roy had found success before they had bought the house. It was a two bedroom bungalow, with a finished basement, in a questionable neighbourhood - all that they could afford on her miserable salary at the hospital. She would have made a lot more if she had actually finished school, but Hayden had come along and spoiled her plans. She had promised herself that she would go back, but that was not very likely with the way things stood now. She was far too busy to fit studying into her schedule. She was fortunate to be able to squeeze breathing in there. +After buying the house came the dilemma of which of the boys would get the upstairs bedroom, and which one would be banished to one of the rooms in the basement. At the time, neither of the two liked the idea of being holed away in the cellar. After several rounds of rather spirited arguments, Roy had found a completely different method of resolving the issue. He had declared that he would be converting the upstairs room into an office, where he could write in peace. That meant that both boys would be forced to dwell in the cellar. +“Yup,” Margot sighed, pouring coffee into her travel mug, “My cellar dwellers.” +She could hear Roy moving around in his office, but not the boys downstairs. Roy rarely liked to stay put, but that was not the case with their sons. The two young men had eventually accepted living in the basement, and had stopped complaining, making the best of it once they had grown accustomed to it. Margot rarely heard from them now, but they were fairly lazy for their age, much more sluggish than their father. +Margot added cream and sugar substitute, and stirred. She supposed that she could use real sugar, and her weight would not suffer for it. Watching after her family on a daily basis, and even looking out for herself from time to time, kept her so active, lately. She had thought that by her age, she would have more time to relax – spending weekends on the porch with Roy with a good book and some iced tea. That, however, was not her reality. +She tossed the spoon into the sink along with the sponge and started searching for the proper cover for the particular travel mug she had chosen. The covers were all jumbled together in the same drawer, and Margot had to play hide and seek, experimenting with a couple that looked right, before she found one that fit. Roy had always complained about the way she had organized things in the kitchen, but he had never offered to help rectify the perceived problem. +They had relied on Margot’s income alone, to begin with, but then Roy’s writing career had taken off, and suddenly they had had money. It was not enough for her to quit her job, or even revert to part-time in order to finish school, but it had been enough that they had started living more comfortably. Several months ago, they had taken their first family vacation in years, and some of the burden of paying the bills had been lifted from Margot’s shoulders. It had also meant, however, that Roy had spent more and more time locked up in his office, chasing for even more success after enjoying the first, rarely coming out, even for meals. Now, Margot never saw him. +Margot pushed her coffee to one side, and started digging through the cupboards for a granola bar. Since her toast had made the sacrificial leap, she would settle for something packaged and instant for breakfast, a concession that she would have to make that morning. When Roy had used to do all the grocery shopping, he would always buy the most disgusting, sugar-laden things on the market, chocolate-covered and filled with marshmallows and caramel. They were merely chocolate bars masquerading as something healthy. Now that that duty had been relegated to her, with the myriad of other responsibilities that she had been forced to assume because Roy was no longer able, Margot selected proper food. Her granola bars were high fibre, low fat, and reduced sugar. She had to stay fit after all. She was always on the run, and sometimes, she had to run faster than others. +Margot heard a few breathy noises and more shuffling from Roy’s office. He was getting restless. That drew her attention away from the cupboards and she glanced at her watch. Seeing the time, she sucked in a breath sharply. She had ten minutes left before she had to leave, if she wanted to catch her train. That did not leave her much time to do everything that she had to do. +“Briefcase,” she grumbled, staring haplessly about the kitchen. It was very disorderly, and would remain that way until Saturday, when she would finally be available to tidy it. “Where is my briefcase?” +There was a crash from down below, somewhere in the basement. Margot rolled her eyes and moaned. It sounded like something had broken, but she would not be able to investigate. No one in their right mind would go down there without a suit of armour and a flamethrower to clear the path. She could just picture herself tripping over something in the dark, left haphazardly on the stairs, and falling to her doom. She did not have the time for that. She did not have the time for anything other than getting ready for work. +Finally, her gaze did settle on her briefcase. She drew it out and tossed it on top of the table, along with her travel mug and granola bar. Margot needed one last thing before she left the house, and... +The unusual smell in the air, beyond the typical odours, reminded her of another task that required completion before she headed for her train. She was so fatigued and rushed that it had almost slipped her mind. Margot spun quickly on her heel and eyed the three brown paper bags on the counter. She always ate lunch at the hospital cafeteria but she could not let Roy and the boys go hungry, and preparing their meals had become a regular part of her morning rituals - so had distributing those meals. +She stared anxiously at her watch again. Did she have enough time? She did not want to miss her train and have to taxi it to work again. That seemed to be becoming a bad habit, and an expensive one at that. She wanted to consider setting her alarm a few minutes early, but she was already running on empty with the little amount of sleep that she got. She was not sure if she could physically function on anything less. +With a restrained whine, Margot approached the counter where the bags sat. That was when she noticed that she had left the plastic container open with the remnants of that day’s meal. She glanced in without thinking or pausing to hold her breath, and the stench of it gave her the dry heaves, like rancid rotting meat. Trying not to look at the greyish gelatinous mass inside, she hastily popped the cover on top and securing it with an exaggerated push, swept the container off the counter and hurriedly shoved it onto the middle shelf of the refrigerator, placing it in between two other containers with similar proportions and quivering gray contents. One of the other containers still bore a medical biological waste sticker that Margot had forgotten to remove. She rotated the container clockwise, turning the side with the sticker towards the wall of the fridge and away from view. +From behind the closed office door, Margot heard Roy groan. +“Just a minute, honey,” she called. “The boys come first – you know the drill.” +Margot was tempted to scoop up the bags and make her rounds, but the brown paper would often leak, and the last time she had made the mistake of doing that, she had left a foul-smelling stain on her business attire. If that happened again, she would be forced to go and change, and then she would certainly not make her train. She leaned over and grasped the lunch bags cautiously by their rolled up tops, careful not to allow anything to drip off them onto her clothing. +Plastic would be better to avoid spillage, she knew, but the fact was that she would likely never see any containers handed off to Roy or the boys ever again, which would mean constantly buying new ones, while the old ones, rank, fetid and growing mould, would pile up in some corner, forgotten in a closet or lost behind a piece of furniture. That much had not changed over time. Brown paper bags would remain the method of choice. +As Margot had just finished telling Roy, the boys were first in line. It was a mother’s prerogative to put the well-being of her offspring before that of her spouse. She approached the door tentatively, with their two bags in her left hand, and Roy’s in her right. She crept closer, trying to quiet her breathing, and pressed her ear against the door. All she could hear was her heart thudding loudly in her chest. That did not necessarily mean that they were not there. They were less mindless than one might expect of a typical teenage boy, as much as that surprised Margot. They could still be clever, when they really wanted to be. That, she assumed, was because they were Roy’s children. Her husband had always been smart as a whip, whereas she had always been forced to muddle her way through things, improvising as necessary. +Margot realized that she did not have the time to stand there and waffle over whether or not they might be lurking behind the door, waiting to jump out at her. She steeled herself, unlocking the basement door and making as little noise as possible in the process. Cringing, she swung the door wide, and dropped the two paper bags onto the top step. Before she had even released the rolled paper tops, she heard a loud moan coming from below, and a scratching, dragging noise that almost made her jump out of her skin. Without hesitating, she slammed the door shut and fumbled with the lock. She managed to finally get it to click back into place just as something thudded against the opposite side of the door. +Margot took three staggering steps backwards and pressed herself up against the hallway wall for comfort. She was breathing heavily, still startled, and she clutched at her chest. Closing her eyes, she waited a few moments, listening to the sound of grunting and shifting on the other side of the door, before her muscles began to relax again, and her thoughts began to calm. +She was saddened a little by the fact that she had not been able to tell if it was Hayden or Wesley that she had heard. Not that seeing the boy would have provided her with any more information. Her sons, as they had aged, had grown to look so alike that it was difficult to distinguish one from the other. One would never be able to guess that Hayden was the older of the two, and Wesley the younger. The one shocking time that she had seen them both at the same time lately, side by side, they could have been identical twins. The only thing that had differentiated them was the way that Wesley slouched a touch more on the left side, and drooled a little, but then again, he always had. +“Enjoy, boys,” Margot called through the door. +She wanted to press a hand to the door, as a gesture of endearment, but her fingers were still trembling too much to allow her to do so. +“I have to see to your father next and then I’ll be going,” she said. “I’ll see if I can pick something up for you both while I’m gone.” +Margot was met with silence, which was their own form of gratitude, she guessed. She did not understand them anymore, but she had not since they had hit puberty. They had often been sullen and silent. Roy tended to be much more vocal about things, especially if he liked something. The boys were a quiet pair – shy and reserved. That might have been why they had adapted to living in the basement so quickly. That was also why she did not miss their presence the way that she did with Roy. +With only one bag left to go, Margot headed for the back door. Roy’s office window overlooked the yard there and was open a couple of inches and covered over with metal bars. Roy had insisted just after they had moved in, after word had gotten around the neighbourhood that there had been a couple of violent break-ins in the area, that they bar all of the windows in the house, including the one for his office. They did not, after all, live in the best of locations. Sure, it would look ugly, he had argued, but it would keep them secure, and he considered that much more important than appearances. +That judgement call had proven to be very useful, considering their current circumstances. Margot could safely leave that window open twenty-four/seven, without worrying about anyone or anything getting in or out. That was important with Roy being cooped up in there all day long. The air in the office had gotten stale and rancid, and having the window open allowed the air to circulate, making it a little more breathable. It also left enough of a gap to suit Margot’s purposes. +She leaned down and grasped the handle of the pool hook. They could never have afforded a pool, but she had bought it when she had recognized the necessity for it. Margot entwined the paper bag in the cording on the end and slipped it in between the bars, sliding it in through the open window. There was a tug on the other end, a rather strong one, and Margot responded by giving the pool hook a good shake. It took a couple of minutes of jostling, but eventually Margot managed to pull it free, leaving the bag behind with Roy. +Unhappily lowering the unwieldy pole to the ground again, Margot crouched for a few seconds, listening to the sounds that emerged from the open window. Time was wasting, but this was the closest thing to quality time that she had with her husband nowadays. There was a lot of shuffling, tearing and slurping. Those noises were followed by a string of hungry lamentations, and only one word could be heard clearly. +“Braaaaiiiins.” +“Still vocal,” Margot murmured, “But not so loquacious, my dear.” +His vocabulary really had gone downhill. +She hovered there for a few more moments, and then forced herself to turn back towards the back door. +“I’ve got to go to work now, honey,” she yelled to him, a fair distance from his window. “They have me working a long shift today. Don’t wait up for me, okay. I’ll be home late. It is budget season, and you know what that means. I’ll be buried up to my eyeballs in paperwork.” +Roy moaned. +“I appreciate the sympathy,” Margot chuckled. “But it would be even nicer if you could help out around here. There’s only so much that one woman can do by herself, you know.” +With a soft whimper, and a pained look at the barred window, she re-entered the house. +She was fortunate, she thought, as she headed for the kitchen again, that she worked for a hospital. The salary was not the greatest, but there were other perks. She could keep her three men fed and somewhat content, thanks to the availability of what they needed to survive, and it just happened to be found where she was employed. They never needed to leave home as a result, and that was important. It had been that way for the last three months, and she was adapting, gradually. It had taken some creativity and some manoeuvring to get things into place and functioning smoothly, but she had tackled the problem head on and come up with solutions. Margot was a good problem-solver. +There were times that she did feel guilty about stealing from her workplace, but she had come up with several means of justifying what she did, to make herself feel better. The things that she took were in the process of being discarded. Nobody would miss them, and it did no harm. It was something that they did not want, and something that she needed. Why let it go to waste? +There was also the fact that they had taken advantage of her for years, getting her to work unpaid overtime, knowing that her entire family depended on her salary. The threat of being replaced by someone who better matched their education requirements had always loomed over her. It had been an intimidation tactic on their part and it had been an effective one. Her family had paid the price in the past, missing out on her time and her presence. Well, now she was recouping that loss through her own efforts, in the form of containers filled with gray gelatinous material and bearing biological waste stickers. +She picked up her briefcase from the table with a sigh. She had been working late on the night that people had started turning. It was a disease, they had said. It was a virus that reacted with people on a genetic level, killing their regular biological functions, but then resuscitating them in some ways, with reduced capabilities, a lack of comprehension and social awareness, and very peculiar urges. The doctors and scientists had said that their brains had begun degrading, faster than their bodies, and that was why they were craving brain matter in particular. It only affected about twenty-five percent of the population, who possessed a specific genetic mutation. That was a mutation, however, that Roy had had, and one that he had passed down to his sons. Margot, on the other hand, had been spared. +There had been mass hysteria at first, because those who were sick...those who became zombies, were violent and voracious. There were mass killings before the government had brought things somewhat under control. The government solution? Kill them all, for the sake of national security and the safety of the general populace. +There had been a few stragglers who had escaped the genetic cleansing, and those were the ones who had been smarter before they had turned. They still roamed cities and towns searching for new victims. That was why all citizens were now allowed to arm themselves in any way that they deemed would be effective against the zombies. It was necessary, for their own protection. +There were also those who had turned who escaped the cleansing because they had someone like Margot, someone willing to lock them away, to keep them safe, someone willing to shelter them, and see to their every need. They were, after all, still family. +Margot had been surreptitious, keeping up appearances for neighbours and co-workers. If anyone suspected what had happened to her family, they would send a cleansing team to the house, and she certainly could not have that. She loved her husband and her boys. She did not want anyone trying to take them away from her. +If anyone asked her about them, Roy’s writing had supplied them with enough money to send their sons to private school, and what good mother would not want to provide her children with the best education possible. Margot also had started writing on her lunch hours and the weekends, trying to mimic Roy’s style as much as possible and offering her stories up to his agent as his latest works. Her first few pieces had been rejected outright, but Margot felt like she was starting to catch on and the agent had been very pleased with her latest endeavours. He had even commented that it was nice to see that Roy had finally overcome whatever trauma he had been suffering from as a result of the turning event and that it was especially good to see that he was back to his old self. He also suggested that it was about time that Roy finished up the sequel to his break through novel. Margot was not sure if she could manage that, on top of everything else that she had been forced to deal with. +Margot heard Roy’s noisy lamentations begin anew. She had been lost in thought, not something that she could really afford at the moment. She had to get to work, or there would be trouble. +Margot glanced at her watch and gave a stifled gasp. She could still make it to her train, if she ran. +She scanned the kitchen one more time, and found what she was looking for, perched behind the inside door. She had installed a strap on it, making it easier for her to carry when she was on her way to work, with her hands otherwise full. Despite being a sympathizer, Margot was not immune to a straggler’s attacks, and what she sometimes carried with her served as extra bait. She could not allow herself to be vulnerable. Her family was depending on her. +She slung the shotgun over one shoulder, hoisted her briefcase beneath her other arm, and grabbed her travel mug and granola bar from the table. +“Bye!” she hollered over Roy’s groans. “I’m off!” +Then she bumped the door open with her butt, pushing her way outside as she whistled her favourite Tori Amos tune, “Happiness is a Warm Gun.” + +*** +To find out more about Chantal Boudreau, please visit her blog at +http://chantellyb.wordpress.com/2012/10/31/my-favourite-monsters-a-z-zombie/ +And connect with her on +Facebook + + + +Laura Bretz + +What Zombies Fear: + +The Ballad of Ryan Fullerton + + +To Kirk: Thank you for being the kick-in-the-pants I need when the going gets rough. Thank you for your endless encouragement and inspiration. I couldn’t do this without you. +To our readers: I couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to be the Maxists. You absolutely rock and you’re what keep us going. + +This one’s for you. + +Chapter 1 + +Ryan was finishing up a session with one of his favorite students, Donte Jackson, when his cell phone rang on his desk. He’d been the guidance counselor at Bristol High School for just over two years, and in that time he’d trained everyone he knew not to call his cell phone during school hours. +“I’m real sorry about that, Donte,” he said, swiping the ‘ignore’ key on the phone to send the call directly to voicemail. He didn’t even look to see that the call was from his wife, Kelly. “I think you have a good chance at getting those grants, and I think you’ll be really successful at Tennessee.” +“Mr. Fullerton, if those grants don’t come through, I won’t be able to go,” said Donte. +“You meet all the qualifications and you’re just the kind of student they’re looking for. I think you’ll be fine,” said Ryan, trying to give the young man some confidence. Donte was a star scholar, had managed to stay out of trouble his entire high school career and had all the right extracurricular activities, including raising best-in-show sheep for two years running in the 4H club. Ryan spent his first year on the job trying to convince Donte he could go to college, and had spent the last year helping him decide which one was best for him. Ryan really loved his job, and it showed in his interactions with his students. +“Thanks, Mr. Fullerton. I don’t know what I’d do without you,” said Donte standing up to head back to class. +“I’m going to miss you next year,” replied Ryan, also standing up to shake the boy’s hand. Ryan stood almost six inches taller than Donte, but then Ryan was used to being taller than everyone. “Have a good day, and if I don’t see you before, good luck at the farm show this weekend. I’ll see you next Tuesday if I don’t run into you at the show.” Ryan always ended his weekly meetings with students with a reminder of the next one. Most of the students looked forward to their time with their guidance counselor. +Donte walked out of the tiny interior office as Ryan sat back down and picked up his phone. He hit the voicemail icon and listened as his wife shouted into the phone. Frustrated at not being able to understand her message, he hit three to delete the message somewhere in the middle, and dialed her number. +“Ryan! Oh my God, Ryan, thank God you’re OK,” she said before it rang even one time on Ryan’s end. +“Kelly, what’s wrong?” +“The hospital is full of people. They’re sick, Ry, and they’re dying,” she said, her voice clear. +“What do you mean? What’s happened?” +“I don’t know. No one knows. Old man Hillsboro came in with his wife, said something about getting bitten by some stranger in the diner, and he was running a crazy fever. The next thing I know, he leaned over and bit his wife! Bit a piece right out of her! Now there are twenty or thirty people here, and the Broadmore Home is calling saying they need help. They’re saying the folks in the home are eating each other. Ryan, something’s happening. I’m--” +“Kelly, darlin’,” Ryan cut her off, “Is it bad enough that you need to get out of there? Do you feel like you’re in danger? If you are, get on out of there and go home. I’ll be home in an hour, and we can worry about the trouble at work together.” +Kelly was not prone to overreaction, and that had Ryan worried. If she was this panicked, there was something really odd going on. Kelly was one of those good “salt of the earth” women, a perfect quality for someone that worked in a hospital. When Ryan’s father had cut his finger off sharpening the combine blades, Kelly was the one who took charge of the situation. She ordered Ryan to get him to her car while she dug through the dirt to find his finger. It was because of her calm head and quick thinking the doctors were able to reattach the finger. +“Come on home, Kelly,” Ryan said. “On second thought, I’ll cancel my last appointment and be there to meet you.” +“Okay,” she said, satisfied. “I love you. I’ll see you in a few minutes.” +“I love you too darlin’. We’ll see this through.” +Ryan stood up as he was saying goodbye, locked his office door behind him and was halfway to the principal's office before he stuck his phone back in his pocket. He knew the rules about using his phone in the building, but this had him pretty rattled. +“Miss Jo,” said Ryan, sticking his head in the administrative offices. “Can you email Katey’s 5th period teacher and ask her to let Katey know I need to reschedule our appointment? Something’s come up with Kelly, and I gotta go.” +“Okay, Ryan. Hope everything is OK.” +“I think it’ll be fine. Some big ol’ dust up at the hospital’s got her shaken up, but I’m sure it’s nothing,” Ryan lied. +He worried about his wife as he drove home. He knew he didn’t really need to; she could take care of herself, but she was his whole life. His fear of losing her was probably bigger than any danger she was in. She had her Glock and knew how to use it if necessary. She had a good, solid truck and knew all the back roads and side roads in Bristol county. The two of them had spent years exploring all those roads looking for good make-out spots in high school. +About halfway to the house, Ryan woke from his daydream of those evenings in high school just in time to slam the brake pedal to the floor. His old blue Ford F250 screeched to a sideways halt. Ryan jumped out to take a look at a still steaming car that had run into a tree. The whole engine compartment of a red Toyota Camry was folded around a mid-sized pin oak tree, and the shattered windshield was laying on the ground beside it. +When he got to the driver’s side of the car, he thought he saw signs of movement inside. Ryan pulled on the handle to open the door, but it was wedged shut. In a panic, he crawled onto the hood of the car to look in the hole where the windshield had been. As he stuck his head in the car, the driver’s hands locked on to his head and pulled. Ryan heaved backwards to break free of its grip. At the edge of his vision, he saw the driver’s mouth moving towards his neck and as the drivers teeth snapped shut, he landed butt first on the hood of the car with his back against the tree. +The driver clawed and pulled at the frame of the car, slicing her hands to shreds on the shards of broken windshield still attached. +“Ma’am, stay still!” Ryan yelled, reaching in his pocket for his phone. +He dialed 9-1-1 and held the phone to his ear. A second later he heard the telephone company tones, followed by an “All circuits are busy. Please hang up and try your call again” message. +“Ma’am, I’m going to go for help. Try to stay still,” Ryan yelled as he ran back to his truck. +Ryan sped off as fast as his truck would accelerate; flying down the roads he’d been driving since he was ten years old. He had to get to Kelly, and make sure she was safe, and he had to find someone to help that lady. +The old blue Ford veered right onto a dirt road, heading up the mountain. The first house on the road was Mrs. Wiggins house - she was always home. On these old country roads, houses didn’t have driveways and yards as much as a general area where people parked. Ryan stopped his truck a few feet from the porch, hopped out and banged on the front door. +“Mrs. Wiggins! Mrs. Wiggins, there’s been an accident. Can you call 911?” +Ryan breathed a sigh of relief when the old woman came tottering over towards the door. Her husband had died back when Ryan was in high school, and all three of her kids had moved out of the state. Ryan had taken to checking up on her a couple of times a week, just to see if she needed something, or to mow her lawn. She had a home healthcare nurse every other day, and the nurse’s car was parked in the driveway. +Ryan opened the door as she approached, but she didn’t stop. The little old woman grabbed the hand that was holding the door open and pulled it towards her mouth. As she did, Ryan saw a large open wound on her neck. He yanked his hand back, pulling the old woman on top of him, and both of them landed in a pile on her front porch. +The young man scrambled to get out from under the old lady, but she was holding on to his head with a frightening amount of strength. Ryan forced his hands out from under her and held her off by pushing hard against her neck. Old Mrs. Wiggins drooled a little onto Ryan’s face, and was much stronger than someone her age should have been. +“Mrs. Wiggins! You have to stop. Stop! Don’t bite me, STOP!” he yelled, getting louder with each “stop.” She continued to push for his face, as if the only thing in her head was getting her teeth on him. He let go of her neck with one hand and reached his other arm out for anything he could find, settling on a wobbly brick that bordered her porch. The high school guidance counselor worked the brick free, and brought it up to her face and pushed with it. +“Ma’am, you gotta get off me. I need to get home to Kelly, and there’s been an accident.” +The old woman kept coming, even with a brick pushing into her teeth. That’s when Ryan noticed the healthcare nurse, a man in his late thirties, was coming out of the house. He was walking crazy, and holding his hands out towards Ryan. When he got close, he fell to his knees and grabbed at the pinned man’s leg. Ryan kicked his leg and gave one huge heave to throw Mrs. Wiggins off of him. She landed on the nurse, and the two creatures struggled to get untangled and stand up. Ryan dropped his brick and ran for the truck. Something was really wrong, and he needed to get home to Kelly. +The old Ford spun its wheels as Ryan flew up the hill, towards his log cabin at the top of the mountain. Ryan bounced along the rutted dirt road, across the wooden bridge he’d help rebuild last year after a mudslide took out the old one. The old bridge was still laying in the creek thirty feet below. The little bridge was only fourteen feet long but without it, he’d had to drive nearly an hour out of his way to get around the mountain. Ryan’s land started on the opposite side of the bridge. He lived on his family’s old plot. The land had been in his family for hundreds of years before his grandfather moved everyone down to the farm in the valley. +When Ryan took possession of the land, the only thing on it was an old, falling down pole barn. Ryan, his dad, and Kelly’s dad had built a beautiful 2500 square foot, three bedroom three floor log cabin on the top of the mountain that overlooked the valley. Kelly’s dad was a building contractor, and had given them the foundation and the log cabin kit for their wedding. The assembly was easy enough. Ryan was a capable plumber, and his dad had been an electrician in the Army. With the rough-in Kelly’s dad had done, everything went smoothly and the home passed all the appropriate inspections throughout the building process with ease. It was a solid, beautiful home, and Ryan couldn’t wait to get back to it, and the safety it offered. He couldn’t wait for Kelly to get back. +Ryan eased his truck into its parking spot, and ran for the house. He left the side-door open, but his first steps were to lock all three other entrances on the ground level. He pulled the drapes closed over the French doors that led to the lower deck, and went upstairs to wait for Kelly, who should have only been a few minutes past him. +But she wasn’t. +Nearly two hours later, he saw Kelly walking up the driveway, just behind Mrs. Wiggins and her nurse. She had the same stumbling gait as the pair he’d run into earlier, and Ryan knew she’d been bitten, without even seeing a mark. +Everything in his world stopped and Ryan felt his heart in his throat. His eyes focused on hers and even from this distance, he could tell that the light she carried that he so adored had been snuffed out. As he watched her, his knees grew weak and he fought to remain standing. In an instant, every single moment they had shared flooded his mind. Ryan had first seen her on the track and field ring in high school. Even in 95 degrees and after she had been sweating for at least at hour, Kelly was still the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Their relationship ran deep - often being called “disgustingly cute” because of how perfect they were together. +Ryan had fallen to his knees - his world moved in slow motion now. Hot, silent tears streamed down his face. +It had just been their anniversary the week prior and Ryan wanted to make sure it was something special. He had taken her to the river where they had first kissed, bringing a picnic lunch, white wine, chocolate covered strawberries and roses with him. The blanket had already been laid out and the edges were all lined with white pillar candles. It had been his goal for her to cry with joy. She did. +Everything about her had quickly become his entire world. He knew that because of her, he had striven to become a better man. To be that same solid rock for her as she was for him and as Ryan’s body touched the floor, he remembered how soft her skin was against his palms. The way her skin smelled. How crazy her hair looked in the morning. The way her lips moved as she laughed - oh, how he loved her laugh. How her fingertips would trace his jawline and the soft way she would say “I love you” before their lips would touch. +A body-wracking sob exploded out of Ryan’s mouth and he curled up into a fetal position. They had everything planned and knew where they wanted to end up in life. Ryan had often spoken of them growing old and sitting together on this porch, still holding hands the way they always would. As a pair, they would be old and gray but still forever, endlessly, hopelessly in love. Just like the baby they had so tragically lost, that future would never happen. The nursery would sit, empty. Her side of the bed would no longer carry her warmth. Her smell would eventually drain out of her clothes and of the linens on the bed. And as he sat there, he realized the last words he said to her. We’ll see this through. But they didn’t see it through. He had gotten there too late and now he couldn’t save her. +“God, no. No, no, this can’t be happening. Not Kelly...not my Kelly.” Ryan was muttering to himself over and over, trying to form some sense of what had happened. But there was no sense to this. + + + +Chapter 2 + +A month passed. Ryan was like a zombie himself. He ate very little, losing weight on his tall frame. Kelly stood outside the house almost every day. In the first few days, he spray painted the inside of all the windows black so he wouldn’t have to look out at her. He rarely went out during the day. Every time he went out the front door, she was standing there, watching. She’d start towards him, arms outstretched, and he would run. He couldn’t bear the thought of his precious love and whole life being gone. So he ran away, and hoped that someday, somewhere, someone would find a cure. +When he ran out of food in his own pantry, he walked down the mountain to Mrs. Wiggins’ house. Her house, a modular pre-fab home, was empty. Ryan knew it would be. He’d left the door open the day he fought with Mrs. Wiggins. The day he lost Kelly. +It turned out that the old lady had been something of a hoarder. Like most people of her generation, she had an entire cellar full of canned vegetables from her garden. Jams and jellies, squash, green beans, pickled okra, tomatoes, salsa, apple sauce, you name it; it was there. The dill cucumber pickles were his favorite. On that first trip to Mrs. Wiggins’ he sat on her cellar floor and ate an entire jar, then drank the juice. That day, he filled a garden cart with canned goods and hauled it up to his house. The next night, he went back for the rest. +He lived up there on his mountain top for two months until one day there was a short rapping at the door. He was sitting in his leather chair, staring at the blank TV when he heard it. He reached for the television’s remote before he realized that it was already off. He hadn’t had power since the second week after his world ended. “Old habits die hard.” +Then again, two successive raps. It was definitely a knock. He got up, walked to the door and opened it but there was no one there. Only Kelly, standing there about 100 feet away. Watching him the way she always did. She started towards him, jaws snapping open and closed, but Ryan slammed the door and fastened the deadbolt. He felt sick to his stomach. +This continued for several weeks. There would be a knock at the front door. If he ignored it, it wouldn’t stop. Every few seconds, knock-knock. And every time he answered, there was no one there. Only Kelly, waiting for him to die so they could be together again. +At some point, he stopped shaving. It wasn’t because he was running out of water; mostly he just didn’t care. It didn't take long for him to have a full beard and greasy hair that hung down into his eyes. He was vaguely aware that he hadn't bathed in weeks. He hadn’t changed his clothes since the last time he kissed Kelly. It was the last thing she ever saw him in, and it was the thing he was going to be wearing when they were together again. +Sometime mid-July, he was no longer sure of what the date was, Ryan turned the faucet on but nothing came out. “This shouldn’t be happening,” he mumbled to himself, “Not yet.” Thinking out loud helped him ignore how quiet the world had become. Ryan’s family built the original water tower in Gander Valley back in the 1950’s. It was a wooden barrel that held twenty-five thousand gallons. Just the year prior, the town had finally upgraded its water-tower to a modern one. Because of his family ties to the original, Ryan had followed the story and construction with some interest. The new tower was three times taller and held 750,000 gallons. It was enough to keep Gander Valley’s full population drinking, bathing, and flushing for almost a week. With everyone else dead, it should have taken Ryan something like two hundred years to use that much water. +He sat down on a wooden bar-stool at the kitchen counter and considered his options. He knew the town had a generator that would power the well-pump, but he didn’t know the capacity of the well. It would probably take him the better part of a year to refill the tower if he ran the pump for a couple of hours every day. If he ran the well dry and it lost its prime, he’d have to drain a large part of the tower to re-fill the stand-pipe with water and get all the air out of the system. Running the well dry was the worst thing he could do. +Someone must have left a garden hose or a sprinkler on. He reached across the counter for a pad of paper and a pencil to do some math. Five gallons per minute, was 150,000 minutes. Divided by sixty minutes in an hour was 2500 hours, divided by 24 hours in a day was one hundred four days. They were about 90 days after the outbreak, so when you added in his use, plus a couple of other survivors, it made sense. Someone was watering their lawn or garden or washing their car when they got bitten, and the hose has been running ever since. +He was pretty sure he could make the necessary wiring changes to connect the tower’s pumps to the generator, and knew that the town would have a mostly full diesel tank buried beside the equipment garage. If he towed the generator with the town’s snow-plow, he wouldn’t have any trouble with the sick people wandering around. They couldn’t get to him up in the cab. +Ryan spent the next three days in a flurry of activity, planning, thinking, planning some more, gathering supplies and drawing diagrams. It felt good to be doing something again. It never occurred to him that the knocking at the door stopped while his mind was active. +On the morning of the third day, it occurred to him that he would have to search the entire town, house-by-house turning off the water if his plan was going to work. Without people living in and heating the houses, hundreds of pipes would burst over the winter, and all the water would drain out of the water tower again. +That realization deflated his motivation and reluctantly, Ryan abandoned his plan to refill the water tower. Instead, he risked a trip across the back field to a spring every day. The first trip he carried two five-gallon buckets, placing one under the trickling mountain spring to fill, and leaving the other empty beside the small stream. From then on, every morning he took the full bucket and replaced it with the empty one, giving him about five gallons of water to use every day. After a week or so, things settled down into a new “normal” routine. +Every day was the same, day in and day out. Fetch the water bucket. Eat a few of Mrs. Wiggins’ beans from a jar, sit in his chair to stare at the blank TV. Answer the door. Eat a few more beans. Some days he slept. Some days he didn’t. But awake or asleep, he was doing pretty much the same thing. +Knock, knock. +This was the twelfth round of knocking today – two more than the usual. Ryan had had enough. “Go the fuck away, goddammit! Stop tormenting me! Just let me die!” His voice was crusty because he hadn’t spoken out loud in months. +“Mr. Fullerton! Is that you?” +“Oh, for fuck’s sake. Now I’m hearing people too?” Ryan got out of his chair angrily and stormed to the door, flinging it open, his eyes looking to Kelly out in the yard, but she wasn’t there. +“Mr. Fullerton! You’re alive!” +Ryan focused a little closer and saw Donte standing in front of him. “Donte?” he croaked. “What are you doing here? Why didn’t you go to college?” +Donte shook his head and sadly looked at Ryan. “Mr. Fullerton, there is no more college. You need to come with me. We have food and safety, hot water and people.” +“I can’t leave Kelly,” he replied flatly. “I’m not going anywhere; I have to stay with her until we can be together again.” +“Was she bitten? Didn’t you see the news after school that day? When people are bitten, they’re dead. The last hour CNN was broadcasting, they showed one of them being dissected; there was no heartbeat anymore, Mr. Fullerton. Once someone is infected, they are dead.” +“Then I’ll wait here until I’m dead. I won’t leave her,” said Ryan. +Both of their heads turned at the sound of a shotgun from the bottom of the mountain. “I gotta go, Mr. Fullerton. But I’ll come back tomorrow. I’ll be back tomorrow at this same time. Maybe we can talk some, you know, like the old days?” He was already running down the mountain as he finished, yelling the last bit back up to Ryan. +Ryan slammed the door and locked it. For a fleeting moment, he wished that it was just Kelly out in the yard. At least that was familiar. Moments later he was sitting in his chair, staring blankly at the television. Like an animal sinking into quicksand, an idea occurred to him. It was an agonizingly slow process; a full seven hours after he sat back down in his chair, Ryan had fully thought-out something that never even occurred to him. +“There might be others alive out there.” + + +Chapter 3 + +That single thought brought his brain back to life. He started planning immediately, and over the next few days he prepared for his escape from his house, and the torment it contained. +On the day he was to leave, he poured a sink full of water from the morning’s bucket before sunrise, and started on his face with scissors. In three months, he’d grown a beard to make a lumberjack proud, and his hair, which was normally kept closely-cropped, was out of control. When his beard was trimmed as closely as possible with scissors, he shaved his face and then pulled out his trusty clippers. +Amazed that they still held a charge, and hoping that it would last through his hair cut, he started buzzing his head. He clipped the sides and back first, leaving a Mohawk strip down the center of his head. A little of Kelly’s mousse stood the strip straight up, and for the next hour, Ryan paraded around his house feeling like a bad-ass. In his garage he found his old halligan. It was a half crow-bar and half axe; the tool was left-over from his days as a volunteer fire-fighter the summer before he left for college. He stood in the mirror and admired himself, and for a minute, thought maybe he should start a journal. +“I could call it “Ryan’s Undead Diary,”” he said out loud and laughed. He allowed himself to laugh for a long time before deciding that it was time to get moving before he did anything else ridiculous. He set the halligan down on the entry table and went back upstairs to remove the rest of his Mohawk. He didn’t want people to see him and think he was some hoodlum. +Just after sunrise, Ryan stepped into the garage and rummaged through years of collected sports equipment. He donned a black plastic chest and spine protector; a hold-over from riding motocross all over the mountains as a teenager, and the matching black motorcycle helmet. +From a huge blue and white duffel bag, he put on his old football shin, thigh, and kidney pads, and then strapped a pair of soccer shin-guards around his forearms. Finally, from the rack of metal shelves by the door, he pulled out his softball bat. It was used in the yearly “Staff Vs Seniors” school softball game. The staff lost every year, but it was great for the kids. He felt a pang of sadness as he realized that he would never participate in another game. +Ryan rolled the garage door open, and moving quickly, pushed his old 4wheeler out onto the driveway and closed the garage. The battery was long-dead, so he pulled the choke and looked around him. Kelly was on the opposite side of the driveway, and had started towards him. He yanked on the cord, the old Honda sputtered and died. Kelly was now seventy-five feet from him. +He pulled again, heard the motor turn over on its own a couple of times and then it died again. +“Come onnn, baby,” he said, yanking the cord a third time. Kelly was closing quickly, less than fifty feet away. Once again the engine sputtered, sounded like it might catch, and then died. +Ryan pushed the choke in and pulled it back out, reached down and ripped the cord one more time, yanking with all his might. The engine sputtered, missed a few times, but kept going. Kelly was twenty five feet away. He hopped on the quad and gave it a little gas. The engine bogged down, not ready to run yet, so he quickly let off the throttle. Seconds passed as Kelly closed the distance. When she was ten feet away, Ryan tried the throttle again, and the engine responded. +He shoved the choke in, hit the thumb lever to put it in first gear, let out the clutch and gunned it down the gravel driveway, spraying rocks out behind him. Kelly’s cold, outstretched fingertips brushed his helmet as he roared past. Ryan rode down the mountain with tears running down his face. He was grateful for the black-out visor on his helmet. To be so close to her and so afraid of her at the same time was torture. He had to find some people, or next time he might not come back from his depression. +It was a beautiful summer day. The temperature was in the mid-eighties, and the sun was shining. Even with the heat, Ryan was glad he’d opted for long sleeves. After being cooped up in the house for so long, sunburn would have been a guarantee. The quad rolled along about thirty miles per hour, making good time down Highway 7 towards the city of Gander Valley. +At the corner of Highway 7 and 613, he made a right, and rode the four miles into town. It was weird being out on the road on a quad, and even weirder not seeing a single thing moving. Usually this road was packed with cars. The houses along the highway were all overgrown and the grass in the yards had all grown tall and spindly. Every fourth or fifth house was boarded up. Some of them had the boards torn down but some of them still looked sealed. The ones that looked sealed up would be the most promising houses. +At the edge of the town proper, the speed limit dropped to twenty five, and Highway 613 became Valley Street. Two blocks later, he pulled the quad into an old 1950’s strip mall and stopped at the front door of Thornton’s Hardware. +His family and the Thornton’s went way back. Mr. Thornton was a little older than Ryan’s grandfather, and the two of them had practically built this town together. When times were tough for Ryan’s family, Mr. Thornton always extended them a line of credit for whatever they needed to make it until the harvest. In addition to always paying back the loans, the Fullerton’s kept the Thornton family well fed; no Thornton ever paid for produce at the local farmers market. +Ryan removed his helmet and cupped his hands to the window, peering inside. He was looking for any sign of movement or struggle, but with the power out, it was so dark inside that he couldn’t see more than a foot or two inside the glass. +The armored man pushed on the door and was relieved to find it unlocked, although the sound of the brass bells hanging from the handle sounded as loud as the bells of Notre Dame in the silence. With a cringe, he wrapped his hands around the bells to silence them. Ryan tightened his grip on his bat and stepped inside the store, gently closing the door behind him. +Ryan grew up in this store. All through middle school and the first year of high school, he spent most of his free time sitting on a stool behind the counter talking to Charlotte Thornton. When they were little, they roamed the shelves, playing hide and seek or tag, but later Charlotte’s father put them to work stocking the shelves, probably at the behest of Ryan’s father. Ryan never got paid for the work he did at Thornton’s, he considered the time he spent with Charlotte payment enough. +The two of them shared their first kiss at MacDougal pond, laying in a field of dandelions on a day much like this so many years ago. Ryan was convinced the two of them would get married, until the middle of their freshman year of high school when Charlotte met that moron Josh Binghamton. Josh and Charlotte started dating, and she virtually never spoke to Ryan again. Ryan was crushed, and swore off women until he met Kelly, and his life was completed. +He crouched and moved slowly, keeping his head below the shelves. If there was something in here, there was no reason to let it know where he was. He scoffed at himself. The bell on the door was like a damn dinner bell. Bon appetite. Even though it was pointless, he kept his body low. It made him feel better. +Due to the years spent in the store, there was no question in Ryan’s mind where he was going. He crouch-walked down the center aisle to the third row, then halfway down the third row he stopped and picked all five rolls of duct tape off the bottom shelf. On the way out, satisfied that he hadn’t heard any noises inside the hardware store, he stopped at the front counter. +Thornton’s was an old-fashioned store. You paid at a bar rather than a conveyor belt. At one end of the bar was an old fashioned cash register, one of the first electronic types. Ryan set the rolls of duct tape on the counter and opened the first one. He tore off five strips, each about eighteen inches long, and stuck them up and down his chest protector. He put one more strip down each forearm, and two strips down each thigh. When he was finished, he put the remaining half-roll in the cargo pocket of his canvass work pants and pulled out his wallet. He dropped a twenty on the counter, and slid a pen and paper over. On the paper he wrote: +5 Rolls of Duct Tape @ $3.49 each. +God Speed, Thorntons. – Ryan +He slid the paper under the cash, and tucked both under the edge of the cash register. Even in these times, taking the tape felt a little like stealing. Just before he left, he stopped at the information rack and pulled out a three-fold map of the city of Gander Valley. + + +Chapter 4 + +Ryan rode his quad to the far side of town, towards the newest subdivision. It was a fancy place. A huge brick wall surrounded the entire subdivision. The area even had a pool and a golf course. He passed the guard shack, where normally he’d have to tell the guard his name and which family he was visiting, and pulled onto the circular road that followed the edge of the central lake. +He drove to the back of the subdivision, all the way on the far side of the lake and parked his quad. His plan was to move like a postal worker, parking the quad on the corner, walking down one side and up the other looking for survivors. +“Special delivery for Ms. Watson,” he muttered to himself. +It was odd that he hadn’t seen a single infected person on the entire trip. He figured, when he was making his plans, that he’d see dozens of them wandering out on the street. Kelly had survived outside this long; it didn’t make any sense that there weren’t any others. +“Quit stalling, Ryan,” he said to himself as he turned to walk up the walkway to the first house. “It’s gonna be fine. No one will be in there.” +He knocked on the door, and called out, “Hello? Anyone home? I’m looking for survivors!” Ryan’s hopes were momentarily up when he heard the sound of footsteps coming towards the door. He opened the glass front storm door and stood in the doorway waiting for the people to answer. Then there was a thump on the door, and some scratching. He waited, but it became very clear to him that there wasn’t anyone uninfected inside. +“Shit. First house,” he groaned. He knew he couldn’t leave the infected in there. If they got out, they could bite someone else. He reached down and loosened the tape on his chest and then turned the knob on the door. He shoved the door, hoping to push the person back. It worked. As his eyes adjusted, he first saw a middle aged black woman in a ruined pant-suit moving towards him. The second thing that hit him was the smell. The house reeked of death. The stench almost knocked him off his feet as he tried to control the urge to vomit right there on the doorstep. +Almost out of instinct, he ripped the tape off of his chest and held it out horizontally in front of him. When the zombie crashed into him, he wrapped the tape around her head, sealing off her mouth. The length of tape made almost two complete wraps around her head. The two of them struggled; she was much stronger than Ryan had anticipated. She pushed him backwards into the door frame, bouncing his head off the edge of the doorway, cutting his scalp. +It wasn’t a major cut, but the sight of blood on the door jamb seemed to excite her. Her foggy eyes got a little bigger, and her nostrils flared as she fought on. He finally got the tape secured over her mouth, and was able to use the wall to push himself off and gain the upper hand. +Ryan reached up and grabbed one of her hands, twisting it off of his neck. He ripped the strip of tape off his forearm with his other hand and wrapped it around the wrist he was holding. Once the tape was on one of her wrists, he deftly brought her other hand down and wrapped them together, rendering her almost completely harmless. He thought briefly about taping her feet together, but decided against it because he only had five rolls of tape. Instead, he shoved her backwards through the house to the powder room under the stairs to the second floor. Ryan pushed the woman into the small bathroom, closed the door and wrote “INFECTED INSIDE” on the outside of the door in big, black letters. +Then, he surveyed the rest of the first floor, deciding to start with the kitchen. Surprisingly, it was much cleaner than he’d expected. The closest thing to a sign that there was an apocalypse going on was an overturned chair at the eat-in table and a plate with a dried out waffle and a dark stain of what was probably syrup sitting on it. +He went through her cabinets and piled all the food on the counter before he moved through the den, office, dining room and living room. Ryan ascended the stairs, absently thinking about what nice carpet they had, like this was some kind of home tour. He refocused himself, and pushed open the first of four doors on the second floor. He assumed there were three bedrooms and a bathroom up here. +This bedroom appeared to be for a young teenage boy. Clothes, books, magazines, and other odds and ends covered every available surface, sometimes in layers of books on top of clothes, and sometimes the reverse. +The next bedroom was probably for a little girl, based on the pink bed linens and rainbow colored pony dolls that filled the shelf. This room was clean, and empty, so Ryan headed to the third. As he neared the third bedroom door, he realized that’s where the smell was coming from. Ryan forced himself to open the door. Inside was a large master bedroom. Against the center, opposite wall was a king sized, mission style wooden sleigh bed with matching dresser, night stands and a huge chest of drawers. +Ryan sank to his knees right there in the doorway. On the far side of the bedroom there were three people sitting on the floor. A man, a young teenage boy, and a little girl, all three of them dead of gunshot wounds to the head. Ryan crawled closer. Something inside him needed to make sense of this horrific scene as tears flowed down his cheeks. The two children were sitting in the father’s lap. His face was covered in blood, except for two streaks, where tears that were now long dried washed the blood away. Behind them, a white leather couch was coated in gore, with three spots where stuffing had exploded out of the back. +In one hand, the father had a gun, some kind of pistol, like a police officer would carry. His other hand was resting on his daughter’s lap, with a bloody bandage wrapped around his arm. +There was no way to know for sure what happened in this house, but Ryan would have bet money that the bite mark under that bandage would fit the teeth of the woman downstairs. She’d bit her husband. He locked himself and the kids in the bedroom, and when he started to turn he shot his children and then himself. +The enormity of that wasn’t lost on Ryan. As the woman thumped and banged in the bathroom downstairs, he sat and wept for this man and his family. + + +Chapter 5 + +After only one house, Ryan rode home and locked himself in. It was just too much to deal with. That poor man and his children. He didn't sleep much; Ryan couldn't shake the images of their bodies from his mind. It was exactly a week before he was able to force himself to leave again. This time, he started the quad in the garage, so he didn’t have to worry about Kelly coming for him. +Back in the neighborhood, he sat on the quad for nearly a minute looking at the house he’d been in the previous week, knowing what was inside. He could still see the white couch and he felt his stomach turn. Ryan shook his head and tightly set his jaw, refusing to get sucked into that again. He wrapped the 4-wheeler’s tow-strap around their mailbox, put the powerful machine in gear and pulled their mailbox over. That was his signal to himself that he’d searched the house. +Every house on the street was inhabited by the infected. Not one single house had a living person in it. At the end of the day, he’d knocked over fourteen mailboxes and left thirty-four people duct-taped in their bathrooms. The worst house had had six people in it. Ryan had been forced to use his bat in that one, hitting one of the infected in the leg to slow them down while he taped up the rest of the family. He hoped that whenever there was a cure for this, that person’s leg would heal up. +Over the next five weeks, Ryan finished the neighborhood. Out of one hundred forty-three houses, only fourteen houses were empty, not counting those that had for-sale signs in the yard. He lost count of the zombies somewhere in the middle, but riding home in the middle of September, he guessed there were somewhere near three hundred zombies. +The first house was the worst by far, but three other houses had tiny infected newborns. Ryan hadn’t had the heart to tape them up; they lacked the muscle coordination to walk anyway, so he just left them laying silently in their cribs. Unless he came close, they didn’t move. There was no kicking, no looking around. They just laid there. He thought the first one was dead until it reached for him; he was able to get within two feet of the first tiny infant boy before it realized he was there. It was horrifying and seeing them only reminded him of his own empty nursery back in his house. They were the embodiment of everything he had already lost. In those nurseries, he wrote the same “INFECTED INSIDE” on the doors and never looked back. +It was heartbreaking work, but he was determined to find survivors. Until day forty-seven of his search, it never occurred to him that in the tiny town of Gander Valley, survivors might not be so happy to see him. It was unseasonably cool for the beginning of fall. The high that day was only about forty degrees when he hopped off his quad and heard a gun-shot. The bullet hit the driveway just behind him, taking a large chip of the concrete with it. +Ryan threw up his hands and screamed, “I’m not armed! I’m not infected! Don’t shoot!” +The next shot was a little closer. It looked like it was coming from a church steeple on the next block. He waved his hands in the air, trying frantically to figure out some way to pantomime that he was alive. The third shot was even closer, causing Ryan to give up and run as fast as he could around the back of the house. +In the back yard, there was a huge pile of trash under the kitchen window. There had to be more than a hundred black trash bags, which were buried under white grocery bags, and then finally, there was a layer of loose trash on top. Cans, cereal boxes, juice boxes, soda and beer cans littered the yard. He sneezed, uncontrollably, three times in a row, wiped his nose on his sleeve and approached the sliding door on the back of the house. +As he peered through the door, he heard a shout from behind him. “Get down on the ground, face down, hands behind your head.” Without hesitation, Ryan dropped to his belly and put his hands on his head. +Six men ran up, each yelling at him. “Who are you!” +“Why are you by our house!” +“Identify yourself!” +“Don’t fucking move!” +“Stay down!” +“What’s your name!” +All of the voices barking orders, Ryan didn’t know who to answer first, so he just started talking. “My name is Ryan Fullerton. I’m just looking for survivors. I’ve been alone since all this happened; I just wanted to know that there are other people out there. I’ve been looking for survivors for almost two months.” +“Hey Tommy, I think this is the duct tape guy,” said one man. Each of the men were dressed in all black tactical clothes, carrying military rifles. They were the kind with the big curved magazines hanging out the bottom. Ryan was more terrified of these guys than he was of the zombies. +“Yeah. I duct tape all the infected when I search a house. I don’t ever take anything, I just round up the infected and inventory the food,” Ryan said. +“Why would you do that?” +“Do what? Tape them up? So they can’t bite anyone. So they can’t infect anyone else.” +“They’re dead, dude. Walking corpses. Just shoot them in the head and put them out of their misery.” +“I can’t believe that. My wife…” Ryan stopped himself. +“Your wife was bitten? And you hope there’s going to be a cure? All of our wives were bitten. There is no cure.” +“Who are you? Why did you shoot at me?” +“You’re in our territory. Can’t have people stealing our food.” +“I haven’t taken anything. Let me go. I won’t come back to this neighborhood,” said Ryan. +“What if he’s one of them smart ones, Tommy? We can’t let him go in case he’s one of them. Remember Ron? Ron was with us for a week before anyone figured it was him that took out Jonesy and Bill. What if he’s a Ron?” +The man that ordered Ryan to get down spoke. “He’s not one of them. He’s just a dumbass.” Then Ryan recognized the voice. +“Tommy Rivera? Graduated last year? Is that you? It’s me, Ryan. I’m the guidance counselor. I helped you get into college.” +“Oh shit,” said Tommy. “Mr. Fullerton?” +“You know this guy?” asked one of the other men. +“Yeah, he was the college-man at school. Tried to make everyone go to college,” Tommy replied. +“I didn’t make anyone do anything. I just tried to help people. Have you seen Donte? He came by my house about two months ago,” Ryan said, and slowly sat up. +“Donte Jackson? Not possible, man. Donte got bit on day one.” +“Can’t be. He came by my house. He said he was looking for survivors. We heard shots and he ran off before we could finish talking.” +“Sorry about this, Mr. Fullerton,” said Tommy as Ryan felt something hit the back of his head. His forehead bounced off the deck just before everything went black. + +Chapter 6 + +Ryan woke up shivering. It was raining, and he was soaking wet. He was lying face down on asphalt, but the only sensation he could discern was the pain in his head; as if someone was pounding on his forehead with a large sledgehammer. +He took an easy breath and tried to relax. He could feel water lapping at his mouth as he breathed, and the sound of rain was intensifying. He got to his knees and looked around; he was in the parking lot just outside Thornton’s hardware. They moved him the whole way across the town and left him with nothing. His pockets were empty; his gear was all gone, except for his wallet. Ryan struggled to his feet and stumbled towards the store, looking much like a zombie himself. He opened the door, stepped inside out of the rain, and was immediately beset by a massive sneezing fit. +When he finished sneezing, his nose was stopped up and his headache was renewed. He was having trouble focusing on anything farther away than his hands, any time he tried to look across the store his vision was blurry. +Ryan knew there was a small kitchen and break room in the back of the store. With great effort, he slowly made his way back there. It had been a long time since he’d been in the stock room, but for twenty years there was an old gold couch with dark wood arms back there. There had always been an afghan on the back of the couch, and as a single bright spot in what was otherwise the second worst day of Ryan’s life, it was still there. He stripped off his clothes, hung them up on a shelf, wrapped up in the old musty smelling blanket and went to sleep. +When he woke up, he had no idea what time it was, but he was still shivering uncontrollably. He felt his forehead; he was definitely running a fever. As if to punctuate the thought, he was seized by another uncontrollable sneezing fit. +“Shit. Just what I need, a cold,” he said to himself. His throat was raspy and hurt. Still wrapped in the old crocheted blanket, he got up to check his clothes. Still wet, and now they were cold. It couldn’t be more than fifty degrees in the store. Ryan laid back down on the couch and spent the next two hours drifting in and out of sleep. All at once, waves of nausea overtook him. +He bolted for the bathroom. On the way across the storeroom he debated whether he should sit or face the toilet. At the last moment he opted for sitting, and was grateful he did. The force of the explosion from his rear end was so intense it seemed as though it might lift him off the commode. At the same time, he reached for the trash bag, and hurled his innards at the liner. He vomited until his stomach was empty, and sat there until the lower half of his digestive tract stopped cramping. Liquid snot poured out of his nose. There was no sense in sniffing it back; it would have been like trying to keep half a cup of water in his sinuses. +Every time Ryan sneezed, various bodily fluids ejected from whatever orifice happened to be nearby. After half an hour on the toilet, he tried to get up. As soon as he stood, his bowels were seized in a horrible cramp, and he sat back down to repeat the entire process. This time there was nothing to vomit; he just dry-heaved over the trash can as diarrhea filled the bowl beneath him. +He had to get home. There was simply no other choice. Ryan knew he would die of dehydration or hypothermia here. + + +Chapter 7 + +At first light, Ryan started walking. He moved slowly, lacking any kind of energy that would allow for even a leisurely stroll. In an hour, he’d gone almost half a mile. In that amount of time, he had to stop twice to relieve his bowels, and twice more just to rest. Thankfully, the rain had stopped, and his clothes were finally starting to dry. Ryan wondered if the heat radiating from his body was causing them to dry faster. +He mopped cold sweat from his forehead, stood up from his perch on a stone wall, and almost passed out. Even though his eyes were wide open, his vision had narrowed down to a tiny pinpoint, as if he was looking through a long tunnel. He staggered from a street sign to lamp post to an old mailbox, barely able to keep putting one foot in front of the other. +“Must get home. To Kelly,” he said to himself. Although he would never admit it, Ryan loved when Kelly would take care of him when he was sick. “She’ll know what to do.” +He staggered on, at one point picking up a limb and using it as a walking stick. To stay focused on the present, he counted his steps. In an attempt to remain coherent, he tried to do the math in his head, but his mind kept wandering. +“Thirteen miles home. That’s 5280 times 13. So, that’s like 68,000 feet. At two feet per step, that’s… I need to remember to repair that top step from the garage to the kitchen. It’s been loose for a while, and if I ever get the garage cleaned out, Kelly might trip coming into the house.” +For the next several hundred steps, Ryan’s fever-addled mind wandered to all of the things he needed to do around the house. He was just past the last house in town, when Donte appeared in front of him in a swirl of black smoke. +“Hi, imaginary Donte.” +“Hi, Mr. Fullerton. You don’t look so hot,” Donte casually replied. +“Oh, I’m hot. I’m about to sweat to death, I imagine.” Ryan’s voice was nearly jovial. “I need to get home to Kelly, and somehow I don’t have my keys. Did you ever lose your keys? One time, I was at the beach, and forgot to take my keys out of my bathing suit pocket. Like three hours later, I got to the car and did that panicked pocket-patting. You know that feeling?” +“I do know it,” Donte replied, walking backwards in front of Ryan, although Ryan didn’t notice. In his stupor, all he saw was the beach on a sunny summertime day. There were hundreds of people all around him. Beautiful girls in bikinis, children playing in the surf and way too many men wearing Speedo’s who shouldn’t be. All connection he Ryan had left with reality was completely severed. +“So, we had to call the rental car company and they had to bring us a new key,” he rambled. “The next day, Kelly was walking around in the surf and stepped on our car key! Can you believe the luck? That’s how she was, my Kelly. She always has a way of making things work out.” Ryan wasn't even aware that he was speaking about Kelly as if she was still alive. +“Mr. Fullerton, you’re pretty sick.” Donte's voice had no connection in the fantasy world Ryan created. He was merely a floating voice – the last remnant of reality. +“Nonsense, I’m perfectly fine. Just having a little stroll down the beach with my beautiful wife. Isn’t that right, Kelly?” Ryan said, turning his head. Just to his left, holding his hand was Kelly. She was walking barefoot along the beach in a red bikini, with a big floppy hat on top of her head. He felt warm and content. +“Yes, Ryan. It’s a beautiful day for a walk,” she agreed and squeezed his hand a little tighter. +Ryan walked along the beach with his wife. If there had been anyone left alive to watch the scene, they would have seen a man who was barely able to walk drenched in sweat, mumbling incoherently. Occasionally he would stop as massive coughing fits seized him. His body was running on auto-pilot; he turned at the right places to get home, but his mind was gone. The fever he carried was off the charts at 107. The flu virus ravaging his lungs had limited the oxygen supply to his brain. +As he started up the dirt road towards his house, the beach scene disappeared. The world seamlessly transitioned into a beautiful fall day, even if unseasonably warm. The sun was shining over his head and the leaves were gloriously colored. All around him, there were shining oranges and yellows with hits of red blowing in the light breeze. He was walking home, looking forward to the chicken pot pie Kelly was working on in their kitchen when he left. He could smell it from here, and the smell quickened his step. +In reality, it was getting dark. A cold drizzle beat down on Ryan, soaking him to the bone. Ryan’s body leaned on his mailbox, wracked with a coughing fit, spraying the side with bloody phlegm. As if to add insult to the cough, he sneezed twelve times, before letting go of the mailbox and starting his slow shamble up the driveway. +It was to Ryan’s benefit that no one was left to see him walking. Had there been a single armed survivor at any point on his walk home, they would have shot him, thinking he was a zombie. As always, when Ryan topped the hill and started the last hundred feet to the driveway, the undead corpse of his wife started shambling towards him. +Slightly winded from the walk up the driveway, Ryan looked up and saw his wife, standing outside in a pair of blue jeans and a dark gray hoodie. Her hair was beautifully streaming behind her, glowing in the sun, and she was smiling. Kelly called out to him and waved her hand in greeting. She started towards him, and Ryan couldn’t wait to kiss his wife. He was struck with the sense that he hadn’t seen her in a very long time, even though he’d only been gone for about an hour. As he walked, it felt like he was dragging his legs through concrete – he just couldn't get to her fast enough. Getting to Kelly and finally embracing her became his ultimate goal. He just missed her so much and with a small, happy cry he reached towards her. +The two of them closed the distance. The shambling man and woman, both of them pale, dripping with water, clammy to the touch. The woman tripped over a stone, nearly falling to the ground. As she fell, her torpid limbs attempted to grab anything to arrest her fall. Her palm scrubbed down the trunk of a pine tree, coating it in heavy, sticky sap. The woman shambled forwards. +Ryan was happy – something he hadn't felt in a very long time. A smile lit up his face as he walked. He embraced his wife. A flood of pure joy washed over him as they finally touched. “I love you. I love you, Kelly,” he said over and over. Kelly's warm skin was so soft as he cupped her face in one hand. He brought the other hand up through her soft, golden hair and pulled her closer. The lovers kissed passionately. Ryan knew that he could never live without her. Life was not worth living if she was not part of it. And then, very suddenly, there was intense pain. The pain was so strong; his eyes snapped open and reality came flooding back into view. +Kelly was dead - one of the infected. She was inches from his face, slowly chewing his bottom lip as the E’Clei she’d infected him with streamed through his blood towards his brain. +Her teeth had torn through the meat of his lip as she pulled back. She stared at him blankly, still chewing on his flesh. Blood ran down his chin and with a horrified shout, he tried to shove her away. He grabbed her hand to remove it from his shoulder. Even though he was pulling with all the strength he could muster, Ryan was too weak from the flu and couldn't get away. Not that it mattered - the infection had already taken him. The E’Clei shut down the pain center in his brain first, and he stopped screaming. Then he stopped fighting all together. +Donte Jackson watched the scene unfold curiously from the roof of the house as he released his control over Kelly. With a smirk, he disappeared in a swirl of black smoke. He was off to report what he’d learned about the human mind’s capability to distort reality to his Lieutenant. +Minutes later, the corpses formerly known as “Ryan and Kelly Fullerton” shambled back towards Gander Valley, hand glued to hand by the thick pine sap. Finally together again, just like Ryan always wanted. Forever. + +*** +The End + + + + +Laura Bretz has been immersing herself in fantasy lands, apocalyptic settings and all things impossible since she was a child. Pretending to survive in a post-apocalypse world set fire to her imagination and teaming up with Kirk Allmond to co-author the "What Zombies Fear" series finally gave her an outlet to express and bring her characters to life. +Graduating from college with a focus in interior design has given her an excellent eye for detail. Combined with her love of painting, that attention to detail allows Laura to create vivid pictures with words. +When she is not obsessing over tenses and punctuation, Laura is usually spending time with her dogs Marty and Teddy, painting, or singing with her local Sweet Adeline's International chorus in south-central Pennsylvania. +Laura’s first solo novel project, “The Book of Kris” (www.thebookofkris.com) is coming along well. She also has a high fantasy project in the planning stages, and continues to co-author books in the What Zombies Fear (www.WhatZombiesFear.com) universe with Kirk Allmond. If you’d like to find out more about Laura and the status of her various projects, please join her on her Facebook page, www.facebook.com/LauraBretzAuthor. +Books in the What Zombies Fear universe: + +What Zombies Fear: A Father's Quest (2011) - 1st in the WZF Series +What Zombies Fear: The Maxists (2011) - 2nd in the WZF Series +What Zombies Fear: The Gathering (2012) - 3rd in the WZF Series +What Zombies Fear: Fracture (2012) - 4th in the WZF Series +What Zombies Fear: Declaration of War (2013) - 5th in the WZF Series +What Zombies Fear: LEGION (Due August 2013) +Short stories set in the What Zombies Fear universe: +Victor Tookes Adventures: The Farmer’s Daughter +The Ballad of Ryan Fullerton +Other Short Stories (As Laura Kirk) +Will of the Dead +To purchase any of Laura’s books in any format, please see visit www.whatzombiesfear.com/library for a complete listing of all available retailers. +Tonia Brown +Bob + + +Bob Fletcher never claimed to be the brightest bulb in the bunch. Nor did he want to be bright. At best, Bob tried to be a little less dim than the very dimmest, which kept him from being cast aside but also kept him from being called upon to shed light on anything. He considered the weakness of his character the strength of his character. Too feeble to rely on, but not so unreliable that he couldn’t handle small tasks. Granted, the task wasn’t too big. +Or required too much thought. +Or any actual physical labor. +Bob had made a fine art of this labor avoidance. For twenty-six years, seven months and three weeks, he had dodged, ducked and narrowly skidded past any real work. Especially at work. On a professional level, this left him as the assistant to the assistant manager of the office supply department for Sutter and Son’s Inc. And that was after eight years with the firm. This might have depressed anyone else in his place, to know that so many years of dedication had produced so little result. But no, Bob was happy being a nobody. A nobody was neither the squeaky wheel, nor the grease, and thus no one noticed him sliding through life. And when no one noticed you, they couldn’t lay you off, or size you down, or zip you up. +Bob’s pitiful office, the one he shared with the assistant manager, was on the second floor of the Sutter Building, which meant he was one of the first to die when the zombies attacked that bright November morning. +Becoming a zombie wasn’t much of a career change for the lazy slob in Bob. At first he worried that being dead, or rather undead, would require some effort on his part. But no, he quickly found that all he had to do was lurch about, follow the faster fellow undead folks, let them do the hard work of actually taking down the living prey, then join in the feast afterwards. It seemed zombies were less hung up on sharing or hoarding than living folks were. +Hording, undead Bob thought. Zombies like to horde, not hoard. +Bob had a lot of thoughts lately. More than he used to. And a lot more than he supposed a dead man, or rather undead man (he just couldn’t get quite used to that) should have. But who was he to question the ways of the world? One moment he’s eating a hot ham and cheese at his desk, the next he’s dead as a can of said ham. One minute he was living his normal office life, and the next he was dead. Or rather undead. +Office life, undead Bob thought. Office unlife is more like it. +And the more he thought about it, the more life as a zombie resembled life in the office. This mindless shambling from place to place with no clear objective. Taking directions from the lead zombies as they consumed everything in sight. Eating what was left, castoffs and scraps, while crawling over the carcasses of your enemies on your way to the top of the heap. But Bob was used to leftovers, as he usually bought a big takeout meal from one of the many local food chains at the beginning of the week, then ate off the thing until it started to smell a bit. And even then he might hang on a day or two longer to keep from having to talk to the takeout guys again. +So why did it bother him? This new undead life of his? It wasn’t much different from the old one. He had spent a lifetime of being pretty much everything he was now. So why, now that he had everything as easy as he could ever want it, was he not happy? Bob knew he wasn’t happy because when he was happy he had a very satisfied feeling all over, from head to toe, especially in certain tender regions. And even considering that his all over was missing an arm, and his right ear lobe, and a handful of teeth, and most of his intestinal tract, Bob was still sure that the all over left to him wasn’t feeling satisfied. +He felt, in fact, very, very, empty. +Despite the three men he ate just under an hour ago. +“Can zombies be happy?” undead Bob asked, of no one in particular. This of course came out as a strained series of moans and grunts, which scared the beejeebus out of a teenager hiding in a trashcan on which Bob was resting his left elbow. But Bob ignored the trembling can in favor of turning his rotten mind to his dead dilemma. Or rather undead. (He really needed to get used to that!) +Bob tapped the can as he pondered the makings of a zombie’s mind. What made the average zombie tick? And in this makeup, where there was rage and pain and hunger and hunger and more hunger. And hunger. And even more hunger. Did he mention hunger? Because hunger should be on that list, preferably at the head of the list, just after hunger. Wait, where was he? Oh yes, and in this makeup filled with various emotions, one of which was definitely hunger, could zombies feel happiness? +How about joy? +Delight? +Arousal? +Ugh, it was probably best not to contemplate that one. Bob shook the gruesome images of nude undead ladies—most missing their vital naughty bits thanks to his warped sense of worthlessness—from his mind and wondered if perhaps a handy catchphrase would help him get a handle on what he had become and why it irked him so much. +I lurch, therefore I am? +No, that just seemed silly. +I am zombie, hear me groan? +That was even worse. +Give me liberty or give me … no, that wouldn’t work in this case. +It was no use. Bob had spent twenty-six years, seven months and three weeks avoiding this kind of brainstorming, so diving into it headfirst wasn’t effective for him. And that’s when Bob realized what was wrong with his new unlife, aside from his being so very, very dead. +He missed the challenge. +For twenty-six years, seven months and three weeks he had avoided everything ever handed to him by everyone he ever met. He avoided his mother and her constant nagging about him never amounting to anything at the firm. He avoided making friends, because friends wanted to rely on you, and that was the last thing he needed. He even avoided baths when he could, which probably helped with the whole no friends thing when one thought about it. +But the point was this: it was work to avoid work. +Work he missed now that it was gone. He always thought of himself as a lazy slacker, but how was he to realize there was such an art in knowing just what to say or do when the possibility of real work arose in his life? And now? Now all he had to do was follow the horde and eat when they ate and moan when they moaned and lurch when they lurched. +We all lurch to the beat of a different heart? +No, that was almost embarrassing! +The challenge of avoiding the challenges of life was gone, and with it, so was Bob’s happiness. +Perhaps, undead Bob thought, this is why zombies eat people, because the dead are jealous of the living. Perhaps consuming the flesh of those alive is just an empty attempt to make myself whole again. +Now there was an idea! It didn’t explain the unending hunger, of course, but philosophy wasn’t supposed to explain everything, just some things. The important things. And Bob couldn’t think of anything more important than himself. +Shuffling along with this new philosophical idea taking root in his rotting brain, Bob began to contemplate just how he could return to his previous state of bliss. Bob had loved his life. Most folks didn’t, but Bob sure did. And he knew he loved it, because now that he was undead, he missed it. He didn’t know at the time how much he loved his life. But who does? The whole thing was very much like not realizing how often you use a body part until it gets injured. Or goes missing. And since he was now missing a whole arm, Bob was pretty sure he qualified as an expert on that. +What was a depressed zombie to do? +There were no powers to be to fight. There was no head office at which to file a complaint. There wasn’t even a random sacking or system-wide layoff to look forward to. One didn’t get fired from being undead. +Fired, undead Bob thought. Ready? Aim? Fire! +That was it. There lay the solution to his problem. If being this dead was too simple, then there was only one answer for it. He had to get deader. He had to get dead for realsies. It was going to be a challenge, perhaps even involving real work, but he thought that maybe, just this once, he was up to the task. There was just one problem he could see with the whole idea. +Bob was going to need help to re-kill himself. +He knew—from years of watching movies and reading books and just some inherent awareness that came with the job of being undead—that the only way to die this time was going to include a hole in his head big enough to drive a truck through. On a normal day, he might be able to accommodate himself. (After all, he spent a lifetime handling his own head, of both varieties.) But here lately, Bob was feeling, well, a little shorthanded. As a result, he knew that he wouldn’t have the strength required to end himself. Besides, what if another zombie saw him re-kill himself? It might start a movement, and then he would re-die knowing that his unique effort was for naught. +Why buck the trend and re-kill yourself if every other zombie was going to do the same darned thing? +He had to act fast, right now in fact. Bob moved along, picking up his pace from lurch to stagger, keeping his one good ear and both good eyes open for any signs of life that was willing to fight back. Maybe someone with a shotgun or a machete. Or maybe even a sexy, nubile, half-naked Amazonian with a machine gun and a thing for dead guys. Yeah. That would be nice. A nice, sexy way to die a second time. It would be much better than the way he died the first time: as the mid-morning snack for some zombified postal worker with a penchant for earlobes. +Bob got excited as he groaned and staggered and sought out his Amazon Queen to do him in. But he knew it wasn’t just a living person with a weapon he needed; it was privacy too. He needed somewhere off the beaten path, so other zombies wouldn’t see him willingly lay down his undead life. This was going to take some time, but that was okay, because he quite literally had all the time in the world. He’d searched high and low, deep and wide, and several other clichéd phrases about distances, when, after several hours of lurching, he came across a pair of teenage boys hiding at the end of a dead-end alley (how apropos!) with a single rifle between them. He knew they had a rifle because one of the kids fired it at him as soon as he saw Bob. +Fired, and missed. +“Hurry up, Randall,” one said. +“Shut up, Jerry!” the other one said. +“Reload! He’s going to attack!” +“What do you think I’m doing? It takes a second, okay?” +“We don’t have a second. Kill it!” +To a zombie, this conversation was tantamount to a dinner bell. Bob’s undead belly grumbled at the prospects of easy pickings. He moaned and lurched ahead, his stomach on autopilot, while his mind continued to mull over his little problem. +Wait! his undead brain said. This is what you’re looking for, Bob! Let them reload and shoot you. It’s either this or wander around for another couple of hours, and who wants to do that? That sounds like work! +At the thought of this four-letter word, Bob stopped, arms poised for rending, teeth mid-gnash. Yes, yes this was what he was looking for, a weapon and a living person to fire the weapon. So there he stood, mid-lurch, waiting for the kid to reload and shoot him. +“What’s it doing?” one kid asked. +“I don’t know,” the other said. “But I’m not going to find out.” +The second kid, now having reloaded, lifted the rifle and fired at Bob. And somehow, at almost point blank range, firing at a single unmoving target, with no crosswind or interference, the kid still missed. Was the weapon old? Was the kid a moron? Why couldn’t it be both? Bob panicked, wondering what he was going to do now. Should he eat them? If he did, how long would it take to find another armed and isolated person? +The slacker in Bob kicked in and took care of him. +As if hit, he grabbed his chest, groaned and teetered. Then Bob fell down—well, it was more like a slump to the ground—and there he did his best to hold still. He hoped, prayed, that the kids would make sure the zombie—he—was truly dead before they scampered away. +“Did you hit him?” one kid asked. +“Of course I did,” the other said. +“It didn’t look like you hit him.” +“He fell down, didn’t he?” +“Maybe you should shoot him again.” +“Why waste the bullets?” +“Yeah, but in that movie they said to double-” +“That was a movie! Who has the gun right now? I’m not wasting the ammo. That thing is dead. D-E-D. Dead. Now stop harping on about it and light up another spliff. I lost my buzz killing that thing.” +Bob rolled his undead eyes. That explained a lot. End of the world, and the stoners were still hiding out in an alleyway to smoke. Well, morons or not, they had his end in hand. He gave his leg a little twitch, just to assure them that he wasn’t quite as dead as they hoped he was. Or as dead as he wished to be. +“There!” one kid shouted. “It moved.” +“No it didn’t,” the other said. “Those are just aftershocks.” +“After what?” Bob asked, which of course came out as a low groan. +“It groaned!” the first kid shouted. +“No it didn’t,” the second said. “It’s just gas.” +“Gas?” +“Sure. When a person dies, all the gas caught up in the body releases at the same time. My dad was a mortician. He told me all about it.” +Gas indeed. These kids were starting to sound more like lunch and less like his deliverance. Bob groaned again, just to prove his undeadness. +“It groaned again!” the first kid shouted. +“Did it?” the second asked. +“Yes! Now will you please shoot it?” +“No.” +Great gravy! What did a corpse have to do to get shot in this town? Bob rolled over and sat up, facing the two as he let out an extra-spooky, gut-rattling moan that meant something along the lines of, “Just shut up and shoot me already!” +“Arrgh!” the first kid screamed. +The other kid didn’t yell. Instead, he fired his rifle and missed yet a third time. Too high and too wide he fired, scattering buckshot all across the alleyway behind Bob. This kid couldn’t hit the broadside of a barn with a bull. Even if the bull was less than an inch from the barn and all the boy had to do was nudge it. Bob slumped where he sat, frustrated and hungry and tired and hungry and hungry and hungry. And hungry. Boy was he ever hungry. What was he going to do now? +“What’s it doing now?” one kid asked. +“I don’t know,” said the second, “I’m trying to reload.” +“Who brings a single-cartridge buckshot rifle for defense against zombies?” +“Better than no gun at all.” +“With the way you shoot, it’s about the same.” +The armed kid aimed his now-loaded weapon at his companion. “You’re lucky I’m trying to save ammo.” +“No, I’m lucky you’re a lousy shot.” +Bob growled, to remind the kids they were lucky he hadn’t eaten them. Yet. +The first kid turned the gun on Bob. Good, that was a start. Now if there were a way to guarantee that the kid wouldn’t miss. This time, the kid didn’t fire right away, and that was good too. At least he was taking his time, measuring his shot. Perhaps, fingers and intestines crossed, the boy wouldn’t miss. +“Look at it,” the armed kid said. +“I am looking!” the unarmed kid yelled. “Now shoot it!” +“I mean look, it’s just sitting there.” +“What?” +“It’s just sitting there. Why is it just sitting there?” +“Maybe you stunned it with your last shot. Finish it off. Put it out of its misery.” +Finally! A word of wisdom from Tweedledumb and Tweedledumber. +The armed kid shrugged away his worry and tried to aim his piece at Bob. And from where Bob was seated, he could tell the shot would once again go too high. So, to help the kid out—and not to mention save himself a whole lot of work trying to find another armed and isolated pair of idiots—he reached up and grabbed the barrel of the gun and pressed the end of it tight against his forehead. There was no way the kid could miss now. Bob closed his eyes and waited for the blessed end. The real end. The final end. All the kid had to do was pull the trigger. Just pull the trigger and that would be it. Just pull the trigger. +Pull the trigger already! +“Oh, my, God,” one kid said in slow, punctuated bursts. +“Did he just do what I think he just did?” the second asked in a quiet, awe-filled whisper. +“He just put the barrel of my gun against his head.” +“Yeah, that’s what I thought he just did.” +“What does it mean?” +“I don’t know.” +“You suppose he … he … he actually wants to die?” +“I think he does.” +“Does he?” +“Yes!” Bob shouted, which of course came out as a kind of squeaky grunt. +The kids jumped at his declaration. +“I think he just agreed,” said one kid. +“You know what that means?” the second one said. +“Yeah.” +At last, they were getting the big picture. Bob grinned as he realized that yes, zombies could feel happiness. He was feeling it right now. And even though the warm tingling didn’t extend over the whole of his being, he was still pretty sure it was happiness he felt. Happy to be laid to rest at last. +“It means we can’t kill him,” said the first kid. +“No we can’t,” agreed the second. +“Waaa?” moaned Bob in confusion. What happened to the shooting and the killing and the joyful second death? +“A zombie that wants to die?” the first kid asked. “What’s that all about?” +“I don’t know,” said the second. “Maybe the virus mutated and is making this one suicidal.” +“We should catch him and take him with us. Maybe someone will know how to make the others be like him.” +Oh boy! This day just got better and freaking better. Not only did Bob not consider himself suicidal—he just wanted what was rightfully his, a decent death, thank you very much—now these kids planned on leaking his slacking secrets out to every Tom, Dick and Harry zombie this side of the Rockies. Why was nothing ever easy? Why was everything one big conspiracy to make him work harder than he actually wanted to? Why was the kid with the gun screaming? +Well, the last one turned out to be the easiest to answer. The kid was screaming because, in his ponderings, Bob had grown hungry again. And in this state of hunger, he reached for the nearest snack, which happened to be attached to the hand, wrist and forearm of the kid aiming the single-cartridge buckshot rifle at him. Bob had the poor boy’s index finger halfway down his gullet before he realized he was even chewing. +“Shoot him!” the second kid yelled. +“I can’t!” the first screamed. “He gnawed off my trigger finger!” +“Then give me the gun.” The second kid held out his hands. “I’ll shoot it.” +Bob supposed he hadn’t heard anything so clever in all of his days. The second one was bound to be a better shot. Wouldn’t he? Surely he would. An epileptic, blind, one-armed man with all the directional sense of a demagnetized compass was bound to be a better shot than that kid. And since he was missing his trigger finger, he had no choice but to let his friend- +“No!” the first kid shouted. “I wanna kill it!” +“But it ate your trigger finger,” said his friend. +“I still have my left hand.” +The kid held up the hand in question, as if showing it off. Bob put an end to that nonsense right quick. He snatched the kid by the wrist and sheared off the boy’s left index finger with one powerful snap of his undead jaws. Pointer went from full-grown piggy to eaten sausage in a matter of moments. +“Why were you still standing so close?” the second kid asked over the agonized cries of the first. +“I don’t know!” the first kid cried. +“Give me the gun.” +“No!” The first cradled the gun in the crook of his bloody arms. “It’s my dad’s gun! He said not to let anyone else shoot it!” +“But you can’t even shoot it,” whined his friend. “You don’t have any trigger fingers!” +The boy stared at the evidence before him, his face growing paler with each spurt of blood from either stump. Speaking of growing paler, Bob had no idea why the kid wasn’t face down in the dirt already. All it took was a nip to the ear from a manic mailman and Bob was flat on his backside doing the obituary mambo. Then again, he always did take to easy chores like a fish to barrels. No that wasn’t right. It was fish to something else, wasn’t it? He couldn’t remember. +“Okay,” the kid finally said. “Take the gun.” +“Good!” the second shouted, taking the gun. A few awkward moments passed as the kid acquainted himself with the firearm. Bob filled this time with thoughts of what a fish took to, and the probability that he could bite off rest of the boy’s fingers before his friend fired a single shot. That probability was beginning to look really good, considering how long the new gunman was taking. +“What’s wrong?” the fingerless wonder asked in a weak voice. +“How … how do I fire it?” his friend asked. +“You point the hollow end at him and pull that curved bit. But watch out; it kicks like a mule. That’s probably why my shots have been so wild.” +“Sure. That and you can’t aim.” +“Can’t aim? You can’t even shoot!” +“I can too.” And to prove his point, the boy did just that. +Bob took the shot full in the face, blowing his brains out the backside of his skull and painting the end of the alleyway in delightful hues of putrid green and midnight black. As he fell to the ground his last thought was this: +Carpe Mortis. +Yes, that sounded about right. + +*** + + +To learn more about Tonia and her books, visit : +http://thebackseatwriter.blogspot.com/?zx=9d8df29683bab8bb +Or you can email her - thebackseatwriter@gmail.com + +Catt Dahman + + +Mr. Romero’s Warriors + + + + “George Romero was spot on.” +“Dead on. Get it? Dead on? It makes it more witty.” +“Wittier,” She nodded. “You must be witty at all costs.” +“He wasn’t exactly right, but he was close.” +“By far. He insisted they were slow,” She nodded. “He is like a Romeropedia.” +He smiled, “And thanks to him, we know better than to run over to the mall. No mall shopping.” +“No. I was thinking that some things aren’t exactly like he thought.” +That wasn’t the right line. Neal frowned, tilting his head and drumming his fingertips lightly on the arm of the chair. They had done this routine a thousand times, albeit with a few variations. Sometimes the routine was funny and sometimes it was grim, but it was always safely predictable. He tried to get her back on track, “The mall is closed.” +“Not really closed. Closed to us, I reckon, but that’s what he was wrong about. They don’t just stand outside the mall doors forever and moan and shuffle aimlessly.” +Neal sighed. This was becoming a conversation instead of a routine and he didn’t like it. “Okay, let’s do another routine. We can do the one about blondes being safe because they’re brainless. That one is funny.” But none of them were really funny; it was just better to laugh at something of your own doing than to start laughing as if you were insane. Some did that: laughed or cried until they sat down and refused to move even as the shamblers came around, laughing while they were ripped to shreds. +“Do you dream?” Jenny asked. +“No,” he lied. Why had she asked that? It wasn’t fair. They both knew Neal was lying because sometimes he whimpered in his sleep and she reached over to pat him. +Neal saw that some of the others were glancing at them, listening. Had they stayed with the nice, safe routine, no one would have looked up. They preferred a witty conversation, not one with meaning. +“I dream. Not like the dreams before or right after…not like those,” Jenny said, “but other dreams. They dream too. Mr. Romero didn’t know that, did he? He didn’t know they slept and dreamed. He thought they would be just walking dead people. +Crawling dead if you shoot ‘em in the legs, he thought. That was a line from their routine but Neal didn’t say it. Why had she brought this up? Why did she mention that and make Neal think of how they appeared to sleep and dream, moaning and maybe human-like verbalizations? +In some ways, it was worse than when they chased him. When they dreamed, it made them seem almost, well, human. If he thought about it too long, he would…. +“Scream,” Jenny said. “I think sometimes they scream when they dream. We could add that to the routine but I don’t think you like it.” +“I don’t.” +Everyone was listening now, their eyes shifting with fear. We weren’t supposed to talk about this. +“We should move on,” she said. +“Not yet. In the movies….” I began. +“In the movies. The main characters die. I’m not saying we are the main characters, but he was spot on about the basics and he made the rules, and I think we may be at least some of the main characters. He never wrote about this part…some did but not him and only he can make the rules.” +“But….” +“But nothing. We’re on our own now. No one ever cares about the main characters past the initial struggles. No one cares what comes next. Mr. Romero never mentioned all the changes. For everyone” +Neal could handle it all. He had handled his worst nightmares, killed them and run from them, hid, and survived. He had learned to play witty word games. He had watched the creatures sleeping, and had seen a little girl mouthing the word mommy over and over in her sleep. Her shirt had been matted with dried blood and pus. +When the girl moaned and reached for him, Neal had felt nothing as he shot her in the head, because that was simply what they had to do, but he hadn’t only shot her because she was infectious or would bite if she got close, but because he wanted her to stop dreaming. It was obscene. +Neal saw a few of the others inching for the doors, ready to run away. Neal wanted to scream; he wanted Jenny to stop talking. He was afraid she might say what Neal was thinking, and if she did, he might scream and scream forever. +She said those three words that terrified him to his very soul, “We are all evolving.” +*** +Want to read more from Catt? Visit her website to learn more about this author and her awesome books! + +http://www.cattd.com + +Mia Darien +Descent + + +Demeter. +The goddess. Not she who is mother to the earth, but she who is earth mother. Her compassion gave the people the knowledge of growing and cultivating, how to survive off the earth’s bounty. Her anguish rent the world and shaded half the year in cold. She who held no fear to confront the god of death, to show her power to Mount Olympus itself, all to have her daughter Persephone back. +She whose steps nourish the ground, so that people might live from it. A powerful ally, a powerful enemy. +A powerful ancestor. +This is what my mother, Cyrana, told me: that she was the issue of a brief coupling between Demeter and a mortal man. It was where, she said, our power came from. I never found reason to question the story, for power we did have. We had power that others did not, or if they did, they hid it very well and more than we cared to. +The story that I shall tell took place in the twelve hundreds B.C. - twelve centuries before the birth of Christ. +I lived near the Black Sea at that time, in a region known as Thrace. I was not born there, as far as I know, but my mother had never told me where I had been born. She was dead, my mother, by the time I lived in that place. I chose it because, at that time, I was devoted to Ares, the god of savage war and blood lust. The mountainous areas of Thrace, with its war-like people, were said to be most like him. It was also said that he had been born of that violent land. +They did not call me witch then. In those days, I was simply Ioena. No one could tell my age and staying on my good side meant good things for one’s crops and live-stock, particularly horses. Their crops and sheep I cared little for, but for what from those things they would pay me with. It was a way for me to make a living. I could use my powers to encourage good growth in fields and easier tempers in animals. (Unfortunately, I was not able to use this power as keenly on humans, just animals.) Their horses, however, I was happy to tend. It was said that Demeter chose to run in the form of a mare and she has often been associated with horses by those who worshipped her. I suppose that would explain my affection for them, although I never spent much time wondering why. +It was a blessing, our ancestry, my mother had said, although it was weaker in me than in her, for my father had been mortal. This was as much as I ever knew or cared to know. +My life was a strange one, but it always had been. In every place I lived, I was a part of it and yet wholly removed. Thrace was no different, but I felt more at home there than anywhere else. People were good to me because they feared me, which is also why they stayed away except for matters of business. I did not mind that, though, as I liked my independence from other humans. This is a trait that has grown stronger in people in the years since, but it was not as common then. It only added to the aura around me that kept others away. +One morning in spring - when Demeter’s daughter was with her mother for half the year and the earth bloomed again - I made a decision, the long term consequences of which I could not have begun to comprehend. I wanted to make a gift to Ares. I wanted to make a gift above and beyond all other offerings I had ever made, or that anyone else would give to him. +There were four mares in my possession. They were beautiful and strong, graceful in ways that only horses of their nature can be. They were pure black in color and their fur gleamed in sun and moon light. It would be hard to part with them, for I adored them above all else, but I wanted to give only the best to Ares. They would be wonderful gifts, perhaps even consorts for the four fire-breathing stallions who pulled his chariot. They would be as lovers, like Ares and I had once been. +I am sure that you wondered why I was devoted to Ares when I was a descendent of Demeter. +The problem was that the mares were completely docile and would be no match for Ares’ steeds. +“A small change,” I whispered to them as they grazed. +I stayed near them until night fall, exerting the full will of my power. If my mares were to be given to Ares, they had to not only be strong, but fierce. They had to be as fire - powerful and consuming. By the time that darkness descended, they were precisely what I needed them to be: four man-eating mares. They were viscous, wild and untamable, though they did not harm me, for I was as their mother. +Speaking to Ares as if he were there - for I knew he could hear me - I told him of my gift to him. I fell asleep in that small field with my horses. In the morning, they were gone and I knew that Ares had taken them, for I had made them so only a god (and I) could handle them. +They were magnificent. +A lot of my power was wasted on such small things: helping bring a good harvest or calming the live-stock of farmers. In this, it felt good to create something great and strong. +It was some time later that I would encounter Ares upon the road. He simply appeared and I was caught quite off guard. It might seem odd to you, but in those days, gods walked among us when ever they chose. He chose to appear to me as he always did, and as he always would to others, for he was too proud to disguise himself. He wished to thank me for the horses, and I was very flattered, until he told me that his son Diomedes had them. +One does not simply argue with a god, but oh how I wanted to argue with him. I wanted to scream at him, curse, and rail against the lack of feeling that he had shown me. I was most devoted to him, so was I not worthy of more attention in my offerings than that? I had poured time and energy in to creating a gift worthy of him alone, and he had simply cast them off to one of his bastard sons. I did not care that Diomedes was the king of Thrace. He was not my king! +I said nothing of how I felt and watched as Ares departed, leaving me to contemplate the fickleness of the gods... and of one in particular. +Years would pass. I did not get to see my mares in all of that time, nor was I ever able to again create anything that was their equal, and I tried. +Then, during a day that was like any other, a terrible tale found its way to my ear. +One of Zeus’ many half-mortal children, a man named Heracles, had slain King Diomedes and fed him to my mares. This part did not cause me any significant alarm, for Diomedes was a giant and would make a good meal for them. No, I was not upset about that at all, for he should never have had my beautiful mares in the first place. +The part of the tale that bothered me was what came after. This Heracles had bound and stole my mares, who were then sated and calm from their meal, and he had taken them to some King Eurystheus - yet another king who was not my king but who had been given my horses! Then, this unworthy man had turned and offered these magnificent creatures to that arrogant pig Zeus, who did not wish them. I would have been glad for their survival and escape from sacrifice and would have gone any length to get them back, but Zeus had sent wild beasts to slay and eat them. +It was as though those beasts had eaten my heart. It was as though I was the one torn to shreds and lying in their bellies. I cannot define nor describe my anguish, or the level of my sudden and over-whelming desperation. +There was only one place that I could go to for help. +I wanted my horses back, but they were in the bellies of beasts and even killing those animals would not bring them back. If it would have, I would have hunted down each one and torn them apart with my hands. +No, this required stronger measures. I could not seek out Ares to help me, for this was entirely his fault in the first place. Besides, this was not his area. I had to seek out the divine assistance of one who knew of death. +I descended in to Hades. +I... do not wish to tell about my time there, but to say that Hades is Hades, in both the place and the god who over-sees it. Years passed above, though it did not feel like that long while I was there. It took me a great while, but I finally struck my bargain. +The details of the arrangement are unimportant and none of your concern, because I say that it is not. Suffice it to say that I managed the task I went down there for. It had really taken most of my time in that place to convince the god of the underworld that I would keep my side of the deal. +In the end, I got what I wanted: a way to bring my mares back. +Unfortunately, I could not simply give them life again. This was because they had been killed as well as consumed by beasts serving a god’s bidding. There were no longer any bodies to reanimate, and I could not even piece them together for they were locked in those animals by the will of Zeus. Hades could only give me their spirits. I had to supply the bodies. +It was not easy to seek out horses for slaughter, for the affinity that I have always had for the creatures, but this was so that my mares may live again. It was a necessary evil. I chose steeds from different places and in far reaching areas, so that their disappearances would not be suspicious. I used my power to lure them away to my home. +Once I had found and slain the four mares I needed, I was able to use my powers together with Hades’ blessing to call their spirits back from the underworld. They slipped upwards like mist from the ground - pale silver clouds in a night sky. I guided the four mists to settle upon the bodies of these other horses, and one by one they did. +Watching with growing excitement, I waited for them to come to life, but my excitement became dread before too long. Nothing was happening! I moved to one and pressed my ear to the cold flesh and fur and I could hear no heart beat. I closed my eyes, and began to weep with my head resting upon the corpse’s shoulder. +But then... the body twitched. +I jumped back at first, startled and terrified with primordial instinct. My heart beat painfully hard against the inside of my breast as I stared at the mare. She twitched again and then again. They happened more frequently as time seemed to creep by. I crawled closer to her head. The horse’s eyes were open, glassy and wild and of a pale white color, as if there were some thin substance covering them, yet I knew she could see. She... was alive, yet not in the ways other things were. I did not then know the term or concept to describe these creatures. All that I knew was that something strange had occurred. +Tentatively, I laid my hand on the pale fur of her jaw line. She calmed a little and let me pull her head on my lap, stroke the soft fur of her nose and ears. She turned her milky eyes towards me and I found curious depths there. She was like a child, I thought, who had yet to learn how to make her body function in the way she wanted. +“You were fire itself,” I whispered to her. “As if Prometheus had brought you to the people and not the flame we warm ourselves by. You can be again. You will be again,” I promised her. Looking in to her eyes, I thought that perhaps she understood and believed me. +The night grew long and I was tired, but I could not stop now. I concentrated on my mare with that part of me that held power, mind and spirit, urging her to her feet. She whickered a soft, muted noise through a thick throat and then shifted, twitching, stumbling laboriously to her feet. Once there, she swayed but stayed up. +One by one, each of them began to awaken and I did the same for them all until all four were on their feet. It was almost dawn by then and I lay down, exhausted. In their painful, wavering gait, each walked over to me, like children to a mother. Their noses were still cold, like death, as they sniffed me and touched my skin, but I did not mind. +I had them back. +Over the days and weeks to come, I spent most of my time with my mares. I kept them hidden during the day, lest anyone think wrongly of them and try to harm them. I took them out to roam at night, for they were most obedient to me and I had no fear they’d run away. They grew to frenzy when others came close to our home, however. This was how I knew that it was truly the spirits of my horses who were in these bodies, although they looked so different. +During this time, I could feel my power growing stronger, darker. I used it to help my mares learn better, to move better, although it only went so far. Plus, I still had other obligations to the Thracians that were a matter of my own survival, so this used some of my time and power as well. +What else occurred was my process of learning about them and what sort of creatures they were. The only thing that, at the time, I could think to call them was the ‘living dead’, for they were both living and dead. Their spirits were undiminished, but as time passed, I saw that their bodies were decaying around them. At first, they did not seem to notice, but every now and then, they would look at me in such a way as broke my heart - like they knew, but did not understand. At least they did not seem to be in any pain from what was going on around and inside them - not physical pain, at least. If it did hurt them in any way, they did not show it. +I would watch them when we would go out in the nights, moving through the sparse forests of this area of Thrace. Sometimes they would choose to roam and explore. Their movements were usually slow, but the glassiness of their eyes seemed to not affect their sight too greatly, for they did not often walk in to things. On the rare times they did, they’d pull back and look surprised. I had found that they seemed to be more emotive in death - showing more reaction and feeling than they had in life, even at their wildest. If they hit something hard enough, they would thread their way back to me and I would do what I could to ease them and that mare would stay close by me for a while, as if reassuring herself that it was all right. After a while, she would either get over it or forget it - I could not be sure which - but either way, the exploration would resume. +It was quite by chance that I discovered an interesting and important fact one night. I had learned early on that they did not need to eat to live, but I found that they could eat. Some small animal had died in their area and I happened to come upon them as they devoured it. I noticed later that the rate of decay slowed for a time after that. +I wondered why I hadn’t thought of it myself. It made sense. +The night following this discovery, I traveled for a time until I came to a village where they did not know me on sight. There was a man traveling along the road. He was alone and there was no one else for a good space in either direction, so I knew that I had found the one that I needed. I stayed behind, far behind, for a while and just kept him at the edge of my sight. It was a lot like tracking animals, which is what he was. +Since I had never killed a human, I had to think carefully about the best way to do it. I could not be deterred from my plan by lack of knowledge, though, because my horses needed me to do this. The day following the consuming of that creature, when the decay lessened, I could see it in their eyes. It made such a difference that I could not ignore this chance, even though this process would not be simple or easy, I imagined. +It turned out to be easier than I had thought. +I found a rock on the side of the road. It was heavy, but still of a size to fit in one hand as I walked a little quicker, balancing on the balls of my feet to silence my steps as I approached the man. My power of soothing was weak on humans, but it was better than nothing. He did not turn around as I came up behind him and hit him hard on the back of the head, right where his neck met his skull. I had once seen a man of medicine use this on a soldier returned from a conflict who could not be saved nor spared. There was a slightly wet, thudding noise as the two connected. He made no sound as he crumbled on to the road way. I stared at the prone body for a moment and then knelt beside him. He was dead. +I next began the laborious process of dragging him to my home. I placed my arms under his, lifting him slightly and then pulling him over dirt and stone. He was heavy, but probably did not weigh much more than I did, so that made it easier. I kept to the very edge of the road, so that we could hide if any one else passed by. +Luckily, no one did. +When I reached my mares, I presented them with their meal and urged them to eat it, which they did, all descending upon it at once. It was food and that was all they needed to know. I was simply gratified to see their condition improve following that feeding. +When they nuzzled their noses against me, not as much of their fur and skin would chafe off. It was wonderful. +Quickly it became habit that every other night I would fetch them a fresh meal. They continued to improve, although their eyes never lost that milky sheen and their movements were never completely free of the awkward halting gait. They never breathed again, nor ever had their hearts beat again. I sometimes thought that they even seemed frustrated at times, as though their spirits and bodies were in conflict, but on the whole, they improved. +I did what I could to soothe them through out it all. I used my power as well as my simple presence. Eventually, I even began to sleep outside with them. They would gather as close as they could around me, their large bodies blocking each other some what, but not so much as to be a concern - they were close. I had no fear of them and they had none of me. It was like we held an unwritten promise that we would take care of each other... I at least knew that I promised them as much. +Unfortunately, I was so taken up with my care of them that I did not see what was happening around me. People knew I was hiding something and strange noises could be heard from the area of my home during the night. They also saw that people were going missing. They put it together, although they did not understand it. They simply connected the things together and decided to act on it. +This was all information that I would come to learn by other means much later on. +It was near dawn when they came: farmers and hunters armed with tools and weapons of their homes. Thrace was a warrior nation, but the warriors all seemed to be elsewhere that night, yet even one man with a kitchen knife can be lethal if he had the will to use it as such, and it seems that they did have such will. +I only knew they were there because my mares sensed them and roused one another, as well as me, before the men could grab me. They, my horses, were rearing and dancing, biting and pawing at the men. Such grace! The noises they made were bestial, almost not like horses at all, but like the wild and magnificent animals that I had always known them to be. If no one else would be loyal to me, they would. +At first, the men tried to push their way past them, but to no use. My mares were powerful and fierce. Their teeth were sharper than the average horse’s and they were unafraid to make that fact known. In fear, the men backed up. +“What do you want?” I shouted at them over the noises of the horses while I hid in their protective cluster. It was a strange turn of events, for they circled around me like I was the foal and they were the protective circle. +“We want you to leave and to never come back!” one of the men shouted back at me, brandishing some farming tool he used to cultivate the crops that I helped him to grow. +Leave? I was in shock at the idea, but the seriousness of their demand was quite plain in the looks on their faces and the stances of their bodies. I may not have been like everyone else, but I had done good things for Thrace and this was how they treated me? I only ever wished to take care of my mares, who had as much right as any other to eat and live - such as it was. I stared for a long moment, but I knew that it was no good. +I kept my eyes firmly on the mob before us as I started backing in to the darkness of the forest behind us, using my power and connection with the horses to keep them with me, although they continued to dance in halting, frightening and powerful steps as we went. Anger seeded inside me once more as fear ebbed away and already I was adding these people to the list in my mind of those who would pay for what they had done to my horses, and to me. All things would come in time, but for now, there were more important matters to attend to. +When we were a safe distance away and there were no signs of our being followed, I turned to begin our escape in earnest and with greater speed. I only looked back once after that, only to see my home rising in flames. +It’s been lifetimes since our arduous escape to Gaul, which we almost did not survive. We migrated through that land for a number of years that I do not now wish to count, but we survived - in what ways they survive anything, being that they are not precisely alive. I suppose I can only thank Demeter herself for my own survival, and longevity. +Later I would have my revenge, but that’s another story and for another time. This one I must end here, for my mares are hungry. + +* * * + +About the Author: Mia Darien is an indie author of speculative fiction, and a New England Yankee transplanted into Alabama clay. No matter her geography, she continues to stubbornly and rebelliously live the life of her choosing along with her family and pets. She doesn't miss the snow. + +You can connect with her at http://www.miadarien.com or on Facebook, Twitter or Goodreads! + +* * * + +Other Books by Mia Darien + +The Adelheid Series (Paranormal Suspense with a Dash of Romance) +Cameron's Law +When Forever Died +Cats & Dogs (Between the Tales Short, Mailing List Exclusive) +Voracious +Family Matters (Between the Tales Short) +Written All Over Her + +Welcome to Adelheid (Three Book Bundle) + +Stories from Sanctuary City (Post-Apocalyptic Erotic Romance) +Sanctuary +Refuge (Coming Soon) + +Turnabout Tales (Modern Fantasy/Romantic Fairy Tales) +Sub Rosa + +Standalone Stories +Deeper than Skin (Historical Romance) +Steel Wings (Science Fiction Romance) + +C M Doporto + + +Flesh Seekers + +PUBLISHED BY: +CM Doporto + +Flesh Seekers Prequel +Copyright © 2013 by CM Doporto +All Rights Reserved + +Thank you for downloading this free eBook. Although this is a free eBook, it remains the copyrighted property of the author and may not be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form for any commercial or non-commercial use without permission from the author. If you enjoyed this eBook, then please encourage your friends to download their own copy. + +Published by: CM Doporto +Cover art by: Cora Graphics +Edited by: Sheri Spell + +This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content. Any trademarks mentioned herein are not authorized by the trademark owners and do not in any way mean the work is sponsored by or associated with the trademark owners. Any trademarks used are specifically in a descriptive capacity. + +Thank you for your support. + +Flesh Seekers + + +My heart beat rapidly. Pounding furiously within my chest. Ready to explode at any moment. I heard people talking all around me but I must have been out of it because I didn’t understand what they were saying and I couldn’t make out their faces. Death waited for me. But I wasn’t ready to die. It sucked because no one could help me since I was one of them. You know, a Flesh Seeker, and that meant the end for me. +At nineteen, I had too much to live for. A beautiful girl and a baby on the way. A baby that I might not ever see and may not get to live. I heard her voice, the cute high pitched tone with the little Texas twang at the end. Kait’s voice. Damn, I wish she was here with me now. She was everything I had dreamed of and wanted in a girl. +Yeah, I can hear my mamma. “Are you crazy muchacho? She’s a Bolilla and her family won’t approve of you going out with her.” +I knew it would be far-fetched to get Kait to go out with me, but what did I have to lose? I was a Mexican with good looks along with a slim, muscular body and a talent for drawing. She wanted me; I knew by the way her eyes watched my every move in history class. I just needed the right opportunity to convince her to give me that chance. I still remember the day, like it was yesterday. +“Josh Sanchez, you and Kaitlyn Richardson will work together. Toby Bentley you’ll be with Susan Silverman.” The history teacher went on, going down the list, pairing us with a member of the opposite sex to do a project on Women’s Rights. I didn’t give a damn about the project, but Kaitlyn… hell yeah. She was fine! The high school cheerleader, the hottest blonde in the school, the most popular and the richest. + +Even though Kait came from money, she wasn’t the typical stuck up, snobby bitch like most popular chicks. She was different and that’s why I liked her. She always made it a point to smile at me and say ‘hi’ when she passed me in the halls. I wanted to say ‘hi’ to her first, but I have to admit that she did intimidate me. So instead, I would wait for her to say it first. +“Hi, I’m Kait Richardson.” She stood in front of me, holding out her hand and smiling. +I couldn’t help but notice her perfectly straight and bleached white teeth, blaring right at me. Next to her’s, my mouth looked like Jaws, teeth all crooked and pointed. So I gave a half smile, trying to hide my messed up chompers and shook her hand. “Hey, I’m Josh, Josh Sanchez.” +“Yes, I know who you are,” she said, taking a seat in the empty desk to the left of me. She crossed her long slim legs, blocking any chance of seeing up her tight denim micro mini skirt, even though she had on some type of leggings underneath. +My heart literally stopped. No way! She didn’t know me. Unless saying ‘hi’ in the halls as we passed each other, qualified as knowing each other. Then again, she really didn’t know who I was. After all, I was only a poor kid from the wrong side of the tracks, trying to fit in with all the cool kids at school. Basically, a nobody. “You do?” +“Of course. You’re like one of the best artists in this school. I love how you draw.” She twirled a lock of curls around her fingers. Her nails sparkled, with each turn. +“Nah, I’m not that good. I mean… I guess I do okay.” What the hell? I couldn’t think for shit. All the words jumbled up inside of my head. Something about this girl made me lose it. I looked down and saw my hands shaking, so I shoved them under the desk and held onto my knees. If she saw them trembling, she’d think I was a coward. +“I think you do better than okay. You’re paintings have won tons of awards and I hear the teachers say really good things about you.” She batted her eyes at me, showing off the vivid colors of eye shadow that streaked across her lids. It hypnotized me and I pictured painting this beautiful girl somewhere in the Falls, the historic water gardens in downtown, Lake Vine, Texas. +I had to blink a few times to get my concentration back. “You do?” This girl had to be smoking something. The teachers hated me. They didn’t like where I came from or the fact that they had to let me in their ‘prestigious technical school’. If they had it their way, I would be somewhere else. +“Yes. In fact I think you’re going to be a famous artist one day. There’s a special place for you within one of the regions, if not all of them.” +I busted out laughing at what she said. “What? Nah, I don’t think so.” She might have been right, but things weren’t the same since the World Wide Depression and the Great Regions of Freedom had formed. The GRF practically ran your life. Luckily, the citizens still had a choice in what they would do with their lives, if you call choosing one of the top three choices from the career assessments they made everyone take. Test, test, test. That’s all these administrators in this God forsaken GRF did! +“What about you? I’ve seen your work displayed and it’s good, too.” +She tilted her head down, allowing the waves of curls to cover half her face. Did I embarrass her? “Please. I draw clothes and you draw people and buildings. There’s a difference.” +She did have a point, but I wasn’t about to tell her that. I wanted to make her feel good about her drawings, make her feel special, like no one else could. We were only sophomores at the time, but it would be the start of a journey that I couldn’t imagine taking with anyone else. + Those great memories vanished the moment I felt a sudden coldness creep up over my body. The people in the background continued talking and I struggled to focus in on their words. Was I about to die? Maybe I didn’t want to know so that’s why I blocked them out. Time. I needed more time to remember all the great moments I had with Kait. +A bright light shined in my left eye. It vanished as blackness fell over it. Then the same bright light blared into my right eye before turning pitch black again. I knew they were checking me out. I felt them standing right over me. The warmth of their breath, telling me they were alive and human. Unlike the air that seemed to disappear from my lungs at times. +“His pupils are dilated. Tests show he has some brain activity, but not much. We can either wait and see what happens or go ahead and inject him.” A deep and rough voice said, tunneling through my ears as it reverberated through my mind. End my life? A life that I hadn’t even had the chance to live. Would my child suffer the same fate as me? +“I’ll inform Dr. Richardson and wait for his orders.” A lady spoke softly before fading off into the cold, dark room. +Why was it so dark? Why was I so cold? My body shivered on the inside, to the point of nearly convulsing, even though it didn’t move on the outside. My blood crawled through my veins, but crumbled before circulating again. Was my body breaking apart? Was I deteriorating to nothing? I knew it wouldn’t be long now. +How did this happen? And why did this have to happen to me? That’s what started to go through my mind as I lay there waiting, my fate based on the decision of one man. The man who I knew would hate me from day one. The man my mother warned me about. Dr. Stephen Richardson, Kait’s dad. I knew it from the minute I met him that he would either take my life or destroy me somehow. +How did I know that? I’m usually right on when it comes to judging a person’s character. That’s what probably helped me stay out of trouble, even though I grew up around nothing but troublemakers. But I refused to be like my father. A no good, lying, cheating, worthless, s.o.b who left my mom with three small kids and ended up in prison. The last time I saw the man, I happened to be riding my bike outside when he drove past our house with some woman, younger than my mom, sitting next to him. Only ten years old at the time, I didn’t say anything to my mamma about it, but that memory stuck in my head. +That’s what Kait and I had in common. Dads we couldn’t stand. Dr. Richardson was the exact opposite of my dad. Where my dad abandoned us, Kait’s dad ruled her life. Maybe because he feared losing her like he had lost her mother. Unlike my loser father, Kait’s ole’ man was highly educated, smart, good-looking and worked for the dignitaries of the GRF. In his role as Director of Health Care, he had a lot of power. Primarily, he ensured all males between the ages of thirteen and forty got their monthly dose of Letumdotrophin. +I wanted to burn the tattoo off of my arm; the marking the medicine patch left on me and every guy that was forced to take it. The medicine that didn’t work and allowed Kait to get pregnant anyways. I can still see the look on her face when she told me. +“What is it, Kait? What’s wrong?” I stood in the doorway of her dormitory. Her face had turned three shades lighter. The sun-kissed California glow all gone. +“I… I need to tell you something.” Her voice trembled as she started pacing the small room. +“Ookkaay.” I shut the door behind me and rushed over to her, taking her in my arms. Her body trembled as though coming down with the flu. Never had I seen her so shook up, except when her dad said she couldn’t go to school in California. But that time, she was mad more than anything. This time, she was scared. +“I… I don’t know how to tell you this.” She broke out in a hard cry, sobbing and mumbling words that I couldn’t understand. +“Kait… what is it, baby? You can tell me.” I stroked the back of her head, holding her close to my chest. My heart pounded inside of me, fearful of what she might tell me. “It’s okay. You can tell me.” I tried to get her to calm down, to stop crying, but she was so upset. +“I’m… oh no. How did this happen?” She managed to get out between deep sighs and cries. +“How did what happen? Kait… tell me. What is it?” I took a seat on the edge of her bed, pulling her into my lap. She held on to me, like I was the only thing she had left to hang on to. Then again, I was. Her mother gone and her father back in Texas. +She opened her hand and handed me a small oval stick. It shook in her hand, like it had a mind of its own. I took the stick from her and looked at it. “What’s this?” +Her tears stopped instantly and she looked at me like I was an idiot. But who could blame her? I grew up around boys and when it came to girly stuff, I usually learned it from Kait, not my mamma. “You don’t know what this is?” +“Am I supposed to?” I said looking at the strange cross on the front of it. In our time, in our world, commercials about family planning didn’t exist. They were replaced with either abstinence or prevention. Thanks to the depression, the GRF dictated who and how many children families could have. The higher your status, the more children they allowed you to have. Basically if you were poor, that meant that you couldn’t have any kids. Unless you proved that you could care for yourself and not be a burden to society. +The GRF did everything and anything to keep us from slipping back into another deep depression. They made it their number one goal to make sure we moved forward as a society. Reminding us constantly on issues we didn’t agree on, that it was for ‘the greater good’. For the last seven years they took a dictatorial approach on controlling the birth rate. Even though it seemed to help with fewer people on government assistance and the economy rebounding, people didn’t like being told when or if they could have children. +Her eyes softened into an ‘I’m sorry’ look before she said, “It’s a pregnancy test.” +Everything stopped. The room, Kait, time, not to mention my breath. “Josh… Josh? Are you okay?” She had to shake me a few times before I came to. +“Ummm… yeah. I mean… no. No! I’m not okay and neither are you. We are not okay. Shit! How did this happen?” I squeezed the stick tightly in my hand as if that would somehow make the unplanned pregnancy go away. +“I don’t know! Isn’t that stupid medicine supposed to work?” Kait pulled up my shirt sleeve, checking my arm for the medicine patch. +I looked down at the shield surrounded by what looked like broken wings. The longer I stared at it, the more I noticed the skulls on each side of the design, indicating that all life stopped with this medicine. But for some unknown reason, it didn’t with us. + I yanked my arm away, pissed that it didn’t work. It wasn’t her fault, but it made me mad thinking about the decision we were going to have to make. “Why don’t you ask your dad!” I snapped, shoving her off my lap and standing to my feet. +I paced the floor, my arms crossed against my chest and my hands balled up in a fist. I needed to hit something, not Kait, of course, but I had to take my frustration out on something. But there was nothing I could hit, so I yelled. +“UGGGGHHHH!” I yelled, like a mad man. Not caring if I scared all the girls in the rooms next to Kait’s or if security came running down the hall. I collapsed next to her on her small twin bed. All life sucked out of me. +She looked at me, her lip quivering with fear. “I’m so sorry.” +Tears poured from her baby blue eyes and I felt bad for throwing her a low one about her dad, but it slipped out. Damn! “Come here, baby.” I pulled her back into my arms. +“What are we going to do?” Her eyes pleaded for the right answer, which I didn’t have. +All I knew was that this road wouldn’t be easy, whatever we decided to do. “Don’t worry. We will figure this all out.” +In the background, I heard the beeping from one of the monitors pick up. It started beeping faster and faster as my heart rate stayed a beat ahead of it. My blood began to move quicker, picking up the pace as it flowed toward my heart, ready to be energized again. My tongue salivated and I smelled the sweet scent of skin, the flesh of the nurse in the room and the smell of another person, a guy nearby. I knew this feeling all too well. Shit! Not again! +The weirdest thing about breaking out into one of my flesh-eating episodes was that I really didn’t remember much. Other than wanting, craving and desiring flesh like it was milk and cookies fresh out of the oven. You know the ones that are all gooey and dripping with hot chocolate. Mmmmm… yeah those kind. That’s what flesh tasted like as it rolled across my tongue, sweeping across every taste bud before easing down my throat and into my stomach. Sweet. Tasty. Savory to the very last muscle fiber. +I had never really eaten a person, or at least I didn’t think I had. I had only taken a few bites out of an arm or leg, or whatever I could rip off of them. Just enough to satisfy the craving and desires that filled my mouth. The cravings were more than a pregnant woman begging for a burger and fries from the fast food joint down the street. No, these cravings were beyond controllable. Deadly. Which meant I would stop at nothing to satisfy them. +It still freaked me out, thinking back to the first time it happened. Kait and I were going down an elevator, alone, after classes had finished. I hadn’t been feeling good all day. She teased me, saying that I had sympathy symptoms. I kind of believed her because I had been eating like crazy and kept feeling sick to my stomach off and on. I also craved meat to no end. Even to the point that I had went to the store the day before and bought a whole chicken and ripped it open the minute I got to my dorm room and ate it raw. Yep, skin, gizzards and all. +“Josh? Are you okay?” Kait said, bracing me against the wall of the elevator. +“I don’t know. I’m not feeling too good.” Saliva ran out the sides of my mouth. Kait’s skin smelled wonderfully sweet. Sweet like honey with strawberries and chocolate on the side. I wanted to lick her, like the way a dog greets his master. Fill my tongue with every bit of her innocent taste. +“You’re sweating like crazy.” She held her hand up to my forehead, checking my temperature. +I hid the truth of what was going through my mind. No way! I couldn’t tell her about the twisted cravings I had been having because I knew they would freak her out. Instead I said, “I’m so hungry.” +“Your eyes! They’re turning dark. Josh what’s wrong with you?” A look of worry washed across Kait’s face and I knew something was definitely wrong with me. +“I… I…” I wanted to say ‘I didn’t know’ but for some reason, I couldn’t speak. I had actually forgotten how to talk. How to say anything at all. All the words faded from my memory. I hung onto the railing in the elevator, watching the shiny steel walls around me narrow, closing in on me and fast. +“Josh! Oh my God! Your tongue… it’s black. Put it back in your mouth!” She let go of me and took a few steps back. The fear that formed in her eyes made me feel like a demon of some sort. Like a vampire, wanting to suck the blood out of her. Only I wanted to rip the flesh off of her. Taste the rubbery meat filled with strings of veins. Most of all, I longed to gnaw on her tender bones and crunch my teeth against the crispy pieces of cartilage. The beast in me was coming out. +Thank God, something stopped me from doing that. Maybe it was the love that I had for her which was woven deep in to my heart, telling me not to do it. Or the fact that I wanted to protect her. Shield her from everything. Shelter her against her biggest enemy, me. Yet there was no escaping what I had become. +The lights faded out and my senses honed in on one thing and one thing only. Flesh. “Run! Run!” I managed to yell the moment the doors to the elevator opened. +“Help! Somebody help me!” Kait stumbled out of the small confined space, pushing the button to close the door behind her frantically. I guess Kait had an angel on her side, because I heard a voice, ordering me to push the button to close the doors from inside. That was the last thing I remembered. My finger pressed hard against the bubbled button, keeping me locked in the six by six holding cell that didn’t allow me to tear the flesh off of anyone, at least that day. +I felt another surge of warmth, this time shoot up my arm. What was happening now? Why hadn’t I turned into the flesh-eating freak that I was destined to be? Something had changed. What? I didn’t know. I knew I didn’t want to be this man-eating zombie any more. I loved Kait and we were going to have a baby. We had a life ahead of us. I needed her. She needed me. Our baby needed us. No way could I be without her. Living or dead. +“Quick, give me 30 cc’s of methylphenidate.” A guy’s voice said. This was a different guy’s voice than the other one that had been in the room. Not only did he sound different, but he smelled different too. All of a sudden, my senses began to fade and I didn’t smell flesh any longer. Instead, the queasy smell of plastic bandages and bleach filled the room. Hospital smell. Yuk! +“Josh? Sweetie, can you hear me?” +“Kaaiitt?” I struggled to open my eyes. I had to see her. Kait was here! +“Josh, it’s me Kait. Wake up.” She gave my face a light slap. +Oh no, what was she doing here? I’m too dangerous. Then again, I was happy to see her once again before they killed me. See her mesmerizing blue eyes, feel the softness of her skin, kiss her luscious peachy lips. Place my hand on her baby bump. Kait. My beautiful, Kait. +“Wake up, Josh. We gotta go!” + +To be continued in +Flesh Seekers +Apocalyptic Trilogy, Book 1 +http://cmdoporto.com/ + +Visit CM Doporto on Facebook + + + +Jacqueline Druga + +ZOMBIE BATTLE: +Part One +OUTBREAK + +  +CHAPTER ONE + + +May 2nd +Carancus, Puno, Peru + +It streaked across the heavens. Green and bright, as if God Himself used a fluorescent marker and created a colorful slash mark against the star sparkled clear night sky. It didn’t make a sound, not at first. +Carlos Linderas was a simple man. He lived a modest life with only the focus of raising his young son. But on that night he focused on something else. Whatever it was that fell from the sky. He saw it. He was sitting by the window of his two room home, sewing, when he caught glimpse. He wasn’t quite sure what it was, a shooting star, meteor, anything, but he was certain it landed with an impact. First the thunderous sound, then the vibration. It rocked his stance and then his inner being when he heard the rain of debris against his tin roof. +His six year old son, Juan sat on the floor and looked up. +Carlos bolted to the door. “Stay put,” he said with a point. +“But Papa…” Juan stood. +“Stay. I’ll be back.” +Even though it was only he and his son, Carlos didn’t think much about leaving his small child alone. Not in their village, everyone watched out for everyone. +Apparently, everyone also watched the thing fall from the sky. Carlos and a few dozen others hurried to the landing site. +They had no clue how far away it was, it had to be close. +Some left on foot, others by truck. Not many drove there, not many owned vehicles. +A man named Ben led the way and a pack of others on foot. Ben was strong, fit and fast. He also owned one of the vehicles, so it was no surprise he was first to leave. +Carlos partnered up with Mr. Lund for the discovery journey, an old man who lived a few houses down. The conversation was nil in their quick pace to where the object had landed. The pace slowed down the closer they drew, Carlos attributed that Mr. Lund’s age. He wheezed heavily, catching his breath often. +The taillights of Ben’s truck glowed in a weird fog, they trudged only a half of a mile to the impact. There was a weird smell the closer they got, not pungent or strong, just odd. It tickled Carlos’ nose. He couldn’t tell if it was the odor or dust. +Ben was calling out for people to hurry. +Carlos looked at Mr. Lund who waved him to ‘go on’. He left the old man, half bent over, holding on to his knees, catching his physical bearings. +Ben stood on a huge mound of dirt several yards head of his truck. +“Hurry,” Ben said. “Look before it goes.” +Carlos did. An object, rock like, had fallen into the earth creating a crater 100 feet around and at least twenty feet deep. At first, Carlos thought Ben was insane. Go where? Where would the object go? Then he saw the reason for Ben’s concern. The rock, cracked and distorted, leaked a clear fluid. Water like, boiling, rapidly it filled the crater, burying the rock beneath the flowing liquid. +“Maybe it hit a well,” Carlos suggested. +“No, it’s coming from the rock,” Ben retorted. +As if the rock would do something magical, the forty some people watched, watched the crater slowly fill up. +Another villager commented that someone had to call for help, and she ran back down toward the village to contact authorities. +But Carlos remained. +It wasn’t long, though, that he started to feel badly. His head hurt, eyes, watered, nose burned and stomach turned. +He didn’t want to come across as weak and refrained from saying anything until Ben turned his head and squeezed his eyes. +“Are you OK?” Carlos asked. +Ben shook his head. “No, my head hurts.” +“Mine, too.” Carlos whispered as if he were telling a secret. +His voice carried in the darkness, and a few others responded with their same symptoms. +‘This is crazy,’ Carlos thought. ‘One person’s illness is becoming another’s. It has to be all in our minds.’ +Perhaps for the others it was, but Carlos knew his illness certainly wasn’t mental. His stomach bubbled with nausea and to save himself from embarrassment, Carlos excused himself, claimed he wanted to find help as well, and walked from the mound of dirt. He knew he was getting sicker by the second. +He hadn’t made it twenty feet and his body heaved outward, projecting a huge eruption of vomit. He bent over, holding his stomach, wanting for the heaves to cease. When they finally did, when the contents had completed their course from his stomach, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and lifted his head. +He had to put aside his own illness. For it was then he noticed Mr. Lund had collapsed, and Carlos ran to aid him. +Lund didn’t respond, he lay still, breathing labored breaths as his face rested in a huge pool of his own regurgitation. + +<><><><> + +It took two hours for authorities to arrive at the scene, and that included the skeptical Jorge Lopez, a lead official. He had seen it all, heard it all from the villagers who not one year earlier claimed a United States Satellite fell into their area contaminating them all. +So, when he arrived, he arrived with attitude. +Two local policemen were on the scene, one was already complaining of the same symptoms. +“I don’t know how much longer I’ll be here, I’m ill,” said the one. +Jorge nodded, wanted to say ‘yeah, yeah’. He listened to the policeman rattle off about his headache, vomiting, and dizzy spells. “How about you?” Jorge turned to the other officer. +“Same. Not well. Everyone is sick.” +“Everyone?” Jorge asked with sarcasm. “That’s five hundred people. Five hundred people are ill right now?” +Both police officers looked at each other. “Almost everyone. Those who were inside are not ill. Not yet.” +With another passive, ‘A-hmm’, Jorge requested that the officer take him to the site where the supposed rock from the sky landed. +They did. +His first thought was that mass hysteria was contagious. Trails of vomit were seen everywhere at the circumference of the impact site. +The hole was filled with water. +Jorge was certain if it wasn’t a satellite; surely, someone hit a well. +A twinge hit his stomach. +Jorge winced. +Readying to admit defeat to the psychosomatic illness, in the midst of repeating that it was nonsense in his mind, he heard his urgent summoning. +He turned to his right and saw the waving flashlight. The voice calling from a distance of two hundred yards. +“Let’s go,” Jorge instructed the police officer next to him. +But that fell on deaf ears. +At least for the time being. +The police officer was vomiting. +Leaving him be, Jorge followed the directions of the call, making it there at a trotter’s pace. +The official that called had on a face mask. “Look!” he told Jorge. +Beyond his shoulder was the grazing field, and the official used the beam of the flashlight as a pointer. +“Look,’ he repeated. +Jorge stepped forward and his eyes widened with horror. +There was no movement, but a weird sound did emanate. Almost moans, but they weren’t. They were sickly cries out from animals that were too ill to pick themselves up from the grass. +Animals didn’t suffer or fall victim to mass hysteria. +Jorge knew something was up. +“Shut down the town. Get authorities in here,” Jorge instructed. “Let no one in or out.” He pulled his phone from his pocket. “Damn it. No signal.” He began to move in a different direction. +“Where are you going?” The official asked. +“This is bigger than us. We need bigger help.” +Jorge walked off. + +<><><><> + +His father had resorted to keeping a bucket nearby. How many times did he vomit? Juan lost count. All he knew was that his father wouldn’t let him near the windows or doors and he muttered over and over to a neighbor that something wasn’t right. +His father slumped in a chair, eyes dark, face pale. Juan played with his only truck. +A commotion started outside and Carlos with as much energy as he could, stopped and looked out the windows. +Juan was confused. What was all the shouting, screaming? +The voice of a man from outside carried, “Check the house over there.” +His father dropped the curtain and backed away when Mrs. Lund from next door cried out, ‘I’m not sick.” +Panic? Was that the look on his father’s face? Panic? +“Hide,” his father instructed. “Hide, my son.” +“But Papa.” +A knock came at the door, +His father jolted a look at the door then raced to the storage closet. He drew back the curtain style door. “In here, my son. Now. And be quite. Say nothing.” +“Papa,” Juan backed in with his father’s shove. +“Nothing. Quiet it is for your own good.” +He pulled the curtain closed and Juan huddled against the wall. The knocking was stronger, louder, and in the dark shadows of that closet, Juan could see what was happening. +“Yes?” his father answered the door. +“Take him,” The man in the mask and clipboard said. “He is obviously ill. Detain him.” +Two other men in what looked like space suits grabbed hold of Carlos. +“Anyone else in the house?” the one man asked. +“No, I live alone. I am a widower,” his father replied. +“Take him.” +Juan watched his father with dignity walk with the suited men. He wanted to scream, protect his father, but he obeyed his father’s wishes. +The leader man with a clipboard walked in and looked around. Just as he turned, he stopped. +The truck. +Crouching down, he lifted the toy truck and shifted his eyes around. +Juan curled his body as best as he could when he saw the clipboard man start to search. Grabbing his father’s coat, Juan wrapped his small frame underneath and prayed he wouldn’t be discovered. +The curtain to the closet whipped open. +Juan didn’t know what would happen. He expected the coat to be lifted from him. +It wasn’t. +He didn’t move, breathe, or shudder. He just hid and stayed that way even when he heard the man leave the home. +How long though? How long did he hunch in the closet. He didn’t know. He had fallen asleep and dawn approached, the sky was slightly lit and the village was dead quiet. +He crawled from the closet, the door was open. +Juan was scared, too scared to even call out, make a noise or be seen. +As best he could, he snuck to the door and peaked out. +Nothing. No one. Just emptiness. +Where had they taken his father? +Where was everyone else? +Juan didn’t know, but he had to find out. At the very least, he had to get help. +Even though it was a good distance away, Juan ran. He ran as fast as he could to make it to the next small town. + + + + +CHAPTER TWO +May 3rd +Atlanta, GA + +Irma Klein was a strong woman both in body and spirit. She covered her thickness with flattering garments. A thickness she attributed to age. Often telling people she wanted to gain weight as she grew older, it lessoned the wrinkles and was cheaper than Botox. She walked up behind her husband as he sat at his desk chair and ran her fingers through his hair. Almost as if she were conveying some sort of compassion for his having to work. Her fingers grazed through, taking in the silk feeling of his curls. Twenty-seven years earlier, when they were first married, the curls were dark. Now they were gray. Saul often joked that she caused his gray hair, but Irma dismissed that, stating how could he get gray when she was the one who worried all the time. +And she did. She worried at that moment about Saul. He had been at the home desk since two in the morning. Computer to phone to files to computer. Now it was pushing nine am. +Poor Saul. +He didn’t acknowledge her presence, but Irma felt he wanted her there. +The sun from the window reflected off the picture of Jeremy that sat on Saul’s desk. Their first and only grandson. The one year old boy looked bubbly and happy in the photo. +One hand on Saul’s back, Irma reached around for the picture frame and lifted it. “You know, precious, you keep working these hours you aren’t gonna be around to see little Jerry’s Bar Mitzvah.” +“Eh,” Saul shrugged. “God willing, I’ll be happy to see him go to school.” +Irma gasped out. “Saul. You’re cranky. You haven’t slept.” +“I have to work on this.” +“Can I get you something? Coffee, tea?” +“No.” Finally, Saul turned his head and looked at her. +Irma gasped again. “Sauly.” Immediately, she grabbed a chair, sliding it to the desk. His eyes were dark; he looked more worried than she had ever seen. She sat down. “Sauly, what’s going on?” +Even though she had never seen him with that particular fearful expression, she hated that look on his face. She dreaded that look on his face. Saul was the director at the Centers for Disease Control, and since he started working there, she had waited for that look. +There it was. +“It’s the end of the world isn’t it?” she asked. “The big one.” +“No. No-no.” Saul grasped her hand. “It’s just that…” he shook his head “It’s confidential.” +“You need to get this off your chest. You need to talk to someone. I see it on your face. I’m here.” +“It’s classified.” +“I won’t say a word.” She hit her hand against her chest then rose. “I swear. Have I ever?” +“No, you haven’t.” He smiled gently. +“What’s going on?” +“This one is sealed. I’m supposed to keep it sealed. Send only my best and highest level clearance people.” +“Who is telling you to keep it sealed?” she asked. +“Who do you think? The bosses, governments.” +“Governments as in plural?” She closed her eyes. “And you’re saying this isn’t the big one?” +“It’s not the big one. Not from the info I’m getting. If it was, it has begun, like the last one, in a very remote area.” +“Where?” +“Peru.” +Irma chuckled. “Peru is not remote. How can you say Peru is remote?” +“The village is. It’s thirty miles from the next village and most of the villagers don’t have cars or phones. It’s remote. Trust me it’s remote.” +“What is going on there? A virus?” +“I don’t know. It baffles me. Something landed.” Saul paused in a correction mode. “They say something landed and caused these people to get sick.” +“Landed? What could have landed?” +“Meteor, satellite. I think, with this clearance, it’s a chemical weapon, I’m guessing.” +“In Peru?” she asked. “Who would hit a small village in Peru with a chemical weapon? Do they even have any enemies?” +Saul smiled with obvious enjoyment over her words; he laid his hand on her face. “I think it was an accident. You know the Soviets have missiles docked in space forever. One lets loose …” He shrugged his shoulders with drawn words. “You have an accident.” + +“That would make sense for the secrecy.” +“Exactly.” +“Are they dead?” +“Sick. We are going to see what they have.” +“Oh, Saul, you said we. You don’t mean ‘you’ do you?” +“No.” He waved out his hand. “I’m sending Katherine to meet Hans Riesman there.” +“I don’t like him.” +“Neither does she, she has valid reasons. You. You don’t like him because he’s German.” +“Nonsense.” Irma paused and breathed out. “So I shouldn’t worry?” +“No. Not at all. You can worry about Jerry and his teething. Worry about what to make for dinner. Worry that your husband will be too tired to make love to his wife.” He chuckled and grabbed her hand. “But worry about an illness and the end of the world?” He leaned to her and kissed her on the cheek. “Never.” + +<><><><> + +Katherine Welsh tried to settle herself into a comfort zone; it was going to be a long flight. The wheezing engines aided to her annoyance, she just wanted to take off. Usually when the CDC sent her somewhere in an emergency, they sent her with a ton of data to review. It wasn’t the case with the Peruvian incident. A few sheets. Hans, who would be there hours before her, promised to start right away on sampling. Even though the WHO (World Health Organization) was already there and on it. +Where were the photos, the details? Nothing but basics was in the folder. +Hans commented on the phone that the ‘top secrecy’ of it all was probably the reason for the lack of information. +“We’ll be taking off shortly,” the stewardess said. “Can I get you anything?” +“Not right now,” replied Katherine. “After we take off, coffee would be nice.” +Politely, the stewardess smiled and went back to her business. Which wasn’t much. The full size private jet had Katherine and a skeleton crew. +She was hungry, her stomach grumbled, and the scent of the pastrami sandwich in her brief case called for her. +Katherine didn’t make or pack the sandwich; it was given to her by Irma Klein. Although Katherine was certain, Saul was gonna miss that sandwich come lunch time. +Irma. +Katherine had seen a few CDC directors come and go in her time, but none she liked or respected as much as Saul. Perhaps because she knew him and worked with the brilliant doctor as an understudy in Vermont. +At times though, she wondered if it was Saul as a director she liked or Irma’s presence. +The fifty year old woman was a mother to all, or at least acted it. Anyone younger than Saul who worked with him she took a protective attitude. Even though Katherine was only twelve years her junior, Irma mothered her as well. +Katherine admittedly was nervous about the trip, armed with little information, she was relieved to see Saul and happy to see Irma as she prepared to board the plane. +The second car at the Klein household was in the repair shop and Irma drove Saul. +Saul had very little prep talk to deliver. +“Did you eat, you look pale?” Irma asked Katherine. +Saul shook his head. +“I didn’t eat.” Katherine replied. +“Uh, Honey, you should eat. Is there time to grab a bite?” +Saul held up his hand. “Irma, there’s no time.” +“It’s a long flight. Saul, give her your lunch.” +“What?” Saul acted shocked. +“Give her your lunch. I’ll bring you another.” +Katherine interjected, “Really, I can eat on the plane.” +“She can eat on the plane.” Saul repeated. +“She can’t rely on plane food. They give skimpy portions and who knows how long the food sets. The sandwich is fresh, give her your lunch.” Irma took Saul’s briefcase. +Saul argued with her, Irma ignored him and handed Katherine the brown sack. “There’s a nice pastrami sandwich in there, a kosher pickle and …” she lowered her voice to a whisper as it the edible contents were a secret. “Pickled green tomatoes. Enough to tide you over. Plus it will make you smell enough to keep the Peru men away; I heard they attack blonde women.” +“Irma!” Saul scolded. +She waved her hand at him in a hush manner. “Go,” She said to Katherine. “Be safe. Come back and don’t catch anything.” +Was it embarrassed or annoyance at his wife’s behavior? Katherine couldn’t figure it out but she accepted the lunch with gratefulness. +What an ‘up’ to a downer send off. Katherine knew this was serious and seeing Irma helped. One never knew what Irma would say or do. Once at a get together, Irma asked Katherine that should she die would Katherine take care of Saul and the children. Added bonus, Saul was hung like a race horse. +Katherine responded that she wasn’t sure her husband would like that, but would keep the race horse thing in mind. +In her first class seat, airplane leveling from take off, Katherine laughed. +She didn’t even realize she laughed out loud until Bret Barret said something. +“What’s so funny?” he asked. +“Oh," Katherine briefly closed her eyes in embarrassment. “Just thinking back about something Irma said.” +Bret laughed. “I can only imagine. Irma is like a dose of good when you need it.” +Katherine nodded her agreement. Bret was right. Irma was like Alka Seltzer, a bubbly medicine that kicks in and makes you feel good. She only wished they marketed medicinal versions of Irma. A miracle cure. Something in side of Katherine told her, the situation in Peru, would need just that. + +CHAPTER THREE +May 3rd +Carancus, Puno, Peru + +It was hard for Carlos to distinguish who was asking him questions. Between his illness and the biohazard suits the doctors and military wore, he never knew if he were speaking to the same person. +It didn’t matter. Carlos’ story remained the same. +Why was it so hard for them to believe a rock fell from the sky? Why were there so many government officials? He could see if it were a satellite or missile, but Carlos saw it with his own eyes. It was a rock. Now, he was told there was no rock, there was nothing but water. +Whatever it was embedded itself into the earth. +And if that rock caused his sickness, how many more others would be affected. +At that instant, Carlos thought about his son and worried. +He took comfort in the fact that his son was nowhere near the rock. In addition, Ben’s wife, who also was far away, was well. Carlos knew that, she had been taken into quarantine as well. +The questions were the same. What did you see? What time was this? Did you smell anything? +Carlos answered then Carlos ended it all with ‘excuse me while I vomit’. +Another man from his village said he had eavesdropped and heard the doctors say there were 150 people affected. Anyone who went near the site turned ill. +‘Stay away from the site’, Carlos beckoned in his mind to his son. ‘Just stay away.’ +Carlos had thrown up so much in the last ten hours, there was nothing left but green bile. His stomach churned and twisted with pain. His head wretched and a fever raged. +He was told by the medical people it would pass. That he probably inhaled fumes from whatever it was. +If it was going to pass, surely Carlos would have been feeling better. Instead, like a raging infection, he just grew worse. + +<><><><> + +Juan was hungry, but it wasn’t time to eat. Not yet. He had gone back home to his village, to his home to get food and water for the trip. He knew it would take him days. But he would prevail. +His stomach felt funny, but he attributed that to hunger. At only six, he knew what it took to survive. Before they moved to the village, when his mother was alive, he and his father were lost in the forest for several days. His father taught him much. Including being careful. +Juan was. +He knew he had better take the tree lined path, stay off the main roads, and move without being seen on the way to the next town. +That was evident. The police, military, and men in space suits were everywhere, even more so near the big hole when he walked by. He was able to sneak unseen and get a look at the hole that drew attention, but it only held water. +When a man shouted out for him to ‘stop, don’t move’, Juan ran. He would keep on running, too, until he made it to the next town. + + + +CHAPTER FOUR + +May 5th + +Carancus, Puno, Peru + +If it smelled like normal vomit, it probably wouldn’t have bothered Hans Riesman, however the regurgitation that erupted from the 603 patients was foul smelling, like death. +Hans was grateful the journey into the tents of the aid town, were infrequent. +He finished his report to Saul, the third and he hoped final one, typing it on the computer and preparing it to send. Hans who was a brilliant virologist was stumped as much as anyone. +None of the infected showed signs of getting better, in fact, they deteriorated. A wellness camp, courtesy of the Peru Health ministry, WHO, and CDC, was erected twenty-three miles from the nearest town in a remote field. They had divided up the ill. Those initially infected, then day two infections. There were no day three infections because the town had been cleared out, and those who remained wore respirators. +That told Hans a lot. Whatever it was wasn’t in the air nor was it airborne. The initial victims were tended to by local doctors twenty miles away and those doctors didn’t wear protective clothing, nor did they show signs of the illness. +Then the other test confirmed. It showed a viral bacteria in the blood stream that had taken over. Hans was hopeful, with it being a bacteria, that meant antibiotics, but this was resistant. Why wouldn’t it be? It came from somewhere unknown. +That same bacterium was found in the soil, on the rooftops, grass, invisible to the naked eye but it was there. It was more predominant around the landing site. Traces of the bacterium dissipated the further from town they went. After a ten mile radius, no traces were found. +Hans and everyone else deducted, whatever landed in that hole released something that worked like a man made biological weapon. It affected everyone in an area, and diminished in time. +The scariest part of it all was somehow it was contagious. No contact victims had contracted it, yet. However, tests showed when healthy cells were introduced to the bacterium; the bacterium took over within four to eight hours. Blood to blood. Fluid to fluid. At least with that route of transmission and infection it was easier to keep under control. +Even though they no longer wore respirators, teams wore protective gear and exercised extreme caution when cleaning up. +Hans was confident, and he expressed so in his report to Saul. Contained. +No new cases, they were isolated, every person exposed was quarantined, and the impact site secure. +He ended his report stating, ‘It is only a matter of time to finalize answers. The infected will either get well or succumb, and for that, we just have to wait. + + + + +CHAPTER FIVE + +Atlanta, GA + +The dining room table was all set for dinner when Saul came home, which was unusual. Irma usually set the kitchen table, seeing that it was just those two. But the addition of two place settings told him they were having company. Saul didn’t want to ask about it, he just wanted to jump in the shower. +A napkin covered a basket of rolls, which Irma set on the table when a crisp smelling Saul returned. +“Saul, honey, please, put on a nice shirt.” +“I’m home for the first time in nearly 48 hours. I’m not working. I’d like to be comfortable.” +“Fine.” Irma walked over and kissed him on the cheek. “I have a nice cheese plate made in the kitchen, do you want to nibble?” +“No, no, I’m good.” Saul’s hands gripped the back of the chair. “Who’s coming to dinner?” +“Bill and Lacia.” +“Who?” +“Bill and Lacia. Katherine’s husband and daughter. I figured they could use a home cooked meal while she’s out of town.” +“Irma, I don’t think Katherine cooked.” +Irma gave a little wave of her hand. “I’m sure they had meal time.” She glanced up at Saul as she fixed the table. “What’s going on? Is it that Peruvian flu? I’ve been reading about that in the papers, the net …” +“You shouldn’t hear much about that after tomorrow morning.” +“Over?” +“Contained Hans said.” Saul remarked. +“So you’re marking it contained.” +“Actually, the news release is that it’s mass hysteria causing it.” +Irma’s hand went to her chest. “Thank God. What wonderful news to be telling Bill and Lacia.” +“What news?” +“That Katherine should be home. It’s not a flu it’s hysteria.” +“No, Irma.” Saul shook his head. “The news release is gonna say it’s mass hysteria.” +“It’s not?” +“No.” +“Saul why are you lying to the public?” +“To stop mass hysteria.” +Irma tilted her head with a look that conveyed she didn’t understand. +“What else can we do?” Saul asked. +“So there is a flu?” +“Oh, yeah. Not airborne, but a highly contagious fast moving flu.” +“Deadly?” +“No one has died yet.” +“Yet?” +Saul shrugged. +“But it’s contained?” +“Yes. No more ill have come in, we have everyone that is infected.” +“Saul, if it’s contained. Why not say that?” Irma asked. +“Because how can we explain a flu or bacterial infection that we have never seen, that appears more and more every day to have come from outer space.” +Irma gasped. “I’ve read novels about that.” +“Yeah, so have millions of other people. It could be worse if the news of this thing gets out. No, no.” Saul walked slowly from the chair. “It’s better this way. This way everyone will forget about it. We can put it to rest and God willing.” Saul peered to her with his tired eyes. “We’ll never see this again.” + + + +CHAPTER SIX +May 6th +Carancus, Puno, Peru + +Katherine rubbed her eyes. If she stared at the microbes on the computer screen another second, she would go blind and or crazy. Peering to the corner of her computer screen, she saw the time of 2 AM. Things had been quiet, too quiet. She didn’t even hear many voices. She decided quiet time was the best time to check on things. +She left her makeshift lab quietly. Hans was sleeping on the cot and she pulled the door closed. A soldier was posted right outside her door. He stood diligently on his night shift. +“Evening,” she said to him. +“Ma’am. Working late I see.” +“Again,” she smiled pleasantly at him. He wasn’t young. He wasn’t old, but he wasn’t a baby face soldier. She was grateful for the protection that the Army provided. Of course, they had their own virology team there as well. Their trailer posted another mile or so away. They were there for research, not care. Katherine was there for both. +She said a good night, thanked him for doing his job and walked over to the first tent about fifty yards away. No soldiers were posted there. No need. There were four that sat by a perimeter twenty yards away. Too far to shout out to them, she didn’t want to wake the ill. +The first tent contained about two hundred people, the first wave of ill; she’d walk through there on her way to the next tent. +She opened the flap. It smelled funny, sounded too quiet. +Stepping into the clerical and nurses’ area, Katherine was surprised that the night nurse wasn’t there. Maybe she was checking on patients. +With an extension of her arm, she drew back the curtain to the main sick bay. A place where cots upon cots were lined up. +Katherine stopped. +The tent was void of the hundred of patients. The cots were empty. Was she dreaming? Where were the patients? Just as she turned to find help, she saw a single patient lying on the bed. +Carlos. +He didn’t move. Katherine walked hurriedly to the bed. +“Carlos.” She reached down to this arm and he fingers retracted. Cold. His skin was hard and cold. Her hand moved to his wrist. “Oh my God,” she wisped out. He hadn’t a pulse. She turned to call for help when a hand clasped upon her forearm. She peeped a shriek at the tight grip and shifted her eyes. +Carlos stared at her. +“Carlos?” She reached for his grip. “Carlos you’re hurting me.” +A foul odor pummeled her when he widened his mouth and gasped. +She turned her head, aiming her voice outward with a shout. “Someone!” But she never got a chance to get out another word. A sharp tearing pain ripped into her arm like she had never felt, and a silent scream of agony escaped her. She looked to see Carlos, his teeth sunk into her flesh. Strands of bloody ligaments and veins extended from her arm to his mouth as he pulled hungrily. +Horrified, Katherine fought to free her arm. Her screams were muffled with pain and fear, and her escape attempt was in vain. +From the cot, Carlos lunged. His flailing body careened into Katherine, knocking her into anther cot. Locked in almost a mad, fighting embrace, they fell to the floor. + +<><><><> + +Like a child with night terrors, Hans sat straight up on the cot, tensioning, unable to move, unaware of his surroundings. It took him a few moments to come to. He controlled his breaths and his mind began to think clearly. +Was it a scream he heard? Yes, he heard a scream. +Wait. He thought, no. No only silence. +What was it that caused him to awake and sit straight up in bed? +The lights in the lab were still on and he looked at his watch. +Nearly three am. +Needing a cigarette, Hans swung his legs over the cot, stumbled to the door, grabbing his coat and smokes as he opened it. +The soldier on post looked over his shoulder at Hans and smiled. +“Son,” Hans said. Not that the soldier could be his son, Hans had him by maybe 15 years tops. +“Sir.” +“You seen Dr. Welsh?” Hans lit a cigarette. +“Yes, sir, she went to the tents.” The soldier nodded in a point at the tent area. +“Did you hear anything?” Hans asked, blowing out the smoke. +“No, sir, it’s been quiet.” +Cigarette clenched between his fingers he brought it to his lips and inhaled deeply bringing his head upward as he did. +Hans paused. +Through the corner of his eye, he saw a flicker of the light in the tent. “Did you see that?” +“See what?” +“The light in the tent flickered.” +“No, I didn’t. Maybe . . .” +It was clear that the soldier saw it at the same time Hans did. +This time the light truly flickered as if it were being hit. +“I’m going to go check that out,” Hans said, and started to walk toward the tent. +“I’ll come with you.” +The soldier kept up the pace and as they approached, they could hear the other group of soldiers talking and laughing. +Hans took that as a sign all was well. +Probably just a power problem. +He walked into the tent. Nothing. No sounds. He lifted the nurse’s clipboard, to check to see when she did rounds last. +He stared at it, +“Something wrong?” the soldier asked. +“Last notation was two hours ago. Where is the nurse? Katherine.” +“In there?” +Holding the clipboard, Hans parted the curtain. His steps were slow, as he was exposed to the same first sight as Katherine had been. +“Where are the patients?” the soldier quizzed. +“I … I don’t know.” Hans stuttered. His body shifted to the right and to the left. “God.” +The shifting of his weapon startled Hans almost as much as all the blood by Carlos’ empty cot. +“What the hell happened?” Hans spoke his thoughts out loud. “Soldier, go get some help.” +“Yes, sir. I think you should come with me, though.” +“I’m fine.” +“Sir…” +“I’m fine. Go.” +“Yes, sir.” +The soldier backed up and left. Hans walked to the cot. +The bedding was still shimmering in blood and he stared at it in wonder. But he wasn’t going to stay long. After a quick examination he turned. +The light flickered and he saw her. +At the other end of the tent, Katherine stood there. He couldn’t see her clearly, she was a mere shadow. +Hans sighed out in relief. “Katherine.” He rushed her way. +She didn’t move. +“Katherine. Are you all right.” He closed in on her. “What happened here?” +On his last word, Katherine stammered to him and into the way of the light. +Hans saw her. +Her head tilted, her body bloody, her neck was wounded, and from her stomach, a gaping hole appeared to seep her insides. Her lifeless eyes stared at him. +“Good God, Katherine.” In an instinctual leap to help, Hans grabbed on to her. His fingers touched her arm. He froze as he got a closer look. +Something was wrong. Something was terribly wrong. He felt it when he saw her. And then Katherine made this horrendous gasping sound. Her mouth opened and it lunged for his arm. +Hans drew back his arm quickly and Katherine moved in a slow attack mode. He shoved her back. “Soldier!” he cried out and she leapt for him again. Another shove, Katherine stumbled back, and returned in her pursuit. +He couldn’t think of anything else, but to get out of there. But before she could touch him again, in order to make a clear escape, Hans swung out the clipboard, smashing her in the side of the head. He dropped it and ran out. + +<><><><> + +It was a blur. +Hans took off from the tent with the mission in mind to call the CDC. Someone. He didn’t know what happened, what occurred. He screamed for help as he ran from the tent, looking over his shoulder only once to see the soldiers scurry to aid. +But he kept on running. +He locked the CDC lab. His hands shook. Calm. Calm. He had to calm down. +He fumbled for his cigarettes and, against the rules or not, lit on in the lab and grabbed the phone. His fingers shook his badly as he dialed and inhaled his nicotine. +A couple hits, a ring. No answer. A voice mail. +Damn it. +Middle of the message he heard a few shots outside and it caused him to jump and topple the phone. +In a panic he spun around, double check the lock. As he did he noticed the blood on his hand. Heart beating out of control, Hans ran to the sink, rolled up his sleeve and submerged his arm under the power stream all with the cigarette dangling from his lips. +“Come on, come on,” he beckoned out loud, watching the blood clear from his skin. +He breathed out heavily. A sigh. The injury was a speck bigger than a puncture would and wasn’t even bleeding anymore. +After rinsing, he washed it, rinsed, and then scrubbed the wound with disinfectant. +He coughed from the smoke, dried his arms, and then finally took the cigarette from his lips. +His phone was broken on the floor, and he reached down for the pieces. +Telling himself to relax, he sat, smoked his cigarette and tried to fix his phone. Anything to take his mind off of the strange event that had just occurred. + +<><><><> + +‘God, oh my God. Something’s happened. The bacteria. The virus…’ Hans’ words were rushed, panicked, and filled with static on the voicemail message. ‘Something’s happened to Katherine. She’s gotten violent. I think she caught it. Maybe it’s the virus. The patients are gone. Not dead gone, but gone. I fear they may be suffering from the same delirium. She tried to attack me. She …’ +Bang. Bang. Bang. +Silence. +End of message. +Saul had missed the call and by the time he woke, the phone stopped ringing. He tried with diligence to call back, but it went straight to voice mail. +All he knew was that a frightened sounding Hans called and there were gunshots. +He tried every line and couldn’t get through to the site. +Saul didn’t need to be a psychic to know something went awry. Hans never lost his cool. Ever. +First thing was first, Saul had to find out what was going on and get help if needed to the area. He couldn’t do that from his home, so praying that everything was fine, he began to make phone calls for that help. + + + +CHAPTER SEVEN + +4 miles out Carancus, Puno, Peru + +Pedro was a farmer, or he liked to associate himself as being a farmer. He didn’t grow much, and when his business as a carpenter folded, he moved his wife and two children to live with his mother. An ill woman of little means. +They made it through the hard times. Selling chickens and eggs, along with greens. +Pedro, a man of forty-five was a good man. People liked him. They counted on him. Strong and fit, dependable and wise. +Pedro had a lot to say about his teenage children. On the previous night, their late night sneaking wasn’t a bad thing. They had gone out to the wooded area with others and heard a child crying. Sobbing, they said and they and their friends searched. Hours after they were supposed to be home they told Pedro of their search. At first, Pedro, like any father thought this was their excuse, until he saw the desperation on their faces. +Then he, knowing the area as well as he did, took up the search. +When he first entered the area he heard the crying and followed it, calling out for the child. The crying continued and Pedro worried for the child’s welfare, and if he could get to the child before the elements did. +He searched for hours until the crying ceased. Pedro sat down to take a break, closed his eyes and fell fast asleep. +He dreamt of his search, how he kept looking, until he fell down a hill and broke his leg. The dream of the broken leg was so real he could actually feel pain. In fact, the pain woke Pedro. +Lying on his back, the early morning sun started to peek through the trees and he opened his eyes, wincing in pain. Had he slept on his leg wrong? It was when he tried to sit up that he looked down to this leg and screamed in horror. +A goat was gnawing on his calf. Blood seeped through. Pedro screamed, jolted his leg from the jaws of the goat, and grabbed his walking stick. The goat sneered at him as if a mad dog and after bucking on its hind legs jumped Pedro’s way. +Using the stick, Pedro careened down on the head of the goat. It moved back some then lunged again. This time, Pedro was ready. End out on his stick he rammed in through the open mouth of the goat directly through his throat into the back of its head. +The goat froze. +It took all of his strength to move the goat from him. When the goat hit the ground, Pedro stood. His leg ached and hurt worse than any pain he felt. He reached for his stick and got a closer look at the goat. Its entire side was removed. His ribcage and muscles were seen. Pedro didn’t even bother for the stick. He hobbled back, wanting only to get back home and get help. +A scuffling sound caught his attention. +Pedro turned. +There behind him was a boy, no older than six. The child was dirty, blood caked around his mouth and jaw. Typically, Pedro would have reached out to the boy to help. But there was something about the child. His eyes were lifeless, white, skin pasty almost gray. And as the child extended his arms and stared at Pedro with a demonic look, Pedro spun and as best as he could with an injured leg, took off running. + + +CHAPTER EIGHT + +Fayetteville, NC + +The CNN headlines read, ‘Could Mass Hysteria Be the Cause?’ It caught Lil’s attention as her internet browser logged on. +She didn’t think much about it until she saw the sub headline about a meteor or object landing in Peru. Then she was drawn in. A lifelong fan of phenomena, especially anything earth shattering, caught her attention. +Lil clicked on the link. +It didn’t say much. An undetermined object landed in Peru. Hundreds were ill, or were they? +Not good enough. It did make her mind wander some. +She returned to task at hand. +Searching the history of the computer to see where her husband was. +He didn’t think or wasn’t techno enough to clear it. Never did. Not that she was spying on him, ok, she was, but not to find another woman, rather to find out whether or not he was going to divorce her. +He was on the phone the whole day before with Branch, she heard that. Only one end. He wanted to be deployed. No longer wanted to live on base, non-deployable position, teaching. They were, at least what she could gather from his end, not favoring his deployment choice. +He wanted to leave. Maybe that wasn’t a bad thing. Leaving to go somewhere else didn’t necessarily mean he was leaving her. Perhaps just taking a break, to think. +Who was she kidding? +Jack didn’t believe in divorce, and was waiting on her to do so. In the meantime he’d make it unbearable. Or so Lil thought, make her want to leave him. +He didn’t yell, scream, or was violent. He was quiet. +He spoke when needed to and that wasn’t much. An instructor in the Army, he left early and came home late. +Lil tried. She tried with everything she had to make up for her mistake and it was a mistake. +After eight years of being together, she didn’t know what got into her, but she was unfaithful to Jack. +The first and last time. +She tried to justify it. He was never home, didn’t pay attention to what she did, and never told her anymore she was beautiful. She longed for the attention and she found it. She found attention and an abundance of guilt. Lil confessed right away. There was no justifying what she did to him or their marriage. +Jack handled it. Calmly. But he was never the same. He kept telling her it would take time, and that was over a year earlier. +Lil loved him and would wait. No matter what it took. Perhaps it would take a deployment. Jack hadn’t said anything to her, but a late night phone call that same night after talking to Branch, took Jack not only from the house but out all night. +Lil knew she’d get her answer on where he was and what was going on, when she heard the door open. When she turned her head. The simple ‘thank you’ from the other room told her a lot, and when Jack’s towering frame appeared in the living room doorway, she knew by the look on his face. +“I got a unit. It leaves tonight,” Jack said. He seemed to look through her and not at her. +“That was fast.” +“Seems there was an emergency that came in while I was on the line. They’re looking for SF guys to go in.” He turned. “I have to get my things ready.” +“Jack? Do you know where?” +Jack paused, looked over his shoulder and nodded. He sputtered out the answer as he walked away. “Peru.” +Questioning ‘Peru’, Lil watched him leave then turned back to the computer to look at the headlines. She whispered out, “Peru.” + +<><><><> + +“Peru?” Irma stood in the doorway of her bedroom watching Saul finish packing a small duffle bag. “Saul, this is why I agreed to move to Atlanta. For you to be director, so you didn’t have to leave.” +Saul didn’t pack much. Two shirts, underwear, slacks and shaving kit. +“Saul?” +“Irma sweetheart, I have to go.” +“Under whose orders?” +“Mine.” He zipped the bag hard and fast. “I know this is short notice, but the plane is waiting. I can’t expect my people to put themselves in harm’s way if I don’t do it myself. They’ve already sent a team of special forces down there to …” +“Special forces.” Irma gasped. “Saul, should you be going. It sounds more dangerous than fighting a virus.” +Saul lifted his bag. +“What’s going on? You got that call, went to the office, came home and packed. Talk to me Saul.” +Saul approached her, standing close. “Katherine’s dead.” +Irma shook her head. “The virus?” +“The virus didn’t kill her Irma. The soldiers had to.” +“What?” +“She got infected with whatever this bacterium is, and it made her mad. Like a dog.” +“Rabid.” +“We think it is a form of rabies. Something to that affect.” +“What about the others?” +After an inhale, Saul spoke. “We have about three hundred like that. Right now they are detained.” +“But what are you gonna do, Saul? What can you do? There is no cure.” +“No, there isn’t. My job isn’t to cure it or help those who have gone mad. My job, Irma is to do what I am best at. Trace it, and make sure every stone is turned. Every corner covered. Make sure that nothing or no one got out of the sick camp. Cause if someone did and we don’t know about it. God help us.” +Irma laid her hand on Saul’s cheek, leaned in and kissed him. “Come home to me. Call me. Please. Be careful.” +All Saul could do was nod, return the kiss, turn and walk out. + + + +CHAPTER NINE + +Carancus, Puno, Peru + +Sgt. Jack Edwards arrived via Army transport plane, landing on a make shift strip in the middle of nowhere Peru. That’s what the pilot said. It was just after dark, the journey to where he was needed would take a half an hour through dirt roads. He and seven other men. More would join them, but they were the first elite team to arrive. To aid and assist the soldiers already there. +He wasn’t given much situation details. Just that health situation has erupted, rabies of some sort, and those infected were currently quarantined. +So why the need for Special Forces? +It was the first time in a long time he had been in the field and not been in charge. An E-8, but he had stepped back from the field missions to the textbooks. Three years prior he did so to make his marriage better, to be stable and at home. Little did he know it would make things worse. +Eight months earlier his wife cheated. For the first two months he ignored her as if she were trash, working all the time and going out after, just to avoid seeing her. He wasn’t ready to end it, but he wasn’t ready to make it work. +Even though his bitterness called upon him to strike out at her, betray her, indulge with someone else. He didn’t. He remained, despite his anger, a hundred percent faithful. +He healed some in two months, stating he’d stay in the marriage, but admittedly Jack didn’t do anything to make the marriage get better. They spoke briefly, not much nor meaningful, and the same was said for their sex life. Not much, brief, and not meaningful. +He knew she was sorry, he knew she tried, but it became easier to stay cold than it was to warm back up and chance the hurt. +The daily kisses and intermittent phone calls that were common place for years in their marriage were gone. +Half the time Jack was torn between wanting to give into to how much he loved her, and fighting it. +But undeniably he was still in love with his wife. +How long had it been since he told her? +Riding in the back of the covered truck Jack found himself in that percentage of time where he wanted to give into the love of his wife. +It had been years since he was away from home and years since they spent longer than a few days apart. +He had forgotten what it felt like. +He didn’t know if it was being away or the mission that attributed to the weird feeling that crawled in his gut. Either way, he didn’t like what he felt and he sought a sense of security, and possibly closure. +Before getting the ‘phones off’ order, Jack reached into his bag and grabbed his phone. He hesitated before dialing, but he did. +Two rings and Lil answered the phone hurriedly and with the word, ‘Jack.” +“Lil,” he whispered “I’m here. I don’t know what’s going on or when I’ll be able to call again, I just wanted to call… you know.” +Her gasp was loud, emotional and it carried to him, “Thank you so much for calling me.” +“I gotta go.” +“Jack, be careful.” +“I will. Thank you. And I’ll uh, I’ll call you. I … I promise.” +She sniffed, possibly a tear filled sniffle. “Bye, Jack.” +“Lil.” +“Yeah.” +A pause. “I …I’m still in love with you.” +Another emotional breath escaped her and carried to him. “I love you too, Jack. I love you too.” +Jack closed the phone and closed his eyes before shutting it off altogether. He not only wanted to do that he needed to talk to his wife. A need he strongly felt. And as he approached his destination, Jack supposed he’d find out why that need was crying out to him. + +<><><><> + +There were four of them and every hour on the hour they had to patrol the small town of Carancus, it was like a ghost town, cleared out long before when the ‘sick’ raid was made. But just to be sure, the Army had four soldiers ride through the town, to make certain no one returned. +One did an air sample reading, everything was normal. +But they took no chances and wore respirators. +The air sample soldier was a Captain. Steven Long had been a biological warfare expert for some time. Not the top in his field, but an active member of his specialty. +He walked ahead of the jeep, pacing the search. A hundred more feet they’d be clear, be able to turn around. +Steven looked forward to returning to his tent, make shift lab and checking out those samples. He wanted to bring to Dr. Manning’s attention the attack rate of the bacteria and how it differed. +Steven himself wanted to know what was causing the difference, and the search of the town was a waste of time. +Or so he thought. +Several minutes earlier, he believed he saw a shadow, but it was so fast, small, it had to have been an animal. He didn’t really think much about it until he heard that noise. +A clanking, like something dropping. +Holding up his hand first to halt the jeep, Steven then pointed to where he believed the noise was coming from. +He swung his air sample pack behind him and brought his weapon forward. +The jeep stopped, and two of the soldiers stepped from it. +Again the noise sounded and Steven was able to ear-zoom on where it was coming from. With a motioning twitch of his head, he pointed to the last small house. +The jeep inched its way up and the other two soldiers followed directly behind. +“Careful, Captain,” the one whispered. +Steven nodded as he approached the door. It was ajar. +Knowing what he was dealing with or could possibly deal with he stepped back and opened the door with his foot. +“Light,” he requested. +Through a thin layer of mist the beam of the light aimed in toward the single room. It illuminated a child, a boy to be exact. He sat on the floor, playing with a truck. Lifting it, dropping it, lifting it again. +“Son,” Steven called out. “You shouldn’t be here alone.” +The boy turned his head in a snap, his face caught the beam. His eyes were dead of life, his face drawn and white, dried blood laced his chin. He widened his mouth with a snarl. +Steven aimed his weapon. +He was going to shoot, and he almost did, until the child returned to playing with the truck. + +<><><><> + +The Army set up was located about a hundred yards from the ‘site’. Jack and the other men disembarked from the truck. The platoon sergeant instructed them that they would walk the perimeter with the other soldiers until more troops arrived. +What was going on? There was an air of tension, a jeep zipped by him not even beeping. Four soldiers and a child. Jack didn’t pay much attention to who was in the jeep. He did however pay attention to the Specialist. +Jack found amusement in a specialist. The young man rattled on about space illness and how this was an alien thing brought in by the meteor. +Jack hadn’t even heard about the meteor, he thought the kid was joking until someone else confirmed it. +A meteor landed and people were ill. That was just nuts, Jack thought. Then his thoughts went to Lil, and how she loved shit like that. How if he had even spoken to her briefly, he probably would have been pretty informed. Guaranteed she would have rambled just like the specialist. +The tents were dark, no lights whatsoever and it looked like an abandoned concentration camp. Barbed wired fence high and doubled circled the circumference. +Jack didn’t say much. He just listened. +Another Sergeant. Sergeant Holmes led his Platoon Sergeant, Jack and the others to the fence. +“Just walk around the perimeter, until more arrive,” Holmes said. “Deter anything or anyone that comes near the fence. Push them away, but use your weapons to do so. Should anyone escape, we have orders to shoot.” +Deter them from the fence? No one was near the fence, let alone escapees. +The Platoon Sergeant asked, “Sgt. What exactly are we dealing with. It looks pretty dead out there?” +Holmes snickered. “Dead. Yeah. Watch.” He gave a nod to a private who worked a huge spotlight and they tuned on the light. +The sight before Jack stumbled him back. +The specialist whispered out a ‘dude’. +Was he seeing what he thought? The center tent, hidden by the darkness was illuminated by the bright spotlight. The tattered flap was open and exposed not the whole inside but enough for Jack to see what was going on. From Jack’s view it looked like thirty or so people, white face and bloody, were engaging in a meal consisting of others that lay on cots. They looked up to the light, sneering. +“Dude, I mean, Sarge,” the specialist said. “They’re zombies.” +The platoon Sgt. shot a ‘get real’ glance at the specialist. “They’re not zombies.” +“I’m telling you, they’re zombies.” +A nod from Holmes and the spotlight went out. “Whatever they are, there’s about two hundred in there. Only a couple made it to the fence. None have escaped.” +“Zombies,” the specialist said. +The platoon Sgt. Snapped, “They’re not zombies.” +Finally, Jack thought, a topic he was pretty knowledgeable of. Granted it was a fictional topic like Zombies, but he had sat through with his wife, what he believed to be every single zombie movie ever made. Bad and good. Perhaps, even at the risk of sounding really insane, he could try to diffuse the situation with logic. +Logical zombie talk. That was an oxymoron. +But Jack tried. “Let’s say for argument sake they are zombies.” He cringed. “Why aren’t they coming for us?” +“Why would they?” the specialist replied. “They got enough right there to keep them busy. Only a few of us here. But dude, when they are finished, they’ll come for us. Imagine how many there will be then.” +Jack couldn’t help it. Hearing the conversation come from his mouth and then another, it was ridiculous. +Holmes made a huff sound, possibly it was a laugh, and said, “He’s probably right. Make your rounds. I’ll be back after I speak to the colonel.” +And he walked off. +“You heard the Sergeant, make your rounds,” the platoon sergeant ordered. +Jack started walking, like the others in the same circle. It was dark, freaky; he could only imagine what was occurring in the darkness. But he didn’t need too much of an imagination. For with each step he took, through the darkness carried the sound of the gnawing and chomping of flesh. + +<><><><> + +He was greeted by Colonel Manning the second he stepped off the helicopter. Saul extended his hand to the man he envisioned as being older, and taller. +“Colonel Manning,” he introduced himself. “Nice to meet you, Dr. Klein.” +“I wish it were under different circumstances.” +“Me, as well, Sir. But I’ve been working on this nonstop since the transformation.” +Saul titled his head in confusion. “Transformation?” +“When they go from ill to, what they have become.” +This description took Saul aback. “Colonel, how bad is it?” +The colonel whistled. +“Will you take me to the sick area?” +“I think you should get a look at what we’re dealing with.” +“I can’t get that at the sick camp?” +“Oh, you can, but I’d rather you get up and close.” The colonel led him to a metal structure, newer, more than likely recently erected. +“Have you pin pointed what we’re dealing with?” Saul asked. +“It’s a bacterium. Fast moving.” The colonel nodded to the soldier as he reached for the door. +Saul stopped. His head cocked. Was hearing moans? Where were they coming from? +The colonel continued. “The initial infected took days to come full circle, but once they infect someone, it’s anywhere from 4 to 24 hours. Some instances, like with Katherine Welsh, much, much sooner. Instantaneously.” +“What determines that? Do we know?” +The colonel cleared his throat. “Before I tell you, I want you to take a look. After you do so, then you can confirm my suggestions.” +“I see.” +“I think sir, after we rectify the current situation and send our troops out to neighboring communities looking for more infected.” +“Did we have escapes?” +“Not that I know of. But, what if someone never checked in here.” +“You have a point.” +“Prepare yourself.” The colonel opened the door. +A growl? Did Saul hear a growl? He stepped inside behind the colonel into a make shift examining room. On the table lay a man. His skin tone reminded Saul of an apple, thick and off white. It didn’t look real, as if he wore a pancake makeup. His lips, cracked and peeling. The man thrashed and growled. His eyes and pupils, nearly clear. +Bound to the table by straps, the man looked at Saul, widened his mouth and arched his head, struggling, as if he were trying to bite. +A soldier stood behind him, weapon ready. +The man on the table thrashed more violently. +“This is what we’re dealing with?” Saul questioned. +“Yes, sir.” +Saul’s hand went to his mouth. As if did, the man shook. With a ‘snap’ sound, his arm, broke on the wrist and freed. He reached with his limb for the soldier. +The colonel nodded. +The soldier fired a single shot into the head of the man. +Saul jolted. “Was that necessary?” +“I’m afraid so. Yes,” The colonel replied. “When they were first discovered, we learned how violent they were. Instinctual, attacking. They got Dr. Welsh. And two of our soldiers were injured while we were trying to detain a few for research. Not severely, but bitten by them.” +“Two soldiers. Did you test them?” +“Right away. Initial testing didn’t show any infection in the blood stream. But after about thirty minutes to an hour, small traces were seen.” +“Where are they now?” +“They were sent to Washington, special hospital for research.” +“So they didn’t show signs of ... this.” Saul pointed to the man on the table. “This delirium.” +“No.” +“But Katherine did?” +“Yes. Right away.” +“And you’ve determined what causes an instant reaction and transformation to full blown infection.” +“Yes. We believe we do know what causes it to occur instantly.” +“What is that?” +“Like with this man, the delirium and violent rage sets in at the moment of death.” +Saul cocked an eyebrow. Had the colonel who was also a brilliant doctor, been working too much. “Colonel,” Saul said. “Forgive me, but that sounds absurd.” +“I know. I know. But they have no pulse, no breath, they don’t bleed. Some of them have injuries, like Katherine that are fatal injuries.” +“They can’t be dead, that’s impossible.” +“I know.” +“What does Dr. Riesman say about all this? Have you consulted him? I mean he has witnessed this first hand, right?” +“Yes, he has.” +“What did he say?” +The colonel stared at Saul for a moment. “Nothing. He locked himself in his trailer and …” +“Then let’s go get him.” Saul turned to the door. +“We can’t.” +Saul stopped. “Why? Did something happen to him?” +“That’s what I’m trying to tell you sir. When we went back for him, he was gone.” +“Gone as in dead or…” +The colonel finished the sentence. “No, gone as in gone. Took off.” +“Tell me he wasn’t infected.” +“Last our soldiers spoke to him he wasn’t injured.” +Saul breathed out in relief. “We have to find him, immediately.” He said, and then sank into concern. How frightened Hans had to have been to run away. And by what Saul witnessed, he could see why. He did take stock in the fact that Hans was a professional, and frightened or not, he would never hit the general populous if he were infected. Saul was certain. But just to be sure, they had to find him first. And wherever that was, it couldn’t be too far. + +<><><><> + +Lima, Peru + +Hans wasn’t thinking when he took off by foot, sneaking out of the lab and walking pretty much through the day, how difficult it would be. Fortunately, a little money went a long way and for fifty bucks he was treated like a king. Although the ride in the back of the truck was no ride in a limo, it was still a ride. +That ride took him to another, then another until finally he arrived. At the airport. +He was surprised no one came for him, or looked for him there. But judging by his phone, people were searching for him. +He didn’t care. Luckily he was able to get a flight leaving the country almost immediately for Germany. Germany wasn’t bad. He had family there and connections. In fact he called one to get him at the airport when his flight arrived. It wasn’t America, his first preference, but it wasn’t Peru. He had to get out of Peru, out of the country and away from what he had seen. +It was unnatural. The dementia was frightening, and fearful of not being able to feign off 600 people, Hans left. +He could do more in a safe location. +He was his own best test subject. +His head cocked at the call of his flight number and that they were boarding. With a handkerchief he wiped the sweat from his brow. His was feeling chilled, and not his best. Looking down to his phone he saw he had eight missed calls, three of which from Saul. He vowed to call him as soon as he landed. At that moment, though, he shut off his phone. +He glanced up to the boarding line, and decided to join. Wanting to know the time, he glanced to his phone, and recalled he turned it off. As he stood he looked at his watch. He had been awake nearly 24 hours. In looking at his watch he could see his arm, slightly swollen and the veins seemed like red road maps leading to the small cut that didn’t want to heal. +He’d investigate when he got there, test himself. For that moment, he lowered his sleeve, prepared his boarding pass and got in line. + +<><><><> + +The tubular building was flown in and placed not far from where the Army had its set up. A long tent precluded the entrance, nearly hiding it from view. +“And this is Captain Steven Long,” Colonel Manning introduced Saul. +Saul visually gave a once over to the enthusiastic, but tired looking Captain. Young, fit, typical soldier, but didn’t look a thing like a scientist. He was average height and looks, probably younger than he appeared. +“Captain Long has been working on our victims and came across something very interesting.” +It was about that point in the conversation that Saul withdrew his hand from the introduction. “Is that so?” +“Yes, Sir,” Steven replied. “I’m very intrigued by the rate of attack and how it differs in victim to victim. Basically sir, every single victim, initial and secondary has been the same. Delirium, violent, and then I came across this.” +Saul just followed. +Colonel Manning led them into the tube building and to the first door. “We have a shoot to kill order out on all infected,” he said. “So imagine my surprise when Captain Long brought this one back.” He opened the door. +Saul was taken aback. A child, shackled, sat center of the room. He played with a truck. Clearly, he was like the others. “Is he?” +“Yes,” Steven answered. “No pulse. No breathing, no blood pressure. Body temperature, sixty-seven degrees. We’re still waiting for one of the healthy in town to give us his name. Watch . . .” Steven approached him. “Hey, there.” +The boy ignored him. +“Amazing,” Saul said. “He’s not violent.” +“Well, yes, to you, me and others. But . . .” Steve excused himself from the room, and returned with a cage. A chicken inside moved radically around. He set the cage down in front of the boy and no sooner did he open it, the child scurried to the cage, devoured the chicken mercilessly in less than a minute, and bloodied with a few feather, the boy went back to his truck. +Saul cleared his throat. “I guess we can rule out getting him a puppy.” Another clearing of his throat to hide his chuckle. +“Thing is,” Col. Manning said. “We don’t know why he is like this. Why he is not attacking people like the others. He may hold some sort of key.” +“We need to find out,” Saul said. “But we’re not finding out here.” +“My thoughts exactly,” Col Manning stated. “I think we all can agree on what needs to be done next.” +The three men looked at each other and then to the child. +“Helicopter should be here shortly,” Col. Manning told Saul. “Captain Long is getting his things ready. Not much. He just got here yesterday.” +Like Saul, Captain Long hadn’t even unpacked. Hadn’t taken a single item from his bag. Saul knew he wasn’t going to be in Peru long, but less than a few hours? +But it was vital they both leave and go back to the states, to Washington where the two soldiers who were bitten were quarantined. The chopper would take them to the airstrip where a government jet was already waiting. +“How is the Captain about returning to the states so soon?” +“He thinks it’s a big mistake bringing this thing there, but we both know, that it needs to be done.” +“I agree with both of you.” +“Before you board, take a look at what just came in,” Manning pulled Saul’s attention toward the computer. +His attention was on the growing noise outside. “I thought you gave the order.” +“I did. But I want to wait until the backup troops arrive. Better safe than sorry, it’s getting crazy. After that’s finished, I already assigned locations for our scouts. But for now, Doctor, please.” Col. Manning maneuvered the mouse, and the hiss of the printer started. “I’m making you copies to review fully on the plane. Check this out.” +Saul leaned into the monitor. +A picture of an arm with a small red gash appeared. The gash wasn’t bad, or deep. +“This was taken one half hour after this soldier was bitten.” Col. Manning switched the screen. “Two hours post bite.” +A redness appeared around the gash, which also seemed to still look as if it seeped. +Another switch and the arm was swollen and turning dark. The wound looked bigger and open. +“How many hours?” Saul asked. +“This is twelve hours. Taken at the hospital.” +“How is the patient?” +“Fevered. Not much. Starting to feel ill.” +“The other one?” +“Interesting enough, at a slower rate with a bigger wound.” +Saul folded his arms. “Adrenaline enhanced.” +“We think,” Col. Manning said. “Soldier one; small wound, was very hyper and worried. Soldier two was hit accidentally in the head and knocked unconscious. So therefore all body function slowed.” +“As did the rate of the virus.” +“Exactly. We’re keeping him sedated and his vitals at minimal to see what happen.” +“Comparable in time frame?” +“His bigger wound is at maybe soldier one’s four hour post.” +“Let me ask you this,” Saul said. “When you first tested them you said there were no signs of the virus in the blood. Not for thirty minutes. Have you yet experimented with removing the infected area or even amputating?” +“We’ve theorized that. Perhaps maybe the wound generates the virus and getting rid of the wound may do it, but we’ve not been fortunate enough to catch it that early.” +“If it happens again, evasive wounds . . .” +“Then we will experiment.” +“Great.” +“I’ve placed those theories and other data in there for you.” Col. Manning grabbed the papers from the printer and placed them in a folder. He extended the folder for Saul as the sound of the helicopter came into earshot. +“Ah, my ride and your backup. Col. Manning, if anything arises, anything of interest before I leave, let me know.” +“I will.” Col. Manning pointed to the folder. “You can review those on the flight.” +“Seven hours,” Saul breathed out. “Makes you wonder what I’m gonna face when I land.” +Both men turned their heads when the sounds of yelling and moaning, damnation moaning rang out. +“Hopefully,” Col. Manning said. “We can do something so that ends here. Tonight.” +Saul gave a closed mouth nod. “Let’s hope.” + +<><><><> + +“They finished their meal,” Specialist Carlson said. “We’re the smorgasbord.” +“They’re not zombies,” Jack blasted out. +“Then what are they?” +“I ... I don’t know.” +From tent two, the couple hundred hands multiplied and the barbed wire, fenced in area was like a corral of wild animals. +They moved slow, rigid, sloppy. Some carried body parts; all had that same dead-eyed look as they locked stares on the soldiers outside the perimeter. +As if they lost all reasoning, they aimed for the fence, reaching out. Some trying to walk through, getting jabbed and stuck. Others tried to climb with the same results. All of them gaping mouths, biting the air as if trying to consume a meal long distance. +Specialist Carlson snickered in a young way. “Dude, oh, my God. Look at that one.” +Jack turned to see where he pointed. A woman was diligent in her fence attempt, flesh tore from her with each caught up twisted turn, but she didn’t seem to notice. +It was a nightmare Jack had many times. Thought the reasonable man in him, verbally, and outright argued that they weren’t zombies, in his mind he couldn’t think of anything else they would be. +They looked dead. If they weren’t, some sort of nerve disease cut their ability to feel. Some of them had no limbs, no insides, eyes. +Yes, a nightmare he had many times. Every time his wife made him watch a movie, whether scary or lame, he had nightmares about them. The big man’s insides shuddered with disgust as his mind raced to comprehend what was happening. He couldn’t help but stare at them, watching them, taking relief in the fact that he was safe from them for the time being. +The call of the platoon sergeant, yelling out, “Orders are in. Do it.” +Jack knew what that meant. +They were just waiting for the shoot to kill order. +Specialist Carlson chuckled outward before blasting one single shot into the forehead of one of them. +Rapid fire rang out and Jack raised his weapon. +Be smart, he thought, you’ve seen enough movies. Just like Carlson, you know where to hit. Jack didn’t waste time. He performed head shots and that was it. +“Quit wasting ammo,” A soldier yelled out. “They aren’t going down unless you aim for the head. Aim for the head!” +How right that was. Those who randomly shot only caused the creatures to jolt a few times and keep on in their pursuit. A single shot to the head ended it. +There were hundreds upon hundreds, and maybe thirty soldiers to do the job. Jack knew there were plenty of troops to take them all out, as long as they shot carefully and with precision. +Jack’s big concern wasn’t in ending the current situation; it was more so on the fact was this it? Or God forbid, were there more out there. Even scarier, if there were, they certainly weren’t behind barbed wire fences. + + +CHAPTER TEN + +May 7th + +Hans was grateful he was seated in the back of the plane and that the person seated next to him had one too many cocktails before boarding. The overweight man snored loudly as he slept curled to the window, his hard outward breaths caused condensation against the pane of glass. It covered up the sound of regurgitation. +Pretty soon, Hans thought, he would stop throwing up. He didn’t drink much, and the amount that spewed forth from his mouth was less and less with each upheaval. He kept his mouth buried to the bag and closed it quickly as to cover the smell. A smell that wasn’t normal. +After vomiting, he hid the bag, cleared his throat, sat back and pulled the blanket higher. He was cold. +Feeling as if he could sleep, he closed his eyes. +“Sir, are you ok?” The gentle voice of Marian asked. He gazed upward to the stewardess, a woman considered ‘older’ for a stewardess. She offered a comforting smile. +“Air sickness. I suffer terribly from it.” +“You should have taken something.” +“I just did,” Hans said. “Hopefully it’ll knock me out for the flight.” +“If you need anything,” she said, placing a hand on his shoulder. +“Thank you.” +Another smile, and Marian turned, walking up the aisle, checking on passengers as she moved by them. +Almost half way through the flight, Hans counted down the hours. Sleep would make them pass by faster, and with that thought, feeling pretty lousy, Hans tried to sleep. + +<><><><> + + +Two soldiers were injured. One pretty severely in the camp cleansing. Saul directed those two soldiers, along with the boy and the two already transported to Washington, to be moved to Atlanta where a special quarantine and research center was being set up. +Number one priority was to stop the virus. If infected, they had to figure out how to stop it. The bacterium wasted away the person, then regenerated the cells without regenerating brain cells. Making them into moving monsters. +At least in Atlanta they could contain them, detain them, and hopefully try to cure them if not learn from them. +Col. Manning added one more specific to Saul’s directive. +Not wanting to chance something happening during transport, any soldier fatally injured, would be spared the torment of a regenerated death. +Regenerated death. Saul couldn’t believe that was what they were dealing with. Never in all of his imagination did he think he would be dealing with the walking dead. +But they weren’t really dead. They couldn’t be. Not if they were moving and acting. +He finished the phone call, and leaned back in his chair. +Before he released the grip on his phone, he placed one more call. +“Saul? Saul I didn’t think I’d hear from you,” Irma said concerned. +“I’m on a plane so we may not have great reception.” +“A plane.” +“On my way back to Atlanta.” +She breathed heavily and the ‘hiss’ of it carried over the line. “Thank God. Thank God. Everything must be fine then. You’re coming home.” +“Actually, Irma,” Saul paused. He wasn’t going to say much, not at all. He couldn’t. Not on a government phone, but he knew if he said the right words, the right way, that would tell Irma enough. “Actually they are about as strange as strange could be.” +He ended the call, bringing the phone to his lips in thought. +A clearing of the throat drew him from that moment and Saul turned around. +Steven stood before him. He had been in the back of the plane with the infected that they were bringing back to the states. He looked drawn, something wasn’t right. +“Captain? Are you okay?” +“I heard you mention the word ‘strange’” +Saul nodded. “I was speaking to my wife.” +“It’s about to get stranger.” +“I don’t understand,” Saul said. +“Neither do I. But that boy, Juan?” +“Did he get violent?” +“No, Sir.” Steven shook his head. “He’s crying.” + +<><><><> + +Medication that rendered a person semi comatose was shipped immediately to the site in Peru before scouting teams were sent out. Platoon leaders were each given ample injections of it. +The orders were simple. If a soldier became injured through bite or scratch of an infected, they were to immediately turn themselves into whoever was in charge, and receive the injection. +Slowing the cardio functions slowed the virus, enabling more time to be cured. +Jack scoffed at that, so did Specialist. Carlson. Relying solely on movie information, both conveyed to each other that they didn’t think anything could stop a zombie transformation. However that was fiction. It was never dealt with in ‘real life’. +Or was it? +“How do we know?” Specialist Carlson asked Jack as they moved through a wooded area. +“True.” +“I mean, it could have happened before. And it was contained. You just never know. Plus, we do have cool technology with medicine.” +“True.” +“What are you doing?” +Jack was busted. He gave a smile to Carlson. “Trying to get a signal.” He held up his phone. +“Yeah, well, you just spoke to your wife.” +“I know, sorry.” +“Please keep focused. We’re up front, we don’t need something jumping out at us.” +Jack nodded. He was searching for a signal because he had to abruptly end his talk with Lil. He wanted to tell her so much. He was certain she knew he was worried. Telling her, “If I don’t come back” … said a lot. But he had to end his call and he did so without letting her know what was happening. He wanted to. +Jack figured out a coded way to do so, he prepared a simple text. One that couldn’t come back negatively to him as if he let secret information out, and one his wife would understand with a little thought and know exactly what was happening. . +But he couldn’t get a signal to send it out. The text sat in his phone in the ‘outbox’ folder. +Specialist Carlson said something else. Jack didn’t understand. “What was that?” Jack asked. +“I said,” Carlson looked back. “I think there’s a village about two more miles from …” +He stopped. Jack was only two feet behind him. Carlson stopped and didn’t move. +“Hold up,” Jack called out, lifting hand. “Carlson?” +“It broke the perimeter.” Carlson whispered. “I was hoping they contained it. But it broke.” +“What do you mean?” Jack asked, then received his answer. Joining Carlson he saw the reason for his concern. A goat with a stick protruded through his mouth lay there. The goat’s fur was half off, its ribcage exposed, the flesh appeared to have been torn, and the body had already entered into a putrefaction stage. +Jack gagged and covered his mouth. +“See what I mean?” Carlson said. “Something ate it alive. Then it came back. Someone had to kill it.” +Jack swallowed the lump and turned around. “Keep your eyes open. We may have infected in these woods.” +For a while, Jack thought his worry and his wanted to forewarn his wife was premature. Until he saw that goat. Carlson was right it either broke the perimeter or was beyond the perimeter long before the virus was discovered to be deadly. +Mid stare at the goat, and whispering questions of the men, a ‘bleep’ caught Jack’s attention. He didn’t need to look. He knew what it meant. He had caught the scope of a signal and his message had been sent. Now he hoped she would figure it out. + +<><><><> + +Despite the fact that Jack told her to get it all together, Lil couldn’t bring herself to dig up his military papers that he had in the event of his death. +That told her something was wrong, but not as much as Jack calling her three times in the middle of the night to say he loved her and she had to know that in case he didn’t come back. +She asked him three times what was going on, he said he couldn’t tell her. He would figure out a way to tell her more. +That she understood. +The last conversation was twenty-nine seconds long and Jack said to her, ‘You of all people are more prepared than anyone I know.’ +Prepared. What was Lil prepared for? Jack’s death? No, it couldn’t be that. +She went on the internet and looked up Peru. The place Jack had gone. The news talked about a meteor causing mass hysteria illness. Maybe Jack went down to help restore peace. But a conspiracy site said it was more, it was illness out of control. Lil thrived on reading, watching and learning about end of the world scenarios. To her, that was what she was most prepared for. +Was Jack trying to tell her a virus was about to wipe man into extinction. +Just as she had that thought, in the midst of trying to find more internet information on the Peru illness, she heard the beep of her phone. +She lifted it. +Jack sent a text? Was that his way of saying what was going on? +She clicked on read and drew more into confusion. +It wasn’t much. It was three letters. Three letters that added more to her mystery. What was Jack trying to tell her with the text, ‘WWZ’ +Immediately, still in front of the computer, she typed the three letters into the search engine. +Lil wanted to kick herself when the results returned. She of all people should have recognized the three letters without a second thought, without confusion. +Jack had to be mistaken. But of all people, Jack wouldn’t joke and would be the last to admit to what he was witnessing. +If Jack was meaning in his text to refer to zombies, then that was what jack believed he was dealing with. +On that, Lil got up, locked all the doors and sought out her shotgun. + +<><><><> + +Saul wasn’t expecting the midflight phone call. He was just leaning back, reviewing documentation when the call came. He feared the worst. It had to be bad news. “This is Dr. Klein, what can I do for you, Col. Manning.” Saul asked. +“We’ve located Dr. Riesman.” +Saul exhaled. “Great. Where is he?” +“Are you ready? About three hours outside of Berlin, thirty-thousand feet above the ground.” +Saul sprang forward. “You’re joking, right?” +“I wish I wasn’t.” +It took Saul aback. He had to grasp a moment and reason. Hans on a plane. There was no way he was infected. He knew better. He needed to be sure. Saul ended his call with Col. Manning, both men agreeing to use their resources to get in touch with that plane. + +<><><><> + +Marian hoped she’d get fifteen minutes of sleep without interruption. No such luck. She was summoned to the Captain’s cabin moments after she closed her eyes. She was in charge of their needs, but wished for once they’d call upon someone younger it was quite a hall there. Especially if they wanted something. +He didn’t want coffee, he wanted something else. “Have some sort of VIP in hiding on the plane,” the Captain said. +“How do we know?” Marian asked. +“US Government contacted us. Passenger in 65B. Familiar?” +“Yes,” Marian nodded. +“Well, they want us to check on him. Report back, then move him up to first class.” +“He’s probably sleeping. He was airsick. We have only another half hour of the flight.” +“I know. But, this is important. Could you go check on him and move him? His name is Dr. Riesman.” +“Yes, Captain.” Marian smiled, but it was forced. She didn’t feel like walking all the way down the steps then to the back of the plane. Row 65 was the last row. +But she did. +The main cabin was dark; the aisle lights were dim but give enough light for her to walk. She’d smile to the few passengers who were still awake, but most of them were sleeping. +She hated to disturb Dr. Riesman; After all, he had taken that medication. +Reaching into her apron pocket, she pulled out a small flash light. +Row 57 she heard something. It was a wet sound, squishing. +It grew louder as she hit row 62. +At Row 63, she heard a heavy, gurgling. A breathing that didn’t sound right. +Had he taken a turn for the worse? The odd sounds grew louder. +She arrived at row 64 and couldn’t see Dr. Riesman’s head. Perhaps he had gone to the rest room. Another step, a raise of the flashlight, Marian softly called “Dr. Riesman.” +The beam hit the empty seat of ‘65B’ only for a split second. Into the light, Hans raised his head with a snarl. His mouth opened wide, showing his teeth and blood along with saliva poured out. His eyes flared a deadly blank look. +Fear had consumed her so much, that she couldn’t get a productive scream. +Hans shook his head like an animal, shucking remains from his mouth. +The flashlight tippled from her grip as her hand shot to her mouth and backed up when she watched Hans returned to devouring the man in ‘65 A’. +Marion was frozen in fear and in shock. She wanted to scream, warn the sleeping passengers. She hadn’t a clue what to do. So she ran. She ran as fast as she could through the plane and up to the Captain’s cabin. “You need a gun.” +“Marion, what’s wrong?” The Captain spoke calming, standing as he did. +“A gun. A gun!” Marion screamed, and then broke into hysterics. “Oh, God. Oh, God.” +“Marion.” With a firm grip to her and a slight jolt, the Captain vied for her attention. “What is going on? Calm down.” +Marion cried out. A bone chilling scream, followed by sobs. +“Greg, I’ll be back.” The Captain moved to the door. +“Do you want me to go?” Greg asked. +“No. I’ll see what the problem is. In the meantime, notify Berlin and alert them that we may have a situation.” +As the Captain began to leave, Marion dove for him, holding on, begging and sobbing ‘please don’t go back there’ repeatedly. +The Captain pulled her from him, pulled the cabin door closed and walked out. +Marion dropped to the floor. +Greg’s radioing to Berlin was mere background noise as Marion weakly reached up and locked the door. +The cockpit was safe and secure. +No one could get in there. They would be fine until they landed and that would be long. +Something told Marion that the Captain wouldn’t be back. +She was right. + +<><><><> + +They arrived at a small village just after dawn. Chickens danced about in the orange hue of morning, people moved, but not slowly. They radioed in to let command know their position. Jack’s patrol was on foot, a vehicle would meet them there. +The woods didn’t bring anymore incidents. That was good. Jack believed he did overreact and that, really, there was no way it extended into the village. Another animal could have eaten that goat. +“Spread out, knock on doors,” The platoon sergeant ordered. “Try your best to convey that we are looking for people who are ill.” +Jack nodded his agreement; he was paired off with Specialist Carlson. The village houses lined a dirt road; he and Carlson were instructed to start at the last one. +They had just happened upon the home when the door opened and an old woman, maybe eighty emerged. She dropped her bucket when she saw Jack and Carlson, started rambling fast and insidiously in her native language as she ran to them, grabbing them. +Her face tear streaked her arms dirty. +As Jack tried to speak with her, he noticed her arms. Dirt? Blood. “Ma’am? Slow down. What is wrong?” +The door opened again and another woman emerged. High in the air she held sickle by its broken handle. Middle aged, thin. Her eyes widened, she lowered the sickle and she genuinely looked relieved to see them. She hurried to the old woman, pulling her from Jack. +“Come,” the woman beckoned. “Come.” She waved her arm and led Jack and Carlson around the small house. +The woman stopped and merely extended her arm to what looked like a small chicken shack. “Husband.” +Jack asked. “Your husband is in there?” +She nodded. “Husband” She pointed with the sickle. +Jack glanced at Carlson and both men took a step. +The younger of the women, reached out, stopping Jack. +“What?” Jack asked. “We’re going to go check.” +She pointed to his rifle and reached for it. +Jack moved it from her way. +The woman pointed to the rifle, shook her head, then mimicked raising the gun. +“Um, Sarge,” Carlson said. “I think she’s telling us to raise our weapons.” +“I think you’re right.” Jack lifted his and motioned his head. “Let’s go.” +The shack was only twenty feet away, but it seemed like a mile. Arriving at the door, Jack signaled Carlson to stand back and then Jack sprang open the door. +Nothing. +They looked at each other, then with weapons raised walked in. +It was quiet and dark. Another step then out from no where, with an inhuman growl, rushed a man. +His snarled and raged for Jack and Carlson, snapping to a stop inches before reaching them. +Jack stepped back. The man had been restrained by chains, but he fought and struggled to reach and bite him. +His face, his wounds, his coloring. All the same. +Jack didn’t need to be a doctor to know, this man, in this remote village, was infected. + +*** + +Jacqueline Druga is a native of Pittsburgh and a prolific writer of numerous novels. While she specializes in the Apocalypse, Jacqueline also writes Horror, Comedy, Romance, Mystery and YA. She is considered an authority on Bio-terror and was feature3d on the History Channel. +She welcomes your feedback and you can reach Jacqueline via her website at www.jacquelinedruga.com + +Dana Fredsti + +YOU'LL NEVER BE LUNCH IN THIS TOWN AGAIN + + +First time director Darren Zuber was having a hard enough time shooting his film before the dead started coming back to life and eating the living. +Mara Dubray, his leading lady and a well-known star of daytime soaps, was proof positive that most actors' IQs and egos were inversely proportional. Known more for her enormous bosom rather than any real acting talent, Mara was not about to let some first-time director tell her how to deliver lines. Her tantrums had already run the film well over budget and the words "completion bond company" had been bandied about more than once by Gerald Fife, the executive producer. +Never mind that it had been Fife's brilliant idea to cast a mediocre soap star as Lady Genevieve, a noblewoman in love with a priest (played by Derrick Stone, a minor name whose entire range consisted of stoically wooden) in the midst of a plague-stricken 14th Century Europe. +Darren had fought this casting — certainly the most ludicrous decision since Verhoven had cast Melanie Griffith as Elizabeth I ("I have the mind of a king and a bod made for sin") as vehemently as he dared. But with only a music video directing credit under his belt, Darren had to swallow both pride and common sense on a great many crucial details, such as casting and rewrites. It was the only way to get his film made, a project he'd dreamed of doing since his first years at UCLA. And it was only the success of Game of Thrones that had convinced Plateau Productions, headed by Fife, to invest the money. +Plateau was known for low-budget rip-offs of big box office pictures, as well as micro-budget exploitation films in every genre. If you rented a Plateau picture you could always count on four things: bad scripts, worse acting, one or two minor "name" actors for foreign draw, and at least one scene set in a strip club. +Explanations to Five that 14th century Europeans did not have strip clubs were useless. To Fife, if a film didn't have topless dancers, it wasn't a film. "You gotta have tits and ass, kid," Fife had said during one of their many rewrite sessions. "And I don't give a shit what century we're talking here; you can't tell me that the men didn't want to see naked girls after a hard day plowing in the field, even if they hadn't invented boob jobs yet." Darren had given in, figuring he could come up with some sort of scene in a tavern with bawdy serving maids and a band of roving minstrels for the music. +But it was certainly a far cry from the idealism of film school and all of those vows Darren and his fellow students had made. They would never sell out to the commercialism of Hollywood. Their movies would be pure; art for art's sake. No stars (unless it was an older name, like Maureen O'Hara or a 70s sitcom star. Both had a certain cache that appealed to the idealistic — and pretentious — students in the UCLA film program); no more than one explosion per film, and no scripts by Roland Emmerich. +Darren wondered how many film school grads had their idealism kicked out of them by the steel-toed boots of companies like Plateau. He supposed he should be grateful to have won the battle against a rock'n'roll soundtrack. As he stared balefully at Mara while she finished butchering yet another speech, however, Darren found it hard to be grateful about anything. +The scene would have to be done again to get the master shot, and then there would be countless takes on key phrases, close-ups, reaction shots from the crowd of peasants as Lady Genevieve tried to convince them not to flee their village, and— +Shit! Was one of the extras wearing sunglasses? +Why the hell hadn't the extra coordinator or the wardrobe mistress caught that? And how had he missed it? And how could that asshat of an extra be so…so brain-dead? Several scenes would now have to be reshot, adding more to the already inflated budget. +Darren groaned and rubbed his head, trying to convince the nagging ache behind one eye that it did not want to become a migraine. Melissa, his assistant, silently handed him two Excedrin Migraine and an unopened can of soda. Darren mouthed a silent "thanks" and popped the top, washing down the pills with a mouthful of sickly sweet orange-flavored carbonation. +"Jeez, this stuff is crap." Darren handed the can back to Melissa. "Can't those P.A's get anything but this shit?" +Melissa shrugged. "Budget will only cover generic. Besides, the whole dead thing back east is really playing havoc with shipments." +"Jesus…" Darren turned to his first A.D. "John, call lunch. We'll take this scene again after that. And tell Zack to make sure none of the extras are wearing fucking sunglasses! Or watches, or any other jewelry, for crissake! These are 14th century peasants! And tell Linda I want more yellow on their teeth! They didn't have Crest in the 14th century! Jesus!" +Darren stomped off without waiting for an answer, unable to control his temper. He didn't like losing it in front of people. He had promised himself he wasn't going to be one of those abusive directors famous for their on-set tantrums. But he hadn't bargained for the reality of low-budget Hollywood. +At least Darren could trust John to handle the situation. Thank God for John, a fellow student from UCLA and one of the few people Darren could really count on. His producer, Phil, was another friend from film school. The three of them had shared many a late night pizza while watching The Definitive Movie Masterpieces as defined by their film prof, analyzing them to a degree that would have both amazed and amused the original filmmakers. +John still retained some of the purity of vision they'd once all shared, albeit tempered with an increasingly world-weary attitude now reflected by his newly tinted glasses. Phil, however, had not only happily tossed idealism out the window; he'd also thrown out imagination, courage, and loyalty. He made up for these gaps in his character by extra doses of brown-nosing and sleaziness. + +Even now, instead of showing any interest in the increasingly disastrous proceedings, Phil was off in a corner schmoozing some buxom peasant girl; one wearing a pair of decidedly non-period earrings and far too much self-applied cosmetics, despite strict instructions from the makeup department. +Darren went off in search of something stronger than Excedrin. +The next day brought a whole slew of unpleasant surprises, including the news that Joe Pilate (one of the few actors Darren had actually cast himself) had been eaten the day before. Phil delivered the unpleasant news via telephone before Darren had a chance to sip his morning espresso. +"Eaten? What the hell do you mean, 'he was eaten?'" +"Had his guts ripped right out," Phil confirmed with ghoulish relish. "Joe was visiting his father's grave in Philly and a couple of deadheads had him for lunch." +"Jesus, that's sick." Darren was dismayed that even while he mourned the death of a friend, his mind was already going over possible replacements for the devoured actor. +"That's the east coast for you," Phil said. "By the way, Fife is really on my ass about the budget. Are there any more scenes we can cut?" +Darren swore. It would already take an editing genius to make a coherent story out of the amputated bits left from his original script. Not for the first time, he suspected Fife had a sympathetic ear in Phil. +"Forget it," he growled. "Any more cuts and we're going to have a 14th century music video." +"Hey, we could get a rock band and have them do a title song," Phil said enthusiastically. "Call it Plague Years or something!" +Darren closed his eyes. "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that. Bottom line, no more cuts." He paused, finding his next words sticking in his throat. "And find me a replacement for Joe ASAP. We'll shift his scenes to Thursday. I'll have Melissa call the actors and let 'em know we're doing the love scene today." +Hanging up before Phil could argue, Darren sadly reflected that he'd just given Joe an extremely shoddy obituary. +As soon as he arrived on set, Melissa told Darren that Mara was refusing to do the love scene with Derrick unless provided with a bottle of Cristal to relax her. +"Relax her?" Phil, who had joined the pair as they walked towards the craft service table, snorted in derision. "If she'd lay off the coke or whatever other crap she's been taking, she'd relax just fine." +"I don't know." Melissa shrugged fatalistically; something she'd been doing a lot the past few days. "She says the whole dead coming back to life thing is really stressing her out." +"Oh, that's a load of crap," Phil snarled, grabbing a bagel and slathering it with cream cheese. "This is Hollywood, not Philadelphia." +Darren headed straight for the Excedrin. +"I don't know." Melissa shrugged again, pouring herself a cup of coffee. "They're saying it's spreading." +"'They?' Who are 'they', Mara? That's total bullshit." Phil bit viciously into his bagel. "She just wants to get loaded on good champagne on our dime." +"I guess," Melissa said doubtfully. "So what should I tell her?" +Darren sighed, deciding he'd better step in. "Get some Tott's or spumante and don't let her see the bottle. I doubt she'll know the difference. She only knows about Cristal because she's watched Showgirls at least twenty times." +Later, as he tried to coax some genuine emotion out of his two leads, Darren reflected that if the walking dead problem did spread out west, no one would be able to tell the difference between the zombies and his actors anyway, so who'd give a shit? +The next day, both the media and the general uproar in the city confirmed the fact that, like practically everyone else in the country, the dead had indeed migrated to the west coast. Traffic was abysmal; it took Darren two hours to drive from Culver City to the studio in Burbank. He wasn't sure, but he thought several of the scruffy street people he passed on the way looked…well…dead. +At the studio, for the first time Darren could remember, the large electronic iron gates were shut, a heavily armed security guard screening each new arrival very carefully before letting them in. Another guard, also packing what looked to be a heavy-caliber weapon, kept vigilant watch each time the gates opened and closed. +Melissa greeted Darren with the news that several crewmembers (two production assistants and a grip) were missing. They hadn't called in; they were just … missing. "And we're short extras too," Melissa added. "Central Casting called and said a bunch of their people are afraid to drive anywhere." +John walked up, radio in hand. "I figure we'll have to do tighter shots to get the kind of crowd effect you want with the plague victims." +Darren set his mouth in a determined line. "Let's just do it." +He stalked towards the day's first set; the interior of a church where several hundred plague victims, both dead and dying, were gathered to seek salvation. About seventy-five extras, gruesomely made up to look like they were in the final throes of the Black Death, were sitting in the aisles and rough-hewn wooden pews, nervously discussing the more current plague of ravenous corpses. Crewmembers looked equally distracted. Very few were actually doing their jobs. +Darren thought they'd have to do some fast-talking to keep people on the film so he called a meeting with John and Phil. +"So what do you think?" he said after outlining his concerns. +"I just don't know, Darren," Phil replied. "I mean, you've got people scared to leave their homes. Businesses are shutting down. I mean, Starbucks was closed this morning." He stared at both Darren and John in turn. "Starbucks." +"Do what you can," Darren said, trying not to imagine a world without readily available coffee. "Offer bonus pay, whatever it takes." +"Bonus pay?" Phil sounded outraged. "Are you nuts? Do you know what Fife will say if I do that?" +"Don't tell him!" Darren slammed his hand against a chair in frustration. "Jesus, Phil, there's got to be something we can do!" +Phil was quiet; a sign that his mind was working furiously. After a moment of reflection he smiled broadly. "I've got it!" He lowered his voice. "We'll offer the bonus pay. But we don't have to actually pay them the extra money." +John nodded thoughtfully. +Darren, on the other hand, was horrified, both at the idea and John's calm reaction to it. "Jesus, Phil, that's totally unethical! These people are working their asses off!" +"Yeah, and we're paying them. There aren't any clauses in their contracts for a zombie plague." +"Look, Phil, they have every reason to demand more money if they're risking their lives to be here." +John nodded. "He's got a point, Phil. You know how much stuntmen get paid." +Phil brought his face close to Darren's. "Do you want to finish this film or not?" +John nodded again. "He's got a point, Darren." +Thousands of objections whirled around in Darren's mind, but all he could come up with was a feeble, "But we could get sued!" +Phil shrugged. "Yeah, maybe. But with all this other shit going down, who's gonna have time to deal with it?" +John shook his head doubtfully. "SAG isn't going to let a little thing like zombies stop them from fucking with the production if we screw their actors over, you know that. And the Teamsters…" +The three men shook their heads, differences momentarily forgotten as they contemplated the eternal enemy of the low-budget filmmaker: the Unions. +Taking advantage of the moment of camaraderie, Phil rested his hand on Darren's shoulder. "Let's get this film finished, buddy. This is what we worked for in film school, right? So we'll do whatever we have to do." +Darren felt a tiny piece of his soul die as he heard himself reply, "You got it." +The offer of hazard pay got about two-thirds of the cast and crew on set the next day. Darren had sympathetic for the absentees. The commute to the studio had been even worse than the previous day. He'd definitely seen people—both living and dead—with large chunks missing from various limbs, all staggering around the streets. The kind of stuff nightmares were made of. +On the other hand, it was a definite solution to the homeless problem. +Darren's main concern was the number of armed soldiers and national guardsmen now patrolling the city. Certain broadcasts on radio and TV said the government was planning to impose a twenty-four hour curfew on the streets. That would make it impossible to get to and from the studio. Darren had brought an overnight bag just in case and had called to tell Phil and Melissa to do the same. +Melissa had been charged with the duty of calling as many other crew and cast members as she could reach and suggest they plan on staying over too. "People aren't going to want to leave their families," Melissa had pointed out when asked to make the call. +"They can bring their families with them," Darren had immediately replied. +Darren was gratified to see some people actually did bring their families (and pets) with them to the studio. When Phil pointed out this would compensate for the shortage of extras, Darren agreed, thinking it would keep their minds off the horrors outside of the studio walls. +Today was a key scene. Lady Genevieve accidentally reveals her love for the handsome priest in front of the townspeople when she seeks him out in the church so he can read the Last Rites over her dying father. +The scene was shot several times before lunch, Mara doing an abysmal job of conveying any real emotion. Whether she was trying to show fear, love, hate or indifference, Mara just looked as though she had a bad case of gas. +"I can't concentrate!" she wailed when Darren didn't bother to hide his impatience wither lack of talent. "There are dead people outside!" +"Well, they're not inside," Darren shot back coldly. "And they aren't paying your salary." He turned away, dismissing her before he said something he really regretted. "Now people, we're going to break for lunch and then try this again. The caterer did show up, didn't he?" +When Mara didn't return to set after lunch, Darren assumed she was throwing a tantrum because he hadn't treated her with the respect she didn't deserve. Everyone else was in place, waiting for the camera to roll. Derrick, playing the handsome young priest stood patiently at the pulpit, muttering lines that would all come out sounding heroically wooden. +Patience worn paper-thin, Darren stalked towards Mara's trailer, determined to drag her out by her hair if need be. +"Damn it, I hate actors," he muttered, rapping sharply on the trailer door with a closed fist. When no response was forthcoming Darren threw manners to the wind and flung the door open hard enough to send it smacking into the inside wall. +"Mara, get your ass out here! I swear, I'm going to make sure you never work in this town again if you don't stop this shit!" Aware that he'd just made an empty threat, Darren took the stairs in one long stride and stuck his head around the corner. "Mara, I mean it. I—" +Darren stopped short, confronted by the sight of Mara's prone body, still in 14th century garb, lying on the trailer floor, one hand clutching a hypodermic, the other splayed lifelessly to one side. +"Oh, shit." Darren knelt by his erstwhile leading lady's corpse, taking a quick check on her pulse to see if he might just be wrong. Nope, absolutely nothing. Mara was dead. +Darren waited for the rush of grief one was supposed feel at the death of someone…well, not close, but certainly someone he'd worked closely with for several weeks. He was dismayed to discover that amongst his mixed emotions, the strongest was overwhelming annoyance. A new, darker side of Darren reflected that on any other occasion Mara's death might even be a cause for celebration. But now Mara was once again holding up his film. +Darren sat back on his heels. +"Oh, you dumb bitch. How the hell am I going to shoot around you?" +Darren walked slowly back to set, leaving Mara's corpse to be disposed of after he'd figured out how to salvage the film. Body double, using close-ups from previously shot footage? Might just work, although it would be tricky. +Darren joined John, Phil and Melissa by the camera. Correctly reading his expression, Melissa asked, "Trouble?" +"What?" Phil frowned. "She won't come back to set? I'll handle it." Phil strode towards Mara's trailer, obviously confident his powers of persuasion were more than ample for the job at hand. +Darren stopped him with a hand on one shoulder. "She can't come back on set, Phil. She's dead. Mara OD'd." +All three stared at him blankly. Finally Phil shook his head. "Jesus. Fife just isn't going to be happy about this." His voice took on an accusatory tone as he continued, "She was a bit part of the deal! You know that, Darren!" +Darren's response was forestalled by the appearance of Derrick, their male lead. "Are we going to get going soon, Darren?" The actor wiped sweat from his stoically handsome forehead. "Goddamn lights are melting the makeup off my face and that always makes my skin break out." +Darren considered several replies, discarding each one before it made its way from his brain to his mouth. He supposed he'd have to tell people that Mara Dubray was no longer among the living, but— +"Oh, shit." +The actor stared at him. "It's okay, Darren. I'll just see my dermatologist. It shouldn't affect filming or anything." +But Darren wasn't paying attention to Derrick. He was too busy staring over his shoulder as Mara Dubray staggered and swayed her way towards them, an expression of intense longing stamped on her face. Her mouth was open slightly, an ululating moan of desire emerging from it, along with a copious stream of drool running down one side of her chin. +"I thought you said she was dead," Phil hissed in a stage whisper. +Darren noted the slightly bluish tint to Mara's skin. "She is dead." He didn't bother to lower his voice. +Everyone on set had stopped what he or she were doing and were now staring at Mara's awkward yet determined progress towards the small group of people by the camera. +As the implications of Darren's comment hit home, Melissa, Phil and John scattered. The clueless Derrick stayed where he was. Darren was too busy watching Mara in fascination to do more than step to one side, leaving the path wide open towards the actor. Mara's attention focused specifically on her screen lover and she lurched towards him with outstretched arms, fingers opening and closing spasmodically. Before anyone could react, she threw her arms around Derrick with passionate intensity and took a distinctly unlover-like bite out of his well-muscled shoulder. +Chaos ensued as several hefty grips pried a snarling Mara off the screaming actor. Darren turned to Phil, his face alight with enthusiasm. +"Shit! Did you see that?" he exclaimed. "That's the best acting she's done since we've started. Let's get that on film!" +Darren sat in the screening room watching dailies with Phil, a contented smile on his face. For the first time since filming began he was actually happy with the way Mara played a scene. Granted, some fancy editing would have to be done to replace the look of abject terror on Derrick's face with a look of tormented longing, but that could be done. Come to think of it, it was the expressive Derrick had ever been as well. +It had taken some doing to restore enough order on set to continue filming. Convincing Derrick to play the scenes had been the hardest part, but an appeal to the actor's vanity, the promise of more money, and the two big grips standing by to prevent a repeat of Mara's first attack had worked wonders. "Besides," Phil had pointed out, "It's not that big of a bite." And luckily one of the people who'd made it to the studio that day was the on-set medic. +Darren managed to console his own outraged conscience with this last fact. +The rest of the cast and crew had responded with amazing equanimity, and Darren suspected part of that had to do with needing the work to keep their minds off of what might be happening outside the studio. This thought also made Darren feel better as he watched the dailies. +He made the mistake of mentioning it to Phil, who replied, "Whatever. Just so long as they keep working." +Darren stared at his erstwhile friend in disbelief. "How the hell can you be so callous?" He preferred to forget his own reaction to Mara's death and the subsequent improvement of her acting ability. +"Oh, get off your high horse," Phil retorted. "You've got the best fucking acting you've had since we started so don't get all moralistic on me. A filmmaker's gotta do what a filmmaker's gotta do. It's the art that matters." Phil gestured towards the screen. "I mean, just look at that. It's beautiful!" +Darren looked. It was beautiful, damn it. Except for that one moment when Mara's attention turned from Derrick to one of the extras who'd gotten a little too close… Darren winced at the memory. +He turned to Phil. "We'll have to remember to keep the other actors far enough away to keep Mara's focus on Derrick. It distracts from the intensity of her emotions. And we had a few close calls today that I don't want to repeat." +"Yeah," Phil agreed. "We can't afford to lose any more of our extras. Those crowd scenes look pretty sparse as it is." +"I know," Darren sighed. "But we're not likely to get anyone else from outside so we'll just have to make due with what we've got, add in CGI later." +Phil shook his head. "The only CGI we can afford on our budget will look like crap. Maybe…" He paused and suddenly his eyes brightened. "Oh, man," he said slowly. "Have I got an idea!" +At first Darren had been totally appalled by Phil's brainstorm, delivering an unequivocal "No!" in response. How could Phil even think of it? Didn't he understand the moral implications? +"What moral implications?" Phil was genuinely confused by the question. "These people are dead, Darren. They're not going to care. Most of them probably wanted to be actors anyway so you'd be doing them a favor. " +Darren's moral outrage sputtered a bit, then flared up again when he thought of new objections. "What about the danger? I mean, catching them in the first place. Who the hell is going to agree to do that?" +"Production assistants," Phil replied calmly. Tony'd do anything for this film. He'll probably think it's fun. Besides, with the equipment I've got in mind it shouldn't be a problem." +"But what about the danger to the cast and crew?" Darren demanded. "How the hell are we going to handle that?" +"Have the set design folks come up with something to keep 'em separate from the others during the scenes. We can use handcuffs, hide 'em under the costumes, and…" +As Phil proceeded to counter all of Darren's objections with arguments that at least sounded reasonable, Darren allowed himself to be persuaded it really would be a good idea to use some of the newly ambulatory dead to supplement the crowd scenes. Somewhere in the back of his mind, a little voice told him he was making a compromise even more Faustian than his deal with Gerald Fife. But the dailies in front of him and Phil's persuasiveness were better than a pair of earplugs. And once committed to the idea, Darren put his considerable energy into implementing it. +Even without the steady stream of media reports (and CNN was over the moon to have something this big to report on without the need to supplement it with brain candy filler), Darren had only to look outside the studio gates to see the situation was definitely worsening. There were more walking dead roaming around the area, lots of cars driving frantically up and down the surface streets, general chaos. Only one of the security guards remained at his post, steadfastly ignoring his erstwhile partner who was now banging on the gates from the outside, a large chunk of flesh missing from the side of his neck. +Darren approached the remaining guard. "You still letting people in and out of here?" +The guard nodded. "As long as they show their badges." +"Great." Something else occurred to Darren. "Any more guns here?" +"We have a few in the Security office." +"Do you think—" +The guard shook his head. "No way. That's against the law." +Using his most persuasive tone, Darren said, "C'mon—" He looked at the guard's nametag. "C'mon, Arthur. I've got to send some people out on a run and they need protection." +"I don't know…" +Darren played his trump card. "Y'know, I could use you in this film, Arthur. I've lost a couple of my co-stars because of these damn zombies." +The guard tossed Darren a key. "Just don't tell anyone where you got it. It'd be my ass." +Darren walked off to find the security office, thankful that everyone in this town really did want to be an actor." +Melissa listened carefully and jotted down notes as Darren gave her the list of items he wanted one of the production assistants to pick up on what might be their only run outside the studio. When he was finished, he had her read the list back to him. Phil stood to one side, nodding his head. +"Okay. Dry ice, lots of it. Any food he can find. The thickest sports padding available. Heavy-duty steel collars. Leather will do, but steel preferable. Chain leashes—" Melissa stopped and looked at both Darren and Phil. "Are you sure about this?" +Phil nodded. "Ought to be a piece of cake." +"Hmm," Melissa said doubtfully. "Okay. John's rifles plus ammo … we're gonna need his house key and directions." She jotted down another notation. "Okay, I think that's just about it." +The on-set medic strode up, her forehead creased with lines of worry. "Are you sending someone outside?" +Darren nodded. +"Good. I need some antibiotics as soon as possible. Derrick isn't looking too good. That bite is festering and it looks like the infection is spreading rapidly beyond the wound." +Melissa made another notation on her list. +A shriek from Mara's trailer drew their attention. Linda, the rather temperamental makeup girl, came running out of it clutching her hand. Her assistant, a mousy little thing whose name no one could ever remember, followed her closely. +"Darren!" Linda's voice was raised several notches above her usual petulant whine. "I absolutely cannot work under these conditions! I can only do so much with someone whose skin is naturally blue. And when I tried putting lipstick on her, she bit me!" Linda dramatically held up one hand to show a smallish bite mark. The medic looked at it worriedly. +"Add a mortician's makeup kit to that list," Phil said thoughtfully. "Hell, bring a mortician. Might make more sense and we won't have to pay Union scale." +Linda started to sputter in outrage and Phil snarled, "Listen, Linda. If you can't do your job, I'm going to get someone who can. Give me any shit and you'll be working Craft Services. And I'm not talking about behind the table." +"Maybe we could sew Mara's lips shut," the makeup assistant suggested with the air of one used to being ignored. +Darren considered the idea, grateful for even this token safety measure with which to salve his increasingly battered conscience. "Just might work!" +The makeup assistant looked absurdly gratified. +"Darren, it has to look like she's really talking," Phil protested. "How the hell are you going to loop in her dialogue realistically if her mouth doesn't move?" +Darren shot Phil a resentful glance, hating the fact that his producer was right. +"Okay," he amended. "Let's try sewing the corners so she can't get a good bite radius going." Phil nodded his approval and Darren continued, "Melissa, talk to wardrobe and see what they can do." Turning back to the mousy assistant he said, "Good thinking, honey. Do you think you can do something with Mara's makeup so we can get the next scene shot before we lose the light?" +The assistant nodded, eager to prove her worth. She scurried back to Mara's trailer as the protesting Linda was led off to be treated by the medic. +Darren resumed his conversation with Melissa and Phil. "We can sew the new extras' mouths completely shut. They don't have to talk. And make sure the PA – who are we using?" +Melissa checked her list. "Tony." +"Good. He's smart. Make sure he's got a decent gun." +"Got it." Melissa set off to make sure everything on her list was done with her usual efficiency. Then she stopped and turned back. "Darren, shouldn't we send someone to ride shotgun with Tony? They'd stand a better chance of getting back safely." +"Phil, can we spare the extra hand or—" Darren stopped abruptly. "Jesus, I don't believe I said that. Of course we can spare someone else. Whatever it takes to bring them back safely." +"And more quickly," Phil agreed. "It'd be hell to try and find more good production assistants." +Darren ignored that. "Okay, let's get moving." +"Yeah," Phil said. "We should get going on Derrick's death scene while he's still got some life in him." +The scene went well. Derrick shivered with a real fever no amount of acting (at least on his part) could emulate. His skin was pasty, sweat poured off of him in rivulets, and he seemed to be suffering from as much pain as a plague victim in the last stages of bubonic plague would have felt. Darren was delighted with the results … on a purely artistic level, of course. +The medic stood at the sidelines throughout, wearing an expression that alternated between disapproval and downright horror. She had vehemently protested the decision to shoot a scene with the sick man but Derrick himself had insisted. He was a professional, by God, and he would act as long as he could breathe; a state lasting approximately ten minutes after they finished shooting his death scene. Darren immediately had someone from Wardrobe stitch the dead actor's lips partially shut, consoling himself with the thought that he'd given Derrick the chance to die with his acting boots on, so to speak. +"You are using buttonhole thread, aren't you?" he asked the woman pushing a needle in and out of Derrick's lips. +She looked up in annoyance. "Please. I do know my job." +Several hours later the production assistants returned from their run, loaded down with all the items on their list, including a dozen large coolers full of dry ice, several intimidating rifles, and a star-struck mortician. The mortician was sent off to see what he could do with Mara as the young assistant hadn't been able to make her look life-like. +The medic appropriated the medical supplies and immediately injected a shivering Linda with a hefty dose of antibiotics as she asked, "You're not allergic to Penicillin, are you?" +Linda shook her head and promptly passed out. +Darren, in the meantime, sent several coolers of dry ice over to Mara's trailer to try and slow down the natural rotting process. He figured three more good days ought to see the film finished. Then she could rot at will. He turned his attention back to Tony and the rest of the supplies. "You got the collars?" +Tony grinned and held up a handful of heavy steel collars. "I know a couple of dominatrices who didn't mind lending their gear. What are we using 'em for?" +By the time Tony and another P.A. rounded up a dozen extras from the outside and locked them in one of the steel-sheeted storage units, the mortician had finished his makeup job on Mara. He beamed proudly as the actress was led out on a leash by one of the heftier grips. +"One of my better jobs, if I do say so myself," the mortician bragged. "Doesn't she look peaceful?" +She did indeed. +Darren rolled his eyes. "That's just great, but I don't need peaceful. She's supposed to be reacting to the death of her lover, not going for a drive in the country. Get my drift?" +The mortician sniffed. "I'll see what I can do." +"All right, people," Darren yelled. "Let's call it for the night. We'll pick this up tomorrow. Call time is six a.m.!" +A brief listen to the radio told Darren that things were not getting any better. The ratio of dead to living in Los Angeles was rapidly favoring the dead. Citizens were advised to make their way to rescue shelters set up around the city. Darren thought the walled confines of Plateau Pictures were about as good a protected shelter as anywhere else, and the other members of the production seemed to feel the same way; no one had left the studio when they'd wrapped for the day. Darren was happy that he could offer some safety to his cat and crew. He figured they deserved some compensation for the notoriously long hours that low budget productions demanded. +Tomorrow would be another sixteen-hour grind. Darren just hoped he'd be able to tell the live members of the production from the dead ones by the end of it. +The next day's shooting went relatively well although controlling the dead extras proved somewhat difficult. Several of the live extras were scratched and a production assistant bitten before all the ghouls had their mouths sewn shut. One of them ripped out the thread and managed to make a healthy lunch out of the makeup assistant. Phil took good look at her corpse and decided there was enough left to reanimate. "Someone put her in the extras pen." +Darren winced, but tried to look at it from the angle that it would save Tony from having to procure more bodies from the outside. He really didn't want to risk losing the kid to the extras en. Tony was the best P.A. Darren had ever worked with and he had that spark, the same sort of idealism that he, Darren, was rapidly losing. Darren wanted to see that spark (not to mention Tony's health) preserved. +All in all Darren was quite pleased with the acting jobs he was getting from his ghoulish thespians. They were easier to deal with than some of the crew, who were complaining about the smell. Wardrobe was especially vocal when it came to costuming the dead. +"Do you know how hard it is to get blood stains out of this material?" snapped the wardrobe girl who'd stitched Derrick's mouth shut. Darren hoped she'd become eligible for the extras pen. She wasn't that good of a seamstress either. +The medic, meanwhile, frantically tried to treat those who'd been bitten or scratched by the zombies, but the antibiotics didn't seem to be working. +On the upside, the dry ice was working well enough to prevent Mara and Derrick from degenerating too quickly. The hot lights were a bit of a problem, but that was what stand-ins were for. +Darren was coming to the reluctant conclusion that the zombie plague could be the best thing that had ever happened to his career. + +At the end of the day Darren eagerly ran the dailies to see if they lived up to his expectations. Even Phil and Melissa were impressed with the improved quality of the stars' performances. +"Mara really looks horrified," Melissa commented during one scene. +"I think she was really hungry, " Phil said. "That was the scene we shot before lunch." +Darren felt a warm glow suffuse his entire being as the certainty that this, the end result, really was worth all of the … unpleasant things he'd had to do; the compromises he'd been forced to make. Sometimes true art could only be born out of the womb of horror. +Ignoring the pretentious tone of that last thought, Darren continued to watch the screen. +When they'd finished watching the dailies, Phil and Melissa headed off to get some supper while Darren resound the reel to view his masterpiece again in private. He'd only gotten through five minutes of footage, however, when the door opened and the light switched on. +Darren turned around in annoyance. "Didn't you see the red light?" he snapped before his eyes adjusted to the brightness. He put a lid on his temper as soon as he registered who'd entered the room. +It was Gerald Fife, dressed in his usual relaxed-fit jeans and silk shirt that did nothing to hide his middle-aged paunch or create the desired effect of borrowed youth. +"Gerald," Darren said expansively, confident that he at last had something of quality to show his executive producer. Have a seat and check out the dailies." +"Sorry, ain't got the time." Gerald sat down despite his words. "I'm just here to give you the news in person. Didn't want you to hear it through Phil." He pulled out a cigar and lit it. +Darren's heart plunged down into his stomach. "What news?" he asked, although he thought he knew the answer. + "I'm pulling the plug." Gerald took a long pull on his cigar, exhaling with obvious relish. +"What? Why?" +"This whole dead thing, Darren. It's depressing. The investors aren't going to want a movie about the plague when the viewing public is already down about the zombies. No percentage in it." +"Jesus Christ, Gerald, you've got to take a look at these dailies!" Darren gestured toward the screen. "We've really got something here!" +Gerald shook his head with finality. "Sorry, Darren. No go. We're in this business to make money. No one's going to want to see a movie with a bunch of rotting bodies when they can look out their window and see the same thing for free." +"But—" +Gerald held up one hand, sending a plume of cigar smoke wafting in Darren's face. "But me no buts, kid, I ain't got the time. I wanna get out of here while I still can. Traffic's a bitch out there." He took a puff of his cigar." Sorry, kid. But you know what they say; when the going gets tough, the tough get going. And I'm getting the fuck out of Dodge." Gerald stood up. "Now where's Mara? I wanna give her the news myself." +Staring bleakly at the screen, Darren said, "She's locked in her trailer." +"Locked in?" Gerald's voice rose in outrage. "What the hell are you talking about, locked in?" +Darren started fumbling for an explanation. Suddenly his train of thought jumped to another track as something irrevocably snapped in his brain. He wasn't sure if it was his conscience or his sanity—maybe it was both—but it no longer mattered. Only the film mattered. +He stood up. "Sorry, Gerald. I meant she's locked herself in her trailer. Maybe you can help out." +"Jesus!" Gerald stubbed out his cigar. "What the hell did you do to her?" +"She's unhappy with the quality of the food we've had lately," Darren explained as he followed Gerald out of the screening room bungalow towards Mara's trailer. "It's been hard to get Cristal these days." +"On your budget it should be impossible, " Gerald snapped. "Damn good thing I'm shutting this down. The investors would have my balls for breakfast if they saw shit like that on the budget sheets. Jesus, what the hell is that smell?" +They were passing the warehouse housing the extras. Despite the heavy steel walls, the smell and the noise of the rotting extras gave the area a distinctly charnel atmosphere. +"Some meat gone bad," Darren said vaguely. +"What the hell are they doing in there?" +"Rehearsing one of the big crowd scenes." +"What a reek! How can anyone eat around here?" Gerald stepped up his pace. Darren matched it. +Mara's trailer sat before them, a steady unsatisfied moan emanating from inside. +"Jesus!" Gerald exclaimed. "She sounds like she's starving!" +Darren bounded up the steps before Gerald could see the industrial strength padlock on the trailer door. As he inserted the key, he tapped on the door and called, "Mara, Gerald's here to talk to you about a few things. You're going to have to unlock the door and let him in." +A rising moan answered him, along with the sound of Mara lurching through the trailer towards the sound of fresh meat. +"Let me up there, you asshole." Gerald pushed his way up the stairs just as Darren managed to remove the padlock. Slipping it into his pocket, he retreated to the ground and out of Gerald's way. +"Mara, baby, it's Gerald. Open the door, sweetheart! Uncle Gerald will take care of you." +Mara scrabbled at the door from the inside, moaning pitifully. +"Chris, she can't even talk!" Gerald said in horrified tones. He grabbed the door handle and turned it. "Don't worry, baby, I'll feed you." +"I bet you will," Darren said cheerfully as Gerald opened the door. He watched as Mara grabbed hold of the executive producer's arms and pulled him inside. Darren helped with a well-placed push on Gerald backside, then quickly slammed the door shut and replaced the padlock with a decisive snap. +"You know what they say," Darren called out as Gerald began screaming. "When the going gets tough, the tough get eaten!" +Darren smiled to himself. His first film, and it looked like he'd even get final cut. + +THE END + + + +Belinda Frisch + + +PAYBACK + +ZOMBIE ANTHOLOGY EDITION + +By Belinda Frisch + +Copyright © 2012 by Belinda Frisch + +All rights reserved. This e-book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. + +Edited by A.J. Brown + +This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only.  This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people.  If you would like to share this e-book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient.  If you’re reading this e-book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy.  Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. + +Disclaimer: +This is a work of fiction. Any similarity to persons living or dead (unless explicitly noted) is merely coincidental. + + +When those closest to you break your trust, the only option is payback.  + +Six months before an outbreak of viral plague turned the residents of Strandville into a mob of flesh-hungry undead, Max Reid was a new father struggling to overcome a gambling addiction for the sake of his family.   + +Desperate to keep his secret, out of work, and on the losing end of a debt large enough to get him killed, Max turned to Mitch, a Nixon Center guard and the closest thing he had to a friend, to make the money he needed to break-even. What he didn't know was why Mitch was so eager to help him or how far he'd have to go for the cash.    + +Max Reid is about to find out a terrible secret that will change his life and push him to destroy others'.  + + + +Payback +A Strandville Series Short +Six months earlier… + +Max Reid parked behind Devil’s Ink, Strandville’s only tattoo shop, and avoided eye-contact with Mitch who scowled at him from the passenger’s seat. +Situated on a six store strip which was the closest thing Strandville had to downtown, Devil’s Ink was the black eye on the small town’s otherwise simple, country façade. Strandville was a rural, blue collar working town and those that lived there either worked hard for low pay, or compromised their morality to work at the Nixon Healing and Research Center, one of the few decent paying jobs within a fifty mile radius. Max had worked for Bill Jenks, the town mechanic, up until he was fired a week before. He’d yet to tell Jess, the mother of his newborn son, but knew that sooner or later, he’d have to come clean. He hoped the race would buy him time. +He turned off the engine, grabbed the betting slip from on top of his visor, and sighed. Jacob’s Revenge wasn’t a favorite to win, but he needed a long-shot’s payoff and there was no better bet than a horse with his son’s name. +Mitch hadn’t said a word since the stop at the bookie, but it was clear he didn’t approve of the bet. “When do you plan on telling Jess you were fired?” He adjusted his lanyard to sit under the blue collar of his Nixon Center uniform shirt. A photo ID badge marked him as a member of security. “She finds out everything eventually, believe me.” +Mitch and Jess had dated through high school, a fact Max considered moot now that they had Jacob. Mitch had cheated on her and she had ended things. Mitch didn’t have to say that he never got over her. He came around often and stayed too long. + Max took his keys from the ignition. “Come on, I’m late.” + “You’re going to get evicted.” +“Anyone else, you’d be cracking homeless jokes. I can take care of my own family.” The assertion made Max feel more normal about things at home that, while he’d never admit it to Mitch, were falling apart. “This race will fix things. You’ll see.” +But the long-shot bet was double the losing one before it. Max was five hundred dollars down from a thousand dollar paycheck, his last from the garage, and it was less than ten minutes to post time. +He hurried inside and flopped down in the chair. +Mitch sat in the waiting area, massaging his furrowed brow. He picked up a water-stained Playboy off the milk crate table and flipped the well-worn pages, bouncing his leg to the thrash core beat coming through the speakers. +“Reid, man. I didn’t think you were gonna show.” Doug, the shop’s owner, crushed out his cigarette in a coffee mug on the side of his work station and opened a fresh set of needles. He was a tall man, thin and fair-skinned with tattoos covering every inch of exposed skin except for his scruffy-bearded face. The black ink shapes bled together into a single, congested piece and other than the pair of praying hands on the right side of his neck, nothing stood out at quick glance. +“Had an errand to run.” Max crumpled an empty paper cup and threw it across the room at Mitch. “Hey, put on channel twenty-seven, would you?” +Mitch muttered something under his breath and continued pretending to read. +“Come on,” Max said. +Doug pulled his thinning hair into a low ponytail and set the stencil of a cross on Max’s forearm. He sprayed down the paper to transfer the ink outline and held Max’s arm when he wouldn’t hold still. +“You’re so fucking childish.” Max gripped the chair’s movable arm and prepared to stand up. +Doug, possibly sensing the tension, headed off the scuffle. “I got it,” he said, turning on the television with the remote he took out of his drawer. “What number we rooting for this time?” He squeezed his large hands into a pair of black, latex gloves and poured several capfuls of ink. +“Lucky seven,” said Max. +Doug lifted the stencil. “Good?” +“Good.” Max didn’t even look at the placement. +The Call to the Post sounded and the race was off. Max kept his eyes glued to the screen and didn’t flinch when the needle broke skin. +Doug held Max’s arm still and started the black outline. +The dull pain, hot like bee stings, soothed Max’s frayed nerves as he watched for the green and white stripes of Jacob’s jockey to move up the pack. Everything was riding on this race. +“And here comes Jacob’s Revenge.” +“Yes!” Max’s hands trembled with excitement. +“And Jacob’s Revenge is in the lead.” +Mitch set down the magazine and leaned forward on the sagging futon, the wooden frame creaking under his weight. +Max couldn’t tear his eyes away. The worries of being behind three months in rent and of having lost half of his final paycheck disappeared. + “Wait, what’s this?” The announcer’s voice lowered. “Lucky Louie is neck and neck with Jacob’s Revenge. It’s a photo finish.” +Mitch snickered. +“Dammit!” Max slammed his hand down. +Mitch set down his magazine and pulled up a stool next to him. He rested his elbows on his knees, tee-peed his fingers, and held them to his lips. “Photo finish, Max, feeling lucky?” +Doug turned up the volume to hear the results. +“And the winner is Lucky Louie by a nose.” +Doug shook his head. “Tough break, man.” +Max clenched his jaw and balled up his fist. The mounting debt just got bigger, too big for there not to be consequences. +Doug excused himself for a convenient trip to the bathroom. +Mitch didn’t move. “Another bust, tough guy.” He smirked. “You ready to take that job now?” +As much as Max wanted to, he couldn’t say no. + +* * * * * + +Five o’clock in the morning came faster than Max expected and he was exhausted, having been up most of the night with the baby. He rolled out of bed, careful not to disturb Jess, and checked on Jacob, sleeping in the bassinette. His tiny, pink mouth curled around his thumb. He was sound asleep on his stomach, his back rising and falling with each breath. Max wanted to lift him up and rock him. To pretend he wasn’t relying on old habits to keep their family together. +He grabbed his cell phone and contemplated calling Mitch to back out. The money was just too good. It was either do this or tell Jess about his mountainous debt and that they were losing their apartment. The thought of her taking Jacob to her mother’s in Tennessee was unbearable. He stumbled into the dark kitchen with his pants and shirt in one hand and his boots in the other. His eyes struggled to adjust to the darkness and he felt along the wall with his elbow for the light switch. There wasn’t time to make fresh coffee so he poured the last of yesterday’s pot into a mug and sucked it down, black and cold. +“Why are you up so early?” Jess stood in the bedroom doorway with a blue, striped burp cloth draped over her shoulder. +He hadn’t heard her get up. +“I tried to be quiet.” Max stepped into his well-worn jeans, faded in the knees and stained from crawling around at the garage. +“The shop doesn’t open until seven. What’s going on?” Her eyes were half-closed and she had the gentle, sleepy look on her face that he loved; the dazed calm that said she wasn’t awake enough to pick a fight. +“I’m doing a side job, rebuilding a transmission,” he said. “Everything’s fine. Go back to bed.” The weight of the lie kept him from looking her in the eyes. His cell phone vibrated and if Jess noticed, she didn’t say. He let the call go to voicemail but when the buzzing started again, he knew he’d better get out of the house. “I’ll be home at the regular time.” He kissed her on the cheek and rushed out the door to meet Mitch who waited two doors down in a white van with a phony power company logo on the side. +Mitch wore dark jeans and a button-down work shirt with the name “Bob” embroidered on the pocket. He leaned over and fed a training treat to a Doberman puppy sitting on a blanket in a cardboard box between the seats. +Max looked down at his own shirt--the uniform for the garage that any local would recognize—and shook his head. “What’s with the dog?” +“He’s Amy’s.” Mitch reached back and tossed a shirt that matched his to Max. “She let me borrow him.” +Amy Porter was the niece of Strandville’s local convenience store and gas station owner. Her parents died when she and her brother, Billy, were kids. While Max never found Amy to be even remotely attractive with her stringy hair and acne-scarred skin, it was clear why Mitch liked her. The girl knew how to party and she’d do anything for attention. The week before, Mitch got into a fist fight with one of the locals after Amy overdid it on Tequila and began stripping on the bar. Mitch wouldn’t admit it because Max often teased him for her looks, but he knew that Mitch loved her. +Max squeezed into the shirt, which stretched tight across his broad chest, and fought to button it. Several threads snapped under the strain. The long sleeves rode a good two inches up his forearms and irritated his new tattoo. He rolled them up to his elbows and flexed until the shirt’s fit became bearable. He looked down at the puppy and after a long silence asked, “Borrow him for what?” His phone vibrated, and again, he put the call to voicemail. +Mitch kept his eyes on the road and refused to answer. +A sinking feeling set in as the bright orange sun peeked over the horizon. Max didn’t press, figuring Mitch was screwing with him. He thought, instead, about the non-stop calls from his bookie and feared it wouldn’t be long until he sent someone to make the house call that, given their strained relationship, would end things with Jess. The mental math to calculate his total debt had become too hard, but people had their legs broken over less. +Mitch turned off the headlights and took a left on Pike Rd. He passed the widow Hinkle’s place and pulled over. “There,” he pointed at a small, blue ranch house a few doors down. “That’s where we’re headed.” He slipped the tiny, red collar from around the puppy’s neck. “The girl comes out every morning at six to bring coffee to a pair of Strandville medics.” +Max took a deep breath, dreading the answer but having to ask the question. “Are we going to kill her?” +Mitch let a moment pass before answering. “No, Max, we’re not going to kill her. It hurts me that you think that’s what I do. We’re going to drop her off at an agreed upon location, leave, and never breathe a word about it.” +“Until the next time.” With something like this there was always a next time. +“As soon as the coast is clear, I’m going to let J.D. loose. I’ll try to lure the girl, but if she runs, you catch her and if we go into the house, you follow. You hear me?” +Max nodded, knowing Mitch was capable of things he didn’t want to be part of. +A white ambulance with the words Strandville EMS emblazoned in deep red pulled up on-schedule. +Mitch hooked the red collar to a leash and scooted down in his seat. +Max, realizing that Mitch was hiding, tried to do the same, but even hunched to the side, his broad shoulders stuck out above the dashboard. He moved as low as he could and J.D lapped at his face. +“She’s coming out,” Mitch said. +Max repositioned himself so that his legs were as far under the dash as possible. His back ached as he shifted from bent over to straight. He let out an unintentional grunt that excited the dog and made him start barking. +Mitch bribed J.D. to be quiet with a handful of training treats. +The early-thirties woman emerged from the small house. Her light brown hair hung in tangles over her shoulders. Her well-worn pink bathrobe collected leaves from the sidewalk. She handed two disposable coffee cups through the ambulance’s passenger’s side window and engaged in brief conversation. +The medics waved thanks, bid their farewells, and drove out of sight. The woman turned to open her mailbox and Mitch waved for Max to get out of the van. He held a finger to his lips, telling him to be quiet, and set J.D. out on the sidewalk. As soon as the puppy’s paws hit the pavement, he ran off toward the hedgerow that partially obscured the van. Mitch waited until J.D. was far enough away and began calling him. The empty leash dangled from his hand for effect. +Max hid behind the van and watched for his opening. +“Excuse me. Have you seen a little black and brown pup?” Mitch asked the woman. “He slipped out of his collar and my daughter’s going to be crushed if I don’t bring him home.” +Max shook his head, disbelieving of how benign Mitch could look when he wanted to. The woman helped Mitch search for J.D. who was gnawing a dead branch on the other side of her property line. Mitch let her be the one to find him and after thanking her profusely, convinced her to let him inside to use her phone. +Max followed them inside the woman’s house, uncertain what came next. +By the time he walked through the living room into the kitchen, a struggle had already started. Mitch had the woman face-down on the floor and was trying to uncap a syringe with his teeth. The woman bucked and kick, bit and screamed, and broke free twice before Max stepped in to grab her. She’d fought him, too, at first and clawed his face before he finally got a good hold of her. He held her still while Mitch plunged the needle into her arm and within seconds, her body went limp. + +* * * * * + +Jacob wailed, screaming at the top of his lungs in the bassinette. Jess’ heart pounded and her full breasts ached. The strung-out, scruffy man with the knife over her son’s small body didn’t care that the infant was hungry. He wanted answers and was growing impatient. +“I’m going to ask you one last time, where’s Reid?” +The larger, fat man who smelled of stale beer and onions held her wrists together behind her back in a way that made it impossible to move painlessly. His breath was hot on her neck and his sweaty hands repulsed her. +“I told you, he’s at the garage.” She sniffed the thread of watery snot about to run on to her lip. The two men had been holding her long enough that the tears had dried on her cheeks. +The man lowered the knife further, resting its pointed tip against Jacob’s bunny blanket. Jess strained to see that he wasn’t hurting him even though it sent a searing pain into both of her shoulders. “Please, don’t hurt him.” Her voice cracked. “I swear, I told you where he is. He went to work early.” +The man behind her snickered and pressed his hips against hers. She shivered and swallowed the vomit rising up the back of her throat. +“Do you think we’re stupid or something?” the large man asked. “His boss shitcanned him a week ago. Now either you tell us the truth or cough up the twenty-seven grand he owes. Our boss doesn’t cover bad bets.” +Twenty-seven thousand dollars. Max had lied to her for the last time. The guilt of the secret she’d been carrying dissolved and all she cared about was getting these thugs away from Jacob. “What if I call him home? Give me two hours. I can get him here.” Her voice went hoarse from shouting over her crying son. +The men looked at one another. +“I can’t take much more of this shit.” The thin man standing over Jacob wagged the blade over his chest as he spoke. +Jess was thankful just to have the knife off of her son. “Please,” she said, “Where am I going to go with a newborn baby? Two hours.” +The man holding her loosened his grip and eventually let go. Her shoulders ached and her hands were numb and cold. She ran to Jacob and held him to her chest. He turned his tiny face into her and rooted furiously for food. +“Two hours,” said the scrawny man. “And if Reid’s not here when we come back, that crying will stop being a problem, you understand me?” +Breast milk leaked through her nursing pads and bra and soaked the front of her shirt. “I understand,” she said and prayed she had enough time to run. + +* * * * * + +The morning sun glared off the windshield and Max lowered the visor. He flipped open the vanity mirror and examined the scratches extending from the corner of his eye to his jaw. “What am I going to tell Jess?” +Mitch shrugged. +Max looked back at the woman, unconscious in the back of the van. “Where are we taking her?” +Mitch turned the corner, and the woman’s body rolled from one side of the van to the other. “We’re not taking her anywhere. You’re going home.” +He pulled up to Max’s apartment and gestured for him to get out. +Max looked, again, at the angry red scratches that looked clearly like four fingernails. He changed back into his garage shirt and waited for Mitch to say something. “What now?” he finally asked after a long, awkward silence. He stood half-in and half-out of the open passenger’s side door. +“Clean yourself up,” Mitch said. “I’ll be in touch after I collect our payment.” +Max shut the door and walked slowly down the crumbling sidewalk. +Mitch lingered longer than Max would have liked before pulling away. +“Here goes nothing.” +The front doorknob wiggled and nearly broke off in Max’s hand. He bent down to see the splintered jamb and the indentation in the wood that looked like the end of a crow bar. The door swung open and he rushed inside. +“Jess, are you here?” A large knife sat on the counter and he looked for blood. “Jess!” He swallowed hard and tried not to panic. “Jessica.” Jacob’s bassinette was empty in the middle of the kitchen. His blue, bunny blanket lay on the floor next to it. “Jess, answer me.” Max frantically searched, listening for muffled sounds or crying. The silence scared him the most. He rushed into the back bedroom and found the bifold closet doors open. The right one he promised to fix was off its track. Jess’s side of the closet had been emptied. Jacob’s dresser, too. Max didn’t know whether to smile or cry. Jess had left him, but at least she was alive. At least his son was alive. +He sat on the edge of the unmade bed and held Jess’s pillow to his face. He breathed in the smell of the strawberry shampoo he’d fallen asleep to every night for two years and refused to cry. He set the pillow down and opened the blinds. He was soaked through with sweat and the air felt stale and stagnant. Preoccupied as he was, he disregarded the car parked across the street and focused instead on the square of folded paper sitting on the nightstand. The edges were worn, the folds nearly torn from excessive handling. Max carefully opened it and read the page three times before comprehending what it said. He hadn’t been the only one keeping secrets. The results of a paternity test confirmed that Jacob wasn’t his son. He was Mitch’s. +A flurry of knocks came at the door. +“Open up, Reid.” +It was two of his bookie’s men, come to collect. +He had bigger problems to deal with and pocketed the results before making his way out the back bedroom window. + +* * * * * + +Mitch backed into the receiving entrance at the rear of the Nixon Healing and Research Center. Jim Lockard, the center’s maintenance man, met him at the roll up door with a gurney and a Hispanic orderly named Miguel. Mitch’s phone rang for the fifth time since dropping Max off. After sending the call to voicemail, he shut it off. +J.D. barked relentlessly inside of the van. He needed to go to the bathroom and Mitch hoped for a quick drop-off. When Jim approached, he knew he wasn’t going to get it. +Mitch rolled down the driver’s side window. “Where’s Dr. Nixon?” He closed his hand gently around J.D.’s muzzle so he could hear what Jim was saying. +“He’s not coming.” Jim passed two yellow envelopes through the half-open glass, one for him and one for Max. +Miguel opened the rear doors and grabbed the woman’s ankles, dragging her over the van’s bare metal floor. He turned her so that he could get his arms under her and transferred her to the gurney. She moaned, and after situating her restraints, he hit her with another dose of sedative. He banged on the side of the van and waved for Mitch to come help him. + “Now what?” Mitch pocketed the envelopes and stepped out. +Miguel babbled something in Spanish and pointed toward the lobby. +Jim shook his head. “Nixon wants you to take her downstairs. There was a problem earlier and this guy’s too shaken up to go down there. I had hoped you were bringing back-up.” +“I don’t want Max here. That wasn’t part of the deal.” +“Then you’re on your own.” +Mitch slipped the collar over J.D.’s head and tightened it one notch. He lifted him out of the box and handed him to Jim. +“Fine,” he said. “But I need your elevator key and you’re walking my dog.” + +* * * * * + +Sun reflected off clear glass panels in the main lobby atrium that was the centerpiece of the Nixon Center. Staff shuffled in and out of the Ambulatory Surgical Center and none of them acknowledged Mitch as he moved past with the sheet-covered gurney. From the outside, the woman appeared as a corpse headed for the morgue. He approached the elevator, the only way down, and pushed the call button. A pair of elderly women turned away from him. A little girl with thin, blonde hair that reminded him of Amy’s, stopped and smiled at him. Her mother rushed her away when she realized what she was looking at. The elevator opened and Mitch steered the gurney inside. He used Jim’s key and the car descended. +The seconds from the lobby to the basement felt like minutes; the minutes walking down the hall where the test subjects were held, like hours. The air was thick with the unequalled stench of decomposition which burned his nose and made his eyes water. A year before, five patients with an unexplainable illness were air lifted to the center from a remote area of Haiti. Three of them were family--a father, mother, and their son. Two were male researchers sent to investigate the young boy that died and spontaneously resurrected in front of half of his village. Nixon intended to cure them, but when he couldn’t, his experiment changed. Rumors circulated, but Mitch knew better than to ask for details. He kidnapped the women, took the envelopes, and whatever happened next, at least it didn’t happen to him. + +* * * * * + +Max waited for Mitch’s shift to start and parked on the edge of the Nixon Center parking lot. His muscles tensed and he rushed with adrenaline as if he’d just run a marathon. He pulled up his sweatshirt hood and walked through the row of parked cars, careful to avoid being seen by the cameras as he made his way to the locked, first floor security office and knocked. +“Mitch, open up.” His instinct was to pound the door flat, to kick it in and drag Mitch into the hallway, but he knew better than to draw that kind of attention. He knocked again. “Mitch, you piece of shit, I know you’re in there.” He spoke through clenched teeth, becoming angrier by the second. Each knock was progressively louder. “Dammit!” He kicked the door with the toe of his boot and let out a frustrated growl. +“Can I help you?” A small, thin guard wearing Nixon Center blues and a pair of black-rimmed glasses stood with his hand on his Taser. His nametag said his name was Brian Foster. + “I need to see Mitch.” +Brian shook his head. “I’m sorry. I can’t help you.” +Max checked to see that no one was watching and flashed Brian the pistol holstered at his side. “I’m not leaving without talking to him.” +Brian went for his radio and Max grabbed his wrist. He spun him around easily and shoved him into the door hard enough to twist the glasses on his face. “Open it.” +“I don’t…” +“Before you tell me you don’t have keys, realize that I know more about this place than you think.” +“Is that so, Mr. Reid?” Dr. Howard Nixon walked up behind them wearing surgical scrubs and disposable booties over his shoes. Dried bloodstains spattered the sleeve of the white lab coat that appeared to be thrown on as an afterthought. He slipped the blue cap off of his head and smoothed the tufts of unruly gray hair. +Max took a deep breath and stood his ground. “I need to see Mitch.” He tightened his grip on the guard. +“I wouldn’t do anything rash if I were you.” Nixon pointed at the mirror mounted in the corner. Max felt stupid for missing the nearest camera. “If you’ll do me the courtesy of letting Brian go,” Nixon said, “maybe we can help each other.” +Max did as he was told and in the hour that followed, accepted a permanent position at the center, and his next off-site assignment. + +* * * * * + +Seventy miles wasn’t far enough away to feel safe. Jess’s phone rang; the tenth call since Max realized she was gone. His messages ranged from concerned, to apologetic, to angry. He told her he loved her. He called her a whore. He made obscure threats toward Mitch, who didn’t know he was Jacob’s father or that Jess had dumped that news on Max in anger. She called several times to warn him, but those calls went unanswered. +One night with Mitch, a fling she only had out of spite when Max spent their last hundred bucks on a bet, had changed everything. She never meant for anyone to know and wrestled with the decision to have the paternity test done for the first two months of Jacob’s life. +The secret was bigger than any Max had kept and she wished now, facing motherhood alone and on-the-run, that she’d handled the situation differently. + +* * * * * + +It was almost midnight and Max was running on a dangerous combination of adrenaline, paranoia, and anger, having looked over his shoulder every minute since he left his apartment. He turned off his headlights and pulled into the woods using an old access road that was overgrown with saplings and ferns. The thin branches scraped along the sides of his truck and the shrill sound pierced the late night silence. He parked out of sight of the ramshackle cabin a few hundred feet on the other side of the tree line and looked for a clear footpath. An old pick-up truck idled in the driveway and the smell of exhaust choked him as he made his way through the trees. He covered his mouth to stifle the cough and took slow, calculated steps, careful to avoid the snapping and breaking of branches. +A young, pimple-faced boy in a gas station attendant’s uniform slammed the front door and took a drag off the cigarette pinched between his thin lips. He climbed into the driver’s seat and tore out onto the highway with the hurriedness of someone who was late. Sparks trailed as the dangling exhaust connected with the pavement. The truck rounded the bend and one by one, the lights in the house, now only feet away, turned off. +Max took the syringe of sedative out of his pocket. Nixon insisted there be no signs of struggle and was upset to know how things had gone with the girl they’d kidnapped earlier that morning. His obvious disappointment with Mitch made it that much easier to negotiate terms for himself. Max had yet to make the connection between the infected men and the kidnapped woman, but whatever research Nixon performed in the sterile, basement labs was not something anyone would want for their sister, wife, or girlfriend. +He made his way to the side of the house, keeping to the shadows in spite of the fact that the cabin sat in the middle of acres of woods and grass. He crouched beneath a half-open window and watched. Amy Porter tied back her stringy hair and dabbed some kind of cream on her spotty, red complexion. She brushed her teeth and adjusted the button-down nightshirt riding up the back of her underwear before heading toward the back bedroom. +Max pried the screen from the window. The blue latex gloves made it hard to maneuver the pins and the whole thing crashed at his feet. He held his breath for the seconds that followed. When Amy didn’t appear, he pulled himself up through the ground-level opening with the syringe between his teeth. The wooden frame bit into his shoulders as he twisted to pass through. +The uneven floors creaked under Max’s steps. He moved carefully and replayed every conversation he’d ever had with Mitch about Amy. Part of him believed that Mitch thought he was protecting her, belittling how much she meant to him. Part of him knew it was embarrassment. Max had known Mitch since he was six-years-old and some things didn’t need to be said between friends. Against his will, he imagined Mitch with Jess, in his house and in his bed and able to face him afterward like nothing had happened. But something had. Something more betraying and terrible and cruel than even his mind could conjure. +He entered the bedroom and found Amy, eyes closed, listening to music through a pair of ear bud headphones. She was lying on her side, arm stretched overhead. The way Jess slept after her pregnant stomach became too big for her to lie on her back. He set the uncapped syringe on the nightstand and stood over her, unnoticed. The next thing he knew, he was on top of her, pinning her down and stuffing a wadded up tee shirt into her mouth to silence her screams. He tore off her panties, wanting to take from her what Mitch had taken from Jess. She thrashed and kicked and spit the gag out twice before Max buried it so deep in her mouth that she struggled for breath. He reached to unzip his pants and something told him to stop. Whatever Nixon planned for her would be worse. He plunged the needle into her bare thigh and her body wilted. Max let her arms go and imagined Mitch’s reaction to finding her, restrained to a hospital bed in the Nixon Center basement. He slipped the paternity test into the breast pocket of her nightshirt where Mitch would see it and slung her over his shoulder. Nixon said he needed a female of child-bearing age. Amy fit the criteria. It hardly seemed payback, but it was a start. + + +* * * * * + + + +Follow Max Reid’s descent into madness in Cure: A Strandville Zombie Novel #1, and Afterbirth: A Strandville Zombie Novel #2 available in e-book or print from most ebook retailers. + + + +About the Author: + +Belinda Frisch's fiction has appeared in Shroud Magazine, Dabblestone Horror, and Tales of Zombie War. She is an honorable mention winner in the Writer's Digest 76th Annual Writing Competition and her novel, CURE, is the runner-up in the General Fiction category of the 2012 Halloween Book Festival. She is the author of DEAD SPELL, PAYBACK, CURE, and AFTERBIRTH. + +Find out more at: http://belindaf.blogspot.com/ + + + +April Grey + + +I'll Love Ya Forever, But... + +You know, it was a marriage they said would never last. +Even I had my doubts. After all, I was a dancer—dancer, mind you, not a stripper--at the Pussy Cat A-Go-Go Club and he was this geeky post doc at his friend’s bachelor party. But I became a good professor’s wife. I hosted faculty teas and luncheons, kept the house spotless, made healthy meals, kept myself in shape and raised two beautiful boys—one now at MIT and the other at Cal Tech. +Still, it’s supposed to be until death do you part. Death: the parting of the ways. This whole eternity thing—I never agreed to it. +Faithful to a fault, that’s my Fred. +And he wasn’t buried three days when he showed up at the back door covered in dirt, and his feet, well, he had no shoes on, just socks. Wet, muddy, slimy socks! He should have told me, put it in his will or something, to bury him in shoes. I would have done it—I can be unconventional. He should have warned me, but he was always the typical absent-minded professor. +I was in such shock that I hadn’t the presence of mind to shut the door on him. So now he was on my freshly washed kitchen floor, with moldering leaves and what have you, and he grunts at me. +"Huh?" I said, equally speechless. I kept that floor clean enough to eat off of and now look what he’d done. +He grunted again. Prior to his demise my Fred was a well-spoken man, and he had this amazingly plummy voice for his lectures. +"Fred, honey, I don’t know what you’re saying." He opened his mouth a bit wider and a few white crawly things, slugs, maggots, I don’t know, fell out onto the floor. I shrieked and ran for the disinfectant and my cleaning gloves. While I was under the sink, trying to decide on straight ammonia or pine fresh, he shambled over. He was right there and tried to embrace me as I stood up with my supplies. Well, no way, I thought, though I was pinned to the sink. He smelled of soil and decaying things. Still I tried to stifle my revulsion. This after all was the father of my boys, so I didn’t want to hurt his feelings. Neither could I accept letting him get one inch closer. I put out both my hands, filled as they were with cleaning products. +He grunted plaintively, perhaps at the expression on my face, and turned around moving toward the living room—oh, my white shag rug! The one that I waited years for the boys to get old enough to head off to college before getting. The one that I made everyone take off their shoes before walking on. That one! +Well, yes, Fred wasn’t wearing any shoes, but that only made things worse; there was already a trail of grime across my kitchen floor. I know that Martha Stewart claims she can get out dirt from shag, but can you take the word of a jail bird? +It was time to lay down some guidelines. +"Fred, Lovey," I said as I got out some chilled wine from the fridge. I froze. I had had that wine in the fridge chilling since before his accident at the lab. The dinner I had planned that tragic night was trout almandine with green beans and rice. Healthy meals, that’s what I strived for. Pulling myself together, I found the corkscrew and opened the wine. "Please sit down and have a little. I know this has been a stressful time for us both. Why, the boys lost a week from their classes, and only flew back last night. I’m sorry you missed them." +I must have been getting through to him because he turned away from my shag and came back towards the kitchen nook where I had poured us two glasses of wine. I patted the wrought iron café chair, hoping he’d take a seat. I only meant to sip my glass of wine, but the sight of him, and his yellowing, hard boiled eyes, upset me. I downed it and poured a second glass. +"Sweety-kins," I began, using the back of my hand to wipe away a dribble of wine from my chin. "This isn’t going to work out. You know I adore you, and I’ll love you always." +He moaned and the sound of it drove a cold chill down my spine. I forgot what I was going to say for a moment, while I wondered what that green and fuzzy thing was on the side of his nose. Was it growing there? +He was trying to say something, maybe that he loved me too. But did he love me enough to stop this insanity and head back to his grave? +"You know, you can’t stay here. You’re dead and your new home is in the cemetery. Remember? We picked out the grave site together. You really loved those cypress trees!" I tried to be as gentle as possible. "And the funeral, I guess you don’t remember that, but the boys were there and all your colleagues from the University. And what would they all say after such a beautiful ceremony? It would be downright rude not to stay dead." I gulped down another glass of wine and felt the room whirl. +"And I promise to visit you every week. Won’t that be grand?" +He didn’t touch the wine, but grunting even louder returned to the entrance of the living room and my shag rug. I hadn’t gotten through to him at all, and now my rug was about to pay the price! Where was that reasonable man I had married? Gone forever, I feared. +I didn’t know how I would stop him but I ran past him into the living room and stood in front of him, wordlessly begging him to stop. But stop he didn’t, instead he pushed past me and crossed my rug leaving a dank, black, oozing trail across it. But the rug was not his final destination, and he entered his study. I was tempted to shut the door behind him and lock it. But then what would I do? I had to somehow get him to understand his place in the world was the graveyard now that he was dearly departed. +Inside the study I found him tearing through his desk. He slipped a vial of some grey-green concoction into his coat pocket, and then continued to throw papers on the floor. His study was the one place in the house where I wasn’t allowed to go while he was alive. After his demise, it had taken me hours to collect and sort his papers, but I didn’t complain about this new mess. I can be noble. +With a happy grunt, he found his research journal. It was his habit to have two sets of notes, one in his study for him to pour over at night and the second one at his lab. I smiled and nodded--maybe he just wanted some reading to take with him? +He brandished it at me. I read the cover, "Immortality Project." I sighed. Poor, poor Fred. I usually spent the time when he was talking about his work figuring out the dinner rotation or the week’s grocery shopping in my head. Had I known, I would have told him what a dumb idea it was. +Immortality? Who would fund something like that? +"Is that it, Fred? You wanted to tell me what you had been working on? Well, I understand. It all went wrong, horribly wrong. You’re dead now, and it’s time to head back to Shady Elms. I’ll miss you, but I’ll come by every week with fresh flowers. You’ll see that being dead isn’t too bad." +With a howl he rushed forward and lifted me up in his arms. I shrieked, and then I kicked and pushed against him, but to no avail--he was walking on my beautiful shag again--this time headed for our bedroom. Now I didn’t have just one filthy path to clean but two. I had to admire his strength though; lugging me around like that should have thrown out his back, but here he was carrying me without a moan or even a grunt. +I’ve always been careful with my husband’s feelings. Scientists are like artists, sensitive, but he just wasn’t getting the message. Something dropped off of him and wiggled itself down into the shag. I screamed and pounded my fists on his all too solid back, enraged that not only would I have to get it cleaned but fumigated as well. +But just when you’d think it can’t get worse, it did. He crossed the threshold of our bedroom and I realized that he was about to violate the pristine ambiance of our bedroom. +"Put me down, Fred. I’m not going to make love to you. No, means no!" He ignored me. Crossing the pale pink and beige carpet of our bedroom, he tossed me on the bed like a sack of turnips. +"Please, in the name of all that is holy, there are 400 thread count Egyptian cotton sheets on this bed." +Sex, great sex, had been the mortar of our marriage. In the bedroom together, we were frenzied, exotic animals pounding out our differences, but I draw the line at necrophilia. +I opened my mouth to tell him no one last time, but he grabbed my jaw. With surprising deftness, he unstopped the vial I had seen him put into his pocket, and poured the stuff down my throat. +It was as if liquid nitrogen had been poured into me, instantly freezing my mouth, jaw and neck. I felt it slide down my throat into my stomach, and an intense iciness enveloped my torso and spread through my limbs. +The only heat remaining to me were my tears pouring down the sides of my face. As my vision faded, Fred leaned over and mouthed some words. +I can’t be sure, I can only hope, but I think he said, "Trust me." +Well, maybe Martha was right about getting dirt out of shag…. + +*** + +For more stories and information, please visit : +http://www.aprilgrey.blogspot.com and www.aprilgreywrites.com + +Michelle Kilmer and Rebecca Hansen + +EXCERPTS FROM THE SPREAD: +A ZOMBIE SHORT STORY COLLECTION + +Written by Michelle Kilmer and Rebecca Hansen + +*** + +THE PRICE OF CONVENIENCE + +After the healthiest snack he could find at a mini mart – a snack pack of apples and grapes – Paul was back to his delivery route. His health had not improved and he was looking forward to finishing early. When he checked his clipboard for his final stop, he felt like going home immediately instead: it was Thea Mathes. +“I have to get rid of this route,” Paul said to himself as he pulled his vehicle to the curb. Before he had even loaded his hand truck with her groceries, Thea was at her window watching his every move. +Even if Paul could forget about this crazy woman, her doormat would remind him whose house he was at. It read “Wipe your feet three times before you hit the chime!” As he did, he could swear that Thea was counting. What would you do if I only wiped once? He wanted to ask her. +Once his feet were clean she allowed him in. The entry hall was long and Thea had installed a large hand sanitizer dispenser on either end. She pointed to the one closest to the front door. +“I have gloves on!” Paul protested. +“I saw you blow your nose out there, Paul. What’s wrong? Are you sick? You know I don’t allow sick people into my house,” Thea said nervously. +“No, I’m fine,” Paul lied. “I just had a tickle in my nose. It’s from all the cardboard boxes.” +“Gloves off, sanitizer on.” Thea crossed her arms and stood watch until he’d done as she asked. +“Ok, I smell like I’ve been drinking on the job now. Can I finish this up?” He nodded in the direction of the kitchen. +“All right, but if I hear so much as a sniffle from you, you’re out and I’m calling your manager,” Thea declared. “It is a biological hazard to be sending sick people all over the city.” +He pushed his hand truck down the hall, eyeing the second hand sanitizer dispenser as he passed by. “Hey Thea, this one’s running a little low,” he snickered. +Thea appeared immediately with a refill bag but was disappointed to find that Paul had lied. “I knew I’d just refilled that one! Public health is not a joke, Paul!” +Upon hearing his name used so casually once again from the mouth of a near stranger he became more irritated. “New company policy,” he said to himself in the kitchen, “no wearing nametags in crazy people’s houses.” +Back near the front door, Thea was on her hands and knees wiping the wood floor where the hand truck had rolled with a cloth and a disinfectant spray. “Paul, I can’t allow you to bring that cart in here again. It tracks too much dirt.” +Her voice was sounding distant to him and his balance was wavering again, but with more intensity. Paul moved quickly to unload the boxes. This was more than a cold, possibly the flu. He pushed his hand truck into the hall and quickly slipped on a wet puddle of the spray that Thea had laid down. His head hit the floor with a thud. +“Oh my word!” Thea yelled and rushed to his side. His eyes were closed. “Paul! Paul, wakeup!” She shook his shoulders and gingerly grabbed his chin and moved his face side to side in an attempt to rouse him. She put her face close to his chest. He wasn’t breathing and she could hear no heart beat. +Thea stood up and ran to the dispenser on the wall. She filled her hand with a small pool of the sanitizing goo. She smeared some around his mouth and on his lips and for good measure, smeared some on her own face. “Ok, Thea. As soon as he starts breathing you can stop,” she comforted herself. +She checked again with the hope that he had started to breathe on his own, but he hadn’t. Thea leaned toward Paul’s face; her lips approached his slightly parted set. +Maybe it was the touch of skin on skin or just part of the reanimation process but as soon as she’d made contact, Paul returned to life. Thea screamed as his arms gripped her in a hug and he bit her lip. +With a strength she didn’t know she had, Thea struggled free of his hold, opened her front door and ran from her house. +This time Thea was absolutely certain that something was wrong with her. Others had called her a hypochondriac in the past, but this was different. A man had drawn her blood with his mouth, a mouth that had been god knows where. +Two years prior she had a cancer scare, that no one else (not even the doctor!) thought was real. She had the weird looking mole removed just to make sure. Seven months ago she suffered severe burns to her lower legs, brought on by a close call with spontaneous combustion. The paramedics told her she had been sitting to close to a space heater. In between those two major incidents she was sick all of the time with any number of sneezes and sniffles that were floating around the neighborhood. That is why she had the dispensers installed and why she carried facemasks in her purse. +Blood ran from her cut lip and she was panting heavily after running three blocks. I must look insane, she thought. She pulled one of the masks from her purse and put it on. It would at least cover the wound; whether it made her look more psychotic she didn’t care. +She neared the police station but kept walking. Before she could report the attack something had to be done to protect her body. There was a drug store just a few more blocks down the road; she could get what she needed there. +The door glided open for Thea and an employee in a red vest immediately greeted her. +“Can I help you find anything?” he chimed. +Thea felt she couldn’t answer the question. Small talk would only allow the disease to spread faster through her body. Ignoring him, she grabbed a cart and moved with purpose to the personal health and hygiene aisle. She watched him out of the corner of her eye. When she was certain he’d moved on, she started chugging bottles of cough syrup. +Next, Thea picked up a bag of cough drops, ripped it open and unwrapped no less than ten of the herbal lozenges. She put the entire handful in her mouth and dropped the wrappers to the floor. +A security guard appeared at the end of the aisle. The man was bulky and an entire foot taller than Thea. He walked confidently but slowly toward her. +“Ma’am, I need you to put the merchandise down and follow me to the office,” the guard calmly stated. Thea looked up at him in terror and shook her head in declination. +“I haf ta be helfy!” she cried out, cough drops spilling from her overstuffed mouth. “Healthy!” she yelled more clearly, collapsing to the ground amid the scattered lozenges, wrappers and empty plastic bottles. +The guard mumbled something into a radio he’d unclipped from his belt. Without warning he grabbed Thea and escorted her to the office. Thea was made to sit at the worn, Formica-topped table in the middle of the room while the guard called the police. +“Hi, uh, non-emergency. Yeah, I’d like to report a theft. Yes, the suspect is in custody. Yes, that’s the address. Ok, thank you,” the guard said into the office phone. He hung up and turned to face Thea. “The police are on their way.” +Out in the drugstore, a manager and employee surveyed the scene of the crime. “Stanley, grab some gloves from the sales floor and clean these up,” the manager directed as he nudged one of the sticky lozenges near his left foot. “And take this cart back to the front.” +The employee did as he was told. With gloves hugging his hands he picked up the discarded cough drops and then found a mop to get rid of the tack they’d left on the floor. Just as he put the bucket and mop away, the police arrived to escort the woman to jail. He followed behind them, pushing the cart back to the front. +She struggled against the handcuffs and yelled at the policemen to wipe off the backseat before putting her into the car. + +*** + +FREE CANDY + +“This isn’t preschool, mommy.” +“I know. Mommy forgot to pack you something to share for snack time. We’ll go to preschool next, Maia,” Annette explained. +She pulled her station wagon into the drugstore parking lot. After parking, she walked to the back door to help her daughter out of the car. +As they crossed the lot to the entrance, Annette noticed a police cruiser parked parallel with the curb in front of the store. Stupid shoplifting kids, she thought. But, as they walked into the store, two cops staggered by with the struggling culprit in their arms. Annette was surprised to see that it was a middle-aged woman with something red smeared on her face. +“Do you need a cart, ma’am?” a sales person asked as he approached, pushing one. +“Do you want to walk like a big girl, or ride in the cart?” Annette asked Maia, though she knew what her daughter’s answer would be. +“Cart!” Maia screamed a bit too excitedly. +“Inside voice,” Annette calmly reminded her daughter as she accepted the cart and lifted Maia into the child seat. +Annette walked aimlessly around the aisles. She maneuvered around a ‘caution, wet floor’ sign near the Band-Aids. “Hmm, what happened here?” she thought aloud. +“Something got spill-ded,” Maia answered. +Annette smiled and focused on finding shareable foods. In the snack section she quickly passed by the pretzels because every other mom always brought them. Coming up with nothing suitable, she went to the refrigerated section to pick up some yogurts. +While Annette left the cart to hold open the door to the cooler, Maia found something stuck to the child seat next to her. It was red and round and looked like candy. “Mommy, can I have this?” Maia asked with the sticky cough drop already in her fingers and nearing her mouth. But Annette couldn’t hear her daughter over the noise of the refrigerator, especially since the yogurt hadn’t been restocked, forcing her to climb halfway inside to reach anything. +Maia put the cough drop in her mouth and was happily sucking away on it when Annette returned to the cart. +“What’s in your mouth?” Annette asked. +“Candy,” Maia said quietly. +Annette held out her hand and Maia knew that meant she had to spit it out. The cough drop fell onto Annette’s hand. She searched her purse for a tissue to wrap it in but had to settle for a gum wrapper that barely encased it. +“Where’d you find it?” Annette asked, but she didn’t really want to know the answer. Kids were always putting objects in their mouths, no matter how dirty they appeared to be. +“Here,” Maia touched a tiny finger to the seat. Her finger stuck a little to the residue as she pulled it away. +“Uuugh,” Annette moaned. “What have I told you about eating things?” +“Ask mommy first,” Maia recited. “I did.” +“Well Mommy has to hear you ask the question and she has to answer you, ok?” +Maia nodded and Annette pushed the cart to the checkout lanes. +“Just the yogurt for you, ma’am?” the sales person asked from behind the register. +Annette nodded and smiled. She didn’t want to sound rude so she said as politely as she could, “Do the shopping carts ever get cleaned?” +Stanley wasn’t sure so he thought for a second and replied, “I could ask my manager, if you like?” +“No, that’s ok. She’s late for preschool. Could you throw this away for me though? My daughter found it in the cart and put it in her mouth.” Annette handed him the partially wrapped cough drop. +“Oh, I’m so sorry about that! Sure thing. Have a good day, ma’am.” Stanley smiled his best smile as the woman and her child left the store. He looked down at what she’d given him. He could see the red of the cough drop peeking out through the silver of the gum wrapper. +“I sure hope that crazy lady wasn’t sick or anything. That’ll be a lawsuit right there.” + +*** + +SOMETHING TO SHARE + +“Alright! Now that all of our friends are here we can get started! Does everyone have their buddies?” Veronica Peters asked, as she looked around the room at the bouncy, messy-haired heads of ten 4-year-olds. +“Yes,” the group of preschoolers responded as they calmed down and sought to hold their buddy’s hand. +It gave Veronica the creeps when all the kids answered at the same time, especially when they did it holding hands. All Village of the Damned like, she thought. She was a non-traditional teacher and an even more non-traditional person outside of school, preferring the company of animals to people and spending hours reading about witchcraft and serial killers. If the parents of the preschoolers knew anything about her personal interests, they wouldn’t bring their kids to her. She snapped a smile back on her face. “Let’s all sit on the center rug and we can start sharing time. Does anyone have something they’d like to share?” she asked. +Most of the children were shy but she could always count on one or two of them to eat up the time by describing a toy they had lost or an animal they had seen at the zoo. A small hand shot into the air. “Danny, go ahead,” Veronica invited him to speak. +“My doggy runned away,” he said as he picked his nose. He then sat down, offering no more information on the absent pooch. +“I’m sorry to hear that. That’s sad, isn’t it?” she asked the other children. Many nodded in agreement. One girl, who was rather emotional on most days, started crying. +“It’s ok,” her buddy said to her. +“Does anyone else have something to share with their friends?” Veronica asked. +Without raising her hand, Maia stood up and started talking. “A lady got rested from the yogurt store.” +“Miss Maia, we don’t talk until we raise our hand and get called on, right?” Veronica gently reminded her, though she had little patience for Maia as the little girl often ignored rules. “You can spend five minutes in time out while everyone else plays.” +Maia stomped to the time out corner while the other children scattered to different learning tables around the room. After five minutes, Veronica retrieved her. +“Go ahead and join the others,” Veronica said as she watched the girl slowly rise and retreat to the empty finger painting station. +After thirty minutes of activities, Veronica called the children back to the center rug. “Today we are going to continue learning about animals. Does everyone remember the animals they chose yesterday?” +The children nodded. +“When I say ‘go’ I want everyone to pretend to be their animal. You can walk like your animal and make noises like it. Now, go!” +The children milled about on the center rug and slowly traveled to all corners of the room. One of the girls had picked a pigeon, which she called a ‘pig-en’, after having seen them in the park. She waved her arms around excitedly. Another child, a boy, was a bear. Danny, the boy who’d lost his dog, was a lion but he was copying the movements of the bear. Maia had picked rabbit, but she hadn’t moved from the center rug. +“Aren’t you going to hop around like a bunny, Maia?” Veronica asked her, but the girl looked tired. “Do you want to start nap time early?” + Maia shook her head and started to gently hop around the room. After a short time she too started copying the bear child’s movements. Danny saw this and became angry. +“I’M the LION!” he yelled at her. +Veronica had been watching one of the smallest girls pretend to be a goldfish, but her head instinctively whipped toward the yelling voice. “What’s wrong, Danny?” +“I’m ‘posed to be the lion. Not her!” he yelled and pointed at Maia, whose fingers were gnarled into pretend lion’s claws. +“Let’s all pretend to be our own animals, children,” Veronica said calmly as she looked at the clock on the wall. “Well, time’s up anyway. Who wants a nap?” I know I do, she thought. She quickly laid out ten blue mats on the floor and watched as the kids picked one and closed their eyes. Veronica turned down the lights and exited the room into an inner hallway of the small building to find coffee. +Being so young, Maia didn’t notice the changes her ill body was undergoing as she napped. She was sweating but goose bumps crawled along her arms. She tossed and turned until her body went numb and her breathing stopped. +Naptime was usually fifteen to thirty minutes depending on how long it took Veronica to get rid of her daily headache. Ten minutes into her midday peace she heard a scream from the classroom. She was about to open the door but Danny burst through it, crying. +“What’s wrong?” Veronica asked him. “Did you have a bad dream?” +“I’M THE LION!” he yelled. +“I know you’re the lion, Danny. Is Maia still pretending?” Veronica asked. Sometimes the children didn’t go to sleep during naptime, instead choosing to wander the classroom and disrupt the others. The boy nodded his head and lifted his small arm to show her what Maia had done. +“The lion bited me!” he cried as the other children began screaming. +“Go to the first aid box by the sink, ok?” Veronica directed him as she opened the door to the classroom and turned the lights back on. There were a couple of children still lying on the mats, motionless. The rest of the class had sought refuge underneath the activity tables. Maia stood with one of the goldfish girl’s arms in her hands. +“Maia, time out right now!” Veronica yelled at the girl. +At the sound of the teacher’s loud voice, Maia started toward her. Her teeth were bared and she still held her hands out in front of her like lion’s claws. +“Stop this!” Veronica screamed but Maia kept moving in her direction. The teacher knew she could overpower the child if she needed to but she feared a lawsuit from the parents. Indecision left her when Maia’s tiny teeth bit down on her arm. Veronica picked up the girl and walked to the bathroom. She set Maia down inside the small room and closed the door as quickly as she could. She could hear the child clawing at the wood of the door but she felt nothing for her. Maia’s lack of respect for her authority had gone on too long. +“Rose, can you bring me my purse?” she asked the goldfish girl. Dutifully, the child brought it to her. She pulled her cell phone out of the bag and with trembling fingers she found the contact listing for Maia’s mom. +“Hi, Annette,” Veronica said when the familiar voice answered on the other end. “You’ll have to pick up Maia. I’m not sure if she’s sick or something but she is acting very strange. She bit some of the other kids and then me…No, I haven’t called any of the other parents yet…No, I can’t put her on the phone. She’s in the bathroom and I’m not letting her out until you get here…I told you, she attacked us…I don’t know what’s wrong! I’m not a psychologist. Please, just come get her.” Veronica hung up and started down the list of other parents. +“Hi, Barry. Can you come back to the preschool and pick up Danny? I don’t want you to be alarmed but another child bit him on his forearm…No, no, he’ll be fine. It isn’t bad at all.” + +*** + +Michelle Kilmer is a writer and designer living in Seattle, WA. When she is not writing she can be found playing video games, designing websites, singing and playing guitar, sewing, or dressing up in "full gore" to attend zombie events. +She is working on several projects including a follow-up to When the Dead, a super secret zombie story geared toward young adults, and a handful of sci-fi short stories that give her the creeps. +She lives with her husband, an attack hamster and a fear of the dark. +Rebecca Hansen is twin sister to Michelle and lover of everything zombie. The Spread is her first contribution to the genre. +When she isn’t plotting gruesome fictional deaths she fancies hiking, painting and watching low budget and foreign horror movies. A seasoned special effects make-up artist, she turns willing subjects into the walking dead on the weekends. +She lives just north of Seattle with her boyfriend, three attack cats, a gun, axe, machete and small collection of knives. +Find out how Paul the deliveryman became infected and follow the plague as it continues to spread. Look for The Spread: A Zombie Short Story Collection and Michelle’s full-length novel When the Dead on whenthedead.com + +*** + + + +EXCERPT FROM : WHEN THE DEAD + +By MICHELLE KILMER + + +THE INFECTION + +It starts with a cold sweat then a swift drop in body temperature that makes the teeth chatter. The skin feels itchy and hot but the insides are dying from the cold. +Then the numbness starts in the extremities. Finger tips, toes, up through the feet and hands into the legs and arms and finally the core. It cannot be rubbed out as the hands do not work anymore. +It reaches the chest and the ability to control the breathing is lost. Just before the last breath of air escapes the lungs, numbness reaches the head. +The eyes go crazy, the tongue limp. One cannot call out for help as the head falls on the chest. There is but a single moment for the dying self to think a final thought... +Why me? +But then . . . you aren’t you anymore. + +*** + +FUCKED + +“I can’t understand what they’re saying,” Edward said as he slammed a fist down on the radio. +“You could try another station. That sounds like French they’re speaking,” his wife Moira suggested. She had wanted a television for a long time but Edward preferred the way the voices came floating from the speakers into the apartment. This meant that in the current situation though, they had to rely on the radio show hosts’ graphic descriptions to give them any idea of what was going on in cities across the globe. +“The other stations keep replaying the same stuff. It’s not getting any better; only worse,” Edward grumbled. +“Then there’s nothing we can do but make some tea and wait to see what happens next.” + +*** + +“It’s happening everywhere,” Isobel said to her mother over the phone. She had spent the morning reading news articles online. She had watched a clip of someone succumb to the infection on a CDC table, surrounded by plastic and strapped down like a criminal or lunatic. +“Things will be ok, Isobel! They have a carrier. It really is only a matter of time. If they can study it, they can find a cure or at least a vaccine. Try to keep this thing from spreading any further.” +“It’s too big already. The world is fucked. I’ve got to go.” She hung up the phone not knowing it would be the last time she’d speak to her mother. + +*** + +“On and on for three days, man; can’t they talk about something else?” Vaughn turned off his television angrily. “Could have been aliens, maybe the government, maybe bio- terrorists? Shut up.” He chucked a drained beer can at the black screen. “Just fix it and forget it!” +Vaughn was alone, as he often was, unless he paid for company. He was talking to himself. He probably couldn’t even pay someone to listen to him. Especially when he was drunk and that was most of the time. +“Couldn’t be bio-terrorists, they’d a laid claim to it. Been proud of the trouble they were causing. Pretty fancy stuff making dead people come back to life. It has to be the government; only group with enough funding and closed doors to pull this shit off.” + +*** + +The infection was quickly spreading. It had reached terrorist groups and government groups alike. It lay in thousands of sickbeds, it rode the bus, and it lived next door to many already. No one was immune from this unstoppable plague. +The number one cause for the spread of the disease was denial. It made no sense to anyone. News media could be blamed for the lies with headlines like It’s impossible! Death is death, the final breath, and People Don’t Come Back. They stay wherever it is that they went. +*** + +WILLOW BROOK APARTMENTS + +Willow Brook is a three-story building, four if you count the basement. Each floor has six two-bedroom apartments with identical floor plans. +The kitchen is to the left of the entry. It has an island that looks out on the dining room and living room. The first room on the right down the hallway is a second bedroom. Next is the laundry closet with a stacking washer/dryer unit. The last room on the right is the bathroom. At the end of the hall is a closet and the master bedroom is on the left. +All of the apartments look more or less like this save for differences in décor and varying levels of tidiness. The Willow Brook building is controlled access, meaning that if you don’t have a key, someone has to buzz you in, or not. + +*** +THE FIRST DAY + +On the morning of the first day, the day that things would start to change for the residents of Willow Brook Apartments, things looked normal. When Isobel Shiffman looked outside it was almost too normal, right down to the happy thieving squirrel in the tree nearest her living room window. +Northgate is at the northern edge of Seattle and the nearest reports of the disease were further north in Everett and south in Tacoma, still far enough away for Isobel to brave the outdoors. Her mother had told her to stock up on food just in case things didn’t clear up as quickly as she hoped. Isobel had gone shopping on Sunday and it was only Tuesday but her mother insisted. +Like Isobel, the rest of the city driven by nagging mothers, packed into the grocery stores and left them in such a state of disarray that it was hard for her to navigate. The cart, even without the help of the wobbly right front wheel, kept running into things: cans of food, a bag of chips, some nylons, and other items strewn about. All of which were displaced far from their original aisle and shelf. She struggled with it until she found the secret to making the cart move was to put pressure on the left side of it with her foot. She went for some of the fresh food that everyone else was ignoring, figuring it could be eaten first and when it ran out or started to rot, whichever happened first, she’d break into the non- perishables (of which she had a lot). +She made it up to the only open checkout lane. +“How long did you buy for?” the nervous cashier asked. +“Um . . . I don’t know. A week?” Isobel wasn’t good at estimation or small talk. Her cart was full with what she knew was affordable for her budget and, more importantly, what she could carry up to her second floor apartment on her own. She hadn’t been thinking about timelines. +“That won’t be enough. The world is coming to an end.” +“Ok. Well how long do you buy for when the world is coming to an end?” Isobel snapped at the cashier. +“Don’t know,” the cashier shrugged. “Do you want your receipt?” +“Sure.” +On the way back home, the radio still reporting news from all over, documented the plague’s movement. It crept slowly closer. Isobel turned the radio up and listened. +“Early this morning, a ferry full of people trying to get home to their families left Whidbey Island alive and well and arrived at the Edmonds ferry dock infected with the mysterious disease we’ve been seeing. They had somehow contracted the disease on the passage over the Puget Sound. Ferry officials at the Edmonds Pier heard no reports from the captain of the vessel that anything was wrong on the boat. The captain routinely steered the ship into port and the infected disembarked and started attacking people in the parking lot. It is suspected that at least twenty of the infected passengers made it out of the ferry terminal and into downtown Edmonds. Efforts to locate and apprehend them in order to contain the spread of the infection have been unsuccessful. Several injured passengers made it safely onto lifeboats before the ferry made it ashore, but they did not survive their wounds. The captain of the vessel has been detained for questioning at this time.” +The program switched to weather and Isobel changed the station, desperate to find out just how close it had become. +“- determined that the perpetrator of a street fight in downtown Seattle, described by witnesses as a “drunken transient”, was actually a person suffering from the infection. Police shot the man after he attempted to attack them. It is unknown how he came into contact with the disease. Attempts to identify the individual are ongoing, as his body appeared to be in a state of decomposition. The flesh of his fingertips was gone, rendering fingerprinting useless. Investigators are working with dental records-” +Isobel changed it again, looking for another news story and its location. +“A group of students started a riot on University Avenue in the U-District just after eleven a.m. Over fifty college students were injured in the event, four fatally. The group seemed to have no agenda and was only intent on causing destruction and harm to individuals. Sources at the scene noted that the group was not involved in looting or property damage. Most of the students fled the scene before they could be arrested and interrogated. Campus police had great difficulty dealing with the problem and are not commenting at this time. It is still unknown whether the perpetrators were rioting in response to the disease, or as a result of being infected with it.” +Isobel’s heart beat faster. +“A bloody scene at the Helene Madison Pool greeted Shoreline Police investigators midday today. A lifeguard interviewed said that a man had emerged from the men’s locker room at the start of Public Swim and started attacking children in the shallow end of the pool. It took two lifeguards on staff to remove the man from the water and hold him while a third employee called the police. All of the children involved suffered only minor injuries. The pool has been shut down for investigation and sanitation reasons and will remain closed until further notice.” +“That’s just up the road,” she said to herself. +Initial reports thought the disease spread and made people psychotic and violent; that the infected were living people with altered minds and an inability to differentiate right from wrong. Whatever the process, it only took one infected person to ruin everybody’s day. +Approaching from all directions, the disease was soon upon Isobel’s neighborhood and suddenly it was right in front of her in the form of a traffic accident. Someone had destroyed a bicyclist with an SUV. A deep cut in his abdomen sat open, displaying his intestines. One of his legs had been almost completely severed near the hip joint. He had not survived his injuries. The driver of the vehicle, a pale young woman in hysterics and leggings, was leaning over the dead man when he sat back up, guts spilling from his body, and bit her face, taking a chunk out of her cheek as she screamed for help. Isobel wasn’t the only driver that swerved around the mess. She could still hear the woman’s yelling as she sped the last three blocks home. There was nothing I could do to help the man or the woman, she thought over and over again, trying to calm her nerves and her conscience. The world was feeling much smaller to her; the troubles of it more her own now. +She pulled her car into the parking lot of Willow Brook and quickly lugged her two bags of groceries from the lot to the front door. +“Whroah roah wroooah! Roah!” A giant black poodle jumped into her making her scream and drop her food. +“Kiki, no! Get down! Bad dog, BAD DOG!” Sheila Brown from apartment 201 yelled, tugging roughly on her dog’s leash and dragging it up the stairs. +“Oh, it’s ok. I can pick it all up myself. Really, don’t worry about it!” Isobel said to Sheila who was already out of earshot. “Thanks for the apology too, bitch.” +Upstairs she put the groceries away with what was already in the cupboards. Her food situation looked much better to her now so for the rest of the first day she sat alone in the living room in front of the television, eyes glued to news report after bloody news report; ears listening intently to the speculation. Several times she hopped up to check that the door was locked. She was still having trouble mentally digesting what she’d seen on the road earlier. Maybe the bicyclist wasn’t dead? Perhaps he was just knocked unconscious and when he came to, in all his pain and bewilderment, he lashed out? No story she made up explained how the man could be alive after suffering wounds so horrific, nor why he would want to bite the driver who shattered and shredded his body. +His guts were on the road, she kept coming back to this single sight, this undeniable fact. No one sits up with his guts on the road. +S.O.S.-LESS +Many people still had a very strong sense that things would be ok because they had no contact with the disease yet. They were viewing the plague on televisions and computer screens, not in person. Their faith in the police force, that the uniformed men and women in affected areas could get things under control, was strong. Stronger still was the idea that all of the world’s best scientists would be gathering in a sterile room at an undisclosed location, working day and night until they found the cause and then the cure. Hollywood had showed the citizens this response so this is what they demanded; what their minds had decided would happen - was happening. The population waited for quarantines and white- suited specialists with giant mobile labs but they didn’t come. Many CDC labs had already been overrun with the dead. +As the day disappeared and night came, things were falling apart fast as the spread of the infection continued from one complacent and unprepared house to another. In Northgate strange noises filled the air, mixed with relentless emergency response sirens. Isobel turned off the television, filled the bathtub with water just in case it stopped running, cooked some pork chops and drowned out the horrible cacophony with her mp3 player. +Slowly she fell asleep. Around one in the morning the gunshots picked up and tore her from her rest. Unable to regain unconsciousness over the noise, Isobel turned the television back on. The dead weren’t just coming back; they were definitely coming back hungry. Her mind returned to the bicyclist. He wasn’t lashing out in anger; he was trying to bite her! The confirmation was terrifying. The attacks had spread so quickly that the infection had reached uncontainable levels. With one eye open, Isobel barely slept at all the rest of the first night. +*** + +THE SECOND DAY +The second day of the plague was noisy. All this death is so much nosier than the daily grind of life, Rob Pace thought. Midday brought a motorcycle accident in the street out front of the building. He heard the bike speeding up the street, then a horn honk, some metal crashing on metal, and then yelling. +Rob looked outside. He saw the motorcyclist lying on the ground a few yards from his bike. He was dragging himself along the ground; his legs made useless in the crash. Rob noticed he wasn’t yelling from the pain. The dead people that had appeared on the street overnight were slowly moving towards the maimed man. +“Get away! Stay back!” Rob heard him yell. “I have a gun!” And he did. The biker pulled it from inside his jacket and started recklessly shooting into the growing crowd. He took two down easily but he realized he wouldn’t have enough bullets to kill them all. He turned the gun on himself. +“No!” Rob yelled from his apartment balcony. The man pulled the trigger before he was killed by one of the undead. +“What is it Dad?” Gabe, his seven-year-old son, had run to his side. Rob quickly threw a hand over his eyes. +“Something you shouldn’t see.” +“But I want to see it.”
 +“You are only saying that because you don’t know what it is.”
 +“Well . . . yeah.” +“And you’ll never know.” Rob found it within himself to laugh as he pulled his son away from the window. + +*** +TISSUE THIN + +It was easy to stay inside if you were anyone other than Jeff Brown. He hadn’t been out of the apartment for almost a week due to the combination of a nasty cold he’d caught and then the infection that everyone else was catching. His desk job, providing technical support for a major software company, always drained his energy. He should have felt rested from the time off but he was tired. +His marriage to Sheila was crumbling; if you could call it a marriage to start with. She’d forced him into it ten years ago and he’d regretted that every day since. There was no communication and his wife loved her dog more than him. All this he was ok with though. The issue lay with being stuck inside with her for a week and for an indefinite length of time to come. He blew his nose into one of the last tissues they had in the house. +“Do you have to blow your nose so loud? It’s disgusting!” Sheila yelled from the other room. +He could feel his patience grow thinner with every remark she made and every tense conversation they had; thoughts tugging at his brain of leaving or asking her to go instead. She could take her untrained dog with her, he fell asleep on the couch dreaming of it, used tissues scattered across his sick body. + +*** + +THE DEVIL’S WORK + +“We just have to survive this. Please be patient, Edward. Life has thrown us more difficult things in the past,” Moira tried to comfort her husband who had been pacing their first floor apartment for two days. +“Have you looked outside today? There’s blood on the street and people everywhere.”
 +“They aren’t people anymore. Maybe you should stop looking if you don’t like what you see.”
 +“Folks on the radio are saying we should try to get somewhere safe.”
 +“No place is safe! The army bases started turning people away and now they are dying at the closed front gates. The mega churches asked their congregations to gather for mass prayer in order to cast out the demons that possess everyone. Then they all got trapped in the buildings with the infection. The pews are covered in blood just like the street. NPR said the best course of action is to stay inside and lock the doors.” +“That isn’t action; that is inaction.” +“So we don’t change a thing then. Sit down and read your book.” +*** + +A PROMISE + +Ben had been waiting for his girlfriend since yesterday. She lived a few cities away and he’d asked her to stay with him. He waited to hear the front door buzzer all day. He heard it a lot but when he answered the phone to see if it was Anna it was someone else. Today, all he heard was growling. +He waited without hearing from her the entire day. The sirens grew further and further apart. How many ambulances were still capable of responding? How many paramedics now needed medical help themselves? Ben imagined a lone ambulance racing from incident to incident; brave medics fighting to save lives and to stay alive themselves but eventually even that siren stopped wailing. +He hoped Anna made it safely to him. He had insisted that she come. She had made him promise that everything would be fine. He had. +*** +COPING MECHANISM + +Molly Mathay was out of the program. She’d completed it and was eating healthily for almost six months. But she was still on probation in a sense. A mentor would come by once a week to check on her. Now things were getting more difficult than she’d ever imagined they could. The treatment center staff hadn’t trained her how to handle apocalyptic situations and she knew that her mentor wouldn’t be able to come by with the plague that was spreading. +She was alone with it and the thought of losing easy access to food made her anxious. Her anxiety made her more food obsessed. She started to binge and purge again to cope. +Her apartment wasn’t stockpiled with food; she wasn’t allowed to shop for more than one normal week at a time. She wanted to ask for help but she barely knew anyone in the building. She’d spent a small amount of time with Rob Pace and his son but that was an awkward situation for other reasons. +It would be difficult if not impossible in the new world to find either enough support or food to settle the urge. + +*** +THE PLAGUE IN PIXELS + +Markus was left with his mind, filled with endless questions, all of the second day. He sat around and browsed the Internet to try to distract his busy brain. The infection was everywhere though and he couldn’t escape it. YouTube had terrifying first-hand accounts: +A father’s hands trembled as he recorded his wife eating their son in the backyard. Two minutes passed by and his wife started to come straight at the sliding glass door for him. The double-paned glass protected him and she could only paw at the slider, desperate for her next meal. The video ended with a tribute to the consumed child: “R.I.P. Elijah.” Comments showed that viewers were touched by the heartache, others disgusted that the man posted such a violent video detailing the death of his child. +A video shot from a high window showing a street in Everett full of bodies. Someone with a sniper rifle across the street was taking out the infected as they wandered into the area. Markus watched the video until the end where he saw that the shooter didn’t discriminate between infected and uninfected people. Trigger Happy was the video’s name. A comment listed the street address of the shooter and a warning: “Don’t travel this street unless you want to die.” Comments included minute markers in the video for viewers’ favorite kills, mostly the headshots. +One of the last videos Markus watched was of two teenage boys, both around 15 years old, looking for the infected and then messing around with them. Pouring soda on them, taunting them to chase after one of the boys, tripping them, etc . . . It was kind of funny to him - almost like a prank show he’d seen on MTV- until the taller boy recognizes his mom in a nearby group of infected and the recording ends. Comments listed request after request for more “episodes” of “They’ve Got No Brains!” (Which Markus thought was a clever title they’d given the video). Many offered suggestions for content. +Twitter too had been infected. It was full of sad stories, told in snippets. Never before had 140 characters or less been so depressing, so full of the woes of a nation and world. +Markus didn’t feel so lonely and he felt much better off when he read what others were tweeting. +@Jen is Twenty: I went to class yesterday but half the kids stayed home. I wonder if anyone will come back? Should I even go in tomorrow? +@heismine43: stay away from the hospitals. My husband contracted the infection at one and never came home. It was a madhouse. +@ncallaway: My dad's got a fever and his feet are numb. I looked it up on WebM.D. and it says he might have lupus. Anyone dealt with anything like that? +@lordLover2010: Jesus will come for me and my fellow Christians. Fear the rapture, praise the Lord! Your time is now, you sinners, burn in hell! +@margareet: I have a few extra swords and weapons if anybody needs them. I'm in McMahon Hall at the University. Safest place I know. Stay safe friends. +@haro_kitei: Trapped in my room because my sister is trying to kill me. I don’t know what to do. Can any of you guys send help? I can pay you. + +How could anyone help? No one even knew where she lived, what her house looked like, who her sister was. And pretty soon, no one would care. +Twitter was full of tweets with the simple words: the infection is here. With a search for ‘#infection’ one could track its spread and if you really paid attention, you could tell when someone was exposed to it. They would tweet less and less, perhaps more desperately. Some would say their goodbyes and most would say their “fuck yous”. They’d end up typing gibberish as their hands went numb and then they’d disappear. The last tweet gathering digital dust as time continued without them. + +*** +BEN ON THE THIRD DAY + +The phone lines cut in and out on the third day or maybe, Ben thought, they were just flooded with calls. Ben had tried to reach emergency services off and on all day but he either got a busy tone or nothing. +Anna had made it to him in the late afternoon but she’d been attacked along the way and had a wound on her leg. She needed help but due to the spotty phone connection and his anguish at seeing her hurt, he wasn’t able to help her very well. He had her on the bed in the second bedroom of his place with the injured leg elevated and he kept trying to feed her but she was getting sicker and sicker. +A knock on his door pulled him from her side. He was surprised to see that it was Isobel, the neighbor from down the hall, because she was only an acquaintance. +“Hey,” Isobel said, looking lonely and hoping for an invite inside. +“Hi Isobel. How are you holding up?” Ben asked her. He kept the door mostly closed. There was some blood in the entry from Anna’s leg that he didn’t want to explain to Isobel. Besides, Anna was a jealous person who’d get the wrong idea if she knew another woman was at his door looking for company. The blood loss and shock would only have made her more temperamental. Ben was about to give Isobel a gun and tell her to go back to her apartment when Anna stumbled into the living room. +“Who -” Anna mumbled. +Ben rushed to her as she collapsed. Isobel opened the door enough to see the blood on the floor. +“What’s wrong with her?” She asked. +“Stay there! Don’t come in! I’ll be right back.” Ben picked Anna up and carried her back to the bedroom. When he returned he gave Isobel a handgun. +“What happened to her, Ben? Is she infected?” +“I don’t know yet. She’s not well, that’s for sure. Stay safe Isobel. Don’t come back here.” +He closed the door on her. +Anna was dying in front of his eyes. Ben had heard news reports of how bad the hospitals were and even though Northwest was just up the road, it would have been a death sentence for him. If he wasn’t injured on the way, there were bound to be hundreds of wounded on the hospital grounds, all seeking similar aid. Casualties there would be high. Ben decided that Anna would fare much better with his one on one attention in the secure environment of Willow Brook. +The topic of people-eating people is never very appetizing and the stress of taking care of Anna had kept Ben unaware of his growling stomach. He had some toast and juice. The television was the only distraction that Ben had from Anna’s moaning. That evening it confirmed to him that the infection was contagious. Bite wounds were fatal and the disease could be spread through saliva and other bodily fluids. +“Fuck,” he said aloud as a thought occurred to him, I have to find out if she was bitten. + +*** + +Michelle Kilmer is a writer and designer living in Seattle, WA. When she is not writing she can be found playing video games, designing websites, singing and playing guitar, sewing, or dressing up in "full gore" to attend zombie events. +She is working on several projects including a follow-up to When the Dead, a super secret zombie story geared toward young adults, and a handful of sci-fi short stories that give her the creeps. +She lives with her husband, an attack hamster and a fear of the dark. +To continue reading, look for When the Dead on whenthedead.com. Michelle also has a short story collection available entitled The Spread. + +Lori R. Lopez + + +The Fruit Of Thy Womb + + + +The end of the world began with a rotten banana. Ziggy Boyle stood in an alley on a blistering day and nonchalantly peeled the piece of fruit — then noticed to his disgust the white interior had dissolved to a dark slimy pulp. ‟Gross!” Dropping it, he wiped sticky fingers on the front of a black shirt and ground the heel of a loafer over the squishy mound. He next spent a full minute scraping mashed banana off the bottom of his shoe onto the pavement. The peel had still been yellow. It was the last time he would steal a snack from that supermarket. Imagine if he paid for it! Indignation seethed. Out of habit, he suppressed his annoyance. Couldn’t denounce the corporations, even under one’s breath. It wasn’t wise. +A mass of cockroaches scuttled to mob the smeared fruit, a common sight. You couldn’t go anyplace without seeing them. Must be the heat. Temperatures kept breaking records. It was all people yakked about on the tube. That and storms. There were always bigger storms than the last. Not to mention the massacres. Terrorism was on the rise. It might be a hate group. It might be the meltdown of some suicidal nut-job with a grudge and a bag of bullets and guns or homemade bombs. +He figured they were all just too warm. +Fans no longer did the trick. You had to have air-conditioning or risk dying of heatstroke. He didn’t, and some days he could feel his brain literally boil in his skull. It was like Hell on Earth. +Water was becoming scarce. Nations feuded over that instead of land. Starvation was rampant. Plagues were expanding in biblical proportions. +Tempers were on the rise along with the temperatures. Everyone was hot under the collar. And it was only going to get worse. That’s what they predicted on T.V. More gloom and doom. He finally hauled the offensive device off the wall, sick of hearing bad news. Then he kicked it, hurled the monitor against another wall, and finally heaved it through the window of his apartment. Lucky it didn’t hit someone or he could have been arrested. He wondered if the jail had air-conditioning. + + + + +Before Ziggy came into the world, his parents had stopped on a lark at a palm-reader’s house to ask if their baby would be healthy. The woman, Lady Zsa Zsa (whose real identity was Jolene Snork) didn’t fit the role. She had bobbed Peroxide curls and smoked constantly, as if fueled by tar and nicotine. Sharp features regarded Adele Boyle with one eye closed, plunking regally into a seat across the round kitchen table. Fingers scrabbled in a package for her subsequent cigarette, the stub in her mouth burned to the filter. Coral lipstick stained the butt as she tapped it in an overflowing ashtray at one elbow and fumbled with a disposable lighter. The flame glowed an eerie shade of orange-red, blazing upward to ignite the end of a new cancer stick. +‟Pay now!” the oracle barked. +Ziggy’s father Zeke forked over the cash. It disappeared. The blonde impatiently held out a hand. Adele nervously passed hers across the scarred wood surface, and the mystic seized it to pry open and thud palm-up on the tabletop. The puffing lady’s head leaned forward at such an angle, Adele was afraid she meant to burn a hole in the palm rather than read it. A clump of ash let go. Adele flinched, attempting to retract her hand. The fortuneteller gripped it hard and lifted green orbs like Adele’s to glare belligerently, not letting go till she had earned her twenty bucks. +The expectant parents waited, convinced from the trappings and the woman’s demeanor that she was a charlatan and would merely pretend to study the creases on Adele’s inner hand. Scrutinizing the lines, however, the clairvoyant’s head jerked up in an abrupt attitude of shock. Fear was etched in the wrinkles of her blanched visage as she whispered hoarsely, a barely audible hiss: ‟Cursed be the fruit of thy womb!” +Adele blinked. ‟What did you say?” +The woman recovered and shook her head. ‟Get out.” +‟What was the prediction?” Adele inquired. +‟We’re done. Get out!” the lady snapped, crushing a half-smoked cigarette on the tabletop, missing the ashtray in her haste to leave the table. +Adele raised an exasperated look to her husband, who calmly ushered her from the residence. The couple walked swiftly to their car at the curb. Inside, the windows rolled up, doors locked, Zeke confirmed what the palm-reader had uttered. It had to be nonsense, he assured. The woman wasn’t even a Gypsy. +They avoided her street from that day. Ziggy was born a nine-pound two-ounce baby with no defects. His parents had considered themselves blessed. Until the afternoon Ziggy wandered out of his yard. His mommy only diverted her eyes a few minutes, hanging wet laundry, and he was gone. + + + + +Bored, the child abandoned his toys on the rear stoop and toddled to the sidewalk in the front, which he followed for several blocks, crossing streets in the neighborhood, roaming to a green house with a sign in the yard shaped like a hand. This captured his interest, reminding him of the story his daddy liked to tell at Ziggy’s birthday parties. +A woman slipped onto the porch and stared. ‟I know you!” she howled, and the boy started crying. ‟Go!” She aimed a finger down the street. ‟Do not return!” +He trotted a blurred route and never saw her again. But two siblings saw him. The pair initially planned to turn him over to the authorities. Then debated collecting a reward, or a ransom demand. Yet he was cute and darling and won their hearts. That was the tearful confession of the one he called Uncle. ‟These things happen,” the old fellow said, as if that explained it. They had visited relatives the day he vanished and driven off with him like he was a stray cat needing a home. The one who insisted he call her Ma had died when Stevie (what they named him) was seventeen. A year later Uncle revealed the lad’s true name. It had been on T.V. They weren’t bad people, stated Uncle. They just didn’t do the right things. +Being so young, he had forgotten his parents. Memories with them had been replaced by a squabbling makeshift family and that became his reality, seasoned with twinges of confusion. An idea popping into his mind. A brief image, like the flash of a camera. Or something unfamiliar fuzzily seeming familiar for an instant. +Stevie Dunham, gradually switching to Ziggy Boyle, searched for his parents as he wished they had searched for him. News archives at the Public Library provided snippets of stale information; nothing current or conclusive. Working his way, he traveled to the city where he was born and traced his father to a cemetery plot. The man had died when Ziggy was ten. He couldn’t locate his birthmother. He went to the graveyard every evening for a month. When he married, he had hoped she would read the announcement in the newspapers online and be there. Standing next to his bride, his eyes distractedly drifted to the door. Sadly, it was as if his mother had dropped off the planet. + + + + +Ziggy’s jaw sagged. Eyes bulged, witnessing a swarm of little flies appear out of nowhere above the banana. He swatted brumous air and coughed. There was a perpetual haze that smelled like poison. Bugs had taken over the city and to counter the infestation, experimental ‟safe” pesticides were periodically sprayed by teams wearing black hazardous-material suits. The Extermination Squad. If it was so safe, they wouldn’t need the suits. He tactfully kept such opinions to himself. Most of the time. +Loudly stomping, the man succeeded in chasing the roaches away, flattening a few in the process. He had to clean more muck off the base of his shoe: banana and bugs. It wasn’t even a real banana. There was no such thing. That whole organic movement way back when? These days everything was manufactured. Big Business held the power. They owned the world . . . lock, stock, and barrel. +Where the heck were those guys? Zig moodily contemplated the ends of the alley. He was alone. Except for the hum of flies. ‟Get outa here!” He kicked a leg, attempting to shoo the swarm to no avail. If anything, there were more. +He paced up and down the stretch of pavement, then across the lane. Folding his arms, he leaned on bricks and hooded his eyes. Oh yeah, he was supposed to be the lookout. Why couldn’t he remember stuff anymore? It must be the heat. He endeavored to stay alert. Difficult when it was so hot. +Ziggy tugged his shirt, ventilating his chest. ‟Come on, guys!” he muttered, pacing in a lather. He wasn’t always this uptight. As a kid he built models, cars and planes and whatever; later, intricate designs for houses, which required loads of patience. Maybe the glue and paint fumes had fried his brain. +No, it had to be the heat. +Once upon a time Ziggy wanted to be an architect. Dumb idea. The Housing Market slid into a sinkhole and disappeared. Almost everyone lived in condos, rented or owned. The land belonged to corporations. It happened before anyone realized — bank liens and foreclosures, government fines and land-grabs, tax increases, seizures by Homeowners Associations . . . By the time the dust settled, it was too late. +Perhaps he should go and look for them. How long did it take to hijack a computer? They were activists, not thieves, but still . . . ‟You hack the thing and run! How hard is that?” he petulantly grumbled. Then sealed his mouth. Loose lips sank ships. Maybe he said too much. They couldn’t get caught until the transmission completed. His job was to call if the heat showed up. There was plenty of heat. And he felt conspicuous. +Peace Corpse, the organization he worked for, wanted the secret formulas of the pesticides being pumped all over. They wanted to publish on the Internet how bad it was for humans along with bugs. Who knew what the long-range effects might be? Illnesses and suicides had already inflated. The government blamed it on the heat. +Ziggy was racked by coughing. Two years ago he had watched his wife and baby cough up blood, their lungs congested, membranes thinned to bursting. Losing them turned his heart cold. He joined a group that was striking back, opposing the heartless bureaucracy of elitist moguls who lived above it all — not because he cared about helping the world. He wanted revenge. +A droning cloud hovered by his face and he waved a hand, then felt a pinprick of pain. He smacked his cheek. Did one of them bite him? He gaped at a squashed insect in his hand. They didn’t look like regular Fruit Flies. These were fatter and appeared to have mutated. Ziggy squinted. No way, the things had teeth, rows of them on bony horns! Flies didn’t have teeth! +It must be heatstroke. He was hallucinating. He brushed his palm on his trousers. +The hum escalated to a furious keening. Did Fruit Flies usually sound like that? He didn’t remember them making noise. Other flies hummed. Fruit Flies were quiet, except right beside his ear. These were buzzing like an unhappy bunch of bees. More sting-like pricks from a unit of scouts. ‟Hey!” Ziggy’s arms flailed. +The remainder of the swarm attacked as if by a cue from their advance guard. Ziggy wailed, slapping himself belatedly as he fled. The insects greedily nipped flesh. Normally vegetarian, they had evolved into carnivores. Gobbling like tiny winged piranhas, the multitude gnawed exposed parts. Still he charged, yelping, and bumped down a corner prophet ranting about the signs of The Apocalypse. +‟Here’s your doom!” squalled Ziggy. That’s when they got inside his mouth to feed on his tongue. It didn’t halt his screeches. Or his steps, until his tattered limbs grew weak. Then the flies swooped to the sky in a roiling cyclone of black and departed. +The prophet never had a chance, sprawled on the pavement in a long bedraggled gown. Ziggy scrambled to her on all fours, trembling and maimed. The woman screamed too — being eaten alive. + + + + +Wow, I dreamed I was attacked by Fruit Flies. That was crazy. Ahhhhh, why does my face hurt? And my hands? They’re torn up. Oh no, oh no, it’s true! It wasn’t a nightmare, it was happening . . . +I have to — find help. That’s what I need to do. Find a hospital, a doctor or cop. A psychiatrist. Somebody. This kind of thing shouldn’t be happening. It has to be fixed. They’ll fix it. They’ll know what to do. I just need to find someone who will know what to do. +I hear people. There, protesters, in front of the skyscraper we were here to rob. Idiots. Do you really think they’ll listen? We’re ants to them, gazing down from their ivory and steel towers. +‟Help! Please help me! I was bitten by a pack of man-eating flies! They have teeth!” +Look at their expressions. They think I’m a lunatic. Can’t blame them. I’d think so too. Ohhhhh, what’s that feeling? My guts are curdling. My lungs ache. It hurts to breathe. It’s such an exertion. Maybe I can’t breathe! How can I walk? How can I even stand? +That growling, it’s coming from me. My stomach. My throat. I sound like a wild beast. I feel . . . so empty. I’m suddenly starving. Oh man, it’s too intense, I can’t take it. I feel like I’m dying of hunger! +Why are my veins throbbing? Did I get a disease? From the flies? Or the poison? God, what’s happening to me??? +No, oh no. I can’t. I won’t. I can’t control it, can’t stop myself. I need . . . no, please don’t make me . . . I need, I need . . . them. + + + + +Ziggy lumbered toward the protesters, who backed away, frightened by his deranged expression, the vicious sounds that emerged from a fly-pecked monster. He grimaced in a garish toothy smile, the lips in fragments. Marble-skinned, his flesh ragged, the hulking man clutched a wide-mouthed woman who had frozen to an ice statue while her comrades scattered. Despite the frigid pose, she was pleasantly plump. His eager bite sank into a soft round shoulder. +The woman’s shrill voice rankled him. He silenced her with his teeth. Warmth doused his cold torso. He had never felt so cold. Strange he wasn’t shivering. It was simply a deep burning chill that exuded from his very core. +His banquet cascaded to a splattered sidewalk. The man knelt to pillage a bountiful midriff of flesh and organs. He binged with cannibalistic gusto, thoroughly enjoying a meal that a day earlier would have horrified him. He didn’t pause to dwell on what could be wrong with him. It hadn’t diminished his appetite, and that was all that seemed to matter. +He straightened from the dead woman, feeling a sense of fulfillment that yielded to fleeting energy. As he retreated to the building’s corner, drawn toward the alley where his transformation began, the nourishment subsided into the dark void at his center. Dwindling faculties alternated between flickers of residual intellect and an avid animalistic craving. Satisfaction had evaporated, lingering sufficiently to propel him onward in a greedy quest for more flesh. Ever more. +Behind him arose the growls of two holey unhallowed disciples, the remnants of prophet and protester shambling in his wake, like instruments of a merciless Old Testament God. + + + + +Adele frequented the playground, huddled on the ledge of a low stone wall with the other mothers, watching the little kids joyfully romp amidst happy squeals and giggles. It was her ritual to check the swings and sandbox where she would often bring him. Hope kept her alive, the hope that he would return, that he would remember this cherished haunt. Yet disappointment and the laughter of children impaled like a blade through her heart and soul. Would she even recognize him now? She felt certain that she must. He was her son, and a mother never forgets. How could she when her child was a part of her own body? +She perched there for hours, humming a lullabye and rocking slightly, unaware of the women scooting away from an unkempt homeless lady who stared dreamily into space. +This was her home. This was where she belonged. This and the house on Evermore Street, which had sheltered other families since destitution forced her eviction. The sites were her only ties to a blissful past. To the precious baby and family she once had, long gone, stolen by a cruel sword-thrust of destiny . . . a curse reflected in the terrified eyes of a psychic. +Police canvassed the neighborhood. Jolene had been brought in for questioning due to a suspicious statement when informed a boy was missing and shown his photograph: ‟Of course he is.” She claimed to never have seen the child. Adele wondered. Had she glimpsed what would happen to him in her palm? Or in a vision? Did the woman hold clues or the key to her son’s whereabouts? Zeke had begged her to let it go, but she took to spying on the clairvoyant. Trailing her to stores. Then accused her in the aisle of a market, ‟You must have some idea, some critical detail. Tell me everything you know!” +‟He’s cursed and will always be. But I already told you that,” leered the psychic, blowing smoke in defiance of the NO SMOKING signs. ‟He’s like a black cat, that boy. You do not want him to cross your path.” +Adele reeled. What an awful thing to say! The witch cackled and pulled free. Her laughter rang up and down the aisles. Adele had wafted from the grocery store in a fugue. +If only they listened. If only they had believed and taken precautions, been more careful. She would have never let him out of her sight, not for an instant. +Grief, regrets, guilt . . . these led to her husband’s death. He had taken to drinking at bars on the way home from work. One night he never made it home. +Adele wasn’t a drinker. She had internalized, burying the pain then crawling into the hole, hiding from Life. But one day Life intruded and yanked that hole out from under her with more loss, and she found herself on the outside of everything, wandering past windows and looking in. Hoping to see her son. Hope was all she had left. + + + + +He bet she was pretty in another lifetime. Not that she was alive now. Her gray teeth gnashed at his cheek. Thrashing, he freed himself and his elbow bashed her nose, knocked it sideways. She looked worse. The prophet had looked sufficiently harsh before he mutilated her. Age combined with madness. Some women matured gracefully, accepting their skin with pride and dignity whatever their age. He would observe them, subconsciously examining the faces of crowds for his mother. The little boy inside of him pictured his mommy that way. He had a vague impression of a beautiful lady smiling, hugging him. It had to be her that he remembered. +The prophet clawed at Ziggy. She and the protester wouldn’t leave him alone. He shoved his followers, snarling, and tromped away. The rabid stalkers tagged after him. +A door slammed open. An alarm jangled. Three guys in black burst out of the fire exit. As the door latched, they froze at the specter of three ghouls in the alleyway. The men were prepared to be apprehended. They were not prepared to be eaten. +‟Ziggy?” asked the tallest. The computer caper’s leader. ‟What happened to you?” His face was incredulous. +The other two merely gawped, speechless with revulsion. +‟Bub,” rasped their tongueless cohort. He meant bugs. He gestured. Like those. +The trio cartoonishly turned as a gathering hum crescendoed. A thick purple-black swarm blocked the alley. +Ziggy shrugged. He wasn’t even curious about the mission. +Girlish shrieks ensued. The human savages feasted. +Three bodies lay strewn, grisly leftovers. And then they twitched, sitting up, clambering to their feet to sway. The revived activists groaned. +Their leader’s name was fuzzy. Tim? Ted? Ziggy frowned. His mind functioned slower, thoughts torpid, bogged down in wet cement like mental quicksand. His grasp of mundane connections faltered, yet he might recall dining on his friends. +Was he alive? He still had enormous trouble to draw air into his lungs. The effort was similar to ramming a dozen forks in his chest. And equally effective. Were any of them alive, these walking wounded with their flesh ripped apart? How could they be? What kind of affliction was this that reduced them to mangled corpses who could still think and feel on some crazed demented level, and have boundless appetites like voracious beasts? +Like zombies. +But weren’t zombies supposed to be mindless, driven by an instinctive desire for brains? Or brought back from a near-death state by a powder that rendered them obedient to a voodoo sorcerer’s spell? There was no magic or hypnosis, no comic-book fantasy involved here. Just poison, Global Warming, and Evolution. He wasn’t himself, that was obvious. He didn’t know who or what he was anymore. It strained his brain to sort it out, to put coherent words together. He refused to go stupid and relinquish his surges of rational thought. It was part of living to adapt to change, but Ziggy could not resign himself to becoming less than human. He would fight this thing, resist with everything he had left! +His companions, male and female, ravenously assailed a duo of security guards tracking the thieves to the exit door. The raucous feeding revolted Ziggy, and he staggered from the scene of carnage with bile in his throat that tasted petrified. +Hearing grunts and klutzy footfalls, he ducked into the concealment of shrubs. A flash of exhaustion overwhelmed him. He crumpled to his knees and closed weary eyes. +The lids snapped up. Out of the alley hobbled a gang of blood-stained brutes. Swerving past his hideout, they clattered down the street demonstrating the lightfootedness of slapstick cops chasing robbers. Hunched in the bushes, Ziggy loitered in case they altered direction. Man Zero, the first infected, the source of their ailment, he held a sort of sway. The cretins were drawn to him, like a master. +The insects, too, and from them he couldn’t hide. A throng accumulated behind where he crouched. Their irritating whine threatened to reveal his position. Ziggy’s head swiveled. They had been fruitful indeed and multiplied. The swarm was huge. What was he, Lord Of The Flies? +Cuffing them midair, he hunkered as low as possible without lying prone. Growls alerted him that his flock of faithfuls had arrived. The male and female zombies raked at him but he dodged them and dashed forth, loping as fast as he could. It wasn’t devotion. He sensed they might turn on him, finish him off. When he hurried so did they, a silly shuffling race. And wherever he went, the flies hounded his heels. + + + + +It would be dark in an hour. She ought to seek a refuge for the night, yet Adele was unable to budge. The other mothers had gathered their toddlers and strollers and bags of essentials. The park was eerily desolate. And she was half-desperate, half-crazy enough to believe that if she stayed here a miracle could happen. If she left, disappointment was certain. +Wind ruffled an uncombed lock of hair on her forehead. She recalled brushing fine strands of a lush and shining mane, feeling quietly content. It had been a long time ago, but she could slip inside that younger version of herself and see out of her eyes the unblemished features in a dressing-table mirror. It was a grim contrast to this weathered sun-blotched complexion, the lines streaked by worry and time, engraved like rivers of tears from the deepest of sorrows. Round and chiselled in the wrong places. A stranger’s countenance; a mask of regret. +She had been a vibrant individual. Now she was like a damaged toy. Hollow, useless, discarded and alone, having lost her purpose, her function: to make a child happy. It was what she needed to do, fulfill that promise, perform that duty, yet it was too late. It couldn’t be fixed. Her heart was broken and could not be repaired. She didn’t know how others could go on, why they bothered. She must possess a flaw, a manufacturer’s defect. +Adele hugged herself and rocked, cold, so cold. It eluded her that the world was warming. In her secluded atmosphere, the climate was an ice age, somber as a windswept frost-coated plain where the sun never shone and the clouds wept splintered shards of glass. + + + + +That was close! I should have been more careful. Shut my eyes a minute and they’re on me like ants swarming a dead beetle. I can’t rest. Can’t let down my guard. I can't even blink unless it's safe. Unless I'm in a secure location they would have to break into, which would provide some warning. +I can’t be sure what's powering them, but they look like you-know-what warmed over. And I don’t think it’s the heat. They should be deceased, not walking around. They act like they would eat anything that moves. Anything. Unlike me, I don’t think there’s a scrap of life or humanity in them. I’m hanging on to mine with a deathgrip. +This plague of Fruit Flies, or whatever you could call it, seemed to originate with me. Or next to me. I just happened to be standing on the X, the wrong spot at the right time. I don’t know why. It doesn’t seem fair to have so many misfortunes in one lifetime. What did I ever do to deserve being abandoned by my family and kidnapped, to watch my own family die of poisoning, and then to be the first one doomed, the first carrier of an epidemic? +I have to keep going. Can’t get sucked into despair. Can’t let it win. I won’t allow it to defeat my spirit and get the best of me. I’ve been lost before, but never totally, and I won’t be vanquished now by fears or flies or walking stiffs. +An open door . . . does it lock? There. That should hold for a while. Nice. Very nice. +I need to avoid everyone, living or dead. I have to assume a scratch could transmit the illness. I've seen that it's contagious through the swarm or contact with its consequences, me and them. I'm just not sure if a scratch or bite alone would be lethal, or merely morph someone to my state. Maybe you need to actually die to be like them. I’m trying to decipher the rules, if this thing has any. It’s insane. It just suddenly began, as if Nature had a spasm. Like a bull quivering to throw a fly off his back. I’m not planning to stick around and find the answers. If someone’s infected, I’ll leave them to fend for themselves. Call me a coward. I prefer the word loner. +I've always done this, talked to an imaginary audience on my very own private stage. More accurately, in the circus ring of my brain. As if I'm important, the main attraction. As if my life amounts to something. That's a good one. I'm about as worthless as they come. I couldn’t even protect my wife and child. Other than them, I don't think I've made a difference to anyone, made the tiniest ripple with my presence on this planet. I just kind of watched from the sidelines and let things happen to me. + +Is it any wonder? My mother, whoever she was, ditched me. She let me get lost or stolen and never came to find me. That smiling portrait of her in my head was probably fanciful thinking. I have this notion of her burying me like a turtle egg in sand. It would explain why I developed a shell for protection as a child. When Ma and Uncle were boozing, when the house reeked of bourbon and gin, I pretended I was a turtle with a strong shell in which to hide. Psychological child’s play, perhaps. +Did I mention I was so average before today, I was invisible? At least my mother seemed to think so. I wonder if it's her I've been addressing my whole life. Hey, Mom, thanks a lot! Great job of being there! +When I say average, I don't exaggerate. Fair to middling, no more, no less. I have set no example for others; I didn't rate above average at anything. If they get me, it won't be a great loss. Yet there is something within me that won't be conquered. Maybe it's what kept me going thirty-odd years. +I hear them, rattling the door, thumping the exterior wall, scrabbling to get in. +I am trying, I am really trying to make sense of everything. Nobody will believe this until it’s too late. The heat has made us all mad, including the insect population. Or is this to settle the score after we killed off the bees and butterflies, disrupting the Food Chain? Seemingly minor, that colossal error steadily caused things to unravel. It may start with a single loose thread. You tug it and the world comes undone. +My arms itch. Oh jeez! I’m rubbing them together like a fly! Am I turning into one??? +Absurd. It was nothing. I guess I’m entitled to some awkward behavior considering the circumstances. +Corporations created this mess. They had the money, so of course they had control. They continued to tinker, engineering stronger species, like they manipulated crops. Only it didn’t stop at bees or butterflies, it spread. And what resulted was about what you'd expect when tampering with the natural order. One mistake led to another and another and another, until my family died and with them my heart. +Bitterness and self-pity are all I’ve got. I’m basically waiting to die too. And I don't mean from old age. What chance do I have? They’re going to keep paying it forward, and there will only be more of them, folks turning, devolving into grotesque shambling nightmares. +It's the screams that make me cringe. +And fear. The fear of dying but not dying. +Being a zombie, if that’s what in fact I am, has its advantages. I won’t have to worry about rules. Or if my hair is thinning. I can wear the same clothes for a year. +I can’t believe I once cared which side scored more goals or baskets, more touchdowns or runs. I can’t believe I wasted so many hours of my life drinking beer and feeling sorry for myself. +I’m so hungry. I can’t stay here. I’m shaking again. +The street looks clear. I need to keep going. Dawdle too long and I'll find myself surrounded. The one thing I seem to be good at is surviving. I’m still kicking. But what for? Another opportunity to die? Maybe that’s all we really live for, the chance to cling to life. +I need to find somewhere to hole up, before those things are everywhere. I'm jumpy from stress. How I yearn to curl up in a warm bed and slumber without tension. What I wouldn't give to simply relax. Amazing how life can change just like that. There were signs but we ignored them. Like symptoms of Cancer. It doesn’t go away when you tell yourself it isn’t real. +What’s that? Footsteps. Run!!! +My legs are so heavy and slow. Am I dreaming? I wish I were. I could slap myself a thousand times and behold the same madness. There is no going back. +Faster . . . One was hiding in a doorway. Striving to enter a building. He grabbed me to sink his teeth into my face. I panicked and punched him. There are more now. It won’t take long. Several months, a year, and whatever isolated individuals are left will take their own lives at the sheer fruitlessness of going on, the futility of barren hopes. +The wretch is stumbling after me, way too energetic for a corpse! How it manages to hunt and feed while decaying by the minute is a mystery. They go through the motions of living, yet most are dead. And I am merely delaying the inevitable. +Ahhhh! +Oh no. No! Stay away, you stinking rotter! What dismal luck. My ankle twisted stepping off a curb, and the ripe stiff (who probably already stank before dying) is only a few steps from munching my remains. +I have to limp as best I can, laboring to pour on steam, but the thing back there is advancing. I may as easily succumb to a solitary biter as an entire horde. The slightest weakness could be fatal. A single mishap and I'm done for. It's survival of the fittest and I’m falling apart! I’m in shreds, the walking leftovers of a flesh-eating virus! Was that a whimper? If I start blubbering, it’s all over. +The worst part is losing hope. I just can't picture a future. I'm hanging on and I don't know why or how. The world is barbaric and crude. There is nothing of value, only chaos. It was that way before this calamity ever began. +Ha, that was rich! The echo of footbeats sent a shudder up my spine until I perceived they were mine. +A snort, perilously near. That wasn’t me. Uhhhh! Great, peering behind I stubbed a toe and tripped. This is it, this is all it takes! +Stay calm. Take a breath. Ahhhhh!!! +The thing clumsily pounced. I rolled to meet it. These things are sure tough for being dead. Yuck, strings of slobber and mucous are dripping to my eyes. I'm struggling for my life and a distant memory surfaces: wrestling in Gym Class, the coach yelling that I was as useless as a fish on dry land. Yeah, I would never be an Olympic athlete I knew, so why bother? Wish now I had trained for this. Again though, why bother? My ma and uncle used to tell me, ‟If humans were meant to be heroes, they’d be born with capes. Don’t be a hero, just stay out of trouble.” +They were right. It seems ironic to me as I’m tussling with a dead guy. The lengthy hours spent studying . . . then slogging away in a career that no longer exists or bears significance. Rendered moot — not by the collapse of a civilization that neglected to learn from History — by a simple shift in culture. My livelihood was replaced, after years of producing windshield wipers, by glass that doesn’t need to be wiped. Rainproof Glass, resistant to water. For every step forward, it seems, someone or something gets trampled underneath. +Add unemployment to my list of achievements. +I’m brilliantly trying to choke the cadaver and he claws my cheek. It isn’t like I was uninfected, but I’m far from thrilled. I’m alive and he isn’t. What’s the difference? My brain grapples with the question, mentally mimicking my physical plight, and an epiphany strikes with a bell’s ding, signalling the round’s end. Zombies don’t pay attention to bells, so we keep brawling until I heft a chunk of brick and dent his skull. It’s a trick I picked up from watching the dead lurch and lunch on the screen. +Humor, my trusty Defense Mechanism. +In the excitement I almost forgot I had an epiphany. That’s how dim-witted I’ve become. What was it? Squinting, I can glimpse the tail of a frail wisp, a transparent inkling . . . Oh yeah, I was nibbled by Fruit Flies, whereas my fellow infected were chomped by humans. The Fruit Flies didn’t kill me. Technically I’m not a zombie, I just look like one. It’s a good disguise, but it hasn’t fooled them. +This scourge is one of many. We tipped the balance, and we are the victims of our own undoing. Most of the survivors of this plague will doubtless suffer from any number of maladies. Contagions have been springing up daily. Skin lesions and breathing disorders. New cancers. None of us can endure unscathed. None of us are intact. And we did it to ourselves. Cheerful, isn’t it? +Pushing aside the contused cadaver, I’m barely able to stand. Ohhh. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh . . . Ohhhhh. +That was fun. Dizzied, my legs flaccid, I tumbled down a flight of concrete steps. More pursuers bumble past above. I’m curled in a ball, the fresh gashes on my elbows and knees scarcely noticeable amidst the numerous festering fly wounds. I’m sure that I’m a sorry sight, blending in with The Deadbeats, these rank remnants of humanity prowling the streets without a pulse. +Tears are flowing. What can I say? I’m human. +I can’t subdue the tide. Unashamed, I’m overcome by wrenching sobs. + + + + +She cried abjectly, alone in the park, arms embracing herself, a poor substitute for the child she had yearned decades to hold. She couldn’t bear the pain, couldn’t go on this way. Her life was a bleak expanse of sorrow. To have known him so briefly, his expressions, the small trusting hand in hers, and to have lowered her guard — to have failed him for even a second . . . It was too long. That was the time it took to lose him. +She couldn’t allow herself to live without her baby one more day. One more hour. It was too long. Too long. Too long. The words chanted in her mind, taunting, inviting, accusing. She clamped hands to ears but couldn’t shut them out. +Digging in the folds of shabby garments, she reverently smoothed the stained and creased photograph of a smiling family. Father, mother and son. But that was a long time ago. Too long. It was too long to believe he would be back. She wasn’t crazy. Quite the opposite. Insanity would have been a blessing, a reprieve from guilt and regret. She had to accept that she would never see him, touch him, again. +She had encountered the palm-reader in recent years. The woman was like her, a homeless denizen of the street. Jolene occupied a corner and spewed dire end-of-the-world messages. Adele had squeezed her arm to demand, ‟How did you know?” +The psychic’s eyes cleared for an instant. Recognition flared. ‟I gazed inside your soul, down to your pith!” she rancidly spat. ‟Where the devil dwelled!” +Adele had rushed from the corner, bile scalding her throat. +‟You can’t outrun them!” bade the harpy. +Did she mean the cult? Adele fretted for weeks, paranoid of every face, every person she met on sidewalks, crossing intersections. It was in the past, she eventually realized. She was safe. As safe as a woman could be without a roof overhead. +Adele withdrew a rusty chipped knife discovered in an alley behind a dumpster. Its blade held the brownish bloodstains of battle. She traced the steel edge with a fingertip. The dagger would serve as a fitting instrument to end her world, her private Hell . . . this tragic bereft existence into which she had been deposited by her own tainted birth in a devil-worshipping cult. It was there she met her husband, Zeke. They had escaped together when they learned she was pregnant. After the Midnight ritual where she was drugged and laid out on an altar as one of Satan’s brides. Desperately praying the baby was Zeke’s, Adele had refused to believe anything else, rejecting the fortuneteller’s words. In her heart she knew the truth. +Maybe the black sedan that picked them up along a highway had been a little convenient. Maybe the house, car and cash inherited from a relative she had never heard of seemed a bit serendipitous. Then the luck soured. Their boy vanished. Zeke died. She lost the house to a corporation over property taxes. The psychic had been an omen. +Lifting the knife, blade down, she braced herself and murmured an appeal for mercy. Soon her torment would have to end. + + + + +Reduced to the most primitive of needs, Ziggy utilized supreme effort to scale the stairway. His stomach craved sustenance. Yet food would not replenish his will or hope. It could only fuel and satisfy the body. Perhaps lend false comfort. Without hope, there was no nourishment for his emotions. Depression must overpower the instinct to survive. +He scratched at his sores. The man’s skin crawled from within. He wanted to bay in agitated frustration. He was a wreck. +At street level, listening for danger, he detected a scuff. Then a rustle. Moist eyes scoured the vicinity, seeking to identify the furtive sounds. His proximity was a hot zone; he had to stay alert. Posture rigid, he pondered whether to duck back down the stairwell or attempt to flee. Before he could decide, a figure hove into view with a mane of tangles and disheveled layers of clothing. Their eyes locked. The prophet halted. Her jaw went slack. An arm elevated like a shotgun to point at him. ‟You!” she hissed. +The condemnation sliced through internal organs. He buckled as if stabbed, hands to his belly. Remorse tied innards in knots for not sparing his wife and child. For callously not caring about the world, letting all of this happen. Everything. He felt that somehow he was the cause. It didn’t make sense, couldn’t be true. Yet he felt that he was a vessel of death and destruction. He shouldered the cumbrous weight of responsibility for the world’s demise. +Absolute silence shifted to noise, a flurry of commotion. Fruit Flies revolved around him, blanketing the air. Their hum vibrated like mini-bombers as they clogged ears, filmed eyes and skin, streamed in and out of his nose and mouth. +Above the buzzing of insects, a grunting and gnarring of beasts echoed. He knew they would find him. Blindly the fly lord confronted ranks of zombies, numbed by the circulation of his puny minions. Mute, he couldn’t address the monstrous horde. Instead he gesticulated broadly, arms wide as if in welcome. He surrendered to their justice. +A shroud of flies funneled toward the sky and churned there like thunderclouds to witness Armageddon. +The prophet was first to reach him, growling with the ferocity of an insatiable appetite. Self-preservation unleashed a violence that Ziggy had believed himself incapable of, and he slashed her visage with fingers curved to talons. He threw her to the pavement by the hair and rendered the harridan null as if she were a roach. Whatever abominable darkness lurked in his depth, it was a surprise to him. This ruthless yen to stay alive at all costs seemed foreign. He had regarded himself as neither good nor bad, a man without distinction. But here he was combatting a legion of goons bent upon rending him to pieces. Was saving yourself heroic? What if he inadvertently saved the world too? +He stood erect, huffing, and faced the ghouls. Save the world? Not a chance. He retreated. + + + + +Adele chided herself for hesitating. Coward! She commanded herself to plunge the blade and quit behaving like a wimp. ‟Do it!” the woman lamented. She had no reason to live. Her arms tensed. This was it. Mind focused, breath composed, channeling a state of peace, she drove the knife downward. +A grating unintelligible shout interrupted her arc of triumph against the twisted threads of Fate. +The woman winced, blade suspended, and glanced aside in aggravation. A large man sprinted across the park to the playground. He collapsed in the sand at her feet. A pathetic croak issued from a dry throat pitted by innumerable bites. +Adele sighed and lowered the knife. It would have to wait. ‟Hey.” She nudged the guy with the toe of a worn shoe. ‟Are you okay?” Of course he wasn’t okay! He had been lacerated from top to bottom. He looked like a dog’s chew-toy! The injured man lay moaning and panting. ‟You need some help?” She didn’t know what she could do, but it was polite to offer in these situations. +Ziggy’s hands groped sediment. The woman was alive. They would follow him directly to her. What had he done? He tried to push himself up. One fist clasped something other than sand. The man blinked at an object, a faded toy. He experienced a pang of nostalgia. An obscure recollection. It meant something. The sentiment evaporated. +Her knife fell. ‟That’s mine!” The homeless lady tussled over the plastic wind-up turtle. +Ziggy couldn’t let go. He didn’t know why, but he just couldn’t release the turtle. It stirred something profound. +Weeping, Adele pleaded with the man to give back her son’s favorite toy. She would bring it to this park where she had brought him, arranging the turtle on the sand where he liked to bury it. The toy made her feel close to him. It was a connection, like this square of symbolic land that she visited religiously . . . a pilgrim traveling to a holy shrine. A public place, it belonged to everyone yet was special to her. +And to him. +Ziggy had come here guided by a little boy seeking consolation, running to his mommy. The shattered man squinted at this crying lady. A smiling young woman’s ghostly image superimposed upon her haggard countenance. A wave of pent-up hostility frothed to the surface. He bellowed ‟Mime!” — garbled without a tongue — and reclaimed his most prized possession. Knocking the lady aside, he climbed to his feet in a victorious stance, the toy aloft. +Adele sat up gasping. She clapped jittery hands to her mouth. It couldn’t be, it couldn’t be! Strangled hysterical laughter spouted as she rose grinning with glee. Arms apart, she stepped to wrap her child in a hug. ‟No, I can’t believe it! You’re my son! My dear sweet boy!” +Ziggy whirled, eyes enraged. She had lost him! Allowed him to be taken, abducted by strangers! She had no right to call him her son! His jaw flapped. Beads of heartache glittered in his cold eyes. He couldn’t explain the hurt he had borne inside for most of his days. His exterior wounds were nothing by comparison. He warded her off, features conflicted. +‟I love you. I always have,” she whispered. +Ziggy shook his head. +‟I’m sorry.” Fingers to her neck, eyes limpid pools of anguish, Adele stared into the face of the boy she had wanted more than anything to find. He was tall now, like his father. He had the shape of his mother’s chin, her cheekbones and hair. And his father’s sheepishly handsome smile; Zeke’s blue-gray eyes. ‟We both loved you so much,” she told their son. ‟You were ours and no-one else’s.” +Tears poured from Ziggy’s eyes. His obstinate betrayed expression washed away and he resembled that little boy. It was the happiest day of his life. +Adele cried out with joy and submerged him in her arms. The man’s height made no difference. He was still her child. +Ziggy’s arms engulfed her, tentative, then forgiving. They hung on to each other as if they would never let go. What really connects us? Blood? Or something deeper? Something less tangible? Ziggy’s muddled brain flowed like a river in search of a new path. Maybe it was who we touched in this life that counted, who we interacted with and made the world better for in grand or modest ways. Even if we ultimately failed them. +As a gathering army of mutants ringed the park, a cursed man vowed to defend a treasured lady with his final breath. The zombies barged forth in a frenzy and Ziggy valiantly countered them, kicking, circling, lashing in vain. There were too many. And then the flies descended. Their hum amplified. The itching beneath his skin magnified in response. His flesh swelled, and movements became sluggish. He was sweating tubs. +It occurred to him at the last that he was an incubator. The Fruit Flies planted eggs; their growth cycle must have accelerated. Maggots hatched and were consuming him, compelling him to attack others, to cannibalize and infect them. +When they reached his brain, Ziggy lost his mind. And his temper. +In horror, between billows of flies, Adele ogled her son bloating to impossible dimensions. His skin bubbled. Then he screamed, on and on. The creatures around him tumbled back as the man erupted in an unrestrained spate of head-bashing limb-breaking mania. +Her stomach and teeth clenched. The woman harbored no further hope. They were surrounded by a gruesome melee of fiends, and there was nothing she could do to protect her son. The time to do so was past. He strove to protect her now but it was futile. She swallowed. A rueful smile shaped her lips. At least they were together. At least they had that much. +Ziggy’s flesh ruptured, sundering to jigsaw bits, and more flies emerged. Adele was jolted to the grass by a crowd of zombies pawing her. +‟NOOOOOOOOO!!!” Her fingers coiled. She had located the knife. She had survived a cult of wicked freaks, endured losing her husband and only child, then found her child just long enough to lose him again! She might not win, make that would not win, but she was not going to die like some flimsy skittish female in the movies! Roaring, she stood up green eyes ablaze, nostrils flared, and commenced killing the dead. Who probably didn’t feel anything, but it made her feel pretty darn good as zombies toppled with holes in their heads. +A knife was no match for the flies. The insects invaded cavities, clogged her nose, teemed to her lungs. Their clamor stifled dreadful cries. As the zombies joined in, she mercifully suffocated while myriad tiny and big mouths devoured her flesh. + + + + +It’s hot. You’re bathed in perspiration although it’s early. Wearing goggles and a gas-mask, you venture outside into polluted air that is now black with flies. The world is deteriorating before your eyes, everywhere dark and humming, a drape of madness and mayhem like the final curtain on a play with a cast of fools. Where did they come from, this latest plague? It’s lucky you’re so paranoid, cloaked in a thin white hood, long sleeves, boots and slacks. An insect pinches your hand and you ball your fists, shoving them into pockets, but your ears are vulnerable within the hood. You didn’t even know a Fruit Fly could bite! Your ears are on fire from pain. Perhaps they’re another insect, some new species. You’ve never seen anything like them. You pull the hood tighter. A hand is exposed to their nicks, the rapacious nips. Is that blood? Upset, you cram the fist in its pocket, having skipped gloves due to the high temperature. +Hastening along a sidewalk, you notice a group of people approaching. It’s apparent there is an oddness about them. Weaving, oafish, milling together yet not conversing. Maybe they’re just weird. On second thought, you doubt it. They’re weird but that isn’t it. That isn’t what makes you step from the curb and cross the street. +They might think the same about you for donning a gas-mask, but the style is catching on since the Global Government began blatantly poisoning the public. Fashion, however, is the last thing on your mind at the moment. +They’re looking right at you. Groaning in a peculiar manner. Like they aren’t human. Kind of bizarre. And they’re crossing the street, diagonally, making a beeline toward you. Creepy! You speed up to maintain a cautious distance, glancing at them repeatedly. On closer inspection, they are extremely foul and mangy. You would definitely not care to meet them. +Well, it’s inevitable at this pace. Time to run. +Briskly you scurry, aiming for a populated area. Unfortunately, the streets are vacant. Besides the bugs. Your goggles are getting steamed; you wipe them on your clothing, hands tucked into sleeves. The insects are so thick, you’re crashing into them rather than the opposite. You adjust the fogged and smeared lenses with your cuffs and scrub at the flies spattered on the glass. +Peering over, you note that the too-friendly or malicious creeps are still angling to intercept you. They’ve shortened the gap. You can discern their aspects are grossly mauled, and the skin that isn’t missing has a pallid unnatural hue. A tremor of fear passes through your soul. Unsympathetic, cordial or not, you want nothing more than to get as far away from them as possible. +Where is everyone? Between the gory characters and bugs, the empty streets, a heavy atmosphere of anticipation, you feel like you’ve stepped into another universe. Or woken up the last person on Earth. +You can’t be dreaming, your ears sting. Your fists too. Exploring the rim of an ear, you discover it bloody. The back of your hand contains gouges! Removing your all-purpose E.T. (Every Thing), you weigh the pros and cons of activating the gadget and being tracked, monitored, to check the news — which is owned by the corporations and will tell you as much or as little as they deem necessary. +You’re being monitored by cameras anyway, and sensors, in practically everything. You need to learn if there’s an emergency, dictates logic. Pressing ON with a beep, fanning the buggy air, swirls of soupy mist undulating, you link to the rest of the world. Article headlines and videos leap off the screen, cryptic apocalyptic messages about zombies and mutant flies. Uh-huh, sure. This has to be a joke, some kind of prank or hoax. Zombies! +Reading an article, your optimism sinks. You feel like you’re the only one who didn’t know the world has ended . . . +It’s true. Your gait lags. You remember the unsavories and pick up your stride. A solemn Asian anchorwoman intones, hair mussed, her complexion damp: ‟The Fruit Flies mutated to carnivores by retaining teeth from their larval phase. They appear to be immune to the pesticides and will lay their eggs in the living or rotting flesh of humans. The zombies may have been a result of this fly infestation — or a separate parallel affliction. These are the facts at present. We will update you as details and events —” The video cut off. That was hours ago. +What isn’t being discussed in the news is what initiated the mutations, the underlying causes of these threats. Culpability lies with the corporate structure of society. Everyone who isn’t Somebody grumbles this below their breath, but none of the masses are empowered to do anything about it. There was a time when speaking out mattered, when people everywhere could raise their voices together and inspire change. Now it was dangerous to disagree. Dangerous to complain, criticize, think differently. Those freedoms had led to war, it was taught. Now people are content. There is peace. If they don’t like the way things are, they will be sent to Transition Camps. Basically, forced labor. +Perhaps a collapse of civilization wouldn’t be so bad. +Your reverie has allowed the gimps to gain ground. You’re grateful for the gas-mask. They must reek. Darting into a park, you are anxious to get rid of them. Should you go home? They might follow. The park seems tranquil, deceptively ordinary. A woman is seated on a low wall by a play area. You lope toward her. Maybe she’s like you were, oblivious, out of touch. +Something isn’t right. The flies appear to be orbiting her. You bustle to the center of the insect maelstrom and grasp her shoulder, then uneasily eye the matted hair and dirty garb. A face swings in your direction. She has lines, too many lines, but she seems okay. The face turns farther. Half of it is hideously ravaged. Her belly protrudes beneath a stretched top, a pregnant quaking mound. You scream as her abdomen detonates in a torrent of flies. A visage ripe with welts and tumors showers you. Blood and bugs. The insects penetrate your clothing. Zombies, attracted like sharks, stagger to the feast. +What did you expect, a happy ending? +Your E.T. tumbles out of your hand. On the screen plays a video filmed from a corporate office. A man in a black hood announces that Peace Corpse wants you to know what harmful substances people are breathing and ingesting. The contents of the ‟safe” pesticides are published. A list of toxic chemicals and sickness-causing contaminants liberally scrolls. +The video goes dark. A fly lands on the screen and merrily cleans its teeth. + + +*** + +Lori R. Lopez writes poems, short stories, novels, songs, and nonfiction as well as a dark often-humorous column called ‟Poetic Reflections”. Her books include CHOCOLATE-COVERED EYES, DANCE OF THE CHUPACABRAS, THE MACABRE MIND OF LORI R. LOPEZ, OUT-OF-MIND EXPERIENCES, AN ILL WIND BLOWS and THE FAIRY FLY (ages twelve through adult). Her stories and verse appear in anthologies such as MIRAGES: TALES FROM AUTHORS OF THE MACABRE, MASTERS OF HORROR: DAMNED IF YOU DON’T, I BELIEVE IN WEREWOLVES, SOUP OF SOULS, THIRSTY ARE THE DAMNED, and SCARE PACKAGE: 14 TALES OF TERROR. Fifteen of Lori’s poems were published for an anthology titled IN DARKNESS WE PLAY (Triskaideka Books). + +Suzi M + + + + +Scarred + +by Suzi M + + + +Staring at your own headstone is no way to start the evening, most people will tell you. Depending on the time and circumstances, I find staring at your own epitaph on your custom-made grave marker can really put your night in perspective. Nothing says you wasted your life quite like the old cliché ‘so-and-so will be missed’ sort of thing that distantly related relatives will slap onto that piece of rock. And if I have not yet had my cup of coffee to wake me up before staring at the hard gray truth… well, that makes for a shitty night for everyone. +I kicked my feet up onto the scarred surface of my desk-- an ancient wooden model with drawers that protested doing their built in duty more than a john paying for a trick. Staring at the tips of my shoes, I considered polishing them up for a more professional appearance; then decided it would be easier to just get a new pair of shoes. Ones without holes in the soles and along the uppers. From my reclined position I could still make out the curved top of my tombstone lurking in the shadows. I pulled open the bottom drawer of the desk and decided the best thing to do to set things right would be to American up my whiskey with a shot of coffee. +This is usually around the time that the hot chick walks into the noir detective’s office and flounces more tit and ass than a guy can say no to, but I am sadly not that noir detective nor would the tactic work. I look good in a suit, sure, but I like the men. On an optimistic note, I am told that it is fairly normal behavior for women to feel that way. Whatever passes for normal, anyway. I am sure I still pass for a woman, but beyond that, I am totally at a loss. +Coming back from the dead was my first mistake. Going back to work instead of cashing out my sick days was my second mistake. After all, death was a very plausible excuse for not going to work. I think they may even give more time off if the person who died is you. As I said before, I am sadly not a noir detective, and this is not a noir detective story. I refuse to go sleuthing amongst the offices of human resources to find out how much time off I should be taking to mourn my own passing. +I could hear footsteps in the dingy hallway outside my office door, and then in walked a very agitated model of masculinity. His eyes darted here and there, then fell onto my desk and its little placard with my name and title. +“What can I do for you?” I asked casually while lighting a cigarette. +He looked to protest my smoking and I arched an eyebrow that said ‘now was not a good time to talk about my bad habits.’ I sucked in a breath and blew the smoke away from us, not that it helped in the small office. +“This is going to sound crazy,” he started. +“You died. From the looks of you, I’d say it was by car accident.” +He looked amazed. “Yes.” +“And now you’re wondering what the hell you’re doing back amongst the air-breathers.” +“Yes!” +“Mmmmm-hmmm.” +“How did you know?” +I nodded to my own gravestone, squinting against the smoke. “Join the club, Hon. I’ve been getting calls off the hook since I came back.” +He seemed genuinely disturbed by my office decoration. I have to admit, I could not remember how I had gotten the thing from my grave and into the office with me. Something in the back of what I assumed were my now maggots for brains told me I really should not investigate further into my demise; nor should I try to solve this undead Honey’s case. +“Do you know what happened to us?” +“Nope. Not a clue.” +“Will you find out for me? I need to know what’s going on.” +“Sorry, guy, I have my own worries. Since the resurrection I’ve decided to live a much more in the now life. That means I don’t worry about the past, and I don’t think about the future.” +“I can pay….” +It sounded almost like a question, I had to smirk. I shook my head as I dropped my beat up shoes off my beat up desk and onto an even more beat up floor. +“Money’s passé. I’m not quite sure what happened, but I don’t want to know.” +He stared at me as if I had died and come back from the grave. I sucked another drag off my cancer stick and regarded him for a moment, regretting my choice even before the words were out of my mouth. I have always been a sucker for blue-eyed frat boys and a man in uniform. +“Fine. I’ll see what I can do.” +In the end it all turned out to be a fluke. The dead started to drop off again and were quickly buried in vaults that were sealed. Accusations about government experiments flew, but no country stepped up to take the blame for it, and so there was no donkey on which to pin the proverbial tail. +Blue Eyes came back to my office looking hopeful. My poker face is not a good one, and he quickly got the idea that I had some bad news. +“Sorry,” I began, “No answers…. We’re just an accident.” +“What does that mean?” +“Means we’ll be sorted out in about a day or two.” +“Huh?” +“We’ll be taking another dirt nap again real soon.” +“How do you know?” + “Because I broke a tooth trying to bite into someone’s skull…. This isn’t the movies. We’re starving back to death.” +“Shit.” +“Indeed.” + +**** + +To learn more, follow Suzi on Facebook! + Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SuziMOfficial + + +Tara Maya + +The One in the Basement + + +Except for the banging on the basement door, it’s the kind of Sunday mornings Marlie likes best. Never mind the noise, it’s no bother. Best she was up anyway, it’s almost half past seven. The kitchen smells like coffee and formaldehyde. +Outside, it’s not too hot, yet still sunny. Beams of light illuminate the plants in her kitchen window. The plants are plastic, which are easier to care for than real plants. One only need keep them dust-free, and they’re just as pretty as real flowers. The ceramic planters are adorable: a cotton-candy pink bunny, a lemon-meringue-pie colored ducky, an adorable elephant the exact same shade as a blueberry lollipop her mother gave her for her sixth birthday. There’s a picture of pig-tailed Marlie with that lollipop in one of the photo albums, which are all lovingly enclosed in hand-sewn denim-and-lace covers. +Mama made those. Like Marlie, mama knew that keepsakes are important. Mama’s memory isn’t so good anymore, but Marlie keeps the memories for the sake of them both. Frank always complains about the clutter, and once he dared suggest she throw away the shelf of photo albums. Frank has never got along well with mama. But then, what man likes his mother-in-law? Marlie knows better than to heed to his grumbling about her mother. It’s better to focus on the positive. +Marlie has just popped the toast, when Frank shuffles into the kitchen, still wearing his dingy gray robe and slippers. The toast is perfect golden brown. Marlie slathers the crusty bread with butter, which melts right and proper as you like. +“Gonna set fire to that woman one day,” Frank says. He glowers at the basement door. +Although mama can’t hear him and couldn’t understand if she did, the banging stops. As if she knows Frank wants to destroy her and some instinct for self-preservation has kicked in. Not possible, sadly. Mama’s mind is gone. Marlie considers it a blessing, really; she can no longer be offended by Frank’s constant hostility. +Frank and Marlie are eating breakfast when the banging starts up again. +He starts to rise from his chair, scowling. +“Ignore it,” says Marlie. +He harrumphs, but settles down again, without ever having stood completely. At his size, lugging his middle around is not done on a whim. +The door to their basement shudders from the pounding. +It used to be such a nice room, their basement. They insulated it and finished it off over three decades ago, back when Frank liked to DIY around the house; now he’s too old and fat. Speaking of his weight, Marlie frowns to see that he has ignored the toast and coffee she’s set out for him, and pillaged the fridge for donuts and soda instead. +“That’ll be the death of you,” she says. +“Maybe it will,” says Frank. “There are worse ways to go.” +“Did you take your heart medication? You always forget.” +“Don’t harp. You know the one thing I can’t stand is a woman who harps.” +What Frank doesn’t tell her is that he is out of his medication. He thinks Marlie doesn’t know, even though she keeps track of these things on her Kittens Calendar right next to the fridge. He never looks. He has been out for more than a week. She’s worried, and wonders if she should pick them up herself. But going out to get more is getting harder and harder these days. +“When my time comes,” he says, even grimmer than usual, “Don’t let me become one of them.” +The banging stops and the silence is startling. Almost worse. +“How about a cup of coffee instead of that dreadful soda?” Marlie asks. +“Promise me, Marlie.” +“Don’t be morbid. You know I can’t abide that sort of talk.” +Frank grunts. He turns on the TV, a small black and white, almost as old as their marriage but still able to get one channel. The only thing on is news, droning about the situation in Europe. +“I hate how these journalist fellows always exaggerate.” Marlie. “They just want to sell newspapers.” +“No one buys newspapers anymore, Marlie. It’s all PooTube and Twatter.” +“…more zombies in twenty European countries now than people…” says the TV. “You can vote on your favorite zombie attack video….” +“Damn PooTube,” says Frank. “Another sure sign everything’s gone to hell.” +True, she thinks, feeling old. Everything has changed. We never had zombies before. People died and stayed dead. +Renewed banging on the door makes her jump. +Don’t dwell on it, she reminds herself. Happy thoughts. +Now the TV shows some story about how people are using social media to report zombie sightings real time. “Here’s the hashtag you can use…” +What’s a hashtag? wonders Marlie. Is it a kind of hashbrown? +“Damn Twatter,” says Frank. +“The zombie problem is even worse in Asia,” says a TV anchor wearing an expression of studied concern. “China, Japan and Vietnam have two zombies out of every three animate persons. Will America suffer the same zombie meltdown as Europe and Asia?” +“Damn zombies,” says Frank. +Marlie pities them. They can’t see, can’t hear, can’t understand and can’t die. They stagger around, seeking, always seeking, never finding. They destroy the lives of the ones they once loved the most, unfeelingly, unknowingly. There are days when Marlie feels she is no more useful than the zombies. +But she mustn’t be negative about it. She hates negativity. Frank has enough for them both. +The banging is background noise to her thoughts, so much taken for granted that it takes Marlie a moment to realize the timbre has changed. +It’s not coming from the basement, it’s coming from outside. +Suddenly terrified, Marlie clutches the edges of the table until her knuckles whiten. “Frank! Do something!” +“Why me?” he says “You know who it is!” +“Please Frank!” +Going outside isn’t so easy these days. He puts on the needed things: Long sleeved shirt, tough jeans, leather jacket, heavy boots. Thick leather gloves and a fencing mask. He also takes an ax, which he doesn’t let Marlie see, though she hears the closet creak open and knows he’s taken it. He borrowed one from Mr. Tucker (the son) last month, and why would he have borrowed it if he didn’t intend to use it? +But he won’t need it, surely, she tells herself. Just to be sure, she edges toward the window to watch through the miniature forest of plastic plants and ceramic planters. +At first, Frank is out of sight, around the corner behind the garage, not in the front yard. All she can hear is shuffling, moaning and banging. She props open the window to hear better. +Then she sees Frank backing away from two zombies who are rushing him, in their pitiful but inexorable way. Their stink is overwhelming. She shouldn’t have opened the window. She can smell it despite the formaldehyde used to keep their dead flesh firm. It’s not formaldehyde, Frank says, but Marlie can’t remember what it’s called. Nano-plasma-something. The immortality serum. The thing that started the zombie craze in the first place. It didn’t preserve the higher functions. Just re-animated corpses with a pseudo-life that is, on the face of it, she has to admit, though she doesn’t like to speak ill of the undead, rather ghastly. +Where will end? She wonders and briefly panics. Will we all become zombies? In a world of zombies, who will pour the coffee and butter the toast? +Marlie pushes that unpleasant smudge of thought into a corner and dabs it with a napkin. No sense being negative. +The front lawn, boarded by rose bushes near the house and by ceramic gnomes near the white picket fence, is now the arena for an indecorous battle between Frank and the zombies. One of the zombies—surely that’s Mr. Tucker (the father) from two doors down? – tries hard to bite Frank. He chops off Mr. Tucker’s arm. Pus oozes from the gray, bloodless arm. The zombie and the arm both continue to flop toward Frank. +Marlie shakes her head. Was that really necessary? Why must Frank be so hostile? +Frank has an unreasoning fear of becoming a zombie. +The young Tuckers, a middle age couple named Laura and Will, run onto the lawn. They apologize to Frank for the deprecations of old zombie Tucker – Will’s father, Marlie thinks, but she can’t remember—though they look annoyed that Frank cut off the arm. They pick up the arm and guide old Mr. Tucker back toward their house. They also have a basement. +The other zombie is distracted and now attacking a telephone pole. Frank walks up behind her. He lifts the ax. +He really intends to do it! +Then he notices Marlie watching from the window. +Frank sags and lowers the ax. He guides the zombie back inside, holding her at arms length because she tries to bite him. As they pass, Marlie pastes on a smile. +“Did you have a nice morning jaunt, mama?” +“Oh, mama zombie had a wonderful morning,” mutters Frank as he locks mama back in the basement. +He always hated her mother even before mama died and was infected. +When he comes back, he’s flushed and furious. “Did you see that? That old bat almost bit me! We can’t keep taking care of her! We need to put her in a home!” +“You know how those places are, and anyway there’s not enough to keep up with the demand.” +“That’s because fools like you keep the zombies around rather than burning them to ash! Every time an old person croaks, we zombify them until the undead are outnumbering the living, as in Europe and Asia! No one can afford to take care of children anymore, we spend all our money on the undead! It’s not immortality! It’s a curse! It’s a nightmare!” +“What do you want me to do? Kill my own mother?” +“She’s already dead!” +“But not completely, so how can I abandon her?” +His face purples, his veins throb. He opens his mouth to rant more, but his bark comes out like a strange cough. He clutches his chest. +Marlie rushes to him, but she can see it is too late. He’s having a heart attack. She could call 911, but these days they are so busy dealing with zombie escapes that they take an hour to answer a call. +“Mama! Mama!” she rushes to the basement door. Opens it. +Mama staggers out and without being told what to do, bites Frank vigorously on the shoulder. +At first, the bite seems to have no effect. The body emits odd noises, and an unpleasant smell fills the air. The bowels have voided their contents for the last time. But otherwise, Frank doesn’t stir, even when Marlie returns with towels and fresh pants. +Nearly an half hour has passed before Frank stirs again. Marlie hears gurgling from the back of his throat. He staggers to his feet. He throws up blood. He won’t need it anymore. What good luck she already has the towels and disinfectant out. +Frank has a blank look on his face as he tries to bite her. +But she’s already put on the leather gloves and fencing mask. She guides him back to the basement. Then does the same for mama, who has escaped while Marlie was dealing with Frank. She kisses mama on the cheek. Mama tries to bite her ear. +She now has two of them to watch and tend and above all keep safely locked away from biting any young person. Washing is a must to combat the smell, but no need to feed them. Zombies don’t eat. Not even brains, despite the jokes by late night comedians. They gnaw anything, but just from some misfiring in their nano-plasma filled brains. They aren’t exactly alive, just kept animate by the nano-mush, however that works. Neither living nor dead, they just…subsist. Forever. Or as long as their living relatives, or government welfare programs, care for them. +At least the bill for donuts and soda will go down. +Must focus on the positive. + + +*** +For more information on Tara Maya check out:- +Blog  |  Twitter  |  Facebook  |  Goodreads +taramayastales.blogspot.com +https://twitter.com/taramayastales +https://www.facebook.com/TheUnfinishedSongEpicFantasy?ref=hl +http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2951879.Tara_Maya + + +Shannon Mayer + + +Sundered +Love is something eternal; the aspect may change, but not the essence. +—Vincent Van Gogh + + +1 + +I walked slowly, my hands above my head to keep from touching the scotch broom. My eyes watered, my throat and nose itched, and the patches of bare skin the plant leaned in to kiss were bright red and swelling. Fanny Bay was famous for a lot of things, but when we moved here three months ago I didn’t realize it was a breeding ground for my most hated nemesis. +“You coming, babe? I really am sorry. I didn’t know the trail was full of broom,” Sebastian, my sweet and usually thoughtful husband, yelled back to me. He wasn’t allergic to the brilliant yellow plant, so he didn’t have to worry about the branches that hung on all sides, and he made good time on the trail. I could just make out his broad back and dark brown hair over the tops of the broom ahead of me. At 6’4” he towered over most people and living things, noxious weeds included. +I grunted a reply, not wanting to take in any more air than I had to. The walk through the tunnel of broom wouldn’t kill me—it wasn’t that bad an allergy—but hell, it wasn’t something I enjoyed, either. Breaking out in a rash and blowing my nose continually for the next few hours would be what I had to look forward to after this little excursion. But the bottom line was, and even I could admit it, I needed to get out of the house and get some fresh air. I’d been holed up for far too long grieving, and this little hike and visit with the neighbours would get me moving. God love the man, Sebastian knew me better than I knew myself sometimes, and this excursion had been his idea. +“Mara?” +“I’m coming, Bastian. Don’t expect me to run through this crap,” I said, shifting sideways to slip between two overhanging branches. +A stick jabbed me in the belly and I snapped it off with a quick twist. “Stupid plant,” I muttered, thinking of all the things that had been jabbed into me of late; it was the least painful, both to my body and my heart. +I blinked away tears that threatened, and wiped my hands across my eyes to my immediate regret: they were covered in pollen from pushing the broom out of my way. +“Son of a bitch, I’m an idiot.” I blinked furiously, trying to keep the tears flowing to rinse my eyes out. +The doctors didn’t know why we were having such a hard time getting pregnant, and the miscarriage only confirmed that it was something wrong with me. I sneezed and rubbed my nose with the back of my hand, the minor explosion jarring me out of my depressing thoughts. +“Hurry up, woman. I told Dan we’d be there ten minutes ago. Last thing I want to do is upset the new neighbours.” Sebastian’s voice was even further ahead of me now. +“Yeah, I’m coming, O white knight of mine, who considers a walk in the broom a nice time out for his highly allergic wife!” I wasn’t angry with him; this was part of the way he dealt with his grief. It was the same when his father and brother died in the boating accident; at least, that was what his mother had shared with me. His motto was 'buckle down and move on; push forward and don’t look back'. Although even with that attitude, he sweated the whole way across the Georgia Strait, despite the fact that the ferry we were on was the size of a cruise liner. +A rustle in the bush stopped my feet before I thought about what I was doing. “Sebastian?” He had a nasty habit of scaring me; jumping out from the place I least expected him. The rustling drew closer and I pulled away, pressing my back against a wall of yellow and green, my heart picking up speed. I didn’t think it was Sebastian. A musky odour floated past my nose, and whatever was making the noise, it was an animal. A flash of black in the bush across from me and I nearly wet my pants. Bears were more than common on this part of Vancouver Island; they were considered pretty much part of the neighbourhood and one of the few things I was truly terrified of. +Crap. Mouth dry, I tried again, whispering as loud as I dared. “Sebastian!” +The black thing in the bush that I was sure was a bear, grunted and shuffled closer and I slid my way toward the spot where I’d last seen my husband. Maybe the bear wouldn’t attack us if we were together? Sweat popped out on my forehead and I no longer cared how much the broom brushed against me; I just didn’t want to be eaten. I pushed my back against the wall of plants, not caring that they scratched across my bare skin as I slid sideways up the trail, keeping my eyes trained on the rustling behind me. +One step forward and something grabbed me from behind sending me into a flailing mass of arms, legs, and grunts as my heart threatened to burst out of my throat. +“Whoa, whoa, babe, settle down,” Sebastian said, laughing at me, his blue eyes dancing, his hands resting on my shoulders. +I didn’t care he’d scared me. Not this time. +I gulped in a breath. “Bear,” I said, pointing down the trail, my hand shaking. +“Really?” +I nodded. Then the stupidest thing I’ve ever seen that man do happened right in front of my disbelieving eyes. Sebastian started back the way we’d come, toward the bear. +“What are you doing?” My fear turned to anger as I thought of myself widowed before I’d even turned thirty. +“I just want to see it. I’ve never seen a bear up close before,” he said. +“There’s a first and a last time for everything,” I snapped and then contrite at the thought of my last words to him being snotty I changed tactics. “Please come back. We need to keep going. I thought you said we were almost there.” +Sebastian didn’t answer me except to wave backwards. As if I was going to get any closer to the bear. Yeah, right. He kept moving forward, his movements slow and steady, as if he was afraid to spook the animal. I didn’t think that was going to be a problem. +I wanted to scrub my hands over my face with frustration, but had to settle for gripping the edges of my shorts. There had to be a way to get him to come back. +“Sebastian, I’ll divorce you if you keep looking for the bear.” Maybe that would work. +“You’re too poor to pay a lawyer.” +I snorted. “So are you.” I thought a moment more, knowing I had the answer. +“I’ll tell your Gran on you.” +He stopped and turned to face me. “You wouldn’t.” The look on his face said it all, and a twitch started in the corner of my lips. I knew I had him. I let out a sigh of relief and put my hands on my hips. +“I would, just you wait and . . .” +A huge black bear burst out of the bush behind Sebastian with a roar and I bit down on a scream, my worst nightmare unfolding before my eyes. Sebastian stumbled back toward me and fell over a rut in the ground. I grabbed a rock and cocked my arm to throw it, when a hand dropped on my shoulder and shoved me to the ground. The smell of cigar smoke curled through the air, slicing through the sweet musk of the broom and the heavier musk of the large predator ready to eat my husband. +“Stay down, girl,” a throaty voice said and I looked over my shoulder to see our sort-of-crazy neighbour Dan above me, a gun levelled at the bear. “You too, boy, stay down.” I wasn’t sure if he was talking to Sebastian or the bear. +We both stayed low on the ground and Dan walked toward the bear, his gun never wavering. +“Come on, Bob, you know you aren’t allowed to be eating the locals. Specially these city folk so new here, they’re practically a biohazard with all the toxins and chemicals they’ve been living in.” +“Hey, we eat healthy,” I said, then thought about the situation and shut my mouth. A crazy man with a gun and a bear in the middle of a forest trail that no one knew we were on. Quiet Mara, you’ll live longer. +I watched in disbelief as the bear—Bob, I guess—dropped to all fours and let out a long low snort. +“Yeah,” Dan said. “I feel the same about these imports, but we got to give them a chance before we run them off.” +The bear grunted and pawed at the ground a mere foot away from Sebastian’s bare legs. I whimpered in fear, wishing I had the gun in my hands. Why wasn’t Dan shooting the bear? He wasn’t truly having a conversation with the animal; he had to know that, didn’t he? +“Go on now, Bob. Come around the back of the house later tonight and you can have one of the salmon I thawed out this morning.” Dan lowered the gun. Bob gave one last snuffle and turned away from us, heading back down the trail toward the ocean. +I scrambled to my feet and ran to Sebastian, catching him in a—dare I say it—bear hug. +“I’m okay, babe,” he said into my hair. +“No, you’re not.” I stood up and kicked him in the shin, pleased with the wince it produced. “You idiot! I told you not to go back. That bear could have killed you!” +“Lower your voice, girl, or Bob will come back to see what all the shouting’s about, and to be honest, I’d sooner shoot you than him. He’s better company than most people.” +I turned to face him, our kind-of rescuer, at a loss for words. Did I say thanks for saving us, or thanks for not shooting us, or was I supposed to be mad that he preferred a bear over people? Dan stared at me as he chewed on the stubby cigar clamped between yellowed teeth. His salt and pepper hair was military short and yet still managed to be messy, and his army fatigues were rumpled and stained. I didn’t know what to make of him. Was it an act, or were the other locals right and he was off his rocker? +Sebastian took the lead, exaggerating his limp and rubbing at his shin before holding his hand out to the gruff older man. “Thanks, Dan. Much appreciate the intervention with your friend. We were on our way to your place. You put an ad on the mailbox that you had some old gardening stuff you want to get rid of? I spoke with you this morning about coming by?” +Dan stared at Sebastian for so long I started to get nervous. The man, after all, had a reputation for eating Crazy Flakes for breakfast and he was packing a large gun. Not really a good combination. I cleared my throat. +“Things like old pots, and maybe even some veggie starts,” I said, wanting to break the awkward silence. +Dan took a drag on his cigar and blew out a string of smoke. “Yup, come on then.” He turned his back to us, put his gun over his shoulder and led us down the yellow and green tunnel. +We followed, Sebastian taking my hand and giving it a squeeze. “I’m sorry,” he mouthed to me. +I smiled and squeezed his hand, mouthing back, “Okay. But I’m still calling your Gran.” +Sebastian winced again, and I nodded. There was always a consequence for being dumb, even if it was just having your Gran rip a strip off you. +As the adrenaline stopped its headlong rush through my body, I became acutely aware of my bare legs and arms—all the parts I’d shoved up against the broom. By the time we reached Dan’s, a fortress of a home that looked as if it had once been an army barrack, every visible inch of me was covered in hives. I stared around me, absently scratching at my arms. Dan’s yard wasn’t fenced, but it didn’t really need to be, not with the way his house was built. What looked like steel plate covered the doors, and the windows had rebarred grills over them. I ran my fingers over the rough textured exterior of the house—it seeme to be a combination of bricks, mortar and cement— my curiosity for a moment overwhelmed my itching. What was the point of all this? +“Make this quick, Bastian. I’m blowing up like a puffer fish,” I whispered to him as I deposited myself on the only chair in the yard. Dan brought me a prickly cactus looking plant and stuck it on the ground beside me. +“Aloe Vera. It’ll help with the sting till you get home,” he said as he broke off a thick green stem and handed the goopy end to me. +Surprised at his kindness, my opinion of him shifting again, I broke off a second piece of the plant and rubbed it onto the worst patch of hives with a sigh. It was cool and soothing. I was going to have to get me an Aloe Vera plant. +It was nice in the shade; this corner of Dan’s garden was already up, the bright green shoots sticking through the ground. I didn’t recognize any of them. I was still pretty new to the whole concept of gardening. I could see what I thought were peas climbing a section of netting, large rubber tires housing a creeping plant of some sort, and several raised beds with strawberries in them. Those, at least, I could pick out easily. It was very strange to see such a mixture of old-school gardening life next to the military feel of his home. +Next to the house, a battered old radio played while Sebastian talked planting, tools, and seeds with the old nutter. +After a few minutes, Dan walked to the radio and turned it up just as a female announcer came on, her voice breathy and completely unsuited to radio. +“Bet she got the job by doing a few jobs of her own, eh?” Dan gave me a lecherous wink and walked back over to where Sebastian was digging through an old pile of pots. +I grimaced and shook my head. That was an awful thought, no matter that it was probably true. I reached down to rub at a particularly large hive with the Aloe Vera on the back of my calf, when what the announcer was saying sunk in. +“This is a miracle drug boys and girls. Not only can you eat whatever you want and not gain weight, but it does all sorts of great things, but I can’t remember all of them. You can’t buy it over the counter . . . .” +I got up and moved my chair closer to the radio, and a second, male, announcer came on, his voice highly animated and almost as feminine as the woman’s. +“So Phillipa, you’re telling me there’s no downside, no side effects to this—what was the drug called again?” he said. +Phillipa’s irritating voice came back on. “They’re calling it Nevermore, as in, never more gain weight, never more get sick, or disgustingly fat, never more get cellulite, or any sort of weight gain.” She giggled and the high pitch and redundancy of what she was saying made me shiver. It was a wonder the speakers didn’t blow. She took a breath and continued, “It’s amazing, one shot is all it takes, and yes, it is expensive, but that’s it. One shot and you’re good for life. I’ve lost ten pounds and I’ve been eating burgers, cake, and totally noshing on chocolate.” +The male announcer came back on. “Reportedly, this Nevermore truly is a miracle drug, as it also prevents Parkinson’s disease, works in tandem with heart medications to stop arrhythmias, and has a host of other beneficial side effects. One that will be of interest to many is that helps tremendously with fertility, more so than any of the current fertility drugs, with less side effects. As it’s derived from an all-natural source, the body can—” +I turned the radio back down and looked over to Sebastian, still deep in conversation with Dan, who was nodding and even giving the occasional smile. Sebastian was not only tall, but a little on the large side. Okay, a little more than a little on the large side. Not that I had anything to preen about. I easily had an extra twenty-five pounds on my 5’5 frame. Maybe even thirty, but it was still less than I’d been carrying a year ago when we decided to start our family. That was when we began to realize there was a problem, and that we might not be able to have a baby. I lost weight, ate healthy, took my vitamins, but getting pregnant was nearly impossible and the one time I did, I miscarried. +I scratched at my collarbone, feeling a welt swelling rapidly under my finger; I had a sudden urge to get moving. Not only did I need to get a second dose of Benadryl and a shower to wash the broom pollen off, I had to get on the phone to the doctor. What if this Nevermore drug was what the radio said it was? It seemed almost too good to be true: fertility and weight loss, all rolled into a single shot. My heart thrummed with excitement. This was what we’d been waiting for. I could hardly wait to tell Sebastian what I’d heard; I could hardly wait to finally be a mother. + + +2 + +As soon as we got home, I ran upstairs to shower, hoping to diffuse the pollen on my skin. We’d bought a rambling two-story farmhouse on three acres that was at least a hundred years old that I was completely in love with, along with all the history it represented. It was heated with a woodstove and even had an old wood-burning cooking stove that was now on the back porch, having made room for my new convection oven. The old woman who owned the farmhouse had been on the property her whole life, ninety-eight years, and had not only been raised in the house, but had raised her own children in the house. +I’d hoped to raise my own children here too. +My hands slowed in the soapy water as my thoughts wound back to the hospital, the nurses and the doctor telling me that I had miscarried. At five weeks, still in my first trimester and within the real danger zone, I’d woken up in the middle of the night to cramping and blood on the sheets. Since then I’d not gone back to my job as a real estate agent, taking a leave of absence to deal with the grief and to give my body time to heal. +Sebastian worked from home as a web designer, something I was intensely grateful for as he was able to help me out of the depression I’d fallen into after the miscarriage, not to mention pay the bills that never stopped coming. +The bathroom door clicked and I poked my head outside the curtain. “Hand me the new shampoo.” +Sebastian held it just out of reach before finally letting me take it, a grin spreading across his face, his gorgeous dimples framing his mouth. +I ducked back in and lathered up, smiling to myself. He might be a little chubby, but my man was good looking, and that smile—even now it made me weak in the knees. +“It’s probably a hoax. You know that, don’t you, babe?” Sebastian’s voice was muffled as I stuck my head back under the running water, the cool shower sluicing off the last of the pollen. It didn’t, however, make the hives go away. I was covered in them from head to toe, the bumps starting to develop even where the plant didn’t touch me, its infection of my skin spreading like some horrid disease. +“You don’t know that and neither do I,” I said, soaping my body up. “You aren’t a doctor last time I checked.” +“These sorts of things come and go. It’s either a hoax or it will turn out to have some horrible side effect. Like, your boobs will shrivel up, leaving me nothing to play with, and then I would die.” +I laughed, turned the water off, and reached for a towel. The shower curtain slid open and Sebastian lifted an eyebrow at me, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips, his clothes having mysteriously disappeared. His eyes roved over my naked and still-wet body. Heat curled in my stomach, still now after four years of marriage he could set my skin on fire and my heart racing with a simple look. +“The towel, please.” I held out my hand, trying to look uninterested. He shook his head and stepped into the tub, his bare toes touching the tips of mine. Without a word he started to dry me off, starting with my hair and working his way slowly down my body, his hands massaging as he dried. +I bit back a groan, the moisture from my skin disappearing, the heat intensifying. I closed my eyes and let the sensations wash through me, the scratching of the itch from the hives almost heavenly as he scrubbed the towel over them. +“Stop,” I whispered, not really meaning it. Sebastian chuckled and I peeked out from under my eyelashes. With a single, swift movement he scooped me into his arms and took me to the bedroom and our very small bed. +With more gentleness than one would think from a man his size, he laid me on the bed and pressed his body into mine, our hearts beating in time with one another. +“I love you, Sebastian,” I whispered as he slid into me, completing me, making us one. +“I love you too, my bumpy, hive-ridden woman,” he whispered into my ear. +I slapped him half-heartedly on the shoulder, and the sweet love-making quickly turned into a laughing romp that ended as it often did: in each other’s arms, tears prickling at the back of my eyes as my emotions filled me up and spilled over in physical release. +“You okay, Mara?” +“Yes,” I said, curling deeper into his arms, trying to think of something smart to say and coming up empty-handed, so I settled for the truth. “Sometimes I just love you so much it makes me cry.” +“Hmm. I am quite the hunk. Really, you are very lucky to have snagged me. I was planning on playing the field till I was at least sixty before you came along.” He spread his big hands over his chest and leaned back against the headboard, a self-satisfied smile across his face. +I smiled up at him, laughed, and shook my head. The size of his ego never ceased to amaze me. +Sobering, I sat up, pulling the sheet around me. “I’m going to ask the doctor about that Nevermore shot. I think it’s what we’ve been waiting for. I mean, we could be fit, trim, and then have a baby too. It would be amazing.” I stared at him, willing him to catch my excitement. +It didn’t work. Sebastian frowned, and then shrugged his big shoulders. “I still think it’s some sort of hoax, but you go ask him. See what he has to say, but don’t get your hopes up.” +I wrapped my arms around him and snuggled into his arms. I could be excited enough for the both of us; in fact, I already was. My eye lids drooped when the second dose of antihistamines kicked in. I let them close completely, my heart light with the hopes and dreams of a family, already forgetting Sebastian’s warning. + + +3 + +The doctor’s office was full. And I don’t mean all the seats were taken, I mean there wasn’t even standing room. I ended up halfway down the hall leaning against the cream-coloured wall next to one of the office doors. +“Excuse me, are you Mara Wilson?” a voice behind me asked. +I turned to face a woman who looked vaguely familiar. She was in her late thirties with beautiful blond hair and eyes the colour of the Caribbean ocean. I cocked my head to one side. “Yes, I’m Mara, have we met?” +The woman laughed and patted me on the arm. “Only briefly. I’m Shelly Gartlet, I live on the road above you, and we met at the mailbox when you first moved here.” +I smiled and nodded. “That’s right. I remember now.” Really, how could I forget? The woman had grabbed me in a welcoming hug, spilling all the neighbourhood gossip in less than five minutes, and in a single breath. I’d made a mental note never to confide in her. “Are you here for the Nevermore shot?” +Shelly smiled. “Yes and no. My husband, George, and I got the shot last week, but Jessica here” –she half-tugged a younger looking clone forward– “wasn’t able to get the shot, she was sick with that flu that’s been going around.” +I put my hand out. She was a very pretty young girl, with the same long blond hair as her mom and the same stunning eyes. She looked to be about sixteen years old, but could have been younger; it was so hard to tell nowadays. No doubt the boys went crazy for her at school. “Nice to meet you, Jessica.” She gripped my hand lightly, ducking her head. +Shelly patted her on the arm and gave me a wink. “Jessica, weren’t you telling me about Mara’s husband, and about how good looking he is?” +Jessica flushed from her chin to the roots of her hair, her eyes widening as our gazes connected. +“I didn’t mean . . . it’s not like . . . mom, how could you say that?” she finally spit out. +I laughed, warmed by the thought, knowing that my husband was an attractive man, so much so that even teenagers had crushes on him, despite the extra weight he carried. Tall, dark, and handsome with confidence and a wicked sense of humour, he’d had women swooning over him in every age bracket. “It’s okay, Jessica. I’m sure Sebastian would love to know that he had an admirer.” +“Please don’t tell him,” she whispered. +We were interrupted by a woman who pushed her way in to our conversation. “You here for that miracle drug?” She was a chubby woman in her mid-forties standing behind me. A quick glance, and from my experience and time in Weight Watchers, I knew she had to be at least eighty pounds overweight. +“Yes. You too?” I asked. +“Hell no. I’m perfect just the way I am.” Hands on her hips, her purple and red muumuu fluttering around her thick ankles as she glared at me, daring me to call her out. I smiled and bit my tongue. She continued her rant. “And all you yahoos coming in for some quick-fix are going to get what’s coming to you. There’s no such thing; it’s ridiculous to think one shot can do all that. Fertility, heart stuff, making bones stronger—foolishness that you’ve all bought into.” +Shelly and Jessica backed away from the woman, and I gave them a smile as I, too, gave the riled-up woman some room. +“Come over for coffee,” I said over the muumuu woman’s head. “And we can get to know each other. Anytime, I would love some company.” +Shelly and Jessica smiled and they gave me identical thumbs up. This was one of the nice things about where we lived. Yes, we were in the country, but there were still neighbours close enough if you needed some sugar or a helping hand, or maybe just a cup of coffee with the local gals. I smiled to myself. I loved it here; the island was everything I’d hoped for. +“Mara Wilson?” The desk nurse called me and I followed her directions into the doctor’s room, happy to get away from the woman on her tirade. I glanced back and she hadn’t paused for a second, now laying into a pudgy teenager on the other side of the hall. The doctor’s room was close enough that I could still hear her with the door not completely closed, her voice rising with intensity. +“Exercise and diet. Kids, when I was young, were outside playing and working. None of this TV and computer crap.” There was a pause and I imagined a nurse speaking to her. “No, I will not lower my voice; I think you all have lost your minds. This is some government conspiracy to plug you all full of tracking devices and drugs so they can better control us.” +I shook my head, why couldn’t she just let us be? It was obvious she was delusional. She could use the shot and lose a few pounds, and she’d probably live longer. There was a large thump that rattled the wall and made me jump. Then came a god-awful screech that sounded like a parrot being strangled, followed by a dull cheer from the crowd. “You can’t kick me out!” the woman screamed. “I have an appointment!” +Ejection from a doctor’s office, that had to be a first. I laughed at the absurdity of her claims. Health Canada and the FDA wouldn’t allow a drug to be given to the masses if it hadn’t been tested. They knew it was safe and there was no way it could get to the public unless it was good to go. +“Hello, Mara.” Dr. Cooper stepped into the office, his grey hair and stooped shoulders making me wonder how much longer I would be able to go to him. +“Hi, Dr. Cooper.” I smiled, unable to suppress my emotions. This was it; this was the moment I’d been waiting for. +“I suppose you’re here for the Nevermore shot?” His face held a mask of concentration. +I smiled wider, my excitement spilling over into my words. “Yup. It’s perfect! I can lose the last of the weight that you said I should to be at an optimum size for getting pregnant, and the shot will make me more fertile, right? That’s what I heard on the radio and when I looked it up on the internet, it confirmed that. And then maybe Sebastian should get it too? Because you weren’t sure if the fertility issues were with him or me, we could both take it and then we’d be sure to get pregnant, right? Sorry about the pun—I’m so happy; I can’t believe this is finally going to happen. I’m going to be able to have a baby.” +Dr. Cooper didn’t answer me right away; his eyes stared at the screen of his computer as he scrolled through it, page by page. +“Dr. Cooper? This is a good thing, right?” A wave of fear rolled up through my body, trepidation I couldn’t push away. God, don’t let Sebastian’s pessimistic view be the truth; what if this was all a hoax? No, there were too many people in the waiting room. If it were a hoax, it’d be all over the internet and news. +“Mara, the drug does all that and more. Strengthens bones, prevents skin cancer, and increases fertility. Parkinson’s and arrhythmias are virtually wiped out. It truly is a miracle, of that I have no doubt, and I’m encouraging as many patients as possible to take it.” +I let out a breath I didn’t know I’d been holding in a huge sigh of relief, my heart slowing back to a normal rhythm. I folded my hands on the desk and leaned forward. “You scared me. I thought you were going to tell me it was a hoax. That’s what Sebastian thought it was, some scam to get money out of people.” +Dr. Cooper shook his head, but he still wasn’t smiling, and that made me nervous all over again. “It’s no hoax, Mara, but my dear, you can’t take the shot.” +A loud buzzing filled my ears, and though Dr. Cooper continued to talk, I couldn’t hear a word he said. I blinked once, twice, as I grasped what he said. “Why not?” I whispered. +He let out deep sigh and pulled my hands into his, cupping them like a grandfather would. “Nevermore is derived from cystius scoparius.” +I stared at him, confusion rushing through me. “I don’t know what that is. Is it bad?” +“Scotch broom. The concentrate within the drug would kill you at worst, and at best you would be in a constant state of agony, hives, sinus infections, swollen glands, and hypersensitivity to the mildest of irritations. There have even been some reported cases where people who were allergic to broom took Nevermore and now they’ve lost their eyesight.” He squeezed my suddenly ice-cold hands. “You can’t take Nevermore, Mara.” +My mind whirled, hopes thrown about in a tornado of emotions before they crashed and burned. I pulled my hands slowly away from him and folded my arms across my breasts, at a loss for words. +Dr. Cooper leaned back in his chair and slid a sheet toward me. “Here’s the chemical breakdown, Mara. Every aspect of the broom has been used in this drug, not just part of it.” +“Why are you giving this to me?” I tried to keep the venom welling up within me out of my voice, my hand gripping the paper tightly, almost to the point of crumpling. +“Because I know you, Mara. I know how much you want children, and how hard you’ve worked to lose the weight that was preventing that dream. I know that you’re going to try and find a way around this, and I don’t want you to die. There is no way around this.” His voice was so soft, gentle, that it broke down the last barrier of strength I’d propped up, and a sob slipped out. +“I’m so sorry, Mara,” he said. +I bit back the next sob that was bubbling up. I stood and ran to the door, pushing past the horde of people that filled the hallway, running till I reached my car. I leaned against it, head against the hot metal, and let my heart slow down. It wasn’t the end of the world; it really didn’t make it any harder for Sebastian and me to have a baby. At least, that’s what I told myself. +“Got the shot did you?” a rather familiar voice threw the question at me. +I spun on my heel to face down the chubby woman who’d been tossed out of the clinic. “Not that it’s any of your business, but no, I didn’t,” I snapped at her, forcing back the urge to punch her in her doughy face. +She nodded. “Smart girl. I’ll tell you now, it was the best decision you ever made. The government won’t get you now.” She reached out and patted me on the arm. I shrugged her hand off me and bit my tongue, the four-letter words on the tip that would leave me screaming and ranting at the unsuspecting woman. +I unlocked the car, slid into my seat, and started the engine. The rear view mirror gave me a perfect picture of the purple muumuu waddling through the parking lot, the woman on her way to accost another person leaving the clinic. +“It wasn’t a choice I made; it was a choice taken from me,” I whispered to her retreating figure. I took a deep breath and headed home to Sebastian and the farm. + + +4 + +Days turned into weeks and before I knew it, I’d spent the next month alternately hiding in our tiny bedroom, watching daytime talk shows and, in general, allowing myself to fall back into the depression that had found me after the miscarriage. +I told Sebastian I didn’t feel well, had a fever, my joints ached—anything that would give me time to hide from the world for a little longer. The sunlight hurt my eyes on the few days I dared to peek out into the yard, and that became yet another excuse. Sebastian did his best to console me when he wasn’t working on his new client’s project. He brought me flowers from the fields, told me funny stories, and even baked cookies for me, something he’d never done before. +On the twenty-eighth day of my—self-imposed—confinement, a booming rattle shook me awake, the bedroom door flinging open. +“That’s it, I’ve been patient and done what I could, but you’ve got to get up,” Sebastian barked as he whipped the blankets off me. +“Leave me alone,” I grumbled, grabbing at the blankets. +He snatched them out of my hands. “Nope, time to grow up and get with the program.” +Bright sunlight streamed into the room as he opened all the curtains. “There’s no use crying over something you can’t change.” He sat down on the bed and pulled me upright to sit beside him. +“It isn’t fair,” I said, hating how childish I sounded. “Every crackhead and addict out there can get pregnant, and they can’t even take care of themselves. We would be able to give a child a life, a family, and a home.” +Sebastian nodded. “I know, babe, but you’re not doing yourself any good by wallowing in this.” +I frowned at him. “I’m not wallowing.” +“Yes, you are. I have something for you; it’s down in the garden, so you’ll have to haul your butt down there. I’ve got to go into town; I’ll be back in a couple of hours.” +I stood and stomped my way to the bathroom, brushing past him. “What do you know anyway, you’re just a man; you don’t have an internal clock like I do,” I snapped as I turned on the shower and got in the steaming water. +Stupid male, what did he know about really wanting babies? Or losing weight for that matter? The man thought he was a Greek god with the way he strutted through the house naked, preening in front of mirrors. I snorted to myself. My anger faded as I worked the soap through my hair, the hot water rinsing away the last of the tears. Damn, now I was feeling grateful for his intervention. I’d have to be careful about how I thanked him, or I’d never hear the end of it. +Fifteen minutes later, I was heading out the back door to the garden when a soft woof met my ears. I blinked, stared, and couldn’t believe what I saw. Sitting next to the freshly dug earth, with a giant red ribbon tied around its neck, was a tiny yellow Labrador Retriever. +I clapped my hands over my mouth and the puppy woofed at me and started to wiggle, his entire body wagging as if his tail alone wasn’t enough. I ran and fell to my knees in front of the little guy, scooping him up and holding him close as he licked my face, his still-sweet puppy breath tickling me. +“Oh, you devil of a man,” I said as I cuddled the bundle of fur. “What are we going to call you, hmm?” I rubbed his velvety soft ears and he settled down, resting his nose on the crook of my neck. I pressed my cheek against him. “How about Nero?” I’d grown up with a big yellow Lab that my grandparents had rescued and he’d been my companion and best friend for years. +A voice called from the front of the house, “Hello? Mrs. Wilson?” +Standing up, Nero in my arms, I walked around the house to see Jessica carrying a basket filled to the brim. She smiled at me over the basket, her eyes lighting on Nero. +“You’ve got a puppy? Oh, he’s so cute. Can I hold him?” I handed him to her as she handed me the basket of goodies. +“It’s a belated welcome-to-our-neighbourhood gift,” Jessica said as she snuggled with the wriggling puppy. +“Thank you, that’s really sweet.” I placed the basket on the porch railing. “Do you want to go for a walk with me and Nero?” +Jessica nodded and put him down. We headed out the front drive, past the heavy iron gates that had hung for as long as the property had existed. They were heavy and sturdily built when the farm first was started. Each panel was taller than me, and easily weighed a hundred pounds. The supports were cemented into the ground on either side, and there was a huge rusting metal bar that slipped into place to lock it. Scrolling leaves and grape clusters were welded on in an attempt to soften the hard steel lines, to make it look more artistic than utilitarian. It didn’t work that well. At the best of times, it was a major effort to close the thing, which is why we left it open, and why the bar was nearly covered in vegetation. +Jessica chatted at me the entire time, her bubbly personality yet another stamp of her mothers. I didn’t mind; she was a sweet girl. I wondered several times why she’d taken the Nevermore shot; she didn’t seem to need to lose weight, but I didn’t think it was a question I could ask her. Maybe when her mother came over for coffee I would broach the subject. +Jessica pointed out the neighbours who were nice, weird, and neutral quite effectively. As we passed one house we could hear shouting from inside, then a crash of something heavy. I glanced at Jessica, and she shrugged. +“They’re always fighting. We all just ignore it.” +I couldn’t help but stare backwards as we kept moving past the house. The shrieks rose to a crescendo, and then stopped suddenly. I shivered, a feeling of dread creeping along my skin. Once we were fully past that home, Jessica continued her tour of the area. +Though the properties around here ranged in size, they averaged at five acres a piece with a few undeveloped properties scattered around. On our road alone there were only four homes; the roads on either side of us boasted two and three, respectively. With being this rural, it was almost like being in our own little world. If not for T.V and internet, the world could end and we probably wouldn’t even know it. +Which was just fine by me, I like the quiet. +The walk took us about an hour, and by the end of it, I was packing Nero. I didn’t mind; he was tiny, and the walk and visit left me feeling invigorated and more alive than I’d felt in weeks. +“Hey, that was fun. Would it be okay if I came and walked with you and Nero again?” Jessica asked as we stood in front of my place. +“Of course, anytime, you don’t need to call. I’m not going back to work for a while yet so just pop in.” +Jessica waved and jogged off toward home. +The car was back which meant that Sebastian was home. I smiled and headed toward the house. I didn’t care how grateful I sounded or how he might try to blackmail me with it later, he was a good man and I was lucky to have him. +“Sebastian?” I called out, Nero sound asleep in my arms. I wanted to apologize for being a jerk. +“Here.” +I clutched Nero close and kissed the top of his down-soft head, and made my way to the living room where Sebastian sat glued to the TV. +“Really? After the talk you just gave me about not wallowing and being out in the sunshine?” I said, tapping him on the shoulder. “I can’t believe you bought me a—” +“Shhh,” he cut me off and pointed to the TV. +On the screen was a reporter standing in front of VGH, Vancouver General Hospital. “It appears that the miracle drug, Nevermore, wasn’t such a miracle after all. Early reports are that the toxins thought to be strained out of the main component of the drug—cystius scoparius, better known as scotch broom—were not eliminated.” The reporter choked up, her eyes misting over, and I wondered if she had taken the drug or knew someone close to her who had. “The toxins attack the part of the brain that makes us human, whole sections of the cerebral cortex are eaten away until there is nothing left but a base animal instinct.” Someone stumbled out of the hospital and the reporter turned and ran toward the man who clutched at his stomach. “Sir, can you tell us why you’re here today?” +“I’m so hungry, I can’t stop eating. Nothing fills me up.” His eyes were glazed and his skin had a strong golden yellow hue to it, as if he were jaundiced. +“Sir, did you take the drug Nevermore?” she asked, sticking the microphone close to the man. +He stared at the microphone for a moment, opened his mouth to answer, and chomped his teeth around the fuzzy piece, growling and snarling. The sounds sent chills all over my body. The reporter backed away, the cameraman keeping tabs on the man attempting to devour the microphone. Then he looked up, right into the camera. His pupils twitched as the camera focused in on them, sliding from a perfect, human round, to a horizontal rectangle, reminiscent of a goat’s eye. +I gasped and grabbed for Sebastian’s hand. He gave it to me and I clung to him. That could have been me if I’d taken the shot—would have been me if not for the main ingredient. I pressed my nose into Nero’s fur and breathed in his scent as Sebastian’s hand went clammy in mine. +The man stood and opened his mouth. I couldn’t tell if he was trying to speak or if he was roaring at the camera. By the cameraman’s reaction, he was roaring. The scene jigged and jogged as the cameraman and the reporter fled, but in her heels and tight business skirt, the reporter wasn’t fast enough. The camera turned in time to see her get tackled from behind, her body slamming into the ground under the weight of the Nevermore man. +He reared up and slammed his mouth into her back, ripping a chunk of flesh as if she were a loaf of bread. Her screams were audible from whatever mic was left on the camera, then the camera was dropped and the screen scrambled, and then went black. +“That wasn’t for real,” I said, though I knew already in my gut that it was. It was like watching a hurricane rip apart a house. You didn’t think it was possible, didn’t think they would air it, but in your heart you knew it wasn’t staged. +Sebastian didn’t say anything, he just flipped the channel. They were all breaking news and bulletins. The Nevermore drug had been taken by what officials were estimating was close to ninety percent of the North American population over the last two months—street versions and FDA approved versions—both of which were having the same effect. +We watched in stunned silence for over an hour, the reports coming hard and fast at first, but then slowing as people were cautioned to stay within their homes and avoid all contact with the outside world while the outbreak was taken care of. +“I never thought I’d see the day a zombie apocalypse would happen,” I said as Sebastian turned the TV off. +“They aren’t zombies,” he snapped at me as he rubbed his left arm. “They can’t bite you and turn you into one of them. The doctors on TV said that already.” +“I didn’t say that they could bite you, I just said that they were zombies,” I said, confused by his sudden turn of mood. +“No, you didn’t. I’m sorry; this has just really freaked me out,” he said and pulled me into his arms, Nero squirming in between us. +“It’ll be okay,” I said, “We’ve got each other and the farm. We should be good for a while, right? It won’t take long. Someone will have this straightened out in no time.” +Sebastian untangled himself from me and strode to the kitchen. “We have to be ready.” +I followed him. “For what?” +“I think we’re going to be on our own for a while,” he said as a loud thumping footstep echoed through our little house. +My adrenaline soared as I thought about the scene on the TV. The reporter hadn’t had a chance. I could still hear her screams and the peeling of her flesh from his bite . . .I swallowed hard and put Nero in the bathroom on a makeshift towel-bed, shut the door, and headed back into the kitchen. I didn’t want to believe that we were already going to face down one of the Nevermores, but it was all too likely. I stepped to my knife drawer, pulled out the biggest blade I had, and gripped it tight. Sebastian nodded and pulled out a knife of his own. Together we crept through the house to the front door, reaching it as another thump rumbled through the floorboards. What the hell was out there? I didn’t want to know, really I didn’t. +Sebastian held up his hand and with his fingers counted to three. I nodded, and he held up one finger, two, and as he held up the third, he gripped the doorknob and snapped the door open. + + +5 + +We both stumbled back in relief, Dan staring at us with bushy grey eyebrows lifted high. He had his gun slung over his shoulder and a strap across his chest that was full of ammunition, long gold and silver cartridges. They looked big enough to drop an elephant. +“You two need some lessons in surviving. First off, don’t go investigating a strange noise without some serious firepower. This is not a horror movie, there’s no hero going to come rescue you. You want to survive this outbreak of idiots who took some new drug and turned into animals, you’re gonna have to do it on your own.” +He stepped across the threshold and sauntered into our house, casual like, as if he belonged here. I lifted an eyebrow at Sebastian who shrugged and said, “Dan, what’re you doing here?” +“Don’t you listen, boy? You need a lesson or two before I go and lock myself in the bunker.” He paced around the living room, peering out the curtains of the bay window. +“Dan, they’ll have an antidote in no time and this will go down as one of the greatest blunders in history and everything will go back to normal,” I said, desperately wanting to believe my own words. +“You really believe that, girl?” He turned his steely eyes on me. +I froze, my mouth dry as he made me face the reality with a single look. I shook my head ever so slowly. +He mimicked me. “Didn’t think so.” He flopped himself onto our couch. With a sharp motion of his hand, he beckoned us to come closer. Sebastian obeyed, but I stayed where I was, near to the open door. +“Second thing.” Dan leaned forward, elbows on his knees and lowered his voice. “Food and water. Next is weapons. Then you got to have a way to keep them out.” +“Don’t be ridiculous,” I snapped, my fear making me surly. “There isn’t going to be any horde or pack or whatever you think there’s going to be.” A breeze blew in and I spun to close the door, gasping at the person standing on the edge of the doorstep. I vaguely recognized him as the portly clerk from Tom’s Grocery. But he was no longer chubby. He was lean, the excess flesh hanging off his arms and face, the skin a sickly yellow like the man on the TV. Worst was the way his pupils had become a horizontal slit that stole his humanity from him. +“Hungry,” was all he said as he launched himself at me. I stumbled backwards with a grunt, striking out with my knife and getting nothing but air. We hit the ground and I rolled, trying to remember my distant Judo lessons, failing miserably. The clerk ended up on top of me, but didn’t pin my knife hand; I suppose he was too focused on eating me. Before I knew what I was doing, I had my left hand wrapped around his throat, keeping his snapping teeth off me, and I slammed the knife upwards into his heart, blood spurting out around the blade and down the handle. +I blinked and his body was suddenly gone; yanked off me with a growl. Sebastian stared down at me with a look of horror across his face. +Dan stepped up next to him. “She’s got a good survival drive. That’ll serve you well. If she were a screamer, you’d be dead in no time.” +I lay on the floor staring up at them, my brain trying to process what just happened. I’d been attacked, and I’d killed a man. In a less time than it took to take a breath of air, my life had twisted itself inside out. My hands were slick with his blood, and as I stood, a wave of vertigo washed over me. +“She’s gonna puke.” +Hands were suddenly on me, guiding me outside where I did indeed puke, heaving till my stomach was empty and sweat beaded on my forehead. Dan turned the hose on and I washed my hands clean and sprayed the cool water over my face. I had killed a man. My stomach clenched again and I dry heaved. +“Oh shit,” Sebastian said, his voice off to my right, his hands tightening on my arms. +“I’ll be okay,” I said. +“Not you, babe.” He turned me to the front of our property and the open gate. “Them.” +Maybe it wasn’t a horde, but there was close to twenty people walking our way, the distinct yellow of their skin visible even from here. +Sebastian let me go and ran for the gate. +“Bastian, don’t!” As a unit, every single one of the Nevermore’s heads snapped up, their slitted eyes focusing on the source of the scream. Me. +“Damn it, girl, I told you no noise,” Dan growled as he walked past me, putting his gun to his shoulder and taking aim at the running horde, though he didn’t pull the trigger. Sebastian reached the gate the same time as the first of the Nevermores and he flung the heavy panels shut, slamming the lock into place as they hammered their bodies up against it, screaming and howling, their eyes wild and hands reaching for Sebastian. +I ran down the porch, jumped across the flowerbeds, and ran to where Sebastian stood panting, staring at the horde in front of us. “Why aren’t they trying to climb the gate?” I whispered. +Sebastian shook his head, breathing hard. That had been a quick sprint for a man of his size, faster than I’d seen him move in years. +Dan strolled up next to us, casually, like he was out for a Sunday visit, and except for the gun slung over his shoulder and the horde of Nevermores at our gate, he could have been. +“Interesting, that. They don’t seem to be able to figure it out. Like animals penned up.” But even as he spoke, one of the Nevermores pushed his way through to the front of the group and began to fiddle with the gate, his fingers clumsy and far from dexterous. He didn’t seem to be able to use the finer points of motor skills, which was better for us. All the same, he was still trying to open the gate. +“We’ve got to get out of here,” Sebastian said, pulling me with him as he backed away from the gate. +I didn’t need a lot of encouragement. I was not interested in facing down that horde anytime soon. Thank God our place was fully fenced. +“We’re stuck here for a while, boy. Might as well get used to the idea, unless you’ve got a tank in that shed over there.” Dan pointed to the dilapidated chicken coop we’d partially knocked down in preparation for a garden. +“We don’t need a tank.” I surprised myself by speaking my thoughts out loud to a virtual stranger. “We’ll just take the car. They can’t stop us, and we’ll just run them over.” +I could barely believe the words that came out of my mouth and apparently neither could Sebastian. +“You’re kidding me, right? Those things out there are people underneath it all, and you want to run them over?” +“In case you haven’t noticed, they want to EAT us, not play Parcheesi,” I said, putting my hands on my hips. A sharp rattle snapped all three of our heads toward the gate in unison. The horde was leaning into the steel gates, the hinges groaning. Every last one of them had their mouths open, teeth showing, saliva dripping and hanging from loose lips. +“We need to get out of sight,” Dan said, walking back to the house. +“We need to get out of here!” Hysteria bubbled up. I’d just killed a man and we had a horde of drug-induced zombies on our doorstep. I clapped my hands over my face and tried to block out the moment. The sights were gone, but the groan of the gates, the growling of the horde, still reached me, denying me my moment of escape. +A hand on my arm snapped my eyes open. Sebastian dragged me toward the house. “We’ll talk about what we’re going to do inside. The last thing we need is to go off half-cocked and get ourselves killed.” +I let him direct my body, but I couldn’t help but stare over my shoulder at the writhing mass of things that had until very recently been human. “This can’t be happening.” +A sharp shake brought my eyes up to Sebastian, fear and the denial of that fear making his eyes those of a person I barely recognized. “It is happening, Mara, and you need to get used to the idea,” he said, his mouth a thin hard line. I jerked my arm out of his hands. +“You’re an ass, you know that, don’t you?” I stomped toward the front door, slamming it behind me. All I wanted was a little comfort, a white lie or two to get me through the initial shock. After that, I could come to terms with what was going on. +The living room was dim, the flickering of the TV the only light, as the curtains and blinds were drawn down. Dan sat on the couch, his feet propped up on the hand-carved coffee table we’d bought for our first place. +“Feet off,” I said, shoving his feet off before he could remove them himself. “I don’t care if this is the end of the world, I don’t want your feet on my coffee table.” +The door opened behind me and shut with a soft click. I kept my back turned to Sebastian, my spine rigid, my breathing slow and deliberate as I tried to rein in my anger. A whine came from the bathroom, and I stomped down the hallway and swung the door open. Nero tried to scamper between my legs, but I scooped him up and held him tight. A minute passed and the anger started to drain out of me. Taking one last deep breath, I carried Nero into the living room. I stared at the TV and came to a sudden stop, unable to take my eyes off the screen. +Dan leaned forward. “I’d hoped they’d have gotten it under control in the bigger cities, at least.” +“I don’t think that’s the case,” I said, my hands trembling as I stroked Nero. Lists of major cities that had been overrun and were considered uninhabitable flashed on the screen in no particular order: Toronto, Vancouver, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Edmonton, Brisbane, New York, Atlanta, Ottawa, London, Perth, Paris, Frankfurt, Berlin, Glasgow, Mexico City, Venice, Lima; the list went on and on, scrolling for a solid two minutes. +“Every continent has been hit by this catastrophe, though some obviously worse than others.” The male announcer’s voice blared to life on the screen, and I jumped involuntarily. Nero gave a squeak. I kissed him on the top of his head. +The camera panned to a reporter in what looked like a bare-bones room, cement walls, and shelves of strange scientific-looking paraphernalia. +“Dr. Josephson, what can you tell us about the events? Will the drug wear off? What can we do about this situation?” the reporter asked, turning to the camera every few words, as if to gain permission from the viewing audience to ask the questions. +“It’s simple, even for a nincompoop like you, Blaine,” Dr. Josephson said. +“It’s Bruce.” +“Whatever. The drug was skipped through the FDA testing as well as Health Canada; money greased the wheels to hurry it to market. In the two months since it’s been out, it made over 1.6 trillion dollars. You can imagine how that would make a company eager to get it to the public.” +Bruce leaned in. “Those numbers can’t be right.” +Dr. Josephson snorted. “337 million people, give or take a few thousand, get the shot through legal means. That’s in North America alone. Five thousand dollars per shot, one hundred people a day per clinic. You should do your research before you go on air, Bruno.” +The doctor sat down on a ratty old stool and looked up into the camera, as if Bruce were no longer worth speaking to. +“There is no cure. There is no chance it will go away. It won’t wear off, it is designed to link permanently to the molecular structure of human bones, organs, and most importantly, brain. It cannot be transferred by a bite, as the modern movie culture would have you believe. These are not zombies, these are people gone feral, wild. They are acting as packs, not unlike a pack of wolves with an Alpha male and female, and the rest working as a group for food and protection.” His pale blue eyes bore into me and I shivered with the intensity. “To the public who have not taken Nevermore, I will say only one thing,” He paused, dropped his head and shook it slightly before looking back up into the camera. +“Survive.” + + +6 + +With that, the TV went blank, and the screen turned into a warning system of striped colours. The silence in our little home was overwhelming and I wanted to say something to break it, but didn’t. I couldn’t think of anything to say that would mean anything, and since screaming hysterically was out of the question, I was out of options. +Dan stood, drawing our attention. “That’s it then, I’m headed back to my place.” +“What?” Sebastian asked. “You can’t get out of here alive, there’s no way you’ll make it.” +He strolled to the back door, ignoring Sebastian’s assessment, glancing over his shoulder at us. “There’s a back trail, goes up and around, it’s a great view of the ocean at the top. I think these things—” +“Nevermores,” I said softly. +Dan nodded at me. “These Nevermores seem to be sticking to the main routes right now, so if you come to my place, come the back way. I’ll put a red flag next to it. Other than that, plant a garden, grow yourself some food, mend your fences, and keep quiet.” +He put his hand on the door and I grabbed the back of his grubby shirt. “Hey, you can’t just leave us here.” +Dan laughed and half-turned back to me. “You city folk are going to be the first to die off—not prepared, no survival instinct.” His eyes narrowed as he looked at me. “You might make it; you got some good reflexes on you.” +Sebastian stepped up and I didn’t let go of Dan. “You could help us. At least we could be working together,” I said. +Again Dan laughed. “I don’t work with anybody, it ain’t my style. Too much drama when you get more than one person in a room.” +“So,” Sebastian said. “We’re supposed to be grateful you showed up for a belated house warming, and you didn’t even bring us a gift? You happen to visit in the middle of a crisis where you don’t even help? I don’t know why you bothered at all.” +I let go of Dan’s coat, feeling my own anger build. What the hell was Dan’s reasoning, or was he truly just as crazy as we’d heard? +Dan straightened his coat and lifted an eyebrow at us, then nodded slowly. “If you can make it to my place, I’ll let you have a weapon, but this is Mother Nature’s way of weeding out the weak. Only the strong will survive this, and that’s how it should be. To tell you the truth, I came here to take what you had and add it to my stores. But you were still here, still alive. Mores the pity.” +We stared at him in disbelief, the reality of the situation hitting us both at the same time. +The door clicked softly as he left without even saying goodbye, or better, good luck. I wondered if he meant for us to mend our fences around the property, or the proverbial ones between us. I looked over to Sebastian, took in his drawn face and worried eyes. My heart gave a thump and I put Nero down before I all but threw myself into Sebastian’s arms. +Between sobs and ‘I’m sorry’ on both sides, our lips met and we caught the edge of a mania that perhaps other survivors were feeling. Glad to be alive we stripped each other out of our clothes and stumbled upstairs to the bathroom. The water still ran, we hadn’t lost power yet, and we drained the hot water tank showering off the sweat and remnants of blood, wrapping ourselves around each other, washing the fear away for a moment or two. +We made love in the shower and then again in the bedroom, our frantic need to touch and feel overwhelming any common sense—like locking the doors. +Lying in each other’s arms, we dozed off, dreaming perhaps that this was all a nightmare, a shared fear come to life in the night, but gone when the light of day streamed through the windows. Not so much. +The bedroom door creaked, the knob clicking against something; perhaps nails, or perhaps what we later learned was skin hardening into a hide like leather. I woke, chills rippling over my body, the sensation of being watched heightened by a disorientation of time and place. +“Bastian,” I whispered, my eyes picking out a figure silhouetted in the doorway. +“Hmm,” he grunted. +I placed my hand lightly over his lips and whispered into his ear. “We didn’t lock the doors.” +Sebastian’s eyes popped open and he slowly moved my hand from his lips. Keeping as still as possible, I franticly searched the room with my eyes, seeking a weapon of any sort. +“Help me.” Her voice was raspy and though she didn’t move, I knew we didn’t have much time. + I jumped up out of bed, recognizing the voice as our neighbour’s teenage daughter. + “Jessica?” +“Help me, please,” she said, her body twitching. I flicked on the overhead light and Sebastian cursed. +“We’re naked here, woman,” he said as he yanked on some clothes. I did the same, keeping an eye on Jessica the whole time, her eyes were semi-glazed and she didn’t seem to notice that we were naked. Thank goodness for small blessings. +“Honey,” I said slipping a t-shirt over my head, “Your parents, where are they?” +“Gone, they turned into monsters.” +I froze in mid-zip. +“Shit.” +“My thoughts exactly, wife.” +I moved toward Jessica and wondered again why she had taken Nevermore. Thin as a rail, pretty, and yet she’d had the shot, as had her mother and father. Her Caribbean-blue eyes were still human, not yet sliding into the realm of the feral horde outside. How long would it be before they turned colour and she became one of the monsters? +I touched her arm and she flinched. “It’s okay, let’s go downstairs and see what we can do.” +“The TV said there isn’t a cure,” she said, her voice breaking up with a sob. +I nodded. “I know, but that could change. I’m sure they’re working on a cure right now.” +Sebastian made a rude noise, and I shushed him. I knew when to tell a white lie. This was a teenage girl who was terrified and alone; the least I could do was try and comfort her. +Once downstairs, seated around the kitchen table, a hot tea in front of her, Jessica told us what happened. +“Parkinson’s runs strong in our family, so my parents wanted to make sure I never had to deal with it. They insisted I take the shot with them. You got the shot too, didn’t you?” +I leaned forward and put my hand over hers. “No, I didn’t.” I said. +It took some effort not to flinch as she twitched underneath my fingers, but I wanted her to be calm so that she would keep talking. “When did your parents . . . ?” I wasn't sure how to ask when her parents went crazy and turned into zombies. +“Today, after I got back from our walk,” she whispered, staring into her tea. “I don’t have very long, do I?” +Tears welled up in my eyes, and I blinked them back. I didn’t know Jessica well, but it was hard to see someone so young cut down by something that should have helped her live a long and healthy life. It was hard to know there was nothing we could do to help. Nero whined at our feet, and I stood and fixed him a bowl of food. I felt bad for ignoring him, but he wagged his tail and seemed to have forgiven me already. +I thought about the fight we’d heard in the home as we’d walked and shivered. No doubt that had been no normal fight, but a neighbor shifting into a Nevermore. Crap, how close had we come to getting run down by a wandering Nevermore? +“How long ago did they take the shot?” Sebastian asked, leaning in toward her. +“Five weeks; I was about a week later,” she said, her eyes flicking up to him twice, maybe intimidated by his size, the way a lot of people were. Then I remembered that she had a crush on him. I could only imagine the embarrassment of finding her crush in bed naked with his wife. +Sebastian stood up and stomped out of the house. I ignored him, knowing that Jessica needed comfort right now. “You can stay here, sweetheart. It’ll be okay.” Then I frowned. “How did you make it past the horde out front?” +She gave me a wobbly, tear filled smile. “They know I’m one of them. They let me pass, I climbed the gate, and they . . . .” She shrugged. “There’s no other way to say it, they cheered for me, like they were happy I could get in here to you.” Dropping her head to her arms on the table she let out a sob. +I reached over and put a hand on her head, fighting with my own rising emotions: sadness, fear, and then relief. It could have been me waiting to be turned into an animal. If not for the damn scotch broom, it would be me. I would have taken the shot in an instant. +I ushered Jessica to the back bedroom and tucked her into bed, giving her three Benadryl, which would knock her out for the night. I took one for myself, not to sleep, but for the reaction I was having to some airborne allergen. My skin tingled all over my body, my eyes watered, and the back of my throat was itchy—sure signs I’d gotten hit with something I didn’t like. Then I went to find Sebastian, Nero at my heels, my fear beginning to turn into resolve. We could survive. We were smart, young, and in love. There wasn’t anything we couldn’t do. +He was out on the back porch leaning against the railing, staring out at the star encrusted sky. +I stepped up beside him slipping my arm around his waist. “I haven’t had the chance yet to thank you.” +He gave me a quizzical look. +I pointed down at the puppy sitting on my foot and smiled. “You didn’t have to get me a puppy, but I’m glad you did.” I gave his waist a squeeze and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. +“We’ve got to lay out a plan, Bastian. Food, water, fences, weapons. Maybe get some sort of radio up in case there are notices once the electricity is out.” I looked up and my breath caught in my throat. Tears streaked his face, dripped off his chin and plunked onto the railing. +He wrapped his arms around me. “It isn’t fair, Mara, that girl is losing everything because she wanted to have a life, to not pass on a disease she had no say on in the first place.” His voice was thick with emotion. +I held on to him as tight as I could, fighting my own tears, shocked at what I was seeing. Sebastian was usually so stoic. In four years, this was perhaps the second time I’d seen him shed tears—and the first time I wasn’t entirely certain it wasn’t just a hard wind causing his eyes to water. +“Go to bed, babe. I’ll stay up and watch over you two. I don’t think I could sleep anyway.” + I kissed him softly on his lips, holding his head in my hands. “I love you, Bastian, more than anything.” +He kissed me back and swatted me lightly on my butt as I turned to go inside. +I went upstairs to bed, snuggling Nero down in with me. I listened to Sebastian pace on the porch, muttering from time to time. I didn’t sleep much that night, my mind whirling with plans. In my head, I sketched out the best place for a garden—the current spot was far too rocky—where the fence needed to be reinforced, and what we could use as weapons besides the knives we had. Dan hadn’t even left us a single weapon, though he’d said he had lots at his place. +I yawned and closed my eyes, Nero snuggling in tight next to me, his warmth a steady comfort, then finally drifted off to a fitful sleep. + + +7 + +The dreams that haunted what should have been a restful sleep left me wishing I’d stayed up with Sebastian. The clerk was attacking me again, but this time I was on my own, Sebastian in a pool of blood beside me, Dan nowhere to be found, Nero barking madly, and I was pregnant. In the dream, when I realized I was with child, I snapped, a mother bear’s ferocity coming from a place I never knew existed within me. +The clerk never had a chance, his heart once more pierced by my kitchen blade, his eyes glazing over as death settled on him. A boom from the other side of the house and the back porch door swung open, a wave of Nevermores pouring in. Yanking my blade out of the clerk’s chest, I reached for the front door and pulled on the handle. It was locked and my hand slid over the mechanism to unlock it over and over, unable to grasp it. I screamed and turned back to the horde. They rushed me and I fought like a mad woman, protecting the child within me, blocking hands and mouths, slicing off fingers and stabbing eyes. Nero barked and bit, but they flung his little body aside like a rag doll, disappearing into the maw of one of the Nevermores. The horde howled and swelled, slamming me into the ground, pinning me as they shook me. +I screamed, or tried to, and a hand covered my mouth. +“You’re dreaming, babe. It’s just a dream. You’re okay.” Sebastian’s deep rumble in my ear slowed my heart rate as I came fully awake. +“What . . . time . . .it?” I mumbled. +“What?” He lifted his hand off my mouth. + “Time?” +“It’s just after seven. Jessica’s still asleep.” + I got up, still in my clothes from the day before. “I guess I should shower.” +I plucked at my sweat-soaked t-shirt. +“Might as well, at some point we’re going to lose electricity, and then no more hot showers.” He kissed me on the cheek then bent and scooped up a yawning Nero. “I’m going to make breakfast for us and the little man here.” He ruffled the puppy’s hair and disappeared into the hallway. +I showered, taking my time in the hot water. It was hard to imagine being without the simple parts of life, the day-to-day luxuries. It looked like we were about to embark on the camping trip from hell that wouldn’t ever end. Not really the most pleasant of thoughts for a newly-relocated city girl. +Downstairs, Sebastian was indeed making breakfast: waffles, eggs, bacon, hash browns, oatmeal, sausage, and French toast. Nero was munching on a sausage quite happily. +I shook my head. “Holy crap, what are you doing? Shouldn’t we be saving the food?” +Sebastian flicked his head toward the hallway where the guest bedroom was. “She’s going to be hungry and, let’s be honest, this could be one of her last meals.” +I swallowed my irritation. “You’re a good man, my love, I hadn’t thought of that.” +The guest bedroom was painted bright yellow, including the door; something I hadn’t gotten around to changing yet, though it seemed fitting that she was there. I knocked three times. +“Jessica, are you awake? We’ve got breakfast ready.” +A shuffle, and then a groan. I backed away from the door, thinking we’d made a serious mistake in letting her stay with us, even for the night. +The doorknob turned slowly and Jessica peeked out, yawning. “Is that bacon I smell?” +I let out a breath, relief rushing through me. “Yup, Sebastian’s been slaving over the stove all morning, just for you.” I smiled at her and patted her back. +She flushed and ducked her head as she passed me and headed into the kitchen. +What happened next was like nothing I’ve ever seen before. Jessica, who couldn’t have been more than 5’4 and weighed maybe 110 pounds, ate at least as much as Sebastian, who was a full foot in height taller than her and was at least double her weight. To top it all off, it looked as if they were racing, popping sausages and bites of waffle in as fast as they could chew. The whole scene was more than a little disconcerting. It was kind of fun, though, to watch her face when she peeked under her eyelashes at Bastian, her blushing and head ducking almost comical in their lack of subtlety. The best part was that Sebastian was completely oblivious. +I had a single helping, keeping it to oatmeal and a banana, then splurged and had some bacon with it. What the hell, if it was the end of the world, who cared about counting calories? +“What’s the plan today?” Sebastian asked, looking from me to Jessica, and then back again. +“Oh. Well, I thought that we should make a tally of all the food in the house, plant the garden, and check fences.” +“We just had the new page wire fence put up! And haven’t even pulled down the old barbed wire on the other side,” Sebastian said, his irritation filling the room. +Jessica slouched in her seat and stared at her plate. +I rubbed my face with both hands. “I know that. And maybe it’s good that we have a double fence line, but the deer can still get in. I know the deer can jump, but what if there’s a little hole somewhere? One at ground level? The Nevermores maybe can’t jump, but I bet they can crawl.” +At that Sebastian paused, his mouth open to argue, and then he snapped it shut and nodded. The thought of a horde of Nevermores pouring through a small hole was all too possible and all too frightening to take the chance that there was even one small opening on our first line of defence. +“We also need to find some way to store water,” I said, leaning back in my chair. +Sebastian nodded and leaned back in his chair, mimicking me. “We can draw water from the well even when the power’s out, but you’re right, we should store some anyway.” He stood up. “I’m going to start with the fences and I’ll throw another chain and padlock on the front gate. Why don’t you come with me, Jessica?” He glanced at me, and I gave him a slight nod. Neither of us said what we were both thinking. The Nevermores saw her as one of their own and wouldn’t hurt her, and it might keep Sebastian safer too, having her at his side. Jessica nodded and took another bite of a sausage, her face glowing with pleasure. I smiled to myself, it would be good to keep her distracted, and having her crush all to herself was a perfect way for a young girl to have her mind taken off the scary parts of life. It didn’t bother me, Sebastian was not the type to wander or stray, especially not for a sixteen-year-old girl. +As they headed out the back door, I grabbed Sebastian by the hand, pulling him back to me and planting a kiss on his lips. “Don’t forget to reinforce the gate. I saw some extra bars in the grass beside it.” +“Aye, aye, Captain.” He saluted me sharply and headed out, following Jessica’s lithe figure. +After they left, I spent the morning going through all our cupboards, charting out canned food and preserves, cleaners, toiletries, and perishables. Once I had them stacked in order of how fast we needed to use them, my heart sank. I’d never really been a person to buy in bulk and it showed. There were three bags of pasta, less than two dozen cans of soup, one large bag of rice, eight cans of pasta sauce, seven cans of tuna, fourteen cans of fruit of various kinds, three boxes of Jell-O, one bag of flour and sugar each, a small bag of brown sugar, a half box of tea, one of each of my favourite spices, and that was about it for food of the non-perishable sort. +I scrubbed my hands over my face. The fridge was full of fresh veggies and fruit, milk, cheese, half a dozen eggs, and two cuts of beef from dinner two nights ago. The freezer was not so full, but there were a few bags of bread, ground beef, one package of bacon, a package of chicken drumsticks, and two frozen pizzas. How the hell were we going to make this stretch? +“We are so screwed,” I said softly, needing to break the depressing silence even if it was with a depressing statement. Nero woofed softly in seeming agreement. I laughed and rolled a ball for him across the floor, which he bounded after. I sat on the floor rolling the ball, enjoying the normalcy of the moment. After ten minutes of playing, Nero yawned, and I scooped him up, grabbed a towel, and made a makeshift bed in the tub. At least there he wouldn’t get into trouble if he woke up and I was outside. +A huge rumble reached my ears as I tucked Nero in, a rumble that I recognized and had cursed most mornings as the neighbour and his god-awful diesel minus-a-muffler truck headed to work. Scrambling to my feet, I ran to the door, flinging it open in time to see the horde out front of our house get scattered by the black Dodge mowing them down. +Bodies flew in all directions, screams of pain and rage coming from every side. I shouted and pumped my fist in the air. I knew we could get out with a vehicle, I just knew it. + + +8 + +My jubilation was short-lived. The Dodge lurched to a stop just past our house. +I frowned. Sebastian and Jessica came running in from the far field, tools in their hands, worry written across their faces. +“Mara?” Sebastian yelled. +“I’m here. The guy with the noisy truck!” I pointed to the front of the property. +We stared as the truck rumbled, coughed, and fell silent, choosing this moment to protest its rough usage. The horde of Nevermores swarmed around the truck, scratching and screaming, their nails on the metal making my skin jump and twitch. +“What’s he doing?” Jessica asked. +“I think his truck stalled out,” Sebastian said. +The back window slid open, hands emerged, and our neighbour squeezed himself out into the truck bed. +“Hey!” he yelled. “Little help?” He flapped his arms and pointed around him like we hadn’t noticed the Nevermores surrounding him, or like we had some magic wand that would carve a path for him through the horde. +“What are we supposed to do? Walk out there and ask them if they would mind not eating him?” I said, not really expecting an answer. +Jessica was nodding though. “They let me through once; maybe they’ll let me through with Tom.” +Sebastian and I stared at her. “Jessica,” I said. “You don’t know that they won’t attack you.” +“They didn’t attack us on the back of your property when I was with Sebastian. They just stared at us, swaying, and kind-of-like singing under their breath,” she said, her voice far more confident than I felt. +Chills rippled over me at the picture that came to my mind, the scene I could see in my head even though I hadn’t been there. What Dr. Josephson on the TV had said slid into place along with what Jessica had said, and my mind filled in the missing bits. The horde would be working like wolf pack with an Alpha male and female, the rest acting together as hunters and protectors. A final moment of understanding came to me and I sucked in a lungful of air, the simplicity of it making more sense than I would have thought. The pack, or whatever it was, wanted Jessica, if that Dr. Josephson from the TV was right, and the Nevermores were working like a wolf pack, they’d be looking for females to increase their numbers. +Oh. My. God. +More pieces slipped into place. The drug made people more fertile, made them territorial, ravenous, and made them disease resistant. The population of Nevermores was going to boom. And if the genetics didn’t pass the drug to their young and make new Nevermores, I had no doubt what they would be eating for their next pack meal. +“No,” I said, startling both Jessica and Sebastian. “You can’t go out there.” I stood in her way. “They want you, the pack—pride, whatever it is, they want you.” I swallowed hard. +Sebastian stood behind Jessica, frowning. “What are you talking about, Mara?” +“Hey, come on guys, don’t leave me hanging here,” Tom yelled, and the pack went wild with the sound of his voice. +“In a minute,” I yelled back, turning only my head to them, and then focused back on Jessica. “A breeder, that’s all you’d be. Something to make babies and those babies will be just like them.” I flung my arm out behind me. “And if they aren’t, you can guess what’s going to happen to the babies.” +Jessica paled and Sebastian frowned at me. “They’d eat them,” she whispered. +I nodded. +“You don’t know that, Mara,” Sebastian snapped at me. “And you’re scaring her.” +“It’s the truth,” Jessica said. “I can feel them pulling at me, wanting me to come to them. Especially that one there.” She pointed to a big male who stood back from the rest of the pack, overseeing their efforts. The leader stood with his hands on his hips, his eyes narrowed as he grunted and barked what seemed to be orders to the rest of the group. He was taller than the rest, but not as big as Sebastian, with light blond hair that had seen better days. He looked to be in his mid-thirties, but it was hard to tell with the changes the drug put them through. The male had a definite air of command around him, and I had no doubt who was in charge of this pack. Trouble, that’s what he was. +Jessica stared at him, her eyes not moving away for even a split second, it wasn’t a look of fear that washed over her face—but desire. Shit. +She walked past us, heading straight toward the gate. “He won’t eat the babies. I’ll come back after I get Tom out. I don’t have to go with the pack yet,” she said certainty strong in her voice as she climbed the fence and dropped lightly on the other side. The pack made room for her, touching her lightly, stroking her hair. She walked straight up to the big male, brushing her fingertips against his. He stared down at her and she shook her head, and then pointed at Tom. +Sebastian shifted on his feet. “Is she negotiating with him?” +“I guess,” I said, not sure this was a good idea at all. The big male shook his head and roared. +The pack scattered, leaving the truck clear. +“Tom! Hurry your ass up, man,” Sebastian yelled when Tom hesitated. Another breath and he jumped down from the truck and started to run toward our gate. “Shit, I forgot my stash,” he yelped and turned back toward the truck. He grabbed the handle and I grabbed Sebastian’s hand. +“Forget your weed, man! Move it,” Sebastian yelled. +“He’s not going to make it,” I whispered. +“He’ll make it,” Sebastian said. +One of the pack members crept forward, sniffing the air. It was too much for the creature’s desires. It lunged at Tom and I stifled a scream. Tom screamed for us both. Like unleashing a tidal wave, the pack rushed back in and Tom disappeared under a flurry of bodies and mouths. +Jessica screamed and tried to run toward Tom, but the big male held her tight against his chest until she stopped squirming, her eyes glazing over with resignation. +“Don’t hurt him,” she yelled, but the pack didn’t listen to her anymore than they listened to Tom’s pleas for mercy. +I buried my head into Sebastian’s shoulder. +“Look,” Sebastian said. +I turned to see the pack retreating with their prize; none of it even recognizable as human, and Jessica and the Alpha male were walking to the gate. +As if in a dream, we met them there, just out of reach. +“Thank you. I wish I could have stayed with you longer,” she whispered, silver tears pooling in her quickly shifting eyes. She reached through, and though Sebastian grunted at me, I took her hands and held them with my own, rubbing my fingers over her knuckles. If she were my daughter, my child, I would want her to have this last moment of humanity, touching one of her own kind before she forgot everything she was and could have been. +“I wish we could’ve done more.” +Sebastian stepped closer and the Alpha male growled, his grip tightening on Jessica. Sebastian held up his hands, then slowly lowered them to my shoulders, squeezing me almost painfully tight. +I ignored the pissing contest and stared at Jessica. “Be safe, sweetheart,” I whispered and lifted her hands to my lips, kissing the back of them. +The skin underneath my lips was spinning into a dusky yellow with faint lines that looked like veins, but weren’t. They were images of yellow teardrops like a poorly drawn tattoo of a broom flower. The plant was taking hold of the humans it inhabited like it did all the areas it was introduced to. +The Alpha male pulled her away, but not before giving Sebastian one more glare, one filled with hatred so intense that I was surprised he didn’t try to come over the gate. +“I don’t think he likes me.” +“What does it matter? He’d kill either of us,” I said. I turned away from the gate, heart heavy at losing Jessica, though I’d known it would happen. I just didn’t think it would be so soon. I reached up, took Sebastian’s hand off my shoulder and wrapped it around me, taking some comfort in the warmth. If only I could so easily ward off the chill in my heart. + + +9 + +The next week was spent digging the garden, watering it daily, checking fences, and drinking lots of water to keep our hunger at bay. Nero romped at our feet oblivious to the danger all around us, though he quickly learned to stay far away from the fence line. Only once did he stray close to the front gate; the growling and fury, along with a set of hands reaching for him, sent him running back to safety. +We phoned family and friends, trying to find out who had taken the shot, and who hadn’t. Of them all, only Sebastian’s Gran was still answering her phone, and she was in London. +“You two take care of each other. I’ll be fine here, I have a flight to—” She was cut off, the line going dead, but at least we knew she was still alive and well. It was a small ray of sunshine. +We argued about whether or not to go to Dan’s, but I won out. +“Fine, Mara. Fine. We won’t go to Dan,” Sebastian said, his body slumped on the couch. +“We can’t trust him, Sebastian. He came here to raid us, not help us. He said so himself. We’re safe here; the Nevermores can’t seem to get in. If it comes down to desperation, then yes, maybe then we could go to Dan, but he’s a last resort.” I went back to attempting to hand-stitch a patch on a shirt. +The pack left us alone for the most part, sending out what seemed to be a scout once or twice a day. He was smaller than the rest, and slightly hunched over with angry red slashes on his upper body and face, with one that went right across his forehead. The scout, who we simply started to call Scout, would attempt to rattle the massive gate, give us a growl, and then wander off. +The long hours, hard work, and emotional stress taxed us, making us both edgy and out of sorts, not even leaving us enough energy to make love, which was unusual for us. The day before the power went out, we checked the TV as we did each morning and each night. For the first time in over a week there was an announcement of sorts. +“Mara, come here, the TV’s on,” Sebastian called out. +I ran downstairs, a towel wrapped around my hair. +There was no announcer, just a single picture like a page out of a book that scrolled up on a continual loop. +I read it out loud as it went. “All areas of North America are now considered dangerous territory, as is the North and West of South America, all of Australia, Europe, and much of Asia.” +There was a long stretch of blank screen and then a last warning. +I read it slowly, disbelief and a low thrum of resignation settled over me. +“All remaining residents from these named continents are now considered independent of any government, agency, or military command. We consider . . . .” +That’s where it ended. The screen blinked and slid into white fuzzy static, reminding me of the twilight zone. I grabbed the remote and turned the TV off. +“What does that mean?” I already suspected the answer, but wanted Sebastian to say it out loud. +He reached up and took my hand. “We’re on our own, babe. That’s what it means. No one’s going to come help us or try to get us out of here. They’re going to let nature take its course, just like Dan said, and hope the Nevermores die off.” +I squeezed his hand and slid onto his lap. He circled his arms around me and we held each other tight, the fear surrounding us. +“We’ve still got each other,” I said. +Sebastian didn’t answer me, just laid his head against my breast, his breathing uneven as if he were holding back tears. +The next day, two weeks in, the power finally went and we had to break out the flashlights and candles, hoarding them, using them only when necessary. At that point, we realized we needed to dig a latrine of some sort. Shit—in the most literal sense of the word. +Worse than that realization, was the fact that we were through half our food stores—not that we had much to begin with—and our garden was a long way from producing. +“We’re just going to have to cut back some more,” I said, staring at our already meagre meal of pasta and a half a can of tuna cooked over the barbecue. Come winter we could use the wood stove and the old wood-burning stove I’d thought to replace for heat and cooking. But there were so many things on the list of needed items: candles, seeds for the garden, and canning equipment, just to name a few. +Sebastian scrubbed his hands through his hair, his wedding band catching the last rays of the setting sun. I watched as it slid around, bumping up against his knuckle. The weight we were both losing was a testament to our hard work and lack of nutrition. +I started to laugh at the irony of the situation. +“What’s so funny?” +I gulped the laughter down enough to answer him. “We’ve wanted to lose weight for so long and all it took was for the world to shut down.” Another peal of laughter ripped its way out of me, leaving me shaking and gasping for air, tears running down my cheeks. Hilarity rarely gripped me, and now I seemed unable to shake its grasp. +He frowned at me, which only made me laugh harder; lack of food, poor sleep, and hard work making me giddy. I sat on the floor and the laughter rolled out of me, Nero dancing around my head woofing, and making me howl all the louder. Sebastian got up, left his plate of food and went outside, the back door slamming behind him. +I lay on the cool tile of the kitchen floor till the laughter subsided and the tears threatened to start. I forced them back, refused to let them get a hold of me. I wouldn’t let the fear rise again. We weren’t going to die here, we were going to live and survive. Nero lay down beside me, ever attentive, the perfect puppy, and I was grateful he took to his sit-stay commands so well. I couldn’t have handled an unruly dog with all that had been happening. I let my hand rest on his quickly-growing body for a moment. What were we going to do about him? We could barely feed ourselves and the dog food was diminishing as fast as our own. +I stood slowly, wobbling a little, the distant thud of axe and wood telling me where Sebastian was. I ate half my meal and covered the rest with plastic wrap, something else we were nearly out of. +Crap. I knew I’d made a mess of it with Bastian. I headed outside, Nero at my heels and Sebastian’s plate in hand to find him chopping wood, sweat dripping down his rapidly slimming frame. He would always be a big guy, but it was scary to see how fast he, especially, was losing weight. +“I’m sorry. I’ve pulled it together,” I said in between chops. Sebastian lowered the blade and half-turned to me. +“It’s okay. I suppose from time to time you’re going to have breakdowns. It’s to be expected. As long as you can always pull yourself up and out of it,” he said. +I handed him his plate and he sat down on a log to eat. +“Well, it’s not like I’m going to be here by myself, right? You’re not planning on doing a walkabout in the middle of the night, go for some sort of marathon run to see if you can outdistance the pack, are you?” I smiled at him and he gave me a half-hearted smile back. +“No, not planning on it.” +I blinked hard, wondering at the sudden fear that gripped me. Was he trying to say something without saying it? +“What’s wrong, Bastian? I know this is a crap situation. I know it’s not how we planned our lives, but we are alive and we still have each other. That’s all that matters.” I sat down beside him. A rattle drew our attention to the gate, Scout making motions at us, more than usual. He grunted and pointed at the food on the plate. +Sebastian stood and walked to the gate without a word, Nero whined the closer he got to the Nevermore. Scout backed off, obviously intimidated by his size, until Sebastian held the plate of food out to him. +“What are you doing?” The scene disturbed me. Why was he showing kindness to the Nevermore? Why would he give him food that we had so little of, which we so desperately needed? +Scout slunked forward cautiously, his eyes downcast until he was right at the gate with Sebastian towering over him. One shaking hand reached out to grab some noodles, streaking back to his mouth so fast I could barely track it with my eyes. +A second time he reached out to grab the food and as his hands grasped noodles, Sebastian’s big hand clamped down on his arm. Scout squealed—setting Nero off, barking like a mad dog—and tried to pull away, but couldn’t. Sebastian held onto him, not doing anything but holding. Scout squealed and screeched so loud and high-pitched, I found myself on my feet, heart pumping and ready to run. +“Bastian, he’s calling the others,” I said, fear blooming once more. We’d been almost back to normal; I could almost forget the scene of Tom’s death, of the pack surrounding our property, of Jessica going off with the Alpha. +“I know.” +Two words, so simple and yet, they meant so much. He wanted Scout to call the pack in, but, why? +Rustling in the bushes was the only warning we had before the Nevermores exploded onto the road, screaming and gnashing their teeth. They were thinner than the last time I’d seen them, but they didn’t seem worse for wear, their energy still high. +I searched the group, standing on my tiptoes and finally standing on a log to see if Jessica was with them. +“She’s at the back,” I said. “She looks okay.” She was thin, her clothes ragged, but unlike some of the others who had scars and missing pieces of hair, she looked . . . like the queen of the pack. The Alpha male stepped out of the bush and put his hand on her shoulder, claiming her while he stared at Sebastian. +“What does he think? That you’re going to fight him for her?” I asked more to myself, but Sebastian heard me. +“That’s exactly what he thinks. I’m bigger, stronger, and younger. A threat to his position in the hierarchy of the pack,” he said. +“But you aren’t.” +Sebastian turned to look at me, his eyes sad. +My heart dropped. +“Mara, the results from the fertility tests came back while you were out of it. It wasn’t you that had fertility problems, it was me. The day I gave you Nero, when I went into town . . . .” +I started to shake my head, backing away, half-falling off the log and stumbling over Nero. +“No, no you didn’t, you wouldn’t have. You said that it was stupid, that there was no way you would ever . . . .” The world swayed around me and I fell to my knees, grabbing at the axe for support. +Sebastian walked to me, and turned me so that we both faced the gate and the pack beyond it. His hands were hot on my bare flesh and I began to itch, the concentration of broom in his body coming through in his sweat. It finally made sense, and I understood my reactions at strange times, after he kissed me or we made love. My body responded to the concentrate within his system and I had to take antihistamines. I was allergic to him, to what he was becoming. +I let out a moan and he held me tight. +“I’m sorry, Mara. I took the shot.” He looked me in the eye, his own beginning to tint a light yellow that I’d been telling myself was just the way the light reflected on his iris. +“I took Nevermore.” + + +10 + +I sobbed into his chest, pounded on it in a fit of rage that he could do this to me, that he would be leaving me, forgetting that if I’d had it my way, it would be the other way around. +The pack dispersed, once more stymied by the gate and their inability to climb it or unlock it, melting back into the bush as if they had never been there. +All that was left was Scout, who stared at us with his slitted eyes and rattled the gate to get our attention. In less than three weeks, that would be Sebastian, outside the property, an animal who no longer loved me, an animal who would as soon eat me as make love to me. +I stood up, pushing away from him, anger and pain at war with one another inside my heart. “I need to be alone.” +“You’re going to get a lot of that in the not-too-distant future, probably more than you want. I would take advantage of the time we have.” +I spun on my heel, ready to slap him. “You asshole! Why didn’t you tell me you’d taken the shot?” +He frowned and shook his head. “I didn’t want you to worry.” +“It’s my right to worry! I’m your wife. If anyone should know that you’re going to turn into an animal, it’s me!” Nero whimpered at my feet, upset by the yelling. I bent and scooped him into my arms. +“The right time didn’t come up. And I wasn’t sure at first. I didn’t feel any different. I wasn’t losing weight, but at the clinic they said that might not happen as fast to me because of my size,” he said, shrugging and lowering his eyes. +I stomped off toward the backyard and the garden, the sudden urge to kill something leaving me only one option. Pulling weeds. Over my shoulder, I yelled. “The right time was the minute you figured it out.” +I froze at the sight in front of me. Three deer stood in my garden neatly pruning every last shoot of a vegetable that had come up in the last week, their ability to jump the fence giving them the edge over the Nevermores who also wanted in. I wanted to cry, I wanted to yell and scream and throw things. I put Nero down, and as I did, I scooped up a rock, hurling it at the four-legged interlopers. I missed by an easy mile and had to settle for running at them full speed down a slight slope, Nero woofing and running full-tilt, which wasn’t any faster than me, and following them well into the open field. As they scattered, I slipped, tumbling the last of the way down, coming to rest on what had been my pea patch. +“Mara, are you okay?” Sebastian lifted me gently to a sitting position. I nodded tucked my face into the crook of his neck, breathing in his scent, trying hard not to think about what was coming. +“I’ll help you get ready, babe. I won’t leave you here without the things you’re going to need.” +“That gives me little solace when I know that you won’t love me anymore,” I whispered. +He was silent for so long that I wasn’t sure he heard me. It was the shuddering that started deep in his body that made me sit back. Tears streamed down his face, washing lines of dirt and grime away, leaving streaks of almost-clean skin. +“I will always love you, no matter how far my mind goes, no matter what I become; my love for you will never change. I couldn’t imagine my life with anyone else, Mara, and these last four years have been the best part of my whole life. I wouldn’t change a thing.” +At my raised eyebrow he conceded. +“Well, maybe one thing.” +He stroked my face with his hands and whispered against my lips, “I didn’t tell you enough how much I love you, didn’t always cherish you the way I should have, but I will always, always love you, no matter what comes.” +He kissed me softly and I leaned into it. If this was all I had left with him, I would take every minute of it. My anger washed away in a wave of love so strong I thought my heart might burst. We clung to each other until the tide of emotion swelling around us receded and we could both breathe a little easier. I leaned back from him to stare into the face that I would love no matter what it looked like. +“What are we waiting for then?” I pulled him to his feet. +He cocked his head and stared at me. +I winked and started to slide my shirt over my head. It took him a brief moment, then he was there helping me undress, as I helped him, and we made love in the garden. It wasn’t like we were going to be damaging the crops or anything. We took our time, savouring each touch, each kiss, as if they were our last, breaking up only when Nero came romping back, woofing and leaping at us as we held each other tight. + + +11 + + “I’m going, Mara. I have less than a week, a few days maybe, and it’s a window of opportunity we can’t let pass,” Sebastian said as he dressed. It was early, pre-dawn, and we’d been arguing about this subject most of the night. +“Bastian, the Alpha male, if he catches you outside the gate he’ll attack you. Maybe he’ll even be able to turn the whole pack against you,” I said, shadowing my husband as he searched our closet for the extra knapsack. +“That’s why I’m going so early, you know that Scout’s never been here before the sun is up. I’ll raid as many of the houses as I can. You need the food, and you can’t go. It’s like with Jessica, they won’t touch me, I’m one of them.” +I snorted. “Nobody wants to get laid by you. That’s what they wanted from her, and you know that.” +“Hey. That’s not nice, or true. I can think of at least one person who wants to get laid by me.” He bent and kissed me on the lips, the tingle not all due to our chemistry. Mostly now it was due to the drug I was so allergic to, rushing through his system. +I followed him downstairs where he grabbed the flashlight, a hammer and the big kitchen knife. In the dim light he looked like a burglar, which was appropriate, considering what he was going to do. +“Did you write me a list at least? I don’t want any complaints that you didn’t get everything you wanted.” He smiled at me, trying to ease the tension, I suppose. +I let out a breath, knowing he was going to do this whether or not I wanted him to. I was losing the battle in large part because I knew he was right. I needed him to get food and supplies, and he needed to do this one last thing for me, to be my husband and knight in shining armour. +I sat down and lit a candle so I could see enough to write. The list was simple, any preserves he could carry, batteries, feminine hygiene products, Benadryl or other allergy medicine—any medicine for that matter—bow and arrow set, garden seeds . . . I tapped the pencil against my teeth. What else was there? +I shrugged. “I can’t think of anything else.” +Sebastian took the list from me and tucked it into his pocket. “I don’t know how long I’ll be, babe, but try not to worry.” He bent and kissed me goodbye, patted Nero on the head, and then blew out the candle. As he left, the door clicking behind him, a sense of finality settled over me. This was it, in little more than a week I would truly be on my own. This was like a test run on what was about to be the rest of my life. +I sat there till the sun rose, warming the room and forcing me to admit in the light of day that I was on my own. +I cleaned the house, pulled weeds in the defunct garden, checked fences, pulled water from the well, picked rocks out of the lawn and small pasture, and washed the clothes by hand, hanging them to dry on a makeshift clothesline. By late afternoon, I had done a lot and was eyeing up the axe and woodpile. Sebastian was right. I was going to have to learn to do this on my own. +Never having chopped wood in my entire life left me wondering if there was a technique or a method to the process. I scratched my head a moment, then pulled out a fir log that needed to be split, standing it up on end as I’d seen Sebastian do. Before my first swing I pulled the tennis ball I kept in my pocket out and threw it into the field for Nero. He blasted off after it and I had my chance to swing without fear of hitting my pup. I held the very end of the axe handle and gripped it like I would a baseball bat, then with one swing I brought it down, missing the log entirely and burying it into the dirt at my feet. +Rough laughter reached my ears, and I spun to see Scout watching me, sitting at the gate. The dirty little bastard was laughing at my attempt. I flipped him off and he flapped his hands at me, as if egging me on. It was strange to see glimpses of a human personality inside what I viewed now as a large, predatory animal. They weren’t zombies and they weren’t mindless. They really did seem to act like a pack of wolves, hunting their food and sharing it amongst them. I’d even seen them eat shrubs and berries, though it didn’t seem to satisfy them any more than eating large amounts of meat. I let out a snort and tried again, this time giving the log a glancing blow. That’ll teach it. Yeah, right. +I took a deep breath, stared at the log right where I wanted to hit it and brought the axe down for a third time. The axe bit into the center of the fir, dividing it cleanly in half. I dropped the axe in surprise and then did a dance around the two pieces. Again, laughter reached my ears, but I ignored Scout. This was a great moment, one I could be proud of. But with no one to share it with, it was more than a little bittersweet. +I chopped a few more pieces, gaining proficiency until my hands began to hurt and blister, and then proceeded to stack the wood in with the rest, throwing the ball in between stacking to keep Nero busy. Washing up with the water I’d pulled out of the well earlier, I went inside as the summer sun set, the horizon sliding from bright blue to a faded purple with hints of pink. I caught a glimpse of myself in the hallway mirror, and I paused, really looking at myself. A few short weeks ago my life had been about ease and getting pregnant and now, I looked like a . . . I didn’t even know what I looked like. I was deeply tanned, something I’d avoided the last few years, my hair had already lightened, the dark brunette getting a good dose of red highlights, and from the mirror it looked as if I’d lost fifteen or twenty pounds. My clothes hung off my frame, no longer fitting me, something I hadn’t noticed with all the chaos. Even my face had slimmed, my cheekbones becoming more prominent, the shape of my face more defined. +I shook my head, what did it matter now? It wasn’t like we were going to have children or go on vacation somewhere warm where I could show off my body in a two-piece. +Three glasses of water and leftovers from breakfast—cold oatmeal and half of what was my attempt to make pancakes the day before—was what made up my lunch. Yummy. Exhausted, I dropped onto the couch and fell asleep in minutes. But, not before I made sure my knife was tucked into the cushion beside me, and Nero was curled up behind my knees. +I dreamed about Sebastian, that we were on our long-awaited honeymoon. There was a beautiful blue ocean, clear to the bottom. Maybe the Caribbean or somewhere in Hawaii—I didn’t know and didn’t care; he wasn’t sick. I could see that, even though he was down the beach from me, his skin was tanned and healthy, not a single yellow tinge on him. +I looked down at myself in, hell yeah, a two-piece and a white gauzy sarong around my now-slim hips, the kind the super models wear on a beach shoot. I looked up and Sebastian was gone. +“Bastian?” I said, my voice eaten up by the waves and the sound of the crashing surf. +“I’m here, babe.” He was behind me, his arms circling around my waist. +I leaned into him. “I thought you were gone.” +He kissed my temple and let go of me, I spun in the wet sand, but he was already down the beach, walking slowly, bending every now and then to pick up something from the sand. I laughed and ran toward him, sprinting to cover the short distance. But no matter how hard I ran, no matter that he was only walking, I couldn’t catch him. +“Sebastian, wait for me,” I yelled, out of breath and no longer feeling so sexy. +He didn’t turn back, just kept on walking as if he couldn’t hear me, his broad back quickly disappearing into the distance. +“Sebastian!” I threw myself out of the dream and off the couch, thumping hard on the wooden floorboards, Nero waking up with a snort. +Footsteps pattered on the porch out front, multiple feet running. Shit, shit, shit. I gulped down a breath and slid to the window, peeking up over the sill. There were four of them and one of me. This was not good, not good at all. + + +12 + +What felt like an eternity passing, yet was probably only ten seconds, I tried to come up with a plan. The doors weren’t locked and the Nevermores didn’t seem to have the fine motor skills it would take to work the handle. But I had no doubt they would break glass trying to get at me. +“Thought you said there were people here.” +The man’s voice startled me, and I nearly popped up and waved at what I realized with great relief were humans, not Nevermores. A tingle in my stomach held me to the ground though, waiting, Nero let out a low growl and I clamped my hand over his nose. “Shh.” +“I saw the bitch in my binoculars, she’s here somewhere. The big guy left this morning.” +A second man with a deeper tone spoke. “Come on, let’s get inside, that one at the front gate is staring at me and it’s creeping the bejeesus out of me.” +“Fine, you pansy.” +I slithered along the floor and crawled over the couch to hide behind it, the gap just large enough for me to fit. Nero wiggled in beside me. No doubt he thought this was a new game. +As I slid into my hiding place, the front door creaked open. +“Honey, I’m home!” They all laughed., +I hugged my blade to my chest. I was trapped. As soon as they started looking, I had no doubt they’d find me, at least the Nevermores would have just tried to kill me. I wasn’t fooling myself about what these men were after. +Footsteps drew closer and I tensed. A body flopped onto the couch and the rank smell of sweat and blood assaulted my nose. Nero started to growl, his wicked sharp puppy teeth showing under a curled up lip. I put my hand over his nose again and he quieted. +“Marty, go see if there’s any food in the joint—and make it snappy, I’m famished. Den, you go upstairs and find us our lady friend, and remember, I get first dibs,” the one with the deeper voice, the one on the couch, said. +Footsteps and grumbles receded and the leader leaned back resting his head on the well-padded cushions. He let out a fart, a belch, and then another fart, settling himself deeper into his seat. +I pinched my nose, the smell was worse than the pig farm I’d visited last year. I held my breath, and then resorted to breathing through my t-shirt till the worst of it passed. +“Hurry up, boys, I’m getting mighty hungry for dinner and desert. Luscious sweet pie.” He laughed. +I crouched. I had a chance if I could catch them off guard, and if Scout was still at the gate, maybe I could use him. A plan started to form, and I knew I would have to act fast and use the element of surprise if it was going to work. +I stared up at the longish hair hanging over the back of the couch. Before I thought better of it, I stood, grabbed a handful of the greasy mop, and placed the blade of my knife up against the leader’s neck. +“I wouldn’t move or say a word unless I tell you. Got it?” I hissed at him, adrenaline pumping, nerves jangling like a trip wire. +He swallowed and his Adam’s Apple bobbed against the knife. +“Very slowly get up. Nothing tricky or I’ll slam this into you.” I leaned forward the same time he did, coming over the back of the couch without losing my grip on him or the knife. I had no intention of actually cutting him; I just wanted to get him close enough to the gate for Scout to grab him. After that, well, it was going to be dicey, but I thought it would work. +“Hey boss, found some . . . son of a bitch!” The one I surmised was Marty stood in the doorway between the kitchen and the living room, his hands full of our canned food that was left, his mouth hanging open. +“Don’t just stand there, do something,” Leader Boy said. +I yanked his hair, pulling him back toward the front door, glancing at the floor. Thanks be that Nero was a loyal pup; right at my feet, heeling as if he’d already been trained. +I laughed. “Really, you think that’s a good idea?” +Marty dropped the canned food. “What do you want me to do?” +“Good question,” I said. “Follow us outside, nice and slow like.” +More footsteps and Den joined his buddies. I shook my head at him as he reached for his belt and what I assumed was a weapon. +“Don’t,” I said. He dropped his hand and I tightened my hand on the knife. +I inched us out the door backwards, drunk on adrenaline. That’s my excuse, anyway, for forgetting the fourth man. +Something hit me from behind, my shoulders and upper back taking the brunt of the blow, but it didn’t make me let go. I instinctively tightened my grip, but as I stumbled backwards, the blade pulled through the leader’s neck with a clean slice and a low gurgle. I didn’t have time to react to the fact that I’d just killed a second man in less than a month. +I wobbled a few feet away, the stunned silence from the other men giving me only split second to make my next move. No doubt, the men still standing couldn’t believe what had happened anymore than I could, and it took them a moment to recover. I spun and ran, blade still in my hands, dripping blood, Nero right beside me. +“Get her!” +I don’t know which one of them yelled it; doesn’t matter, not with what happened next. +I ran to the gate where Scout crouched in the shadows, his eyes glittering at me as I sprinted toward him. The three men were closing in on me, fingertips brushing the back of my shirt as I panted for air, hoping for enough oxygen to make the desperate jump and climb over the metal gate. As I drew close Nero veered off, running to the garden, his fear of the gate the only thing that would drive him from my side. +The gate was cold and I struggled to get my hands on it, the bunches of metal grapes and leaves biting into my flesh. I managed to get half way over before the closest man grabbed my ankle. I pulled hard and tumbled to the ground on the other side of the fence, knocking the wind out of me. Even so, I made myself get to my feet and jogged to the center of the road, the three men following me over the gate, cocky and swaggering as if they knew something I didn’t. +They had their backs to Scout, but I could still see him and I gave him a slow nod. His eyes widened and then a grin spread across his face. With a blur of speed, he hamstrung two of the men with his bare teeth before they knew what hit them. They fell screaming, the sound echoing around us. It wouldn’t be long before the pack showed up for this banquet. The last man standing half-turned to see what had happened, and I rushed him. With a swift move, Scout took him down, snapping his neck in one clean twist. +Marty rolled on the ground. “Bitch!” Scout jumped on his chest, ripping at his neck, blood spurting every which way. I gagged at the smell and sight, and forced myself to unfreeze my legs and move. I was shocked by what I’d done, essentially leading the men into the lion’s den. Finally, my semi-paralysis broke and I jogged to the gate, deliberately not looking at what Scout was doing as he sniffed around the flailing body of the one man that still lived. +“Help me,” he yelled, reaching for me. I avoided his fingers and put my hands on the cold metal piping that made up the gate. +As I climbed back over to my side, I turned back in time to see the pack emerge from the bush around us. +I walked slowly back to the house, the screams of the final man only lasting a brief moment before they were cut off. This was a moment I wasn’t proud of. I was horrified deep within that I could essentially kill four men and feel nothing. No, that wasn’t true. I didn’t want to do it, but the world was now literally dog-eat-dog, and I would go down fighting every time. +I climbed the steps to the house and stared at the leader’s body, blood pooling around it and slipping through the cracks to the ground below. +It was then that I lost it, the shakes starting deep within my belly and spreading throughout my entire body, forcing me to the ground. I sat, leaning against the house, the body beside me as I waited for the shock to pass. When I was sure I wasn’t going to pass out, I let out a whistle. Within a few moments, Nero came running up on the porch and leapt into my lap. +“Good dog,” I said. When he went to sniff the body, I reprimanded him lightly. “Leave it.” I stood slowly, and with my hand against the house for support, I stood over the leader. +“I can’t let Sebastian see me like this,” I whispered. I bent and picked up the man’s feet, dragging him off the porch and toward the gate. It was hard work, the body floppy and uncooperative, and I was sweating hard by the time I was only halfway. I paused and caught my breath, and stared down at the body at my feet, really seeing it, the open gash across the neck; the surprised expression on his face. Emotions started to well up and I pushed them back down. There was no place for that, not anymore. +With a heave I started to drag the body again, this time getting it all the way to the gate before considering a major flaw in my plan. How the hell was I going to get it over the gate? +A grunt brought my attention to Scout, crouched back in the shadows. He stood slowly and approached me, his hands outstretched. We were going to have to work together if we were going to get this body over to him. +I lifted the feet up as high as I could; panting and breathing hard, a squirm of fear that Scout might make a grab for me while my hands were occupied. He reached over the fence and grabbed one boot, then the other, and yanked, snapping the body through the air and onto its side. +With a grunt and a smile, he dragged the body behind him to the edge of the bush and started in on it, his back hunched over the chest, and a loud crunching rolled over me followed by a wet ripping sound that I chose to ignore. +I made myself watch as he feasted on the body and thought about Sebastian, how soon it would be him eating whatever he could get his hands on. I hoped he was okay, hoped that he hadn’t been hurt. A part of me, though, hoped I didn’t ever have to see him shift, turn into a mindless eating machine, see him become like Scout, or Jessica or the Alpha. +Which would be worse, to lose him now and not know what happened, or lose him to the drug and forever have that image of Sebastian as a monster engrained in my mind? + + +13 + +The next morning was all about cleaning up the blood and hiding the evidence that the raiding party had ever been here. I didn’t need it as a reminder of what I’d done. +Exhausted from a long night of sleeplessness and hard work with the cleanup, I fell asleep around noon on our bed, Nero once more cuddled up behind my legs. It was a heavy sleep, dreamless and surprisingly restful. A light touch on my cheek snapped me awake and I lashed out, reaching for the knife under the pillow before I even opened my eyes. +“Easy, babe, it’s me,” Sebastian said. +I gasped and let go of the blade, and threw myself into his arms. All my thoughts of not telling him what happened broke under his presence and the words tumbled out of me along with the tears that I hadn’t been able to shed for the men that died, and the part of me that died along with them. +Sebastian stroked my hair and let me confess to him without a single word. Gulping back a final sob, I looked up and had to force myself not to react. His skin had changed in the short time he’d been gone and the patterning under the skin up his neck looked a great deal like a faint tattoo. Exactly as Jessica’s had right before she left. +“There’s nothing I can say that will make this better for you, babe,” Sebastian said. He continued to stroke my hair, never breaking eye contact with me. “You’ve got to be strong now. There’s no guarantee that more raiders won’t come, that you won’t be attacked again. In the past, there was always someone to call for help, the police or neighbours. We have to take care of each other now, whatever that means and whatever that takes.” +“It scared me how little I felt,” I whispered. “Like their deaths didn’t matter, when I knew they should have meant something.” +Sebastian frowned and shook his head. “Babe, you are going to have to fight to make it. Don’t let your fear stop you from surviving. I think it’s just your way of not losing your mind. Bad shit is going to happen, there’s nothing you can do about it but be strong.” +He pulled me tight into his arms, held me close, and I let out a sigh of relief. “I was scared you would think I was an awful person for what I did.” +“I’m going to try and eat people soon. I don’t think you have to worry about getting that bad,” he said. +I knew he was trying to lighten the mood, but he failed miserably, the shadows of what was coming for him lay heavy on us, a physical weight we both tried to ignore but couldn’t. I saw an image of Scout in my mind eating the body and it morphed into Sebastian, feral and nasty. +Sebastian stood up. “Come on, let me show you what I found.” +I followed him downstairs, prepared to be dazzled. Boy, was I disappointed. The kitchen table was covered, but most of it wasn’t food. There were a number of different drugs; he’d found me some allergy medicine, batteries, and then some canned food of miscellaneous types. Nothing that would last much more than a week if I stretched it. +I forced a smile. “Looks good, how far did you have to go for all this?” +“All the way down to Bowser. Most of the homes have been ransacked and I was chased by a few smaller packs, but it was quiet for the most part.” +“What about Dan’s? Why didn’t you go there?” I brushed my fingers across the package of batteries, wishing they were edible. +Sebastian shook his head. “I went there first, but he . . . .” +A grimace crossed over his face, twisting it into a parody of the man I loved. I reached out and he pushed my hand away, stumbling toward the front door. +“Bastian.” +He didn’t turn around, just kept walking, using the furniture for support. I followed, knowing what was about to happen, wishing there was some other way, wishing I could help him. Wishing I could take his place. I let out a sob, it should have been me, I should have been the one to turn, not Sebastian. +He turned at the door, his pupils shifting, sliding into the vertical slit that was becoming so familiar to me. Tears dripped off his chin, the last tears he would cry as a human. +“I love you.” +I ran to him; he tried to push me away. I wouldn’t let him go that easily. I pulled his head to mine and, pressing my lips to his, our tears sealed what would be our last kiss. +“Always Bastian, you will always be my love. Forever,” I whispered against his mouth, and then he jerked himself away from me and ran for the gate, climbing clumsily over it. As his feet touched the other side, he let out a roar, guttural and wild. I slid to my knees, tears streaming down my face. The pack emerged from the bush, Scout creeping forward first, the Alpha and Jessica at the back, like always. +They milled around him, sniffing and grunting, and he pushed them away easily, making them keep their distance. When one got too close, Sebastian snapped his foot forward catching it in the mouth and sent it flying backwards. After that, they easily gave him the distance he wanted. As they turned to go, the pack slipping back into the bush, Sebastian stayed, standing in front of the gate like a sentinel. +He turned his head and looked back at me, his now-foreign eyes meeting mine. With a low moan, he dropped to the ground, tucking himself into the shadows that Scout had previously occupied. With my own moan, my head dropped forward till it touched the wooden railing. +Sebastian wasn’t going with the pack. He was staying to guard me. I didn’t know what was worse, having him gone completely and knowing he had no memory left of his life before, or knowing that he was trapped inside a body with unnatural desires, and still remembering me and our love. + + +14 + +I spent the better part of the next three days hiding inside, sleeping and wishing I had the courage to take my own life, only moving when Nero whined for food or to go out. I dreamed of blood and death and knives, Sebastian making love to me, our child we never had, the men who broke into our house, and Jessica with her sweet smile. The dreams left me moaning and tossing, my own cries waking me up only to let the sadness swallow me down again. +On the third day a rock banged on my bedroom window and I leapt out of bed, half-dressed and completely confused, scrambling for a weapon of some sort. Nero was on full alert, his hackles high and a low growl rumbling past his lips. +“What the hell?” I made my way to the window to peer outside. Sebastian stood at the gate, a rock in his hand, arm cocked back and ready to throw. +I lifted the windowpane and hung my upper body out. “Okay! I’m up, stop throwing rocks, you nut,” I shouted at him. He blew a raspberry my way that I could hear even from this distance and sat back down in the cover of the bush, disappearing from view. But he was still there, he hadn’t left me, not completely, and he still had some of himself left, enough to still care about me. +Cold water makes a good bracer to wake you up in the morning, and I scrubbed my body clean in the back yard with a bar of soap and two buckets of water. I even found the energy to play with Nero, splashing him with water as he ran around the yard. Clean clothes next, and I felt more awake and ready to face whatever this day would bring me. +Suddenly ravenous, I went to the kitchen and pulled out a can of beans. I cracked it open and ate the whole thing down without a breath. A can of peaches was next, followed by a jar of maraschino cherries. The sweetness of the cherries slowed me down, and I took my time to savour the thick juice they were in, licking every finger to get the most out of the jar. I looked at what I’d done when I finished, and even though I knew that it was no more than I would have eaten had I been awake the last few days, I still felt bad for eating so much in one sitting. +“Damn,” I muttered for no particular reason except to say something to break the silence. I put away the supplies that Sebastian had brought home, organizing the quickly diminishing stocks. There wasn’t much here and soon, I’d be the one heading out of the property to get food stuffs. I wasn’t sure if it was better to wait or to go right away. +The next few days went like the last few weeks had: water, garden, fence checking, splitting wood, wash some clothes and hope they last a while yet, and keep an eye on the gate. Through every chore, every necessary task, I wondered what the hell I was going to do with the next fifty years of my life alone on a farm surrounded by a pack of wild humans with nothing more than a yellow Lab for company. +More than a week had passed, maybe even longer since Sebastian had left me, and I found myself talking to Nero, having full conversations with the puppy. He would cock his head and listen, his pink tongue hanging out as he stared up at me. It was in the middle of one of these conversations that our three acres suddenly felt terribly claustrophobic, so much so that I started to tremble. +I scanned the back property for where Dan had gone into the bush. A spring of hope whispered through me. Of course Dan was still alive! He had a freaking bunker full of guns and food, Nero and I could go and get food and a gun. My rational self tried to remind me that Sebastian had gone to Dan’s and come away with nothing, and that I didn’t trust Dan—but my need to see and speak to another person was driving me beyond what was rational. +“Do you want to go for a walk?” I asked Nero. He gave me what I chose to believe was an affirmative yip. The trek would require me to put my life on the line to reach a man I barely knew and wasn’t entirely sure of, yet I was ready to do it if it meant having someone to talk to, even for a just a little while. I justified my idea with the thought that I would be able to get food from him and maybe even a weapon, if he held true to his word. +“It’s all I’ve got,” I said. +I went inside, and grabbed the three empty knapsacks tucking them inside one another till there was only the one for me to carry. I couldn’t take them all full, but it was a nice thought to think that I would be filling them up. +I wanted to bring my knife so that it was at hand without me holding on to it the whole time. It was a forty-five minute walk, maybe longer if I had to duck for cover. I paused in my preparations; maybe it would be shorter, if I had to run the whole way. I put the backpack on backwards and lifted Nero into it, his head sticking out along with his tongue. I laughed at him and he gave me a doggy grin, licking at my face. He was getting bigger, but I didn’t think he could walk the whole way, and I didn’t want to leave him here on his own in case I didn’t come back. At least out there he might have a chance at finding food and surviving. +An ungodly screech filled the air and the hairs on the back of my neck stood at attention. I ran to the front door, skidding to a stop on the threshold. The pack was in a giant circle on the far side of the gate, screaming, hollering, and otherwise making as much noise as possible. In the centre of the circle was the Alpha male and, I let out a low moan, Sebastian. +Pulling myself together, I slid off the pack and put Nero on the ground then ran to the gate, my knife clenched firmly in my hands. What I thought I was going to do about this was anyone’s guess; I sure as hell didn’t know. +The pack ignored me, focused solely on the two men in the circle as they jabbed and struck at one another. I knew it was a fight for dominance, but it was hard for me to see my usually passive, nonaggressive husband with his lips curled back over his teeth, growls emanating from his mouth. +They rammed each other; grappling for the upper hand, and I found myself yelling along with the pack, screaming at Sebastian to finish the Alpha off, Nero barking and jumping at my feet. The energy around us swirled, bringing us for a moment into their world, swept up in the fight for the stronger leader. If it was a battle to the death, there was no doubt in my mind who I wanted to win, even if Sebastian was no longer himself. +The clash of bodies caused a huge dustbowl, the dry dirt road and wind making perfect conditions for it. The two men were soon caked in a fine dusting of powdered earth, the sweat rolling down their bodies, catching each particle and sticking it to them. Their bodies now a strange shade of yellow highlights and red-brown mud only added to the animalistic surrealism of the scene. I took a step back and really looked at what was going on. The pack was split, half on one side of the circle and half on the other. I had a feeling that Scout would be on Sebastian’s side. I scanned the crowd and spotted him on the left, Jessica next to him. I frowned. Wouldn’t she want to be on her mate’s side? A strange squirming feeling settled in my belly. She would be, unless she saw Sebastian as the better mate for her, stronger, younger and better able to care for her and any babies she had. +“You stay away from him!” I surprised myself by yelling at her. Not that she paid me any attention; she was totally focused on the match, her eyes never leaving the two men. +I took a step back and a deep breath. What did I think was going to happen? I closed my eyes and tried to slow my ever escalating thoughts, tried to banish a sudden image of Jessica and Sebastian rolling on the ground, their bodies naked and intertwined, wrestling in a far different way than he was now entangled with the Alpha. He wouldn’t do it. I had to believe there was enough of Sebastian left that he wouldn’t have sex with Jessica. My stomach rolled and I swallowed on the bile that rose in my throat, an unexpected burn of anger starting. He hadn’t even done anything and already I was feeling the effects of jealousy and bitterness at the thought of Bastian and Jessica together. +A crack of bone and I opened my eyes to see the Alpha male on the ground, his ankle twisted at the wrong angle. He let out a moan and dropped his head, defeated by his younger opponent. The pack swirled around, hopping and thumping the ground with their hands and feet, some of them diving into their fallen leader and taking pot shots at him. +The pack stepped back; their eager grunts and gestures making it clear even to me that they wanted Sebastian to finish him off. This was the final moment of his humanity and I knew it. The minute he killed the man helpless at his feet would be the minute I had to say goodbye to him forever. If it had been a battle to the end, that would have been different, survival, but not this killing of a defenceless creature at his feet. +Sebastian walked over to the Alpha and stared down at him, not moving, just looking. The Alpha kept his eyes down and held perfectly still. He knew as well as the rest of them what was coming. +“Sebastian.” I said, not truly thinking he would heed me. To my disbelief, he turned and looked me in the eye. “Don’t do this. Don’t let them take the last of what makes you you.” +My eyes filled, but I didn’t cry. I put every emotion I could into my next words, hoping he would listen. +“Don’t kill him.” +The pack, perhaps sensing my interference started to grumble. They milled toward the gate and I stepped back out of reach, but I never broke eye contact with Sebastian. +Something flickered in those alien eyes—an emotion that was so achingly human—a piece of my husband I thought was gone forever. Compassion. +He stepped away from the Alpha and growled at the pack, which then froze in their advance on me and the gate. A second, lower growl and they backed off, slinking into the bush from where they had come. All except for Jessica, who hovered close by, her rail thin body swaying to music I couldn’t hear, and the previous Alpha, who pulled himself to his feet and, dragging his broken ankle, limped down the road alone, away from the pack’s territory. Jessica didn’t even look at her mate as he passed her. She had eyes for only one person. +Sebastian stared at Jessica and I recognized the look; he’d given it to me more than once. His eyes were dark with desire, his lips parted and a steady pulse throbbed at the base of his neck. She preened under his gaze, a noise similar to a purr bubbling out of her as the swaying intensified, her tiny hips rocking faster and faster, side to side. +I didn’t want to see this, it was bad enough knowing it would happen right outside the home Sebastian and I had started to make for ourselves. I turned my back and started to walk for the house, feeling like if I ran it would somehow make things worse. A low grumble from Sebastian and an answering purr from Jessica sped my feet up. But I didn’t run. Around the back of the house I went, straight to the garden. +I stared at the ground, far enough away that I couldn’t hear anything. A girlish shriek made me jump. On second thought, the back fences needed checking. I ran now to where they couldn’t see me, Nero right behind me, his panting giving him away. Through the tall grass that would have one day been pasture for the kid’s pony I’d hoped to have, past the tall maple we’d tied a rope to for a tire swing, all the way to the back fence where I collapsed to my knees. +Breathing hard, my blood thumping in my ears, I strained to hear any more while at the same time desperately wishing I wouldn’t. My blood slowed, heartrate settling back to a steady beat, and nothing but the birds in the trees and the occasional song of a frog reached me. Nero plunked himself down beside me and rolled on his back, luxuriating in the cool grass. I wish I could be as nonchalant about life, could enjoy even the little moments. +“I can’t do this, not on my own, not by myself,” I whispered, lying on the ground, staring up at the blue sky with the tall, brilliantly green stalks of grass surrounding me, making me feel like a child again. In a daze with my heart numb, I struggled with the jealousy, anger, and pain that warred for my attention. In the back of my mind, I'd thought he would snap out of the drug’s effects, that because he still watched over me, still remembered me, he would come back to himself. That hope was dashed against the reality of what was happening outside the gate. +My head knew that it would be unfair to judge him; he would never have pursued Jessica if he were in his right mind. But that knowledge didn’t change how I felt, or how much it hurt me to see him want her. +I closed my eyes and lay down next to Nero, and when I opened them again, I knew I was dreaming, knew it wasn’t real, but I wanted it to be. +Sebastian stood across the field from me, the summer season having slipped into fall and the grass golden in the fading sunlight. “What are you staring at, babe?” +I laughed and stood, my balance off kilter, and when I looked down I realized why. I was pregnant, and not just a little bit, a lot. I ran my hands over my belly, the babe rolling under my fingertips. “We’re pregnant,” I said, looking to Sebastian for confirmation of what I felt inside me. +He smiled and started toward me. “Of course we are. That’s why I took the shot, remember?” +My elation faded. “No, you didn’t take the shot, couldn’t have, it turns people into monsters.” +Sebastian laughed, and then was suddenly at my side, his hands on my belly. “No one turns into monsters, babe. We are the future, the others, those who didn’t take the shot, they’re the past.” He held a mirror up to my face, and I gasped. +Yellow eyes stared out at me from what looked like my face, a gaunt, emaciated version of me with jaundiced skin pulled tight over the bones. I stared at my arms as the flesh shrunk and the skin stretched showing every sinew and ligament in clear relief. Horror rippled through me, my mouth dry. I clung to my disbelief like a life raft in rough seas. +“No. I can’t take the shot, I can’t,” I said as I backed away from Sebastian. +He didn’t change, didn’t look any different, and then he smiled, a big toothy grin that showed me row upon row of shark teeth glinting down on me. He lunged. I gasped as I sat bolt upright in the long grass, my hand going to my stomach. +Sebastian and I had made love several times since he’d taken the shot. Was my subconscious trying to tell me something, or was my mind playing tricks on me? + + +15 + +I walked slowly back to the house and peeked around the edge to see the front gate still standing, with no one there, not even Scout. +That was it then, Sebastian was gone with them now, Jessica and him a pair. I let my mind sit on that, accept it for fact, and then slipped into the house, going straight to the bathroom. I flipped open the calendar and looked at the little “P” that I’d put on the dates that I had my period and my breath caught in my throat. With all the upheaval, I hadn’t noticed that not only was I late, I was almost due for a second period. +I threw myself to my knees and ripped open the bathroom cupboard. Toilet paper, towels and bars of soap went flying out behind me. Nero yelped when something bounced off him, but I continued my search for the pregnancy test I knew was in there somewhere. +“Where the hell is it?” I yelled just as my fingertips brushed up against a rectangular box that I knew was pale pink before I even pulled it out. I ripped the package open and stared at the instructions. I knew the drill, drop your pants, pee on the stick, and wait for two minutes. +The waiting was the hardest part. I sat on the edge of the tub and stared at the stick resting perfectly flat on the edge of the sink, counting to 120 under my breath. +“. . . 115, 116, 117, 118. Close enough.” I stood, walked to the sink and looked down to see a perfect pink plus sign. +I didn’t know whether to be happy or terrified; both emotions rushed through me, swinging from one to the other and back again. I placed my hand on my stomach. I had to figure out how far along I was. The first time we’d made love after he took the shot was . . . I counted back in my head, using the calendar for a reference. It was six and a half weeks ago. +“I can’t go to Dan’s. I can’t risk you little one.” I touched my stomach as a new and even more terrifying thought assailed me. The baby had been conceived when Sebastian had the Nevermore drug flowing through his system. What would happen to him or her? Would the child be born as a Nevermore or as a human? I shook off the questions that, at the moment, didn’t matter. Until the baby made it here safely, there was no point in borrowing trouble. +I made my way downstairs and counted the food I had, already knowing the outcome, but needing to see it anyway. There was no way it was enough to see me through nine months of pregnancy and the first few months of motherhood that I would need it to. If I was careful I could make it stretch for a few more weeks, closer to the end of my first trimester. At that point I would have to make a supply run, several in fact, if I was going to make it. +Resolve filled me as I considered the alternative. A certainty that I could do this, if not for myself then for the child I was carrying, the last connection I had with Sebastian. I sat down and started to make a list of all the things I would need, not just for myself, but for the baby too: diapers or cloth to make diapers, bottles, formula, blankets, and clothes. Crap, baby clothes might be hard; we lived in an area of retirees. +“Not that I’m complaining little one, but your entry into my life sure has turned things upside down.” +I smiled, thinking about having the baby, tried not to think about all the things that could go wrong or that I would be by myself for the delivery. I scrubbed my hands over my eyes, exhausted despite the nap I had in the field. Climbing the stairs, my legs feeling like lead, I snuggled into bed. Nero curled up beside me as I breathed in the scent of Sebastian’s aftershave on his pillow, for the first time in days, not feeling completely lost, feeling like there was a purpose to me being here and a reason to fight to stay alive. + + +16 + +Over the next three weeks, I was careful not to do anything too strenuous while still attempting to keep things going. I hauled water every day, just smaller amounts; I checked fences still, only slower. I even managed to get some carrots to grow. They were a long way from edible, but the piss-poor fencing job I’d put up around the small garden patch was at least keeping the deer and rabbits out. Not to mention Nero ran after everything that moved; rabbits, crows, and deer included, which helped with the critter control. +I looked back on the calendar to see how far along I’d been when I miscarried the first time. Only about five weeks, which I was well past now. There was a small bump by late evenings from the bloat, that if you didn’t know me you’d think I’d been slacking on my workouts and had developed a bit of a paunch. +I told stories to the baby every night, mostly about Sebastian and how we’d met, and then I’d sing until I fell asleep, my bedroom window open and the cool summer night air breezing in. The pack was remarkably silent during this time, so much so that it was easy to forget they were even there. Scout only checked on the gate once, and I found myself smiling and waving at him, happy to see someone other than the local wildlife. Of course, I suppose he was part of the local wildlife. Even Nero had given up barking at Scout, settling for a minor growl and a lip curl. I didn’t correct him for that, as far as I was concerned at some point he would be a big dog and it was good for him to learn now who to mistrust. Everyone but me. +Three weeks and two days into finding out I was pregnant, I was down to the last two cans of food, both beans. It was early in the morning, just as the colour was beginning to change the sky. Today was the day. +“This is it,” I said. “Okay, baby, we have to make a hard trip, probably several, and I don’t want you to be afraid. I’ll protect you, no matter what.” I ran my hands over my belly, stroking the hard bump, wishing I could hold the little one. +I took my list and tucked it into the back pocket of my jeans, grateful now more than ever that there was some weight loss before I got pregnant; otherwise, I’d be looking for fat clothes for me along with food and clothes for the baby. +My kitchen knife slid into a homemade sheath that went on my belt for easy access, one of those projects I managed to do while essentially waiting for the food to run out. Then the last two cans of beans went into the bag along with a can opener. I was worried I might have to stay in other homes where there was no food. Better to be over-prepared than caught out in the open like a fool. I patted Nero on the head and left him in the house. This was not going to be a walk he would join me on. +I peeked out the front bay window before leaving, hoping the pack was there, but not expecting it. If they were at the gate, I was less likely to run into them on the back trail. Movement at the gate surprised me. +Sebastian leapt from the shadows where he’d sat the first few days after he’d removed himself from the farm, his eyes wide as he stared at me. I stepped out onto the front porch, my heart pounding in my throat. +I swallowed hard, aware that my emotions were even closer to the surface with all the hormones rushing through me. I had to stop thinking of him as my husband. Sebastian was gone, even if his body was still here. Even so, I had to say something to him. I had to more for me than for him. +“Sebastian, if you’re still in there, it’s okay. I don’t like that you and Jessica . . .” I had barely said her name when he started to shake his head. +I frowned, wondering if it was just a nervous tick. It had been over four weeks since he had turned; I didn’t want to fool myself into believing he was still in there, still Sebastian underneath it all. I didn’t want to go through that pain again of losing him. +“Jessica is a good girl. It’s okay, I understand.” It wasn’t okay, and I didn’t understand, but I could keep those thoughts to myself. +Again, though, he shook his head, this time adding a frown for good measure. Did he mean what I think he did? As if to punctuate that he didn’t, Jessica took that moment to come screaming out of the bush, half naked, hands flailing as she attacked Sebastian. The ferocity of her attempt shocked me, and Sebastian shoving her hard was even more of a shock. She tumbled to the ground and lay there breathing hard, her bare breasts heaving. +Seeing me, she screeched and snapped her teeth at me, and I gave an involuntary step back. A sly look slid over her face and in a flash she was completely naked, the rest of her clothes strewn about the ground, swinging her hips and touching her own body as she tried to entice Sebastian. He looked at her and shook his head. Turning his back on her, he faced me, again shaking his head. +When she wouldn’t leave, he turned and roared at her, making her cringe away from him as she scooped up her clothes and ran back to the bush, snarling and snapping the whole way. +“Bastian?” My voice was soft as I could make it without whispering. I don’t remember walking to the gate, but suddenly I was there, well within reaching distance. Sebastian stepped close, his eyes strange and yet, somehow, I could see that he was still my husband, the man I loved and the father of our child. Fear tickled at the back of my neck, but I pushed it away and focused on the love. +I reached out and he flinched. “Please,” I said. “Give me your hand.” +Sebastian stood still for so long I wasn’t sure he understood, until ever so slowly he raised his hand, offering it to me. The back of it was covered in the faint lines that shadowed so much of the bodies of those who took the drug, designs that look suspiciously like the flower on the broom plants. +His skin was cool to the touch, far cooler than it should have been, but I revelled in the touch of skin on skin. +With a suddenness that sent me reeling, Sebastian snarled and snatched his hand out of mine, slicing his own arm as he ripped it back through the gate. I stumbled backwards and fell, instinctively rolling to protect my belly. +Tears filled my eyes, not from the pain in my body, but the pain in my heart. “Bastian,” I whispered, choking on his name. +His eyes softened, and he crouched down and reached once more through the gate. As much as I wanted to, I couldn’t trust him. With a sob, I stood and ran to the back of the house, gave Nero a pat and grabbed my backpacks. I brushed the tears away and took a deep cleansing breath. There was no going back. Sebastian might have been fighting his natural inclinations, but even I could see that the drug was too strong. + + +17 + +The broom was mostly out of bloom now, the seed pods hanging heavy on the branches, ready to germinate for next year’s crop of hateful plants. +I walked as swiftly as I could, not wanting to run and crash through the bush unless I had to, knowing that every sound I made could draw the pack down on me. Stepping lightly, I avoided twigs and piles of branches, pushed overhanging limbs out of my way, and gently let them go back into place. +Twenty minutes into my hike, a shiver went down my spine and I froze. I’d only felt this way once before, when Sebastian and I had gone to Dan’s and the bear had jumped out at us. I turned slowly to see Bob, as Dan had called him, on his hind legs sniffing at the air. Bob was thin, far thinner than he should have been for the middle of the summer season. No doubt the pack was direct competition for him and his regular food sources. +“Now, Bob, I know you don’t like me, but remember what Dan said.” I hoped I could talk my way out of this, though my body was trembling, the adrenaline coursing through me. +Bob grunted and dropped to all fours, again sniffing the air. Maybe the pack smelled different than regular humans? It would make sense. Bob took one step toward me, and I took a step back. He gave a snort and pawed at the ground. With great care and slow movements, I took my bag from my back and took out one of my precious cans of beans. The can opener clicked as the lid popped off and the scent of molasses covered legumes filled the air. +“See, Bob, I’m a nice girl. I’m going to give you these beans and then I’m going to leave.” I put the open can on the ground. It was a sacrifice, but I had to make it if I wanted even a chance at more food. +Bob sniffed the air and let out a low grunt. As he padded close to the can, I backed up, grateful his attention was solely on the food. I kept backing up till I rounded a corner, then turned and ran. I pushed myself as far as my adrenaline and legs would take me then stopped to listen, my ears straining for any sound. No bear behind me, and the birds were still chirping. That had to be a good sign. +Another five minutes and I came to a six-way intersection, the trail to the right flagged with a red kerchief. “Thank you, Dan, even if you were a miserable old coot,” I said and headed down the marked path. What I found though was something less than what I was hoping for. +Dan hadn’t made it home from our place, at least that’s what it looked like. His army boots, shredded pants, and tattered shirt were spread around a veritable pile of bones. His rifle had been pushed to the side, untouched and unused for fear of drawing more Nevermores. Or maybe he’d been hit from behind and never had a chance. I would never know. +“I’m so sorry, Dan,” I whispered as I bent to retrieve the rifle and ammo belt, quickly looking for any other useful things on his body. It wasn’t a nice task, but necessary. +In the one intact pocket of his pants was something that let me know I did have guardian angels watching over me. Dan’s house key. +Crouched over Dan’s bones, I again had a feeling of being watched. “Come on, Bob,” I said, “I only have one can left.” I turned to see not Bob behind me, but Sebastian. +We stared at one another, no gate between us, nothing to stop him from attacking me, as his pack would do if they found me out in the bush. +I took a deep breath and stood slowly, my one hand still holding the rifle, the other gripping the key. Sebastian watched me, his expression not changing or giving me any hint to what he was thinking. I looked up the trail the way I was headed, then back to Sebastian. +I licked my lips. There was nothing between us now, no gate to save me, only the rifle, if I dared use it. I set the rifle on the ground and walked slowly toward Sebastian, my heart pounding, my head screaming for me to run. There was one thing that might keep Sebastian from attacking me, but it was a roll of the dice. +I put my hands on my belly and said, “I’m pregnant.” +Sebastian blinked, then frowned and stepped toward me. It took everything I had to hold my ground as I thought of his face as he snarled at me at the gate. +With slow, deliberate steps, Sebastian approached me. +I watched his eyes as he reached for me, and I held perfectly still. With the softest of touches, his fingertips rested on my bump, the slight frown of confusion swiftly followed by the flush of understanding. His fingers trembled across my belly and I lifted my shirt so he could touch the skin and feel the changes in my body. His hand brushed across my belly button and then cupped the small swell of our child within me. I looked up to see his eyes wide and sparkling with unshed tears. In that moment, I knew that Sebastian would never truly lose himself, he was too strong for that and he loved me too much to forget me. +“I love you, Sebastian.” My words, simple and true as they were, sparked something in him. +He let out a low keening wail as he slid to his knees, pressing his cheek against my stomach. A flash of fear warmed my skin, but I put it out. I couldn’t truly be afraid of my husband, he didn’t have it in him to kill the Alpha, and there was no way he would hurt me or our child. +“I have to go.” I pulled away, and Sebastian looked up, his eyes betraying his every emotion. “I have to get more food, clothes, and things. I’m going to Dan’s first.” Maybe that was too much hope on my part, thinking he could fully understand, but I had to believe. +I tucked my shirt in and adjusted the backpack. I trailed my fingertips across his face and then stepped back from him. I smiled, then turned and started walking, trusting that my heart was telling me the truth and I was not being another fool in love. +Footsteps from behind sped my pulse, but he wasn’t running. He was keeping pace with me. As we walked, twenty feet between us, I thought about what it was that compelled me to trust him. Was it the love we shared? Yes, somewhat, but I think more than that— +Sebastian growled and the tension around us rose. I glanced over my shoulder to see him snarling at the bush where a bird suddenly took flight. I shook my head and picked up my train of thought again. More than the love, it was that I knew him; I knew the person he was, and how set he was in his own beliefs and standards. He hadn’t just been a good man; he’d lived his life as a good man, what he said and what he did always matched up. Even though he was a Nevermore now, I could still see those qualities in him, and they were what allowed me to trust him. +Ten minutes, and I pushed my way through a small clump of huckleberries and found myself in Dan’s backyard. I pulled back and peeked out through the bush. No need to go running into Nevermores at this point in the game. +For several minutes I waited, breathing in the sweet and intoxicating scent of the flowers on the huckleberry bush. A soft shuffle from behind me, and I went very still, a warm breath whispering down the back of my neck. Sebastian’s hands circled around me, brushing first my belly, then my waist and sliding up to cup my breasts. I tried to think straight as he pressed his lips to the back of my neck, nuzzling the tender skin behind my ear. He let out a low purr and then pushed me out of the bush and into the garden. +I gasped in a lungful of air and spun to hear a soft chuckle from the huckleberry bush. I couldn’t help but smile. Damn, even now, even this way, he wanted me and I wanted him. That was love; it had the power to overcome any physical change in each other. +Dan’s key was cool in my hand, but I didn’t need it. The door was unlocked. Stepping into the dim interior, I waited for my eyes to adjust to the low light before going any further. I shut the door behind me, locking it for good measure. It was musty and warm, the windows all shut tight and the air stale from no movement. Eerie, and with more than a measure of feeling haunted, the house echoed my footsteps as I started my search. +The obvious places were first, kitchen and pantry, both of which were full to the brim with food, preserves, cans of fruit, and pasta. A bag of dried milk. My mouth watered at the thought of dairy, even fake dairy, and I scrambled to find myself some water to mix it with. I didn’t have to look far. Dan had stacks upon stacks of individual-sized bottled water in the pantry. I pulled one out and mixed in the evaporated milk, shaking it for good measure. +I downed every last drop of it, the chalky texture and faint milk flavour heavenly to my deprived taste buds. The stress of the walk, my moment with Sebastian, the fact that I was pregnant and already tired, along with my huge guzzle of milk left me more than a little sleepy. I shook the feeling off, though. I couldn’t dawdle here, there was too much chance that the pack would come looking for Sebastian—or worse, Jessica would come looking for him. +I climbed the stairs to the upper level, the weight of the air seeming to grow heavier with each step. On the top step, a creak sounded from inside the house and it wasn’t me. +Frozen to the spot, I strained my ears, listening till they were ringing with the silence. After several minutes with no more noise, I convinced myself to take another step and that’s when the gun was shoved into my face. +“What the hell are you doing breaking into my house, woman?” Dan snarled, as he stared down his rifle at me. +“Dan. I thought . . . I mean, I found . . . bones,” I stuttered out. +He lowered the gun. “Well, at least you ain’t one of them.” Dan brushed past me and clomped downstairs. “Come on, woman, I told you I’d give you food and weapons if you made it here, and you did.” +I followed him, my mouth dry, and my heart not sure if it was going to gallop away with me or stop completely. It seemed to settle on an unsteady rhythm that left me more than a little wobbly of leg. +“I see you’ve made yourself at home,” Dan said as he pointed to the open bag of dried milk. +I shrugged, determined not to feel bad. “I thought you were dead.” +He grunted and went to packing my backpacks with food. “This should last you for a while. Come back when you need more.” He handed me one pack full, two empty. That wasn’t going to be enough, not by a long shot. +“I’m pregnant, Dan. I need to take more than that; I need to stockpile the food at my place. Unless you want me to move in here with you.” +“Shit.” He spit on the floor. “Why’d you go and get knocked up? I sure as hell hope it ain’t by that infected man of yours.” + I sucked in a breath. “How do you know about Sebastian?” +“One of those things was following him, a young female. She wasn’t interested in eating him. So I shot at him.” +“What?” That was what Sebastian had been trying to tell me about Dan, that he’d been shooting at him. A tap on one of the windows brought my head around. + Sebastian peered in through the dirty glass, his head cocked to one side. Dan snapped his gun up, and I pushed it down. “No! Stop, he’s not like the rest of them!” Sebastian snarled at Dan and I put my hand up on the window. +The snarl faded and he mimicked me, putting his hand against mine. Dan’s eyebrows rose. “Well, I’ll be buggered.” +“He remembers me, Dan, I don’t know how or why—but he does. Please don’t shoot him.” +“For now. But if he shows even the slightest inclination to attack, that’s it, he’s done.” +I nodded and let out a breath. “Thank you.” I looked around the pantry. “Now, can we please fill the other backpacks?” +“I ain’t helping you move this stuff, woman. I ain’t stepping outside this house except for my own needs, no one else’s,” Dan said. +I put a can of tomatoes in. “That’s fine, Dan. I thank you for the food; I don’t expect you to help me pack it.” +We filled the packs with the heavier stuff, cans, sauces, and rice. I could make more trips this way, bringing home the lighter loads the more tired and pregnant I got. I stepped outside, one backpack on and one in each hand, and Dan raised his gun, pointing it past me. +“I hope you’re right about your man, for your sake, woman,” he said as he slowly shut the door in my face. Sebastian’s hand came down on mine, startling me. I looked up, and he motioned at the bag on my back. +“It’s all I can take. I’ll have to make more trips anyway,” I said. +He shook his head and pointed to his own back. +“Are you sure?” +Again, he nodded, and I helped him to position two of the packs on his back, his fingers unable to even tighten or loosen the straps. +The trip back to the farm was uneventful, which surprised me. I thought maybe Bob would be waiting for another can of beans at the least. When we got to the back gate, Sebastian twenty feet behind, I slipped through and beckoned him in. +“Come on. You aren’t going to hurt me. I know that,” I said. +He shook his head and shrugged out of the bags before slipping off into the bush, as if he’d never been there. +Maybe I trusted him, but it looked like he didn’t trust himself. That was enough to give me pause, to make me consider the fact that even though he was my husband, I’d been truly foolish to let him so close to me, no matter how much I loved him. +If only I’d remembered that a week later, then perhaps things would have turned out differently. Perhaps I wouldn’t have had to turn my knife on him and do what no woman should have to. + + +18 + +For the next week, I made two to three trips a day and the routine was well set. I took three bags, my can opener and a can of beans. Bob would meet me halfway to Dan’s, and I would give him the can of beans like some offering a knight errant would give to a bridge troll. Sebastian followed me and packed a bag back so that by the end of the week we’d moved twenty-one backpacks full of food and necessities. Dan even had a good stash of drugs squirreled away: antibiotics, over the counter pain killers, and some pill forms of morphine. I took it all thinking of possible complications and pain during the labour that I would face in a few short months. +Dan grumbled fiercely that I was taking his offer to the extreme, but when I pointed out that I’d barely made a dent in his supplies, he settled down. It didn’t hurt that on the third day I managed to bake cookies and I took some to him, though they were burnt around the edges. I was still trying to figure out the ways of baking with a wood burning cook stove. I suppose that even a grizzled old man likes homemade goodies, burnt on the edges or not. +On the seventh day, Sebastian was more than a little edgy, his eyes darting and his mouth clicking from time to time. I’d offered him food as I always did, and he pushed it away at first, in the past few days never once taking from the stores we were collecting. +“Eat it,” I said, the open can of peaches smelling positively delectable. +Sebastian groaned and took the can from me, swallowing the peaches and the juice without a single gulp. I put the can into my bag. I could get rid of it at Dan’s. +We walked up the well-worn path, gave Bob his beans, and continued on. As always, I paused at the huckleberry bush and waited. Not just to see if the coast was clear, but to let Sebastian come closer, to touch me, even if it was only for a moment. +This time was different, though. His hands went to my belly first as always, but he slid them under the shirt, over my bare skin and up to my suddenly taut nipples. He rubbed the flat of his hand over them, unable to tease them with his fingertips, the lack of dexterity not slowing him down for a moment. I let out a low moan. This was torture of the best kind. He pulled me tight against his him and slid his body up and down mine as he rubbed my breasts, his breath hot against my neck, his teeth grazing the skin. I knew I should be afraid, at least a little bit, but the emotions rocketing through me didn’t leave room for fear. Love, desire, skin, hunger. They left me trembling and useless in the way of thinking straight. +Sebastian nipped my earlobe and I started to reach back for him. He pushed me forward, knowing better than I did the limits of his control. +I stumbled to the door and let myself in, nearly gasping as I tried to get my hormones and emotions under control. I banged my hand against the door, suddenly angry and embracing the heat that burned off some of the desire. +“It’s not fair!” I whispered. +“What’s that, woman? Not fair that you’re stealing all my food from me?” Dan asked. +I turned and leaned against the door. “No. Just, I don’t know, everything isn’t fair. Nothing is the way it should be.” +He grunted and helped me packed my bags, more baking supplies, chocolate chips, raisins, coconuts, walnuts, flour, and sugar. I smiled to myself. Dan surely wanted more cookies; there was no subtlety in his methods. +I gave him a peck on the cheek. “Thanks, Dan. I’ll bring more cookies next time.” +“Get out of here, woman,” he growled at me, waving me off as he tried to hide a smile. +I stepped outside with the three bags and started down the slight slope to the edge of Dan’s property. I hefted one bag into place and packed the other two to the huckleberry bush where Sebastian was. Except it wasn’t Bastian waiting for me. +It was Jessica. +She launched herself at me, and I was barely able to step out of the way, stumbling to my knees as I slid in the grass. I dropped the bags of food and slid the bag off my back. I ripped them open and hoped the same trick would work with her as it had with Bob. Marshmallows and chocolate chips sprayed through the air, the scent of sugar drawing Jessica’s nose to the food stuff instead of to me. +More members of the pack spilled forward, filling up Dan’s garden and forcing me to the front of the house and onto the main road. The backpacks were shredded and the baking supplies were everywhere. I kept backing away. Jessica stared at me, her hatred palatable, but the food a stronger pull than killing me, at least for the moment. I knew that as far as she was concerned, I’d stolen her man. +A loud boom rattled the air, and the Nevermore closest to me dropped to the ground. I looked up to see Dan shooting at the pack from the top floor of his house. +“You’d better run, woman,” he yelled. The pack swarmed through the yard, mostly focused on the food, but some were trying to get into the house, ending any chance I had at getting into safety. +I backed up until the pack was out of sight and then I ran. Okay, jogged, but I knew that I had to move. In my belief that I was safe, and in the concern for how much weight I should carry, I’d been leaving the rifle at home. All that stood between me and the pack was one measly knife. Deep shit did not even cover the depth of trouble I was in. Two more loud booms, then nothing more. Dan was giving me a chance at least. +I ran for fifteen minutes before I got a stitch in my side and had to slow down, but I was getting close to the halfway mark. Next up was the tunnel of broom that had nearly done me in, where we’d first met Dan and Bob. +I pushed my way into the thick greenery and found myself face-to-face with Bob. And I had nothing to give him. Again, deep shit seemed so understated. +“Bob,” I said. “I’ll bring you two cans next time, just please let me by.” I couldn’t back up; I didn’t dare to with the pack coming my way. Already their voices were screaming and getting closer. A Nevermore hand shot through from behind me and I spun and slashed at it with my knife, opening a deep wound. Bob roared and stood up on his hind feet, even taller than Sebastian. +He roared again and the screaming and hollering stopped. Bob stepped forward, and I stepped to the side to let him pass. Apparently beans were the right commodity to keep him friendly to me, and I thanked my lucky stars. +Bob shoved past me, roaring and growling, the scent of his musky coat heavy in my nose. I ran down the trail, so close to home that I could almost taste it. One hand instinctively on my belly, the other hand holding my knife. I ran, pushing through the broom and bush, no longer caring how much noise I made. The pack knew I was there. The only thing I hadn’t counted on was Sebastian. +As I hoofed it up the street, our house in view, the gate a blessed sign that I would be safe in a matter of moments, Sebastian burst out of the bushes, breathing hard and eyes wild. +“Bastian!” I said, trying to speak while I was out of breath making his name come out as a whisper. +He snarled, his mouth open wide, his hands clenched in fists, and he ran at me, all the animalism that the rest of the pack exhibited every day coming home to roost on him finally. +“Please God, no,” I said, scrambling backwards, holding my knife out in front of me, my husband advancing faster than I could back up. At the last second I slashed at him, opening the skin of his chest in a scarlet red line from left to right. +It didn’t stop him. He slammed into me, taking me to the ground as he howled, his body hard and his ferocity terrifying me. If ever I thought I had been safe with him, I knew now I had been wrong. Maybe he’d been slipping slowly, but he’d still been moving away from me, moment by moment, step by step. +“Please don’t make me do this,” I whispered my knife arm free. Sebastian’s body pinned mine to the ground in a mockery of the intimacy we’d once shared. With my left arm, I pressed against his throat, keeping his teeth as far away from me as I could. There was no longer any trace of the man I loved left in his eyes. Tears spilled down my cheeks and I felt him pause, felt him muster something from deep inside. +He opened his mouth, I thought at first to growl or bite. +“Do it,” he said, his eyes softening for a brief moment as he stared at my hand holding the knife. +I let out a cry of pain, gripped the handle with my right hand, and knew that if it were the last thing I did, I would love him forever. +There was no time; the pack was coming and they would kill me, Sebastian along with them for the ride, if I didn’t do something—and do it fast. For me, for our child, I had to do it; I had to kill the one man I loved more than any other person in my life. +A deep, gut-wrenching sob ripped out of me. With a last effort I raised the knife, holding it above his back, right over his heart. +“I love you, Bastian,” I said and brought the blade down. + + + +Like what you read? Check out the entire Nevermore Trilogy! + +Or check out Shannon’s Bestselling Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance Series + +"My name is Rylee, and I am a Tracker." +When children go missing, and the Humans have no leads, I'm the one they call. I am their last hope in bringing home the lost ones. I salvage what they cannot. +I'm on the FBI's wanted list. I have a werewolf for a pet, a Witch of a best friend, and I have no need for anyone else in my life. +But when a salvage starts to spin out of control, help comes from a most unexepected direction. +One that is dangerously dark, brooding, and doesn't know a thing about the supernatural. +One whose kisses set me on fire. +Newsletter Sign Up- http://bit.ly/SignUpSM +Facebook Fan Page- Shannon Mayer Author +Website- www.shannonmayer.com + + +Lyra Mcken + + + + +Finn + +A Zombified Short + + +One day you’re minding your business thinking about how much you hate PE and wishing the fire alarm would get you out of there, and the next you get bit. It’s a strange feeling to have a human latch onto you with animal-like strength and rip off part of your leg. It is even stranger when they growl like a rabid dog and claw at your face. The weirdest thing was that he was my PE teacher at one time, and now… well, now he looked different. +I’m lying on my belly in the dirt beneath the school. From here, I can see the parking lot and the front lawn. I’m not really sure what my plan is, but this is where I ran after I was bitten. The chaos in the gym was too much for me. The school has a very old foundation, and I knew I could belly crawl beneath it because I had hidden there from a bully two years ago. He transferred out to be a delinquent somewhere else long ago, but it stuck with me. +I have been lying here since yesterday afternoon when I was bitten. The sleep I had fallen into was neither comfortable nor restful, but it had lasted off and on throughout the night. +My leg is starting to hurt a little, and it probably doesn’t help that it is pressed against the dirt. The part of my shirt I ripped haphazardly to tie onto it will have to do for now. I am almost scared to look at it for fear I will see the black, rotting flesh I witnessed on those that were biting on others in the gym. I’m not really sure how long I’ve been tucked underneath the building, but it’s not really that much fun down here. +Right after I had hidden in my dirt sanctuary, I had heard gunshots and screaming. The slow moving feet of what I’m calling the black flesh were visible, and I saw a couple of them fall. +One in particular had struck me as odd because he clearly had a broken arm. It had hung lifelessly at his side. The strange angle at which it had hung made me sick, so I had averted my eyes. There had been a loud gunshot, and when I had looked back, his head was gone. +As far as I can tell, I have been under here for hours. There really is no way to know. I wish wearing a watch was one of my things. No, I had to try to be cool with the power bracelet. It is a leather strap that snaps around my wrist, making me feel like a bad ass. I don’t feel too bad ass right now; in fact, I feel defeated. I’m pretty sure I have been bitten by a zombie, and since I don’t believe they exist outside of some of my favorite movies, I am having a hard time wrapping my head around it. +I wish I had done so many things while I was alive. Third base with a girl sticks out in my mind, and now it’s never going to happen. Why did I have to be so shy? Speaking of third base, there’s my classmate, Cassie. I always thought she was pretty; I should have talked to her more. I wonder why she is running like that. I am going to get out and talk to her now. +I see stars as I drag myself forward because the pain in my leg is almost unbearable. Sweat beads up quickly all over my body, but I will myself not to black out. I’m glad it took me awhile to get to the edge of my hiding spot because Cassie is pulling Nancy Drake out of her car and tossing her on the pavement. Either Nancy has a wound, or she has someone else’s blood on her. Cassie tells her to get back in the car and has taken off walking, so maybe she has had a change of heart and reconsidered. +A pair of hands grabs me from behind. I can feel nails digging in through my pants. The scream I let out is less than manly. Who the heck is under here with me? Turning my head as far as I can, I see a man with dirty, red hair and a bloody mouth. He is unforgivingly sinking his fingers into my wounded leg. Scrambling through the pain, I manage to get out from under the building, but he is right on my heels not far behind me. +A nearby zombie that looks a lot like my math teacher—but is missing half of his face—has spotted us and is coming toward us. Great, now I have to try to run. As I move, the t-shirt bit that I had tied around my leg falls off, but I am not moving fast enough. The math teacher is coming from one side, the red-headed blood face is coming from behind, and now it looks like Nancy Drake has come over to the black flesh side because she’s slow walking towards me from the parking lot. +I am pretty much trapped. If I could run, then escaping would be no problem. It is time to face the fate I have been dealt: bitten by my gym teacher, and eaten by my math teacher and the girl who likes to wear the cat sweaters. +To my surprise, the redheaded man starts walking away from me, and Nancy Drake sniffs me as if she’s some type of pretty dog. My math teacher walks into the side of the building, hitting his head repeatedly. He no longer seems interested in eating me, either. Now I know something is wrong with me. +I look down at my leg to find the angry, black wound has spread around the teeth marks, and the flesh of my thigh is missing. Could it be they don’t want to bite me because I am infected? The realization hits me like a ton of zombies. I suddenly feel sick and spill the remnants of my lunch all over the ground. That square pizza and apple juice probably weren’t the best choices for lunch. +I have a decision. I can crawl back beneath the school and just wait to turn into one of these black-fleshed, gray-skinned scary things, or I can walk into town and look for others like me. Cassie looked like she still had her thoughts about her. I wonder if I could catch up with her. She had a pretty good head start, and I am moving pretty slowly. I could just hang around here. Checking in with myself, I don’t seem to have a craving for human flesh, so that’s a good thing. +My body feels compressed from lying underneath a building in a tight space for hours. Stretching feels good, except for my leg, which is throbbing. Pains shoot through me with every step. +Moving into town seems like it will take too long, so I head back into the building to see what has transpired there. +My body feels compressed from lying underneath a building in a tight space for hours. Stretching feels good, except for my leg, which is throbbing. Pains shoot through me with every step. +None of the men who came in with guns is standing guard anymore, and there is literally blood everywhere. My Adidas shell tops slide as I attempt to hobble into the lobby to look around for any signs of life. There isn’t a place my eyes fall that isn’t riddled with body parts, blood, and intestines. What appears to be a teacher with a leg missing is crawling across the floor with an arm in her mouth. Gross! The whole world has gone mad. +Making my way to the quad, I can see the carnage doesn’t end there. I stumble over football players, geeks, cheerleaders, pretty girls, and half the track team. I wonder how many people must have been turned in order to reach this number of bodies. +I slide over to sit on one of the ugly orange benches so I can stare at a vending machine as I contemplate my next move, but then I catch movement behind it. A small girl jumps out holding what appears to be a plastic knife. +“Back off, zombie, I mean it.” +She trembles, which makes her less terrifying than the plastic knife she’s holding. I recognize her as Sissy, a pretty redhead who’s a year younger than me. Her face has been bitten, and for a minute, I wonder if she doesn’t know. I think she has to know because half of her bottom lip is missing. The bite marks are huge, the bite is large, and it took half her bottom lip. +“I’m not a zombie, at least not yet,” I tell her. I don’t bother to raise my hands above my head because the knife isn’t threatening. Seeming to relax a little, she looks down at my leg. +“That looks nasty.” +“It doesn’t feel too good, either.” I avoid saying anything about her face in case she is sensitive about it. The black flesh is already starting to show up around the graying skin as it dies. The smell of rot coming from us would be unbearable if we hadn’t already grown accustomed to it. +She motions for me to follow her, and we head to the other side of the quad to sneak into the hall. I watch her look back and forth nervously. I want to ask her if she knows they won’t bite us, but she grabs my hand, pulls me quickly into the hallway, and then into a classroom, shutting the door and pushing the desks closest to it up against it. I open my mouth to ask her what her plan is, and she shushes me with a finger. At the back of the classroom, she opens the supply closet. +“You’ve got to be kidding me.” My voice echoes in the empty classroom, and panic overcomes her as she pushes me inside. +“You want them to hear you, Finn? You have to be quiet.” She shuts the door behind us and turns on the overhead light, then, having second thoughts, turns it off again. The closet is bigger than it looked from the outside. It’s a small room with junk in it, such as school supplies, easels, and decorations for various holidays. +“How do you know my name?” I just realized she called me Finn, and I don’t remember seeing her, outside of passing her in the halls. +“You know mine, don’t you?” She blushes and looks everywhere except directly at me. +“Yes, Sissy, I know your name.” I knew it because we had gone to the same school since she was in kindergarten and I was a first grader, so I assume that’s how she knows my name, too. I feel stupid for asking, and am back to wondering what the hell the plan is. “What’s the plan here?” +She slides down the wall to sit on the floor, and I do the same. +“Hide from the zombies until we are rescued.” +Should I tell her I don’t think there’s a chance for us? I go with trying to find out how she was bitten instead. +“So, tell me what happened when you saw the black flesh.” +“The black flesh, that’s an interesting way of putting it.” Leaning her head back on the wall, she closes her eyes. “We were in Ms. Lewis’s English class. I was nodding off, and a gunshot brought me back to reality.” +I nod, encouraging her to continue. +“Some strange looking guy came in and grabbed her, dragging her to the ground. Once he sunk his teeth into her neck, blood went everywhere. It was so violent and just… horrific.” She shivers, keeping her eyes closed as if she is reliving the moment. “Then someone shot him in the head, came into the classroom, and shot her in the head. I watched it explode because I sit near the front.” +“That’s tough.” I feel my leg start to tingle, and when I finally get the nerve to look down, I see the wound has spread even more. Feelings of doom and thoughts of dying are coming back to me. Changing the subject seems like a good plan. +“You know my sister, Melanie, she’s in your grade.” Melanie was out sick today, thank zombie for that. Have I started to think in zombie terms already? +“Finn, I used to come over to your house when I was younger. Melanie has gotten too popular to hang out with me now.” She looks down at her feet sadly. +“Cecelia?” No wonder she knew my name; I saw her every day when she and Melanie were best friends. I have to learn to be more observant. “Why did you change your name? I like Cecelia.” +“People just started calling me Sissy,” she says as she shrugs. “I can’t believe this is happening… a zombie apocalypse. I am really worried about my family.” I’m not going to tell her I’m sure it’ll be fine and that there’s nothing to worry about because I have no clue if that’s the truth. +“I’m still going to call you Cecelia.” She smiles, and we have a nice moment in the middle of Hell. +I hear the groans of recently dead people as they pass, and we look at each other. I know she thinks they are coming for us, but they aren’t. +“You know, I never even got to kiss a boy.” She looks at me sadly and appears almost hopeful. Normally, I would be happy to oblige a pretty girl her first kiss at the end of the world, but this pretty girl has half her lip hanging off and a huge black wound above it. +“Does that not hurt?” I am doing it. I am addressing the black-lipped elephant in the closet. +“What? Does what hurt?” Great, she doesn’t know. Here goes all the peace. +“Cecelia, I don’t want to alarm you, but you have a huge bite on your face, and some of it is missing.” I wait for the scream. It comes, but she flees the closet, throwing the desks out of the way while doing it as she rushes for the door. I guess her fear of zombies was taken over by her vanity. I follow behind her slowly, watching her dash into the ladies’ room. Her scream ricochets off the lockers because it is so loud. How the hell could she not feel that? Was she in denial? +I sit in the hall and listen to her swearing about someone saying he slapped her awake, not that he bit her while she slept. Not understanding any of it, I doze a little. I’m not sure how much time is passing as I fade in and out of consciousness. I dream of my family being eaten… not a cool feeling. +When I wake, it is dark again. I can tell by looking through the windows on of the double exit doors where there is no sun shining through. at the end of the hall . I don’t hear any crying from the bathroom, so I assume Cecelia has finally passed out. +I sense something coming down the hallway. I don’t know what it is, but I know it’s delicious, whatever that means. I stand from the ground as my stomach rumbles for the first time in two days. My mouth waters as I move toward it. I sense it is afraid, and that it is running. Why not chase it? +Catching it isn’t hard. It’s hurt, but it hasn’t been bitten by one of us. I latch my teeth onto her neck before I realize what I’m doing. It’s one of my classmates, but I rip a hunk out of her neck because I need to feed. What the hell is wrong with me? Cecelia yells and runs at me. +“Finn, stop! Stop eating her!” I am horrified as I drop the poor girl on the floor. I can feel her blood run down the sides of my face. +“I’m sorry, Cecilia. I don’t know what came over me.” Cecilia doesn’t answer. She plunges her face lays into the stomach of the girl even though the girl is still alive. I realize there’s no hope for either of us. + +ZOMBIFIED +By +LYRA MCKEN + +GRIMIORE PRESS +Great Minds Think Aloud + +Prologue + +"You know, it just makes me mad that the news thinks we aren't people too," I said to Neil. +Of course, my words were spoken in what we Zombies affectionately call “Slopar,” so he did not understand me. To him, it sounded like lots of moaning and noises, but I continued anyway, as I determined what part of the leg was the meatiest. I normally don't like the drumstick of a man, but I was feeling particularly hungry today. +In the days before I was completely transformed, I had heard the news stories about us, saying we were monsters. They said lots of things but the ones that stood out to me now were soulless and evil. +"We are people," I continued, as I sunk my teeth into his thigh, ripping off a piece, despite his protests. "Just because we are a little dead does not mean we are any different than you, Neil. Can I call you Neil?" +I was talking through mouthfuls of him. When he didn't respond, I continued to snack away on what I assumed, by the build, to be an athletic thigh. +“Are you a runner, Neil? You taste like a runner.” Happy with my choice of dinner, I continued my rant and made myself comfortable on the cement of the parking lot where we had stopped. +"Like, how they say that we lumber about in groups with no order, and that is just not true. We actually lumber around with our friends. The lady right over there, with only half of her arm, is my favorite person to walk slowly through an abandoned town with." +I was fairly certain that Neil was almost dead. The color had drained from his face and the blood had stopped spewing from the artery in his leg. In case he could still hear me, I continued to ramble. "There are exceptions. There is this one guy who has to walk in the back of the mob because he drags his leg behind him and it slows us down. We dated in middle school. I tolerate him, but his breath always smelled like cheese and he called me ‘tart.’ I hated both of those things." +I nudged Neil at my joke, but instead of laughing, he fell over. I debated staying there while I waited to see if he would become zombified, as well. Since my body did not move fast anymore, I figured it could happen before I made it across the parking lot, so I began my slow march toward my friend, Rose. She seemed to be enjoying herself, as I could see her happily eating the brains of a young blond lady. +As I passed by a car window, I caught a glimpse of my slow moving form and stared for a minute. "Zombie life does absolutely nothing for my complexion," I yelled, over my shoulder to Neil, as I took in a gray face with sunken in eyes. +Continuing on my path to Rose, I tried to push my appearance from my decaying mind. I wondered if it was just my imagination that I could hear parts of me rotting. I remembered my mother always telling me to take care of my body. +“Your body is your temple, Cassie.” She would correct my posture by jerking my shoulders back. “You should make sure you treat it as such.” +“If only my mother could see me now.” I was still talking to Neil, as my progress had not taken me out of his earshot. “She would really be proud of her baby girl.” + Of course, my mother was dead, and she would never be able to see my current state. She had been in the first round of the infected and they had disposed of her and hundreds of others before they had a chance to spread the disease. That is what they called being zombified in the beginning. They called it a disease. +As I continued to drag myself across the parking lot, I wondered how things could have been different. + + +Chapter 1 + +The Longest School Day + +“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, and it was the age of foolishness….” The teacher was reading the beginning of A Tale of Two Cities while I was attempting to construct a note to my best friend, Ellen, about how good Brett Nathan’s hair looked that morning. He was the love of my twelfth grade life. Having just turned seventeen, I was now a woman. It was time to make my move. I was getting up the nerve to ask him out, but right now I needed to tell Ellen how fantastic he looked when he got out of the car that morning and the sun hit his perfectly shaped coif. +Horror filled me as I felt the paper slip from beneath the pen I was writing with. I looked up into Ms. Hamrick’s stern eyes, behind impossibly large glasses, and knew that my life was over. She was not happy with my note writing, and I knew for a fact she loved to read notes out loud. I prepared myself for the embarrassment of my innermost desires being revealed to a classroom full of Neanderthals. +She pursed her lips, which only made the fact that she had a hairy upper lip stand out. This woman had never seen a wax strip or a pair of tweezers in her life. I found myself momentarily mesmerized by the amount of hair in between her very unkempt eyebrows. The look of bliss on her face meant I was in for a big humiliation. +“Well, Ms. Williams,” here it came, “while I am sure that Ms. Davis desperately needs to know that Mr. Nathan is way hotter than Leo, with an ass you could just cling to; we have a book to read through. Start at the third paragraph.” She walked back to the front of the classroom, as the idiots around me erupted into laughter, and I felt my cheeks burn with embarrassment. +I pulled my dark brown hair around my face to hide. I was thankful I had opted to wear it down that day. Too bad it was summer and I was wearing my favorite baby blue tank top instead of a sweatshirt. I wished the worst things ever on my teacher as I began to read from the book. I was just thankful Brett was not in the classroom to hear that display of teenage puppy love. How ridiculous it sounded when she read it out loud that way. There was no doubt in my mind it would get to Brett. I felt like the bathroom would be as good a place as any to eat my lunch today. +I stumbled through the third paragraph, my face burning with embarrassment. The smug look on the teacher’s face made me angry, and I couldn’t wait to get out of there. +Ellen gave me a sympathetic look when Ms. Hamrick finally called on someone else to read. I shrunk down in my seat and willed time to go faster. +I looked at my oversized, white Fossil watch and saw the time was five until two. One more class for the day and I could go home and relax with my favorite book. +When the bell finally rang, I rushed out of the classroom, to my locker, as fast as I could. Ellen was there shortly after and I rolled my eyes at her as I slammed the locker shut. I jammed my hands in my distressed dark jeans and looked dejected. I was glad I had worn my favorite pair of tennis shoes, with the pink laces, so I could make a quick get-away if I saw Brett coming. +“Ms. Hamrick is a mean old witch.” I was angry and taking it out on the teacher was the best thing I knew to do. +“She is, and that was beyond embarrassing.” Ellen lowered her voice to a whisper. “You wrote me about his butt.” She tilted her head and we both giggled at her statement. +I sighed loudly and hoped like hell people would just forget about it, and then something amazing happened. An announcement, from the principal, came over the speakers telling everyone to get into a classroom and lock the doors. The school would be on lockdown until further notice. Ellen and I locked eyes, standing still for a minute, not sure what we should do. +Panic ensued, and there was talk of a shooter in the building, or some type of wild animal; no one knew what was going on. Of course, Ms. Hamrick’s classroom was the one we were closest to, so we all got ushered inside. +I was horrified to see that not only were most of the kids I had just experienced the single most humiliating moment of my life with were there, but so was Brett. He must have been caught in the group of students Ms. Hamrick pushed into her classroom. He caught me staring at him and flashed an adorable smile. His teeth could be the stars of a tooth paste commercial. Getting out of my head, I pulled my gaze away from him, knowing I had stared too long. I thought the day could not possibly get any worse, but I could never predict how wrong I was about that. +I checked my watch and it was almost three o’clock. An hour had gone by and we still hadn’t heard anything from the principal. We were all supposed to be quiet and Ellen and I were writing notes back and forth to pass the time. +I squinted at her chicken scratch across the page. Brett is in here. +I wrote her back. Duh, I am not blind; I see that. +Just then, a guy caught my eye outside the classroom window. The blinds had been pulled shut, but I could see him through the cracks on the side. He looked bloody and his movements seemed slow. He reminded me of an ant that had just been stepped on, the way he jerked almost as if it were painful to move. + I stared for a minute before I drew attention to him, trying to figure out what he was doing. I raised my hand and watched Ms. Hamrick look at me and look back down. Why was she acting like that? +I nudged Ellen. “Look, something is wrong with that man.” + The clothes he wore looked torn and his shirt was hanging open. I wondered if he had come from the street and been in some kind of accident. His skin was a little gray-looking and his cheeks were sunken in like he had been hungry for a while. +Putting my hand back down, I watched him walking slowly towards the classroom. The look on his face was scary and his eyes stared straight ahead. I couldn’t be sure, but I didn’t think I saw him blink. He kept coming at the same steady pace like it was difficult for him to walk. +He didn’t stop when he got to the window; he pressed his face up against it and opened his mouth wide, revealing blood inside. There was definitely something wrong with this guy, and I was scared. He started to bang on the window of the classroom, and I began to scream. + + +Goodreads +Author Goodreads +GMTA Publishing Facebook +GMTA Website + + + +Author Bio: +Emily Walker loves creating worlds and stumbling around in them. She writes under her name and the pen name Lyra Mcken. She is constantly losing her chap-stick, and has an obsession with the color pink. Currently a resident of the mountains and loving the view she writes mostly paranormal fiction, and horror. Her small family consists of her red bearded other half, a rat terrier named Rebel, and a cat called Mr. Creepy. + +Links: +Website – http://www.authoremilywalker.com +Blog – http://www.selfpublishordie.com +Review site – http://www.reviewsfrombeyondthebook.blogspot.com +Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/authoremilywalker +Twitter- http://www.twitter.com/authorewalker + + +Cynthia Melton + + + +ZOMBIE AWAKENING +(A Zombie Short Story of what happened before and during The Darkening) +A Prequel +By Cynthia Melton + +1 + +“Lock it down!” Rachel Moore raced down the halls of the government facility building. “Meteors are striking all around us. If that thing gets out, we’re all dead.” +She pulled a card key from her lab jacket. If she could destroy the lock on the cage so the, she couldn’t bring herself to say person, escaped, then maybe, just maybe, she could save the world from an unimaginable horror. A horror she had a hand in creating. Sometimes scientific experiments of germ warfare went horribly wrong. +The door opened with a whoosh just as the building shook with an explosion. Rachel screamed and fell to the floor, covering her head with her hands. Another hit and the building shook as if rattled by a giant child’s hand. She smelled smoke and glanced up. +The door to the thing’s cage buckled. It snarled and reached blood-stained hands through the bars. Rachel had known for a while now that the live chickens they tossed it would not be enough to sustain its hunger. Even now, feathers stuck to its lips. +She got to her knees and scrambled out of the room. She needed a gun—fast! One more hit and the building would come tumbling down, unleashing the monster. +Plaster and ceiling tiles rained on her head. Screams filled the halls. +Rachel glanced over her shoulder. It was loose. The zombie, the closest thing she knew to call the man who’d once been a prisoner on death row, grabbed a fellow scientist and bit off the man’s nose. The building’s janitor hit the zombie over the head with a metal trashcan, transferring its attention to him. +While the zombie bit into his forearm, the scientist on the floor twitched, died, and climbed to his feet. The nightmare had begun. Rachel ducked into a corner and vomited. She’d had a hand in unleashing hell. +She thought of giving herself over to it. After all, she deserved nothing else, but the human’s will to survive was stronger than her guilt. She shoved away from the wall and ran as the building continued to be battered by falling fireballs from heaven and screams rose as one after the other her co-workers fell. A few escaped into the horrors outside, as she did, and not one of them armed. +Taking refuge in a cement culvert, she covered her ears and cowered, praying for it to end. What had she done? God, forgive her. +By the time the firestorm ended, a semblance of night had fallen. Thick clouds obscured the sun, casting the afternoon into dusk. The meteorologist had warned it would take months for the ash and dust to clear after the meteor shower. +The hands on Rachel’s watch were frozen at two p.m under the cracked lens. The groans from inside the fallen building rose and fell like the swell of waves. There were many of them now. Like cockroaches they’d spread across the continent, even possibly, the world once they dug themselves free. +She couldn’t stay where she was. Crawling from the culvert, she merged with a group of escaping living. +“They can’t get out,” one woman said. “Their brains are dead.” +“They’ll push free from their sheer need for food. Their forward momentum will carry them across the debris,” a man answered. “Some will have been crushed, others too maimed to continue, but some will get out and create more of the walking dead. I should know. I created the virus that made the first one.” +Rachel recognized her boss under the blood-covered face. The man with the genius to recreate something that only previously existed in books and movies. Genius or fool? And she’d known all along and said nothing. It had been her job to record the thing’s actions and how much it ate. It never wanted to stop eating. Well, she wouldn’t keep the secret any longer. If she ran across someone who could spread the word of the danger, she’d tell them everything she knew. +She paused to glance back at the building that housed a basement designed to protect them from the meteor shower. What had happened to the man responsible for alerting them once the shower started? Had he fled to protect himself and left the rest of them in a building with no buildings? Left them blind? “They’re coming!” She turned and raced down the road, hoping, praying for an undamaged vehicle she could take. +The facility was in a deserted section of the desert. Although the parking lot behind her was full of cars, she couldn’t go back to search for one that would start. Not with at least twenty zombies shuffling in their direction. As long as she continued forward, she could stay ahead of them. Until someone fell and they descended upon them. +Her steps faltered. “Bill? Did you destroy the virus that made the first zombie?” +He shook his head and covered his face with his battered hands. “No. I know I was ordered to. But, damn it! I worked for years on that assignment. I couldn’t just toss it away.” +“You’ve condemned us all.” Tears ran down her face. “If we aren’t overcome by them, we have a good chance of succumbing to the virus. Some of us here are already infected, if not all of us.” Her stomach rolled. +How long would it take the virus to spread across the country? It had taken the first zombie less than three hours to change over. She looked at the group of survivors around her. She needed to hide out. Find somewhere she could be alone. Either she would change or be unaffected. If she survived until morning, she’d find a way to get from Nevada, where she was, to Colorado where another underground bunker waited, designed ‘just in case’. +They’d experimented on four death row inmates. All but one had turned. She had a slim chance. +“Go.” A large man she didn’t know pointed behind them then gave Bill a shove. “You’ve killed us all. Go meet your subjects, Zombie King!” +“No.” Bill held up his hands. “You can’t do this.” +The man hefted a tire iron from next to a crushed car and swung it, effectively breaking Bill’s leg at the knee cap. “If nothing else, you’ll slow them down for the rest of us.” +Bill screamed and crumbled to the ground. +Rachel raced down the highway ahead of the others. + +2 + +As the sun disappeared over the mountain, Rachel snuck into a roadside motel and holed up in one of the rooms. By morning, she’d either be one of … them, or unaffected and in a battle for survival. It was a definite toss up as to which she preferred. +She dropped her lab coat on the floor of the bathroom. She’d never wear it again. +Disrobing the rest of the way, she stepped into a frigid shower, not caring that she hadn’t waited for the water to heat. She needed cleansing, of more than dirt and sweat. She needed to wash away the crushing weight of guilt. +Maybe she hadn’t created the monster virus, but she’d kept the discovery a secret. She’d kept records on the experiment. Inmates or not, they’d subjected humans to an experimental virus. In her book, that was a close second to actually being responsible. +Something banged against the window. Rachel froze, straining to hear over the sound of the shower. Another thump, louder than the first, then a scream. She jerked the handle to off and thrust aside the shower curtain. +From the alley behind the motel, a scream bust forth, then the frenzied sound of ravenous eating. Rachel clamped a hand over her mouth and plastered her back against the wall. The cool tile caused goose bumps to rise on her wet skin. +Could they smell her? Hear her heart beating? There was so much left undiscovered about the furious eating machines. The certainties were … a bite left you infected, and the only way to kill the things was to scramble the brain. +She gathered her clothes in her arm and moved out of the bathroom, closing the door behind her. The thing she’d studied had never learned simple motor skills such as opening doors. She doubted it had enough brain waves left to squeeze through the small bathroom window, but Rachel wasn’t taking any chances. +Once dressed, she moved every available piece of furniture in front of the large front window and the door. Then, she found the few sheets of paper left in a drawer and the cheap ink pen to make a list of things she would need. +Food and water were her first priority. Then…a weapon. Loud noises attracted the beasts so she’d prefer to stay away from guns if she could. Then, warm clothing and a permanent place to hide. Possibly, a vehicle of some kind. Something large enough to carry other survivors, if she had the courage to pick them up. By morning, the immediate area would either be infected or showing those immune to the virus. +There was a large chance she wouldn’t need her list come morning. It was also possible that she’d barricaded herself into a room where she’d spend eternity as one of the undead unless some poor unfortunate soul broke through the door. If so, she wanted to stay a non-dead prisoner in the room. She didn’t want to prey upon the living, even if the human side of her no longer existed. +When she’d finished her list, she wrapped one of the blankets around her and scooted into the corner. Sleep would be a long time coming. +* +She woke lying on the floor wrapped in the blanket like a cocoon. No groans reached her ears from the other side of the door. She crawled to the window and peered out. The street swarmed with shuffling undead. Some whole, others missing limbs. One woman, missing the lower half of her body, pulled herself along the sidewalk on her elbows. A child, missing half of its face and dragging a dirty doll, glanced toward the motel. +Rachel let the curtain fall and sat back. She was alive. Immune, at least to the airborne part of the virus. Sobs burst from her, and she covered her face with her hands. Why had she been spared when so many others, innocents and children, were not? +Peering out the window, she searched for a way out. Several cars sat mere feet away from her room. She doubted any of them had keys left in them. Could she hot wire one if it were an old enough model? She tried to remember how. It’d been so long since she’d gone for a joy ride with her brother as a teenager. There. A 1962 Chevy pickup. That shouldn’t crumble under the onslaught of zombies. +God, what if it weren’t unlocked? A broken window would do her no good. She needed to move before anymore zombies wandered into the parking lot. One small child should be easy enough to dispose of. +Rachel went to the bathroom and shattered the mirror with the shower rod. The longest piece of glass should suffice to stab something through the eye. She shuddered at the thought and tied a wash cloth around her hand to keep from cutting herself. +After moving the furniture, she opened the front door and stood still. When nothing paid her overdue attention, she stepped out and crouched behind a concrete pole. Potential safety was only feet away. She took a deep breath and gagged. The air was filled with the sick, sweet smell of death. +Now breathing through her mouth, she ran, doubled over, for the truck. Thank you, God! It opened. She leaped inside and slammed the door, instantly realizing her mistake. The dead little girl lurched in her direction, its nose sniffing the air like a hound dog. Two other undead glanced toward her and came closer. +Stupid. She locked the doors and lay on the bench seat to see under the steering wheel. She cut the wires with the piece of mirror, then set her makeshift weapon on the dashboard. +Several touches of bare wires together and the engine turned over. Yes! It might only be a ride to the next stop, but she wouldn’t be stuck at The Motel of the Dead. +She sat up and screamed. Zombies surrounded the truck, their hands swiping along the windows, covering the glass with blood and slime. Her scream whipped them into a frenzy. The truck rocked under the onslaught of their bodies. +A sound like a shot from a gun echoed. +A crack appeared in the front windshield. + +3 + +Rachel slammed the gear shift into reverse and stomped on the gas. The truck roared backward with so much force one of the undead flipped over the tailgate and into the bed. Others were not so lucky. Instead, they became nothing more than speed bumps. +Gulping back sobs, Rachel whipped the steering wheel straight, pushed into drive and sped away. She couldn’t care about the bodies being crushed under her wheels. They were no longer human. If she said it enough times, she might actually believe it. +The zombie in the back banged on the rear window. Rachel shrieked and almost drove into a ditch. She took a corner fast, watching in her rearview mirror as the undead man flipped out of the bed and to the asphalt. +She laughed the laugh of the insane. The sound of it hurt her ears. She’d done it. Survived the night and successfully outmaneuvered a small throng of shuffling, ravenous undead. Her laughter turned to tears, and she coasted to the shoulder of the road. +By the time her tears stopped, her eyes felt heavy and she had the hiccups. What Bill and the other scientists had intended to use as a weapon against their enemies, once the virus was perfected of course, instead became their demise. It turned people’s brains into mush all right, and made them hungry for living flesh. Instead of a simple-minded people, easily controlled by a powerful government, they now had a horde of undead that couldn’t be controlled by anyone. +She steered back to the highway. Not another living person was anywhere in sight. Cars were crooked on the side on the road, some crashed into trees, other with blood smears on the windows. The signs of undead feasting were everywhere. Was she the last living person on the planet? Wouldn’t that be ironic? +By mid-day, the gas needle showed less than a quarter of a tank. Rachel had no money with her, not that it would matter, and sweat poured down her face and back. Since no zombies were in sight, she chanced opening the passenger side window and lowering the driver’s side an inch. +A gas station loomed on her right, and she steered toward it. Since electricity still worked, she’d fill the truck with gas, and if the coast were clear, see what food and water she could find in the truck stop convenience store. If there were other survivors, they wouldn’t have had time to clear the place of anything useful. The same might not be said in a few weeks. +She idled at the pump for a few minutes. When nothing appeared from inside or from around the building, she scooted out, leaving the door open and the keys in the ignition. To hell with the warnings of shutting off a vehicle before getting gas. Blowing up was the least of her worries. +Tank full and no unwelcome visitors coming around, Rachel headed into the convenience store. A rack of backpacks with gasoline logos on them stood by the front door. She grabbed a hot pink one and a matching baseball cap. Then, she headed for a back room. She’d need boxes to carry as many things as possible. The backpack would be in case a quick getaway was ever needed. +She filled the truck bed with as many boxes of food and beverages as possible. Then, moved back to the counter where a display of knives was displayed behind glass. She went to the back of the counter, and…Hallelujah, a shotgun! She rummaged, found a few shells and broke the glass. She grabbed a wicked looking machete type thing with a sheath that could hang on her belt. +The truck stop even had knock-off Harley jackets. She grabbed one to match her hat, a few tee-shirts and toiletries and headed outside with lighter spirits than she’d had an hour ago. The sound of groaning halted the good feelings fast enough. She sprinted for the truck. She’d no sooner slid behind the wheel and slammed the door before a man erupted from the nearby tree line. +“Wait for me!” He looked to be about her age, although it was hard to tell under the dirt covering his face. He dove through the passenger window as three undead emerged from the same spot he’d come running. “What are you waiting for? Get us out of here.” +Well, damn. She couldn’t leave him, but having another person around would cut her food supplies in half. She sped back to the highway and wondered where all the truckers had gone. +“Thanks.” The man straightened his six foot body into the proper position. “I’m Eric King.” +“Rachel Moore. Did you work at the stop?” +He laughed. “One of the truckers actually.” He brushed at the dirt on his jeans. “Thought I could cover my scent with grease and dirt. Didn’t work too well.” He motioned his head to the stuff in the truck bed. “Mind if I grab one of them waters? It’s been a while.” +“Grab me one, too.” +As he knelt on the seat, she caught a glimpse of a 44-magnum in a belt holster. “Do truckers always carry guns?” +“The ones who want to get a good night’s sleep do.” He settled back on his seat. “You’re the first live person I’ve seen since the shit hit the fan yesterday. I’m glad to see you’re one of the good guys.” +She tossed him a glance. “What do you mean?” +He chugged the water. “In times like this, a person’s true colors come out. You being a woman, well, you need to take care while picking up strangers.” +“I can take care of myself. If you try to take what’s mine, I’ll cut your throat.” + +4 + +Rachel and Eric hunkered down in an abandoned garage. With grey clouds still blanketing the sky, she depended on her watch and her body’s tiredness to alert her when it was night. They chanced a small fire, and she stirred a can of beef stew. +One week after the outbreak and she’d bet she’d lost five pounds. Not exactly the type of diet she’d recommend. She and Eric had spotted other survivors, skittish people who hid at the first sight of them. That suited her fine. Especially with Eric’s warning about intense situations bringing out the worst in some people. +They’d managed to kill plenty of the undead in the last week, but Rachel didn’t think she could actually bury a hatchet in the head of someone living or put a bullet between their eyes, despite her threat to Eric a few days ago. +“Man, I wish we had some beer.” Eric removed his can and used a plastic spoon to fish out a bite. +“We can try to find some, but that will mean going into town.” Unless the back road they traveled had a Mom and Pop store. Maybe they’d find some more shotgun shells stashed behind a country store counter. +Eric motioned his head toward a truck with a camper shell. “How do you feel about switching vehicles?” +She glanced over. A headless corpse hung from the open door. “There’s a dead body.” +“Yeah, but I’m betting most of the blood is on the ground outside of the truck. And,” he wiggled his eyebrows. “I bet the keys are in the ignition. I’m thinking it might be nice to sleep on a mattress.” +With her, he meant. He hadn’t kept his attraction to her a secret, and Rachel would be lying if she said she wasn’t tempted. The touch from another human that didn’t want to bite off her face would be worth a million cans of stew. But…contact brought intimacy which brought caring, and she didn’t want to have feelings for anyone. Not in the world they now lived in. +A can clattered across the concrete. +Rachel bolted to her feet, one hand on the wicked weapon hanging from her belt. She wanted to call out a warning, but noise brought the living and the dead. She glanced at the low burning fire and sighed. The lure of a hot meal could be their downfall. +“Put your back next to mine,” Eric said. “We can’t be caught unaware that way. We’ll protect each other.” +She nodded, her heart in her throat. Please, only let there be one. They hadn’t had to fight more than three at a time since joining together. Their good luck couldn’t last forever, but Rachel’s strength was failing. She needed a night of worry-free sleep. “If we get out of this alive, I’ll take you up on that offer of a mattress.” +“For more than sleep?” He chuckled. +“In your dreams.” +“Every night.” +She grinned and watched as a man in a janitorial cover-up and a woman wearing a suit and one high heel lumbered their way. “I’ll take the business bitch.” +“You got it.” Eric stepped away from her and meandered toward their company. “His name is Fred.” +“I don’t want to know what their names used to be.” She handled the situation better if she didn’t look at them as having once been human. She raised her weapon and cleaved the woman’s skull. Stupid things. Couldn’t even fight back. Shuffled forward day-by-day in their never-ending quest for food. Rachel wasn’t much different, if she thought about it. Sustenance meant survival for both species. +She wiped her knife clean on the woman’s suit jacket then marched toward the camper while Eric tossed the bodies onto the fire. With any luck, they’d burst into flame and disintegrate. +Rachel yanked the headless man from the cab. Yes, the keys were in the ignition. “Welcome home. Let’s transfer the supplies.” +“Yes, ma’am.” Eric jogged to the truck. “I’m getting a good night’s sleep tonight.” +The poor man on the ground must have turned, then had his head severed almost immediately. Which meant…there were others out there, living and breathing, who knew how to fight. Should they try to find them and hope they could band together? A large group of people would have a better chance at surviving. The zombies seemed to congregate together, the living needed to follow their example. +Eventually, the zombie bodies would deteriorate, right? And the world could recover, if anyone was left to rebuild. +She moved to the back door of the camper and opened it. A woman fell out, then immediately reached for Rachel’s leg. “Back off, bitch.” Rachel jabbed her knife through the woman’s open mouth. “This is my home now.” +“Heartless.” Eric approached with a case of water in his arms. +“Yeah, well, nowadays a person needs to be. Let me check the inside before you come in.” Knife at the ready, she climbed the two metal steps and peered into the dark recesses of the camper. A suspended mattress over a table with two bench seats. A small sink. A closet that was most likely the toilet, and a few cupboards. A real penthouse. “Come on up. There’s nowhere for anyone to hide in here.” +Eric climbed in and stacked the water next to the sink. “Not a lot of room.” +“All we need is the bed,” Rachel told him. “Pile the supplies on every available surface. I’ll shove what I can into the cupboards.” +Supplies transferred, Rachel stared at the Chevy. Such a beautiful truck. “I hate leaving her behind.” +“We’ll find you another one once we settle someplace.” Eric put an arm around her shoulder and planted a kiss on her cheek. “We’ll find a cute little place in the country where you’ll finally succumb to my charms. Maybe, we’ll find a couple of kids that survived and have our own little apocalyptic family.” +Rachel laughed and squeezed his hand. “That sounds wonderful.” +“I’m going to see if the toilet works.” He stepped into the camper and helped her up. Then—opened the closet with a flourish. A child stumbled out and latched its teeth onto his forearm. +Eric yelled and fell back. +Rachel grabbed her knife and rammed it through the little girl’s head. The zombie let go and fell. +Eric raised wide eyes. “Well, damn. She bit me.” + +5 + +Rachel raised her knife, barely able to make our Eric’s features through her tears. +He raised his hands. “Wait. Please. Don’t kill me yet. Wait until I die. Talk with me. I want the last thing I see to be your face. The last sound to be your voice.” +“Oh, Eric.” She set her knife on the floor and knelt beside him. “I’m so sorry.” +“It was my own carelessness.” He pushed to his feet and eyed the mattress. “It still looks mighty fine, but I don’t want my blood on it when you put a bullet through my brain. Take my gun when I’m gone. It’s handier than that shotgun you carry on your back.” +Rachel nodded and swallowed back tears. She wanted to give him the kiss he’d been asking for, make love to him, but held back. She didn’t know when the contagion started. Maybe it was after the reanimation, maybe it was when first bitten. The only thing she did know was that once a fever started, the person was dead. +Did the flu-like symptoms still plague people or had they run their course? She swiped her hand across her eyes. “Can I get you something? Water? A bite to eat?” +“No. Don’t waste any of your supplies on a dead man.” He scooted into the small amount of seat left on one side of the table, then waved a hand for Rachel to sit on the other end. “When I start getting feverish, I’ll go outside to sit.” He reached across the table for her hand. “You shouldn’t have to clean me up.” +The tears started again. “I wouldn’t mind.” She cupped his cheek with her free hand. “Thank you.” +“For what?” Sweat beaded on his upper lip. +She shrugged. “Everything. Helping me, keeping me from going insane, showing me life was still worth living.” +“Find that safe place, Rachel.” He stood. “Don’t leave people behind. Save as many as you can.” He pulled her into his arms. “You’re holding onto a big secret, and it’s eating you alive. Let it go. The past is gone. We can only forge ahead.” +She rested her forehead on his chest. “I had a hand in all this, Eric. I’m partially responsible for you dying.” She raised her head and stared into his eyes. “I was a research assistant at the facility where they created this virus. When the meteors hit—” +He put his forefinger over her lips. “It’s not your fault. The meteor shower was an act of God. A tantrum of an angry Mother Nature. Call it what you will, but it was not your fault. I’ve got to go outside now.” +She nodded and choked on a sob. She’d felt his temperature rising from the simple touch on her lips. She wanted to hold him back, beg him to stay, scream her anger and frustration at God. Surely, there were people on this earth that were immune. People that could survive a bite. It couldn’t be the end of the human race. +Once outside, he slumped against the wheel. “Make sure you do it right, Rachel. I don’t want to come back as one of those things.” +“I will.” She knelt in front of him, his gun in her lap. “I wouldn’t curse you to that type of existence.” +He stared at the feeble light showing over the wall. “Sure would’ve liked to see the sunset one more time, you know? I’m going to miss its return.” +“It’ll be beautiful.” Rachel forced the words past her clogged throat. “Shades of eggplant, mauve, and pumpkin, streaking across the sky with the sun a glorious yellow orb in the middle of it all. After the darkness, the sky will be such a brilliant indigo as the sun sets, it’ll blind you.” +He closed his eyes. “I can see it.” +She wiped away the tears. Would they ever stop once he was gone? She didn’t want to forget him. Life shouldn’t be easy for her. This was why she didn’t want to be around people. She couldn’t afford to get attached. Life was cruel now, bent on a personal vengeance against humankind. +The sound of a diesel engine rose on the night air. Out on the nearby highway, life went on. Rachel would, too. She’d merge back onto the main interstate and take her chances. She’d keep her promise to Eric to keep living. +She watched his chest rise and fall, ready to pull the trigger the moment he remained still. She knew the signs. After all, she’d witnessed them several times in a laboratory. +His breathing slowed, yet didn’t stop. Rachel leaned forward, planting a kiss between his eyes, marking the spot she’d put the bullet. +Eric grasped her hand. “Not yet. I’m still…here.” +“I won’t. I promise.” Only a few moments remained. The touch of his hand seemed to sear her skin. How could he be so hot and still coherent? +“When another guy comes along, someone nice to you, give him a chance. You deserve happiness.” +“Okay.” She didn’t want someone else. She wanted Eric. If she’d known that one week could lodge a comedic, confident, arrogant man so firmly into her heart, would she have let him in the truck that day? Yeah. Yeah, she would have. +His body jerked, then spasmed. He groaned, but continued to breath. What was happening? Rachel frowned. Normally, a person just closed their eyes, and left. He jerked again. +“Eric?” She stood and took a step back, aiming the pistol at the spot she’d chosen. “Can you hear me?” +He held out a hand to her. + +The End + +*** + +Dear Reader: +I hope you enjoyed the prequel to my Zombie Awakening series. Join a young group of survivors as they fight through a hostile world. Learn more of what happened after meteors unleashed a monster. + +Book one: The Darkening + +Book two: No Sanctuary + +Book three: The Long Road + +All 3 in one: Zombie Awakening + +Look for book four late 2013 + +www.cynthiahickey.com + + +Visit Cynthia on Facebook and Twitter! + + + + + +Kristen Middleton + +Hope +For A Happy Ending +~A Zombie Games Short~ + + + +*** + +“Henry, open the door!” yelled Mary, one of the attendants at the Pine Valley Nursing Home. +“Hold on to your britches!” he answered and then lowered his voice. “Ginny, Barbara Jean, I’m sorry but we’re going to have to finish this game later. I think we’ve been ousted.” +Ginny threw her cards down on the table. “Oh, phewy. I think I may have gotten a royal flush this time, too. All I needed were two more cards.” +Barbara Jean snorted. “You’ve been saying that all day. The only thing you’ve gotten is down to your brassiere and panties.” +“Ain’t nothing wrong with that,” cackled Henry, as he pushed himself away from the table. “You’re still in mighty fine shape for a woman in her sixties.” +Ginny waved her hand, blushing. “Henry, you know I’m eighty-four, you sweet talkin’ devil, you.” +“Yeah, but you’ve got the figure of a fifty-year old, and these days, fifty is the new forty,” he said, picking her robe off of the floor. As he stood back up, he winced. “Oh, I only wish I could say the same thing about me. This back of mine is giving me a lot of trouble, lately. I may have to ask one of you to give me a massage once I get rid of Mary.” +“Certainly,” said Ginny, smiling up at Henry, who was still a very handsome man at eighty-nine. He kind of reminded her of Clint Eastwood, always wearing a Stetson and a pair of cowboy boots. Of course, with his tall, lanky body, and full set of teeth, he was definitely the best catch at the nursing home. +Barbara Jean smirked. “I’ve heard about you and those massages, Henry. Nancy James told me all about that ‘happy ending’ you were trying to talk her into the last time your back ‘went out’.” +His watery blue eyes sparkled mischievously. “I don’t rightly recall the ending being happy or what that particularly means, Barbara Jean. Maybe you could explain it later when the two of you return to my room and work out some kinks.” +Barbara Jean rolled her eyes. “Oh, you’re kinky alright-.” +“Henry!” hollered Mary, pounding on the door, much more loudly this time. “Open the damn door. This is serious!” +He sighed. “Oh, hell. Well, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but Ginny, you’d better put some clothes on before Mary somehow pushes that chest away from the door and starts going ninja on us. When she gets riled up, she’s a handful, by golly.” +Barbara Jean, who hadn’t yet lost a hand of poker or an article of clothing, stood up and reached for her cane. “Well, I guess this party is definitely over. Perfect timing, I suppose,” she said looking at her watch. “I think they’re running some old reruns of Matlock on cable, later.” +“Oh, I’ll bring the popcorn to your room and we’ll watch it together,” grinned Ginny, zipping up her housecoat. +“You’re on.” +“You girls want to help me move that chest out of the way, first?” he asked, walking over to the door. “Before you trade me in for Andy Griffith?” +“Oh, Henry. Andy could never replace you,” said Ginny, eyeing him appraisingly. The man still looked good in Levis. She only wished she would have known him back in the day, when he was still in the rodeo, riding those bulls. +“Speak for yourself,” said Barbara Jean. “Back in the day, nothing beat a bottle of Chardonnay, a Matlock marathon, and my B.O.B.” She sighed. “Boy do I miss those days.” +“What’s that, you say?” asked Henry. “B.O.B?” +Ginny giggled. “She means her battery operated boyfriend.” +His eyebrows shot up. +“Henry! Please,” yelled Mary, her voice frantic. +“Hold tight,” said Henry as he and Ginny began pushing the chest away from the doorway. Unfortunately, the staff had removed the lock on his door after he’d gotten his hand slapped for a few minor escapades, like the naked pillow party he’d inspired the week before after his grandson’s visit. Tiny had slipped him a bottle of his favorite bourbon. After sharing it with a couple of his friends, both female, they’d all gotten giggly and a little frisky, tossing more than just pillows. Now, the staff made it a habit to check up on him throughout the day. It didn’t stop Henry from doing what he wanted, however. Nothing was going to keep him from enjoying his last days above ground. + Mary burst through the door with a frightened look on her face. She slammed it shut and then motioned towards the oak chest. “Henry, hurry up,” she said. “We’ve got to block this door.” +Henry smiled. “Oh, why didn’t you just say you wanted to join in the fun? Hell, Ginny, take off your robe again. We’ve got us some more hands to play.” + Mary, who was the spitting image of Paula Deen, before she stopped eating fried foods, shook her head vehemently. “This isn’t a time for jokes, Henry. Something is happening. Something horrible!” +“Calm down,” he said, raising his hands in the air. “Or you’re going to hyperventilate, Mary.” +A loud thud on the outside of the door made her cry out. “Oh my God!” she shrieked. “They’ve gotten to this floor, already! Help me hold them off!” +“What in tarnation is going on? Who has gotten in?” he asked as she put her weight against the door. + “Dead people!” she cried. +“It’s a nursing home,” said Henry. “Obviously, some of us are close to death, but that’s what old age does, Mary. It drains us of our youth and leaves us shells of what we used to be. It’s part of life. Now, you of all people should know that. You’ve been working here long enough.” + “No! I mean zombies. Dead people that shouldn’t be walking!” +Ginny’s face turned white. “What?” she asked, covering her mouth. “What are you talking about?” +Another loud thud made them all jump. +“Help me!” pleaded Mary, as the door handle began to jiggle. +Henry rushed over to help as the door shuddered against Mary’s weight. Leaning against it they stared at each other in stunned silence until a low, guttural moan broke it. +“Did…did you hear that?” whispered Barbara Jean. +“What?” asked Ginny. +“Turn your hearing-aid up,” hollered Henry. +Something began snarling loudly outside of the door. +“Good going,” said Mary. “They can hear you. They can probably smell you, too.” +Barbara Jean smiled sheepishly. “Sorry. I think I may have peed a little. That last growl caught me off guard. Scared the hell out of me.” +“It’s okay, Barbara Jean,” said Henry. “It happens to the best of us.” +“What are we going to do?” asked Ginny, ringing her hands. +“I know one thing- we can’t let them trap us in this little room. Whoever these people are, they’ll get through, eventually. We’ve got to make a run for it.” +“Are there a lot of them?” asked Barbara Jean. +“Yes,” said Mary. +“How did this happen?” asked Henry. “Do you know where they came from?” +Mary shook her head. “No. Some soldiers came to the nursing home earlier and said to keep everyone inside. Said there were some riots going on downtown. That’s the last I heard until a group of crazed, dead people wandered into the entrance and began attacking everyone in sight. Biting, scratching…God, it was horrible.” +“You’re sure they’re dead people?” asked Barbara Jean. +“Sure as we’re still alive.” +“Well, what’s happened to the others? Maggie, Jeff, Betty? All of the other residents?” asked Henry. +“Most of them have been sick with the flu,” she said, blinking back tears. “Oh, Henry…I’m not exactly sure what’s happening. I just ran to your room. To make sure you were okay.” +“Thanks Mary,” said Henry, squeezing her shoulder. “You’re a mighty good woman.” +The zombie, or whatever it was on the other side of the door, made a crazed screeching noise and began scratching and clawing at the door. This was followed by a growling from a new creature who was apparently now joining in the fun. +“Give me your cane, Barbara Jean,” said Henry. +“Why?” +“Because, as soon as we open this door, I’m going to kill me some zombies,” he said grimly. “Just be prepared.” +She snorted. “Right. You’re going to kill someone.” +“I’m serious. We’ve got to get out of here and it’s the only way. Now, give me your cane.” +Barbara Jean sighed and handed it to him. “Fine. Just don’t break it. It’s my favorite.” +“If I break it, I’ll buy you a new one.” +“You break it, you get me your grandson’s autograph,” she smiled. “Love me a picture of Tiny in his speedos.” +“The wrestler?” asked Ginny. +“The one and only,” she replied. +“I think the zombies are gone,” whispered Mary, listening against the door. “I don’t hear anything.” +“Only one way to find out,” replied Henry. “Open the door.” +Mary’s eyes widened. “I don’t think it’s a good idea.” +“We have to make our escape. There’s no other way.” +She bit her lower lip. “Okay. I’ll go first.” +Henry stared at her in surprise. “You?” +“Obviously, I’m the youngest and the most agile.” +His lips tightened. “I may look older than dirt, but there is no way in hell I’m letting you go first. Just cause I’m living in this place doesn’t mean I’m no longer capable of being man. Now, you open that door so that I can get you ladies to safety.” +After a long pause, she relented. “Fine.” +Henry opened the door. +“Oh my God,” gasped Ginny as they stared in terror at the horrifying scene in front of them. Two mottled, disfigured men were lying on top of another resident, chewing on pieces of what was surely, the man’s intestines. +“Is that Ben Smith?” asked Barbara Jean, her voice strangled. +“Looks like it might have been,” mumbled Henry. +The two zombies ignored them and continued to tear into their victim, who stared up at the ceiling, mercifully, with lifeless eyes. +“Let’s go,” said Henry, holding the cane in front of them as they moved away from the gruesome scene. +“Someone’s coming,” whispered Ginny as she pointed down the hallway to something moving in the shadows. +“It’s Lizzy,” sighed Mary in relief. +“It was Lizzy,” mumbled Henry as the woman, now obviously a zombie, shuffled out of the darkness, and towards them with a look of glee. Before she could get too close, Henry raised the cane towards her. “You stop, right there.” +Instead of obeying, Lizzy lurched towards him, her hands outstretched. Before she could reach Henry, who was in the front, he hit her in the stomach with the cane. +“That’s not nice, Henry,” said Barbara Jean, stepping around him. “She was a nice woman.” +“Was, Barbara Jean, was,” sighed Mary. +With a growl, Lizzy lunged at Barbara Jean and they both toppled to the ground. +“No!” screamed Ginny, rushing towards them as Henry and Mary stared in shock. Ginny grabbed Lizzy’s arm but instead of releasing Barbara Jean, the zombie turned around and bit her on the top of her hand, tearing off a chunk of skin. She made a guttural moan and began chewing, a satisfied grin on her face while Ginny howled in pain. +Henry sprang into action, hitting the dead woman in the head as hard as he could with the cane. +Stunned, the zombie fell to the side. +“Ginny? Are you okay?” he asked, pulling her away from the creature. +“It hurts,” she moaned. “Feels like someone threw acid on my hand.” +Lizzy, who’d obviously recovered, let out a screech and crawled towards Barbara Jean, who was still sobbing hysterically, on the floor. +Swearing, Henry raised the cane, hitting the creature on the head several more times, until she finally stopped moving. +“You okay Barbara Jean?” he asked, pulling her up off the ground. +“Yes,” she replied. “I’m fine.” +Mary grabbed Ginny’s hand and examined it. “This looks bad. God, you poor thing! We’d better find you a bandage and some peroxide.” +Ginny tried to swallow, but found it was difficult. Her entire mouth was dry and her tongue felt thick. “I feel so warm and…I just…” +“Watch out!” screamed Barbara Jean, backing away. +The two other zombies, who’d obviously finished feeding on Ben, were already upon them. Before anyone could react, one of the creatures grabbed Barbara Jean, tearing into her cheek with its teeth while the second, reached for Mary, who screamed at the top of her lungs. +“No!” hollered Henry, raising the cane, towards Mary’s attacker. He slammed it into the back of the zombie’s head and it dropped to the floor. +“Oh, no….Barbara Jean!” gasped Mary. +Henry turned back towards the woman, who was already dead from the glazed look in her eyes. The zombie was greedily attacking her bloody neck with vigor, ripping and tearing at her skin with teeth and fingers. +“Lord… have mercy,” choked Mary, backing away. +Horrified, but sensing that Barbara Jean was beyond help, he grabbed Ginny’s good hand. “Come on, Ginny. We have to get out of here.” +Instead of obeying, she fell to her knees. “I…I have to lie down,” she whispered breathlessly. +“No. Get up! I can’t carry you, woman. Not after that hip replacement last year. You’ve got to get up!” +She shook her head. “It’s okay. You know…I’m just going to take a little nap.” +Tears filled Henry’s eyes. “Mary, you have to help me lift her.” +Mary nodded, but before she could move, two more zombies turned down the hallway and began staggering towards them. +“Forget leaving the building. Let’s get her back into my room,” said Henry. +“Yes, quickly,” agreed Mary. +They pulled Ginny up and grabbed her around the waist, when the other zombie, who was snacking on Barbara Jean, decided to intervene. It grabbed Ginny’s housecoat from behind and bit her on the back of the leg. +“Henry!” she cried out, as the zombie ripped a piece of skin from her leg. Blood gushed out of the wound and she fainted in their arms. +“Damn you to hell,” snarled Henry, glaring at the zombie as they tried pulling Ginny out of its reach. +But the zombie wasn’t finished yet. It got on its feet and then lunged towards her, biting Ginny on the back of her neck, its teeth gnashing and tearing at her skin. + Mary screamed in horror and released Ginny, who toppled to the ground. + Henry turned around, raised his boot and kicked the zombie in the pelvis with his boot. +The monster fell backwards, but instead of lying still, it quickly crawled towards Ginny, viciously biting and tearing into an exposed thigh. +“Ginny!” cried Henry. +“Watch out, Henry!” gasped Mary as the two other zombies arrived, joining the one on the ground feeding on Ginny. +Henry, horrified and defeated, turned to Mary. “We have to get to Neil’s room. He has a gun. I almost forgot!” +“He does? How in the hell did he hide it?” +“In his guitar case,” said Henry, grabbing her hand. “I’m surprised nobody noticed when there was never any music coming from his room.” +“This is insane,” moaned Mary, taking on last glance at the two older women who’d been alive and playing strip poker less than five minutes ago. +“Try to focus on getting out of here,” mumbled Henry, wiping a tear from his cheek. “Can’t help them now.” +They raced towards the elevator and found it wasn’t working. +“The electricity must be out in the entire building,” said Mary, pushing the button several times. “I thought it was just a fuse or something.” +“The stairs,” he pointed to the stairwell. “No other choice.” +“At least Neil’s room is on the main floor. Let’s go.” +They went down two flights until they reached the main floor. +“There were several zombies on this floor, the last time I checked,” she whispered as they stood outside of the doorway. +“Let’s hope they’ve scattered.” +Fortunately, there weren’t any zombies when they opened the metal door and glanced down the hallway. +“Let’s go,” said Henry, pulling her out of the stairwell. +They snuck down the hallway and rounded the corner, when Mary sucked in her breath. “Zombie.” +“Oh, hell,” sighed Henry, recognizing the man whose gun they were about to borrow. “It’s Neil.” +They watched as zombie Neil shuffled down the hallway, away from them. When he rounded the other corner, Henry and Mary made a run for it, rushing to his room and slamming the door. +“Dammit,” groaned Henry, limping. “These hips aren’t made for speed anymore, Mary.” +“Are you okay?” she asked, looking concerned. +His eyes twinkled. “Well...nothing a little T.L.C. couldn’t cure. Unfortunately, there’s no time for that. If we make it out of here alive…” +“If we make it out of here alive,” she said. “I’ll massage your hip and even let you cop a feel. This time I won’t even slap your hand away.” +He grinned, remembering the last time he’d tried touching one of her breasts. She’d cussed him out, but there was something in her eyes that told him she’d been a little flattered. Angry, but flattered. “Oh, you’ve just given me something else to live for, by golly. We’re getting out of this place- you can count on it, Mary. I won’t let you down.” +“Good. Now, let’s find a gun and get the hell out of here. I don’t understand why there hasn’t been anyone out here to help us?” +“It’s the zombie apocalypse, Mary. I told you it would happen someday.” +She nodded solemnly. “Yes, you did. As crazy as it sounds, you might not be too far off. I’ve heard rumors….Anyway, I’ve tried calling nine-one-one, and they aren’t even answering. That right there tells me, things are bad all over.” +Henry shuffled over to Neil’s closet and opened it. Finding the guitar case, he pulled it out and set it on the ground. “Well,” he said, opening up the case. “We have a couple things on our side.” +“What?” she asked, kneeling down next to him. +He pulled out the gun. “A loaded rifle,” he said, checking it and nodding. “Some extra bullets… and us still breathing. I call that pretty damn lucky.” +“I never thought I’d be happy to see a gun in a retirement home. But as far as I’m concerned, this is a gift from God.” +He snorted. “Well, I doubt God had anything to do with this, Mary.” +“No, but if you had died and I’d have never known about this gun…” +“Can’t argue with you there. That means I’m the gift, though Mary, not the gun.” He grinned lecherously. “Feel free to unwrap me later, if you’d like.” +She shook her head. “You just never give up, do you?” +His face became serious. “Laughter gives me hope, Mary. If I can still make you laugh, then there’s hope.” +She patted his arm. “I understand. Now, let’s gather some things and then drive to my house.” +“Sounds like a plan.” +She stood up. “Um, Henry?” +“What?” +“You ever fire a gun before?” +He stood up. “Damn tootin’, I’ve fired a gun! Now, my eyes aren’t what they used to be, but I can still shoot.” +“Okay. I just had to ask.” +“Don’t worry. I’ve got you covered. And Mary?” +She looked up into his eyes. “Yes, Henry?” +“I want you to know that I appreciate you coming for me. You risked your life to save mine and I’ll be forever grateful.” +“Of course, Henry. I’d do it again. You and I have become really good friends. There is no way I’d leave you behind.” +“Same goes here. Now, let’s saddle up and get out of Dodge. Something tells me we have a dangerous ride ahead of us, Mary. That what we’ve just seen here is nothing compared to what we’re going to be involved with later.” +“You think it’s worse out there? That it’ll be even more dangerous” +“Damn right I do.” +“Then…why are we leaving?” +“We have no other choice,” he replied, staring off into space. “And, something tells me…we’re needed somewhere else. I don’t know how or why, but I feel it in these old, rickety bones.” +“Oh.” +He turned back to her. “That reminds me- I need to get something for the trip. Something back in my room.” +“It might be too dangerous, going back up there.” +“I need my pills, Mary. You forget, I’m almost ninety.” +Her eyebrows shot up. “What pills? You’re the only one here not on pills.” +“Just some vitamins, to keep me going strong.” +“Well…okay. If they mean that much to you.” +As they walked towards the doorway, she reached into her pocket. “I almost forgot…I took the bus today, but I found someone’s car keys on the ground when I was running to your room.” +He reached for them. “Oh, Cadillac, good going Mary.” +“I think they’re Lizzy’s,” she said somberly. “That poor woman.” +He nodded. “Well, she certainly won’t be needing them anymore.” +“I know.” +As they stood next to each other by the doorway, he turned to her and cleared his throat. “It’s just us now, Mary. I can’t promise you that we’ll make it out of here alive, but I can promise that I’ll fight tooth and nail to keep you as safe as an old cowboy like me, can.” +She smiled. “I know, Henry.” +“Do you believe in happy endings, Mary?” +“I’d like to think so.” +“Happy endings come in many shapes and forms. If I die tomorrow, the fact that you came to my room when all of this was happening, that for me isn’t just a happy ending, it’s a chance for me to pay you back.” +“Oh, Henry…you don’t need to pay me back.” +“Believe me, Mary. There isn’t anyone who can give you a happier ending like old Henry can.” +She stared at the shit-eating grin on his face and smiled in disbelief. “You are one sick individual, Henry. Nancy James told me all about your happy endings.” +He winked. “I made you smile, though, didn’t I?” +“Yes, you certainly did.” +“Like I said before, smiles mean hope, Mary. It keeps us all going.” +She touched his cheek. “That it does, Henry. That it does.” + +**** + +To learn more about Henry and Mary, you’ll need to read Zombie Games Two (Running Wild). But first, read Zombie Games (Origins) – FREE AT MOST Retailers! + + + + +Zombie Games +(Origins) + +By Kristen Middleton + + + +For more information on Kristen Middleton’s books, please visit her website – + +www.kristenmiddleton.com + +Chrissy Peebles + + + +The Zombie Chronicles +Apocalypse Infection Unleashed Series +by +Chrissy Peebles + +Copyright 2012 by Chrissy Peebles http://www.chrissypeebles.blogspot.com +Cover design by: Patrick Griffith +Edited by: Autumn J. Conley, autiej@gmail.com +The Zombie Chronicles Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/ociUHiL1g70 +Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Chrissy-Peebles/351121651567296 + +All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book. +This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners. + + + + +Chapter 1 + +One year earlier… +It had been a long day in July, with heat waves rampaging throughout South Carolina. Even though nighttime had long fallen and the temperatures had cooled down noticeably, my shirt still stuck to my back. I wondered what good that shower had done that I’d taken before meeting Sherry. +A rush of wind blew through my hair as we rode to the top of the Ferris wheel and then stopped, hovering in midair. I breathed in, relaxed, and listened to the distant screams, music, and laughter echo below us. Sherry set down the stuffed pink pig I’d won for her in the ring toss and folded her hands in her lap, enjoying the silence. I dared a quick look at the stuffed animal, fighting with myself whether to be proud or sink into the ground. The guys back at school surely would’ve suggested the latter, but I didn’t care. Granted, it wasn’t the giant teddy bear I’d spent twenty bucks trying to win, but Sherry seemed happy with her little plush pink prize nonetheless. She squeezed my hand, and I smiled. +I rocked the cart back and forth with my legs. +“Hey! Stop it,” Sherry said, twining her fingers through my hair. +“But you told me you loved it when somebody shook the cart at the very top. And I do too. Love that adrenaline rush.” +She smiled and batted her lashes at me. Her whole demeanor screamed flirty, so I inched closer and wrapped my arm around her to pull her closer. “Do you want to play games or make out?” she whispered suggestively. +Her eyes sparkled like big onyxes as I gazed into them. We had liked each other for months, and we’d been shamelessly stealing glances at each other until I finally plucked up the courage to ask her out. It was our first big date, and I’d been dying to kiss her all night. “What do you think?” I asked with a smile. +She inclined her head as though in thought. +That same moment, a piercing scream echoed from below us. Forgetting our first intimate moment, I peered below into the darkness to the gathering mass. +“What’s going on down there?” Sherry asked. +“I dunno.” I squinted to get a better view, but the steel rods of the Ferris wheel blocked most of my view from where we were dangling. All I could make out were red and blue lights flashing in the distance, blinking in rhythm to the sound of blaring sirens. I leaned out until I could count five police cars speeding toward the midway. +“What’s happening?” Sherry asked again, this time more quietly, as though she was talking to herself. +I paid her no attention as I continued to scan the commotion below. A man tumbled to the ground. The same moment, a group of people pounced on him. From up above, they looked like they were attacking him with their bare arms and legs. +Sherri grabbed my shoulder and gave it a hard squeeze to get my attention. “Oh my gosh, Dean! I think a gang of thugs are attacking the people in line.” +I shook my head. It can’t be. We lived in a family tourist town, its biggest crimes consisting of kids pick-pocketing sweets from the local supermarket and old ladies complaining about Friday night litter on their porches; the crime rate was so low that misdemeanors made the front page. I couldn’t even remember the last time there’d been a public beating or any kind of vicious attack. “Maybe it’s nothing,” I said, my brain trying to justify the picture before my eyes. +“It sure doesn’t look like nothing,” Sherry said. “You think they’re on drugs?” +I shrugged, hesitating. I wasn’t naïve enough to think there were no drugs where I lived, but to see their effects creeped me out big time. +Bang! Bang! +Before I could answer, shots echoed from the nearing cars. I wrapped my arm around Sherry and forced her head down the way I had seen on television and in all those action movies. “It looks like the police are firing into the crowd!” I yelled. +“No! They can’t be.” She clutched her chest. “My sister’s down there. I hope she’s okay.” +The ride jerked forward. As we started to descend, Sherry leaned over me to peer at the blinking lights on the bar that rotated inside the wheel. +I gripped her hand. “We’ll find your sister. I promise.” +“Thanks, Dean.” +A scream tore through the air, followed by growls and hisses. +“What’s that noise?” Sherry asked, frantically glancing below us. +Peering past the yellow bulbs twinkling all around me, I tried to see what was happening below. My senses were on full alert because of the danger we were in. I knew a stray bullet could hit us, or one of the drug-crazed people might decide to attack us. We had to get out of there, fast, before something happened. A cold chill rushed through me as the cart stopped at the wooden platform. +I scanned the area for the best possible escape route. Crazed weirdoes were biting and tearing into the flesh of screaming, innocent bystanders, their blood staining their clothes and the asphalt beneath their feet. My stomach protested, ready to hurl up all the greasy hotdogs, funnel cakes, and cotton candy I’d eaten. My mind screamed, This can’t be true! People just don’t go around biting each other like cannibals! It has to be a joke. But I knew from the grotesque salty-metallic smell wafting through the air that the blood was all too real. It wasn’t a joke…but the grossest thing I’d ever seen in my life. +“Dean, what’s happening?” Sherry asked, shaking my shoulder frantically. +“I have no idea, but we’ve gotta get out of here.” +The possessed people shuffled toward us. My pulse pounding in my ears, I spun quickly in hopes of getting out the other way, but the entrance was blocked with more people flooding in. The silver line dividers dropped to the ground with a loud clang. +“We’re trapped!” Sherry said, grabbing my arm tight. +“No!” I shook my head vehemently. “Don’t even think that. We’ll climb up the Ferris wheel.” +“And if that doesn’t work?” +I hesitated, considering my words. “Then we fight,” I said, suppressing a gag at the rotten smell. +Guttural sounds—strange growls—emanated from the group as they stared us down like they wanted to rip through our flesh. They had greenish-looking, cracked skin, torn clothes, and white eyes. Contacts? A wicked case of cataracts? Liquid latex? Special effects? I had no idea, but I was ready to take them on. +A girl with long blonde hair inched closer. She looked dead, her head unnaturally askew. Sudden recognition hit me with a jolt: Sherry’s sister! +“Jenny!” Sherry shouted; her voice overwhelmed with emotion. “Oh my gosh! What happened to you? You’re creeping me out.” +Jenny suddenly lunged at me, snapping her jaws like a rabid dog. She came within only inches from sinking her teeth into my carotid when a policeman fired shots. Jenny—or whatever she was—crashed down to the ground. +Shocked beyond all belief, Sherry leaned over the cart door, letting loose of her stuffed animal. It fell to the ground, right next to the thing that looked remotely like Jenny. Her gaze darted to the policeman holding the gun. “You shot my sister!” +“I’m sorry, miss, but that’s not your sister anymore!” he shouted back. “She would have killed and eaten the both of you!” +More of the possessed group shuffled toward us. My heart raced. I clenched my fists, ready to take down anything in my path. I slid my leg over the bar, preparing to jump out of the cart and fight when one of the policemen fumbled with the controls. We took off with a jerk. I fell back into Sherry’s arms, and we shot up about five feet in the air. +The beings lunged after us, shaking the bottom of the cart so violently we nearly fell out. Sherry clung onto me with a death grip. The group continued with their guttural chanting, and I swore I was trapped in some kind of lucid nightmare. +“What are they?” Sherry screamed in my ear. “What’s going on? What happened to Jenny? Why was she…like that?” +I steadied myself by holding onto the steel bar with one hand and wrapped the other around her as I tried to make sense of what was happening. Below us, the group of possessed people seemed to have multiplied, holding up their arms as if they wanted a ride too. I dared another peek over the edge and regretted it instantly. The whole gathering looked like something out of a horror flick, blood covering their clothes and caking their skin. +Some started to stumble toward the officer, who shot anyone—or anything—who got too close. “Hang on, kids!” the officer said. With another yank, we sped up into the sky, stopping at the very top. This time, shaking the cart for thrills or making out was the last thing on my mind. +“That policeman…he…that cop shot my sister!” Sherry said between gasps. She buried her face into my chest and wept. I pulled her close, not sure what words of comfort to give her. More shots were fired, followed by ear-piercing screams and then…nothing. Panic ensued from other riders still stuck on the wheel at various positions. Better to be up here than down there, I figured. We had to be at least 150 feet up in the air, and that made me feel safe from whatever was happening below. +My cell phone rang jolting me out of my stupor. I fumbled in my pocket and answered the call. +“Dean?” +“Dad!” I said. “What’s going on?” +“Oh, son, thank God you’re alive. There’s no time for explanations. Where are you?” he asked, his voice betraying an edge. +“I’m on a date with Sherry. We’re stuck on top of the Ferris wheel at the beach. It isn’t moving. Dad, I think everybody’s dead down there! I-I don’t know. It’s all just so…it’s crazy, Dad, like some kind of horrible movie!” +“We’re coming to pick you up, and then we’re getting the heck out of town.” +“It’s too dangerous,” I said. “I know this is going to sound absolutely crazy, but you gotta believe me. People are turning into some kind of cannibals…and they’re attacking people.” +“I know. Don’t worry. I’ll be armed. I’ll get you out of there, I promise. Got it, son?” +“Where are we going?” +“Your brother’s flying us to the island with Grams where we’ll be safe. These things are attacking everybody in Myrtle Beach. We’ve gotta get far away from here as fast as we can.” +On the other end of the phone, glass shattered with a crash, followed by my mom’s piercing scream. I gasped as the line went dead. “Dad!” I shouted. “Dad?” + + + +Chapter 2 + +One year ago, a deadly virus decimated the world leaving swarms of brain-eating zombies in its wake. Survivors rushed to the makeshift fortresses, walled-in cities protected by towering concrete walls and a military force to be reckoned with. I managed to make it to one of these safe havens with my brother and parents, and that afforded me the chance to spend the last year sheltered from the gloom that rocked the land. My brother, on the other hand, decided to leave the safe confines and continue fighting with the U.S. Army to fight the onslaught of the undead. He became a top-notch zombie-hunter, but my parents and I didn’t see much of him after that. My mother feared he might not come back alive, if at all. +Initially, the virus immediately turned anybody into zombies who had type 0+ or A+ blood. The rest of us seemed safe as long as we didn’t get exposed through broken skin. We never knew what really caused the outbreak. And when scientists thought they had it figured out, the rules would change slightly. The virus mutated, and now if somebody was bitten or scratched, it could take up to five days before they turned…unless they died which meant the change came immediately. +I tried to make the best of the situation. It wasn’t that bad. Our house had electricity and water, and I led a fairly normal teenage life—right up until I had to leave and jeopardize my safety (and consequently my future) for the sake of a girl I’d only just met. But I really had no option. She was scheduled for a lethal injection, and I could not stand by and watch that happen. I planned on stopping the execution, even though I knew the stakes were high. After all, if I’d have been caught by the authorities, they would have promptly booted me out into Zombie Land. It was a fate I did not want to subject myself or my parents to, but after pondering it and considering my options—and the girl’s, which were none—I realized it was a chance worth taking. I had to save her, no matter what, and I could only hope my parents would understand. +My plan was bold, daring, and sneaky, as a proper rescue mission should always be. I knew that getting her out of the clinic fast, before anyone noticed, was the key to success. I smoothed my hands down my crisp white scrubs, smirking beneath my “borrowed” surgical mask as I adjusted it. I knew I would need a good disguise in order to get past the soldiers, and I was proud of myself for so easily snatching the medical uniform from the linen room. +Lucas, a friend of mine, laughed at the sight of me in the baggy cotton get-up. “I thought this was some kind of James Bond mission, not a pajama party.” +“Ha-ha. Very funny,” I muffled out from beneath the mask. +He eyed me up and down. “Well, you look ridiculous, but you definitely fit the part.” +“Well, secret agents have to hide their identity somehow, right?” I punched him in the arm, and he grinned. Lucky for me, Lucas had the security clearance to sneak me into the isolation area of the clinic, and he’d owed me a favor for a while. It’s about time he paid up, I thought, and I knew I could always count on Lucas. He was a fitness buff with huge arms, and he was the one who fit the part: He made for a perfect soldier with his camouflage uniform, Army boots, and buzzed head. +“This is a huge risk you’re taking, but I completely understand.” Lucas swiped a card over a control panel, and the door opened with a loud click. “Be careful, though, and whatever you do, don’t underestimate her. That virus is flooding through her veins. They have good reasons for putting her in quarantine.” +“Don’t worry. I don’t plan on joining Bite Club any time soon, I promise.” With a last glance back, I walked in through the heavy steel door. As soon as the door closed behind me, it hit me: There is no turning back now. I took a sharp breath and focused my gaze ahead. +The room looked just like any other sickbed, complete with sterile-looking white walls and the strong, bleach-like aroma of a plethora of medicines. On the far right was a huge lamp that cast an unnatural glow on the tiled floor. On the far left, a narrow bed with white sheets that were arranged around a frail woman told me I had the right room. I took a hesitant step forward, then stopped, suddenly unsure of whether or not I really was doing the right thing. What if she’s already turned? What if it’s too late to help her and I’m risking my safety for nothing? Fighting with myself, I took a step back. +Suddenly, Val rose to her feet. Her fists were clenched, and her eyes were wide with terror. +I pulled down my mask before she got the chance to pound me. “Hey! It’s me.” +“Dean!” she said. “You know I’ve been…bitten. But why are you…? Look, you shouldn’t be in here. You know being anywhere near me is a death sentence.” +I slowly unwrapped the bandages from her arm and cringed. The zombie bite looked worse—far, far worse—than I had anticipated. Green pus drained from the open wound on her lower arm, and it reeked of dead, rotting flesh. +“That bad, huh?” Val asked when she saw my ghastly expression, her voice echoing off the white walls in the confined isolation room. She brushed back her disheveled, long brown hair. “It’s funny how fate works. I spent so long trying to find you…” Her voice quivered as tears welled up in her blue eyes. “And now that I have, we won’t even get to spend one day together.” +I let out a long breath. “Don’t talk like that. We’ll have plenty of time together—so much time that you’ll probably get sick of me.” +“How do you figure that? And for the record, I don’t think I’d ever…I would never get sick of you.” +“Because I have a possible cure?” +She cocked a brow. “You mean the experimental serum?” +“Yeah, I snatched a bag of vials from the lab.” +She gasped. “Do you know what woulda happened if you’d been caught?” +“I don’t care. I’ll do anything to save you.” I wasn’t lying. I’d barely known the girl a few hours, but there was something about her, something worth saving, even at the risk of imprisonment or death. The funny thing was; I never thought I had that kind of sacrificial savior in me—especially for a girl I wasn’t even in love with. But after hearing her story, I knew there wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do for her. She needed me, and I was going to be there. +“I can’t believe you’d go through all this for me, basically a stranger. It’s impressive. Thank you.” She softly touched my arm. “But those vials haven’t been tested, so there’s no guarantee.” +“Doc was sure this batch would work. He told me they’re on the verge of a major breakthrough, so it’s worth a shot—no pun intended.” +She smiled at my accidental joke. “Okay, if you say so. Give me the medicine. I’d rather be a guinea pig than one of those brain-munching things out there.” +“I can’t, Val. It’s too early. The virus has to be in your system for…well, for a set amount of time before the medicine has a chance to work.” I didn’t have the heart to tell her that the medicine couldn’t be given to her until after she turned into a zombie, a process that usually took about five days with the mutation of the virus now. Yeah, she has a right to know, but just not now. +“A set amount of time? How long before you can give it to me?” she asked, sounding a bit more panicked and demanding. +“Just a little while more.” +“You know I don’t have that kind of time.” She threw the bandage back on and pressed firmly on the tape. “Be realistic, Dean. You know the rules. I’ve been compromised. They’ll be in any minute to kill me, humanely of course.” +Her words pierced my heart, especially since I knew they rang of truth; if I didn’t intervene, she was doomed. “That isn’t happening! I’m here to break you out.” My plan was to sneak Val out, take her to the next sheltered city, and then give her a secret potion that the doc had been working on for months—the supposed cure to the nasty Necrotina virus that had spread across the U.S. and the globe, turning men, women, and children into zombie-like beings with the burning desire to feed on human flesh. +“Really?” She grabbed my arm as if I was kidding. +“Really.” +“Well, in that case, what’re we waiting for?” +“We can’t go until Lucas comes back and gives us the go-ahead. If we run into the general, our plan is screwed. It’ll just be a minute.” +She nodded and then placed her hands on her hips, her gaze imploring. “Is your brother going to help us?” +“I haven’t told Nick anything about you. He’d just flip out, and right now, we need him focused if we want our little plan to work.” +“I want to meet him. I need to meet him.” +“You will. I begged him to take us to the next city, told him we have to deliver some antibiotics for the doc.” +“Great. Think your smokin’ hot plan will work?” +“Trust me, nobody will suspect a thing.” +“So what’s the plan?” +“For starters, we’re flying.” Making it up to the roof was the only way to get past the heavy security. Nevertheless, even though flying was the safest option, in those days, nothing was a safe bet any more. +“Wait…did you say we’re flying?” +“Yeah. Didn’t I mention that Nick’s a pilot?” What I hadn’t told my brother was that I’d be hiding a secret stowaway in the back of the helicopter. Oh well. I’ll worry about that later. I was sure Nick would understand once I told him the entire story. +The door burst open, and Lucas peered in. “You guys ready? There isn’t much time.” +I motioned her out of the cell and pointed to a gurney. “Hop on!” I helped Val onto the gurney, then threw a sheet over her body up to her neck, mimicking medical protocol for handling the diseased on their way to the morgue. +“You’ve got to play dead,” Lucas said. “So no blinking.” +Val blotted the sweat from her brow. +“Are you gonna be okay?” I asked her, ignoring the sudden dread in the pit of my own stomach. +Her jaw clenched. “Don’t worry. I’ll bring home the Oscar. My life depends on it.” +As I wheeled her down the long corridor past a group of soldiers, I was hit with a rush of adrenalin like I’d never felt before. Danger aside, I was having the time of my life. I’d never wanted my parents’ version of the “normal teenage life”. I had been thrust into the middle of a real live—or dead, if you think about it—zombie apocalypse, the kind people had been joking about and making videogames and movies about for years. Like my brother, who had chosen the military for his own adventure, I lived for that stuff, always seeking a thrill. I craved being where the action was, and finally I was there, immersed in a risky rescue. +When we approached the guards, a chill ran across my spine. We all knew that if we didn’t get past that squad, it was all over before we even really got started. +“We’re putting her on ice,” Lucas said without so much as a nervous quiver in his voice. +The sergeant shook his head. “It just never ends, does it?” +“Nope.” Lucas looked at me. “You got this from here?” +I nodded and moved down the corridor fast, my heart thudding against my chest. Once we were around the corner, I bolted. Metal wheels screeched against the tile floor in protest of the speed I was pushing, and I hoped Val didn’t fly off the thing as we took the corners. The hall turned right, then a sharp left, and then a right again. “Okay, it’s safe,” I said, stopping. I started to strip off my white pants. Having Nick see me in scrubs would blow the entire plan, especially if he knew I was up to no good. +She sat up abruptly. “Please tell me you have clothes on under there.” +“Of course. Now c’mon!” I helped her down and pointed. “The helicopter pad’s this way.” +We raced through the corridor and up the stairs and finally reached the helipad, where a healthy gust of wind rushed through my hair. Val jumped into the back of the military helicopter and lay down, and I threw a U.S. Army-issued olive green wool blanket over her. +“I have a little confession to make,” I whispered between breaths, just in case Nick made a sudden appearance and caught me off guard. +“You secretly wear women’s clothing?” +“Geez, no!” I couldn’t stifle a tiny chuckle; the girl was funny, even in the most stressful of situations, and I appreciated that. +Her gaze narrowed. “Well, that’s good to know. So what is it?” +“I didn’t tell Nick about any of this. He has no idea you’re coming whatsoever.” +She let out a huff. “Ah. So when you said nobody will suspect a thing, you really meant nobody. Geez. I don’t believe this. I thought he knew a girl was coming, but he hadn’t been informed about my identity.” +“Nope. Please just keep quiet until we get to the city, okay?” +“Fine,” she mumbled, “but you should’ve told him.” +A minute later, Nick jumped into the helicopter and put on his headset. “Ready, bro?” +I jumped into the copilot seat and buckled up. “Yep.” +“You got the list of antibiotics we need for the doc?” +“Sure thing.” My big brother always played by the rules. That made him perfect for the military, of course, but it was exactly why I didn’t tell him about Val. He would’ve never agreed to sneaking her out of the city; he did nothing against the rules—ever. He lived by the moral code 100 percent. I don’t know where he inherited that from, though, because I didn’t mind bending the rules when it was appropriate. +He turned over the helicopter engine, and a few minutes later we lifted off and climbed slowly into the sky over Kelleys Island. The island wasn’t far from Sandusky, Ohio. That’s where Cedar Point was located. I had triumphantly ridden all seventeen roller coasters in that amusement park. Well, before everything happened, but I’ll never forget the adrenaline rush I felt. +Kelleys Island was the perfect place to go for refuge because we were completely surrounded by water. Zombies couldn’t swim, and as a backup, there were towering walls to keep the undead from penetrating the safe haven. That helped us all sleep easier at night. We had a nice cottage that was owned by my grandma. She lived next door in a spacious bed and breakfast that she ran before the zombie outbreak. +All the Lake Erie islands had become refuges for a multitude of people, and citizens were making lives there, living almost normally, with the exception of knowing that outside those walls, the hungry dead were walking. In order for everyone to maintain such a lifestyle, the city had very strict rules in place. One of those rules stated that if a person was bitten, execution was mandatory—without exception, whether the victim was the mayor’s son or the housekeeper’s daughter. The safety of the many could not be compromised for the life of one. +“We should be back before supper,” Nick called out. +“Yep!” I yelled over the noise of the helicopter. +Halfway there, I heard a loud pop, something like a car backfiring. The floor and walls began to shake and vibrate. My head jerked back and then snapped forward as the helicopter plunged, cutting through the white clouds like a knife. Looking out the window, I noticed a plume of dark smoke swirling outside the copter. +“Wh-what’s happening?” +Nick fumbled frantically with the controls. “Malfunction. We’re going down!” +“Mal-what?” I asked with a gasp. + + + +Chapter 3 + +The helicopter dropped in altitude at a pace that felt like light speed. A sudden loud banging, like hundreds of baseball bats smacking against us, echoed beneath my feet. Gripping the arm rests tightly; I looked out the window, though I shouldn’t have. The copter skidded on its belly and skipped across the treetops. The vibrations shook the floor like an earthquake. I braced for impact, knowing that even if we somehow miraculously survived the crash, we’d still have to live through the flames and/or toxic fumes that were sure to envelop us. I shook away the thought of blackened, tangled, twisting metal burning in the charred trees. My head jerked forward as Nick clipped a row of towering trees on a thirty-foot ridge. The helicopter jerked, forcing the side of my head into the metal wall. In an instant, everything was dark. +I don’t know how long I lingered in that quiet darkness, surrounded by nothing but tranquility and carelessness that had become a sure death sentence in the real world. As I hovered in that dark place, unconscious of my body, the softest whiff of fumes assaulted my nostrils, slowly but steadily jolting me back to the grim reality: We crashed…in Zombie Land. +With a groan, I opened my eyes and took a deep breath, but the fumes from scorching metal burned my lungs. Nick’s big head was staring down at me, and I pushed him away and vomited into the grass. Glancing around, I noticed Nick must have gotten me out and dragged me away from the wreckage. Vines, flowers, and towering trees surrounded us. We must’ve crashed into a forest. +My brother squatted beside me. “Are you okay?” he asked, his voice wavering. +The blazing sun beat down on my skin. Spots danced in my vision, and my head ached, especially when I rubbed the bump that had formed on the side of it where I’d clunked against the dashboard. I’d never felt so crappy in my entire life, yet I knew we had to get moving. I slowly sat up and rubbed my pounding head. “I’m fine…I think.” +“Fine is perfect, especially when we’re lucky to be alive.” He patted my back. “I tried the radio, but it’s dead.” +As my mind cleared, I suddenly remembered Val. Wait…only both of us? My jaw set as I peered around, frantically searching for her. “Where’s Val?” I blurted before I realized what I was saying. +Nick regarded me from under drawn brows. “Val? You must have hit your head pretty hard. We crashed in the middle of freaking nowhere. Don’t you remember anything?” +His words barely registered with me. Of course he couldn’t check on Val or pull her from the wreckage. My idiot self didn’t even tell him she was onboard. Ignoring my brother’s questioning look, I jumped to my feet and dashed for the pile of burning metal. I twisted my body through a jagged opening and climbed inside, ignoring the shark-like metal teeth tearing at my skin and clothes, then dove through the fire and smoke, searching desperately for Val. My hands dived right in, ignoring the searing pain that ran up my arms from when I’d tried to shield myself against the dashboard during the crash. +“Dean! What are you doing?” my brother yelled after me. “I told you the radio’s not working. It’s fried, man, just like your brain.” +Ignoring him, I kept looking. The black bag of vials rested upside down on the floor; I was relieved they were plastic and not glass, so they hadn’t shattered, and there was still hope for Val. Coughing and choking, I continued to stumble through the wreckage. +“I’m not gonna be the one to tell Mom and Dad that your foolish crap got you killed!” Nick shouted again. “Get out now!” +Smoked poured from everywhere, and the crackle of fire unnerved me. Even though I couldn’t see a thing, instinct commanded my hands to push through the debris. About halfway through, I thought I felt something warm under my touch. Val! Crap, she’s not moving. Is she even breathing? “Val! Val!” I choked out. I could hardly breathe myself from the pain and smoke, so I dragged her toward me. I scooped up her seemingly lifeless body and shuffled out as fast as I could. “Oh, Val, I promise everything’s going to be okay. Don’t you go dying on me.” +As I felt for a pulse on her neck, Nick ran up to us. “Who is that, and how’d she get aboard my bird?” +“Oh, thank God,” I said. +“What?” +“She has a strong pulse.” +Nick’s brows drew together, darkening his features. “Dean, what’s going on? Who is she?” +Shaking my head to signal him that it wasn’t the appropriate time for a million questions, I laid her down far from the wreckage, just in case it exploded like crashes always do in the movies. “I’ll explain later.” +Nick grabbed my shoulder. “No! You’ll explain now. Who the heck is this girl, and why’s she with us?” +I swung around and shot him a venomous look. “Chill out! Her name is Val, and she needs our help.” +We held each other’s gaze for what seemed like forever. +Then, as if something suddenly clicked, his shoulders finally dropped. “Val, huh? Well, is she okay?” He ran a hand across her forehead. “She’s burning up.” Then his gaze drifted to the bandage on her arm, and he peeked under it, gasping. “She’s been bitten.” Nick stared at me in disbelief. “What were you thinking? Sneaking a bitten chick out of the city? This is against protocol, Dean…not to mention you’re gonna get us all killed with your knight in shining armor crap!” +“Let me explain…” I hesitated, gathering my words, but he cut me off. +“I don’t want to hear it, and I want no part of this. You’re helping a zombie victim. What’s wrong with you? You know there’s no hope for her.” He punched the tree as sudden realization hit. “Wait a minute. You lied to me, didn’t you? You aren’t taking antibiotics to the doc. You were just using me to help you drag her out of there! Do you ever use your effing head?” +I looked away. I felt so guilty for landing us all in such a dire situation, such a mess. “No,” I whispered. +“No what? No you weren’t delivering antibiotics, or no you never use your thick head?” +“Both, I guess.” +“I don’t believe it This was nothing more than an elaborate hoax.” He ran a hand through his dense hair, his eyes throwing daggers. “Tell me one thing. How long have you even known this girl?” he asked, sounding as if he dared me to tell him an answer he already knew and was disgusted by. +“Less than a day.” +His lips pressed into a grim line; he was definitely losing his cool. “I put my neck on the line for you,” he shouted. “I got us the special clearance to go, and for what? So you could pull a stunt like this, putting all our lives in danger for someone you don’t even know?” +“Yeah, but would you have helped me if I’d told you about Val?” +He said nothing and just continued to stare at me with rage and disbelief storming behind his eyes. +“Well, would you have helped me or not?” +He waved his hands wildly. “No! Never! Not like this. Not in a million years! But still, I have connections. I woulda tried to talk to the general and help you guys out. There is a way to go about things and we have to follow orders. You just—” +“Wait, did you say you would have talked to the general?” I snorted, my gaze fixing on the bare trees in the distance as I conjured the guy’s image. He was about as helpful as a sleeping pill and just as dampening on one’s hopes and dreams. “If that’s the only kind of help you can think of, I’m glad I kept her hidden. We’d be burying her as we speak.” +“Better than the fate you just handed to her—and likely to us by association. I don’t know her, but I bet she wouldn’t want to wake up as a flesh-eating monster.” +“And she won’t.” +“Right. What are you going to do about it?” +“I’m going to save her! You aren’t the only one capable of doing something about this zombie nightmare, just because you enlisted.” +“Save her? You? Please. We’ll be lucky if we can even save ourselves. If we run across a herd of zombies, we’re as good as dead. We’re all alone out here. We’ve got no communication, no weapons except my handgun, and we’re gonna be lugging an injured woman around—until she decides she wants a taste of us.” He shook his head. “You risked my life for a girl you barely know, you idiot.” +“I’m sorry,” I muttered, irritated. “Seriously. How many times do I have to apologize before you believe me? I really was just trying to do what’s right, trying to help someone.” +“Apologies don’t mean anything if you’d do the same crap over again…and you would.” +He was right, and I couldn’t argue with that, so I kept quiet. +Nick paced in a circle, his brows drawn. I’d never seen him so mad…or scared. “We’re in North Carolina. And our original destination is 600 miles away. I say we head back home which is 500 miles away. It’s going to take us three times as long to get back because we can only go certain routes.” He shook my shoulder as his voice thundered again. “Do you have any clue how dangerous it is out here? Do you? Well, I guess you never had a reason to think about it, all holed up safe and sound on the other side of those city walls on an island.” +I pushed him back as hard as I could. “Death and gore…it’s all people have been talking about for months, but—” +His blue eyes were intense, and I knew with one flash of them how pissed he was at me. “But nothing! You have no idea. This land is crawling with zombies that want nothing more than to eat our brains. You’ve been sheltered in the city since the breakout of the virus. While you’re out flirting with girls, going to school, and trying to live a normal life, the other troops and I have been out here in…in hell. I’ve seen it up close and personal, and I can tell you it ain’t pretty. In fact, it’s probably worse than those stories you’ve been hearing.” +“You’re treating me like a kid,” I admonished; I hated when he did that. +“Fine. Well, if you want to grow up, now’s the time.” He thrust his gun into my hands. “You’ve always begged me to be part of the action. Here’s your chance. You’re eighteen now, and I’ve protected you from all this ugliness long enough.” +“I don’t need your protection, Nick. I can take care of myself—and of Val if I need to.” +“Spoken like a true idiot. But anyway, keep that attitude. Even if it’s a load of crap you tell yourself, you’re going to need a bit of that cocky nonsense to survive.” +“I know it’s a hard, cruel world outside the city, but I can handle it. I’m a survivor!” +“Love your attitude. I just hope you’re prepared because you’re going to have to fight like you’ve never fought before.” +“Fine. You want me to take down some zombies? I’m up for that.” It wasn’t that I’d had much experience at such a thing, but I was sure it couldn’t possibly be that difficult to defeat a mindless army of already-dead freaks who walked around stumbling over everything. I’d been taking lessons at the shooting gallery all year, and I’d pretty much amazed myself. +“You’ll have plenty of chances to mow down some zombies later, trust me. Right now, though, you have to get rid of our other little problem.” +“What problem?” +“You’ve gotta kill her. You have to kill the girl and put her out of her misery.” +“What the heck are you talking about? I’m not killing anyone unless they’re dead already and trying to gnaw on my leg like a drumstick.” +“But leaving her to her fate is just…it’s cruel.” +My heart lurched. “No way.” +He rolled his eyes. “You’re such a liar. You didn’t just meet her. How long have you been hiding your secret girlfriend from us?” +Girlfriend? She’s pretty and everything, but that’s just wrong. “It’s not like that, man. I really did just meet her.” +“Here’s your chance to be a man, Dean. A real man has to make tough decisions—decisions that will save his own life and the lives of his trusted comrades. This girl—this Val—will kill you in a heartbeat, giving no thought to all your pillow talk or those cute little hearts she scribbled around your name in her diary. Leaving your friend here to face her fate is heartless and cold. If you care about her at all, whether you just met her or have been seeing her for months, please be a man and put a bullet in her head for all our sakes.” +I shook my head violently. He would never forgive himself, just like I wouldn’t. +“I’ve had to make hard decisions myself,” Nick continued, unfazed. “For goodness sake, I even walked in on my zombie girlfriend devouring a couple of my best friends. Shooting her was the hardest thing I’d ever had to do…but it had to be done, so I pulled the trigger.” +I shot him a hard look. “Who are you? You’re so cold, so heartless—not the big brother I grew up with. Protecting the city and killing zombies has made you a merciless killer.” +“We have to face the reality of the situation. I know what she’ll become. Except for the first night it happened, you’ve never seen it outside of television reports, but I have.” +“You’ve changed, Nick. When you suited up for the Army, you became…different. You talk about her becoming a monster, but maybe you should take a good look at yourself.” +He cocked a brow. “You’re calling me a monster? Really?” +I nodded. Even though I could see the way he clenched his fists, I kept going. “Just look at you. You’re somebody else. I don’t even recognize you anymore.” +His eyes narrowed into slits, as if he might argue for a moment, and then they softened with the pain of the truth. “Well, yeah. I guess being out here all the time…well, it changes you.” +I didn’t want to talk about it anymore. I just wanted to get Val and get out of there before the army of the undead showed up. “Val’s coming with us, and that’s final.” +“Dean, come on. Don’t you get it? Once she dies…” He threw his hands up in the air to make his point. “Look, I’ve seen it myself. When they come back—when she comes back—they aren’t people anymore. Give me the gun, and I’ll do it myself.” +“Don’t you dare!” I shouted. I wanted to pound the idiot so hard. “Listen—” +Grabbing the gun out of my hands, he cocked it and pointed down at Val’s head. “We’re doing her a favor. Besides, she’ll try to eat us the second we fall asleep. Is that what you want, little brother? I mean, I’m sure you would love her to nibble on your ear and all, but not literally.” +Ignoring his attempt at sick humor, I jumped into the path of the gun. +“You’re pathetic,” he shouted. “Just move out of the way.” +I flung up my arms like a madman. “No! Put down the gun! You can’t kill her.” +Nick shook his head. “You’re emotional, not thinking straight. She’s as good as dead anyway.” +I hadn’t gone through all of that just to watch my brother murder the girl before my very own eyes. I lunged at him, but Nick twisted and dodged me; his military training had paid off. I lunged again and shoved him hard, and he threw me full force on to the ground. Crap! +Cool, calm, and collected, my brother aimed the gun at Val’s head. Obviously, it wasn’t his first time, and I was sure it wouldn’t be his last. +“You can’t do it,” I shouted. “She’s…” +“What, Dean? Why is this girl so important to you?” +I couldn’t believe he was being so cruel, so nasty. “She’s…we can’t kill her because Val is our sister!” And just like that, I’d played my trump card. Even worse, I’d broken my promise to Mom not to say one word to my brother. +He lowered the gun as confusion washed over him. “What? Our sister? Either you’re lying or you hit your head harder than I thought when we crashed.” +“It’s the truth, I swear.” I sat up carefully, but I didn’t inch any closer. I didn’t want him to flip out and shoot her just because he felt threatened or even more pissed. “You pull that trigger, and you’ll be murdering our flesh and blood, our very own sister.” +The gun trembled in his hands. “I…I don’t believe you.” +“I know it’s a lot to swallow. I just found out this morning. Mom and Dad have been keeping the entire thing a secret. You just can’t—not now that we know who she is.” +Nick met my gaze. “How do you know this is true? You got any proof?” +“For starters, look at her. Who else do you know with blue eyes and brown hair in those exact shades?” +He shifted his stance. “There are a lot of blue-eyed brunettes in the world. That doesn’t mean we’re all related.” +“You know what I’m talking about. Look at her! She looks just like us!” I shouted. “Just look! She has Mom’s nose and Dad’s chin. Take a real good look. Deep down, you can’t deny it. Just open your eyes for once and ignore the rules and protocols. Some things aren’t so black and white, and you can’t just kill your sister because it’s in the rule book.” +He stared down hard at her, as if taking in every feature. “You’re…you’re right. She’s the spitting image of us. If it’s true, why didn’t Mom and Dad tell us? Why did they keep her a secret?” +I let out a long sigh. “They gave her away when they were teenagers. She’s two years older than you.” +“Two years, huh? That makes her twenty-four.” He pushed the gun into his waistband and then ran a hand through his hair as emotion overwhelmed him. “You shoulda told me right off the bat.” +“Like I said, I just found out. Besides, I promised Mom I wouldn’t say anything. She wanted to tell you in her own way…later today.” +“So how did you find out?” +“I overheard Val talking to Mom. I couldn’t believe it.” I pulled out a vial from my black satchel; it contained the precious green serum. +“You stole for her too?” +“She’s not just any girl. She’s our sister. Should we give her some and see if it works? Doc seems to think it will do the trick.” +“It could kill her, like the last guy,” he snapped. “I don’t know what to say, what to do. I do know we’ll never make it to a city before she turns into a full-fledged monster. Wouldn’t that look great on the front of the family Christmas card? Yeah, she’ll make a lovely addition to the family reunion next year.” +“We have to do something. Like you said, we can’t just leave her to her fate.” +He crossed his arms. “You hold the possible formula in your hands, right?” +“Right.” +“So why haven’t you put it to good use already?” +“Well, Doc says it won’t work during the transformation. We can’t give it to her until she actually becomes a zombie. That’s how the formula works. The problem was, General Lofters planned to execute her right away, as soon as he found out she’d been bitten. And you know darn well there’re no exceptions.” +“So what do you propose? We wait, invite her to lunch, and then hand her a cup of tea? She’ll rip our heads off as soon as she turns. I’ve seen how these things work…and eat. They’re almost unstoppable.” +“She couldn’t wait to meet you,” I said. “You’re her little brother.” +“Yeah, right. You mean she couldn’t wait to eat me.” He shook his head. “Play the guilt card, why don’t you?” Then he swiftly picked up Val and cradled her close. “It’s not safe out here.” +“You think I don’t know that?” +“Well, what are you waiting for? I’ve got sister dearest, so let’s go.” +I nodded and swung the black bag of vials over my shoulder. “You’re going to love her when you meet her.” +“Maybe, as long as she doesn’t get hungry.” + + +Chapter 4 + +Nick and I took turns carrying Val. My arms clasped beneath her body to hold her in place. I struggled along the woody path, intent to keep up with Nick, even though he didn’t seem to want to make it easy on me. Granted, he was still pissed that I hadn’t told him about our sister right away, but knowing I had saved her life was my personal redemption and justification. I released a long, settling breath and moved the thicket out of the way; still, the deeper we moved into the woods, the denser the thicket became. To make matters worse, Val’s long hair almost trailed down to the ground, and I had to be mindful of it so it wouldn’t get caught in anything and hurt her. It seemed to me that she should have woken up already, but as the seconds and minutes ticked by, I began to worry that she might not ever wake up again. +“Are you okay?” Nick asked hesitantly after what seemed like an eternity. I noticed his worry lines straight away as his gaze shifted from Val to me then back to Val, as though he couldn’t make up his mind whether to forgive me for the sake of our sister or keep being a jerk about it. “Let me take her,” he muttered, grabbing her out of my arms. +I opened my mouth to thank him, but he’d already turned his back on me, leaving me standing in the middle of nowhere while he continued his march. +For the next hour, Nick carried Val without complaint. The bulging veins in his arms and neck told me his muscles were nearly at their point of fatigue. +Unable to watch his struggle any longer, I put my arms under her. “Hey, man. It’s my turn again. Take a break and let me carry her for a while.” +He jutted out his elbow, and ignored me as if I was nothing more than some pesky fly. +We spotted a trail and decided to follow it. It was a brilliant stroke of luck, because we soon came to a clearing, and our pathway ended at an overgrown dirt road. Nick was hopeful that there was a city nearby, so we started to walk off to the side. +I tried not to worry about Val, but it was difficult to put her failing condition out of my mind. “I wonder when she’ll wake up,” I said. +“Don’t go getting all worked up over it. This is completely normal.” He shrugged, as though he’d seen it all before—and he had. “During transformation, she’ll have these long sleeping spells.” +I nodded and then pointed at a green metal sign. “Next town’s just a mile away. We need to get our hands on some emergency supplies.” +“Yeah, especially food and water, but also a car and gas, if we can get our hands on any.” +“Guns and ammo too,” I chimed in. +“Right! A heck of a lot of ammo!” +A smile spread across my lips as my mind began to race, searching for ways we might get out of the predicament we found ourselves in. “If we can’t find guns and ammo, there’re always chainsaws. We could check garages.” +Nick shook his head. “Nah. They’re too noisy and might attract more zombies. Besides that, chainsaws weigh around ten pounds, compared to two-pound weapons like machetes, crowbars, trench spikes, or baseball bats. Remember, we’re looking for anything that can crush or decapitate a skull in one blow. If it can’t, there’s no use lugging it around.” +I was impressed; Nick sure knew his business. “Great tips, Mr. Zombie Hunter,” I said with a laugh. +“This is serious stuff, Dean. Let your guard down once—just once—and you’re a dead man. Even worse, you might get others killed in the process. Got it?” +I nodded, even though Nick’s back was still turned on me. +We walked as fast as we could, remaining silent. My nerves were on edge, and my ears strained to pick up any unusual sound, but the only noise I could hear was the steady thump-thump of my heart, beating like a drum in my ears. +I broke the silence first. “So, we’re gonna get ourselves a cool set of wheels? I like that idea.” +“It’s not exactly a shopping spree. Going into town at all is risky. Our goal has to be to get in, get what we need, and get out—as quickly as possible. You got that?” Nick said without turning. +“Yeah, I got it.” His camouflage shirt stuck to his sweaty back. I wished he’d let me take a turn carrying Val. +We walked for another minute or so before footsteps thudded behind us. I swung around, ready to battle whoever it was. As I squinted against the glaring sun, I made out two figures in the distance, running straight toward us. My first thought was to run away, but then I came to my senses. Zombies can’t run that fast. Who could that possibly be? +“Quick, take Val!” Nick handed our sister to me and whipped out his pistol. +I could only make out long hair, so I figured we were being approached by women. “It looks like a couple of girls, running from something. Put the gun down, Nick!” +Ignoring me, Nick held his weapon steady. “No! One of them has a weapon. Don’t you know the first rule of survival out here in Zombie Land?” +“Huh? But—” +“Take no chances!” +“Don’t shoot!” a female voice shouted. +“Drop your weapon!” Nick shouted. +She dropped it on the ground and raised her hands in the air. “It’s a stun gun.” +I craned my neck to get a better glimpse as she inched closer. Fear mirrored in her wide, green eyes. Her dark hair hung over her skinny shoulders in long, disheveled clumps. From the looks of her, she’d fallen in the mud while running. A pair of sandals dangled from her hands, and her bare feet were black and dirty. +“Please don’t hurt us!” she yelled again. “We’re already being followed by zombies.” +The cute brunette with blonde streaks was a teenager about my age. In spite of being sweaty and dirty, she still looked hot in plaid shorts and a black shirt that showed off her tan midriff and navel piercing. I tried not to stare, but she was gorgeous. +Nick refused to put his gun down. “Have you been bitten or scratched in any way?” +She gasped for air. “No! I swear we haven’t.” +He slowly lowered his arm, but hesitation was clearly written on his face. “C’mon then, we need to keep moving.” +The girl sighed relieved. “Thanks.” A frown appeared across her forehead as she reached down and picked up her stun gun. +Nick resumed his previous brisk pace. +The girl rushed to keep up. “I’m Jackie.” +My brother kept moving but shot her a glance. “Nice to meet you. I’m Nick, and this is my brother Dean.” +“Nice to meet you,” I said, stepping carefully over a few moss-covered logs. If I took one wrong step, Val would fly right out of my arms. +Jackie stomped down on a large fern in her path. “It’s nice to meet you too. And this is my cousin, Claire.” +I turned my attention to the redhead standing behind her, wondering how I could’ve missed her before. The girl was in her early twenties. She wore a sundress with a low V-neck and was pretty cute herself. Though she didn’t speak, the look on her pale face told me all I needed to know: She was scared to death. +Nick broke through a patch of vegetation. “I wish we coulda met under better circumstances.” +“Yeah, tell me about it,” Claire said, pushing aside a dangling branch. +“Don’t worry. Everything’s going to be okay now,” I said trying to ease her nerves. +“Yeah?” she said. “That’s what the last group of people told me. You know what? They’re all dead now.” +“Really?” my brother mocked. He hated being underestimated. “Well, maybe next time, they should consider more powerful weapons than stun guns.” +As we walked, Nick turned to meet the redhead’s gaze. “How many zombies were on your tail?” +“A bunch—not sure how many, but there were a lot. It sucks so much. We’ve been safe for months. We had the perfect hideout, a mansion just south of here. We had food, clothes, supplies, everything, but they bombarded it yesterday.” +That explained why the girls weren’t wearing cargo pants and combat boots like Nick and I. Those sandals wouldn’t do them any good if they stepped in a puddle of blood or had to climb over a few dead corpses. They’d made the mistake of getting comfortable, something no one could afford to do in Zombie Land. The only safe place was in a sheltered city, with a military force backing it up—or even better, an island like the one I lived on back in Ohio. +Claire frowned as she peered from me to Val, who was still lying unconscious in my arms. “Who is she?” +“We survived a helicopter crash,” I said. +“That’s horrible,” Claire said. “I’m so sorry. I’m glad you were able to get out before it exploded.” +“That was you guys?” Jackie said as she briskly walked along. “We saw the flames and smoke at the bottom of the hill after we hiked up it, and then the helicopter—yours, I guess—burst into flames. We hoped nobody was hurt.” +“That crash is nothing compared to what we’re about to face,” Nick said. +We kept walking for a few minutes, following the road I hoped would lead to somewhere. Eventually, we rounded a bend and stopped to peek at a large, contemporary, two-story glass mansion. It seemed to catch the sunrays from every angle. Who did it belong to? +“We can hide in there, right?” Claire anxiously headed in that direction. +Nick darted after her. “Wait. I need to know exactly how many of those things were after you. ‘A bunch’ doesn’t cut it. Can you give me a more specific number? Five? Fifty? If it’s a herd, hiding in that house would turn out to be a suicide mission. We’d be trapped with no way out.” +“There were about four or five of them,” Jackie called back to him. +“Cool. That’s not a problem at all. I can definitely handle four or five,” Nick said, sounding sure of himself. +“Good thing we ran into you then.” Claire smiled shyly, her eyes taking him in. Clearly, had circumstances been different, she wouldn’t have hesitated to make it clear that she liked him, but flirting days were over. In the middle of nowhere, surrounded by the very hungry undead, there was little time for exchanging phone numbers. It was more important to tell each other how to avoid a zombie bite. +If Nick did notice the girl’s rising interest in him, he certainly didn’t show it. His commanding voice barked at them, “Just in case more come, can you girls fight?” +“Fight? Who do we look like? I’m not going anywhere near those nasty things!” she shouted. +My brother let out a long sigh and then met my gaze. “Wait here. I’ll check out the house.” +“I’m coming!” I argued. +“No! I need you here to watch Val. She’s out cold, in case you didn’t notice. Do you want something to start nibbling on her leg like a piece of fried chicken?” He clapped my shoulder. “I’ll be right back.” +He headed off into the house, and my stomach clenched; I didn’t like him going in there alone. +“We can’t just wait out here forever,” Claire said. “Those things are coming!” +I shot her a look. “Aren’t you wondering why that door’s not locked? You want to run into a house full of zombies that’ll eat your brains?” +I could almost see a light bulb flickering to light above her head as realization struck her. “You’re right,” she said eventually. +Jackie met my gaze. “Thanks for looking out for us.” +“Not a problem.” I craned my neck to the left and right, spinning in a circle as much as the added weight of Val weight would allow me; though Val was thin, she was a dead weight. My gaze focused in the distance, taking in every detail that might give away a possible pursuer, but I didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. The sky was blue, and the birds chirped away like they didn’t have a care in the world. It was hard to believe I could be facing a zombie at any given moment. It all sounded like some bad dream—like something I’d read in my comic books as a kid. +A few minutes passed, and my brother’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts. “The house is clear, but there aren’t any good weapons. Let’s head into the garage.” +“Sure,” I said. +Nick nodded. “Look, I need you out here to help me fight. You up for it?” +“Sounds like a plan.” I’d always wanted to jump into the action, especially when my brother came back and told me all about his zombie-fighting adventures. Finally, I was going to get that hands-on experience I’d been longing for. My heart pounded as realization kicked in. +“Let’s get Val inside where it’s safe,” I said, shuffling into the mansion. I didn’t have much time to check the place out, but it was pretty clear that the former residents had been loaded. If the place truly had been abandoned, we’d surely find some useful supplies to take with us. +After setting Val down on a yellow sofa, Nick motioned for us to go. +I turned toward the girls as I set my black bag down beside the couch. “Please watch Val and my stuff…and lock the doors behind us!” +“Got it. And don’t worry. I got your girlfriend’s back,” Jackie said. +Nick yelled for me to hurry, so there was no time to explain who Val really was. +“Wait!” Claire said. “Do you want my stun gun?” +“What good is that going to do?” I just sprinted out the door, calling the girls to make sure they’d lock it behind me, just in case they’d already forgotten or misheard my first instructions. I didn’t know them all that well yet, so I naturally didn’t feel like I could trust them with my sister’s safety. At the moment, all I could think of was protecting her so no one would get to her in the first place. +With one hard yank, Nick opened the sliding garage door. It was as loud as a flippin’ freight train, and I only hoped it didn’t draw any attention. Once it was open, I dashed into the garage and stumbled over a few bicycles that had fallen backward against some white wicker patio furniture. I caught myself by hanging onto a monster-sized grill. +“You okay, klutz?” My brother rolled his eyes. +“I’m fine. Missed a step, that’s all.” I took a deep breath to calm my nerves and regained my balance. Tools hung neatly on hooks along a giant pegboard attached to the wall next to a large workbench. Wrenches were hanging in order of size. The owner had certainly been organized, and I felt almost bad even considering messing up his neat little display by taking a wrench, but then something better caught my attention: a sledgehammer, sitting right there on the table, begging to be used. Granted, it wasn’t the most lethal weapon, but I figured it was better than a screwdriver. +“Good choice,” Nick said, “but remember, a zombie with a broken collar bone is still a zombie. Smash the skull and kill the brain.” +“Yeah, I know. Stab, smash, penetrate, crush, or puncture the skull. It’s pretty simple if you ask me.” +Nick frowned. “Don’t you dare get cocky! And never underestimate those freaks. Do you understand? The minute you do…you’re dead.” +“A little confidence never hurt anybody, Nick. It’s worth its weight in gold in any arena.” +He glared at me. “Dean!” +I could tell my brother wasn’t keen on involving me in an episode of Man Vs. Zombie, so I tried to reassure him. “I can do this, Nick. Really, I can.” +“If I didn’t think you could, little bro, I’d have left you in there with Jackie and Claire who are very ill prepared to live in the world we’re now faced to live in.” +“Hey, your gun’s loaded, right?” I asked. +“Yeah, but we’ve gotta save our ammo. I’ll only use it if I feel it’s absolutely necessary. Plus, we don’t want to attract the zombies with noisy gunfire. We can handle a few though. No worries.” +We left the garage and walked down the long, straight driveway. I spun toward my brother. “I don’t see anything.” +Just as my brother was trying to assure me that’d we’d have the upper hand, my jaw dropped. Something growled behind me. + + + +Chapter 5 + +An unmistakable menacing growl erupted from behind me. Crap. I held my breath and turned slowly. My hand clutched the sledgehammer more tightly as I mentally prepared myself for the unavoidable. +“Don’t try to be a hero,” Nick mumbled. +Unfortunately, his words didn’t quite register in my brain as I raised my gaze at the disfigured human being before me. The gaping mouth, full of black, putrid, rotting teeth and oozing gums made me want to take a step back, but I had to prove myself—to Nick as well as to my own ego. I stood my ground and forced the bile back down my throat. Ugly blue veins stuck out from a shiny bald head. Where strong, healthy arms had once been, there remained only holes, flesh eaten away by bugs. But what scared me the most were the eyes: human, yet dead. I swallowed hard and shook my head slightly. In that moment, facing that thing, I realized that the naïve confidence I’d had before was not enough. No way was I prepared for a real-life confrontation with the undead. Yes, I’d originally been thrilled about the opportunity to kick some zombie butt, but seeing them in person again was a totally different story. For a minute, I was reminded of the Ferris wheel incident all over again. That was the very first night people had become sick and turned into zombies. I froze in my boots, but not for long. +The creature began lumbering toward us. As it moved, thick, dark blood—something like motor oil—ran down its face, dripping off its rotting chin to the dirty shirt, the result of a recent head wound. The hole in its left cheek looked fresh, and clearly its last victim had fought back with a gun. +With my heart thumping, I zigzagged left, away from the bullet-ridden zombie. I grabbed my weapon, but before I could put it to any use, Nick leapt forward and chopped into the zombie’s skull. The left eye socket made a suction sound as the eye propelled onto the ground. The corpse stopped dead and then fell backward onto the ground. +I punched the air. Yes! My brother nailed it. He absolutely knew what he was doing, and he’d had plenty of experience. After all, he’d been out there fighting those things for a year now. +Nick raced over to the downed zombie and jerked out his axe; I cringed, hoping the zombie wouldn’t spring back to life like they always do in horror movies. “Get ready!” Nick yelled. “More are coming.” +“I’m ready.” I bolted down to the end of the driveway. As I looked over my shoulder, I saw two more zombies to my left. One was heading toward Nick, and the other had its sights on me. I needed more preparation, more weapons, and more tips from my brother, yet I knew there was no time left; the zombie wasn’t about to wait for me to get over my rookie stage fright. I knew I had to fight. Nick’s and Val’s lives depended on me. +Dragging its right leg, the zombie inched closer and then swung its rotting arms at me. He fought like a small child. I knew I could easily take the monster on, especially since everyone knew zombies had an IQ barely above freezing, and they were slower than constipated turtles. +It was such a grotesque foe. I stared into sunken white eyes with no visible pupils. It had green-tinted skin and dirty blond hair, and the red, exposed muscles around its mouth made me want to gag—or maybe it was the foul stench of dead and rotting flesh. He wore a dirty, ripped mechanic’s uniform, and his nametag read “Bob”. Poor Bob, I thought. How could this...this thing have been a human? Had he been in a Halloween costume contest, he might have won for his makeup application and most interesting contacts alone, but I knew it had nothing to do with elaborate Hollywood special effects. It was all too real, and regardless of what he’d been in his life, in his living death, Bob was an enemy, and I had to take him down. +Bob hissed, flashing his black, sticky teeth at me. +I was ready to give the mummified mechanic the biggest headache of his life. The sledgehammer smashed through meat and bones like they were breakfast cereal, sending a pang of pain through my upper arm as it reverberated from the impact. I pulled away and then slammed it into the creature one more time, this time with less thought and more power. The second time did the trick, and he dropped to the ground. Realization didn’t kick in straightaway, but as my breathing quickened and my eyes focused on the bloody mess at my feet, I knew I’d have to fight off nightmares for a while. +For a whole second, I breathed out, relieved and thinking it might just be over. But barely had I had time to congratulate myself for surviving before the sound of footsteps thumped behind me, warning me of someone’s arrival. I spun around quickly, focusing my gaze on the tall figure hovering over me. +“Your first zombie kill.” Nick slapped my back. “You did good, man! If the girls’ headcount was right, there’re about two left.” +Adrenalin pumped through my veins. “Well, what’re we waiting for? Let’s go take down those slimy suckers!” I glanced around, and my senses went on full alert. +Another goon advanced toward me. This one was missing an eye. Its decomposing leg was covered with thin, blackened and bloodied shreds of rotting flesh, and severed bone was visible through its torn, tattered jeans. +I gagged. +“You got this, bro?” Nick asked. +I held my position. “Bring it on!” +“Good. I’ll take the other one—the one coming from the right. The more we can knock out with the first strike, the better.” +I wiped my brow with my sleeve. “Don’t worry! I got this.” +A female zombie stumbled over like a drunken sailor, letting out a gurgling moan as she held out her arms, as though she were a long-lost friend aiming for a hug. +“Sorry, honey, but you’re not my type,” I muttered. “Besides, I’m pretty sure you like me for my brains and not my looks.” Focusing on my target, I charged, running toward the zombie at full speed before I kicked it. As it fell on the ground, I swung my sledgehammer and dealt the final blow, crushing its skull. The zombie slumped into a messy heap at my feet, but I had no time to marvel about how easy it had been. As I glanced up, I noticed another one coming and another one after that. Crap! Where are they all coming from? The girls had told us that only a handful of zombies were after them, but there were far more than that. Nick was busy taking down one after the other, which meant I was on my own. +Another rotting corpse headed toward me on unbalanced feet. I struck him, but then another one came right from behind. I swung around and struck him in the nose as I turned my hips into the blow. He stumbled back. I raised my sledgehammer and readied myself to take down the next zombie. Suddenly, something grabbed hold of my ankle and started to pull with a might that didn’t seem possible, especially from a dead thing. I fell backward on my butt, sending my weapon flying straight out of my hands. The zombie I thought I had killed wasn’t actually dead. Crap! Nick was right. Never underestimate these things. I kicked and flailed, trying to smash its face, but it would not release the death grip it had on my boot; I had forgotten that zombies were not capable of feeling—even pain. +I assumed a combat fighting stance and immediately went for the closest zombie with scraggly black hair and a missing left arm. It was shirtless and flat out nasty. I wanted to gag at the missing chunks of skin that were missing from its bulbous stomach, and the ropes of intestine that dangled, dragging behind the man with every lumbering step. I struck it hard in the nose, sending the shattered bone up into the thing’s brain. The man slumped to the ground with a gurgling sound in his throat. +Another one came. I swung. The sickening sound of shattering skull seemed to reverberate throughout the air. I watched it tumble forward, and then brought my booted heel down hard on its head. +From a distance, ghouls staggered toward me in every direction. Their zombie moans made the hair on my neck prickle. “Remind me why I wanted to do this again,” I muttered. My brother didn’t answer. A zombie snapped at my boot like some kind of wild animal and bit me. Luckily, its teeth couldn’t penetrate leather. Or so I hoped. +A shot echoed in the crisp morning air, and the zombie suddenly let go of me. Its brains seemed to explode from its head, painting the grass in a fresh coat of gore. Nick fired four consecutive shots and took down the zombies closest to me, but others kept coming. +I jumped to my feet, scanning the grass for my weapon. A glint of light shone off to the left. I scrambled over and picked up the sledgehammer I’d dropped when the zombie had attacked me. +After three more shots cut through the silence, Nick yelled, “I’m out of ammo!” +My heart thundered against my ribs. I wanted to play action hero, but reality set in: I couldn’t do it on my own. We were outnumbered. “Nick!” I shouted. A zombie’s head flew off its skinny neck as Nick’s blade whacked through its throat. My heart almost burst through my chest as I watched a dozen zombies surround him. There was no doubt he was tough, but there was no way even he could take on so many at once. +The rotting lady in the red dress sneered and growled as she moved toward me. The left side of her face, from cheek to throat had been ripped away. I had nothing but my wits about me. Well, that and a wicked sledgehammer. The decomposing woman half staggered toward me. I took her down in one quick blow. +My fingers tightly wrapped around my weapon as one of those things growled behind me. I spun around. Black slime oozed from its mouth, and for a split second, I stared into its lifeless eyes. Moaning in a grotesque fashion, it inched closer to me, but I was ready. Before I even got a chance to swing, a loud crack sounded in the air, and the zombie collapsed in front of me. +I glanced at the house. Val stood just outside the door, a rifle tucked into her shoulder as she squeezed out one shot after another, taking down the rest of the undead army like some kind of female gunslinger. If Nick had ever doubted her being our sister, she had just proven his doubts wrong. Without hesitation, I started pounding skull after skull. +She smiled at me and then turned her attention to Nick, who looked stunned. +“Camouflage gear and combat boots?” she asked. “You’re military all the way, aren’t you?” +“You know it.” +“I figured as much.” +“Where did you find a rifle?” Nick asked. +“There’s a false wall in the bedroom closet. It’s loaded with guns and ammo.” +“That’s awesome!” I said. +Nick flashed his famous white smile. “You’re as resourceful as me.” +Val shrugged. “Well, what can I say? I’m the curious type.” +“That was a compliment,” Nick said, slapping her shoulder slightly, “because I’m pretty resourceful myself.” +A hue of red flushed across her cheeks. “Uh…okay. In that case, thanks.” +Never much one for giving out words of praise, Nick rubbed the back of his neck, slightly embarrassed. “Uh…I didn’t have too much time to look around. You were passed out, and I was worried for everyone’s safety with all those zombies around, and—” +Val grinned. “No need for explanations. We’re all on the same team. But if I were you, I’d go upstairs and get some more ammo for your gun.” She then reached down and threw me a handgun, which I caught in one swift move. +She regarded me from under lowered brows. “You know how to use one, right?” +“Yep,” I said. “I’ve been training at the shooting gallery for some time now.” +“Good.” +Nick put his gun away. “Thanks for saving our butts back there.” +Her blue eyes twinkled. “Hey, what are long-lost sisters for?” +We both smiled. +“It’s nice to finally meet you, Nicholas,” she continued. +“Please call me Nick. I-I don’t even know where to begin. I have so many questions. This entire thing has totally taken me by surprise.” +She grinned. +Nick ran up to her, hugged her tight, and spun her in a circle. “Dean told me a little, but not much.” +“We’ll catch up later, huh?” she asked. +He nodded, and then motioned around to the dead zombies on the ground. “I didn’t know I had such a tough sister.” +I laughed and joined in on the reunion. +Val held our hands as tears welled up in her eyes. “I’ve waited so long or this moment. I’ve met my biological parents, and now I’ve met both of my siblings. This is best day of my life! I couldn’t possibly let those monsters take that away from me.” +My brother tucked his gun away. “Girl, we crashed in the middle of Zombie Land.” +“It doesn’t matter. We’re together, and that’s all that counts.” +Even though it had barely been a day, I already loved her just as much as I loved Nick. I knew how important it was for us, a family, to stick together through thick and thin. I did have to wonder, however, if humanity would even survive the cruel plague of reanimated cannibals. It wouldn’t be easy, but deep down, I felt we’d somehow make it. We had too; failure was absolutely not an option. +“Hey, do you have that cure with you?” Val asked. “Now might be a good time to use it.” +She wanted to use it because she was slowly beginning to change; I could see that much in her eyes. I thought about how I could break the news and soften the blow, but it would be like trying to hit someone gently with a battle axe. “I do, but I can’t give it to you yet.” +Mistrust filled her voice. “Why not?” +I realized I’d have to tell her delicately, so she wouldn’t flip. +“You’re going to have to let the change occur first, become a zombie,” my brother chimed in. “I’m sorry, because it’s going to suck, but there’s no other choice. As much as I detest it, we’ll be there for you. When the time is right, I’ll give you the antidote.” +Val’s jaw dropped, and various emotions crossed her features, from dread to disbelief, then back to dread. +I elbowed my brother. “I was going to tell her in a nicer way than that,” I half-whispered. +“There’s no way to sugarcoat it, bro. She needs to know the truth.” +“But I…I can’t…I don’t want to turn into one of those things!” Val’s eyes brimmed with tears. +“It’s the only way,” I softly said, rubbing my hand up and down her back, which was about all I could do. As much as I wanted to help, I was helpless. I couldn’t even find the right words to soothe her, if soothing was even possible at that point. +I expected a fit or lots of crying. She did neither. She just spun around and headed toward the house, her long hair dangling behind her like a curtain. +“Wait!” I shouted, running after her. “Where’re you going?” +“I need to punch something, preferably a wall.” +I looked at Nick. “Yep, she definitely has our temper.” Of course, if I’d have been faced with the same dilemma, I’d probably have wanted to start punching holes in things too. +“C’mon,” Nick said. “Punching a wall will solve nothing. Trust me on that. I’ve only done it a million times. Some of the holes I’ve left aren’t pretty, and my knuckles weren’t either. Like I said, it accomplishes absolutely nothing.” +She stopped and turned slowly, her eyes ablaze. “Fine! Then I’m going to give those chicks you picked up a piece of my mind.” +“Geez. You should’ve just let her go hit the wall,” I mumbled. +She threw her hands up in the air. “You two left me in the hands of complete and utter idiots. Had I not woken up, we’d all be dead!” +I hated to admit it, but she was right. Even if the girls didn’t want to fight, they could’ve been our eyes and ears and let us know which way the zombies were coming from so we wouldn’t have had to worry about sneak attacks. Instead, they just hid inside the house after we risked our lives to help them find shelter. +“You’re angry at us,” Nick yelled, “not them. You’re mad at the way the cure works. I understand, because I’d be pissed, too, but you can’t take out your anger on them.” +“Who in the heck dresses fashionable in the middle of a zombie apocalypse anyway?” she said. “Look at me. I’m wearing blue jeans, a t-shirt, and some great running shoes to get me the heck out of Dodge should the need arise. Really, who are they trying to impress? You can’t turn on a freaking zombie, no matter how cute your outfit is!” +“Maybe they have a thing for Bob.” +“Bob?” +I pointed down at the dead zombie in the mechanic’s work suit. “At least that’s what his name tag says.” +She rolled her eyes, obviously not finding my joke very funny, and I really couldn’t blame her for being in a bad mood. We didn’t even know if the cure would work. If I was a nervous wreck myself, since the thought of losing my only sister scared me to death, I knew she had to be even more on edge. +“Those little fashionistas hid in the house like a couple of scared mice,” roared Val before she slammed the door, beyond pissed. +I certainly hoped those girls had found some weapons, because it seemed my sister’s wrath might be more fatal than any brain-devouring zombie. + + +Chapter 6 + +Nick and I hung outside for a few minutes, and I listened to his monologue as he went over our game plan. I tried to listen as closely as I could, but after a while, I couldn’t help but interrupt his train of thought. +“Those zombies looked like animated corpses, like something out of a horror movie. It’s just…unbelievable.” +“I think you’re still high from all that adrenaline. As you can see, it’s not all movie magic getup. It’s the real thing. We’re fighting against the living dead here.” +I shook my head, trying to comprehend his words. “They’re pretty easy to take down when they come at ya solo.” +“Like I said, never underestimate them. All it takes is one scratch or bite. We lost Martin from just one tiny prick from one of their nasty nails.” +I nodded, thinking back to the one guy everyone on our street liked, Martin. We had grown up together and gone to school together, where we’d been trained in combat, since that had become customary. I still couldn’t believe he was gone. “I know,” I said, eager to change the subject before my emotions got the better of me and I slumped into that depressing dump I always sank into when I thought of poor Martin. “That’s why I was freaking out when a zombie bit my boot.” +Nick’s eyes grew wide. “Why didn’t you tell me?” He knelt down and started examining my scuffed-up boots. +I pushed him away, a bit rougher than intended. “Hey, I’m fine. He didn’t get through.” +Nick stood. “You’re pretty lucky. Their teeth can cut right through leather.” +“Yeah…lucky.” +His gaze pierced mine. “Don’t ever let a zombie get that close to you ever again.” +I returned his glare, ready to stand my ground if need be. “It wasn’t like I planned it.” +“Yeah? Well, that’s what Martin said too,” Nick said dryly. +We had both been through so much personal loss: friends, comrades, and even Nick’s girlfriend Darla, whom he was forced to shoot. But while I liked to talk about things to unburden my heart from all the fear and guilt over being alive while others were dead, Nick insisted on bottling up his pain, which consequently grew stronger by the day. “I know Martin was your friend as well,” I said slowly. “You’ve been through a lot. I-I’m sorry I called you a monster back at the crash site. I guess I overreacted. I just couldn’t believe you’d want to kill our sister.” +He hesitated a moment before answering. I could see his emotions on his face, playing out like a film, right before my very eyes. He felt guilty, but at the same time he also felt it was his responsibility to take on the lion’s share of work. “It’s okay. I’ve never claimed there isn’t any blood on my hands. I’m probably everything you said and more, but it’s what I’ve had to do to stay alive and defend the city…to survive.” +I cocked a brow. “We’re cool then?” I asked, knowing we’d just about reached our limit of sentimental, emotional talk. +He gave me a fist bump. “Yup, little brother. Cool as ice.” +As we took a quick walk around the house, I noticed two four-by-four Jeep Wranglers in the back yard. “They’re perfect! I love Jeeps, man. It’s the perfect go-anywhere, do-anything vehicle.” +“No off-roading, Dean,” Nick said. “We don’t want to give the zombies an advantage over us. We stay on open, paved roads. Got it?” +I nodded. +My brother’s gaze darted toward the house. “The first thing we need to do is see if anyone lives here. We’re all fighting to survive out here, and we have to learn to respect each other, so no stealing. If the owner has abandoned this place or is, uh…gone, then the trucks are up for grabs.” +On first glance, the house had looked abandoned to me. I felt confident that we’d soon have ourselves a set of wheels as I swung the door open. I knew the place had to be unoccupied because dust was caked on the furniture and mirrors. The fireplace wasn’t stocked with wood and was ice cold to the touch. The living room was spacious and furnished in ugly yellows, antique furniture, oak floors, and cream-colored walls. A mirror hung over two large yellow sofas. I listened to Val going off on the gals and had absolutely no doubt she was my sister; she acted exactly like Nick—and maybe a little like me too. +Claire ignored Val and kept playing a simple tune on an ebony grand piano sitting in the corner of the room. +“You’re a natural,” I said. +She closed the lid of the piano as tears welled up in her eyes. “I know now isn’t the right time to be playing. I just couldn’t help myself. That was the last song my mom and I played before we got separated.” +“I’m sorry,” I said softly, hoping the words would convey just how much I meant them. +She walked away, and my gaze drifted over to the spiral staircase that led up to the second-floor balcony, which stretched across the room with a glass railing. I glanced around for Jackie, who was sitting on the sofa, sipping on a can of Pepsi. My eyes roamed over her perfect body. I knew Val hated her outfit, but it sure showed off her incredible curves and long, pretty legs. I was mesmerized. +Val stared at me for a while, her mouth pressed into a thin line. For a moment, I thought she wanted to say something, but then she just shook her head, as though she found it a hopeless cause to share what was on her mind. She turned her back on me, hesitating, then poured bottled water over a towel and handed it to me. “Clean that thing off! And don’t think I didn’t notice your drooling.” She pointed down at my sledgehammer. +I wasn’t sure whether she meant I should clean it or that she thought she’d seen me drooling over it. My gaze wandered from the damp towel to the sledgehammer, and a smile crossed my lips. “I didn’t realize a sledgehammer could be so sexy,” I said. +She rolled her eyes. “I’m pretty sure you know what I meant.” +“Thanks. I know you mean well.” With a nod from her, I started to clean all the zombie guts off the hammer. +Val had calmed down some, but I could tell my sister’s theatrics weren’t over. “When did you have time to change that dress of yours?” she asked Claire, her voice sweet as honey. “While I was out there saving our butts?” +“It was bloody!” she yelled back with mock disgust. +“If all you care about is looking cute, you’ll never survive out here! How far do you think you’ll get in flimsy sandals?” +Jackie cut in, “Hey, if we’d have known zombies were about to break in and we’d end up running for our lives, trust me, we would’ve chosen other shoes.” +Val set her bottled water down on the coffee table. “If you’re going to hang with us, you darn well better get yourself a decent pair of tennis shoes…and next time, you better have my back.” +“We will,” Jackie said. “We’ll go find some jeans and better shoes upstairs. I think I saw some close to our size.” +“Why do I smell perfume?” Nick asked. +Val motioned to the girls. “These geniuses found a bottle upstairs and slathered themselves with it.” +“We were trying to get the smell of blood out of our hair and clothes!” Claire whispered, the telltale hue of red covering her cheeks. “We’ve been through a lot, so please, can you just…?” Her voice trailed off insecurely. +I regarded her intently. The way her gaze shifted across the floor uncomfortably told me she knew she should’ve been out there helping us instead of cleaning up, but either she couldn’t help herself or it was her way of dealing with the prospect of an untimely death. Who can blame her? +Val looked at me and shrugged. “Can you believe these girls? How are they still alive? I’ll tell ya. They’ve been riding everyone’s coattails and—” +“Val, that’s enough,” Nick said as he sipped on a can of warm Pepsi from the pantry. “These girls have lost people they’ve cared about. They’re in shock and doing the best they can. Besides, they’re the least of our worries right now. Let’s scavenge the house for supplies.” +I nodded. “Yeah, let’s look for any possible weapons, canned food, bottled water, and medical supplies,” I suggested, knowing Val’s dressing needed to be changed as soon as possible. +“You guys are right.” Val stood and walked over to the glass wall. “There’re Jeeps outside. Whoever lived here might’ve tried to make it out alive, but they obviously didn’t, which explains why the place is deserted. Let’s load the Jeeps up with survival gear and get our butts on the road before the same fate befalls us.” +“We need to hurry, people,” Nick said. “Lingering in this fancy glass house makes us sitting ducks. The only way to stay safe is to keep moving.” +Claire suddenly cleared her throat. “Why can’t we all just stay here? You killed the zombies who were chasing us.” +Val shot her an irritated look. “You’re crazy! You might think you’re safe in here, but you’re not. You can do whatever you want, but we’re not staying here. Come with us if you want, or stay here and play dress-up and die.” +“What makes you such an expert? After what we’ve seen out there, you couldn’t pay me to come with you, and surely not if you keep being bossy.” + “Bossy? Me?” Val looked at me like she was shocked to be called such a name. “Am I bossy?” +I bit my lip. “Uh…well—” +“Well?” +“Maybe just a tad.” +Val blew out a breath and turned back toward Claire. “Trust me, the feelings are mutual. I’ll drop you off in a heartbeat at the first safe place we find.” +Claire tossed her long red hair over her shoulder. “I’m not hitching up with a new group. I’ve been there, done that. The last one couldn’t protect us, and I doubt you can either. My new game plan is just to stay here.” She nudged Jackie’s arm. “This is a great hiding place, right?” +Before Jackie could answer, Val cut in. “Suit yourself. It’s your funeral. But we’re outta here, right, guys?” +Nick carried a case of bottled water. “Definitely. Staying here is like signing your own death certificate, especially with these glass walls. Besides, you girls don’t even know how to defend yourselves.” +“I packed up all the guns, but I left two out for Claire and Jackie,” Val said, pointing to the fireplace mantel. “I also put a bunch of holsters on the table for everyone. Well, I think Nick has his own. But anyway, give Claire and Jackie one, and while you’re at it, maybe you should give them some pointers.” +Claire rolled her eyes. “I’m really not into violence.” +“I don’t care what you’re into. It’s all about survival now,” Val said. “’Cause those things will tear you apart. They’ll munch on your flesh—gnawing, biting, and chewing—all while you’re still alive watching.” +Jackie threw a couch pillow at Val. “C’mon! That’s gross!” +Val placed her hands on her hips. “No, that’s reality. You better get hip with the times, ‘cause we’re living in a post-apocalyptic world now. This isn’t some pretty world filled with colorful daffodils and butterflies. It’s do or die.” +“Does your sister think she’s Lara Croft or something?” Claire asked. +“We’re giving you some guns,” Val said, turning to face her. +She shook her head. “No!” +Val met her gaze straight on. “Yes. You have the right to defend yourself! If a zombie crosses that line, you’re gonna need an equalizer.” +Claire rolled her eyes as Val continued. +“Now, we’re gonna give you a quick lesson, Glock 101.” Val picked up a pistol and handed it to the stubborn girl. “Take it! I’m not leaving you here defenseless, Princess.” +“Well, I’m not going to let you teach me anything,” Claire hissed. +Val motioned toward Nick and me. “Fine. We’ve got two capable guys here. Pick one to coach you. Let me tell you something, Little Miss Thing, zombies don’t discriminate, and they’ll…” +I tuned her out, glanced at the sunset, and picked up a Glock 26 Gen4 from the mantel for Jackie. She squeezed past Claire, making her way out into the hall. Through the open door, I watched her enter the kitchen. It was the perfect opportunity to have a minute alone with her. +“They need to take a gun and know how to use it. Best-case scenario, they’ll smarten up and come with us. Try to talk some sense into her, Dean,” my brother said. “I’ll work on Claire.” +Claire stepped toward him. “Hey! I’m right here you know! Quit talking about me like I’m not even in the room.” +“Claire…” he began as I walked out of the living room. +I needed to convince Jackie somehow to leave with us, but if she refused, I still wanted her to have a weapon so she could take down any of those undead freaks who ventured near the house. I knew we couldn’t actually fire off bullets without attracting every zombie within miles, but I needed to teach her the basics. I found her standing near the kitchen counter, her arms pressed against the smooth Formica, her forehead creased with fine lines from anger and worry. +Her eyes lit up the second I walked in, and her forehead smoothed, as though all her worries disappeared the moment she saw me. “Hey,” she said. +“Hey.” +She held my gaze. “What’s up?” +“Can I talk to you for a minute?” I asked. +“I’m not so sure your girlfriend would like that. She might kick my butt and feed it to the zombies.” +“Val’s not my girlfriend,” I said. +“Your brother’s?” +“Nope. She’s our sister.” +“I didn’t know that, Dean,” she whispered. “What do you have there?” she asked, looking down at my hands. +“If you’re going to stay here—which I still don’t think you should—you’re gonna need this.” I handed her the gun. +She bit her lip and ran a hand across the smooth chrome. “Dean, I can’t—” +“Humor me.” +She nodded. +“Okay, first rule,” I said. “Never place your finger on the trigger unless you’re about to fire. Pretend the gun is loaded at all times.” I took out the magazine and unloaded the gun. Then I showed her how to properly hold the Glock pistol and lock her arms. +Jackie’s trembling hands reached for the gun. She wrapped her palm around the grip and secured her hold with her other hand. “It’s empty, right?” +“Yes, but it shouldn’t be. A zombie can come at any given minute. Always be prepared.” +She slammed the magazine in with shaking hands. Cocking the slide back, she successfully chambered a round. She slowly raised the gun and put her finger on the trigger. “I watched those things tear apart a sixty-five-year-old woman right before my eyes.” Tears welled up in her eyes. “She was in our group…my friend.” +I softly touched her back. “Jackie, I’m so sorry.” +“I couldn’t do anything to help her. Maybe if I’d have had a gun like this, I could’ve done something.” She inhaled and let it out slowly. “Your sister’s right. I don’t want to watch a zombie munch on me while I’m still alive, screaming, and I don’t want to watch another friend die in front of me. I’ll give this gun thing a try.” +“That’s all I’m asking.” +She gripped the gun tightly and pointed straight ahead at the fridge. “You know what?” +“What?” +“The next zombie I meet will die.” +I didn’t want to point out the irony of her words: Technically, they were dead meat already, but I got her point anyway. She wanted them “dead” as in unmoving, shapeless heaps. We all wanted the same thing. I knew she meant every word because the pain was evident in her voice. I couldn’t imagine losing the ones I loved in such a horrible way. “I’m so sorry for your loss,” I said. +“She’s in a better place, and so are the others. Bless their souls.” She paused for a moment and then met my gaze. “Teach me, Dean. I want to learn everything. From this moment on, I refuse to run anymore.” +I came from behind and held her arms. I couldn’t help noticing her perfume, which smelled so good. “Stand facing the target with your feet shoulder-width apart.” +She glanced at me. +I smiled. “Now bend your knees slightly.” I inched closer and said in her ear, “Extend the handgun toward the target, keeping your arms straight and locked. Got it?” +“Yeah.” +I shot her a grin and continued with the lesson. “Okay. Now, with your shoulders squared, your arms form the perfect position for shooting.” +“I can do this,” she said with confidence. +“Hold the gun on target,” I said in her ear. “If it’s a zombie, aim for the brain and shoot. It’s the only way to kill it. If that’s not comfortable for you, I can teach you another way to hold the gun.” +“Show me.” +I nodded. “Okay. Stand like you’re ready to hit someone.” +“Like a boxer?” +“Exactly. Now, angle your support arm shoulder toward your target.” My hands moved across her body to help guide her. +“Okay.” Her contours smoothed under my touch as she followed my instructions. +“Bend your knees while keeping your body weight slightly forward. Grasp the gun using opposite pressure with both hands. Keep both elbows bent, with your support elbow pointing downward.” +She spun around. “I think I can do this.” +My eyes drifted down to her flat, toned stomach. I could have sworn she caught me looking at her belly ring, but I tried to change the subject quickly. “Look, I’ve given you some really good pointers, but I’m afraid it’s still not enough to survive out here. Why don’t you come with us?” +She set her bottle down. “Why?” +“Because it’s dangerous. You know you can’t stay here.” +She let out a long breath. “Claire’s right. Getting together with another group won’t guarantee our safety. You could stay here with us.” +“There’s safety in numbers, and staying here is crazy,” I said. +“You don’t think we can make it on our own?” she asked. +“Not without concrete walls and an army.” +“Do you think we could just stay for the night? I know Claire will see things differently in the morning, and so will I. We’re just so tired after everything we’ve been through.” +Nick peeked his head in. “Absolutely not! This place isn’t safe. We need to get some supplies and load them and our butts in those Jeeps.” He grabbed my shoulder. “Get moving now!” + + +Chapter 7 + +Val, Nick, and I quickly loaded up the two Jeeps with bottled water, a case of Pepsi, and canned food we found in the pantry. I also packed the black bag holding the precious vials. I started up both Jeeps; they ran great. Val found a few red plastic gas cans in the garage next to the lawnmower, which was great; we didn’t want to stop anywhere if we didn’t have to. It would be wise to get a head start, with nothing to slow us down. +We were all set to go, but my heart sank. I couldn’t imagine leaving Claire and Jackie to their fates. I just hoped I could convince them to change their minds—especially Jackie, who I was really taking a liking to. Nick gave me ten more minutes to try and convince her to go with us. I found her in the humongous master bedroom on the bottom floor. What made the room really neat was that it extended from the house with three glass walls and a glass roof. “Hey,” I said, noticing she had cleaned up and changed into new clothes. They were a size too big, but they were much more practical than what she’d been wearing earlier. I was sure Val would be impressed with her blue jeans, white t-shirt, and black tennis shoes. She’d also put her hair up in a long ponytail. “We’re getting ready to leave, but I wanted to talk to you first.” +“Don’t worry. I’ve got the gun you gave me.” Jackie glanced out through the spacious glass wall, watching as the setting sun flooded the sky with brilliant colors. She placed her hand on the clear glass. “It’s so beautiful, isn’t it?” +“Yep. Something like that could even fool you into thinking the world hasn’t gone to hell in a hand basket.” +She frowned and sat down on the bed. “I was trying to block all that out, if only for a minute.” +I sat next to her. “This is a cool bedroom. It’s kind of like a glass cube.” +She glanced up. “Yeah. I bet it’s neat to see the stars shining at night.” +I stared at her black hair with blonde streaks. It was striking, original, and beyond cute. I loved her bold look. “So, what’s your story?” I asked. +“My story?” +“Yup. Everyone’s got one, right?” +“Right, but I guess right now I’m only concerned about the ending.” She sighed. “I just want to live another day. Tell me, Dean, is it really possible to survive in such a hostile, undead world?” +“Yes, and that said, I have to make one last-ditch effort to try and convince you to change your mind and come with us. We’re leaving in a few minutes.” +She continued to stare off into the sunset. “Give it your best shot.” +“Jackie, there are plenty of cities out there that are still safe, like the island in Ohio where Nick and I live. I’ve been there since the outbreak, with no problems. The zombies aren’t immortal beings. They can’t bust through brick walls or get through our military. We have machineguns, bombs, and all kinds of ways to stay safe. Supplies are flown in every day to help people survive the battle.” +She met my gaze. “If it was so great, so safe, then why’d you leave?” +“I didn’t—not on purpose anyway. Our helicopter crashed on a trip for make-believe supplies.” +She cocked a curious brow. +I continued, “I know it sounds weird, but it’s a long story. I can tell you all about it on our road trip.” I was pretty cocky and certain she’d change her mind and come with us. By the twinkle in her eye, I could tell she liked me, at least a little. +“I’m sorry you crashed.” +“It was what it was,” I said. “I can’t cry about it now. I need to stay focused and keep moving.” +“Can we ever defeat these things? I mean, do you think our lives will ever be normal again?” +I reached for her hand. “Yes, I believe we will prevail. Zombies will die off, and eventually their bodies will rot away. All we have to do is outlive the infected. Yes, there are overwhelming odds stacked against us, but we can do this. I believe with all my heart that humanity can overcome anything, as long as we don’t lose hope.” +“So you’re heading to a safe haven, one of the walled cities?” +“Yes. We can hold out in the fortresses created around the United States. Zombies will run out of food and die, and we’ll get our world back. We just need a little time.” +She nodded. “You make a good point.” +“Then come with us. I’m sure Claire will cave once she sees you’re serious about leaving.” +A thump on the window drew my attention. +Jackie jumped. “What was that?” +I turned and couldn’t believe my eyes. A zombie with rotting flesh and oozing eyeballs was hitting his head against the glass. He shot me a stone-cold, glazed-over look that said in not so many words, “I want your brains…now!” The stupid thing seemed stumped as to why he couldn’t pass through the transparent glass wall. +Speechless, Jackie pointed to the other glass walls. +I gasped. Crap. Another one stared me straight in the eyes. This one looked like a raccoon, with blackened skin around her eyes; she definitely had that I-just-got-out-of-the-grave look about her. The dead seemed to be coming out of the woodwork like cockroaches, multiplying before our very eyes. Our beautiful view of the sunset had turned into a grotesque nightmare. +I stood, but my sudden movement made them moan and groan even louder. Decaying human hands pounded on the glass walls from all three sides of the bedroom, and my heart raced. Brain-hungry walking corpses staggered around with white, sunken eyes and green, mottled skin. It was downright disturbing. I sucked in a deep gulp of air. +The glass shook, and I wondered if it would shatter. I gasped as bloody handprints streaked across the glass. Windows are notoriously easy to break, but I wondered how well a glass wall would hold up. I sure didn’t want to find out. +I backed up slowly, focusing on the zombie who was making the most fuss. Even though he had decayed hands with exposed tendons, he still kept pounding. I cringed at his blue-green veins and the open flesh wounds on his forehead, cheeks, and neck. Through a tear in his shirt, I noticed an exposed ribcage with decaying flesh hanging off of it in grotesque shreds. The right pant leg was also torn to reveal a long white femur. Even a famous horror writer couldn’t have invented anything as horrible as the very real monster I was staring at. +“Let’s go!” Jackie said, grabbing my shoulder. +“Nick!” I yelled. “We’ve got to go…NOW!” + + +Chapter 8 + +With the orange light of the setting sun as a backdrop, the zombie looked like a creature out of a horror movie. His decaying palms pressed against the smooth surface of the glass wall, and his open mouth dripped with spit and blood as his dead gaze focused on me, making me flinch. For a whole second, I could barely breathe, let alone form a coherent thought in my head, and then it dawned on me that we had to get the heck away from there. +I grabbed Jackie’s hand and headed down the hallway, calling as loudly as my lungs would allow, “Nick! Val! There’s a pack of zombies out there. We need to get going now!” +Our feet pounded the hardwood floor as we passed the hall and rounded the corner into the living room. The door stood ajar, as though no one had bothered to close it behind them. I yanked it open and stopped in my tracks when I took in the two towering guys resembling wild mountain men with their unkempt appearance, greasy hair, and long, thick beards. +“Going somewhere?” one asked. +“What the heck?” I took a step back, unsure whether they were friends or foe. They didn’t look like zombies, but for all I knew, they could’ve been bitten and might turn on us any minute. Even if they weren’t part of the undead army yet, they could have still wanted our food and weapons. “Who are you? How did you get in here?” My grip tightened around Jackie’s hand as I pushed my body forward to form a shield between her and the wildlings. If they wanted her, they’d have to force their way past me first—not that I could have been much of a safeguard against a pair like that, but I hoped I could at least buy her a few seconds to get away. +The one in the red checkered shirt raised his hand and waved his rifle at Jackie and me. “You two with them?” He pointed behind him, toward my brother and Val, who were lying on the ground, their mouths pressed in a grim line that didn’t leave me much hope. With Nick holding the back of his head and Val’s bloody lip, I knew they’d been attacked and put up a good fight. The wildlings were clearly after our food and weapons. Whether they’d leave us alive or not wouldn’t make much difference with the zombies out there, ready to burst in any minute. +I took a deep breath, and then a step forward while pushing Jackie behind me. “Look, mister, there’re zombies out back! We’ve got to get outta here now!” +The other wildman regarded me for a second, probably considering my words and trying to read my expression, to see if I was telling the truth. He patted Jackie and me down and took our guns. +“You don’t trust me?” I spat through gritted teeth. “I wouldn’t either in your situation, but if I am telling the truth—which I am—we’re all dead. Go and see for yourself.” +The red checkered shirt guy motioned the other forward and then aimed his gun a bit higher, right at my face. I didn’t even flinch as I watched his companion walk past. The mountain man then forced me and Jackie to stand next to the others. A few seconds ticked by before his friend returned, his face a pale mask of horror. I saw his faint nod, and then the red checkered guy lowered his weapon. “We’re gonna have to work together if we wanna make it out alive.” +I nodded and heaved a big breath. “Give us back our weapons,” I said, pointing at my brother and the girls. “We won’t be of much help if we can’t shoot.” +The red checkered guy nodded and held out his hand. “I’m Earl, and that’s my friend Tahoe, like the lake.” +I ignored him as I walked past. We had to work together to get out of this mess, but I had no doubt the hillbilly twins would happily shoot our heads off and take all our food and supplies once the zombies were properly dispatched. +“I’m Nick,” my brother said. “That’s Dean, Val, Jackie, and Claire. Give us back our weapons…now!” +Tuning them out, I headed for the side door, pulling Jackie with me. I wanted to see if the zombies were starting to come around to the front of the house. Unfortunately, we didn’t get far before a flat, metallic click warned me of danger. I turned on my heel slowly, my gaze focusing on Earl’s rifle, which was now pointed at me again. +“Stop, or I’ll shoot you both dead in your tracks.” +My automatic response was to touch my holster, but then I remembered that Tahoe had disarmed me, so I remained frozen to the spot. “I figured that much,” I said dryly. “But I thought you said we need to work together.” +“We were just trying to get a position on the zombies,” Jackie said. “Do you think we’d leave our friends behind?” +My gaze became harder and colder, signaling I wasn’t scared of him. +Earl narrowed his gaze. “We are working together. You help me ward off any zombie attack, and I’ll spare your lives…for the time being. Sure sounds like cooperation to me.” +“Right. Sounds like a great deal…for you.” I snorted. “What makes you think we’ll have your back the moment those zombies barge in here?” +“What makes you think they’ll barge in here at all?” Tahoe said, speaking for the first time. +For some reason, the younger gruff one seemed to feel safe, as if the zombies were no threat and couldn’t possibly get inside the glass house. I wasn’t sure why. It wasn’t a military fortress. I marveled how young he seemed. On closer inspection, I realized beneath the facial hair hid a wrinkle-free face. +He stepped closer as he stared at us. “You have yet to answer my question. What are you all doing in our house?” +Val picked up a family portrait and ran a finger across the dust. “Funny. You don’t look like these happy people, and pictures like these are plastered all around the house.” +Earl’s mouth twitched at the corners, as though her sarcasm amused him. “They’re all dead. Zombies got ‘em. So we figure since they don’t need the place anymore, and we were the first ones to get our hands on it, it’s our house now—at least as of two days ago.” +His eyes sparkled, making me wonder as to the validity of his story. Did zombies really get the poor inhabitants, or was it these two? I bit my tongue hard so I wouldn’t comment and risk their wrath. After all, they were still the only ones holding weapons. +“We’re not monsters,” Tahoe said, reading my disgusted expression. “We didn’t kill ‘em. They were dead long before we arrived. Can’t you tell from all the dust in this place? Nobody has been here for ages.” +He had a valid point, and I hoped they weren’t murderers. Just because they didn’t kill the inhabitants of the house didn’t mean they wouldn’t kill us. +“Fine. You’ve claimed the house,” Val chimed in. “Just let us go, and we’ll be on our merry way. You can have your home sweet home all to yourselves.” Of course she forgot to mention the part about us loading up all their food and water in their vehicles. + +“Sure. You’re welcome to go, as soon as the zombie threat is over,” Tahoe said. “Don’t worry. We got four strong men here. Besides, they’ll never break in.” +I was almost inclined to believe him when a loud thud echoed through the room, startling us. Urban legends about zombies touted their slow reaction time and their inability to form coherent plans, but they were just that: legends. No one knew for sure whether they still had any morsel of humanity in them. For all we knew, their brains retained some ability for reasoning and possibly for their own survival. If they did, which was pretty obvious from their attempts to get in, then we were screwed; it would only be a matter of time before they would double and triple their efforts and succeed. +“We have to go, even if it’s on foot,” Nick said with a glance toward the hall. “Trapping ourselves in this house is suicide. I don’t know about you, but we’re leaving.” +“And going where?” Claire yelled. “Zombies will rip us to shreds!” +Nick shrugged and shot her a hard look. “I don’t care. I’d rather die trying than to sit around in here doing nothing.” +“I’m sorry, Claire, but I’m with him. The faster, the better,” Jackie whispered. +For a second, I felt like hugging her. I was so proud of her for standing up for herself, even if it meant defying her cousin’s wishes. +“You don’t know anything for sure,” Claire said. “None of you do. Maybe we should hole up here until those things leave. They’ll get bored and go eventually, and we can leave in a few hours, once the coast is clear.” +Jackie shook her shoulder. “No, Claire. Waiting is a horrible idea!” +“You’re safe here,” Tahoe said. “There are a lot of them, but they can’t bust through these walls. And like Claire said, they’ll get bored after a bit and move on for easier prey. I’ve seen it a million times before.” +“I agree,” Earl said. “It’s best to hide out here until they leave. It’s stupid to engage them, but if they break in, of course we’ll fight with everything we have.” Earl shot me a look. “You owe me for saving your lives.” +“What?” I asked. “If you would’ve let us leave, we would have been long gone already.” +Earl gave me a cocky grin. “Wrong, my boy. What you’d be is dead. I’m offering you protection here, and when this is all over and done, I expect to be paid for it.” +“Paid? With what? We don’t have any money,” Claire said. “We only came with the shirts on our backs.” +Earl smirked. “Who said anything about money? I just want one of you cute gals to keep me company tonight. Is that so much to ask for the price of saving your lives?” +Nick’s hands balled into fists. The vein on his forehead throbbed so hard that I prayed he wouldn’t do something stupid, like try to hit the guy. Fortunately, he either came to his senses on his own or the rifle pointed at his face made him reconsider. +I grabbed my brother’s arm, just in case, and hissed, “Don’t let him rile you up. We gotta leave with our heads still attached to our shoulders.” +Claire scowled at Earl. “Our lives are on the line! How can you blackmail us like this?” +“Mmm. Feisty. And I love redheads.” Earl looked her up and down, then inched closer. “I bet we could have a lot of fun, you and me.” +“You’re sick!” Val shouted but didn’t inch closer. +I glared at Earl. The man was a disgusting sleaze ball and an absolute idiot. Zombies were literally knocking down our doors, but all he could think about was bedding down with a helpless girl. Maybe we can find a car in town, I considered. Zombies were prowling out back, but I was willing to take my chances if it meant keeping all three of the girls as far away from Grizzly Adams as we could. +Nick straightened his stance. “No deal, jerk! Move out of my way because we’re leaving.” +“Fine. You boys can go,” Earl said. +“We boys?” +“Yep, but we’re keeping the women. You owe us for all the dead corpses I’ll have to clean up in the front yard tomorrow morning.” +Jackie gasped. +“What do you need us for, huh?” Val spat. “Let me tell you, mister, if you come anywhere near me, I’ll bite just as hard as those zombies will. You might lose something really valuable if you go waving it around at me!” +Tahoe cleared his throat, as if he was trying to stifle a laugh. +Val took a step toward him, her eyes darting in my direction, signaling something. She was trying to get their attention so we could devise a plan. +Nick must’ve realized it, too, because he nudged Claire. “You still got that stun gun?” he whispered. +She nodded, wide-eyed, and touched her pocket. +Nick bobbed his head slightly. “Good. On the count of three, stun Earl while Dean and I tackle the other guy. Then stun him too.” +“And then we run,” Jackie said. +I moistened my lips and signaled that I was ready. +Claire wrapped her fingers around the stun gun just as the zombies from the back of the house moved onto the front lawn. They were shuffling everywhere. The scratch of their cracked, yellowed nails raked against the glass. There were so many that I had no idea how we’d get past them without being attacked. We had lost our precious opportunity, thanks to Earl and Tahoe. +Nick grabbed Claire’s arm and whispered into her ear, “Wait! Hold off. The house is surrounded now. There’s no way can we just walk out the front door.” He glanced at me. “If zombies break in, we’ll need the mountain men to help us fight them off.” +I nodded, and Claire slipped her stun gun into her pocket. Our plan was ruined, and it was too late for us to make an escape. We all knew we should have run the second we saw the zombies entering the back yard, but the two sasquatches had foiled that little plan. We could’ve been in the Jeeps, long gone before the zombies had come around to the front of the house, but that chance had slipped away. Now Nick was right: We needed the mountain men conscious so they could help us battle the undead. On our own, we might not make it out alive. +“What the…” Earl said, locking the door. “We’ve never had to fight this many before.” +“I tried to tell you!” Jackie said. +Earl rubbed his chin. “I thought there might be a group of them running around, but I never would have imagined anything like this…and it’s all your fault!” +“What!?” Val screamed, furious. +“That’s right. Y’all brought them here to my doorstep! Look at all those corpses in my front yard. I bet you idiots used a gun, attracting them from everywhere!” +The banging and scratching sounds made my stomach churn. Twigs snapped under their rotting feet as they shuffled around the place, hammering against the glass in various locations with various body parts. Something began to shatter, and for a moment, I wasn’t sure whether the sound was coming from the walls or the door. I even heard muffled footsteps somewhere at the back of the house, or maybe it was the basement. They were fighting their way in, and that meant only one thing: We had to fight our way out, and the front door was out of the question. +Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a zombie licking and clawing at the glass in front of me. His decomposed face with black and brown muscle wrinkling over the skull stared at me as though he had already chosen his main course for the evening. I didn’t want to be trapped while those monsters fought their way in, but just walking out there and hoping for the best wouldn’t work either. I looked out the glass wall of the living room and saw zombies dotting the entire front yard. Earl’s right. I bet the gunshots we fired off earlier attracted the herd. We’ll have to be way more careful next time…if there is a next time. The dead army surrounded the entire house, like some kind of scene straight out of Night of the Living Dead. The only thing that kept us safe from them for the time being was a towering sheet of glass. I shuddered and vowed to never set foot inside a glass house again; that was one nightmare I wouldn’t soon forget. “I need a weapon!” I shouted. +Earl thrust my gun into my waiting hands, then handed Nick and Jackie their weapons. +“Hey, girl, catch! You look like you know how to use this,” Tahoe called out a moment before he tossed Val a rifle. +My sister caught the gun in midair and wore a proud smile. +My rifle was already packed in the Jeep, but I still had my handgun. My grip tightened around it, even though I doubted it’d do any good against an entire herd of zombies. +A crack echoed in the air a moment before the door splintered and the hinges burst. I froze in place as countless zombies fought with each other to get first pick. + + +Chapter 9 + +The penetrating howling noise outside the house grew to ear-splitting levels. My finger found the trigger of my weapon as my gaze steadied on the door. Recklessly determined to sooth their constant hunger, I knew the zombies would find a way in. The fact that we were having such a near encounter with so many in such a confined space wasn’t exactly confidence-boosting, but I vowed to fight until my last breath. +My gaze focused on the door a moment before it splintered open from the weight of countless zombies leaning and pushing against it. Some of them fell headfirst on the floor, gnawing and thrashing. Horrible odors of rotting flesh seeped into my nose, making me want to bend over and puke my guts out. Their unearthly moans echoed in the air, and I shivered at the thought of them tearing through my flesh, devouring me little by little. +I waved my arm, beckoning the others to follow me upstairs. “C’mon! This way!” My voice reverberated from the walls, but it didn’t quite manage to drown out the zombies’ hungry calls. +Without waiting for an answer from the others, I bolted up the spiral staircase, jumping two steps at a time, faster and faster. My boot glided on the smooth surface, and I tripped. Crap! This is not the time to panic and lose your cool or your balance, Dean! I scrambled to my feet but stumbled again, nearly losing my grip. As I hung on to the railing, I peered down. No flipping way! The door had been broken in completely, but the opening was too narrow to fit them all through. The zombies who had managed to squeeze in had gathered in front of the doorway in a messy heap, pushing and pulling and attempting to get up, while the ones coming from behind kept tripping, making any ascent impossible. I gawked at the way they had buried themselves, thankful for the tiny distraction that might just buy us a few minutes to get upstairs and find the safest room. +“Come on, boy! Move!” Earl yelled. “You’re in my way. If you don’t move your butt, I’ll personally shove you down there to get acquainted with those things.” +I didn’t need to see his face to know he meant every word he said. The edge in his voice betrayed his sincerity. So, my legs rose under me as I pushed up the stairs, focusing on my feet so I wouldn’t trip again. +The moment I reached the top step, Earl jammed his elbow into my stomach, making me double over, then made room for Tahoe to hurry past. “Blow the staircase up, Tahoe!” he yelled. +“Blow it up?” I asked. “With what?” +“Don’t you worry about that!” Earl said. +Tahoe motioned to his friend, then they took off down the hall and disappeared through one of the doors I hadn’t inspected before. +My brother raced past me, shouting over his shoulder, “Dean! Come on, man! Don’t just stand there! Move it!” +“Coming!” I yelled, taking off after him. By the time I reached him, Nick was already pushing a large oak dresser toward the door, leaving scuff marks across the shiny wooden floor. “What are you doing?” I asked, stopping in my tracks. +“Help me roll this thing down the stairs,” he said. +“Why bother? I thought we were gonna lock ourselves in a room and then climb out the window.” I peered at him from under raised brows. Granted, my grand plan seemed a lot more fascinating inside my head, before I spoke it out loud, but it still wasn’t as bad as the expression on his face made it seem. +“Right. We’re just gonna let those things slither up the stairs after us while we pick a random room, lock ourselves in, hear them bang on the door, and then jump out the window to the million zombies waiting for us below? Sorry, bro, but that’s a dumb plan. We’ll be even more trapped and screwed than we are now.” +“I didn’t think of that,” I said, but he was right. Creating a blockade gave us extra time to find the perfect window to jump from. It would also help us save ammo, since we’d be out of bullets in no time. Our piddly little arsenal was no match for the number of zombies waiting to devour us. +“Come on, Dean,” Nick said, unable to suppress a tiny sneer. “We don’t have time for discussing it. Just trust me and do what I say.” With that, he dashed past and turned his back on me, signaling the conversation was over. +We hauled the heavy dresser to the top of the landing, and then I kicked it until it tumbled down the stairs. It crashed into some zombies on the way down, knocking them to the ground like bowling pins. When I turned around, the girls were sliding a fancy antique couch toward me. With a last heave, I pushed it down the stairs toward a zombie who was heading toward us. I let out a few choice words. Of course it wasn’t the most mature thing I could have done in front of Jackie, but I couldn’t help myself. The adrenaline running through my veins was making me say things I wouldn’t usually say. Besides, every single triumph—no matter how tiny it was—counted when death was lurking savagely around the corner in the vacant eyes and slimy mouths of those things. +Val had dragged an enormous chest of drawers to the top of the stairs. Jackie and Claire began slipping out the drawers and throwing them down on the zombies, hitting them on their heads. Finally, the two girls gave the furniture a final shove, and it flew down, taking out a couple more of the hissing creatures. Nick threw a box spring, followed by a mattress tossed by Val. Our furniture onslaught wouldn’t last forever, but we hoped it would grant us enough time to find a spot where we could safely jump from a window into a smaller crowd of zombies that we could fight off. +“Watch out!” Earl called from behind. I moved out of his way as he lit up a stick of dynamite and threw it down the stairs. +I watched the fire eat through the cord, slowly but steadily flying through the air in what seemed like slow motion. It all happened so fast, yet I felt as though a million years must have passed. +“Get down!” Earl yelled as it landed with a dull thud with uncanny precision, right in the middle of the gathered zombie herd. +I ducked and threw my body over Jackie and Claire as a loud boom echoed in my ears and smoke swirled all around me. Raising my head, I coughed and peered through the blanket of fire at the gap between the upper and the lower levels of the house. The stairs had evaporated into a huge mess of wooden splinters, interspersed with blood and gore. My stomach protested at the sight, but I didn’t have time to digest the image because the next wave of zombies was already gushing in. +I peeked over the banister. There was absolutely nothing left of the stairs, so our only way back down was gone. I didn’t know whether to feel relieved or pissed off that the guy didn’t consult us before doing something so bold and irrevocable. What if Nick’s plan fails? What then? He blew up the freaking stairs! We’re stuck up here! “Where did you get the dynamite from?” I asked, miffed. +“That’s no concern of yours, boy,” Earl spat. +Again I had to bite my tongue hard to keep from lashing out at him. I could only assume he must’ve hidden a stash somewhere and didn’t feel the need to tell us about it. For all we knew, the doomsday mountain dudes probably had a stash of every kind of weapon known to mankind hidden all over the place, so I mentally prepared for more surprises to come along the way. “You should’ve told us,” I muttered under my breath. “We had the situation under control.” +“Right, like furniture would’ve stopped all those things!” Earl said, shooting me and Nick a glare as he bolted down the hallway with Tahoe on his heels. +“It did slow them down some,” Val shouted, as if defending our honor. +“Hey, Dean,” Nick called out, “now’s the time to put that plan of yours to good use.” +“Great. I’ll go look out the windows for a possible escape route,” I said. +“I was talking about myself,” he said. “I need you guys to stay here and be a distraction.” +“What?” I asked. + “Don’t worry,” Val said. “We’re safe up here. They can’t fly.” + Nick continued, “If the zombies see food, they’ll focus their efforts toward this part of the house. We need as many of them as possible here in the living room and front yard so we can sneak out the back or side window.” +“I like it,” I said. “Let the freaks gather up here while you find the perfect place for us to sneak out. Then we’ll be gone…and they’ll still think we’re up here, the dummies.” +“That’s the plan,” Nick said. “So stand here so they can see you.” +Claire grabbed his arm and gave it a squeeze. “I’m coming with you. There has to be a way out of this place.” +“I’ll be right back,” Nick said. +“Um, okay. Be careful, man!” I said, scrambling to my feet. The idea of splitting up sat in the pit of my stomach like a rock. Especially when I was the distraction…the human bait. +With a nod, he shot off down the hallway, with Claire following after him. +“They’ll be right back,” Val muttered to no one in particular. +I opened my mouth to tell her everything would be all right, but the sound of shattering glass boomed in my ears, stopping my words from coming out. I peered down at more zombies breaking through the towering glass walls and gasped. +“Oh my gosh!” yelled Jackie. “They’re busting through the walls!” Her gaze bore into mine, questioning the meaning of it all. +For once, I was at a loss for words and couldn’t give her the answer she wanted to hear. If the walls were coming down, it would be only a matter of time before the upper floor was compromised. +We fell silent for a moment. The crunch of dragging feet on broken glass as the zombies flooded into the spacious living room was all we could hear. My stomach lurched when a loud choir of the undead groaned, echoing in my ears. The giant room had filled up with moaning, groaning, and hissing, as though the zombies had multiplied. I’d never seen anything like it. I had only seen such horrific scenes in movies and videogames, but now it was happening right in front of me. I was witnessing a real-live (or dead, as the case was) zombie apocalypse with my very own eyes. +Val clapped my shoulder. “Stay calm, okay? The plan is working perfectly. They’re all coming to the front of the house. Nick will be back any minute with the perfect spot to sneak out. And then we’ll run to the Jeeps as fast as our feet can carry us.” +I nodded and forced the fear that was quickly grabbing hold of me to the back of my mind. +“You still got the keys?” she asked. +I nodded, remaining stunned and silent. +She continued bravely, “Good. We need to be ready to pound the pavement the second Nick comes back.” +I felt my pocket, just to make sure the keys were still there, but they weren’t. Much to my dismay, I suddenly remembered that I’d left them on the table. I pointed at the living room. “No flippin’ way! I left them…they’re down there!” +“I can’t believe this!” She took a trembling breath as she regarded me. Her face became an impenetrable mask as her mind began to weigh the possibilities. +I breathed in sharply to calm my nerves. With the staircase gone, no zombie could climb up, but we couldn’t climb down either. Unfortunately, the keys were down there. Our chances of getting out before the walls collapsed down on us were pretty slim, and I felt it was my fault for stupidly leaving the keys downstairs. +“How are we going to get down there to get them?” Jackie asked, her eyes wide, mirroring my own thoughts. +“We aren’t,” Val finally said, “but I can hotwire the truck.” +Earl and Tahoe came from behind, making me jump. +Earl’s eyes shimmered with malice as he looked at me. “We need a big, giant distraction. How about some blood?” +“Yeah,” Tahoe said. “You know how predictable the little freaks are.” +“One whiff, and we’ve got ourselves a huge distraction,” Earl mumbled, still looking at me, making it impossible to miss his vile and threatening insinuation. “Hmm. Blood. Where can we possibly get any of that? Any suggestions, boy?” +My heart raced. I put my hand on my holster, already determined that if I had to shoot either of the bushy-haired crazies in self-defense, I wouldn’t hesitate to use a bullet. +“Do you have any more explosives?” Val asked, unfazed. +“Fresh out,” Earl snapped, “but you know what? You reek of death.” He suddenly reached for her. +Val let out a scream as he ripped the bandage off her arm, revealing the infected flesh. I couldn’t help but stare at the darkening gash and the white bone peeking from beneath. +“I knew it!” Earl yelled. “She’s nothing but zombie bait!” His eyes shined, his sneer revealing tobacco-yellowed teeth. +For a moment, I thought he might be talking about himself, because everything about him was far more grotesque and rotting than Val’s wound—including his soul, if he even had one. +Val kicked him in the nuts and turned to run, but he grabbed her around the waist and forced her to stay put. +My hand instinctively moved to the gun in my holster, but someone gripped my arms from behind and yanked them hard, sending jolts of pain through my shoulders. Crap. My weapon flew out of my hands and clattered to the floor, not far away from my feet. I peered at it and pulled toward it, but the guy was in the more advantageous position, making it impossible for me to twist out of his grip. Earl followed my line of vision and kicked the weapon under the railing. It sailed across the floor and under the banister, landing in the crowd of zombies below. +Glancing over my shoulder, I yelled, “Tahoe, let me go!” +He continued holding me in his iron grasp as he hissed, “I have my instructions. He’ll kill me if I don’t follow them.” +“No!” I shouted. “Then at least let her go!” +“Ain’t happenin’, boy. You might as well just give up now before the same fate befalls you!” Earl said. +“Take me instead!” I begged. +“You’re not infected. She, on the other hand, is. She’s one bacteria away from being one of those nasty things!” +Jackie whipped out her gun, her eyes shifting nervously from Earl to Tahoe, then to me. She seemed hesitant about shooting another human being, and I knew we were losing the battle. Before she could even make up her mind, Earl shoved her back, and she crashed helplessly through the glass banister, almost plummeting into the void below. She clung on the second-floor railing as her legs dangled dangerously close to zombies. The way they kept reaching up made it obvious they wanted nothing more than to devour her legs as an appetizer. +My stomach clenched as their mouths started to snap open like hungry piranhas. “Val!” I flailed against Tahoe, but he only tightened his grip on me. +Earl grabbed Val and swung her over the banister, hissing, “Sorry, sweetheart, but you’re gonna die soon anyway. Might as well go out like a hero and save our butts in the process.” +“Don’t do this!” she yelled. “Try and show some compassion. At least put a bullet through my head first so I don’t have to feel them…so I won’t know they’re eating me.” +“No!” I squirmed and desperately tried to free myself. I knew Jackie wouldn’t be able to hold on much longer, and my sister desperately needed my help. I yelled for Nick down the hall, but I doubted he could hear me over the screams and chaos of the zombie frenzy. +“I can’t hold on to him any longer,” Tahoe shouted. His grip loosened a bit, and for a moment, I thought he might have done so on purpose, as though he wanted me to escape and save Val, but at the same time he feared for his life. +“Well, goodbye.” In one swift motion, Earl hurled Val into the herd of zombies. Her scream chilled my blood, etching the memory into my brain forever. +In disbelief I watched as hands and arms pounced on her like a lion on a piece of raw meat. “Nick!” My own voice sounded alien in my ears, as if it couldn’t possibly be coming from me. +Finally, Tahoe let go and stepped back. +I tumbled forward, my arms reaching out to strangle the guy who had killed my sister, but Earl was faster, or maybe he had the advantage of being emotionally unattached to the whole situation. My forehead exploded in pain as he threw me against the wall so hard that I blacked out for a second. When my vision cleared, I saw the two mountain men running off. I crawled to the balcony and grabbed Jackie’s hand; I managed to pull her to safety, even though my arms were on fire. +As soon as she stepped over the balustrade, she buried her head into my chest. +“Nick!” I yelled again, almost choking on the sudden nausea in my stomach and the bile in my throat. Tears threatened to spill down my face. “Nick!” I yelled again, but no one answered. I looked for Val below, but I couldn’t see any sign of her under the hissing pile that had pounced on her. I’d never seen anything so horrible in my entire life. The images threatened my sanity, yet I couldn’t look away. I was suddenly fueled by thoughts of revenge, and I swore to myself I’d avenge my sister’s death, no matter what. Even though I had yet to make it out of there alive, I’d already contemplated the different ways I could accomplish that goal. Earl is gonna pay…and so is every freaking zombie I ever come across! + + +Chapter 10 + +Standing on the balcony, I stared at the monsters who had killed Val. In one moment, my sister and I were there, valiantly fighting back to back, stubbornly determined on making it out of there alive, but in the next moment, she was gone, just like that. My mind spun in an endless loop of memories that didn’t quite make sense to me. My heart raced, pumping blood through my body. My fingers twitched, and my skin prickled, which made the whole situation even more surreal. She was dead, and I was still alive. The world seemed more unfair than ever before. I was caught in a daze, and not the pleasant kind, until Jackie’s words snapped me out of it. +“We have to find Claire and your brother,” she said softly, though her voice betrayed a frantic edge. +The sudden urge to get moving didn’t go unnoticed. I turned to face her. Her eyes were burning with something: Pain? Disbelief? Anger? I couldn’t tell because my own pain had numbed me. My own shock and disbelief wouldn’t allow me to comprehend that experiencing a comrade’s death couldn’t be easy on her either. “I’m—I’ll stay,” I whispered. “I’m not going anywhere until every single one of them is dead.” +“No, Dean. You can’t. We need you. Your brother needs you. Think of those who are still around, those who care about you, and the pain you’ll cause if you give up now and sacrifice yourself for some impossible try at revenge.” She grabbed my arm and yanked hard. “She…Val wouldn’t have wanted you to do something so foolish. Your sister would want you to get yourself to safety. That was what she was fighting for.” +I didn’t budge. Her words registered with me somewhere, somehow in the back of my mind. She was right, of course, but I also felt as though I would be betraying Val if I ran away. +“Please,” Jackie continued. “Nick has already lost one sibling. Don’t make him lose both.” +“Let’s go!” Claire’s voice called from around the corner a moment before my brother and she appeared in my line of vision. +“Dean,” my brother said with a nod, “thanks for holding it together here, man.” +I turned away, avoiding his gaze. I couldn’t bear to tell him what had happened. +“The bathroom window in the back seems like our best bet,” Nick said. “We can make a clean getaway. So c’mon, let’s go!” +My brother’s gaze sliced through me. A single worry wrinkle creased his otherwise smooth skin. I peered into his blue eyes, begging him to understand; I couldn’t dare speak the words that burned a hole in my heart. +“What are you waiting for? Let’s go! This place is turning into Zombie Central.” His gaze became stubborn, and his hands clenched to his sides, as though he already sensed something was wrong but didn’t want to acknowledge it just yet. +I froze and closed my eyes to avoid his probing stare. +“What’s wrong with you?” he hissed, grabbing me hard by the shoulders. +I opened my eyes again and saw him scanning the open landing, his mind putting two and two together. +“Where’s Val?” his shout echoed in my ears. His arms yanked me around like a ragdoll, forcing me to face him. +“Those men…they…” I stammered, my voice barely snaking its way out of my constricted throat. “Earl… he, uh…Tahoe wouldn’t let go, and I couldn’t…Earl just threw Val over the balcony! He used our sister as a distraction.” I pointed a trembling finger to the pile of zombies where she’d been tossed in. The spot was covered in squirming bodies now, and on the remote chance that she was still alive, there wasn’t a thing we could do to save her. +“No!” he screamed as sudden realization set in. “Why didn’t you stop them?” +“I tried!” I shouted, shoving him as hard as I could. “Why would you think I didn’t try!?” +“Well, you should’ve tried harder!” he said, pushing me back. “For goodness sake, she was our sister, and you just let those jerks—” +“Hold on now! We both tried everything we could,” Jackie interrupted. “They took us by surprise. The older one, Evan or whatever his name is, almost killed me.” +“It’s Earl,” I corrected, for it was a name I would never, ever forget. +“He pushed me over the balcony,” Jackie continued, “but I was able to hold on until Dean helped me back up.” +“Oh my gosh!” Claire said, throwing her arms around her. “That’s horrible. Are you okay?” +“I’m fine,” she breathed out. + “Where’s Val?” Nick bellowed. “Maybe we can still help her.” +I shook my head. “She’s dead, Nick, and even if she weren’t, she’d be torn into pieces by the time we made it down there. There’s nothing you—or anyone, for that matter—can do.” The sudden realization that I was right hurt me more than Nick’s pained expression. My jaw clenched until I thought my bones might snap. +Claire placed a hand on Nick’s back, trying to steady him, but she didn’t say a word. +“Don’t!” Nick said, violently shrugging her off. +“I’m so, so sorry,” she whispered, ignoring his command not to touch him. Even though her words were thin and sparse, I could hear the sincerity in her voice. +Nick nodded and kept his head low, and for a second I thought he was choking back tears. Then, letting out a sudden loud yell, like a war cry, he tore away from Claire and began pounding the wall with his fist, threatening revenge on every single one of those cursed things and on the two men who had done such an awful thing, throwing two helpless women over a banister. +I wanted to stop my brother, but there was no chance. Instead, I fought back the urge to join in his cursing. “I’m sorry, man.” My voice trembled, and I felt a tear roll down my face. Even though Jackie wrapped her arm around me to comfort me, I could barely breathe, and the room around me seemed to grow hot. +“There was nothing we could do,” Jackie said. “You can’t blame anyone for this except Earl and Tahoe.” +“We gotta go,” Nick whispered, ignoring her. “If we don’t get outta here, we’ll be next. But first there’s something I need to do for Val.” He disappeared into one of the bedrooms and reappeared a minute later with a gas can. Leaning forward, he started pouring it down from the balcony, soaking the zombies below. +I wanted to stop him before he set the house on fire and risked our lives in the process, but his grim expression stopped me. +“Fire and explosions are fantastic ways to destroy the walking dead.” Grabbing his lighter, he yelled, “Die, you undead suckers! DIE!” +“Dean!? Nick!?” +At the sound of Val’s muffled scream, we froze, dead cold. +Claire grabbed Nick’s hand. “STOP! Listen…that’s her!” +I leaned over and saw Val crawling out from under the pack, unscathed. What? How is that possible? They didn’t even touch her? +“I hit my head,” she said. “Blacked out for a minute. But I’m fine.” She stumbled through the moaning crowd and over to the table. There, she bravely snatched the keys for both vehicles and held them up high. +I shot Nick a confused look. +He smiled, mirroring my relief that she wasn’t dead. +“Meet me out back!” she yelled up. +I nodded and pulled Nick’s arm. “How is that possible? She’s still alive, but how?” +His eyes widened. “It must be because she carries their scent. That wound of hers means she’s turning into one. I’ve heard they don’t eat their own kind, but…” He shook his head. “To tell you the truth, I’m not even sure.” +I laughed, relieved. “Yeah, they must have thought she was one of them. Then again, I’m not sure that’s a good thing.” +“I can’t believe it,” Claire said. “If you’re bitten, then you get reprieve from the zombies.” +“It appears that way. And since you haven’t been bitten, no reprieve for you.” Nick thrust a bat into Claire’s hands and motioned her forward. +She let out a shaky breath but didn’t protest. The poor girl was terrified; I could tell from the way her eyes darted to and fro, and her knuckles had turned white where she touched the smooth, cold wood. “What am I supposed to do with this?” she whispered. +My brother cupped her cheek. “Well, it isn’t for playing baseball, that’s for sure. I know you’re scared of guns, but you’re gonna need a weapon of some sort. Just beat the crap out of anything that tries to bite a chunk out of you.” +“I’m sorry, but I just…can’t,” she said eventually. “I can’t hit a—” +“A what? Another person? They aren’t people anymore, Claire. They’re monsters, animals, waiting to eat you alive.” +I felt sorry for the girl to some degree, but my patience was growing as thin as Nick’s. “You know what? Just give it to me.” I snatched the bat out of her hands. After all, my gun had flown over the balcony, and I was in desperate need of a weapon to protect myself. I knew I’d be okay once I got to the Jeep, because my half-zombie sister had packed plenty of weapons, but in the meantime, I had to make do with anything I could get my hands on. I thought my words might talk some sense into Claire, but she just shrugged and let me have her only weapon without protest. I didn’t get the girl, but at that point, with survival on my mind, I didn’t even care. +“Ready, Val?” Nick yelled. +“Yep! Let’s make them pay, boys and girls!” she replied from somewhere to our right. +I craned my neck until I thought I could distinguish her brown locks from the mess of dead people around her, and I saw her standing near the edge of the house, where the glass wall and the door had been. +“C’mon!” Nick said with a wink. Once Val was safely away from the horde, Nick went to work. He pulled a lighter out of his pocket and threw it onto the gas-drenched crowd, starting a zombie roast. Smoke and fire engulfed the small undead army while Nick yelled for us to run down the hall, then motioned us into a small bathroom with a narrow window that we hoped would be just big enough for us to squeeze through. +“There’s a huge tree we can shimmy down,” Claire said. +I nodded. Squinting, I could see the Jeeps in the driveway, and it was a relief to see that there weren’t any zombies in that general area. It appeared as if they had all headed toward the front of the house, where the glass walls had collapsed. I could only assume the noise from the explosion had attracted them and drawn them in that direction. +“Okay, everyone. No talking until we’re safe,” he said, sliding the window open. +Without so much as a look back, I threw the bat out the window and watched it land next to a towering bush. I climbed out. Branch by branch, I clambered down the giant oak tree. The moment I jumped down and landed on the bare ground, I saw Val running toward me. “Val! I’m so glad you’re alive,” I said, burying my face in her hair as I hugged her tight. “I tried to stop him, but I—” +She nodded but didn’t reply. A rush of emotions overwhelmed me, choking me. We just stood there, holding each other. In that moment, no words were needed, because I could feel how relieved she was. The other’s presence was enough to convey even more than we could possibly say. +Suddenly, our Hallmark moment was interrupted by a rude gurgle echoing from the left. Instinct kicked in, and I reached for my weapon. The smell of decaying flesh assaulted my nostrils. The moonlight served as a spotlight, enhancing every black vein, rotting flesh chunk, and seeping, oozing, smelly wound the zombie had endured. I wound up my bat to hit a homerun, hoping to knock the zombie’s head out of the park, but Jackie yanked the bat out of my hands. I shot her a look, but she just shook her head and replied with a grim expression of her own. I knew she was trying to make up for being hesitant about whipping out her gun to save Val. She wanted to prove to me that she was ready to fight now. I knew she had finished the thing off when a whack echoed in the air and the hissing stopped. +“You drive this one.” Val pointed to the black Jeep and opened the driver door so I could jump in, then tossed me a set of keys; a second set to the red Jeep dangled from her fingers. I nodded and took the driver spot while I watched her jump into the other vehicle. +Nick grabbed Claire’s hand and led her to my Jeep. I looked for Jackie, but she had jumped in with Val. I started the Jeep and threw it into gear. As I backed up, I noticed a handful of zombies to our left. My eyes scanned the area for an escape route, but that was about the only path wide enough for the Jeep to muddle through. “They’re blocking our path!” +“Run those slimy numbskulls over!” Nick yelled. “They’re already road kill!” +I hit the gas and sped out of the driveway, ignoring the loud thuds and crunches under my wheels. When a corpse hit the hood, I jumped in my skin; filmy white, glazed-over eyes connected with mine. Clenching my jaw, I threw on the brakes and sent him flying off, then sped up again. +Flames engulfed the giant glass mansion and burned brightly against the night. In the flickering lights to my left, I saw a swarm of zombies eating what looked like a human being. It had to be the mountain men…or what was left of them. The beasts tore at an exposed ribcage, oozing what I took to be intestines. The car Earl and Tahoe had ridden in was still sitting in the driveway. “Look! They didn’t make it,” I said. +My brother followed my line of vision and shook his head. “Justice served and good riddance. What they did to Val was inhuman.” +“Gosh, it’s so…awful,” Claire said. +I pressed the gas pedal down hard, revving the engine and making my brain hurt from the grinding sound. Blackness covered my vision for a second, and I shook my head until my vision returned. Through the blur before my eyes, I saw Val in the rearview mirror, easily following my lead. The vehicle moved at a fast speed down the narrow driveway and onto the unpaved terrain of the woods. Behind us, the glass building became nothing but a burning spot in the evening sky. We drove in silence for a while, until I could see nothing but trees and the darkening sky. Only then did I let out a long breath that it seemed I’d been holding for hours. We had made it, and we were all alive. +“I’m an idiot!” Claire said. “I can’t believe I actually wanted to stay. Had you left without me and Jackie, we’d be dead.” Tears streamed down her cheeks as reality set in. “I’ve never been on my own before. Our group—the group we were with—took care of us. They were like my family.” She took a trembling breath. +From the corner of my eye, I watched Nick squeeze her hand, soothing her. “It’s okay, Claire. Our world has devolved into one where people have to fight and kill each other just to live another day. The people around you sheltered you because they wanted to take care of you, and they fought to keep you alive and safe. Not all people are bad, but not all of ‘em are good either,” he said, pondering Earl and Tahoe’s cruel fate. +“You’re right.” She sniffed. “We didn’t have to fight before, not until today. I’ve never even held a gun in my life. It was surreal that you asked that of me today. I just…couldn’t.” +“I know, but you have to understand those people who looked after you—good as they were—didn’t do you any favors by protecting you, by sheltering you too much. Now you’re unprepared and ill-equipped for what’s waiting out there.” Nick’s tone was soft, but there was a sharp edge to it, as if he was breaking bad news to someone he didn’t want to hurt. I hoped Claire would listen and take his advice at face value. My brother was blunt, but his advice—hard as it was to swallow—would help her stay alive longer. “You won’t stand a chance out here if you don’t learn how to fight and protect yourself,” Nick continued. +I listened intently, his words ringing true in my ear. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I was enraged with his brutal honesty, for much of what he said applied to me as well. I suddenly understood why he’d been so angry with me for smuggling Val inside the helicopter. I, too, had been sheltered, living naïvely on Kelleys Island, having no idea that the rest of the world was crumbling around me. Sure, I’d heard stories and plenty of urban legends, but quite like Claire, it didn’t seem real until I was thrown right smack dab in the middle of it. The truth was a painful thing for all of us. +Claire laid her head on my brother’s shoulder, and he wrapped an arm around her. I was sure he felt awkward about it and was only trying to be nice, for Claire was definitely not his type. He usually liked girls who took on the action, not the ones who ran away from it, squealing about chipping their nails or breaking their expensive heels. But then again, who knows? Maybe he needs a girly kind of girl right now to balance out all this blood and nastiness. Opposites still attract, right? Or maybe it’s just a bad case of nerves. I knew whatever it was; we had no time for soap operas. We had more important fish to fry, like finding the freeway, for starters. +*** +Once we were finally on the highway, I felt a bit safer. Val’s Jeep now led the way and we drove for a few hours in absolute silence. I would’ve loved to have thrown some tunes on, but I was sure all the DJs had been gobbled up by zombies. +Then, out of nowhere, I noticed my sister slowing down, and her brake lights flashed as she pulled over to the side of the road. +“What the heck?” I yelled to my brother. +He jolted awake when I stopped behind her and cut the engine. +“It’s Val. She’s pulling over.” +“Why?” Claire asked. “It’s dark outside. Stopping isn’t a good idea, right?” +I shrugged. “Who knows? Maybe she needs a potty break or has a flat or something.” +My brother jumped out of the car and dashed toward her Jeep, yelling, “Are you mad? No stopping unless I deem it safe!” +Claire and I rushed over to the other Jeep, then stopped the moment we reached Val. +She was on the side of the road by a sign, puking into the bushes. +Jackie’s hand rested on her back. She shot us an apologetic look, then went about rubbing Val’s back. +“Are you okay?” I asked softly the moment the heaving stopped. +She nodded but didn’t seem to want to move from the spot. +My brother and I scanned the area as we waited for her to finish. The long stretch of deserted highway posed no imminent threat, or so it seemed. Nick tapped his gun, signaling that we should get a move-on; I was glad for that, because I didn’t want to stick around either. The full moon reminded me of werewolves, and a chill pricked my spine. Get it together. Werewolves are fake, just something for teenage girls to giggle over, unless they prefer sparkly vampires. But zombies were real, and my sister was about to turn into one. +“Sorry, guys,” Val eventually said, standing. +“It’s okay,” Nick said. “I’m the one who should be sorry for yelling at you.” +Claire touched Val’s shoulder. “Is there anything I can do?” +She straightened and flipped her hair out of her eyes. “I’m fine, guys. Thanks for asking. Let’s just get outta here. Sorry for stopping.” +“Wait,” I said, holding a hand up to stop her. “You shouldn’t be driving in your condition.” I knew she needed rest. +Val motioned for Jackie to get back in. Once Jackie did, Val jumped in the Jeep and slammed the door in my face. Her behavior was moody and sporadic, and it went beyond the normal female oddities. Turning the key, the engine cranked but refused to turn over. +“Why won’t this thing start?” she asked. She tried a few more times and the engine finally fired. +Nick peeked his head in the open window. “Dean’s right. You’re in no condition to drive. Also, we need to re-wrap that nasty wound of yours.” +She smiled. “I’m fine, baby brother.” +“That’s for me to decide,” he said. +“Listen, each Jeep is stocked with a first aid kit,” Val said. “I made sure of that. So don’t worry. I’ll have Jackie wrap it up as soon as possible.” +“Let me slap on a dressing from the medical kit, and then Dean’s driving while you get some sleep.” He motioned to the back seat. +“Are you worried I might hurt Jackie?” Val asked. Before Nick could answer, she continued, “Listen, the first thing I did was give Jackie a gun. If I try to bite, she can just shoot me.” +As he reached for the keys, Val threw the car in reverse. +Nick jumped back. “Val! You about ran me over.” +Tires squealed, and she sped off ahead of us. Clearly, the girl had a mind of her own, and she didn’t like being told what to do. +I tapped Nick’s shoulder. “C’mon! We gotta catch up!” +He jumped in the driver seat, looked over his shoulder to make sure Claire and I were in back, and stomped on the gas. +I let out a breath, my gaze focusing on the road ahead. “Why’s she acting like that?” +Nick gripped the steering wheel tightly. “She’s stubborn. It runs in the family.” +My heart jumped when I saw Val exit the freeway into the next city. +“Oh my gosh!” Claire said as my brother swerved into the opposite lane. “What’s she doing? She’s driving like a maniac! She’s gonna kill my cousin!” +“I don’t know what’s wrong with her. We have plenty of gas, food, and water,” Nick said. “There’s no reason to venture into one of those cities. I’m gonna have to kick her infected butt when we catch up to her!” +“Not if I get to her first,” I said. +He pulled off the ramp and turned left into the city. A sharp jolt rushed through me as we ran over a deep pothole, then another. Nick didn’t slow down one bit and rushed to keep up with Val. The place seemed deserted except for a few stray zombies stumbling aimlessly down the street, groaning in unsatisfied hunger. There were no streetlights and no traffic—just eerie silence, darkness, and walking corpses. +Nick looked over his shoulder at us, “I don’t like this one bit.” +“Neither do I! Venturing into the city is beyond stupid. I really don’t want to follow her, but what choice do we have? We can’t just desert them.” +We watched as Val carelessly swerved around a corner, past an abandoned subway station. +Nick beeped the horn. +“Stop!” Claire screamed, popping her head out the window. +“Try cutting her off,” I said. +He sped up and swerved around her as my seatbelt strained against my shoulders. The headlights fell on the other Jeep, illuminating Val’s face for a brief second. +In that second, I saw the dangerous look in her eyes. I yelled for her to pull over. +She suddenly turned left and came to a halt in the empty lot of a grocery store where shopping carts were scattered all about. +“All right. She stopped,” Nick said. “Let’s go talk to her! I’m dying to see what she has to say.” Frowning, he pulled next to her and parked the Jeep. +Claire jumped out after Val. “Val!” +“Claire,” my brother yelled. “Don’t go out there without a weapon!” +“Got the stun gun,” she replied. +I didn’t believe in giving lectures, but Val needed a good talking-to, and I was going to give it to her, whether she wanted it or not. I opened the door, but my brother yanked my arm to keep me inside. +“Wait! You can’t go out there unarmed either.” He reached down and pulled a gun from a strap on his ankle. “Take this. I’ve got another one.” + Nick was right—again: Walking out in dangerous territory without a weapon would have been suicide, so I grabbed the gun. “Let’s go see what Val’s little problem is, and then we’ll get back on the road again. And she’s NOT driving again, no matter what.” +“Exactly.” Nick nodded. +“Hey, sis,” I yelled. +Like a madwoman, Val grabbed a loose brick and whipped it through the window. Glass shattered with a boom, making me lower my head to protect my face. My sister was losing it big time, and I realized Nick and I were going to have to wrangle her back because she wasn’t playing with a full deck. +“What are you doing?” Nick yelled, waving his arms in the air. +Jackie came from behind and shook my shoulder. “Your sister’s talking all crazy. She says you have a cure for her zombie bite, but she has to turn into a zombie first. She’s going mad or something!” +“We do have a possible cure,” I said, “but she’s right about having to become a zombie first.” +She nodded slowly, as if trying to process the words. “The cure…it’s in that black bag you were carrying over your shoulder when I first met you. Isn’t it?” +“Bingo. Hey, you got a weapon?” Nick asked her. +“I lost my gun when I almost went over the banister,” she said, “but Val gave me another one.” +“Good.” Nick said. +“Let’s wrangle my sister back into the Jeep,” I said. +“Crap!” Jackie yelled. +My heart leapt when Val suddenly darted inside the store, disappearing into the darkness stretching beyond. + + +Chapter 11 + +Nighttime had descended a few hours earlier, and the streets ahead of us seemed devoid of life. A narrow slice of the moon peeked from behind thick clouds that looked almost black against the night sky. Without lampposts to show us the way, we knew anything could be lurking in the shadows, waiting to ambush us. Luckily, though, the light of the stars cast just enough light to illuminate our way. My breath misted before me as I jumped out of the car. I left the door open and hurried past overflowing trashcans, toward the entrance to the small building into which Val had disappeared a minute ago. +“Shoot anything that looks suspicious,” Nick said. “I don’t care how many bullets you waste, just stay safe. We have plenty back in the Jeep.” +Even though his back was turned on me and he couldn’t see me, I nodded and hurried after him. I didn’t know what kind of goose chase my sister was leading us on. Why she had decided to pull off the highway and lead us into a creepy, deserted ghost town at night, only to break into a grocery store, was beyond me, but for her own sake, I hoped she had some viable reason. Nick, however, wasn’t as understanding and patient as his little brother. +“C’mon, Dean. Move your butt. We haven’t got all of eternity,” Nick said, motioning me forward. +“Wait!” Claire said. “We’ll never see a thing in there.” She whirled around and headed back to the Jeep, then returned with what looked like an overstuffed purse full of flashlights, which she passed around. +Nick met her gaze. “What do you mean, ‘we’? You’re not going in there with us.” +“What? Of course I am.” As though to prove a point, she walked past him, calling over her shoulder, “It’s your sister, isn’t it? You guys might need my help.” +I raised my brows at Nick. I’d assumed Claire hated Val, but either they’d suddenly bonded over killing a few zombies, or else she really did dig Nick and was just trying to impress him. I didn’t know her all that well, but from what I had seen so far, I was ready to bet my most precious friend and possession—the gun in my hands—on the latter. +“Just be careful. She’s been bitten!” Jackie yelled after her. +Claire stopped and turned. “I know. Nick told me everything back in the Jeep.” +Yeah, definitely the latter. She probably thinks they share something special now that Nick has confided in her. Shaking my head, I let out a long breath and took off through the parking lot. I stopped abruptly in the doorway of the market when I heard Val’s screams echoing through the air. The air smelled of damp earth and rotting garbage, but there was also something else: the scent of death. +I gritted my teeth as I looked at Nick, “Val’s going to alert every zombie from here to kingdom come if she doesn’t be quiet.” If I’d have had a roll of duct tape, or if we’d have been fortunate enough to stumble into a hardware store where they sold the stuff, I would have been highly tempted to use it. My sister’s big mouth was going to turn us all into zombie bait. +The bobbing beams of our flashlights swept back and forth as we hurried up the cereal aisle. I only knew we were in the graveyard of Rice Krispies and Golden Grahams because the sign over our heads said so; there was nothing left on the shelves but layers of dust and debris and a box ripped right down the middle of Tony the Tiger’s striped head. Then something scurried past to our right and I craned my neck and swept the flashlight over a dark head with long hair. I nudged Nick, then sped up to catch my sister. “Val, c’mon! We gotta go!” +The filthy linoleum, carpeted by an inches-thick layer of dust and grime, barely made a sound as I dashed through the darkness, then stopped. A sickly scent hit my nostrils, making me want to puke. I moved my flashlight around and illuminated the darkness as I scanned the area to spot the culprit…packages of rotting meat. +Val held up a blue box with a picture of noodles and fancy writing. She didn’t even turn as she said, “Look! It’s smashed. Rodents have been nibbling it as well, so this one’s a no-go.” She tossed the box on the floor, and it landed with a loud thud, then pulled out a giant, moldy piece of steak from its wrapper. To be honest, I wasn’t even sure what it was and I didn’t know what possessed her to pick it up in the first place. “Is this going to be my new choice of food?” she asked. +“I sure hope not, Val,” I whispered. +Ignoring me, she rolled her eyes and threw the steak away. It plopped onto the ground a few feet away and remained stuck to the ground. “It’s expired! You can have it, miss!” Val yelled, her voice reverberating from the walls. “And get some clothes on. Who comes to a store dressed in a robe anyway? When you’re done snacking, go home and cook your man some brains or something.” +“Who’s she talking to?” I whispered to Nick. +“I dunno,” he said. “But it’s kind of freaky. I bet she’s hallucinating.” +My attention remained glued to Val as she held up a can and rolled it in her hands, continuing her monologue. “And this one’s dented. This store sucks! Where’s the manager?” +Footsteps echoed behind me a moment before Claire and Jackie appeared and Claire’s hand wrapped around my upper arm. +“What’s going on?” Jackie whispered. +I shook my head, signaling that I had no clue, and turned my gaze back to Val, who was still regarding a can as though it was a famous painting hanging in an art museum. +“Are you trying to memorize the ingredients or something?” Claire asked, her voice oozing with sarcasm. “Surely you’re not counting calories now, are you?” +In one swift move, Val lunged at Claire, hissing like some kind of vampire chick in a horror flick. Claire’s arms flew up to protect her face, but Val was stronger. In a single motion, she tossed Claire to the ground and landed on top of her, pinning her to the ground. I had to admit, it kind of freaked me out, almost to the point that I wanted to summon the men in white coats to bring their paddy wagon and lock her up in a straightjacket. After the initial shock, I finally unglued myself from the spot and leapt forward, but Nick was quicker on the draw. He wrapped his arms around her and dragged her up in an iron grip as she kicked and screamed. +“She’s trying to kill me!” Claire yelped. +I rolled my eyes. “No, I don’t think so. I think she just didn’t like what you said. If you knew anything about zombies, you’d know to keep your mouth shut rather than provoke their short temper.” +Val’s eyes bulged in her skull, and she looked like a serial killer. “You’ll be the first to go, Claire! You didn’t watch my back, so now I’m going to eat yours.” +Nick held her tight and I was thankful for that. +Claire gasped, hiding behind me. “She’s mad, freaking crazy! Get that monster away from me,” she chanted over and over again. “Get her away!” +“She’s not a monster,” I whispered. “…yet,” I wanted to add but didn’t. +“My gosh! It’s like she’s possessed or something,” Claire said. +“Okay, okay. I’m fine! Let me go,” Val said quietly. She had stopped struggling and seemed reasonable again, but I didn’t trust the sudden calmness. +“You sure?” Nick asked. +She nodded, her gaze sweeping over Claire, and for a moment, I thought I saw a flicker in her eyes. I wanted to shout at Nick to watch out when he pulled away a few inches. Like a wild beast, Val lunged forward again, her hands cutting through the air inches from my face. Claire buried her face in my shoulder, and her hands clutched the shirt at my lower back. +“What’s wrong with you?” Nick said through gritted teeth, grabbing hold of Val again. “I trusted you, and you’re acting like a psycho again. Calm down, Val!” +I smacked my tongue and peeled Claire off my shirt, and then I shot my brother a look. “You can’t trust a zombie. Wasn’t that the first lecture you ever taught me? Funny that you’d forget it now.” +“I’m not a zombie,” Val hissed. “I’m just a girl on a mission.” +Yeah, right…the mission of eating a friend. I flashed my beam in her eyes and then gave Nick a sideways glance. +“What?” he asked. +“Her irises are dilated, her eyes bloodshot. The skin on her forehead is beginning to crack.” +“The virus is kicking in,” Nick said. “She doesn’t mean to act like a maniac. I hate to tell you this, but it’s only gonna get worse, so you’d better get used to it.” He pushed Val past us. His knuckles had turned white where his fingers had sliced into her arms. +She struggled, her legs tangling with his, making it impossible to inch forward. +“Move it, Val,” he whispered, “or I swear I’ll tie you up and drag you out of here. You won’t like that little trip through the express lane. Trust me.” +“How are we going to get her back in the Jeep?” I asked. +“She’ll either cooperate, or else I’ll knock her out using pressure points.” +Val hissed and spat but didn’t argue. Slowly, she began to take one pace at a time. +When I heard a growl that wasn’t coming from my nearly zombified sister, my senses kicked in on full alert. I shined my light around until the beam fell on a pair of glowing yellow eyes that came out of the darkness. “Nick!” I yelled. “Zombie housewife at three o’clock!” +“Don’t panic!” Nick whispered. “I’ve got this.” +I squinted to get a better glimpse as I swung the beam around so I could catch any attack. +The zombie inched forward, then stopped and bent forward, allowing us a glimpse beneath her dirty white robe. I smirked and moved my gaze from her naked legs to the bulging red veins covering her face. Val’s words echoed in my ears, and I wondered if she’d been talking to that half-dressed zombie, advising it to throw on some clothes, but I had no time to ponder her strange comment. The zombie moved again. Slowly, she knelt to the ground and picked up the piece of meat Val had tossed away, then started to lick the spoiled steak in a bloodthirsty frenzy, like a starving stray dog. +Val slapped her forehead. “That’s sick! I can’t believe that’s going to be me in less than a day!” +“Put that thing out of its misery please,” I said. +Nick aimed his gun and shot the corpse in the head. +She fell straight back and landed in a large display of macaroni and cheese boxes. +“Will you shoot me too?” Val asked sweetly. “You did just shoot my sister, in a sense. I mean, we’re all part of the same happy meat-eating zombie family, right?” +“Stop talking like that!” Nick said through gritted teeth. +She grabbed my collar and shook me, her unnaturally shiny eyes piercing into mine. “What’s it like to have a zombie for a sister?” she asked. +I set my jaw and forced myself to stare at her. What am I supposed to say? The truth? That it completely sucks? Whatever my brain came up with, it wouldn’t be good enough, and I knew it sure wouldn’t change anything. “It’s not fun—no fun at all! Especially when she breaks into stores at night in the middle of Zombie Land.” It was hard to see any life behind those eyes of hers. I was losing her after just so recently finding her, and that hurt me more than anything. “Try and think straight, Val! We gotta go, big sister.” +“Big? So now I’m fat, huh?” +“No way!” I shook my head. +“I don’t want to become a zombie,” she said sadly, knocking over another display, sending several red and white cans to the floor. “Mmm, mmm, good,” she mocked, looking at them. “I’m not really into brains as a delicacy,” Val said. +Her thoughts were all over the place, and I realized I needed to keep her focused. “You won’t be a zombie forever, Val. I’ve got the cure, remember?” My voice remained calm, but inside I was shaking like a leaf in the wind, hoping that what I was telling her was true. +“You do? Why didn’t you just say so?” She yawned. “I’m so tired. What’s your name again?” +“I’m your brother, Dean.” +“And I’m your other brother, Nick. Now come on, sis. I have a nice blanket and pillow waiting for you in the Jeep,” Nick coaxed softly. “Let’s go.” +“Okay.” She leaned forward as though to hug me. +Nick grabbed her arm to put a few inches between us. +If she noticed, she didn’t comment on it. She simply said, “Dean and Nick, I love you guys so much. I couldn’t ask for better brothers.” +I prayed to God she wouldn’t bite me while my guard was down. “It’s gonna be okay. I promise.” +“Why are we here? In a grocery store of all places?” Val asked, as if she had just snapped back into reality. “Are you guys that hungry? Didn’t we take enough food from that glass house?” +“I’m not hungry at all,” I said, pushing her forward as gently as I could. Luckily, she began to move. +“Then why are we here?” she asked. + “Well, you hightailed it off the freeway to take us on some kind of midnight tour of this place,” I said. “I figured maybe you were looking for a fast-food drive-thru.” +“I’m losing my mind. You better not let me drive again. I’m so sorry, guys. I-I just don’t know what’s happening to me.” She squeezed my hand and then let it go, as though she didn’t trust herself any more than I trusted her. In the very next second, she yelled, “Get away from me! Who are you? I’m not going anywhere with you!” +In an instant, Claire pressed her stun gun on Val’s arm, sending my sister crumbling to the ground on jellied legs. “Sorry for zapping your sister and all, but I think we need to get outta here,” Claire said. +“It’s okay. She was out of control.” I scooped her up and realized she was burning up. +Nick shined the light down. “She’s out cold. Let’s get her back into the Jeep.” +We barely moved a few steps before zombie groans came from our right. +Jackie gripped my hand. “We’ve got company, and I don’t think they’re here for this week’s sales.” In spite of her attempt at infusing humor, I could feel her rigidity. +“This isn’t good!” Claire said. +“Don’t worry,” Jackie said. “Val gave me a gun, so we’ll be okay.” +“I hope you’re right,” Claire said. She peeked around an aisle, then gasped. +I followed her line of vision, and my own breath caught in my throat. “There’re so many of them. That gun of yours better be a dead aimer…and I mean that literally.” +We moved forward at a snail’s pace, careful not to draw any unwanted attention. About twenty zombies stumbled around aimlessly, knocking over boxes and cans as they rummaged through the stock, looking for any kind of raw meat. +We were almost halfway down the aisle when a zombie’s gaze fell upon me. I forced myself to remain calm, even though my whole body screamed to run. “Nick!” I nudged my brother harder than intended. “We’re outnumbered. How are we ever gonna get out of here?” +He grabbed my arm and pulled me down the aisle where we hid behind a giant display. +“We need a distraction,” Jackie said. +Nick glanced around, as if pondering. “Flour,” he finally said. “And it’s not for baking a cake.” +“Brilliant idea. We can cover them in the stuff,” Claire said. +“Perfect distraction,” I said. “I saw flour too.” +“Where?” Claire said. +Without giving her an answer, I darted a few aisles over, flashing my light on the overhanging signs until I found the right isle. I turned left and started frantically looking until I found it. Just as I snagged a package, a zombie’s hand burst through the shelf opening from the other side, grabbing my arm and startling me. My gun clattered to the floor, next to a cellophane bag of broken plastic forks. +Through the shining beam of my flashlight, I looked through the gap, and I saw the zombie’s white, lifeless, hungry eyes. My heart lurched. I knew if the thing broke my skin, I’d be in as much trouble as Val. I tried to wiggle my hand free, but it had amazing strength and just tightened its grip, pulling while rattling the shelf. I feared it might draw the attention of the other undead late-night shoppers, but my main concern was freeing my arm without sustaining a wound. I prayed it wouldn’t scratch or bite me with its jagged teeth, because I knew that would be more fatal than any saliva dropping on my skin. With my free hand, I tried to hit it with my flashlight over and over again, until my arm hurt, but still the thing wouldn’t let go. +Footsteps rushed behind me, and my heart raced. A zombie? How am I supposed to fight while this thing’s got a hold of me? I glanced over my shoulder and saw it wasn’t a zombie. It was only Claire. She was hurrying over to me, holding her stun gun. I bit my lip hard as she stunned the corpse’s arm. When it released its cold grasp, I yanked my arm free. “Thank you, Claire! I so owe you.” +“Did it get you?” she whispered. +I ran my hands over my arm, fearing that I might find myself in the same predicament as Val. “No blood,” I said, letting out a huge sigh of relief. When I suddenly heard footsteps, my gaze jerked up. +“It’s okay,” Claire said. “It’s only the others.” +Nick carried Val securely in his arms. “Grab as many bags as you can!” +We all went to work and started grabbing bags of flour. I was pretty sure Nick hadn’t seen my little ‘shelf battle’ with the zombie and I wasn’t about to say anything at the moment. There was no time for lectures. Carrying the sacks, we sped down the aisle. +“Our goal is to confuse them, to distract them!” Nick whispered, setting down Val. +We clambered to the top of the shelves and opened the bags. When we threw them, flour spewed everywhere. I coughed from the blanket of white sifting through the air, but our plan seemed to work: The zombies hissed and started to stumble around like big, clumsy idiots, and it looked as if they were completely disoriented from the flour fog we’d created. +“Run now!” yelled Nick, jumping down and scooping up Val. +Nick and Claire darted off ahead of Jackie and me. We were right behind them when an avalanche of cans and boxes tumbled over my head. The shelves had collapsed right down on us, probably from the weight of so many zombies filling the store. I gripped Jackie’s hand tightly, peering through the smog of flour. It appeared as if Nick, Val, and Claire had made it out okay, but I hadn’t. Murphy’s Law. Go figure. I glanced helplessly at all the zombies flooding in through the doorway. +“We’ll have to find a different way out,” Jackie whispered. +I glanced at the zombies flooding in through the doorway and realized we definitely couldn’t use the main entrance. From what I had seen so far, the only other way out was the back, where the zombies were gathered. Crap! We’re so screwed. + + +Chapter 12 + +From outside, the grocery store had seemed deserted, even peaceful, but there was nothing peaceful about the place. Unfortunately, we had to discover that tiny detail after following Val inside, and now we were trapped. The countless growls and moans cutting through the night made my skin tingle, and my brain was working overtime as I tried to figure out a way to make it out alive. Nick, Val, and Claire had made it out of the store, but Jackie and I were still trapped inside, and it didn’t look like we were going to be able to come up with an exit strategy before the zombies noticed our presence. One had already spotted me, and with more flooding in through the front by the minute, the place would grow crowded soon. My heart was already drumming in my ears, and I was sure that if I could hear its terrified thump-thump so loud and clear, the zombies would hear it too. It was only a matter of time. +I bit my lip as I glanced around the darkness, then pointed to a high window way over to the right. +Jackie nodded in silent agreement, then took off in the right direction. +Our shoes barely made a sound on the tile floor as we zigzagged through a few aisles and finally made it to the horizontal window, then stopped to peer around. Long shelves filled with cans jutted out of the wall. +Giving Jackie’s hand a last squeeze, I stepped on one of the rickety bottom shelves and pulled myself up to the next horizontal surface. “C’mon!” I whispered. It was difficult to shimmy up it without knocking off any of the merchandise with my feet, but we couldn’t risk making any noise. The last thing I wanted to do was give away my location to the army of the undead. I placed a foot on the hard surface and held on to the metal rod, then heaved myself up. My clothes made a chafing sound that wouldn’t have been noticeable under normal circumstances, but nothing about our circumstances was normal. I held my breath and peered around me, trying to determine if we’d been spotted. The zombies went about their business, fighting and hissing over a slice of foul-smelling meat. Letting out my breath, I tested the shelf with my leg. When I realized it was strong enough to support me, I moved up to the next level, then stopped again when the shelf trembled. A few cans knocked against each other; two or three rolled to the side, but didn’t drop to the ground. Thank God! I knew if I could keep it that way, we might just stand a chance. The last thing I wanted to die over was a can of black-eyed peas. +Using the shelf as a ladder to reach the top, I climbed up slowly but steadily, taking one step at a time. I was almost up when one of the cans clattered to the ground, the sound reverberating from the walls. Crap! Suddenly, a few zombie heads snapped in our direction, causing my breath to catch in my throat. I prayed their interest wouldn’t be piqued but, as usual, luck wasn’t on my side. Hurrying as fast as I could, my legs on fire, I dashed up, then reached down to help Jackie. I wrapped my hand around her thin arm to pull her up, and once she reached the top, we glanced down. Because of my fumbling cans fiasco, zombies had spotted us and headed in our direction. +Jackie unlocked the window. We pushed and pulled as hard as we could, our arms straining as we forced the latch, but it was painted shut and refused to budge. I reached for my gun but it wasn’t there and I knew it must’ve fallen out when the shelves collapsed on us. +“Give it another push!” I yelled. “On three!” I began to count, and then hurled my whole weight forward, to no avail. My heart began to race again. I got on my knees and reached down for anything we could use to bust the window or knock the latch off. My hands wrapped around a can of spaghetti sauce, the mushroom variety. It was a bit small, but the edges were sharp enough to do the trick. “Cover your face!” I said to Jackie. +“No need,” she said, sliding out her gun from her holster. Pulling the trigger, the window shattered with a boom, glass spraying outside onto the gravel below. The shelves started to wobble as zombies began to rock them from below, and Jackie fell back with a loud yelp. +I quickly grabbed her around the waist to steady her, while holding on to the railing with my other arm. “Wrap your arm around my neck,” I shouted through the moaning noise below. When Jackie reached up, I scooped her into my arms and held her tightly against me, then kicked out the rest of the window while Jackie kicked the shelf over. Her body was still pressed against me as we teetered on the edge of the windowsill, dangerously close to the floor below and the hands reaching up to grab us and tear us into tasty, bloody morsels. With a loud thud, the shelf crashed on top of the zombies. +I peered out into the night, exasperated. There were no trees to shimmy down, no ladder, no rope, and nothing to aid our descent. Only after leaning out did I notice that directly underneath us, there was a tall dumpster with flat, open doors on the top and metal sliding doors on the side. “We’ve gotta jump,” I said. +Without hesitation, Jackie climbed out and took the plunge. +I followed right after and fell into a giant pile of black bags. I could hear the plastic crinkling beneath me a moment before the reek of rotten eggs hit my nostrils and made me gag. Pushing up, I struggled to grip something hard without spreading the garbage and smell all over me. When I finally managed to sit up, I realized the only thing that wasn’t covered in trash were parts of my face. “Are you okay?” I whispered, looking around for Jackie, who’d disappeared into the abyss of garbage. +She popped up and peered over a few bags. “Yeah, I’m fine. You?” +I nodded, even though I couldn’t tell whether she could see anything in the pitch black. +“See anything?” she continued. +The moon cast a glow over city buildings, and graffiti-covered walls stretching into the distance. To the left of a broken lamp post, I noticed a long alley strewn with garbage. My gaze scanned the area for any suspicious movement, but everything remained silent. “The coast is clear,” I whispered to Jackie. +The loud rustling of plastic bags next to Jackie startled me. Then, a green, rotting hand burst from the boxes and tried to clench the air. My heart lurched. I felt around the trash looking for anything I could get my hands on. All I could find were empty boxes that wouldn’t even smash a fly, let alone fight off a zombie. +The oversized container shook slightly on its wheels as the zombie fought its way through the trash and sprung toward Jackie, snapping its jaws. She whipped out her gun and shot it straight in the forehead. Dark liquid squirted everywhere, and the zombie fell sideways. Jackie scrambled up. +I was right behind her, so I helped her climb over the edge of the dumpster, and then followed. “Which way should we go?” I whispered as I scanned my surroundings. +“Let’s circle around. Maybe we’ll find Nick and Claire…and your sister.” +Before I could even answer, I heard a moan and spun around. I gasped. More zombies had spotted us and shuffled in our direction. Jackie aimed her gun, but we both realized there were too many and we wouldn’t stand a chance. With my heart pounding, I gripped her hand, and we turned around. “C’mon!” We took off down the alley, and I spied the perfect getaway vehicle, an abandoned motorcycle. Nick had taught me how to ride his motorcycle ages ago. I was a pro and could handle this with no problem. “Think it runs?” I glanced over my shoulder to make sure the zombies weren’t gaining on us. Luckily for us, they were slower than turtles, and they were still a good distance away, but I wanted to get out of there before they caught up. + “It won’t even start without keys,” Jackie said, searching for them in the darkness. +It would have been far too easy for them to have been left in the ignition, I supposed. I glanced down and noticed a leather coat lying on the sidewalk in a bloody heap. I was about to open my mouth to say something about it, but before I could, she had followed my line of vision and was poking her foot into the heap. Bending down, she felt the pockets and pulled out a set of dangling keys. I prayed one of them would start the bike. I hopped on, she hopped on behind me, and I slid the most appropriate-looking key in the ignition. There was a click, but the motorcycle wouldn’t start. Beads of sweat rolled down my face. +“Try again!” yelled Jackie. “They’re getting closer.” +“I am!” I said, wondering why the thing wouldn’t cooperate. With a terrified glance over my shoulder, I tried one last time. The engine spluttered for a moment, but then it finally started! We sped down the alley, my heart racing. I had always dreamt of riding a magnificent Harley with a beautiful girl, the blasting gusts of wind whipping through our hair. Of course, I’d pictured it more on a highway, not in a back-alley labyrinth, in the middle of the night, with zombies hot on our tailpipes. +We took a few twists and turns, but I really wasn’t sure which way to go. I slowed and turned the motorcycle down another alleyway, which ultimately led us to a beach. +“Turn around,” Jackie said. +Just as she said it, I heard hissing and moaning wafting through the night air and glanced over my shoulder to see a new group of undead coming out from behind deserted buildings and heading toward us. “Um, scratch that!” I said. “There’s no way we’re going back.” +  + + + +Chapter 13 + +“The sand! It’ll slow them down big time,” I said, turning left onto the beach and hitting the gas. I scanned my surroundings. To the left, tall trees stretched into the sky, their crowns swallowed up by darkness. Behind us, a white sign glowed in the darkness, pointing out that it was a private beach and any intruders would be prosecuted. We didn’t know what we might stumble upon in either direction, and I wasn’t sure which way to take. While I was deliberating, my wheels suddenly squealed, throwing up sand everywhere. +“What’s going on?” Jackie asked behind me. Her frantic tone and the way her hands clutched my waist told me she was slowly getting worried. +“Hold on,” I said calmly, even though my hands were shaking. There wasn’t enough time to dig the tires out. If we were stuck, we’d have to make it out of there on foot. We had no flashlights and, worse, no idea what was lurking around the next corner. Shuffling through the sand, groups of zombies slowly came from every direction, drawn to us like moths to a flame. I assumed they were attracted to the roar of the motorcycle. I met Jackie’s terrified gaze. “If we can get free, we can zigzag around them.” It was a crazy idea, but it wasn’t impossible. They were still at least a hundred feet away, but one particular zombie seemed to move faster than the rest; I wondered if he’d been just recently turned. I kept the zombie MVP in my line of vision. +Jackie pulled out her gun. “I’m going to keep these freaks from getting too close. You just work on getting us outta here.” +“Remember, aim for their heads.” +“I know,” she said flatly. +The motorcycle rattled as I revved it up, the tires digging deep into the sinking sand. Time was running out, and I contemplated running on foot if we didn’t get the Harley out within the next minute or so. + “Hey!” she said. “Try not to spin the tires. Digging us halfway to Australia isn’t going to do us any good.” She squeezed the trigger and missed. +“Concentrate!” I said. +“I am!” she said. She fired again, this time hitting the zombie in the chest. “It’s still coming!” +“They will unless you hit them in the head!” I yelled. With the zombie inching forward, I needed to get the motorcycle tire out of the sand, but I couldn’t focus on helping Jackie and digging our way out all at once. +“Got it!” She slid off the bike. She walked right up to the zombie, until she was only a few feet away, then aimed and shot him right in the forehead, sending him to the ground, where he flailed around for a moment like a dying fish out of water. +“Are you crazy? Get back on the bike!” I yelled. +“I’m not going down without giving us a fighting chance.” She aimed at the approaching crowd, and three more fell. Jackie was finally realizing that fighting had become a necessity for life, but she was failing to realize that two people couldn’t take on an entire zombie herd by themselves. +“You need to quit playing hero and get your butt back on this bike!” +Reaching down, she grabbed some loose branches from the beach. “I have an idea.” +“I think your gun’s a much better choice,” I said. +“Try to lift the motorcycle when I count to three,” she said. +I heaved as hard as I could, but with the sand shifting everywhere, I only managed about two or three inches. +“Hold it up,” Jackie said, kneeling down. +I clenched my teeth and held the weight of the machine as I watched her squeeze the branches under the front tires, then move to the back. I held my breath as I dropped the front tire, then lifted up the back so she could stabilize the branches beneath it. +“The branches will provide traction, or at least I hope so,” she said. +It was a brilliant idea; I had to give her that. I rocked the motorcycle back and forth, spewing a cloud of sand in the air. Some of the smaller twigs snapped beneath it, making me doubt it would hold. I knew we had to hurry. I could just picture that undead army pulling us off the motorcycle and biting into our flesh, and I shuddered at the thought. “Jump on,” I said to Jackie before starting the engine. I could feel the twigs giving way beneath the tires, so I hit the gas. With one last squeal, the tires were free. I turned in the direction with the least amount of zombies and was able to easily pass by them, my heart racing even faster than the bike. +Speeding up, I followed the beach strip, my thighs clutching to it to keep it steady. I turned right. There has to be an opening or exit somewhere. If we could only find it… “Look for a gate or something,” I yelled to Jackie, my gaze still fixed on the ground. As I turned the bend, I saw that the south side of the beach was also swarming with zombies. To make matters worse, I was sure our loud motorcycle had just rung the dinner bell. +“There’re too many of them!” Jackie said. “We’ll never get through.” +She was right, for I saw no way to break through them without becoming their midnight snack. +Jackie started shooting, and two dropped in our path. +I abruptly turned the bike and zigzagged past a few stragglers. I revved up the motorcycle and sped toward a nearby pier. +Jackie wrapped her arms tight around my waist. “What’re we doing?” +“Can you swim?” +“Yeah, sure. I take it we’re going for a dip?” +“Yep, hold on.” Adjusting my speed, I raced down the pier. The engine revved and the tires squealed as the motorcycle drove into the lake with a giant splash and began sinking, pulling us beneath the surface. +Cold water gushed into my mouth and soaked my clothes. Somewhere in the back of my swirling mind, I realized I could no longer feel Jackie’s hands around my waist. With deliberate, long pushes of my legs and arms, I broke the surface and spewed out water, my whole body screaming for oxygen. I took giant gulps of air and searched for Jackie. “Jackie? Jackie! Where are you?” I asked between breaths. +A few moments passed, but the dark surface of the water remained undisturbed. I scanned the area around me frantically, fearing the worst. Suddenly, a spluttering noise echoed from behind me. I turned sharply to Jackie, throwing her arms around me. +“You’re okay!” She laughed. +I melted into her embrace. “Never been better. I shook my head to push the scary images to the back of my mind. If anything had happened to her, I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself. +She motioned toward the shore. “You don’t think they can swim, do you?” +“No way! I live on an island. Trust me, those things can’t swim, and they know it.” My gaze darted over to the shore. Under the bright moonlight, zombies were pacing up and down it, moaning and groaning, just waiting to tear us apart. Lots of them had also followed us up the pier. It gave me the creeps, but I knew they wouldn’t come into the lake. +She squeezed my arm. “I bet they’d love it if we were stupid enough to swim back.” +“Yeah, but we’re not that stupid.” +“Let’s swim to the other side and get our butts out of here,” Jackie said. +I had no idea how big or deep the lake was, but I didn’t even want to think about it. With no other choice, I had to remain positive, so I glided forward with long strokes. +After a few minutes of swimming, Jackie stopped. I halted next to her and followed her line of vision, down the water surface to the darkness stretching in the distance. “You see that?” she whispered, pointing at what looked like a shore. +“What?” +She started forward, then swung back. “There’s somebody over there.” +I was sure it was just more zombies, so we’d have to keep swimming until we found a safe way out. I could see the opposite shore not too far away. Squinting to get a better look, I made out figures in the distance. A second later, a strong breeze carried their shouts to us. My lips curled into a big smile when I realized Nick and Claire were pacing along the shore, waving their hands wildly. “I can always count on my brother!” I pounded the water with my fists, splashing it in all directions. +Jackie smiled. “We’re saved!” +I met her gaze when she gripped my shirt tight and pulled me close, wrapping her legs tightly around me. Catching me off guard, she captured my lips in a hot, hungry kiss. I swirled my tongue over hers. My heart pounded as adrenaline surged. I had never kissed such a hot girl before—or many girls, for that matter—and it was the most amazing feeling in the entire world. +She broke the kiss and said with a coy smile, “C’mon. Your brother’s waiting.” +I smiled. “Yeah, let’s go.” With powerful strokes, I cut through the water and swam toward shore. +“Hey, we saw headlights, and then a bike drive off into the lake!” Claire called as soon as we were within earshot, only a few feet away. “When we saw it, we raced our Jeeps over here to the other side, hoping it might be you.” +“Yeah, with all that screaming to get your attention, I thought we’d attract zombies,” Nick said. +I scanned the beach for any shadows, but saw none. It looked safe for the moment, and I was happy when my feet finally touched the ground beneath me. As I waded through the waist-high water, pebbles and sand shifted under my feet. I climbed out, shivering in the cold breeze running over my body. “How’s Val?” I asked my brother. +“Sleeping,” he answered. There was something in his voice though, some kind of hesitation, as though he was keeping something to himself, but I didn’t press the issue. +Happy to have made it out, I let out a sigh of relief and squeezed Jackie’s hand, and then my gaze fell on the gun in Claire’s hand. “You pack heat now?” I asked. +She noticed my staring and held it up. “Your brother showed me some tips at the house, so I thought this might be the perfect time to put them to good use.” +“Yeah, well, Nick can talk anyone into anything,” I said. +“C’mon,” Nick said. “You know a stun gun wouldn’t cut it out here.” +“I thought that too,” I said, “but then Claire saved my butt back in the store.” +“What?” Nick gasped. +“One of those zombies grabbed me through the shelves and I lost my gun. If Claire hadn’t come and stunned the freak, I’m sure the thing would’ve bitten me.” I threw Claire a thankful look. “Thanks, Claire.” +“Not a problem.” Claire slipped her gun into a holster around her waist, then threw an old blanket around me and Jackie. The wool felt so warm against my freezing skin; I couldn’t stop shivering. +Nick hugged me. “I’m so glad you two are safe. You scared me to death!” +“Sorry, man.” +“That was crazy!” Nick said. “Don’t you dare ever pull a stunt like that again. The bike could’ve dragged you underwater and drowned you.” +Jackie laughed. “A stunt? As if we planned it.” +I nudged her, smiling. “Yeah, I knew he’d be totally freaked.” +“Why wouldn’t he be?” Claire asked, as if standing up for his honor. “The last thing we saw was you guys heading off to the lake on a motorcycle with a herd on your butts.” She let out a trembling breath. “We tried to distract the zombies by beeping the horn.” +“And then Claire’s Jeep wouldn’t start at first…about giving me a heart attack,” Nick said. +“I really think we should be on a lookout for a new vehicle,” Claire said. +“Yeah,” Nick agreed. “Anyway, Claire laid on the horn like you wouldn’t believe!” +Claire nodded. “Some of them turned, but most of them had their eyes set on you.” +I found it funny that Claire had tried so hard to deter the undead army. The girl I’d met only hours earlier wouldn’t have dreamt of attracting their attention when she could have just run away. It was quite a change, quite an accomplishment. I was sure she didn’t do it entirely for me though. It was for Jackie, her cousin. When someone’s loved ones or friends are in trouble, they’ll go to astonishing lengths to save them, no matter how scary it is. I learned this firsthand with Val. +“We got separated when the zombies knocked the shelves over,” Jackie said. “We made an escape out a window.” + “Yeah, we were totally freaked out when we lost you guys.” Claire wrapped her arms around both of us. “I’m so glad you’re safe now.” +“Thanks for finding us,” whispered Jackie, hugging her tight. +“You think I’d let my BFF and cousin get eaten by zombies?” +Jackie chuckled. “Not in this lifetime.” +We all laughed. +Nick insisted I ride with him because he wanted to discuss game plans and routes, so Claire and Jackie drove one Jeep while Nick, Val, and I took the other. We took off, heading for the highway. Val was sprawled out across the back seat, Nick drove, and I rode in the passenger seat. +“You really think Val’s okay?” I asked. “She looks so pale.” +“She’s fine, but I’ll tell you one thing. If our crazy sister pulls another stunt like she did back there, I’m gonna…” He didn’t finish the thought. +She had definitely put us in a dangerous situation, and I hoped she would stay passed out for a while because I had no idea how to handle her. “When’s she going to turn so we can see if the cure works?” +“Soon—very soon.” +A thumping sound startled me. Turning sharply, I signaled Nick to keep quiet as I listened for any more strange noises. A second later, the thumping started again, stronger than before. My head snapped in Val’s direction, even though I knew she was out cold. With my heart racing in my chest, I whipped out my gun and motioned for Nick to pull over as I prepared for yet another surprise coming from the storage compartment of our Jeep. + + +Chapter 14 + +We’d been on the highway for at least half an hour, listening to the rhythmic sound of our tires on the asphalt, when a strange noise made me look up. I held my breath and listened. For a whole second, nothing stirred, but then a thudding sound reverberated from inside the Jeep, the strange thudding and thumping we’d heard before. “What the heck?” I mumbled, motioning Nick to pull over and cut the engine. “I think something is in here with us.” +“I hear it too. Stay calm,” Nick said. “Let’s not confront anything until we’re all safely out of the Jeep. That’ll give us a huge advantage.” +The moment the Jeep ground to a halt, I grabbed Val and jumped out, setting her softly on the grass. If something was in that Jeep with us, I didn’t want her to get hurt, especially while she was out cold and couldn’t defend herself. I dashed for the back of the vehicle, with my weapon drawn. +Nick reached me in two long strides and placed his large body on the other side of the rear hatch. +Signaling him to keep quiet, I pointed my gun at the storage compartment located behind the second set of seats, and mentally prepared myself to shoot the miserable stowaway between its dead white eyes. I had no idea how a zombie could’ve gotten in there, but I was going to make it pay. With my eyes glued to the rear hatch, I inched closer and reached to open it. +Suddenly tires screeched on the asphalt behind us, and the doors opened and slammed shut. +“Get back inside!” Nick yelled. “There’s nothing to see.” +“What’s going on?” Jackie asked, ignoring him. “You just stopped in the middle of nowhere.” +“Is it Val?” Claire asked, appearing beside me. +I pushed her a step back and peered at Nick’s face, which resembled a mask of irritation. “We all have to be quiet,” I whispered, “or you might just wake up the monster—and I’m not talking about the zombie in the storage compartment of the Jeep.” +As though in answer, a thud echoed from inside, followed by a louder one. +Claire jumped back, startled. “What the heck? A zombie? How did it get in there?” +“Probably while Val was on her little moonlight shopping spree.” I shrugged. “As to why it would have wanted to crawl in there, don’t ask me. I guess they’re not claustrophobic or prone to motion sickness.” +“Okay, we’re opening,” Nick said, pointing at Jackie. “Can you stand guard?” +She nodded, pulling out her gun. +“Okay.” Nick sighed heavily, then unlocked the rear hatch and slowly opened the compartment door. +I drew a sharp breath and held it, bracing myself for the worst. +Something stirred inside, as though whatever was in there had sat up groggily and tried to maneuver themselves out. Then a voice echoed from within. +I blinked several times before a face came to mind to match the voice. +“Please don’t shoot, Nick! Don’t shoot, man!” Tahoe pleaded, appearing in my line of vision. His face was covered in darkness, but I would have recognized his hands anywhere, for they were the hands that had almost cost Val her life. +From the corner of my eye, I noticed Nick stepping closer, his jaw clenched in anger. “Nice touch remembering my name, Lake Tahoe, but do you think that’s gonna actually save your sorry butt? The tables have turned for you, buddy. Now I’m in charge.” +I shined the flashlight in Tahoe’s eyes, unable to believe the guy’s luck. He’d ventured out into the night, and when we’d watched his friend being eaten alive, we’d all mistakenly assumed Tahoe had been a side dish. I couldn’t believe he was still alive, let alone standing in front of us. Either he had to be the luckiest moron in the whole wide world, or else he’d been bitten, so the venom had kept his future kind at bay. I knew which option was more likely. Taking a step back, I pushed Claire behind me, just in case, and focused my attention back on Tahoe. His hands and clothes were bloody, but whether the brown and red stains were from his blood or someone else’s, I couldn’t tell. If he had been attacked and infected by zombies, I knew Nick wouldn’t hesitate to shoot him; at least that would have given Nick the perfect excuse to put a bullet in his head, a fitting death sentence for his attempted murder of our sister. +“You’re the scum of the Earth. You know that, right?” Nick pointed his gun directly at the scraggly man’s head. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t pull this trigger.” +Tahoe held up his hands, his eyes wide with fear. “Please don’t shoot! It was all Earl! I let Dean go so he could help her. Just ask him. I let go!” He pointed at me, his gaze begging me to tell my brother my part of the story. +I’m not gonna play along with his little games. +My brother glanced over at me as if to acknowledge his claims. +“What?” I asked Tahoe. “You want me to remember? Hmm. Well, I’m afraid that might not work right now since I have a little concussion leftover from trying to save my sister from you and your sleaze-ball friend.” +Tahoe paled, and a sheen of sweat covered his forehead. His hands clenched and unclenched, and his gaze fixed on the gun in my brother’s hand. +“Is that so?” Nick said, grinning. +I inclined my head and tried to keep hard from laughing at Tahoe’s shocked expression. “Yeah. Look, Nick, you might hafta draw your own conclusion here since I ain’t gonna be of much help.” +Tahoe swallowed audibly. +I couldn’t help but feel justice had been served by terrifying him, if only a tiny bit. “Okay. He did let me go, technically,” I said eventually. “Thing is, I still couldn’t reach Val in time, and if it weren’t for him and his half-wit friend, she wouldn’t have gone through the horror she experienced.” +Nick nodded. “Right. An accessory. I think any judge and jury would condemn a man who tried to assist in the murder of an innocent woman.” He pointed the gun into Tahoe’s forehead. +“Hey! You’re not the judge and executioner,” Jackie said, grabbing Nick’s arm. +Even though I’d sworn it when Val had supposedly died, I didn’t believe in cold-blooded murder. Those vengeful thoughts had been nothing more than the result of my emotions spilling over when I thought my sister had been murdered. “Just let him go,” I said with a heavy sigh. “He’s not worth a wasted bullet. Besides, we need to get back on the road.” +“Get out of the trunk, Tahoe!” Nick said through gritted teeth. “Make one wrong move, and I’ll shoot you dead in your tracks.” +Tahoe slowly climbed out. “I’ll just be on my way. Thank you.” +“Everybody get back to your vehicles,” Nick said, motioning Claire and Jackie back to their Jeep. +“Nick…” I said, hesitating. Knowing my brother, I doubted he’d just let Tahoe be on his merry way, but Nick was hard to read. He’d always been like that, but he was no killer. Or is he? “Nick?” My hand wandered to grab his arm, but he shrugged it off. +Jackie picked up on his vibes too. “You can’t kill him, Nick. We’re not murderers!” +Tahoe coughed and fell to the ground. He’d lost a lot of blood and was pretty weak. +“Nick,” Claire said, “you’re not a killer. You know that.” +He regarded her coolly. “How would you know? You’ve known me for all of five minutes.” +She pressed her fist against her chest, right above where her heart was beating. “I can feel it.” Her voice quivered with emotion. “Let’s help him get better, and then you can kick him out.” +Laughing, Nick shook his head. “Why shouldn’t we just leave him here? He’d make a nice little buffet for any zombies who happen to come along.” +“You can’t just leave him out here to die,” she said, her gaze imploring him to listen, “and you can’t kill him either.” +We were trying our best, but in the end, we knew it was Nick’s decision to make. We hoped he would do the right thing. But do I really know him? I wondered. What I’d seen of him during our brief stint in Zombie Land had changed my perception of him. He was tougher and colder than I ever imagined he could be. +“They won’t touch him if they recognize their kind,” Nick said, regarding Tahoe. +“They didn’t bite me,” Tahoe insisted. “Really, they didn’t!” +Nick’s eyes narrowed. “But wouldn’t that be sweet justice?” +“I’m with you on that one,” Jackie said. “He had no qualms about helping to throw an innocent woman over the railing as a distraction to save his own butt.” +“I would never hurt anybody!” Tahoe said, shaking his head vehemently. “It was all Earl! I can’t begin to tell you how sorry I am for your loss. If I didn’t help him and do what he said, he would have killed me too!” +“Not a loss,” Claire whispered. “The girl lived.” +He gasped. “What? How? I-I mean that’s wonderful, but how? Where is she? I’d like to personally apologize.” +“Let’s bandage him up,” Jackie said. “Give him some food and water and a weapon. Whatever happens after that is his problem.” +“You want to waste our precious supplies on this loser?” Nick asked. +Jackie stepped toward him, her eyes sparkling with determination. “Yes. I don’t want to have his demise on our conscience. That’s the only thing that makes us any more human than those things out there, isn’t it?” +Nick waved his gun in the air. “This jerk almost cost my sister her life!” +“Listen, Nick…” +“No, Claire! If he and his friend hadn’t stopped us, we could’ve made it out in the nick of time, before the herd came around to the front of the house.” +Claire shook her head vehemently. “That’s not entirely true, and you know it. I slowed you down in the first place. If you hadn’t stayed there long enough to convince us to come with you, you would’ve been long gone.” +“That’s different.” +A dangerous glint appeared in her eyes. “Why?” +Nick ran a hand through his hair as he contemplated her answer. “Because you didn’t try to kill my sister,” he said after a moment. +Claire’s shoulders slumped. She was losing the argument, right or wrong, and she knew it. Whether we wanted it or not, Nick would make the final decision. +“Claire, Jackie, you can’t just leave me here,” Tahoe pleaded. “Zombies will shred me to pieces. Earl’s a psychopath and told me he’d kill me countless times. I believed him after I saw the things he’s done in the past. But he was my uncle and I couldn’t leave him.” +“Oh, you’re good,” Nick said. “Go on, storyteller. Humor us.” +“No, really! It’s all true. My father’s the chief of police and I was going to tell him all about Earl.” +“Right,” I said. +“I swear I’m telling you the truth. Earl and I left the city we resided in to go pick up family members stranded in another state. We got sidetracked trying to lose a herd. I planned on getting back home, zombie apocalypse or not.” +He was good at making up stories, but none of us believed Tahoe for a second. +“Do you really have the heart to kill a cop’s son?” he said. “Not to mention, I have a wife and twin girls. Please think of them before you do anything to me.” +“If I was you,” Nick said, “I might’ve tried telling the story with one kid. It’s way more believable than twins.” +“Please think of my girls,” Tahoe added. “They have beautiful blonde hair like their mama. If you met my babies, you’d instantly fall in love with them.” +I raised my brows at him when he tried to play the sympathy card. I was sure no one in our group could possibly fall for such a tall tale, yet I could tell Jackie was softening: Her frown and the angry crease in her forehead disappeared, and her hands clutched into fists at her side as she turned to regard Nick. “We need to get going.” I said. “Having an argument out here is bound to draw attention—and not the positive kind.” +Nick nodded and took another step toward Tahoe, but Claire jumped in front of him as if to block Nick from shooting him. “He has nobody to look out for him!” she said. “You know what would’ve happened if no one had helped me in my time of need? I’d be dead.” +Nick let out a long breath. “Fine. Get the medical kit, Dean.” +I sighed. Is he seriously caving just because of a pretty face? Then again, I didn’t care. I just wanted to do whatever we were doing so we could get the heck outta there. When I grabbed the first aid kit, Claire snatched it out of my hand and began tending to Tahoe’s wounds. +“Hurry up. We don’t have time for this,” Nick said. “Every minute we stick around here just makes a bigger target on our backs.” +“Then help us get him into the Jeep so we can leave,” Claire snapped. +“No,” I said. “Nick’s right. Tahoe can’t come with us. He’s a liar and nothing but trouble. Tend to his wounds like you wanted, and we’ll give him a little food and water and some kind of weapon to defend himself, but that’s all we’re going to do for him.” +“Check him for any scratches or bites,” Jackie said. +Tahoe wiped a sleeve across his eyes. “I wasn’t bitten. Earl stabbed me. The zombies were on my butt, and I saw the rear hatch wide open from where you were packing supplies. I threw out the stuff in my way and I squeezed into the compartment, then shut the door. If I would’ve climbed into the back seat, they would’ve seen me. My idea worked. The dummies had no idea where I went.” +“And how did you plan on getting out?” I asked. +“I didn’t think that far ahead. I just wanted to get away from them.” +“Wow,” Nick said in a sarcastic tone. “You’re pretty smart for a cop’s son.” +“All I knew was that I couldn’t outrun them,” Tahoe said. “I was bleeding, and I didn’t have the energy to hotwire the Jeep. I was about to pass out. I knew if I fainted in the Jeep, the zombies would’ve broken in and eaten me. I thought it would be safer to try and hide in the storage compartment, and I must have passed out and not woken up till now.” +“He’s coming with me,” Claire said, determined. “Cut out the tough guy act and try to show a little compassion, because there’s nothing you can do about it.” As though to prove their point, Claire and Jackie helped Tahoe up. +When he hobbled over and climbed inside their Jeep, I knew there was no changing their minds; we were stuck with him. +Nick’s eyes blazed as he pulled Claire aside. “Have you lost your freaking mind?” I could tell that he was a bit miffed at her outright defiance, but the girl had a mind of her own. +“What if he hurts you?” I said. +“Just look at him.” Jackie pointed at Tahoe, now slumped over the back seat. “He’s a conman, not a murderer. We can handle him. I really don’t think he’ll hurt us. He’s barely in any condition to breathe, let alone anything else.” +“True,” I said, “but what if he dies? It takes up to five days to turn into a zombie from a bite or scratch, but if one dies, it’s immediate. You need to know that.” I didn’t even want to think about what might happen to the girls if he turned and attacked them. +Jackie’s eyes grew wide. “He won’t. I grabbed the medical kit, some antibiotics, and pain pills. But just to be safe, I’ll let Claire drive. I’ll watch him closely. If he dies, I’ll shoot him straight in the head.” +I pulled her close. “No! This is a bad idea, Jackie—a really, really bad idea.” +“I just can’t stand by and leave somebody in this condition in such a horrible, lonely, scary place. Please try to understand.” She kissed my cheek and hopped in the passenger side. +“It’d make me feel safer if you at least tied him up,” I said. +“We can handle it.” Claire turned the key and started the ignition. “We’ll be right behind.” +“Change of plans,” I said, peering in through the open window. “Tahoe’s coming with us in our Jeep whether Nick likes it or not. That way I know you two will be safe.” +Jackie shook her head vehemently. “Nope! Not happenin’. Nick will use any little excuse to kill him and you know it.” +“Then we move onto Plan B,” I said. +“What’s that?” Claire asked. + “Hey, Nick,” I yelled. “I’m riding with the girls.” +“Okay, that’s fine. See if Claire wants to ride with me?” +“Yeah, I want to ride with him,” Claire said, opening the door, when Jackie grabbed her arm. +“No you don’t,” Jackie said. “They’re insisting a guy needs to be in each Jeep. We’re strong, independent women. We can handle a Jeep just as well as they can.” She looked up at me. “I killed that zombie with a bat because I was trying to make a point. From this moment on, I can take care of myself. And I don’t need a guy to protect me ever again.” +“I’m just trying to keep you safe from a psychopath,” I said. “So here’s Plan C. You know I won’t kill Tahoe, so he and I will ride in my Jeep and Nick can ride with you two.” +“I like it,” Claire said. +“I don’t,” Jackie said. “Again, he feels like a man has to be with us so we’re safe. Go back to your Jeep, Dean, and please trust me that I can handle this.” +A moan echoed from the trees as a zombie stumbled out of the vegetation toward us. +“Get in the Jeep, Dean. Now!” Nick said. He then shot the zombie with perfect aim. “We don’t have time to stand out here arguing. Listen, they’re big girls. They can make their own decisions.” +I ran back to my Jeep and jumped in, slamming the door. “They’re trying to be all independent now,” I said. +“Not again,” Nick said, peering out the window. “Their Jeep just stalled.” +We definitely needed to find them better transportation. I let out a sigh of relief as the Jeep suddenly turned over. +Biting my lip hard, I struggled with the decision of leaving the girls with a possible zombie. +“At least we know Val’s safe with us,” Nick said, shooting her a glance over his shoulder. “We need to stick with the mission and save Val. It’s easy to get sidetracked, but we have to stay focused for her sake.” I opened my mouth to argue my point, but my brother raised a hand to stop me and continued, “Today has been a horrible nightmare, and I’m dead tired. Let’s just go and leave it at that.” +The crease on his forehead deepened, and worry wrinkles had emerged around his eyes. He was tired, and I didn’t want to add to his problems, so I pressed my lips shut and made myself comfortable in my seat. I wasn’t happy about the girls letting Tahoe ride with them, but there wasn’t much I could do about it. + + +Chapter 15 + +The highway was one long strip stretching out into the night, illuminated only by our headlights and the rising moon above. Sitting in the passenger seat, with my head pressed against the cold, smooth window, I stared at the road ahead, my mind scattered in a million directions. I knew I should try to get some sleep, in case I had to relieve Nick from driving, but for some reason, any shred of fatigue seemed to have eluded me. Every now and then, my gaze moved to the rearview mirror to check on Claire and Jackie, following in the second Jeep with Tahoe for a passenger. With nothing stirring, silence engulfed us, just three siblings. Siblings. Brothers and sister. It sounded strange to me. Up until recently, it had been just Nick and me. Never in a million years would I have guessed that might change, but then Val came along, and just like that, we had a sister. I still couldn’t quite wrap my head around it. +My brother suddenly rolled down the window, jolting me out of my thoughts. “I can’t stand the stink in here. We need to get a clean dressing on Val’s wound before it turns completely nasty.” +“We don’t have to stop out here. I’ll do it while you’re driving,” I said, crawling into the back seat. I dug around for the medical kit we’d snagged from the glass house. Inside it, I found all the necessary sterile bandages, antiseptic, and tape. +Suddenly, our sister awoke and sat up. +I stopped, unsure how she’d react to me looking at her wound. +“You’re changing my bandage?” she asked groggily. “Because Jackie gave me a new one while I was driving.” +“Yeah? Well, we need to put a fresh one on again,” I said, clearing my throat. “It’s, uh…it looks like it’s seeped through.” +“Just be sure to wear gloves,” she said, pointing to the medical kit. “We don’t want to take any chances of you getting infected.” +“Yeah,” I said quietly. In silence, I grabbed a pair of latex gloves, tore the packaging open, and pulled them on with a snap, just like a surgeon. +“Ready?” she said, pulling her sleeve up. When I nodded, she switched on the flashlight and held it up, instructing me step by step on how to cleanse and change the bandage like she’d done seemingly a million times before. +As I worked, the scent of foul flesh intensified. Taking in shallow breaths, I followed Val’s instructions to a T, then threw some tape on it and smiled. Back when we first met, she’d hinted at having some basic medical knowledge, but I’d never had the chance to ask about that. I sensed it was now a good time to learn more about her. “What did you used to do—you know, before all of this?” +“I was a cop,” she said, looking at me with an amused expression, as if anticipating my reaction. +It wasn’t what I expected her to say, but it did make perfect sense. “I should’ve known by the way you handle a gun,” I said. “So where did you get your medical knowledge from?” +“I was engaged to a doctor,” she whispered. “His name was Travis. I used to help him change bandages at the clinic. Infected people swarmed that place. His staff was swamped when the outbreak happened, so he had no choice but to let me assist him, even though he didn’t want to and we argued for hours whenever the chance presented itself.” +Nick glanced over his shoulder. “Our hospitals, doctor offices, and clinics in South Carolina were also teeming with people who wanted help and demanded to know what was going on.” +“Yeah, I imagine every medical facility across the world was jam-packed just like ours. So, whether Travis wanted it or not, I helped out at the clinic when my shifts were over.” +“That’s dedication,” Nick said. +“Yeah, well, we didn’t know what was going on at the time. Travis was so sure he could help them, and I was naïve enough to believe him.” +She seemed sad to talk about him, and I wondered what had happened between them. Did things go sour and not work out, or was he killed when the zombie thing went down? I didn’t have the nerve to ask, but she must’ve sensed my interest, because it didn’t take long to get my answer. +She pressed her lips into a grim line. “He’s dead. He never shoulda been at the clinic with all those infected people. I still can’t believe we were treating zombie victims like real people. They wanted nothing more than to rip our heads off. How could we have been so stupid?” +“You couldn’t have known,” I said softly, “but what you were trying to do was admirable.” +“If only we had known what we were really dealing with, maybe things would have turned out differently. If only I could go back in time and save him.” +“I’m so sorry, Val.” Even though nothing I could say or do would ease my sister’s pain, I leaned in and rubbed her back gently in the hopes that she might draw some relief from it. +Her voice quivered. “They’re all dead—all my family in Philadelphia and most of the people I’ve ever known. I thought I’d lost my entire family until I met you. Now, you guys are all I have left. I thought I couldn’t lose more until zombies broke into my home and killed my dogs. That was the moment when I knew I couldn’t stay in Philadelphia. I had to get the heck outta there, or else I would’ve been next.” +“Pennsylvania?” I asked. +“Yep. Born and raised.” She nodded and smiled, her gaze turning distant. “When I found adoption papers by accident, I was shocked. I demanded answers, and my adoptive parents finally told me about my past and about you. A few weeks later, they died. I spent months traveling around, trying to find you, slaying I don’t know how many zombies in my path.” She reached in her pocket and pulled out a crumbled Christmas card, then handed it to me. +With trembling fingers, I reached for it and recognized it immediately. “Nick, this picture is of us, last year at Christmas,” I said, passing it to my brother. +He glanced at it briefly, his gaze barely brushing it. “The Christmas card with those goofy Santa hats Mom made us wear? Come on! That was so freaking embarrassing.” +“Yeah.” I studied our bright smiles and glowing faces. We were so happy. I shook my head and swallowed the lump in my throat. “How did you get this?” +Slowly, the words tumbled out of her mouth. “Your…er, our mom sent it to me.” +I gasped, shocked beyond belief. “When did she find you?” +She reached for the Christmas card. Her eyes glazed over, as though she’d lost herself in memories. “We’d been talking for only a few weeks, barely able to share much about our lives, when the epidemic destroyed everything, from the police force to the postal service and radio stations, and we lost touch. At first, the phone lines went dead. When the letters stopped arriving, I feared the worst.” +“Mother talked to you? I don’t believe it,” Nick whispered, in just as much shock as I was. +“That picture kept me going on my long journey from Philadelphia to that island in Ohio,” Val said, her hand still clutching the photo. With shaky fingers, she brushed a stray strand of hair out of her eyes and continued, “After I got in touch with our mom, she begged me to relocate with you in South Carolina. That was right before the whole zombie thing happened and you left South Carolina to come to the island to join Grandma.” +I nodded, thinking back and remembering how hard it was to leave our old lives behind. +“She said she wanted us to meet and start from scratch, so I went through this zombie-infested landscape in order to be with my new family.” +“I’m so glad you did, Val,” I said. “Meeting you is the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I’ve always wanted a sister.” +She grinned. “And I’ve always dreamt of having some little brothers.” +“Have you met Grandma?” Nick asked casually. +“Yes,” Val said. “As a matter of fact, she was the one who called me when we realized the virus was a full-blown zombie dilemma that might just wipe out the world. She told me to get my butt out of Pennsylvania and move to the island, but we stayed behind because we thought we could change something. We were wrong. We should have listened to Grandma.” +“I can’t believe you met Grams,” I said, my jaw dropping. My grandma was the most understanding, caring, forgiving person in the world. It made sense that she would have met Val right away, but I couldn’t understand how she managed to keep it a secret. My grams and I were so tight, and I thought she always told me every secret she knew. +“Yeah, she’s sweet. She texted me every day before all communication went down.” +I smiled, proud of myself. “I taught her how to text.” I’d even taught her how to email, and I got a message from her every day when I lived back in South Carolina. +“I know. She told me all about your mad skills.” +It seemed as if everyone had already known about Val except Nick and me. I wondered why it had been kept a secret from us. Mom had told me they’d planned on sitting down later that day with the entire family and explaining everything, but it still didn’t make much sense why we’d been left out of the loop. My thoughts raced. So Val didn’t just pop up on the doorstep to give us all a heart attack. She was invited. I could completely imagine Grams begging Val to be with us in our safe haven. Heck, I’m surprised she didn’t try to go out and find Val herself, guns blazing. Upon our arrival on the island, I noticed Grandma being more absentminded than ever. I suspected something was bothering her, but every time I’d tried to ask her about it, she’d just clammed up and brushed me off, calling me paranoid. One evening, however, she’d disclosed that she was worried about a girl in Pennsylvania. Her words had made no sense at the time, but now a light bulb went off in my head. Now, it all made sense. +“Our grandma is amazing,” she continued. “She showed me a picture of Mom and me in the delivery room. By the look on our mother’s face, I know she didn’t want to give me up. Dad looked happy too.” +“They should’ve never given you up,” I said. +Val smiled bitterly, and for a moment, I thought she was going to agree with me, but then she said, “That’s not true, Dean. You know they couldn’t have taken care of me. I mean, they were only fifteen years old, just kids themselves. Besides that, Grandma seemed to be losing a battle with cancer, and Grandpa had just died in a car accident. So much was happening that raising a kid was out of the question. Keeping me just…it just wasn’t possible.” +“Did you ever flat out ask her why she did it?” Nick asked. +“Yes.” Val hesitated a bit, considering her words. “She said it was because she loved me so much that she wanted me to have more than what she could give me. She also told me that not a day went by when she and Dad didn’t think about me.” +“They should’ve never given you up,” I repeated, anger edging my voice. I swallowed hard and stared out the window as I tried to process everything. +She brushed the hair behind her ear and sighed. “Mom and Dad’s decision to choose adoption for me must’ve been a difficult one. Dad said it left them with a sense of deep loss and that they were haunted by it.” +Nick kept quiet during most of our conversation. Several times, I noticed him shooting interested looks into the rearview mirror, his tired, bloodshot eyes shining in the darkness. He kept driving at a fast and steady pace, but the way his hand clutched the steering wheel rather than casually lingering on it as usual told me he was taking in every word being said. +Val touched my hand, sensing my sadness. “Hey, it’s okay. They gave me to a really great family because they loved me and wanted the best for me. I have no regrets. I had an awesome and fantastic life. My adoptive parents truly loved me with all their heart.” +I didn’t even know what to say. Maybe I was in complete and total shock that my mom had hidden something so big from us when we were such a close-knit family. I was happy that Val had enjoyed a great life. +Her voice quivered. “I was almost there. My group got attacked in Sandusky.” +“You’ve been through so much,” Nick said. “We’re here for you.” +“Thank you, Nick,” she said. “When I lost everyone, Grandma’s words rang in my ear. ‘Get your butt to the island. You’ll be safe. I promise.’ So, I decided to come and find you, to meet all of you in person.” +I put my arm around her and pulled her close. “I’m so sorry for your loss, sis. I can’t even begin to imagine what kind of pain you’re in and all of the horrible things you’ve seen and experienced, but you’ve got family here. We’re not going to ever let you go.” +“Well, I wish I wouldn’t have gotten bitten on the way, but that was probably fate.” She let out a long sigh. +“What makes you say that?” I asked. +She shrugged. “Travis and I thought we could find a cure, so we kept close to the infected, treating them, searching for ways to make them feel better. If this cure works, that means our prayers were heard, and our mission is complete. I can finally focus on helping the infected to get cured.” +“See?” I asked. “You are destined for something great, and you’ll be famous, because you’ll be the first one to survive a bite!” +“Yeah, I can see it in the papers now. ‘Guinea Pig Zombie Cop Girl Lives to Tell the Tale.’” She smiled faintly, then yawned. “Gosh, I’m so tired,” she said, leaning her head against my shoulder. +“You should rest,” Nick said. “We still have a long journey ahead of us, and you should get as much sleep as you can.” +Val closed her eyes, as if drifting off to sleep. +I closed mine too, but I knew that my racing mind wasn’t going to let me doze off anytime soon. Apart from the tiny detour through the grocery store, we drove without a break for most of the night. When morning came, we made good time until we ran into a major roadblock…a helicopter had crashed into the ground upside down on a major road. This meant we had to take a different route. We had gotten lost and spent the entire day trying to get back on track. +*** +After hours of driving, we finally took a break and parked in the middle of a wide and very shallow river. It was Nick’s brilliant idea and I loved it. The rushing water was shallow enough to keep us from getting our vehicles stuck, but would wash away any zombie who dared to come brave the strong current. Nick and Val were getting to know each other over lunch on the hood of the Jeep. Val scooted to the edge, her bare feet swaying in the air over the trickling water. Nick never had alone time with Val so I headed over to the other Jeep. +My boots sloshed through the water as I waded through. The sky was a neat shade of blue and a cool breeze blew through my hair. Tahoe was passed out and sprawled across the backseat. Claire sat on a huge boulder nearby and seemed to be in deep thought while Jackie sat on the hood of her red Jeep sipping a bottled water. I loved how the afternoon sun brought out the blonde highlights in her dark hair. A frown creased her forehead and I knew something was on her mind. +“Is everything okay?” I asked, jumping up next to her on the hood. +“Yeah, I was just thinking, that’s all.” +“About what?” +“I should’ve never hesitated,” she said, setting the bottle down next to her. +“Hesitated?” + “I can’t stop thinking about the glass house. The second Earl took Val, I should’ve whipped out my gun and shot him in the arm or leg.” +I reached for her hand. “Jackie, you can’t blame yourself. You were just handed a gun. And you never held one a day in your life. How could you expect to be some kind of Lara Croft and kick the bad guys butts? Trust me, that will come in time. ’Cause you have mad skills.” +She playfully slugged me. “Not yet, but I will. You can count on it.” +“Jackie, you do have skills. You were spectacular when you sprang into action to save our butts. I mean, you didn’t hesitate to shoot out that window back at the grocery store, hit the zombie with the baseball bat, walk straight up to that zombie on the beach and shoot him, and the way you took down that zombie in the dumpster was impressive.” +“It’s a start. But I need more practice with shooting. I sucked back at the beach.” +“It was dark and you have absolutely no shooting experience, but it’ll come in time. I sucked when I first started, but I’ve been practicing for a year now. By this time next year, you’ll be slinging down zombies like second nature.” +“When I watched Val get thrown into that pit of zombies…” Her voice trailed off. +I cupped her cheek. “It’s okay.” +She blinked away a tear. “When that happened, I swear something inside of me snapped. I thought my actions just killed this poor girl. I was devastated.” +“But Val’s okay,” I said. “Everything turned out fine. Dwelling on that horrible memory is just going to eat you up alive.” +“When I thought she died, it was one of the worst moments of my life. I felt like I was struck by lightning. I knew from that second on, I could never be scared of defending myself or my friends. All of this anger boiled up inside of me, and I swore I was going to take down the next zombie I met.” +“Uh-huh. So that’s why you grabbed the bat out of my hands and pounded that zombie.” +“I took out all my frustration and pent-up anger in a few powerful hits. I refused to fear them anymore. Believe it or not, it was a major turning point in my life. I was going to fight to survive. And I would never hesitate shooting anything or anyone that threatens me or my friends lives ever again.” +“We’ll fight together,” I said. +Her fingers entwined into my hair and pulled me closer, her green eyes shining bright. I kissed her on the lips…slow, gentle, and romantic. Everything felt perfect. +“That was nice,” she said. “I’m so glad I met you. Thank you for not wanting to leave me back at that glass house. I know it could’ve been so easy to just drive away without ever looking back.” +“No, it wouldn’t have been easy. Not easy at all.” +“Really?” +“I was hoping not to leave without you,” I said. +She smiled. +“And I’m so thankful you didn’t freak out about Val’s bite. You were so cool about it. I mean, you even rode with Val in the same Jeep.” +“I knew she was still a day or two from turning so I wasn’t worried. But I didn’t expect her to stop at the local grocery store.” +“Even still, you stood by her. That means so much to me.” + “I felt like I owed Val. So when she ran off into that grocery store, I didn’t hesitate going in after her. Even though I know she’d never admit to it, she needed my help.” +“She’s so much like Nick,” I said. “We just met Val for the first time yesterday.” +“That’s what Claire told me. Nick told her everything. I think it’s an amazing story.” +“Let’s just hope it has a happy ending.” +She brushed a stray hair out of my eyes. “It will.” +I wanted to believe her more than anything. +“Hey, I also wanted to apologize to you about what happened when we met. I can’t believe I hid in the house with Claire. We should’ve been at your side fighting.” +“Seeing those zombies for the first time all by yourselves had to be terrifying. I hadn’t seen a zombie since the outbreak a year ago. And when I saw them again, I was…” +“Shaking?” +I laughed. “Let’s just say my heart was racing a million miles a minute. We’ve got a lot in common. I was sheltered over the last year too. And then—bing, bang, boom!—we’re both thrown into Zombie Land at the exact same time.” +“Two newbies just trying to survive another day, huh?” she said. +“Yeah. Why didn’t somebody give us a zombie survival handbook?” +She laughed. I loved her laugh. We talked some more. Jackie was so easy to talk to and we had so much in common. After a few minutes, I went back to hang out with Val and Nick. Jackie and Claire gave us siblings some space. I think they both knew that we needed to get to know each other by spending time together. +A growl made me glance up. A zombie with those horrible white eyes broke out of the thick vegetation. The thing that really caught my attention was the axe sticking out of its head. I whipped out my gun, my heart racing. +“There’s only one,” Nick said, scanning the vegetation around us. +“I can take on one blindfolded,” Val said. +I motioned to Val and Nick. “Don’t worry, I got this.” +“I thought you lost your gun back at that grocery store,” Nick said. +“I did. But Val got me another one.” I shot her a thankful look and she smiled. +Val cringed as she stared down the zombie. “Wow, if that dude could feel pain…ouch. I bet he’d have a pounding headache the size of Texas.” +Just as the zombie stumbled to the water’s edge, it lost its balance and was swept away downstream. +“Good riddance!” Nick yelled. + “We better get a move on before more come,” I said. +“Dean’s right,” Val said. “I planned on stopping for lunch, but not becoming it.” +Nick motioned over to the girls that we were leaving because it wasn’t safe anymore. +And once again, we were all back on the road. + + +Chapter 16 + +I’d driven for hours giving Nick some time to sleep, but then he woke up and we switched. I stared out at the stars in the night sky. This would be my second night out here in Zombie Land. I don’t know when tiredness overwhelmed me, but at some point, my eyelids became so heavy I could no longer fight off sleep. It seemed like I’d only managed to doze off for seconds, minutes at the most, when the horn blew, jolting me. I sat up groggily and looked around, disoriented. “Wh-what’s going on?” I asked Nick. “Is Val okay?” My voice sounded hoarse and slurry, so much so that it took me a second to recognize it as my own. +“She’s sweating up a storm, but she’s out cold,” Nick said, cool and calm as ever. “Look up ahead.” +I rubbed my eyes to get rid of the foggy sensation and peered out the windshield as Nick hit the brakes slowly. The Jeep came to a halt a few feet away from our obstacle. The headlights shone on a figure in the middle of the road. I couldn’t make out his features because a dark hood hung over his face. “Is it a zombie? Run it over, Nick!” +Nick shook his head. “No, it’s not a zombie.” +I didn’t reply because he was right, as usual. I squinted to get a closer look, and as my sight adjusted, I could make out more details. +He was at least six foot, maybe six-two, with a strong physique that boasted of regular physical activity. His feet stood apart, turned toward us, and his hands hung by his side, hidden beneath his coat. Something shimmered at his waist, and it appeared to be some kind of belt buckle. When I inclined my head to get a better look, I realized it was a weapon, pushed halfway up to his shoulder. The guy’s hand moved ever so slowly up to the gun, and his fingers hovered there, maybe to signal us he wasn’t afraid, but he didn’t retrieve it. +“I think he’s dangerous,” I whispered to no one in particular. +If Nick heard me, he didn’t reply. There was, after all, nothing to say. No one could argue that point. +“What is that shadow on the right side of the road?” I said, pointing ahead. +Nick leaned into me and followed my line of vision, to the place where the headlight didn’t reach. “I don’t know.” +Keeping the guy in focus, I peered from him to what looked like a black, shapeless pile cast in darkness. It looked like someone had gathered a mound of firewood, but some of the timber seemed larger than the rest, like whole tree branches instead of twigs. What would anyone need all that for? If he’s trying to barricade the street, why is it all piled over there? I was inclined to believe it was nothing but a pile of wood, until a strong breeze blew against our windows, carrying with it the unmistakable scent of dead flesh, even stronger and more noxious than the one coming from Val’s wound. The latter was probably the reason why we hadn’t noticed the stench before. +“Looks like the guy’s killed a zombie or two,” Nick said, mirroring my thoughts. +“I hope he’s not infected. If he’s healthy, he might need help,” I said hesitantly, almost expecting Nick to ask why I was being so stupid. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying we should offer him a ride or anything, but—” +Nick slipped out his gun. “Okay. I want to help him if we can, since the guy looks like some kind of master zombie slayer, but we have to be careful. Even if he’s not infected, he’s armed, and he might try to steal the Jeep. Times like these will turn otherwise good people into all sorts of things, zombies and thieves included.” +“Well, just a thought, but it looks to me like he’s pretty good with whatever weapon he’s slinging. There are more than a couple dead zombies on that heap,” I offered. +Nick put the Jeep in park, flung the door open, and jumped out, then stopped in his tracks. “What the…?” +I peered from him to the figure, who was still standing in the middle of the road. +“Dean, you aren’t gonna believe this,” Nick said, laughing. +I frowned and jumped out of the car, my hand wandering to the weapon attached to my waist. Out of the car with the headlights no longer reflected by the windshield, I could make out more details. +The guy tossed back his hood and headed straight for us. His military short hair and Army fatigues caught my attention before my brain registered his facial features. +My mouth gaped in sudden recognition. It can’t be! “Lucas? How did you—” +“Dean!” He came over and slapped my shoulder, laughing. +I noticed spots of blood and gore on his coat, but I didn’t pull back. +“You know Rambo?” Claire asked, approaching us from the left. +“Hey, ladies,” Nick said. “Next time, wait for me to deem the situation safe before you leave your vehicle. What if this guy was some kind of serial killer or something?” +“And that’s supposed to scare me?” Jackie asked. “For all I know, I could be riding with one.” +Lucas raised a brow. +“They picked up a straggler we had a run-in with,” I explained. +“Let’s not open up that can of worms right now,” Claire chimed in. “I’m not up for another fight. So, Nick…” She turned and gawked at my brother, wearing the most obvious I-have-a-crush-on-you smile I’d ever seen. “Now, do you know him?” +“This is my best friend Lucas. We go back a long way.” +“Hey, gals. What’s up?” Lucas smiled and gave me a fist-bump, then turned to Nick. “I’ve been looking for you, man! When you didn’t come back to the city, we were all worried. I came with a team, but we all got separated in the woods when a group of zombies ambushed us.” +“I’m sorry to hear that. We meant to get in touch, but we had no phone out here in the middle of nowhere,” Nick said quietly. “I’m just glad you made it. Can’t believe you even found us! How’s that possible?” +“I tracked you. Bet you didn’t know the bag of vials Dean took were tagged.” +I tried to make sense of his words. “Whoa! What? Wait a sec! What tracking device? You never told me about that.” I didn’t know whether to be pissed or hug the guy. Having Big Brother on my heels felt kind of intrusive, but at the same time, it was nice knowing that someone had known our whereabouts all along. +Ignoring my question, he eyed the girls cautiously, as though to warn us that he didn’t want to divulge that information in front of civilians. “I’ll explain everything, but how about some introductions first?” +I motioned toward Nick. “Well, you know my brother.” +Lucas playfully slugged him. “Nick? That’s your name? I’ve always called you The One-Man Army, dude. You’ve got more zombie kills than all of us put together. It’s good to put a name to that face.” +“Stop messing around.” Nick rolled his eyes. “I’m still pissed at you. I can’t believe you helped my brother break Val out without telling me.” +“Come on, man! You woulda done the same in my situation. When Dean came to me, I understood his point straightaway. The girl didn’t deserve the death she was going to get,” Lucas said. “I felt compelled to help her just as much as Dean did. When we see something going on that just isn’t right, we gotta step in and try to do something to fix it.” +“Had you told me the truth, I would’ve helped you,” Nick said. +Lucas sighed. “With those high morals of yours, always sticking to the rules and the code? I highly doubt that.” +Lucas was right. Nick would’ve come up with some stupid legal way that wouldn’t have worked in a million years. My brother always played by the rules, no matter what. It was his strength in many cases, but it also drove me nuts at times. Eager to change the subject and ease the tension, I continued with the introductions. “Lucas, this is Jackie and Claire,” I said. “We met them along the way.” +Lucas held out his hand. “Nice to meet you, beautiful ladies.” +They smiled and shook his hand. +“And where’s this drifter you picked up?” +“Tahoe’s sleeping right now,” Claire said. “He’s recovering from a knife wound.” +Lucas cocked a brow. “A knife wound? Who stabbed him?” +“He had a fight with his psychopath buddy. The dude’s doing just fine. It looks like it’s just a flesh wound.” +“You’ll have to introduce me,” Lucas said. “I’m a good judge of character.” +“Don’t get too attached,” Nick muttered. “We’re dropping the idiot off as soon as he’s better.” +I still couldn’t believe Lucas was there, yet there was something else I couldn’t wrap my head around either. “Okay, let’s get back to the topic at hand here. Don’t keep me in suspense. How did I get tagged like a wild animal?” +Before he could answer, a zombie ventured out of the woods, moaning. +Lucas pointed his gun and nonchalantly shot it in the head. “It’s not safe out here. Let’s get moving, and I’ll fill you in on everything. Mind if I drive? We had to leave the cars behind, and I’ve kind of been hoofing it everywhere. I miss driving.” +Nick clapped his shoulder. “You’re still the same old Lucas. It’s great to see you, man. Even still, the answer is no. I’m driving.” +He nodded. “Fine.” He then turned his gaze to me. “I didn’t know it at the time, but every bag of vials had a tracking device installed.” +“I should’ve known,” I said. +Lucas opened the door and peered onto the back seat, where Val lay sprawled, still sleeping, her hair spread around her like a soft blanket. She looked so serene that it was hard to believe she was about to turn into one of those monsters, but there was no denying the inevitable. +“How’s your sister doing?” Lucas asked. +“Good as can be expected,” I said. +“I can’t believe you knew about Val being my sister before I did,” Nick said. +“Dean tells me everything. Why do you think I put my neck on the line like that to help her escape? She’s family, and I knew I had to help. I just hope the cure works. It hasn’t been tested enough, and no one knows what it’s capable of.” Lucas threw his backpack over the back seat. He scooted Val over and sat down. +“It’ll work,” I said in a stern voice. It just has to. +“Not again,” Nick said, glancing out the window. +“What?” I asked. +“The girls are having a hard time starting the Jeep again.” +“We need to hotwire them a better car,” I said. “Let’s keep an eye out for one.” +“Definitely,” Nick said. +“Okay, looks like they got it started,” Lucas said. +Nick pulled out onto the empty road. +Lucas then pulled a thin black computer out of the satchel dangling over his shoulder. It looked like an iPod or something. He turned it on, and it beeped loudly. “See? The bag with the vials is in here.” +“Of course it is,” I snapped. “I don’t get it. There’s an entire lab filled with those vials. Why do they care about one missing bag of them?” I asked. When he looked away, I knew something was horribly wrong. Am I in big time trouble? I bet they saw me on the security cameras! Lucas would never rat me out. “Did they send your team here to arrest me? And why would they risk their lives just to bring me in?” +“Just the opposite, buddy,” Lucas said, avoiding my gaze. +I blinked. “The opposite?” +“Yeah. You’re being hailed as a hero for stealing them out of the city.” +“Why?” I asked. “What are you not telling me?” +“There’s something else.” A shadow crossed his features. +I tried to make sense of his words. Why would I be a hero for sneaking out a bag of vials? “What’s going on, Lucas? Just spit it out.” +He bit his lip and then finally spoke. “There’s no easy way to say it, but the city’s been overrun by zombies.” +A shudder shot down my body. “How’s that even possible? It’s an island, with walls, and those undead freaks don’t go in the water!” +“They didn’t actually break in. It was the virus itself. Somehow, it accidently got inside, and many people became sick and started attacking everyone.” +“I-I don’t believe it,” Nick said, shocked. +“Too many people were bitten, and an overzealous general even bombed parts of Kelleys Island. The lab is completely demolished.” +“No!” I shouted. “How could they do that?” +He swallowed hard. “The formula’s gone. All that’s left are those vials you stole.” +“No! Quit joking,” I said. +Lucas nodded gravely. “It’s absolutely true, pal. I’m sorry, but you have the only remaining vials.” +I froze, numb. Parts of me wanted to believe him, but it all sounded so far-fetched that I just couldn’t. We’d been safe for months on the island, but now all was lost. Our safe haven had been compromised, infected, blown to bits. I sucked in a trembling breath as my mind contemplated his words over and over again. +“No! I can’t believe this,” Nick said, his harsh tone jerking me out of my trance. +“I was on zombie patrol inland, battling a herd in a tank, shooting as many of those smelly, decaying freaks as I could. I missed the whole thing so there was no way I was exposed to the virus.” +My heart lurched as horrible images and thoughts and worries flooded through me. “What about Mom and Dad? Grams? Dr. Hamming? My friends and family?” +“Lots of people escaped to South Bass Island. I think your grams and your parents were with them, but Dr. Hamming is dead. As of now, Dean, you hold the only cure in your hands.” +“I don’t believe this,” Nick said, slowly letting out a breath. “It’s impossible.” +“I assure you it is entirely possible and entirely true, crappy as it is. You’re our only hope, Dean. General Rika didn’t send my team to capture you, but to bring you back to safety, along with those precious vials.” +“Is the island totally destroyed?” I asked, fearing his answer. +Lucas hesitated. “All the zombies have been killed. We’re rebuilding the parts of Kelleys Island that were bombed. The south side, where you live, was untouched, so I’m sure your family’s safe, but they don’t know how long the restoration will take.” +“I hope they weren’t infected,” I said quietly. +“Like I said, a lot of people escaped to the other islands around Lake Erie. The important thing is that we managed to avoid an epidemic.” +“But you don’t know specific names,” I said. It wasn’t Lucas’s fault, and I knew I shouldn’t be taking my anger and helplessness out on him, but I couldn’t help it. Not having answers frustrated me big time. In a brief moment of anger, I punched the window until my knuckles ached. +“It’s a big mess over there,” Lucas said. “Everything’s in total chaos, but I plan on going back and helping the island get back on its feet. We just have to be more careful about letting anyone new onto the island. Stricter guidelines have been put in place.” +“How much stricter could they get?” I’d already felt like I was living in a prison. +“Every resident has to carry an electronic ID badge. If you leave the island and come back, you have to be put in isolation for one week for observation.” +As much as it infuriated me, I was willing to do whatever it took to be safe. Nick and I questioned Lucas for the next hour, but that interrogation didn’t change anything. For all I knew, my parents and my grandma were dead—or worse, undead. I wanted to scream from the emotional torment ripping through me like a knife. No! They aren’t dead! They aren’t infected! Not my family! I didn’t believe that for a minute, and neither did Nick. I had to quit thinking about everything, because my mind was turning to mush. +We took turns driving through the night so everyone had their turn for a catnap. When it was my turn to ride in the back, as much as I tried not to think about things, thoughts of my parents wandered into my head. I wondered if they were okay and when we’d be reunited. I thought about them giving Val up for adoption. I wasn’t even sure why that popped into my head, but it did. I still couldn’t believe I had a sister, and even though my parents had had their teenage reasons for giving her up, I was still bitter about missing out on all those years I could have had with her. I hadn’t had the chance to grow up with a big sister. Maybe part of me wanted to make up for it by protecting her and saving her life, now more than ever. Knowing my parents, even if they had only been teenagers at the time, they wouldn’t have given Val to just anyone. I knew my grandma would have made sure Val had a loving, caring, safe, happy home. I only wished I would have known about her. Why did she have to be a big secret? Was that really fair, keeping our sibling away from us like that? But there was no use dwelling on things I couldn’t change. I had to keep my mind focused on getting to the next city. Nick, Val, and I had become fighters, and somehow, I knew we’d get through it together. +Beams of sunshine shone through the trees, and mist billowed and swirled all around us. Morning had come so fast! Val was sleeping quietly in the back seat next to me, and I was thankful for the chance to focus on my thoughts and form a plan. There was no way I could have dealt with any of her crazy antics at that moment. +Lucas shook his head, jamming to songs on his iPod, and Nick drove us down the highway, past deserted towns. +“Great! Another obstacle,” Nick suddenly said, breaking the silence. +Black skid marks caught my attention as I peered through the windshield. Further down the road, cars and trucks had crashed and were now abandoned on the little stretch of road. What the heck happened here? I wondered. + + +Chapter 17 + +The sun shone brightly in the early morning. Through the windshield, we peered at the scene before our eyes. Even though months must’ve passed, the car accident looked like a picture frozen in time with countless vehicles piled up on top of one another, stretching out as far as my eyes could see. Scraps of metal were strewn all along the road. +I swallowed hard and pointed at the mess, even though Nick had already gotten a good look at it. “Whoa! Look at that. I’ve never seen such a big collision before.” +“There’s broken glass everywhere,” Nick replied with a frown. +I could sense the implication in his words: That glass could have led to a flat tire or two, and we had no time for obstacles. +“We can swerve around some of the cars to get past,” Lucas said, hesitating. +I stared at a crumbled blue car that was resting upside down. The thing that scared me the most was that I didn’t see one dead person, and I knew there weren’t exactly any clean-up crews or EMTs around—at least not human ones. I didn’t even want to think about where the bodies had gone. +“What’s going on?” Val asked from the back seat. +I wrapped my arms around her shoulders to pull her close and pointed ahead of us, explaining the situation. +Val’s jaw dropped open. Her hands wrapped around my arm, either to support herself from the shock or to keep me in place. Either way, she was distressed. +“We’ll be okay,” I said. +Nick swerved around a red sports car and slammed the brakes, tossing us forward. +I pushed my hand against the driver seat to steady myself and Val, only then noticing the beads of sweat rolling down her face. In the soft glow of the sun, her skin pallor reflected the light. Her grip was more flaccid than before, as though she was losing strength, which she probably was. My heart went out to her. “Could you hit those brakes with a little less vigor?” I asked my brother. +“Sorry,” he muttered. “It looks like the girls blew a tire. We better go help them.” +I craned my neck to see what he was talking about. “Pull up closer,” I said. +Nick shook his head. “I’m not parking on all that glass. You want us to be the next ones to get a flat tire? No way. We’re not moving from this spot. Once we get the girls moving, it’ll free me to swerve around in the grass.” +“Makes sense,” Lucas said. +“Stay here,” I whispered to Val, who nodded, wide-eyed. “If you hear or see anything, don’t move. Don’t get out of the car or do anything stupid. You hear me?” +She nodded again. +I wasn’t convinced that she’d listen, but taking her word at face value was about all I could do. +“Hey, Nick,” she called. “Can’t we just have them ride with us? We can all fit in here I’m sure.” +“And lose a perfectly good vehicle loaded with supplies just because they have a flat tire?” he retorted. +“He’s right,” Lucas agreed. “We can change it in less than fifteen minutes. It’s no biggy and not worth losing a Jeep.” +Nick opened the car door to step out, but I tugged at his arm and nodded my chin toward Val. “I still think we should park a little closer to the girls.” +He narrowed his gaze the way he always did when he was irritated. “Why?” +“Because she’s not doing so well, and I’d like to keep an eye on her,” I whispered so Val wouldn’t hear me. +“Park here,” Val said. “I can change that tire in a hurry.” +“Remember what we talked about? Nick and I got this.” I took a deep breath to calm my nerves. +She wasn’t doing well at all. The girls’ Jeep was at least fifty feet, maybe a hundred, down the road. Nick wasn’t doing us any favors by stopping so far from where we were heading. +Val shook her head and tried to squeeze past me. +I grabbed her around her waist to hold her in place. “Where do you think you’re going?” I hissed. +“Look at that accident.” She struggled in my grip, but her attempts were feeble. “You’ll need backup. I’ll call this in.” +Nick shot me a look that warned me our big sis was drifting back into La La Land, and I couldn’t have agreed more. “Val, you’re not at work,” Nick said. +She flopped back down. “I’m so confused. I can’t even tell what’s real anymore.” +“Go back to sleep,” I said, brushing her hair out of her eyes. “I’ll take care of things until you’re better.” +She nodded, her eyes shining unnaturally again. “I’m so sorry. You must think I’m a horrible partner. Just don’t take my gun and badge, okay?” +It was so sad to see her like that, and I felt like shouting and kicking at something. Instead, I just bit down hard on the inside of my cheek until I thought I drew blood. “Just promise you’ll get some rest.” +She peered over my shoulder, her gaze clearing a little. “I’ll try. Hey, am I imagining things or is this the dude who arrested me and threw me in that hole back on the island?” +Lucas’s fingers reached up, as though to touch her cheek. When I shot him a venomous look, he pulled back. He smiled, but his eyes never left her as he spoke, “Yeah, that’d be me, the one and only. But don’t worry. I’m on your team now.” +Val met my gaze. “Slap the bracelets on that perp!” +“This is Lucas,” I said patiently. “He’s a friend, not a perp. He’s one of the few friends we’ve got left.” +She grabbed the collar of Lucas’s shirt. “My mistake. But, hey, will you do me a quick favor?” +He smiled. “Sure. Just name it.” +“Tell Claire she’s safe.” She leaned back into the back seat. +I could see she was overwhelmed with tiredness by the way her brows drew together with a tiny crease forming in between. +Lucas cocked a brow at me. “What’s she talking about?” +“I’ve taken her off my hit list,” Val said simply. +“That’s good.” Lucas nodded. +She licked her lips, as though she was thirsty. I raised a water bottle to her mouth, but she shrugged it off. “Yeah, it’s good. For her. This might be one fight she couldn’t win.” +“Why’s that?” Lucas asked, as if humoring her. +“Because once I change into a zombie, I’ll probably end up bored and determined and particularly hungry. Combine that with the fact that I won’t be very choosy as to what or who I eat and how I get my next meal, and you’ll have a deadly combination.” +A dark shadow crossed Lucas’s features for a second, but it disappeared quickly, and his easygoing smile was back in place. “You’ll be the first pretty zombie,” he whispered. “I think that makes up for the deadly part.” +With her confused gaze focused on him, she leaned back into the seat and wrapped her arms around her waist. Her lips moved still, but no words came out. +Lucas inched closer, until his fingers almost touched her cheek. He shot me a questioning look. When I nodded, giving him permission, he brushed a stray strand of hair out of her face and leaned in to whisper something in her ear. +I strained to listen, but I couldn’t make out his words. +Val’s fingers clutched his forearm, and her head bobbed once, then again. +Lucas reached into his backpack and pulled out a mini black bag. Unzipping it, he pulled out a syringe and a vial full of blue liquid. +“What’re you doing?” I yelled at him, already picturing the worst. Whatever he’d said to her, I could only hope he hadn’t asked her for consent to kill her, or he would have been the next to go. +“She needs it,” Lucas said. +Nick pushed me aside, taking charge of the situation, probably fearing what I might do if Lucas didn’t explain himself immediately. “You can’t just whip out a needle and not explain to Dean what it is.” +“It’s Tyrima,” Lucas said, as though I was supposed to know what he was talking about. +“What the heck is that?” I asked. +“It’ll take a few hours to work, but once it kicks in, she’ll feel better. I’d rather give her the last vial than see her suffer.” He met Nick’s gaze. “You cool with that?” +“Yeah, do it,” my brother said. +“Nick!” I shot him a glare. “I hope it doesn’t slow down the process because we need her to change into a zombie as soon as possible so we can give her the cure.” +Lucas fumbled with the equipment while my brother steadied Val, who assured me, “It won’t slow down the zombie transformation one bit, but it’ll help her keep her mind until the very end. It’ll just take a little while to kick in.” +“It’s safe,” my brother reassured me. “We’ve used it on the front lines to get important information from people going loony from zombie bites or scratches.” +Nick obviously knew what he was talking about, and I trusted him. Val was my sister and I hated to see her suffer going through this zombie transition. I slowly nodded my consent, albeit not quite convinced. “Okay, but if something goes wrong, I’ll hold you responsible for it.” +“I would expect nothing less,” Lucas said, turning to Val. His voice became softer, more soothing. “Hey, like promised, this is going to help you, but you need to trust me. It’s going to keep you from losing your mind. Nick told me about the grocery store incident.” +Val’s voice came so low that I had to crane my neck to hear her. “I don’t want to put the others in danger. If you can help me keep my mind a little longer, please do whatever it takes.” +Lucas nodded and gripped the syringe tightly. +The serum caught the light and shimmered blue. Val’s gaze fell on it, and her face paled like a ghost. For a moment, I thought she might be sick, but instead of showing fear, she broke Nick’s grip and jumped out of the Jeep, yelling, “You touch me with that thing and you’re a dead man.” +“Val, we’re trying to help you,” I said. +“I’m going to bite Lucas,” she said. “He’d better watch out because I’m pretty hungry.” +“No you’re not!” I said. +“I repeat, suspect is armed and dangerous,” Val said. “All Philly PD units be advised; suspect is armed and dangerous! I need backup immediately.” +Nick gripped her arms from behind. “Quick! Do it!” +She let out a long growl a moment before Lucas pierced her skin, injecting her with the serum as she thrashed about, calling him every name in the book. I knew it was a temporary fix, but we had to do what we could to keep Val sane and calm. She was starting to get weird again with all that growling and hissing, just like back at the grocery store. It was for her own good, and I knew if she could think straight, she would’ve agreed with me. +Val’s eyes fluttered shut as she slumped back into Nick’s arms. +“Okay, she’s out cold,” Lucas said. “I didn’t know a girl could even talk like that. Where did she learn that kind of language?” + “She was a police officer back in Philly. Couldn’t you tell from the cop lingo?” +“I seriously thought she just watched too many cop shows on TV.” Lucas grinned. “If she had her gun, I bet she’d have shot me dead.” + “Lucky for you, Nick disarmed her earlier,” I said. +“Did you see the hate in her eyes?” Lucas asked. +“C’mon, man. She can’t help it. She’s not herself. She’s just mad that you dragged her out of our parents’ house and threw her in jail, and now you just injected her with something.” +“Yeah, I put her in jail, but I was just following orders!” he said. “And did she forget I helped you get her out? Without me, you wouldn’t have gotten anywhere! She’d be dead right now.” +Reloading my gun, I smiled. “Yeah, we’ll remind her about that later, but right now, she’s kind of grumpy.” +Nick rested his rifle on his shoulder. “Yeah, really grumpy.” +“Zombifying will do that to a girl.” I slipped my weapon into my holster. +I looked up at the towering pines along the road. The jungle-like ground was covered in a blanket of green ferns and colorful wildflowers. “You guys keep watch, and I’ll change the tire,” I said. A gust of cool morning air brushed through my hair. For a quick second, I considered getting a jacket, but I just wanted to get the heck outta here. +Lucas nodded and took off after Nick. I watched them with my weapon aimed, making sure I had their backs. Glass and metal crushed beneath their feet, the sound reverberating in the early morning. +Half the distance in, my brother turned and waited until I had caught up with him, then grabbed my arm. “Just a sec.” +“What?” I asked, following his line of vision as he scanned the area. As I gazed around myself, it made me think I was living in a dead world of chaos and twisted metal. I wondered what had happened to the drivers and their companions. Are they dead? Turned into lost souls who never asked for that kind of sorry existence? Souls who were never given a choice, just handed a monstrous fate? I stared at an empty baby seat still strapped in the car and tried not to think about what had happened. There was no dried blood, so I hoped that meant the people were able to get away in time. It sure was a different world out there; my brother was right about that. Back home, I’d had no idea how bad it was. Now I was getting a taste of it firsthand. I wondered if the people out there even knew about the safe cites around the U.S. Maybe the government should have a rescue mission to help those who are still stuck out here in this disease-ridden place. +“All’s clear.” My brother motioned for me to continue, and we reached the Jeep in no time. +Sure enough, the rear passenger-side tire was flat as a black rubber pancake. I grabbed a jack out of the trunk while Nick fetched the spare. The girls stood at the rear of the car and kept watch. They both offered to help, but I assured them we had it under control. I placed the jack under the side of the Jeep and hooked the crank to it, then started cranking it up. +“It’s so freaky out here,” Nick said. “What a place to break down. I don’t like it. There’s no visibility.” +“Me neither.” Thick fog swirled around everywhere, putting my overactive imagination into play. +“Don’t worry,” Lucas said. “I’m keeping a close eye out. Kind of reminds me of a Stephen King novel though. Remember the one where a thick mist descends from the mountains to cloak the land in fog?” +Nick chuckled. “Yeah. I saw that movie, and now’s not the time for a recap. Creatures lurking in the mist? They’re real, and they’re called zombies. You can’t scare me with that Stephen King crap. I’ve seen worse than that movie in real life.” +“You’re not kidding,” Lucas said, nudging me. “Hey, we aren’t scaring you, are we?” +Their chitchat wasn’t exactly settling my nerves, but I wasn’t going to admit it. I set my jaw and rolled the bad tire out of the way, muttering, “Just keep a lookout, okay?” +“Sure,” he said. Just as I glanced up at him, Lucas suddenly threw his head back and pointed his gun into the trees. “There’s something up there. See it, Nick?” +Nick stepped closer and peered into the overgrown vegetation. “Yeah, I think I see it, but I’m not sure what it is.” +I tilted my head to look at a black patch of shadow in the trees. I had no idea what it was, and frankly, I wasn’t keen on finding out. The mist and eerie silence added to the scary atmosphere and made us feel like we were on pins and needles. “We better hightail it outta here,” I whispered. “If whatever that is gets a good glimpse of us, it might decide it wants to join our little crew—for dinner.” +“It’s probably nothing,” my brother said, “but let’s hurry up, just in case.” +I didn’t like the “just in case” part. Rubbing a hand over my face, I let out a breath to calm my nerves, then focused back on the tire. +“Hey, I got a good look,” Nick said. “It’s only a deer foraging for food so you have nothing to worry about.” +“Good,” I said, relieved. +The Jeep door slammed behind us. +Groaning inwardly, I looked up at Val dashing down the street toward us. +“What are you doing here?” Nick growled. +Ignoring him, she wiped her forehead with her sleeve. “I can smell it.” Her nostrils flared as she sniffed the breeze that washed over us, as though to prove her point. +“Get back in the car, Val,” my brother said. “We got this.” +“The smell’s getting stronger by the minute,” she said. +“Okay, I’ll bite,” Lucas said. “What smell?” +She spun in a slow circle, sniffing the air like a dog. “Death, terror, affliction, torment, horror—” +“Way to use a thesaurus, Val, but you’re tinkering a little in the dark side there,” Lucas said. +She met his gaze as the sunlight reflected in her eyes, giving her an eerie glow. “One of humanity’s greatest fears is the terror of death. You better flee while you can, because the living dead are on their way!” +Lucas nudged me. “She always so dramatic?” His tone was nonchalant, but I could tell her words were getting to him from the way his gaze scanned the area around us. +I shrugged. “How much longer before that shot starts working?” +“Maybe a few hours.” +I nodded. “Good. The faster, the better.” +Val walked a few steps closer to the forest. “There’s more than one.” +“Your sister’s kind of freaking me out,” Claire said, pacing around the Jeep as her gaze scanned the trees around us. +“She’s hallucinating,” Nick said. +“I’m keeping a close eye out,” Jackie said. “Just in case she isn’t.” +Val spun around. Spots of decaying flesh mottled her once perfect skin. Thin flaps of greenish skin peeled from her face. Her bloodshot eyes met mine. “They’re coming,” she hissed. +I swear she looked like she was possessed. I tried to ignore her and tighten another lug nut. +Lucas patted me on the shoulder. “Focus, okay? She’s hallucinating. Nothing’s coming.” +“Lucas is right,” Nick said. “It’s all in her head.” +“I’m going to call this in,” Val said. “We’ll need backup and medics on the scene as soon as possible. How could anyone have survived such a horrible pileup? Have you checked for survivors?” +“Let’s get her back in the Jeep,” Nick said. +She shot him a look. “Bite me.” +“Please, Val. You need rest,” Nick said gently. +“No! And why are you looking at me like that? It’s my face, isn’t it? It is! I can’t help the botched-up chemical peel.” +Nick gently grabbed her arm. “Come on. Let’s get you a bottle of water from the Jeep.” +She yanked her arm away. “Listen, Sergeant, just because you took my badge and gun, that doesn’t mean I can’t fight as a civilian. They’re coming! Don’t you smell them? I do!” +Nick ran a hand through his hair, seemingly frustrated. +“Play by her rules,” I whispered. “It might help.” +He moistened his lips and nodded, then turned back to her. “As your commanding officer, I order you to get back in the patrol car so we can drive back to the station. I’ll expect a full report.” +“You’re a dirty cop, and I’m going to prove it. I saw you taking a bribe from a major drug dealer, and then you had me raid that house, where a million bullets happened to come my way. In case you haven’t learned by now, I’m hard to kill.” Her voice thundered. “I’ll spend the rest of my life taking you down. You’re going to regret the day you messed with me.” + Jackie and Claire suddenly yelled for us to get back in the Jeep. Out of nowhere, six or so zombies moaned and broke through the thick blanket of fog. Val’s nose told no lies. +“We can handle a few zombies, right?” Nick asked casually as he aimed to make his famous lethal headshot. + “Oh yeah. No problem. Dean, you done?” Lucas asked calmly over his shoulder. +“Almost!” +“Just hurry!” Claire said. +Gunshots echoed as they all fired away. +My hands trembled. Get it together. Concentrate! I tightened another lug nut. +“It’s not just a few. More are coming!” Lucas shouted. “Dean, that looks good enough to me. Let’s roll!” +I scrambled to my feet. A zombie in a torn suit walked toward me, his head leaning to one side. He had a metal rod protruding from his head, and bite marks ran across his green arms and neck. Behind him and out of the fog, more zombies stumbled toward us. +Val jumped straight into their path, with no weapon. “I’m going to arrest every single one of these sorry thugs. You have the right to remain silent…” The girl had guts. She started taking one down with her bare hands, using impressive karate chops and lethal roundhouse kicks like in those old Kung Fu movies. She sent the zombie rolling across the asphalt. If I hadn’t been so utterly terrified, I’d have been cheering her on. +Nick grabbed me by the upper arm. “Let’s go! Who has the keys?” +“Me.” Claire jammed her hands down her pockets and whipped them out. Jumping into the front seat, she tried to start the Jeep, but it just clicked when she turned the key. “It won’t start!” +“What?” Jackie asked in a frantic tone. “You’re kidding, right?” +“No!” +“Let me try then.” Jackie pushed her aside and turned the key. +The engine spluttered but didn’t start. It wasn’t good, because I knew we’d never make it to the other Jeep without being mauled to death. +Nick covered Lucas while he popped open the hood to see what the problem was. +“There doesn’t seem to be anything wrong with it,” Lucas yelled over the gunfire. +“Have you checked the belt?” I yelled back, firing away, hoping to stall the zombies until Lucas could fix the Jeep. +“Negative.” +I frowned as I tried to focus on doing two things at the same time. I knew a bit about cars—not quite as much as Lucas, but enough to possibly be helpful. I thought if I could take a peek under the hood, maybe we could figure it out together and get the thing up and running again. +Jackie stood close by, with a determined look on her face. She wasn’t the best marksman yet, but she was going to stand next to me and help me fight. I admired that. If there had only been two or three zombies, I would’ve let her have a go at it, but this wasn’t the movies. There was no way she could take down all those zombies after one fighting lesson. “Get back inside the truck!” I yelled. + “I’m not leaving you.” She aimed and fired, letting out a round of shots, but she only managed to hit a zombie in a blue, sparkly party dress. +It threw its head to the side and let out an angry roar but didn’t drop to the ground. The thing kept coming at her, this time with more vengeance than before. + + +Chapter 18 + +Stopping near the car pileup had been a bad idea. I’d known it all along, yet we had to help the girls change their tire. If only we’d just picked them up, squeezed them inside our Jeep, and driven away before we managed to raise half the undead population in the area. But Nick and Lucas didn’t want to lose a good vehicle loaded with precious supplies over a simple flat tire. +Swallowing hard, I peered around me. The sun was breaking free from behind the clouds, but the fog made it difficult to see into the trees. Lucas continued to try to fix the Jeep and the rest of us gathered in a circle, pressing our shoulders and arms together so we could watch all angles as the undead neared us, their calls breaking the silence of the morning. From the corner of my eye, I noticed a zombie in a fancy sequined dress, heading straight for the girls. Jackie and Claire began to shoot, but their bullets did nothing to slow down the corpse. +“Headshot!” Nick yelled. +“I’m trying,” Jackie said, frustrated. +But we had no time for trying. I took aim at the party girl zombie, measuring her raised arms and swaying body as she hobbled toward us. My gaze moved to her undead white eyes, and I pulled the trigger, nailing her right between them. Dark blood squirted in a wide arc, landing not far away from us. As I watched the zombie drop to the ground in a crumbling, bloody heap, adrenaline rushed through me. +Jackie grabbed my arm. “Dean! Your sister! Look!” +Val gripped a zombie’s hands behind his back and was telling the thing he had the right to remain silent. She hauled him over to the Jeep and opened the door. +“Val!” Claire yelled. “That’s not a police car. You wanna kill Tahoe?” +It wasn’t that I particularly cared for the guy, but I couldn’t just let her kill him. For one, we needed all the backup we could get. Also, there was the tiny inconvenience of him turning into a zombie if he was bitten; one more zombie might have been just one too many. I rushed over and shot the zombie in the head. He dropped down, crashing at Val’s feet, and I poked him in the ribs just to make sure. +Val yelled in my ear, startling me. “How dare you? Where’s your code of honor? You can’t take justice into your own hands like that.” +I couldn’t believe she was taking her job so seriously, even in the throes of delirium. I wanted to scream; my only sister was turning into a monster right before my eyes. +Claire let off several rounds, but she did not hit any zombies. We needed all the help we could get, but she was really just wasting ammunition, so I motioned her back into the vehicle. +“Try and start it!” I said. +She opened the door, jumped in, and pulled Jackie in with her. +Rolling down the window, Claire asked, “Hey! Can’t you just hotwire this thing?” +“Hot wiring just starts the car without a key,” I said. “You can’t hot wire a vehicle that isn’t working.” I then turned my attention to Lucas. “Well? Anything?” I asked, shooting him a questioning look over my shoulder. +“Claire, turn the key,” Lucas said, ignoring my question. +I assumed he was either too busy and didn’t hear me or that he had bad news and didn’t want to tell me; I would have wagered on the latter. “Nick, cover me,” I said. “I’m gonna have a look under the hood.” +“Lucas’s got it under control,” Nick said. “Besides, I can’t cover you both.” His tone betrayed his tension. +I took a few steps to my right, arguing with myself about whether or not Nick could handle it. Suddenly, I saw a figure passed out on the grass, her long brown hair spread around her in disarray. Sudden recognition hit: It was Val. Zombies were stepping over her, some of them tripping, their feet burying into her flesh and kicking her limbs. They’d obviously accepted her into their clan. If Nick or I had been over there, they certainly wouldn’t have ignored us and kept on walking. Those zombies would have ripped our throats out without hesitation. Even though I’d seen them bonding and recognizing their own before, it still creeped me out. +I had to help her, no matter what, so I aimed and fired until I had a clear path to reach Val. My feet moved quickly, minding the broken glass and dead zombies, until I was a step away. Kneeling down, I gently scooped her up in my arms and slung her over my shoulder, then sprinted back to the Jeep. Val’s eyes turned in their orbits as I laid her in the back seat and slammed the door shut, making sure to lock it to prevent her from venturing out again. +The Jeep sputtered and started, but then it stalled, refusing to turn over. +Lucas frantically let out a few choice words. +More zombies broke out of the woods, as if they were multiplying by the minute. My heart began to race, pounding adrenaline quickly through my veins. We have to get out of here right now! I knew, but I began to lose hope as Claire turned the key again and again, to no avail. Just when I thought the car was beyond saving, though, the engine started. +Lucas let out a loud, “Woo-hoo! Got it!” +“Get your butts in here NOW!” Jackie said, rolling down the window. +Lucas slammed down the hood. “Listen to Jackie. Get in there and lock the door.” +“You too!” I said, not about to leave him or my brother out there to die like some kind of martyrs. Even if the tire wasn’t finished, we could still drive away. Even if we weren’t able to drive as fast, we’d still move faster than the clumsy zombies could on their decaying feet. None of the corpses would be joining the Olympic track team anytime soon, that was for sure. +“I’m coming!” Lucas said. +I shot another zombie right in the forehead, then gave him a hard kick in the gut. He fell straight back, sailing down to the ground, his badly shredded arms flailing. I slipped inside the truck, but I refused to lock the doors until I knew Nick and Lucas were safe inside. +“Hurry!” Jackie shouted. +Claire screamed out the window, “Nick! Lucas! Get in here! I’m leaving, with or without you two.” She laid on the horn to prove her point, but I knew it was just a bluff; she wouldn’t ever leave them behind. +After a few more shots, they jumped into the Jeep, tumbling over sleeping Val, an unconsciousness Tahoe, and me in the back seat. Once they were all inside, I frantically locked the door. +“Drive!” Nick yelled. +Lucas rolled down the window and started firing. “Yeah! Run the bony freaks over!” +Claire shifted gears, and we were about to take off, fixed flat or not. She peeled out, but we didn’t get very far with all the zombies pounding on the glass and rocking the Jeep. Before we knew it, we found ourselves helplessly sandwiched next to a semi. +Claire kept gunning it, squealing the tires, but the Jeep wouldn’t move an inch. “It won’t budge!” she wailed. The engine roared, but we remained wedged, even after Claire jammed her foot on the gas over and over again. +“You’re destroying the pedals,” Lucas said calmly. +“I don’t care!” she yelled at him. “They’re not working anyway.” +“Claire, you need to listen to Lucas,” I said. “We need this Jeep to get away from here.” +She nodded, and her expression softened a little, as though his words made sense to her. +A zombie with black hair and bald patches of bloody scalp crawled onto the windshield and began slapping at the glass. +My heart raced. I gripped Jackie’s hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze, though I wasn’t sure whether it was meant to calm her or myself. I didn’t want to go out like that, surrounded by zombies who couldn’t wait to get their paws and their nasty rotting teeth on us. Then, an idea struck me. “Nick! We can climb out through the sunroof onto to that semi next to us.” +“It might work!” Nick tucked a gun in the waistband of his jeans and slung the rifle back over his shoulder. +“What about Tahoe?” Claire asked. “We can’t just leave him.” +I glanced down at Val, lying on top of him. “Val’s smell will repel the zombies. As long as he stays under her, he’ll be safe. Even if he turns, they won’t attack each other.” +Jackie sucked in a deep breath, and I gripped her hand tight. “You can do this.” +She nodded, and Nick slid the electronic sunroof open and climbed out. He reached down to help Jackie and Claire, and I was right behind them. +Claire stumbled, almost losing her balance, but she clung tightly to Nick. +“Don’t look down at them,” I said. “Concentrate on getting to the roof of the semi.” +Nick wrapped his arm around her waist, trying to steady her. +I balanced on the roof of the Jeep waiting for the girls, Nick, and Lucas to get on top of the truck. As I did, a blue-veined, beyond-creepy hand grabbed my foot, trying to force me to lose my balance. I thrust my boot into the zombie’s face, sending him flying back into the crowd. “Hurry up, you guys!” +More zombies grabbed for me, and I lunged to temporary safety on top of the eighteen-wheeler. I wanted to jump and run off into the woods to try to lose the suckers, then circle around and get back to the Jeep Val was in. Val was safe for the time being, but I knew if we didn’t get her out of there, we might miss the turning and our chance to administer the antidote when the time came. The problem was, the semi was completely surrounded, so that little plan of mine wasn’t going to work. +Chills swept through me. I glanced down at the zombies crowding us. Swarms of hands were reaching up to grab us, and countless others pounded the steel walls of the truck, causing an unnerving clatter. Groans, gurgling, and moans came from everywhere, making the hair on my neck rise. It was worse than being trapped inside the glass house. At least there, we’d been safe on the balcony after the stairs were blown to shreds, but in this situation, there was no safety net. I felt like I had done nothing but fight to survive since we’d crashed in the middle of what my brother called Zombie Land. I had been naïve to the dangers all around me, and I felt like an idiot—a terrified idiot. +Next, the hungry zombies began to rock the truck. Claire and Jackie let out long screams, and I couldn’t blame them. We had no idea how to get out of that predicament. Desperate for some kind of escape, I swept my gaze over the area one last time. When I did, I saw it: a hornet’s nest, hanging just above us. I picked up a loose branch and poked at it, trying to find the entry hole. +“What’s that gonna do?” Lucas asked. He aimed his gun and began shooting at the zombies who were rocking the truck. +“There’s a method to my madness!” I hope. I used the stick as a baseball bat and swatted the nest as hard as I could, right into the group of zombies. Granted, they wouldn’t feel the pain of the stings, but I hoped it might be enough of a distraction to allow us the time we needed to get away. +A mass of angry hornets immediately swarmed the zombies, and the undead began to swat them away. It didn’t cause the zombies to retreat, but it did distract them from rocking the semi-truck. We huddled close together. +I looked at the others. “At least I gave it a try. Anyone have a Plan B?” +“We could try and make a run for Nick and Dean’s Jeep,” Lucas said. +“No way!” Claire hissed. “If they so much as grab our sleeves, we’ll be dead in no time.” +“I agree. It’s way too risky,” Nick said. “We can’t possibly take a chance like that. If we could only divert them to the back of the semi, I could move toward the front and see if I can slip into the driver seat and try to hotwire this thing.” +With a serious look, Lucas gave him a fist bump. “I like it, but if you get it running, just don’t go too fast. We’ll all fly right off the top.” +“Maybe the keys were left in the ignition,” Jackie said, hopefully. +“It could be out of gas, especially if the driver left it on when he was dragged out.” Tuning out, hundreds of thoughts raced through my head, until I came up with a better plan. I swatted at a few stray hornets that were headed our way, and I screamed my lungs out for Val. Everyone caught on quickly and started yelling for her too. +I thought maybe she could bring the other Jeep around, the one Nick and I had driven, and open the sunroof so we could all slip in. It sounded like a great plan to me. I saw Val walking toward us to the back of the semi through the sea of zombies. They didn’t pay her one bit of attention, and her appearance—greenish skin and long, stringy hair—was allowing her to blend in with them. +“Get my Jeep!” I yelled to her. +Squinting, she pointed a gun at the gas tank. She obviously had her own plans, but I didn’t like them one little bit. I was sure she wasn’t thinking straight. Did that shot Lucas gave her even work? She’s still deranged! +“What in the world is your sister doing?” Lucas yelled. +She peered up at him, droplets of sweat pouring down her face. “I’m going to fry these suckers.” +“Yeah, and us too!” Jackie shouted down. +My brother shot Val a glare. “Don’t you dare!” +I waved my hands up and down, trying to get her attention. “No, Val!” +Ignoring us, she shot a hole in the gas tank, and a river of fuel began to trickle down into the dirt. She pulled a pink lighter out of her pocket and was preparing to throw it to spark the flame when Tahoe appeared behind her. +He grabbed the lighter out of her hand. “Don’t throw it until they’re clear!” He motioned for us to jump as he shot the zombies blocking our path. +Val elbowed him in the ribs and grabbed the lighter, throwing it into the trickling gas on the ground. +“Holy crap!” I shouted. +“GO!” Lucas gave me a hard shove that made me stumble forward. “It’s gonna blow!” + + +Chapter 19 + +I couldn’t believe Val had shot the gas tank and thrown a lighter into the trickling gas. What was she thinking? The semi’s gonna blow up any minute! +As we jumped off the truck, Nick, Lucas, and Val started shooting at the zombies to clear a path for me and the girls. Everything moved so fast that it seemed to be a blur before my eyes: bodies dropping to the ground in front of us, us jumping over them to get to safety (whatever safety we could find in such a situation), and our voices slicing through the morning as we called instructions to each other. Glancing over my shoulder, I was thankful to see the others right behind me. It was about all I could hope for, but the moment of weakness left me unprepared for the attack. +A zombie’s jaws snapped just inches from my neck when a bullet hit him in the head, sending him crashing to the ground. Almost choking on my breath, I shot Tahoe a thankful look and forced myself back into the moment, a hundred thoughts racing through my mind. I didn’t necessarily like the guy, but I had to admit that Tahoe was covering us like a champ, mowing down anything that got too close to us. Had he not been there, that thing would have taken a sizeable chunk out of my throat, and I would have become one of them. Tahoe quite literally saved my neck. +“Get away from the truck!” Nick yelled a moment before a loud thud echoed through the air. +The roaring blast sent me tumbling through the air. I landed on my stomach as hot air rushed into my lungs. Everything throbbed, but at least my brain seemed okay. Or is it? +Groaning, I lifted my head off the ground and turned to peer at the exploded truck—or what was left of it. The stench of burning zombie bodies made me gag. Instead of the truck, I saw snapping jaws and flailing bodies in the flames, their flesh burning from their bones as they held on to the hot metal. The Jeep the girls had been driving was covered in leaping flames that seared everything in their wake. If Nick hadn’t been so paranoid about running over glass, we would have had to fight our way out of there on foot. Finally, I was thankful Nick had refused to budge on that, even though we gave him a bunch of gruff for it. +“You guys okay?” I called out to the others. +“Everyone’s here!” Tahoe yelled back. +I scrambled up, and we all hopped into my Jeep. Just as I slammed the door shut, a burning zombie pounded on the glass. I had never locked a door so fast in my life. When the zombie slammed its pasty, ugly skin against the glass, I shuddered. “Let’s go!” I shouted to Lucas, who now sat in the driver seat. +Lucas backed up, turned around, and hit the gas pedal so hard that the Jeep jerked forward. +As we sped off down the road, I glanced out the back window at the shocking scene stretching behind us. Billowing, thick smoke twisted into the air, interspersed with burning bodies. Their pained moans gathered to a crescendo that was only nearly drowned out by the Jeep engine. +Closing my eyes, I leaned back and let my nerves get the better of me. As we moved away from the burning heap, my hands began to shake from the aftershock. I couldn’t believe we’d survived—again. It had been a tough one, and there had been times when I wouldn’t have bet on us living to tell about it, but we had. +*** +At one point, the highway became an impenetrable maze of tangled vehicles. I would’ve insisted on driving through, but as usual, Nick made the better decision, and Lucas followed it through. We backtracked through the woods, and I swear we lost hours because of it, but no one complained. Everyone was still in shock, realizing how close we’d all come to losing our lives. +Val stayed out cold for hours, so I assumed she’d used up all of her energy. How the girls and Tahoe could sleep while we rode over one bumpy road after another was beyond me, especially with Lucas’s music playing on his iPod in the background. +My brother met my gaze. “You’re so lucky I didn’t park close to the girls like you suggested. If we had, this Jeep would’ve been toast.” +“Yeah, yeah,” I said. “You’re awesome…and always right. You want a medal?” +“No, but some respect would be nice.” +I smiled. “You know I respect your decisions. Heck, I’d probably be dead if it weren’t for you.” +“I’ll watch your back,” he said, “even if you’re a royal pain in my butt sometimes.” +I chuckled and closed my eyes again. It wasn’t long before I drifted off, and by the time I woke up, the windows were rolled down, and the sunroof was wide open. The sun cast a warm sensation on my face, while a cool breeze whipped through my hair. I opened the glove compartment and fumbled around, then pulled out a nice pair of men’s sunglasses and slipped them on. +“Oh yeah,” Nick said, shooting me a sideway glance. “Now you look cool.” +I noticed he and Lucas must’ve switched seats at some point, and I wondered how long I had been out cold, unaware of anything around me. I chuckled. “They give me character.” +“They make you look older,” Nick said. +“Yeah?” I asked. +“Yep.” +“Well, my life has been turned upside down. I guess I do feel more mature. I can’t believe the crap we’ve been through. It’s mind-blowing, you know?” +“I feel ya, little brother.” Nick let out a long breath, giving me the impression that he had something else on his mind. +“What’s wrong?” I finally asked. +He refused to look at me, keeping his gaze focused on the road. “I’m sorry I yelled at you when we first crashed, and I’m even sorrier I even suggested that you should kill Val. That had to be tough, knowing she was our sister.” +“It was horrible,” I agreed, “but I should’ve just told you the truth. If I had, it would’ve never even crossed your mind, I’m sure.” +He grimaced, his gaze still focused on the road. “It probably would have, but I might’ve given her another day to live. Letting my sister turn into one of those things…well, I just couldn’t let it happen. The only thing that stopped me was the knowledge you have a possible cure.” +I considered his words carefully. Would he really kill his own flesh and blood if I didn’t have the vials in my possession? I reasoned that Nick must have thought he was saving her from a fate worse than death, and perhaps he was right. I knew I would have rather been shot dead than become one of those things. +“I don’t blame you for anything,” Nick said. “Yes, you broke some rules and went outside of protocol, but you saved Val’s life, and I couldn’t be more proud of you.” +“Gee, thanks,” I said. +His lips pressed into a grim line, but I could tell something else was bothering him. +“What?” I asked. +He shook his head and ran a hand through his disheveled hair, speaking out what I had been trying to push out of my mind ever since boarding that helicopter. “What if the cure doesn’t work, Dean?” +I clenched my fists, hoping against all odds that it would work. “It will,” I said with less conviction than I wanted. +“But what if it doesn’t? I don’t think I can bear having a sister one day and having to put her down humanely the next day. It’s just not fair—not freaking fair at all! I never even got a chance to really know her.” +“I dunno,” I said. “All I know is that we’ll get through this.” I tried to keep my voice from quivering. +He nodded in agreement and didn’t say another word. He’d never shown me his emotional side before, and I could tell how hard it was on him. I decided not to pry any further; I left him alone and didn’t talk about it any further. Besides, I knew if we continued discussing such touchy subjects and sentimental things, a tear might slip down my cheek, and I wasn’t about to let him witness that. +We drove for another hour before something caught my eye. The Jeep drove past a zombie, hunched over a dead deer on the side of the road. I didn’t have much time to grasp details, but in the brief second our eyes connected, a chill ran through me. I knew I would never get used to their cold, dead eyes. A few years back, my buddies and I had enjoyed a good laugh and chatted about how the world was going to end. We’d even joked about a zombie apocalypse, but we didn’t think that would really happen, not in a million years. I’d come to realize as of late that life does throw curveballs we never quite expect. The girls slept. Lucas and Nick glanced at the venison-devouring zombie for a second, but then their attention drifted off like it didn’t even faze them. There’s something seriously wrong with this world when we can drive by a zombie feasting on a deer on the side of the road and accept it as normal. Yeah, this is seriously messed up! +The world seemed to be crumbling all around us, and the undead army seemed to be growing in numbers daily. Sooner or later, though, they would have to run out of healthy people to infect. My hopes were that we could take the remaining healthy people out of the equation. I wanted to get them into safe cities, even build more cities if we had to. I didn’t understand why the authorities weren’t trying to do just that. It seemed simple to me. I figured the leaders needed to focus on solving major problems first and then deal with after-effects. Getting help to everyone in Zombie Land had to be hard, if not impossible. +The living dead would eventually die, and survivors could rebuild, but in the meantime, the healthy people out there needed help. They were always on the run or hiding out. I quickly learned that it was an everyday battle to survive, with death lurking around the corner. Life was rough and totally sucked out there, but there was little I could do about it. Whether I wanted to or not, I’d have to deal with it, and I could never give up on thinking humanity might stand a chance after all. Whatever happened, I knew I’d never get accustomed to the things we witnessed out there. My head ached. Thinking about the last days’ events, Mom and Dad, and trying to save Val was driving me insane. I needed sleep—some peace, if only for an hour—but sleep felt as though it wouldn’t come for a long time. Trying to block the image of the half-eaten deer out of my head, I eventually drifted off to the girls’ shallow breathing. It felt as though I had only closed my eyes for a few minutes when someone shook my shoulder hard, jerking me out of my slumber. What?” I groggily opened my eyes to Nick towering over me. “Where are we?” +“Look up, sleepy head,” Nick said, pointing up to an air traffic control tower. “It’s an airport. I think this would be the best place to stay the night and get some rest.” +Without another word, I followed him out. It was late afternoon and we’d been driving all day. My whole body felt cramped. I squeezed out and stretched my legs, thankful to get out of the truck. I glimpsed at our surroundings. To the right, there was nothing but woodlands. To the left was a tall, gray building. In front of us, there was a ramp that probably served as a runway. Apart from the usual sounds, such as chirping birds and a soft wind rustling the leaves, the area seemed completely deserted. And I couldn’t believe this would be my third night out here in the middle of Zombie Land. +No planes were out, but a giant steel hangar lined the north side of the field. For some reason, the hangar doors were slid open, as if somebody was in a quick hurry to leave. I craned my neck until I could see right in. Everything was empty. +Nick was right: The control tower was the perfect place to spend the night, and I felt like we would be safe. “We can see a zombie coming from anywhere.” +Lucas playfully slugged me in the arm. “Yeah, but the best part is that we can talk and be as loud as we want.” +I gave him a fist-bump. “Yeah!” +“I like it!” Jackie said, grabbing a box of food from the trunk. “I can whip up some dinner with this stuff. How about cold chicken noodle soup with crackers, baked beans, and Spam?” +“Mmm. A meal fit for a king.” Claire laughed as she grabbed some candles and other supplies. +I got a crowbar out of the trunk and wedged the lock until it finally snapped. I agreed to stay downstairs with the girls while Nick and Lucas checked things out. We left Tahoe sleeping in the back seat; we weren’t about to carry his sorry butt up all those stairs. But then a thought struck me: Wait a minute…he did save my life back there. Maybe I should cut him a break and not ride him so hard. I decided if he didn’t come up by dark, I would go out and get him. I owed him that much. +“Your brother is so brave,” Claire said, wearing a big smile. “He’s not afraid of anything. When I’m with him, I just feel so safe.” +I smiled and decided to put her on the spot. “You have a thing for Nick, don’t you?” +Her cheeks grew red. “Yeah, he’s really sweet.” +Jackie grabbed my arm and smiled. “So is Dean here.” +I flung my arm around her shoulder and pulled her close, my heart racing. “Is that all I am to you? Sweet?” We’d shared a rather passionate kiss, and now I was standing there with my arm around her, so I was pretty sure there was more to it than “sweet”. +“Is there something wrong with sweet, mister?” she chimed, meeting my gaze. +“No, but I’d rather be sexy and irresistible.” +She batted her eyelashes like a puppy dog. “Should I rephrase?” +“Oh brother,” Claire said. +“Yes, please do.” I shot her a playful look. +She wrapped her arms around me and stared into my eyes. “Dean, uh, what’s your last name?” +“Walters,” I said. +“Dean Walters, you are sexy and irresistible and sweet, and I like you. I also trust you, and I consider myself lucky to have met you.” +“That’s more like it.” I softly kissed her lips. “But I could say those same things and more about you.” My lips brushed hers again. When she leaned into me, I put some distance between us. “No, let me tell you what I think about you.” My voice grew slightly husky. “You’re gorgeous and clever, brave and adorable.” +Her face lit up, and her lips curved into the most beautiful smile I had ever seen. + “Get a room, you two!” Lucas said. +Jackie turned around and playfully punched him. “Shut up!” +He chuckled. “Just because we’re in the middle of a zombie apocalypse doesn’t mean you can’t get arrested for public displays of affection.” +We all laughed, and the mood seemed lighter. +“So I take it everything’s safe up there?” Claire asked. +“All clear,” Nick said. +We went out to the Jeep to get Val. I scooped her up from the back seat. She was still out cold, but she looked a lot paler, and she was sweating profusely. +Claire and Jackie glanced over. “Is she okay?” Jackie asked. +“It’s all part of the process of becoming a zombie,” I said. +Nick nodded. “We’ll prepare her bed upstairs.” +Claire didn’t waste a minute. She was right by his side, holding some pillows and blankets and a box of supplies to be carried up. +“Here, Claire, let me help,” Nick said, taking the box before he turned and looked at me. “You got the vials in case sis changes?” +I nodded. “Yep.” Carrying Val, I climbed up what felt like a million flights of stairs, but eventually, we reached the open space overlooking the airstrip below, and I could finally lay her down. +Claire hurried to cover her with a blue blanket. +Val opened her eyes briefly and said. “Hey, do you know what a lobster feels like when it’s boiled?” +I shook my head. “Not really.” +“I do.” +I could tell she was roasting, so I took off the blanket and chuckled at her attempt at sarcasm, something she’d obviously inherited from our mother. “There. I hope that’s better. Just get some rest, sis.” +She closed her eyes and drifted back to sleep. +The view from the top of the control tower was amazing. I could see from every direction. I picked up a pair of binoculars from a desk and realized I could see as far as the woods stretching in the distance. Nothing would get past us. +“We’re taking those,” Lucas said, pulling me aside. +“I’m sure nobody cares at this point.” +He opened my black bag and inspected the vials. “Everything looks good here.” +“Of course. I’ve been guarding them with my life.” +“Keep up the good work. You’re doing great.” +I nodded. “Well, there’s a lot on my shoulders, I’ll tell you that.” +“Yeah, I know. It’s to be expected since we’re the world’s only hope for survival.” +“No pressure or anything.” +His expression darkened. “Seriously, Dean, you’re doing a fantastic job. You really are a hero.” +“I wonder if they’ll even work. You really think we’ve got the cure?” +“If not, it’s the closest thing we do have. We’ve got to get those vials to the scientists in Washington. This is the most important mission of our lives.” +I bit my lip hard. “I know.” +His eyes glimmered with hope. “We’re gonna be able to help so many people. We can’t think of this as the end of the world. We need to think of it as the beginning of a new life…for everyone.” +“I hope it’s the miracle we’ve all been praying for,” I agreed. +He zipped up the bag. “Well, there’s only one way to tell. We need to test it on your sister.” +“That’s the plan,” I said. +“For her sake, as well as the sake of all humanity, I sure hope it works like we want it to.” +“Doc ensured me this is the final formula, and I believe he was telling me the truth.” +Lucas nodded gravely. “Yeah, me too.” +Jackie’s laugh drifted over, and we both smiled. She was joking around with Claire and Nick. When I met her gaze, she smiled; she had the cutest smile, teeth gleaming white like a Hollywood movie star. +“Hey,” Lucas whispered, “Jackie’s really cute.” +“Yeah, she’s hot, smart, funny, and super sweet. I like everything about her.” +“She seems perfect for you. I guess time will only tell.” +I shook my head. “Yeah, she looks a lot like, uh…” +“Who?” he asked. +“A lot like my next girlfriend.” Maybe I was jumping to conclusions. After all, we hardly knew each other, but I was smitten. I wasn’t going to rush anything, especially with everything we were going through. We’d just take it nice and slow. Besides, my main focus right now was saving Val and getting home. +“She’s all yours,” Lucas said. “Besides, I like your sister. She’s pretty when she isn’t threatening to eat me.” +“I could tell you like Val,” I said. +“The second I laid eyes on her back on the island, I was totally blown away. It sucked that I had to arrest her. I really hated that. Would it bother you if I asked her out sometime when this is all said and done?” +“It’s fine with me if you wanna go after my sister. You’re the most honorable guy I know.” I playfully slugged him. “Just don’t go pulling pranks on her the way you do to the guys back on the island.” +“She might like a guy with a sense of humor.” +I laughed. “Yeah, or she might punch you in the face.” + + +Chapter 20 + +The airport control tower was the best possible place for us to rest and stay the night. The highest story boasted fantastic visibility, allowing us to see any approaching zombie from a mile away. We weren’t worried about single zombies though. Our main priority was not to draw any attention; we had to avoid a herd. Scanning the area below the tower, I realized that even if a whole bunch of them tried to corner us, there’d be enough time to jump in the Jeep and race down the airstrip that led to the main road. +“What are you thinking?” Jackie whispered from behind me. +I smiled but didn’t turn to face her. “Nothing Earth-shattering. I just realized we can get from the airstrip to the main road by taking a few different directions.” +She rubbed my back gently. “Always plotting ahead, aren’t you?” +I inclined my head, not sure where she was headed. “Sometimes.” +She laughed. “Relax. It’s a compliment. I wish I was more of a planner rather than jumping in headfirst without thinking of consequences. I might’ve saved myself a bit of trouble in my life.” +“And I wish I was more carefree,” I said, finally turning. My gaze fell on her lips first, then trailed up to her beautiful eyes. “My paranoia’s something I learned from Nick. Did you know he’s already plotted our escape plan in case we have to evacuate?” + +She cocked a brow. “Impressive. I haven’t even planned my dinner yet.” +I laughed and pulled her against my chest, marveling at how good she smelled. “That’s something I like about you.” My heart picked up in speed at the realization. I liked a lot of things about her—a whole lot of them. +We settled in, and Claire laid out a red and white blanket on the floor. Jackie dished out cold chicken noodle soup, baked beans, and Spam, just like she promised, on paper plates. I lit some thick white candles and put them in the center. Girls usually dig candles, and I had a strong hunch Jackie would like them too. +“Our first romantic dinner,” she said. +I grinned while everyone sang, “Awww!” trying to make light of a tough situation. I laughed as I drank a warm, flat Pepsi. I was so hungry and thirsty that I didn’t even care. I could have eaten a whole other can of baked beans, and I didn’t even like them. +The stairs creaked as someone walked up them. We all exchanged shocked glances. +Jackie ran to the window and glanced out. “I don’t see any zombies around and it looks like Tahoe isn’t in the backseat anymore.” +My heart raced as I rushed to the door. “Who is it?” +“It’s me.” +“Lake Tahoe?” I asked. I was so thankful it was a human’s voice and not a zombie’s moan and heavy breathing. At this point, I just needed a little breather from all that kind of crap. I’d only been out here for three days and seen enough to last me a lifetime. Of course, after a good night’s sleep, I’d probably be ready for more adrenaline rushes tomorrow. +“Funny. Just let me in. My side’s killing me.” +Hesitating, I opened the door. Even though he had saved my life, I was still ticked at him for almost killing Val. How can someone forget something like that? I knew I needed to forgive him. And I would…in time. +Jackie offered him a plate of food and a beer. He sat next to us like he was part of our gang, as though all was forgiven and forgotten. Personally, I couldn’t wait to be rid of the mountain man once and for all, and Nick’s expression told me he thought the same. +Keeping to himself, my brother downed a beer, then another, as though alcohol could help him forget his worries. The city we’d lived in for the last year had been destroyed. We didn’t even know if our family had survived. He didn’t usually drink, so I could only assume it was all quite devastating for him. As much as I understood him, I didn’t like him drinking while continuing to play tough. We needed to be on alert, but after everything we’d been through, a beer was nothing. Heck, we all decided to have one. Nick didn’t even speak for the first hour we were there. He just drank while Lucas kept guard using the binoculars we found. Finally, he said, “I’ve been thinking. I know my parents had to make it out safe, and I’m not even going to waste another minute worrying about it.” +I nodded. “I agree. Mom and Dad had all kinds of escape plans and drills. We’ll find them, no doubt about it.” I lifted up my can and smiled. “To survival and new friends.” +Jackie’s brown eyes twinkled, and we all clanked cans. +“I’ll toast to that,” Tahoe said. +Val even opened her eyes. “How can anyone toast in this day and age? I’ve lost so much and so many people I cared about.” The pain was evident in her whisper. + “She makes an excellent point,” Lucas said. We all nodded as he continued, “Death lurks around every corner, making every breath a choice. We fight to live another second, another minute, another day. All of us come from different backgrounds and walks of life, but we all have one thing in common.” His lips pressed into grim lines. “We’ve all experienced the loss of a loved one. Let’s stop making toasts and just live to see another day.” +There was a moment of silence as we all contemplated his words. Somehow, he hit home with every single one of us. I wrapped an arm around Jackie to draw her close, and she snuggled into my shoulder. +“I can’t argue with that,” Nick said, “not after losing countless friends and even my childhood girlfriend.” +“I’ve lost friends too,” I managed to choke out. +Nick lifted his chin. “This one goes out to Sam Moalny, who was killed last month in the line of duty. He was a great patriot, humanitarian, and loyal friend. And this also goes out to all those who have died in vain to this wicked epidemic that has taken place all over our world. Our loved ones are gone but never forgotten. This thought goes out to them. May you rest in peace.” +“Thanks, Lucas,” Val said quietly. +He smiled. “I didn’t do anything.” +“You understood what I meant.” She leaned back against the pillows and closed her eyes again. For a moment, silence ensued, and I believed she had drifted off to sleep, but then she opened her eyes again and smiled. “Hey, if I said anything crazy to you, just forget it, okay? I wasn’t thinking straight. Also, I think I might’ve attacked you. It’s all fuzzy. I’m trying to put the pieces together.” +“Then you’re not going to eat me?” Lucas asked. +Her face blushed. “No way. Did I really say that?” +He smiled. +I chuckled. “That…and a little more.” +“Yes, with a very descriptive cursing vocabulary,” Claire added. +“I’m sorry, Lucas,” Val said. “I talk like that in front of the guys on the police force to blend in, ya know?” +“Don’t worry about it,” Lucas said. +“That shot took a while to work, but it finally kicked in. I can’t thank you enough. Nick filled me in about how I fought you over it. I’m sorry I was such a bear. Also, thanks for breaking me out of that medical prison.” +He threw his arms up in the air. “Well, it’s about time you gave me some credit for that great escape.” +“You did a fantastic job of planning it.” She shot him a tiny grin. “You’d be kind of cute if Uncle Sam would let you grow your hair out.” +“What? You don’t like the buzzed look? What do you expect? Are you looking for some brooding sap or some Fabio from the cover of one of those romance novels?” He made a fist and the huge muscles bulged in his arm. “I’m a born and bred soldier, and this is a soldier’s hairdo.” +She grinned. “If you’re ever interested in going out with me, you’ll have to grow out your hair.” +He grinned back. “Are those your final terms?” +“Yep.” +“Then it’s settled. I’ll grow out my hair for one date with you.” +She smiled. “Deal. Hopefully, by the time that happens, I’ll be back to normal too.” She walked back to her bed. “I’m going to rest over here for a bit.” She pulled the cover up to her chest and closed her eyes. +“Get some rest,” Lucas said, carrying over a second pillow and propping it under her head. +Tahoe approached. “Hey, Lucas, I need a minute with Val, okay?” +Lucas cocked a brow. +“It’s okay,” Val said. “I want to hear what he has to say.” +Tahoe apologized for Earl and even his own involvement. His words were mumbled, but whatever he said, it seemed to make Val smile. I regarded her from the corner of my eye, unable to believe what I was witnessing. A few times she just nodded, and then she raised her arm to touch his shoulder, as though all was forgiven and forgotten. He said something under his breath, making her giggle and then laugh, reminding me of the old Val I’d met not long ago. He irritated me, but I let him chitchat with my sister because he seemed harmless. I knew Val could handle him, but I couldn’t help inching closer to tune in. +Val was telling him about the cure and that there was hope for her life. He squeezed her hand and gave her words of encouragement. Even though she seemed tired, her mind was clear, and it had been hours since she last growled, hissed, or said any off-the-wall things. I was happy the shot had worked after all. If it hadn’t, she would have been taking down Lucas or Claire and trying to bite their necks at that very moment; or else she would have been trying to arrest me, thinking she was a cop hot on a case. I chuckled to myself at the thought. +“Hey, Lake Tahoe,” my brother said, “I’m watching you.” +“Love the nickname,” he said. “I guess I’m stuck with it, right?” +Lucas and Nick started telling us Army stories about their narrow escapes with death and zombies. Tahoe even joined, sitting at Val’s side as he told some stories of his own. I used to think my brother was an exaggerator, but after all I’d seen, I knew the stories were true. I wondered if the guys back home would believe me when I told them about the glass house or the multitude of zombies that surrounded the semi-truck we stood on top of. Those were the crazy kind of stories Nick used to come back and tell us, and we’d always thought he was full of it. Of course, I had never said that to his face. +Nick squashed the beer can he was drinking from and threw it across the room, making the basket. “Yes!” +“Woo-hoo!” Claire squealed. “He shoots; he scores, and beats the buzzer at the last second to win the game.” +“He’s so getting a championship ring,” Jackie said. +Nick laughed, then grabbed another beer and took a swig. “So, Claire, what’s your story?” +Jackie almost spat her drink out in a fit of laughter. “Dean used that line on me earlier, back at the house. Is that some kind of brother pick-up line?” +We all laughed, and I elbowed her playfully. +“I just want to know more about you, Claire,” Nick said. “I don’t know a darn thing except that you’re twenty-one, smokin’ hot, and gorgeous.” +“That’s the corniest thing I’ve ever heard,” Lucas said. +I laughed. “It is, isn’t it? But he gets so daring once he’s had a couple of beers.” +Jackie chuckled. “Yeah. He’s not beating around the bush now, is he?” +Nick stumbled over and wrapped his arm around Claire as he slumped down next to her. “I like the direct approach.” +“If he gets on your nerves, Claire, just let me know,” Lucas said. “I can throw his butt on the other side of the room.” +“I’m fine, Lucas.” Claire grinned and turned her attention to my brother. “I’m from New York City. Jackie and I aren’t only cousins, but also roommates.” +“Cool,” I said. “Nick and I are originally from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. When all this happened, we got relocated.” +“Did you like it there?” Jackie asked, chiming in. +I nodded. “I miss the ocean big time. My buddies and I used to surf all the time. We had fun, but we also had goals in life.” I grabbed her hand and squeezed it gently. “I really wanted to be a broadcast sports reporter. I wish we could all go there. I’d love to show you the beach and how to ride a wave.” +“Oooh, I would love that,” Jackie said. “By the way, sports journalism is a cool career choice.” +I pointed at her. “Thanks, but back to you.” +“We used to attend Parsons before the zombie thing went down,” Claire said. +I cocked a brow. “Never heard of it.” +“Fashion school,” Jackie elaborated, brushing a strand of hair back. “It’s not what you think. It’s more than pattern-making and sewing courses. I was taking classes in fashion photography and journalism.” +“Yeah,” Claire said. “It’s one of the oldest institutions of its kind offering undergraduate and graduate degrees. We were taught valuable industry knowledge while designing innovative clothing and products. Parsons is credited with launching the careers of various fashion legends like Marc Jacobs, Donna Karan, and Tom Ford, and so many more.” +Jackie seemed quite enthusiastic about it, and I wished I knew more about her career choice, but given that I’d grown up among boys with absolutely no fashion sense, I was glad to even know what fashion school was. +Nick grinned, probably getting as little out of it as I was. “Well, that explains the cute outfits.” +Claire nudged him and batted those long eyelashes of hers. She really liked my big brother, and she wasn’t embarrassed to flirt with him. +I met Jackie’s gaze. “I think you’d make a wonderful fashion photographer.” +My heart began to race as Jackie flashed her bright smile. “Thank you,” she said. “I started taking pictures at ten. I thought about the great adventures I could have taking beautiful pictures all over the world. But as a teenager, I began to love fashion, so I thought I’d just combine my two great loves.” +“You gotta do what you love,” I said. “Did you work as well?” +Claire cut in. “Yeah. Jackie and I worked as wedding gown models in some of those wedding shows. We got to wear beautiful gowns and have our hair all pinned up in some elaborate up-dos.” +Nick reached for her hand. “I bet you made the most beautiful bride.” +“Thank you, Nick,” she said. “We weren’t allowed to move one muscle or even blink.” +Jackie chuckled. “Yeah, and Claire kept giving me this silly look, and we’d end up busting out in laughter. She always got me in trouble.” +I shot Lucas an amused look. +“What were you doing when all of this happened?” Lucas asked. +Jackie looked off, as if remembering a horrible event in her life. “We were actually on a photo shoot as wedding models for a fashion magazine in Hershey, Pennsylvania when the virus broke out.” +“Why would you leave New York City to go to Pennsylvania?” Nick asked. +“The title of the article was ‘Chocolate, Wine, and Weddings’,” Jackie said, “so they chose to do it in the chocolate capital of the world. Everything turned to chaos. We couldn’t get back to New York City. There was gunfire everywhere. People started killing and eating their friends and neighbors, and there Claire and I were in these fluffy wedding dresses.” +“We hid out in the basement of a pet store,” Claire said. “The poor animals were going nuts. The glass door was shattered, so we let them go so they’d have a fighting chance. Leaving them locked up in those cages would have been a death sentence for sure. I watched the parrots squawk and fly off into the sky, and I envied them.” +“I remember where I was too,” I said. “I was stuck at the top of a Ferris wheel with a date. Innocent people were being killed below, and I couldn’t do anything to help them.” +“That’s awful,” Jackie said. +“It was like something out of some B-grade horror movie, and I thought maybe I was dreaming. Hours later, Nick and my dad let me down. My date ran in the other direction and I haven’t seen her since. Nick then flew our parents and me to Kelleys Island where my grandma lived.” +“So you’re a pilot?” Claire cut in, her gaze meeting Nick’s. “I dig pilots.” +A soft hue of red covered his cheeks, and for a moment, I wasn’t sure if it was from the alcohol in his blood or the compliment from a pretty girl. +I cleared my throat. “Anyway, my grandma owned a bed and breakfast and a small cottage. About 200 residents lived there before the outbreak.” +“My best friend from school went to Kelleys Island two years ago,” Jackie said. “She went fishing, sea kayaking, and hiking. And even took a trip to that amusement park, Cedar Point in Sandusky. I remember all the pictures she showed me. It looked like a lot of fun. Kelleys Island is a tourist attraction, right?” +I snorted. “It used to be. It was the perfect place to hole up, considering we were completely surrounded by water. It’s a great island and we love it. I just wish Nick was around more.” +“And where’d you take off to, Nick?” Claire asked. +“I was home on leave from the Army, but when this zombie thing happened, I chose to fight over here in Ohio,” Nick said. “With everything happening, the Army was cool with it. I wanted to give back, to save the people who weren’t dead yet.” +“Me too,” Lucas said. “I had lots of connections so I got stationed at Kelleys Island too. Nick and Dean’s family…well, they’re like the family I never had.” +Claire gripped Nick’s hand. “That’s very honorable to serve your country.” +He leaned in and whispered something in her ear that made her laugh. +Jackie squeezed my hand and I smiled. We talked about everything, and I learned so much about her. She’d been born and raised in New York City, and family and friends meant everything to her. She also loved burgers with all the fixings, and she demanded gobs of mustard, just like me. She used to jog Central Park every morning at six a.m. with her brothers, and she loved cats. She’d always wanted a dog, but her landlord wouldn’t allow it. She wore pajamas and pink slippers every night—or at least she had before the zombies took over. +“I’ve got one question,” said Val, looking at Jackie and Claire. +“Val!” I said. +“You’re awake,” Jackie said. “How are you feeling?” +“Like a zombie is eating my intestines.” She cringed. “Well, you asked. Anyway, here’s my question.” +“Yes?” Claire said. +“This zombie thing has been happening for a year now. Why were you dressed so fashionable when we met?” +“We ran until our group found an abandoned mansion,” Jackie said. “We got comfortable and didn’t see more than a handful of zombies for over eight months.” +“There were giant closets filled with the most gorgeous designer clothes,” Jackie said, “so we started relaxing and letting our guard down. We dressed up every day and did our hair and makeup. All the girls in our group did. We were led into a false sense of security. I know now that it was a big mistake. We should’ve been training to fight, but the men treated us women like china dolls. They took care of us, and I guess we let them.” +“At three o’clock one afternoon, a window shattered,” Claire said. “I’ll never forget it to this day.” +Jackie sipped her beer. “That was the end of our group…and our time together. A herd broke in and killed everyone else.” Her voice wavered. “We barely escaped.” +I wrapped my arm around her and pulled her close. It had to be awful. I couldn’t even begin to imagine what that night must have been like for them, mourning the loss of their protectors and running for their lives with no supplies or weapons. +“I’m sorry,” Val said, looking out the window. +“Isn’t the sunset gorgeous?” Jackie asked, changing the subject. +“Yes. And I want to watch it one last time before I…before I die,” she said between breaths. +“How can I deny my wonderful sister her last wish?” I rushed over to help her up. “Technically though, you’re not really dying, Val.” I scooped her up in my arms and brought her next to Nick. We all sat together and watched the sun sink into the horizon. + +“That was beautiful,” she said and looked up at me, then at Nick. “Hey, guys, what if the cure doesn’t work?” +I gripped her hand tightly. “Don’t even think about it.” +A tear ran down her face. “I don’t want to die, Dean. I want to live to see another sunset.” +“Shh.” I wiped her tear away and pulled her into my arms. “You’re my sister, and Nick and I are going to do everything in our power to save you.” +“You’ve got to trust us,” Nick said. +She smiled, but I could see the hopelessness in her eyes. “I’m not giving up yet.” +Nick touched her hand. “That’s my girl.” +“Just promise me one thing,” she said. +“Anything,” I said, meaning it. +“If the cure doesn’t work, I want you or Nick to…one of you have to put the bullet in my head—nobody else!” +Tears welled in my eyes as I met Nick’s gaze; he was choking up too. I tried to compose myself because I didn’t want to cry in front of everyone. “I…we promise.” It was the hardest promise I’d ever had to make to anyone, and I hoped it wasn’t one I’d have to keep. +She sniffled. “Thank you.” +I squeezed her hand. I prayed against all odds that the cure would work, but if it didn’t, I knew I’d have to keep my promise, no matter how much it hurt. +Val let out a sigh. “I wish we could’ve been a real family, that we could have grown up together.” +“Well, we’re a real family now,” I said, “and that’s what counts.” +“Tell me about Mom and Dad,” she whispered. +I laughed. “You remind me a lot of Dad, with that temper of yours. I think that’s a family trait.” +Nick chuckled. “I’m the worst. I punch walls when I get pissed off.” +“My adoptive parents were as sweet as can be. I knew I didn’t get my temper from them.” +“You’re funny and sarcastic like Mom, but tough like Dad,” Nick said. +“And you’re a fighter, just like Mom,” I said. “When she had cancer, she never gave up. She beat it years later.” +“Mom almost died?” she said. +Slowly, the word came out. “Yes.” +A tiny gasp escaped her throat. “Why didn’t she tell me about it?” +I sucked in a deep breath as I considered my words. “Even though the ordeal was over and done with, maybe she didn’t want to worry you.” I shrugged. “I honestly don’t know.” +“I’m glad she made it,” Val said softly. +“Me too.” I nodded. “Imagine if she didn’t. Then I might never have met you, and she would’ve died without having a chance to meet her only daughter.” I met her gaze. “During chemo, she said she only had one regret about life. She wanted to meet Valarie again. Yeah, she called you by your formal name. I thought she was talking about an old high school friend.” +“But it was me.” She let out a sob. “I never cry like this. It’s the virus. It’s doing crazy stuff to my emotions.” + Lucas put an arm around her, and she playfully slugged him. +“Hey! I’m willing to let that one slide,” he said, “but I’m warning you, if you try to bite me, our little friendship is all over.” +Val smiled. “You don’t look like the type of guy that dates zombie chicks.” +He shot her a gleaming grin. “I’d date a zombie, as long as she didn’t treat me like a piece of meat, though I’m not at all opposed to a little nibbling.” +“C’mon,” she said. “Be serious. You know I want your braaaaains.” +“You know what else I like,” Lucas said. “Zombies aren’t quitters. I mean, if they want you, they’ll keep coming after you…and I love being chased!” +“That’s a no-brainer.” +We laughed some more as we continued to tell jokes and stories. For just a little while, we let go and allowed ourselves some fun; we knew that soon enough, we’d be back to fighting for our lives. Settling into our beds hours later, when the sun had long set and countless stars dotted the skyline, we decided to take turns standing guard to make sure no zombies crossed the perimeter and to watch out for Val changing while the others slept. +*** +Morning had finally come. The sun beamed in, and we all immediately got to packing the little bit of supplies we had. +“Okay, I’m starting here. You guys split up. Check every corner and crevice so we don’t leave anything behind,” I said, glancing around one last time. +“Where’s Lake Tahoe?” my brother asked. +I peered at him, surprised. “He’s not with you?” +“I thought he was with you.” He shrugged. “He’s gotta be around somewhere. Let’s just pack up the Jeep. He’ll turn up.” +Ignoring the sudden uneasiness in the pit of my stomach, I grabbed a box and some blankets and looked out the window. My heart lurched. “Nick! Lucas! The Jeep’s gone,” I yelled, my voice reverberating from the walls. +Val’s eyes darted about, not really focusing on anything. The way Nick regarded me told me he knew before I even opened my mouth. +“He must’ve left during his short shift of staying awake and guarding. We’re so screwed,” I said. My heart lurched in my chest as I checked our belongings, or lack thereof. +I swear Val’s face turned another shade of red as she wailed, “He took our food, water, guns, freakin’ everything!” +“He didn’t take the stuff we dragged up here,” Jackie said, swinging a backpack over her shoulder. “We’ve still got some food and water and some guns.” +Nick grabbed my arm and pulled me aside, whispering so the girls wouldn’t hear him. “Where’s the serum?” +I scanned the naked floor, willing my eyes to see something that wasn’t there. “I-I don’t know. The bag’s gone!” I managed eventually. “I thought you or Lucas had it.” +“We’ll find another vehicle,” Lucas said, “and catch up with him. I still have the tracking device.” +“You’re right.” My heart raced, thumping in my ears like a drum. “We can’t stay here.” +“We’ll have to leave on foot,” Nick said, “and I mean right NOW!” +A chill washed over me. We were right back where we’d started: running for our lives and in dire need of transportation. And now, we didn’t even have the cure in our hands. Val’s life depended on those vials, and without them, my sister was doomed, dead and gone forever. +“What are we waiting for?” Val asked. +“Let’s get outta here…and find those vials,” Nick said. + I couldn’t have agreed more. + *** + +The End of Installment One + + +To be continued in the next book, +The Zombie Chronicles: Book 2 + +The Zombie Chronicles +Apocalypse Infection Unleashed Series +by +Chrissy Peebles + +Dedications: +This is dedicated to my wonderful God and Jesus. +To: Alex, Faith, and Matthew +To: My fantastic editor, Autumn. +To: My cover artist who makes me the coolest covers. +*** +A special thanks to my critique partner, Jayde Scott. + + +Book 3 + + +Book 4 + +Book 5 + +The Zombie Chronicles +Apocalypse Infection Unleashed Series +by +Chrissy Peebles + + +Copyright 2012 by Chrissy Peebles + http://www.chrissypeebles.blogspot.com +Cover design by: Patrick Griffith +Edited by: Autumn J. Conley, autiej@gmail.com +The Zombie Chronicles Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/ociUHiL1g70 +Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Chrissy-Peebles/351121651567296 + +Jeannie Rae + + + + +The Sickness: Monte’s Story + +By Jeannie Rae + +AWAKENING + + +Sluggishly opening my eyes, I can feel the light and warmth of the sun peeking through the slight opening in my drapes. The window in my minuscule room faces the rising summer sun, if I’m not up by eight, that ball of fire cooks me until I get up. My skin is tacky with sweat, already. There’s nothing I hate more than being penny-saver poor and living on the south side of town. It’s not safe to leave my window open at night—or even at day for that matter. A swamp cooler hangs out of our living room window—the only source cool air in this place, which Dad refuses to turn on until dusk and only for an hour on days when it’s hot as hell. +My name is Monte. I’m sixteen and on the all-girls softball team at Druid High School, in the small coastal town of Port Steward and work part-time at the Taco Shell Taqueria around the corner. All that keeps me going in this miserable existence is playing ball and the thought of getting out of this rotten place. +Rising from my second-hand mattress on the floor, I’m fully clothed in yesterday’s outfit. After a quick change into a pair of blue jeans and a faded blue tee, I stumble my way to the door. Jerking the hair tie from my wrist, I yank up my knotted, blonde hair into a side pony tail. I steal a glance over my shoulder at my room, it’s a sty—but who cares. It’s not like there’s anything remarkable about this second-rate place, so why should my room be any different? +As I shuffle down the hall, the house feels humid and sticky as usual, with almost a wet smell of nicotine. Mom and Dad both smoke enough cigarettes in a day, to penetrate a hole in the ozone layer. They do most of their smoking inside, which leaves behind a smoke so concentrated that it’s nearly a solid. The house is quieter than normal for a Saturday morning. Ordinarily, Mom is in the kitchen fixing breakfast, while Dad is reading the newspaper. And my ten-year-old brother—Sammy, is usually causing trouble, with Dad always hollering at him. Hollering, that’s Dad’s word. Maybe Sammy’s already outside playing. I tiptoe through our empty living room eyeing the primordial, mismatching couch and recliner. There’s no carpeting in this old shack—only ancient wood flooring that may have been used from the same lumber that made George Washington’s teeth. A couple of holes in the rotting, wood floor are located in the bathroom and kitchen—no step zones—as Dad calls them. Moving into the kitchen, I see that our small, discolored table and plastic chairs are empty, as is the rest of the tiny space. +Where is everyone? +After searching the rest of the house and finding it void of all but me, I wonder, do I want to find them? Or should I just take in a moment of peace? Against my better judgment, I head out the back door off the kitchen. The sun hasn’t found its way to the backyard yet, as the house shades most of the patio at this early hour. A gust of cool air hits me when I open the back door, it must be at least fifteen degrees cooler out here, than it is in the house. As I soundlessly step out onto the porch, I see Sammy first, sitting on the ground with his back to me. My kid brother is hunching over like an old man, and his head is hanging low, snaking back and forth. He’s tracing his hands in a circle on the sidewalk in a blob of goo. It looks like motor oil or something. Dad’s going kill him for this one. +My eyes widen as I notice my mother near the shed. Her shoulders are slumping forward and she’s shuffling through the garden, toppling over her marigolds and daisies. She’s still in her nightgown and slippers. And the front of her gown is caked in dark-colored gunk. It looks similar to the stuff Sammy is playing in. +I sigh, shaking my head. Dad must have tuned her up again. Damn! I didn’t even wake up. I want to say something across the yard to her as she dirties the cotton on her slippers, while trudging through the dirt, but what would I say? This whole production plays out at my house at least three times a week for as far back as I can remember. +I hate him so much. His reign of terror over our family has gone on long enough. I’m so tired of taking his crap, and watching his drunk-ass smack everybody around. I wish he would fall off the planet. I hate this whole place—I want to get my license and a cheap car and put this place in my rearview mirror and never look back. +I keep my silence, waiting for either my mom or my brother to notice me, before I take a seat on the back porch steps. I watch Sammy play in his greasy mess and my mom roam around trampling her garden—in her nightgown—like a psyche ward patient. Her eyes are fixed downward, as her head bobs back and forth. She must be running the whole fight back through her mind. It’s moments like this that I lose patience with her. Why couldn’t she have walked away from my creep dad a long time ago, at least for the sake of Sammy and me? But then, I remember where my frustration should be placed. +I’m waiting for that bastard that goes by the name of Dad. I can’t believe that I didn’t hear him beating on her again. Where is he anyway? +As though my thought had been heard, my dad comes stumbling out of the darkness shaded from within the shed. Drunk already? It’s like eight in the morning. He stumbles his way out of the shed and takes a face-plant right on the sidewalk. My brother gets up and wobbles his way over on unsteady legs, almost looking like he's sloshed too. Mom stumbles toward the shed as well. As Dad gets back to his feet, blood is pouring from his mouth as he spits out a broken tooth. Disgusting, but deserved. The blood all over his face and chin is dark, almost black looking. The fluid dribbles down his throat and drips off his chin onto his dingy, sleeveless shirt. I watch as Sammy and Mom bypass Dad. Both going into the shed, as if they hadn’t even noticed the drunken king of the house just knocked out a tooth. As Dad slowly raises his eyes, I notice that he looks terrible. Not even regular drunken stupor terrible, but like—seriously ill. Like—knocking on death’s door—ill. Maybe that’s wishful thinking. +His blackened eyes fall upon me like an inescapable fishing net. I’m nearly paralyzed with fear as the look on his face could be described as nothing less than murderous. Breaking into an inhumanly quick run, he sprints straight for me. +I jump up from the porch step and race into the house, flinging the spring-loaded door open and dashing through the kitchen and down the hall. I’m nearly to my parent’s bedroom, when I hear the back door slam shut. I burst into my parents room like I’m running for my life, and to be honest, I probably am. Brushing past their double bed, I race into the closet and pull down the old, black shoe box that holds Dad’s revolver. +With terror in my heart, my trembling hands drop the box. The bullets fall all over the closet floor, inside shoes, in the laundry pile—all over. I find two bullets and with a shaky hand, load the chamber. My entire body tremors as if an earthquake had been triggered in my body alone. I know I have to make my shots count. If I don’t kill him, he will definitely kill me for trying, and he won’t need a gun to do it. I back myself deeper into closet with the gun pointed at the doorway. + +THE SHOWDOWN +Waiting for the showdown with my Dad, feels like an eternity. My heart is pounding so hard that it could burst right here, while hiding in his sweltering, musty closet. I feel sweat trickling down my temples and brow—my parents' room is like a sauna. The only sounds I hear are from my hammering heart and shallow breathing. On a shaky foot, I step forward, inching my way to the closet doorway. I squeeze the revolver tighter in my hands and poke my head gradually out of the doorframe, but he is not in the bedroom. +Tactfully stepping out of the closet, I sneak my way to the bedroom door. It’s closed, but not locked. I must have flung it shut when I raced in here. Listening at the door, I hear nothing. Maybe he’s still outside? +I slide to the wall beside the door and lean up against it, letting my arms relax at my side. My brain is on overload, trying to figure out this situation. Without yelling at me or anything, he just came after me—like he’d been waiting for me to come into the backyard. And he looks so sick. I’ve never seen anyone alive, who looked so…dead. +I notice the window near the bed that leads to the backyard. Making my way over, I pull back the curtain and see Mom and Sammy on the back steps. They are trying to get into the house, but neither of them have their hands anywhere near the door knob. Clawing and biting at the door, their faces are encrusted with the oily mess that Sammy was playing with on the ground. As my eyes drift downward at their clothes, the oily sludge is +all over them and changes color from a dark, tarlike hue to a reddish one. +Oh god…it’s blood! +My eyes move to the pool of gunk Sammy had been rubbing his hands in. As the emerging sun over the neighbor’s roof reflects on the sidewalk, the fluid has a red tint to it. It is blood. +What’s wrong with all of them? Why do they have blood all over their faces and clothes? +“What the hell is going on?” I say aloud. +Thundering knocks and punts coming from outside the bedroom door fill my heart with fear. I flinch so hard, I feel my knees weaken. The frightful sounds rock the door back and forth with such force that it looks as if the door is made of liquid. I can hear the cheap wood giving way with each powerful whack to it. My dad’s hands and head bust through the hollow-cored door. +I sidestep away from the window, falling over the bed. Dad charges through the half broken door toward me with fury and a speed like I’ve never seen. I spring from the bed and fire the first shot. The bullet takes flight from the barrel and strikes him in the left shoulder. He barely reacts, only a slight jolt in the shoulder area, then he stumbles over the bed. +His mouth hangs open, caked in his darkened blood. A black tongue and decayed-looking teeth fill his mouth. His skin is paler than usual and black veins web his face and arms. The whites of his eyes are filled with black nothingness. I do not know this creature standing before me, wearing my dad's body. +I move around the foot of the bed trying to get a good target on his chest but he’s moving too fast. My dad charges toward me, and in that moment, I find my shot. With a steady breath, I aim and pull the trigger. The bullet smashes into the left side of his chest, but it has little effect on this monster. He tackles me to the ground. His teeth look and stink as if they are rotting chicken as he repeatedly snaps his gnarly mouth near my face. I try to push him off me, and that’s when he sinks his nasty teeth into my wrist, right down to the bone.  + +DISCOVERY + +The searing pain from the bite on my wrist, caused by my dad’s disgusting teeth, is far worse than any other pain he has inflicted upon me over the years. What’s worse—is that his mouth still is latched onto my wrist like a leech to flesh. He holds my wrist in his mouth, digging his repulsive teeth deeper into my skin and tissue. +“Get off!” I scream, extending my free hand for the gun that I dropped when he tackled me. +Dad is straddling my torso, snarling as blood drools from his lips onto my shirt. The gun is just out of my reach. Stretching my arm as far as I can, my fingertips stroke the cold, metal tip of the revolver. He yanks his head back, and I can feel my flesh on my wrist beginning to tear. I clutch the barrel of the gun and whack the handle at his face. Smacking at his nose and eyes as hard as I can, I feel like my life is at stake. He finally releases his bite, seeming slightly distracted by the blows to his face. +I seize the opportunity to buck him off me and scramble to my feet. Racing into my room, with him following right behind, I run inside and around my bed. I knock down my radio, laundry pile and art supplies in his path, and then rush back toward the door. His legs get tangled in the radio chord and he is tripped up by about five soda cans and other crap all over my floor. He tumbles hard to the ground. Sprinting out of the room, I shut the door and back away from it. I hold my breath and listen, but he’s not trying get out. Muffled noises resonate from within my room, but it doesn’t sound like Dad is anywhere near the door. +I look down at my injured wrist. It burns with a painful fiery sensation like I’ve never felt before. I feel like he bit my wrist and poured hot lava into my bloodstream. The stinging pain throbs at the site of the injury, and climbs up my arm, past my elbow. +I tiptoe back into my parents’ room and look out the water-stained window again. Mom and Sammy are still gnawing at the door like vengeful puppies left in the yard alone. I don’t understand why they don’t grab the doorknob and open it. It’s like they forgot how to open the door. Their skin is pale with black veins all over, like Dad’s. And why do they all have black-colored eyes? +While I try to grasp what could be wrong with them all, I can’t believe that Dad took two bullets and didn’t even feel it. Finally, after all this time, I drew up the courage to put a bullet—make that two—into the king of mean and it didn’t even slow him down. I can hear Dad starting to growl and pound on the walls in my room. I should be as quiet as I can. Don’t want to catch his attention again. +While looking out the window, I notice something on Sammy’s neck. Right in the front of his throat, is a gash. A gaping hole in his neck, as if a chunk of his neck is gone. It’s hard to see it clearly amidst the blood coated on his throat. I scan my mom, but her neck is intact, and so are her arms. I notice her left slipper is doused in blood, while the right one is only dirty. I watch as she shuffles near the door. Bending down, she brings her face near the doorknob and her nightgown lifts just enough for me to see, what looks like, a bite mark on her ankle. +It hits me in the face like a backhand from Dad. They all have some gross sickness. Mom and Sammy both have bites. I don’t know if Dad has one, but he bit me. He has slapped me, thrown stuff at me, and whipped me with the belt, but he’s never tried to bite me before. And normally, he’s yelling at me, teaching me, what I did wrong—when he’s kicking the crap out of me. But this time, when he came after me, he didn’t say a word. It has to be a sickness that has changed them into blood-thirsty monsters. +The sickness is what’s wrong with them. And now, I’m pretty sure, I’m going to get sick too. Looking down at my wrist, I can’t help but cry. This whole situation sucks—big time. And even though my family isn’t exactly the Brady’s, they’re still my family. What am I supposed to do now? + +STONE-HEARTED + +With heat drifting from every pore on my skin, I feel as though fire is coursing through my veins. The venom is making its way from the wound into my bloodstream, saturating the muscle and flooding my arteries, as though it’s a snakebite. Looking at the nasty wound, it’s a bite, but not from a snake. I wish. The bite on my outer wrist has been made by something much more sinister than a snake—by someone who was supposed take care of me, my dear, ole-dad. Even so, it has been a long time since I’ve been Daddy’s little girl. +Having deep grooves in the exposed tissue, the teeth marks are set deep beneath the surface of my skin. The flesh surrounding the gash is tomato red, feeling hot to the touch. The broken skin appears as if it is charring before my eyes. +I pull back the drapes in the living room window to peek out at the front yard. The chaotic scene of people scrambling in yards and in the street is disappointing, but not surprising. After discovering that my entire family had the sickness, I’d only hoped that it wasn’t part of a bigger problem. +The pounding is becoming nearly unbearable. After fiendishly fighting off my dad, I had managed to lock him in my bedroom. He was quiet at first, but I think he can hear me walking on this old, creaky, wood flooring. +Thrashing and pounding on the walls, he growls and bays as though he is calling for help in his new tongue. +I head into the laundry room, off the kitchen and snatch a dirty rag off the top of the laundry basket, near the dryer. I wrap it around my wrist securing it with the tightest knot I can tie—using my good hand and teeth. The grime on the dirty rag is no bother to me at this point. A sickness much more powerful than whatever bacteria or filth is on the rag—is already ravaging my body. Pulling a folded, black hoodie from atop the dryer, I slide it over my head, concealing the wounded wrist beneath, and then I head back into the living room. +I tap the disintegrating floor planks with my foot until I find the one that sounds hollow. Moving the rusty coffee table and lifting the board, I kneel down and pull out my dad’s shotgun and its coiled strap. One of three guns, he has, not-so-well hidden in the house. And there’s no way I’m going back down the hall for the revolver. I load the weapon. Standing up, I steal one last glance back toward my bedroom, eyeing the name placard hanging from the door--Monte. Sammy got a hold of it a few years back and scribbled it black with permanent marker. I had tossed it out, but then fished it from the trash bin and repainted it. Now, nothing is left for me in this house. I take one last look around, before walking out the front door. +Pausing momentarily on my front porch, the view out here is like a riot scene from the news. About twenty people with the sickness are in the road, on neighboring lawns and chasing after speeding cars. +I don’t recognize most of these people from the neighborhood, but Emma Sampson, Mr. Hilt, even the paperboy, Javier—all have the sickness. The sick ones all have the same posturing, pale skin and dark veins. Some are shuffling along slowly, while others bolt after their victims. They’re monsters like my dad, chasing down men, ladies and little kids and attacking them like starving beasts. +Emma has caught up with Manuel Rodriguez—a boy she’s had a crush on for the last six months—and has tackled him to the ground. He’s fighting her back, kicking and socking her with the bottom of his fist. She seems as though she feels no pain and whips her head down at his arm. Manuel is wailing in pain as Emma rips a mouthful of his flesh with her teeth. She is soon joined by some unfamiliar faces, all making a meal out of poor Manuel. +Mr. Hilt is in his sixties and has lived in this neighborhood since before I was born. He and two others crouch over a little boy, no older than Sammy. They are attacking the kid, burying their faces in his chest and stomach like raging animals. The kid is screaming and smacking Mr. Hilt in the head. They are eating him alive. +And Javier, still has his newspaper bag on his shoulders, while chasing down an old man. As he catches up to the white-haired man, newspapers are bouncing out of the front and back of his bag, before he and the senior take a tumble to the ground. +I wick a tear from my cheek and look away. It’s unbelievable that my street has gone to crap so fast, that all these people could have the sickness. I don’t understand what happened to make all these people sick. What kind of sickness could be making these people kill each other and then…eat each other? The gory scenes are too gruesome for me to let them sink in. I feel as though I need to be stone-hearted right now. +Stone-hearted, is how I make myself feel when Dad’s is on a rampage. I just shut down every bit of emotion, make myself feel nothing, like my heart is made of stone. I won’t let myself feel sadness or pain—I tell myself that I just have to survive. And that is what I need to do right now. I can’t do anything here—for any of these people—without having all of the sick ones coming after me. Right now, I have to survive. I have to be stone-hearted. +“I’m outta here,” I say out loud to nobody. + +MS. ANDREWS + +I sneak off my porch to the side walkway of the house. Clipping the strap on the shotgun, I sling it over my shoulder. My bitten wrist stings so bad that I want to scream out in pain, but I don’t want to risk the sick ones noticing my presence. The air is hot and thin outside. So much for Fall. Technically, the start of autumn is two weeks away, but it doesn’t feel like this heat will be leaving anytime soon. I can hear my dad still pounding on the walls in my room. He sounds like a trapped animal, grunting and growling. +I yank my little brother’s dirt bike from its resting spot, against the house. A rebel teardrop skids down my cheek, as I hop on. Flicking on the start button, I thrust my foot down on the kick start pedal. It whines but doesn’t start. I try again, thinking to myself, that Dad was supposed to fix this stupid bike for Sammy, like ages ago. Three more tries and still no life in the bike, although my middle-aged neighbor has now taken notice of me. +Ms. Andrews, as I know her, is a thick, stubby woman, who loves to bake goodies and give them away to the neighbors—and obviously keep a few for herself. But today, Ms. Andrews has no goodies in hand and no intention of giving anything away except for her disgusting sickness. Nearly everyone I’ve seen in the last half hour is sick with whatever’s going around. As Ms. Andrews topples over the white picket fence—separating our yards, her face looks like all the others I’ve seen so far. The whites of her eyes are as black as her tongue. Her once creamy looking complexion is pale and dry, with her black veins road-mapping her vile skin. I pull the shotgun off my shoulder and aim it at the woman. With no fear of the gun, Ms. Andrews staggers forward. +My panicked breathing becomes shallow as I pump the gun. My sixteen year old hands tremble as the woman approaches, shambling toward me. I drop the dirt bike and step away from it. With all that I have, I try to muster the courage to pull the trigger. Knowing that Ms. Andrews is no longer the sweet lady next door, and knowing that I will be killed by this woman if I don’t pull the trigger, I simply can’t bring myself to do it. +This is different, not like with Dad. I daydreamt for years about ridding myself of him. But Ms. Andrews has always been kind to my brother and me. Even with her sickness, I just can’t hurt this lady. +Stepping backward as Ms. Andrews shuffles forward, my heel hits a lip on the walkway. I try to catch myself, but it’s too late. My body tenses up as I fall, my elbow hitting the ground first. Then my tailbone slams onto the hard concrete, followed by my head and an echoing gunshot. +I grope myself, anxiously feeling for any wounds. A tiny wave of relief washes over me, as I feel none, but it soon gives way to the pain in my head. My skull feels like it cracked open from that fall. I lift my head, rubbing the spot that hit the pavement. I don’t feel any blood or tears on my scalp. + My eyes drift to Ms. Andrews. Her body is flat on the ground, motionless. I look down at the shotgun and then once more to Ms. Andrews. The thought of her biting me to death wasn’t enough to get me to pull the trigger, but the thought of falling three feet was? +I half expect my neighbor to get back up, as I slowly rise to my feet. Swinging the shogun over my shoulder, I let my eyes wander toward Ms. Andrews’ head. The shot hit her in the face, and now, she is nearly unrecognizable. Her head is a mound of blood, exposed flesh and bone. My stomach rolls, as guilt burns up my throat. Turning away, I puke on the ground beside her. I wipe my mouth with the sleeve of my hoodie, while my nose and throat burn in agony. +My bitten wrist—and the whole arm, actually—feels like it’s on fire. I killed a sweet, old lady. My family, friends and neighbors have turned into cannibals. I don’t know if I should lie down and give up or try to go somewhere. But where? Of all the ones with the sickness I’ve seen so far—none of them have said a word. There must be something wrong with their brains. That would explain why Mom and Sammy couldn’t get into the house from the back door, and why Dad was so easily trapped in my room. Easily, I look down at my wrist, not that easily. +It doesn’t matter where I go. I have to survive. To survive, I have to leave. I can figure out where to go later. Anywhere but this house. I’ve spent too much time being unhappy at this house and I’d rather saw off my own arm with a butter knife, than to spend my last moments on earth here. +Picking up the dirt bike again, I thrust my foot on the petal, using it as an outlet for my frustration and panic. It doesn’t start. Grumbles and roars echo through the side yard from the sickened ones nearby. I know it’s because of the sound, the sound of the gunfire. That shot was probably heard for blocks. +While I know that it won’t be long before I become one of them, I’m not ready to give up. This sickness is going to take me kicking and screaming. I won’t make it easy. +I thrust my foot once more on the dirt bike with rebellious force. It whines to life at last. Opening the throttle, I whiz past Ms. Andrew’s lifeless corpse and around the side of the house. I spot a group, of nearly fifteen on my front lawn, as quickly as they see me. I swerve out, around the gathering crowd. The eerie sound of fingernails scraping the bike’s rear fender sends a rush up my spine, as I narrowly escape the group's clutches. It’s a few seconds, before I look back. Now, the group is a fair distance behind me. But that doesn’t stop them from sprinting and shuffling after my exhaust fumes. + +SAFE HOME + +As I make my way through the next few blocks, I realize that the sickness is not exclusive to my street. On the next block, the Taco Shell Taqueria and three nearby houses are flaming infernos. Abandoned and wrecked cars and trucks are all around me for the next two blocks. Bodies pepper the pavement, some staying still, while others are stirring back to consciousness. There is so much blood on nearly everything. It looks as if blood has rained from the sky. +Riding through the neighborhood, the dirt bike putters along. I pass a road that has a little less activity. There are only a few of the sick people roaming about. To my surprise, the next block up has even fewer people. I feel lightly dusted with relief, but still have my guard up. +I’m still in the crappy part of town, but I can’t have it all. I cross the next intersection and see a man, two streets down. He’s chugging a forty from the Quick Time Liquor store. +My dad drinks those all the time, and it’s the only liquor store for seven blocks. That chunky guy guzzling the forty didn’t go that far to get his morning drink on. With the exception of the beer, he looks a little like my Mom’s half-brother, Uncle Victor. I hope he is as kind as my uncle, but I’ve never met anyone kind who drank beer so early in the morning. Approaching the man, I slow down. He is not the ideal person to talk to, but at least he isn’t like all the cannibals I’ve seen so far. +“Hey Mister, do you know what’s going on?” I ask, slowing to a stop. +“Hi—hi baby. You pretty,” he says, a smile broadening across his shiny, red face. +Oh great, he's some midlife perv. With how this day's been going, how can this be a surprise? I should have known better than to stop from when I first saw that forty. +“Never mind,” I say with a sigh. +“No, no, don’t go. My name Edgar. It’s okay, really,” he says with one of the thickest accents I’ve heard in a while. He takes a step back, raising his empty hand and forty in submission. +I should go. This guy is going to be nothing but trouble for me. I know it. +“Hi Edgar. Have you seen any of the sick people?” I ask despite my reservations. +"Oh yes, people really sick. Eating other people! Not safe out here. You give me a ride home?" he says coming closer. +"No, I can't," I say shaking my head. +"Yes, you come to my home. Safe in my home," he says grabbing the dirt bike’s handlebars. +My heart is thumping so hard that I'm nearly frozen in place. I don't know what to do. I grab his hand and try to peel it off the handlebars, but his grip it too tight. Furrowing my brow and gritting my teeth, I try once again. His hand seems like it's cemented to the metal as his smile gets bigger and bigger. +Is this really happening? After everything that happened to my family. After watching my neighbors devour one another like savage lunatics. This creep-a-zoid is seriously going to make me go to his safe home. With all that I’ve seen today, who knows what demented plans he has in store for me. Even if I could somehow call the cops on him, no one would come. Edgar probably knows that already. I feel my heart racing into overdrive and my mouth feels parched from my rapid breathing. This is like, the worst day of my life. Way worse than that time Dad mopped the floor with my face after he caught me trying to run away. When this guy is done with me, I'll probably be buzzard food. I need to find someone who can help me, someone who’s a good person, not a total weirdo. +"Let go," I yell slapping his hand. +"No, you be safe in my home pretty girl," he says again. +I hear familiar roars that could only belong to the sick. Two men with the sickness come stumbling out of a backyard from the house across the street. They must have heard me yelling at Edgar. Growling and flashing their rotting teeth, their eyes meet mine. Both men sprint from the side gate on the house, never taking their evil stares off of me. +This is not happening. There's no way that I'm going to let this creep take me to his safe home. And I won’t let these maniacs darting toward us, take me out, either. I reach for the shotgun on my back and slam the butt of the gun onto Edgar's hand. He recoils, letting out a painful squeal, and dropping the forty. The beer bottle shatters upon impact with the asphalt. I roll on the throttle and peel out—away from that creep. +"Wait! Please help!" Edgar calls out. +I take one last look back, and see the two men chasing Edgar. I turn my head forward, looking out ahead, and feeling torn. I don't want that jerk to be killed by the sickened ones, but who knows what that he would have done to me in his safe home. With a heavy heart, I continue up the road, without looking back again. + +DOWNTOWN + +After ditching the bad part of town, the buildings around here would be truly spectacular, if not for all the people with the sickness racing around. The area is thick with people in this downtown neighborhood. However, I’m seeing fewer and fewer normal ones at every turn. Those that I do see—are running from the ones with the sickness. Broken-down cars and property litter the road. Opened laptop cases with pages of typed documents are carried in the breeze. Purses and duffle bags have been left behind by those who likely ran for their lives. Passing a police car, I see nobody inside. The driver side door is open, but I see no sign of the cop that it belongs to. I press on, traveling the obstacle filled streets. The further I go the more my heart feels pained at the horror by the entirety of it all. +As I pass an empty-looking ambulance with its back doors open, a normal man comes out from behind it. Seeing a regular person feels so incredibly relieving. My relief feels short-lived as the look on his face turns to a vengeful one and he begins running toward me. I speed up—only because I feel scared. +“Give me that bike,” the man yells. +He runs full speed toward the bike, his hands outstretched with a frightening look on his face. He isn’t sick, but looks unbelievably desperate. Increasing my speed even more, I leave that crazy guy in my tracks. +I swerve and weave between traffic trying to make my way to the city’s edge. Wondering where all the police are, I find myself questioning if they are all dead. And if the sickness is everywhere, where am I going to go? +“Please! Don’t take my car!” A woman in a white lab coat squeals at a man who peeled out in a small, compact car. On the side of the car door is a triangle symbol and the name, Strickland Laboratories. +I slow near the woman. She is carrying a large, black backpack with the same triangle symbol on it. Her chin-length golden hair framed her soft features, making her look almost like an angel. +“Do you need help?” I ask pulling to a stop near the woman. +“Yes, he stole my car. I have something really important that needs to be delivered right away,” she says breathlessly. +“What is it?” I ask. I don’t want to offer her a ride if it’s a bomb or something. +“I’m a laboratory technician from The Strickland Lab. The scientist that I work for…died yesterday. He was working on something very important. I was supposed to drop off the medicine in my pack yesterday. It could help a lot of people.” she pauses shaking her head. “I really messed up.” +“I’ll get you where you need to go. Don’t worry,” I say. +I think that helping this lady might change my luck. What else am I going to do? Besides, I’d rather my last act on earth—before the sickness kills me—be a kind one. Getting this lady where ever she needs to go, to help people with her medicine would be a good—last thing to do. When I die, I’d rather my last memory not be the one of me killing Ms. Andrews. +“You don’t understand, this is all my fault,” she says looking me straight in the eyes. +“What is all your fault?” I ask, not sure what she’s talking about. She can’t be talking about all this chaos in Port Steward. +“Never mind,” she says pulling on the backpack and sliding onto the back of the bike. “I need to get this to Angora Laboratories. It’s the big building, near the edge of town. I really appreciate the lift. I’m Haley, by the way.” + “Hang on Haley. I’m Monte.” +I roll on the throttle and maneuver the bike through the downtown area, toward the great laboratory. We travel several blocks with the streets looking very much the same—like everyone raced out of town without a second look. +The towering building looks to be about a mile or so away, when my arms begin to feel as if they aren’t working at full capacity. Every part of my body aches in agony. I know it’s the sickness. I feel as though I’m on the verge of passing out, when I decide to pull over in a clearing. +“What’s going on? We’re not far,” Haley says. +“You have to go alone,” I strain, getting off the bike. “I’m bit.” +I yank the shotgun off my shoulder and drop it on the ground, as I stumble over to the curb. Taking a seat on the sidewalk, I lay back on the concrete, ready to surrender to my fate. +Haley shuts off the bike and comes over, “Where were you bitten and when?” +“Like an hour ago,” I pull up my sleeve, revealing the wound. +Haley reaches in her backpack and pulls on a pair of latex gloves. They smell like grapes. Untying the rag from my wrist, Haley looks at it carefully. She reaches into the backpack and pulls out a small metal case about the size of a telephone receiver. Opening the container she pulls out a syringe filled with an orange substance. I want to protest, and ask about the shot, but then I think--why? I can feel that I’m not far from death. Maybe this woman is just going to make it as peaceful as possible, why should I protest her taking my pain from me. My entire body hurts so much. The pain is everywhere for me, like my whole body is filled with poison. +Haley pierces my flesh inside the wound with the needle and injects the fluid. I’m surprised to find that I can’t even feel the shot. +“They’re coming,” Haley says breathlessly. “Get up. Let’s go.” +“I can’t,” I say, feeling weaker than ever. There is no way I can drive that dirt bike again. +“Get up!” Haley yells grabbing my hands and dragging me across the pavement toward a white SUV. “At least get in here, so they won’t get you!” +I use the last ounces of energy and life force I have to stand and climb into the backseat of the empty SUV and hide behind the tinted windows. +I look out the back window as my eyelids become heavier and heavier. Haley mounts the bike with her backpack on, and tries to start the bike, but has no luck. She tries kick starting the bike twice more, before she is overrun by a group of four with the sickness. As Haley disappears beneath the sickened ones, I find that my time has come and can remain awake no longer. + +WAKE UP + +My eyes lethargically creep open—it’s tough breathe. I am so hot. The blistering temperature leaves me feeling breathless, as if the oxygen has been sucked out of the world. I tug at my clothes and see I have on a lightweight hoodie and jeans. I’m trying to focus and remember how I got here. +Examining my surroundings, I recognize that I’m in a car—no an SUV. An expensive SUV. Where am I? Leather seats, electric windows, GPS system, this SUV is awesome, but stifling. I sit up, a little too quickly as a brief surge of dizziness sweeps over me. Looking out the windows, I’m thrust back into reality. Dozens of sick people shuffle along the street and sidewalks. They are everywhere. Some of them are roaming around, while others run after what few normal people remain in the street. +Cars are backed up in a tight gridlock and garbage blankets the ground. I look out the back window, remembering Haley. I don’t see her, but I see her backpack on the ground a few feet from the dirt bike. I try to fight back the tears, but it’s a futile effort, as my bottom lip quivers uncontrollably. +I tried to do something righteous, before the sickness got the best of me, but it was a waste. It’s like I’m cursed. Haley was the only civilized person that I’ve met today. She was going to help people. She helped me. And she died for it. +I look down at my wrist and pull back my sleeve. The fiery pain is gone, leaving my wrist and arm feeling nearly painless. Maybe Haley gave me a pain killer. I feel surprised when I peek at the bite. It’s scabbed over and the redness surrounding the wound has all but gone away. Come to think of it, my whole body feels…better. I have that sensation, like I’ve had a fever that has just been broken, like I’m waking from a cloud of confusion and soreness. +Maybe it was one of those anti…what are those medicines that fight an infection called again? Either way, I’m feeling so much healthier. In checking out the SUV, I find it picked over, and there aren’t any keys in the ignition. Climbing into the back, I sit on a knee and eye the dirt bike through the back window. I wonder if I should chance it. There are so many with the sickness out there, that I won’t have time to keep trying to kick start it if it gives me trouble. +Suddenly a bloody hand slaps against the back window, I flinch backward, drawing in a sharp gasp. The hand slowly slides down the window, leaving behind a bloody reminder of its presence. As I cautiously lean forward, I look downward for the body that owns the hand. A pale, chapped face pops up to eye level with me. It’s Haley. Her once sun kissed skin is now drained of all color, her veins have all rose to the surface of her skin and look extraordinarily dark, and the whites of her eyes are now black—just like all the others. She curls back her lips in a snarl, revealing blackened gums as she presses her face to the back window. Backing away from the window, I climb back over the seat and duck down. As fear pulses through me, the only thing I can think to do, is hide and hope that she didn’t see me through the tinted back window. + +IN HIDING + +From my hiding place, on the backseat floorboard of the SUV, I can hear Haley roaring. She emits a merciless sounding call, beckoning the other sickened in the area. I gently poke my head up, looking in her direction. As though she can see me through the tinted window, Haley slams her fist into the glass. She strikes it again. +My body remains motionless as I watch her repeatedly pound the glass. About seven or eight others have now joined Haley, surrounding the back end of the vehicle. The lady I met is gone and this…creature, in her place, is a monster. She tilts her head back snarling and wailing, while raining down a barrage of hammer-fists to the glass. +The strength of this relatively small woman is impossible. After another powerful blow, the glass begins to crackle. She proceeds with more blows as the glass collapses inward. Small chunks, the size of half-dollars fall onto the back carpeting of the SUV. About a half dozen more people with the sickness are making their way over to Haley, as if she’s discovered hidden treasure. The group of almost fifteen now, begins thrusting their fists at the rear, side windows and clawing at the broken out crater caused by Haley. A basketball sized hole has now been formed in the back window. Haley whips her head in the opening and starts to climb in. The others gather tightly around her at the rear of the vehicle pulling at the fractured glass. +I am so thankful for these tinted windows. I don’t think that the rest of the crowd can see me through the glass. It seems like they are following Haley’s lead, gathering toward the back of the vehicle. +Haley snakes in head first. Then her hands and arms slide through the opening. The hole in the glass is not quite large enough for her arms to fit through, but she forces them, causing the window shards to rip open the skin on her upper arms. Her dark blood explodes out of her torn flesh and streams from the splintered, broken window. It flows down her arms onto the floor of the SUV, like a faucet of blood. +Realizing that I have to move—to do something if I want to survive this, I climb over the center console into the front seat. Right now, I really regret ending my friendship with Denny Crocket last year. I could have picked up some of his bad habits and learned how to hot wire this SUV. But he did get busted by the cops—so never mind. The dirt bike is my only option. I have to try to get to it. I’m scared though. That’s how they got Haley and there +is no way I can out run them if the bike won’t start. I could try for the shotgun I dropped in the street, but from here, I can’t see it. Plus, there aren’t enough shells in it to taken down all these people with the sickness. Yup, the bike is the only way. +I quietly open the driver door and inch it open, while keeping my eyes on the ever growing crater in the window. I leap from the seat, sprinting around the front of the vehicle and darting toward the dirt bike. I steal a glimpse back at the SUV. +Those morons are still trying to get in through the window. Lifting the bike, I crank the kick starter, channeling all my fear into my foot’s thrust. It started! As I roll on the throttle, a woman with the sickness runs full speed toward me. I feel the woman’s fingernails tug on my hoodie. Her grasp is loose and slips off the fabric as the bike whisks me away. +I weave through broken down and stalled traffic, noticing that nearly every soul within eyeshot has the sickness. Am I the only one left? For how far—just in my town or state—or the whole world? Purses and backpacks are discarded in the street, even a diaper bag sits alone, left behind in the gutter as receipts and papers drift in the warm summer breeze. The people with the sickness move about the streets cluttered with empty cars like cockroaches raiding a kitchen cabinet. +I can see the highway that leads out of town from here, but it looks like it’s blocked with concrete road barriers—like the ones used for highway roadwork. The only way in or out of town by land is on the highway. This coastal town is shaped like a witch’s boot and up toward the top of the boot, is a bottleneck that is scarcely wide enough for the highway, with the ocean on either side. I know I can get to the roadblock on this dirt bike, but why aren’t there lines of people trying to leave? As I get closer, I can see that there are people moving around behind the road block. Oh thank God, real—regular people! +I’m almost there, three blocks to go. I speed up and hear a long beep from a loud speaker. +“Turn around and return to your home,” the voice commands. +That’s not going to happen. Only one block to go. With a steady speed, I head toward roadblock. It only takes seconds for me to reach the barricade and slide the dirt bike to a stop. +I see about ten men behind roadblock that are dressed in camo, must be some branch of the Armed Forces. As I look to these men, they all have their weapons lifted and aimed at me. + +HANDS UP +The military forces have their weapons drawn at me. I’m not sure if they’ll give me a chance or shoot me dead right here. Out of the corner of my eye, I see bodies piled up into a mound, fifty yards down the street. I only hope those bodies had the sickness when they were alive and were not normal people trying to leave. +Whatever it was that Haley gave me, it cured me. I don’t have the sickness. Maybe that’s how she was going to help lots of people—with the cure for the sickness. She gave me the medicine in time to stop it. But I think it will be better not to mention that to these guys, they may not believe me. I can hardly believe it myself. +“Can you help me, please?” I call out, laying the dirt bike down and raising my hands into the air. +The men look back and forth between one another, exchanging looks and head nods. +“Have you been bitten?” One asks. +“No,” I lie. “Is that how the sickness works?” +“The sickness? It’s an outbreak of disease and yes that’s how it’s spread,” he responds in a short, authoritative tone. +“What happened, I mean, how did it start?” +“Nobody knows yet. Personally, I think it’s a terrorist attack. Not sure if it’s foreign or domestic though. But mark my words, it’s an attack. How old are you?” He asks, furrowing his brow. +“Sixteen.” +“Huh, everyone else you got is dead, right?” He says with a twinge of sympathy. +I nod my head, as a sharp pain in my gut makes me feel as though I’ve been stabbed. I don’t know if it was the pinch of humanity that I saw on the soldier’s face or if it was all hitting home for me—that I have nobody. I feel the tears welling up in my eyes, as I realize that I have the freedom that I’ve been wanting for so long. But my newfound freedom came at a terrible price. Not only will I never see my dirt-bag dad again, but my mom and kid brother too. And it’s not like I won’t see them because I moved away, leaving a chance to reunite with them someday—no—they are just gone. +“Come on in Hun, but you have to go through decontamination first.” +I walk past the barricade, leaving the dirt bike behind as I fear what may come next. Decontamination sounds like they will definitely discover the bite on my wrist and my body would soon join the pile of discarded carcasses on the roadside. My heart hammers, as my mind tries to quickly figure out what to do or say next. A female guard with short blonde hair approaches with a gruff expression. +“Come with me miss,” she says in a monotone voice. +A few yards from the barricade, we approach a thick, plastic tent—like structure with what looks like a carwash sprayer on the side. The woman picks up the sprayer and kicks over a clear, plastic tub to me. +“You are going to need to disrobe. Put all of your clothes—shoes and all in the tub.” +This is it. She will discover that I’ve been bitten and I will be executed right here, naked and in this plastic tent, virtually all alone. + +DISPLACED + +After the coldest shower of my life, I’m standing in a line where meals are being served from brown-paper sacks. A temporary spot, on the side of the highway is set up by the Red Cross. A line of eight, red and white canopies are situated for refugees to clean up and eat. There is a little grass beside the asphalt, before the ground cliffs off to the ocean on either side of the highway. +I had been so scared to take off my sweater before the shower—that I nearly turned back toward the barricade. The female guard at the decontamination area took a peek at my wrist and had hastily asked me about it. +I had lied again, telling her that I fell off my dirt bike, but she kept shouting out commands like, “turn around” and “wash with soap,” that I soon realized, she didn’t care. After all, it’s all scabbed up now, no redness. It looks like it happened days ago. I wish Haley could have made it, whatever that medicine was…it worked. The female guard had slapped a wristband on me, that included my name and the date and time I went through decontamination. Then she sprayed my clothes with an earwax smelling spray and gave them back to me to get +dressed. +I take a seat on the ground, eating a ham and plastic cheese sandwich from within the sack lunch provided at the food canopy. I don’t care that it tastes like crap. I am so hungry that it feels my stomach might begin devouring my organs on its own. I’m all alone on the grass beneath another canopy. I notice that most of the people aren’t bothering to stick around. They’re loading onto school busses parked on the highway. I think that I should probably get a move on too. Where am I going to go? I don’t have family nearby. Closest relative I have is two states over and is an aunt whose face I couldn’t spot if she sat down next to me. +My mom and dad have a friend not too far from here that stayed at our house for about six months, two years ago. He works as a porter at the diner my mom where my mom works—well…worked. He might take me in for a little while and help me contact Aunt Charlotte. It’s a long shot, but what else can I do? My mom hasn’t talked to her side of the family in years. They had a falling out –as Mom called it. Probably over my dad. All I can remember about Aunt Charlotte is that she used to give me candy every time I saw her, which was only maybe four or five times that come to mind. I had to be six or seven the last time I saw her. +“Excuse me, Miss,” An old woman offers a warm smile. “Are you displaced?” +“Um, I don’t think so. I’m fine,” I say rolling my shoulders. “Everything is in the right place.” +Why would she think my shoulder is out of place? I saw that in a movie one time when a guy could displace his shoulder, and then slam it into a wall to get it back into place. +“I don’t mean dislocated, sweetheart. I mean, are you separated from your family?” + “Yes, I am.” +“Well sweetheart, the bus is right over there, when you are ready. It will take you to a place better equipped to find a relative or a social worker. I’ll see you there,” she says with a nod and walks toward a school bus with a gathering crowd of about ten people. +I toss my paper sack in the trash can, after devouring every last crumb. As I think about whether or not to get on that bus, the woman told me about, I hear a commotion from behind me. The Army—or whatever military branch they are—stands with their guns raised. They’re all yelling at the same time, making it hard to understand any of them. +I move closer to the decontamination tent to see who or what they are yelling at, and see a whole group of maybe fifteen people running full speed toward the barricade. They are screaming for help, as a group having twice as many chases them. The group behind them has the sickness. +The guards at the concrete rails look on the verge of panic. One of them reaches for the bullhorn. +“Return to you homes. Don’t come any closer or you will be shot!” He yells. +Ignoring the warning, the normal people out front continue running straight for the rails, with the maniacs on their heels. +I cup my hand over my mouth, in disbelief of what’s happening. The Army has to help them— they have to let these people in. The man with the bullhorn warns the oncoming group once more, this time his voice is harsh and furious. +“Turn back now! Do not come any closer or you will be shot!” +“Those people have no choice, if they don’t come this way, the ones with the sickness will get them. You have to help them!” I yell at the soldier shouting commands. +The man lowers the bullhorn, and looks at the men beside him and lets out a heavy sigh. He turns back to me and gives me an icy glare, but says nothing before returning his stare out on the approaching crowd. +A soldier turns to the one with the bullhorn and says, “Sir if we wait for the civilians to reach the blockade, we won’t be able to stop the horde. There are too many and the civilians are blocking our shots.” +“Fire,” he commands, setting the bullhorn on the concrete rail. +I feel a jolt of shock rock my body. Did he really say that? To shoot at all those people? +My eardrums are flooded by the repeating sound of gunshots tearing through the summertime morning. In only a matter of seconds, all of the people who had been approaching—are dead. The ones with the sickness and the ones who needed help lie motionless on the asphalt. Their bodies litter the street only twenty feet from the edge of the barricade. That could have been me. I sink to my knees, stunned —almost feeling temporarily removed from my body. +“That’s it boys. We’re not bringing in any more civilians through decontamination. This is a full quarantine—nobody in or out. Those who do not yield our warning will be shot. Understood? Now let’s get these bodies to the pile,” he says. +“Yes, sir,” the men on the front line shout. +I rise to my feet in total disbelief. They can make that call on their own—to not let anyone else out of the city? What if they don’t have the sickness? I’m thinking that bus ride out of here is sounding more appealing by the minute. + +THE SCHOOL BUS + +There is no way that I am going to stay in this make-shift camp any longer than I have to. Soldiers slaughtering innocent people instead of helping—I want as far away from these guys as I can get. +The soldier that held the bullhorn looks to me with fire in his eyes. Leaving his post, behind the barricade, he begins striding confidently toward me. I’m feeling miniscule, like I am an ant among a giant. The soldier is taller than me by at least a foot, making him about six-two. His body is roughly three times my size and the creases around his eyes and mouth tell me that he’s super-old, probably in his fifties. +“Colonel Kennedy Channing. What is your name miss?” He asks. +“Monte,” +“I remember letting you in. Dirt bike. On your own,” He says. +“Yes,” I whisper, uneasy about what he may say to me. +“Listen, I don’t expect you to understand, but what happened here…” The Colonel looks away. Returning his eyes to mine, he continues, “The event you witnessed here is as bad as it gets. It is a memory that I cannot take from you, although I certainly wish I could. While I owe you no explanation, I would like leave you with a thought. The innocent people that were coming toward us were all over the road, leaving no clear shots for my men to fire at the horde behind them. Had we waited until the civilians were closer, there is no guarantee that my men could have stopped the horde and they could have escaped the town’s boundaries. That would have put you and everyone in this camp at risk, not to mention the towns beyond,” He says with empathy in his voice. + +I nod my head at him and watch him turn on a heel and go back toward the barricade. Taking in his words, I am finding myself both understanding his viewpoint, but also resenting him for the deaths of the regular people. I don’t know what he could have done differently, or even, if it was possible to save those people. I do know that those soldiers saved all of us at the camp by using their guns, but all those people are still dead, sick or not. +Turning toward the school bus, I take my time shuffling over. I’m trying to decide whether or not to still be angry about the massacre or put it behind me—along with all that has happened today. The bus’s engine is roaring and ready to go. As I make my way up the steps, I see the sweet woman who told me about the bus. She is standing beside the first seat, behind the driver, welcoming on new passengers. She reminds me a little of a hostess at a fancy restaurant. Her warm smile is welcomed, but then, she unexpectedly pulls me into an embrace. I awkwardly hug her back. The feeling is so bizarre, but I understand that she is attempting to be comforting. +My family had never really been the hugging type. I could probably count on one hand the number of times I’ve had a hug, with this woman’s embrace included. +“You take a seat anywhere pumpkin. It will all be alright,” she says. +I take notice of a soldier sitting across from the woman. He is dressed in camo, with a blonde buzz cut and looks like he’s only a handful of years older than me. As I walk past him, he looks up from a clipboard and gives me a frosty stare with his glowing blue eyes. +The bus is nearly full, as I walk down the aisle looking for a seat. Chatter fills the bus. Everyone is explaining their stories of how they made it out or what happened to their loved ones. A few of the riders are sobbing and wiping tears from their faces. Even with most of the windows open, the pungent smell of body odor pollutes the bus. Halfway down the aisle, I see that nearly all the seats are taken. I might have to stand. How long is this ride anyway? This day can’t get any better. +“Monte, is that you?” a delicate voice sounds. +I look all around, but can’t find anyone familiar. Then a waving hand from the back catches my eye. I hurry toward the wagging hand, eager to find the owner. After squeezing by a gabby guy in the aisle, chatting up a cute girl, I see that the hand belongs to—Annabelle Sanchez. Oh God. +Annabelle Sanchez is the snobbiest girl at my high school, hands down—there is no competition. She comes from a family with money, and has on many occasions been shamefully wicked to me and my friends. Of all the people to find me on the bus, Annabelle is the last one I want to see. +“Monte, come sit over here,” she says with an unusually friendly smile on her face. +If she is trying to play some embarrassing trick on me, I swear, I’m going to kick her ass. I’m not going to take her crap—not today, not after what I’ve been through. +I take the seat beside Annabelle and offer nothing more than a nod at first. I look around, but don’t see her usual clan of tormentors anywhere around us. +“I’m so glad to see a familiar face,” Annabelle says. “Since this morning, I haven’t seen anyone I knew, until now.” +“Me neither,” I mumble. +“I don’t know what happened to my family. They have a disease or something,” Annabelle says with tears in her eyes. +“Mine too.” +Maybe Annabelle and I are not that different from one another. Take away her fancy clothes and fake friends; reduce her to the same situation as me and she’s not that different. She called out to me on the bus, not because we’re friends, or because she wanted to play some embarrassing joke on me, because I’m the only thing familiar to her in this mess. And she is the only thing familiar to me. Honestly, I am glad she called me over, being all alone sucks. Even if we aren’t friends and can hardly stand the sight of one and other, being with someone, at least a little familiar, feels better than being all alone, especially with all this craziness that’s going on. + +FEAR +I’m mostly quiet, sitting next to Annabelle, as the bus makes its way onto the highway. Annabelle is doing most of the talking, telling me about what happened in her house this morning, like we are old friends. I still have my guard up, I’ve gone through too much taunting at her hands to completely open up to her. From the sound of it, it seems like her morning had been quite similar to mine. We are a few miles outside of our hometown of Port Steward, in Bayberry Hollow—the next town up, when I overhear a man talking about his experience. +“I read on the internet, before I lost cell service, that they’re saying it’s a terrorist attack,” the guy began. “Some kind of bio-chemical weapon and that it can go airborne at any time. Our town has gone to shit, if it’s not the ones with the disease, than it’s the rioters that are looting and destroying The Port. We won’t be coming back, the whole town will be shut down for months or even years and you know what else—” he pauses looking up the aisle. +A very old lady, about four rows ahead, began coughing—more like hacking, loud and uncontrollably. Those around her spread out all over the bus trying to get as far away from the coughing woman as possible. +“Pull over this lady is sick,” a guy not much older than me yells to the driver. +Soon others shout for the driver to pull over as well. It doesn’t take long before he surrenders to their requests and pulls the bus to the side of the road, just outside of the downtown area. The soldier from the front of the bus makes his way to the woman—who has now stopped coughing—and escorts her off the bus. +Annabelle and I look out the half open window on our side and see the soldier walk the woman a few feet away from the bus. He yells at her to show him where her bite is and to tell him when it happened. The woman maintains that she has no bites, but suffers from emphysema. He doesn’t look like he believes her as he yanks up her peach, satin sleeves and tugs at her blouse before lifting her polyester skirt. The elderly woman looks to be in her seventies or so. She is so offended by the soldier’s behavior that she screams and slaps him with a soft hand. He grabs her arm and cruelly yanks her behind a section of overgrown bushes. A few seconds later, a lone gunshot rings out. +I shudder at the sound and look at Annabelle with terrified eyes. That soldier killed that poor woman. She probably wasn’t even bitten. We look back out waiting for the soldier to return, but it feels like it’s taking forever. He finally emerges, alone. Wild-eyed and out of breath, he boards the bus and takes his seat. +I’ve seen that wild look that is on his face before—but on my dad. It’s the look of a madman. This guy is a lunatic. He’s not like the other soldiers or like the Colonel, no, he’s like five seconds from a psychotic break down. +“Was she bitten?” The driver asks, closing the door. +“No, I checked her whole body, no bites. But she was going to turn, I could tell. She had the disease. Yeah, I’m sure of it. She must have got it some other way. Let's move out,” the soldier replies. +“Are you sure she really had it? I mean, if there wasn’t a bite, than how can you know for sure?” The driver mentions casually as he pulls away from the curb. +“I’m sure,” the soldier says in a stern tone, leaning back in his seat. +As we pull down the road, I crane my neck, leaning over Annabelle, staring at the overgrowth. Before it’s out of sight, I catch sight of the elderly woman lying on her stomach. Her clothes have been taken off and tossed onto her back. +Closing my eyes, I feel like my own sanity hanging on by a frayed shoelace. When that paranoid jerk checked her body, he took off all her clothes. And when he couldn’t find a bite, he tossed them on her back and left her naked body to rot behind overgrown weeds. I am in hell. I would happily take a beat-down from my dad any day—over the crap that’s been happening today. When we get to the shelter, with or without Annabelle, I’m not staying for long. + +THE SHELTER + +The ride to Moss County on the overcrowded, smelly bus was a bumpy one, but uneventful for the remainder of the trip. When we finally pull to a stop at the new shelter, I’m in a daze—thinking about what Lieutenant Lunatic did to that poor old lady. Annabelle nudges my shoulder to get my attention. The seats behind us are already empty as everyone pushes and shoves in the aisle. Annabelle and I are the last to leave the stinky bus. I’m hot and sticky, and sleepy too, as we step onto the curb. Before us is a humungous building, larger than any I’ve ever seen. It looks like an arena for basketball games or concerts. I notice that the street in both directions is empty. There aren’t any cars driving around, or parked on the street. No people are walking around or riding bicycles. It seems really strange to me. +There are more soldiers out in front, checking our decontamination bracelets and pinning index cards to everyone’s chest. As we approach, a female soldier makes eye contact and offers a grin. +“Bracelet,” she says with softness to her voice. +I hold out my wrist and she examines the bracelet, scribbling onto an index card. +“Can you state your full name and age,” she asks. +“Monte Barrett, sixteen.” +The conversation goes back and forth as she makes notes on a clipboard. I tell her my address and the names of my parents and brother. I leave out the part about what happened to them. I don’t know why I did that, but I have a bad feeling about telling her that I’m all alone in the world. The lady soldier gently pins the card to my shirt and points out the area where my bunk is located. She explains that the index card—that must to remain pinned to my shirt—includes my name, home address, and bunk number which doubles as a meal number during serving time. +Annabelle is next and she gives up her information too, but she tells them everything about how her whole family having the disease and that she narrowly escaped with her life. It was all very dramatic in my opinion. After all, I don’t think that these soldiers really care. It seems more like they want us to move along, so that they can quickly get everyone inside. +In looking around the expansive space inside the building, I can see cots in rows filling nearly the entire space. On the other side of the building I can see a cafeteria area and a line snaking a quarter of the way around the inside of the building. I’m not hungry, but I feel exhausted. Annabelle heads off to join the line and get some food, while I try to make sense of the numbering system of the cots. +I take careful notice of the exits, there are six in all. They are all closed and have a soldier stationed before each set of double doors. Are they keeping everyone inside? I begin to wonder whether or not we are allowed to leave. I don’t want to stay here long, but I feel so tired that finding my bunk is my first priority. I need to take a nap, at least for half hour or so, and then I’ll find a way out of this place. +When I finally reach my bunk, I’m exhausted. I fall into the lumpy cot with hardly any energy to spare. I feel uncomfortably hot and slightly weak. I think it’s because I am so tired. I want to take off my hoodie, but I’m a little self-conscious about my wrist—which is itching like crazy. I don’t want Annabelle asking about it, or anyone else for that matter. Thumbing the wrist band as I laid on the bunk, I drift off into a deep sleep. + +DESERTED + +I wake up with a chill creeping down my spine. Sitting up, in my cot, I don’t see Annabelle on hers. In fact, there’s no one around. My eyes drift to the cafeteria area, empty. The rows of cots are deserted as well. Not another soul is within eyeshot. The startling silence and abandoned arena can’t be a good thing. Why didn’t anyone wake me and where did they go? +I make my way to the door we used when we arrived. I pass dozens of empty cots, purses and backpacks left behind, half empty soda bottles and even a few pair of shoes on my way to the exit. Opening the door, I’m surprised by the brightness outside. As my eyes begin to adjust, outside the arena is as vacant as the inside. The bus is gone as are all the cars and people. It’s as if everyone left in a hurry, leaving behind their belongings. No one noticed that I was left behind? +I feel like I’m in a newly built city that no one has been admitted entrance to. Or maybe, instead of newly built, it’s more like—ready for destruction. +I jog down the street, my mind making its best attempt to rationalize what I’m seeing. The city is empty—void of all people and traffic. It feels like in no time, I come upon Coastal Acres Forest. It lines the highway for miles. I can’t believe how close we are to the highway. Maybe my mind is racing too fast as I jog, that I don’t even realize how far I’ve gone. +As I enter the forest, I can’t hear anything. No birds or wildlife, no insects, no cars on the highway and not even the ocean on the other side. No way is this happening—where is everything? +The forest is probably the last place I should be, but I feel like I need to keep going. I need to find Annabelle or someone—anyone. I was all alone this morning when I first discovered the sickness. And I was alone when I ran into Edgar and lost Haley. I can’t do this alone anymore. I’ve wanted to be on my own for years, while living in my house of misery. But now, the thought of being alone, is almost as terrifying as the thought of being eaten alive by the ones with the sickness. +I feel like I’ve been wandering through the forest for an eternity before I finally hear something. The sound is low and far away, but for some reason, I begin running toward the noise. It means there’s something near. I race through trees, jumping over fallen logs and dashing around large bushes. I come fast around a boulder and find myself face to face with Lieutenant Lunatic. He is aiming a handgun at my head. +All of the oxygen has left my body; I feel like I could collapse right here. I slowly step back as he cocks the pistol while stalking my movements. I duck back behind the boulder and turn to run—only to see a small group of people with the sickness right before me. I run as fast as I can through the forest, but the group is not far behind. They are growling and howling as their speed carries them closer and closer to me. It’s not long before I can feel their outstretched fingers pawing at my back. I feel like I’ll never outrun them, but somehow I manage to stay barely out of their grasp. Coming upon the highway, I can see cars are passing by. Thank God! If only, I can make it to the road. I run as hard as my legs will carry me, but my speed stays constant, slightly out of the group’s clutches. +I burst out from the trees, and sprint out onto the highway. A car is coming, a white, compact car. Only, the car doesn’t brake or even swerve. It’s coming straight for me, while the group approaches from the side. I stop in the road. My fate is sealed. I am not going to survive this day. I steal one last glace at the group and see that Annabelle is out front. She is as sick as the strange faces behind her. She flashes her teeth at me. +“Monte,” she says softly. +In my peripheral vision I see the white car approaching. Everything seems to slow down. +“Monte!” Annabelle’s voice is louder now. +She reaches for my shoulders, but I don’t have it in me to fight any longer. Opening her mouth, she shouts, “Monte, wake up!” +My eyes fly open like I’m waking from a demonic possession. I spring up from my cot into a sitting position and look wide-eyed at Annabelle. +“Are you okay? You were dreaming—loudly,” she says. +I look around the people-filled arena. Everything is how it was when I drifted off to sleep. Whoa, that was a crappy dream. + + +BLUE FALLS + +Lying in my bunk, I’m trying to decide when to leave and where to go. After Annabelle woke me from that rotten dream, she was called over by one of the soldiers to discuss what family members can be contacted. When she gets back, I need to tell her that we’re leaving. This place with all the soldiers standing guard is getting creepier by the minute. Everyone that was on the bus is here along with a few bus loads more. No one has left. We already went through decontamination when we left our town, why aren’t people leaving? At least some of them must know people nearby or would rather stay in a motel or something. +“Monte, are you awake?” Annabelle shouts from five bunks over, as she races for me. +“Yeah,” I say, sitting up. +“They are taking me to Blue Falls. They said since my family didn’t make it, they are taking me up to a shelter for orphaned kids—where they can contact my relatives and get me to them. Isn’t that great? You’re probably coming too,” Annabelle says. +“Why are they taking you somewhere else? Blue Falls is hours away,” I say. +There go my plans to have Annabelle escape this prison-like shelter with me. I don’t want to be alone, but she’s leaving anyway. My whole life I’ve only been able to count on myself—why would I try to fool myself into thinking that I can count on someone else? +“They said that there are social workers that can get me to my grandparent’s house,” Annabelle says, frowning at my lack of enthusiasm. +“Well, that’ll be good for you… to get to your grandparent’s place. Really, it’s good news. But I won’t be going to Blue Falls. I didn’t tell them about my parents—” +“I know, why did you do that? But it’s okay, because I told them. So yes, you’re coming,” Annabelle’s smile is huge. +I swear I want to punch her right in the face. Why would she tell those soldiers that? Another bus ride with Lieutenant Lunatic and I’ll want to bite myself. And this ride is hours long. +“Annabelle,” I begin, before stopping short. Combat boots are noticeably approaching in my peripheral vision. +“Monte Barrett?” A familiar voice asks. +I nod, looking up at the soldier. It’s Lieutenant Lunatic. It’s like this guy is our personal escort. I want to be as far away from this creep as I possibly can, yet it seems like he’s everywhere. +“We have received information that your family may have not made it out of your home town, is this correct?” +Looking at the intimidating soldier, I don’t want to get caught in a lie. I really have to watch what I say to this nut—I don’t want to end up like the old lady on the bus. I want to head out the back door and find my own way, but I have a feeling that these people aren’t going to let me go on my own. +“Yeah, they had the sickness,” I say with reluctance. +I can’t believe that Annabelle narked me out. What happened to my family is my business—not hers to go around telling everyone. +“Sorry to hear that young lady. We are going to put you on the bus to Blue Falls. It’s where all of the orphaned minors are headed for social work help.” +“I don’t want to go to Blue Falls. I’d rather just leave if that’s okay. A family friend works not too far from here, I’d rather head to his place and go from there.” I say +“Unfortunately, we cannot let you leave. A social worker in Blue Falls will get it all straightened out and if your friend of the family’s place is where you should go, then they’ll send you there,” he says with a grin. “Bus leaves in ten minutes.” +After he leaves, I glare at Annabelle, who seems totally oblivious to not only me, but to everything going on. I feel like my whole world is caving in, after all that is happening and it seems like just another adventure to her. Miss high horse over here has probably never been around shady people before. She has no instincts at all. My Uncle Samuel was in the Navy for a long time and I’ve met some of his buddies who served with him. They were real upstanding guys. But the soldiers here are different. I can’t put my finger on it, but it’s like they’re acting like we’re cattle. Move here, do this, take that. There is something really off about these soldiers and this place. +“Save me a seat, I have to go to the restroom. I’ll meet you on the bus,” I say, offering a fake smile to Annabelle. +“Alrighty,” Annabelle says heading toward the exit at the front of the arena. +As I enter the ladies room, there are already a handful of women inside. Looking around, there aren’t any windows for me to escape. As disappointment fills my gut, I head to an empty stall and overhear the women’s conversation unfolding. +“I know, right. I can’t believe it either—it’s ridiculous.” +“Danny went to talk to one of the guard soldiers, and they won’t let anyone leave. They said that further testing is needed before we can be released. But I’ve noticed that they have evacuated this part of the city for blocks and are pulling out a lot of the soldiers. There are only a few left here.” +“Then where is that one bus going? I saw a bunch of kids loading into it.” +“I don’t know for sure, but I heard, that they are all orphans with no place to go and no one to claim them. Just to be safe, they could get rid of those kids—ya know what I mean—to make sure that none of ‘em are sick—and no one would even miss them. People would think that they died in The Port.” +I bolt for the restroom door. I am not sticking around to see if these women are right. They could be planning on getting rid of us all—to be safe. Even the adults in this arena could be danger. They might have changed their minds or received new orders telling them not to release anyone. If they evacuated the area, like the woman said, than big trouble is probably headed our way. I can’t get on that bus and there is no way that I’ll be able to get Annabelle off of it. It looks like I’m on my own again. I don’t want to stay here another second. +I see a door across the way and head for it. The nearest guard is talking to a family a few feet away, with his back to the exit. I’m getting out of here. As I approach the door frame, I look around. There are fewer soldiers than before, and that guard is still speaking to the family. I press the door open gently and walk through opening to the outside. I’m free. I’m so sorry Annabelle. I wish that there was something that I could do to get her off that bus. Wiping a tear from my cheek, I tell myself to be stone-hearted. I have to survive. But it doesn’t work—I can’t stop the tears from falling. With all my heart I hope that those women were wrong, and I hope that I am wrong—for Annabelle. I run down the side of the building and cut behind it. + +FREEDOM +I’m outside of the arena. I’m free. Scratching my wrist as I jog along the backside of the building—my scab feels like it’s been sprinkled with itching powder. It itches so much that it kinda hurts. +I’m not sure where I’m going—anywhere but here. I don’t care if I have to sleep under a bridge tonight. At least my fate is in my own hands now. Thank God I made it out of that place. The air out here feels fresher, more-wide open. I finally feel like I can breathe—but I also feel tethered to Annabelle. My heart twists telling me that I am doing the wrong thing by leaving her behind. But what could I do? If I go back to that bus, they’ll make me get on it. Even if I could get Annabelle’s attention somehow—she wouldn’t get off the bus. She’s psyched about going to Blue Falls and getting reunited with her grandparents. She’ll never get off that bus, if I tell her I have a hunch that things aren’t what they seem. +Looking behind me, I see that no one has come after me. A sharp pain surges from my scabbed wrist and shoots all the way up my arm. I keep jogging. I can’t do this, I can’t leave without Annabelle. She needs me and I need her—I have to go back for her. With my eyes on my wrist, I reach for the sleeve but my momentum suddenly stops. It feels like I have run into a wall. Stumbling backward I look at obstacle and see the very soldier from the bus ride here, the one that told me about the bus to Blue Falls. Lieutenant Lunatic. I open my mouth to speak, but he already has me at the elbow escorting me back around the building. +“I was just—” I whisper breathlessly. +“Trying to find the bus?” He says. “That’s alright, I’m sure you got turned around. Here, let me take you there—personally,” his voice sounds more like a growl. +I don’t know what to say, so I say nothing. His tight grip on my elbow conveys the message that he knew what I was attempting. How did he know I made it out? He must have seen me leave and sprinted out one of the other exits to cut me off. +The buildings and businesses surrounding the arena do look empty. It’s Saturday, these places should be abuzz with shoppers. Aside from the vacant streets, all of the businesses look closed. As Lieutenant Lunatic leads me toward the bus, I notice that there are no cars. None parked on the street, nor driving around—even the parking structure across from the parked bus, is empty. +My mind goes back to the conversation I’d overheard in the ladies room. Those women were right, it’s like the whole area has been evacuated or something. Why would they clear out this area? We all went through decontamination and are okay. +My wrist itches again and my whole arm aches. I can’t understand why it’s bothering me, but then again, I haven’t been able to look at it. The shooting pain that began behind the building subsided right after I had my run in with Lieutenant Lunatic, but I still feel discomfort in it. I can’t look at my arm or show any favor to my injury—while he is here—or it will be the end of me. +There’s only one bus ahead, it’s a tour bus. Like the one I’d taken on my eighth grade trip to Funland, three hours away. Definitely a step up from the school bus we used to get here, this one will have a bathroom in the back and reclining seats with confetti upholstery. I haven’t even boarded it yet, but I already know. +“What happened to the school bus?” I ask softly. +“The school busses are for local transport,” he says officially. “It’s a long ride to Blue Falls—this bus will get us there with no stops.” +As Lieutenant Lunatic and I approach the bus, he escorts me up the steps and forces me to sit in the first seat behind the driver. +“Monte,” Annabelle calls out from the rear of the bus. +“I’m gonna go sit with my friend,” I say, rising from my seat. +He shoves me back by my shoulder into my seat, without a word. Waving at Annabelle to come forward, he reviews a clipboard that hangs behind the driver’s seat. +“Hey—” I say, rubbing my shoulder. He can’t push me like that or make me sit here. There has to be someone I can report this psycho to. +“Listen, you are not going to be a problem on this bus,” he kneels down and whispers to me. “Do you understand? I remember you. We were on the same bus over here. If you become a problem, I’ll take you out behind a bush. Got it?” +He stands back up and looks at his clip board once more. Did he just threaten to kill me if I didn’t behave? He can’t do that. But he already did—to the old lady. No one even asked questions except the driver, who really didn’t push the issue. This guy could probably kill us all and not even get in trouble for it. He could tell the cops or his boss that we all had the sickness. I’m starting to understand that my rebellious streak might work against me in this situation. +“Right there,” he says to Annabelle as she approaches, pointing the empty seat behind me. +Annabelle quietly takes her seat, looking at me with enormous eyes. +“Sir,” I say wanting to vomit, but to get what I want—I guess I got to kiss a little tail. “May I sit next to her?” +He looks up from his clipboard with a smirk. He sees right through my phoniness. “If there’s any trouble from you—” +“There won’t be,” I say moving quickly to the seat behind. +I am still behind Lieutenant Lunatic, but at least I’m not sitting next to him. +“Where were you?” Annabelle whispers. +“Long line at the restroom. I’m here now,” I say. +The soldier tosses the clipboard onto the seat and smacks the driver on the shoulder, then takes his seat, in front of us. +“Next stop, Blue Falls,” the driver announces, starting the bus. “Settle in kiddies, we should be there in about two and a half hours.” +We are about twenty minutes into the bus ride to Blue Falls, and my wrist is killing me. It feels even worse than it did after the bite. I know that Annabelle can sense my discomfort—she keeps asking me if I’m okay. I can’t look at it with her right here and Lieutenant Lunatic right in front of us. The last time she asked, he turned around and gave me a death stare. I lied to them both telling them that I sometimes get a little car sick. They seem to have bought it. I don’t know how much longer I can keep it up though. +“Hey, I’m going to use the restroom, okay,” I tell Annabelle. +She gives me a weak smile and a nod as I get up. I head to the back and see that there are about twenty other kids of all ages in the seats on my way to the restroom. There are a few toddlers, and some of the older kids are seated alone, while others are sitting close together. Many of them are chatting quietly with each other and a few are even playing the alphabet road sign game. +That game made me think of my little brother Sammy—we used to play that game all the time. Sometimes we’d go down to Andre Street and play it watching the license plates of all the cars passing by. I really miss that little pain in my butt. I can’t believe that he got the sickness and my parents too. It’s not like I had a lot—but everything in my whole life except me—is only a memory now. +I would have never imagined when I woke up this morning that this is where I end up right now. I’m still not sure about this whole bus to Blue Falls, but I don’t have any options right now but to stick it out and hope that I’m wrong. + +THE SICKNESS + +I duck into the tiny restroom. After locking the door behind me, I roll up my sleeve. My wrist is infected again. The scab is soaked in the fluids leaking from the wound. A ring of redness surrounding the wound stretches up my arm. It looks grotesque and the smell is disgusting. I touch the scab with my index finger and slightly press down. Greenish puss oozes out of it the on the other side of the soft scab. I begin to choke, coughing and gagging at the same time. +I shove my arm—up to the elbow—in the tiny sink and turn on the cold water and let it flow over the wound. The water stings a little at first, but then starts to feel soothing on my arm. I stand there for what feels like the longest time, savoring the relief that the water is giving me. +Whatever Haley gave me, helped for a while, but it looks like nothing can beat the sickness. I think about telling someone, but I push that thought out of my head. Lieutenant Lunatic runs this bus like we’re all prisoners. He’ll kill me for the safety of the others and he’ll like it—because he is a psycho. No, I can’t think that way. This is just a little setback—I’ll be fine. Now that I’m washing my wrist, it will get better again. It has to. +I worry that I’m taking too long and Lieutenant Lunatic will come bursting in like a SWAT team, so reluctantly, I turn off the water. As soon as the water stops, my wound begins to burn again. Although it looks a little better now that the scab is totally water logged. Gently, I pat my arm dry and pull my sleeve down, covering the bite. I feel so awful, as if all of my energy is being sucked right out of me. I need to lie down and try to sleep. +Making my way back toward my seat, I can already feel perspiration emerging from my flesh. I can’t tell anyone about my arm or Lieutenant Lunatic will take me out behind a bush and put a bullet in my skull. I squeeze past Annabelle and take a seat by the window. +“Oh boy, you’re really feeling carsick aren’t you?” Annabelle says with a frown. +“I’m okay. I think I’m just really tired. You know, today’s been…crazy. I think I’ll take a little nap,” I say pulling the hood of my sweatshirt over my head. +“Yeah, get some rest Monte and you’ll feel better. I’ll wake you when we get to Blue Falls,” she says. +Who knew that Annabelle Sanchez could be so sweet? I guess you normally needed to be in her inner circle to see that side of her. Now, due to lack of other people, she is actually worried about me. I feel so exhausted. Maybe I’ll feel better when I wake up. I can beat this. I close my eyes and lean up against the window and feel myself drifting off. +I don’t feel like I’ve slept long, when I’m jostled awake by an explosive sound. I feel different. I see Lieutenant Lunatic standing before me with a crazed look in his eyes. As my eyes adjust to the bright light beaming in from the windows, I see that he just shot the bus driver. +Before I have time to react, Annabelle pulls me down to the floorboard below our seats. Looking out the window on the other side of the bus, I can see that the bus is pulled over. It looks like trees outside—we’re on the interstate. +Lieutenant Lunatic turns to the other side of the aisle and two more gunshots blast. What’s he doing? I look at Annabelle with wild eyes. She only shakes her head as tears fall from her cheeks onto the floorboard. Two more shots ring out. He’s killing kids. Has he lost his mind? +Lieutenant Lunatic makes his way down the aisle of the bus blasting kids away. I don’t know what to do. Someone has to stop him, but we’re all kids and he has a gun. +“You can’t do this to us—we’re not sick!” A boy in the back shouts out, and then another gunshot sounds. I can hear the kids crying out, screaming and begging for their lives from the seats as he makes his way down the aisle. +“There is no way to tell if any of you are infected. No guarantee that you won’t spread this disease to the general population. I can’t take that risk,” Lieutenant Lunatic says fanatically, firing another shot. +Even with all that is happening, I feel unbelievably tired, as though I could drop dead from exhaustion alone. A fiery pain surging up my arm to my shoulder sends shock waves through my body. Gripping my shoulder as if it’s on fire, I pull down the collar of my hoodie checking for any markings. But now the pain begins to subside, almost retreating down my arm. What’s happening to me? Annabelle says something to me but I can’t recognize the words she’s using. Her sounds are all messed up, distorted. I hear more blasts from the gun, but they sound more like an echo now. Annabelle grabs me, but I can’t even get her face into focus. I see her back away, and what only looks like a shadow of her is going for the bus exit. It looks like she is pounding on the glass, the door must be locked. I crawl one, maybe two steps, when I feel a new sensation trembling through my body. I have the sickness—I’m going to be a monster soon. I can feel it. I need to get out of here before I hurt someone. Then the shooting pain returns. This time, every muscle in my body feels like they’ve tensed up in pain, as the agony seems to pulse through my entire body. I feel weak, impossible weak. I want to call out to Annabelle to get out, but the pain is severe, as if the pain is pinching off my vocal chords. Then, as everything starts to go black, I see Annabelle’s shadowy figure pull the lever, opening the door and leaping from the bus. They everything goes black. +I haven’t quite woken up yet, but somehow I feel conscious. My eyes are still closed and the pain has left me entirely. I can’t open my eyes! I can hear sounds, like muffled voices—but I can’t understand what they’re saying. It seems as if the voices are fading away. I might be going into a deeper sleep. A…deep…sleep. +My eyes burst open like an opening umbrella. Bright light floods my eyeballs causing me irritation, but not pain. I sit up slowly, confused and disoriented. As I rise to my feet, light is all around me, except for the occasional shadow fluttering past. There is a smell. I inhale deeply. A wonderful aroma. It smells like the most delicious thing I will ever taste. I am so hungry. Following my nose, something ahead comes into focus. It is the source of the delightful aroma. I look on in disgust for only a moment, but the hunger inside is triumphing in the battle of my fading subconscious. Lieutenant Lunatic is standing before me. The nourishing scent of his flesh is too much temptation. I leap toward him as we fall to the ground between the seats. My teeth sink deep into his throat tissue, as I taste the tangy blood flow across my tongue. I swallow a piece of vitamin-rich flesh, before diving in for another bite. As I slurp and chew on my meal, I can feel the last remaining nonessential brain functions shutting down. Now, I just have one thing left…on…my…mind. The hunger. + +STILL HUNGRY? + +Do you have a hunger to know more? Check out Endemic: Rise of the Plague to find out how Monte’s town became a menacing place destroyed by a plague that spread at a breakneck pace. How did it really all begin? By accident? Or were there more sinister motivations behind the origin of the plague? + +For more titles and upcoming releases by Jeannie Rae visit: + +www.jeannierae.com + + +Facebook +Twitter + +Suzanne Robb + + +Dentists, Autopsies, and Nutritionists Oh My! + + + +Ted Brock news anchor, gave a brilliant white smile as he stared into the camera. He had dark hair, a fake tan, and his left ear had a bandage. Heidi Dinkins sat to the left side, his co-host. Blonde, beautiful, with a real tan, and busty. +“Good evening and welcome too this Friday the twelfth edition of KSPAZ news. Originally we were going to be talking about the Zombie War, but I decided I really didn’t want to, so I have come up with something far better.” +Heidi cleared her throat. “Excuse me Ted, no one told me about a change of program. I have all my segments set up for the war coverage.” Ted just smiled. +“As I was saying, tonight we will not be recapping the highlights of the Zombie War as previously advertised. I mean really, what can be said about a war that lasted three days and fourteen hours? Then again when your enemy has no ability to pick up or use weapons, organize a defence, and has the attention span of an ADD kid on crack, the fact we won really comes as no surprise.” Ted chuckled at his joke. Heidi did not. +“That’s right, Ted. This war was not a challenge to our armed forces, but the mystery remains as to how the Zombie virus was released in the first place, thus making it a topic of significant interest.” +“Yes, Heidi, I am sure people are dying to hear what you think, but as I was saying, tonight is going to be different. The end of the Zombie War led us into completely new territory. Millions of Zombies were captured. None of them were willing to talk, no matter how badly they were tortured. This stymied our military for some time.” +“Actually Ted, the military knew they were unable to speak. They discovered very early on Zombies have no speech capacity.” Heidi smiled at the camera, holding tight to the papers in front of her. +“Again, Heidi, you can put that in your bit for another time. Right now is my story. I would like the viewers to look at some fairly graphic re-enactments I have created. If you have children in the room, please cover their innocent eyes.” +Ted reached under his desk and brought out some two by two foot poster boards. On them Zombie stick pictures were drawn being tortured by military stick figures. He sighed as if saddened by the creepy pictures and turned back to the camera. +“I apologize for the quality of these pieces, but our art department told me at the last minute they were too busy for my request, so I had to whip these up over the weekend. You can see the brutality was quite severe. The military denies it to this day, but what else can possible explain the horrible condition many of these Zombies were found in? Some of them looked as if they had just been dug out of the grave for Godsake. To make matters worse, it was discovered Zombies could not even talk.” +Ted stopped and pinched his nose. He tried to see if he could squeeze out a few tears for the added dramatic effect. This story might be his best shot to get the hell out of this town and hit the big time. He shook his head and sighed, annoyed no tears would come. +“Sorry, folks, I just get a little emotional when I think of all the damage done to these poor creatures.” +Heidi coughed. “I wouldn’t actually call them poor creatures as they did eat thousands of people and terrorized the general populace for some time.” The camera panned to Heidi. +Ted held a fake smile on his face. What the hell had gotten into Heidi tonight, she just would not keep her trap shut. What the hell was that about? She was just there so the network had a set of breasts on the payroll. He didn’t care about her degree from Stanford, probably made the place up. +She always pitched stories about the Zombie Virus, pieces on the Zombie aftermath, or who to hold accountable for the outbreak. Like people were really interested in that. He knew what the people wanted, and tonight he planned on giving it to them. +“Heidi, while that is another interesting perspective, it is not what tonight’s show is about. Tonight we are going to discuss the effects of the LDR movement. The Living Dead Reintegration is a daring, may I say even brave, endeavour being met with resistance at every turn. All this organization is trying to do is find a place for Zombies within our society.” Heidi yelled as she threw the papers in front of her. +“The LDR movement? Are you insane? The controversy surrounding LDR is horrific, rumours of live autopsies, germ warfare, accidental infections, and not to mention the number of people getting infected and or killed during the reintegration process.” +Ted ground his teeth so hard he actually felt a filling crack. What the hell had gotten into Heidi this week? +The only explanation, she had slept with the network head Jimmy Gillon. He probably told her she could speak. Fantastic, now he had to contend with a talking bimbo. Thank God he had the foresight to draw things out for her, he felt pictures made things easier to understand. Heidi already got more fan mail than he did, there was no way she would speak more. +“Heidi, obviously your sources are not as up to date as mine. I have data not only showing promise for LDR, but can ensure safe reintegration of the living dead back into our society.” +Ted reached under the desk again and brought out another poster board. This one had a Zombie stick figure helping another stick figure across the road. In another a Zombie stick figure gave candy to a much shorter stick figure. +“As you can see, Zombies can be contributing members of society. This is what tonight’s show will be about. I’m going to detail the process of how Zombies are reintegrated into society.” +Ted stood and walked over to a screen. He proudly pointed to it as the image of a Zombie in a suit appeared. +“The proof is in the pudding, my friends. Tonight you will watch the amazing footage I caught with the help of my camera man as we went to LDR headquarters and recorded the reintegration process step by step. Afterwards, if you’re not as convinced as I am that these Zombies are on the path of goodness, then nothing will sway you.” +The lights went down in the studio and on the big screen Ted could be seen holding a stack of papers in front of the LDR building. He talked, but no sound came out. +“Goddammit, where is the mic? You always hide it on me to make me look like an ass. Wait, there it is. Okay turn it on in a few minutes.” +Ted straightened his clothes, he wanted eyes on him and his impeccable sense of style. He tested his breath, then slicked back his hair to make sure everything was in place. Lastly, he picked his nose to make sure no boogers were visible. Last year, he had one hanging there for his entire interview with the CPA (Captain of the Poultry Association). People still handed him Kleenex boxes and laughed as they walked away. +“Hello, I’m Ted Brock, and tonight you will get an exclusive look at the arduous process a Zombie must go through in order to be accepted back into society. Then we will take a look at the various jobs they can do to help us. Follow me on this journey, my friends.” + The camera man followed Ted into the building. The interior had an eerie ambiance, and used to be a psychiatric hospital for the criminally insane. Someone had chipped off some of the letters leaving only “IT ALL INSANE.” The personnel walking around were all armed with guns, batons, and wore thick padding around their necks, arms, and legs. +John Simmons, the cameraman, spoke in a low voice. “Psst, Ted…don’t you think we should have some weapons, or gear?” +“Of course not, John. This is a perfectly safe place. Let’s go.” +“Ted, maybe you can deal with the smell of rotting corpses emanating from every corner. Maybe the fact everyone here is in protective gear from head to toe doesn’t make you the least bit suspicious. However it is making my ass twitch.” John kept switching from one foot to the other. +“John, calm down, they won’t let anything happen to us, I’m Ted Brock after all.” +Ted did in fact have a gun in his breast pocket in case something happened. He also knew he would have a head start over John because of the weight of the camera. +The two walked down the hallway, John filming everything. There were blood smears and spatterings everywhere. Moaning and groaning could be heard echoing through the hallways. They came to a door with Phase One written on it in with a Sharpie. +“Hello, gentlemen, welcome to Phase One of the LDR program. In a second, the doors will open and all you have to do is head inside to begin your tour.” +The voice came through an old intercom system. As the door opened the two men made their way inside. Ted wondered how fast John could run with the camera, he assumed not very. +John slowly went through the doorway, filming the whole time. The floor was covered in some sort of thick ooze, and the walls had a disturbing amount of blood on them and upon closer inspection many teeth as well. +A man in a stained lab coat came at them. Ted let out a small scream. +“Hello, there. You two must be from the news station. We heard you were going to come down here and give some positive attention to our little organization. I’m doctor Herron, the dentist in charge of Phase One.” +Doctor Herron stood there with some sort of permanent grin on his face. He held onto a tank of some sort, either because he enjoyed the way it felt, or he needed the support. The smile still in place he reached out to shake the hands of the two men. However the brownish fluid on the gloves he wore prevented them from cooperating. +Ted looked at the blood stains covering the doctor’s coat, then down to the sticky floor. He had no idea the things this room had witnessed, but he knew it was a bad sign the dentist wore more protective gear than a virgin on prom night. +“Hello, doctor Herron, it’s nice to meet you. I’m a huge fan of your work. Can you tell me exactly what it is you do?” +Doctor Herron gave an odd smile at the comment, but didn’t say anything. +“Of course, well as I said I’m the dentist in charge of Phase One. When the Zombies first arrive, they are at their most dangerous. As you know a bite from one of them results in immediate infection. To prevent this from happening they are brought to my office, and neutered by me.” The dentist chuckled at his joke. Ted did not change his facial expression. John moved his legs uneasily. +“Very interesting, doctor Herron, and why would a dentist want to neuter a Zombie? Are you trying to tell me they can make baby Zombies?” +Another odd look from doctor Herron was sent Ted’s way. +“Umm no, what I meant is, I remove all their teeth mister Brock. After which they can no longer bite anyone, and are essentially neutered.” Ted fidgeted with his mic, avoiding thinking about the sticky floors. +“Right of course, I just wanted you to explain for our audience.” Doctor Herron tilted his head to the side and smiled. +“Then let’s get started with a demonstration. This is your lucky day. We just got in a shipment of fresh Zombies so you can witness the work we do here to help make Zombies safer, and easier to reintegrate back into society.” +Ted and John watched as doctor Herron grabbed the laughing gas, placed the mask on himself inhaling deeply. +“Right then, let’s start yanking some teeth, guys.” +Ted looked terrified, and John got as close to the door as possible. Doctor Herron looked totally at ease as he pressed a button. +“Bring it in.” He removed his finger from the button and smiled at the two men. +Ted went rigid and casually put his hand inside his coat jacket so he could hold onto the gun. +A door in the back of the room creaked open and a Zombie appeared with three men covered in protective gear. A thick collar hung around the Zombie’s neck which helped the men keep control over it with via a rabies stick. There were rusty shackles on its wrists and ankles which also aided in controlling it. Ted watched in horror as the Zombie entered, and the two now shared a room. +Ted began to turn green, the smell of the place getting worse. He had to fight back the rising bile, it became overwhelming. +Ted watched John get a close up with the camera, showing flesh hanging loosely, and in some places falling off of the Zombie. +Ted swallowed the gorge rising in his throat. Then the Zombie let out a gut wrenching noise and liquid poured out of its mouth. Ted watched as John spit something onto the wall behind him. Ted knew he was not the first one based on the collection. Ted casually turned and threw up in what he hoped was a trash can. John made sure to get it all on tape. +“Thanks. Just secure it in the chair, please.” +The camera recorded as three men maneuvered the Zombie into the dentist’s chair, then secured its arms and legs. The collar around the neck locked into place, as well as a strap he wrapped across its forehead. +Doctor Herron pulled over a mobile tray full of dirty tools and grabbed a metal device with crusty gore all over it. +“See, we try to be as humane as possible. These pliers are some of the best, with a great grip. I can yank a tooth in less than three seconds.” Ted smiled uncomfortably at the mad dentist. +Doctor Herron pulled on the forehead strap restraining the Zombie’s head. The force of the motion, causing its mouth to open. Doctor Herron then shoved a wedge inside to prevent it from closing. +The doctor went to work immediately. The only sounds heard within the room were the exertions of doctor Herron, the groans of the Zombie, and the occasional clink of a tooth being tossed in the general direction of a metallic bowl. Ted winced in sympathy. +“Excuse me, doctor Herron, are you sure it isn’t painful?” +“Nah, they don’t feel any pain, so it would be a waste to use any sort of pain killer on them. Oh, and in case you were wondering, they really can’t get any sicker than they are so there’s no need to worry about clean tools.” The doctor smiled, and Ted equated it to a serial killer. +Ted watched as the doctor kneeled on the lap of the Zombie to get into a better position to yank out a particularly stubborn tooth. When he finally got it, he admired it for several seconds before tossing it towards the bowl. He missed, and Ted saw the tooth and a portion of gum line. +Ted wondered what doctor Herron did before he got this job, dentist enforcer for the mob? He thought there might be a story there. +Twenty-eight long minutes later, the Zombie sat neutered. Ted removed his hand from his breast pocket, breathing for the first time since the dentist started. Finally, he felt safe. +The doctor, sweating and covered in blood, smiled at Ted. Several teeth were scattered across the floor, along with bits and pieces of tissue. +“So, as you see, it’s a rather easy process, and neutralizes their ability to bite and infect people. Now we send it to Phase Two. You can follow the men through the door. I have several dozen Zombie’s waiting out back.” +Ted placed his hand back in his breast pocket. The information about dozens of Zombie’s waiting to be neutered scaring the hell out of him. His bladder felt funny, and the fact there was a Phase Two made him want to run away. +Ted motioned John to go ahead of him, following the two men prodding the Zombie along. The hallway floor slick with dark blood and other liquids Ted didn’t want to think about. Moments later they arrived at a door with the number two written on it. +The two men knocked, when an opening appeared they shoved the Zombie inside. They led it to a metal table forcing it to lie down. Once prone, shackles kept its wrists, ankles, and head in place. Ted noticed it was an autopsy table and began to feel a bit nauseous. + “Come on in you two. Don’t be shy. This is an educational program as well as a rehabilitative one. I’m doctor Ken Mengles.” +Ted shoved John into the room then followed a few feet behind. They both looked up to see dozens of eager young faces in an observation window above. Bright lights lined the ceiling. The same sticky substance from the dentist’s office could be found here. The walls were relatively clean, but the tray of tools next to the table were rusty and old. +“I know this can look shocking at first. The look on your face speaks volumes. All I can do is assure you everything will be fine. Just relax and you’ll see all the good work we do here.” Ted cleared his throat. +“Doctor Mengles, exactly what is Phase Two?” +“Phase Two, is technically, an autopsy.” Ted tried not to look appalled. +“But isn’t it still alive, how can you do this? Autopsies on Zombies might be considered cruel and unusual by some people, not me at all, but maybe others.” Ted looked towards the observation room and smiled. +“A common misconception held by many, which we try and change with our work here. Come over and take a listen.” The doctor held out a stethoscope to Ted. +Ted didn’t want to take a listen. He wanted to leave this place. Then again he wanted a better job, so he slowly made his way over to the doctor. The Zombie twitched and fought against its bonds, but seemed to be secure. Ted put his ear as close as he dare to the stethoscope and listened. +“I’m sorry, doctor, it’s broken. I don’t hear anything.” The doctor laughed as did the people in the observation room. +“I’m sorry, mister Brock, I don’t mean to laugh. It isn’t broken. Zombies are categorized as the living dead. This means technically they’re dead, they have no heartbeat, no need to breathe, and as far as we can tell have no real thought process other than to find food.” Ted moved away positioning, himself between John and the Zombie. +“So, why do you need to do an autopsy then?” Ted decided then and there he deserved some sort of award for doing this damn story. +“Well, you have to understand just because a Zombie is dead, and had its teeth removed doesn’t mean it can’t infect you.” +Ted took three more steps back and watched John reach into his pocket. Ted thought John had finally cracked ready to blow them all away. He lifted his hands to protect his face, but when he saw a bottle of anti-bacterial lotion in John’s hand he cleared his throat and looked at the doctor. +“Really, doctor, that’s fascinating. So how exactly can we still get infected?” +“Zombies are giant petrie dishes for all sorts of bacteria, not to mention the liquids in their system still carry the Zombie virus. We autopsy them to determine what health risks they pose, and whether or not they should be reintegrated based on that risk. For example, if we get a Zombie carrying the plague we can’t very well let it back into society.” +“Of course not. Do a lot of them tend to carry the plague?” Ted plastered a fake smile on his face all the while wondering how one caught the plague. He debated holding his breath for the duration of his time here. +“Not many, but enough. But there are many benefits to doing autopsies on Zombies. Firstly, we can teach medical students how to perform them, and what kind of surprises to expect. Secondly, we try to correct a lot of the damage inflicted on these poor creatures. The more holes we patch up, the less likely they are to leak.” +Ted watched the doctor begin the autopsy on the Zombie. He cut down the center of its chest and pulled out various internal organs. The doctor pulled out the heart and held it up so the students in the observation room could see. +“Take a look at this, it is important to note the atrophied heart muscle. This is one of the first things you need to look at in any autopsy. This heart tells us that in human life this Zombie was rather lazy, and didn’t take cardio seriously. Most likely why he got caught.” The doctor laughed as did the students. Ted did not. +The doctor placed the heart back inside the chest cavity using staples, sutures, and super glue to help keep it in place. Then he poked around and pulled out the liver. Ted tried very hard to keep his bagel down. +“Okay, have a look at this, see how engorged it is? Another important organ to examine when doing an autopsy. This tells us that in his human life the Zombie most likely suffered from cirrhosis, probably an alcoholic.” +The doctor once again used sutures, staples, and ample amounts of super glue to keep the organ in place. Ted shut his eyes every time he head the staple click. +“Doctor, isn’t in important to make sure the organs are attached correctly so that they work?” +“Mister Brock, Zombies are dead. They don’t function, if I put an organ back in, or decide to keep it for my personal collection it’s irrelevant, the Zombie will still move around.” +“Right of course, continue.” Ted stood rigid as he watched the doctor autopsy the Zombie. +Everything seemed to be there as far as Ted knew, but he based his anatomy knowledge on the game Operation. The more the doctor cut into the Zombie the worse the smell got, and the more putrid liquids oozed out. Ted knew his breakfast would eventually reappear. +“Oh this is interesting, get a close up if you can.” John reluctantly moved in. +“Seems the original cause of death was not the Zombie virus. See all these little growths? This guy had very advanced cancer. He must have risen after he died. Class please make a note to find the primary cause of death if possible.” +Ted breathed through his mouth to try and avoid the putrid odour coming from the Zombie. He watched in horror as the doctor took a bone saw and cut the top of the skull off to examine the brain. The doctor then placed a small metal chip in the brain. The chip, about a quarter inch in size and thinner than a paperclip, had a small green light. +After the doctor placed the chip where he wanted it, he popped the skull cap back on, turning it left and right until in its proper position. Then he grabbed a tube of plumbing epoxy and lathered it onto the cut marks, after which he stapled it in place. +“Excuse me, doctor Mengles what did you just do?” +Ted had not seen anything this gruesome during the war. His therapy bill was going to sky rocket. +“That, mister Brock, is an explosive tracking device. When we reintegrate the Zombies back into society we want to be able to keep tabs on them. Make sure they don’t go places they shouldn’t. If they do we press a button and the small bit of explosive is enough to kill them, but not a risk to humans.” +“What kind of places are you protecting?” Ted wanted to take out a notebook and write some of this down, he felt like his life depended on it. +“Schools, hospitals, restaurants, places of where contamination is a risk. It’s protocol, nothing to worry about.” +Ted looked over at John when he noticed the camera light wavering. The doctor was performing a check on retinal attachment by removing the eyes. John looked pale, and Ted hoped he didn’t pass out, he couldn’t carry the damn camera and be the star. Looking back at the eyes being removed, he felt his knees get weak. +Ted turned his head and threw up on John’s feet when the doctor removed several feet of the intestinal tract and emptied it onto a table. Several things fell out including fingers, toes, several eyes, brain matter, and partially chewed up rodents. +“Last lesson of the day, Zombies will eat anything.” +The doctor finished by sewing the Y incision shut, filling it with more plumbing epoxy, and then stapling it for good measure. The doctor also filled the pre-existing holes with something from a tub. The Zombie seemed to be totally unaware of what had been done to it. +Ted regained his composure and looked into the tub, he wanted to stick his finger in it but resisted the urge. +“Excuse me doctor, what are you using to patch up the Zombie?” +The doctor grabbed the tub. “This is a special blend I created. It’s a mix of dry wall spackle, super glue, and plumbing epoxy. It is the best sealant so far, though it needs touching up every few months.” +“Great thanks for explaining.” Ted plastered the fake smile on his face. +“Well that’s all for here, you can move on to Phase Three. Class, see you tomorrow for virus cultivation and brain slicing.” +Ted watched as men came in and got the Zombie back on its feet. The Zombie shambled ahead of them, exiting through a back door. Ted pushed John ahead of him, and they went down another gore infested hallway. The floor less sticky, but the scent significantly worse. +Ted started to worry. He didn’t want to know what could possibly smell worse than a dissected Zombie. They got to a large door with no markings, just a latch and a small window. A bloody hand print smeared across it. Ted noted it the freshness of it. The men opened the door and were greeted by a stern looking woman in glasses. +“Bring it in.” The men took in the Zombie, and secured it to a chair in the middle of the room. +As soon as they were done they quickly exited the room through a back door. John went in next, followed by Ted. Ted reached a hand out to introduce himself, but pulled it back when he saw her gloves. +Ted tried to use his winning smile on the woman. She stood about five foot seven, gorgeous, and unnaturally skinny. She maintained the scowl on her face, and her jerky movements indicated her discomfort with the intrusion. +The large and dirty room looked like it might have been a cafeteria at one point. Coolers with lids half on were strewn all about. Each one labeled with a different animal name. +Then Ted spotted the table, several different coloured piles of rancid meat on it. The stench enough to make Ted vomit immediately. +“Breathe through your mouth. It won’t help much, but there’s less chance you’ll choke on your own barf.” The woman smiled briefly, then put the scowl back in place. +Ted and John transformed into mouth breathers in half a second, immediately realizing she had told them truth, and it didn’t make a difference. They both spent a few moments dry heaving in the corner. +“I’m doctor Rexic, call me Anna. I’m the nutritionist in charge of Phase Three.” +“A nutritionist? How is that really necessary? I thought Zombies ate people.” +Ted immediately regretted the breath he had to take in order to speak. He made a mental note to stop asking questions. +“Well, yes, but a Zombie will eat anything when it’s hungry enough. What I to do here is make sure their nutritional needs are met so when they are reintegrated back into society, they won’t eat people.” She let out an uneasy laugh. Ted and John just stared at her. +Anna stood by the table of various meats in different stages of decomposition. Flies hovered, and maggots wiggled. +Ted watched as John moved in with the camera to get a shot of the buffet from hell. Ted stayed put. +“You see, even Zombies have preferences. For example, the one I had in here before liked dead rats, but wouldn’t touch dead mice. My job is to find out what a particular Zombie likes and train them to eat it.” +Anna inspected the selection and grabbed a handful of something foul. She held out her hand approaching the Zombie as one would a feral dog they were trying to befriend. When she stood about two feet in front of it, she tossed the food into its open mouth. The Zombie seemed to like it and open its maw for more. Anna repeated this with four other samples. +Ted watched as the Zombie asked for more, by leaning forward and moaning, for the first and third piles of meat the Anna had given to it, though samples two and four were rejected outright. Ted watched Anna make notes on her clipboard then make a small tag which she pinned to the collar of the Zombie’s jumpsuit. +Ted felt like he had created a documentary from hell. Anna was like some sort of demented mama bird to these things. The whole process horrific and he would bet his paycheck she got off on this somehow. No normal woman would think of this as a good idea, nor a positive way to spend ones time. +“Well, this one prefers rancid road kill of the armadillo variety, and raccoon. Now we train him to only eat those particular foods, thus making him safe to people. As an added benefit, it will also help keep our streets clean.” +Anna attempted a smile, and Ted wished she would go back to scowling at him. +“So what you’re saying is a Zombie can be trained not to eat people? Wow, what does your husband think of your work?” Ted mentally patted himself on the shoulder for being smooth. +“Yes, this would make Zombies safe. As for my husband, he’s supportive of my work. He’s the reason I do this, he fell victim to the virus during the war, but I refuse to give up on him.” +Ted tried to act nonchalant with this new information. John visibly shivered and took a step back from Anna. Ted looked over the woman one more time. Why were all the good ones taken? +Just then the Zombie tried to get loose from its restraints. Anna remained calm, but Ted was pretty sure he just shit his pants. Even neutered, these things were scary as hell. +Blood spurt out of the sockets in its mouth and yellowish puss oozed out of the suture marks the autopsy doctor had left. Ted reached the end of his rope. What was wrong with this Zombie? Did Ted find a defective one to follow, or were the psychos working here making it up as they went? His union would be hearing from him as soon as he got home. Was there a Phase Four? How much more of this would he have to endure? Would she ask him to sample to food? Did she eat with her husband? +“Now I know you are anxious to get to Phase Four, our final phase and see how all this hard work pays off. You won’t follow this particular Zombie any longer because he needs to be trained with road kill treats, but you’ll see the end product, and why our work here is so important.” +Anna motioned to an exit in the back and Ted took three long strides to reach it, John on his tail. He opened the door to a cleaner hallway and noticed a significant improvement in the air quality. As they left the room, they could hear Anna cooing to the Zombie about being a good boy eating all his armadillo. +They could only go in one direction, so both men walked down the hall side by side. Ted with his hand on the gun. +“Ted, what do you think Phase Four is?” +Ted cleared his throat. “I have no idea, but I don’t think it can be much worse than what we’ve seen.” +Ted kept pace with John, slow. Ted expected something to jump out every time he took a step. +“Why do you think they didn’t send us with a guard this time?” +Ted noticed John kept looking over his shoulder. +“John I have no idea, most likely because we’re totally safe here. Now quit whatever it is you’re doing, it’s making me nuts.” +“Right, be calm in a building full of Zombies.” +They arrived at the end of the hall and stood in front of yet another door. This one free of blood, and the number four written across it. Ted knocked and took six steps back. No way he would just open it to see what lurked inside. +A moment later the door opened and they were staring into the face of a Zombie. Ted screamed pulled his gun a bit causing it to point upwards. Then a rush of adrenaline made him apply just enough pressure to the trigger. He shot a hole through his favourite suit and blew off his left earlobe. John wet his pants and threw the camera at the Zombie. +“Whoa, guys. Relax. He’s harmless.” An older gentleman stood there in a three piece suit. +Ted held his ear tears running down his face. John stood awkwardly in an attempt to cover his groin. +“What the hell is this place? Are you all insane? Is it part of the job description, my viewers might ask.” +The man in the suit picked up John’s camera handing it back to him. +“I’m sorry, we thought it would be a nice surprise if you got to witness the amount of progress when you got here.” +Ted cradled his ear. +“A warning would have been appreciated.” Ted tried not to sound whiny. +“My apologies, I’m Terry Hutchings and this is the Phase Four. We thought if you saw trained Zombies doing simple tasks, such as answering a door, you would understand the value of the work we do here.” +At that moment Ted noticed the Zombie wore a clean shirt and pair of jeans, had no teeth, and seemed indifferent to their presence. The Zombie backed into the room, and John hesitantly entered. Ted noticed John walking like he had shit his pants. He smiled internally. +“Mister Brock is that blood? I thought I heard a gunshot but wasn’t certain. It happens so often.” Terry chuckled, but Ted and John just stared at him. +“I feel safe. I’m a news anchor you know. We do this kind of thing all the time. I don’t have a gun. I cut my ear on something in the hallway.” +“Okay mister Brock, we need to see to your ear and hide the blood. These Zombies have been on the wagon for weeks now and don’t need to be tempted at this crucial time in their rehabilitation.” +As they sped through the large auditorium like room, they noticed several Zombies opening panels with knobs over and over again, washing dishes, throwing newspapers papers, washing cars, and bagging groceries. Ted found it very very creepy. When the Zombies stopped and looked at him in a hungry manner, he moved quicker. +They exited the room and went into Terry’s office. They watched as he locked it. There were twenty-three dead bolts, five chains, and a bar he jammed into place. Ted raised an eyebrow at this but said nothing. John zoomed in on it. +Terry handed Ted some wet paper towels and motioned him to a sink in the corner. As Ted bent his head he tried to regain some of his professionalism and conduct the interview. +“So, mister Hutchings, what exactly do you see in the future for these Zombies once they are reintegrated?” +“We see all sorts of great things for them. The ones like you just saw that can be trained can help with small jobs here and there. Of course they would be prohibited from working with kids, and the food industry.” +“Why is that?” +Ted rinsed his ear one last time and then held some paper towels to it as he stood. +“It’s a safety precaution to keep them away from kids. All sorts of things can happen. As for the food industry, well it is a matter of hygiene. Zombies are decaying, and no amount of chemical intervention will stop the process. The last thing you want is to order a salad and find a finger or an eye in it. The repercussions would be catastrophic for what we’re trying to do here.” +“Right, of course, makes sense. All this looks fantastic, but what about the ones you can’t reintegrate, or fall off the wagon?” Ted positioned himself between Terry’s desk and the other door. +“We’re working very hard to ensure that doesn’t happen. I’m positive within the year we’ll be able to safely reintegrate all of the living dead back into society.” +“Really? All of them? Weren’t there millions? `Seems like an awful lot.” +“It is, but if they are safe and pose no threat, then where is the problem?” +“Why don’t you two take a seat and we can discuss the work we are doing here.” +Ted’s ear throbbed, and his pants were full of shit, so taking a seat, not something he wanted to do. In fact when he got home he planned on bathing in antiseptic. +“Mister Hutchings, we can see the good work you’re doing here. I promise to air what we taped today so the whole world will see how hard you’re working to make Zombies safe so they pose no threat when reintegrated into society.” +“Are you sure mister Brock? I thought there would at least be an interview?” +“It isn’t necessary, we have enough footage. Great meeting you, and the work you’re doing here is fantastic. I wish you the best of luck. We’ll just be on our way.” +John was out the door and halfway to the car by the time Ted felt mister Hutchings grab him. +“Mister Brock, we had a deal. We paid you a lot of money to get some good press.” Ted shifted uncomfortably. +“I promise you’ll get good press off of this. I want a promotion and the bleeding heart liberals love this kind of stuff. I however, am not a liberal and think this place is a carnival of horrors.” +“I don’t care what you think it is as long as you sell it as a rehabilitation center doing good work. Are we clear? Wouldn’t want anything happening to you would we?” Ted made an audible gulping noise. +“You don’t scare me.” The quiver of his voice made his statement unconvincing. +“I may not, but I know my Zombies do.” +“Why do you want them reintegrated back into society so badly anyways?” Hutchings grabbed Ted tighter and held him close as he spoke into his ear. +“That really is no concern of yours, although I would recommend you learn how to properly fire your gun. Now you go and put on a good show. Oh, and for the love of God, change your shorts. You smell worse than one of them.” + Ted ran out of the room as fast as possible. He headed for the news van and barely made it inside before John started to drive away. Ted cleared his throat. +“I need to stop at home and change.” John looked out the window. +“Me too, roll down your window.” Ted rolled down his window, but looked at John. +“You should also have the van cleaned before we take it back in.” +Ted was uncomfortable with the silence. He felt as if he should say something. +“Well, interesting experience, should get some good ratings with the footage.” +“I hate you.” +“Okay then, at least there’s no way Heidi is going to scoop me on this story. This is going to make me a star, and she can go back to lap dancing for the producers.” +*** +In the studio, Ted frantically made the cut motion with his hand across his throat. +“God damn it, John, stop the tape.” John finally relented, but by the look on Heidi’s face Ted could tell she was ticked off at him. +“I’m sorry you all had to hear and see that. It was highly unprofessional of John to do that. The stress made me do and say things I normally would not. As the tape you saw indicated, we were in a scary place for the uninformed.” +Heidi cleared her throat and straightened in her chair with a plastered smile on her face. Ted approached the anchor desk as if he expecting as blow of some kind. He avoided eye contact with her at all cost, and tried to make as little movement as possible. +“So, Ted, you would consider yourself one of the informed now? A trip to a rehabilitation clinic under investigation for cruel and unusual punishment, and all of a sudden you’re mister Informed.” Heidi was getting visibly agitated, turning to look at Ted. +“Heidi, you saw the great works they’re doing there. It’s just going to be a matter of time until they’re able to reintegrate the Zombies back into normal lives. It will be like nothing ever happened.” Ted shuffled some papers in front of him. + “Like nothing ever happened. Have you lost your mind? The Zombie War just finished and you think that things will return to normal? Wow, a Zombie can answer a door, deliver a paper, and wash a car. Did you know they can also eat dogs, cats, kids, and adults? Did you know they can infect millions of people with fluid contact, and that there is no cure?” Heidi pointed a finger at Ted as she yelled. +“Heidi, I have no idea what you are talking about, but I think you need to take a step back and re-watch my documentary. You missed the entire point of what they’re trying to do.” Ted looked up at the camera and smiled. Why wouldn’t she just be quiet already? + “Are they paying you? Have they bought you off for some good press?” +“I have no idea what you’re talking about. In fact I have no idea why you’re talking so much. I’m the senior anchor here, back to me.” Ted smiled again, trying to regain control of the situation. +“You arrogant son of a bi-” + “As I was saying, this documentary clearly points out the direction Zombie rehabilitation is going. They will no longer pose a threat as they are neutered. They will also be on a strict diet of whatever dead things they prefer. Lastly, they will go through a tough rooting out process to make sure that they can perform the tasks we ask of them. Personally, I think this is a giant step for mankind, or Zombiekind as it may be.” +Heidi sighed. “Good God will someone shut him up.” She slammed her fists on the desk. +Standing up to her full six foot height Heidi cut an imposing figure. She grabbed her earpiece and threw it on the desk. Turning a fiery gaze towards Ted, she waited until he made eye contact. +“I have worked with you far too long, and taken your shit even longer. I have multiple degrees in journalism, broadcasting, and media. I am a better news anchor than you could ever dream to be, and I have never in my life given a lap dance. You can take this anchor position and shove it.” Heidi stormed off the stage leaving Ted alone at the desk. +“Oh and Ted, one more thing. Since you love Zombies so much, I had the entire crew here replaced with them for the night. They can help you with the rest of the newscast.” +Ted felt the fingers of panic running up and down his spine. What the hell was Heidi up to? She had to be after his job. Did she really think that he would fall for this? People loved him, he was Ted Brock after all. +Ted sat at his desk and heard shuffling off to his left. He let out a small scream when a well-dressed female Zombie took the seat next to him. The Zombie had a totally vacant expression as it stared straight ahead. +Ted had no idea what to do, thinking didn’t come easy to him. The rest of the show was Heidi’s job. She did the local, regional, weather chat, and global issues. Of course none of that was important. What really mattered, what brought in the viewers, was what he did, the introduction, people paid attention to Ted Brock. +Ted shifted in his seat and looked for John. Perhaps he could help him out of this predicament. Ted looked all over and his heart fell as he realized there was no one else there, no one living at least. Then he heard an eerily familiar noise. He looked around. What made that noise? +Then a soft scraping sound. He looked to his left and saw the creepy Heidi replacement still there. Perhaps the studio had hired one to be a janitor, or replace John. He didn’t really want to work with one, but he couldn’t be picky. +Then the lights went off. He saw the red light on the camera, it was recording. A familiar smell swept through the room as he felt himself sprayed with something. He tried to place it. Then it dawned on him, armadillo. A brief shadow crossed the red light, and Ted knew he had a problem. +Ted didn’t want to die, not like this. Zombies eating him, gnawing on his organs, sharing bits of his brain. The panic had grown into full blown terror. He stood up to run, escape the studio, but tripped. +As soon as he hit the ground, he felt something grab his leg, seconds later he felt teeth sink into him. +“Someone please help me. I’m Ted Brock!” +Ted felt something on his back. He automatically turned to look even though he couldn’t see. Something held his head and reached inside his mouth ripping out his tongue. He squirmed for a few minutes trying to scream then stopped. +Ted Brock, officially off the air. + + +************ + + + +Suzanne Robb is the author of Z-Boat, coming in 2014 from Permuted Press, Were-wolves, Apocalypses, and Genetic Mutation, Oh my!, and Contaminated. She is a contributing editor at Hidden Thoughts Press, and co-edited Read The End First with Adrian Chamberlin which made the Stoker Recommended Reading List for 2012. In her free time she reads, watches movies, plays with her dog, and enjoys chocolate and LEGO’s.  + +http://suzannerobb.blogspot.com/ + + +Julianne Snow + + + + +*** Excerpt from Days with the Undead: Book One (reprinted with permission from Sirens Call Publications) *** + +Day 3… +It was a close call today. We’ve been travelling west, trying to get in front of and then outrun the Undead for almost two days now. Trying to stay off the roads but keeping close enough to use them if the need arose was getting more and more difficult. And then the inevitable happened. +We came across a horde of the Undead just mulling – well, not even mulling - just standing in a clearing early this morning. As far from them as we were and as silent as we were being, something or someone in our group caught their global attention and the collective of milky white eyes that turned in our direction was positively bone-chilling. +As we stared dumbstruck in horror, drawn to the sight as one becomes to a horrific accident, we soon realized that we would need to move. Our frozen tableau continued though, even as the ballerina-like synchronicity of decomposing limbs turned and started to move in our direction. Our ridged limbs not comprehending the commands to take flight from our terrified minds. +I don’t remember quite when we started to run or what broke the reverie we were all experiencing. I just know that we ran and were thankful that we had a path to travel. The Undead are unconcerned with such things, and the thick foliage and uneven ground would help to slow them down. +Our escape was narrow but our lesson important – never stop to stare. +The truly scary thing about the Undead - besides of course the fact that they are what they are - is their unwavering ability to pursue you. They don’t get tired, they don’t stop to rest and the only thing that stops them is a swift second death. +The trouble with trying to put them all down is that fairly soon you can end up being overrun by their masses, or too tired to fight the ones in front of you. All you can do is keep moving and hope that something catches their attention to divert their ravenous intentions. +To be perfectly honest we had assumed that we had left most of the Undead behind us in Toronto and the surrounding Greater Toronto Area. In the past few days however it’s become increasingly apparent that anyone fleeing the city and suburbs has spread things farther afield than we had dared to anticipate. +Stupid, I know; in any situation one should always prepare for the worst possible outcome, it has the tendency to keep you alive. Planning for the worst or in fact planning for any contingency has a way of keeping you on your toes. +Unfortunately we were all still a little shell-shocked; shocked that the world appeared to be disintegrating behind us. While we had tried our best to prepare for this possible yet improbable eventuality, it was still something that none of us had actually thought would happen. The events of the past one and a half days have left us all a little frazzled, lost, and feeling alone even though we are together in the physical sense. +Putting some distance between us and the horde from the field felt good. In an instant that feeling was robbed from us as we came to the crest of a steep ridge. We were now face to decomposing face with a group of our Undead pursuers. The surprise elicited a shocked, scared little cry from Barbara, one of our group, but it was quickly squashed as we reacted. And there wasn’t much time to do anything but react; our primal, instinctual selves took over. +The sound of the first shot ricocheted off the surrounding foliage in the relative silence of the early morning. Before my eyes the pimpled face of what was once an adolescent boy exploded, shards of bone along with infected brain tissue flying out like they were searching for their next victim even in death. I quickly turned my face, hoping to shield it from the spray of grey matter and connective tissues. Thank heavens I was just out of splatter range as the Undead kept coming at us in what felt like increasing numbers. +In all truthfulness there were only twenty-five to thirty of them and they were spaced out and slow-moving. Unwittingly, they had made themselves easy targets; having to come up the opposite side of the ridge made our task of their death relatively uncomplicated. +We each had our own firearms along with other back-up weapons in the event a gun jammed on us. It was moments like those that I appreciated the fact that my husband had been so meticulous when teaching me to shoot. I could hit both stationary and moving targets at a number of distances. That knowledge made me feel somewhat safe and comfortable in what I had to do. I don’t know how each the others felt in that moment but I could read the resilience in their faces. +Given our knowledge and perseverance, we made it through that encounter and plan to make it though many more to come. Survival is what we have chosen and we are all geared to success. +You have to be. +This is a fight to the death and none of us want to think of the consequences of what death will mean for us. I know that each and every one of us would rather die than become one of them. Of that I’m one hundred percent certain. +It only took us a few minutes to quickly dispatch all of the Undead coming up the hill at us. They came at us in all shapes and sizes. Most of them were still fully intact and had barely started to decompose. It’s only been three days since this all started and what I would have expected to see as a pathologist was normal; some bloating and a little skin slippage, even some discoloration of the skin. Their faces were all slack and carried the expression of vacancy. +It made it easier to kill them if you happened to look at their faces. You knew that there was nothing left of the human soul that once thrived inside the shell. +I tried not to make eye contact with any of them. It was unnerving to catch a glimpse of the dead eyes. Eyes that had likely once held such promise. Now they were just limpid milky pools of emptiness. Stare too long and you can get lost. +It happened to Ben the other day as we were just leaving Toronto. He happened to stare a moment too long and ended up mesmerized by the sheer austerity of those eyes. That moment we had to rescue him as the Undead toddler got closer than any of us would have liked. It was another lesson that we needed to learn. Staring is bad in any form when it comes to the Undead. Unless of course you happen to be behind a barrier that’s impossible for the breach. After all, observation is key; you need to observe in order to understand. +But nothing in the movies we watched could ever have prepared us for what we were now facing. Sure, it was always entertaining to watch the way that Hollywood varied the classic archetype of the “Zombie” but to witness something so fundamentally against nature actually moving toward you; that’s another story altogether. +Your fear and panic can take root in your disbelief. You can either choose to believe and move or you will succumb to it. +It’s a sad thing, coming face to face with the Undead. While we realize that they are just monsters now, they were once people. People like you and me. People that have loved and lost. No one is immune to what is happening. Your money couldn’t save you. The only thing that kept you alive these days was a plan and the will to put it into action. Once you started moving, you can’t just stop. If you do, the Undead catch up. +From our vantage point, we could see that the Undead from the field had gained a little ground on us. The way that we had previously come also had a few stragglers shuffling in our general direction. We decided our only option was to divert our journey along the ridge and hope that we didn’t meet any other unwanted travelers along the way. Ben, our map expert let us know that in a few kilometers another trail heading in the right direction would present itself. +The trouble with staying out of any major urban area - or even minor ones for that matter - is that you end up travelling in less than optimal conditions. We would have loved to get into a car and travel farther and faster but the roads were already treacherous. +With the sheer number of people fleeing from Toronto and the surrounding cities and towns, the roads in some areas were clogged with accidents, cars with empty gas tanks and the Undead that follow the exodus. +It frightens me to think of the number of people who left the town harboring family members or friends that had been infected in recent attacks. One would think that they would have gained some knowledge from the Hollywood blockbusters. But no… It’s like the panic that they felt in needing to put distance between themselves and the situation prevented their brains from assessing sound logic. +Now as a result, the Undead have more of a chance to gain a foothold on our civilization, our humanity. Anyone watching the news can see that Toronto is quickly becoming the antithesis of a tourism hot spot. And the closer you happen to be to Toronto, the more risk you can expect to encounter. +If one could look at a map of Southern Ontario and see the vectors of transmission illustrated, it would look like a bomb had gone off. The damage, in this case the infection, was spreading outward at an alarming rate. The northern shore of Lake Ontario, with all of its urban sprawl, would have become a sea of red. All we want to do is stay as far in front of that sea as possible. +We have been fairly lucky so far by staying off the roads but inevitably we seem to manage to pick up followers when we can’t avoid them altogether. While we are careful as anyone can possibly be, you cannot avoid the Undead completely. +We were fortunate enough to spot an isolated and abandoned cabin in the woods to spend tonight in. It’s small, but that made it all the more attractive to us. I assume it’s a hunting lodge of some sort, being that it’s so far from any major access road. Its construction is simple; made of solid brick with two heavy doors and four double paned windows. A lot of egress points if needed and not too many points of weakness to safeguard. +It was a dangerous move to stop for the night especially when we know that there are members of the Undead army shambling in our general direction. It was a direction that we had guided them into taking as well; they had the understanding that there were uninfected people somewhere in front of them. +I may be giving them a little more understanding than they actually have but it’s the simplest way to describe it. But we had to stop; all of us were exhausted from our flight out of the city and all of the encounters with the Undead that we had endured. Combat takes a lot out of you; both physically and psychologically. We needed a few moments to stop and recharge. If we didn’t we might make a mistake that we would never get the chance to correct. +I guess at some point I should let you all know who we are. We’re just a small group of five that came together a few years ago. At one point we had more members but the passage of time has pared us down a bit; time and current events, to be more honest. +We tend to think of ourselves as like-minded individuals - yet having typed that I can’t help but smile. If you knew us outside of these moments you might wonder how in the world we ever came together… +Of course there are some similarities and connections between us. Bob and Max served together in Afghanistan as part of the Canadian military, Ben and I both have medical degrees and Barbara and Bob know each from University. That’s pretty much where it ends though. +Ben is a doctor in the Emergency Room of St. Michael’s Hospital where all of this started and I work as a pathologist for the Center for Forensic Sciences. +Even-though Bob and Max served together they each had different roles. Max was trained as a sniper so he did a lot of work that is classified and can’t really be discussed. Bob, on the other hand became an Intelligence Officer after basic training, mainly because of the education and the penchant for languages that he has. His work is most definitely classified but sometimes he talks about things in bits and pieces from the need to get them out. +Barbara is an Environment Scientist and she works at an Outdoor Education Centre for school children to the northeast of Toronto. +So how did we all come to meet you might wonder? Well, Bob and Max already knew each other; that part is fairly simple to infer. Max’s wife, Miranda is - well was - my husband’s sister. Barbara and Bob used to date in university but managed to stay in touch after they split (they say amicably, but there’s still tension so I think there are unresolved issues). Ben treated Steve, my husband, when he came into the Emergency Room about three years ago after getting shot in the line of duty. Oh, I may have forgotten to mention that my husband was an officer with the Toronto Police Service. +Through the wonder of absent conversations in an otherwise ordinary world, we discovered that we shared something fairly special in common; a love for Zombie media and the willingness and desire to “prepare” ourselves just in case. +I think we all felt a little silly at the time; I’m sure none of us actually believed that we would come to experience a veritable hell on earth. But our discussions and time spent training has gotten us this far so we have to believe that we’re better off somehow. +We can all handle different kinds of firearms; Max and Bob having more experience and better aim. Barbara has schooled us all in edible plants and the types of materials that can be found in the woods with which to make the most durable melee weapons if our ammo runs dry before we can stock up. It’s amazing, actually, the types of woods that are hard enough to actually skewer someone in a pinch! Ben, a child of the foster care system, grew up trying to find ways to escape his life and as a result, he has collected a wealth of maps; maps you probably didn’t even know existed. Heck, I didn’t know they existed but they are a godsend to us now. +As for me - I’m a mechanical and technological junkie. I’ve spent years learning how things work and I can thank my brothers for that. Those skills may be the difference between life and death for us out here. So that’s us in a nutshell, just a group of people trying to stay alive. +Tonight we’ve decided not to light a fire or use any of our camping lights. We don’t understand everything about the Undead at this point and we are all tired enough not to want to draw any unwanted attention. The only light we have is from my laptop screen but that’s turned as low as I can get it and still see what I am typing to you. +Our hope is that we will be safe tonight and many more nights to come. Some of you out there - those untouched by the reality that we are living first hand - might think this is a joke, a prank or some sick and twisted hoax. I can certainly attest that it is not. What’s happening is real and this is our record of it. I do hope that my frantic typing isn’t garbled and that I don’t repeat myself too often. PLEASE forgive me if I do. My intent is only to give the world a glimpse into our survival until the very last possible moment. +I hope this communication finds you in a safe place where the Undead have yet to proliferate. Pray for Us. Pray for life. Just pray… Please. + +Day 4… + +For those of you out there that have no idea what is going on or those dealing with minimal information, I’m going to fill you in with what we know so far. Ben managed to survive being at the epicenter when Patient Zero transformed from being medically dead to Undead. Forgive me if the language I use is technical or scientific; being a pathologist, it’s how my brain is programmed to work and right now it’s on autopilot. +Four days ago my world - our world - went to hell and I don’t think it’s coming back. From what I’ve been able to gather from Ben, Brooks VanReit, whom I will refer to as Patient Zero from this point, came into the Emergency Room of St. Michael’s Hospital with practically non-existent vital signs. The staff assigned to treat him tried to resuscitate him but their efforts failed. Sometime between 7:30AM and 7:45AM, he was pronounced dead and as quickly as he died, he came back to life. From what I understand, the doctors and nurses first thought they were witnessing a miracle. They immediately found out how wrong they were. +Ben had tucked himself away in the nearby nurse’s station while completing a few charts before going home and he said he had a fairly good view of what transpired. His description of the carnage left in the wake of the reawakening is brutal. +As a doctor, you get used to the sight of blood but even Ben tried to impress upon us the sheer volumes that covered the Emergency Room that day. It was all over the floors making any means of escape difficult if you were in the direct vicinity of the attacks. Arterial spray marked the walls in long sweeping arcs of crimson. +It didn’t take long for the nurses and doctors who had been working on Patient Zero and thus been attacked in the chaos that erupted to reawaken and start to attack other people. It was like a wave; attack, death and then reawakening. The more that were attacked, the more that came back. +In one of the busiest Emergency Rooms in Toronto, it was absolute pandemonium. With blood everywhere and many of his colleagues succumbing to death and then entering a second life of sorts, Ben knew it was only going worse. +He said the worst moment he witnessed was an attack on an elderly invalid woman left in the hallway on a gurney. She had nowhere to go when it all started and the fear present on her face and in her frail body made Ben wish he could go to her rescue. Since she wasn’t mobile Ben said that it seemed to take them a little longer to find her. +There was a moment that he thought he could have gotten to her but he hesitated. With the moment lost, all he could do was watch from his vantage point as they homed in her fragile frame. +As he retold how they tore her apart, leaving only the bloody mass of a skeleton behind, his eyes welled with tears and his voice caught in his throat. Ben thought that maybe she would escape the same fate as the others given the fact that her small body was very literally shredded. +He was stunned, however, when the bloody pulp of a skeleton started to move. It tried to get up but in its less than whole state, it couldn’t quite manage and instead fell to the floor with an audible wet slap. It started to move across the floor powered by what Ben described as sheer will and determination. +It had aimed itself in the direction of a small boy that had taken refuge under the bank of chairs along the wall of the waiting room. Ben could see the whole thing play out from where he was and it just made his heart ache when she caught up to him. The young boy was frozen in place like a deer in headlights. She kept slowly but determinedly slithering across the floor toward him and with each inch it gained, the boy’s face grew more scared yet vacant at the same time. Ben described it as such; like there was recognition in the young boy that he would die and instead of fighting, his mind gave over into acceptance. +Realizing that most people were beyond help, he knew he had to leave. What good was he dead - or worse? His best bet was to escape the hospital and prepare to leave the city as soon as possible. +He said getting out was difficult by that point but that he was lucky enough to find a way. Before leaving though he did manage to call 911 and notify them of the situation. He’s not entirely sure that the operator took him completely seriously, who would have when the caller is stating emphatically that the dead are coming back to life? In the end, we know that the police responded and became fast believers. +I was a few blocks away working at the CFS (Centre for Forensic Sciences) and I was just beginning to hear the grumblings of some sort of strange occurrence at the hospital. Steve, my husband and thirteen year veteran of the Toronto Police Service called to let me know that some sort of riot (as it had been reported at first) had erupted at St. Mike’s and to stay inside until further notice. +Realizing that something serious was going down, I called Ben. I knew he worked at St. Mike’s and any information I could obtain from him to pass along to Steve, the better in my books. When I didn’t get a hold of him, I hoped for the best, thinking he was probably just busy treating anyone hurt in the riot. I didn’t want to think that anything terribly serious had happened to Ben; no one wants to lose a friend, especially under violent circumstances. +At around midday - they started bringing the bodies to us. +But - they weren’t really even bodies. I mean they were clinically dead - certainly, but not acting like it. It was readily apparent from the faces and demeanor of the officers bringing in the highly restrained individuals that they just needed to get as many of them off the streets as possible. +The official consensus was that it was an absolute mess out there and even though they had been authorized to use lethal force, it was a battle that they weren’t winning. No one in the lab wanted to touch them but my clinical curiosity got the better of me. What I was looking at seemed so utterly impossible; corpses of all races, ages, and gender were in front of me acting as if they were having a psychotic break of some kind. +The blood on them was horrific - and I’m used to blood. Some were missing limbs or parts of limbs where they had been ripped or chewed off. One woman, and the only way I could tell that was from the tattered and bloody clothing she still had hanging from her body, was missing her face. I literally mean the skin and underlying tissue was gone; gnawed off. +You could still see the teeth marks along her hairline. All that was left was the crimson stained surface of bone. +It was at that point that I realized I had to leave. It was hard to believe then and is still just as hard to believe now; the Undead were fighting to assimilate the living in a battle that I wasn’t sure we could win. +Not after seeing the after-effects firsthand. +One might ask when the first person realized that the “rioters” were really and truly the “Undead”. I’m not sure myself but it must have been fairly quickly that morning or else why would they have brought them to me? I know all of it seems so strange, so unbelievable that the police were even able to restrain any of them. Yet the state of the bodies that I saw that day could make even the most skeptical believe in life after death. Okay, maybe that’s not an entirely accurate statement since they aren’t technically alive, but it’s the closest explanation I’ve got. +In my heart I would love to believe that the situation in Toronto and the surrounding areas will be brought under control. However, I’m not going to stick around in the thick of it waiting complacently to see if that’s the case. I’m a realist and right now I’m choosing to fight for survival. +I don’t know how long any of the technological infrastructures will remain intact or if anybody out there is even able to read this. All I know is that I will keep posting as long as I am able to. I think people in the world need to know what is going on. + +We’re afraid that even if the situation is brought under control that the amount of information (read: truth) that will accurately surface and be reported may be slim to none. For the sake of everyone left alive in the world, we need to collectively band together in order to keep our humanity alive. +After our night in the cabin in the woods we’re starting to encounter more people travelling out of the urban sprawl and the smaller towns in Southwestern Ontario. There are some that want to join up with us but we’ve already decided as a group that we would try to stay small. Stay mobile. Besides we figured it would be easier to survive knowing the particular strengths of each of the persons in our group. +So far we’ve been moving mainly on foot because the roads have been partially gridlocked with cars making them the ideal feeding grounds for the Undead. +It’s sickening really; you can sometimes hear the honking from trapped vehicles. Their horns like the Siren’s call just leading more of the Undead to them… +The day has been pretty uneventful by comparison to recent events. We managed to make good time and put a little more distance between us and them. We did encounter the odd walking corpse but thankfully the Undead have been less prevalent today than yesterday. +While on the move, you learn a few things; certain things become a sixth sense that you never realized that you had. There were certain areas that we instinctively avoided; areas that none of us felt we should enter. It was the subtle clues that we took to heart the most. +While your conscious mind is working on making sure that you are indeed placing one foot in front of the other in a safe and routine manner, your subconscious mind is working at keeping you alive. It’s making millions of life and death decisions for you and you just let it. +Trust it. +It’s the thing that is telling you right now to get up and get moving. Not to wait for someone to rescue you. The more of us that get out of their way, the less of us that will potentially meet horrible deaths. None of us want to become one of them. That’s a fate worse than death. +We felt a little safer sleeping outside tonight as there’s a full moon out to help illuminate the woods around us. Obviously it’s not the best of circumstances but we need the sleep when we can get it. +It helps of course that we’ve strung an alarm system of sorts around the perimeter of the camp. Just some rope and a few bells can work wonders if you set them up properly. If anything it will at least give us some time to get our weapons ready if the perimeter is breached. +While we’re in the thick of this, I’m not sure how often I will have the chance to update you. Last night, I found the act of recording our journey extremely cathartic and a means of processing the day we had endured. It’s also given me a purpose. +I know that I’ll be able to continue posting as long as I have access through my mobile internet or some unsecured Wi-Fi signal to leech off of. I’m just a little worried that at some point there will be no one to read these posts. Regardless, they will be immortalized on the World Wide Web for future generations to read. +If there are any future generations… +God, I have to stop thinking like this! I just hope that my words sound an alarm deep in your soul that you’ll hear and subsequently heed. +It is a little early to start being pessimistic but after everything I’ve seen in the past few days and the fact that I’m running for my life, I have to wonder if we, as a global whole, can bounce back. I don’t pretend to know what happened to Brooks VanReit before any of this. Did he pick up a bacterial contagion, a virus, or touch some piece of fallen space junk? No one knows. All I know is that he appears to be at the center of all of this and that whatever he had, viral, bacterial or alien; at least it’s not airborne. Yet. +Think about it; our bodies are marvels at mutating things. Think of all we know about cancer; think of all we have to learn about it still. Why do the cells in one person decide to mutate but others do not? Why does one person have to experience the devastation of cancer but not others? +It’s like the lottery, some win but most don’t. That may sound a little callous comparing getting cancer to winning the lottery but it’s the best analogy I can come up with at the moment. +Even though I’m digressing from the matter at hand, I guess what I’m trying to say is that we really don’t have any idea what we’re dealing with. It could have been one thing to start but now it could be something different; something mutated. +The questions that I have are endless but the answers are insufficient and scarce. What it boils down to is the desire, the need to find someone or something to blame. +A faceless, nameless entity is chasing us, using the Undead as its host. It’s eating us alive and we are helpless it would seem to stop it. It’s multiplying faster than we can kill it and to be honest, we don’t even have the means to eradicate it. +A terrifying aspect to all of this is that during our escape we have not witnessed any concentrated effort to contain the epidemic thus far. The Toronto Police made a gallant effort but in the end they failed and most of the officers joined the ranks of the growing Undead army. +Even though we’ve been trying to travel off the radar, it’s apparent from our encounters with the Undead and the lack of military or police presence anywhere that nothing has been organized. +I keep scouring the web looking for any signs but it seems like there has been a blackout on the whole thing. Viral videos from Toronto on YouTube have disappeared, and there are no recent news reports. It’s almost like the net has been sanitized but I don’t understand to what end that serves. My sincere hope is that our government is not trying to cover this up. People out there need to know what’s going on, if only for the sole purpose to protect themselves. +Holy shit! The perimeter alarm just went off. Hopefully we live to see another day. Pray, NOW! + +Day 5… + +The perimeter alarm was triggered by a singular Undead last night. Max thinks it might have been tracking slowly behind us all day as the Undead sometimes do waiting for the living to stop for a reprieve before inconveniently catching up. Its unexpected arrival was met with a swift and final second death but the fear of more of the Undead, especially in the semi-darkness, put every last nerve on edge. +No one got any rest last night which probably contributed to the accident that occurred today. Not that you can call it an accident. Accidents in this new world are anomalies. All we have now are certainties – if we do not take heed, we will not survive. It’s just that simple. +We had decided as a group to scope out a somewhat larger urban area closer to the border separating Canada from the United States that had not reported any incidences of the Undead as of yet. We were short of certain necessary supplies that we would need to purchase and knew that at some point we had to restock. Our hope was that we could resupply and then get into the United States without too much incident. Under the current circumstances, the sooner, the better. +After observing the city for about an hour, we were amazed to see that things looked calm and orderly; like nothing apocalyptic was happening only kilometers away. There were no Undead in sight which was promising, and no one appeared to be in any kind of panicked state. +The infection did not look like it had spread this far southwest yet and we could probably get in and get through the city without much of a problem. I have to say that it was a little weird. We had not really managed to travel all that far and the reports on the news must have gotten the people into some kind of an agitated state. +I cannot simply believe that all of the news reports and the like hadn’t affected these people. There was no way that I was prepared to believe the Canadian adage of “don’t ask, don’t tell” was so deeply entrenched in this town. +They had to know what was going on. +Regardless, the absence of the Undead meant that we were going to go into town and exploit their resources before they even realized they needed them. Get in, get out. Easy as pie right? We will never make such an assumption again. +As we walked into town we saw that our first and only stop was right on the relative outskirts. One of those big box-stores where you can buy everything from toilet paper to electronics to ammunition. We stocked up with what we needed and I’m sure that we must have looked somewhat crazy to the people working in the store. +We had decided to split up and leave most of our gear outside with the dirtiest of us. Anyone that had blood on their clothing was out of the question. We were going into this store to purchase ammunition, so making it look like we were stocking up for our next homicidal rampage wasn’t going to help us get any service. The fewer questions we had to answer, the better. +We knew that we had to keep everything light and portable; each of us were already carrying a small pack of supplies and adding ammunition, though needed, would only weigh each of us down more. +There was a point where putting more on our back became counterproductive. The heavier our packs were, the slower we could walk. It would also affect our ability to fight off the Undead if we happened to come across more of them in our travels. +Most of the time, we didn’t have that moment to shed our packs so it was all about being able to engage in combat if needed with the pack on your back. It was a fine line to dance but each of us had practiced a little. Not a huge lot, mind you; it would have looked awfully weird for us to have taken so much stuff on a hiking trip, not to mention carrying our firearms with us. +You have to remember that while we were subtly preparing before all of this, the last thing we wanted to do was draw attention to ourselves. Too many curious eyes can lead to many more curious questions. +My husband Steve was a member of law enforcement and in a way I was as well, but to have to answer unwanted questions wasn’t something that any of us wanted. Not for fear of being ridiculed or laughed at. Those thoughts were actually far from our minds. It was the fact that the political and law enforcement climates had changed so much since 9/11. We didn’t want to be labeled as home-grown terrorists when what we were doing had absolutely no connection. Besides, it wouldn’t have served a purpose for us to have been detained, trying to explain it all away. Even I can see how crazy and potentially dangerous we could have appeared to be. +In the store, we still got strange looks. Three very dirty and disheveled people wanting to purchase ammunition wasn’t something that they were used to seeing on a daily basis. But no one asked us any questions, so we didn’t have to lie. +Once we left the store with our meager but important purchases, we were still surprised by how calm the town was. It was so different from the panic that we had been experiencing for the past few days. Maybe the advance of the Undead had been stopped. Anything was, after all, completely possible. +We should have just backtracked out of town the way that we had come. Instead we decided to take local transit and cut straight through town. The idea was supposed to save us time, supposed to give us a break. + We got on the bus, and everything looked fine. People seemed happy if not a bit wary of the five of us with our guns, gear and gore-pocked clothes. +Then I heard the scream of pure fear. +It was a sound that I had heard before. I had even screamed a scream like that myself only a few days ago. It was the kind of scream that imprints on your soul and chills the marrow flowing through your bones. You hear a scream like that and there is no coming back. You know something is terrifyingly wrong and a part of your mind wants to ignore it; what you can’t see can’t hurt you. But then your subconscious comes to your rescue and you’re able to think about your next steps. +It happened in a heartbeat. One minute he was alive, although he had looked a little under the weather at first glance; the next, he was Undead. +He had been sitting by himself toward the back of the bus, sort of slumped over himself in the seat. There was a bandage on his forearm but to be honest, I didn’t think too much of that; not everyone sporting a bandage is infected. +Barbara was the first of us to react, mainly because she was the closest to the disturbance occurring toward the rear of the bus. Knowing that firing a gun in such close quarters and with the number of people now trying to get as far away from the newly but ravenous Undead was dangerous and careless, she drew a short spear she had fashioned from a fallen maple branch. +She lunged at the thing that was once a middle-aged man as the bus took an inopportune moment to hit a pothole nestled in the road. The bus floor lurched and threw Barbara off-balance, allowing newly dead hands to clasp tightly onto her shoulders. +Before any of us had a chance to react those Undead arms were pulling Barbara ever closer. +Closer to the open mouth of certain death. +Its lips settled into the crook of her neck like those of a lover initiating an intimate interlude. Its teeth could be heard biting into her flesh in the comparative silence of that moment. The head jerked back and a surge of crimson burst forth. +Barbara screamed; in panic, in terror, in realization of what she would likely become. Her face turned to us, disbelief fairly evident but the control was still there. She was prepared to do whatever she could to save many more +The hole in Barbara’s neck looked massive, a chasm of crimson on an alabaster background. While you could see the panic in her eyes and hear the panic from the other riders, she kept its attention focused solely on her. In an attempt to what I can only assume was to save her own life, she tried to get her hands up to help staunch the blood but it had too great of a hold on her. Giving up, she clung to the Undead man as it turned its attention to the rest of the riders. +The bus driver pulled over to the curb, opening the doors as he did. Everyone with the ability to exit did so, leaving their belongings behind in their haste. A few people were trapped in the back of the bus, unable for various reasons to pass by the carnage unfolding before them. Everything but their eyes was frozen in horror. +In the space of a moment, the Undead dropped Barbara. She had lost a lot of blood, that fact was apparent from the map of it on her clothing, conquering new ground each second in its quest for freedom. +The shock in her countenance was plain to see. Shock from the attack as well as shock from blood loss. She wasn’t dead yet but soon she would be. There was no way Ben would have been able to repair the damage done to her neck. No way that we could have undone the damage that bite had done to her blood as well. +There was no saving Barbara; we knew and so did she. +The Undead turned and came at us, its speed still slightly quicker than most of its kind mainly from the fact that it still had some oxygen in its blood to help feed the dying muscles. +Bob’s rage in that moment was palpable. Barbara lay dying and now it was coming for more of us. He pulled out his hunting knife and with a swift and powerful arc he sliced through its neck almost completely. His aim was kissed by pure chance, or maybe it was a little skill. +Its head hung on for the briefest of moments only by the strength of a few tendons but as the body went limp the last remaining vestiges tore free. The severed head, still clasping the morsel of Barbara’s flesh in its teeth, tumbled toward the rear of the bus, startling a response from the frozen passengers. It was as if that was the signal for them to leave and quickly, they fled from the carnage in their wake. +Our attention immediately turned to Barbara. She had slid down the support pole bolted in the middle of the bus and was now slumped forward. Her face was so pale in comparison to the pool of blood growing around her. She was bleeding out; the Undead had punctured her carotid artery in its haste to taste her flesh. +We knew that it wouldn’t be long before she was dead. And now her blood, her body was infected. One of our biggest fears had befallen us. We would again be charged with killing someone who we cared about. We knew it and Barbara knew it. She quickly told us that she was sorry and then ordered everyone but Bob to leave. She had clearly chosen him to put an end to what she was going to become. +She had nominated him to extend to her the final dignity that every living thing deserves. Death. +We knew the moment of her death. It was marked by the cry of soul shattering grief that exited the bus. The single shot of Bob’s firearm ended her reawakening. +Upon exiting the bus Bob looked at no one, only turning to head back out of town. We gathered our supplies and silently fell in behind him. Bystanders tried to engage us, screaming in their demand to know what was going on. We had no answers, only warnings. +Get out. They’re coming. +None of us spoke for quite some time, all of us lost in our thoughts of Barbara. The first to break the silence was Bob. All he said was this: She didn’t deserve that. And he began to tell us more about Barbara. Things that we hadn’t known until that moment. +Barbara had grown up really poor. Her family had next to nothing and lived from paycheck to paycheck. Her father barely had work most of the time. Nothing was ever full-time but he was willing to work almost around the clock to make sure that Barbara and her sisters had food to eat and a roof to cover their heads at night. +In school, she was never popular. She had a few friends but they were constantly playing at being mean little girls so she separated herself from them as much as possible without becoming a complete loner. Being a loner would have served her just fine, however. She knew that she wanted to get out of the small northern town and she was willing to study harder than everyone else to get there; and get there she did. Full scholarship to the University of Toronto. +Life in the big city was quite a shock to Barbara. She was a shy country girl from up north. Her town didn’t have the multicultural aspect that makes up so much of Canada now. She was lost and alone, but quickly made friends with the boy that lived across the hall from her; Bob. Soon they would start dating and become inseparable. They would study together, even though they were in different programs and around the campus, they became known as the power couple; both of them winning awards in their respective fields of study. +They were perfectly matched. The both had a quick and intense intelligence and they made the cutest couple (or so everyone told them). +Then, in third year, Barbara got pregnant. And it was the pregnancy that tore them apart. Bob was in favor of keeping the baby and Barbara against it. Not because she didn’t want children but because she knew that having the baby could have put a hold on her dreams of achievement. It was a slightly selfish reason, but she wanted to have it all before she brought a child into the world. +Slowly but surely, though, Bob was beginning to bring her around to the idea of being a family together. But it wasn’t in the cards for them. The unthinkable happened and Barbara lost the baby. +Bob’s anger in that moment turned itself completely in her direction. He blamed her. As a result, they broke up and didn’t talk for quite some time. It was only in the year before Bob left for Afghanistan that he sought Barbara out to apologize to her. They quickly fell into their friendship again, but it didn’t amount to more than that despite Bob’s attempts to rekindle them. He had hurt Barbara so badly, that she couldn’t even think about allowing him that kind of access into her life again. So they remained friends while they both secretly desired more. +With Barbara gone, Bob seemed a little less whole. We’ve all experienced loss, some of us quite a bit in the past few days. All we could do was support him in his grief as he had supported us in ours. The truth is that no one deserves to become one of them. +Please do everything you can to avoid that fate. Those are my only words of advice for tonight. + +The Treehouse + +It walked with a sickening limp. The accompanying noise was akin to the grinding of teeth, only louder. Much louder. It was a sound that reverberated inside your head, warning you of its imminent appearance. +A voice snaked out of the darkness at me. “It’s comin’ this way!” +It was Billy. Stupid Billy. +“Shhhh! It’s gonna hear you!” +The response was barely above a whisper. Too quiet for poor Billy to hear and likely too intelligent for him to understand. +The grinding noise seemed to get closer. Out of the corner of my eye I could see it. Everything about it was frightening. The slack, waxen face. The left eye drooping out of the socket and laying half eaten on the discoloured flesh of its cheek. The gore pocked clothing relaying the message that it had eaten - recently. The worst sight was its left leg; the skin had been flayed off of most of the lower half and one of the bones was broken. The sound that we were hearing was the scraping of the ends together as it limped awkwardly in our direction. +We didn’t have the best hiding spot but sometimes you have to make do with what is around when you’re on the move. Technically we were just on the opposite side of a large planked fence, but the fence was broken. It looked like a herd of elephants came through a section just a few feet down from us, but we knew what really happened. +We saw it all go down. About 3 days ago, a group of survivors were fleeing an onslaught of Zombies on the road. With the corpses so thick in front of them, they changed directions and drove straight through the fence. +In any other situation, the action would have been cool to watch but the fence was the only thing keeping the Zombies out of the yard and away from the tree that supported our sanctuary. +As we watched from our vantage point, high above the verdant ground, we saw the truck come through one length only to lose the speed needed to go completely through the length on the opposite side. Instead, it got hung up on the broken fence beneath it and stopped short. +The driver panicked and in their haste to free the floundering truck, managed only to hopelessly tangle it among the hewn boards. +Panic is a funny thing; it can give you superhero capabilities or it can paralyze you. Like a sick game of Russian roulette, it chose paralysis this time. +We listened in horror as the Zombies flooded the backyard and surrounded the car, our minds making movies of what was occurring below us. Each whisper soft sound of their decaying limbs brushing the shiny blue exterior of the truck. The dull pounding of their grimy hands on the glass, almost rhythmic in its intensity. The sharp cracking of the glass as it spider-webbed out from the point of impact. Screams assaulted our ears as the Zombies pulled the occupants through their access point. Not daring to look down lest we give away our position, we were forced to watch the translation of those sounds behind clamped eyelids. +It didn’t take long but the memories of what we heard reverberate in our minds even now. Everything that we’ve seen and heard have melded together to produce the most horrific montages that play across the black expanse each time we close our eyes. +We knew we had to leave our makeshift home. With the hole in the fence, the backyard became a draw for them. We’ve waited until this moment to climb carefully down the lowered rope ladder, hoping not to attract attention to ourselves. I was the last to descend, cautiously feeling for each woven rung as I watched the scarred and lonely landscape around me, hoping I wouldn’t attract any attention. +Over my left shoulder I saw it. The solitary corpse had spotted me and was now limping in our general direction. It was slow but it moved with purpose. Our only hope was to confuse it by waiting until it was in the enclosed backyard before sneaking out behind it. +Fate wanted to play a different game with us today. Not only had it stacked the deck against us with Zombies, it had also given us Billy. +Stupid Billy. +As the broken leg of the Zombie came into view around the smashed edge of the planked span of fence, Billy screamed. High pitched and girly. +He froze, his mouth forming a perfect, round hole as the scream choked in his throat. A face appeared around the damaged edge, almost comical in its surprise and hunger. Its eye locked on Billy, the milky cornea searching for something; recognition perhaps. +With another scream, matched by a strident noise of victory from the Zombie, the dance of death resumed. +The rest of us took the moment of inattention to scale back up the rope ladder, knowing that at some point, we would need to escape. The time will come; we just need to be patient. + + +***** + + + +Julianne Snow’s Bio: + + +It was while watching Romero's Night of the Living Dead at the tender age of 6 which solidified Julianne’s respect for the Undead. Since that day, she has been preparing herself for the (inevitable) Zombie Apocalypse. While classically trained in all of the ways to defend herself, she took up writing in order to process the desire she now covets; to bestow a second and final death upon the Undead. As the only girl growing up in a family with four children in the Canadian countryside, Julianne needed some form of escape. Her choice was the imaginations of others which only fostered the vibrancy of her own. + +Days with the Undead: Book One is her first full-length book, the basis of which can be found in her popular web serial of the same name. Along with many zombie shorts published on her blog, she has a story in Women of the Living Dead as well as two zombie pieces; a standalone short and a collection releasing the summer of 2013. Julianne’s second novel in her Days with the Undead series will also be released in 2013. Stay tuned! + +Social Media Links: +Twitter: @CdnZmbiRytr +Facebook: Julianne Snow +FB Fan Page: Days with the Undead +Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/cdnzmbirytr/ +Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/110149434437717424445/posts +Goodreads: Julianne Snow +Blogs: Days with the Undead & The FlipSide of Julianne & The Randomness of Julianne + + +Days with the Undead: Book One +Synopsis: +It’s a journal of survival. + +Five people set out to escape the Undead who have risen too close to home. Join the emotional and physical struggle as they began on the third day after the awakening of Brooks VanReit, as they are recorded from the point of view of Julie, a former pathologist and part-time survivalist. + +Each entry is geared toward helping those who want to help themselves and maybe give a few that don’t a swift kick in the ass. Join our group of survivors on their journey through these Days with the Undead. + + +Rebecca Snow + +A Mile in His Shoes + + + +Del Weldon looked down into the hold and counted the bodies swaying in the flashlight beam. Twenty pairs of gray-green arms strained toward the light. Reaching to the floor, he grabbed the cold metal handle and pulled. A wheel shrieked as the steel trapdoor rolled on its runners. He shut the squad back into darkness. Removing a pen and a small black notebook from a breast pocket, he scribbled the tally and made a note to grease the caster. The smallest noise upset the squad sequestered beneath the uninsulated floor. They called for quiet as Del unhooked a leather harness from a storage locker and snapped it onto a loop dangling from the ceiling. Tomorrow, the count might be up to twenty-one. Or perhaps, it would still be twenty. +Stepping to the wall, he grabbed a crank and spun it clockwise. Empty straps lowered to the floor. Winding in the opposite direction, the loose yoke rose to its former position hovering in midair. The chain holding it swung without a jingle. Del made another notation in his book before taking a final glance around the room. Aside from his desk and the closed metal panel, the floor was clear. The monotony of the block wall was broken by a single sheet of safety rules and the locker. The few fixtures gleamed. Dust bunnies had been swept down onto the squad’s cell. He would bring the oil for the squeaky wheel in the morning. Switching off the lights, he left the room and closed the door. +“Evening, Tony,” Del said. He flashed an identification card at the guard behind the shatterproof glass. “Quiet night?” +“Usually is before we lose one,” Tony said as he pressed a button. +The lock clanked as it released. Del nodded then entered the corridor beyond. Behind him, the gate swished closed. Before him lay a hallway filled with doors leading to eight-foot by eight-foot rooms. A fluorescent light flickered at the end. Del made another notation in his book and walked halfway down the passage. Rubber soled shoes squished on the waxed floor tiles. He turned left to face a door marked with the number 313 in a thick layer of shiny black paint. Striding toward the small, eye level window, Del stared into the chamber. All the rooms were almost identical, the occupant being the sole difference. A lumpy cot stood on the left, a small receptacle for human waste on the right. In this particular compartment, a man in an orange jumpsuit reclined with an arm over his face. Lights out wasn’t for another four hours, so darkness had to be manufactured. Del rapped a knuckle on the tiny glass pane. The man craned his neck without dropping his arm. +“What now?” the man asked and lowered his head back to the mattress. +“Mister James, I need your meal request,” Del said, reaching for his small notebook. +“I’m not hungry,” the man said. “And what does it matter? I’ll be dead before it digests.” +“It’s protocol.” Del waited, pen poised above the unspoiled sheet of paper. +“Screw protocol. I’m not hungry.” +A large, silver-toned clock ticked on the wall as the second hand measured lost moments. Del shifted his weight to his left foot. The light at the end of the hall brightened before flickering again. +“If you don’t tell me what you want, I’ll be forced to guess.” Del tapped the glass again. “I don’t think you want the last food you see to be my wife’s faux meatloaf.” +The man groaned and rolled toward the wall. +“Might I suggest a breakfast food?” Del asked. +The man sat up. +“Don’t bring me anything. I don’t want a last cigarette, I don’t want last rights, and I don’t want a last meal. I don’t want anything but to be let of this cage. But no, that’s out of the question because I was the only one they could blame.” +“Excuse me, sir,” Del said in a voice he used to calm his wife’s nightmares. “You had your day in court, and you were sentenced. There’s nothing I can do for you other than bring you your last meal.” +“Day in court, my ass.” The man stepped to the little window and slammed his fists on either side of it. “It was a bunch of clowns at a circus.” Spittle flew from his mouth and dotted the glass. +“Would you like me to summon your lawyer?” Del asked, retreating from the man’s rage. +Mr. James spun on his heel and threw his arms in the air before dropping onto the cot. +“No, she was useless.” He let out a sigh. “And can you at least call me Patrick? Not even a day left, and I’d like to remember I had a name.” +Del glanced toward the guard station before looking back into the tiny cell. +“Certainly, Patrick. Now, will you please tell me what you want for breakfast?” +*** +Del planned to leave as soon as he’d left the meal request with the facility chef, but found himself walking back to the office instead. Patrick’s words tugged at his mind. The key turned the tumblers. He let himself into the extermination room and cushioned the door against his hand to shut it. Tiptoeing across the floor to keep the squad undisturbed, he flipped through a stack of files resting in a wire basket on the desk. Del dragged the one marked “Patrick James” open on top of the blotter. The pock-marked, wooden chair wobbled as he lowered himself into it. +The procured pages described Patrick James as having been a decorated soldier during the original outbreak. His bravery and quick thinking had saved scores of men and women from becoming shamblers themselves. What was left of Kingston had been renamed the Jamestown Sector in his honor. But as with some valorous heroes, the information portrayed his family life as having been anything but glorious. According to his file, he had killed his wife and three daughters after taking them prisoner and barricading himself inside their home. Del was surprised that the media hadn’t swarmed the scene. Reading the file was the first he had heard of the story. +Closing the folder, Del pushed himself back from his desk. Chair legs scraped across the flecked industrial tiles. He could hear the moans through the trapdoor. He sighed knowing the squad wouldn’t relax for hours, but he had to get home. Locking the door, he set off toward the transit station. +*** +“Don’t they always say they’re innocent?” Del’s wife asked. She lifted a wooden spoon to her lips and blew on the end to cool its contents before sipping the sauce. “Perfect. Dinner will be ready in about five minutes.” +She turned off the stove and removed the pan from the element. +“Yeah, they all say they didn’t do anything wrong.” Del smiled. “It’s always not what it seemed, or they were framed. The best one I’ve heard was some guy said his dog made him kill his neighbors. That guy would have been committed before the outbreak. Now, he’s making himself useful.” +Del laughed as he set the chipped plates in the hand-me-down table he and Jenny had received as a wedding gift. Mismatched flatware rested on stained napkins. Two plastic cups finished off their place settings. +“But he seemed different. I can’t put my finger on why, but I don’t think this James guy should be in there.” +“Can you do anything for the man?” Jenny asked. She pulled another pan from the heat and brought it to the table. +“Not really. At least nothing that I can think of that’s legal.” Del held his plate out, and his wife spooned on dripping strands of pasta. “Anyway, his file said he killed his wife and kids.” +Jenny lowered the pan midway to the table and threw an incredulous stare at her husband. +“Then why do you want to help him?” +Del shook his head and smoothed a napkin onto his lap. +“I don’t know. Maybe it’s because he saved more people than he was supposed to have killed.” +Jenny returned the pan to the stove and reached for the sauce. Pouring it onto Del’s pasta, she slid her gaze sideways and looked at him. +“But he killed his own children,” she said. “That can’t be forgiven.” +Easing herself into her chair, she shook open a napkin and placed it over her swollen stomach. She was due to give birth to their first child in a month. Del hoped it was a girl. +*** +Feeling the vibration in the button under his finger, Del heard a buzzer sound behind the wall. A seamed partition slid aside, and a tray appeared in front of him. +“All set, Mr. Weldon?” a woman wearing a white hair net and latex gloves asked. Wisps of gray curls peeked around her face. +“Yes, Lucy. Ready as always.” Del took the tray and stepped back into the hallway. +“You go get those bad guys.” Lucy smiled, shaking a fist in the air before disappearing behind the panel. +“Yeah, I guess,” Del mumbled. +He took a deep breath and sighed. Even though he’d taken the prisoner’s breakfast order, Del hadn’t been prepared for the scent of bacon. He wasn’t sure when he’d last had a meal that tempted him like this one. His wife cooked like a skilled chef, but there was only so much she could do with canned beets and endless boxes of pasta. +Del tapped the door to 313 with the edge of the tray. Tinny clangs echoed in the hall. Patrick James stood up, stretched, and took two steps toward the door. Holding the tray with his left arm, Del unlocked a small door the size of a large mail slot and opened it. He removed the metal lid covering the meal and slid the tray through the hole into the prisoner’s waiting hands. +“Would you like anything else?” Del asked. “Is there anyone you’d like to talk to, any last requests?” +Patrick drew his eyebrows together and stared at Del through the small window. +“I missed the sunrise, didn’t I?” +Del nodded. +“Well, is there any chance I can see the sky one last time?” Patrick asked, tilting his head. +“You didn’t let your wife and kids see the sky,” Del said. +Patrick slammed the tray onto the cot. Del saw the bacon bounce into the air. The prisoner turned and stalked back to the small window. +“Is that what the records say?” Patrick’s blue eyes glared through the glass. “They say I killed my family?” +Del nodded. Patrick threw back his head and grunted before turning his back to the door. Del stared through the window and waited. He thought Patrick looked like a caged lion at the zoo. No one was certain what happened to the animals, but the zoos had been empty ever since. Patrick leaned his head against the cinder block wall at the back of his cell. Del thought he heard the man talking. +“Excuse me?” Del asked. +Patrick spoke again. +“I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you.” +Patrick turned. +“I said,” Patrick shouted. “Then, I might as well be dead.” +Del tilted his arm and glanced at his watch. The hands pointed to 8:30AM. Patrick’s extermination was scheduled for 11AM. +“It won’t be long now,” Del said under his breath. +Patrick shuffled back to the cot and flopped down next to his breakfast. +“Any chance I can see the sky?” +The law said prisoners sentenced to extermination were allowed a last meal, last rights, and a last request. Patrick had refused his last rights, almost refused his last meal, and his last request wasn’t against any law as far as Del knew. +“Let me see what I can do,” Del said before relocking the slot. He smacked a palm against the door and trotted back to the guard station. +“I need roof access,” Del said to the uniformed man behind the window. He didn’t recognize the guard but noticed his name badge said “Thompson.” +The man pressed some buttons on a keypad. A metal panel folded out from below the window revealing a set of keys. Del pocketed them. +“I’ll also need a set of restraints.” +The guard raised his eyebrows and peered at Del. +“I hope those items aren’t going to be used together,” the guard said. +“Officer Thompson, I am required to grant the last wishes of our detainees. The man in three-thirteen is scheduled for extermination in two and a half hours. He has requested to see the sky.” +The guard lowered his eyebrows and nodded before leaning back in his chair and reaching into a cabinet. Turning back to the window, he smiled. +“Here you go.” The man put restraints into a container and slid them through the opening. “I thought you were going to throw somebody off the roof. You’ll need to sign for those.” +Del scribbled his signature on the next empty line of the sign out sheet and returned to cell 313. Patrick sat on his cot leaning his head back on the wall. His arms rested on his knees. Half of the bacon remained on the plate. Del unlocked the slot. +“Hands through,” he said. +Patrick stood and moved toward the door. His hands slid into view. Del placed the restraints around Patrick’s wrists and pulled the buckles. +“Please return to your cot,” Del said. He unlocked the deadbolt and removed the padlock from the door. +Stepping inside the cell, Del secured Patrick’s ankles with the second set of restraints and pulled him to his feet. +“Can you walk?” Del asked. +Patrick shuffled forward a few steps. +“Good enough,” Patrick said. Using his bound hands, he motioned to his breakfast plate. “Want some bacon for the road?” +Del eyed the delicacy as he strapped a collar around Patrick’s neck. A leash trailed halfway down the man’s back. +“No, thanks.” +“Suit yourself, but it was pretty good.” +Del picked up the end of the lead as Patrick shuffled into the hall. The two men made their way down the corridor through three sets of guards and doors onto an elevator. When the metal doors slid closed, Patrick leaned against the back wall and took a deep breath. +“Do you want to know what really happened?” Patrick asked. +“To what?” Del pressed the button that would take them to the roof. +“The real story that wasn’t in my records. What happened to my family on the last day of their so called lives.” +Del shrugged as the elevator rose. +“I used to be a soldier, a good soldier. Did they mention that?” +Del nodded. +“I had three girls. Maggie, Taylor, and Jill. They all favored their mother, my wife. She was the love of my life until she met someone else while I was off saving the world.” Patrick scratched his nose on his shoulder and strained to get more comfortable in his restraints. “She decided she wanted to leave me, but she didn’t want the girls. Her lover didn’t like children.” +“Why didn’t you get custody and let her go?” Del tilted his head, trying to understand. +“I would have been OK with that, but she had already made other plans. The man she’d fallen for had a farm outside the city.” Patrick motioned with his forehead toward where Del thought the city gates should be. +“I thought outland farms were extinct,” Del said. +He scratched the back of his neck with a well-clipped fingernail. Laboratories raised all the livestock for consumer consumption. The elevator continued to rise. +“Not that kind of farm.” Patrick cleared his throat. “He raises shamblers and sells them on the black market.” +“Who would buy black market shamblers?” Del wrinkled his nose as if a skunk had trotted into the small space. +“Anyone without a conscience looking for cheap knock-offs to use as scare tactics or terrorist cells.” +Del thought of his own squad. The paperwork for the original ten had been stamped in bold blue and red with the words “guaranteed free-range.” The facility had paid the wranglers a pretty penny for quality. The squad wouldn’t be as effective had they been farmed. +“How do you know all this?” Del asked. +“Because Mary, that was my wife, told me before I locked her in the attic with the kids.” +The elevator chimed. The doors slid open to reveal a short hallway leading to an exit. Patrick shuffled forward as Del shook the correct key free from the others on the chain. He unlocked the last lock and let in a fresh breeze. Patrick filled his lungs with air and exhaled in a long, slow breath before continuing. +“She hadn’t wanted me to have the girls. She said I had deserted her too many times while I was trying to do my duty, and she was bitter. She met this guy, and he talked her into setting the girls free. That’s what he called it. Setting them free.” +Patrick took a step toward the edge of the roof as he gazed up at a flock of drifting clouds. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” He motioned toward the sky with his chin. +“Yeah,” Del said distracted by the man’s words. “But what did your wife mean by setting them free?” +Patrick turned and pierced Del with a scowling glance. +“She had injected them with the infection. They were turning into zombies. She was taking them to the farm. That’s why I locked them in the attic before they changed. I couldn’t let her take them to the farm and be sold. I couldn’t let her get away with it. They could have grown up, gone to school, gotten married. I could have had grandkids.” +Patrick dropped his chin to his chest and let out a long sob. Leaves murmured in the slight breeze as a small bird twittered to rest on a branch. Del shuffled his feet in the gravel and chewed on the inside of his lip. +“What happened next?” +Patrick lifted his head and huffed before continuing. +“After the girls turned, they attacked their mother. They didn’t leave enough of her to turn.” Patrick lowered his voice to a whisper. “I had to put them down before the authorities came and carted them off to be trained. Do you have kids?” +Del shook his head. +“Not yet, but we’ve got one on the way.” +Patrick pursed his lips into a small smile. He stared at the passing clouds. +“Why didn’t you tell someone?” Del asked. +Patrick let out a bitter laugh. +“I wanted to during the trial, but the dump truck they assigned to my case told me I’d be charged with slander in addition to murder if I took the stand. So I kept quiet and watched the rest of my life go up in flames.” +A brisk wind flapped Del’s coattails. +“How come the story never made the news?” +“You won’t believe me if I tell you,” Patrick said, shaking his head. +“Try me.” +Del crossed his arms and waited. Patrick shuffled toward the edge of the roof. Del wouldn’t have blamed the mad if he’d tried to jump, but he doubted Patrick would leave the rest of his story untold. +“Have you seen the safety billboards?” Patrick asked. +“You mean the ones with the guy in the suit surrounded by half-naked women?” +“Yeah,” Patrick snorted. “That guy is the head of the Community Safety Council. He’s the one that deploys the troops to outbreak sites. He decides where to build up the walls and where to tear them down. He’s the one that pardons the criminals and hires the guards for the city. I’m guessing he even hired you.” +“You’re saying Theodore Marquet owns the farm?” +Patrick nodded. +“Do you have proof?” +Patrick shook his head and dropped to his knees on the gravel rooftop. +“The only thing I have is a vague idea of where it is.” +“Well, that’s a start, but without proof, I don’t think anyone will believe it.” +Del ran a hand through his hair and glanced at his watch. Patrick had an hour to live. +“You believe me?” Patrick asked, squinting up at Del. +“I don’t know,” Del answered. “But we’d better head back inside.” +Del helped Patrick stand, shuffled him back to his cell, and unlocked his restraints. Slipping the pen from his pocket and tearing a piece of paper from his notebook, Del handed the items to Patrick through the slot. +“Write down what you know about the farm. I’ll see if there’s anything I can do to postpone your extermination.” +“Hey, man,” Patrick said. I’ll write down what I know, but you don’t need to postpone anything. I’m ready to die. I don’t want to hear my girls screaming in my nightmares anymore.” +“I’ve still got to try,” Del said, tapping the door before jogging back to the office. +*** +Del’s attention to detail had earned him high praise in every job he’d held. He circled the pristine room looking for something to sabotage and wished he’d been more of a slacker. He had oiled the trapdoor that morning. The harness wasn’t necessary, so there was no point slicing it to ribbons. He couldn’t even lock the door and lose the keys because the closest guard station had a spare set. +If Patrick had shared his story last night instead of this morning, Del might have had time to fashion a replacement for the prisoner. The previous exterminator had managed it twice with a sculptor and a slab of pork. No guarantee accompanied such a proxy. The third time the man had attempted the ruse, the management had discovered his scheme. They exterminated him along with the original quarry. +Del shouted in frustration at the situation and heard his squad moan in reply. Overfeeding them was out of the question. He knew from watching during the original outbreak their appetites never diminished. +The clock chimed once. Fifteen ‘til the hour. Del trudged from the room to retrieve the prisoner. +*** +“Please, put your arms through the slot,” Del said in a flat voice. +Two arms wiggled through the opening. +“Don’t look so down,” Patrick said as he palmed the pen and paper back to Del. “I’ll see my girls soon.” +“Don’t you want to live?” Del shackled the man’s arms before opening the door and attaching the collar. +“Nobody lives forever. And besides, there’s not much left in this world for me.” +“Do you have any regrets?” Del snapped the leash to the collar. +The lights in the room buzzed. A fly crashed into the bulb. Patrick tilted his head and twisted his mouth into a frown before answering. +“I can’t say I regret marrying Mary. I’d never have had my kids. I can’t say I regret being deployed. I saved a lot of people.” Patrick blew out a breath and tilted his head. “I guess I regret not seeing what was coming. I could have saved my girls.” +The ankle restraints swished along the floor with his every step. Patrick nodded to the guard behind the glass as they walked past. The light at the end of the hall flickered. Without another word, the two men traversed the final corridor. When they reached the extermination room, Del stopped. +“We can keep walking.” +“No, I need to go. And you need to be around for you baby.” Patrick flicked his chin toward the closed door. “Is this the place?” +Del led Patrick into the room and strapped him into the leather harness. Unfastening the restraints, Del tossed them on the desk. He watched as the leash slithered to the floor. A stack of paperwork waited for his signature. +“Any last words?” Del asked. +Patrick smiled. +“If I walk.” Patrick swallowed. “Don’t let me walk for long.” +“I’ll do what I can,” Del promised as he squatted, grasping for the trapdoor’s handle and pulled. +The silent wheels rolled in the tracks. Del stared into the milky eyes of his squad. Their bony fingers seemed to lengthen as they reached toward their prey. Why did they have to be so competent? +“And if the opportunity ever comes, take out the farm,” Patrick whispered. “Just not at the expense of your family.” +Looking up at the man swinging above him, Del gave a slight nod. The clock chimed the first eleven. Del walked to the crank and turned the handle. +“Goodbye, Patrick.” +Patrick spun in the harness and saluted as Del lowered him through the trapdoor into the waiting arms of the squad. + +*** + +Rebecca Snow is a Virginia writer whose cats could conquer the world if they didn’t sleep so much. Her stories have been published in a number of anthologies and online. You can find her blathering on cemeteryflowerblog.wordpress.com. She’s stalkable on Twitter @cemeteryflower. You can also follow her on Facebook. Look for the bloody handprint. Originally published in Library of the Living Dead’s Live and Let Undead, “A Mile in His Shoes” is currently being expanded into a novel. +Anna Taborska + + +Picture This + + + +Picture this: you’ve been hanging around for years in Uncle Geoffrey’s stinking dark house, waiting for the old codger to pop off so you can inherit his loot. You’ve wasted your youth listening to his plaintive gibbering and cleaning out his bedpan. Finally, you can’t stand it anymore. You wait until he’s asleep and then you put his pillow over his face and push down hard until he stops kicking. Then you dig a hole at the bottom of the garden and bury him in it. At last you’re free to live your life the way you deserve. +But Uncle Geoffrey comes back. And he brings with him Aunt Mildred, cousin Hildegard and a dozen other decomposing occupants of the local cemetery. They shuffle grimly towards the house. You try the back way out, but are stopped by a rotting corpse with green guts dangling from its bloated belly. You bolt the doors and secure the windows, but from somewhere to your left you hear the sound of breaking glass. +Then the front door comes flying off its hinges, and enter Uncle Geoffrey, his face grey and his eyes still bulging from the strain of breathing mucus-covered pillow instead of air. He moves towards you stiffly, rigor mortis turning his fingers into talons and his legs into rigid planks of wood. He’s drooling down the front of his gown, and his bloodshot eyes never blink. From the way he’s staring at you, you can’t tell if he’s overcome with rage or if he just wants to rip your head off and eat your brains. +You fumble with the shells of the shotgun you’ve just wrenched from the cupboard in the corner. You aim at Uncle Geoffrey’s head and pull the trigger. Uncle Geoffrey’s head explodes. But Uncle Geoffrey just keeps coming... + +*** + +Anna is a horror writer and filmmaker. Her debut short story collection, FOR THOSE WHO DREAM MONSTERS, will be coming out later this year. You can view Anna's resume and watch clips from her films here: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1245940/ + +Ally Thomas + +Zombie Wolf +The Next Generation Excerpt + +By Ally Thomas +Copyright 2013 Ally Thomas + +Introduction + +The following is a short excerpt from a new paranormal fantasy series by Ally Thomas entitled, “Zombie Wolf”. +Here’s a synopsis of the first installment, “Zombie Wolf: The Next Generation #1” to be released later this year or in 2014: +At twenty-four Zachary has been through many zombie outbreaks and knows how to stay alive. He's been so good at killing zombies for so many years that he makes a living at it. He claims it's the reason he has the nickname the 'Zombie Wolf' because he’s a werewolf who kills zombies. However, that’s not all there is to it. Zachary is no ordinary werewolf. +Zachary's destiny unfolds when he comes face to face with the next generation of zombies and an innocent bystander is bitten. He considers killing the attractive girl because she's as good as dead. But when he sees she has a mark, same as what he was born with, he knows he must save her. + +3015 A.D. + +“We’re not killing her.” I stood between my team and this girl I had just saved from an existence worse than death. The coffee shop was demolished and we were knee-deep in dead ex-zombies. It had been a normal seek and destroy mission on Earth until this had happened. But I wasn’t backing down, not until I knew who she was, and more importantly why did she have the same mark I had been born with. She was a werewolf too, or at least I was determined to find out what she was before she died. +“Call it in,” I growled to Rex. +“No,” he shouted at me, knowing better than to mess with me as he pushed against the other two guys on my team who held him back. Zombie Wolf was not just a nickname I had gotten for being a werewolf who had killed massive amounts of zombies over the twenty-four years of my life. It was part of my blood. Literally. I couldn’t be killed by them and I couldn’t be infected. +“Maybe we can talk about this,” McCormick offered. +Simon nodded, tugging on Rex’s dark green shirt. Neither of them moved forward one inch. They all had seen my transformation a time or two before, when the fighting got really bad. I had saved all of them more times than I could count. But Rex was the asshole of my team, and the Earth representative. I regretted having made him my point of contact when I visited Earth. I had never used my weapons on any of them, but that could change very quickly. +“Call it in,” I repeated. Slowly and very deliberately, I popped my neck. My eyes flashed gold. I held one hand on the girl’s shirt, trying to keep her still. +Exasperated, Rex conceded to my command and placed his index and middle fingers to his right temple. “This is a mistake.” He mouthed back to me as he made the connection with the Containment facility on our planet. With our implants installed soon after we were born, cell phones weren’t needed for work. They weren’t really needed at all in the year 3015 A.D., but we still had them for personal use because it looked cool. Unnecessary, but cool. And for jobs like this one on Earth, we had to blend in as best we could until the zombie killing started. +Out of the corner of my eye, I saw McCormick hit Simon in the shoulder. “Look man.” +“What?” Simon asked. +“She has the same mark Z has. Look.” +I ignored that they were now staring at my neck and the girl’s neck. I knew she had the same birthmark. That had to mean something. Was she like me? Was she truly like me? +I heard Rex verify the location and coordinates. The room immediately filled with a blue mist that I knew would do two things: clean up the zombie mess and make a big enough distraction for me to vanish. I grabbed the girl by the elbow, probably rougher than I should have, and pulled her into my arms. She fit perfectly against my body. I sighed. Wouldn’t you know it? I’d meet my mate and she was dead, or soon to be dead? No one could survive the new virus I had been getting reports about. Luckily, I already had it. I had been born with it. No blood virus affected me. I was immune to everything. That’s what made me ‘unique’ as my mother phrased it. +“We’re getting out of here and you’re not going to leave my side.” I whispered to the girl, letting my lips brush past the top of her head. She was a few inches shorter than me at six feet. My height I had acquired from my dad’s side of the family. Werewolf descendants of his ancestry were extremely tall. I wasn’t seven-feet-tall like him but when I wore my ‘zombie killing’ hiking boots I came close. +“Or what?” the girl snapped back. +“Or you die. My friends are ready to kill you.” I grabbed her shoulders, facing her toward the team I had been assigned while on Earth for my mission. “Humans have itchy trigger fingers.” I shook her a little, hopefully to drive my point home. I had about thirty more seconds as they bungled around in the fog before they realized I was gone. “You want to stay here with them?” I asked. +“I’m as good as dead. I know that.” +“Not necessarily,” I replied. +“You have a cure,” she whispered. +I heard the astonishment in her voice. I didn’t have to see the shocked expression on her angelic face. I had heard that voice before. It was about time I tested the cure I had been working on. Rex and the guys thought I was nuts. But Rex and the guys didn’t understand a lot of things when it came to me and who I really was. +“Possibly,” I said, wrapping her arms around my waist. “I’ve got you. Don’t let go.” +*** +“Where are we?” She asked me that question when we surfaced in the familiar surroundings of my room on my planet. +I already loved the sound of her light, whimsical voice. Pointing at my favorite chair, I offered it to her, grumbling to myself as I considered my options. I didn’t really want to tell her just how far from home she currently was. Space travel was very difficult the first time. What could I tell her? ‘Fancy this, I zapped you to Kepler 1. Welcome.’ Ugh. Hopefully she knew about the outlining planets that had been cleared for human habitation in 2063 A.D. It amazed me that some humans still didn’t know they could leave Earth and travel to other planet, ones not infected with zombies. It was still an option for any of us, werewolves, humans, vampires, whoever. It never occurred to the humans to consider space travel in the face of ongoing outbreaks. +I shoved off my boots and tossed them in the corner. I ran my fingers through my shortly cropped black hair, thankful I had recently gotten a haircut. For obvious reasons, zombie killing and space travel made me sweat. Get to the point, I thought. You don’t have time for that. You don’t know how long she has! +“You’re in my room. That’s all you need to know,” I uttered, turning away to quickly change my t-shirts. I’d have to forego the shower. I hoped the tone I used with her made me sound like a bad ass and an individual not to be questioned. +She glared back at me. It melted my heart. I gritted my teeth. Fucking fate. This is why I don’t date, especially on Earth, I said to myself as I tried to ignore her beauty. Her small frame made her look like a petite doll resting in my chair. I thought of my charming self that I changed into when I needed a huge favor from my mother. It never worked on my dad because I was too much like him. He could always see through my crazy schemes. ‘You get that from your mother I’m afraid,’ he told me often. Watching the girl try to assimilate where she was, I elected to present my charming self to her. +“How do you feel?” +She swished her big blue eyes side to side, analyzing my room, and rubbed her hands along the bite wound on her right wrist, examining it. “I feel okay. Is that normal?” +“I don’t know really. The virus works fast on humans. You were born on Earth?” +From my favorite large lounge chair, she smiled at me and flipped her legs out from under herself. She couldn’t sit still. The virus was working on her. +I knew what she was. I wanted to know if she knew. The ‘w’ word didn’t come up with unless the person brought it up. +Crossing her legs again - left knee over right and then right knee over left - she couldn’t get comfortable. “I’m not human.” +“What are you then?” I asked. +“I’m were.” +“What do you mean?” +“Whatever, dude. Werewolf, you know.” She flicked her long blond hair over her shoulder and then gathered it up into a ponytail and started playing with it. +I wanted to bury my head in her thick hair. I’d never seen such a honey blond hair color, except maybe on some of the fledglings of the vampire angel, Michael. All my kind had the ‘dark look’ as we call it. Both my mom and dad, a vampire and a werewolf had black hair and dark features. +“That’s not what my family calls it,” she retaliated. “It’s just being ‘were’. I haven’t gone through the change yet, so technically I’m not…” +Before she could finish her sentence, she started convulsing. Her blue eyes rolled up in her head. This was not going to be easy…at all. +I rushed to her side. Of course, she was oblivious to my movements, but I knew I had to keep her from getting away from me or leaving my room. It was my only chance. It was her only chance. +I wrestled with her, finally pinning her into the large recliner. “Hold still,” I shouted. Christ, I don’t even know your name, I thought. The realization stabbed into my heart. How fucking sad, I said to myself. +“How fucking sad, is this?” I asked her as she thrashed about. At times, her long hair covered her face. +She growled at me. Viciously. Sadistically. When she threw her head upwards, I saw the demon virus surface in her white eyes. She struggled against me, biting, snapping, heaving her head, the only part of her body she could move, at me. A faint smell of roses hit me. Strawberry shampoo, I wondered. I’ve got to at least know your name. +Suddenly visions of my demonic aunt flashed before my eyes. The stories my mom and dad had told me. The images I had seen myself, in my nightmares. The snakes. The hounds. The pits. The pain. The torture. The sacrifices. It was the origin of the new virus, the one I had feared my entire life would finally arrive, the one passed on to me when my demonic aunt had bitten my mother when she was pregnant with me. Succumbing to it and becoming one of them was Hell for human, werewolf, vampire, or zombie. The virus didn’t play any favorites. Somehow my mother survived and I was born mostly normal. It didn’t affect me. Well…sort of. +Even with the countless transfusions I had been given since birth, the blood virus didn’t leave me. It was a part of me. It was in my DNA. It was the reason I was a different type of werewolf. It didn’t matter if most people I met didn’t ‘get me’ or understand what I was. I knew I’d never be rid of the virus, and I’d probably never be understood by another. One day I want to meet my aunt and show her what I am, I thought. I knew on a new level why my mother despised her sister now. She was the reason this girl before me was fighting for her life. +A pain surfaced on the side of my neck. My birthmark burned again, same as it had when I had seen the zombie bite the girl. Amid the chaos in the coffee shop, the tingling sensation had gotten my attention. Was it a call to another creature like me? +Now in my room, the girl slammed her head into the back of the chair, whisking her golden locks over her shoulders. I got a glimpse of her neck. The mark on her neck was glowing as well. I knew I had a chance to try something insane. +Maybe my cure would work. If not, the girl would be dead quick enough like the others infected who didn’t make it. But I had to figure out something. A cure had to exist for this new virus that was jumping species. Werewolves, vampires, humans were all at risk now. We had been getting reports about instances of such cases. +Afterwards I wouldn’t have time to send a seek and destroy distress signal to my dad or my team. I didn’t want to be destroyed or have this girl destroyed, but we’d need to be if this didn’t work. +I repositioned my body on the girl again, this time straddling her. I growled at her, baring my teeth. The zombie wolf was always in me. I didn’t have to work at it anymore. He was only a moment’s notice away, always waiting, always ready. All I had to do was visual the zombie wolf and I’d turn into him. To what degree I transformed, sometimes did matter. I could control how far ‘zombie’ I’d go. +When my long claws came forth, elongating and extending from my fingertips, I felt the zinging sensation. Fuck, I thought. I hate that feeling. But I didn’t will them to retreat again into my hands again. There was no turning back now. +I watched as they grew longer, some twenty-four inches – one inch per year of my werewolf age. My claws were as strong as steel. I slammed my hands down into the rungs of the recliner chair. They dug in further than I had intended. My claws ripped through the soft pillow fabric, slamming into, and then pass, the metal frame. My muscles filled out, the upper portion first followed by my thighs and legs. I stopped changing any further in front of the girl. My sunken skull face I could save for another day. She didn’t need to see the complete zombie wolf just yet. +The girl paused for a moment. With the basic appearance of my werewolf self, I had probably scared the last fiber in her being. +“You’ve never seen the likes of me, have you?” I asked, my wolf sense bringing out the cocky attitude I possessed. +Her eyes widened. She shook her head. +“I’m sorry to say it gets worse.” +She simply nodded. +“If this doesn’t work,” I said to her. My eyes flashing werewolf gold. My mouth full of the one inch razor sharp demon teeth I had inherited from my demonic grandfather who was the other member of my mom’s family who she refused to let me to meet. “If this doesn’t work, we’re both dead,” I told the girl. +Telepathically I sent the signal to my dad. He’d have to destroy us both. My mom would never forgive me, but I had to know if the girl was like me. She had to be like me. I couldn’t be one of a kind, a freak of nature because of a demonic blood virus. +When I sank my fangs into the girl’s neck, into her birthmark same as mine, she calmed down for a few moments. The burning sensation in my neck subsided as well. I worked feverishly sucking away the poison. Its bitter taste was the first thing I felt sliding down my throat. As I drank from her, spitting out the poison in between breaths, I hoped and prayed I’d eventually taste blood. Then I’d know the virus had been cleaned out of her system. She had to be worth saving. +*** +“Zachary, we need to talk.” +When I opened my eyes, my vision registered everything upside down. This can’t be right, I thought to myself. Did my cure not work? Quickly I realized my dad was standing in the middle of my room, and I was hanging from the ceiling upside down. His tall, muscular frame commanded a presence that was all his own. Seven feet tall. There was no missing him in a crowd. He wore a tightly fitted gray t-shirt and black nylon gym shorts which was his normal attire and complimented his dark looks. Black hair. Gold eyes. Rugged features. I was my dad’s son through and through, I thought. Except for the scaring and tribal tattoos I had across the right side of my face, from the virus, I looked just like him. My mom had told me that many times. +“The old man saved your ass again,” my dad said. +Dad was not old by any means. When you’re immortal, how can you grow old? He had been a pure werewolf for a very long time. +“Thanks,” I said, understanding that tone he took with me when I had fucked up. “Can you let me down?” +Casually he strolled over to my corner of the room. I hung upside down by a few sturdy ropes, one wrapped around each ankle. He sighed loudly, blowing steam in my face. +Momentarily, I squeezed my eyes shut. +“Son, explain to me one thing. You go on a mission to kill zombies. And you bring one home? What is this girl doing here on our planet?” +I wiggled around in my constraints. “That’s a great question, Dad,” I offered, hoping I could stall long enough to cut myself down. Before I could move, he reached up and slashed the cords with his long claws. There was no getting around my dad. He’d see right through me in an instant. +I fell in a heap on the floor. When I collected myself and stood up, I saw the girl. She had been placed in a large steel cage on the other side of the room, probably for her own protection. Instantly I was angry. Calm down, Zachary, I told myself. Dad will not deal well with you if you freak out. I ran through my options in my head. +“Son?” +Fuck it, I thought. I’ll just tell the old man the truth. I’d tell him what had been buzzing around in my head since I had seen the girl. My wolf sense could be way off, but I didn’t think so. +“Look at her neck,” I said. “Do you see it? I have the same mark, by birth, Dad. How would she have that unless she was born with the virus too? I had to save her. At the least, I had to try. I think I got all the poison out. Can you tell? I’m mean…” I paused because I could tell he had suddenly become very alert, very calculating, yet unsure of the situation. He was paying attention to my every word. +I heard the girl growl and then whimper. +I wanted to go to her, but I held my ground, hoping to appear stoic, regal like my dad was. “No other werewolf has a mark like that. It has to mean something. “I can’t be the only one of my kind,” I said. +I heard the girl whimper again. +Throwing up his hands, he glanced over at the girl and then back at me. “This is not me. This is you. Will you please? She won’t quiet down for me.” +I didn’t understand what he meant until I saw her face and her liquid blue eyes. She was upset. +Dad kicked his heels a time or two, making his way slowly to the cage where I stood. “That’s why you saved her?” +“Yes,” I snapped. +He frowned at me, rubbing the stubble on his chin. +The girl growled several times at him, so my dad moved to the other side of the cage away from her and me. +“Why is she caged up?” I asked, tracing my hands along the steel rod, hoping she’d come closer to one of the sides, preferably my side. Finally I stopped near the steel door, opposite her at the other end. The cage covered much of one side of the large room. I motioned for her to come to me, sticking my hand through the bars. +“I didn’t want her to get away. What were you doing?” Dad asked as he finally placed his hands on his hips in frustration. +“I didn’t have a chance to finish my experiment.” +“Zachary, this isn’t something you need to get involved in. Just let it go. I’ll call Containment. We’ll act like it didn’t happen. We don’t need this kind of trouble.” +Instantly I reacted. My body went rigid. She wasn’t going to be put down. I owed it to my werewolf heritage to try to save her. I had heard my mom’s version of my mom and dad’s romance. Dad had never gone into details, but I knew what he had done to save my mom because she had told me. I wasn’t anybody’s fool. I decided to use some of my mom’s logic on my dad. +“Did you leave Mom in Hell to rot when she was turned into a vampire? Did you? A daughter of Satan? When she drank Satan’s blood, you were there. She told me. You were there to see her change into a vampire. That was not by accident. You knew then who she really was, and how important she was. She wasn’t evil like everyone thought, and you knew that. You never doubted her even when she did. Her exact words. Over the years, you’ve done everything you can to save her. Every time she has needed saving. Mom told me!” +“Your mother is a writer. She exaggerates,” he replied, rolling his eyes toward the ceiling. “Who is this girl to you anyways, Zach? You don’t even know her?” +“I get that. I’m not an idiot.” I tried to control my rage. “I’m not sure, Dad. But I felt it when I saw her in the coffee shop. I don’t want to regret later that I could have done something, you know? I don’t want to live alone, being the only freak of nature, a werewolf zombie even if it means I can walk among them undetected. I don’t want that! If I don’t try to save her, I won’t know. Now will I? What if she too was born with the new virus? What if that makes her unique like me?” +“That would explain the mark. Maybe she was born with the virus. Who is her father or mother? Your aunt? This may be beyond your abilities, son. I’m sorry. We don’t save zombies. We destroy them. We have to stay on top of this situation before it gets worse among the vampires and werewolves.” +“It’s gotten worse, Dad. It’s jumped species. I know it.” +“Do you have proof,” he challenged. +I pointed to the girl in the cage. “She’s a werewolf, Dad. She told me so.” +Not believing me, he grunted. +Using his same logic, I rebelled. He had to understand what he was saying. Rules were meant to be bent sometimes, even broken. +“Before there were zombies,” I began. “Werewolves used to kill vampires. And yet, you didn’t kill Mom. You were there to protect her.” As best I could, I faced Dad head on. I made a point to thrust my chin up and glare up at him like I had seen my mom doing on more than one occasion. With his height, he had no problem looking down on me, but he had to know I wasn’t backing down. I hadn’t backed down against Rex and the others, and I wasn’t backing down now. As insane as it seemed, I wasn’t wrong about this. +Dad searched my face for many minutes. The silence in the room thickened. I could hear only the girl’s ragged breathing as she fought the poison. +Trying to remain calm, I refused to look away from my dad, glaring up at him. I was ready to take on the world. My god, I thought. What has happened to me? I turned my attention back to the girl. She had slowly approached my side of the cage and stood near me, also glaring over my shoulder at my dad. Her blonde hair was tousled amid her face, but I could see the distrust behind her eyes. Even in her chaotic state, she looked adorable. +In typical parent fashion, my dad reached out his hand and rubbed his fingers through my black hair, somewhat shaking my entire body. He was unbelievably strong. He did that dismissal move on me when he wanted me to know that, for now, he was tabling the situation. I knew it wasn’t over. +“We’ll have to address this if your experiment doesn’t work. Okay?” he asked. +“Yes, sir,” I replied. +Finally he patted me on the shoulder. “I forget how stubborn, like your mother, you are.” He chuckled and walked to the door. +Realizing I had gotten my way and he was leaving me to my task, I watched as he lingered at the door. “You know,” he said. “You are the son of a vampire with healing blood. Maybe that can help.” +Our eyes locked for a moment as my mind raced with new possibilities. He had deliberately given me an idea. +“Are you fine with me sharing your mother the details on this sit…” +I heard him pause, not finishing his sentence or word. +“If I don’t show up for dinner, yeah tell her... Uh…” I didn’t want to predict the outcome. +“Do you need my help?” +“No. I’ve got this.” +Again he watched me for several minutes, not saying anything. “Well if you reconsider, call me.” He tapped his fingers to the side of his face along the temple area. “I won’t be far away.” +I nodded. +Dad was a man of few words sometimes, but I knew he had my back. He was my ‘Go to’ man if things got really crazy, and I didn’t take that lightly at all. He returned a nod and closed the door. +*** +Once the girl shifted a second time between werewolf and zombie, I knew I had to get into the cage with her before the zombie version stuck. It wouldn’t do for me to simply watch her from outside the steel bars of her cage as her werewolf self merged permanently with the zombie monster. And the version of zombie I was looking at was the same demonic creatures we had seen at the coffee shop. With her werewolf ancestry, she looked like a demonic werewolf, crazed and uncontrollable. It reminded me of myself when I was in full ‘zombie wolf’ mood. +Now as I watched the girl shift back and forth, I realized I hadn’t gotten all of the poisonous blood out of her system, so it was time for Plan B. +Unfortunately, performing Plan B meant I had to get up and close to her, essentially taking my life in my own hands. Knowing you’re immune to the zombie virus is one thing; getting mauled by a crazed werewolf zombie in a cage is quite another. My past fights with human zombies in their raging sickness amounted to a few cuts and scratches. My claws did my work. If I got blood on me, I simply washed it away. Having the zombie virus in my blood just meant I could smell them out faster than everyone else. That was one of my many secret with zombie killing. Any injuries of mine healed, and they healed quickly. Trying to reattach my arm before dinner was going to be hard to explain to my mom and dad. +When the word ‘heal’ crossed my mind, I recalled what my dad had said about my mother’s vampiric blood. Supposedly, she was unlike other vampires. Those turned by her could heal anyone’s injuries. She had saved others on many occasions, a few times with my dad. Even though I was skeptical, it was just the thing I needed right about now. +Suddenly I heard a loud buzzing sound in my ears like a warning going off in the back of my skull. The implant in my head radiated a piercing signal of hesitation as I stared at the lock on the cage door. My arms and legs became frozen in place. +Dad had told my mom the situation, and they were both at their battle stations, controlling my implant. These are the situations that arise when having two supernatural and overprotected parents can be more than a person bargains for, I thought to myself. +I wanted to will my legs to work. I wanted to walk away from the girl who I wanted to save as she struggled with the poison now raging in her body because I knew what the end result would be, for both of us. I felt the implant sizzling in my head, directing me to keep the door shut and wait it out. Dad had definitely told Mom because, above everyone, Mom knew what I was about to do and she didn’t want to lose her only son. I cursed the fact I had the implant in my head and was allowing myself to be directed by my overzealous parents. I had to do the unthinkable and unleash the beast. +Z, I whispered mentally to zombie wolf inside me. Make haste. +As I told you before, the wolf is always ready. It didn’t take long for my long claws to sever the frozen mental connection I was under and shoot forth from my fingers tips. I yelled out in pain and slumped to the floor on one knee. The implant burned in my temple, and I knew I had to get it out. I reached up with my index finger and sliced into my head. I heard the girl scream. +With one of my claws, I managed to flick it out from under my skin. Knocks pounded on the door to my room. Mom and Dad did not want to let me finish this on my own. I rushed to the door and shoved the broken recliner against it. That would give me a few minutes at most. +Quickly I yanked the door of the steel cage open and stepped inside with the girl. +Being in a human form briefly, the girl fell in my arms. I’m sure I was a sight because I wasn’t able to stop my full zombie wolf transformation from happening. The demon teeth. The claws. My werewolf features pushing forth. My pale sunken face with black skull eyes and my extremely angular canine features. My muscles large and protruding. Standing on two legs I probably looked ghastly. +“You can’t look at me,” I told the girl. “Okay?” +She clung to me, crying. “I don’t care. I don’t care. I know you want to help me. Please tell me what to do.” +“I won’t leave you,” I said, hoping I made sense with a mouth full of teeth. +“I know,” she replied. +“Your name?” I asked, barely audible at this point. I realized the only thing I wanted to know at that moment was her name. +“Sasha. My name is Sasha.” +“Zach,” I replied. Pulling her into my arms, I embraced her in the middle of another werewolf zombie shift she was having. I heard the door burst open and my mother scream when I sunk my teeth into Sasha’s neck. I forced my will upon the girl, commanding Sasha to return the bite and bury her fangs in my neck. With any luck, the vampiric healing blood of my mother racing in my veins would heal Sasha and extinguish the virus or my blood virus would transfer itself to her and she’d be very much like me. Another zombie wolf. Only time would tell. + +### + +This story continues in Zombie Wolf (The Next Generation #1) by Ally Thomas (Coming Soon)! + +About The Author- + +Bestselling author Ally Thomas loves writing paranormal books that showcase vampires, werewolves, zombies, witches, and any furry monsters who go bump in the night. + +Ally is currently working on the next installment of her popular paranormal fantasy series, the Vampire from Hell as well as exploring her passion for vampire romance. Learn more at http://allythomas.wordpress.com/about/contact-me/ + +The Vampire from Hell (Part 1) - The Beginning +According to Rayea, the oldest daughter of Satan, the origin of vampires started in Hell, and it started with her. Rayea isn't daddy's little girl, even if he is the most powerful fallen angel around. He wants her to take an active role in the family business. But she's not interested in his schemes for world domination. Instead she wants to spend her time shopping on the Internet, rescuing humans from a horrific eternity, and practicing martial arts with her seven foot hellhound. Then one day everything changes. . (Both the ebook and paperback versions have excerpts from Parts 2 and 3, so the reader can experience the Vampire from Hell series in this sampler offering.) + +The Vampire from Hell (Part 2) - A Vampire among Angels +Living a life with an overbearing father can be a challenge. For Rayea whose father is the fallen angel, Lucifer, it's been torture. In the second installment of the Vampire from Hell series, Rayea finds peace when she visits the House of G. There she hopes for a new beginning among Blick's angelic friends, only to discover a vampire from Hell may not be welcome. + +The Vampire from Hell (Part 3) – A Vampire on Vacation +In the third part of the Vampire from Hell series, Rayea travels to Earth hoping to meet her online friends, leave her disturbing past with her father behind her, and embark on a new future without her meddling family. + +The Vampire from Hell Returns (The Vampire from Hell - Part 4) – Late Summer +Blood of the gods has brought a new dimension to Rayea’s life as the vampire from Hell. In the fourth installment of the Vampire from Hell series, Rayea juggles her new responsibilities and starting a relationship with her best friend, Blick. Additionally, Rayea realizes her sordid past with her family is catching up with her, and she’s going to have to deal with it once and for all. When two of her friends go missing, she knows she must begin a search to find them. And the first place she has to look? Hell. + +Fanged Love - The Prequel +In one night Grace realizes her lover is destined to ultimately be her greatest enemy. Following Nathan into a world of bloodletting and vampirism was a bad idea and she wants out. Grace plans to escape the clutches of her controlling boyfriend as she learns he is selling her to the top buyer, a woman he met on the internet called the new Medusa. Grace’s plan quickly changes when the Angel of Death shows up, telling her she has sent for him. Will Grace seek salvation in the arms of this stunningly, handsome man known as Demetri? A few characters you have met in the Vampire from Hell series appear in this new series. + + +C A Verstraete + + + + + + +While there is a certain satisfaction that comes with reading or writing a longer story or book-length fiction, flash fiction offers its own surprise in a compact form. So, I offer these small tidbits for your reading pleasure... + +Beauty really is only skin deep? + +Beauty in the Eyes of the Beholder +By Christine Verstraete + +She was the most beautiful girl in the world, well, in my world. +For days, weeks, all I'd seen was ugliness, horror and decay until I saw her. +I tried not to stare at hair like glistening gold; long legs; a shapely body under that black dress. +I longed to reach out and caress the small cross tattooed on her neck. +I called out, anxious for her response. "Hello, Miss?" +No answer. +I slowed my approach, not wanting to startle her. +"Hey, are you okay?" +As she turned my heart sped up a bit... and then I swore it stopped. +She stared at me with eyes the loveliest shade of blue - if you ignored the whitish film slowly creeping across each iris. +She gave no other indication anything was wrong, but her dead stare told another story. +With a huge sigh of regret, I raised the gun and took aim. +* Inspired by this beautiful photo of a woman's back at: + +http://www.flickr.com/photos/robof07/8716205653/in/explore-2013-05-07 + +*** + +Who can live without music? + +The Day the Music Died +By Christine Verstraete + + +"We're musicians, not gypsies," he yelled, slamming the guitar case to the ground. +They all held their breath at the outburst, worried someone would hear, worried they would come... +The group huddled in the middle of the wooded grove, wondering what to do next. +It was foolish, they knew, to hang on to their instruments, to struggle with the heavy cases as they ran from place to place, fleeing for their lives. +But it was hard to let go. Music had been their lives for years. +Music was life. +Low moans floated in on the breeze. +Music could now mean their deaths. +*Inspired by an eerie photo of these musicians at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/alexzaitsev/8697805663/in/explore-2013-05-01 + +*** + +Here's a small "taste" of my upcoming book, GIRL Z: My Life as a Teenage Zombie, which releases August 1. You can read more at my website, www.cverstraete.com. + + +Synopsis for GIRL Z: My Life as a Teenage Zombie by C.A. Verstraete + +Life can suck when you're sixteen. It can suck even worse when you're not-quite-dead. + +Sixteen-year-old Rebecca Herrera Hayes faces every teenager's biggest nightmares: bad skin, bad hair, and worse ... turning into one of the living dead. +Becca's life changes forever when her cousin Spence comes back to their small Wisconsin town carrying a deadly secret—he's becoming a zombie, a fate he shares with her through an accidental scratch. +The Z infection, however, has mutated, affecting younger persons like her, or those treated early enough, differently. Now she must cope with weird physical changes and habits no girl wants to be noticed for. Then she meets Gabe, a good-looking part-Z like her, and fears falling for him. After all, how can he, who shows hardly any Z symptoms, be interested in someone like her? +But time is running out... Becca needs his help as she and her cousin Carm search for their missing mothers and fight off hungry Zs. +Most of all, she needs to find something, anything, to stop this deadly transformation before it is forever too late... + +Prologue + + +A virus. A freaking virus. +I'd been sick before, you know, measles, mumps, kid stuff … but not really sick. +Never like this. +This ... this couldn't be happening. +I tuned back in to the doctor's explanation…new diet, pills, blah-blah-blah…and let his words fade again into the background. +Gone was the golden tan I'd nurtured over the summer with tanning cream and hours sunbathing by the pool with one of my cousins. My skin had a weird grayish tone, like I'd rubbed myself with fireplace ash. +I gazed at my legs, now mottled with strange gray blotches, and my pretty pink toenails peeking out from beneath the sheet. +The machine next to me made a frantic beep-beep. +I turned and caught my reflection in the metal canister sitting on the table next to the bed. Whimpering, I rubbed a hand over my cheek, wondering at the scaly texture, while at other times I felt almost nothing. +Large, deep brown eyes under ebony bangs stared back. I saw a decent nose. +Spots. +I took in the pinkish patches and my uneven skin tone, which reminded me of those old battleships on the PBS show I'd watched with my aunt. +For the first time in my sixteen-year-old life I was ... ugly. +I struck the bed frame over and over, the pain barely registering. The machine's whir-click-whir turned into a wail almost louder than mine—beep-beep-beeeeeeep. +A nurse in blue scrubs rushed in and tried to reassure me, even as she attempted to keep me immobile on this slab they called a bed. +"Relax, it'll be fine," she said. +"No, it won't," I yelled, "it won't!" +How could looking like freaking King Tut without his wrappings ever be fine? + +*** + +Bio: C.A. (Christine) Verstraete is a big Halloween fan who enjoys a good scare or two. Her short fiction has appeared online and in anthologies including Timeshares and Steampunk'd from DAW Books. Her YA book, GIRL Z: My Life as a Teenage Zombie, releases August 1. Stop by her website at http://cverstraete.com or visit her blogs, http://girlzombieauthors.blogspot.com and http://candidcanine.blogspot.com. + + +A R Von + + +(0.5 DreamZ) +Prequel + +By + +A.R. Von + + +ALL RIGHTS RESERVED + +This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. + + +Copyright© 2013 Dream Z Dragon Publishing +Story By +A.R. Von + +Edited +By +Bonnie (Leanore) Elliott + +Cover Art +By +Wicked Muse Covers + +No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of excerpts or quotations embodied for reviews. + + + + + +~Wunder~ + +Why? Why the torture? Each and every single night since I became a woman I awaken sweating, panting, hot and bothered from the pure sexual torture. Many times with my hand rubbing my most intimate place. A dream, so many dreams. Each one is different, but all contain the same faceless dark haired stranger. +“UGH!” +The only things I know for sure is he is tall, has raven black hair, the same color as mine, but much shorter. He has the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen. Glowing eyes that seem to be able to see into my soul. My heart’s deepest desires and he always grants them to me without pause. It was strange at first, seeing him and yet not. Not being able to make out his facial features, except for his eyes. I got used to it throughout the years, I guess. One thing I DO know, is the way he makes me feel, always! +So much passion, heat and desire. He makes me feel beautiful, irreplaceable and wanted in a way, I imagine, every woman wants to feel. +Frustration at its finest. This latest dream seemed more realistic than all of the others. I still feel the ripples on my skin from his touch; the most intimate touch I’ve ever experienced, the only touch from a male I’ve had in such a manner. The goose bumps are just starting to go away. His caress is always so sensual and arousing. My mouth is still dry from all of the panting I’ve done, my panties are drenched and my heart is still pounding. +No words could ever describe my desire to meet this man of my dreams. That is—if he truly does exist. I’m going to be 25 years old and have zero sexual experience. I’d give anything to feel even a portion of what I’ve felt during these amazingly satisfying yet torturous dreams. Anything! +When I finally do get out of bed and stroll towards the bathroom, the floors feel extra cold on my overheated feet. “Definitely starting off with a cold shower.” I turn on the water full blast cold, toss my sleep shirt and panties in the hamper and brace for the shock of cold water against my flesh. “ACK!” Holy crap does it sting. But hey, it works. My body no longer feels the intense heat of arousal, just the residual tingles left after the orgasm, still lingering along my body. I fully submerge after adding some hot water to the mix, when I hear banging on the bathroom door. I jump slightly and slip a bit, almost landing flat on my ass. Luckily, I have fast reflexes and right myself quickly. +“Wunder? WUNDER?? Are you all right in there?” My dad is a real worry-wart when it comes to me. The best dad ever! +“Yea dad. Water was cold. That’s it. I’m fine.” +“Alright hun. I’m making coffee now” +“Ok, dad. I’ll be out in a few,” I answer him with now chattering teeth. I’ve only added a touch of hot water and need to add more, so I can get washed up and get out. It’s just that my body is super sensitive after these dreams. +EVERYTHING feels more intense. But the shock of cold water is the only thing which seems to help tone down my racing hormones and heated flesh to at least some semblance of order, so I can function properly and keep my next pair of panties dry, for now. +Raising the temperature a lot more, I get all washed up. Making sure not to stimulate any of my sensitive parts by lingering any longer than necessary. I try to push the haunting dreams to the back of my mind, instead of having them hovering in the forefront, teasing me as you would a dog with a juicy steak. After drying off, I jump into my daily uniform consisting of all black. Black cargo pants, T-shirt, my steel-toe combat boots and I head to the kitchen. +I know my dad is going to want to have the traditional ‘morning chat’ with me. It’s a ritual with him and I honestly don’t mind it. As long as it puts his mind at ease, I’m good. “Morning dad” I grab a mug off the counter and peck him on the cheek at the same time. +He has a slight smirk on his face. “Morning, Wunder. How was your sleep?” +I can tell he’s trying really hard to suppress his knowing smile. “It was fine. I slept…Nothing special. Same as usual” I say with a grin while adding sugar and powdered milk to my coffee. I miss flavored creamers. They’re very hard to come by these days. There aren’t many factories left in the world for the distribution, though I’ve heard there once was. The last time I had it was about 2 years ago now. “Dad, have any new shipments come in?” +“No, not since last month. Why do you ask?” +“I was just thinking of a nice creamy addition for my coffee. It’s been so long since I had any flavor to it. Besides sugar that is. It would be nice, you know?” +“Yea, it would. Who knows when we’ll get more. I’ll ask around to see if anyone heard of any of the other areas getting their hands on some. I’m sure someone will make a nice trade. If they have any on hand. If not, I’ll put the word out and we’ll see what happens.” His smile brightens as if his mind has wandered off to a happy place. +He never shares with me about what brings him these secret smiles…ever. I can tell when he’s there in his happy place, because his eyes glaze over and his smile is relaxed. No tenseness to it whatsoever. My dad is so handsome. I never understood why he hasn’t dated anyone since my mother—Yea, at a solid six feet tall, full head of dark brown hair, hazel eyes and a killer personality. I just can’t understand why no one has shown any interest in him. +I’ve asked him about dating once and he looked seriously hurt by the question and said he’s just not interested. I left him alone after that. I know he misses my mother, but I would rather see him happy. Whatever his choices are with relationships, or anything else he has going on, his happiness is all that matters to me. +I might have a normal life now—well as normal of a life a freak of nature that lives in a world filled with infected people can have. Normal…as in training daily to fight and kill to stay alive as well as keep others safe. But it was a bit difficult for me growing up. No mother, abnormal genes and being raised by a single parent, my father, Lance. +Don’t get me wrong, he’s the best father a girl could ask for. I think he did an excellent job raising me. He taught me everything I know and then some. Well, with the exception of a few minor details that a father prefers not to discuss with his only daughter, you know, the ‘sex talk’. +When I was checked over just recently, the doctors determined that I could have children, just like any other woman in the world. As a result, my dad actually had one of the local female physicians give me the talk. Oh yea, that was fun! I believe I had Doc Smith blushing when I blurted out everything I knew. Which I have mostly learned from the guys at the training center and my team mates. They always speak openly and boldly of their conquests and love lives. +Then of course, there are my dreams. I’ve not told her about those though. She said I knew an awful lot for not having experience in that area. THAT made me blush and we ended that conversation right there. +My dad couldn’t look me in the eye that evening when I got home. I was smiling the entire time, knowing how awkward he felt about having to send me to someone else for the talk. I didn’t tease him or anything though, despite my constant grin. Well, I did in my mind, but I knew he would be even more uncomfortable if I did. I couldn’t do that to him. He’s had enough to deal with, just having to hold on to the secret. The secret which lives within in me. He’s kept it for so long, on top of having to continue living with the loss of his one true love and soul mate, my mother Jasmine. +There are some others beside my dad and myself, who know what I truly am, but not many. My dad had no other choice but to try and find out more about me and what to expect as I grew and developed. He wanted to be prepared in case of anything happening because of my DNA. There seems to be no other part zombies of any sort around. So, he went to a couple of his closest friends who worked in the medical field, and they ran a multitude of tests on me. Comparing me to other humans, other zombies, even a few animals (to date there’s never been an infected animal of any type). +I don’t remember much about most of it. I was way too young to hold those memories. I do recall lights, very bright ones and some smells. I now know what one particular scent was. Zombies. Boy, do those suckers stink! I think it’s my heightened senses that make it so bad. I’d describe their scent as a combination of the stink in the air which comes into a car window when driving by an old sewage plant on a very hot day, combined with a rotted corpse. The smell of death reeks! +My dad always tells me he doesn’t smell them the way I do. Not even close. He can only smell them when he’s up close and getting personal with handing them their death. One of those ‘up close and personal meet the end of my machete’ types of meetings. He’s been by my side for all of it. He still is to this day. Even every month, when I have to go renew my proof of living, he’s right there by my side. +He insists on being there in case any changes occur within me. So, I won’t have to feel alone or frightened. +All they do to process anyone for their proof of living (which everyone has to go through no less than once a month) is prick your finger to draw a bit of blood. I guess you could say it’s somewhat similar to what a diabetic would do to test their blood sugar. Except in this case, they’re checking for a different sort of abnormality within. You know, the fucked up infected kind. +It’s an instant result, which I learned took years to develop. A color coding or some crap like that. If you’re clear, you get a new proof of living card, updated with your finger print, photo, blood type, test date, bar code and an expiration date. +If you fail? +Well, that’s a whole other story that I’ve yet to have the horror of knowing. The procedures are very hush- hush. I think it’s kept this way, so people won’t have a fear of being tested. Best to keep them in the dark, so there’s no hesitation for monthly testing. There would most likely be a riot of sorts if the truth did come out. But what do I know? +Gathering my thoughts to the present, I shake my head to clear my mind. “Sounds great dad…thanks! I appreciate you asking around.” I hurry now and finish up my last bit of coffee and toast. +“I know how much you’d enjoy a special treat in your coffee too. I better split.” I quickly wash my cup and plate as I glance over at my dad. “I have training this morning and then a patrol with the team the rest of the day. I’m not sure how late I’ll be tonight. You know it’s never the same. Something extra always being tossed in or suddenly remembered.” +“Yeah, I gotta go too. Check up on those supplies and look into our chance for a luxurious cup of coffee, then get to work myself. You be safe out there and don’t go soft on anyone during training today.” +“What do you mean go soft?” +At my reaction, my dad burst into laughter +Ignoring his expression of amusement, I continue with my defense, “You know I can’t use all of my strength on anyone I train with. I’ll break a bone or something. You of all people know how that goes.” +“I do know, Wunder. But when I heard that Tank pinned you yesterday I was a bit shocked. You’ve never gotten pinned before. It’s like you’re not paying attention or something lately. Just don’t let your guard down. Focus on the now and kick ass!” He says with laughter still lingering in his voice. +“Tank tricked me. That’s the only reason he was able to pin me. He faked some serious injury. I bent over him to check and make sure he was all right. I thought I seriously hurt him. My guard was down because I was concerned for my team mate. I won’t fall for that crap again. I told him as much too. He’s the only one there who knows I can best him no matter what. He knows all about the real me. I didn’t think he’d pull a stunt like that. He’s such a pain in the ass!” +With my frustrated description, my dad is shaking with laughter. +I still feel the sting of embarrassment because I was taken down. The first pin in my training history by my team ‘equal’ Tank the Skank. I’ll get him back. Oh, you bet I will. Payback is a bitch and revenge is a mother fucker. The idea of sweet retribution brings a smile to my face. I’ll think of something to pay him back. “Bye dad. Love you.” +“Love you too.” +Leaving the kitchen, I stop at a panel by the entryway and press on the four corners of the panel my dad installed years ago. It silently pops open, and reveals a small walk-in which is loaded floor to ceiling with weapons of all sorts. I grab my weapons belt with a high powered Taser attached. The belt is loaded, with different weapons like an expandable baton and some other odd and ends I’ll need throughout the day. I change things over here and there. Depending on my mood and what’s planned for the day. I always have at least two guns on my person and a nice amount of sharps (aka knives, daggers, throwing stars and sword) in my duffle. +Ready for war…another daily routine for me. I never leave the house without weapons. You never know what’s going to happen. What might lurk around a corner or even right in front of you. So, I prefer to play it safe, instead of being sorry. +With my gear now packed, I make my way out the door being sure to lock it up tight. Wow! It’s such a gorgeous day out. So bright and a perfect temperature. I’d say it’s at least 70 degrees in the sun. I love this time of year when the weather is like this. It brings a smile to my face and an extra bounce to my step as I make my way to the training center. +There are a few people milling about, moving on with their day. Not many paying much mind to me at the moment. A few smile and give me a quick wave which I reciprocate. Most are tending to this year’s harvest, so we all have enough produce to last throughout the year. Others are going to either a training center similar to the one I’m heading to, or some other daily activity. +I love the rush of training. It’s one of the only things that allows me to vent and feel…really feel ordinary on a daily basis, even though I have to hold back my full potential. I know this is the one thing I can do really well and be able to feel normal the entire time. Today though is extra special. I’ve just thought of how to get Tank back without doing him any harm. Well, not much harm except maybe to his huge ego. I can’t help but to smile. He’s going to flip out, once he experiences a Wunderwedgie! + +~~~~~~~~ + +My favorite part of each day is patrolling. It’s the best when there’s some action. What I mean by action is when some of the zombie scum aimlessly wanders into our area and we get to give a no mercy beat-down. +There are six of us altogether on my team known as RIP 1 (Resilient Infected Police) in this area. There’s myself, Tank, Adam, Jonah, Sky and Zoot. Each team has no less than six members, no exceptions, ever. It’s been that way from as far back as the older members can remember. +We’ve lost quite a few members throughout the years, thousands. All casualties of this fucked up zombie horror that’s plagued the world for over 30 years now. It seems to only get worse as the years pass. +Investigators, scientists and civilians are all still trying to find the outbreak’s origin, hoping once the source is found, an end can be brought and we can all finally live in peace. Well maybe not in total peace. +A zombie free life would be fan-fucking-tastic! I’d love to not have to kill anymore. While I DO enjoy the rush and adrenaline I get from the fight and the knowledge that I just kept at least one person that’s not infected safe. It just eats me up inside, knowing that the infected I just took down was once a human, with a normal life; possibly a very happy one and might of even had a family. No one deserves to become an infected. +The worst part is when we have to put down a younger infected. I feel as if I lose a piece of my heart each time I have to neutralize one. It’s so sad; we’ve even had some infants that have had to be brought to rest. I don’t care if they call me a chicken shit or whatever other name in the proverbial book—even I have my limits. +It’s been 6 months since any of us had a nice zombie pounding session and we all recently petitioned the head of RIP to allow us to travel further out from our town, where I constantly sense hundreds of those fuckers, creeping like the creeps they are. I’ve only had a slight sense of their presence. So, I know they’re no less than 5 miles out. +It drives me crazy to know they’re out there and I NEED to let out some of my frustrations by pounding on a few thousand pounds of zombie flesh until they are all no more than rancid chop meat and I end up in dire need of a shower. +I have what you’d call the itch to bitch. But I can’t do that around my team. They don’t want to hear it. So, instead I press on. “Tank, did you hear anything from Sterling yet?” +He’s the only one on our team that knows the truth about me and my special abilities. He’s like the goofy big brother I never had and my BFF all rolled in to one gigantic package. +He doesn’t turn to look at me, but I know he sees me through his peripheral vision. He’s good like that. Eyes everywhere at all times. Plus, he’s a bit pissed at me for what I did to him during a training session today. He’s actually patrolling commando right now. Poor guy…not! +“Not yet, Wunder. We’re all waiting, just as impatiently as you are, to see some action. It’s been too damn quiet and the same training regimen day after day just isn’t doing it for any of us.” +I look away from him and sigh. “I know what you mean. There has to be something we can do to get the go ahead to venture further out. Maybe I should approach him—?” +“I doubt that would work. It’s not just Sterling that makes the decisions you know? Besides, the main setback is the little fact the big guys are all worried that if we leave, there might not be enough fighters left behind to protect everyone, if any infected suddenly came this way.” +Just then, I felt a shift of movement and focused on it. “Tank?” +“Yo.” +“I sense some moving closer. I’d say 20 to 30 give or take.” +“Shit! How close?” +“Not that close. I can’t tell exactly, but…” I pause to try and get a better feel for the exact number and how many are moving toward us. +“Let’s give it a shot, Wunder. We’ll go as a group and ask if we can scout the area where you’re sensing them and take action before they get too close. We won’t know until we try. You’ve never steered us wrong yet. I don’t see why we would be denied right now.” +“And what will we say to them Tank? Think about it for a minute. None of the heads know what I’m about and I plan to keep it that way for as long as I can. I don’t want to be a permanent pin cushion or labeled as a freak for the rest of my life. No, thank you, sorry.” I take a deep breath and wait to see if he has anything else to say after listening to my lovely rant but he remains silent and looks a bit guilty. +We both turn our heads to the sound of a vehicle coming fast right in our direction maneuvering the last second to avoid hitting us, then coming to a hard stop. Tank and I look at one another and our other team members who are gathering around us and we move toward the vehicle as a solid unit. +All the windows roll down simultaneously and there is a total of five people within. Two are unfamiliar to me and the others are a part of various RIP units. +“Wunder, Tank.” Ron, the driver and also Sterling’s right hand man speaks up first. “Sterling wants you two to come along with us to the next town to help assist the supply truck and some other RIP members that are trapped. They’re completely surrounded by over a hundred infected with no more ammo and no way out.” He nods his head toward the members in the back. “Lane and Elliot are going to take your place here until we return. Sterling wants his best for this and you two are it.” +The two RIP members that are to stand in for me and Tank are now exiting the vehicle and introducing themselves to Jonah and the others. +Tank and I look at one another with knowing smiles and hop right in, taking the now vacant seats even before they cooled from the previous passengers. +Ron peels out, even before we get the door closed and gets right to the point. “What’s going to happen right now is we’re going to pick up one more member, Justin who’s readying another vehicle. You two are going to go with him while we take this one. We’re going to park approximately a quarter of a mile out from the rendezvous point and foot it in with guns a blazing and swords a chopping. We want everyone that matters in one piece, no bites and as many infected exterminated as we can make happen. We have eight people to extricate at this point. There were twelve originally. But four had no patience to wait. One got infected and took his own life while a zombie was gnawing at his ankle. It’s not going to be pretty. I hope you’re both ready.” +“We’re always ready.” Tank states, while I’m thinking the exact same thing. +We’re all loaded up with weapons beyond imagination and getting closer to our rescue mission fast. No one abides the speed limits posted. We haven’t done that for years! +I’m sensing them stronger and stronger as we draw closer. There are more than a hundred but I keep that to yours truly. I cannot give myself away. I shift myself toward Tank. He and I are seated in the back while Jonah drives. I catch his eye; give a slight shake of my head and motion for him to look at my hands. +Luckily, we have done things like this before and have a way to communicate without words to one another. Putting up one finger and doing a double zero signal. Then, he glances back at my face and I nod my head for him to look back at my hands and put up one finger with the double zero and a plus sign. +His eyes widen, but he catches himself and clears his throat. +Then, I sit and think, “how in the hell are we going to get through over one hundred infected fuckers and all come out in one piece?” +Tank shoulders me back to the present. The vehicles are slowing down, getting ready to park, so we can start tracking it to our destination. I’m formulating a plan of attack in my head just like my dad always tells me to do. “Be prepared for anything Wunder and always make use of what’s at your disposal. Anything can be used as a weapon.” I turn to Tank and tell him, “I have a plan…” + +~~~~~~~~~~~ + +After taking only a few minutes to dish out the new plan, we go in groups of two and surround as much of the area as we can. Each of us holding machine guns with the ammo draped over our bodies like we’re Rambo wannabe’s. We’re strapped with a shit load of other killer weapons as well that say, “THE END” with their actions alone. +I have a ton of 2-in-1 magnetic throwing stars circling my waist. One of my all-time favorite weapons. There’s a 2.5 inch star stuck on top of a 3.5. Makes for double the weapon and I’m one accurate throw! +We’re all in place and waiting for the signal. There are already a good thirty or so VERY dead infected littering the streets. +After a heart beat passes, Ron shouts, “Everyone grab cover!” +Gun fire erupts and all hell breaks loose. The infected don’t stand a chance against guns. Especially, when each person firing is an accurate shot. We’ve already taken down at least thirty and they are still coming on strong. These fuckers are fast! Luckily, bullets are faster or we’d be zombie toast. +The infected bodies are piling up higher and higher. I don’t recall ever seeing such a sight. It’s fucking great! Tank stops to reload while I’m still shooting up a storm. “Hurry Tank! I’m almost out.” +“Got it. All set!” +Perfect timing! When Tank starts firing I hear the tell-tale click click, letting me know I need to reload. Swiftly reloading and ready to fire, I hear Ron shouting in the distance, “Look out!” +Both Tank and I turn toward his voice and see Justin surrounded by about eight infected. I think fast and hand Tank my gun while removing stars from my belt and making quick work of four of the fuckers. Dropping them like dead fruit falling from a tree on a windy day, then making work of two more. +Justin is kicking one of the bastards in the face repeatedly. +Then, the other of the original eight has her eyes set on me. She starts running full speed at me like a freight train. +I kick up my pace as well while pulling out my dagger and slicing her throat before she even knows what hit her. +Justin is still fighting with the one bastard he’s been kicking for what seems like forever. +An easy kill for me since this infected is practically lying on the ground. “Justin move, NOW!” I make quick work of stabbing the fucker in his cranium, I then snap his head clear off his shoulders. +“Thanks Wunder.” +I give a slight nod and hand him the only gun I have left which now leaves me with just a few stars, four grenades, my dagger and bare hands to finish off the few that are left. +He takes off toward Ron while shooting down a few zombies in his path until the gun empties, making it to Ron and getting a new piece locked and loaded. +Tank runs up beside me while I’m trying to sense how many are left. It’s difficult to explain how I can sense the infected and tell the count. It’s almost like a second pair of eyes floating around and seeing everything through night vision goggles. Similar to green hued auras...I only see three—no make that two left. +Ron gets one right between the eyes and it drops hard. +I sense more behind the warehouse and I tell Tank as much, so we head in that direction. I only sense seven of them. But there’s no way I’m about to let any of them live. I pull out a star and separate the smaller one from the larger one and am ready for the kill. +What we see before us is an absolute horror. The four infected are feeding on two children, one no more than eleven years old. The other victim is even younger—so tiny and helpless. +I quickly swallow the lump that forms in my throat and aim for the kill. I drop two within a few seconds and Tank tales down the rest with his gun. +I don’t sense any more infected around as far as my senses go. But the children that were just attacked are going to come back once the infection runs its course. “Tank…I—I can’t. Those poor kids. What are we going to do?” +Just then Justin, Ron and two others come running around the corner and stop in their tracks. “Oh shit!” They shout in unison. +“I got this ya’ll” +I shift my eyes and look at this monster of a man. This dude is HUGE! I thought Tank was large and in charge. But this guy makes him look miniscule. His accent sure as hell does not fit his look. But who am I to judge? I’ve not heard many accents except for some German, Irish and Italian throughout the years. I’m thinking a Texan; maybe. +He looks at all of us and his eyes stop right on me. “Ya’ll go about your business. I’ll wait and take care of what needs to be done here. Go on. There are others that need you.” +We are all staring at him. +I turn to Ron and he gives me a nod. Right now, I honestly don’t care what the guy’s name is or even who he is. I just can’t stomach this part of the job. Those poor kids. They barely got to live and now…? +“Let’s go, Wunder. We need to get the supply trucks back and help whoever is left and get them settled in their new homes. It’s one long ass night for us.” Tank tugs my arm to get me to start moving where we need to go. +We walk back a bit slow to where the supply trucks and others are and I see some of the other RIP members moving infected bodies, so a path is clear for traveling through. Both by foot and by vehicle. I mean the ground is covered with infected bodies beyond belief right now. +Just then, I hear someone say, “We need to pile them in the center over there, so nothing in the surrounding area can catch fire when we burn them.” +A faint recognition flows through me. That voice. It’s so damned familiar. I feel warmth in my abdomen and every tiny hair on my body is standing on end. I look to my left and cannot believe what I am seeing. I think it’s him. The boy—make that the man from my dreams. It has to be! It’s as if I’ve seen him before and I’m feeling the same warm feeling I experience in my dreams whenever he is near. I only see his side profile. But WOAH! What a profile. He’s built like a man who works out daily. A sleek, tall and incredibly attractive piece of perfection. I want to see his full face. If only he’ll turn around. +I’m staring right at him, mentally asking him to please look at me over and over in my mind. +Suddenly, he stops chatting it up with his friend and whips his head in my direction. +Those eyes! Oh my god—Those eyes. They’re beautiful. He’s beautiful. I’m rooted to the spot. I cannot look away as he stares at me. +He looks stunned. He says something and his friend turns to him. But it seems as if he brushes him off. +I try to read his lips, but all I can make out is the words shit and myself. I can’t stop the smile that blooms on my face. Did he just say he shit himself? For real? Nah, it can’t be that. +He says some other words to himself or his friend maybe? +I try, but I just couldn’t make them out from this distance. I’ve never been a good lip reader. Right about now, I really wish I would have practiced more. I need to know what he’s saying. His gaze is so intense and I feel as if I should move towards him. I get a moment of doubt. What if it’s not him? The one from my dreams... +Tank nudges me. “Wunder? Come on woman. Let’s go. I would like to get some sleep tonight at least.” +“Yea, alright. One thing first. Do you know who that guy is right there?” +“Which one? There’s more than one over there you know.” +“The one with the jet black hair, bright eyes dressed in all black. He’s standing next to Raul.” +“Oh yeah, that’s one of the new guys. His name is Pete. Don’t know anything else about him though.” +I forced my eyes away from the man I think might be my destiny and follow Tank in the opposite direction. I feel dream-boat’s gaze on me as I walk away. It’s fine. I’m not worried. He’s going to be coming to live in my town now. I’ll see him again. I know it. I feel it in my soul… + +The Wunder Series + + + +http://tinyurl.com/WUNDER-KINDLE + +Wunder Book One +(The Approach) +The Wunder Series from Debut Author, A.R. Von +A Semi-Zombie Erotic Treat + +Wunder isn’t your average girl; in fact, she isn’t even an average human. In a world ravaged by Zombies, she was born amidst the chaos. Where can a girl like her find the man of her delicious dreams? She has an idea and it leads her to the hottest new club in town, where she finds what’s been missing in her life. +Pete has his own secrets to tell, and when they come together, another story unfolds while the sparks fly. + + + + +Coming Soon: + + + +Wunder’s life has been far from perfect, being part Zombie in a world devastated by the plague of the walking dead. Still, she knew there was something special awaiting her, someone out there who could change everything and she did find him. Pete is everything she dreamed of and more, as she discovers passion and fulfillment for the first time in her life. +Now her life turns into a journey of discoveries. Secrets from the past come full circle and her world is changed forever. In the coming chaos, can she keep her new found happiness and the man of her dreams? + +Don’t miss the awesome trailer! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sipAihP2MhQ&feature=youtu.be + + + + +BIO: + +A.R. is a mother of two entertaining teen boys (as well as a lovely fawn Chihuahua, whom she considers her furry daughter.) She’s also a wife to a delightfully handsome and amazingly funny man-beast. +She’s an avid reader of many genres which include (but are not limited to) erotica, paranormal, ménage, fantasy, YA, western (she has to have a hot cowboy, or two, here and there) and some historical. +She also loves to exercise, listen to music, hike, cook, dance and write. She writes to free her mind of its constant wondering and loves the fact she can share it with readers that have the same passion for a great story. +She loves to hear from her reader’s and chat away, so feel free to reach out to her any time. + +http://dreamzofdragons.blogspot.com/ +OR at: https://www.facebook.com/ARVon2 + +Annie Walls +  + + +Dedication + +To Alisha, Mac’s biggest fan. + +A Note From The Author: + +This short is a companion to The Famished Trilogy. + +  +Then… + +When the door of the quaint house opened, annoyance flared up, which is a familiar feeling. The short brunette peered back at me with a flushed face and puffy eyes. She was cute, and no doubt in any other situation I’d charm her legs open. My mother couldn’t be subtle about anything. I hadn’t even spoken to this girl yet but deep down, I knew. +I held up a finger. “Excuse me a second.” Shifting the brown bag from Jason’s Deli to my other arm, I slipped my phone out of my pocket while walking down the sloped driveway. +“Yeeees,” she answered after the first ring in a conspiring voice. +“You’re trying to set me up!” I gritted out in a low tone. +“Why would you think that?” Innocence oozed out like honey from a jar. +“You have a criteria. She meets it with flying colors. Except she looks like she’s on her death bed.” I looked out at the rolling hills that made up the streets of Chattanooga. The setting sun allowed the hills to cast shadows along the dips and curves. +A sigh went through the phone. “Jaclyn doesn’t have anyone to help her, Mac. Like I said, she just moved here to go to the community college. I can’t get away from the store right now. So be kind to my newest cashier.” I didn’t say anything while I fumed. She knew it or else she wouldn’t have told me to be kind. Another sigh. This one sounded exasperated. “I’m getting old! Is it too much to ask for grandchildren from you? By the rate you’re going I’ll be 75!” +My lips twitched. “You have grandchildren. And stop being dramatic, forty-nine isn’t old. I have it on good authority you’ll outlive the cockroaches.” +She laughed, knowing I’m kidding. “At least she’s not a stripper.” +The irritation that had dissipated returned ten-fold. “You’re never going to let me live that down, are you? I might as well go ahead and tell you… I can’t wait for you to meet your new daughter-in-law. Found her down at Saucy Sally’s, love at first sight. The pregnancy is going” +“That’s not funny!” she interrupted. “I’m not saying get serious too soon. Wouldn’t it be nice to have someone to come home to? Besides me?” +I blinked and scratched the scruff on my face. “Think my honey would get mad if I practice impregnating Jaclyn? Guess we’ll find out. Bye, Ma!” I snapped the top button on the phone, and slid my finger across it to shut it off. It wasn’t her fault she was lonely and wanted someone to coddle while I was gone. My brother and his wife lived two states away with the whole two point five kids and the white picket fence. Not that he ever invited me over to see. Anyway, I just didn’t want anyone waiting around for me. +It wouldn’t be fair because I’d die in the field just like my dad. With honor, but I wouldn’t be leaving anyone behind. I wouldn’t subject anyone having to accept my death as heroism when it felt anything but. +Jaclyn watched me from her small porch as I walked back up the drive. “Sorry about that.” I held up the bag. “Soup and Tylenol.” +A small smile touched her lips. “You didn’t have to.” She opened her door and waved me in. “I’ve heard a lot about you.” +I flinched and followed her into the kitchen. I doubted any of what she heard was bad, but I trusted she wasn’t hoping for anything my mom sprouted. Looking around the kitchen, the only things she had on the counters were a microwave, a jar of instant coffee—nasty but you got to do what you got to do—and a dish drainer with a lone coffee cup in it. +Jaclyn looked at me as I set the bag on the table. “She’s proud of you and only wants someone else to be proud of you, too. Although, I don’t feel up for any baby making sessions.” The wry tone wasn’t lost on me. +Trying not to wince, I said, “You heard that?” +“The whole neighborhood heard it.” I guess I should feel relieved Jaclyn knew my mom’s antics, but I was endeared more than anything. She rubbed her forehead. “I really need that Tylenol. My body hurts all over.” +“You have the flu?” +She shook her head. “No, I had to get some vaccinations to start school. I went to the clinic yesterday, they were giving them out for free.” +“You went to the free clinic? No wonder you feel like shit.” +A glare shot from her brown eyes, but she rolled them. “Gee, I didn’t think to use my hard earned cash from working at the general store for a prestigious doctor. I don’t really need to eat after all.” The sarcasm flowing out of her endeared me just a little more. “Besides, I’ve never reacted well to vaccines. It won’t last.” +“Need me to do anything? Warm up that soup?” I pointed to the container she put next to the microwave. +“I’m not hungry, just tired. You can go. I know you only have a few days of leave left. You’re going overseas, right?” +I nodded, not really wanting to talk about it. She probably thought I’d rather spend the time with my high school buds at Saucy Sally’s only to leave with no money and bad case of blue balls. Even though the place would disgust me more than give me a hard-on. Casting a glance around her house, I caught sight of her little TV and the DVDs surrounding it. Her couch was in the middle of the space and the bedroom was beyond that. “We can watch a movie.” +She peered at me, looking for any signs of pity or sympathy I assumed. “I don’t have cable, so it’s the only thing to watch.” +Even though she felt like shit and obviously getting worse, we found ourselves laughing at our one-liners and sarcasm well into the night. I didn’t even remember falling asleep. +* +“No, Gwen! Ben didn’t want to, and I’m very proud of Mac’s decision. You should be, too.” My dad said, but it was muffled through the wall of their bedroom. I sat at the table eating Lucky Charms. +“I’d be more proud if I thought it was his decision.” My mother threw back at him. I wished they’d shut up and not argue. He’d only be here for another week and we’re supposed to go fishing today. +“Leave it alone. The ROTC program will prepare him.” +Time disappeared. I sat on the couch with a mouth full of popcorn and my thumbs tapping the game controller rapidly in my hand, killing zombies on the screen. The phone rang and soon after a wail sounded throughout our house. I ran into the kitchen to see my mom crumbled in a ball on the floor. Looking back at the TV, the screen was red in hue from zombies feasting on my avatar. My mom growled from the floor. I snapped my attention to her, and she hurled herself at me with dead eyes. +My eyes sprang open but squinted in the morning sunlight. Sweat gathered like dew on my upper lip. My mouth tasted like someone shit in it. I sat up from the couch, rubbing the burn from my eyes. The TV screen softly moved with the old-as-hills DVD player’s screensaver. The bedroom door was cracked open, but Jaclyn was probably still sleeping. I don’t even remember her going to bed. +I walk into the kitchen and opened drawers to find a spoon. The jar of instant coffee was calling my name as I twisted it open and stuck the spoon in. Squeezing my eyes shut, I stuffed the spoonful into my mouth. The bitter grains rubbed against the roof of my mouth. I filled the coffee cup with water and downed it. I stood a moment. Fuck it. I took another giant spoonful with a water chaser. +Walking back into the living room, I froze, noticing Jaclyn’s body on the floor behind the couch. Adrenaline pumped into my veins. “Shit! Jaclyn?” I bent, feeling for a pulse, and jerked my hand back when I found none. Goosebumps spread up my arms and my breathing became heavy. I ran to the other side of the couch plopping on it and reaching for my phone on the coffee table. +It seemed to take a million years for it to boot up. When it did, numerous text and voice messages popped up. “What the hell?” +Where are you? +Answer your phone! +Call me! +An eerie groan came from behind the couch. As I lifted myself up to see what it was, Jaclyn flew over the couch, knocking us both to the floor. Pain splintered through my head when it hit the coffee table. Panic rose and almost seized me, but I grabbed her face. She kept screeching while snapping her teeth at my face with dried and cracked lips. The whites of her eyes were completely full of blood. +“The fuck?” The thunder of my heartbeat plunged into my ears, making my voice seem far away. I kicked up my feet and threw her off me. She crashed over the coffee table and into the TV. DVDs scattered around her. +I jumped up and went for the door, but she was right behind me. Her arm had twisted in a weird way, and she could only grab me with the other. She managed to throw herself at me, and we hit the wall. I maneuvered around and put her in a headlock. She immediately went to bite my arm, but I tightened my hold on a pressure point, hoping she’d pass out. Her muffled snarls and desperation kicked a chill up my spine as she struggled. Twisting her other arm to keep her from grabbing me, I realized how clammy and cold she felt. +Snorting from the vileness of it all, I released and kicked her away from me, and she fell face first into the couch. +I watched, dropping into stance as she righted herself without being stunned and came for me again. Punching her in the nose, thickened blood emerged out abnormally as her head snapped up right. I grabbed the large umbrella perched next to the front door and swung in an uppercut. The impact caused her to fall back on the floor, but she sat up. I swung it again hitting her in the head and finally stabbed her in the eye with the point of it. Pulling the umbrella from her eye socket with a sickening noise, bloody matter came with it, but she was still. +The silence that followed was deafening. I dropped the umbrella, keeping an eye on her corpse. Blood seeped out onto the cream carpeting. My arms shook and the shaking took over my body. I just killed a civilian. Dropping to my knees, I stared at her one-eyed corpse. Maybe it was just self-defense? No, it was instinct. I’d never hurt a civilian, let alone a girl. I’d spent the past four years of my life protecting them and planned on doing it until I die. She should have passed out from lack of blood flow, but she didn’t. +As the adrenaline calmed down, someone screamed in the distance. I ran to the front window and peered out. There was a car crashed into a brick mailbox down the road. Other than that, I couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary, but I could hear it. +My phone trembled as I looked at the messages again. A few of them were from my mom and even more from my commanding officer. +Putting the phone to my ear, I started with the first received at three o’clock this morning. This wasn’t out of the ordinary. She passed on the Collin’s Curse to me. Insomnia. Although, mine wasn’t as bad as hers, she said it would get worse in time. “Mac? Sorry to bother you, but I’m out in the garage working on my project and the neighbor is banging on the door. I called the police, but there’s a busy signal. Could you come home please? He’s scaring me.” The heavy metallic banging could be heard in the background. Beep. Next one received at four-thirty six. “Honey, where are you?” Her voice shook and my body broke out into a sweat. “I’m barricaded in my bedroom. I tried calling your brother, but…just stay where you are. I love you.” The last one at received at five oh four. “Please be OK,” she whispered and barely audible from crying. +I hit the call back button. It went straight to voicemail. By this point, I gasped for breath. I dialed my brother, Ben. Another voicemail. I didn’t bother checking the messages from Sarge. I dialed him instead. “Collins. You’re alive.” +* +Four years later… +A tap sounds at my door. “Go away! I’m sleeping!” I snap the lie because at least I’m trying to. It’s in the middle of the night for fuck’s sake. The door opens, which only pisses me off more. “What?” +Guido’s disgusting form darkens the doorway. He stands sideways and his chest glitters from all the gold he wears there. “Git up Mac boy. Git yer little bag of goodies. I need yer services.” +“For what? Unless someone is dying, it can wait till tomorrow.” The only person I’d get up in the middle of the night for isn’t here. My best friend is on his own death wish mission. +“Might be too late, see? Purty boy done brought back some dame. She’s sick. Infection.” He wrinkles his nose. “Nasty cut. Yew should see it.” +Pretty boy. He’s talking about Rudy. I sit up and try not to show how relieved I am the bastard is still alive. I’m trying not to think of the implications of how he got to Julie, let alone get her out. I’m assuming it’s her that’s sick. “She’s not going to turn, is she?” +He shakes his head. “She wrecked ‘er car. Didn’t know she had a gash on ‘er head. Now, she all feverish. She could heat the place up.” +“Fine.” +After putting on a T-shirt and straightening my dog tags underneath it, I slip on my boots and tie them quickly. My medicine bag is already by the door when I pick it up and glance at my bed. No need to make it, I’ll be right back. +He takes me to the women’s dormitory of the community he’s been building on for around three years. The room I walk into automatically makes me want a tetanus shot. It smells like someone had a sex marathon in a puddle of vomit. The chick on the bare mattress catches my attention. The heat on her face emanates to my skin before I touch it. Flushed with fever hell… she needs pain reliever and IV antibiotics. I sigh, I have a lot of work to do. “Where’s Rudy?” +Guido smiles and shows his need for dental hygiene. “Gettin’ me some dead ‘ems.” +I repress the urge to look revolted. This cockroach and I have a very loose, uneasy truce. Keeping my mouth shut on his extra curricular activities with zombies is important. “This isn’t Julie.” I state. +Guido’s eyes draw together. “Who’s Julie? Chickie is Kan, purty boy told me. Don’t want nothin’ happenin’ to ‘er. Won’t be happy he said.” +I bend down in front of her. No, she is not Julie. The complete opposite, really. Who is this girl? The position she’s in on the bed causes her T-shirt to stretch across her chest. Nicely rounded—a little more than a handful, I’d bet money on it. +Guido interrupts my prognosis. “You gonna help her or keep staring at her? Yew boy is paying me good to nurse her sweet ass back to health.” +“Shut up and get out.” I wave my hand towards the general direction of the door. +When the door closes behind him, I glance at a huge pack at the end of the bed. First things first, I search for the gash. It looks like it’s been cleaned recently, but puffs around the edges in an angry red. The gash itself is raw and bleeds a bit. Her body trembles when I feel it. Her flushed cheeks round into a heart-shaped face. Breaths come out of her in soft pants. The biggest problem is her dread locks. They’re crusted over with blood around the gash. They soak it up like sponges. She trembles again, giving me a show down her V-neck shirt. +“Better be glad you have nice cleavage going on, or I’d shave these fuckers off.” +I reach for my bag as she responds. “I have to put the fire out.” Drowsiness thickens her voice. “It will draw zombies while I sleep.” Her eyes open to look at me. They are light surrounded by thick lashes. Nice. +She tries to get up, but I gently push her back down. “I’ll put your fire out.” I say, only half joking. After giving her a little dose of fever reducer in her arm, I begin setting up an IV of antibiotics and look back at her to find her still looking at me. +She smiles, touching my face with surprisingly rough fingertips. “I miss the beach.” She says as her eyes drift closed. +I blink at her sickness-induced conversation and inject some heavy narcotic for any pain she might have, which I should try and ask her about, but all I can mange is, “The beach?” Didn’t we all? +Her eyes pop open and she shakes her head a little. “Your eyes, dumbass. They remind me of the beach.” +“Think I’m handsome, do you?” That’d be no less than awesome. +“Maybe.” Too bad the medication makes its way through her system. She passes out on me. +As I clean her wound and rinse her hair of encrusted blood, I study the rest of her. Her boots are caked with dirt, dried blood and famished debris. Lean and cut with feminine muscle, her arms have thin threads of scabs all over them. I swallow, taking in the rest of her. +I suture the gash closed not really paying attention to it. She needs clean sheets on the bed. I have half of mind to take her to my room, but think better of it. I don’t know her, and her sweet face isn’t enough to convince me she isn’t crazy. You have to be to have survived this long. Not to mention, the very familiar bandana tied around her dreads. +I run to my room to use an iron to sterilize sheets. When I get back, I have to lay her in the floor while I put them on the bed. She’s not all muscle but soft in the right places. When I put her onto the clean sheets her face falls toward me. Her lips are parted as a thick thread of drool drips from the corner of her mouth onto the sheet. I laugh, but after all the medication I’ve pumped into her she doesn’t respond. +I go to the end of the bed, picking up the pack. Underneath it sits a pistol crossbow. There was an arrow in it ready to be shot. They are store bought and look as old as everything else she has. The pack has a double-sided axe and a machete hanging from it. They both look worn from use. Where the hell did Rudy find this girl? +I’m almost reluctant to see what else this girl has, but I have to find out. I dig through it, coming up with canned food, clothing and at the very bottom, a laptop. I almost dismiss it as a means for pictures and home movies from before the outbreak, but the massive amounts of different cables give me pause. Why would she have these? I open the laptop and power it up. A strange screen pops up. A strange logo stares at me, waiting for a command. It tells me to push escape for the operating system. I expect the desktop to be a picture, but it’s a plain blue with dozens of unrecognizable icons. +When I open one, an intricate line of babble looks back at me. Upon opening the other ones more babble I don’t understand, but I know enough to know this isn’t an ordinary laptop. The question is, what should I do with it? +I look to Kan still sleeping and hardly looking like a computer geek, but the best ones don’t look nerdy nor do they speak of what they can do. If I turn her in, she’ll be thrust into doing whatever they want from her. My stomach drops at this thought, especially since she’s the perfect candidate they’re looking for. I can always just turn in her name as alive and active. Nothing else, but what if she has something against her? Am I willing to take that chance before getting to know more about her? And what the fuck is it anyway? I usually wouldn’t have a problem turning this in, but I never thought I’d come across the likely person. Especially considering the morons that surround me on a daily basis. +I’ll wait and find out as much as I can before I come to a decision. After powering the laptop down, I stuff it back into her bag. So Rudy doesn’t want anything happening to her. Knowing the fucker’s standoffish quirk and attitude against women in general, she must be something special. I can’t wait to find out what it is. + +* + +Sitting at the bar in the Clap Trap, I’m taking in all the empty cages and beams. It seems Guido is pretty desperate for famished. It’s still warm out, so of course he had Rudy go looking for them. It’s obvious Rudy was in a big bind when he got Kan here. He knows he could have come to me, and I would have helped Kan free of charge. He probably came looking for me here, since he knows I hardly sleep. +The alcohol makes itself known in my bloodstream. The mildew smell of the bar is no longer pronounced. Maybe I’ll catch some good shuteye tonight. +Reece sits beside me, rubbing his tattooed head. A habit I think he does when he’s drunk and wallowing in his past. “Come on. I’ll give you one for free,” he says. There’s a bead in his goatee getting ready to fall out. +“No way. If I wanted a prison tattoo, I’d do it myself.” I doubt I’ll ever willingly put an open wound on my body in a world full of famished. Reece is always trying to give someone a tattoo. He needs a new hobby. +A massive shadow drapes over Reece and I as the squeak of one of the famished cages open. The bitch boys are stuffing one in. A female, and she puts up one hell of a fight. Snarls ensue from her throat, and she’s unaware of her tits bouncing everywhere. +“I see you haven’t lost your touch. Where did you go? A strip club?” I joke at the source of the large shadow. +“Damn, Rudy.” Reece says, eyeing the zombie in contempt, but he brightens and looks back at him. “Think of anything yet?” +“I told you if I ever think of something I want on my body forever, I’ll let you know.” Rudy sits in the stool on the other side of me, his body tense, but he shakes his head, watching the zombie with a hint of disdain. Rings circle his eyes as if he’s lost sleep. “You should see the one he wanted up there.” He jerks his chin up to the loft overlooking the Trap where Guido spends most of his time doing whatever he does. +I screw my nose in revulsion. “I’ll pass.” +“I have to go, but I wanted to talk to you first.” +This might be interesting. “Wouldn’t have anything to do with your newfound taste in women, would it?” +Reece raises the bushes he calls eyebrows and leans in to hear the answer. Rudy’s jaw clenches, but he realizes it and goes for neutral. “It’s not like that.” +Trying not to look surprised or happy about it, I say, “Where did she come from?” I almost curse myself because he looks at me sharply, already knowing I looked through her stuff by that one question. I should have worded it differently, but something flashes in his eyes. He’s worried about this one. I pick up my moonshine to sip on it. +“I don’t know. She crashed an SUV near the base. She was going right in the middle of the dead zone.” +Surprise causes moonshine to go down the wrong pipe and up my nose. The burn waters my eyes, and I cough until I can speak again, “What fucking for?” +“Same thing as me. She has someone there. I have a couple of rounds in the ring, so we’ll be here for a few weeks at most. Says she’ll help me get into the base, and Guido’s rounding up a few guys, too.” +This all makes a lot of sense. He’s paying for it, but at least he won’t be going by himself anymore, but for some reason, I want to go on the death mission, too. He continues, “I need a favor.” +Even if I want to, I can’t. “You know I can’t go.” +“That’s not what I need.” When I glance at him, he’s staring at me as if he can convey what he wants though ESP. I almost laugh, but his features sharpen. He’s serious. Deadly so, and I already know I’ll do what I can. “I need you to keep Kan under wraps.” +It’s what I expected. “Already figured I should look into her more before coming to any decisions. But why would you care?” +“Because she has no problems wanting to help. I believe she thinks she owes me. She has some conclusive theories.” He glances at the dance floor filled with drunken bodies. “She can hold her own. Even when sick and dizzy and riding piggy back, she fought the famished.” He looks back at me with that intense stare he has. “We were a split second from being trampled by them.” +“What?” Reece says at the same time I say, “Piggy back? Really?” I’m a tad envious, but at least I know what it is now. They connected during the heat of battle. +Rudy smirks at us while tightening his bandana. The one he doesn’t normally wear. “Not something I’ll forget anytime soon. Kind of badass, but she doesn’t know much almost like she’s been… hiding and somehow a loved one ended up at the base in the dead zon—” He cuts off, catching sight of something across the warehouse. Smacking the bar, he rumbles, “Time to go.” +Reece and I follow his line of sight and laugh as he strides to the side door of the Trap. +“Hey! When’s your next fight?” +“Day after tomorrow,” he throws over his shoulder. +He looks back at me, saluting with a tipped smile. Poor guy is always running away from women. Looking back at the redheaded hooker who scowls at the slamming door, I don’t blame him a bit. +* +Then… +Climbing into my car, the radio gave me the same news as the Sarge. Right then, the big cities were in states of emergency with everyone being told to stay in their homes. From the look of it, there’s nothing anyone could do. If Jaclyn would have had cable, we’d have found out a whopping eighty-one percent of the country was sick. +I didn’t know it yet, but my commanding officer was dead within twenty-four hours of our conversation. Everyone died, because they did the exact same thing as I did. Instead of following strict orders, I went to my mom’s house. I still have dreams about everything I saw on the way, but I never stopped to help anyone. According to the Sarge, anyone sick or bitten was considered dangerous. He was extra interested in Jaclyn’s symptoms, but I didn’t really know or pay attention since she said it was normal. +The car still sat in the driveway. I held my firearm up when I noticed the driver’s side door was slick and shiny with blood, and the garage door wide open. My mom’s wooden table was turned over, but it looked like a struggle and not something she did for the project itself. I reached a shaking hand to turn the doorknob of the house. When I opened it, blood covered the hallway walls. A handprint stuck out to me, and my eyes burned as they took in the kitchen. More blood streaked the floors with footprints. Even on the spot I had found her curled into a ball the day we got the call. +I strained to hear anything going on further into the house. From the voicemail message, I knew I needed to see the bedroom. I had to know. +Upon investigating, all I found was more gore and no bodies—meaning she probably left the house on foot—as one of them. My throat wanted to close in on itself as I dropped my arms to my sides still gripping the pistol. I swept the room with my gaze, landing on a folded flag in a glass case. Backing out of the room, I swallowed repeatedly. A ringing started in my ears as I walked down the stairs before a high keening sound came from the top. I turned in time to see a man stumble down the stairs, taking me with him. We turned over twice before we landed. Teeth snapped in front of my face as I held him back to shoot him. The aim was a little off and I got him right in the face as blood and thicker things stuck to the wall and my arms. +I jumped up and ran to the sink as my body trembled and scrubbed my skin clean, watching the frantic movements of my own hand under the water. When I was done, I leaned against the counter. There was only one thing to do. Report for duty. +* +Now… +I walk in Guido’s loft without knocking not bothering to look around at his appalling abode. He shoots me an irritated glare, but my eyes go directly to Mago sitting on the couch—a stark contrast against the light color of it. That’s right, he’s here for a put on show. I would apologize for interrupting, but I’m not sorry. It’s not like they were doing anything important. Guido’s rolling his cigarettes. +I ignore Mago. Even though I don’t want to say what I have to say in front of him, I do anyway. “You’re getting some guys up for Rudy?” +Guido nods, “Yeah. So? Purty gorilla payin’ for it.” +“Count me in.” +“Why? Who gonna git me my shit? No good to me dead. And all those peeps goin’ might as well be dead now. Unless yew want to bring back gorilla boy as a dead ‘em, I know he got ta have—” +“You’re a sordid human being.” I spit, cutting him off before he says what I think he’s going to say. Rudy already hit the jackpot in the—I’m a huge motherfucker—gene lottery. I don’t want to think about the bastard’s—my junk’s so heavy I always have to reposition it—problems. A smile stretches across Guido’s face as if he likes people thinking he’s disgusting. “Doesn’t matter what happens to me, I’m replaceable.” +“I don’t think so, we gots somethin’ special yew and me.” Guido glances at Mago. “Yew gonna bring back Mac boy as a dead ‘em?” +Sitting back against the couch, Mago steeples his fingers with dark, dangerous eyes. “I condone your idiosyncrasies. Not revel in them.” +I laugh because I’m right there with him. Guido turns back to me, “Fine, but I need some supplies before yew leave and another fight from purty boy.” +“No more fights.” I glare at him, daring him to argue with me. +He doesn’t, knowing he has what he has because of me. “All good,” he mumbles, returning his attention back to his cigarettes. +Suppressing a comeback, I turn and leave. The door doesn’t close behind me, and I look over my shoulder to see Mago standing on the landing. The door closes and he speaks, “You know what you’re doing?” +“Yes, and I don’t need you speaking a word to anyone. It would be good to have your help.” +“It’s not time.” +“Not going to stop these people from getting killed.” +“You can stop them,” he says. +“No, but I can prolong it.” +* +When I make it to the Trap, Rudy is already there taking shots of moonshine before his fight. “You throwing this one?” +Smiling, he shakes his head. “If I was, I wouldn’t tell you.” He’s right. The last time he fought, he let Isaac kick the crap out of him, but it was because of the deal he made with Guido. +“Kan wake up?” +Rudy shifts in his seat and situates his package discreetly. “Yeah, but she’s not coming.” +I snort, “Right.” And I let it go when I see Guido walking towards us. “Good luck, man. I didn’t bet on your ass this time.” +He answers by taking his shot before I walk away. I’m heading toward the hallway to leave when the outside door opens. Glinda walks in and she laughs with Kan. +Kan says something to her and Glinda gives her a look. I scoot up against the wall to watch them and absently pick glue from my fingers, an unfortunate result of making arrows. She turns her attention to the warehouse with wide eyes, taking everything in. Walking to the bar, she grips her pistol crossbow as if she might have to use it any minute. Glinda grabs her, pulling her away from where they stand. Glinda hands her a shot that looks to be tequila from the color. She takes it easily and keeps looking around. They laugh at something being said. The sound carries to my ears even over the music. +I notice when Kan spots Rudy because she freezes and steps back as if she doesn’t want him to see her. Candy walks up to Rudy as I smirk at how he tenses up. She rubs him and Kan watches curiously. She looks away and takes in the assorted famished littered throughout the warehouse. +The DJ announces the fight and the patrons scream the announcement with him. A barely-there top catches my attention. It’s a small tank top and huge tits are poking out the sides and over the top. Peaches, the source of the slutty top and every single bout of crab rumors, strolls up and smiles at me. +“Why don’t you leave something for the imagination?” I snap and send a scowl her way. My reputation holds up as she walks away, muttering something I’ve heard before. Why can’t they come up with something original so I can at least laugh? I look back to Kan, but she is gone. I bump myself from the wall in pursuit. +I find them watching in the back. I go back and forth between the fight and Kan. It’s just as entertaining watching Kan like she has never seen such things. According to Rudy, maybe she hasn’t. The crowd cheers on and off and at one point Kan chews her finger. +The announcer claims Rudy is the winner. His face is a little bloody, but he’s holding onto a rib. I’ll have to check him out to make sure he hasn’t injured it too badly. I look back in time to see Kan being pulled away by a nasty sort of fellow I’ve never talked to but know his name is Gary. It’s my job to know everyone’s names. Following them to the dance floor, he’s groping her when she turns and swings her fist, knocking him a good one. She shakes her hand out as he falls back to the floor with no one catching him. People laugh and continue dancing around him. I almost laugh at the indignant look on the pervert’s face, but stop when I realize Rudy’s right. She can hold her own. +Tapping him in the shoulder with my boot, I tell him, “Get the hell out here!” Gary jumps up and runs off, leaving behind a trail of body odor. +She stares at me and I smile. Looking stunned, she gives me a half smile in return causing me to wonder if she remembers our conversation. I melt into the crowd as I hear Glinda telling her they needed to leave. Glinda the good witch my ass, more like Glinda the Wicked Hooker of the West. She hates me and with good reason. +* +Then…. +When I opened the garage door to leave the house, I had a huge problem causing my blood pressure to spike and more adrenaline kicked me into high gear. More of them were piling into the garage. The one in front moved its veiny arm in the way just as I was smashing the door closed using all my weight. The thing groaned, but I kept pushing as thick blood dripped down the doorframe. A crack came from his arm, but the door was getting harder to keep in position. The sheer number was overwhelming my strength. +I dropped back and took off for the stairs, remembering where my mom’s car was parked. Bodies fell through the door landing on the floor in the place I just vacated. I heard them groaning and shuffling around as I made it into a standing position. Entering the front bedroom, I slammed the door closed just as I heard them on the stairs. I pushed some furniture to keep them out longer and looked out the window. Dozens of them were walking down the street to surround the house. The gunshot must have drawn them. +Opening the window, I climb out and maneuver myself along the ledge to the rain gutter before jumping and landing with a loud metal thud on top of the car. The impact caused my knees to jar my nerve endings, but it didn’t last long. After checking out the situation, the majority of the growing crowd was inside the garage. Gripping my gun, I shot the nearest ones so I could make it to my car. After hopping in, I stared out at the scene before me, knowing it was only going to get worse. +* +I was so screwed, but I didn’t care. Bringing the bottle to my lips, I gulped it in rapid succession. I had a few days to get my shit together, but I doubted that would happen. I hadn’t slept in days, maybe for a few minutes at a time, but it didn’t matter. I accepted a position on an ongoing field mission, meaning I’d be dead soon. +People watched movies and read books about this sort of thing. I always laughed at the ridiculousness of it all. There would be extreme emphasis on military jargon and weaponry or all the important people are safe, but no one else. Most of the time media and literature gave way too much power on politics or scientific explanations. Secondary characters honor bound to defend their country, but who didn’t seemingly give a shit about their dead loved ones when only the main characters were able to save theirs or show emotional pitfalls when they couldn’t. Bullshit. +In reality, there were revolutionist strategically placing this shit and now sitting back and laughing at the superb job they’d done. Nothing was safe. No one was safe. Anything and anyone that could help was already gone. They were the first to go. While everyone else scrambled to adapt and change because there was no going back. That was not to say there weren’t people who wanted it, because there were. Of course, they were living in a fantasy. +A knock sounded at my door, but I didn’t care. I stayed in place on my couch. My roommate answered the door. I forgot his name, but we hated each other. He was assigned to pick up trash. Yep. Trash. These were the majority of the remaining people and it had only been less than a week since the outbreak. +“Thank god. That asshole is drinking again. Give him a blowjob or something,” he said to our visitor. +I lifted my head above the couch to see Carrie push him out of the way in a storm of auburn hairs coming out of her short ponytail. “Don’t fucking talk to her like that, garbage man!” Roomie slammed the door and took off down the hall. +She shot me a grateful look as she sat down beside me on the rundown couch. “Hey.” +“Hey yourself. Think you can get him a new housing placement?” +“I’m working on it, but they’ll just replace him and the grass isn’t always greener and all that. People are coming in everyday though.” +“Has to be greener than that brown, crunchy fucker.” +She laughed, a sound I hadn’t heard very often as of late. “Hang in there. It’s not like you’ll be here a lot…” Trailing off, her face went pensive. +“You’re sad.” I said, surprised. +“Of course I’m sad. Where else am I going to get my booty call? Surely not from brown, crunchy fucker?” I was glad she made light of it. A reason I liked her. +I pulled her camouflage-covered hips to straddle me. “Let’s try to get it out of your system.” My thumbs brushed along her dog tag chain to her collarbones as she shook out the rest of her hair from its binding. She ran her hands up my stomach, pulling me closer by my dog tags. “Hey now,” I mumbled, following my thumbs with my lips. I loved collarbones and hers had perfect prominence and dips. +She rocked her pelvis, grinding against me. “I’ve had a rough day, and I need a rough fuck.” +I felt my lips tug into a smile. Another reason I liked her. “Whatever you say, private.” +* +A few days after my old roommate moved out, I found I’d be getting another one. +The squawk of the CB sounded in my bedroom. I wanted to throw it out the window. Walking in there, I picked up the hand held, “What the fuck do you want?” I lit a cigarette, inhaling quickly before blowing the smoke out. +“You might get a roommate in a few days. Civilian. His choice. Quarantine ward is putting him through hell for fighting. He’s in the cages.” +“Name?” +“Rudolph Garrett Hawthorne. Want me to send a file?” +Rudolph? I laughed out loud. He probably wouldn’t last, so why not? “Yeah, and send him over when he clears.” +A few days later, I was getting ready to start my training, when the knock came. Opening the door, I immediately knew I should have looked the file over more. I knew he was twenty-four, engaged and a business graduate student with a 4.0. After reading that, my brain hit the hypothetical snooze button. I crossed him off as some kind of corporate ladder climbing nerd and tossed the file in the bottom of a drawer. +Saying the guy was large would be a massive understatement. Being shorter than average had nothing to do with this. Even him being three steps down we were head to head. Fuck me, I probably only came up to his chest. A beard covered his face in the same brown color as his short, messy hair, and he looked ready to pass out on his feet. But what caught my attention the most was the bow strapped to his back along with a guitar and a quiver full of arrows. He held his duffle loosely as if it weighed nothing. +I spent the next few years bunking with him off and on. He wouldn’t ever know it, and I’d never tell him, but him showing up at the quarantine base changed my perspective on the outbreak. I was suddenly not ready to die, so I took my training seriously instead of half-heartedly. +Rudy handled the outbreak with a sort of calmness I envied. Although, he didn’t loose people like I did, he’d been through so much shit before the outbreak it was like he woke up, saw zombies, flipped up both middle fingers and said, “Fuck you world. I’ve been through worse and you’re not getting rid of me yet.” +There was a lot of shit we ended up doing without consent… like going on looting trips off base. A lot of them. I figured if he was going to drink my alcohol, he could help get it. The first trip I’d never forget. After that, it was like he couldn’t sit still and wanted to leave the base all the time. All it took was that one taste of freedom. +I was really surprised to figure out—he hated how women treated him—usually like some beefcake stallion. Most men would take advantage of that, and even though I was sure he’d done it before, he loathed it and loathed himself as well. For what exactly, I’d never been able to figure it out, but he did. And his weird relationship with the leech, I came to the conclusion long ago was more like siblings than an engaged couple. +“What’s with the blonde?” I had finally asked him, referring to Julie when I was on a short weekend break from the community. We had been shooting arrows, but eventually downed a bottle of Jim Beam. Of course, he drank more than me this time and I let him because Julie had been over to our house that day. For some reason, her visits always bound him up tight. It was also the first time I figured out I could get him to talk when he was drunk. I only had to ask. I could probably ask him sober, but I’d never worked up the nerve. +“What-do-you-mean?” This came out in a jumbled slur. All one word. He was sitting on the kitschy couch bent over holding his head in his hands. His bandana was MIA, and his hair was all over the place because of it. He’d grown his hair out, well so had I, but he did it because it got on Julie’s nerves. I was sure. +“I know you’re engaged but…” +“Fuckin’ nothin’.” +I took the last gulp from the bottle and said, “OK. Whatever you say, man.” +“Our dad died. Her dad, but you know…he was like my dad, too. He died and fucked everythin’ up.” He raised his head as he said up, popping his lips on the p. “We started whorin’ around on each other. Guessin’, can’t get past it.” After kicking off his boots, he lay back on the couch and adjusted himself while doing so. “Never had a dad.” +I scoffed, “I did, and they aren’t all they’re cracked up to be.” +“Why?” +“Served twenty-two years and died in the field. Never married my mom. Only thing he gave me was the attitude to serve. Look where that got me.” I lifted the bottle to drink, but remembered it was empty. “Doing whatever that repulsive moron wants just to keep an eye on the place.” +One of his eyes sprung open, bloodshot from the booze. The community was always a curiosity for him. “I wanna go.” +“Sleep it off, dude.” +Just a few days after that, I was called to Birmingham. A new Coalition development started there and was being kept on the down low for the time being. Theories were going around about the revolutionists’ next move. I sat in front of my new lieutenant going over reports and updating my status at the base and the community I resourced. “I understand you’ve been staying with a…” He picked up a paper, but I knew he already knew the name without looking. “Rudolph Hawthorne for the past two and half years?” +“Yes.” +“We’ve been watching him. And even though you didn’t know it, you have, too. Tell me about him.” +I went on autopilot. “Keeps to himself. Helps with maintenance at the base.” +“He came with a group of people, most of which he didn’t know. Started a fight and could have held his own against three men, had weapons. Seems like a good candidate for recruiting. His background gave us pause. What do you think?” +“No,” I said, a little uneasy. +“No?” +“I mean he’s not mentally capable. A little unstable. You can if you want, but I wouldn’t recommend it.” He stared at me for a long time, but my last sentence seemed to appease him. +He nodded, “OK, I’ll write it off, but I still want to talk to him.” +Shit. Walking out into the hall, I ran my hands through my mop of girl curls. Another Collins Curse passed to me from my mom. How the hell was I going to keep Rudy from enlisting? +* +Now… +I hate playing cards, but I find I like it just to spend time with Kan. I’ll do anything to keep her mind off going to that stupid base, but she’s bound and determined. Russell, a moron, sits across the poker table in the Clap Trap and steals a glance at Nick’s cards, another moron. +“Hey! You’re fucking cheating!” I belt out. Gangly Russell straightens up, trying to look innocent. Nick flashes him a deadly look. +An elbow catches me in my side, but Kan tries to hide her smile behind her cards. She whispers to me, “You’re an idiot. He would have given away if Nick had anything.” +“So you knew?” She nods, and I steal a peek at her cards. “Oh, thought I was helping you out.” I whisper. “Carry on,” I say to the table and Kan laughs beside me. I like hearing her laugh, but I hate that it makes me feel guilty. +I thought I had one up on her until she folds. Nick folds, too. Too bad. This could have been interesting. Turns out she’s smart to fold, I lose after putting all in. Shooting her a look, I stand up, which only causes her to laugh even more until Reece steps up behind her. +When she sees him, she glances at me. “Got to go, Mac.” The crossbow resting on the table is pulled from it as she stands and leaves. They’ve been spending an awful lot of time together, and since he’s well into his forties, I don’t think it’s anything sensual. Rudy watches them leave from his place at the bar, seeming more confused about them than me. +“Where are they going?” I ask him as I walk up. +His eyes cut to me. “You probably know more than me.” +“She’s staying with you, so I doubt it.” +A smile follows a snort. “Shows what you kno—” +A scream cuts through the warehouse over the beat of the bass. We set our sights on it. A chained famished has his mouth on an arm of a woman named Lucy. “Shit!” +* +That’s how I find myself pacing in front of an extremely pissed off Guido and a smiling Mago. We were in the small workout room that smells like piss and the beat of the party continues on in the Trap. Lucy had decided to turn and be put on display. Kan got all righteous and sexy as fuck and shot the zombie bitch in the middle of her own Clap Trap celebration. Lucy was newly turned and would have lasted a long time, therefore pissing Guido off, so here I am doing damage control. +Kan has a weird thing with zombies and their souls but the fact is, she is right and doesn’t even know it. It’s a huge secret though. I know why Mago’s here, but Kan is why he looks amused at it all—a rare sight for him. He never finds anything at the community amusing, and the fact he finds Kan so, is discouraging. I don’t like his attention on her. +Mago’s currently laughing and stroking his pointy beard. “She rendered a rabies metaphor when I inquired her about it.” +Guido just glares at us both. “We had a deal, Mac boy!” +“I didn’t do it this time and it’s not like you can’t get more. Kan’s actions are her own. You act as though I told her to do it.” +“Yew put up a fight on Lucy.” +“Not out of the norm for me. And if I remember correctly, Kan tried to talk her out if it, too.” +“You git me a new dead ‘em?” +“Do you think about anything else? I’m starting to get worried and fuck no, I won’t.” +Guido lifts a shoulder, but there is tension around his eyes. “Had ta ask. But chickie need ta figure whut she doin’. She can’t stay for free.” With that he walks out with the music from the Trap blaring in while he opens and closes the door. +“Special acquaintance you have,” Mago mentions. +I glance at him. “She’s not just an acquaintance, and you leave her alone.” +“You depart for the base soon? The general mentioned it. I guess you got your permission.” +“Day after tomorrow. You get Mya transferred?” He nods. “Good.” +“This community might be full of incompetent absurdity, but the revolutionists are organized extremists.” +I sigh, wishing he’d tell me something I don’t know. +* +I’m packing up my arrow booth from the marketplace. There’s no telling when I’ll be back. I hate doing it right now, especially since I can’t get my head out of the bed. The smile on my face must be contagious because everyone smiles at me when they walk by. Probably wondering what’s wrong with the asshole, but not going to complain. +Walking into my room, I put several boxes against the wall. I catch sight of the stupid skirt Kan had on last night laying haphazardly in the corner in the exact same spot I tossed it. It looked ridiculous on her, but not because it wasn’t hot, just not her thing. Chuckling, I pick it up and stuff in a bag with other dirty clothing. +I notice my compound bow is missing, so I know she still has it at the target range, but when I get there the range is eerily empty. Chills race up my arms as I walk out to the parking lot where the rest of the team is packing up vehicles. Rudy catches me walking up and turns the other way. Kan is nowhere in sight. +“Where’s Kan?” I question and try not to panic when everyone looks at me confusedly. +“At the target range,” Rudy answers. “I saw her there not even thirty minutes ago.” His neck starts getting red as his jaw clenches. +“You saw her?” +“That’s what I just said.” The words are a rumble. He looks to the distance to calm himself I suppose. “She’s here, probably in the Marketplace. She’s been collecting jars of moonshine.” +“I was just there packing up my booth.” Dread washes over me when the conversation Kan and I had earlier this morning flashes to the forefront of my mind. I scowl at our audience and they back off to resume what they were doing beforehand. “She left.” I state. +“Fuck. You haven’t even looked for her.” It’s no less a growl as he stalks past me to go look himself. +I follow him. “What the fuck is your problem?” +“You ever think that some things just aren’t your business?” +Rubbing the back of my neck, I’m kind of shocked at the vehemence coming from him even though I know what it is. Rudy is the most laid-back guy I’ve ever known. “Well, no. Not really.” +The glare he shoots me could turn someone to stone. “This isn’t.” That’s all he says about it as we ask around for Kan. My heart sinks lower, and Rudy is looking more worried by the minute. Turns out, no one has seen her since she shot Zombie Lucy last night. Except Rudy and I. +Rudy stops to lean against a wall with his hands on his knees, breathing heavier. +When he looks up, he’s pale like he’ll throw up. “Something bad happened,” he says, his earlier attitude dust in the wind. Anger and irritation snakes its way through my limbs. +“No, it didn’t. She left. I told her about Julie.” His glare returns with a vengeance as his face twists. For a minute I think he’ll say something, but he pushes away from the wall in a hurry through the courtyard. +He throws, “I know,” over his shoulder. When I catch up to him, he continues, “Why would you think Julie has anything to do with her missing?” +I cut him a sideways look, “I know you’re not that dense.” +Stopping, he turns to face me, crossing his arms. “What you’re implying is dead wrong. I know Kan, and she wouldn’t leave the team like this. She’s mad at the omission, not the context. So this is what we’re going to do. Look for her because she would do the same. We can start at her house. You and Reece know where it is. Then if she’s not there, we’ll go to those fucks that held us up and shot you in the ass in the middle of downtown. They could have followed us back.” +That throws me for a loop, but only for a second. I almost laugh—Kan wouldn’t go back to that house. She knows we’d look for her there. Plus, he didn’t see the flare of devastation on her face when I told her about Julie. There’s no doubt in my mind she left on her own. “I doubt she’d be with the weird mongrels because according to Kan’s description, those guys were from the base. So no, it would be a waste to look for her. Just because you’re feeling guilty for not telling her…all because of some infantile hang-up of being alone. We need to continue with the base mission.” +Something sparks in his eyes. “The fuck we are.” +His fist flashes, splintering pain through my nose as blood spurts out. Sucking air through my nose, blood goes straight to my throat and I taste it. I raise my hand to wipe blood off. “Did you just sucker punch me?” Fuck him, now my nasally voice matches my height. +A smug smile touches his lips. “Bringing up a childhood complex is a low blow, even for you.” +My body heats up and releases adrenaline in my veins. I’ll show him low blow. I aim my fist at a rib that gets bruised all the time, he releases a grunt and the next thing I know, both of our fists are flying. I get a good one in his eye. Yells commence from the parking lot, but it doesn’t stop us. Pain hits my cheek and dots burst in front of my eyes. Somehow we end up on the ground with Rudy holding me down as Reece and John try to pull him off. I keep aiming for that rib and Rudy uses his knee to hit me in the jaw causing my head to snap sideways and agony slices up my jaw. +“God dammit!” I manage. Sam and Ty help Reece and John. They finally get him to stop struggling, and I jump up, running my hands through my hair to get debris out of the curls. Rudy has blood flowing from his lip and his eyebrow is split again with some of his hair stuck in it. He looks at me knowing I have more to give if I really wanted to hurt him. I guess we both needed to let off a little steam. I glare at all of them and stalk off. +* +Then…. +I hurried down the tree-canopied sidewalk. Even as cold as it was, children played and laughed in all directions. It all seemed heightened than the last time I was here at the base, but I’m only here for a minute. Smoke from one of Guido’s homemade cigarettes flowed from my mouth. Rudy didn’t know about the revolutionists. It’s not common knowledge. So I had to tread carefully with what I’d say. I’d go under pretense of his recruitment. +Bursting through the door, Rudy startled but kept playing his guitar. Poindexter was perched beside him on the arm of the chair, did a cat stretch and hopped off. “I can only stay a minute.” +Rudy looked up, noticing my cigarette and set his guitar to the side. “What’s wrong?” +“Did they talk to you?” +He smiled, “Yeah, but I think they tossed the idea when I said, ‘When do I get a gun to play with?’” +I laughed. “No shit?” +He shook his head, “Nah, man. Haven’t heard a word.” +Sitting on the couch, I said, “Listen, if they say anything, just bail. If anything bad happens at all, fucking bail. Use the spot we use when we loot. And go here. It’s the community. Follow the famished.” I handed him a sheet of paper. +“You seem to think something will happen.” +I didn’t hesitate. “I’ve just been thinking, we should have a back-up plan, you know? Something you need to have anyway.” +“Sure. Thanks. Might go anyway. I wasn’t in my graduate studies to fix fucking toilets.” +“I’ll trade with you.” I joked. +After that, the base was infiltrated as suspected. The sheer number of them overpowered our soldiers. It wasn’t a good sign. Less than a week later, Rudy showed up at the community. +* +Now…. +I’m a fuck up, but everyone thinks they are in some way, shape, or form. I’ve been in my old bed for days contemplating the meaning of life. Not really, just the meaning of the empty jars of moonshine sitting on my old desk and why someone would loot an old folded American flag in a glass case. It was gone. I should have grabbed it when I had the chance. +I roll over and get a whiff of my own body odor and immediately sit up, figuring I’ve wallowed enough. Time to go find somewhere to clean myself up, and head to Birmingham to get my ass lashed for going MIA. +I hop down the stairs and turn into the kitchen when I see it. On the refrigerator is a note written in Sharpie. The words alive, safe, and the date stick out the most, a year after the outbreak. I can barely see through the water in my eyes and have to hold myself up against the fridge. +* +I don’t realize how much time has passed until my lieutenant asked me where I’ve been for the past week and a half. +The worst thing that happens though is when I’m sent in to see the general. General Stevenson. He throws some grainy pictures on top of the table. I look at them and my stomach sinks, but irrational anger takes hold. Rudy and Reece stand over Kan, and from the looks of it, she’s naked and covering herself up. +“This young man.” His finger lands on Rudy. “According to you, is supposed to be dead.” I swallow. This is what happens when you try and protect people. When you care. “And just who might this young lady be?” He asks as his finger lands on Kan. +Thank god I can talk myself out of anything. +* +It takes about twelve hours for me to track down Rudy without being seen. I’m watching famished bite and claw at a new fence being put up around the community’s parking lot when Rudy appears. He hops in the driver’s side door of his truck with me sitting in the passenger seat and startles when he sees me. “Shit, Mac. Where the fuck have you been?” +He doesn’t look well. A beard covers his face and tension thickens the air around him as he stares at me. Ignoring his question, I ask, “What happened?” +I expected him to grip the wheel, clench his jaw, or stare out the window, but he does none of that. He only looks down into his lap with slumped shoulders, almost like he doesn’t want to talk about it. The words that come out of his mouth leave me hating myself more than ever. + +Jen Wilde + + + + + + +For my husband, Mike, who loves zombies. +Thank you for your never-ending support, love and enthusiasm – and for showing me that zombies are awesome. +This is for you. +Prologue + +We all looked at each other, eyes wide in shock, struggling to believe what we saw. +For anyone still in Sydney or Melbourne who are uninfected, you are urged to stay inside and lock your doors and windows. The infected have become severely deranged and extremely violent. We have received countless reports of the infected biting and even killing anyone they come across, including their loved ones. Do not approach the infected. I repeat; do not approach the infected. If you have been bitten, you are requested to go to the nearest hospital or medical centre for treatment as soon as possible. +More footage of the streets was shown then, this time of the infected. Their eyes were an eerie white, skin grey and spattered with blood, their faces and arms covered in open wounds and lesions. +“Zombies,” whispered Ben, staring slack-jawed at the screen. +“Oh come on, Ben,” Jo scoffed, putting her hands on her hips. “The media always over dramatises things. I doubt it’s that serious.” +“You haven’t seen the guy just outside the door,” Ben replied. +“We need to get rid of him. He’s infected. He’s been bitten, and he’s starting to look just like them,” I said, motioning to the infected people on the screen. +My stomach turned as I heard the sound of the bell ringing as the door of the diner opened, and slowly shut again. +“I hope that was him leaving,” I whispered as I unlocked the door and slid it open an inch. +I peered through the gap, but could still see the infected man trying to pull himself up onto the counter. “He’s still there.” +“That means another one just walked in,” Wyatt said as he switched off the television and stood close behind me. Any other day I would have shivered in his close presence, but right now we stood on the edge of the end of the world, and we had to survive. +I heard a loud groan and someone, something, shuffling through the diner, edging closer to the four of us hiding in the tiny office. I held my breath, trying desperately to stay quiet. Slowly, I began sliding the door closed, but it was too late. A rancid, decomposing face appeared on the other side of the entryway, its dilated pupils burning into me in desire. +I screamed, almost knocking Wyatt over as I jumped back into him. It let out a terrifying screech as it crammed a long, freshly mauled arm through the opening in the door. +The putrid smell of day old rotting flesh filled the room as its maggot infested hand swiped at me frantically. The mere sight of it filled my stomach with bile, but I knew I had to focus on keeping us alive. +I threw myself forward against the door, pushing it sideways as hard as I could. Wyatt leant over me onto the door, helping me slam it into the infected arm. Ben tried to grab it and push it back onto the other side of the door, but it was swinging wildly, its yellow fingernails covered in dried blood. Jo backed herself up against the far wall, screaming in fear. +I put all my weight against the door and together Wyatt and I forced it closed, and by the sound of the sickening crack I knew we had broken the bone, but the possessed arm didn’t stop. Instead, it kept waving around, only now it couldn’t grab us. Ben pushed the shattered arm back through the door and we slammed it shut, locking it fast. +For a moment, everything fell silent. I leaned off of the door and tried to catch my breath. I could feel my entire body trembling. My heart pounded so hard I thought it would explode. +I could hear it, the infected monster, groaning and sniffing at the other side of the door. The groan turned into a loud growl, and it furiously rammed itself into the door. Ben and Wyatt threw themselves against it to stop it from breaking in. +“What do we do?” I asked, my legs feeling so unstable I thought I would collapse. +No-one answered. +I leaned my arms against the door again, helping Ben and Wyatt keep it closed, while Jo slid down onto the floor, her knees up against her chest as tears streamed down her face. +Over the growling I heard the bell ring again. +Another one had come for us. All that stood between us and these mindless creatures with an insatiable hunger for human flesh was a thin sliding door. +We were trapped. +*** + +Chapter One + +The setting sun glimmered through the window, veiling my bedroom with a golden glow. Outside I heard the sounds of Friday night traffic, people either making their way home from work or heading out to celebrate the arrival of the weekend. +Even though I lived on one of the busiest streets in Melbourne, I never took much notice of the noise. The trams, the cars, the people, the constant sounds of the city; I found it comforting. It meant I wasn’t as alone as I sometimes felt. I had expected to eventually adjust to living on my own, but something about it never felt right to me. More than anything, I hated having no-one to come home to. +Leaning over my dresser, I looked closely at my reflection in the bedroom mirror, concentrating as I slowly glided my black pencil liner over the outer corner of my eye. +Turning my head left, then right, I made sure I had mastered the cat eye look perfectly, when I heard a knock on my apartment door. +“Be right there, Jo!” +It never takes me long to get ready, all I need are my favourite pair of jeans, a singlet, my motorcycle boots, eyeliner and sometimes a brightly coloured scarf, and I’m ready to go. +It’s the middle of Spring, and while the top half of the world is getting colder, Melbourne is getting deliciously warm, so I opted for a black singlet and magenta scarf to go with my standard jeans and boots tonight. +Standing back to take one last look, I smiled cheerfully – a kindness I always gave to myself when I saw my reflection. I let my long, dark brown hair hang down, its ends tipped with turquoise. My deep hazel eyes are overshadowed by my long dark lashes and arched eyebrows that would make me look serious, if I didn’t smile so often. My lips, thin and asymmetrical, are not the typical full lips that so many women want and men lust after, but they are exactly like my mother's, and that’s why I love them. Sometimes, if I squint hard enough while I smile in the mirror, I can almost see my mother smiling back at me. Wrapping my scarf loosely around my neck, I picked up my faded brown satchel from the bed and headed for the door. +Jo, my dearest friend, and I were going to the local bar to have a few drinks and see Wyatt and his band perform. +I could feel the butterflies start to come alive in my stomach, a sensation I always felt around Wyatt. I couldn’t help but smile again at the thought of him. Pulling my door open, Jo greeted me by standing in model pose, with a hand strategically placed on her hip and her head tilted to the side. + +“Like my new dress?” She waved her hand up and down the short, strapless, neon orange outfit. Her long, flame-red hair fell down passed her shoulders, framing her heart-shaped face perfectly. Her bright blue eyes looked up at me expectantly, her grin lighting up her face as she waited for a response. +While inseparable, Jo and I are two very different people in regards to fashion sense. +While I dressed more for comfort and paid no attention to what is popular, Jo dressed to impress and followed the trends religiously. On the surface, we appeared to be different in every way, but as friends for more than a decade, the history we had with each other created an everlasting bond. +Ever since we met, on the first day of high school, we had been there for each other; from helping each other with homework and boy troubles to the toughest times of our lives. +When I lost my parents just a few years before, at nineteen, Jo never left my side. +During that time she became my rock; we consider ourselves sisters now. Working together as waitresses at Pop Rocks, a 1950’s nostalgia diner where Jo is the Manager, allows us to see each other almost every day. Although we have so much fun there it hardly seems like work at all. +“It’s very… bright,” I answered, as politely as possible.  +Jo’s arms dropped to her side, disappointed. +“You look beautiful, Jo.” +She perked up again. +“Thank you! And may I say you look as angsty as ever.” Jo looked down at my motorcycle boots and grimaced. +“I’m not angsty. I’m comfortable. And I’m perfectly happy in this outfit, thank you!” I said as I swung my door closed and locked it behind me. +“I know, I know,” sighed Jo as we started down the stairs of my building. “Little Miss Comfortable. That’s you! If you ask me, you’re a little too comfortable. You gotta get out of your comfort zone and do something exciting! Something bold!” +Jo smiled at me cheekily, and I knew exactly where she was headed with that speech – I had heard it many times before. +“Jo, please don’t start.” +“Come on, Eva. Tonight’s the perfect opportunity for you to tell Wyatt how you feel. Step up! When are you gonna make your move?” +I sighed as the butterflies in my stomach twisted and turned. I had been building up the courage to ask Wyatt out for over a year now, ever since we first met. At the time, Wyatt had just moved to Melbourne from Cairns to study Architecture, and came to the diner looking for a job. After Jo hired him and he started working with me, we grew into such good friends that I became terrified of ruining the friendship. +“I’ll tell him. I will. I’m just… waiting for the right moment.” +Jo rolled her eyes, she’d heard that before, too. +We turned the corner to see our tram about to leave and started running to catch it. I laughed as I heard Jo struggling to jog behind me in her six-inch heels. We climbed up the steps and onto the tram, falling onto a seat as it started to move. +Jo looked me in the eyes as she caught her breath. +“If you don’t tell him soon, you might miss your moment.” +Chapter Two + +We zig-zagged our way through the crowd, meeting our friend Ben at the bar. Friday night in Melbourne meant packed bars and busy streets as everyone flocked to cafes, bars and clubs, staying up until sunrise and sleeping all day Saturday. +Everyone, it seemed, except for me, Jo, Wyatt and Ben, who all had to get up bright and early the next morning to work at the diner. +“You’re just in time, they just started their first set,” Ben yelled over the noise. +Shorter than most guys, but taller than me and Jo, with olive skin and dark hair – always perfectly styled – Ben always captured the attention of women. +Ben and Jo ordered drinks while I glanced over towards the stage, looking for Wyatt. +Over the busy crowd, I could see him standing to the left of the stage, strumming his guitar as they started playing Sweet Home Alabama. The butterflies spun out of control in my stomach as I leaned on the bar to watch him. +Wyatt was very tall, with broad shoulders and masculine arms, but not over-the-top with muscles. With his light brown and always messy shoulder-length hair, bright green eyes and huge smile, I knew I was in trouble the second I saw him all those months ago. +My heart sank a little as my gaze shifted to the dozens of girls swooning over him just in front of the stage, each one vying for just a moment of his attention. +“Eva! Here…” Jo tapped me on the shoulder and handed me a beer. +“Thanks!” I said, turning back towards the stage. +My heart skipped a beat when I saw Wyatt in the distance, smiling at me. +Seeing my surprise, he waved in between riffs, causing all the girls at the front of the stage to turn around. I tried not to notice as their jaws drop at the sight of me, sitting at the bar in my singlet and boots, drinking beer straight from the bottle. +I’ve always loved who I am and would never change anything about myself to fit in, but I couldn’t help but feel a little self-conscious when I saw those girls glaring at me in disbelief. +“He’s got all those bleach blonde clones literally throwing themselves at him, prancing around right under his nose, and he’s only lookin’ at you, Eva,” Jo said into my ear, smiling broadly. +I glanced sideways to see Jo wink provocatively at me, and the corner of my mouth lifted in a half-smile. I hope she’s right, I thought as I waved back at Wyatt. + +*** +I sat at the bar, sketching on a napkin, while Jo and Ben rocked out to The Living End’s Prisoner Of Society on the dance floor. +“Another beer?” asked the bartender, taking away my empty bottle. +“Yeah, sure. Thanks.” +I looked up from my doodling, noticing the words Breaking News flashing up on the television screen behind him. I couldn’t hear it over the noise in the bar, but the caption sliding across the bottom of the screen read: + +Fears grow in Sydney after an outbreak of the Halienza Virus at Trinity Hospital, leaving twenty dead and hundreds more infected. + +On the screen, I saw footage of scientists in white lab coats and protective masks using droppers to place a red liquid into test tubes, followed by unsteady amateur footage that made me shudder. It looked like a war zone, with dozens of people bleeding and running frantically through the streets of Sydney. Another caption moved across the screen: +New reports of second Halienza outbreak in a Melbourne hospital. +“Hi there.” +I jumped, so immersed in the news report that the voice behind startled me. +“What're you drawing there?” Said the young man, taking a seat next to me as he gestured to the napkin. He was short, but cute, with blonde hair, blue eyes and a charming grin. +“Oh, just doodling, really.” +I reached over the bar to take the freshly opened beer the bartender was handing to me and placed it directly over my sketch. +Noticing I was trying to hide it, my new friend moved the bottle to take a closer look. +“It looks like a…” he furrowed his brows in confusion. “A face with a… bullet hole in it?” +My cheeks warmed into a blush. People often felt uncomfortable when they saw me drawing such violent looking images. I thought I should explain. +“Uh, yeah. I’m training to be a Special Effects Makeup Artist, like in the movies? So I’m just sketching a bit of a… flesh wound.” +He looked at me blankly, seeming completely uninterested. +“Oh, so you like doing all the gory stuff, like blood and guts and…” +“And brains and burns and corpses… Yep.” +For a moment he didn’t say a word. I’d always received mixed reactions from people when I tell them my dream is to be a Special Effects Makeup Artist. I can’t say I blame them. +In high school, while all the other girls proudly proclaimed their desires to be doctors, lawyers or psychologists, I was the only one dreaming about being on the set of Saw II, designing blood-soaked hacksaw lacerations. Needless to say, I wasn’t exactly Miss Popularity. +“That’s new. Buy you a drink?” he gestured to the bartender while moving his bar stool closer to mine. +“Oh, no thanks,” I said as I held up my beer. +“Already got one.” +I smiled awkwardly, not wanting to be rude. +“You’re drinking beer? Come on,” he scoffed as he gestured for the bartender to come over again. “I’ll buy you something nicer. How ‘bout a cosmopolitan?” +I looked at him blankly, raising an eyebrow. +“Ah, no thanks. Beer’s fine. Not really a cosmo girl,” I said, going back to my sketch in an attempt to subtly get the message across that I wasn’t interested. +“Ha!” he laughed. “Every girl’s a cosmo girl! It’ll be my treat.” +He leaned over to the bartender to order the drink, when an arm pulled him back by the shoulder. +“The lady said no, thanks.” +It was Wyatt. +I watched as the man turned around to see Wyatt standing there, tall, dark and unimpressed. He looked at Wyatt, then looked at me, shrugged his shoulders and walked away, deciding to go try his luck somewhere else. +“You’re welcome,” Wyatt said as he sat down next to me and asked the bartender to bring him a bottle of water. +“Thanks, but I can handle myself, you know. I didn’t need you to save me,” I replied, trying not to sound so relieved. +Wyatt lifted his palms up in front of him apologetically. +“Sorry, I was just trying to help. I can go get Cosmo Boy and bring him back for you if you like?” He smirked. +“No thanks.” +“Didn’t think so,” he said, dropping his hands onto the bar with a smile. +My butterflies took flight again, and I tried to think of something to say. +“You on break?” I motioned to the stage. +“Yeah,” he replied, taking a swig of his water. “Gotta go back on in ten, but… Will you stay? After?” +I could see Jo and Ben pushing their way through the crowd as he spoke. +“I want to talk to you about something,” he said, looking at me intently, watching my reaction. +“Oh, yeah of course. I’ll be here,” I replied. +Just then, Ben came up behind Wyatt, wrapping his arm around him and kissing him on the cheek. +“You are rockin’ it up there, man!” he yelled, clearly drunk. +“Thanks, man,” Wyatt grinned, his eyes still on me. +I tried to match his gaze, but I felt very aware of Jo’s penetrating stare. +She looked at Wyatt, then at me, then back at Wyatt, and smiled so widely that I thought she would hurt herself. Ben and Wyatt started making their way back to the stage, while Jo propped herself up on the stool next to me. +“What was that?” she asked, still smiling. +“Oh that? Nothin’. Wyatt was just asking me to stay back after they finish… he wants to ‘talk’ to me about something,” I said as I drank my beer, trying to act casual. +“Hells yes!” Jo squealed as she slapped me on the thigh. “This is it, Eva! This is it! Your moment!” +I loved seeing her so happy for me, and I started to think she might be right. I smiled, hardly able to wait for the final song of the night. Maybe this is my moment. +Chapter Three + +Jo and I sat alone at the bar while the bartenders collected all the empty glasses and bottles. Ben took a taxi home long before last call, too drunk to stand on his own. +“I don’t know why he does that to himself all the time!” Jo had said when he left. “All he does is make himself sick. And we have to open the diner in the morning,” she continued, looking worried. +There had always been a spark between Ben and Jo – they were constantly flirting with each other – but either they are both too stubborn to admit it or too oblivious to notice. +Either way, I decided long ago to stay out of it; I had enough trouble sorting out my own love life, let alone someone else’s. Besides, Jo occupied herself by running the diner every day, while Ben was busy training to be a paramedic – they hardly had time for anything else. +“Ugh, what’s taking him so long?” Jo moaned, leaning back on the bar. “We’ve been waiting here for twenty minutes!” +I tried to be patient, but ever since Wyatt asked me to stay behind I had been waiting anxiously for closing time. Now that everyone had gone and it was suddenly quiet enough for me to think clearly, I started to get nervous. +“You don’t have to stay, you know,” I nudged Jo. “I’ll see you at work in the morning bright and early, you’ll be the first to know everything… if anything happens.” +Jo looked at me as if I had just told her that her shoes were out of season. +“Absolutely not! I have been waiting for this just as long as you have, missy! I’m not waiting until tomorrow for anything!” +“Okay, okay, calm down,” I laughed. +“No!” Jo said jokingly, jumping off the bar stool and stamping her foot on the ground. +“I will not calm down. What’s he trying to do? He asks you to wait here for him so he can talk to you, then leaves you hanging, like he’s so cavalier!” Jo was prone to being overdramatic, especially when it came to me. “You know what I say?” Jo asked, putting her hands on her hips. +“What do you say?” I replied, going along with her little performance to pass the time. +“I say you march back there and go get him! Go make your moment happen!” +I laughed, but couldn’t help but think she had a point. +Jo sat back next to me, ending her faux tantrum. +“No, I’m serious. Maybe he’s waiting for you. I bet he’s sprawled out the dressing room couch, waiting for you to come and ravish him.” +She leaned back on the bar, threw her arms up in the air and tilted her head back, much to the delight of the bartenders cleaning behind the bar. +“Or maybe he’s just taking his sweet time!” she added, springing back up and yelling it towards the stage. +Suddenly, she turned around, leaned over the other side of the bar and threw up. +I jumped up to help her and hold her hair back. +“Clearly Ben isn’t the only one who’s had a few too many drinks tonight,” I sighed. +“Come on, you can stay at my place tonight.” +Jo sat up, wiped her mouth and shook her head. +“No! Not until you get your butt back there and have your freaking moment!” +And with that, she was back over the bar again. +“I’ll call a taxi and get her a bucket, you go do whatever it is she’s nagging you to do,” said one of the bartenders, irritated. +“Fine. I’ll be right back, Jo.” +I walked across the deserted dance floor, climbed onto the stage and disappeared behind the curtain. +Turning into the hallway, I heard voices coming from one of the adjoining rooms. I recognized Wyatt’s voice, and from the conversation I gathered he was talking to one of his band mates. +“I saw a couple of groupies hanging out by the bar, waiting for us. A sexy redhead and a rocker chick. Which one you want?” I heard the mystery man say, and I stopped in my tracks. +“Neither. I’m going home,” Wyatt replied. +“Whatever, man. I saw you chatting up the rocker chick before. You keen on her?” +I held my breath, waiting to hear his response. +“Pfft, nah. She’s just a girl I know from work.” +“You mind if I have a crack at her?” +“Go ahead. You won’t like her though. She’s one of those girls who goes on and on about how independent she is, how she doesn’t need a guy to save her or whatever. She’s pretty boring, actually,” Wyatt said, apathy in his voice. +My heart sank deep into my chest. I didn’t know whether to run away or confront him about his hurtful words. +“Ugh. I hate those girls. So annoying. Alright, I’ll take the redhead,” the other voice replied, and I heard their footsteps coming towards the hallway. +I started to turn around and walk away, but I stopped myself. Even though I could feel tears welling up in my eyes and a lump forming in my throat, I knew I had to stand up for myself. +Wyatt and his band mate made their way into the hallway, and froze in place when they saw me standing in front of them. Wyatt’s eyes widened and his face went pale as it dawned on him that I had heard their conversation. I recognized the other man as Tom, the lead singer in the band. +“Good luck, man,” Tom smirked and pat Wyatt on the shoulder before pushing passed me and heading back towards the bar. +“Eva, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean…” Wyatt started, but I interrupted him. +“At least now I know what you really think. I better go – before I start to bore you,” I snapped, storming off in a hurry. +I wanted to say more, to tell him I didn’t have room in my life for anyone who didn’t respect me for who I am, to ask him why he asked me to stay, but I couldn’t hold back my tears any longer. I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of seeing me cry over him. +I pushed my way through the curtains, hearing Wyatt running down the hall behind me. Jumping off the stage, I saw Tom sitting on a stool next to Jo, who looked half-asleep, leaning her arms on the bar. As I got closer I saw he had his hand on her thigh. +“Leave her alone,” I said through gritted teeth as I slapped his hand away. +“Eva!” Jo sprang up, suddenly awake. “How did it go? Did you have your moment?” she smiled. +“Not exactly,” I sighed as I helped her off the stool. “I’ll explain when we get back to my place. Let’s go.” +I pulled her along as I hurried out of the bar and onto the street. +Thank god, I thought as I saw a taxi waiting for us. +I laid Jo down in the back and jumped in next to her, slamming the door shut as Wyatt ran out of the bar. I gave the driver my address and didn’t look back as we drove away, leaving Wyatt behind. +Chapter Four + +I woke up to the hot sun shining through my bedroom window and onto my bed. My eyes struggled to open, last night’s mascara caking them together like glue. I drove my face into the pillow, trying hard not to remember the night before. +Groaning, I reached my hand down the side of the bed and searched around for my phone to check the time. When I held my phone close to my still-adjusting eyes, the first thing I noticed was the fifteen missed calls from Wyatt. +Sliding my thumb over the screen to unlock it and clear the calls list, I cringed when I saw the time. My shift had started half an hour ago. +I jumped out of bed and ran into the living room to wake up Jo, who had spent the night on the couch, but she was gone. +“Jo?” I called as I walked into the kitchen, seeing a note on the table. +Thanks for looking after me. Sorry about The Douche. Stay home today, I’ll deal with him. +‘The Douche,’ I presumed, was Jo’s new name for Wyatt. I rolled my eyes at her suggestion to stay home to avoid him – no way would I stop living my life over a guy, no matter who he was. I felt sick wondering what Jo meant by ‘dealing’ with him. Knowing her, it would involve a lot of drama. +In a rush, I tied my hair into a ponytail, pulled on my trusty jeans and boots, threw on my favourite tee (grey with a large wolf printed on it), wrapped a maroon scarf around my neck and grabbed my satchel, throwing my makeup bag in there so I could put eyeliner on at work. +Thank god I live so close to the diner, I thought as I slammed the door shut behind me and started running down the stairs, the glare of the sun making me squint. +Walking out onto the street, I noticed how quiet it was. A part from a few sirens in the distance, everything was silent. No cars, no people, no trams. It was deserted. +I looked at my watch, seeing it was just passed ten o’clock. It was Saturday morning, meaning most people in this neighbourhood were either sleeping in or too hungover to move. +But it had never been this quiet before. +I wondered if I should have taken Jo’s advice and stayed home, but I quickly shook off that thought, knowing I’d be better off at work with something to distract me from my pathetic broken heart. +Except Wyatt. +I looked at my watch again. Wyatt was working today, too, and his shift started in thirty minutes. I felt the butterflies return, only now they were sickly, like they had been spinning out of control for far too long. +I wanted to shrug it off like it didn’t matter, like it didn’t tear me up inside, but I would only be lying to myself. Deep down I knew it was his loss, but right now I just felt… crushed. +My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of someone shuffling slowly behind me, groaning loudly. +Probably still drunk. +Saturday morning always brought party-goers and up-all-nighters stumbling into the diner for a hangover cure. I put my headphones in as I picked up speed. +Walking towards the diner, I noticed Wyatt’s car wasn’t parked in it’s usual spot down the street – as a bright yellow Chevy Impala, it’s very easy to spot. Relief washed over me; he hadn’t arrived yet. +I pushed the door to Pop Rocks open, causing the bell above it to jingle. Ben and Jo were standing behind the counter, chatting while they wrapped napkins around cutlery in preparation for what would surely be a busy day. +Their heads snapped the door at the sound of the bell, and when they saw me and immediately fell silent, I knew that they had been talking about last night. +“Hi,” I muttered, avoiding eye contact as I walked behind the counter and into the tiny office, throwing my bag on the desk against the wall. +Meticulously created to be a perfect replica of a 1950’s diner, Pop Rocks had everything from vintage art prints and Coca-Cola posters to the blue and white tiles on the floor flown all the way from the USA. +Large booths lined the large windows all across the L-shaped design, followed by two-seater tables in the middle of the restaurant area and stools all along the counter. +Behind the counter stood a large kitchen island, with plates and soda glasses on one side, a milkshake maker and food preparation area on the other, and a long stove, oven and fryer parallel to it. +A swinging door to the right of the counter led into the back room, which held a storage area, an industrial dishwasher and a walk-in freezer. A sliding door to the left of the counter opened up into the office. +Usually, fifties music would play through the diner – with speakers over the door outside, we would often play music to attract customers – but considering the hangovers everyone had today, it would likely stay quiet unless a customer put a coin in one of the many mini-jukeboxes that sat on the counter. +The office was reserved for staff to change into our uniform; a white dress shirt, apron, black bow-tie, and white hat. No bigger than a walk-in closet, the office had a tall row of shelving and a desk with a small television on it to the left, two chairs and a whiteboard to the right, and a mirror on the far wall. +“I thought I gave you the day off?” Jo asked as she followed behind. +“I’m not going to stop living my life just to avoid him, Jo,” I replied, buttoning up my shirt and pulling my white apron over my head. “And I don’t want you to say anything to him. If he wants to be a jerk, that’s entirely his choice. Stay out of it. Please.” +“Fine,” Jo sighed and disappeared back into the diner, leaving me to clip on my cheesy bow-tie and little boat shaped cap. +Looking at myself in the mirror, I smirked. I always felt silly putting on the uniform, but I had so much fun working in the diner with my friends, listening to old music and pretending we were in a simpler time. My stomach turned, hoping it would still be the same as before. +I began searching through my makeup bag, pushing passed my makeup tools and a few Special Effects products to pull out the eyeliner. Popping the lid off, I leaned in close to the mirror, but stopped when I saw Wyatt standing behind me in the reflection. +“You look beautiful,” he said as he stood in the doorway, keeping his distance from me. +My heart started to beat faster, and I hated that the butterflies were back and more alive than ever. I continued drawing on my eyeliner, ignoring his compliment. +“I tried to call you last night…” he said, looking concerned. +“I was busy, Jo wasn’t feeling well.” +I couldn’t help but notice how miserable he looked, and my heart sank when I realised he must feel sorry for me. +He feels bad for breaking this poor girl’s heart. I hate that. I’m not a victim, I’m not some poor girl. I’m strong and capable, and I don’t need anyone’s pity, least of all his. +I was about to tell him all this when he stepped into the room and slid the door shut behind him. +“I want to explain… what you heard. Last night,” Wyatt started, his shoulders stiffening. +I quickly finished my liner and threw it back in my makeup bag, wanting nothing more than to get out of that tiny room. +“You don’t need to explain anything,” I interrupted. “I totally get it. I thought you were a nice guy; a genuine, kind hearted person. Clearly, I was wrong.” +I could tell by the way his eyes dropped to the floor that I had wounded him, but I pushed passed him and slid the door open anyway, walking out into the diner to start my shift. +Even though it was only the four of us in the diner, the tension was thick. +Wyatt reeked of guilt, while Jo and Ben gave him the cold shoulder and smothered me with over-the-top kindness. +When my parents died, I became very familiar with pity. I know exactly what it looks like, complete with sad frowns and awkward silences. But nothing compares to the look in the eyes of someone who feels sorry for you. +It’s a swirling mixture of sympathy, sorrow, and relief. Relief that it’s not them going through something so terrible, so tragic. I swore I would never see myself in the reflection of those melancholy eyes again. +Needing some fresh air, I volunteered to take the trash out to the dumpsters, which sat in the alleyway down the end of the block. +Picking up two full bags of rubbish from the bins in the kitchen, I carried them out into the stairwell, avoiding all eye contact on my way passed Wyatt, Jo and Ben. +Grey and cold, with concrete stairs leading down into the dark basement, I always found the stairwell to be rather eerie. +Two trolleys sat on the concrete landing, by the double doors that opened up onto the street. I threw the bags into a trolley and pushed through the doors, light filling the stairwell as I made my way outside. +Closing the doors behind me, I noticed how empty the streets appeared, even though it was now mid-morning. I could only see one man, far off in the distance, who stood staring at a brick wall, swaying back and forth. +Another drunk? I wondered as I began pushing the trolley down the hill. +Taking the rubbish out wasn’t the most glamorous of chores, but there was one aspect I really loved about it. I smiled as I started running down the street, picking up speed. In one movement I jumped onto the back of the trolley and closed my eyes to feel the wind on my face as I flew down the sidewalk. +After a few seconds of exhilaration, I opened my eyes and jumped back onto the ground, skidding to a stop just in time to turn into the alley and pull up alongside an open dumpster. +Lifting the bags over my shoulder, I flipped them into the dumpster one at a time, holding my nose to avoid the smell of rotting food and filth. +I started making my way back towards the diner, pulling the trolley behind me with one arm, when I heard a moan coming from behind me. I paused to look back, but saw nothing. +I kept walking, only to hear it again. A low, rattling growl echoed from within the metal container. I had never heard anything like it before, and it sent chills rushing down my spine. This time, I walked back over to it to investigate. I held my nose again as I edged closer to peek inside. All of a sudden, something jumped up from inside the dumpster, groaning and covered in garbage. +I screamed as I jumped back in fear, my heart pounding inside my chest. +It rose to its feet unsteadily, and it took me a few seconds before I realised it was a woman in ragged clothes. +Her face was a sickly grey, her skin sallow and glistening with sweat. I tried to contain my shock, but I could see she had been eating rubbish. +“Oh. Sorry…You scared me,” I said as I backed up against the trolley. +The woman let out another low rattle as she continued chewing on something that made disgusting crunch sounds when she bit down. A long, fleshy rodent tail fell out the corner of her mouth, hanging there as she struggled to climb out of the dumpster. +I cupped my hand over my mouth in an attempt to prevent myself from throwing up in disgust, and grabbed the trolley as I started running out of the alleyway. +By the time I had made it back into the diner I was dry reaching. Jo asked me what was wrong as I ran into the bathroom to wash my hands furiously, but I couldn’t tell her what I had seen. +“Nothing. Just smells bad down there,” I lied. +Knowing how sick Jo had been the night before, and how hungover she felt today, I thought it would be best not to say anything. Besides, I didn’t think I could repeat the story without making myself sick, too. +“It’s so quiet today,” I said as I walked back into the diner, trying to forget the sick feeling in my stomach. +Ben and Wyatt stood by the fryer, cooking themselves some french fries. +“I know. It’s weird,” Ben said, looking out the window. “I barely saw anyone on the drive in this morning. I’ve never seen the city so empty.” +Before I could reply, I saw a man stumbling across the road towards the diner. +“Customer,” I said to the others as I walked over behind the counter to greet him as he pushed the door open and walked inside. +“Hi, here for breakfast?” I smiled, handing him a menu. +“Yeah. I’m starving. Feels like I haven’t eaten in weeks,” he replied as he sat on one of the counter stools. +From the look of his bloodshot eyes and cracked lips, I figured he had been out all night. Wearing a light blue pin-striped shirt with an assortment of stains down the front and torn dark blue jeans, he didn’t look well at all. +“Big night?” I asked, switching on the coffee machine. +“I think so. I don’t really remember. I feel like shit,” he said, rubbing his eyes with his palms. “I woke up in the gutter with some homeless dude trying to eat my leg. The freak tore right through my jeans.” +My jaw dropped. +“What the hell? Are you serious?” I asked in surprise. +I turned around to see Wyatt and Ben still standing by the fryer. Wyatt looked as surprised as I did, but I could see Ben was trying not to laugh. +“Yeah. I had to kick him off then I got the hell outta there. I’ll have the Big Breakfast please. And coffee, lots and lots of coffee,” he handed the menu back to me casually, as though he hadn’t just escaped being a Big Breakfast to a homeless man. +I started making his coffee while Wyatt and Ben put gloves on and prepared his meal. +“So, did he actually bite you? Maybe you should go to a hospital?” I asked the man as I carried his coffee over to him, but he didn’t answer. +He just sat there, slumped over the counter with his head in his hands. +“Are you okay?” +“No,” he snapped. “I’m hungry. Just make my food.” +I wanted to return his animosity, but after all the rude people I’d served as a waitress, I had quickly learned to bite my tongue and shrug it off. +Wyatt walked out of the back room holding frozen sausages and bacon and placed them on the stove. I saw the customer’s head snap up then, and he began sniffing wildly and glaring at the meat. +He looked even worse than when he walked in. His skin had fast become clammy and pale, and I could have sworn I heard a low growl coming from his throat. It instantly reminded me of the deranged woman in the dumpster, and I cringed. +I walked behind the kitchen island and stood next to Wyatt. The pain of his hurtful words still lingered in the back of my mind, but I instantly felt calmer in his presence. +“Something doesn’t feel right about this guy. Cook his food quick then let’s get rid of him,” I whispered, watching the customer carefully. +Wyatt looked over at him suspiciously and nodded, flipping the bacon over as it sizzled. +“I think he’s still drunk or something,” whispered Ben as he took freshly popped toast out of the toaster and threw it on a plate. +I looked back towards the counter and saw the man had his head down in his arms again. +Once the Big Breakfast was ready I carried it over to him and placed it on the counter next to his head. +“Sir, you’re breakfast is ready.” +He didn’t move. +I leaned in closer to him, trying to see his face, but it was covered by his arm. +“Excuse me, sir? You’re breakfast is here.” +He still didn’t move. +I watched him closely, waiting for the rise and fall of his back as he breathed. +Nothing. +Slowly, I reached my hand over the counter and gently nudged his shoulder. +His head slipped off of his arm and he slowly slid sideways off of the stool and slammed onto the tiled floor. Even with that hard knock, he didn’t wake up. +I gasped, my eyes wide as I stared down at his lifeless body. +He was dead. +Chapter Five + +“Crap!” I gasped as I stepped back, walking into the kitchen island. +“What’s wrong, Eva?” Jo asked as she walked out of the office. +“Ben! The customer… I think he’s… He’s not moving!” I called, motioning to Ben to come over. +Ben ripped off his gloves and ran around the outside of the counter towards the man. +“Call an ambulance! Wyatt, help me turn him onto his back,” he yelled as he checked the man’s pulse and he and Wyatt carefully laid him flat on the floor. +Jo ran back into the office to get her phone then ran back out again as she dialed. +“I can’t get through!” She yelled as she dropped her phone on the counter and hurried back into the office to use the landline. “The landline is down! There isn’t even a dial tone!” +“There’s no pulse,” said Ben as he opened the man’s mouth in preparation for CPR. +He was about to begin mouth to mouth resuscitation when the customer’s eyes flew open. +Wyatt and Ben moved back in shock. +The man didn’t move, he just lay there, staring blankly at the ceiling. +Ben slowly leaned in closer, lowering his ear over the man’s mouth. +“He’s still not breathing.” +“I… I don’t feel a pulse,” Wyatt said, his fingers on the lifeless wrist. +Ben knelt back just as a gurgling sound emerged from the man’s mouth, sputtering blood all over himself. His bloodshot eyes started darting around the room, his arms slowly rising, reaching for Ben. +Ben and Wyatt stood up and backed away, and for a moment we all just stood there, staring, not knowing what to do. +“Guys?” Jo called from the office and we hurried over to the entryway to see her. “I tried the landline and all of our mobiles, but there’s nothing. Just silence. I don’t understand.” +She explained, pushing her red hair behind her ear. +“I’ve never seen anything like him before,” said Ben, his face white with shock. “I mean, granted I haven’t completed training yet but… He’s not breathing. He doesn’t have a pulse. He’s… dead. But he’s moving. I don’t know what to do.” +I’d never seen Ben look so defeated. +I jumped at the sound of a loud crash and turned to see the plate of food had disappeared from the counter. Slowly, I walked closer and glanced over to see the supposedly dead man had managed to sit up and begin tearing into the bacon and sausages like an animal. +He had reached up and pulled the plate down onto the floor. +“Ben!” I whispered and pulled him over so he could see. “He’s not dead! He’s okay. Sort of.” +The man’s head snapped up at the sound of my whisper, and I gasped when I saw his face. His skin was a sickly grey now, looking even more like the woman in the alley. +He munched furiously on the bacon as he grabbed hold of the counter stool and tried to lift himself up, glaring at us just as he glared at the meat before. +Instinctively, I pushed Ben back and we moved towards the office. I couldn’t explain it, but I knew we were in danger. +My heart started beating faster as I saw his bloodshot eyes slowly appear over the counter, with the same gurgling sound rumbling in his throat, only now it started to grow into more of a growl or a screech. +The four of us backed into the office, slid the door closed and turned the lock. +“Something creepy is going on today,” I said as I turned to face Ben, Jo and Wyatt. +“First, the streets are completely deserted. Then, I saw a woman eating a rat in the dumpster, now this. That guy out there said someone tried to eat his leg!” +“Someone what?!” Jo gasped. “Maybe something’s happened? Has anyone seen any news today?” +Ben and Wyatt shook their heads, but what Jo said had triggered something in my memory. +“I saw something last night, on the TV in the bar,” I replied. “Something about an ‘outbreak’. It was in Sydney though, not here.” +Their eyes widened at the word outbreak, and Wyatt turned to switch on the television as we cramped together in the tiny room, gathering around. +The same news story appeared on every channel, all showing scenes of violence in the streets. Police officers bleeding, men fighting, women and children running frantically. I gasped when some of the footage was clearly in Melbourne, only a ten minute drive from where we were. +“I thought you said it was in Sydney?” Jo asked as she turned to look at me. +Just then, I remembered the last words I saw slide across the screen the night before. +'New reports of second Halienza outbreak in a Melbourne hospital.' +“Oh no.” I moaned, unable to take my eyes off the screen. +“Shhh!” hushed Ben, as the news reporter began to speak. + +For anyone just joining us, there has been widespread panic down the east coast of Australia as a deadly outbreak of the Halienza Virus has left hundreds dead and an estimated thousands more infected. What started as seemingly controlled leaks at Sydney’s Trinity Hospital and Melbourne's Infinity Hospital has already spread throughout New South Wales and Victoria. We’ve just had word that the virus has also hit Brisbane Hospital. The virus is expected to spread through to Adelaide and even up to Darwin over the next forty-eight to seventy-two hours. + +We all looked at each other, eyes wide in shock, struggling to believe what we saw. + +For anyone still in Sydney or Melbourne who are uninfected, you are urged to stay inside and lock your doors and windows. The infected have become severely deranged and extremely violent. We have received countless reports of the infected biting and even killing anyone they come across, including their loved ones. Do not approach the infected. I repeat; do not approach the infected. If you have been bitten, you are requested to go to the nearest hospital or medical centre for treatment as soon as possible. + +More footage of the streets was shown then, this time of the infected. Their eyes were an eerie white, skin grey and spattered with blood, their faces and arms covered in open wounds and lesions. +“Zombies,” whispered Ben, staring slack-jawed at the screen. +“Oh come on, Ben,” Jo scoffed, putting her hands on her hips. “The media always over dramatises things. I doubt it’s that serious.” +“You haven’t seen the guy just outside the door,” Ben replied. +Just then, more footage of the violence was shown. +I watched in horror as at least a dozen police officers attempting to prevent a riot were attacked by psychotic men, women and even a few children, all furiously biting into their skin, tearing them to shreds. I felt sick as I watched the graphic scenes play out in front of me. +“We need to get rid of that guy. He’s infected. He’s been bitten, and he’s starting to look just like them,” I said, motioning to the infected people on the screen. +My stomach turned as I heard the sound of the bell ringing as the door of the diner opened, and slowly shut again. +“I hope that was him leaving,” I whispered as I unlocked the door and slid it open an inch. +I peered through the gap, but could still see the infected man trying to pull himself up onto the counter. “He’s still there.” +“That means another one just walked in,” Wyatt said as he switched off the television and stood close behind me. +Any other day I would have shivered in his close presence, but right now we stood on the edge of the end of the world, and we had to survive. +I heard a loud groan and someone, something, shuffling through the diner, edging closer to the four of us hiding in the tiny office. I held my breath, trying desperately to stay quiet. Slowly, I began sliding the door closed, but it was too late. +A rancid, decomposing face appeared on the other side of the entryway, its dilated pupils burning into me in desire. +I screamed, almost knocking Wyatt over as I jumped back into him. It let out a terrifying screech as it crammed a long, freshly mauled arm through the opening in the door. +The putrid smell of day old rotting flesh filled the room as its maggot infested hand swiped at me frantically. The mere sight of it filled my stomach with bile, but I knew I had to focus on keeping us alive. +I threw myself forward against the door, pushing it sideways as hard as I could. Wyatt leaned over me onto the door, helping me slam it into the infected arm. Ben tried to grab it and push it back onto the other side of the door, but it was swinging wildly, its yellow fingernails covered in dried blood. Jo backed herself up against the far wall, screaming in fear. +I put all my weight against the door and together Wyatt and I forced it closed, and by the sound of the sickening crack I knew we had broken the bone, but the possessed arm didn’t stop. Instead, it kept waving around, only now it couldn’t grab us. Ben pushed the shattered arm back through the door and we slammed it shut, locking it fast. +For a moment, everything fell silent. I leaned off of the door and tried to catch my breath. I could feel my entire body trembling. My heart pounded so hard I thought it would explode. +I could hear it, the infected monster, groaning and sniffing at the other side of the door. The groan turned into a loud growl, and it furiously rammed itself into the door. Ben and Wyatt threw themselves against it to stop it from breaking in. +“What do we do?” I asked, my legs feeling so unstable I thought I would collapse. +No-one answered. +I leaned my arms against the door again, helping Ben and Wyatt keep it closed, while +Jo slid down onto the floor, her knees up against her chest as tears streamed down her face. +Over the growling I heard the bell ring again. +Another one had come for us. +All that stood between us and these mindless creatures with an insatiable hunger for human flesh was a thin sliding door. +We were trapped. +Chapter Six + +“Please! I need help!” +I froze at the sound of a desperate voice coming from inside the diner. It wasn’t another of the infected who just walked in, it was a woman. +“Someone just attacked me! Hello? I need help!” +The bashing on the door stopped then, and I heard the zombie shuffling away. I felt relieved for a moment, but fear struck me when I realised the danger the woman was now in. +“Oh no. No!” she screamed as the shuffling grew faster. +The bell rang, she had run back out of the diner, and when it rang again I knew the infected creature was close behind her. Tears welled in my eyes as I heard her screams fade as she ran further down the street. +“We’ve got to get out of here,” I said as I unlocked the door and slowly peered through the gap. “I can’t see the other one. He must have gone, too,” I shivered. +I wanted to run out of the diner and help the poor woman who had unknowingly saved our lives, but I knew it would be futile. Her far-off screams had already grown silent. +Slowly, I stepped out into the diner to look around, but saw no-one. I turned to look back at my friends, who stood frozen in fear. +Suddenly, I felt something plow into my side, sending me flying through the air and skidding along the tiled floor, slamming against the metal side of the fryer. +I could hear Jo screaming my name from the office and heard Wyatt and Ben running into the diner, but it was too late. +The zombie had me cornered. +My heart raced as it ran towards me, bacon fat hanging out of the corner of its mouth. +Its sinister eyes locked on me. +The look in its eyes sent shivers down my spine. I saw pure festering rage and hunger burning in its pupils. Any trace of humanity had been ripped away, its soul as black as the darkest night. +I wouldn’t let my life end at the hands of this possessed being. +Empowered by my desire to live and full of adrenaline, I jumped to my feet and braced for impact, when I noticed the tray of boiling french fries Wyatt and Ben were cooking earlier sitting in the fryer next to me. +I grabbed hold of the handle with two hands, lifted it from the hot oil and swung it forward, hitting the enraged creature in the face. +I watched in horror as it stepped backwards, shrieking in pain as the searing hot oil splashed into its eyes, causing its eyelids to bubble and melt away. +Ben and Wyatt jumped out of the way of the creature as it fell backwards, waving its arms around wildly. +Within seconds, it was up again, running straight towards me once more. +I screamed and jumped backwards onto the counter, trying to slide over to the other side to reach Wyatt and Ben. +The rancid corpse grabbed my leg and started pulling me towards it, thick drool dripping from its cracked lips as it eagerly awaited the taste of my warm flesh. +Wyatt grabbed hold of my hand, trying to pull me towards him, but I knew the monster was too strong. +I screamed in terror as its contagious mouth stretched open and sunk its teeth into my right leg. +Frantically, I tried to kick it off of me, but its grip was too strong. +Searching around for something, anything, I spotted kitchen knives sitting in a wooden holder on the counter, just out of my reach. +Letting go of Wyatt’s hand, I slid as the zombie pulled me closer, a string of saliva dangling from its mouth onto my leg as it prepared to bite down again. +I threw myself sideways and stretched my arm over to the knives, grabbing the handle of the biggest one. I knocked the holder over as I pulled out the knife and grabbed the handle with both hands, letting the hungry beast pull me down over the counter and onto the floor. +It made a chilling screeching sound as it pounced straight for my throat. +I threw my hands forward, stabbing it straight through its still searing eye with the knife. +Its body went limp, its screech quietening into a gurgle, followed by an eerie silence. +Catching my breath, I pushed the zombie off of me with shaking hands. +“Eva?!” I heard Wyatt yell as he ran around the counter, unable to see me. He skidded around the counter, sliding to the ground next to me. +“I’m ok,” I breathed as I started to pick myself up. +“Thank god,” he sighed as helped me to my feet. +We backed away from the corpse as Jo emerged slowly from the office, cupping her hands over her mouth in shock. +“I saw him bite you,” said Ben. +He stood frozen behind the counter, glaring at me suspiciously. +“She’s fine,” replied Wyatt. +“They said anyone bitten would be infected. I saw him bite you,” he said again, this time moving forward towards me. +“I said she’s fine,” repeated Wyatt as he stood in front of me protectively. +I put my hand on Wyatt’s arm and moved out from behind him to face Ben. +“Really Ben, he’s right. I’m fine. He didn’t even pierce my boot, see?” I held my leg out to show him. +There were teeth marks on my boot, but nothing more than that. The boots had saved my life. +“Show me your leg,” ordered Ben, unconvinced. +Wyatt stiffened in anger. +“What are you gonna do, Ben? Kill her?” he yelled. +“If she’s been infected we’ll all die!” Ben yelled back. +I stepped in between them, removed my boot and threw it onto the ground. +“See?” I looked up at Ben, showing him my unharmed leg. “I’m fine. It’s ok. I knew I loved these boots for a reason,” I smiled nervously as I looked over at Jo, trying to lighten the mood. +The men softened again, but tension filled the air. +“We need weapons,” muttered Ben as he walked through the swinging doors into the back room. +I sat down at the counter, trying to calm myself. +My heart raced and my mind frantically tried to process what had just happened, but the rest of my body felt numb. I didn’t know whether to cry or throw up, but either way, I was alive. +For now. +Chapter Seven + +I ran over to the double doors, turned the lock and reached up to slide the bolts into place. Jo ran over holding a chain from the back room and wrapped it around the handles, locking it into place with a padlock. +We ripped off our uniforms and hats and followed Wyatt and Ben as they dragged the corpse through the swinging doors into the back room. +In a loud crunch, Wyatt pulled the knife out of the dead man’s face and threw the body into the walk-in freezer, with Ben slamming the door shut. +We immediately started rummaging through all the drawers in the kitchen, gathering knives of all sizes, the diner’s fire extinguisher, even scissors – whatever we thought we could use to defend ourselves. +“I have an idea.” Ben said as he ran out of the kitchen. +We followed him through diner and into the office, each of us clutching to a butcher knife. Ben ran over to the lost and found box that sat under the desk and started searching through it. +“Yes!” He smiled as he pulled out a medium sized can of hairspray and a lighter. +I looked at him blankly, wondering what on earth he needed them for. +He then ran back into the kitchen, with us trailing close behind. +Opening the kitchen closet, he started pulling out brooms and mops and throwing them to each of us, then without saying a word, he ran back over to the drawer, pulled out some duct tape and ran back out into the diner, taking a seat in one of the only booths that wasn’t right next to a window. +Jo, Wyatt and I followed him and each took a seat at the booth, wondering what he was up to. +“Pass me your knife.” He gestured to Jo, and she handed her knife to him, curious as to what he was doing. +We sat and watched in awe as he proceeded to tape the handle of her butcher knife to the end of one of the broomsticks. +Holding it up to show his creation, Ben motioned to us to do the same. We grabbed the tape and started working on our own makeshift spears. +Once we were done, Jo looked over at the hairspray and lighter sitting on the table. +“What are they for?” +“If it works… A flame thrower. But it probably won’t kill them, maybe it’ll slow them down. I don’t know.” Ben answered, reading the label on the hairspray can. +I looked at him in shock, wondering how he suddenly had such expert knowledge on homemade weaponry. +“I play a lot of post apocalyptic video games.” He smirked, reading the curiosity in my expression. +“What else do you know about…” I paused, not knowing what to call the undead creatures that now wandered the streets. +“Zombies?” He asked, finishing my sentence. +“Do you really think that’s what they are?” I asked, fearful of his answer. +“I don’t know what else they could be,” he said, shrugging his shoulders. “First, a virus spreads across half of the country. Classic cause for a zombie outbreak. Then, that guy said he was bitten, and he died. He died. Minutes later, he gets up and he’s all deranged and decaying and has an intense craving for human flesh? Sounds like a zombie to me.” +As much as I hated to admit it, I knew he was right. I’d seen my fair share of zombie movies and watched every episode of The Walking Dead, I knew a zombie when I saw one. +But never in my wildest nightmares did I expect to be living it. +“So what do we do?” Wyatt looked up at Ben, taking a break from his weapon-making, +“Well, I don’t know how much of it applies,” replied Ben as he shifted uneasily in his seat. “But if these zombies are anything like the ones from the video games and movies, the only way to really kill them is to destroy their brain, like Eva did with the knife in the eye before. But it’s hard, really hard. The best way to survive is to stay away from them. To run and hide. We have to be quiet, we need to gather weapons and food, and whatever happens, we can’t get bitten.” +I couldn’t believe it. My head started to spin as I tried to process everything he had said, and I felt my body start to go numb with fear. I suddenly felt light-headed at the thought of spending the rest of my life being chased by ravenous, wretched zombies. +This can’t be happening, I thought as I stood up from the table. +“We should eat. It’s well passed lunch time and none of us have eaten yet. We’ll need our strength.” I said, even though I wasn’t feeling very hungry. I needed to distract myself from my terror, even just for a few minutes. +I walked unsteadily into the kitchen, with the others following close behind. +We spent the next hour in silence, making ourselves salad sandwiches and quietly eating them on the floor behind the counter, out of sight from any deadly passers by. +We decided it would be best to not have burgers – Pop Rock’s signature meal – because the smell of cooking meat sizzling on the stove might lure more zombies our way. +Even though the doors were locked and bolted, it would only require a hand-full of zombies to break through the windows. +Besides, after seeing that monster try to tear into my leg earlier, drool dripping from its mouth as it craved my flesh, meat had lost its appeal. +As I sat on the cold tiles eating my sandwich, I thought about what Ben had said, about weapons, destroying brains, running and hiding, all the things we now needed to do to survive. +It made everything that had happened last night seem so unimportant. So trivial. +Yesterday I was complaining about having to wake up early for work, now I don’t know if I’ll even wake up at all tomorrow. If I’ll even be alive that long to experience such a blessing. +All the little problems of yesterday had been completely washed away and replaced by one sole focus: survival. +Finishing my sandwich, I brushed the crumbs off of my lap and stood up, watching the windows intently as I walked towards the office. +“Eva, where are you going?” Jo asked as I walked passed her. +“To watch the news. If we’re going to get through this, we need as much information as we can.” +Chapter Eight + +Through the windows we could see more and more of the infected starting to fill the streets. Quietly, we huddled together in the office, glued to the television, waiting desperately for signs of this nightmare coming to an end. +“It’s getting worse.” Ben murmured, almost as though he was talking to himself. +I listened closely as the reporter came back onto the screen, noticing her eyes were red and puffy, as though she had been crying. + +We’ve just had word that all phone lines along the east coast are completely jammed from the record number of calls for help. Thousands are trapped all over the city as the virus takes hold of more and more people. Countless reports confirm that those who are infected can turn violent within minutes and decay at a rapid rate. We here at Channel Three News have barricaded ourselves into this studio, and I suggest anyone watching this do the same. Lock your doors, stay quiet and don’t let anyone inside... no matter who they are. + +She began to choke up during that last sentence. + +Just stay inside, and wait it out. With any hope we’ll… + +She was interrupted by a loud crash coming from behind the camera. +The reporter screamed as she disappeared behind her desk, hiding from whatever had just broken in. +The picture turned sideways, and I realised the camera had been knocked over. +The last thing I saw before the picture went static was a hoard of infected zombies swarming over the news desk, the blood curdling screams of the reporter and the crew suddenly falling silent. +I turned to Jo to see her wiping a tear off of her cheek with her sleeve. +“We gotta get out of here, now.” Said Wyatt, standing up from his chair. +“She just said to stay inside!” Jo had started to panic. +“And look what happened to her.” I said, with the news station only blocks away from us, I knew we weren’t safe at the diner. +“I say we go to Melbourne Central Plaza. There’s a Bob’s Camping store there; we can grab some camping gear and more weapons. Whatever we’ll need to survive. Then, I really need to see if my parents are okay.” Ben replied as he stood up next to Wyatt. +“Survive?!” Jo shrieked, her voice trembling. “How can we survive in Melbourne Central? That place will be crawling with those… those… zombies! Then you want to go to your parents? We can’t be driving all over Melbourne!” +“He’s right though, Jo.” Wyatt put a hand on her shoulder to try and calm her down. +“We’ll need more than just some homemade spears to survive. We need to find supplies, and that’s the best chance we’ve got. But are you sure you want to risk going to see your parents?” He asked, turning to Ben. +“I have to. I can’t just leave them there. It’s fine if you guys don’t want to come, but I need to see them. Maybe they’re locked inside like we are.” +For the first time in my life, I felt grateful my parents weren’t alive. I couldn’t bare going through this knowing they were out there, in danger or infected. +With my parents gone, Jo’s Mum and Dad overseas and Wyatt’s living in Cairns, Ben was the only one who could make it to see his. +“I’ll go with you, Ben. We can find your parents after we leave Melbourne Central. +We’ll definitely need to get supplies from there first.” I said as I stood up next to Ben, placing my hand on his shoulder. +“And if we’re lucky enough to make it out of there alive and find Ben’s parents?! Then what the hell are we gonna do?” Jo wasn’t calming down. +Ben walked over to Jo and held her as she fell to pieces in his arms. +I could see Wyatt was thinking something over in his head, and he sighed as he finally came out with it. +“We can go to my brother’s.” +“What?!” gasped Jo, staring at him blankly. +Wyatt had only mentioned his brother a few times before, but he never once had anything nice to say about him. From what he had told me, his brother was a conspiracy theorist who lived somewhere deep in the woods in a cabin, trying to stay ‘off the grid.’ +“You mean the brother who’s constantly rambling on about the next Top Secret Government mind-control plan? Or predicting a zombie apocalypse? Or…” Ben paused. +“Oh.” +“Yeah,” said Wyatt. “Looks like he’s not so crazy after all. Besides, he lives in the middle of nowhere on a huge block of land, he’s got a ton of canned food and supplies – enough to last at least a few months. He’s even got guns. It’s our only choice if we want to get through this.” +I always strongly agreed with Australia’s no guns policy. I saw it as one of the reasons this country is so safe. Now, it could be our end. If Wyatt’s brother had guns, food and security, that’s where we needed to be. +“Where does your brother live?” I asked, looking up at Wyatt while holding Jo’s hand as she whimpered onto Ben’s shoulder. +“Just a bit further than Cairns.” He mumbled, preparing for our reaction. +“Cairns?!” We yelled, flustered. +“Yes. But it’s ok. I know the way, it shouldn’t take more than forty hours if we all take turns driving… and don’t stop.” +I started to feel light-headed again. +Not only do we have to get out of the diner and to Melbourne Central, but then we have to find Ben’s parents, and get from Melbourne to Cairns, with zombies crawling all over the place. +A huge task lay ahead of us, but we had very few options. +“Wyatt’s right,” I decided. “We can either stay here at the diner and wait for what happened to the news reporter to happen to us, or we can take our chances on the outside. If… No, when we make it Cairns, we’ll be safe.” +“There’s only one problem.” Wyatt uttered, scratching his head. +“Just one?” Ben asked sarcastically. +“What is it?” I asked, not sure I wanted to know the answer. +“Ben’s car is too small for all of us to fit, and Jo and Eva, you walked here today, right?” +We both nodded. +“Well, that only leaves my car. And it’s parked two blocks away. We’ll have to run for it.” +I slid the door open a little to see at least three zombies walking passed the diner windows. +Jo groaned. “How are we going to get to it? We can’t just walk out the front door!” +I reached for my satchel. +“I have an idea.” +Chapter Nine + +At first, Wyatt was the only one open to my idea, but once Ben and Jo realised we had no other choice, they soon came around. +Within half an hour, I had already transformed Jo and Ben into half-decent zombies. +Using my Bruise Wheel – a small tub containing a four-colour wheel of concealer (red, grey, purple and brown) – as well as some tomato sauce from the diner as blood, they looked undead enough to be able to blend in to the growing parade of zombies outside. +This just might work, I thought as I put the finishing touches on my own zombie makeup. +Wyatt walked into the office and slid the door closed behind him, leaving us alone again for the first time since this morning, which already seemed like so long ago after everything we had been through. +“Hey,” he said before walking towards me to take a seat on the desk. “I’m ready to be undead.” He joked as he closed his eyes, waiting for me to start turning him into one of the infected. +My heart started racing as I dipped my makeup brush into the grey concealer and started dotting it all over his face. +I had never been this close to him before, so close that I could almost hear his heartbeat, and I swore it was beating even faster than mine. +“Do you think we’ll make it out of here?” I said quietly, blending the concealer over his eyelids. +“Of course we will. I know our plan is a bit sketchy, but it’s all we’ve got. And after seeing you kick that zombie’s ass before, I know you’ll be fine.” +“I hope so.” I cringed at the thought of that creature, the sickening crunch of the knife going into its skull. +“I know so. I mean, I knew you were strong, but jeez. You stabbed that thing right in the face, Eva. It was amazing. You’re amazing.” +The butterflies fluttered about in my stomach, but I ignored his compliment. After what I heard last night, I found it hard to trust his kind words now. +“I lied last night, Eva,” he said, not opening his eyes even though I had finished applying makeup to them. “Tom’s a sleaze. I couldn’t to tell him the truth. Last year, when our old drummer, Will, told us about a girl he liked, Tom purposely started flirting with her and they hooked up two weeks later. Will was crushed. He left the band because of it.” He paused, waiting for me to reply. +“Wyatt, it’s okay. We’ve got more serious things to worry about right now. Forget it.” I said, wondering if he was telling the truth. +“No, I won’t,” he said as he opened his eyes. “If I don’t tell you this now, I might not ever get the chance.” +He held my hands in his and looked into my eyes, demanding my attention. +“Tom’s like a kid who isn’t interested in a toy until another kid picks it up and starts playing with it. Not that I think you’re a toy… Ugh. This isn’t going well.” He sighed, pausing before continuing his speech. +“If I told him the truth… If I told him what I really think about you, he’d be all over you. You heard the way he spoke about women last night; he’s a pig. No way was I going to let him near you.” +I realised I had stopped breathing. I let out a sigh and took in a long, deep breath as I matched his gaze. He searched my eyes, as though trying to read my thoughts. +“So, what is the truth?” I managed to ask, my heart pounding in my chest. +“The truth is…” He trailed off, looking down at our intertwined hands as he spoke. +“The truth is, I think you’re the most beautiful, smart, amazing girl I’ve ever met and I think about you all the time. I love that you’re independent. I love that you are strong and that you don’t need a guy to save you all the time. I love… everything about you.” +He looked up at me then, the corner of his mouth turning up into a half-smile as he continued. +“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about last night, Eva. That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you for months, but I was… I didn’t want to ruin our friendship if…” He paused again, closing his eyes as he cringed. “If you didn’t feel the same way. But I couldn’t take it anymore, especially when I saw that Cosmo Guy hitting on you last night…” He rolled his eyes. “I knew I had to take a chance and tell you. So, here I am.” +He waited anxiously, trying to gauge my reaction. +I had stopped breathing again. The butterflies in my stomach had sparked into a frenzy, sending flutters of excitement dancing through my veins. +What could I possibly say to such a sweet revelation? Words eluded me, so I decided to do something I had wanted to do ever since I laid eyes on him. +I smiled at the thought of what I was about to do, and Wyatt’s shoulders relaxed once he saw happiness spread across my face. +Slowly, I leaned in towards him, and he responded by doing the same. With our lips finally about to touch, I felt the butterflies going wilder than ever before. +This is it, I thought. +This is my moment. +A sudden loud crash echoed throughout the diner, interrupting our perfect moment and bringing us tumbling back down to reality. +Quickly, Wyatt stood up, slamming the door sideways as he ran out into the diner, with me right behind him to see what had happened. +Ben was standing with his hands covering his ears from the noise, and was surrounded by pieces of broken plates all around him on the floor. +“What did you do?” Wyatt asked Ben, clearly frustrated. +“Sorry, I… I knocked the plates over. It was an accident.” He apologised. +“Uh. Guys?” Jo called from the other side of the counter, looking out the window. +We all turned to face the windows of the diner to see at least a dozen zombies stumbling up to the glass. +“I think they know we’re here now!” She whimpered as she backed up, side-stepping her way around the counter to grab hold of my arm. +“Time to leave!” Said Wyatt as he ran back into the office to grab our weapons. +“How are we going to get passed them now?” I asked, running in behind him to grab my satchel. +“We won’t, not with so many of them out there waiting for us. We’ll have to hideout in the basement.” Answered Ben as Wyatt passed him his makeshift spear. +My stomach turned as we quickly ran out of the diner and into the hallway, headed for the basement. +There’s no way we’ll survive this now. +I followed the others as Wyatt opened the door into the stairwell and started running down the stairs. +“Wait!” I whispered, and they all stopped on the stairs to look back at me. “We’ll die down there. We have to get to the car.” +Wyatt stepped back up the stairs and onto the landing to face me. +“They’re waiting for us out there. We don’t have any other choice.” He said softly, taking hold of my hand. +“Yes we do.” I replied, pulling him towards the trolleys. +I knew we only had two choices: +Leave. +Or die. +Chapter Ten + +Wyatt slowly creaked the door of the stairwell open, peering carefully into the diner. I could see through the crack that dozens of zombies crowded around the diner, growling as they pressed up against the windows. +I held my breath as Wyatt quickly snuck through the door and behind the counter, running low and fast so the creatures wouldn’t see him. +I moved forward and watched as he stayed low, making his way over to the other side of the diner, pressing his back up against the counter to stay out of sight. +For a moment, I thought about praying for him, for us, to make it out of here unscathed. +I stopped believing in God the moment I found out my parents had been killed. When the Police woman with those melancholy eyes sat me down and told me the driver of the taxi they were in fell asleep at the wheel and veered directly into the path of a semi-trailer. In an instant, they were gone, and my faith died along with them. +But, as I watched those mindless zombies sniffing and clawing at the glass, their sinister eyes searching for signs of life, and saw Wyatt coming dangerously close to them, I wished more than ever that some omnipotent being was watching over us, keeping us alive.  +Slowly, Wyatt reached his hand up towards the cash register, crinkling his nose as he pushed the eject button, causing the cash draw to ‘ding’ as it popped open. +Peering around the corner of the counter, he breathed a sigh of relief to see the zombies hadn’t heard it over their moaning, and he reached into the cash drawer, picking up a coin. +He hurriedly crawled back towards the other end of the counter, close to the hallway where Ben, Jo and myself were watching him, waiting. +He rose up over the counter and slid the coin into one of the jukeboxes. +Carefully, he started flipping through the song choices. +“Wyatt!” Jo whispered impatiently. “Just pick one! It doesn’t matter!” +“It does matter!” He whispered back, searching the song list. “We’re about to do something completely insane and extremely dangerous – we need a power song!” +Jo sighed, exasperated, but I couldn’t help but smile to myself. +Finally, his eyes landed on the perfect song. +“Oh yeah,” he grinned. “That’s the one.” +Wyatt pushed the button and rolled back into the hallway, just as Rock Around The Clock by Bill Haley and His Comets started blaring throughout the diner. +“That should distract ‘em long enough.” He said as he locked the door. +This was it. +Our only chance to make it out of here alive. + +Wyatt and Ben held the trolleys still while Jo and I climbed in, already loaded with our bags and the weapons we gathered from around the diner. +“Ready?” Asked Ben as he and Wyatt positioned the trolleys up against the double doors in the stairwell. Hearing a loud smash from back inside the diner, I knew the zombies had made their way inside. It was now or never. +“Let’s do this.” I answered, holding my spear in position. +They pushed the trolleys forward, slamming us through the doors and out onto the street. +Even though the majority of zombies had been lured towards the front of the building by the music blaring through the outside speakers, and most were now making their way into the diner, at least a dozen still stood between us and Wyatt’s car parked two blocks away. +They gave the trolleys one last push before Ben climbed in alongside Jo and Wyatt jumped in with me. +Jo ignited the fire extinguisher to help cloud us from the zombies and I began slashing at any who got too close. +I could feel my heart pounding and my arms shaking as we sped down the street, hacking off zombie heads as we zoomed passed. +“We’re nearly there!” Yelled Wyatt as he fought off one of the zombies, gutting it like a fish with a butcher knife. +I could see his yellow Chevy parked by the sidewalk on the next block, and I knew we would be there in a matter of seconds considering how fast we were flying down the street. +“How are we going to stop?” Yelled Jo as the fire extinguisher started to sputter. +Before anyone could answer, the trolleys hit the curb and toppled over, sending us all flying onto the hard concrete. +I winced as I skidded across the ground, grazing my arms on the footpath and coming to a stop against the brick wall of a building. +Opening my eyes, I could see a giant hoard of zombies running down the hill, literally falling over each other to get to us as we lay on the ground helplessly. +“They’re coming!” I yelled as I picked myself up and held my hand out for Ben. +I helped him to his feet while Jo and Wyatt quickly snatched up a few of the knives strewn along the ground from the fall. +Feeling a sharp pain soaring down my arm, I started running fiercely towards the car, too afraid to look at what was causing it. +Wyatt made it to the car first, fumbling around in his pocket for the key and frantically sliding it into the door, throwing a knife, the hairspray and lighter into the backseat. +I jumped into the passenger seat and slammed the door shut behind me as Ben slid into the back. +“Where’s Jo?” I heard Wyatt ask, fear in his voice. +Turning around, I saw Jo was still running towards the car, clutching her spear tightly, with at least six zombies right behind her. +“She’s not gonna make it!” I said as I reached into the back seat, grabbed the hairspray and lighter, and jumped back out of the car. +“Eva! What are you doing?!” I heard Wyatt yell as I ran, but I didn’t stop. I had to help Jo. +“Just start the car!” I yelled back. +One of the zombies jumped at Jo, falling short and clutching her ankle, causing her to fall to the ground. +Jo held her spear high and started stabbing it repeatedly until it let go of her ankle, while I ran up next to her and lit the lighter as I held it in front of the hairspray can. I had no idea what I was doing, but I had to do something fast. +Just as the other five zombies were about to close in, I pressed down on the hairspray can, sending a huge flame bursting into the air in front of me. +I felt my fingers starting to burn, but I sprayed the flames on the zombies as they came running towards us. I looked in horror as they continued running towards us, now as ferocious fireballs. +Jo stood behind me now, pulling on my singlet, urging me to run. +“Come on, Eva! We can make it!” +I turned and together we ran to the car as fast as we could, Wyatt putting his foot down on the pedal as soon as we jumped inside. +“Eva! You’re hurt!” Wyatt said, glancing at me as he sped down the street towards the city centre. +Looking down at my right arm, I saw a huge gash just below my shoulder, blood pouring out of it. +“I must have landed on one of the knives when we tipped the trolleys.” I replied, suddenly feeling the pain a whole lot more. +“Here, you gotta put pressure on it. Give me your scarf.” Ordered Ben as he leaned forward from the back seat. +I unwrapped my scarf from around my neck and handed to him, and he proceeded to tie it tightly around my arm, stopping the bleeding but intensifying the pain. +“Good thing we’ve got a medic with us.” Said Wyatt, relief washing over his face. +I looked in the rear view mirror to see the hoard as they chased after us, trying to ignore the pain in my arm. +Their rotting limbs and decimated consciousness made them slower than us, shuffling more than walking or running. But their animal instincts and ever-expanding numbers made it easy for them to corner their prey. That’s how they were quickly overthrowing the entire population of Australia. +“Fire doesn’t work. I lit those bastards on fire and it slowed them down a little, but it didn’t stop them. Maybe if it was a huge explosion or something that engulfed them enough to melt their brains, but just lighting one or two on fire isn’t enough. We need to remember that. I say we just stick to knives and weapons that we’re sure will destroy their brains.” I said, turning to everyone to make sure they understood. +“But when you threw hot oil on the one in the diner, it stopped it… for a second.” Wyatt added, confused. +“I know. Maybe because he was so new? He’d only just turned. The ones chasing us looked more… decayed. And they were definitely more brutal.” I said, trying to understand how the virus works. +Everyone nodded as we drove further into city, passing half-eaten corpses and straggling zombies on the way. +Melbourne had fast transformed into a war-zone, and I cringed at the thought of what awaited us at Melbourne Central. +Chapter Eleven + +“I feel so ridiculous right now.” Wyatt said as he leaned out the window, reaching for the ticket that slid out of the machine as we waited to enter the Melbourne Central underground parking garage. +We had seen more zombies than we expected dotting the streets on our drive from the diner into the city, and I kept a careful watch through the windows while Wyatt waited for the boom gate to rise. +Slowly, he edged the car down the winding slope and into the parking lot. +I felt relieved to see it was practically empty except for a few cars here and there. +Pulling up as close to the elevator as possible, Wyatt parked the car and we climbed out, our eyes searching the vacant floor for any signs of movement. +I pulled my satchel over my shoulder and held my knife close. +After our last encounter in the street and losing some weapons in the trolley crash, we each only had one knife left. +Waiting for the elevator, I felt grateful that the city still had power, although for how long I didn’t know, so we had to be quick. +The doors slid open and we stepped inside the elevator, Ben anxiously pressing the ‘door close’ button repeatedly. We sighed in relief as the doors closed, but gasped in shock when we saw our own reflections in the mirrored doors. +“Woah!” Exclaimed Wyatt as he touched his face. +“Cool!” Said Ben, scrunching up his face and groaning like a zombie. +I smiled proudly at my works of art. +“Ewwww,” Jo said as she moved closer to the door, looking intently at her zombie-fied face and neck. “I look so gross! Good work, Eva.” +She turned to give me the thumbs up as the doors opened onto the first floor, revealing a zombie standing right in front of her. +Before any of us could warn her, Jo faced forward to step out of the lift, screaming when she saw the white eyes of the creature staring her in the face. +Instinctively, she punched the zombie right in the head, sending it stumbling backwards and right over the balcony, falling down to the floor below. +“Wow! Go Jo!” Laughed Ben, and she gave him a high five even though her hand trembled uncontrollably. +Slowly, the four of us stepped out of the elevator, looking around for any more unwanted surprises. +“Time to be zombies.” I whispered as I started stumbling around, trying to walk like all the zombies I had seen that day. The others followed my example. +“Which way?” I asked, looking at Ben. +“I dunno.” He replied, shrugging his shoulders. +“What?!?” Whispered Jo, exasperated. +“I don’t know, I think it’s on this floor somewhere.” He continued, looking around at the stores. +“We need a map,” said Wyatt, spotting one further ahead and making his way towards it, still trying to walk like a zombie. “I’m feeling ridiculous again.” He smirked. +Once we reached the map of the mall, we realised we needed to go down one level and walk to the other side of the centre. +“We’ll never make it!” Jo groaned, dropping her face into her hands hopelessly. +“Yes we will,” I said sternly. “We’ve made it this far. We can do it. Let’s go.” +I just hope it’s open, I thought as I looked around the shopping centre. +It was clear that some of the stores were open, but not all. +Probably opened by people just like us, who showed up to work not knowing about the outbreak. +I tried not to think about what happened to those poor people. +We began our slow shuffle down the escalators and across the shopping centre. + +We had made it more than half way when we saw two zombies up ahead, crouched over something, tearing through it like lions on a zebra. +“What do we do?” Jo whimpered, fear in her voice. +“Just keep going,” Wyatt whispered back. “Blend in. If they come too close, hack they’re damn heads off.” +I started to shake as we edged closer, my heart pounding furiously and my breath shallow in my lungs. +“Don’t look.” Whispered Wyatt as he glanced at me sideways, but it was too late. +I had already seen the fear riddled face of the woman that the zombies were devouring. +She was young, around the same age as me, and wearing an apron. +She must have worked around here somewhere. +Tears welled in my eyes and all I wanted to do was pull my knife out from my jeans pocket and start wailing on the zombies, but I knew it would be pointless; the woman was already dead. +As we quietly made our way passed the beasts, trying our best to seem as undead as possible, one of the zombies turned from their meal to look at us. +I swallowed the rising bile back down my throat as it locked eyes with mine while ripping into the woman’s intestines, sending blood and guts spattering all over itself. +“Ok,” whispered Wyatt once we had passed the zombies. “We’re nearly there. I can see it.” +I had never felt so excited to see a Bob’s Camping store in my life, but it quickly turned to dread when I saw that it was closed, the roller door pulled down to the floor. +“Looks like Bob didn’t show up for work today.” Wyatt said as we reached the store. +“We came all this way for nothing!” Grunted Ben as he kicked the roller door. +I turned around to see a few more zombies had started to emerge, feeling sick at the thought of walking all the way through them to get back to the car. +“What do we do now?” I asked, trying to pull the door up, but it wouldn’t budge. +I knew we wouldn’t make it back to the car. +For the first time since this nightmare started, I felt helpless. +Chapter Twelve + +“I got this.” Said Jo as she pulled two bobby pins from her hair and bent down to slide them into the lock on the roller door. +Ben, Wyatt and I looked down at her, wide-eyed in surprise. +“I lock myself out of my car a lot.” She explained as she bit her lip in concentration. +The three of us kept watch while Jo jiggled the lock open and slid the door up high enough for us to duck under, sliding it back down again once we were safely inside. +“You rock, Jo!” I smiled, hugging her tight. +Jo smiled broadly as we started exploring the store, searching for anything we might need to survive the road trip to Wyatt’s brother’s house in Cairns. +Looking at the row of backpacks along the wall, I had an idea. +“Here,” I said, walking over to the racks and passing Wyatt, Ben and Jo a backpack each. “We should have a backpack full weapons, food, first aid kits… So we’ll all have everything we need… in case we get separated.” +“Ok, everyone pack your bags and meet back here in ten minutes.” Added Wyatt, and with that we took our empty backpacks and began filling them with anything we could use. +I packed a dome tent and camping kit, a pocket knife, five hunting knives, a first aid kit, water canteen, a torch and batteries, binoculars, some rope and as many packets of hydrated food as I could squeeze into the two front pockets. +“Hey… guys?” I heard Ben call from the centre of the store as I tied a sleeping bag to the outside of my backpack. +We all ran over to meet him, instantly seeing why he had called us over. +He stood in front of a huge motorhome parked on a small stage, the giant sign next to it promoting a Bob’s Camping Giveaway, of which the motorhome was first prize. +“I think I’ve found a better way to get to Cairns.” He grinned. +“Yeah, because that’s completely inconspicuous.” Said Wyatt sarcastically, staring up at it. +“Well, it’s no more inconspicuous than a bright yellow Chevy Impala,” replied Ben. +“We’ll be able to store heaps of weapons and food in there, and it’s practically zombie proof!” He added as he banged his hand on the side. +“It would be more comfortable. But how would we get it out?” Asked Jo, walking around to the door and opening it. She climbed in to take a better look. +“The same way ‘Bob’ got it in; drive it.” Answered Ben, following her up the steps. +“But… my car.” Muttered Wyatt, concerned about his beloved automobile. +“It’ll be alright here, it’s safe enough. It’s not like anyone’s going to steal it,” I said, trying to make him feel better. “C’mon, let’s take a look.” I smiled, following Jo and Ben inside. +Stepping into the motorhome, I started to feel more optimistic about road-tripping to the other side of the country, which was fast becoming a zombie wasteland. +With a kitchenette, complete with an oven, stove, microwave and refrigerator, four seater dining area, and even a toilet and shower, this would be much more comfortable than Wyatt’s Chevy, stylish as it may be. +Wyatt climbed in after me and walked over to the driver’s seat. +“There’s about a quarter tank of petrol,” he smiled as he inspected the rest of the cabin. “And a CB radio!” +Turning the radio on, we could only hear static. +“We’ll try it out once we’re on the road.” Wyatt said, switching it off again. +“Check this out!” Said Ben as he pressed a button on the wall. +A double bed descended from the ceiling, over the couch along the back wall. “Looks like there’s only one bed.” He winked, glancing over at Jo. +“Calm down, Ben,” she replied, pressing another button, and a double bed came down over the driver’s cabin. “There’s another one here.” She said, rolling her eyes at him. +I avoided making eye contact with Wyatt as we all stood looking at the two double beds, but I could feel my cheeks warming into a blush. +“We won’t be using them, anyway. If we all take shifts driving we can make it to Cairns without needing to stop. I don’t think it’s safe to have the beds down while we’re on the road; anyone not driving will have to sleep on the couches.” Said Wyatt as he stepped back out of the motorhome, leaving Ben looking very disappointed. +“Let’s load it up!” Called Wyatt from the store, and the three of us climbed out and started grabbing as much as we could carry. “Now that we’ve got the RV, we can pack more than just gear for the trip north; grab anything we could use when we get to Cairns, too.” +Wyatt ran over to the counter and started searching through the drawers. +“Got the keys!” He called as held up a set of keys for the RV. + +After we had gathered enough supplies, Wyatt and I surveyed the motorhome, taking note of everything we had brought aboard. +With countless knives, ropes, a few axes, over a dozen first aid kits and survival kits, plastic jugs that Wyatt had filled with filtered water from the tank in the back room of the store, torches, lanterns, extension leads, tents, sleeping bags, walkie talkies, enough matches to fill a drawer and enough dehydrated food to fill three of the cupboards in the kitchenette, I felt confident we had more than enough to survive. +“I think we’re ready to go,” I said, putting my arms on my hips triumphantly. “All we need to do now is get out of Melbourne Central.” +“That should be fun.” Wyatt grinned at me, placing his hand on the small of my back. +My heart started to race as he leaned in close to me. +My moment! +I closed my eyes, waiting for his lips to grace mine. +Once again, we were interrupted, this time by the sound of Ben clearing his throat. +I quickly stepped back, my cheeks burning red, while Wyatt clenched his jaw, glaring at Ben. +“That’s new.” Ben smirked, with Jo smiling widely behind him. “Just came to tell you we’ve cleared a path out of the store and the roller door is up. We better go.” +“Let’s do it.” Said Wyatt, stepping into the driver’s cabin and taking a seat. +“Dibbs on the passenger seat!” Yelled Ben as he jumped into the RV, stopping to look at me. “Oh. Unless you want to sit up front?” He winked, gesturing to Wyatt, who was starting the engine. +“No, I’m ok,” I glared back. “I’ll sit back here with Jo.” +After everything we’d been through, I wanted to spend some time with Jo to find out how she was coping. +Ben buckled himself into the front passenger seat while Jo and I strapped ourselves into the bench seats in the dining area. +“Everyone ready? Doors locked?” Called Wyatt, turning to look at me, his eyes sparkling. +“Ready.” I replied, nodding my head as I tightened my seat belts. +“Here we go.” Wyatt said as he started edging the RV towards the door and out of the store. +I looked out the window as we drove out into the shopping centre to see at least twenty zombies roaming around now, and they had all just spotted the big white motorhome driving towards them. +I grabbed my backpack and pulled out two hunting knives. +“Here,” I said as I passed one to Jo. “Just to be safe.” +Jo took the knife and held it tightly in one hand while she closed the window curtains with the other. +“Just to be safe.” She repeated, smiling nervously. +We picked up speed as we approached the hoard, slamming into them one by one. +I cringed as I bumped up and down in my seat, zombies falling under the wheels while others banged on the walls. +“Get rid of him!” I heard Ben yell, and I leaned over to see what was going on. +One of the zombies had climbed onto the front bonnet and was hanging off of the left side mirror, it’s mouth frothing as its dilated pupils glared eagerly at Ben. +“Hold on!” Wyatt yelled as we approached the exit. “It’s going to be a tight squeeze!” +I braced myself as the RV crashed through the automatic doors, snapping the left mirror off and crushing the zombie against Ben’s window, smearing blood and infected saliva along the glass. +“Ugh.” Ben cringed as we sped out of Melbourne Central and turned onto the city streets, sending the squished corpse sliding off onto the road. +“We made it!” Jo yelled, almost surprised. +We cheered and laughed as we made our way out of the city. +I smiled wide, feeling the most relaxed I had felt all day. +Chapter Thirteen + +We made our way out of the city, headed into the suburbs to find Ben’s parents. +“Should we go there and see if they can help us?” Wyatt asked, slowly pulling the RV to the side of the road and motioning towards a hospital up ahead. +I leaned out of my seat to get a better look at it through the windshield. +There were two army tanks parked out the front, with a wall made of sand bags blocking the entrance into the hospital. I could see at least two army personnel with large guns patrolling the area. +“Well, the news reporter said anyone infected should get immediate medical assistance. Maybe they have the cure?” Ben suggested, pulling a pair of binoculars from his backpack and holding them up to get a closer look. +“I don’t know. It looks pretty intimidating. And if that’s where the infected are going, I don’t want to be anywhere near it.” I replied, feeling anxious that we had stopped. +“Well, we’re not infected, maybe we could help?” Wyatt asked, looking at each of us to gauge our reactions. +“We sure look infected,” Ben said, looking at his reflection in the side mirror, his face still covered in faux lesions and blood. “We should probably take this makeup off if we’re gonna go in there.” +I pulled my makeup remover wipes out of my bag and handed one to each of them. +The coolness of the cloth refreshed me as I smoothed it over my face, and I felt relieved to look like my normal self again. +I started to wonder if going to the hospital would, in fact, be the best choice for us. +There would be medical supplies, food, and help for us there, and it was clearly protected. It might just be the only safe place left in Melbourne, and it sounded like a much better idea than driving through the outback to the other side of the country. +“Maybe you’re right,” I said, throwing the makeup-covered wipe into a plastic bag. +“We’ll be safe in there. And we can lend a hand.” +Just then, an old brown station wagon swerved around the corner behind us, speeding passed the RV towards the hospital. +I unbuckled my seat belt and walked over to stand in between Ben and Wyatt, watching intently. Jo followed and leaned in over my shoulder, and I could feel she was still trembling. +The station wagon skidded to a stop at the blocked entrance and a middle aged man with silver hair stepped out of the driver’s seat. Frantically, he ran around the car and threw open the passenger side door, leaning in to help a younger man to his feet. +“He’s been bitten,” Ben said, watching carefully through the binoculars. “Oh jeez, he’s got two huge chunks of his arm missing. I can see the bone. Ugh.” +I leaned in closer and realised it must not be the only injury he has, even I could make out the blood stains that covered both the men’s clothes. +“I hope they made it there in time,” I thought aloud, watching as the older man held his arm around the younger one as they limped towards the hospital. +The soldiers began shouting something as they pointed their guns at the two men, who held their hands out, showing their open palms in response. +I couldn’t hear what the soldiers were yelling, but they refused to lower their guns. +The two men dropped to their knees in the middle of the road, and it almost looked like they were pleading with the soldiers. +The older man grabbed hold of the other man’s wounded arm, pointing to it and shouting something. +“They’re not letting them in.” Ben murmured, bewildered at the scene in front of them. +“Why not? They said on the news that anyone infected needs medical assistance. +They did what they were told. They need help!” Said Jo, and I could tell by the strain on her voice that she had started panicking again. +All of a sudden, we all jumped at the sound of gunfire in the distance. One of the soldiers had opened fire on the men. +Jo screamed as we watched the men’s bodies thrash violently against the force of the bullets and fall heavily to the ground. +“Oh my god! Oh my god!” Jo screamed, I held her tight, urging her to keep calm, but I felt just as terrified as she did. +“That was ‘medical assistance’,” whispered Wyatt, his jaw hanging open in shock. +“There’s no cure. They just kill them.” +Tears fell onto my cheeks as I stared blankly at the lifeless bodies, being dragged behind the sand bag wall by one the soldiers while the other jumped in their car and drove it out of sight. +“We gotta get out of here. We’ll need to find another way out of the city.” Wyatt said as he started the engine and began reversing the RV. +This whole time, I had hoped more than anything that this nightmare would end soon. +That a vaccine would be distributed and within a few months everything would be back to normal. I wanted more than anything to go back to living my life, to having my trivial little problems. +But now I knew it wasn’t going to happen. I may not ever have that life back again. A twinge of guilt hit my stomach as I realised how much I took for granted just yesterday. +Safety, food, health, friends, freedom – did I ever take a moment to be grateful for any of it? I’m sure I would have, had I known it would end so soon. +But now I knew for sure; everything had changed. We were on our own. +No-one would be coming to save us. +Chapter Fourteen + +We sat in silence during the drive out of the city. After seeing such inhumane violence first-hand, none of us felt inclined to fill the air with chit-chat. +As Wyatt drove through the suburbs, I could see Ben shifting anxiously in his seat. +The neighbourhood streets were just as deserted as the city, except for a few devoured bodies strewn across the side of the road every now and then. +We saw the occasional car speeding down the street, filled with survivors just like us, although most were headed in the opposite direction, fleeing. +Even though the outbreak only hit here late last night, a bond had already formed between the few of us who had survived. I exchanged knowing glances with the others in the cars as they passed us, their eyes just us worried and weary as my own.  +I could tell by their blood spattered faces that the infected hit this area hard, maybe harder than it hit the city. +None of this bode well for Ben’s parents. I took a deep breath and hoped that, somehow, they had managed to stay alive. +“It’s just here,” said Ben, pointing to a house on the left side of the street. “The white one with the rose bushes.” +Wyatt pulled the RV over and for a moment we sat quietly, scanning the street for any signs of life… or death. +Ben turned to us and nodded, so we each picked up a knife and slowly exited the motorhome. +A cool breeze brushed against my face, and I almost felt peaceful as I closed my eyes to breathe it in. It was late afternoon, and soon the sun would start to set, bringing this – the first day of this Australian apocalypse – to an end. But I knew the horror had only just begun. +I followed Ben through the gate in the white picket fence and admired his childhood home. +A white, two-storey weatherboard, with flower boxes adorning the window sills and a beautiful garden, it was charming. I could envision Ben growing up here; playing on the long front porch, running through sprinklers in the summertime. It appeared to be untouched from the ravages of the outbreak. +I climbed up the porch steps and waited by the front window while Ben searched his pockets for his keys. Wyatt and Jo stood in front of the house, keeping watch. +Out of the corner of my eye, I thought I saw movement from inside the house. +I stepped up to the window and cupped my hands over the glass to take a closer look inside. +My heart sank deep into my chest when I saw them. +There, in the middle of the living room, I saw a man’s body. His arms laid motionless by his sides and his head facing the window, his sad, frightened eyes staring into nothingness. +An infected woman crouched over him, her blood soaked hands clawing into his stomach as she fed on his intestines. +The sound of Ben’s jingling keys unlocking the screen door awoke me from my terror. +“Ben! Stop! Don’t unlock the door!” I whispered as loud as I could, making it sound more like a desperate screech. +“What?” he asked, freezing in place. “Why?” +I didn’t know what to say. He walked towards the window, his face wrinkled in agony as he saw my eyes brim with tears. +I gently put my hand on his arm as he tried to look through the window, trying to stop him. +“No,” he said, shrugging my hand away. “Whatever it is. I need to see.” +Watching him peer through the window, searching the inside of his house, I waited for his heart to break. +When tears filled his eyes, I knew he had seen it, too. +“Dad.” He breathed, choked by his devastation. +Wiping his tears away, he took a deep breath in before looking around the living room again. “Where’s my mum?” +Confused, I turned to face the window and looked inside. She was gone. He didn’t see what she had become. +“Ben…” I started, but I didn’t know where to begin. “She… Your mum, I saw her.” +Suddenly, something threw itself against the window, making us both jump back in fright. +“Mum!” Ben yelled, falling to his knees. “No. No, no, no, no, no.” +He couldn’t contain his tears anymore, they streamed down his face as he stared helplessly what used to be his mother. +Her fingers had been gnawed on, she had chewed her own fingertips off during her feast. Blood smeared onto the glass as she tried to bite through it, her lips and teeth covered in her husband’s flesh. I could see from the festering laceration on her hand that she had been bitten. Red raw and inflamed, it had already started to rot. +Wyatt and Jo had joined us, and together we sat with Ben on the porch, crying silently for our friend and his doomed mother and father. +After what felt like hours, I turned to face the garden, unable too bear the sight of the infected woman or her shattered son any longer. +My breath caught in my throat as I heard moaning from out on the street. +Peeking over the porch fence, I saw three zombies shuffling passed the house. +I held my arm out to warn Jo and Wyatt, and they slowly turned around, following my gaze. Wyatt put his hand on Ben’s shoulder, signalling him to stay down. We sat on the porch, barely breathing as we watched the zombies continue slowly down the street. +“We need to go.” I mouthed to Wyatt, who nodded in response. +“Ben, mate,” he said softly as he tried to look into Ben’s eyes. “I’m really sorry, but we need to go. It’s not safe for us here.” +Wyatt helped Ben to his feet, but he pulled away and moved closer to the window, standing face to face with his mother. +She growled at him as she pushed her palms onto the glass, trying to break through. +Ben held his hand up to hers, tears spilling onto his trembling lips as he looked into her dead eyes. +“I’m so sorry, Mum,” he sniffed. “I love you so much. Goodbye.” +He closed his eyes and inhaled a long, deep breath before stepping back from the window and turning away. +Wyatt and I followed behind as Ben walked passed us and headed for the RV, wiping his tears on his sleeve. +No-one said anything as we buckled our seat belts and drove away. +With barely any cars on the road, it didn’t take long for us to make it out of Melbourne. Heaviness filled the RV, each of us lost deep in our own thoughts as we watched the last of the neighbourhoods fly passed our windows. +As I slowly began to drift into sleep, I felt my heart ache for everything, and everyone, we were leaving behind. +What lay ahead for us remained to be seen, but as Melbourne lay in ruins behind us, I hoped it would be better than what we found today. +Chapter Fifteen + +I gazed out the window, staring thoughtfully up at the clouds as the sun started to set. +I had managed to sleep for a short while, but my fierce nightmares had jolted me awake. All I saw when I closed my eyes were the rancid, gruesome faces of the infected. +I couldn’t stop thinking about how quickly this had all happened. A mere twenty-four hours ago, those rabid monsters were normal human beings going about their lives; going to work, worrying about paying bills, picking their children up from school. Their lives changed in an instant. The entire country changed in an instant. +“Eva,” whispered Ben as he walked over from the driver’s cabin and sat next to me, waking me from my thoughts. +He held one of our many first aid kits in his hands. “Here, let me look at your arm.” +He turned on one of the ceiling lights above me while I started unwrapping the scarf from around my arm. +“Ok, it’s not too bad,” he said as he gently wiped my cut with a cleaning pad from the kit, making me flinch. “It’s only about a centimetre deep, so it won’t need stitches or anything. I’ll just clean it and bandage it up.” +I watched him as he took such gentle care of my arm. I had been in awe of his strength ever since we left his parent’s house. +“Thanks heaps, Ben. How are you?” I asked, instantly regretting asking such an inane question. +“I’m… I don’t know. Just keeping myself busy, I guess,” he sighed, wrapping a bandage around my arm and clipping it into place. “How did you get through this when…” +He stopped and bowed his head, unable to say it. +I knew what he was going through all too well. Months passed before I could physically say that my parents had died, as though somehow it wouldn’t be real until I uttered those agonising words. +“To be honest, I’m not sure how I got through it,” I replied, not wanting to sugar-coat the pain he was going through. “I just did. It hurt like hell, and I think it always will, but I’ve learned to live with it. I don’t understand why it happened, and I wish it didn’t, but it did. I learned to accept that.” +It has been so long since I spoke about the death of my parents, that just hearing those words come out of my mouth made me realise how far I’ve come since that tough time. But my heart ached for Ben, knowing he was only at the very beginning of this shattering experience. +“I know it feels like the whole world is crumbling around you, Ben… and I guess in a way it is, with everything that’s happening. And you know what? It’s okay. It’s okay that you feel that numb. It’s okay that you feel like shit. It’s okay. Feel it. Then, once you’ve had enough of feeling that way, let it go. Change it. Shift your focus to the things that make you happy. Remember the good times you had with your parents. But right now, just feel it.” I took a breath, surprised at the wisdom I had just imparted. I hoped desperately that I had helped ease his pain, even just a little. +Ben looked up at me with tears in his eyes and hugged me tight. +Seeing the heartbreak in his eyes, I finally knew what it felt like to be on the other end of this exchange. The only difference being he would never see relief in my eyes, I had already survived that tragedy; it didn’t scare me anymore. +“Thanks, Eva.” Ben sniffed as he stood up. +“No worries, Ben. We’re all here for you.” I replied, giving him a slight smile. +As he packed up the first aid kit and climbed back into the driver’s cabin, I looked over at Jo as she slept. All of a sudden, these three human beings were all I had. Now, a new fear loomed over me; losing one of our little tribe. +It’s us against the world now. +At that moment, I noticed the RV had started to slow down. Turning to look out the window, I could see we had turned off the highway and were driving through a small town, so I unbuckled my belt and walked over to the driver’s cabin. +“Petrol.” Said Wyatt as I leaned against the back of the driver’s seat, as though he knew what I was thinking. +“Better wake up Jo. We’ll run in and grab more food and anything else we find while Wyatt fills it up.” Added Ben. +“Cool. Do you think it’s safe here?” I asked, looking through the windshield for any signs of danger. +It seemed a long main street and a few houses scattered around the area was all that made up this tiny town. I could see it had not escaped the wrath of the infection; with dozens of devoured corpses strewn along the road and sidewalks and a few shop windows smashed in, the havoc looked recent. +“Not sure. We’ll have to be quick, and careful.” Answered Wyatt, looking at me in the rear view mirror. +I nodded and stepped back towards the dining area to wake Jo. +Slowly, we rolled into the local petrol station, glancing around suspiciously for any movement. Squinting to see through the broken windows of the station store, I couldn’t see anyone inside. Wyatt pulled into the station and for a moment we sat in silence, listening closely. +“Ok. Let’s hurry.” Said Wyatt as he opened his door and stepped outside. +We quickly climbed out of the motorhome and made our way over to the store, peering through the windows carefully before entering. +“I think I see a crowbar behind the counter.” Said Jo as we entered, the bell ringing as the door swung open and closed behind us. +Ben ran straight over to the snack foods, ripping open a packet of potato chips, while Jo ran behind the counter to get the crowbar. +“Just grab everything, we don’t know how long will be in hiding for.” I said as I picked up an empty milk crate and started packing it with bottles of water and snack foods. +Even though we had many packets of dehydrated meals packed away in the RV, I wanted to gather as much food as we could. While potato chips and chocolate bars weren’t the healthiest options, they would at least bring a bit of normalcy to our lives while we hide out in Cairns. +Preparing to pick up the crate to take it back to the RV, I paused when I saw Jo down the aisle. She stood frozen and slack-jawed, clutching the crowbar so tight her knuckles had turned white as she stared wide-eyed out the window. +“Jo?” I asked, following her gaze. +I could see Wyatt standing by the motorhome, holding the petrol hose as it filled it up. +I shifted my gaze behind him and gasped. +What I saw in the distance made me jump to my feet, with fear tightening my chest. +Three sickly grey zombies were lurking up behind him. +“Wyatt! Run!” I screamed, but it was too late. +One was already about to launch itself on him. +Chapter Sixteen + +I pulled my hunting knife out of my jeans pocket and leapt through the broken window, running as fast as I could towards the motorhome. +My screams alerted Wyatt to the danger and he spun around, ducking just in time as the hollow creature pounced towards him. +Rushing around the RV, I pushed Wyatt out of the way as I began slashing furiously at the zombie, hacking it’s head clean off. +Wyatt fell to the ground, his knife sliding under the motorhome and out of reach. +The other two growled menacingly as they edged closer, their glazed eyes hungry for our warm, juicy flesh. +I tried not to panic, but I knew with only one knife between the two of us, we needed to act fast. +I looked down at the dicapitated head still spinning at my feet, its jaw mindlessly biting at the air. +I picked it up by the hair and forcefully threw it at the second zombie, its neck snapping back as it hit it in the face, causing it to fall backwards. +I braced myself, my heart pounding as the third zombie ran towards me, drool dripping from its blood stained lips. +In the corner of my eye, I saw the glint of something sharp sitting on the dashboard of the motorhome. +The axe! +“Wyatt! Here!” I said as I handed him my knife. +I jumped onto the step of the RV and swung the passenger door open, reaching for the axe. +I screamed as I felt something grab hold of my leg, and turned to see the mangled face of a zombie. Half of its jaw had been ripped off, leaving it hanging only by a few exposed muscles. It clutched to my ankle as it crawled out from under the RV, using my leg to pull itself up. +“Eva!” Wyatt called as he kicked the other zombie down to the ground and thrust the knife into its skull in a loud crunch. +I snatched the axe from the dashboard just as the disfigured zombie pulled me through the door and slammed me onto the concrete. I groaned in pain as my head hit the ground hard. Before I could move out of the way, the hideous creature let out a loud screech and jumped on top of me, pinning me down by my arms. +“No!” I yelled as I felt its top teeth pressing against the bare skin of my shoulder. +Luckily, its semi-attached jaw meant it couldn’t bite down or pierce my skin. +Wyatt ran over and jumped on its back, gouging its eyes out as it tried furiously to latch onto my skin. +He wrapped his arms around the zombie, allowing me to wriggle free. +Nodding at me to use my axe, Wyatt pulled the creatures’ head back by the eyes, exposing its decaying neck. +I held the axe over my head and swung it sideways, slicing through the dry, rotting skin. I could see the head was still hanging by some muscle, flopping around but still attached. +I swung the axe again, this time sending the head flying into the air and cracking multiple times as it bounced along the road. +Wyatt held out his hand to help me up, but the zombie I hit with the decapitated head before had returned. +It launched itself onto Wyatt, causing them both to fall to the ground next to me. +I jumped to my feet and grabbed the zombie by the neck just before it bit into Wyatt’s back. +“Hold it still!” I yelled, as I held its hair with one hand and readied my axe with the other. +Wyatt rolled onto his back, grabbed the monsters’ arms and kept it still while I slammed the sharp axe into its skull. +Once I pulled the axe out of its slit open head, I kicked the creature off of Wyatt. +Looking around, I breathed a sigh of relief to see we had killed them all. I fell to the ground next to Wyatt as we both caught our breath. +Without saying a word, he grabbed me by the shoulders and pulled me into him, hugging me tight. I closed my eyes and rested my head against his shoulder, grateful to be alive and in his arms. +The thought of almost losing him spiralled through my mind. As he held me close, I realised I couldn’t wait any longer. Our time together could be cut violently short at any second. +This is my moment, I thought as I stood up. +I grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him onto his feet. +No more waiting. I’m making this my moment. +Still holding on to his shirt, I drew him in close so that our lips were only centimetres apart. +Looking up at him, I saw passion and fire in his green eyes. +He looked into my eyes and smiled before he closed the gap between us, kissing me fervently. +A sense of desperation sparked in the way he kissed me, as though he knew, just as I did, that this first kiss could also be our last. +My heart pounded in my chest, but for the first time today, it wasn’t out of fear. As Wyatt ran his fingers through my hair, it seemed as though everything around us just disappeared. In this electric moment – the moment I had been waiting for – we were untouchable. +After what seemed like a beautiful eternity, our lips parted and I fell back down to reality. +“Are you okay?” I asked, running my fingers down his cheek as my eyes searched his face and neck for injuries. +Wyatt patted himself down, making sure all his limbs were still intact. +“Yep!” He grinned, taking me by the hand. +“Are you guys okay?” I heard Jo yell as she and Ben emerged from the store with their bags full of supplies. +“Oh no.” Ben gasped, looking behind us, and I spun around to see what he was gaping at. +My heart leapt into my throat as I saw hundreds of zombies, stumbling out of houses and stores. They must have heard our violent battle with a few of their undead companions. +I scanned the hoard, feeling sick at the sight. From the elderly to little children, the entire town had been infected. Any who hadn’t lay eaten on the side of the road. +Now they were hungry for more. +And they were headed straight for us. +Chapter Seventeen + +“Quick! Get in!” I yelled to Ben and Jo, pushing the door of the RV open as they ran towards it. +“C’mon, Eva!” Said Wyatt as he squeezed my hand. +“I think I have an idea.” I said, looking into his eyes. “Get in and start the RV, I’ll be right behind you.” I promised. +“Are you crazy? If we go now we can make it outta here before they reach us!” Wyatt insisted, tugging on my arm, but I stood firm. +“And leave them to kill or infect others?” I replied, pulling away from him and grabbing the petrol hose from out of the RV. +“Hurry, just go. I handle this by myself.” I pushed him away, but he didn’t move. +Instead he stood there, his jaw clenched as he glared at me. +“Eva. I know you can handle it by yourself, but you don’t have to. Let me help.” Wyatt said sternly. +I could tell he wasn’t going to leave without me. +“Fine. Here,” I said as I handed him the axe. “I need the lighter.” +Wyatt ran over to the open car door and picked up the lighter, throwing it over to me as he gave Ben the keys to the RV. +“Go! We’ll catch up!” I heard Wyatt say to Ben as he pushed him into the RV. +Catching the lighter in my left hand, I started pouring petrol all over the concrete. +Ben jumped into the driver’s seat and started the engine. Wyatt ran in front of me, holding the axe ready to destroy any zombies who came to close. +I could hear Jo screaming my name, but I didn’t look back. +I hurriedly ran towards the hoard as far the as the hose would let me go, drawing a line with the petrol and leading it back to the tank. +I grabbed a broom from next to the petrol tank and unwrapped the bandage from around my arm, cringing as it lifted from my wound. +“Hurry!” Wyatt yelled as I tied the bloodied bandage around the end of the broom and dipped it into the pool of petrol on the concrete. +Holding it away from me, I flicked the lighter and lit the bandage on fire, throwing it onto the ground in front of me. The flames spread fast over the petrol covered concrete. +“Let’s go!” I yelled to Wyatt, who had just swung the axe into the skull of a zombie. +I hope this works, I thought as we bolted away from the flames, headed for the RV. +Ben had pulled the motorhome to a stop in the middle of the road, far enough away to be safe from the fire. +Jo pushed the door of the cabin open and waited, urging us to hurry. Wyatt made it to the door first and leapt into the RV, landing on the floor in a loud thud. +He scrambled to his feet to join Jo at the door, holding his hand out to pull me inside. +I glanced over my shoulder as I ran, seeing the flames growing fast, but not fast enough. +Countless zombies were chasing me, their mouths frothing with desire. +The youngest of the infected had the lead of the pack, I could tell they were once teenagers. A young girl, who couldn’t have been more than sixteen, with curly blonde hair and freckles, had sped up ahead of the others. Her skin hadn’t started to decay yet, so I knew she must have been one of the newest to turn. +Suddenly, I tripped on a crack in the road and fell, skidding onto the ground and sending the axe sliding out of my reach. +I hurried to pick myself up, but my body slammed back into the concrete as the zombie girl pounced on top of me. I rolled over, kicking and punching wildly, doing whatever +I could to stop her from sinking her teeth into me, when all of sudden I heard a loud crunch. +It was Jo, furiously hitting the zombie in the head with the crowbar, cracking her skull open. Wyatt appeared beside Jo, pulling the corpse off of me and throwing it to the side. +Jo and Wyatt lifted me off the ground, and together we ran towards the RV without looking back. +We jumped inside and frantically closed the door, locking it behind us while Ben put his foot on the pedal and we started speeding out of the town. +I stared at Jo with wide-eyes, and hugged her tight. “Thank you. So much.” +“I couldn’t just let you die. You’re like a sister to me, Eva.” She said, holding back tears. +“What the hell was all that, Eva? Were you trying to get yourself killed?” Ben yelled from the driver’s seat. +“The whole town was infected. I saw an opportunity to stop them from spreading the virus and I took it.” I replied, defending myself. +“Don’t you remember what I said earlier? Don’t be a hero! Besides, it didn’t work. You said yourself setting them on fire does nothing.” He glared at me through the rear-view mirror. +“I wasn’t trying to set them on fire.” I replied, grinning at him. +“What? Then… Why?” He asked, confusion spreading across his face. +I didn’t answer. Instead I turned and walked over to the couch at the back of the RV, looking out the window at the fire, which had grown much bigger. +Jo and Wyatt sat next to me on the couch, staring wide-eyed at the scene behind us. +As the motorhome turned onto the highway, the petrol station exploded into a huge fireball, the flames soaring high into the sky like a mushroom cloud. +“That’s why.” I said, turning to Ben as his jaw dropped open in shock. +Deep down I knew that blowing up one little diseased town wouldn’t stop the virus from taking over the entire country. But I needed to believe it saved at least a few people from being infected or killed. No-one else would be in danger of stopping there and being ambushed like we were. +“Wow.” Gasped Ben, turning off the engine and walking over to watch the flames billowing into the sky. “You know, after everything we’ve been through today, it feels really good to know we just blew up a bunch of those monsters.” +We sat together in silence, watching the fire burn as the sun set in the distance, a mix of vibrant colours painting the sky. It was an eerily beautiful sight, but one that we couldn’t marvel at for long. +“We better go,” said Wyatt as he stood up from the couch and made his way over to the driver’s cabin. “It will be dark soon. We need to hit the road. I’ll drive a bit more, if that’s cool with you Ben?” +“Sure, man.” Ben answered, still watching the flames as they burned bright. +Once again we sped down the road, heading north for Cairns. +Chapter Eighteen + +"Hello? Hello? Can anyone hear us?" Wyatt spoke into the radio transceiver he held in his hand as he drove. +He had been trying for hours to reach any other survivors that might be out there, but so far we had heard nothing but silence. +It made me wonder how many others there were like us. The virus would be spreading further and further west by now, hitting South Australia and the Northern Territory. +I had tried to find news of the outside world on the RV's television and radio, but nothing worked. I even tried using the internet on my iPhone, desperately clinging to the last string of hope I had that we could somehow connect with the outside world, but it didn't work either. +Eventually I gave up and slumped into the passenger's seat next to Wyatt. +The night had grown dark, and even though I could hardly see further than the headlights in front of us, I felt safe knowing he was driving. +"Do you think the rest of the world is going to help us?" I asked, knowing he couldn't possibly know the answer, but hoping he could reassure me. +"I hope so," he sighed. "I mean, I know the world is a pretty tough place, but whenever there's a crisis like this, everyone always seems to band together. Like we have." +He smiled at me and reached over to hold my hand, making my heart skip a beat. +It felt so weird, being so utterly disconnected from the world. With the internet and media providing me with any information I needed, I had grown accustomed to knowing exactly what was happening across the globe. Now, all of a sudden, we were completely cut-off. +One thing I was pretty sure of though, was that the virus would be contained to Australia. Surrounded by ocean, it wouldn't take long for the authorities to stop anyone from entering or leaving the country. What might happen after that worried me. Maybe the armies of other countries would come to our rescue, or maybe we would be left to fend for ourselves. +Maybe the world didn't even know anyone had survived. +I had so many questions, and no answers. I might never have any answers. +All I could do was survive. That had become our only mission, our only aim in life. +"How's your arm?" Wyatt asked, snapping me out of my deep thoughts. +"Fine. Ben wrapped it up again for me. It doesn't hurt too much." +"Good," he replied, his lips forming a tired smile. "All we need to do now is get to Cairns. We'll be safe there." +I took a deep breath and looked out the window, gazing up at the stars. I trusted Wyatt completely, and I knew he was right. We would be safe once we arrived at his brother's house. +All we had to do was get there. +The road that lay ahead of us was uncertain, I had no idea what kind of danger awaited us on our journey. But as long as the four of us stick together and never give up, we will all make it to Cairns alive. +I knew this was only the beginning of this new nightmare that would now be our lives, but as I sat there admiring the night sky, my hand in his, it was the happiest nightmare I ever had. + +THE END. + +About the Author + +Jen Marie Wilde is the alter-ego of an Australian writer, entrepreneur and globe-trotter. When she isn’t running her own business or travelling with her husband, she writes fiction on Wattpad. + +Eva Wilde Vs The Zombie Apocalypse is her first fiction book, and is the first in a trilogy. Jen is currently writing the second and third books in the Eva Wilde Series. + +Follow her blog to learn more about her and her work: www.jenmariewilde.com. + diff --git a/data/Apocalypse/412369.txt b/data/Apocalypse/412369.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..147ceef --- /dev/null +++ b/data/Apocalypse/412369.txt @@ -0,0 +1,8864 @@ +The Shattered Genesis +T. Rudacille + +Smashwords Edition +Copyright 2014 T. Rudacille + +Smashwords Edition, License Notes +Thank you for downloading this ebook. This book remains the copyrighted property of the author, and may not be redistributed to others for commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoyed this book, please encourage your friends to download their own copy from their favorite authorized retailer. Thank you for your support. +Cover image courtesy of chrisroll/FreeDigitalPhotos.net +Cover Design by Alex Piluk. +Dedication: For Nunny, who has believed in Brynna since before she was written. + + +The Shattered Genesis +Eternity Series: Book One + +BEGIN: YEAR 1 + + +Part I: The Exodus + +Brynna + +I pretended not to notice the two unabashedly obnoxious college jocks in the corner of the room talking about me. Despite the differences in our chromosomes that some would say result in me, a woman, never being able to understand them, little boys, I could imagine their inane, sexually charged babble as clearly as I could see the untouched drink on the table in front of me. I could feel their hormones raging and their egos inflating vividly, as if they were actually drilling said babble painfully into my ears. I had never had much respect for younger men. I had been around too long to be swayed by what they believed to be smooth-talking. +I was twenty-two physically. Only physically. +I began to contemplate the true meaning of age and time, only to be baffled a mere minute into my mental debate. Normally, I could sit and stew over the topic for hours, attempting to make sense of it all. But that night, I just wanted my brain to shut down, to submerge itself in silence. I was sick of raging thoughts. +Instead of trying to understand the deeper meaning of things, I switched my concentration over to the bar I was in and the patrons that surrounded me. A group of girls around my physical age were sitting directly behind me having an enthusiastic debate about something that was obviously of dire importance. I allowed myself to listen in as one of these girls allowed her spirited indignation to reach its maximum point of intensity; she raised her voice suddenly, shouting about an 'idol' and something called a jay-low. I wondered if perhaps idolatry had become a new college trend. It certainly wouldn't surprise me. +I zeroed in on a conversation that was occurring between a man and a woman who were also of my physical age. Every now and then, he would smile at something she said, or vice versa. They shared a quiet laugh, and with a roll of my eyes, I decided that they were like every other couple I had ever seen, and their rapidly changing topics, all of which were painfully uninteresting, would soon bore me to sleep if I continued to listen in so nosily. I shut them out and moved on to a group of particularly average looking people in the back of the room. +“I am sorry, but there is no way that Tolstoy is better than Dickens!” One particularly agitated boy exclaimed with an emphatic slam of his fist on the tabletop. My eyebrows raised when the shaky table gave an ominous wobble that left the glasses rattling violently in the aftershock of his blow. His friends laughed at his dramatic flair and spirited indignation, and his face that had begun to redden from the effects of his third beer broke into a lopsided, almost dreamy grin. +Well, at least they knew who Tolstoy and Dickens were. As their conversation continued, however, I found their frequent hand-gesturing and the very discreet way they were looking around to make sure people were listening to their conversation to be brash aggravating. “Look at how smart we are, world. You can only wish you knew what we were talking about!” +Oh, God or Gods, I thought, spare me from such ludicrous shows of artificiality... +Now one might wonder what a condescending non-human would be doing in a place like that. Was I so miserable that I had to sit smack in the middle of a rerun of some ridiculous 90's prime-time drama or some wannabe smartly written sitcom and denounce their players in my mind? The short answer: Yes. It made me feel superior. +My thoughts were rudely interrupted when one of the aforementioned obnoxious jocks approached my lonely table by the window. I know how cliché it must sound, but the smell of alcohol that wafted over me as soon as he opened his crooked mouth forced images of unshaven homeless men buried under piles of filthy rags to pop into my mind in unwelcome clarity. +His future... I thought, having to fight off a smirk as the next thought tumbled to the forefront of my mind, Okay, that was awful...” +“I don't recognize you.” He told me loudly over the sea of voices as he plopped his remarkably sizable posterior into the seat across from me. The chair creaked under his weight. +Was chivalry really that dead? +“I don't recognize you, and I know everyone.” +Now, I had two different courses of action plotted and ready to go in my head. I could humor him and allow him to think he had a shot only so I could turn him down flat after he made his sloppy, drunken pitch. Or I could turn him away and be a humanitarian about the whole damn thing. +“Everyone?” I responded as I turned my head and looked at the television propped up on the wall behind the bar. The news was on; on the screen there was some diagram of the solar system with an arrow pointing far away from the reaches of our sun. I turned my head to look at him. In the dim light his features contorted, taking away his boyish good looks and replacing them with the features of a quizzical spider monkey; his arms were elongated and drooping at his sides and his uncommonly dark eyes were studying me with more curiosity than I expected. After blinking once, his appearance shifted again and that time, I was startled by the change; his nose had flattened, and his nostrils grew taller and thinner. In his black eyes, I saw a dangerous lust. I had just taken a sip of my watered down margarita and wondered if perhaps it was stronger than I realized. +“Everyone.” He replied, and I was tempted to say, “Everyone?” back again to see how long I could keep him repeating himself. “And I have definitely never seen you before.” +“You wouldn't. I don't go to school here.” +“You don't?” He asked, his voice rising as he prepared to give an impassioned monologue on why his overpriced Ivy League school was the best in the world. “It's only the greatest...” +Well, that was enough human contact for one evening... +“While I am sure that is going to be one rousing speech, I am actually on my way out. It was so...” I rolled my eyes to the sky, “nice talking to you.” +Anyone with half a brain would be able to tell that I was being sarcastic. But this young man did not have half a brain. +“I have a scholarship there. Football.” +“Yes, that happens commonly, as I hear it. Lumbering voids like yourself getting essentially paid to go to school just to use your large motor skills in brainless sports, and those actually interested in bettering themselves through education having to pay with money, possessions, the rights to their first born sons, et cetera. But really, you look like you are in pain now. I have lost you. Silly me, even as I was referring to you as a lumbering void, I forgot that you were one and went on one of my intricate rant with no concern for your mental discomfort. My apologies.” I started to gather up my bag and stand. He rose to his feet. “I hope your major in Business Communication is enough to cradle you if and when your professional football career just does not come to fruition.” +“How did you know I was majoring…” +“Oh, you lot always are.” I replied slowly, knowingly, with my trademark condescending grin. +“I get it.” He pointed at me, nodding slightly as something dawned on him that escaped me, strangely enough. “You like girls, right?” +“No.” I replied, unable to remove that small, disdainful smile from my face. “I just don't like boys.” +The girls who had been gabbing about the idols exclaimed in what I assumed to be shock but as it turns out, was actually a thrilled cry of feminine unity. One held her hand up to me as I passed, and for the hell of it, I slapped it, allowing her to believe that we had formed an estrogen-charged bond, however short-lived it may have been. At the very least, I gifted those girls with a line to use when dribbling morons in a bar came up to them looking to, as the young people call it, “score.” +Once I walked outside, the wonderfully harsh winter wind filled my lungs and cut at my exposed skin. I walked to the curb and dug into my purse, looking for my ever-present pack of Camels. I found them and pulled one from the pack, crushing the filter and putting the cigarette between my lips. Now, for the real challenge: the lighter search. +It was while I was rooting around in my bag that I became aware of someone standing next to me. I looked to see a middle-aged man leaning against the street-light's post and outstretching his lit lighter to me. I know it sounds girlish and stupid, but I had always wanted someone to light my cigarette for me. I couldn't fight the strange glow I felt well up inside of my chest as I leaned forward and lit my cigarette in the flame he was holding. +“Thank you.” I said, and after that, I was lost as to what to say, so in staying true to my social awkwardness, I studied him closely for a long moment. He was at least forty, perhaps even a little older. I was never very skilled at pinning down someone's age by mere guessing. He was in need of a shave, but not desperately; his stylish goatee was starting to spread out across his face like an army of insurgent troops waging war on an untouched plain. His hair was gelled and styled in that perfectly calculated mess that men seemed to favor in those days. +“You're welcome.” He replied politely. He seemed to take no notice of me analyzing every detail of his appearance. “So, not to sound strange, but I was watching you.” +“That sounds very strange.” I said before exhaling smoke away from him. +“I know it does. In the bar, I was watching you. You seemed awfully disdainful.” +“That's my general state of being, I suppose. I didn't think that it was so obvious.” +“Well, I can assure you that it is.” +“Okay. Thank you for letting me know.” I looked out at the street as the cars flew past, letting the noises of the evening fill my ears in hopes of drowning out any more of his observations on my character. But it isn't easy to drown out someone who is standing right next to you, and even the horns blaring and the rushing whir of the traffic couldn't suppress his voice. +“Do you often shoot down the advances of young men?” +“Who are you, the official spokesperson for the conversational and social rights of horny, drunken, college frat boys?” I asked, knowing that I was being prickly and as he suggested, disdainful. But as I said, disdain was constantly flowing from my lips and mind. It was my dominant status. +“No. Just an interested observer.” +“If you're trying to avoid sounding strange, please be aware that your attempt is not even close to believable, let alone totally convincing. You are failing miserably.” +“So are you.” +“I don't try to sound normal anymore.” I informed him somewhat more defensively than I had intended. “It just makes me look as pathetically stupid as those young twits in that bar.” +“Aren't you their same age?” +“I am. But I'm not a twit.” +“I like your use of the word 'twit.' One rarely hears that in conversation these days.” +“I like to keep a wide variety of insults handy, even if I am not insulting a person or a group of people to their face or faces, respectively.” +“Are you an English major?” +I chuckled to myself for a moment, thinking about how odd the conversation was becoming. Was he trying to pick me up or was he trying to annoy me? Neither option seemed particularly befitting of him. +“I would have been, I suppose.” I told him. “At least you went with 'English major.' Generally, when people hear me talk, they assume I must have a mental deficiency. One young man, who must have thought he was God's gift to the mental health profession, told me once that he felt, in his not-so-professional opinion that I was suffering from Asperger's Syndrome.” +“And what did you say?” The man asked me. “May I?” He indicated the pack of cigarettes that I had started to put back into my bag. +I handed one to him and watched closely as he lit it up. I couldn't help noticing that it was quite attractive the way he expertly inhaled and exhaled the smoke. +Snapping out of my own observance, I answered his question. +“I said that was an insult to people with Asperger's Syndrome.” +He was the one who laughed softly now. +“I read a lot as a child and still read a lot today. That might be the reason for my advanced sentence structure, I suppose. I did take a test while I was in school to determine my IQ. Apparently, it was quite high. But I have never put much stock into that. I find tests that are meant to define one's intelligence to be, in most cases, horribly misleading.” +“Is it an effortless thing? The way you talk, I mean?” +“I suppose so. I don't feel like I am putting much effort into it.” +“I see.” He nodded. “So where are you headed?” +I looked at him again, raising my eyebrows slightly. I had given the idea of him trying to pick me up and trying to annoy me the appropriate amount of thought but I had never pondered the possibility that he might be dangerous. To not immediately think the worst of a man was a new and very undesirable turn of events in my world. +“See, that was me sounding strange again. I know exactly what you're thinking.” +“That you're a rapist and a murderer? That's what I'm thinking.” I was starting to back away very slowly, so as not to give away my plan to run should he give me a reason to. +“Well, I didn't think you'd immediately go to rapist and murderer.” Every step of distance I put between him and me, he immediately mimed. “But dangerous, yes. I did assume that's what you were thinking.” +“Well, you assume correctly even if you did not correctly gauge the level of danger I believed I was in. Have a good night, dear sir.” +I turned away, expecting him to shake his head and continue on in the opposite direction. Instead, he caught up with me and began to saunter along at my side as I walked. +“Alright, I'll admit it,” I told him as my body began to tremble and my feet carried me forward at an even quicker pace. “You're officially starting to worry me.” +“Sorry.” He replied apathetically before turning his gaze to meet mine. With an intense warning in his eyes, he muttered, “Just go with it, okay?” +“No, I will not 'go with it!’” I snapped at him, stopping in mid-stride and turning around. I was going to go back to the bar and ask one of those drunken morons to walk me home. They probably would refuse, but I would risk rejection in hopes of gaining safe passage to my apartment. I would allow their advances to continue just until I was safely inside with the door locked securely behind me. I would take their endless chattering about football, or my physique and all the things they would like to do to it in order to avoid being assaulted by this strange man who was walking beside me. +“Brynna? That's your name, isn't it?” He asked calmly. I stopped walking and turned to him. +“So you're a stalker, too?!” I exclaimed before reaching into my bag and rooting around for the other item I constantly kept on me: my pepper spray. Just as I was about to dump the contents of my purse onto the sidewalk in order to find it, I looked up to see him holding the canister between his thumb and forefinger. +“You left your bag on the back of your chair.” He explained before placing my only possible weapon in his jacket pocket. +“Alright, I want you to listen to me,” I kept my voice steadier and bolder than anyone could possibly feel in a moment like that, “I don't know who you are. I don't know if this is because you're just craving sexual contact or if it’s in response to some familial crisis that you experienced as a child...” I was rambling, trying to keep him at bay with my ridiculous over-thought and unnecessary musings. “But I can assure you that I am not experienced in sex and as a result, not good at it. Okay?” +Leave it to me to still be over-analyzing someone even as I faced the prospect of being horribly violated. Call it my defense mechanism. I firmly believed that I could talk my way out of anything. It was the last straw of hope I grasped at when faced with trauma. +I didn't realize it but I was backing away from him slowly, preparing for the moment when I would drop my bag and run back to the bar. I looked behind me and my heart iced over with the unthinkably strong intensity of absolute, desperate terror. The two jocks from the bar had been following in our wake like shadowed specters in the dark. The dim light cast by the street lamps contorted their features again or perhaps my own fear did that for me. Perhaps I was seeing them as appearing monstrous because I knew their unspeakable intentions. +“Oh, my God...” I whispered softly, and I tried to remember everything I knew about adrenaline rushes and the inherent, animal instinct to stay alive. Whoever said that when one is in a bind they can suddenly become unstoppable fighting machines clearly never experienced the fear that prey feels. They especially did not account for when the prey had felt that same suffocating fear before... +“Listen to me, Brynna.” The man was walking towards me, reaching one hand out slowly. +“Do not come near me! I...” I scrambled for something, anything to scare him away. “I have a knife!” +The words tumbled out of my mouth before I could fully realize just how ridiculous I sounded. Why would I have reached for pepper spray when I had a weapon that would end the current shenanigans in a more severely final way? +I've always considered myself as being of much higher intellect than almost everyone else on the earth. But in situations where one feels what I felt at that moment, it just does not matter what some faulty IQ test said about you. There is nothing to do, say, or think; there is only the swelling, smothering fear in your chest, paralyzing you while mentally driving you to act. It was a blip in nature, to experience that simultaneous urgent prodding and frozen hesitation, and it was a blip that was frustratingly paradoxical, to say the least. +“Just walk with me.” The man instructed calmly as he reached out his hand to me. “You have no chance of outrunning them...” +“Oh, my God...” I muttered again. I looked all around me frantically for a way out. I couldn't go back to the bar and I couldn't run straight ahead. But there were no cars coming, and I knew that if I had any chance at all, it would begin with me running across the street. +I turned and darted into the road, narrowly avoiding being mowed down by a cab that appeared from nowhere and went rushing by with its horn blaring and a curse word being screamed out of the window by the driver. I had never been skilled at sports or any type of physical activity; I possessed the endurance of an eighty year old with chronic arthritis and spots on her lungs. But with that adrenaline coursing through me, I ran, as some clever person who thinks up clichés once said, like the devil was chasing me, which in my mind, he was. +But just as that expression took a lap around my mind, I became aware of the fact that no one was chasing me in reality. I stopped running, allowing myself to stand panting on the sidewalk, leaned up against the brick wall of a closed health food store and ruing the day I started smoking as it limited my already hindered capacity for prolonged physical activity. I looked around, back up the street towards the music blaring out of the open door of the bar I had just left. I saw no one. +“Okay...” I muttered to myself, realizing that I was trembling even more intensely. I continued to walk quickly despite the tightness in my chest that made my heart feel as though it was attempting to beat through cellophane. If there were people around, I like to think that I would have asked for help, but out of fear of looking like a crazed albeit well-dressed drunk on the street, I probably would have just barreled on past them as though I was just in a big hurry. In the city, no one would think anything of a twenty-two year old young woman speed walking down the sidewalk. No one would ask questions. +I was alone and looking over my shoulder almost against my will, expecting to see those three men following me. I tried to stop myself from picturing their motives but unfortunately, my brain stirred up horrendous scenarios that played inside my head like cheap, exploitative B-movies at a 1970's grind-house. +I do apologize for all the similes. But sometimes these figures of speech are the only way to truly convey an emotion. They are the last ditch effort of those who cannot make sense of things, even years later. +I reached around in my bag, looking for my cellphone as I continued to power-walk home. I avoided shrieking in frustration when I found that it was missing. What else had that man taken from my bag? I didn't have the time to stop and check. I just had to get inside. I just had to lock myself in the safe confines of my apartment, where I would immediately begin trying to forget the awful turn of events my first night out in months had taken. +I had only seen civilian cars pass by for the duration of my trek. A cab hadn't passed since the one that nearly left me pancake-flat on the asphalt. If I saw one and was able to get inside, I contemplated throwing my arms around the driver and thanking him for being in the right place at the right time. I imagined the relief that would flow through me as I crawled into the warm cab and began to put as much distance between me and that bar as possible. I would even kiss the driver's cheek just to show him how thankful I was for his arrival and rescue. I am sure he would have already experienced stranger things than that in his career. +But no cab rolled down the street, and I was left walking alone. No one passed by me, either. I looked at my watch and rolled my eyes; it was almost two A.M. and everything was beginning to wind down in our fair city. Leave it to me to lose track of time. But then, how could I ever have imagined that something so terrible would happen? Several years earlier, I had stayed out until well past two in the morning many times and never once encountered a group of demented sadists. +Of course, times had changed very much in those two years. +When I finally came around the corner, and my building came into view, I could have cried. I would have, if I had been physically able to do so. My reprieve was short-lived, however; with another strong dose of supreme horror, I realized that the same two jocks were lurking outside my building, their athletically hefty forms sitting prone on the bench just across the street. +I mumbled a very rare expletive and ducked into the alleyway beside the building that was four over from mine. After I had cussed once, a whole stream of colorful words and terms spewed out of my mouth. How did they know where I lived? What could they possibly want? It could not just have been to assault me at that point, and honestly, was my insult really so damaging to their already far out of proportion egos that they had to hunt me down and harm me over it? I cursed myself and my big mouth. I cursed my own over-inflated ego. I cursed the day I realized I was not normal. +Throughout all of that cursing, I didn't think about where the third man, the one who had spoken to me, was lurking. As I stomped and kicked like a child having a particularly contemptuous tantrum, I didn't hear his footsteps approaching behind me. But even if I had been completely silent, I still wouldn not have heard him. Just as I poked my head around the wall, I felt his hand wrap around from behind me and hold firmly to my mouth as he pulled me backwards. +Forget all human tendencies. Forget the thought processes and emotions that elevate us above other mammals. The moment I felt him pulling me back into the darkness of the alleyway, I fought like any other animal in a struggle for its life. At first, I just thrashed around wildly, attempting to weaken the painfully strong grip he had on me. Quickly, I realized attempting some actual defense was my only hope. +I opened my mouth and sunk my teeth down into his hand while simultaneously kicking my foot back to nail him perfectly between the legs. He suppressed a cry of pain by just grunting like a wounded hippopotamus, which I would have found hilarious had I not been in a fight for my life. After his hand released my mouth, I took in an unbelievably capacious gasp of air and screamed. As a child, before I decided against having friends, my companions and I used to have competitions to see who could scream the loudest. I always won. But those screams were nothing compared to the real thing; I was sure that everyone in the metropolitan area had heard me. +But just as the last bit of air was exhaled from my lungs, his hand was clamped over my mouth again. When I opened my mouth to bite him again, he swung my body hard to one side, causing my head to slam against the brick wall of the alley hard. I tried to scream but the sound choked off as silver and white stars danced in shimmering pools of black in front of my eyes. I collapsed back against him, struggling to stay awake as the ground slid sideways abruptly, right out from beneath my feet. I was hanging upside down with nothing keeping me attached to the earth but him anymore. I was preparing to tumble head over heels into the starless black sky. I would keep falling forever... +I snapped out of those thoughts just as I began to feel the sensation of falling. My head rolled painfully to one side and rested against something that scratched at my skin. +I started to mutter something but I felt his hand press to my mouth again. +“Do not say anything.” His voice whispered fiercely to me and instantly, that fight sparked to life once again. I pictured a phoenix roaring back to life from its own ashes, from its own demise. But with my head spinning and exhaustion beginning to take over me, the phoenix's life was snuffed out by one mighty wave of ocean water. +My eyes shot open, widening when I became aware that I was submerged in complete darkness. There were three peculiar, nickel-sized holes in the black wall in front of my eyes and through them, I could see the alley clearly. I attempted to move my head but found that it weighed far too much for my small neck to support. That was new. Before, I had a completely normal head, of a completely average weight. +Strange, I thought to myself. +The scratchiness that I felt against my head was the man's stubble; my forehead was rested against his cheek. I wanted to exclaim in disgust at having to lean against him simply because my body refused to support the weight of my newly very heavy head. I would have exclaimed in disgust, if I hadn't heard an ominous growl just outside where we were hidden. +“Don't say anything.” The man behind me hissed even more urgently in my ear. He reached up to press what felt like a thick piece of cloth to my wound and held my head against him firmly. +They can smell the blood... My mind whispered tremulously. I knew that by instinct alone, before I even knew what they were. + I heard a growl that was even more eerily distressing than the first. For some reason, in my delusional state, the second growl sounded almost conversational, almost as though this animal (it had to be an animal) was trying to communicate with another. +All thoughts shut off quite suddenly, though, when an impossibly gargantuan creature walked right into my field of vision. I prayed that what I was seeing was a contortion of reality brought on by my head injury and the fact that my glasses had flown off in the fight. Whatever that monstrous being was, it appeared to stand at least eight feet tall. It had to have weighed well over six hundred pounds. Physically, it was shaped like a human, in that it had two arms, two legs, a head and a torso. It was clothed in black scraps of fabric and matted fur. At the end of its long arms, I saw that its fingernails were elongated and sharpened to thick, dangerously pointed claws. Hair that was long and black hung down past its broad shoulders. When it dropped down onto all fours and began to sniff the ground, I began to beg whatever higher power existed to spare me from seeing its face. Somehow, I knew that the sight of it would snatch the breath from my lungs and freeze my racing heart in its hurried tracks. +That higher power had it in for me, though, because just as I began to plead, a second creature identical to the first dropped down in front of our hiding place. The man behind me must have known that I was going to gasp because once again, his hand was covering my mouth. He needn't have silenced me though, because the indescribably appalling face looking at me through those three holes in the darkness, those harrowing black eyes staring into my own were enough to make the world flip out from underneath of me again and send me tumbling backwards into space. +The fall into eternity was less frightening than those eyes. +*** + +I did not want to wake up. I did not want to confront the situation in which I knew I would find myself. I was not given the luxury of being able to believe that everything that had occurred had been a dream. The memories were too vivid, too nightmarishly grotesque to be ignored or downplayed. So when my eyes snapped open, I prepared myself for another fight. I prepared to find myself in an unfamiliar setting, accompanied by the strange man I had met. +I was right about the former but wrong about the latter. When I awoke in an unfamiliar bedroom, I was alone. I sat up abruptly, drawing in one gasp before panting as the terror from the night before seized me. Outside, the first blue light of dawn was breaking on the horizon. I looked at the alarm clock on the nightstand to confirm that it was six-thirty AM. I had been passed out for only three hours. Beside the alarm clock was my canister of pepper spray and cellphone. A note was lying beside them written in a hurried scrawl: + +Had to run out. I figured you would want these back. + +I rolled my eyes and took the can and phone in my hands. I held the phone in front of my face to find that I had only one missed call from Maura, whom we will call my “nanny” for the time being. I couldn't quite discern why she would be calling me between the hours of two and five AM, and I didn't have time to ponder it, as I heard the front door open and close. +Despite the throbbing in my head, I began to prepare myself for a fight. I turned, holding the pepper spray up in front of my face, and steadied my hand. I would spray every last bit of the can's contents at the beastly so-and-so the moment he came through the door. +“Brynna, I just want to talk to you. Put it down.” +Either I'm predictable or the beastly so-and-so could see through doors. While I was a fan of fantasy novels and films, I was not naïve. I stayed grounded in the real world at all times. As a result of that, I opted to believe the former. +“If you come in here, I will spray all of it into your eyes.” I warned him, just to be fair. +“Then I guess it would be prudent for me to stay out here and talk to you, wouldn't it?” +“Just move out of the way and let me leave. I don't want to hear anything you have to say.” I gathered all of my nerve to say what I said next. “I am opening the door and coming out.” +What bravery it took for me to say that was nothing compared to the brash stupidity it took to actually do it. My fear silently reached its piercing crescendo and yet I threw open the door, still holding the canister up. I maneuvered my way out into a narrow hallway. +“I am not looking at you. I barely remember what you look like. After last night, after...” I trailed off, keeping my head down as I continued to walk with his form visible only in my upper peripheral vision and nowhere else. “I don't know what you look like.” +“Am I really so forgettable?” He asked, and I grimaced at his lame attempt to make a joke. He was trying to gain my trust. He was trying to charm me into letting my guard down but he didn't quite know with whom he was dealing. I had read extensively on psychopathology and considered myself a bit of an expert on the matter. I knew how terrible people worked. +I turned so that I was walking backwards, keeping my eyes to the floor while still being able to see his outline. +“Your head looks terrible. You need to let me take a look at it. I'll even give you a knife to hold, if it will make you feel better about things.” +What in the world? His sarcasm was not meant to irritate. It was meant to entertain. I could not help but shake my head at just how strange he was. +“I will go to the hospital.” I muttered hurriedly. “I will go and have it taken care of, thank you so much. But I won't go to the police. You have my word on that. I promise. I swear to God, I won't go to the police.” +“Good. They wouldn't help you, anyway.” +“Okay.” I agreed blindly just to pacify him. “You're right.” +I had come to the door of his apartment. I reached backwards and opened it before darting away without looking back. The pepper spray was still firmly grasped in my hand but I would not stop to use it. I threw open the door to the staircase and hurried down the steps, barely watching where my feet landed. Once or twice, I lost my footing and stumbled forward, but my trembling legs managed to catch me before I went tumbling painfully to the landing. +When I burst out onto the street, I was greeted by the sound of early morning traffic and a burst of fresh air that awoke every sense my body possessed. My breath billowed out in front of me, reminiscent of cigarette smoke; I yearned for a charge of nicotine in my blood. I would only be calmed by the jolt it provided in each sacred puff. +Shaking that thought from my head, I started to walk briskly, looking over my shoulder with almost every step I took. It was a relief not to have my purse, I realized. All I had was my pepper spray and my cellphone. Anything else would have slowed me down. +I looked around for any familiar landmarks to tell me where I was. I had never been skilled at memorizing street names and intersections. I always used places to mark where I was in the city. But apparently, I had never ventured as far out as I was then. Not a single building or business helped determine my exact whereabouts. +It was ridiculous and ineffably stupid but I just couldn't bring myself to call Maura. I couldn't stand the idea of having to describe what had happened the night before. I was not capable of churning out some fantastical story to explain what I was doing in an unfamiliar section of town at six-thirty AM. I walked a little further, urging myself not to allow the quiet fear that I felt bubbling inside of me to boil over into a frenzied panic. I had been able to escape which made me luckier than most women. I had to put distance between myself and the man who had taken me. +Only a handful of people walked past me. I could have asked any one of them for directions, I knew. But as I turned and watched the fourth person I had passed keep walking, I suddenly realized that if I were to speak to anyone in the state of anxiety I was in, I would end up spilling the events of the previous night to them. A crazed albeit well-dressed (and now severely bruised) drunk on the street... +“Alright.” His voice said behind me, and I jumped, shock throbbing through my body like an electrical current. I needed to act defensively; after whipping around, I emptied my can of pepper spray blindly in the direction from which I had heard his unwelcome voice. + When I opened my eyes that had been squeezed shut throughout the duration of my attack, I didn't see him writhing on the ground in agony, howling about how I, a crazy female dog, had just burnt his eyes out. Maybe, like when I had kicked him the night before, he just wasn't verbally announcing to me and any passerby that he was in pain. Maybe that just wasn't how he operated. Strange... +“If I were a rapist,” He walked out from behind the wall, and I threw the can of pepper spray at him in frustration and above all else, in resignation. Easily, he moved sideways slightly so it could fly right past his head. He raised his eyes to look into mine, “would I have let you walk out like that?” +“You didn't let me do anything!” I half-yelled, pointing at him with a shaking finger. “I ran away! I escaped!” +He nodded. +“Okay. Yeah, sure, you escaped.” +“Shut up!” Now I was shouting and covering my ears for a minute of solace. “You... you... Go away!” +“Brynna, you're going to scare people.” +“I don't care! What is wrong with you?!” I turned and continued to huff up the street. He strode forward to catch up to me. “Just go away, you crazy, evil...” +“Evil? Is that why I saved your life last night?” +“Oh, are you being poetic? Are you being ironic?” I snapped at him as we turned onto a particularly busy street. “Did you date-raping me last night 'save my life'?” +“You think I date-raped you?” He asked me, and I could hear a note of anger in his voice. I noticed that as he said those words, two of the people on the street gave him hilariously quizzical and disgusted looks. “What, dare I ask, gave you that impression? What do you remember about last night?” +“I don't want to remember anything about last night. So, shut up and go away!” +“You didn't answer my question. If I were a rapist, would I be letting you walk out amongst people? Would I let you keep going?” +“Maybe you're going to blackmail me. Maybe you want money or something. How the hell am I supposed to know exactly what goes on in the mind of a crazy person? I thought I had a pretty good idea, but you will be pleased to know I have officially recognized that I have absolutely no idea!” +“Let's go somewhere and get something to eat.” +“I don't know you!” I stopped walking and turned to him, infuriated now. “I don't want to know you! I don't care who you are, what your motives are, or about any scenario that doesn't involve me getting home!” +“Those things are still outside of your apartment, Brynna.” +Hearing that made me stop my indignant trek and turn to him again. +“You thought you had imagined them?” He asked, raising his eyebrows. “That's sweet that you're allowing yourself to be so naïve.” +“I know that I imagined them.” I hissed at him dangerously. “They were projections. They were physical manifestations of the uncomfortable feeling that you provoked in me. They were brought into sight by an elevated heart rate and an adrenaline rush. Thank you for that, by the way.” +“Please, just come with me, and we'll talk. I'll explain everything to you. I know you're afraid.” He reached out and grasped my arm gently but I shook him off. +“Do not touch me! Just...” I closed my eyes and put my hand on my head, the dull throbbing I had felt since I awoke morphing suddenly into a full-fledged, knee-buckling pain and world-twirling dizziness. +“Okay...” He put both hands on my arms now and turned me so we could keep walking in the direction I had been going. “There's a diner up the street here. We'll go in there. I'll buy. See? I am a nice guy.” +“Please just go away...” I muttered to him, and for the first time, I felt the threat of impending tears. He must have heard the crackling in my voice as well because as he steered me along, he rubbed my arm comfortingly. +“I promise, I'll explain everything as soon as we're sitting down.” +It was against my better judgment, but I followed him into the diner and sat down across from him at a small booth in the corner, away from the prying eyes and ceaselessly listening ears of the other patrons. I kept my face in my hands and muttered, “If I believed in God, I would be praying right now...” +“Look at me.” +It wasn't an order. It was merely a gentle suggestion. I raised my eyes to look at him, and he spoke again. +“I know that this is asking a lot. Believe me, I do. But I need you to trust me, Brynna.” +“I don't know you.” I implored him, feeling desperation more strongly than I was comfortable with. “I have no idea why I woke up in your bedroom this morning. Well, I do have an idea, but I wish I didn't. You have to know that I come from money, and my family will pay you whatever you want. This is a strange way to go about assaulting someone, but whatever, I don't want to think about that, either. I won't over-analyze you for fear of losing my mind.” +“Alright. My turn to talk.” He told me lightly as he slid my pack of cigarettes across the table to me. “That's my peace offering. Is it working?” +“You,” I tapped my head against my open palms, “are...” I did it again, “so...” And again, “strange!” +“I need you to understand and accept this as being true: I did not hurt you in any way last night.” +“You slammed my head up against a brick wall. That hurt me severely.” +“I didn't mean to do that as hard as I did. But I had no choice. Those things were coming, and I had to get you to stop making noise.” +“Those things weren't real! Why are you telling me that they were?” +The waitress came over and he ordered a coffee with no cream or sugar. The woman gnashed her teeth into a huge wad of gum as she asked me what I wanted. My head jerking from side to side was the only answer I offered to her question. +“She has a bit of a migraine. A coffee will help, I think.” The man ordered for me. My fingers were pressed to my temples. I scowled up at him. +“Caffeine.” The waitress nodded in agreement. “Best thing for them, sweetie.” +I jerked my head up and down, still trying to wrap my head around what was happening. +“Ask Dr. Oz what the best thing is for a pesky, delusional assailant when she comes back with the coffee.” I muttered to him, but then I shook my head slightly and closed my eyes. “That was rude. She is just trying to help.” +“It was rude. It was also thought of quickly, which must mean that you're returning to normal. Or whatever is normal for you, I should say.” +“Why are you acting like you know me? You don't know anything about me!” +“I don’t? Well, let’s see…” He breathed in deeply, looking up at the ceiling, pretending to be thinking deeply. “Your name is Brynna Olivier. Your mother is a senator and your father runs a popular news organization. The channel, the newspaper, the website, it’s all his. I know that you currently reside in a one bedroom apartment, alone, because you have never quite mastered real human contact. You joke frequently about being a 'non-human.' You call yourself a genius who doesn't worry herself with petty human attachment in public but in private, you wonder if perhaps there's something seriously wrong with you. You think you might be a robot, a cyborg, that sort of thing.” He lit up one of my cigarettes and inhaled deeply. +“Are you here to tell me I'm a cyborg?” He handed me another cigarette that he had just lit up. I took it gratefully. +“No.” He shook his head. +“Are you here to tell me I am a sociopath? I hear that quite frequently.” +“I'm here to tell you that you're special.” +“Special...” I muttered doubtfully as the coffee arrived at our table. “I think this really will help. Thank you so much.” I smiled up at the waitress who seemed genuinely shocked by my gratitude. I hoped that my sudden change of tone towards her would greatly improve her day. +The scowl returned once I had looked back at the man across from me. +“Do I have super powers, too?” I asked quite sardonically. +He chose to ignore my snide remark and continue talking, but I could have sworn, and I still can swear, that there was the hint of a knowing smile on his face. After I blinked and saw that the smile was gone in that moment, however, I convinced myself that I had imagined it. +“I also know that you are genuinely distrustful of men. You don't care for them. You don't enjoy their company, especially if they are your own age.” He eyed me cautiously for a moment before plowing ahead. “But really, at any age, you don't want them anywhere near you. All of that is a direct result of the fact...” +I slammed my hand on the table, shocking him, myself, and the rest of the people in the restaurant with my outburst. +After a long moment of silence between us, he responded to my explosion of rage airily. +“You apparently have a temper, too. I didn't know that, actually.” +“I get it. You know a lot about me. All of those things could be learned with a Google search or assumed through fanciful speculation. What? Do you want to know about my parents? Are you a reporter? Do you want an inside scoop on my mother? She is up for re-election. Are you trying to skewer her?” +“I know that you'd be more than willing to skewer her, but no.” +“I want to know, right now, what exactly it is that you want. If you don't tell me, I am going to walk out of here. Then, I am going to go straight to the police and tell them that there is a crazy, debonair man in a designer suit who lives on the street over from the...” I looked at the menu that was stuck jauntily behind the napkin container, “Gary's Diner who plays ridiculous mind games on unsuspecting young girls!” +“I told you, the police won't help you.” +“What? Are you funding them? Do you have money to buy them off so that you can play said ridiculous mind games on unsuspecting young girls?” +“No. But I do appreciate the fact that you think I'm debonair. My suit is designer, also, and I thank you for noticing that, as well.” +“You are so strange.” I muttered again as I shook my head slightly. “You defy all specific designations of mental illness. You are truly in a class of your own. You can take that as a compliment, I suppose.” +“I watched you last night in the bar because those two morons in the corner drinking themselves into a stupor were not what you think. They weren't, how did you describe them? Two horny, drunken college frat boys.” +“Then what were they?” I asked, exasperated. +“They were the same two things that came walking down the alley looking for you. They appeared to you as something that would make you comfortable at first. Well, they thought it would make you comfortable. Little did they know, you're a strange duck when it comes to interacting with people your own age.” +I actually began to laugh, quietly at first, but as I attempted to suppress it, I only grew more hysterical. Once, I actually snorted and had to cover my mouth and hurriedly apologize for the obnoxious sound through my giggles. +“What is this?” I asked, a renegade laugh escaping me again. “They were those two things that I saw? The two drunken college boys were actually monstrous beasts? What is that, a metaphor? Oh, I think it is! It is a really bad one, too.” +“Brynna, this world is going to end.” +I stopped laughing, realizing suddenly that I was poking fun at someone who clearly had mental deficiencies or a severe drug problem. +“There is a rehabilitation center close to my house.” I told him, actually squeezing his hand in mine for a quick second. “Since you know where I live, it will not be hard for you to find. Just walk up the street a piece from my house, turn left on Monroe, walk for about five minutes or eight, depending on your pace. Look on your left. You can't miss it.” +I stood up to go, but he reached out and grabbed my upper arm firmly in his hand. +“Let go of me, or I will start screaming.” I warned him dangerously. +But just then, a torrent of images whizzed vividly through my mind; a harsh flash of light, people falling to the ground, screaming in agony and covering their ears; a strange, deep silence and then, a deafening explosion that radiated to the farthest reaches of what we knew laid far beyond our earth. I pulled my hand away, my heart pounding again, a cold sweat starting to seep from every pore in my body. It had always been my worst fear. I had always pictured the day the world I knew would cease to exist. I had always known, somehow, that it would occur in my lifetime. I had seen it in my darkest dreams too many times to count. +I slid back into my chair and put my face on the table before reaching up and grasping the cup of coffee. Turning my head so my chin was rested on my arm, I brought the cup to my lips and took one shaky sip, hoping that the sudden heat would snap me out of that terrifyingly real dream. +“I know it's shocking.” His eyes took on a quiet fear I had not yet seen in him. “I know it's horrifying. Believe me, I reacted a lot worse than you when I realized it. Those things you saw are Reapers. They're hunting people. We don't know why they're here or where they're from, originally. I know it sounds crazy. Believe me, I do...” +I shook my head and looked up at him. +“No. I've...” I trailed off and unconsciously reached for my cigarettes. “I've always known it.” My eyes rose to meet his. “Can I ask you something?” +“Anything.” +“What is your name?” +I know that he must have tried to fight it, but he did smile at the simplicity of the question before he answered it. +“James. James Maxwell.” +“Well, James Maxwell...” I exhaled smoke from my newly lit cigarette, drunk on the serenity brought to the surface by the gentle stream of nicotine that went coursing through my veins. “What are we supposed to do?” +“We, Brynna Olivier, are going to gather as many people as we can and leave here.” +“Leave the earth?” I asked softly in utter disbelief. It was impossible. Even if we successfully exited the atmosphere before our planet was consumed in a fiery blast, we would have nowhere to go. We would drift through the darkness of space, survivors of a dead race left to meet their end at a later date than the rest of our kind. +“Indeed. It's too much to explain now. But I'm sure you've heard about the other planet they've discovered. I'm sure that you've seen it on the news.” +The night before in the bar, I had seen that display on the television. I read the headline only halfway before losing interest. It had read, “Super-Earth ready for...” The rest would remain a mystery, and I would not have cared. +“Yes.” I nodded. “What does that have to do with this?” +“That's our destination. They've known about it for years. They've known about all of this for years.” +“Who is 'they'?” +“They are the people that we common folk so rarely get to see wearing their true faces.” +I nodded again. +“You sounded a little like Yoda when you said that, but I think I know to whom you are referring. I need a moment to process this.” +How strange to be sitting in a diner in the middle of the bustling city, sipping coffee and contemplating the impending end of the world. But after learning such a harrowing new reality, how could one possibly do anything else? +“Is it processed?” He asked me after a long, thoughtful silence. +“Not really. How do we choose who to take? What else do we take with us? How do you even know about this?” +“I discovered that this was coming. Then, a whole mess of strange things started to happen to me. That's a story for another time. Are you particularly hungry?” +“Not now. My God, how could I possibly be thinking about food?” +“Then, come with me. I want to show you something.” +*** + +By then, my curiosity far exceeded my common sense. The reason my level of intelligence was so high above that of others around me was because of my never fully quenched thirst for knowledge and my curiosity that had always bordered on recklessness. I read every piece of writing available regarding things that interested me and even on some things that did not for as long as I could remember. So, when James offered to show me his proof that the world was ending, I couldn't refuse, despite not trusting him. I just had to know the whole truth. +When we arrived back at his apartment, though, I did exercise a little common sense by staying close to the door. As you have learned by now, I am not a fool. +“I am trying to figure out if I am stupidly gullible or if I can actually trust you.” +“I don't expect you to trust me right away, Brynna.” He replied absentmindedly as he pulled a small shoebox from the bottom drawer of the desk in the corner of his living room. He brought it over to where I was sitting and allowed me to open it. I explored the contents: web pages that were printed out, whole phrases and single words highlighted; transcripts of phone conversations and email correspondences, and lastly, pictures of people I didn't recognize. +“I have to start off my explanation by telling you that all of this began with a dream. I saw everything that I just showed you at the diner in that dream.” +I was listening but not looking at him. I was still too busy studying the papers in the box. A highlighted phrase on one of the pages read “Pangaea is ready to be colonized.” What the hell? +“Now, I know that you are familiar with night terrors. I was, also. But this...” He shook his head slightly, and I looked at him, seeing that genuine fear come over his eyes once again. It flashed by for just one fleeting second that almost convinced me I had imagined it. “It was like nothing I had ever experienced. I can't explain it. All people say after a bad dream that it was so real, and that's why it was so terrifying. But with this, I could feel the blast and I could feel my skin burning when the fire reached me.” +“What is it? What is going to explode?” +“I don't know.” He replied, shaking his head and avoiding my eyes. “It must be a bomb. A nuclear weapon, I’m guessing.” +“So there is going to be a nuclear war?” I asked, and my heart started to pound quickly again. +“I think there is. Others are sure. That's the next part of the story. I tried to push the dream out of my mind. I tried to go about my life as usual. Do you know how when you have a nightmare, for those few minutes right after you wake up, you still feel the same fear that you felt while you were dreaming?” +I nodded. +“Well, I felt continually throughout the days and just assumed that my mind was going back to the dream periodically, or that it was kind of stuck there, at the back of my mind. But I couldn't shake it. I couldn't shake the feeling I had. Not that first day, or the next, or the next. So, finally, I went online and searched for everything I could think of to explain away what I had felt. Here's where it gets very, very weird.” He rustled around in the papers until he found the one he was looking for. It was a print out of a discussion on a message board. “You know about online Trends, I'm sure. Searching trends?” +“Yes.” +“Well, 'lucid dreaming' was the number one search for days. I don't know if you noticed that.” +“I did not,” I replied, “And even if I had, I wouldn't have thought anything of it.” +“No one would have unless they had experienced what I did. So when I searched, the first link that came up was this message board. It was created two days after I had the dream. Read it.” +My eyes scanned the page. All of the posters were recounting the same dream, the same apocalyptic vision that James had shown me. The details of the dream were minute, except for the place in which the worst of it occurred. One poster was from California and had seen Hollywood Boulevard going up in flames. One poster was from London and had seen Big Ben fall to the ground in a mass explosion. Quite disturbingly, one poster said he was from Australia and had seen the blast coming towards him across a long, endless plain. +“Landmarks,” I muttered, “Most of them, anyway. That's odd.” +“I thought so, too. I think it's symbolism.” +“That's what I was thinking.” I agreed. “James, these details…” I scanned the page for one, “‘Exactly one minute and fifteen seconds after the blast,’ '…remember noticing the sun being blocked out by a light even brighter than it is...'” +“Exactly.” He nodded. “So, we met. About seven or eight of us who lived here in the US decided to meet in Boston, but more than seven or eight showed up. It was closer to fifty. If you saw these people, Brynna,” He trailed off again, “You couldn't know. The fear was so strong. We were all terrified. We knew beyond any doubt that we had seen the end of the world. During that meeting, we matched up the details of our dream again and said we'd keep in touch. Of course, at that point, we didn't know how much time we had left.” +“Do you know now?” +“I'm getting there. That night, we all had another dream. This time, we saw faces of people we didn't recognize and names. We knew that they could be found in the areas around where we lived. We also saw the Reapers and other things that I won't burden you with.” +“No, please, burden me. I want to know.” +There was that reckless curiosity again. Luckily, James had my best interests at heart and didn't unload those particular details on me then. I would have curled up on the ground and awaited my fate, petrified of having to face the other things. +“Later. Now is not the time. I don't know why the Reapers are after you, Brynna, but I have seen what they do to most people once they get them.” +I bit my tongue to keep from asking for the gory details. +“So I saw you and knew everything about you inexplicably. I knew I had to find you and convince you to come with me.” +“Come with you where?” I asked, feeling a surge of desperation for finite answers suddenly. “Is that what this is?” I showed him the paper with the diagram of the planet they were calling “Pangaea.” +“Yes. Several of us worked for the government: NASA, the CIA, the military. The ones from NASA were the ones who told us they have made huge leaps in space travel over the years that they've never told anyone about.” +“Why didn't they tell anyone?” +“Because of this. They said they didn't know why, but they had been told to keep this a secret. So, they did, out of fear of losing their jobs. That's good for us, though. A spacecraft has been built. It's large enough to hold five thousand.” +“How did they build something like that without anyone snooping around?” +“That's the next part of the story. You are well aware, I'm sure, that things go on behind closed doors in our government that we never know about. I mentioned that to you earlier.” +“Yes.” +“They have known about this, Brynna. They have known that the end is coming, and the spacecraft was built to take them away from here before it hits.” +“But they're responsible for this!” I exclaimed as fury overtook what fragile hold I had on my self-control. “If it is nuclear, if it is an act of war, then they started it!” +“They did. But since when does anyone's personal responsibility override their need to survive? They were planning to leave us all here to die.” +“For their mistakes!” +“Yes. But that is not our main concern. It will please you to know that we have other ideas. Our job right now is to gather as many people as we can and leave here before this thing happens.” +“How many people had the dream? How many people are out there trying to gather up others?” +“In the US, about sixty, I've been told.” +“Sixty?!” I actually put my face down on my knees, needing a moment to process the grave impossibility ahead. +“Sixty.” James said calmly. “In other countries, put together, about four hundred.” +“Four hundred and sixty people are responsible for gathering up five thousand...” I took a deep breath that was meant to soothe me but only gave my heart the jolt it needed to beat faster. “We will never get enough, James.” +“We will. More and more people are having the dream, Brynna. More and more people are starting to realize what they have to do.” +“Why has no one said anything? Why has no one gone to the press?” +“Since when has the press ever believed anyone who predicted the end of the world?' +I did not reply, for I knew he was right. +“Plus, can you imagine the panic if people were to believe it? They're going to let this unfold without ever saying a word. No one will be warned.” +“So many people are going to die.” I whispered, more to myself than to him. The rush of blind consternation that went through me as that realization took hold is beyond anything I can describe. “There are billions of people in the world. There are good people who are all going to die now. There are children...” +It seemed ridiculous to say, but I just could not imagine a higher power so cruel that He would smite the world while children inhabited it. The notion of the innocent paying the price for the guilty crept into my head and forcibly turned my stomach. +“I know.” James told me, and I looked up to see my sadness reflected in him. “I can't believe it, either. But the fact is, we were given these visions for a reason. We were meant to save everyone that we can from this and start over somewhere else. We'll never be able to save them all. But we can save as many as possible, Brynna.” +I nodded, knowing, hating that he was right. I would have some choice words for a higher power as soon as my mind slowed down enough to think of them. +“Why us?” I asked, “Why were we the ones that were chosen?” +He studied me for a moment, clearly trying to decipher the answer to that question himself. All he could come up with was: +“We're lucky, I suppose.” +“Lucky by whose definition?” I asked before running my fingers through my hair. “What about supplies? This other planet is completely uninhabited, correct?” +“As far as we know.” +“So, how are we supposed to build a civilization out of nothing?” +“The ship can also hold five tons of cargo. The people who think that they're leaving have been gathering things for years.” +“I would call them such awful things. But I just cannot think of anything that is quite awful enough.” I looked at him, “James, how much time do we have?” +Once again, he fell into a lapse of silence and studied me. As the seconds ticked by so distressingly, I began to dread his answer more and more, until the feeling became so unbearable that when he opened his mouth to reply, I almost covered my ears to avoid hearing it... +“A day.” +*** + +As we suspected, the two jocks were still outside of my apartment building, sitting across the street on two different benches and staring at the door with expressions of pained concentration on their slowly decaying faces. +“Is there a back way in?” James asked me as the car idled. +I nodded, studying the physical deterioration of the two young men who only the night before had been so boyishly good-looking. No longer were they clean-cut and stocky. Though I knew that their height remained the same in actuality, the way they slouched cast the illusion that they had shrunk down at least three feet. Their emaciation was severe; they were merely wisps of skin clinging tightly to creaking bones. Even from across the street, I could see that their eyes were surrounded by menacing dark circles and their hair was beginning to fall from their pale-white, snake-veined scalps. To a passerby, they simply appeared to be afflicted with some terrible, fatal disease. To me, they were the perfect real-life imitations of the monsters I had run from in my childhood nightmares. +“Why do they look like that?” I whispered to James, and I did not realize how tightly my hand was squeezing his arm. +“Do you want me to sugar-coat it, or do you want me to be blunt?” +I frowned at him over my shoulder. +“What do you think?” I answered sarcastically. +“They haven't eaten you yet.” +I looked at him, my eyes bugging in fear but then quickly resuming their normal shape. +“I will let you know when I require a full explanation on that. Now is certainly not the time.” +“I wasn't going to give you one anyway.” He drove away slowly, rolling his window up before we passed them. Thank God his windows were tinted, or they surely would have seen us. +He parked the car just behind a meter. I watched him hop out with charismatic grace and had to roll my eyes; this was a gentleman who knew how good-looking and powerful he was. Arrogance never complimented a male, I had been told once by Maura, who believed herself to be the all-knowing authority on the matters of men. Shaking my head, I started to open my door only to find that he was already there, opening it for me. +“Thanks.” I murmured, “Chivalry isn't dead, I suppose.” +“No. Not to old guys like me, at least.” He replied as he walked to the meter to dispense three quarters inside of it. +“Shall we?” He beckoned towards the alley. I nodded, striding ahead of him with no fear of what might meet me. I just wanted to pack my things and go, knowing that every second ticking past was too precious to waste. We only had twenty-three hours left until the ship that would carry us far from the chaos and carnage departed our world forever. +Once safely sheltered by the shadows of the corridor, we hastened our pace until we reached the back door of my building. I took my keys from my purse and tried to steady my trembling hands long enough to unlock the door for us. I tried to tell myself that it was adrenaline causing me to tremor that way and not fear strong enough to drain what was left of my vitality. Thankfully, James reached out after a moment of watching my pathetic attempt at completing the simple task and held my hand still with both of his; together, we unlocked the door. +We moved quickly up the back stairway, jumping the steps with ease. After reaching the fourth floor, we both had to stop and breathe heavily. Damn smokers, we never learn. +“Alright, let me check,” He said, “I don't know how many of them there are. I've seen as many as ten of them casing someone's place.” +“Do you always use action movie jargon, or is this new for you?” I whispered to him in a lame attempt to make a joke. Sometimes a little humor can go a long way to ease one's anxieties. +“I always talk like this.” He whispered back, deadpan, as he looked up and down the hallway. He looked back at me and said in an intentionally hoarse voice reminiscent of a chain-smoking drill sergeant, “Coast is clear. Move out.” +I could not help but laugh softly at that. If my joke was of slightly below average hilarity, his was scraping the very bottom of the meter. +I have never been as stunned by normalcy as I was when I walked into my apartment. Everything remained exactly where I had left it: My clothes were still strewn out on the floor, my dishes were still piled in the sink, and my window was left open from when I had burned muffins the day before. +“Nice place.” James complimented me as he looked around. “How much do you pay for this?” +“Wow, nosy.” I replied before walking in further and going straight back to my bedroom. +“Not nosy. Just curious!” He called to me from the living room. +“You can come back here.” I told him as I started to pull the clothes from my drawers. I shoved them unceremoniously into my overnight bag before moving over to my closet. “So many shoes, not enough space...” +“What is it with women and shoes?” He asked me, “Why do you need a pair to go with every outfit?” +“I know. Why can't we just wear the same severely scuffed pair that we bought almost a decade ago every day?” +“Are you talking about my shoes right now?” +“I am sorry, you are allowed to call me out on my excessive footwear collection, but I am not allowed to call you out on your scant one?” +I poked my head out of the closet, raising my eyebrow in sardonic scolding, awaiting an answer. +“Touché.” He held up his hands in surrender. “But just to verify, I don't wear these every day. I wear them for work. And for your information, it was six years ago.” +I smirked and went back into my closet, quietly commanding myself not to take my stilettos, boots, or flats, but only my practical walking and running shoes. I sighed heavily again as I looked at the ones that would be left behind. I had spent so much of my parents' money on that assortment of shoes. How very sad I was to leave them all behind. I grabbed a few more items out of my closet that I could not bear to leave behind before moving past James into the bathroom. +“I do not like the silence so I will answer your nosy question.” I told him as I pulled my shampoo and conditioner out of the shower. “I don't pay for this place at all. My parents are responsible for paying my rent. They are responsible for all of my expenses, actually. Credit cards, cable and phone bills, things like that.” +“Typical rich kid, I see.” +“I didn't say I was proud of it. I just answered your question truthfully.” +“Is your relationship with your parents a good one?” +An iciness must have come over my features because he immediately backed off of the subject. +“You don't have to tell me if you don't want to.” +I nodded before answering. +“It is better that way. Let me just say this: a part of me wants to leave them behind.” +He reached out suddenly and grasped my hand, startling me with the both the suddenness of the gesture and the emotional meaning behind it. +“You have no choice but to leave them behind, sweetheart.” +Some would have considered that a bombshell. But somehow, I had already known. My parents, I am sure, knew of the impending crisis because of their jobs. My mother was a senator who was, if we are being honest, partially responsible for the predicament in which the the human race found themselves. My father ran a news organization that was no doubt hushing it all up. Guessing was not needed; I could denote easily that they had no place on the ship that would carry civilians away from the earth they had doomed. +“You don't seem surprised.” James gently prodded me to speak, to tell him in detail about the blustering war of sadness and fury inside of me. Instead, I simply posed a question to him: +“Is it because they are responsible?” +“Yes. We all voted. Every last one of us who had the vision first voted on whether or not to allow your parents to come. But since they are involved in covering this up and since they were of the many that were going to leave us all behind, we decided against it. Originally, they had all agreed that even you couldn't come. But I persuaded them.” +“Why?” +My blue eyes raised to meet his light brown ones. We gazed at each other for one long, curious moment and then he answered. +“I don't know.” +How anticlimactic. How insulting, too, that he had no idea why he had persuaded the others to save me. I would answer for him, just so the question would be closed for good, and just because I was urged to say something to fill the space of silence. Words were brimming at my lips, urging me to say them before it was too late to regret my remaining silent. If I didn't speak, I would surely meet my end much earlier than expectation dictated... +“I guess you are a good enough person that you didn't like the idea of me being eaten by those things that are just outside the door.” +The words fell from my mouth before I could fully appreciate the magnitude of what I had said or the fact that I had known those creatures had arrived at all. James looked away from me and then looked back, his own shock evident on his face. +“Alright. We have to go.” He picked up my bag and grasped my hand. “I'm going to get us out of this.” +“How?” +“Don’t know yet.” +“One more thing...” I told him before creeping out into the living room. I grabbed one of the two picture frames I had placed on the mantle over my fireplace. It was of my sisters, my brother, and me from the Christmas before, standing on either side of Maura, my “nanny.” Anyone who didn't know us or our family tree would think that she was just a proud mother surrounded by her loving children. But as it turns out, that just was not the case. +The only other picture on my spacious fire-place mantle was from a campaign event of my mother's. Someone with no knowledge of my shaky relationship with her had given the photo to me as a gift. I had kept it simply because I liked the frame and nothing else. In the photo, my mother had her arm around my back and was smiling as she waved to the crowd around her. I was still young enough not to question the perpetual charade under which we were forced to live. In the photo, I was smiling, too, and looking up at her. +That photo made me feel genuinely ill, from my chest to the pit of my stomach. As I shoved it into my other bag, I felt a wave of nausea that was so forceful, I had to reach out and grasp the mantle for a moment and focus on my breathing. It was the only way to avoid the disgusting, inevitable consequence of the tumultuous, acidic feeling in my stomach. +“What is it?” I heard him whispering to me from some far off place. I shook my head slightly, unable to explain my strange behavior away. I was unable, for the first time in a long time, to pretend that I was fine. He slung my bag onto his back and put his arm around my shoulder. As he steered me towards the open window, the feeling began to dissipate. +“The fire escape doesn't work.” I murmured to him once my stomach stopped bubbling completely. +He looked at me, instantly trying to work out a solution to our conundrum. My two ideas were useless, at least if we wished to live another day: We could jump to our deaths or get eaten by Reapers. I was well aware that they were the only two options, and for me, there was no contest between the two. James interrupted me as I silently prepared to take that first step onto the window ledge. +“I know this is going to sound insane, but I need you to just go with it.” +“After everything that has happened today, do you really think I am not going to go with it?” +“Do you have something sarcastic to say every time someone speaks?” He asked me, clearly amused and bewildered by the tendency. Most people just found it annoying. +“Indeed, I do.” I replied, and before I could add, “Thank you so much,” I heard my name being hissed on the other side of the door. My eyes must have widened and betrayed the revulsion I felt. I had never heard such a sound, and to hear it saying my name provoked a fear that froze my ability to comprehend firmly in its place. Chills ran laps up and down my spine, and the hair on my arms stood up straight. One of the creatures outside made a sound like a guttural bark followed by what sounded like my name garbled out through spit and clenched teeth. +“James…” I whispered, not realizing how tight my grip on his arm was once again, “What are we going to do?” +“Get behind the couch and close your eyes.” +“What? No, don’t open the door!” I ordered in a furious whisper. “James, please don’t. Please don’t let them in!” +To call that “begging” would be inaccurate. To call that pleading with him as though he possessed and could allot the rest of the days of my life would be closer to accuracy. But instead of hearing my desperate plea and jumping with me out of my fourth story window, he spun me around and sat me down behind the couch. +“I won’t think less of you if you cover your eyes,” He told me hurriedly, “But whatever you hear, do not come after me. Understand?” +I nodded vigorously, suddenly cognizant of the fact that I might very well witness the end of him. Given all the other complex emotions of the moment, I didn’t quite know how to process the idea of not having him by my side from then until the end. I would only understand how the thought paralyzed me much later. +My entire body jolted upwards as the door he had just thrown open banged against the stopper in the wall. I stared straight ahead, my eyes wide, my breathing shallow, but my body motionless. The first sound I heard was that short, raspy breathing of the two creatures. Next, I heard their pounding, labored footsteps. +“Come on.” James was saying, urging them to get past him, to try to come at me. “Come on!” +One long, deep, ragged inhalation followed by a shrill shriek of animal fury startled me; my hands flew to cover my ears, and my eyes squeezed tightly shut. Several hard, evenly spaced thuds vibrated the floor beneath me. I heard the bark that could have been produced by the voice of any particularly large breed of dog. After two more barks, the monsters drew in two long breaths before those blood-freezing screeches blasted from their fanged mouths again. +Several minutes had passed since the creatures had entered my apartment and still, James did not attack them nor did they charge him. They truly were searching for only me. I sensed that their stomps and roars were displays of power meant to frighten James away. I did not know why they would want to spare his life. Perhaps the Reapers only had one kill in them. Perhaps after they murdered me, they would die as well, like two bees whose prized stingers had been sacrificed in a final attack. +It didn't matter. The paths out of the trap we found ourselves in were closing, slowly becoming just thin lines over which no man or woman could pass. I couldn’t sit there with my eyes and ears covered like a skittish child awaiting whatever foul beast lurked in the darkness of her closet. James had gone out of his way already to save my life, and his chance against those things was almost nonexistent. I wasn’t going to allow him to face that ominous darkness alone just because I was afraid. Not a chance. +I jumped up and saw that James had grabbed a knife from the kitchen. Given the size difference, the sight of James staring down those two hulking masses made me think of a rabbit charging headfirst into a battle with a hungry, stomping bull, armed only with its thin, almost transparent claws.“Brynna, get back down.” +The only reason James knew that I was standing in view was because the two creatures stopped stomping and hissing and jerked their heads sideways at an unnatural angle to look at me. As I stared into their bottomless black eyes, I could feel the wrath, terror, sorrow, and loathing of every lost soul in the history of our race. The feeling enveloped me in blackness, swallowing me whole and sending me hurtling through time and space to the place where all evil must go. +“Snap out of it! Snap out of it, Brynna!” James screamed at me, and it was hearing his voice that sent me flying back to earth and landing with a gratified thud. It was upon landing that something took over me. +That “something” was an inner beast I never knew existed, and it rivaled the real monsters in the room. +First, I hurtled over the couch. I lunged for the first beast’s throat, wrapped my arms around its meaty neck and forcefully spun so that I was behind him, tightly latched onto his back. My body was working completely at its own will, and my mind was just along for the ride. When my ears heard another deathly scream behind me, my foot swung backwards to nail the second monster quite perfectly in the center of its hideous face. It flew backwards, gasping in an almost absurd display of surprise before putting an elephant-sized dent in my newly painted wall. Beastly bastard… +Out of the corner of my eye, I watched James rush forward in a blur, raise the knife over his head, and bring it forcefully down into the gasping beast’s right eye. Another prolonged gasp and then another scream filled my ears. +My monstrous opponent sunk its several rows of razor teeth into my forearm, and instead of crying out in pain as I wanted to, I ripped my arm from its slobbering mouth. I was aware of a spray of my blood but was too focused on what I was going to do next to faint at the sight or from the pain that was beginning to burn through my body as though the blood in my veins had suddenly morphed into gasoline lit aflame. +I wrapped both of my arms around its massive head and drew in a deep breath of my own. During the seconds it took to gather such a massive inhalation, I unconsciously focused every remaining iota of strength into my locked arms. As soon as I felt the muscles swelling with fullness, I twisted, hoping to snap its neck but getting a result so much more satisfying. The beast's head spun around twice, bobbling like a top ready to topple off of its neck bone. It collapsed to the ground, face forward, and I looked up while still perched on its back. James's arm that held the knife was plunged up to his elbow in the monster's chest. My head jerked downwards, and from the way it was angled now, I could see that the knife had burgeoned out of the beast’s back. My head jerked up again as I took in the deep, wonderful, inexplicable smell of a nonexistent rain. Images of playing with my siblings in the dew-soaked grass at our family’s country estate danced in front of my mind’s eye, flooding my body with the strongest sense of euphoria I had ever experienced. That feeling is what calmed the impossibly rapid beats of my heart. +James ripped the knife out of the creature’s chest, sending a spray of black liquid in his direction that he smoothly walked sideways to avoid. The monster gave one feeble moan as it fell forward and hit my living room floor with a ground-shaking thud. That moan was not reminiscent of the animalistic sounds I had heard before, but in fact, sounded distinctly human. +I was aware that I was very slowly and slightly moving downwards. When I looked down at the beast under me, I found that it was no longer a beast, at all. Though its head was severed from its body, its face had transformed into one that was boyishly handsome once again. Its body was sculpted into the physique of a post-adolescent who spent far too much time at the gym. The monster was gone, and all that remained was the unfortunate boy from the bar. +James was obviously experiencing a moment of joyous recollection similar to the one I had been intoxicated by earlier. He was facing the window, standing perfectly still, smelling the air deeply. After the moment had passed, he turned to see that his own adversary had transformed back into what I assumed was its true self. A sadness flashed across his eyes that I am sure he would have seen reflected in my own. I had never killed a human being, and I still had not. What I had killed was a hulking, beastly creature hell-bent on ripping me apart and devouring the pieces. I hoped that was the case, at least. I could not bear to wonder if the boy was actually human, though I certainly did know for sure that he was. He had been, anyway, at one time. +When James's eyes finally met mine, I was stunned to find that they had turned over to a milky bluish-white, giving him the appearance of being blind. +“James…” I whispered in a trembling voice. +“Go look in the mirror.” +I jumped up and hurried to my dining room where a wall length mirror hung beside the sliding glass door. What I saw made my heart leap tremendously forward as a curiosity unrivaled by anything I had ever felt took hold of me. My own eyes were the color of blindness, of death. I became aware that I could see every pore on my face and every color around me down to its basis of black. I could see every different follicle of hair on my arms, every different shade of color in my irises that were still visible just behind the blue and white. +I walked to the sliding doors, pulled them open, and walked out onto my balcony where the magnificently colored lights of dawn were beginning to descend on a city so intricately designed, so infinite and unending, that it surely could not have been my own. When I felt James reach his place by my side, we stared in silence at this dying world, seeing it clearly in all its intended but failed goodness for the very first, and very last, time. +We were both covered in the black substance that flowed through the bodies of those creatures that laid dead on my living room floor. That strange nostalgia was still cradling me, and I could hear the blood droplets that were seeping from the gaping wound in my arm exploding against the pavement in front of our feet as clearly as I could hear the summer rain against the greenhouse roof of my parent’s estate all those years ago. Despite the severity of the injury, I felt no pain. I slid my injured arm around James’s back, feeling a brilliantly comforting onslaught of warmth spread through me as his own draped over my shoulders. +Words I never believed would be spoken by me fell from my lips before I could understand how sadly profound they were: +“I will miss this world.” +He didn’t break his gaze from the fantastical realm that was our earth in its true form when he replied softly: +“I will, too.” + +Quinn + +Alice was starting to lose it. We had been running from that thing for too long. I can’t think of any other way to describe it but by calling it a “thing.” It definitely wasn't human. +Were we still human then? +I won’t spend time re-telling all the conversations we had on the subject. We spent hours trying to decipher the situation and still, we couldn't make sense of it. We would sit behind our barred bedroom door, draw the shades as soon as we saw the darkness of night beginning to come our way, and brace for its awful presence. +I had never been brave enough to open the shades to see her again after the first time. I had never been brave enough to face her. But was Alice? I think so. She had always been braver than me. I was her boyfriend who was supposed to protect her with no thought of my own safety. If I were to die for her, it wouldn’t prove my bravery. It would only prove that I had done one of my duties. She was genuinely fearless and always had been. +The first time the thing appeared, we had only gotten out of school for Christmas break two days earlier. Her parents had gone out of town (which couldn’t have been stupider, given that we were newly on break and looking to party), leaving us to our own devices in their modest house. The second semester was over, our down-time had arrived, and we were free of homework, our parents, and the restraints both had put on us. +Our parents are a story for another time. +While all of our friends were hunkering down together in the basements of their houses for a week of drinking and the stupidity said drinking would certainly incite, we decided to hang for the duration of her parent’s vacation at her house. Our high school friends found us dull once we decided to date, and we didn’t feel we had much in common with them after that, anyway. Her parents told her that I was by no means allowed in the house, not even to thwart a burglary, which was one of the scenarios she had presented to them sarcastically. +We spent those first two days of independence streaming stupid 80’s movies, going out at two in the morning just because we could, and eating all of the food in her house. Not exactly the badass rebellion that people might have expected two teenagers free from their parents to get up to, but that’s really all we did. +“They’ll know you were here.” She told me one hot afternoon, “They’ll know that I couldn’t have eaten all of this food by myself.” +“Oh, just tell them you smoked a bunch of weed and got the munchies. They’ll take that, as long as I wasn’t here.” +“Smoking weed with me.” +“No, not even. As long as I wasn’t here at all.” +We spent time talking about how we had gotten together and how much our parents hated our relationship. I guess that is where our rebellious streaks came in, because we found their protests to our love thrilling. We talked about how we had been friends for so long and how the feelings had changed. I told her that it took years for me to realize that I loved her in a different way than the way I would love a girl who was only my friend. She went further than that, telling me she had loved me that way all along. +I still get a weird feeling of intense happiness and also, bewilderment, when I think about her telling me that. It’s one of those moments that I hold onto these days, when things get too dark to see straight anymore. +We had both just dropped off to sleep on the second night when a loud scratching sound jerked us both awake. I sat up, thinking that someone was trying to break in; she had jinxed it when she had suggested the possibility to her parents in derision. +“What is that?” She whispered to me, her doe-like brown eyes appearing strangely contorted in the darkness. +The scratching sounded again, and we both looked at the window. Whatever was just behind the closed blinds was running its claws down the windowpane. Somehow, I knew that it wasn’t normal. I knew that it was not of our world. But our minds tend to rationalize, to keep us grounded in reality when we should be bracing to face the unusual. +“Quinn, what is that?” She whispered again, and when I stood up, she jumped up, too. Her small hands wrapped around my upper arms and squeezed so tightly that my fingertips began to tingle within seconds. +“I don’t know.” I tried to keep my voice steady for her sake. “I’m going to open the shades and see. Maybe it’s a…” I stopped, searching for a plausible explanation, “…squirrel.” +Yeah. I thought that was plausible. +“That’s not a squirrel!” She gripped my arm even tighter to stop me from walking forward, and I winced. +“I have to see what it is.” I told her, “I'm sure it's nothing, babe.” +“No. Quinn, please don’t open the shades. Don’t…” She stopped and looked up at me again, tears glistening in her eyes, “Don’t let her in.” +I looked at her, seeing a look of shock on her face that I’m sure mirrored my own. How had she known that it was a woman? +“Close your eyes.” I whispered to her before turning back to the window. +How had I known to say that? +There were several galloping footsteps, like something heavy running on all fours. Whatever it was stopped in front of her other bedroom window. +It was a warmer night than what we were used to for that time of year with the temperature hovering in the mid-forties instead of deep down in the twenties. Alice had cranked the heat up too high, thinking that eighty degrees was only going to be balmy, so we had turned the thermostat back down and opened the windows in her bedroom. When we heard soft, slow breathing outside of one of the wide open windows, we both ran forward to slam it shut, knowing now that it was a person outside trying to force their way in. We both stopped, though, when we saw the shade blowing towards us and then retracting with each slow breath the mysterious thing took. We looked at the other window to see if the shade covering it was moving the same way; that would prove that the wind was to blame and our imaginations were running away with us. But we got no such relief because the other shade was as still as the sudden silence outside of the window. +Just as we began to calm down, believing whoever it was had gotten bored and moved on to another house, we heard it speak. +“I… smell… you…” +Alice gasped and grabbed the phone to try dialing 911. +“Quinn, it’s not working!” +But I was in a trance. At the same time my mind was screaming at me, begging not to see what was out there, my body continued forward, moving at the accord of the tiny part of me that needed to see, that still believed that we were imagining it all. Or was it just a need to see whatever grotesque creature was out there? I still don't know. +How did I know it was grotesque? +My legs were resisting now, refusing to move me forward, but I was already close enough to reach the shade on the window. I reached out, just needing the relief of knowing that it wasn’t real, that we were in a waking dream. I needed the relief that came with realizing a bump in the night was just a neighbor slamming a door in his house. With my breath held tightly in my chest, I threw open the shade. +It was a woman. But it certainly wasn’t human. Her eyes were too large and all white, with thin flecks of black like someone had sliced at them with a sewing needle or erased her iris and pupil in a hurry, I couldn’t decide. Her hair was long and as white as her eyes and her jaw jutted outwards at an impossible angle. When she opened her misshapen slash of a mouth for every slow, tedious breath, she immediately snapped it shut and ground her pointed teeth together. +As soon as she saw me, she raised her arms, shrieking in rage, her head shaking back and forth quickly. She slammed her hands on the window hard, trying to break the glass. Even as an icy fear seized me, I did take a moment to marvel at the fact that the force she hit the window with didn’t shatter it into pieces. A gargling noise was coming from that slash I knew now was her mouth, followed by another loud shriek that forced Alice to finally uncover her eyes and look. +Alice drew in a gasp and before the words, “Don’t let her scream” could pass completely through my mind, I turned backwards and grabbed a hold of her, trying to cover her mouth. But she had already covered it with both of her own hands, forcing the scream back down. +I let go of her and rushed forward, pulling the shade down again. As I stumbled backwards to put as much space between me and the window as I could, I tripped over my feet and splayed out onto the floor. Alice knelt down beside me and wrapped her arms around my neck, staring at the window with wide, alarmed eyes. I looked at her and then back at the window where we heard the thing grunt in frustration and then go silent. +“What is that? Quinn…” She whispered, her voice trembling along with her body. +I shook my head, feeling as though my heart was lodged in my throat, blocking any words that I could possibly say to explain away what we had seen. +We sat up for the rest of the night. I had to be driving her crazy with the way I was opening my mouth to say something that would rationalize what was happening, only to come up short on words. The thing stayed out there all night; though it never spoke again, we heard its steady breaths until the first light of dawn began to break. As soon as I could see light starting to leak through the crack between the shade and the window, I jumped to look outside. +She was gone, galloping over our heads on the roof away from the rising sun. An ear-splitting howl wrecked the quiet of the early morning, and I scanned the houses across the street to see if anyone came running, searching feverishly for the source of such a strange noise. No one came, nor did I even see any curious faces appearing in the windows. +Because no one knew she had been there, no one would know why she had been there. Alice and I were, horrifyingly, alone in the mess, left to decipher it by ourselves before cleaning it up, if we ever could. +It took precisely an hour of daylight before we began to excuse away what had happened. +“Maybe it was like one of those group hallucinations that Dr. Meyers was telling us about in AP Psych. Do you remember?” +“A group hallucination? Caused by what, exactly?” She asked as she twirled the glass of orange juice on the table in front of her but never brought it to her lips for a drink. +“I don’t know. Maybe there was something in our food last night.” +“I don’t remember reading anything about Burger King suddenly adding LSD to their onion rings, Quinn.” +“Do you have an explanation, then?” I was frustrated now. I just needed to know that what we had seen wasn’t real. I needed to believe that. If that thing was real, then the world as we knew it didn’t make sense anymore, and that was more dangerous than I could fully understand at that young age. +“I do, actually.” She told me, “It was probably one of your stupid friends.” +“They’re all over at Mia’s house! Remember, they said something about having burgers! Or not having burgers! I don’t know; I think Mia was stoned as hell when she was talking to me.” +“Probably, but I was supposed to chat with her last night, and she didn’t get online.” +“Just because they’re too drunk or high to pick up the phone doesn’t mean that they’re going to come over here and try to freak us out, Allie.” +“Actually, I think both of those things are the perfect reason why they would come over here to try to freak us out. They probably went to the new Halloween store and got a mask. You know it’s open all year round now.” +“Do you really think that they would sit out there all night? And what about those noises?” +“What noises?” +“The noises it was making! I know you heard it! That’s why you covered your ears all night.” +“I don’t remember any noises.” +I looked up at her to find that she was staring out the window, making a point of avoiding my eyes. I had known her long enough to know that meant she was lying. +I downed what was left in my coffee mug before pouring myself a fourth cup. I looked at the clock on the canary yellow wall of her kitchen; it was 9:35 AM, and we had been downstairs for an hour. Drinking three cups of coffee during that time definitely didn’t help settle my nerves. +“Allie, I know you’re freaked out. I am, too. But there is no way that thing was any of our friends pranking us.” +“Maybe it was a neighbor kid, then. There are these stupid kids who live up the street from here who always ding-dong-ditch the house.” +“People still do that?” I asked in disbelief. I shook my head slightly to get my mind back on topic. “It wasn’t anyone playing a prank. It was either a hallucination or…” +“Or what?” She asked, looking at me now. “Or what, Quinn?” +We were both quiet, not knowing exactly how to answer the question I had asked. Neither of us wanted to. We didn’t want to face the truth. Who could blame us for that after what we had seen? +“You’ll stay here with me tonight, won’t you? I can’t stay here alone.” She told me, and the fear I had seen in her the night before resurfaced for a quick second. +“Duh.” I replied, and I saw the faintest trace of a smile on her face. “All we can do now is just see if it comes back. If it does, we’ll handle it.” +“How?” +I looked at her and shrugged slightly. +“I don't know. But I'm working on it.” +*** + +We sat up with the blinds closed, dreading the moment when night fell, though we never said that out loud. I tried to remain as optimistic as I could when I knew down to my core that we would be seeing our freakish visitor again. Alice shook her head every time I tried to say that we wouldn’t until finally I stopped speaking all together, realizing that she didn’t need me or anyone else to lie for her sake. +As we sat in silence on her bed, my mind traveled back to when we first decided to go from being friends to boyfriend and girlfriend. Immediately, her mother and father objected, saying that it didn’t matter how far we had come as a society, we would still face the same barriers and prejudice interracial couples had always faced. Alice was young and naïve, they said, if she believed otherwise. But she was stubborn and so sure of the fact that we were meant to be. She didn’t hesitate to tell her parents that she saw herself ending up with me. +Young and naïve, they said again. Even if it weren’t an issue of me being black and her being white, the chances of us staying together for the rest of our lives or even through college were slim to none. +My parents were a little gentler about the whole thing, retelling all the stories they had been told by their friends who had married outside of their own race. +“Do you all have any idea what year it is?!” I had exclaimed furiously. “We’re past this! You claim society is going to object, but it’s just you! It’s just you and her parents! I’m surprised the four of you don’t get along better given the fact that your beliefs are exactly the same. Besides, we don’t even live in the south!” +They had tried to say that down in the southern states, we would face the worst of it. +“Good thing we’re not planning on moving to Texas, then, right?” I had laughed at the sheer ludicrousness of it all. They were out of touc,h and they just didn’t like her, for no reason I could pin down in certainty. +“Besides, Quinn, you shouldn’t be asking us if we know what year it is. You should be asking the people who will give you a problem over this.” My dad had reasoned, “It’s not right and it’s not fair, but it is reality. You understand that, don’t you?” +“It’s not reality! You two and her parents have no idea what you’re talking about! And it doesn’t matter what you say, okay? We’re going to be together.” +A teenage boy proclaiming his undying love for his girlfriend with all the naivety and idealism in the world is hardly front page news. Our parents projecting a completely ridiculous notion of racial prejudice to keep us apart was hardly a new tactic of division. But the situation we found ourselves in that night was so out of the ordinary that to tell anyone about it would surely have guaranteed our swift departure to separate mental hospitals. +“I just don’t want to see it again, okay?” Alice whispered to me, and I looked up at her, seeing the darkness reflected on her face now instead of the fading streak of light I had seen before. We both turned our heads to the window. +“I don’t think it’s out there.” +I stood up to go look, but she grabbed my arm. +“Quinn!” She exclaimed, “Just keep the blinds closed. Please?” +I nodded, and we sat back down, waiting for any sign of its presence, be it a scratch, a heavy breath, or its blood-chilling voice. +“We’re being so stupid.” I told her as I laid on her bed staring up at the ceiling. The sun had gone down two hours earlier. +“Do you think so? Do you think it really was just a stupid kid in the neighborhood?” She asked, her eyes moving between me and the window. +“Or it was a group hallucination.” I replied, grinning. +“Shut up! It was not a group hallucination!” She laughed and smacked me with a pillow. +“It was. You’re just in denial.” +“I am not in denial. Let’s just go to sleep.” She told me, still smiling. “It’s freaking hot in here. I’m opening the window.” +“Yeah, it’s hot because some people don’t know how to use thermostats.” +“Shut up!” +She grabbed the blinds and pulled them down slightly so that they flung up. +We both gasped, her covering her mouth to prevent the scream that rose quickly in her throat. +The thing was outside again, staring in at us with the faintest trace of a smile on its contorted mouth. +It was playing with us. +*** + +She buckled after that second night. She tried to call her mom and dad. When we’re afraid as children, the only people that can calm the fear are our parents. Alice was grasping at that straw, thinking that if they came home, the creature would be frightened away. +“My dad will shoot it if it tries to get in, Quinn! They’ll protect us both!” +Somehow, I doubted that they would be willing to lay down their lives for me. My parents liked Alice as a person but did not approve of us as a couple. Her parents felt exactly the same way. That level of affection was minimal, to say the least. They would not protect me. +She paced around the kitchen floor with the phone pressed to her ear. +“They’re far out in the ocean, Allie. There’s no cell service out there.” I explained to her after she slammed the phone down hard on its charger. She pressed her face into her shaking hands before running her fingers through her hair. +“I need them to answer.” She told me uselessly. “I think they can check email on the ship. Come on!” +After hurrying into the dining room where the desktop was set up, she began to furiously type out a message. +“Are you going to tell them exactly what’s going on?” I asked. +“Of course not. They won’t believe it. I’m just telling them to call me as soon as they get the message. Then, I’ll tell them everything. I’ll tell them that as soon as they reach the port in Bermuda, they have to get on a plane and come home.” +“I don’t think they’ll believe us either way. They’ll think that we’re messing with them. Then they’re going to be really pissed off.” +“When they hear my voice, they’ll know I’m not messing with them. They’ll know that this is serious. Quinn, we can’t do this by ourselves. I know that if we can just get them here, that thing will leave us alone. Have you talked to your parents?” +I had, but I hadn’t mentioned anything about our current issue to them. I knew that they wouldn’t believe me just as I knew that Alice’s parents wouldn’t believe her. My parents were home and could offer help immediately. But there was no way that I would be able to convince them. Imagine the story: Every night, we were being stalked by a hideous, otherworldly creature that sat outside of our window, watching us until the sun rose. Then, it ran over the roof and disappeared, hiding out until the sun went down again. I certainly wouldn’t believe a word of that story if it was told to me. +“They won’t believe me.” +“You have to try, Quinn! You have to make them believe you!” +“Alice, would you believe us? This is something straight out of a horror movie. They’re going to think that we’re here alone every night and letting our imaginations run away with us. Either that or they’re going to think we’re smoking a lot of weed! Or taking lots of pills!” +“My parents will believe me.” +“That’s great for you. Really, it is. I have to tell you, though, that I don’t believe that. I don’t think they’ll believe any of this.” +“Well, we’ll see about that. As soon as they hear how afraid I am, they’ll be on the first plane home. And my dad will kill it!” +“I think your mom will kill it. She’s way scarier than your dad.” +“Maybe she will! One of them will show it how wrong it was to come around here. I know it, Quinn. I know it.” +We waited, both struggling to hold onto the belief that they would believe us and be able to help. We struggled to continue thinking that everything would be alright when they came home. We prayed that they would be able to save us. +The email went unanswered and the phone never rang. +*** + +It wasn’t until the third night that Alice finally broke. She cried with her face against my chest from the time the thing appeared (this time, we had kept the shades open, trying to see how exactly it appeared, only to look up and find it staring down at us from the roof) to the time that the sun came up. +“What does it want? We have to try to talk to it. We have to figure out what it’s doing here, Quinn!” She exclaimed at me in a perfect show of misguided frustration. +We had gone two and a half days without sleep. Every time we dropped off, the thing’s horrific face would pop into our minds and we’d both immediately sit up in bed, regardless of the hour in the day. +“No. We need to ignore it. You remember that movie we saw a couple years ago? They said that with anything paranormal, if you address it, it only gets worse. If you feed into it, you give it power. We just have to ignore it.” +“Ignore it?!” She screamed at me, “How are we supposed to ignore it?!” +“It hasn’t done anything to try to hurt us…” +“Besides trying to break the window on the first night! What’s stopping it from breaking in here and… who knows, Quinn?! Do you know?!” +“How would I know, Allie? What, you think I have some sort of connection to it?” +“It’s always looking at you. It’s always looking directly at you! It’s never looked at me the way it looks at you!” +“Are you really happy about that?! Are you really happy that it wants me?! And it has totally looked at you!” +“Did not! It smiled at you night before last!” +“It was smiling at both of us because it knew that we had really thought it was gone!” +“See! You do know what it’s thinking!” +“I’m just guessing!” +“Well, maybe you should just go. Maybe you should go home, and we can see whose house it shows up at. Then we’ll know who it’s after!” +“And then what?” I asked her, bringing my voice back to normal. +She stared at me, her eyes hostile now. She didn’t answer, but I knew: If it was after me, she was saved. If it was after me, she’d be relieved. She’d rather me suffer whatever that thing had in store for us alone than for us to face it together. +I was young and idealistic, as my parents said. I would have done anything to protect her, and if that meant dying in her place, then so be it. How could that feeling have been one-sided? How could she not have wanted to reciprocate such selflessness? The short answer is that her mind was on par with her physical age; she was a self-interested teenage girl terrified to die before she could live. I will explain the long answer later. +“Fine. Face it on your own, then.” I muttered, stung by her words and what they meant for us. +I was ridiculously melodramatic in those days. I stormed out, vowing never to go back. If I had been half as smart as I thought I was, I would have stayed. For the rest of my life, I will carry the fact that what happened next was my fault. +*** + +There was an ear-splitting whistling that caused me to fall to the ground, covering my ears. I looked up to see others crumpling around me. After several painful moments, my ears were soothed with an ethereal silence; it was like the calm before the storm. Then came the blast. For a second that was too short, I saw the wave of fire coming towards me. As it consumed me, my entire body burnt, and I saw clearly my flesh being blasted from my bones… +I awoke, yelling out and slashing my arms in the air to hold off what I knew could never be stopped. My entire body was dripping sweat, and I wiped at it furiously with trembling hands. +It had been so real. There had been no other reality, just the one where I met my death. Unlike when we first saw the creature outside the window, I couldn’t rationalize the dream away. It was real and it would happen. But when? +I didn’t know. +My phone rang about ten minutes later, some obnoxious ring-tone that I can’t remember. I looked at the caller ID to see Alice’s name. +“What?” I asked abruptly, rubbing my eyes. +All I heard were her breathy sobs on the other end of the phone and immediately, an alertness came over me that shook all thoughts of the most horrifying nightmare I had ever had from my head. +“Allie, what’s going on? Is it back?” I didn’t wait for her answer; I was already pulling my shoes on. +She continued crying for a moment. +“Alice!” I exclaimed, climbing out of my window with my car keys in hand. +“Quinn…” She whispered in a trembling voice, “I let it in!” +*** + +I sped to her house with absolutely no idea what I was going to do when I got there. My tires squealed around every turn, and I blazed through every yellow light I came to. On the one red light that I was unfortunate enough to catch, my legs were shaking up and down the entire time, and I’m pretty sure that I was bobbing in my seat a little, too. Anyone who saw me would have assumed I was probably just racing home to use the bathroom. Little did they know I was actually zooming to my girlfriend's house where I would more than likely be killed by a demonic creature that had been stalking us for a week... +I watched the light that was green for the other direction of traffic turn to yellow and slammed the gas, swerving to avoid a car that had been trying to make it through before the light turned red. The flash of the traffic camera made images from the dream run through my mind; I wouldn't have to worry about ever paying that ticket... +As soon as I reached her house, I put the car into Park and pulled the keys out of the ignition, running to the trellis thing I always climbed up to get to her room. But my eyes found her front door instead of looking up to climb. It was open completely. +I ran forward, ducking down so that if the thing was watching, it couldn’t see me. But something told me that it knew I was there. It was waiting for me to come into the house, too. +Despite believing that, I walked inside, staying down low, listening for any sound, even the smallest, that might tell me where the thing was. I wanted to whisper Alice’s name but knew that it was too risky. So instead, I let my feet carry me and found that they seemed to know exactly where to go. +I was walking down the basement steps, hearing the soft breathing now in the distance. +“Alice?” The woman’s voice hissed in the darkness ahead of me, “Alice?” +“Get to Alice.” My mind demanded, and instantly, I picked up her familiar scent of coconut shampoo. She was close; if I kept walking, I’d probably trip over her. I had to chance saying her name. I had no other way to find her. +“Alice?” I whispered, my voice so low that there was no way she could have heard. But I felt her small hand reach out and grasp mine. In an abrupt jerk, she pulled me down to the floor. I closed my eyes, picturing the layout of her basement, where we always hung out. I knew that we were now crouched down below her mother’s old computer desk. +“Quinn, she’s close.” She whispered with her mouth right up against my ear. +“How did she get in?” I breathed back as my eyes widened by their own accord, trying to see her. +“Shh!” She shushed me, and suddenly, she came into view. +I could see in perfect darkness. +“Holy shit, I can see you!” +She nodded but said nothing. We both looked simultaneously to our right, where we could see the creature pawing the ground soundlessly. +“What is it doing?” I mouthed to her, and she shrugged, shaking her head slightly as she watched it with terrified eyes. +“Where?!” The creature exclaimed suddenly, causing us both to jump. +“She can’t see us. Or hear…” I mouthed to her, and she nodded again. +“We have to hit her with something!” Alice mimed the gesture as she said the word before crawling out from under the desk and moving quickly to the fireplace at the end of the room. Her father hid his shotgun in a secret compartment under the ledge that their family pictures were currently decorating. I rolled out from under the desk to help her move the pictures silently and quickly. Our eyes never moved from the creature that was now stomping the ground and jerking around the open space with its arms outstretched. +Alice opened the shelf silently and took out the shotgun. She pulled it open, checking to make sure it was loaded before carefully snapping it back together. She had always been the more outdoorsy one out of the two of us; her dad took her shooting at the gun range in the next town over almost every weekend. If we stacked our experience with firearms side by side, she trumped me every time. I had never even held a gun. +She aimed expertly and whistled for good measure. The creature’s head jerked up, looking in our direction now. It hissed, its already hideous face contorting to a new, horrifying sneer; it was the face of a hunter cornering its prey. But Alice raised the gun, the fear she had felt for days vanished completely from her eyes. Without hesitation, she fired one shell right into the monster's bony chest. +It was thrown backwards before it could even shriek in protest. It landed, twitching and spewing frothy spit from its mouth. I put my arm around her, pushing the shotgun down before she fired it again. She looked at me, nodding slightly, still saying nothing. +“Well, I think we killed it.” +“I don’t think it’s dead.” She replied, walking forward. “I can’t see anymore. Can you switch on the lights?” +I couldn’t see in the dark anymore, either, so I had to feel my way along the wall to the light switch. When I clicked it on, she was delicately placing the shotgun back in the compartment above the fireplace. We walked back to the creature hand in hand. +It looked different; its body had filled out to the shape of a healthy person instead of a fully decayed corpse. Its hair was no longer white and long but cut short and matted to what remained of its blood-soaked head. And when I flipped the thing over onto its back, I stumbled away in horror. Beyond horror… +A scream erupted behind me. It was a scream of terror and grief that consumed her instantaneously. It was the scream she had kept forced down deep inside of her since the moment that thing had arrived. +We were looking at her mother. +*** + +The problem with living in a neighborhood where houses are practically built right on top of each other is that the smallest disturbance, the smallest suggestion of something being out of the ordinary, alerts everyone. I don't think that Alice's neighbors would have seen the creature even if they stared right at the house while it was outside. I know they didn't hear the loud, screeching noises that she made every night. But they did hear the blast of the shotgun. As I held Alice, trying to calm her down, I heard a knock on the door upstairs. +“Oh my God… oh my God…” Alice was crying. +“Babe, there’s someone at the door.” I told her softly, and she pulled away from me, looking even more distressed. +“Do you think...” She hiccupped as new sobs took hold of her. “Do you think it’s my dad? Do you think he’s one of those things, too?” +“I don’t know. Just stay here.” I instructed her urgently, “I’ll be right back.” +“No! Don’t leave me!” She exclaimed, jumping up and grabbing my hand, “Don’t leave me with her!” +“Alice, you have to stay here. Just for a minute. I have to get this person to go away. Just stay here. I’ll be five minutes. I promise.” +She nodded but sat by the door, her back to the body. +I sprinted upstairs, ready to fight another one of those horrible things. Alice’s words hung in my head like a bad song I couldn’t shake; what if her dad was one of them, too? +“Open up! Police!” A thunderous voice boomed from behind the front door. +Just as I was thanking God for the sudden arrival of the police, I suddenly remembered the obliterated body downstairs on the floor who just happened to be the estranged mother of my girlfriend. Surely, two teenagers at home alone with the body of the woman who had so protested their relationship left little room to speculate on motive. I watched enough CSI and Criminal Minds to know that. +Curse words flew through my head as a cold sweat broke over me. How was I going to get rid of a cop? What if he wanted to search the house? Even if I didn't know how exactly, I had to make him leave. I just had to tell him everything was fine, and he’d go. +I threw open the door before I could wonder what I was going to say any longer. If I needed to appear surprised at something, I couldn’t afford to stand and think about all the answers I was going to give to the cop’s questions. I watched enough Dexter to know how to play it cool and collected. +“Hi, Officer.” +I had to stop myself from grimacing; no kid greets a cop like that! “I didn’t do anything!” would have probably been a more realistic greeting. Of course, it also would have raised more suspicion than it would have remedied. +“Hello.” He replied formally, “Sorry to bother you, but neighbors reported hearing a weapon discharged here. Is this your house?” +“No. This is my girlfriend’s house.” +“Are her parents home?” +I prayed the sweat that was pouring from me wasn’t noticeable. Nothing was more telling than someone who appeared nervous. +“No.” I replied, shaking my head slightly and crossing my arms over my chest. I even leaned on the door-frame, trying to appear completely relaxed. “They’re on vacation in Bermuda.” +“Where is your girlfriend?” +“Sleeping.” I answered automatically, “And no weapons discharged. Maybe it was a car backfiring or something.” +Too much, I thought to myself and shut up. +“They said it sounded like a shotgun.” +“Oh.” +“I think I should come in and have a look around.” +“Why?” I asked, panicking only internally. On the surface, I was still composed, thankfully. “We’re just chilling. We didn’t do anything. Alice is asleep, and I was, too, before you knocked.” +“Would you wake her up and tell her to come down, just so I can make sure she’s okay?” +“No. She’s been…” I was scrambling for an excuse, anything to keep him from coming into the house. Alice was a wreck; she had been crying for half an hour and more than likely had blood splattered on her. There was no way we’d be getting out of the situation if he saw her. “She’s been really stressed out today because she’s not used to her parents being gone and she just went to sleep.” +“That’s why you’re here?” +“I guess so.” +“Because her parents aren’t here?” +“Yeah. She doesn’t like to be alone.” +“Plus, I’m sure you’re both just thrilled to have the house to yourselves, right?” +My eyebrows almost met in the middle in a comical expression of disbelief at what he said. I won't lie and say that I didn't take it the wrong way. The half-smile at the corner of his mouth didn't help to dispel my belief that he had just suggested something with an obscene undertone. + Still, I was calm. +“I guess so.” +“Well, just so I can feel I did my job, I’m going to need you to call your girlfriend downstairs.” +More curse words exploded in my mind and came quite close to pouring out of my mouth. I knew he was only doing his job, but given the circumstances, I just couldn’t afford to play nice with him. I couldn’t let him come into the house. So as my anger and frustration mounted, and my need to get Alice and me safely out of the bizarre mess we were in became as real and as crucial as thirst and hunger, I snapped. +“Leave!” I barked at the cop, and my eyes widened in horror. I couldn’t believe that I had actually said it. We were so screwed now, everything was lost, we were going to jail for killing Alice’s mom... +“But we didn’t know it was Alice’s mom, Officer. We thought it was a ghastly female demon creature!” Yeah, that would work… +But the cop, as though I had in one word absolved his need to do his job to high standards, turned and walked away, muttering a quick, “Have a good night,” over his shoulder. +There was something hypnotized in his eyes and lighter in his step as he walked away. +“I just controlled his mind.” I muttered to myself before turning around and running back downstairs into the basement, calling Alice’s name as I went. +“I can’t believe I killed her… oh my God…” She was whispering to herself and sitting with her legs pulled into her chest and her face pressed into her knees. +“Alice, you will never believe what just happened.” +“Where do you think my dad is? Do you think he’s one of them, too? Do you think he got turned into whatever they are, Quinn?” She asked, looking up at me with tears streaming down her cheeks. +I knelt down in front of her, all trace of my thrill from a second earlier gone. +“I don’t know.” I told her, grasping her hands, “But I can tell you that something weird is happening here. I had this dream. It was so real. I can’t even describe to you how real it was. I know that it’s going to happen, and it’s going to happen soon.” +“What is?” She asked me as she swiped at her eyes. +“The world is going to end.” +I expected her to protest and to tell me that I had lost it, but she didn’t. Her face remained impassive as she stared past me into the room where her mother’s body still laid. +“I don’t know what I’m supposed to do now that I know that. And I do know it, Alice.” +“Do you know when?” She asked me quietly, still not looking at me, “Is it soon?” +“Yes. I do know that it’s going to be soon. And that was a cop at the door, by the way. I controlled his mind.” +“How?” +“I have no idea.” I replied, “But that doesn’t matter. The point is, he’s gone, and we’re going to be okay.” +“We’re going to be okay even though the world is ending soon?” She asked, her large brown eyes meeting mine finally. +“Yes. I know that I had that dream for a reason. I know that it means that I’m supposed to do something about it.” +“You seem to know a lot of things, Quinn. I don’t know anything anymore.” She put her face in her hands and started to cry again. I didn’t know how to comfort her. I had never seen her cry before and now, when I finally did, there was nothing I could say. I think I would have been able to console her if the situation that caused her to feel such sadness had revolved around normal adolescent angst. But the issue we were facing was something else entirely. +I embraced her and told her again that everything was going to be alright. I told her we would survive the hell we were going through somehow. I told her we would survive the impending end of the world and figure out a way to live after all life had ended. +The things I said I knew, I did know. But those promises I made to her were empty and halfhearted; I had not even a semblance of the clarity I had about the other things when I tried to picture ways that we would outlive the end of the world. I was offering her the only reassurances that I could, knowing that not one of them truly mattered. I knew very little else besides the few details of that one, terrifying event that was coming quickly into clear view. +When I tell this story to survivors, I always say that the uncertainty and mental dimness that followed my prophetic moment were worse than the actual moment. +To put it poetically, it was like I was tumbling from a brightly lit, spacious room where all was laid out before me in perfect clearness, into a dark, claustrophobic space, where I could see nothing. All I could do was grasp around helplessly for the light that had just thrown me away. +*** + +“I am trying to be delicate about this, baby, but I know that we’re running out of time. We don’t have any time to look for him.” +“He’s my father, Quinn! I already killed my mom, for God’s sake! You won’t at least give me a day to look for my dad?!” She shouted in fury as I threw her clothes into her suitcase. +“We still have to go to my house and pack some things. I still have to say goodbye to my parents.” +“You’re just going to leave your parents?! You don’t even care?!” +“Of course I care! It’s just…” I trailed off, unsure of where my apathy was coming from. I had always had a good relationship with my parents until recently, when we had begun to spar over mine and Alice’s romance. +“It's just what, Quinn?!” +“I know there’s nothing I can do for them. If I try to tell them about this, they’re going to… I don’t know… interfere! They’re going to tell you to go home, and then they’re going to try to lock me up until they can arrange to have me put away somewhere. They will never believe this, not even if I beg them to. I know it seems like I’m the worst person in the world for being so ready to leave them, but we have to get out of here. They’ll stop us from doing that.” +“But they’re you’re parents, Quinn.” +“I know.” I sat down, feeling a lump form in my throat that I immediately tried to diminish by taking a drink of water. “I know, Allie.” +We were quiet for a long time, and I swiped at the tears that had formed in my eyes every time she looked away from me. Finally, after that long minute of heavy silence, she spoke again. +“You can’t leave them.” +“But I can’t tell them what’s happening. They’ll stop us, and then we’ll die. We’re running out of time, Alice. Look at this.” +I handed her the papers I had printed from a discussion forum I had found online. I joined the forum to add my own two cents, telling the other posters (from many different countries, I might add) that I had the same dream, on the same night, down to the very same details. +“What is this?” +“That dream I had… Other people had it, too. We need to go meet them.” +“We don’t even know them! They could be crazy people, Quinn! What is wrong with you?” +“What’s wrong with me is the fact that we’re running out of time before the world explodes, Alice!” I snapped at her and instantly regretted it. She pulled her knees close to her chest and put her face against them, crying again. I knelt down beside her and tried my best to apologize, but she wanted no parts of it, at least not then. +“We just have to go, Allie. I know how hard it is for you. It’s hard for both of us…” +“What are you going to say to your parents?” +“I don’t know. Maybe they already know, and they’ll come with us. But I know I won’t be able to convince them, so I’m not even going to try. They already think I’m rebelling against them and now they’re just going to think that I’ve lost it, too. So, I guess I’ll say that I love them, and I’ll try to make it seem like it’s no big deal that I’m saying it.” +I was silent for a minute, picturing saying goodbye to them for the very last time. The finality of it stole my breath more painfully than a swift kick to my stomach could. I loved them as most sons love their parents. I had always wanted their approval and accepted their praise and even criticism until I met Alice. After they objected to her, I couldn’t accept anything from them anymore. It was so foolish of me. It was so childish. They were wrong about her, but that should not have shifted my feelings towards them as dramatically as it did. +I knew that I had to lie to them. I knew that I had to pretend that we would be back soon, even though after the dream I had, I knew that they wouldn’t be alive after that cataclysmic event occurred. +“So, you’re just going to say ‘I love you,’ pack up a bag, and walk out the door?” +“I don’t know. I guess. I don’t think I have a choice, Allie. I know I don’t.” +“You idiot.” Her hands grasped my face, and she turned my head with painful abruptness so I was looking at her. “You do have a choice. Well, actually, you don’t. Because if you think that I am going to let you leave without at least trying to convince them to come with us, you are out of your freaking mind. So, you’re going to try, and I’m going to help you. And together, we’re going to convince them. And I know that we can.” +*** + +The memory I have of us leaving her house for the last time is as clear to me still as it was the day it happened. I remember how she insisted on locking the door and how I knew that she was just trying to preserve the smallest bit of normalcy by doing so. I remember how we walked hand in hand down her driveway to my car that was still parked crookedly next to the curb. I remember how she looked back, tears streaming from her eyes, at the house she had grown up in. I couldn’t imagine what she was feeling but I would be able to feel it in reality with no imagining necessary soon enough when I said goodbye to my parents. Even though Alice was convinced that we could make them believe that the world was ending, I still thought that they wouldn’t. Though they would still be alive when I left them, they wouldn’t be for long. In both cases, our goodbyes to the people who had raised us were equally final, despite her mother already being dead and her father being missing. +“Just give me a minute. Okay? I’ll call you in if I need you.” I told her. +She just stared out the window at the sky that was beginning to darken over our heads. The drastic change in the weather was enough to convince me of the impending end of the world. The sun never broke through the thick, threatening clouds; we were in a state of perpetual night. I wondered if anyone else found the overcast days and pitch black nights as ominous as I did. People who hadn’t had the dream would surely shrug it off as just a nasty bout of depressing weather, but I knew better. I found myself staring up into the sky as I walked to the front door of my house. +I turned the doorknob and pushed, being greeted not by the familiar smells of the many strange concoctions my parents invented for dinner but by the distinct iron-like smell of blood. My heart dropped immediately as the realization gripped me; when I had left the night before, another one of those things had come for me. My parents had awoken, aware of a strange presence in the house. They had been killed mercilessly as they stood between me and the thing that had broken in, completely unaware that I was already gone. Their sacrifice was, to say the very least, completely in vain. +I didn’t stumble back at the sight of their bodies lying side by side in front of my closed bedroom door. I didn’t collapse into a fit of tears. I didn't scream hopeless, desperate questions to no one in particular, demanding a reason for the merciless slaughter of my parents. +I lurched forward suddenly as the few bits of food I had eaten over the past day came tumbling from me like my body was trying to expel some deadly toxin. After I wretched and gagged and wiped the tears the exertion had forced from my eyes, I did start screaming. I screamed like I was staring the devil in the eyes and like I was being cut down the way my parents had been. +It’s amazing how in the face of trauma, we revert back to the neediness we had as children. I was young still, but old enough to know that Mom and Dad couldn’t solve all of my problems for me. Yet as I stared down the darkness that had scared me so much as a child, all I wanted was for my parents to run in and tell me that it was all just a nightmare. +Alice and I were so young, and we needed the people who loved us more than anything in the world to solve the ominous riddle of what to do for us. +But they were gone, and I realized, even through the immediate grief I felt at the loss of my parents, that Alice and I were on our own forever. + +Violet + +It happened while I was sitting in class, staring out the window as a light snow began to fall from the clouds. My teacher was rambling on about cell mutations and the impacts they have on an organism. I knew that even though I wasn't listening. +“It's snowing!” A girl in my class exclaimed, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes; the sudden change in the weather wasn't exactly worth a disruptive outburst. Plus, that girl was in the clique that I despised: A drama nerd whose second interest was writing emotionally charged prose to describe her trivial high school conundrums and mundane hormonal changes. We had Creative Writing together, and every time she shared a piece she had written (which was every freaking day), I tuned her out completely and doodled in the corner of my spiral notebook. +My sister was the one who recommended that I take that class in the first place. She was smarter than me by a long stretch, but we both shared a love of books and writing. I had wanted to become a novelist one day. Our parents told me that unless I wanted to write an autobiography, my dreams of becoming a famous writer would never come true. My sister told me that I could do anything I set my mind to, though she immediately chastised herself for using such a trite expression to encourage me. +“Thank you for pointing that out to us, Emma.” My best friend and sarcastic partner-in-crime, Miranda replied after looking up from her notes. “I'm sure we would have all walked outside without our coats and in cut-off shorts if you hadn't informed us that it's snowing!” +She mimicked her overly excited tone on the last part and waved her hands in the air like a drunken middle-aged bar hopper trying to dance with her younger counterparts. I covered my mouth as I cracked up hysterically. Miranda was the more outspoken one between the two of us. I tried to keep my scathing sarcasm to myself whereas she wore it on her sleeve for all the world to see. I needed that, my sister said. I needed someone who would say what I was thinking so that I might one day learn to do the same. Yes, my sister did frequently talk like Yoda. +I learned everything I knew about life from my sister. My mother's high-class career left little room for focusing on her children. So my big sister, the second-oldest of us all, had to pick up Mom's slack. I had only just realized that as I began to go through the trials and tribulations of adolescence. When I needed help navigating those stormed-upon, erratic waters, my mother would turn away, clueless as to how to assist me. My sister knew by instinct and from experience exactly what to do and say, always. +I loved her for that. +“Thank you, Miranda.” Our teacher said, in slight exasperation, “Everyone, eyes up front, please.” +Our class, who like ferrets with ADHD had turned abruptly to the windows at Emma's outburst, turned back around, muttering about what a heinous so-and-so Miranda was. I looked at her, expecting to see some indication of discomfort at being discussed negatively by our peers but as usual saw nothing but the deepest apathy. I couldn't shake the smile from my face. +“I don't even care.” Emma shot loudly at her friend who was staring back at us, muttering no doubt about how bitchy Miranda was. +Emma certainly looked like she didn't care, if the way she rolled her eyes and shrugged several times was any indication. She raised her voice and said grandiosely, “'Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.'” She turned back to face Miranda, “That’s Mark Twain, in case you didn’t know.” +Now, I know that Emma must have thought she was quite clever for quoting Mark Twain verbatim. Unfortunately, she underestimated Miranda's own knowledge. +“How long did you have to skim through quotes online to find one that might be applicable to real life?” Miranda asked her, “Is that what you do in your spare time when you're not writing pathetic little essays about your closeted boyfriend and your fake suicide attempts?” +“Ladies, that's enough!” Our teacher snapped, “May I continue now, Miranda?” +“Sure, blame Miranda...” Miranda said as she held up her hands in mock surrender, “Continue.” +I shook my head slightly, still grinning, before returning my gaze to the world outside my window. I marveled at the number of kids who had done that very same thing over the years. They had sat exactly where I was sitting, staring out the window, dreaming of the moment the bell rang and they were free. I don't know where my sudden burst of nostalgia came from. My sister would tell me later that my reminiscence was so strong because somewhere in my subconscious, the deeper, more instinctual perception of foreboding was emerging, and as a result, I knew what was to come. +I don't remember the moment when I drifted off. Biology was my long period that day, and we still had over an hour left of class. My teacher's voice was droning on, and the snow was falling softly outside; the sight of it was so calming, so picturesque… I didn’t even realize that it was lulling me to sleep... +A high pitched whirring sound that caused an entire city to fall to its knees. Everyone holding their ears and screaming so loud that their faces were turning red from the effort, and I still couldn't hear them over the screeching sound. Then, a silence so deep that it rattled my brain. It lasted for such a long time; a minute and a half felt like an eternity. Then, an explosion that shook the earth beneath my feet. A tidal wave of fire was barreling towards me rapidly, and there was nowhere to run. There was no escape from this fiery death. For a split second, I felt it swallow me, my skin blasting off, every nerve ending screaming in agony... +I was screaming in agony and in terror when I awoke. As soon as my eyes opened, I saw that the entire class had turned to me, their faces betraying shock, and in a few cases, amusement. I jumped up, sweat pouring off of me like a last defense against the burns I had just suffered. +“What?! What is it?!” Miranda asked as she stood up, too. +“I'm...” I started to say as my teacher walked around his desk to approach me. I pointed at the door, unable to speak now. +“You're fine. Go ahead.” He told me, nodding. His brows were furrowed, and his face conveyed something more than just concern. There was recognition in his eyes that I didn't understand. +“I'm going with her.” +“Yeah.” Mr. Barnes nodded, and Miranda came running out of the classroom after me. I was walking as fast as my legs would allow. They felt weak, and I acknowledged briefly that they were trembling worse than the rest of my body. My sister would tell me later that my survival instinct was still working; my body was trying to save itself from the stream of fire. +The stream of fire... What was it? Why had it been so real? +“Hey, crazy!” Miranda grabbed my arm and turned me around to face her. “What happened? Oh my...” My appearance halted her mid-sentence. I was still sweating, and my face had gone far beyond the white of a ghost's skin. “You need to go to the nurse, Vi. You look terrible.” +“I need to go home.” My throat clenched, and tears started to fall from her eyes. “I just want to go home, Manda.” +“Okay. Come on. We'll go. Mr. Barnes will explain what happened if we get in trouble for cutting. Let's just go.” She grasped my hand, and the contact comforted me more than I would ever have said. We passed teachers and administrators without stopping, walking right out the door into the frigid winter air. +It was the cold that snapped me back to my senses. I started telling her about the dream, rambling on and on with all the grim, terrifying details. +“It was just a dream, Vi. You're just freaked out from it. I remember this one time I had a dream that my teeth were falling out and I woke up...” +“This isn't like that!” I snapped at her, raising my voice to a volume that I didn't intend to reach. “This was... It was so real!” +“All dreams feel real like that, Violet.” She sighed, and I remember how grating that arrogant dismissal of my fears was to me. As she turned the key in the ignition, I started to feel my cheeks getting hotter as I became aware of my irritation. +“Miranda…” +“Plus, that wasn't just a dream.” She continued, undaunted, “It was a night terror. Remember in Psych what...” +“You don't understand. It was just...” I shook my head slightly, bringing one trembling hand up to my face to rub my eyes. +“Where do you want to go?” +“Home.” I replied instantly, “Manda, if you knew what I had seen...” +“You just told me what you saw. It sounds like the apocalypse to me.” +“If you knew how it felt to see that...” I corrected myself, “I think...” +“What?” +“I think the end of the world is coming.” +“The end of the world?” She asked me with so much skepticism and sarcasm in her voice now that I could have slapped her. “It was just a dream, dude. I get that it feels real to you still, but you just had it. In a couple of hours, you'll be fine. I told you, I had a dream once about my teeth falling out...” +“This was nothing like the dream where your teeth were falling out! That's a vanity thing, Miranda! This was... catastrophic!” I yelled at her, and luckily, we had pulled into my neighborhood because she slammed on the brakes, angered by my outburst. +“I'm just trying to make you feel better.” She told me bitterly, “But if you want to believe that you just had some sort of psychic vision and now you have to save the world, then go for it. But I'm not going to tell you that I believe it!” +“You don't know how it felt! You don't know how real it was! I know this is something real. I know it! And I don't need you or anyone else to believe me!” +“Yeah? Then what are you going to do?” +“I'm going to...” I stopped because in that moment, when my frustration had built to such a point that I couldn't control it, my purse that I had put up on the dashboard slid onto the floor. The car lurched forward despite the fact that her foot wasn't on the gas pedal. The lights on the dashboard started to flicker on and off, and the radio blared in our ears at full volume. +“Turn it off!” I screamed at her, covering my ears. But as she reached for the dial to turn back the volume, the car stopped by its own will. Everything was silent, including us. +“What was that!?” She screamed before pointing an accusatory finger at me, “It was you!” +“Me?!” I exclaimed, stunned that Miranda, who was always so logical, could believe something so ridiculous. +“You were angry, so you...” She was frantically trying to explain exactly what I had done and when she came up short (a first for her, believe me), she looked back at me in a terrified rage. +“Get out!” +“What?! Miranda...” +“Get out! You're a freak! You're... insane! You're...” +“Manda, I didn't do anything! Your car was just being weird!” +“It's never done that before! It was doing that because you were mad! You're just...” Another frantic search for an explanation or maybe even an insult, “...a freak!” +“I didn't do anything!” I cried again, tears now starting to stream from my eyes. “Manda, please, I need you to help me. I need you to help me figure this out! I can't do it on my own!” +“Well, then, call your freak sister and get her to help you! You've both always been freaks!” +I should have walked away after that. But I kept begging her, quite shamelessly, to help me. We had been best friends for almost four years, and she had always had a solution to every problem we encountered. We had never fought or disagreed. She had become the first source I went to if I needed to be comforted once my sister moved out. During those times when I needed her, she always knew what to say. It was almost stunning how easily she was able to rectify any fear or sadness I felt. +But she insisted that I leave, threatening to call the police if I didn't. Finally, I knew the battle was lost, and I obeyed. She sped away, her tires squealing and slipping on the ice that had covered the road. I stood there on the street, crying and swiping at my eyes, watching her car move further and further away at a hazardous speed. +I have an awful habit that I learned from my sister. When I cry, I feel weakness. She was so good at forcing her sadness away to some deep, dark recess inside of her that our parents worried that she harbored sociopathic tendencies. When she felt any level of despair towards anything, she flipped some switch in her mind to anger, an emotion that, in her not-so-humble opinion, was far more dignified. Everything came back to anger with her. That particular tendency didn't abate my parents' anxieties over her potential for depravity. +I was not nearly as skilled at suppression as she was. But as I watched Miranda's car speed to the end of the street, I felt my sadness flip abruptly to anger. I was furious that she had abandoned me when I needed her. I was furious that she had called me a freak. But above all else, I couldn't stand that she didn't believe me. +It wasn't her fault that she doubted my story. I wish I had known that then. I'll never be able to express how strongly I wish that. +I don't know exactly what happened, but as that rage gripped me, I heard one loud pop that was actually the sound of four tires exploding simultaneously. I watched Miranda's car veer sideways suddenly. Even from where I was standing, I could hear her feet furiously stomping on the brake pedal. The snow silenced what would have been a deafening bang as the car slammed, head-first, into the lit street lamp. The bulb inside flickered twice before going out. +As quickly as that anger had taken me in its grip, it dissipated. It was a snap of the fingers, a jolt that happened in less than a millisecond. It melted away like the flakes of snow landing gently on my face. My mind went completely blank as though every memory and every bit of knowledge had been wiped away in one swipe. I was running to the car but didn't realize it. My footsteps were being erased by the rapidly falling snow. The snow... I didn't even feel it anymore, nor did I feel the cold air that had made it possible. +When I reached the car, the grief was immediate. I had no way of knowing if Miranda had died, but I was sure that if she was still drawing breath, it would not be for long. I felt around in my pockets for my cell phone before I realized, with a sickening turn of my stomach, that it was back in my purse at the far end of the street. +I know that I felt it. Just as I had turned to run towards where my purse lay in the snow several yards away, I felt her heart stop beating. I felt her life dissipate. It is a sensation that I can’t describe to you, except by saying that it was like a sudden lightness had come over me, as though what had essentially been the heaviness of life-- of a heart filled with blood, lungs filled with air, a brain filled with thoughts and worries and memories—was gone, and it had been abruptly replaced by a heavier fear, a disorienting displacement, and heartbreakingly childish confusion. “Where do I go?” “What happened to me?” I could almost hear her asking me, but I was frantically trying to tell myself that I was imagining it. +My knees buckled, and I was lying with my face in the snow as horrified, frenzied sobs shook not just my physical body but my soul, as well. You could never imagine it, or maybe you can, given the state of things. +I don't know for sure if the accident was my fault. I will never know for sure if I killed Miranda. Most people wouldn't want to know, but honestly, I would give my dying breath for that certainty. If her death was my fault, she deserves for me to suffer for it. She deserves to watch from above as the guilt I feel drives me insane. Even though I couldn’t control it, if in fact it was my burgeoning power that had caused it, I still deserve to suffer, because she did not deserve to die. +I looked up after several long, truly agonizing moments. I wanted to run to the car, pull her out, and give everything I had left in me to revive her. But the thought of her mangled body brought a wave of warmth from the pit of my stomach that came spewing out onto the ground. Once the last of it had fallen from me, I was in the clutches of another bout of tears that sent me falling sideways into the snow. +If there are words for that kind of longing regret and harrowing guilt, I cannot find them, even after all these years have passed. + +Brynna + +“I realize that you're getting tired, but unless you want to die right now instead of when the end of the world occurs, I would not suggest you letting me drive.” I snapped at James as I furiously cleaned my glasses with a terrycloth. +We were both tired, hungry and cold. We were cold because for some inexplicable reason, the heater in his car had broken. We stopped the heated disagreement we had been having to stare at it in shock. Then, we tried to blame the faulty heating on each other, quite ridiculously. +“We are an hour from your house, you said. I'll grab the wheel in the event of an emergency.” He snapped back at me in a voice dripping with sarcasm. +“No, you will not, because you will be asleep! Is that not why you want me to drive in the first place? Something tells me that while you're dozing peacefully, you will be unable to stop a fatal car crash from occurring. Given that I do not want to die nor do I want to commit vehicular manslaughter, I need you to remain conscious.” +“I wasn't planning on going to sleep. I was just going to rest my eyes. I've told you that now like, seven times. Has it absorbed yet?!” +“You will not be alert either way! If you want to place your life into my hands, then pull over, and I will drive.” +“No. Forget it. You're never going to let me hear the end of it if I make you drive. God, I thought you said you were a genius...” +“What in the name of all deities and Gods does my proven genius have to do with my ability to drive in inclement weather? I don't drive in the snow!” I threw my cigarette out the window in a huff, “Where did the snow even come from?! It was somewhat light this morning!” +“Somewhat being the key term there.” +“I knew you were going to say that! Just focus on the road, please. I do not wish to die today, and the snow is falling heavily...” +“Is that my fault, too?” +I exclaimed loudly in annoyance, my eyes wide. +“God, you are insufferable!” I grabbed the lever on the side of the seat and pulled it, pushing backwards until I was lying flat on my back. +“Don't even go to sleep right now.” +I lowered my sunglasses and closed my eyes. +“No! That is not even fair! +“Okay, it's not fair.” I rolled my eyes, “What are you, twelve?!” +“Just shut up.” +“What?!” I grabbed the lever again and flung myself up, the seat following behind me, “Lest you wish to swallow every last tooth in your mouth, do not tell me to shut up!” +Almost two days without sleep and almost twenty four hours without food turn even the calmest (James) and the smartest (me) people into squabbling, immature children. +I frowned when I brought my hand back from the side of the seat. The lever that moved the seat forward and backwards was in my hand. +“Did you just break something?” He asked, his exasperation evident as his eyes stayed fixed on the road. +I glared at him and reached my hand over. After a moment, I dropped the lever into his lap. +“Damn it, Brynna!” +“I'm sorry that the people who constructed your fancy, high-dollar, electric car were more interested in aesthetics and environmental preservation than quality.” +“Do you always have something to say? Some smart-ass remark?!” He yelled, turning the windshield wipers up to the next speed as the snow began falling even more quickly. +“Turn your lights on.” I said, just to prove that yes, I did always have some derisive comment up my sleeve. I grabbed an issue of Men's Health that was on the floor of his car. On the cover, there was some buff movie star posing in a loincloth for a film that the headline exclaimed was made for well over two hundred and fifty million dollars. Even if the world wasn't ending, the film would probably bomb. +“Is that interesting?” He asked me. +“I thought we were shutting up.” I replied coolly. +“I never said I was shutting up, and since when do you listen to me? I'm interested to know exactly when that started happening.” +“I'm not listening to you. I'm not talking to you because you're irritating me. So I am going to read this very interesting issue of Men's Health.” I was silent for a minute, scanning through an article but absorbing not a single word. The silence between us was raising the hair on the back of my neck. +“Do you find this sexist drivel interesting?” I asked him, and he sighed heavily. +“Just when I was starting to enjoy the quiet...” He muttered, and I took my time rolling up the magazine before I whacked him hard in the arm with it. +“Ow!” He exclaimed, “And I'm the one who’s twelve?!” +“I will make you a deal, James Maxwell.” +“Okey-doke, Brynna Olivier…” He replied sarcastically. +“I am normally quite unskilled at socializing with people from any of the various intellect levels. However, I find your inferior intelligence to be quite engaging, and the bottom line is, I just can't stand the silence right now. So, I propose that we talk like the rational adults I know that we both are.” +“I'm sorry...” He shook his head slightly in disbelief, “Did you just say that I am of inferior intelligence to you?” +I put the magazine on the dashboard delicately, “That question and your random apology prove it.” I lit a cigarette and rolled down the window slightly. +“Are you being humorous?” +“Proven again.” I told him, shaking my head slightly. +“I'm being serious. Are you joking right now?” +“I don't know.” I asked, exhaling smoke at him, “Am I?” But a grin was tugging at the corners of my mouth that he saw when he glanced over at me. I raised my eyebrows and gazed back at him impassively. +He laughed quietly to himself and shook his head, muttering, “You are something else, I'm telling you.” +We were quiet once again, and I could see clearly that he was enjoying the lull in conversation. I turned my head to look outside, blowing smoke rings and watching them quickly evaporate upon meeting the air that whizzed past my open window. +“What I find interesting...” I said, and he exclaimed in only slight irritation, “...is that you've been like a bull for the past hour and I, the red cape. Our arguments have ranged from the sensible to the absolutely ludicrous. It was only when I insulted your intelligence that you were calm. Why?” +“It doesn't carry any of the significance you think it does. I was just humoring you. Now, why do you think Men's Health is sexist drivel?” +“Look at all of these advertisements they run. I mean, it's better than Cosmopolitan, surely.” +“Is that the woman's magazine that's all about how to please men?” +“Indeed, it is. I am surprised you know what it is.” +“I go to the grocery store like every other human being on the planet.” +“I am just surprised you made a note of it.” +“I am also surprised I made a note of it.” +“Our world is strange. Our culture is strange. There is such an emphasis on how we look. These magazines are an example of it. We pride ourselves on our pride, if you will.” +“I will.” +I smiled and chuckled softly. +“Shut up, James.” +He grinned, too. +“Do you think that's why the world is ending?” I asked him, serious now. +“Why? Because magazines make us feel bad about ourselves and force us into believing we have to change our appearance to fit their standards? I think it's a little bigger than that, Brynna.” +“Don't be condescending.” +“Why not? You're condescending.” +“I am trying to make sense of this right now. Catch a bubble.” I replied hurriedly, holding my hand out in his direction but not looking at him. +“What the hell does that mean?” +I took a deep breath and puffed my cheeks out as I held the air to demonstrate. For a moment, I thought he might slap me. Then, his face broke into a smile. +“That's clever.” +“I cannot take credit for it. Please know that what I just showed you was born from a moment of whimsy we cannot afford.” +He drew in a deep breath and exhaled, rolling his eyes. +“You're so weird.” +“Perhaps. Now, be quiet and let me stew over the topic. I should have an answer to my question momentarily.” +“I don't think there's any way to know for sure why this is happening.” He replied instantly, and now I was the one rolling my eyes. “I do understand what you're getting at, though. Is it our vanity, our lust, our depravity as a whole that made some higher power want to snuff us all out? Do we deserve it?” +“Do we, James?” I asked, looking at him now. +He was quiet for a long moment, pondering the question. I thought about it more in depth throughout that silence than I had previously. I was not religious in any sense of the word, but I had studied most religions extensively. I was fascinated by the blind devotion of those who followed a specific creed. I wondered where their resignation came from. I wondered how they could glory in the grace of a Creator whose sole endgame was to smite the earth. In Christianity, there was the notion of the Rapture, as I had been told. The good people would be taken to heaven before the fireworks started. There was the Book of Revelations, the most epically disastrous and depressing ending to a book in the entire history of the written and spoken word. In Hinduism, there was the Kali Age, where the world would cease to exist because it was meant to, and to hell with whoever remained. Some religions, like those followed by the Native Americans and Mayans, had symbols whose meaning told of the impending end for us all. +All religions knew that this was imminent and all had their different take on why it was so. I prided myself on having all the answers when a logical question was posed. But this was beyond logic. This was what those spiritual people would call “faith.” I marveled at it and was beguiled into a silence that was uncommon for me. +“I just don't know, Brynna.” +James's voice struck me down from the philosophical speculation in which I was engaging, and I was quite grateful, though his answer to my earlier question brought no relief. +“We'll never know.” +I nodded but said nothing, reaching for my cigarettes again. I was momentarily confused by the way my body was suddenly trembling when I looked up to see a figure lying in the road. +“Watch out!” I exclaimed, and he slammed the brakes. The force from the sudden stop sent me flying forward, and since I was bent down trying to retrieve my purse, I was going to smash my face against the dashboard. But James's arm jerked out in front of me, stopping the movement before one blink. The car slid forward on the snow but stopped just in front of the person lying. Whoever it was didn't move. +“Oh my God or Gods...” I muttered, seeing a car that had slammed into a light-post. I jumped out, unsure of how to proceed. Anyone inside of the wreck was surely dead, but the girl on the ground could have been alive. +“Brynna!” I heard James yell as he got out of the car. On the cold, abandoned street, with the snow falling around us, I ran to the girl lying down in the road, with only the sound of the windshield wipers moving every few seconds in my ears. +“Oh my...” I muttered as the recognition gripped me. My feet slipped and slid in the snow, but I ran faster until I was right above her. The girl turned over and squinted up at me through the tears that were pouring from her eyes. +“Brynna?” She asked, and I fell to my knees beside my sister. My arms furiously scooped her up into a sitting position. +“What happened to you? Are you okay?” I asked her hurriedly, putting both of my hands on her face, “Violet! Were you in the car?” +She shook her head and pointed at the wreck. I am not the person to turn to when one needs comfort, as my own emotions do not function in a way that could ever be described as normal. I can feel concern for someone down to my core, as I did with Violet then, but that should not suggest that when there is an emotional outpouring, I can remedy it. I did not know why she was pointing to the car or why she was crying. If she hadn't been in the vehicle then she more than likely did not know the person who was. +“I'm going to call 911.” James said from the car, “She's dead, but they still have to come get her and clean up the wreck.” +“No! Don't!” Violet jumped up and ran towards him, taking his cellphone right out of his hand, “I did this!” +“You did what, Violet?” I asked her with one hand rested on her arm. +“I caused it! It's my fault!” +“You said you weren't in the car!” I told her, throwing my hands up in frustration, as I always did when a situation was just not making any sense to me. I did not enjoy when my enhanced mental abilities were trumped by mysterious and illogical circumstances. +“I wasn't!” She sobbed, “But I was... I had this dream... and...” +James and I looked at each other as she threw her arms around my neck and buried her face in my shoulder. By then, she was out and out wailing, but the sound was drowned out by my rushing, panicked thoughts. Both James and I knew that there was only one dream of which she could be speaking. +“Well, you were worried about having to convince them.” James told me as he turned us both around and started walking us back to the car. “See? The hard part's over.” +Her grip on me was so tight that I couldn't break free to get back into the front seat. So I maneuvered us both into the backseat and wrapped my other arm around her to pat her head awkwardly. James watched us in the rear-view mirror, and I could tell by the way his eyes were squinted that he was smiling slightly at my discomfort. +“Shut up, James.” I muttered, and he didn't hide it anymore; he laughed softly, despite the situation. +“Who is he?” +“I'm James. I know you're Brynna's sister, but that's about all I know.” +“He's making it sound like I have not talked about you extensively. I have. She's Violet.” I told him. +“I could make a really ridiculous joke right now to lighten the mood.” +“Please don't.” I replied with another eye roll. +“Okay.” +“Vi, who was in the car?” I asked her bluntly, the tenderness that would be most comforting to her completely absent from my voice and demeanor. I didn't try to be so cold. It just happened. +“It was...” She started crying harder again, and I heaved a great sigh of frustration, resigning myself to the fact that I would probably never know. “Can you please put your weird emotional tendencies aside for two seconds and just be my sister!?” +“What are you even talking about? I am embracing you, aren't I?” I snapped at her in offense. I was unsure how she could suggest that I never comforted her. Or perhaps I was just flustered and irritated that she had called me on my strangeness and complete lack of knowledge on empathy. +“You've gotten so weird since you moved out! You used to be able to make me feel better no matter what was wrong! Now you're weird!” +“Alright, you are very upset right now.” I told her, “And you're saying things that would be hurtful if it weren't for the fact that I...” +“...that you're a cyborg!” She exclaimed, pulling away from me, “I just killed Miranda!” +“Miranda who?” I asked. +“Miranda! My best friend Miranda who you've only met like, a hundred times!” +I had seen the girl around the house every day of every summer since Violet had been in seventh grade. The two young friends were inseparable from the moment they had met. Why Violet would resort to murder to dispatch her best friend, I was not sure. A simple “I think it's time we go our separate ways” would have sufficed. +“Stop having weird thoughts! God, they're so loud!” She shrieked as she covered her ears. My heart plummeted several feet, and my stomach churned dangerously. My threshold for tolerating strangeness was beginning to lessen. Violet was telling me now that she could hear the mental dialogue occurring inside of my head. The fact that she could read into my innermost thoughts was upsetting to my mind, which valued its privacy, my heart, which worried for the implications such a power would surely have on our lives, and my stomach, which was finding these rapid succession of surprises utterly intolerable. I ran my fingers through my hair as I tried to keep my breaths steady. +“What are you talking about?” I demanded, and when she didn't answer, I grabbed her arm and shouted, “Violet, what are you talking about?!” +“I am well aware that this keeps getting stranger and stranger.” Violet told me, “That's what you just thought. 'This keeps getting stranger and stranger.' I don't know what's happened to you today...” She stopped, looking off at something I couldn't see, “Brynn, what...” +“What are you doing right now?” +Her shaking hand grasped the bandage that was wrapped around my forearm, and her eyes traveled up to gawk at the one on my head. +“What could have bitten you like that?” +The bandages were covering the wound. There was no way she could have seen them and determined that they were bite-marks. +“Violet, stop it!” +I didn't know what I wanted her to stop. Something about the sudden change in her, though, was giving me a feeling of unease that made my mind twirl and drop in a nauseating, indiscernible pattern. James had parked in front of our house and turned around to look at us, his eyes wide with curiosity and concern. +“When you said that...” Violet was looking at me now with her luminous, searching, brown eyes, “They cut off. When you told me to stop, the stream stopped.” She shook her head slightly and whacked herself in the face with both hands. “What is happening to me?!” +She threw her arms around me again, and this time, I squeezed her back as my love for her and my fear for her exploded inside of me; that blast swallowed everything in its path. +The explosion. It was coming. +“Listen to me.” I took her head and lifted it somewhat abruptly, “I want you to go inside and pack a bag. We know what's coming. We know what you saw in your dream.” +“An explosion and everyone...” She stopped to breathe heavily with one hand grasping her chest. I put my hands on her face. +“Violet, I need you to focus. I need you to pull it together just for right now. Later, we'll talk about everything. James and I will explain everything we know, and anything that you need to say, you can say it. But right now, we have to get the hell out of here. Understood?” +I hadn't barked like a drill sergeant rousing his lazy troops but I had certainly come close. A new urgency was consuming me now. It was reminding me that with each passing second, the imminent end moved closer and closer. We were running out of time. +Violet nodded, and in a voice trembling with the same pure, child-like terror that I was beginning to feel but refused to show, whispered: “Brynna... what were those things?” +I shook my head. +“Later.” +*** + +“Was Maura watching Penny today?” I asked Violet hurriedly as the three of us went storming into the house. +“I think so. Why?” +“Because she's coming with us.” +“What about Mom and Dad?” Violet asked, and another look passed between James and me. He had told me that my parents had basically been voted off the island, or in this case, the ship. I figured that the time to tell my sister that little detail would be much later, once we landed on Pangaea. But the question I faced right then was whether I should lie and say that they would be meeting us there, or if I should just dodge the query entirely. +If I told the truth, we would never be able to convince her to go. She would die for two people whose actions were responsible for her very premature and tragic death. But if I lied to her, I revoked her right to make the decision for herself. She would surely resent me for it, someday, but I had no time to deliberate on the permanence of such resentment. In fact, I had no time to contemplate whether I cared about being resented by her, at all. +James solved the dilemma for me when he said, “Right now, we just need to get your stuff together. Everything else can wait, Violet.” +She nodded and scampered off to her room. +“Only necessities, Vi!” I called after her before my eyes came to rest on him. His gaze met mine, and he looked away, feeling, no doubt, awkwardness at standing in the home of two people whom he had only seen on television. Or perhaps he felt awkward because of our earlier squabbles. +“Thank you.” I murmured to him, not only because I was truly grateful, but also to diffuse the tension. +“For what?” +“For answering her. My mind started racing there for a moment, and I could not come to a decision.” +“I didn’t know you were making a decision on whether or not to tell her, or I wouldn’t have intervened. That’s your decision, Brynna. But if you want my opinion on it” +“No. You were right. I should not bring it up now. I should not tell her until we are safely on Pangaea. Then, she can hate me if she wants.” I was nodding as I spoke, realizing as I spoke my logic out loud to him that it made quite a bit of sense. “But until then, she and Maura know nothing.” +“Fair enough. Is there anything that you want here?” James asked me as he observed the foyer of my parents' lavish home. I found myself scanning the familiar surroundings, feeling nothing but an icy resolve to feel nothing. Even as I took in the sight of the two-sided staircase I had come hurtling down as a child on my rush out the door every morning before school, I was expressionless. Even as I glimpsed the kitchen with its warm yellow walls where Maura had made me breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day, my heart was not stung with even the slightest twinge of pain. As I looked at each formal picture of my mother, father, and siblings placed apart in perfect distance from the last that adorned the walls, I only frowned slightly and closed my eyes until every terrible feeling that could possibly roar to life and every acidic tear that could emerge into my eyes fizzled away into nonexistence. +As I said, I had always been good at feeling nothing. +“There's nothing here for me, James. There never has been.” I walked past him, beckoning for him to follow me, “Maura!” +“Who is that?” +I heard the voice that had been ever-present in my life for as long as I could remember and instantly, the harried anxiety I felt lifted. It was for a moment as brief as death but it was a moment I have never been able to shake. I found myself running to meet her as she came into the kitchen, followed closely by my youngest sister, Penelope. +“Brynn!” Penny exclaimed, her excitement upon seeing me as refreshingly childish as it always had been. Despite the circumstances growing ever dire as the time progressed, I couldn't help but smile as she threw her arms around my middle and squeezed me as though she hadn't seen me in years. +“Hey, turnip.” I greeted her softly as I leaned down to kiss her forehead. +“Maura, Brynn came to see us before pick-up day!” +“I see that.” Maura said through a joyful chuckle as she wrapped her arms around my neck. She broke away from me abruptly and held her hands up in mock apology, “I'm sorry. I know you no longer like hugs.” +Maura had come to America from England about ten years before I was born. She had been an exchange student set to attend Yale the following fall. However, her scholarship fell through when she met my father there. He enticed her with his charisma and good looks, only to drop her abruptly when she became pregnant with their child. She found herself so despondent as a result of the sudden breakup that she stopped attending classes. For years, she took every job she could in order to stay in the country before my father contacted her out of the blue many years after their last meeting to tell her that my mother was pregnant and they would be needing a nanny. He offered her good money and a place to stay for which he would help her pay. +I try to think that my father did all of that to assuage the damage he had done to her. I try to give him the benefit of the doubt. I try that only to be snapped back to reality by the fact that the only reason he hired her was so he could have a woman on the side who would take care of his needs when my mother shunned him. I feel no sense of regret for Mom, but I do feel slightly sorry for Maura. +“Young and naïve...” She had told me once after imbibing a little too readily one night, “Don't ever fall victim to their wiles, my dear. The only person who will pay for it in the end is you.” +After many more of those drunken conversations, I finally got up the nerve to ask her why she didn't tell him, in colorful British terms, to go screw himself. England surely would have been a welcome sight after so many years. Even though my own home was as painful to view as a particularly nasty roadkill pile on the side of the freeway, she had no reason to hate her home country. Why didn't she return to it? +“What, and leave you?” She had asked with a bitter laugh, “I shudder to think of it, Brynna Claire.” +But, I digress... +“Have I ever liked hugs? Isn't that the real question here?” I asked her, and I narrowed my eyes at her and pursed my lips in a surprisingly good-natured show of sarcastic teasing. +In response, she rolled her own and looked up to the heavens for the answer as to how to deal with such crassness. I heard James laughing to himself in the background. +“And who is this?” Maura looked from me to James and back again, “Are you making friends in the city?” +“I guess you could call him that, if by friend you mean, 'irritating gangly cling-on with no sensitivity.'” +James was still smiling as he reached his hand to Maura for her to shake. +“You've been dealing with this for twenty-two years? You have my greatest sympathy. I'm James Maxwell.” +“Maura Taylor. I suppose you could call me Brynna's nanny. Or former nanny, as she’s clearly all grown up now, if she’s being accompanied by…” She closed her eyes, furrowed her brows slightly, and shook her head, a gesture of hers I knew signaled discomfort and confusion. “I’m sorry, you're her...” +“Friend.” He replied simply. +All confusion and discomfort evaporated, and her gaze bore into his sternly. +“You better be only her friend, James Maxwell.” +“Okay!” I threw my hands up in the air, “Can we get serious for a moment?” +“I was being very serious.” Maura informed me, and I didn't have time to decide whether she truly was or not. +“Look, I know this is all very exciting, given that you have not seen me in ages, and I have this striking fellow following me around…” +“And now I’m striking. A second ago, I was gangly…” He murmured. +“Shut up, James.” I said over my shoulder without looking back at him before looking at Maura again, “I have to tell you something, and it is serious. It is gravely serious, and you might want to sit down...” +“Oh, dear Lord...” Maura closed her eyes and grasped one of the chairs around the kitchen table, “When is it due, Brynna?” +I had not utilized a DVD-spewing box in front of a convenience store or even visited my local library in quite a while. If I had, I certainly had not told her about it, as both occurrences would be quite unremarkable. Besides, both would not warrant the sudden change in her demeanor and the way she immediately went pale. +Perhaps she believed that I had gotten myself into debt with some loan sharks in a smoke-filled casino, though for the life of me I didn't know what had given her that idea. Even though I was vastly intellectually superior to the neanderthals that frequented such establishments, I had never had an interest in gambling. Plus, the closest casinos were miles away. Someone who had no interest in gambling would not drive hundreds of miles away to gamble. +“Whoa...” James said suddenly as he realized to what she was referring, “Ms. Taylor...” +“Is that who you are, Mr. Maxwell?” She asked sardonically, “Are you the father?” +“Is he the what now?!” I exclaimed, my eyebrows raising in alarm, “Maura, you think I'm pregnant?” +“I told your parents you were not ready to live on your own. With your potential, Brynna Claire, how could you just throw it all away... After everything I've told you! After I told you about what happened to me...” +“Are you serious right now?! Biology, history, and anthropology would dictate that in order to conceive a child, one must...” +“Don't even start the rambling, overly intelligent monologues with me!” She snapped furiously. “That might work on your parents who are so thick they don't even realize you're being facetious, but I am well aware of the fact that you try to weasel your way out of conflict with...” +“Would you just let me tell you that I'm not pregnant before you suffer heart failure? I am trying to save your life here, Maura!” +“And you try to use your dry sense of humor to distract me...” She calmed down, my words settling into her mind enough that she could comprehend their meaning, “Oh. Well, you should have said that right off!” +“Well, I apologize for alarming you. I did not realize you thought I was so thick-headed that I wouldn't be able to properly utilize contraceptive methods.” +“She drives me mad, James.” Maura looked at him wearily as she eased herself down into the chair she had been gripping throughout her tirade. “Absolutely mad...” +“I've only known her for a little under twenty-four hours and I can sympathize. Believe me, I can.” +“Alright.” I turned my gaze to Maura. “I want to say everything I need to say before you cut in.” I looked back at him after registering exactly what he had said. “Shut up, James!” +“See? I can sympathize.” He repeated coolly, and I fought the urge to pick up the nearest heavy object and throw it at his head with all my might. +“What I am about to say is going to sound ridiculous. But I can promise you right now that we are not playing a practical joke nor have we ingested any illegal substances. Okay?” +“Alright.” Her tone conveyed her uncertainty as her eyes looked between the two of us again. +“The world is going to end.” I paused, not realizing that in the moment of silence, I gave her the opportunity to laugh. +“Is marijuana still illegal?” She asked through her hysterical giggles. +“That's random...” I turned my head on the side slightly as I always did when I was confused. +“You said you two hadn't ingested any illegal substance. That was a hot issue a couple of months ago. Legalizing marijuana, I mean. So did they? Is that what's going on here?” +I sighed heavily and muttered, “I told you to let me say what I needed to say before you cut in.” +“You're...” +“I had a dream, almost ten days ago now.” James cut me off to blaze forward with his tale without worrying how she might take it. “I saw the world ending in an explosion. I don't know what caused it, but I know that I couldn't shake the awful feeling that I had after seeing it. So, I went online and I did some searching. At that time, over one hundred people reported having the exact same dream. The details were the same, down to the most insignificant things, Maura. The time between this strange silence and the blast, for instance; we all said it was about a minute and a half.” +“And this source is credible, why?” +“God, I don't know...” I chimed in sarcastically after exhaling my cigarette smoke out of the back door, “Because over one hundred people described the same thing down to minute details?” +“Was it a message board or was it instant messaging? Unless you were talking to someone and you both recanted the details at exactly the same time, what was to stop these other individuals from just reciting your dream back to you? Perhaps they were pulling some kind of cruel practical joke on you.” Maura said reasonably. +“One hundred people were pulling a practical joke on me? People from England, Iran, France, Zimbabwe, China, not to mention a variety of different states here? That doesn't sound very logical, does it?” +“And the world ending soon sounds logical?” +“Look, I don't care if you believe us completely. I just need you to believe me a little bit. I need you to allow yourself to feel however much belief will convince you to go, pack a bag, and come with us, Maura.” I implored, and for good measure, I reached out and grasped her hand in both of mine. She looked down at our joined hands in surprise and then looked back at me. +“Come with you where, Brynna?” +“We're leaving.” +“Where exactly are you planning to run? Where can you go to escape the end of the world?” The conviction I needed to hear in her voice was non-existent, at least not yet. She was merely curious to hear with what I would respond. +“We're leaving Earth. No, do not even laugh right now!” I snapped at her as my anger bubbled over its already dangerously steaming pot abruptly. I stopped, took a breath, and spoke again, this time with my usual air of cavalier, logical, and arrogant calm. +“The people in power have known that this was coming. Something has been going on behind closed doors that would cause this. So, they were proactive and built an escape. I am sure you've heard about the other planet that they found.” +“Yes. They're calling it Pangaea, aren't they? Don't tell me that's where we're going.” +“That's where we're going. It is fit to support human life. All life, actually. It is our best chance. It is our only chance, Maura. I am going to say something now that will convince you. If it doesn't, then you do not know me as well as I think you do. Okay?” +“Alright.” +“I want you to look at me and look at Penny.” Penny had climbed into my lap at the beginning of the conversation and was grasping my arm in both hands, looking terrified despite not understanding the magnitude of the situation. However, our tones and my own shameless beseeching for Maura's belief were enough to convey that whatever was happening was serious enough to be worried about. Plus, children are the most instinctual of us all. They can sense the entirety of the worst possible scenario long before adults get even the slightest whiff of malevolence. +“I want you to think about Violet and Elijah.” My brother, Elijah was away at college. We were stopping to get him on the way to the launch site. He would need no convincing. +“You have been with us all since the days that we were born. I have this one chance to convince you that what I am saying is true. I have this one chance to tell you...” I stopped, unable to continue. To say what I was going to say next would be the greatest showing of weakness I had ever allowed myself to succumb to without a fight. +“What, darling?” She pressed me gently. +I heaved a great, reluctant sigh and looked at her. +“I need you to come with me. I need you.” +I looked away from her eyes when I saw tears rush into them suddenly. Everything I had ever learned about suppressing my emotions had been learned from Maura, and now she was outwardly showing that I had moved her with what I had said. I hated myself for admitting it out loud. Maura had not needed to hear that just to convince her to come with us; she had needed to hear those words from me for many, many years. When I went to let go of her hands, she squeezed mine even tighter. +“Look at me.” +I shook my head ever so slightly, my eyes darting around for something to focus on. +“Calm down,” She whispered, “I'm not going to cry.” +My eyes raised to look at her cautiously, and sure enough, she was telling the truth. She had swiped her tears away before they had a chance to fall. +“Are you packed? Are you ready?” She asked me, and I nodded. “Did you bring your spare glasses?” I nodded again, “Good girl. Give me ten minutes to get your sisters ready and to grab some of Elijah’s things.” +“Okay. I am sorry to scare you so randomly.” I replied, my voice steady. I did not want to embarrass myself by showing anything that even remotely resembled fear. It was not enough to convince Maura, in her infinite wisdom of all of my quirks and flaws; she saw right through my steely exterior into my fearful heart the way she always had, from my birth until the very moment we found ourselves at currently. +“Darling, if this all comes down to you being the one who will save us…” She put both of her hands on my face and smiled slightly, “…then I'm not scared at all.” +*** + +We were packed and ready to make our mad dash for Elijah's school and then, the launch site. Not one of us, not even Penny or Violet, spoke of my parents again. My sisters did not, because they knew we had no time. They assumed that our mother and father would be meeting us there. I did not speak of them because there were no words to explain the complex emotions I felt upon picturing their faces. After allowing the violent to-and-fro of that complication to continue for as long as I could stand, I forced myself to picture one word. I allowed just one simple word to determine my actions: Overrule. My sole objective was to ensure the survival of my siblings, Maura, and myself. That survival would overrule whatever semblance of love I felt towards the two people I was meant to call my parents. +My eyes traveled slowly around the room in which I was standing; it was the spacious formal living room where my mother and father would entertain their high-powered guests. A memory I had long suppressed bloomed inside my head like a dehydrated flower that had suddenly become drunk on rainwater. I closed my eyes and shook my head back and forth. +Bitterness, Brynna. I reminded myself, Nothing can touch bitterness. +The parties my parents used to hold in that room were the stage on which our family put on our greatest performances. Unity, love, and normalcy were the key points of our act, and we succeeded in conveying all three. They expected award-worthy performances from all of us by the time we were old enough to talk. For a while, I went along with the dubious charade. My siblings were still towing the proverbial line long after I had marched far from it. +“I wish I could understand you, Brynna.” My mother had said to me once after a performance of mine fell short of her high expectations, “I will never understand you.” +A gasp resulting from the sight of her face appearing in my mind drew an unwelcome and pinpoint-sharp entry of air into my chest. She had spat those words at me as though they were the most vitriolic she could think of, and at the time, they stung like the barbs she had intended them to be. +“Brynna, we have to go.” James told me softly from the doorway. Upon seeing the look on my face or the tension in the way I was standing, though, he stepped into the room further. “I tried to convince them to let your parents come for your sake. They wouldn't budge on it.” +“No. They caused this, in their own way. Do you want to know something that I find rather odd?” +He nodded, gazing at me intently. +“I never knew I had affection for them until this moment. It is not enough to convince me even to call. It is not enough to make me want to say goodbye. But James, it exists.” +He reached out and grasped my hand before saying softly and so gently, it would have brought tears to my eyes if I was capable of crying, “I know it does, sweetheart.” +“And there's someone genuinely good that I have known for a long time. I hate to leave him behind.” I looked at the pad of paper with the expensive fountain pen sitting on top that was adoring the coffee table. On that pad, my mother would scribble notes in the morning, telling us what chores to complete when we got home from school. +I picked up the pen and wrote three words on the clean piece of paper. They were the last three words my parents would see before they were consumed by the flames. In their last moments, I doubted they would care about my final message. But just in case it meant something to them, just in case it would bring them some infinitesimal amount of solace at the end of their lives, I wrote them. +James watched me write and then raised his eyes to look at me. +“That is the best I can do.” I stood to leave the room, avoiding his eyes now. As I passed him, he reached out and grasped my wrist. Then, he turned me towards him and wrapped his arms around me, squeezing me for a moment of comfort I did not realize I needed. My own arms, by their own will, threw themselves around his neck and grasped him desperately for every last moment of life I had left on that world and the one to which we were escaping. I turned my face to his, burrowed it in his neck, and allowed myself to feel whatever I had to in order to keep moving. The complex storm of emotions raged in a valiant last effort to stay alive, but I swiped them all away like God erasing evil from the world in a fabled great flood. I pulled away from James and nodded. +We turned without a word, hearing the car horn blaring as Maura grew impatient waiting for us. Once we were inside the car, she eyed us both suspiciously, and I gave her an almost imperceptible shake of my head to assure her that nothing she had so unwillingly imagined had occurred between James and I while we were in the house for a minute and a half longer than she and my sisters had been. I wanted to add that if something had occurred in that short space of time, something was physically wrong with either one or both of us, but I thought better of it. It was not exactly the time for plucking her nerves, as they were frazzled and dangerously high voltage as result. I knew all too well not to jest with her when she was in such a state. +Maura kept her arms around Violet and Penny in the backseat, but they still jumped up to watch our house shrink further and further away until it was out of sight. +I kept my eyes trained forward. In those three words, I had said all that I needed to say. I had my closure. I had left behind something for them to see, in which they could take comfort. I took care of things and said that which my sisters could not say, as I had done since the day I understood that my role as their old sister meant that I had to be their most indestructible force of protection. +My last words to my parents were different from what theirs would have been. They surely would have said, “I love you” as they had not been so embittered by the two as I had been. But my choice of words was more important than any proclamation of love, in both meaning and significance. +They were the first, last, and only favor I would ever grant my parents. +*** + +We made no haste in our journey from then on. James sped down back roads, his eyes constantly darting to the shadows in the land surrounding us for hidden policemen or otherworldly creatures. The last thing we needed was to be pulled over. The time it would take to be given our ticket was time that was wasted. +“Did I ever tell you how I found out that the Reapers could change form?” James asked me quietly at one point in our journey. I had been turned around, looking at Maura, Violet, and Penny as they slept. My own tired eyes stopped moving to focus in on the luminescent green digital clock on the dashboard: 1:17 AM. Two days with no sleep. +“Are you going to try to scare me into staying awake right now?” I asked, turning sideways and laying my head against the headrest so I could look at him while he spoke. +“No. It just popped into my mind. Or I guess I should say, 'They just popped into my mind.'” +“Who?” +“Two of the kids I met. I had only ever encountered one Reaper, and besides knowing that it was a female, I was too afraid to really study it. It followed me while I was out in the fields one night.” +“What fields?” +“My ex and I lived on a farm.” +“Oh.” +“I just turned around, and there she was. No tricks. No ruses. Just some deformed, demonic thing following me home.” +“So what did you do?” I asked. +“I just kept walking, telling myself that I was imagining it. But every time I looked back, she was there. So anyway, I told you about the 'summit' that we all had.” +“Yes.” +“Well, more of us showed up than I ever could have imagined. We consumed the entire top level of that Mexican restaurant on 78th. There was a group there from Iran. Only one of them spoke English and was constantly translating. There was a family of three from Norway. A man from Japan, a couple from Wales, another family from Czechoslovakia, one from Syria... But the two that interested me the most were from right here.” +“Which state?” +“Maryland. They were this young couple. They were obviously off for Christmas break.” +“How could you tell that? Were they wearing shirts that read, ‘Christmas Break Forever, Female Dogs?’” +He gave me a jocular glare of scorn, but its effectiveness was diminished greatly by the smile he was trying to fight. I chuckled softly to myself. +“No, smart-ass, they just looked so young. They said they had traveled for two days to get to us. I asked where their parents were. I asked if their parents would be worried. And the girl kind of shut off, looked away from me, didn't really say anything else. And the boy took a long time to respond. When he finally did, he said, 'It's just us now.' I prodded him a little further, trying to get him to tell me what had happened. You can guess the rest.” +“The same thing you saw?” +“A few differences. Theirs was mutated even more than mine; besides arms, legs, a torso, and a head, there was no way that it had ever been human. Mine still had some qualities about it that made me believe that it might have been a human, do you understand?” +“I do. Well, what exactly convinced you that it wasn't a human? What made you start questioning that?” +“Besides the huge slash in its face where the mouth was supposed to be and the pointed teeth, I knew by the way it felt. It's hard to explain it. It was just... evil, you know?” +I nodded, studying him. +“Strange similarity of paranormal circumstances... You and those kids.” I said, and he murmured his agreement. +“Alright. Your turn.” He told me after a minute of quiet ensued. +“What are you talking about?” I had just closed my eyes but opened them again at the sound of his voice. +“You have to tell me something.” +“Something strange?” +“With you, I'm sure it's going to be strange whether I ask for it or not.” +“Indeed.” I grinned, “Well, since we are on the subject of the impending apocalypse...” +“Is there really any other subject to discuss?” +“No,” I replied, “Not when it is this close. I haven't told you this because I have been too afraid to tell anyone.” +“Well, that's an intriguing start to the story. So it turns out Brynna Olivier does fear things.” +“Only sometimes.” I rolled my eyes. +“You feel something other than disdain.” +“Do you want to hear this story or not?” I asked him, losing my patience with his constant psychoanalysis of me. As I acknowledged the annoyance in my mind, I immediately realized how hypocritical I was for thinking it. At the same time he was trying to analyze me in order to be able to communicate, I was doing the same to him in order to reach whatever small level of trust could be achieved between us. +“I do.” He told me, “Genuinely, I do.” +“Alright, then. Well, obviously you know who my parents are. You know my mom is a senator. You know my dad works for the news.” +“Your dad runs the news.” +“One more interruption, and I lapse back into my thoughtful silence, James Maxwell.” I snapped at him, and he held his hands up in surrender. “Well, I'm sure you remember the rather sudden deaths of Michael West and Rachel Lilien.” +“Yeah, I remember that. Those two were from that news website, weren't they?” +“Indeed. I don't agree with my mother on a lot of political issues strictly because she is who she is. I feel that any opinion she holds surely can't be the moral option amongst her choices. These people felt the same way about her and the people like her. They also hated my dad and said he was running the news so that it would work in the favor of the current administration. Manipulation of stories and facts is nothing new, as I am sure you are aware.” +“I was not aware.” +“Well, now you are. I have always been fascinated by how fear governs our lives without us ever realizing it. What does fear do, James? It gets people in a stir, makes them docile, makes them accept things that go against our most basic freedoms. It is all very subtle. It is unnoticeable, actually, if you are not paying attention. Picture it this way: a younger man goes on a killing rampage. It has happened before, so the idea of a new, fearful trend is perpetuated by my father and his band of white-collar thugs in the media. We get bans on violent video games, censorship on television and even in films, to a certain degree.” +“But is that really so bad?” He asked me. +“I am not looking to have a debate with you on the necessity of censorship. I am only telling you this to set up the rest of the story. This same kid checked out Mein Kampf from the library. Even though his teachers said it was for a history project, we still get new legislation that allows agents to access our library records, regardless of criminal history or lack thereof. Then, the news tells us that this kid was accessing websites about guns and how to use them. Legislation goes through to keep an eye on what we are looking at online. In a world where everyone has gone electronic, we have not one speck of privacy.” I lit a cigarette and rolled down the window. +“Obviously, if the killing rampage occurred, it would be a horrendous tragedy. But to use that terrible and very rare occurrence to keep an illegal eye on things, that is horrendous in its own right. So I presented that imaginary scenario to you in order to tell you this story.” +“Can I have one of those?” He asked me suddenly, and I pulled a cigarette from the pack to give him. +“Those two journalists died three days apart, both of 'natural causes.' One had no history of heart problems, and the other was only forty years old. The latter had no preexisting medical conditions, either.” I stopped, my heart jolting. “As I gathered from the death certificate I found online. They just dropped dead. Now that means one of two things: either God is cruel and takes healthy people from the earth long before sense would tell us they're ready, or there was foul play at work.” +“Weren't they both sitting on something?” +“Yes. It was something exponentially damning, too. It was some sort of bombshell about several of my mother's colleagues. Maybe they even had something on her, too. They were going to post it on April 7. They died on April 6. On April 7, my father's channel reported on the so-called bombshell. But it was fake. My father was on the phone the night before the story aired, and as I was walking by the door, I heard him say, '...just enough to make it plausible.'” +“So, you assumed he was getting ready to fake a story? With those words alone?” +“With those words and the knowledge of how my parents are ruthless in going after what they want, yes. Just in case you were not sure, I will tell you that I had two friends once. They were a couple of years older than me, and they were two of the only people with whom I have ever been able to reach a level of connection. They shared my eagerness for learning things and for keeping an eye on what was going on around us. So, of course, they were the first and only people I went to with what I suspected.” +“And what did you suspect?” +“I suspected that my parents and their shady colleagues had killed two people. It had not been by their own hand, of course. But they had arranged it. We were going to shake things up until we figured out the truth.” +“And then what? What would you do with the truth?” +I looked out the window for a moment, contemplating; we had never decided, in all honesty, exactly what we would do with the truth. I could not tell James that because then I would have to tell him my real reasoning behind my persistence in finding it. It was not to destroy my parents, though truthfully, that was an added perk. It was not for the greater good, even. The sudden increase in emotion I felt as I pondered the question was enough to cease my story. He never could have known how I felt at that moment, but as a young woman who had never been touched by grief and loss before, I did feel something. +“Was that an interruption?” He asked me after a moment, snapping me out of my thoughtful contemplation, “I’m sorry. I'll stop.” +“No.” I replied, shaking my head slightly, “I allow questions. I just don't allow snide remarks. Anyway, we started running searches at the library, thinking that if we checked in under guest accounts, no one could track us. We found the death certificates that said nothing was amiss. We contacted their coworkers at the blog who told us that even they had no idea what the story had been. I call them my friends in lieu of using their real names because even now, I need to preserve their anonymity, out of fear that they are still being watched.” +“The world is getting ready to end, Brynna. I don't think it matters at this point.” +“Force of habit, then, I suppose. We even went poking around their home offices after my guy friend picked the locks on their doors. My guy friend was a genius when it came to computers. His mom and dad were responsible for network security at a law firm and a university, respectively. So he knew his stuff, as they say. Because their deaths were 'natural', their laptops weren't confiscated. We knew that if it leaked that the laptops were taken, it would cement what we already suspected. They couldn't afford that story getting out. So, it was easy enough for us to get in, for him to override the passwords on both, and for us to find nothing.” +“Well, that was anticlimactic!” +“No. It's not. We found nothing because someone had performed a dump on the hard drive. My friend suggested that perhaps they had done it themselves. But if they hadn't been expecting to die, then what was the point? No. It was too big of a coincidence to justify and too strange to write off as nothing. Now, we were like the Scooby Doo gang for two weeks, solving this great mystery that others wrote off as just a glorified conspiracy theory. I think we were so thrilled to be engaged in such important sleuthing that we started getting sloppy. My guy friend didn't wear gloves when he worked at the computer. I accidentally left a cigarette on the fire-escape of R… of Lilien's apartment.” +He was so ready to reply sardonically that he missed my very slight slip of the tongue. +“You made a stupid mistake? I am shocked beyond anything I ever thought was possible.” +I looked at him, raising one eyebrow, pursing my lips and crossing my arms in my typical show of intense discontent. +“I'm sorry. I'm sorry!” He told me quickly, “I'm done.” +“I hope so, because this is your last warning.” I replied with a particularly emphatic roll of my eyes, “Yes, they were stupid mistakes. But the last time I checked, I had not completed even an entry-exam for the CIA or FBI, so please, forgive my indiscretion. I am well aware that Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, were they real people, would be rolling in their graves. The point I am trying to make is that I think they knew about this. I think they knew what my parents and their repulsive friends were up to.” +“You think they somehow realized that the end was coming?” +“I do.” I nodded, looking at him again, “My parents were acting strangely. They were always distant but after they started to suspect that I knew something, they cut me off completely. My father kicked me out of the house, and my mother bought me my apartment. I don’t know what happened to my friends.” +“Why would they throw you out, though?” +“Because they didn’t want me to involve Elijah and Violet. If a person is carrying an infection, you put them in quarantine, don’t you?” +“And suspicion was your infection?” +“It was, and it was highly contagious. They were smart enough to know that. They just weren't ruthless enough to do something about it. They did not permanently erase me from the world, though they certainly did erase me from theirs. Do you want to know something? And please, when I say this, do not try to comfort me by denying that it is the truth.” +“You have my word.” +“They would have left me behind.” +He opened his mouth to counter my statement with a denial that I knew was heartfelt and for my own benefit. But after remembering his promise not to dissuade me from believing what I had said, he closed his mouth and stared straight ahead as he drove. +“If that’s true,” He said after another lapse in conversation, “then they deserve to die. I feel no sympathy for them.” +I looked straight ahead also when I responded. +“Do you want to know the end of the story?” +“The story about the journalists?” +“The very same.” +“Yes, I do.” +“Two people died because they posed a threat. When my parents and whomever else was involved committed that crime, they crossed a line that, as far as we know, had never been crossed before. If the world were to go on as it is right now, it would continue to happen. Anyone who attempted to cross them would meet the same end. It sounds overly dramatic, like a hyperbole and a half. But you and I both know that it is the truth.” +“I agree with you.” James nodded solemnly, “But what is their endgame? Yes, your mother can hold office for years upon years, if she wants to…” +“And she does…” I interjected. +“She does. But why? What do they need to accomplish so badly that they won’t let go of their power?” +“I don’t know, James. They could have something up their sleeves, some sort of vision that they want to turn into reality that will take years to accomplish. Or maybe they are just obsessed with power. It corrupts the best of us, doesn’t it?” +“It does.” He shook his head before looking over at me. “I will tell you something, Brynna: You are the oddest twenty-two year old I’ve ever met.” +“Am I non-human?” I asked, grinning. +“I’m starting to believe that is the truth.” +“It’s not. I just say it because I’ve always felt like a freak. I have always been able to remember vast amounts of information, and as a result, my intelligence was so far above average that it bounded right off the charts. What aided my intelligence was my strange wisdom that has always been beyond my years. Maura,” I looked back at her, observing her as she slept, “always tells me that I have an old soul. I believe her.” +“She’s right. You’re maturity is proof of that. I can see why you felt different from everyone else. That had to have been so difficult for you when you were growing up. What caused it, do you think?” +“What caused my maturity to rapidly accelerate to the bewilderment of every mental health professional I was ever forced to see?” +“And what caused your intelligence to reach such an elevated level that you could more than likely win a debate against a forty-year old Ivy League college graduate in possession of three or four PhDs?” +I giggled softly for a moment; I will admit that when adults complimented my intelligence and maturity, I did feel a strong sense of pride that was so refreshingly different from my usual arrogance. +“I told you that I have been reading voraciously since I was small. I have always had a need to learn things. For a long time, it was my only escape from the ridiculous drama around me. I could disappear into college textbooks, internet databases, and academic journals. I would memorize things, but it wasn’t just a verbatim recitation that I could give when asked about certain topics. I had insight into them. It took some time to gain it, but I just read and read until I could understand everything clearly. When I decided that I needed an even deeper escape, I would read fiction. That was escapism at its finest.” +“What were your favorite books?” +“Well, I read Dickens as a child a lot. I loved how he took a culture that today, we see as being so full of grace and dignity and turned it into a third world slum. Historically, it was one, but his writing challenged my preconceived notion of England by teaching me that history. Not that I believe England is a third world slum now, Maura…” I muttered, looking back at her even though she was still fast asleep. James chuckled. “I love England. It was just an interesting perspective to experience nowadays. Of course, I can understand it completely now, because I have seen this world as what it truly is. I have seen what it was intended to be. As a result, I can see a third world slum that reaches every corner of it in reality.” +“Well, then, you’ve just answered your own question about where your insight came from.” +“Did I?” +“You gained your knowledge from the factual information you read. You gained your insight from fiction.” +“That’s an interesting theory.” I told him with my head on the side as I contemplated what he had said. +“Isn’t it? It’s factual as well as interesting.” +“Normally, I would glare at you with venomous disdain for declaring the unshakeable truth of an unproven statement you made yourself, but I believe you, James.” +“Well, thank God for that. I don’t know if I could survive another venomous glare of disdain from Brynna Olivier.” +“You are right about that.” +“So, would you change any of it? Your intelligence? Your personality? Your strangeness?” +“Hell no.” I said emphatically, “I am blessed to be this way. I never let myself forget that. I might not have been popular. I might not have had more friends than fingers. But my teacher said to me once, ‘You have a great mind. Use it,’ and I have never forgotten that.” +“Well, he was right, and you shouldn’t forget it. We’re going to need you on Pangaea more than you know, Brynna. We’re going to need someone who can think like you. We’re starting life over. We are starting from nothing. We’re going to need you to help us find our way.” +“Well,” I replied as I turned my head to gaze out of the window, “I don’t know about that, James.” + +Quinn + +We found Alice’s father while we were on our way to the launch site. We had just met many of the other people who had suffered through the same terrible dream that I had. It had taken very little convincing for Alice to finally grasp the severity of the situation after that. +“You really did see it, Quinn.” She told me incredulously as we drove around, searching for a new motel. “You really did see the end of the world.” She reached over and entwined her fingers with mine, “I’m sorry I didn’t believe you.” +I looked at her, with a hint of a smile on my face. +“I wouldn’t have believed it, either. If you had come to me with that, I would have said you were nuts.” +“I did think you were nuts.” She laughed despite the situation, “You’ve always been crazy, but I really thought that you had finally lost it completely.” +“I’m crazy?” I asked, “This coming from the girl who did six shots of tequila in a row at Rachel’s party?” +“Hey, just because you’re a lightweight and you wouldn’t have been able to handle it doesn’t mean you have to bring me down, baby.” +We both laughed, sounding more like ourselves than we had in days. +I turned the headlights on as night descended on us. Originally, we were going to sleep in the car, but after trying the first time (and sitting up for the duration of the night picturing the monstrous face of another one of those things) we buckled and checked into a motel perched right behind an adult store and a tattoo parlor. It was a classy place, believe me... +I pulled off of the interstate as Alice fell into one of her dazes. I had seen her laugh for the first time that day and I knew that she would recover from the horror she felt at killing her mom. I hadn’t been sure of that before. It would definitely take time, but the grief and the guilt would pass eventually. +I was able to force my own sadness away for her sake. I knew that while I had found my parents senselessly murdered, my own feelings were nothing compared to Alice’s. She had killed her mother and still had no idea if her father was alive, dead, or if something worse than the latter had happened to him. I couldn’t imagine how terrifying that was. +The man who was sitting with his feet up on the check-in desk eyed us curiously as we checked in. We were too young to be traveling on our own, and people everywhere reminded us of that by staring at us like we were attractions in a freak show. It had to have looked really weird to see two teenagers who clearly hadn’t been sleeping or eating well traveling the country alone. The back stories those people must have fabricated for us would have been truly entertaining to hear. In one of her better moods, Alice and I created some of those fantastical scenarios ourselves to explain away the stares we got wherever we went. Alice imagined that they thought we were runaways, escaping the wrath of our parents who disapproved of our relationship and the love child we had conceived. I went further than that, telling her that they thought we were escaping conviction after committing an unreported Bonnie and Clyde-like shootout with the police. I witnessed another one of her laughs that had become so rare, and my spirits were lifted. +We went to our room, which was better than the last, at least. Alice went to take a shower as I carried our bags inside. Though we never stayed more than a night in one place, I still liked to have our bags inside with us. It was a waste of energy to haul them to and from the room, but for the sake of consistency, we wanted the things we had brought from home with us at all times. +“I hope there’s a washing machine on this spacecraft.” Alice told me as she came out, wrapped in a towel. “We’ve already worn almost all the clothes we bought.” +“Do you want to go shopping one last time?” +She flashed me a smile of recognition; she knew I was attempting to make her feel better, as I knew that she loved shopping as much as the next girl. +“Maybe.” She replied as she grabbed some clothes from her bag and went back into the bathroom to change. +“Well, we might as well, right?” I told her. “We won’t need money where we’re going. So we should just spend what we have.” +“That would be fun. It’s our last chance to shop at all our favorite stores in the mall. It’s my last chance to buy new jeggings. Or those really cute slipper shoes. Or headbands. None of that stuff will exist in a day or so. Nothing will exist in a day or so.” +She started talking about the dismal end of everything we knew only when she was feeling the sadness for her mother and the fear for her father. I had learned not to try to reassure her. It wasn’t that she cut me off, demanding that I face reality and stop feeding her lies that everything was going to be alright. I just knew that I couldn’t convince her. Every time I tried, I felt a lump in my throat that blocked the blurry words of reassurance I could barely see in my mind from coming out of my mouth. I knew as well as she did that we were leaving a dying planet. Those people who stared at us so quizzically would all be dead within the space of twenty-four hours. +“Do you feel guilty for leaving? Do you feel like we’re kind of...” She sat down on the bed and started to brush out her long, blonde hair, “I don't know... betraying the human race a little bit?” +“I don’t know if it’s betraying the human race. If we were communicating with aliens, passing along top-secret military intel on the human race, then yeah. We’d be betraying them.” +“You know what I mean, Quinn.” +“I do. If we lived here, shouldn’t we die here? That’s what you’re getting at. What makes us so special that we’re the ones who know that we have to leave? Why are we going to be the ones that get saved?” +“That is exactly what I was asking.” +“Do you remember what that guy, James said? He said, 'It doesn’t matter why at this point. Nothing matters except the fact that we had the dream, and they didn’t. We know, and they don’t. That has to mean something.’ I believe him.” +“That guy seemed a little off to me. He seemed a little haunted. That doesn’t really make any sense when I say it out loud. But he seemed like he had seen too many horrible things.” +“Don’t you think that’s how we seem?” +“Well, we’ve been through hell.” +“He's probably been through hell, too.” +“We all have. I just wonder what the whole purpose of it is, that’s all. Why aren’t we just going to die with the rest of them?” +“And we’re back to square one.” +“Yeah. And we’re probably always going to stay there. We all either had this dream or know someone that did. Whether we had the dream or not, we all know what’s coming. What are the chances of us also having been able to get in contact with the people responsible for that spaceship and the people who know all about Pangaea? I know that they all had the dream, which is strange. But don’t you think that’s just so...” She searched for the right word. +“Lucky?” I filled in for her. +“Exactly! It just seems like a huge coincidence, and generally, when something seems like a huge coincidence, it isn’t a coincidence at all.” +“So what is this, Allie?” +“I think it’s fate. I know you don’t believe in stuff like that. But I think we’re meant to go there. We’re meant to start life over. That’s what we’re going to have to do, isn’t it? We’re going to have to rebuild civilization on another planet.” +“I guess so. You know what’s weird? I haven’t thought about what we’re going to do once we actually get to Pangaea. I’ve only thought about getting there.” +“Well, we’re in a situation that is time-sensitive, right? I haven’t thought about it until right now, either. We’ve been too focused on surviving that we haven’t looked at what is going to happen once we’re there. What if there isn’t enough food for however many people are on the flight? What if it turns out people aren’t capable of living there? Maybe there won’t be oxygen. Maybe there will be people already there that try to kill us. Maybe the climate will be too intense for us.” +“Or maybe it will be everything that they’re saying it’s going to be. Maybe it will be the place where we start over, where we have the life that we’ve always wanted.” +“We would have had that here, if it weren’t for the end of the world coming.” +“Who says we would have had it here, Allie? Our parents would have probably torn us apart in the end. They didn’t want us to be together.” +“We shouldn’t talk about them. We shouldn’t say anything mean about them now, Quinn. They’re dead and they were our parents and…” +“I’m not saying anything mean; I’m being truthful. I want to be optimistic about this. You know that I’m normally the pessimist out of the two of us. I’m not being optimistic for your benefit or for mine. I’m seeing things in a positive way because I really think that once we’re there, everything is going to be okay for us. We’ll make a life there. Everything will be good.” +“Or maybe we’ll create some sort of cosmic catastrophe by outrunning our fate.” +“You think our fate is to stay here and die?” +“I don’t know what our fate is. I’m not God, so how would I know? Our fate might be to stay here and die. Then, if we leave, we’re messing with something that’s bigger than us, and I don’t know what the consequences of that would be. Maybe our fate is to go to Pangaea, start over there, and live out the rest of our lives. I don’t see much bad coming from that, and that’s exactly what scares me. There’s no way that we’re going to get there and just live out the rest of our lives in peace. There’s no way that’s possible.’ +“Why not?” I asked with a chuckle of disbelief. “Would that be so weird after we survived the apocalypse?” +“There are always things that we have to overcome. What is the point of us living if we’re just going to be skating along with nothing to challenge us? No one ever lives a chaos-free life. There are different kinds of chaos, yeah. But everyone experiences it in one way or another. I think that if we leave here and go to Pangaea, we’ll be facing things that we have absolutely no idea how to handle. We’ll probably end up dying there, too.” +“Don’t say that, Allie. Look,” I reached out and held both of her hands, “we know that we'll die if we stay here. That is for sure. But we have a chance there.” +“A chance to die painfully instead of in a quick burst that we won’t even feel.” +“Who says that we’re going to die there?” +“I just don’t think that we’re going to go there and everything is going to okay for everyone. There will be things there that we have to deal with. It won’t be paradise.” +“I don’t think it will be paradise. We’ll be rebuilding civilization on a new planet. That’s going to be hard, to say the least. But it’s a chance to live, Allie. That’s something that we don’t have here. I’ll tell you how I see it, from my logical, secular view: All living creatures have the instinct to stay alive, no matter what it takes. We will all fight for our lives because that’s our nature. This is our fight. I think that fight will end once we’re there. But if it doesn’t, then we’ll keep fighting. That’s our nature, Allie.” +“That project you did on evolutionary psychology really stuck, didn’t it?” She narrowed her eyes at me and tried to suppress her smile. +“It did.” +“Do you want to know how I see it, from a faith-based point of view? The world is going to end, and that is something that was guaranteed from the beginning. We’re running away from it. We’re escaping the end that was always intended for us. We’re messing with fate.” +“But you said you didn’t know if our fate was to stay and die, or to go there and start over.” +“I don’t. So, either we’re messing with something that was promised for us from day one and we’ll suffer the consequences for it, or God has changed the game.” +She got up to pull her lotion from the bag. I looked away from her, seriously contemplating everything she had just said, but especially the last part. We had always held completely differing views on the meaning of things. I was always the logical one. She was always the faithful one. We were, in that respect, at least, fire and water. But I sat and thought about her words seriously, wondering if she was right. My brain told me that no, she was deluding herself. She was looking for something Divine in an event that was being caused by people who were in power all over the world. +“Maybe there’s a different God on Pangaea.” I told her after a while. I was trying to make light of the situation, but a part of me meant it as well. +When she turned to reply, I saw only complete seriousness in her eyes. +“There’s only one God, Quinn. It doesn’t matter where we go. There’s only one God.” +*** + +We departed the motel at three AM. We had no time to waste anymore. Alice slept, and I drove, lost in my thoughts. It was really happening. We were really leaving Earth. We were journeying to a planet we hadn’t even known about a year before, though many in the group we had met told us that the people in power had known for decades. Pangaea had always been their Plan A in the event of a worldwide, catastrophic event. +I wondered what it would look like. I had played a lot of space video games, and like every other person in the world had seen Star Wars. The planets were always vastly different from our own, and sometimes, those differences resulted in grave problems for the characters in the fictitious stories. Alice had suggested that we could go there and find that there was no oxygen. As I pictured walking out of the spaceship, ready to take my first breath of Pangaean air only to find nothing but hollow, dry emptiness, I shuddered. Suffocating certainly wouldn’t be as quick or painless as being blown apart by a massive bomb. +We weren’t even sure that it was a bomb. For all we knew, the sun was going to explode. Doomsday theorists had long suspected that one day, all of the energy the sun harnessed would fire at us, incinerating everything in its path. Some would argue that it was the only consequence of our irresponsibility with the environment. In other words, it would serve us right, as we had done everything in our power since the Industrial Revolution to harm the planet we lived on. +“Mother Nature will fight back.” My father had told me once, as we watched harrowing footage of Hurricane Katrina. +I was young at the time and yet still able to understand the horror that was occurring down south. +“But Dad,” I countered, “The people down there don’t deserve to die!” +“Of course not,” He had replied as he clicked off the television, “But we will all pay the price for what we’ve done to God’s creation.” +I didn’t believe that babble for a second, even then. I was still young enough to believe most of what my parents told me but I had never grasped at faith the way they had. Even when I was required to take Sunday school classes and attend church with them, I didn’t buy any of it. I guess one could chalk that up to precociousness. +The scientists who were instrumental in our escape had no definitive answer, either. One even told me that all his life he had believed in his field of work, never looking to any higher power for answers, as he felt he already had them through mathematics, algorithms, and high probability hypotheses. +“But I know that whatever is coming is bound to make a believer out of me.” He had told me after taking a long drag on the cigarette he was holding with a shaking hand. “We’re escaping it, yeah. But we never would have known this was coming if it weren’t for having the dream. That means something.” +It means something. It means something. That was all anyone could say. I remained unconvinced that whatever would cause the destruction of our world wasn’t just an earthly occurrence. If it was a nuclear war that was about to break out and kill everyone, then it was the result of selfish and imprudent acts by our worlds’ many governments. If it was the sun exploding, it was because we were too ignorant and greedy to protect the land we had inherited. +Faith is a dangerous thing. My grandmother had told me that, and I hadn’t understood what she had meant. But now, as everyone grasped at some reasoning, some explanation for the coming events, I did understand. Alice was even susceptible to it, though she had always been more of a believer than I was; knowing that, I don’t know why I was so surprised at how heavily she was leaning on her faith in those final, traumatic days. +Just as I was swearing to myself that I would never look for any divine reasoning in what was about to happen, the horrible face of that creature that had killed our parents popped into my mind like a petty taunt from beyond. I shuddered again, contemplating waking Alice so she would distract me by talking about anything else. I looked down to turn the volume up slightly on the radio. That stupid song about roses and their thorns was playing sadly on. Gross... +My foot slammed the brake pedal before I had even looked up. Instantly, every sense was on high alert. I could smell the slowly rotting McDonalds leftovers that were in the trash bag on the backseat. The darkness around me was suddenly intensified, but somehow, I could see for miles in every direction. My eyes possessed a light that could see through shadows. I knew from the last time that had happened that only one thing was waiting in the vast expanse of darkened space on every side of us: a Watcher, as Alice had begun to call them. +I reached over to shake her awake, but she grasped my hand before I could touch her. Looking over at her quickly, I found that she was already sitting up, staring out into the darkness ahead of us with widened eyes. Just like me, she was already on edge, ready to fight. But I also saw in her face an expectation that startled me; she knew that the Watcher lurking somewhere near was the last of our parents. She knew it was her dad. +“They’re suffering.” She whispered. +“What?! Allie, what are you talking about?” +“When they’re trapped in those things… When they’re consumed by them…” She whispered as she reached down and put the car in park. +For a long time, I stared at her, completely lost as to what she was talking about. +“What?!” I said finally. “Are you still asleep right now?” + “Quinn, they’re still in there!” She snapped at me, “They’re trapped in there.” +She was talking nonsense. The grief had finally gone to her head, and the fear I knew that she felt in that moment didn’t help her even pretend to be level. +“What are you…Wait!” She had jumped out of the car after opening the glove compartment and pushing the button to release the trunk. We kept the shotgun back there, loaded and ready to go. +“What are you doing?” +“You had your dream. I had mine.” She answered brusquely, still speaking softly even though there was nothing but that thing around to hear us. +“Alice, you’re being crazy right now!” I told her as I followed her up the road. “We’re in the middle of the desert, okay?! We can’t do this now!” +She kept walking, not acknowledging a single word I had said. +We heard the throaty shrieking before we had even seen it; it echoed all throughout the open space, amplified to a volume that hurt my ears because there was nothing around to break up the sound. I ran forward to push her down, but she had already fired the gun. The creature had charged right at her from straight ahead, but it had shocked her when it screamed and the bullet missed, veering off too far to the left. She ducked down, and it jumped right over her, running towards me now on all fours. +“Shit…” I muttered, and immediately, my body turned itself, and my legs moved quickly, making me sprint in the direction of the car. I jumped up onto the hood, ran over the top and back down the bottom before jumping onto the pavement and running back around, trying to confuse it. My diversionary tactic seemed to be working; the creature stomped and snarled in frustration, practically tripping over its feet in its attempt to follow me. +“Quinn, bring it down!” She shouted to me, and instantly, I felt a surge go through my entire body so that when I turned around and charged at it, I was running at a speed far greater than anything a human being could be capable of reaching. When I tackled it backwards, for a moment my body stuck to it, frozen with ice that it carried inside. I yelled out and pushed the creature hard, sending it hurtling several feet away from me. When I looked down at my hands and arms where my bare skin had touched it, I found that I was bleeding. My skin had frozen to the thing and stayed attached even when I pushed it away. +“Oh my God…” I muttered, “Alice, it’s frozen…” +“That’s because it’s dead!” She yelled back at me impatiently. “It’s from another place! Just tackle it!” +The creature charged at me again, and this time, I ran back to the car to grab a bungee cord that I suddenly remembered throwing in the trunk two years ago after my father and I finished helping his friend move to Forest Hill, a city four point two miles (or nine minutes) from my home right in the middle of Bel Air... +What the hell? How did I know that? +The beast ran at me like I knew it would. I swung the bungee cord out just as it reached me. The cord wrapped several times around the creature’s neck so that when I pulled down, he fell flat on his back. It hissed, sputtered, and even gasped out a few words. “Smell” and “eat” were the only two I could make sense of. The rest were in a dead language. I knew it no longer existed the same way I knew that I could bring it down: I just knew. + I held the cord firmly in my hands as I knelt down behind its head. Its hair was black instead of white, but still long. Its features were more masculine; its nose was bigger, its mouth was smaller, and its jaw was more pronounced, though its teeth were exactly the same as the woman's. +“Alice…” It dragged the word out threateningly. She was standing in front of it now, the shotgun at her side. Though she was not aiming, ready to shoot and kill the monster, I could still see the fierceness in her eyes that I had seen earlier as we prepared for the fight we had just won. +“Let him go!” She yelled at the thing, aiming the shotgun at its chest. +“Gone…” It hissed at her, its black eyes turning over white as it smelled the air. I knew that it could smell the blood seeping down my arms. +“He’s still in there! Let him go!” She fired a shot right next to its head. The bullet left a deep dent in the bumper beside my head; I supposed it wasn’t the best time to fuss at her for shooting my car… +I knew that trying to get the creature to let her father go was useless. But I also knew she would never shoot the beast holding him captive without knowing for sure that there was no chance he could be saved. +Her fear was growing, and so was mine. If she didn’t shoot the thing, it would kill us both. The hope that her father could be saved was draining from her face. If I could have let go of the cord that was keeping the creature on the ground I would have gotten up and shot it for her. I couldn’t stand the idea of her having to kill both of her parents. +“Burning…” +Tears began to fall from her eyes now, and she lowered the shotgun. +“Look at me, Alice.” I said, and after she moved her hands away from her face, she did, “It’s the only thing you can do for him. It’s the only humane thing you can do.” +I understood those things suddenly. They were the result of a person being consumed by an evil that was older than their own race. The evil mutated their physical appearance and acted through them, terrorizing the living for reasons neither Alice nor myself knew yet. But although they were completely possessed, the original person was still alive somewhere. They were falling through the darkness that consumed them, being ripped and contorted and burned and eaten by it. The only way to save them was to kill the beast that held them firmly in its grip. I knew that just like Alice had known it after awakening from her sleep. +She raised the shotgun, and with tears running down her face, she whispered, “I love you, Dad.” Then, in an explosion of sound that ripped painfully through the dense silence, she fired the gun. +Thick, black liquid splattered onto my face, and I jumped away from the body before it turned back into her father. I wiped the blood from my face before it dripped into my eyes, listening to her crying softly as she grasped the creature’s clawed hand. After turning back around, I watched the hand turn quickly back into one belonging to a human. +“My mom told me. She told me I had to help him pass over. He was stuck inside of that thing!” She managed to gasp out through her deep, powerful sobs. I knelt down beside her, holding her head to my chest as she began to cry even harder. +“I had hoped,” She whispered. “A part of me thought that maybe he had escaped it. Either it had killed him… or he had gotten away. But I had hoped that if someone had to do it, that it would be me.” +“I know. I know.” I told her as she grasped both of my arms tightly. +“It was my responsibility… but he’s…” She laughed slightly, and I looked at her in shock. “I’m relieved, because he’s okay now. Wherever they are, our parents are okay, Quinn.” +I had known that, too. It was the only thought that could comfort us. People had been using the notion of “a better place” for centuries to console the living after their loved ones had passed to the land of the dead. Alice and I both didn’t know where that place was, but we knew it existed. Slowly, we were beginning to know things like that. The idea brought the comfort then that had evaded us for days. +“Do we have time to bury him?” She asked me softly. “I know you said we’re running out of time. But…” +I grasped her hand and kissed her. +“We’ll make time. Come on.” +*** + +We reached the launch site with exactly seven hours to go until the event. In order not to be caught in the middle of it, the ship would be departing Earth with two hours left until the great blast. +The launch site was something to witness, believe me. It reminded me of a tailgate party, though one with slightly more frightened-looking party-goers. Cars, trucks, vans, buses, and even one tractor trailer were parked on the hard desert ground, stretching back as far as my eyes could see. Alice and I watched as people meandered through the rows upon rows of cars, talking in different languages and carrying their bags. +“This would make for a cool essay, wouldn’t it? ‘Different cultures at the end of the world?’” I suggested to Alice, who just wrapped her arm around my back as we started walking. +“Even if you bring a charger, there isn’t going to be electricity, you moron!” One man snapped at another man. +A man was gesturing to the ship in the distance while trying to communicate with a group of Americans who were obviously very confused at his ramblings in a language they didn't know. One man opened the door of his car and pulled out two small dog carriers. +“All pets are being kept in the east side of the ship through lift-off.” A man in an unidentifiable uniform told him. “Did you bring their sedatives?” +The man nodded and started to explain, but our feet were carrying us forward still. +“This is going to be so much fun, sweetheart. It’s going to be like a ride at Six Flags!” A woman was telling her crying daughter as she hugged her tightly. +“This is crazy, Quinn.” Alice commented as she looked around. +“I know. It’s like every country has at least a few people here.” I replied, “I think that’s a good thing. It would be no fun if we got to Pangaea and there was no diversity, right?” +“I don’t think it really matters.” Alice replied, “I know you’re trying to keep things positive. But diversity on Pangaea should be the least of our worries.” +“What should we be worrying about?” +“Getting there in one piece. Remember what they said this ship’s nickname is?” +“How could I forget the comic book reference?” +“Of course; silly me.” She said, with a slight roll of her eyes, “‘The Flash’ is going to take us hurtling through space at a ridiculous speed. We’re going to cover an unthinkable amount of ground in two weeks. I just don’t think that if spaceflight travel was that advanced we never would have heard about it. It seems dangerous to me.” +“Do you remember what they said at the meeting? They kept this a secret, because it was all going to be unveiled in a big ceremony. But now they have no choice but to tell us. We’re all making this ship’s first journey with them. There’s something I forgot to tell you, by the way.” +“What?” +“They’re sedating everyone.” +She stopped walking and looked at me, her eyes blazing. +“How could you not have told me that?!” She exclaimed in fury, “No! Quinn, I am not being sedated! For all we know, they’re sedating us because we have to travel for like, one hundred years!” +“What are you talking about?” I asked, wrinkling my eyebrows in confusion and stifling a bemused grin. +“Don’t give me that look like I’m being so dumb! Quinn, hello?! You’re the space nerd! Hyper-sleep!” +“This is not hyper-sleep! They're sedating us so we don’t all freak out while we’re taking off into space at thousands of miles per hour. I don’t want to be awake for that. Plus, they said it’s more like a cruise ship on-board than anything. Why would they make it look so nice on the inside if we were going to be asleep for so long? We’re only going to be out for the take-off. Allie, I promise, no one is trying to trick you into sleeping for one hundred years.” I grasped her hands, trying not to laugh. After a minute, she rolled her eyes and groaned in aggravation. +“Quinn, if I wake up, and my boobs are down to my knees…” +I couldn’t help it; I cracked up at that. +“You think it’s funny. But you’re the one who said you wanted to be with me forever. So, you have to deal with them.” +“I meant that, when I said it. So you’re right. See? Now I wouldn’t lie to you about this, because that would be unpleasant for both of us.” +“Yeah, it would.” She punched me lightly in the stomach. “Keeping secrets from me… Hyper-sleep with one eye open!” +She was trying to maintain the façade of being genuinely angry, but I could see the faintest trace of a smile as she turned away from me. I was laughing even harder now as I walked behind her, ignoring the irritated glances of the people I walked past. I’m sure they thought I was just a stupid kid who was too immature to understand the gravity of the situation. But I wasn’t just laughing because what she had said was funny. I was laughing because she was starting to show stronger signs of returning to the way she had been before the end had begun. In my heart, I knew that both of us were starting to grasp at a faint, distant hope that we were going to survive. We were going to have the life we had always dreamed of having. Whether it was on Earth, Pangaea or Pluto (the non-planet, so obviously, I’m kidding), we were going to be alright. + +Violet + +Brynna was frustrated. She was shaking her head slightly, taking long drags on her cigarette, and rolling her eyes. Maura, Penny, and I were standing on the cracked desert ground, watching her and James try to change the tire that had exploded as we drove. If James hadn’t had sufficient reflexes, the car would have swerved off the road. +“Well, maybe you should have checked them before we left! Aren’t men supposed to be the ones who possess all the expertise on automobiles? That is a fallacy, obviously!” +“Will you just be quiet?!” He snapped at her loudly, clearly beyond frustrated, “At this point, listening to you talk is like having a spiteful, condescending banshee screeching nonstop in my ear. If you’re going to stand there and complain at me, please, for the sake of all of us, be a little quieter about it.” +“I feel no need to mutter when I’m irritated, James.” +“Clearly.” +“Alright!” I snapped finally and jogged over to them, “Brynna, stop being…” I shook my head slightly, coming up short on a word to properly describe her behavior, so I settled on: +“...you. James, you have to hurry up. We’re running out of time.” +“I know. I’m getting there, Violet.” He hiked the car up further on the jack, and I knelt down beside him to screw in the bolts. “Thanks. Oh, look; someone else has brains in the family.” +“You are the most insufferable annoyance I have ever had the displeasure of meeting, James Maxwell.” Brynna snapped as she flicked the ember off of her cigarette. +The jack started to give beneath the weight of the car, but James, in an impossible show of strength and quick response, got below it before it fell. He knelt with almost half the weight of the car on his shoulders. +“Yeah?” He hissed as the exertion of forcing the car up rendered him hardly able to talk. “Right back at ya, sweetheart.” +“Would you two just stop it?!” I stood up after fixing the jack. “One minute, you’re arguing like ridiculous tweens who want to wear the same shirt. Then, you’re babbling at each other about the most stupid, ridiculous things. Bottom line: You two never shut up!” +“Excuse you, if you overheard the conversation that we had in the car earlier, you only heard it because we were operating under the assumption that you were asleep. I can also assure you that the aforementioned conversation was neither stupid nor ridiculous. Furthermore, please let me remind you, that if something is stupid, it is more than likely also ridiculous, so your statement has been rendered moot by redundancy. Finally, even if our conversation was meaningless or mindless, it was also none of your business.” +“We were in the same car. What was I supposed to do?” +“Listen to your iPod. Plug your ears. I don’t know!” She snapped, and clearly, her exhaustion was beginning to get the best of her. Maura and Penny came over to see what was holding us up. Brynna scooped Penny up and walked around to the back of the car where the trunk was open. I heard her pull open the cooler we had brought, talking softly to Penny all the while. Normally, her gentle nature was not exposed to strangers or even to Maura and me. Now that she was slowing, her body weighed down heavily with exhaustion and hunger, she couldn't hide it. +“Are you sleepy?” She was saying softly as she came back around where we could see her. Penny was eating a cheese stick while her head was rested against Brynna’s chest. “We are going over here to lie down while you figure out a solution to our little conundrum. You got us into it, James, though I have little faith that you can get us out of it as well.” +“Maura, make her stop.” James grunted as he pulled the bolts with all the strength he could muster in his own exhausted state. +“That’s enough, Brynna.” Maura replied dismissively. +Brynna was opening a cheese stick of her own carefully. +“I will walk away now. If I do not, I will surely throw this cheese-stick at his head.” +“She’s just being funny at this point.” Maura explained to James quietly as Brynna started to walk away. +“Really? I didn’t know she was capable of being funny. I thought she was only capable of foaming at the mouth.” +Maura and I both gasped when Brynna's half-eaten cheese stick flew through the air and hit James squarely in the side of the face. I snorted, trying to stifle my laughter. Though I was expecting him to jump up and start shouting at her, I couldn’t deny how funny it was that she had just used a dairy product as a weapon. Instead, of shouting, though, he turned his head and watched her walk away, grinning to himself before starting to laugh with me. The cheese stick had landed in his lap, so he picked it up and shoved the whole thing into his mouth. +“She’s something else, I’m telling you.” +“She is.” Maura replied with a sigh, “That’s kind, actually. She’s a right pain in the ass. But she is, as they say, my pain in the ass.” +When the car was finally running again, Brynna came over with Penny bundled up in her jacket. When I looked into my younger sister's face, I found that she had fallen asleep again. +“You need to wake her up, Brynna. If she sleeps now, she won’t sleep on the ship.” Maura told me. +“I will get her to sleep.” +“How? Are you going to knock her unconscious?” Maura asked impatiently. +“Do not make jokes with me. I am not in the mood. I will get her to sleep by simply...” +“They’re giving out sedatives for the lift-off.” James interrupted her, “It will wear off sometime after we’re in space.” +“Sedatives?!” Brynna snapped at him as she laid Penny in the backseat against me. “That’s not happening, James! I don’t even let her have non-organic juice! You think I’m going to let them drug her?!” +“What is the alternative?” James closed the door to block out the rest of the conversation. She was pointing at him, her eyes widened, clearly infuriated that he had kept that little secret from her. Finally, she threw her hands up and huffed to the car door which she opened and closed with gusto. +“Well, at least I know one thing for sure.” Maura spoke up after Brynna had sat back in her seat. “You two will never date.” +“What even made you think that was a possibility in the first place, Maura?” Brynna snapped irritably. A cigarette was burning away between the fingers of the hand she had rested on her face. +“I don’t know.” Maura replied calmly, “You’ve never fancied boys your own age. I thought you had decided to try someone a little older.” +“No. If I were going to date an older man, it would certainly not be that one. If one forces her gaze past his good looks, all one would see is a vexatious, arrogant plague.” +“I think that's a little harsh, darling.” Maura reasoned, still in that calm and cool tone. Her Zen attitude was obviously grating on Brynna's frayed nerves. +“No. It really is not. Please, by all means, forgive me if this is too harsh, but I think he is just about the most aggravating presence I have ever encountered.” +“I think you’re just tired and cranky.” I chimed in casually but with a condescending scorn to my voice that one would use when disciplining a very rambunctious, sneering child. +“I do apologize if the memory of the occurrence has slipped my mind, but did I ask you what you thought?” +“No, but I’m going to tell you anyway!” I shot at her after crossing my arms over my chest defensively. “This is a free country!” +“If on Pangaea we decide to split into countries, remind me to make ours a tyrannical regime so that I never have to hear that irksome sentence ever again. God or Gods, I hate when people say that.” +I watched her blue eyes find me in the mirror she had pulled down from the car's ceiling. I was shaking my head in disgust at how nasty she could be. It wasn’t just a matter of being intelligent. She wasn’t satisfied unless everyone was clear on the fact that she was smarter than they were. If they doubted her, she would tear them to pieces by reminding them that not only was she more intelligent in the present but that she was always going to be. It was how she kept everyone in their places. +There was a long moment of silence when James got back into the car and started it up. +“Do not talk to me.” Brynna snapped at him without any provocation. +“I wasn’t going to.” James replied calmly, but I saw him roll his eyes. Already, he was tired of her ridiculous personality quirks. He had to have sympathized with me; I had been forced to be in her company for seventeen years. +I shouldn’t say all of that. I did love Brynna dearly. She was my sister, after all. However, I can't lie and say that I didn’t contemplate holding her head under water for several minutes to stop one of her rants. +If I am going to be completely honest, I would say that I owed her. She helped raise me. When Maura had left us briefly, all of the responsibility fell on Brynna’s young, fragile shoulders. She never threw that time that she had cared for us selflessly in my face or used it to manipulate me. She just pretended it had never happened. +That was with me, at least. With Penny, she never stopped taking care of her. In fact, Penny spent more time at Brynna’s than she did at home with my mother, father, and me. I will never pretend that Brynna's influence on either of us wasn't what shaped our personalities for the better. Anyone who truly knew our family would be able to tell you that if we were left to be raised completely by our parents or even Maura, we would be in much worse shape, perhaps even irreparably damaged; I would go so far as to say that if it came down to being raised by our mom and dad or wild animals, the animals were the better option, hands down. +“Is your clock right?” Brynna asked James suddenly. +“Why wouldn't it be?” +“Because Daylight Savings Time was yesterday, and people tend to forget about it.” +“What?!” James looked at the clock, “Well, that's great. Why didn't you tell me that before?” +“I'm sorry, I assumed that you were in the ninety-nine point nine percent of the population that remembered something as simple as turning your clock back an hour.” +“That is enough!” Maura exclaimed from behind her hands. When she covered her face, we knew that her impatience with our annoying shenanigans was reaching a dangerous level. +“Well, we now have only three hours to get there.” +“Before they take off?!” I exclaimed in horror. Neither replied, so I knew that we were officially at risk of being left behind. I bent forward to rest my face on my knees, feeling a sharp jolt in my chest that I was all too familiar with. My heart was pounding like the drums carried by soldiers of some ancient war fought with swords and shields in the shadows of towering mountains. My chest constricted to smother my lungs before I could draw the breath that was needed to protest. My anxiety that had always been like an extra being I was painfully conscious of and incapable of exorcizing was rearing its head, and there was no worse time for it than right then. +“Do not have a panic attack right now, Violet! We do not have time!” Brynna snapped, but she turned around in her seat to check on me. +“I will handle this.” Maura told her irritably, “Just turn around and be quiet.” +“This is positively the worst night of my life!” Brynna put her sunglasses down and laid her head back against the headrest. “James, make haste.” +“I'm on it, darling.” +“Do not refer to me by a condescending pet name ever again.” +“Yes, dear.” +“I swear to you, James Maxwell, on every Bible, Qur'an, Bhagavad Gita, and L. Ron Hubbard book ever printed that if you so much as look in my direction, I will reach over and smash your head against the steering wheel until you are...” +“James! Brynna! That is enough!” Maura shouted over them. They both fell silent, but Brynna continued to scowl as she laid back with her eyes closed. +I kept my face on my legs, trying to steady my breathing the way Maura was instructing me to. She stroked my hair which soothed me slightly until finally, the worst of the attack had passed, and I was consumed by a sudden exhaustion. I turned slightly so that I could lay my head on Maura's lap. +God was merciful, because I dropped off to sleep again. My mind remained blank, lost deep in some vast expanse of nothingness so peaceful, I could have cried with joy. In that swirling blank space, I escaped the horror I felt at being left behind to burn on the earth with the unlucky. +*** + +Awakening from a deep sleep to find yourself even more exhausted than you were before the slumber is just about the most unpleasant, infuriating experience regarding the tendency of the human body to attack itself. I rubbed my eyes sleepily as my vision cleared; through the window that my face was rested against, I saw Brynna and James standing with my older brother, Elijah. I perked up upon seeing him, but the grogginess in my body never fully dissipated. +I looked next to me to find that the car was completely vacated. When I saw Maura and Penny hurrying towards the housing buildings of Elijah's school, I knew that Penny, as she always did, needed to go explore the bathroom. Why are children so fascinated with strange bathrooms? +I was getting restless and impatient. I was tired of being cooped up in the car. I knew that we were running out of time, and that made my impatience grow even more. I wondered when my mother and father would contact us, asking where we were. If Brynna was to be believed, they were already at the launch site and waiting for us to arrive with impatience of their own. I was so not in the mood for one of their lackluster lectures; their obvious apathy had always been very depressing. +“Well, you were smart to think that I wouldn't need convincing. You know me, with my fascination of all things apocalyptic, right?” I had cracked the window ever so slightly in order to hear their conversation. +“Wow, Brynn, you weren't kidding.” James told her, and I heard Brynna laugh airily. +“I didn't know that you thought I was.” She replied, “He's an Environmental Science minor, for the sake of all deities and Gods.” +“And my sister is a bit of an arrogant genius, in case you haven't noticed. But in reality, James, she talks like this to scare people like you off.” +“People like me?” +“Yeah. You're what the people in the old south would call a 'suitor.'” All evidence of playfulness in Elijah's voice had disappeared suddenly. Threatening seriousness stood in its place. The only person who held any sway over what Brynna did was Elijah. His opinion mattered to her more than that of anyone else because he was, as she described, her “intellectual equal, or close enough.” He was fiercely protective of her, even more so than he was over me or Penny. In high school, their mutual friends had joked that Brynna had a one-man, round-the-clock Mafia to keep their nasty male peers at bay. +James was now on the receiving end of the Mafia man's blunt weapon. I looked up cautiously to see Elijah glaring icily at him, his distrust and disapproval plain. +“I am most certainly not a suitor.” James told him calmly, “I just knew after I had that dream and met with those people that I had to find her. I don't know how I knew or why I had to bring all of you with me. But I knew that there was no getting around it. Not that I wanted to get around it, but I just knew that it was a certainty, do you know what I mean?” +“Not really.” Elijah replied, “But I was cool after you said you most certainly weren't a suitor. She's my little sister, and despite her vast knowledge on everything, she sometimes makes really stupid decisions. No offense, but dating a man twice her age would be the epitome of a stupid decision.” +“This is ridiculous, Eli.” Brynna snapped at him finally, “And if I decided to date him or anyone else twice my age, there would be nothing you could do about it.” +“Believe me, I know. But that doesn't mean I wouldn't kick that guy's ass. That's my job as your brother, right?” +“According to Maura, who is most certainly not the best judge of how to handle unsavory circumstances, is she?” +“Don't start getting on Maura already. Didn't you say you only just went home a couple of hours ago?” +“This conversation is over.” Brynna snapped before walking back towards the car. I jerked downwards and banged my head hard against the door. +“I already know you were eavesdropping, so you can stop pretending you're asleep. I know you quite foolishly think you are smarter than me, and I must encourage you to think again.” +I sat up, scowling darkly. Her fierce blue eyes, amplified by the thick black eyeliner and mascara around them, stared through the crack in the window at me. It was like looking into the eyes of some horrendous spectral creature from beyond the grave whose eyes could pierce your very soul. Or it was like looking into the eyes of an angry raccoon who was sniffing at something dead on the side of the road. It depends on how mad I truly was at that moment. +When Maura and Penny returned, we all squeezed back into the car. Elijah hugged me, and I grinned as I squeezed him back. He looked happier than he had the last time I had seen him. At that time, living with our parents in the midst of all the emotional baggage was wearing him down more than he was saying. While Brynna escaped to the city, Elijah escaped to college. I had hoped to follow the latter's path myself someday. +Of course, that wouldn't be happening anymore. +“So, I figured that Pangaea place was something. They said it could be inhabited by humans. And immediately, I pictured some sci-fi movie plot about humans trying to overtake it and farm it for resources.” +“Why does it have to be humans invading?” Brynna asked, “Why aren't the otherworldly creatures who live on Pangaea invading Earth?” +“That's been done too many times. How many Earth-invasion movies have we seen, dude?” +“We have seen many, most certainly. However, I find your insinuation that we would destroy another planet with no thought of the well-being of the natives residing there to be prejudiced and rude, quite frankly. It borders on betrayal of your kind, young lad.” +“Maybe so, but you know it would happen. Didn't you see Avatar?” +Off they went. They were speaking to each other on a channel the rest of us couldn't quite tune in to. +“Wait a minute, do you really think there's other life on this planet?” I interrupted them. +“As far as we know, there's nothing there but plants, water, land, and air to breathe.” James explained. “I suppose it’s a possibility. But after all the explorations they've already done there...” +“Whoa!” Elijah exclaimed, “They've done explorations already?” +“I told you that they were keeping secrets.” James answered. +“People have been on this planet already?” Elijah was practically bobbing up and down in his seat excitedly. “What was it like, man? Do you know all the details? This is my geek-fest right now.” +“Species: Homo-sapiens. Classification: Male Space Nerd. Reproductive Status: Non-existent, now and forever. Live long and suffer, young virgin.” Brynna narrated, and Maura, James and I burst out laughing. Elijah just stared at her, fighting a smile. I laughed longer than any of them, forgetting all about my previous irritation with her arrogance. +“I can't even come up with a sarcastic comment to counter that. Do you see what happens when I'm forced to wake up early? All of my knowledge and that entire education Mom and Dad are paying out of the ass for go right out the window.” +“Do you ever worry that it will never return? I know I sure do.” Brynna replied without missing a beat. +“I'm ignoring you from now until we get to the ship.” He was trying hard now to contain his excitement, even at just saying the word “ship”. +“Good luck with that.” James said dryly. “I've been trying to ignore her since about an hour after we met, and so far, I have been unsuccessful. She's a fiery, persistent little thing.” +“Excuse you, Mr. Maxwell, though I might literally be a thing, I do not appreciate being referred to as though I am simply an inanimate object. Fiery and persistent though I may be, I certainly do not grovel for your attention as you are making it sound.” +“Listen, crazy, it was a joke.” James told her as we all laughed somewhat cautiously at her irritation. “Sorry, let me rephrase that,” James kept his voice in its usual dull, sarcastic monotone when he said, “Crazed woman, thou art angered for naught. Thine intention was never to offend nor scorn your nonexistent feelings.” He looked at her. “I know you understood that, Ophelia. Now please, accept my apology before you go drown yourself in a river.” +“Oh, a Hamlet reference,” Brynna replied in mock awe, “Perhaps Shakespeare's second-best known play so congratulations; your knowledge on sixteenth-century literature is mediocre. Also, how can you compare me to the title character's mentally ill, pathetically devoted love interest? I am not waltzing around, handing out flowers to symbolize the impending demise of us all. If I were, we certainly would not be in such fine moods now, would we?” +“Give me your hand.” James told her austerely as he reached out to her. +“No.” +“Seriously. Give me your hand.” He insisted, “I'm sitting right next to you, and I can easily just take it but I'm asking politely. Come on.” +“Take my hand, and I will slap you with sufficient force across your smirking face, James.” +“Please?” +“No! Keep your eyes on the road before you kill us all.” +“Only if you give me your hand.” +She sighed and rolled her eyes in irritation. Then, she reached out her hand to him. He grasped it in one of his. +“Now look at me.” +“Your behavior is peculiar, to say the least. To say the most, you are beginning to, as Violet would say, 'creep me out.'” But she looked at him. +“Summon your inner Zen. Relax. James doesn't want to offend you. James likes you, though James certainly can't figure out why. Go to sleep. When you awake, you might begin acting like a twenty-two year old again. Right now, your tantrum is making me think that I need to immediately pull over and install a car seat for you.” +She snatched her hand away and smacked him hard on the arm as Maura, Elijah, and I laughed again, this time without fear of her reproach. +“Or procure a strait-jacket...” Maura added, and we only laughed harder. +“Chortle all you want, you contemptuous hyenas, but believe me when I say that the second this scourge of a man closes his eyes, he will cease to exist.” She looked over at him again, “Yes. That was a direct threat to your life. I will not kill you for your sarcastic commentary on what you perceive to be a show of immaturity on my part. I will kill you for referring to yourself in third-person. That kind of grammatical and conversational inconsistency is a capital offense in my world.” +“I'm sorry, honey. I zoned out about halfway through that.” James said after a minute. Maura and I were still giggling beyond control, but Elijah was beginning his return trek to Brynna's side. +“Alright, alright...” He said, holding up his hands to stop us. “Do you want me to kick his ass, Brynn? I will.” +“No, thank you.” She smiled at him, “Though you can surely hold him down while I kick his ass.” +“No ass-kicking is necessary. Hey,” James said, and Brynna looked over at him, “I'm sorry.” +“You are not sorry. Your apology is useless given that I have threatened your physical well-being. You are simply trying to avoid great pain.” +“Nope. You're wrong. I'm genuinely sorry.” +“Shut up, James.” She rested her head against the headrest and closed her eyes. Elijah reached over and patted her shoulder. +“You're a good sport, kid.” Immediately, he changed tracks in his mind. “So were there humans on the planet already?” +Brynna sighed, shook her head, lowered her sunglasses, and muttered about attention-deficit disorder. My eyes widened slightly when I saw James reach over and squeeze her hand tightly in his. I was right in the middle of the backseat and had been the only one between Maura, Elijah, and me to see him do it. My eyes moved to Brynna, who had turned her head to look at him. I expected her to snatch her hand away and scowl darkly at the fact that he had sought a human moment of warmth from her. Instead, she gazed at him uncertainly, as though she was genuinely confused about how to proceed. +“No. Just rovers, as I was told.” James answered, and I watched as his thumb stroked the back of her hand. “Sorry to disappoint you, man.” +Brynna's fingers locked around James's for just one quick second. Then, she pulled her hand away, crossed her arms over her chest and closed her eyes again. James smiled to himself and found my eyes in the rear-view mirror. Instantly, we both looked away, him trying to pretend that he had not touched her and me trying to pretend that I hadn't seen. +“That doesn't disappoint me at all! We will be the first human beings to set foot on this planet. Do you all have any idea what that means?” +“We'll be the first to die if it turns out the little computer on wheels was wrong about the oxygen level being plentiful enough to support human beings?” Brynna filled in quickly. +“No! It means that we'll be like...” He stopped, trying to form the right words to phrase what he was trying to say. His excitement was rendering him practically incapable of speaking. “This planet will continue to exist long after we're gone, and we'll have been the first people to ever set foot on it! We'll be myths! Old legends!” +“So?” I furrowed my brows in confusion. I finally broke my curious gaze away from Brynna and James. I would have plenty of time to contemplate whatever was emerging between them later. In the present, I was genuinely interested in whatever it was that Elijah was getting at. +“Yes, if you're suggesting that people are going to marvel in wonder at our very existence, I must, as they say, burst your bubble.” Brynna eyed him in the mirror. “While they might marvel, we will no longer be around to experience their worship.” +“It doesn't matter!” Elijah replied, and I watched Maura start shaking her head slightly as she tried to suppress a chuckle. “We'll be studied. We will be the reference group for whatever culture forms there. For thousands of years, people will talk about how everything started, and it will have started with us!” +“Your need to be discussed and revered is worrisome, Elijah Daniel.” Brynna informed him. +“It's immortality, Brynna!” Elijah exclaimed, “It's what everyone wants!” +“Well, though I agree that it is immortality in its own right, I sincerely doubt that all people yearn for an eternal life, physical or metaphorical.” +“Bursting his bubble, raining on his parade. You are a monster, Brynna Olivier.” James told her. +“Thank you! Somebody says it, finally.” Elijah replied, but he was laughing. “I know that you're secretly psyched about this, too, Brynn. You just want to act all aloof about it because you don't want to geek in front of James.” +“I would be more than willing to geek in front of James if I wasn't so very tired. Plus, I am still worried about the world ending sooner than we think. To be more specific, I am worried about it ending while we're still on it. Eli, I will make you a deal, right here and now, in front of all of you, the Council of the Toyota Prius. If we make it safely to Pangaea, I will gladly geek out with you.” +“I know you will. You don't have to swear anything, because I know that once we're on a different planet, you won't be able to contain yourself. You're as much of a nerd as I am.” +“I learned from the best, didn't I?” +“By 'geek', what exactly do you mean?” James asked. “You have to explain these ridiculous slang terms to old people like me.” +“Giggle, jump up and down, clap my hands. Behave like some puerile little child with ADHD who just downed a two liter of Mountain Dew. The whole nine yards, James.” +James laughed again, and Brynna smiled. +“We'll all be so thrilled to be alive that I'll be surprised if everyone doesn't break into a multicultural interpretation of the Thriller dance.” Brynna continued quietly after a minute. “That's if we make it, of course.” +“We'll make it.” James told her, and I gaped at them, my mouth open, and my brow scrunched together in confusion. One minute, they were screaming at each other. The next minute, they were clutching hands and reassuring each other gently that everything would be alright. If that was what being an adult was, then I wanted to remain a child forever. Relationships were too confusing in later years. +I shook my head slightly, deciding not to attempt an analysis of their ups and downs. Instead, I laid my head against Maura's shoulder. That time, when I fell asleep, it was peaceful. +*** + +Before I was even fully awake, I was running. As my mind resurfaced from sleep, I took note of Brynna and James running in front of me. James was carrying Penny and three or four bags. Elijah was hauling the rest. Maura was grasping my hand and pulling me along with her. Sleepily, I looked around as my legs carried me speedily forward; I noted rows upon rows of cars parked on the desert ground. They would be parked there until they burned with the rest of the world... +It was a strange thought that was as fleeting as a shadow in the corner of the eyes, but it chilled me deeply. +All drowsiness evaporated at the sight of the humongous ship that rose like a behemoth in front of us. It was a miracle of construction. It was a black and gray metal giant that boasted power, enough to send us hurtling out of the atmosphere and through space. I couldn't wait to see what it looked like on the inside. In one of her better moods, Brynna had described it as looking like a cruise ship. She reminded me of the cruise our parents had sent us on with Maura a couple of summers earlier. The memories of that vacation were enough to ease me through my most intense panic attacks. +I remembered that we had to be put under for take-off, and I felt the familiar pounding and painful tightness in my chest again. Before I could think about it, we were standing in front of a man who clearly knew James. He checked our names off of a list written in a spiral notebook and handed each of us a cup with one small pill in the bottom. +“One person has to stay awake in each party.” +“Why?” Brynna asked as we walked onto the ship. +The door began to slowly close, and all of us, even the man who had checked us in, stopped talking and moving in order to see the last glimpse of the world we knew disappear. For a moment, after the door had closed and we were plunged into semi-darkness, we were silent. +“Why does one person have to stay awake?” +James's voice snapped us all back to reality. +“Can we speak privately for a minute?” The man replied, and James and Brynna followed him promptly. +The man spoke to them quietly. As the conversation continued, I watched their facial expressions shift from slightly heightened curiosity to absolute alarm and in Brynna's case, alarm with a little rage mixed in. +“Are you kidding me?!” She asked in a loud, furious whisper. “James, none of us are taking that.” +“What are they talking about, Maura?” Penny asked as she rubbed her eyes. +“Nothing, darling. They're just talking.” Maura replied calmly. She was an ace at hiding any problem, big or small, from us. But I listened even more closely, needing to know what had James and Brynna in such a stir. +“How can you be giving people this?” James demanded furiously. “We never agreed on one particular pill, and the one we all came closest enough to agreeing on was nothing like this!” +“The meds said this is the only one that will keep people asleep long enough. James, I know it’s rough, man. But it's either take this with risks and all, or stay awake during a high intensity lift-off. The latter could have the same effects as the pill. Most people want to just take their chances and knock themselves out.” +“You are insane if you think I am giving this to them.” Brynna snapped at both of them. “Why would I? So one or all of us can have heart failure? What is the point? Well, dying in our sleep, or dying in a fiery explosion, I suppose. But I'd rather just not die! I'd rather no one die!” +“Look, this is why we have one person staying awake. They'll monitor the others, and if there is a problem, we have forty-two doctors on board who are also awake. As soon as we're level, they'll come right to you. The positives far outweigh the negatives, Ms. Olivier. I promise you.” +“Yes, let me trust the word of a man I have only just met.” Brynna replied sarcastically with her signature eye-roll. “They don't call me a genius to flatter me. I make more intelligent calls than that, thank you so much!” +“Brynna...” James grasped her arm and pulled her away from the man. As he talked to her quietly, he moved his hand down to grasp hers. +“No, because you said if they made you stay awake, you were going to have a fit!” Brynna spoke over him as he continued trying to reassure her. “I will stay awake and stare at all of you until my eyes bleed to make sure nothing goes wrong.” +“No,” James told her, “You won't be able to handle it, Brynna. You said so yourself.” +“I'll deal with it. I've dealt with worse. I'll force myself to deal with it.” +“I'm not going to make you do that for my sake.” +Her eyes met mine, and she lowered her voice back down to a whisper. I saw her hands shaking, and I knew exactly what she was saying to him. +“I can't take anything that puts me under, James. I can't do it.” I saw genuine fear in her eyes for the first time. She had always been a bit odd when it came to sedation, and I had never understood why. I was prone to sleepless nights where my anxious mind battled on until the sun rose. I was thankful for the existence of pills that ensured one mercifully quiet night of sleep. +“I'll stay awake.” James told her calmly as he moved his hands up to rest comfortingly on her arms. “If anything happens to anyone, I'll make all forty-two of the doctors come down. I promise.” +“I have to stay awake. I can't...” She trailed off, looking both thoughtful and terribly worried. When she resumed speaking, her voice was of its usual firm, unyielding tone, and her face had tightened up into its expression of nonchalance and arrogance. “We'll both stay awake.” +“Are you sure?” +“Yes. For my sake and theirs, I am staying awake.” +“But you said...” +“I know what I said. But I'll deal with it.” +Elijah shook his head slightly beside me and muttered, “She won't be able to handle it.” +“Why not? She's Brynna. If she can't handle it, she handles it, Elijah.” I was slightly irritated at his show of distrust in Brynna's resolve. She had never given him a reason to doubt her before. But I knew, even if I wouldn't admit it, that he was right. What we were about to experience was going to be traumatic, and despite her love for sudden bursts of adrenaline, she would surely have a fit mere seconds after taking off. Even the boldest of our kind would. +“She can barely handle planes, Vi. Don't you think this is just a little bit more intense?” +“It is, but she'll be fine. She wants to make sure nothing happens to us.” +“She won't do us much good if she's having a panic attack.” +“She won't be hurting us, either.” +“I'm going to talk to her.” Elijah said, but Brynna and James had already walked back over to us. When she glared at us both, our facial expressions dropped, and we were silent, knowing a lecture was coming. +“If you had continued to eavesdrop which, coincidentally, was quite rude to begin with, you would have heard that James has convinced me to allow myself to be sedated.” She turned a little bit whiter just at the word. “However, I will stress that if I walk away and am muttering quietly to someone, odds are I do not wish to be overheard. I will thank you to remember that in the future.” +Elijah and I looked at each other, all signs of our earlier disagreement evaporated as we smiled slightly. We were used to Brynna's intricate reprimands, and after years of hearing them, they still never failed to entertain. We followed behind her and James, who were leading us further into the ship. We walked up a set of metal stairs, our footsteps echoing eerily through the hollowed-out chamber that was the ship's basement. +When we reached the room where the first batch of people were going under sedation, I felt yet another wave of anxiety overtake me. To steady myself, I grasped Elijah's arm and allowed him to steer me over to one of the cots at the end of the room. +The bed was simplistic, with just a blanket, pillow, and sheet of wax paper covering the part that I would be laying on. It reminded me of the backroom of the nurse's office at school, where Miranda and I would go when we wanted a good nap during our most boring classes. Sometimes we slept, and sometimes we whispered quietly, only to be scolded by the nurse who had little tolerance for such nonsense. +With Miranda in my mind, I downed the pill, knowing that in a few moments, the sudden spike in my anxiety level would begin to decrease. Miranda's face would fade from my mind, and I would drift gently into an untroubled sleep. When I awoke, we would have arrived safely on Pangaea. +Pangaea. I thought that it would be the end of all our worries. +There was one colossal difference between the cot on the ship and those that I had laid on so many times in the nurse's office; five straps were being put across my body and tightened to a point that I almost couldn't breathe. +“Oh, I think not…” I heard Brynna exclaim, and my heart managed to start beating rapidly despite the swift attack of the sedative. Before I could process the fluttering in my chest, I had plunged headfirst into the deep grip of a drugged sleep. + +Brynna + +“No, no, no!” I exclaimed again as Elijah and James both tried to reason with me. +“Brynna, on planes, you can barely stay in your seat.” Elijah implored somewhat desperately. +“That is because even after reading quite extensively on the science of flight, I still do not understand how or why such a fallible creation stays in the air. And while I am aware that this is the maiden voyage of this impossibly large ship, which is being flown an impossibly long distance, I also know that I have no other choice but to be here, lest I wish to burn to death. If this completely impossible thing falls from its path into open space, I will just have to hold my breath until I pass out, won’t I?” +“Think about it this way: Once you start having a panic attack, it's going to go on for as long as it takes for them to level the ship. That could be an entire day. Longer, even!” +“A fine rebuttal to my excellent argumentation.” +“That was not an excellent argumentation! You’re completely out of your mind! James, tell her she’s out of her mind!” +“Not a chance!” James replied emphatically. +“Very wise of you, James Maxwell. A level of wisdom which I did not assume you were capable of reaching.” +“Well, you know what they say about assuming.” +“James!” Elijah barked at him, “Be on my side here, man! You said yourself that she should go under!” +“Elijah, take your pill.” I snapped at him as my irritation began to give way to anger. The men in charge of the ship had wheeled in two chairs large enough to be called thrones. On them, there were many straps meant to keep us in place throughout lift-off. On the legs, giant suction cups would hold the chair to the floor. +I was mildly aggravated at the suggestion that I couldn't handle myself through a situation that, though it was quite fearsome, was just another hurtle in an already very frightening journey. +“Fine,” Elijah resigned in irritation of his own. “You're on your own, man.” +To show the “bravery” that I lacked, Elijah made a grand gesture of tipping the cup back like he was taking a shot of liquor; in the process, he expertly ingested both the pill and the water. I continued stroking Penny's hair, pretending that I hadn't noticed. I was losing my desire to fight with those people. +“We're running out of time. Make your decision.” Robert, the man who had checked us in, told me hurriedly. +“’Tis made, good sir.” I stood up with my eyes still fixed on Penny. Her cherub face was relaxed, and she was breathing softly. I covered my mouth as a tiny giggle escaped me despite the situation; she still snored ever so slightly the same way she had when she was a baby. +“Alright, you have to sit down, then.” I heard Robert's voice say, and my small smile disappeared in a blink. I stood up to find both he and James were staring at me. “We take off in two minutes.” +Two minutes, and the world that I had believed for all of my life to be the only one would be gone forever. I would never escape into the crowds of natives and tourists in New York City again or lie on a sunny Florida beach. I would never see another film in a crowded movie theater or tune in to a mindless sitcom on television. Humans had lived on that spinning planet for thousands upon thousands of years and everything, all of that history, was going to be gone in less than twenty-four hours. Every accomplishment of man, every war fought, every seemingly insignificant turn of events in our species' long, turmoil-filled history was gone. Every great book ever written, every wonderful film ever made, every newly invented convenience on which we had grown to rely would soon be erased. All of those things would only exist in our memories. If we were able to, we would provide our children with the stories of those old times. Every person would pass our mutual history to the generations that would come later. But what if vital aspects of it were lost to age and the failings of memory? +What if, as our time on Pangaea progressed, every piece of our old world was lost? +It seemed that every country had at least one group to represent it. Though conflict had emerged between allies and enemies alike in the years leading up to the event, we were all the same now. We were all just a hodgepodge grab-bag of survivors, making our mad dash for a world where we would start anew. +We were never going to be able to come back. The grandiose escape was a plan thrown together in the space of a few weeks. The outcome of the momentous journey was less than hazy; it was inconceivable. Some would call the situation “life or death.” I only saw the latter. +“James...” I muttered, but he was already standing in front of me. I reached out and grasped his arms to keep from collapsing. He held the cup with the pill to my lips, and I tilted my head back without protest. A huge gulp of water sent it sliding painfully down my throat. I knew that soon the drug would begin to weigh down every part of me. I knew that soon I would be closing my eyes for what very well could have been the last time... +“Oh, my God...” I put my face in my sweating palms for a moment, feeling a fear beyond anything that I had ever experienced prior to that instance overtaking me. Sedation always brought forth the trembling, terrified child in me. I could not relinquish control ever, not even for a blissful, thoughtless sleep. +The world I had known was hours away from ceasing to exist. We were headed to a planet we knew next to nothing about, where we would have to rebuild everything from the ground up in order to survive. As other people slept peacefully around me, their fears over the monumental journey and their guilt over leaving so many behind to perish held firmly at the corners of their dreaming minds, I felt every last excruciating bit of it all. +I believe that I should be excused for feeling such tumultuous emotions, given the circumstances. +I was aware that I was lying back on one of the cots. I felt James’s hand rubbing my arm gently as I snapped my eyes open every time they betrayed me by shutting themselves. +“Everything is going to be okay.” James was telling me softly. “I promise you, we're all going to be okay. Just go to sleep, Brynna.” +“James...” I said again as the dark claws of that sleep sunk into my skin. I had a second, maybe even less, to say what I needed to say. I felt sick as that pure terror began to calm into deathly silence like a beast shot clear through the heart. +“Just go to sleep, baby. Just close your eyes.” +With my last bit of strength, I managed to murmur the words to him that were so very weak and yet so very true, as well. There was no other reality besides those two excruciating words. +“I’m scared.” +He put his hand on my face and whispered the last words I would hear before losing consciousness: +“I know. I'll watch over you, Brynna.” +*** + +I was twirling through the endless starlit sky like a toy ballerina in a child's prized music box. In the distance, the moon shone as bright as a lighthouse's beacon leading ships mercifully to the steady land from raging seas. I wanted to pull myself through space to reach it. I wanted to find salvation on its surface. But the stars around me faded as I tumbled forward, projected towards a hollow, menacing black hole where our earth once stood. The black hole had consumed it, erasing it from view as though it had been a dubious mistake. Someone, more than likely our Creator, had furiously blotted out our precious Earth with permanent ink. And it was permanent, that absence, that blackness... +Or so I thought... +The next time I blinked, the planet had reformed before me in all its vivid brilliance. The blue oceans and the green lands were amplified ten-fold in my weary eyes. The sight took my breath away. I widened my eyes, my impulse to blink again becoming overwhelming. My eyes burned, and tears streamed down my face from the effort it took to fight that basic reflex. But soon, the pain became unbearable, and my eyes shut for but one millisecond. +When I could see again, the ambiance that I had only just seen had vanished, replaced by a horror so lethal that I felt my heart begin to split. I wanted to reach up, grasp my chest, and through some miraculous cure, aid my heart's return to its normal two-step. But the sight before me was too harrowing. I was being eaten alive by it from the inside out. +Fire had engulfed the world in several blasts. I could hear the screams of every last man, woman, and child as they ran for cover, only to be consumed by that wave of flame I had seen so clearly myself. I could see every person I ever knew, whether I had felt any semblance of affection for them or not, as they perished in the overwhelming blaze. +My mother did not even try to run. The flames had erupted, and she had stood firm, awaiting the moment they blasted her from this life to the next. I wanted to scream out to her, but the pain in my chest had reached such an agonizing point that I found myself unable to draw the breath it would take to warn her. +For the first time, I was sorry that I had left her. Tears of physical pain mixed with those of emotional torment fell as my arm jerked forward, reaching out to the image of her that was so clear, I thought I would be able to embrace her if I just strained myself to reach with enough effort and pain. +When the fire surrounded her and burnt her right before my eyes, I finally did scream. I screamed until I felt the blood pushing against the skin of my face. I screamed at my mother with fury, guilt, and sadness so strong, I knew that it would end me. +Over and over again in my mind, these words-- so meaningless, it seemed, so stupidly sentimental-- repeated: +“She carried you.” +I screamed louder. The idea of it, though it was all the aforementioned negative descriptions, jolted me out of my drugged sleep. +“It's okay. It's okay, Brynna. You're okay.” James was telling me. His hands were on my face as the screams continued to pour from me. Those panicked wails were the words I should have said to her. They were the protest that I never gave James when he told me I had to leave both of my parents behind. I could not form a coherent sentence. Only guttural, animal shrieks could tell those around me of my regret. +I allowed myself that moment. I allowed myself that vulnerability, because I knew that I was safe there with James. I allowed myself to feel something other than the normal disdain I had for my parents. I owed them a moment of grief as their moment of death came and went. +An earthquake had ripped through my chest, pulling my heart in two separate directions with a bottomless chasm of space in between. My cries of torment choked off suddenly, and I found myself unable to gather breath sufficient enough to clear my clouded mind. +It was the drug they had given me. I was the one who was having the side-effects when I had been so worried about everyone else. I watched as James shouted to someone. Two men in white coats were beside me, and one was ripping my shirt down the front. Even with the unthinkably horrendous pain in my chest, I still found the strength to reach over and hit that doctor hard in the face. My body was going into the defense mode I knew all too well. Despite the fact that a very small part of me knew that those two men were going to save my life, I was still horrified to be in such a vulnerable state with them in the room. +“Everything's going to be okay.” James was telling me softly as he held the hand that I had used to slap the poor doctor to his chest. When I went to strike out with the other, James grabbed that one, too. +“Look at me.” +My eyes snapped over to him as a result of their own wish to be comforted by the sight of his face. I was calmed by his soft brown eyes, despite seeing the smallest traces of fear reflected back at me in them. When he spoke, his voice was steady. In his firm show of calm, he was able to soothe me with an ease I didn't quite understand. +“I'm not going to let anyone hurt you, Brynna. I promise.” +My hands tightened around his as I felt two patches being secured to my chest. +I couldn't breathe. Everything was beginning to disappear in swirling clouds of black. Within those ominous clouds, I could see silver stars twinkling. They did not mystify or calm me; instead, they terrified me, because as they appeared, I realized that I was falling back into space where I would relive that blood-chilling moment when the entire world I knew disappeared in a blaze that turned everyone and everything to ash. I couldn't see it again. I couldn't breathe. +Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out. +“Let go!” One of the doctors shouted at James. I grasped his hands even more firmly, and the doctor had to bark at him again before he finally wrenched them free. +When the jolt of electricity coursed through my body, I heard a deafening bang that I was sure had shattered my eardrums. The ringing that followed the deafening sound was the same as the one I had heard just before the blast. I was still on Earth. I was going to drown in the wave of fire... +BANG. +It was the blast. Why wasn't I burning? +It hadn't hit me yet. It was coming. +BANG. +There was more than one explosion. The flames would surely come barreling towards me with a force that would rip what was left of the air from my lungs as I struggled to take one last, sweet breath before I died... +Silence. +It was coming. It was coming. +“Brynna?” +So, God really was a man. I wondered what my eternal punishment would be for living with such hate in my heart; both Maura and my mother had promised to meet me in Hell. The condescension I felt constantly had been towards those I did not care to know. But the hate had always been reserved specially for the two people who had made me. Surely that was quite an offense, one worthy of a place in at least the first of the many fabled levels of Hades. +“Brynna?!” +Why did God sound so frantic? +“Come back to me, baby.” +...Okay?... +As my senses came back to me, I realized that I was not dead, nor was I being called “baby” by an anxiety-ridden higher power. It was just an anxiety-ridden James Maxwell. My eyes opened, and I found myself looking up into his worried face. I couldn't think of something witty to say that would assure him of my return to normalcy. I could barely process what had happened. My sarcastic nature and intelligence that were the partners in crime behind such snidely clever remarks were put on the far back-burner of my consciousness under the circumstances. +“You look horrible.” I managed to croak out as my hand came up to grasp my chest. There was very little pain there anymore. A few aftershocks rattled my bones, but they were mere flies compared to the beastly creature that had been the actual heart attack. +James smiled slightly and tilted my head back. He poured some water down my throat, and I managed to swallow it before I started to cough. +“Easy.” James said gently. +“What are you telling me 'easy' for? You are the one pouring it.” +“And she's back to normal in...” James looked up at what I guessed was a clock on the wall, “Forty five seconds. That has to be a record.” +When I went to sit up and found myself unable, James eased me up himself. +“You would not even know what to do with yourself if I wasn't getting on you about something.” I managed to whisper before smiling at him just slightly. +He smiled, too, and replied, “You're absolutely right.” +The memory of the awful dream (was it a dream?) that I had been having grasped my jugular and choked off my newly restored ability to breathe. +“Is it coming back?” He asked me. I could tell that he was forcing his voice to remain level. +I shook my head. +“I think I saw it happen. I saw the blast.” My voice was trembling slightly as I told him the details. “I saw my parents, and I felt...” I shook my head, stopping myself. I could not bear to relive it all again. “I don't feel it anymore. But I felt it then. And it was so strong and so...” +Without thinking about it, I reached out to him and grasped his arms, pulling them so that they were encasing me. Then I wrapped my own around his neck. That gesture showed more weakness than I could stand, and immediately, I went to pull away. But his arms stayed locked around me as we laid back on the small cot. I was beneath him, embracing him so his body was pressed to mine. The urge to push him away was rivaled by an equally strong urge to hold him close. The two desires fought valiantly, but the latter won when I looked up at him. +But I had to pull away. I had never needed a man before, and I certainly did not need one now. I especially didn't need him. Since the moment we had met, he had purposely aggravated, insulted, and angered me, all in an effort to put me in my place. The concern he was displaying just then was meant to manipulate me into feeling a strong level of affection for him. It was also meant to make me shed my self-calming capabilities in favor of a dependence on him. He was holding me and gazing at me so warmly because he wanted to engage in a physically intimate act of carnal eroticism. Then, after he had gotten what he wanted, I would never see him again. +That was what Maura would have told me, if she had been awake. +I had to pull away. +But I couldn't do it. In the event of that near-death experience I had suffered through, I had no choice but to show vulnerability, as my desire to survive far superseded my need to remain unfazed by any passing terror, be it big or small. But I did have a choice in that moment, and I needed to move away from him and force myself to face that horrible vision I had seen on my own. I faced everything on my own, and I certainly couldn't afford any cowardice then, not even when it made me feel, once I managed to look past the blinding reservations I had about it, so safe and almost loved. +Though I knew that I needed to pull away, I found myself holding his arms around me, my body shaking as those horrifying images played out clearly in front of my widened eyes. +I was still very afraid. +After planting a gentle kiss on my forehead, he turned us both sideways so that he could lie behind me. I felt the scratchiness of his unshaven cheek as it rested against the side of my face. I squeezed him tighter and whispered softly so no one could hear but him: +“Stay with me.” +I felt his lips press softly to the side of my face now. +“I will.” +*** + +Forcing myself to remain conscious for the previous day and a half had taken its toll on me. I collapsed into another deep sleep despite my body's fight to remain awake. I couldn't stand to see what I had seen again. As I drifted off, I prayed that my chilling nightmare would be kept at bay by James's strong, comforting presence. +The dream never reemerged. I can thank him for that, because every time I began to see that darkness, I heard his voice telling me that everything was alright, and it faded. Within an hour or so, I heard another male voice, this one amplified to a point that it jerked me out of my mercifully serene sleep. +“Ladies and gentlemen, we are level.” +I rubbed my eyes and turned over to look at James, who was still lying beside me on the cot. +“How was the take-off?” +He laughed softly. +“Awful, as I expected.” +“I figured as much.” I narrowed my eyes at him. “Why don't you try to sleep?” +“I can't. Not now.” +“Your body is going to crash sooner or later. You might as well just sleep now while everyone else does the same.” +He smiled slightly and sat up. I was alarmed by his appearance now that I was studying him closely. His eyes were surrounded by dark circles, and their lids were starting to swell slightly. A day and a half ago, he had been somewhat toned and almost healthy, but now, he was beginning to take on a sunken-in appearance that would have distressed any medical professional. I believed myself to be the most detrimentally afflicted by our mad dash to the ship, but the stress of the journey had taken the highest toll on him. +As though he had read my mind, he said softly, “You look as bad as I do.” +“Well, thank you so much for pointing that out.” +I wasn't angry at the suggestion that I was looking less than my already lackluster best; I just had no other retort. That was the most convincing evidence that I was still feeling the effects of the sleepless days. +“Do you know where my glasses went?” I asked as I looked around for a bedside table where he might have placed them. Instead of a table, though, I found that they were safely stowed in the breast-pocket of his button-up shirt. +“You might have to clean them. During the take-off, I was sweating so much that they're probably soaked.” He looked at me and said in a deadpan, emotionless voice, “Sorry.” +I found myself covering my mouth as I chuckled softly. His mouth cracked into a small, crooked grin. +“You think I'm kidding, but I couldn't be more serious.” +“That is so very gross.” +His smile grew. +“I really am sorry, all joking aside. Let me see them.” +I handed them over and watched as he cleaned the lenses on the end of his shirt. +“You only slept for an hour.” He informed me. +“I know. But I slept for quite a while when I was under the influence of that drug.” +I looked over at Penny, Maura, Violet, and Elijah, all of whom were still sleeping peacefully. +“Don't worry about them.” James said. He breathed on the lenses and wiped them again. “The doctors said that if anything was going to happen, it would have happened by now.” +I nodded and stood up, my legs feeling heavier than usual. Every step was like attempting to stride quickly through waist-deep water. I almost felt like I was succumbing to some high fever as the malaise made itself known so strongly. I put my hand to my head and sat back down. +I was momentarily stunned to find myself on the verge of tears. +“Lay back down, sweetheart.” James told me, but I shook my head. When I had moved my hands away, my eyes had traveled to the far end of the room, where I could hear someone sobbing. One of the doctors was covering a middle-aged man with a sheet. A woman, presumably his wife, was standing beside him, crying into her hands. +“What am I going to tell the kids?” She asked no one in particular. +James and I stared at her, neither of us sure exactly how to proceed. I had never been skilled at consoling people, as outpourings of emotion made me literally squirm in discomfort. I looked at James finally to find that his eyes were traveling through the huge, heavily-populated room. +“Ten other people.” +He was right; ten other people were covered with sheets. Ten families were going to be grieving the loss of their loved ones before we had reached Pangaea. Ten families were going to rue the day they had decided to come aboard the ship to escape the end of our world. It would have been easier to just die together, they would say. That's what I would have said, if I had lost anyone. +Ten families. And that was only on our floor. +“They chose to come. They knew the risks.” I said softly to James. +He only nodded in response and grasped my shoulder. +“I want to go somewhere else, James. I cannot bear to see this.” +He nodded again and followed me as I strode across the room. I reached out to grasp a nonexistent handle on the door only to jump back in surprise when it slid open on its own. As we walked past the sobbing woman, we averted our eyes. +There was a loud humming in the hallway. Our way was illuminated only slightly by the dim overhead lights. We walked side by side, neither of us having the energy to keep up a quick pace or engage in conversation. +We climbed a flight of stairs and walked past a door marked “Housing Compartment 3.” There must have been another room full of sleeping survivors on the floor from which we had just come up. Finally, after several more flights of stairs and several more housing compartments, we reached a door that read “Atrium.” When James opened it for me, I was unprepared for the sight that was suddenly before my eyes. +It was exactly like a cruise ship. The floor was marble, and the walls were painted a cheerful blue. There were two staircases leading to an upper level that looped around the entire circular room. At the far end of the vast, open space, there were several sofas arranged around one spectacular floor to ceiling window. +One thing that had always befuddled me was the fact that while gazing out of the window of a moving plane, I could never tell that we were going several hundred miles per hour. Now, we were hurtling through space at a rate ten times the velocity of a simple airplane, and yet we were gliding along almost effortlessly. As James and I stood looking out of that window, we could barely tell we were moving at all. +The nerd in me was awakened as we stared at the lights outside the window. I suppose that space has weather as distinguishable as Earth's did, but in space, the clouds are not dingy and gray the way ours looked when rain is coming. Light purples and blues were the norm, as they say, up there. The stars twinkled in the distance around us; we were still not close enough to touch them. +People were starting to emerge from their housing chambers to explore. A collective gasp of several onlookers sounded behind us, but James and I were scarcely aware of it. The view outside the window was something no man had yet seen, and there we were, the first of the civilians on board to see it. +As people started pushing to get a look out of the window (a child actually pushed through my legs to get in front of me, the little heathen) James grasped my hand and pulled me away. But as we walked, we craned our necks to continue looking, hypnotized by the rare, mystifying beauty of that scene outside. +Large crowds always made me nervous, and the atrium was slowly filling to the brim with people. Though the room was exceptionally large, the walls seemed to shrink, closing in on us and giving little time to escape. Luckily, we pushed through another door and found ourselves walking through a wide corridor. Tables adorned with potted plants and decorative vases were spaced evenly apart along both walls. +“Seems a bit strange, doesn't it?” I asked James after a moment as we continued to stroll along with our hands clasped together. +“What?” +“This was a means to an end, correct?” +“Means to an end of what?” He stammered for a moment. “What are you even talking about right now, woman?” +I smiled, and he did, too. +“You must be exhausted, because after two days of conversing, I know that if you were feeling your best, you would have picked up exactly what I was talking about the moment I said it. But since you don't seem to be grasping it, let me explain myself further.” +Normally, I spoke so quickly that a less intelligent person would find themselves lost after just a few words. But with my body so heavily weighed down by the same exhaustion that I was accusing James of succumbing to, I spoke so slowly an eavesdropper might have assumed I was intoxicated. +“This ship was meant to transport a large group of people from Earth to Pangaea. That was its only purpose. And yet...” +“Let me stop you now, because I know that you're getting ready for one of your monologues.” +“Please do because quite frankly, I am too exhausted to continue but very interested in the answer you are going to supply to my query.” +“How are you even still forming sentences like that?” +If I had not been so tired, I never, even under threat of bodily harm, would have said what I said next. +“Because you are holding my hand, and despite my fatigue, I am still over-analyzing what that might mean. As a result, I am attempting to scare you off.” +We stopped, both needing to rest on one of the loveseats at the end of the hall. He was looking at me, but my eyes were darting around, searching for anything else to focus on. In fact, if one of the breathtakingly hideous Reapers were to be standing in the hallway with us, I would sooner look at it than at James's handsome face in that moment. +My eyes burnt at the sight of the clashing colors of paint on one of the aforementioned decorative vases. I had always hated green and yellow together, and if the painter of that particular vase had walked by me, I would have allowed myself just a single outburst of strong feeling in order to promptly slap him in the face for creating such an atrocity. +Those are the things that I thought about when I was avoiding a particularly unpleasant emotion. +Another moment of that heavy silence was going to kill me faster than the heart attack I had experienced earlier. +“Are we sitting because we're tired, or because you want to have a heart-to-heart? Because, though I am tired, I will force myself to run if you begin a conversation on feelings. I don't like them. I have no use for the ones I have, and that is why they remain repressed, always. And...” +“You are so strange, Brynna.” +I looked at him finally. I had looked at him, even into his eyes, many times before, but I had never noticed them to be so brilliant. Violet was jealous of the fact that Penny and I were the only children with blue eyes, and I had always joked that we were special, as we possessed the recessive gene, and she and Elijah were boringly plain, because they possessed the dominant. Penny and I would always be the unique ones, and they would always be ordinary. A part of me wasn't kidding. But James's eyes, though I had originally thought them to be the same dark brown as most other people's, were deeper and more beautiful than I had ever cared to notice before. +No, my rationality screamed at me, Stop looking at him. He's a man, which makes him dangerous, and you do not need human contact. You do not need human contact. +“You are quite possibly the strangest person I have ever met.” +There was another long moment of silence, and I closed my eyes, shaking my head slightly as I said, “I don't even know what you want me to say to that.” +“You don't have to say anything. I know that's new for you.” +“Are you being condescending right now?” +“That did sound condescending. You're right. What I mean is that I know it's hard for you to always come up with something to say for yourself and the people you care for. If you don't know what to say, you don't have to say anything. I won't be offended.” +I looked at him now, smiling slightly, before nodding. I had never allowed myself to remain quiet on anything. At first, I spoke to avoid being overlooked. Then, I spoke to defend my sisters and brother. After that, I spoke to scare people away. It was exhausting to live without a moment of quiet. +“Of course,” He smiled again, “If you do have something to say, I love hearing it. You might drive me absolutely insane sometimes with it, but that doesn't mean I don't want to hear it. Plus, I know that you're going to make it heard whether I like it or not. You'll make it heard whether anyone likes it or not.” +“I will.” I replied, with a very slight laugh. +“Wow. I am so used to the scowl that I am shocked to see you laugh.” +“You've seen me laugh before.” +“You always cover your mouth when you laugh but that time you didn't.” +“So it seems I am not the only one who analyzes everyone with whom I come in contact.” +“No. If I'm going to be honest, I am fascinated by you. You're just,” His brows furrowed slightly in genuine awe and slight confusion, “Strange.” +“Should I be offended by that?” +“No. Definitely not. It's cool, actually. I mean that. It's kind of amazing.” He shook his head back and forth quickly for a second and then said, “I am very tired. I would never be saying all of these things if I weren’t so tired.” +“I'm tired, too.” I looked at him again. “James, I should be telling you that we need to put distance between us. I should be telling you that this is all wrong. You're older than me, and I'm not the easiest person to get along with. I hurt people, sometimes on purpose. Every person I have ever known has been hurt profoundly by me at some point. I have let them move closer to me at times just so I could push them away later. Violet, Maura, and Elijah will never recover from what I put them all through, just by being who I am.” I stopped talking because the exertion was beginning to wear on me. It wasn't just the act of speaking that was weighing me down faster than I could fathom but the actual words. What I was saying had never been admitted out loud, but the words spilled out of me, sensing that this was their first and last chance to be heard. I finished the rambling admittance with what was the most candid, most painful confession of all: +“It’s true what they say about me. I am a toxic human being.” +He reached out, put his hand on my face, and leaned closer to me. Our eyes stayed locked together, and his other hand stayed wrapped around mine. +“You're not.” He said softly, “You're one of the best people I know.” +I couldn't help but laugh bitterly. +“You must be exhausted...” +“I am. But that doesn't mean I'm not right. Do you want distance between us? Tell me, and you'll have it.” +I leaned forward, my eyes closed now, and pressed my forehead to his. My hands rested on either side of his neck, and I felt his grasping my face still. There, in that moment, I knew that I had to face the unknown. I had to carry every burden of my family in order to keep our lives moving. It was a task too great and too terrifying to realize suddenly, but I did. In response to his question, I shook my head. +As we faced what was ahead, I knew, more surely than I had known anything else in my life, that though my logical brain was telling me that he must be pushed away, my heart was begging me to keep him. I needed James Maxwell more than I had ever allowed myself to need another human being in the entire span of my existence. +The thought of having him anywhere else but by my side was one that I could not bear. So, I wrapped my arms around his neck and buried my face there, still shaking my head. As usual, I tried to pull away immediately but was able to stop myself. +I needed him. The thought made my heart flutter, but it also made me sick. +*** + +“Where have you two been?!” Maura exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air the way she always did when she was more than substantially irritated. “We woke up. You’re both gone. They’re wheeling people out of here covered in sheets.” +“How many?” James asked. +I walked over to kneel down beside Penny, who was sitting up and drawing in a great yawn. +“There were seven that we saw. Who knows how many?” Elijah replied, “So, what happened? Do you think the drug really did kill people?” +“I am sure it did.” I replied dismally. “It almost killed me.” +“What?!” Maura exclaimed, even more loudly than she had before. Within a second, she had stormed up to me, grabbed my face tightly in both of her hands, and began staring into my eyes as though she’d be able to assess my health by glaring at me. “What happened?!” +“It was mild, according to the doctor. Please don’t worry yourself over it.” I replied emotionlessly. After shaking her off, I sat down next to Penny on her bed. +“Are we in space?” She beamed brilliantly up at me, her blue eyes that were identical to mine gleaming with girlish wonder and glee. +“We are.” I said with a smile of my own. “Do you want to go see something cool?” +“You still haven’t told me exactly what happened, and you’re not going anywhere until you do.” Maura snapped at me furiously. The placid, gentle joy I had felt as I spoke to Penny disappeared without warning, leaving an uncomfortable, black void that left me cringing almost visibly. +“Maura, it is not even a big deal!” I shot back at her angrily. My outburst was unwarranted and practically inarticulate, considering how normally, when I dealt with strong emotions, I did so with poised sentences, as I am sure you have gathered. +Who was she to demand an explanation? Why was she, quite suddenly, so concerned about me? +“It was a heart attack.” James answered with a touch of irritation poisoning his reassurance. I did not know towards whom his hostility was directed. +“It was very mild, and the doctors said she should have no lasting side effects from it.” +“Your heart has always been fine.” Maura replied instantly. “She’s twenty two. How could she have had a heart attack?” +James shrugged slightly. +“Because it was caused by the sedative. They had to get something together quickly that would be powerful enough to knock people out for the amount of time it took to level the ship. Given how rough the takeoff was and how quickly we were moving, they had to have something to keep everyone calm. You know that the old, safer stuff that could do that isn’t exactly easy to get these days. Not even the doctors on board had access to it; their clearance wasn’t high enough. They didn’t worry too much about the side effects of the one they gave everyone.” +“We can see that!” Maura continued, much to my growing offense. “Now, at least seven people are dead!” +“The world was going to end. They did not exactly have time to let the FDA screen the drug.” I huffed irritably. +“Would you just relax?” Violet snapped at me, “God! Did you sleep at all?” +“Yes, I did, thank you so much. Just because I slept doesn’t mean that I am not still suffering through some mild irritability at being asked asinine questions. Come along, Penny.” I grasped her hand, and we strode ahead of Elijah, Maura, Violet, and James. +“Just ignore her. She’s just in bitch mode.” I heard Violet mutter to Maura softly. +“Profanity is the weapon of weak-minded men, or in your case, girls.” I called to her over my shoulder. +Violet exclaimed in contentious exasperation, but I heard Elijah chuckling to himself. +“Don’t encourage her!” Violet snapped at him. +James stormed up to Penny and me. When his hand grasped my upper-arm roughly, I immediately snatched it away and frowned at him dangerously. His earlier belligerence in the conversation had been directed towards me, I discovered, though I could not have cared any less. +“You know, you really should go easy on her.” James muttered to me quickly. Perhaps if he had merely suggested that I take a more agreeable approach in regards to my association with Maura, I might have taken his thoughts into consideration. I might have even followed his guidance on the matter. Instead, his tone was harsh, demanding... I would not be told what to do by any man but certainly not by one I had only just met. My frown darkened to a lethal scowl that I thought would scare him away. +“Yeah, I know that look.” He nodded and furrowed his brows in a show of condescension that was sure to earn him a harsh kick between the legs from me. “It's not scaring me. Listen, I know this is tough for you. But it’s tough on everyone. You are acting like a spiteful child right now, and it needs to stop.” +Already, my resolve to refrain from ever making true, civilized human contact was overtaking my need for attachment. The former was stronger than what I had assumed was a basic, chemical need for James Maxwell. Ordering me around was certainly not helping his case, either. In fact, his sudden embrace of an abusively coercive disposition proved what I had so long believed about all men: Once they believed that they had a woman under their spell, their entire being changed. They had to feel as though they were totally in control by whatever means necessary. +Sometimes I thought of myself as a soldier on the front-line of defense. Consider it idealism or perhaps even a delusion far beyond grandeur, but I believed that it was my duty in life to guard not only myself and my sisters from the advances of men like James, but to inform all women, young and old, on the ways to recognize and successfully (albeit figuratively) dispatch a man who hid his beastly nature behind his handsome face. +That's what I thought when I was young, anyway. Yes, I was that type of feminist, I am sorry to report... +I glared at him in scornful silence before clearing my throat in irritation. +“James, just because I embraced you does not mean you can now tell me what to do. Do not assume that because you witnessed a moment of weakness in me that I am now suddenly at your command. Resist your nature as a male, please.” +“I figured that was coming.” James told me, without missing a beat. “So, you’re back to normal. You’re back to being a nasty, arrogant, bitch right? I know that's your thing. We’re back to that?” +I smiled at the thought of sticking a pin in his now laughably large ego. He had managed to weaken me momentarily when we were in the hallway. He had exposed the human being beneath the machinery for a second in time. Now, he gave himself undeserved credit for accomplishing what others believed to be an impossibility. The one moment when I had foolishly allowed myself to drop my guard, even if it was only slightly, was a victory for him, because he had done what so many others had tried and failed to do in regards to conversational and emotional intimacy with me. +I was partially responsible for the lapse in my judgment. But he was mostly to blame. Suddenly, I hated him for it. I was keen on self-loathing in those days, so I hated myself as well. However, I was also keen to passing the buck, as they say, and so, James received the brunt of my reproach; he had not given up his quest to expose my inner fragility until he had succeeded. +Because of those things, I would put both him and myself in our respective places. +“Tell me we’re back to that, Brynna.” +“We were never anywhere else, James.” + +Quinn + +“Quinn? Quinn, wake up!” +When my eyes shot open, they watered in the harsh light that was casting Alice's face in shadow. +“Is it back? Is the thing back?” I asked through slurred speech as I sat up quickly. “Whoa…” My hand flew up to grasp my head that was suddenly spinning in complete circles. “What’s going on?” +“It’s okay.” I felt Alice’s arms around my neck and her lips press to mine. “We made it. But it happened. We’re here. But it’s gone. Everything is gone, Quinn.” +Her face was buried in my neck, and I felt her tears as they streamed from her eyes. +“Did you see it, too?” I asked her, feeling my hands trembling as I held her tightly. The familiar smell of her hair and the feeling of her body pressed to mine remedied the horror I still felt at witnessing the end of the world in my dreams. +She nodded and stammered out, “But… but… The ship leveled out. We’re alright, baby. They said we're going to make it...” +I pulled away to look her over, making sure that she really was alright. Nothing about her appearance gave me reason to be alarmed, and I breathed a sigh of relief. +Her hands flew up to grasp my face as she kissed me. We fell back on my cot, kissing passionately, prompting everyone to turn and look at us, some in disgust and some in admiration. After we had broken apart, I watched a guy in his twenties pump his fist in the air triumphantly when I looked at him. +“It's love, man! It will keep us together!” He exclaimed, and because we knew he was just goofing off, we found ourselves cracking up despite the horror we still felt in our chests over what we had seen. +“Let’s just be happy right now that we’re alive, okay?” Alice asked as she kissed me every couple of seconds. “Let’s be sad later.” +I looked into her green eyes and nodded. +“We’re here. We’re together.” I told her, and I couldn't help but smile slightly. “You’re right. We need to be happy about that, especially after everything that's happened.” +Her smile emerging suddenly at what I had said was all the affirmation I needed. +“Let’s go see the ship. People have been talking about how awesome it is.” +She pulled me up, and once I was on my feet, we were hugging again, laughing to ourselves for no reason at all. The world had ended, and everything we knew was gone. But there was, admittedly, a certain excitement at having survived. It wasn’t a matter of boasting in the faces of the dead. Every human has the basic instinct to survive, and we had. There was no way we couldn’t celebrate our lives being spared, even if we didn’t understand why we had been so lucky. +Our hands were clasped together as we hurried out of our housing compartment on the third floor. +“The lady next to me said that we have to go upstairs. She said it’s amazing!” +We were running up the stairs, laughing like children in the midst of escaping from school for a day off. When we threw open the door with the word “Atrium” printed boldly across, we were stunned into silence. Even our gleeful laughter was rendered inert. +We walked forward in a daze, our mouths open in awe. Outside of the window was a display so fantastical, it was worthy of a place in some medieval fairy tale. Lights were swirling and glittering, the stars around them twinkling in the distance. The window from floor to ceiling allowed us to see perfectly this spectacular array of colors and shapes that flew past us at a speed we could not even begin to fathom. +Alice looked at me as we stood with our faces to the glass and mouthed, “Oh my God!” We were both laughing, unable to shake the joy we felt so strongly without apology or excuse. When her fingers linked with mine, my grin only grew wider. +“I could stand here all day. Can you believe this?” I asked her. +She shook her head, her eyes still wide in disbelief at what we were witnessing. In that moment, I felt truly lucky to have survived. Our reward for all we had suffered was that sight seen by so few. It was that childlike amazement we felt. +We stood for several minutes, staring until our eyes watered. We couldn’t imagine tearing ourselves away. But then, our curiosity at what other wonders the rest of the ship held overtook us, and we turned to leave. +“Do you think they have a Ben and Jerry’s stand? If they do, this would pretty much be the coolest ship ever.” Alice told me, and we both burst into hysterics again. +After walking through a hallway lined with vases and flower pots, in which we passed a very tired-looking man and who I assumed was his equally tired-looking daughter (though the way they were embracing was a little weird, if my assumption was right), we walked into a large room with a ceiling made of glass. There were hundreds of tables on the hardwood floors. It looked like a dining room at a vacation resort; the tables were wooden and adorned with flowers in small crystal glasses. Running along the left wall was a buffet stand that was emptied and dark. +“Well, I guess it’s a good thing they were building this thing for uppity morons.” I told Alice, who beamed. +“Only the best for them, I suppose.” She agreed with a roll of her eyes. “Well, now it’s for us. I mean, look at this!” Her voice echoed around the room as she spun in a circle while walking. “Look up!” +I did, only to see the stars whizzing past us through the window overhead in an impossibly fast blur. +“Do you have any idea how fast this thing is going?” I asked her, “I mean, how much money did they spend for this?” +“Not our problem, baby. Don’t think about it.” +“I know it’s not our problem. At least, not anymore. I mean, I have to admit that I find it kind of funny that they couldn’t escape even the apocalypse unless they were riding in style.” +“I know, right? If someone told me I had to fly in a rocket made from a Spot-A-Pot, I would have done it.” +“Oh, gross! That's so nasty, babe...” I said, but I was doubled over from laughing so hard. +“I knew you’d like that one.” She told me after walking back to grasp my hand again. She stood on her tiptoes to kiss my cheek. +When we left the dining hall, we walked through what looked like a large sitting room straight out of the Titanic. After that, we discovered a library. Then, we discovered a recreation room. Set up throughout the spacious area were televisions, several pool tables, and through a door in the back, a large, empty swimming pool. +“That’s a lot of TVs.” I told her as we stared. “But definitely not enough for five-thousand people. ‘I want to watch Transformers!’ ‘I want to watch...' I stopped, screwing up my face as I tried to think. “God, what's a girl movie?” +“The Notebook, Runaway Bride, oh!” She snapped her fingers when she remembered another one. “Pretty Woman, Dirty Dancing, Flashdance... That’s some of the 80’s ones, and I haven’t even mentioned anything with Molly Ringwald yet…” +“Okay, okay...” I waved my hands to stop her. “Please stop. If you cut me right now, I'd bleed pink after listening to that.” +When she laughed that time, she fell back onto the couch and covered her face. When she recovered, she held up the tape that was in her hand. +“Fine, baby, I can fix that problem for you. Superbowl XLVI.” +“Shut the…” I walked forward and took the DVD from her hand when she outstretched it to me. “They have football, too? Allie, I now know for sure that everything is going to be okay.” +“Except for the fact that people are going to get knifed over movies, which is what you were insinuating earlier." +“I guess we’ll just all have to learn to share. Isn’t that what you used to tell your kids at work?” +“Yes. What, do you think I’m going to be a Preschool Teacher’s Aide here, too?” +“People will probably start acting like little kids over movies, so yeah. I hate to break it to you.” +“Never! I told you, I will never do that again. If anyone gets into a fight over whether to watch football or baseball, I am staying out of it. There’s nobody to tell me that I have to break it up. That’s something that I am not going to miss, I’m telling you.” +“What? Working?” +“Yup! Are you going to miss fixing cars on the weekends?” +“Hell no. Isn’t that why people are fascinated with the end of the world? They know that they don’t have any responsibilities except the most basic ones anymore.” +“I know I’m excited about it. I mean, yeah, we’re going to have problems. But I just have this feeling that everything is going to be alright. It’s not because we have football DVDs. It’s just…” She looked up at me. “I know it. The same way we’ve known everything else so far.” +I smiled and kissed her quickly. +“I know it, too. We deserve it at this point, don’t we?” +“Definitely. After what we just went through, we deserve to have it easy from now on.” +Consider us young, naïve, and entitled, but we really did believe that everything was going to be easy from then on out. We were aboard the most amazing ship ever built in the old world, hurtling through space at a speed that had never been achieved by any craft in the history of man. Sure, we were going to land on a planet and start civilization over, but how hard could that be? We were living through an experience that most would have deemed impossible. The thrill of it all was enough to blind us to the harsh fact that things would never be easy for us again. There on the ship that day, we could not bring ourselves to acknowledge the challenges that we knew would have to be faced, nor did we take the time to ponder the challenges we knew nothing of yet. + There was no guarantee that we would survive the first year on Pangaea. I knew that those thoughts were the reality of the situation, and I believe that Alice, in her heart, knew that as well. We just couldn't face that fact then because we had been through hell over the previous days. We needed hope. We needed to believe that things were going to get better. It was foolish and irresponsible to allow such a drawn out vacation from the harsh reality. We needed to remain grounded in it, stuck hard to firm ground in order to deal with the consequences of our escape. +Alice and I looked at each other after several minutes, our smiles faded, and our laughter having abruptly died away. We knew then that our hope was premature and our view on the “paradise” we were sailing towards was unrealistic. +“I know that we can’t afford to let our guards down.” I told her quietly, “But we have to try to make the best of this, babe. We’re all we have now. We’re all that we’re ever going to have.” +She nodded as she reached up to wipe a stray tear from her eye. +“You sound like your dad.” She told me, “So reasonable and so… ‘This is how it is. This is how we make it work.’” +“Is that a good or a bad thing?” +After grasping my hands, she smiled slightly. +“He might not have liked me, but I liked him. I always saw a lot of him in you. I see it even more now. If he were here, he’d be proud of you.” +Why she said all of that just then, I didn’t know. I didn’t believe that it was true. The carefree joy we had felt just mere moments earlier was replaced by a sadness so strong, it rattled my nerves. The mention of my father made tears come into my eyes. Alice, crying with me, reached up and wiped them away. She kissed me again gently. +“I love you, and you’re right. We’re going to make the best of this, and we’re going to be alright. We survived the worst of it. We can survive what’s left. You’re right about that, Quinn. I love you.” +I looked up at her and put my hand on her face. +“I love you, too.” +*** + +The food was pretty decent. The cots were relatively comfortable. Even after a week and a half of watching the movies they had stored, we weren’t bored. We were able to talk to people from other countries and learn how they had discovered that the world was ending. +With everyone, it had all started with the dream. +One man from France told us about seeing a creature very similar to the one we had seen. When we asked if he had killed it, he shook his head. +“I should have.” He said through his heavy accent. “I know it was somebody.” +“Did anyone you love go missing?” Alice pressed him gently. +“Yes. My wife and my brother both went missing. I know that she was the one following me. I should have ended it for her, but I could not.” +To think of that man’s wife tossing and turning in some unknown purgatory we couldn’t begin to picture clearly disturbed Alice so much that she stopped sleeping through the night. I would wake up, hearing the people all around me snoring or breathing steadily, and Alice would be sitting up in her bed, squinting at her crocheting book and trying to follow the instructions, or doodling, or reading those books about the rich kids at a New York City private school that she had insisted on bringing, all by the very dim light of her dying flashlight. +I didn’t want to ask people about the monsters anymore, but Alice insisted on getting all the information we could. +For some, it was the Watchers we had encountered. Other people described being stalked (and in some cases, attacked) by giants wearing fur and armor. +“Like a giant? Or a troll?” I pressed eagerly. +“If I had any idea what you were talking about, I would choose one or the other.” The strange woman from Maine answered. “But since I don’t know…” +It didn’t matter, so I didn’t explain it. How she didn’t know what a giant or a troll was, though, I didn’t know. +“I just know that those things were huge, and they would have killed me if he hadn’t stopped them.” The woman beckoned to her husband. +“What did you do to stop them?” I asked, ready to file his answer away for future reference. +“I found my own beast, I guess. I beat the crap out of the thing. I’ve never done Karate or anything like that a day in my life. But I was like a cage-fighter, man. I’ll admit, it was kind of cool.” +I smiled slightly, remembering how it felt when I had ordered the cop to leave, only to see him turn and stride away as though I had simply bid him good evening. +Another person, who spoke a million miles a minute with words I had never heard used in conversation before, explained seeing some strange, child-like creature. +“It only had a circle with teeth in it. It wasn’t a mouth, per se.” +Weird… +All of that was fun for a week or so. Then, Alice and I began to grow restless as we awaited the day we could leave the ship. After exploring every part of it, we were ready for some open air. The walls were beginning to feel like they were closing in. Though the ship was large, we were beginning to feel like were closed inside of a shoebox. +One night, we all got a scare. Randomly, while everyone was in the cafeteria having dinner, the ship began to bob up and down only slightly. Nobody stopped talking; they were paying no attention to the vibrations that Alice and I felt beneath our feet. Then, there was a deafening bang, and everyone in the room was thrown up into the air several feet, only to come smacking back to the ground. For a minute, our stomachs dropped, and I knew in my heart that we were plummeting right out of the sky, falling into the infinite space below us. There was nothing that would catch us in the dark open space beneath us. +But then, just as the screams of terror and the shrill emergency sirens reached a deafening peak, it was over. I looked up to see a girl a little older than Alice and I clutching a sobbing little girl close to her. An older man, presumably her father, had his arm around her shoulder. She shook him off and stood back up with the child still attached to her chest. One of the other girls with her was being ushered to her feet by a pretty red-headed woman who I could only assume was her mother. +The first girl and the man were the ones we had seen in the hallway. I had only seen fractured groups thus far, and they were the first family where all of its members appeared to be intact. They appeared to be doing alright. That made them the luckiest group, in my opinion. +Alice and I were walking back to our room one night when the little girl I had seen came running around the corner, giggling as her older brother chased her. Behind them, the two girls were walking in silence, not looking at each other. +“I am sick of this ship.” The older of the two muttered as she stared straight ahead. The younger gave no response. +“Well, I guess we’re not the only ones who just want to freaking get to Pangaea already.” Alice muttered to me as the door to our housing compartment slid open to let us in. +“Are we going to live here on the ship, or are we going to rough it out in the wilderness?” + I was trying to distract her from what I knew was a severe case of cabin fever. I was experiencing the very same thing. +“Definitely the wilderness.” She replied as we laid down on our beds that we had pushed together. “I’m sick of this ship, too. Once I’m off of it, I’ll probably never come back inside.” +“You’ll have to come inside to eat.” +“No, I won’t. We’ll learn to hunt and fish. We’ll live off the land. Isn’t that what you always said you wanted to do? Remember? Your parents were calling you like, every five minutes that day, and you got all frustrated and said you wanted to go live on an island where there was no service. You said we would learn to hunt our own food, and we’d live in a log cabin we built out of the trees there.” +“No.” I corrected her. “I changed my mind, remember? I said that I’d rather live in a house made out of palm leaves. It is way more authentic.” +“It might be more authentic, but I would definitely prefer the log cabin. I like having doors and windows. I like kitchens.” +“Well, we wouldn’t have a stove.” +“That’s okay. We would cook outside on a fire, and we’d bring the food in to eat in the kitchen. I can picture it; we’ll have oil lamps lit instead of having electricity.” +I realized then that we were no longer talking about the fantasy I had dreamed up while frustrated over always being wired in with everyone. We were talking about Pangaea. I laid back, picturing what she was saying. +“We’ll catch our own food.” She continued, “We’ll cook it ourselves. We’ll make plates out of rocks and silverware out of bamboo shoots.” +“I’ll build us furniture out of trees. Maybe we’ll find some way to make paint, and you can start painting again.” +“Yeah. We’ll find some way to make fabric, and I’ll sew us curtains and blankets and cushions for our couches.” She laughed and covered her face. “This is so ridiculous.” +“No, it’s not.” I told her after propping my head up on my hand and turning to face her. “It’s cool. I like talking about this, believe it or not.” +“I barely believe it, because I know how you are about feelings.” +“Hey, I am a sensitive guy.” +“Yeah, right. And Satan liked to snuggle.” +“Did you just compare me to Satan?” I asked, trying to feign offense. “That's low.” +“No!” She exclaimed, picking up her pillow and whacking me in the face with it. “I was just kidding. You can be very sensitive sometimes. Like when I force you to watch any movie based on a Nicholas Sparks book. You think I don’t see the man-tears, but I’ve seen them.” +“You’ve seen nothing!” I exclaimed in mock outrage before we both started laughing raucously again. +The people on the other side of Alice’s bed were scowling at us. They were a couple that had clearly been married for many years. Every time I looked over at them at night time, they were turned away from one another. I never saw them exchange a word of conversation, either. They spent a lot of time praying, speaking loudly enough to God for all of us to hear. One night, when I was feeling particularly grim, I wondered if one day, after spending every waking moment together for many years, Alice and I would become like them. My parents had been toying with the idea of getting divorced, and they had been high school sweethearts, if people still even use that expression. Was that just marriage? It begins and it ends before death parts the two involved? +Alice and I were, for all intents and purposes, married now. We were on our own, living without the constant supervision of our parents. We were traveling on that journey together. Once we got to Pangaea, because we were together and because we were all that either of us knew, we would be living together. We loved each other. Were we doomed to scowl at those in the midst of young love one day because they had exactly what we had lost? +Those were heavy thoughts for me at that age. But after everything, it was easy to travel down some deep cerebral path into the meaning of it all, into the past and the future. I believed that Alice and I would be together forever. She believed the same. As we talked about where we saw ourselves on Pangaea, we believed in our permanence as a couple even more resolutely. +We were going to build our log cabin, hunt our food, build our furniture, and make a life for ourselves. Some people would kill for that chance, but we hadn’t needed to. We were forced into that life by some cruel trick of fate where every other option was incinerated. +It was thrilling. It was terrifying. It was the best and the worst of scenarios. +I never would have survived those days of uncertainty without her there, helping me hatch those crazy schemes and believing in them with me. I never would have survived all that came to pass later without remembering all we had dreamt up. It had seemed so childish at the time; it was almost completely ridiculous. But it never left me. Those days with her have still never left me. + +Violet + +“Look, Maura! Look at it!” Penny exclaimed excitedly as she pushed her way through the large crowd of people gathered around the window at the far end of the Atrium. +“I see, darling. That is something, isn’t it?” +“Look at the stars! They’re still so far away!” +I looked over at Brynna to see her covering her mouth to hide a tiny smile that had emerged. Elijah nudged her with his elbow several times, practically bobbing up and down. He had always been the one obsessed with space and there he was, flying through it. +“Hold this.” He handed Brynna his water bottle, “I’m going to go stomp on children so I can get a better look.” +Brynna laughed now, and I couldn’t help but join in. +“We were the first to see it, you know.” James told me as he leaned against one of the pillars by the wall. +“You two were the first people awake?” I looked between the two of them in disbelief. +“I believe so.” James replied, “Well, there was another woman up, but that’s a grim story for another time.” +“What happened?” I asked, and my smile faded abruptly. +“It’s nothing.” James dispersed my need to know such a dark thing with an easygoing tone and a shrug of his shoulder. “You and your sister, you're two of a kind. You're fascinated with all things morbid.” +“Her husband had a heart attack in his sleep and died.” Brynna chimed in bluntly. +When James and I looked over at her, me in shock and him in the beginning phase of anger, she exhaled the smoke from her cigarette, shrugged her shoulder, and raised one eyebrow. + “You asked.” +Irritation welled inside of me. I hadn’t wanted to know that. The fascination with morbid things that James had commented on always resulted in me feeling an almost exaggerated, out of proportion level of sadness or disgust. Perhaps it was guilt at being so enthralled by the macabre. I hadn’t needed to know that and yet I had asked. She had told me. Neither of us acted in my best interest. +Brynna should have avoided the topic for my benefit the way James had. When I was young, she exhibited some sensitivity on emotionally heavy things. As I got older, she became more and more forceful with the truth. Once I had reached the age of seventeen, my feelings were not spared on anything. I sympathized for Penny; when I looked over at her, I saw that Elijah was holding her up so she could see out of the window better, and her eyes were lit up with such amazement at what she was seeing. I pitied her suddenly and painfully. On one particular day, with no precursor to the sudden change, she would find Brynna, who was warm to her now, suddenly cold and hardened. Her feelings would change from adoration and a perception of safety to what bordered on hatred for having to face the scary world without her older sister’s guidance. +“Really?” James snapped at Brynna in disbelief. +“Pardon me, but she is my sister. I will decide what she hears and what she does not, thank you so much.” +“And what was the purpose of telling her that? Oh, that's right. There isn't one.” +Brynna shrugged. +“It is the reality of the situation. We can’t afford any naivety here. Not anymore…” +“Where are Mom and Dad?” I asked her, just as Elijah returned from the group, beaming like a schoolboy who had just tripped and landed on top of a particularly good-looking and well-built woman. But upon hearing my question, his smile disappeared and he looked at Brynna quizzically. +“So, that is what I was saying earlier to you, James.” +Brynna looked up from the pamphlet she had been reading. She was a pro at pretending she hadn’t been listening to what someone, especially I, had said. +“Don’t use me to avert the situation.” James replied snidely, “You’re so eager to answer questions, why don’t you answer hers?” +Her expression darkened suddenly when her eyes met his. I watched her hands start shaking and braced myself for an explosion of rage. She meandered through life, suppressing every tiny feeling that crossed her heart. Her insides inflated slowly until finally, like a balloon with too much air, they burst loudly. When that happened, we all knew to steer clear of her. The rages were unlike anything any doctor had ever seen. +But she took a slow, cleansing breath the way she had once read she was supposed to do when her anger reached that point. When she spoke, her voice was trembling and jumping an octave every couple of seconds as she forced the shout back down into her stomach. +“This is more important.” She took another breath. “You seem to know everything about our current predicament, so let me ask you this: Why is this ship so intricate? It was originally intended to be a means of escape. It was supposed to be our transportation. Why does it look like the interior of a vacation resort? I feel like I just won a radio contest.” +“Didn’t I explain this to you, dear?” +Oh boy… +“People like your parents, who were going to escape the earth, surely wouldn’t be transported on anything that wasn’t state of the art. God forbid they travel like the rest of us. Actually, when this ship was being built originally, it was because it was going to be used to transport anyone who could pay a large sum of money to Pangaea for an intergalactic vacation. Instead, people like your parents commandeered it to escape what was going to happen. Even though what just consumed the planet was completely, one hundred and fifty percent, the fault of your parents.” +My heart dropped with a resounding thud that echoed in my ears. I covered my mouth in horror, feeling my brain starting to twirl end over end inside my skull. +Brynna’s arms were around me, and I was being ushered to one of the many couches. +“You accuse me of insensitivity, and then you pull that?” She snapped, “What is wrong with you?” +“Don’t be a hypocrite. You did the same damn thing.” James hissed at her furiously, but when he spoke to me, his voice was gentle. “Violet, I’m sorry. Despite what she may believe, I wasn’t doing that to upset you or her. I was just frustrated. I should have edited myself. I’m sorry.” +I shook my head and looked from him to Brynna and back again. +“It happened?” I managed to murmur tremulously, “It happened while we were asleep?” +Brynna looked up at James. +“You were awake, dear, so why don’t you scar her further and tell her exactly what happened?” +For a moment, I really thought he was going to whack her in the face. Granted, if he had, Elijah would have killed him. But thankfully, he suppressed his outburst and looked back at me, his eyes warm. +“Whatever it was, it shook the entire ship. They made an announcement to those of us that were awake that ‘the event’ had happened. We’ll never know exactly what it was. But you had the dream, Violet, so you can surmise. Whatever it was, I’m sure it was quick, okay?” +“But Mom and Dad…” I was rambling now, barely able to process a word of what he had said. “Mom and Dad are here, aren’t they?” +“Where are they, Brynna?” Elijah asked in a voice devoid of all emotion. “What did you do?” +Maura and Penny were starting to make their way back to us. I saw them getting closer in my peripheral vision. Brynna would be attempting to put an abrupt end to the conversation any minute now. +She answered him so quietly I barely heard her. But when she spoke, her voice was firm, unapologetic. +“I had no choice.” +My body jerked upwards so that I was standing. My heart dropped even further and yet still managed to beat although it was no longer in my chest cavity where it belonged. +“You left them?!” I screamed at her, and everyone in the Atrium turned to stare at us for a second, their jabbering ending abruptly so they could listen. +“What did you do now?” Maura asked Brynna irritably. +Brynna normally would have given her an earful for insinuating that she must take responsibility for causing someone great emotional upset. But now, she had my arm firmly in her grasp and was pulling me towards a door at the end of the hall. Once we were outside, and the door had slid shut behind us, she pushed me up against a wall, her body trembling with rage. +“You listen to me,” Her voice was shaking along with her body, “I had very little time. I had a decision to make, and I made it. They screwed everyone, Violet. They were responsible for this. And guess what? Your Mommy and Daddy were going to take off and leave everyone they had screwed over behind! We just beat them to it.” +“You left them! And they’re dead now!” I screamed at her as tears ran from my eyes. “You killed them!” +“I did nothing. They killed themselves! Let me make this quite clear to you: You are here, you are alive. I had a choice between saving you and saving them. Observe your surroundings to determine what my exact choice was.” +“How could you do that?! They’re our parents!” +I couldn’t make sense of it. I couldn’t fathom such grief. My parents had always been distant, and sometimes, I truly believed that my love for them was waning. But now they were gone because of Brynna. I hadn’t even been able to say goodbye. +“They were nothing to me, Violet.” She scowled at me for showing such an abundance of weakness. “If you were even half as intelligent as I am, if you had even an iota of observational and inferential abilities, you would say the same thing.” +“You’re evil!” I pushed her, but she barely stumbled. “You’re evil, and you’re a bad person and you’re a… a… bitch! You’re a …” +I meant every word that I shouted. I meant every awful thought that I couldn’t quite transform into words. I hoped that she would be left behind someday. I hoped that she would die. After she was dead, I hoped that she would burn in hell for being so heartless. +She crossed her arms over her chest and watched me, shaking her head slightly, waiting for me to be done. Behind her dark-rimmed glasses, her eyes flashed not with hurt at any of the terrible things I was saying, but with a mild irritation. I wanted to rip her apart. I couldn't believe how badly I wanted to kill my own sister. +“I hate you!” I shrieked, “I hate you, Brynna! I wish you were dead instead of them! It should have been you!” +Our mother and Maura had both screamed the same words at one point in her life. If Brynna were human, what I had just said would have reduced her to a sobbing, broken mess. But her eyes only burnt even more brightly as a smile formed on her lips. +“You know that, don’t you?” +I laughed in bitter rage through my tears. I would keep screaming my insults, accusations, and cruel wishes for her demise until she broke. I would keep screaming until I lost my voice, if that was what it took to bring her down. +“You know that you were the one that deserved to die!” +“Yes, sure,” She replied, in that maddeningly calm, arrogant way. “I knew I was the one who was supposed to die. You are right, Violet. You caught me.” +“You stupid bitch! You evil bitch! It should have been you! Do you hear me?! It should have been you! You should have stayed behind! You should have died in that pool!” +I was throwing the worst event that had ever happened to us at her mercilessly, and above all the other things I said, I would feel the most guilt for hurling that terrible accusation from our past at her. I would regret all of it later, but mostly that. I was saying all of those awful things to my sister, who had, in her later years, been the one who raised me. She had molded me into the person I was. My parents had never been there, and when Maura was gone for three years, the responsibility of Penny and I landed on Brynna’s small shoulders. +I knew that. But I also knew that despite all they had done, I loved my parents, and she had left them to die. +“Plus, you knew that they would have left you behind! You knew they didn’t want you! I couldn’t understand why before, but I do now! They would have left you because they didn’t love you! Because you’re evil!” +I collapsed on the ground in a fit of tears, wanting to kick my feet and scream until my face turned red and my lungs no longer drew in breath. I could feel her gaze resting heavily on me. I could feel every last bit of her contempt at seeing what she believed was a pathetic display of failed strength. +“Have your tantrum, little girl.” She said after a long moment of watching me, “My stars, this is disappointing… I raised you better than this drama, Violet Mae.” +With that, she turned and calmly walked away. +*** + +Maura was talking to me. I don’t know how long I sat on the floor in that hallway before she showed up. When Brynna returned to the group, I’m sure Maura immediately began searching for me. Knowing my sister’s cruel tendencies, she knew that I would be in need of comfort. But she never could have imagined what I had just learned. +“Darling, sit up. Come on. That’s it.” +After I had crumpled to the ground, I had slid sideways so that I was lying on my side at the base of the wall. Anyone who walked by me would assume that we had broken open some celebratory bottles of champagne while they were all still sleeping, and I was just a sad, drunk girl who would pass out eventually and be out of everyone’s hair. But obviously, Maura knew better. +I’ll admit that I was giving her no help; her small hands were attempting to lift the full weight of my body. But she was strong when she needed to be and was eventually able to maneuver me into a sitting position. I felt her hands on my face and her thumbs wiping my tears away. +“What happened, darling? What did she say? Whatever it was, you know she didn’t mean it. She’s just…” Maura sighed and moved my hair away from my face with both of her hands. “That’s just who she is, right? You know that.” +“Mom and Dad aren’t here, Maura.” I told her. +Her expression fell; she was as stunned by the revelation as I had been. +“She left them behind.” +While she had been shocked before, now she was downright horrified. Who wouldn’t be? The child she had raised had finally snapped and committed a foul, sinful act. She had left two people she was supposed to love unconditionally behind to die on Earth because she felt they were unworthy of being saved. In short, she had played God. There was no way Maura couldn’t be horrified, as she was seeing for the first time, clear as day, that Brynna was evil through and through. +I thought Maura was going to leave me. I thought she was going to storm after Brynna and scream at her all the things that I had already screamed. But she didn’t. We sat on the floor in silence for several minutes. +“I knew she was hiding something. She’s worse when she’s hiding something. God, with that damn Rachel Lilien, she was unbearable. But maybe we’re not giving her enough credit. Maybe she tried to save them, and they didn’t believe her.” +I looked up at her, saying nothing. My expression forced her to rethink that hypothesis very quickly. +“But she doesn’t hate them, Violet. I know that she doesn’t. They have their issues, yes. But she could never do something like that. She could never have left without telling them what was going on. I know that she blames them for Rachel’s death. She thinks your father hatched some scheme to shut her and that man up before they could drop some terrible bombshell about your mother, but you and I both know that’s utterly ludicrous, and she does, too! She couldn’t leave them behind because of Rachel, because she knows that they weren’t involved. She has to know that.” +“She has always hated them, Maura. Long before Rachel dropped dead. I had my issues with them, too. But I never could have left them to die!” +“Of course not. Alright, listen to me,” She grasped my hands, and I looked up at her, “I know this is difficult, but we’re going to get through this. We’ll deal with this when we get there, okay? Right now, we just have to make it to Pangaea. Then, we’ll grieve, we’ll be angry. We’ll do whatever we need to do to heal from this. Whatever you do, do not tell Penny.” +“How are we going to explain why Mom and Dad aren’t here?” +“We’ll tell her that they’re meeting us on Pangaea. She’s only four, darling. She’ll believe it. Then, once we’re there, we’ll tell her everything. You have to think about it this way, Vi: We’re stuck on this ship for weeks. There is nowhere to get away from each other. If you spend this entire time hating Brynna, you are going to drive yourself mad. So, you just have to put it away for right now. I know that is so hard. It’s unfair to ask this of you. But even though this ship is large, and there are some places to get away, there aren’t enough. Do you know what I mean?” +I nodded. +“I’ll never forgive her for this, Maura.” I whispered as new tears fell. “You know that, don’t you?” +Maura nodded, and I saw tears glistening in her eyes, too. +“I wish that wasn’t the case.” She said as calmly as she could, but I could hear that her voice was about to break. “But I know that it is.” +“Does Elijah know?” +Maura wiped at her eyes and nodded. +“Don’t expect him to be angry. He’s shocked, and he will grieve for them, but he won’t be angry like you are.” +“Are you angry, Maura?” +I looked at her now, thinking that she would lie in order to alleviate my own fury at Brynna. What we needed more than anything was unity. We were traveling through space to an alien planet where we would be forced to start our lives from scratch. In that time of uncertainty, we needed what we knew. We needed to keep the people we had always known close, as they were the only familiar things that we would ever have again. They were the only reminders of our first world. +But Maura nodded in response to my question, those tears I had seen in her eyes finally streaming down her face. A soft sob escaped her, and she covered her mouth to stifle the next that was sure to come. I leaned forward and wrapped my arms around her, crying again. I needed her more than ever now that my parents were permanently gone from both worlds. +“If I would have known,” Maura sobbed, “I would have stayed.” +I nodded, surprised at my own agreement. +“I would have stayed, too.” +*** + +Brynna and Elijah were talking quietly. I watched him put his face in his hand, knowing that he was fighting the same assault of tears that Maura and I had succumbed to earlier. She and I stood side by side, hand in hand, watching Brynna speaking to him with her hand rested on his knee. That was how she was comforting him. There was not even a hint of softness in her eyes, and I knew that from her lips, she was spewing nothing but lies and excuses. +“They would have left us behind.” “They never cared about us.” “I did it to save our lives.” +It was all bullshit, in plain terms. +“I need you two to understand something.” James said suddenly. As though under mind control, Maura and I turned our heads simultaneously in his direction. “It won’t change a thing, I know. But I cannot, if I am remaining honest, let her take all of the responsibility for her decision.” +“There’s nothing you can say,” I felt tears, angry ones this time, welling in my eyes, “Even if you all said that they couldn’t come, she should have stayed with them. Either that, or she should have done everything in her power to convince you and your friends to let them come. She’s their daughter.” +“Look, I know that you love your parents, Violet. But they were responsible for this. Your mother, throughout her time in office, stepped on every toe she could. Your father covered up the things she did. They were responsible for what was coming if, in fact, it was nuclear.” +“But you don’t know for sure that it was!” I snapped at him, furious that he would insinuate, though he did so with a veil over it, that my parents were solely responsible for the destruction of the earth. +“If it was a solar storm or something, then they weren’t responsible. That doesn’t mean that she had to abandon them! That doesn’t mean that she had to trick us into coming with her! We’re just as guilty now, don’t you understand?!” The tears began to fall again, “We’re just as guilty because we didn’t force the truth out of her!” +“We never would have gotten it out of her. You know that, Violet.” Maura told me quietly as she shook her head. “Our hands are clean in this.” +“They’re not!” My body was trembling now with a rage I knew was spiraling out of control. “We should have made her tell us the truth. Now, we left them behind, and they died alone. Mom was in the house by herself! Dad was in his office! They died alone when it hit!” +“How do you know that?” Maura asked as she grasped both of my hands tightly in her own. “Sweetheart, I’m sure they were together. Brynna said that they knew this would happen, so I’m sure that he was there with her. Don’t torture yourself, Violet. Don’t picture how it happened. Please, if not for your sake, then for mine.” +“But I know it! I know!” +Maura looked at James for help, but he was rendered silent by my determination to believe. But he also knew, from his own ability to just know, that I was probably right. When Maura continued to stare at him, begging for him to reassure me that my belief on the subject was just a grim fantasy, he shrugged slightly. +“I can’t say that she didn’t see it. When did you see that, Violet?” +“While I was asleep!” I cried before putting my face in my hands to hide from their concerned gazes for just a minute. “I woke up crying for them. But you wouldn’t know that, would you, James? You and Brynna were off exploring like this is some vacation! Like the world didn’t just blow apart! Like everyone you ever knew didn’t just burn away! What is wrong with you two?! How can you not care about this?!” +“Whoa, whoa…” James held up his hands in defense. “I know what just happened, Violet. I know better than anyone. I saw this long before anyone else knew a thing. What I’m trying to tell you is that Brynna’s decision was not completely hers. The original group of people who had that dream, people from all over the world, mind you, voted. We decided that your parents and all the people involved with them couldn’t come with us, because they were in the group that was going to leave us behind. Now, I will say that Brynna agreed. She wanted to leave them, too, but only for that reason. I can promise you, that it was only that.” +“You voted…” I repeated in a fierce, incredulous whisper. Before I could stop myself, I had lunged forward and slapped him hard across the face. Thank God there weren’t many people around to witness that embarrassingly overcharged outburst. +“Violet Mae!” Maura and Brynna exclaimed in shock and outrage, respectively. +“You voted on whether to let them live or die!” I screamed as I lunged forward to hit him again. “My parents!?” +Maura had pulled me away from him, but I was still charging forward, infuriated beyond any degree of anger I had ever felt. Who did he and his psychic friends think they were? How could they have determined the salvation or death of people they had never met? Who was he to decide whether my parents were worthy of being saved? +I must specify that I knew both of my parents were not good. I knew that they possessed some quiet evil in their hearts that they were scarcely aware of. But that didn’t mean that they deserved to die. In fact, on Pangaea, they might have been redeemed. Who was James Maxwell to decide that they didn’t even deserve that chance? +“That is enough!” Brynna was standing in front of me, shaking with a strong anger of her own. “We are not barbarians, at least not yet! I would appreciate it if you would refrain from acting like one!” +Though that was a typical Brynna line, the way her eyes flashed over from their usual icy blue to a fiery red was certainly not typical in any sense. +“Brynna…” Maura whispered, and her grip on me went lax. “What happened to you?” +After her arms released me, I fell onto my knees and stared up at Brynna in horror. Brynna looked at James for help in deciphering exactly what we were talking about, and he indicated his eyes. She nodded slightly and blinked to allow her own to dissolve back into their normal blue. +“Look in the mirror. And control yourself before you kill us all!” Brynna spat at me as she pulled a cigarette from the pack with a shaking hand. +I stood up and hurried to the mirror that was hanging over a desk in the corner of the room. I firmly believe that my heart stopped beating as I took in the sight of my own reddened eyes. How long had they been like that? What did it mean? I ran back to Maura and threw my arms around her neck, my whole body shaking with a new terror. It was the utter horror of finding myself unrecognizable. I was seeing clearly that something existed in me that was not entirely human. +“We don’t know why that’s happening to people.” James explained quietly. “Besides being able to see things and to just know things, people have been mutating.” +“Into what?” Maura asked as she ran her own trembling hand down the back of my hair and gripped me so tightly that I could barely breathe. +“We don’t know,” James continued calmly, “We have no idea.” +“I don’t want this. I never wanted any of this. Why didn’t you just leave me?” I cried before glaring at Brynna again. +“It is too late now. So I suppose it is time you start making peace with the fact that you’re here. But for the record, I would have dragged you kicking and screaming.” +“Why?! You don’t care about me! You don’t care about Maura or Elijah or Penny! You only care about yourself!” I pointed my finger at her on the last part. +Behind her, a vase of flowers shattered, causing us all to jump and Maura to exclaim in horror. I looked at her, terrified, to see that she was grasping her heart, her eyes wide as she breathed heavily. +I looked at James and Brynna, my anger dissipating only to be replaced by that same fear I had felt a moment earlier. I didn’t know what was happening to me, but there was no way that those instances of anger causing some physical effect were meaningless. There was something happening. I felt it growing inside of me like a lethal cancer, eating through every part of me that I had possessed since birth. It was changing me over to some unfamiliar creature for reasons I couldn’t fathom. The same thing, as I understood from witnessing Brynna’s brief transformation, was happening to her and James. +“Don’t be afraid of it.” Brynna told me firmly. “It is happening for a reason. Isn’t that what faithful people like you are supposed to believe, Violet?” + Her voice was dripping with condescension, and the rage welled inside of me again. At least that time, nothing broke. +“You can’t tell me that you two think this is good.” Maura snapped in a fierce whisper, “You can’t tell me that you think this is all just part of some plan! It’s wrong. It’s… unnatural!” +“How are we supposed to know what is natural?” Brynna asked after sitting down on the couch and lighting another cigarette. “Who are we to believe that what we knew was normal?” +“Because there was nothing else! Before this, there was nothing else but what we knew.” I told her. I sat down now, too, to keep from fainting. “What, do you have some theory on why all of this is happening?” +She exhaled smoke as she chuckled to herself softly. + “You are asking me if I have a theory. Do you want to ask me next if Homer wrote The Odyssey? If humans are mammals? If my eyes are blue?” +“Please, darling, share it with us.” Maura snapped. +I could see that her tolerance for the continued lunacy was wearing thin. It didn’t help that Brynna essentially gouged out our eyes and left us crawling around in the dark until she decided to heal our sight with her long withheld answers. +“It is adaptation. We are mutating in order to survive in a completely unfamiliar setting. We’re getting stronger, we’re getting smarter, and we’re getting a few extras thrown in. We are the last remnants of the human race. We are meant to start it over.” +“But,” I looked from her to James, “are we still human?” +“As far as we know. Our hearts are beating, we’re breathing. We must still be human. We believe that we’ll remain human. We’ll just have some other skills to help us out. You don’t have to be a believer in anything to believe that.” James told me, and I stared at him, watching my hand-print grow steadily clearer on his red cheek. +“I shouldn’t have hit you.” I muttered after diverting my gaze away from him. +“It’s understandable.” He brushed off my apology calmly. “I won’t say that I didn’t vote against allowing them to come, but I will say that your anger at it is understandable.” +“I need to ask, for my own peace of mind, why you left them, Brynna.” Maura blurted out suddenly. When we looked at her, we all saw a steely resolve in her eyes. She was going to get the truth immediately. There would be no more skipping around it with half-assed excuses or blatant lies. +Brynna was not weak when it came to Maura. She didn’t hold back or excuse her behavior. She never failed to be honest to the point of bluntness. The answer she gave Maura would be no exception. +“I knew they were not allowed to come. You all were. I made a choice.” +“Was it malicious? Did you leave them to die because of how much you hated them?” Maura pressed her. +Brynna stared at her for a long moment. Then, she shrugged but said nothing. Her response, or lack thereof, was psychological torture at its cruelest. +“Just tell me you didn’t! Just lie to me, if that’s what it takes!” Maura’s pleading shouts broke my heart. “I can’t afford to see you differently now! None of us can afford that. Just tell me it wasn’t out of hate, Brynna!” +I wanted to scream at Brynna to answer her as I watched Maura’s desperate need for that denial grow. But she just stared at her icily, raised one of her eyebrows, and pursed her lips in an expression of contempt and slight confusion. +“What makes you think I owe you anything at this point, Maura?” Brynna stubbed her cigarette out in the crystal ashtray on the table and walked away, leaving Maura to dissolve into tears that shook her entire body. I was responsible for comforting her now. +James hurried after Brynna, calling her name, sounding as though he was now at a level of fury on par with Maura’s level of grief. The intensity of both of their mental states mirrored my own rage, my own growing hatred. How could anyone be so heartless? I didn’t know what had made her that way, but I knew that while I loved her as my sister, I hated who she was at her core. Inside of her dwelt a spiteful, demonic creature that preyed on human weakness. It sniffed out every fear, every sadness, and every regret a person had ever suffered through and turned it against them. Through doing that, she controlled chaos because she created it. +I loved her because she was my sister. But after learning of what she had done to our parents, every last cruel act she had committed in our lives was amplified to a loud droning that would remain omnipresent in my ears, possibly forever. +I wish now that I had forced her to make me understand why she allowed such evil to exist in her. But I was so young and so incredibly blinded by my own pride and my own frustration at not being able to understand. I loved her because I had seen goodness in her as she raised Penny and me through the years. +That love, despite its purity, was weak in strength. It was eaten by the very same beast that lived inside of me, too. + +Brynna + +James had already been slapped once that day but he was clearly coming back for seconds. Though it had been Violet who had struck him, I was very close to doing the same despite my adversity to such dramatic consequences of feeling. There was never a need to physically harm someone when one could simply cut them down with words. But when he grabbed my wrist in a painful hold and spun me around to face him, I had to stop myself from striking the other side of his face with all of my newly discovered strength. +“What do you want?!” +“I want you to stop this.” He snapped at me, pointing one finger rather rudely close to my face. “You are driving them crazy. What did they do to you? What did they do that makes you think it’s okay to be so cruel to them?” +“Is this a lecture? Am I supposed to apologize? Are you living in that fantasy world where Brynna makes everything right by falling on her knees and begging for forgiveness?” +Believe it or not, that fantasy world’s population was booming. +“No, I live in the real world, where Brynna is going to go back and apologize. Then, Brynna is going to get her damn head on straight. Did you save them so that you would have punching bags? Is that what you need? Is that how you deal with your shit? By hurting other people?” +I giggled softly and pulled my arm from his grip. +“You are seriously attempting to lecture me on how to run my family. The last I checked, we had only just met. Therefore, you have no say in any of these things that you are protesting. It is none of your business. Consequently, you should stay out of it. Thank you so much.” +I went to keep walking (my course of action in every uncomfortable situation), but he grabbed both of my arms now, turned me around to face him, and pushed me up against the wall. Though he used very little force, I still viewed his abrupt manhandling of me as a violent assault and promptly kicked him hard in the shins. +“Thank your lucky stars I did not aim higher,” I breathed in his ear as he doubled over in pain, “Though honestly, if your conduct just now is compensation for an area of your physique that is physically lacking, which I suspect that it is, there is not much to aim for.” +I started to push my way out from in front of him, but he fought through the discomfort and held me against the wall even more firmly. +“What is it?” He asked me through clenched teeth, “What is wrong with you that you feel you need to act like this?” +“Let go of me!” I barked at him as I struggled to break out of his grasp. +“No. This is not going to keep happening. Up until this point, I have let you do what you want. But you are going to destroy them if you keep this up, and I know, in that disgusting, cold heart somewhere, you don’t want that. You wouldn’t have saved them just so you could destroy them.” +“This is none of your business, and if you don’t let go of me in ten seconds, I am going to start screaming that you are brutally attacking me. Do you really want people to think that this ship has its very own rapist?” +“God, you are infuriating!” +After shouting that in my face, though, he did let go of me. +“What is it that you want, Brynna? Why do you insist on acting like this? What are you so damn afraid of that you need to treat them like this? Cuz that’s what it is, right? Elijah has said so. You’ve said so. You’re afraid of something, but what is it? Oh, and please, let me know what I did to you that made you hate me so much, too. Is it that I got close to you?” He asked tauntingly, with his face close to mine again. I shook my head slightly in disgust and avoided his eyes. “Is it that while you were dying, I saw your vulnerable side? Is it because while we were in the hallway, you told me you needed me?” +“You shouldn’t even care. Every other male in this population of survivors would not care why I act the way I act. They wouldn’t even care if I acted that way towards them. You are a man, aren’t you? Act like one.” +I spat that at him with as much venom in my voice as I could muster. But he had debilitated me, even if only somewhat, by bringing up what had occurred between us. The revulsion I felt at being so vulnerable with somebody, especially a man, was crippling. +“I do care. I care because even though you make me want to rip my hair out, I care about you. How could I not, after what we went through together? And you can say now that you don’t feel the same way. You can say that you never did. But I know that’s a lie. I know it.” +“You’re wrong.” +I forced myself to laugh. I wanted to run. I wanted to escape that moment of awkward sharing. I couldn’t imagine where it was going to lead. I would never admit a thing to him now that I had slept. Through rest, my disgusting, cold heart, as he had called it, had ricocheted me painfully back to my disgusting, cold senses. +“I warned you to stay away from me. I just do not know why you are pushing your luck. Why don’t you just run? Really, it’s better for you. I will pretend that I care about you for a moment when I tell you that you need to stay as far away from me as you can. In reality, though, I am telling you that because you have begun to truly aggravate me, and I can no longer stand your presence.” +“Well, you’re stuck with me!” He shouted furiously, “I don’t care whether you like it or not! I saved your life because I…” +“Why?” I demanded after pushing him away from me. “Why did you want to save my life? You had to, right? You knew that you had to. Isn’t that what you said?” +“No. Do you really want to know? I was just going to go see you in that bar so I could make my peace with leaving you behind. I had settled on it. I had let them convince me that you didn’t deserve to be saved, and the guilt I had over letting you die was killing me, Brynna. So, I forced myself to go see you in person. I was ready to leave, ready to forget you ever existed but…” +“But what?!” I screamed, needing an answer so desperately for reasons I did not fully understand. How dare he make me question his intentions? How dare he tell me that I, too, was going to be left behind? What had changed his mind? I needed to know. +“I saw you across that room, and I couldn’t imagine never seeing you again. You…” +He stopped, not wanting to say it, because I had already insulted his masculinity several times, and because he thought it was so “cheesy” and dramatic, but it was the truth; it was truly how he felt, and he had to tell me now, because he had started to say it… +“It had never happened to me ever in my life,” He said quietly, with his eyes fixed on mine. “But I saw you across that room, and you took my breath away. And I couldn’t stand to leave you.” +I looked at him now as my heart dropped from my chest into open space and my defenses crumbled away as though succumbing to a witch’s spell. We stared at each other, both silent. +In a blur of movement that sent my heart leaping back up and forward to bang hard against the wall of my chest, we were flying together and wrapping our arms around one another. Then, we were kissing with the same passion and intensity of actors in an old romantic film. I could almost hear the outburst of old-time music, and I could almost see us in black and white. It is so very sentimental and childish to say those things, but that first kiss truly was magical, I am not sorry to say. +His strong hands moved up my back and came to rest on my face. My hands came to grip the front of his jacket, both of them clutching tightly the hard, rough leather. He smelled of Earth, of days in summer before the rain comes, or days in winter just before the snow. He smelled of moments so far back in time, but close enough to touch it seemed, in memory. +He smelled of home. +I was not the most experienced kisser in the world, having never allowed any member of the opposite sex close enough to practice. There had been many who had attempted to get that close, only to be shut out immediately by my strong opposition to ever engaging in a romantic relationship. But with James, I found kissing him to be easy, almost effortless, like dancing in mid-air after gravity had been effectively erased. More than that, it was non-threatening. In fact, I knew in that moment that I was safe, knowing it more resolutely than I had ever known anything before. While I was there with him, with his firm body pressing me to the wall, no one and nothing could hurt me, I knew, not even the ever-present, unstoppable forces of the universe. +When he pulled away from me, I was besieged immediately by an almost unbearably harsh return of my senses. Our burdens, of knowing we were alive while most others had died so senselessly, so mercilessly, enshrouded us in a smothering, almost tangible fog. The full weight of our indiscretion, too, came to rest heavily on him, mostly, but on me, as well. +“Shit…” He whispered, running a hand over his head. +Now, he was no longer looking at me. His shame was obvious, and I was stunned by how quickly it had overtaken him. How his senses had immediately told him that his quick dalliance with me was wrong, unnatural… He was twice my age. He should have known better. He was a predator, preying on a young, damaged girl, whom he knew had severe trust issues with her father. Wasn’t that what had made me receptive to his sudden advance? “Daddy issues.” They were always blamed when a younger woman was romantically linked with an older man. +“Brynna, I’m so sorry…” +He cleared his throat nervously, panicking, it seemed, as he tried to decide whether to just apologize profusely or try to reason away why it had happened. +“I shouldn’t have let that happen. I…” +Before he could get out another word, his back was against the opposite wall, and my hands were on his face, and my lips were kissing his. For a moment, he was clearly stunned, and then his hands ran down to the small of my back and pushed gently so that I was pressed even more tightly against him, and his lips were moving against mine in that frenetic and passionate yet almost synchronized way. My heart was thumping wildly, and I feared only briefly that such erratic beats were dangerous; his protective embrace allowed for no fear. +The sound of some small device, more than likely made of plastic or metal, clanging on the floor, made both of us start. Our heads snapped simultaneously in the direction from which the noise had come, and simultaneously, I’m sure, our hearts plunged downwards in dread. +In the heat of the moment (and believe me, it was a firestorm), we had not notice Violet walking down the hallway with her headphones plugged into her ears. We only took notice of her presence when the sight of us shocked her so substantially that she dropped her iPod onto the floor. +We pulled ourselves apart, our bodies begging to continue, but our minds knowing that we had some new, very uncomfortable explaining to do. For the sake of appearances, I did not even let him grasp my hand. I could not afford for Violet to see me in such a vulnerable state after years of teaching her that the exact behavior I was exhibiting with James was unacceptable. I had encouraged her to one day find love, of course. All little girls needed to believe in the existence of true love. But I had warned her to be cautious. Always remain one step ahead. Never allow complete weakness to overtake you whilst you are with them. They would use every weakness you deigned to show them against you. +Maura had taught me the very same. +Violet’s eyes and mouth were widened to their farthest reaches. It would have been a hilarious sight if James and I had not just been caught doing exactly what we had sworn we were not. We had promised Maura and Elijah both that there was nothing between us, and yet there we were, kissing in the hallway, knowing that there was only one place that such affection was going to lead. +“I’m telling Maura. And Elijah!” Violet spat at us after rising from her stunned stupor. She turned to walk away, but I hurried after her and grabbed her arm. +“We are not afraid of either of them.” I informed her curtly. “But what good will that do? What will telling them about him and I accomplish?” +“What good did telling me about that woman’s husband dying do? What good did telling me about Mom and Dad do? Oh, right... Nothing!” +“So, this is an act of revenge...” I laughed half-hysterically, “Alright. If you feel the need for it, who am I to stop you? Despite what some would have us believe, vengeance is a very honorable and exciting path. Please, tell Maura and Elijah, especially if it will make you feel like you have won something over me. But know this: There is nothing they can do to stop me.” +“Why are you even doing this?” Violet screamed at me in loud, unabashed fury. Her temper had really gotten worse since boarding the ship. Perhaps it was a side effect of intergalactic travel. I would have to ask around for more information, to see if there were any other cases of ridiculously out-of-proportion outbursts since the take-off. +“Doing what, might I ask?” I replied. +“Are you with him?” +“Ask yourself if that is truly any of your business.” +“It is my business! You’re my sister! I don’t think you should be in a relationship with a fifty year old guy! It’s just…” She threw her hands up in a gesture that brought images of Maura to my mind. How very similar they were... +“Stop stammering and gesticulating in frustration. Say what you need to say.” +“It’s wrong, Brynna! Why would you want to be with a fifty-year-old guy?! I mean, come on! You're not ugly! And God freaking knows you’re not stupid! You don’t need money! You can get a guy your own age!” +“I’m not fifty.” James called to her over his shoulder from across the room. +“First of all, there is no relationship to speak of, so calm yourself. Secondly, I am well aware that my physical attractiveness is on par with most other women.” +“Way above par.” James called to us nonchalantly. +I had to suppress a chuckle and a gleam of pride. +“Third, I have no interest in boys who are of my physical age. I do not find them attractive externally or internally. In regards to all of the aforementioned points, you will be pleased to learn, also, that for once, I do not know something in certainty. I do not know what he and I are.” +I could sense that my gentleness, though it was minute, was surprising her. I was far more civil than I had been in days. +“But he has been good to us. He saved my life. As a result, I was able to save yours. You know that I do not trust many people, but I trust him.” +“Do you love him?” She asked in a voice saturated with condescending sarcasm. “Never mind! You don’t love anybody!” +“Don’t be silly. I feel strong affection for people. But with him, it is too early to tell. I must stress again that I do not know what we are. Tomorrow, I will probably be shunning him again. For right now, though, I need you to keep quiet about this.” +“Why should I? What have you done for me?” +I stared at her, crossed my arms, raised my eyebrow, and pursed my lips. I watched her expression dissolve, and she nodded, realizing that a better question to ask was what hadn’t I done for her? +“I don’t approve of it, and neither will they.” Violet informed me, and I heard a resolution in her voice that gave me little room to doubt that she was serious. +“Luckily for us, we do not care what you think.” I smiled at her and walked back to James. +“Well, is it over again?” He asked me. I shook my head and grasped his arm. “Not until tomorrow, right?” +I looked up at him and rested my chin on his shoulder now. +“Do not start being callous.” I stood on my tiptoes to kiss his cheek. “You have to be patient with me. Okay?” +He sighed heavily and raised his eyes to meet mine. Then he leaned forward to kiss me again quickly. +“I know. And I will be.” +*** + +Elijah was not keen to suspicion, but Maura realized immediately that things had changed between James and me. She had always told me that I would never find love with a boy my own age, and yet her disapproval of James was resounding. Sure, she liked him as a person. He made her laugh when the rest of us could not even get her to smile. But the idea of him and me was not one she could tolerate. +“It is like it's always nighttime. Do you think it will be that way on Pangaea?” I asked her randomly as we sat in front of the large window in the Atrium. It was particularly quiet in there that day, as many people were crowded around the televisions in the recreation room. Some were betting on a football game that had long since passed in real time. Others were engaged in a “chick-flick marathon.” I was not quite sure what that meant, but Violet insisted on going, saying she needed her spirits to be boosted by the idealism present in all of the films. Though it was a line that I would have used to explain my presence at that estrogen-charged soiree, I couldn’t help but shake my head slightly at how young she still was. If she had matured, she would not need that assurance from films that led girls to believe in princes and happy endings. +The cuteness was too exhausting to think about for long periods of time. +“I don’t know,” Maura replied, “Maybe you should have gone with Violet.” +“Why? Am I bothering you by sitting here quietly reading?” +“No. I just think that maybe you’d see in those movies how it is supposed to be.” +For the first time since I had sat on the couch across from her, I noticed a glass of some copper-colored liquid that I knew to be liquor. Fantastic… +“Do you think I’m blind, Brynna?” She narrowed her eyes at me, “Do you think I’m stupid? I realize that you believe yourself to be one of the smartest people still alive, and maybe you are. But that does not mean that the rest of us are so thick that we don’t see what is going on.” +“And what, dare I ask, is going on?” I asked after getting up to pour a drink of my own. Sometimes, I suffered through bouts of very slight sensitivity, and alcohol, I am sad to say, was the only tonic that could re-weld the steel in my spine. + “What exactly are you hinting at right now, Maura?” +“I know about you and James.” +“Oh?” I asked icily. After taking a gulp from my glass, I felt the liquid burning my throat all the way down before detonating inside of my stomach. Just like that, I felt stronger, ready for the barbs, for the very slight pain they inflicted. +“Yes.” Maura replied defiantly. +“Is this the part where I am supposed to confess all? You are expecting some small revelation, but I will end up supplying several gory details, as they say, that you never expected. Is that what is supposed to happen now, Maura?” +“I want you to be honest right now. I want you to tell me everything.” +“You never answered my question.” +“You asked several. I would ask you which one you would like me to answer first, but I was the first one to ask a question, so you’ll answer mine.” +“You never asked a question. You suggested something that is untrue in every sense.” +“Are you really going to lie to me? Isn’t that below you? You have always been overly blunt about everything, almost to a point of mercilessness. Now you’re going to start lying? Is that to protect me or to protect yourself?” +“I have not given you any reason to believe that I am lying. But if I were, I can assure you that it would not be for your benefit. Nor would it be for my own. As I have not lied thus far in this conversation, I should not even be saying that. But if I were beating around the bush, as they say, it would be because what you are asking is none of your damn business. So why don’t you finish your drink and pass out before you say something now that you will regret as you nurse your hangover tomorrow morning? I do not want to have to deal with your pathetic apologies. They always involve tears, and you know how that upsets my stomach and rattles my cool disposition.” +I will admit that calling her out on her drinking was cruel. But for her to assume that my business was her business was ridiculous, in plain words. The woman had raised me to the best of her ability and then spurned me without warning as though I had never existed. Plus, in our joint past, there was one huge issue that was irreversible and irreparable. That is not exaggeration. +She slammed her glass down on the table, and I stared at her, unfazed by her anger’s sudden rise. She was giving me exactly what I wanted. She was giving me weakness on which I could prey. +“I show the slightest bit of concern for you, and you insult me.” +“I didn’t insult you. I spoke truthfully. I suppose that the truth does hurt. Let me make it a little bit more uncomfortable.” I leaned forward and exhaled smoke from my newly lighted cigarette in her direction. “You are a drunk. When you are intoxicated, you say unkind things. They do not hurt me, because nothing hurts me. But they do irritate me. That I cannot deny.” +Silence fell between us, but our gazes held fast. It was a battle of wills, a power play. Stare into the eyes of an animal and assert your power. Do not back down, or you lose. I would not lose to Maura. +“What?” She whispered, drawing out the word in a perfectly sadistic mimic of a mother’s cooing tone. In a sudden polar switch, her voice iced over. “Are you waiting for me to say that you’re a heartless bitch who left her parents to die?’ +“Do you see what I mean?” I asked with a slight smile. “I simply cannot wait to hear ‘I was just so angry, darling. But I could never mean that. I could never call you that and mean it. I love you. Despite everything that you’ve done, I love you.’” +Though it was almost unforgivably immature, I spoke in her northern English accent when I imitated her. +“Despite everything that I have done…” I repeated again, speaking normally. “Like you are some all-forgiving saint who sees past all those sins and transgressions I have committed in my twenty-two years…” +“Like you don’t know why I say that! Like you don’t know why I would call you a heartless bitch!” She spat, livid now. “Now you pretend that he never existed! All to avoid personal responsibility. I have been thinking that you are a heartless bitch, but I haven’t said it! And you need to hear it! And now you’re just going to go start screwing James? Why do you insist on self-destructing, Brynna Claire? He will destroy you! Have I taught you nothing?” +“You have taught me next to nothing. I possess the worst of you, Maura. All of your goodness was given to the other three. You and I both know that. Isn’t that why we don’t see eye to eye?” + I blew smoke towards the ceiling. I watched it billow upwards, almost glimmering against the black backdrop whisking by outside of the ceiling window. +“Whatever James and I choose to do is our decision. I am twenty-two years old and fully capable…” +“And he is, what? Forty? Forty-two? Forty-five? You might think you are mature. I do not believe that you are as mature as you think you are. In your heart, I don't think you believe it, either.” +“That statement was completely redundant...” I interrupted her with an amused grin on my face. +“He will be the end of you, Brynna.” +“I would give you the benefit of the doubt by saying that I believe all of this is coming from a good place. It is coming from concern. But then, every last instinct I possess is telling me that this entire conversation is malicious.” +“It is not malicious!” She exclaimed in a rage that the situation did not warrant. “I care for you! I force myself to care for you even though you are so cruel! You are so heartless! I do not understand you at all, but I force myself to care because I’ve had you since you were a child! But please, do not think that I am so blind that I don’t see what you are! How you could do that to your father, I will never know!” +Checkmate. My grin only grew in width, and my eyes gleamed with vicious triumph. +“Oh, so this is about him?” I asked with a derisive chuckle. “Everything is about him, isn’t it? Honestly, Maura… Are you really so pathetic that you still love him after what he did to you? Aren’t you the one who told me to show them no weakness? No mercy? And yet here you are, some twenty years later, still wailing about the one that got away.” +“Do you see what I mean? You have no heart. If you can say something like that, then you have no heart.” Her voice was on the verge of breaking now, but I saw a deep anger in her eyes that was stronger than her need to cry. +“Maybe I don’t.” I shrugged, still smiling slightly, “You want to know about James and me? We are taking it a day at a time but yes, there is something there. Is that what you are upset about? I was supposed to be a failure like you. But now, I am more intelligent, I am more physically attractive, and the man I want also wants me. That’s the trifecta of one-up-manship in this particular case, is it not?” +In a blur, she leaned forward, brought her hand back, and went to slap me across the face. I was used to those furious, drunken spasms. I had even grown used to the cutting remarks she made while intoxicated. The things she said to me over the years were some of the cruelest I had ever heard. In those words, I found my own malice, my own dark inclination and ability to hurt people. +I grabbed her wrist without even looking in the direction from which her hand was coming. I held it hard in my hand, feeling my eyes flash over to that blood red color of inescapable wrath. I wanted to hit her. I wanted to choke her. I wanted to cause her as much pain as I could. But there was affection for her, even if it was so complicated that contemplating its strength was like attempting to complete a math problem without actually seeing the numbers. So when she cried out in pain, I released my grip. +“And now… Now I don’t even know what you are.” I grimaced when tears began to run down her face. “I think you’re possessed, Brynna. I think you always have been.” +Her tantrum had drained whatever energy was left. The alcohol had numbed her enough that she could sleep. I knew that she was ready to lose consciousness, having ushered her to her room and gotten her safely tucked away in bed so many times before. +“You have always been evil.” +“Yes, I know.” +I put her arm around my neck and walked her slowly out of the room. While we were on the stairs, she stumbled over her feet several times, forcing me to practically carry her. When her legs finally gave out, I lifted her with one arm and walked the rest of the way as she muttered over and over again how sadistically twisted I was. +“It is the devil. If I believed…” +“Just shut up and go to sleep.” I snapped as I laid her down in bed. +I covered her up with the thin blanket and sat down across from her on Violet's bed. I knew that she and Violet fell asleep every night clasping hands across the space between them. Perhaps in her inebriated state, she believed that I was my sister, though we looked nothing alike. Maura's eyes were fixed on mine when she reached out for my hand. I stared at her before scoffing in condescending disbelief. How she could expect my comfort after all she had said, I did not know. +“Brynna...” +In her voice, I heard a soft, tremulous plea. She needed my support, for whatever reason. She needed a moment of compassion from me. At first, I refused her request. Then, with a roll of my eyes and a muttered expletive, I reached out to link her fingers with mine. +“You do know… he’d still be alive… if you had never been born…” +I had lit another cigarette and took a long time exhaling the smoke. I wanted to close my eyes, thinking that doing so would help me block out his face. I was masked in the smoke, and she could not see me. I tried to shut my eyes for just one second, but his young, smiling face just snapped into jarring clarity against the darkness, and my eyes shot open as a jolt of panic went through me; if his smiling face was there, a second or so later, his closed eyes, his pale skin, and his blue lips would begin to seep through the image until there were no other memories of him. +“You do know… that if we had to lose one… it should have been you?” +“I have never been able to doubt that, Maura.” +Just before she passed out, she looked up at me and whispered: +“I should have smothered you in your crib.” +I watched her eyes close as her body dropped into a heavy, unshakable sleep. I nodded slightly to myself, bemused by the fact that I had nothing to say. Even if I did, she was away in some dreamless world where I, mercifully, did not exist. After some time draped in a thoughtful silence, I found a suitable response. +“Yes.” I shrugged, “Perhaps you should have.” +I felt arms wrapping around me, and I jumped, whipped around, and threw myself on top of the person I believed was attacking me. I looked down to find that it was James, looking more brilliant than ever in my eyes that had flashed white. +“Should I have said something?” He asked quickly as he held his hands up in surrender. “I should have said something.” +I let out the breath I was holding and laid my head down on his chest. A peculiar but dreamily comforting wave of warmth passed all throughout my body when his arms came up to hold me. After his lips pressed to the top of my head, I closed my eyes, inhaled deeply the scent of his cologne, and become steadily more hypnotized by the sound of his beating heart. +“So, Maura is cut off from here on out.” +“Good luck.” I propped my head up to look at him and rolled my eyes. “Elijah and Violet have been requesting that she stop her frequent binge-drinking for many years now. They even offered to accompany her to Alcoholic's Anonymous.” +“You could have just called it 'AA.' I wouldn't have thought you less intelligent, just so we're clear...” +I frowned at him and slapped my knee in a sarcastic show of enthusiastic amusement. +“I knew you'd appreciate that one. On a much less lighthearted note, does Maura say that she wished she had committed infanticide with Violet and Elijah, too?” +“Of course not. That would be terrible.” My gaze diverted from his. “I was not aware you were listening to mine and Maura's slight disagreement.” +“I was. Well, I overheard the tail-end of it. I doubt she meant the things she said. But even if she was just pissed off, she was wrong to say all of that.” +“Wrong in the content of what she said, or wrong in saying such a potentially hurtful thing at all?” +“Both.” +“Not many people would agree with you on the former though surely, many would agree with you on the latter.” I paused and mauled over my statement. “Actually, both the former and the latter would be agreed upon by most people. I was wrong in suggesting that they would not be.” +“Who cares what they think?” He reached out and gently moved my hair away from her face. +“You felt that way a few times.” I laid my hands on his firm chest and rested my chin on them so I could look at him still. “When I was aggravating you, I am sure you thought the same, even if it was not clear to you.” +He turned so that I was now lying on the cot, and he was above me. He came down and kissed my lips gently; that scintillating wave of warmth streamed through my body once again. +“I could never think that about you.” He said before grinning wryly. “Even when you're abusing me for not paying attention to my faulty tires, I don’t think that.” +I reached up to put both of my hands on his face. I found myself smiling, as well. +“If I didn't abuse you for those things, you would scarcely know what to do with yourself. Besides, I hardly abused you. I merely assailed you with a stick of mozzarella cheese. I knew that any injuries you could sustain would be minor.” +“Yeah, it didn't hurt, per se, but it startled me. That was the worst part, I think.” +As usual, I was laughing at a loud volume and with an intensity that seemed to shake my bones. He always seemed to entertain me even when he tried just barely. +I pulled his face closer to mine and planted a soft kiss on his lips. +“You need to shave.” I rubbed the stubble on his face that was getting longer every day he chose to ignore it. +“I know.” +“Did you win the bet?” +“I remember that game. All of us old guys did, so we all won.” +“What was the prize?” +“Bragging rights.” +“Well, that should be enough, I suppose.” I grasped his upper-arms and furrowed my brows slightly in surprise; his biceps seemed to have grown. I remembered him as being slightly thinner than most men when we had met. Now, as I observed his body shrouded only in a tight black T-shirt and jeans, I found that his muscles had hardened slightly and toned themselves. +“Have you been working out?” I asked him suddenly. +“No. Well, some of the other guys and I lifted some weights the other day. Then, we realized quite suddenly that we're not twenty anymore, so we went to the Rec Room and watched Rocky.” +“That did not inspire all of you to work out some more?” +“It did, but we would have looked ridiculous running up both sides of the steps in the Atrium.” +“Yes.” I replied, laughing at the mental picture. “I would have found that most entertaining. It would have opened you up to much public ridicule.” +“Well, no one could ridicule me better than you, my dear.” +“That is very true.” We both laughed and kissed again, this time for even longer and with even more passion erupting between us. After we pulled away, I rubbed his arms to feel his tight muscles again. I had to admit, his newly enhanced physique was rather erotically stimulating. +To distract myself from those thoughts, I changed the subject. +“Did you talk to the pilot today?” +“I did. Two more days, and we’re there.” +“Can I ask you something serious?” +“Please do.” +“What are we going to do once we’re there?” I looked at him, having put off this question for the three days that had passed since we had kissed in the hallway. “Am I jumping the gun, as they say, asking you that? Am I getting ahead of myself? Not that I care, but you’re disturbed, aren’t you? You think that I am taking this too seriously?” +“No. I don’t.” He replied as he grasped my hand, “We’ve come this far. Of course you’d ask that question. But I think I should be asking you that, Brynna. If we’re being honest, you and I both know that you’re the one that’s going to pull away.” +“Have I pulled away thus far?” +“Several times.” +“I mean since the other night.” +“No. You’ve gotten close, but you’ve stuck it out. Obviously, I'm happy about that. What do you want to do once we’re there?” +I sat up and looked at him, studying his handsome features as I contemplated how to phrase what I needed to say. The topic was on a high emotional level with which I was not comfortable but for his sake, I would tread the dangerous waters of a discussion on feelings. +“It is going to take a long time for me to reach the point that you need me to reach.” +“Which point is that?” He prodded me gently. +“In relationships, one is supposed to let his or her guard down. They are supposed to give themselves over to the other person completely. That is what occurs in those ridiculous movies Violet is watching. Isn’t that how it works?” +“In best case scenarios, yes.” +“I do not know if I will ever be at that point. You are going to get frustrated. You are going to want to run for the hills eventually, James. I know you will. I will not change, even if you do leave. You know that, don’t you?” +He nodded. +“Of course I do.” +“We just have to see how it goes in that regard.” I linked my fingers with his as I spoke. “But when we get to Pangaea, I do want you to stay with me.” +“And I want to stay with you. That’s all we need right now. That’s all either of us has to hear at this point. Everything else we’re going to play by ear, okay?” +I nodded, assured by that and comforted by what I sensed to be absolute certainty in him that one day, I would come around. His faith in me was, in my opinion, unwarranted and sure to lead directly to a disappointment and a resentment so venomous that it would wreck him after it destroyed whatever semblance of love we had built. +Plus, we weren’t engaging in less-than-moral behaviors, if one catches my drift. I had always been told by Maura that all men wanted was a physical relationship and nothing else. I knew from personal experience that they would take what they wanted without warning, not caring to look back and view the damage. I was horrified, if I am being entirely frank, at the idea of participating in such activities, even with James. Though I found myself smiling at the thought of him (quite ridiculously) and feeling a vivid joy in every minute spent in his company (quite immaturely), I couldn’t bring myself to do that. +It was only a matter of time until that reluctance drove him away. +“I’m in no rush.” He told me, as though he had read my mind. I had looked away from him, falling into a reverie on the very subject he was discreetly commenting on. +“That is strange.” I looked up at him in genuine confusion. +“No. Don’t believe the stereotype. We’re not all like that, believe it or not. Once you get to be my age, you realize that there are more important things.” +“But you’re a man…” +“Gender profiling.” He shook his head at me. “That’s blatant discrimination, and I don't appreciate it in the slightest.” +“Oh, I do apologize.” I told him with another grin after leaning forward to wrap my arms around his middle. +“I have been calmer since you and I began this tryst that defies all definition. I have been in an uncharacteristically nice mood. Perhaps you make me happy.” I informed him softly. +“You definitely make me happy.” +“Do I? That is nice to hear. Things do not seem as dire now. Up until my conversation with Maura, I did not feel the need to be overly nasty to anyone.” +“Well, Maura deserved it.” +“Maura does not approve of us. She suspects something. Once she suspects something, she thinks she can force a confession out of anyone.” +“But she just doesn’t know who she’s dealing with, right?” +“After all of these years, one would think she would realize that if I do not want to share something, it will not be shared.” I sighed slightly and shook my head to clear my mind of those irritating thoughts. “If things are still going well, we’ll tell them when we get there.” +James nodded, and we laid down, both exhausted from the long day of doing absolutely nothing. Boredom was quite taxing on one’s level of energy, if that can be believed. +“Just stay here with me for a few more minutes.” I rested my head on his chest and held his arm over me. “They shouldn’t be back for a little while longer.” +He kissed my head and held me tighter, his eyes closed. +“I will kick you off the bed if I see them coming.” I warned him after closing my own eyes. “Seriously. Right onto the floor, James.” +He laughed softly, and I smiled, too. +“Goodnight, sweetheart.” +“Goodnight, James.” +*** + +Maura and I didn’t speak a word to one another for the remaining days on the ship. One morning, as we all lounged around on the couches in the Atrium, others began to run to the window, exclaiming about being able to see “it.” +Just as we all stood to see the spectacularly colored orb that was Pangaea outside of the window, the intercom beeped twice, signifying an announcement from the pilot. +“Ladies and gentlemen, please return to your housing compartments. We will be arriving on Pangaea in fifteen minutes.” +There was a mad rush for the door. Maura went to grab Penny, but I lifted her myself. +“Do you think there are horses on Pangaea? And dogs?” Penny asked me excitedly. “Maybe Kingsley and Sheba and Jack and Lucy will have other dogs to play with now besides each other!” Penny gasped as another thought took hold of her. “Do you think there are turtles and dolphins?! Those turtles at the aquarium were so old, and do you remember how the bottle-nose dolphins? Do you think on Pangaea we can have them as pets?” +“I’ll bet they are here, but I don’t know if we can have them as pets.” I replied cheerfully, though I sincerely doubted that we would ever be seeing an animal we were used to. We would be the only living creatures on Pangaea, I was sure. +“Can you believe it? We’re seriously going to be on another planet!” Violet exclaimed behind me as she clapped her hands like an obnoxiously overexcited tween viewing her high-pitched singing, hair-flipping, sexuality-questioning idol for the first and last time ever. +“Really? I thought we were jokingly going to be on another planet.” Elijah grinned in satisfaction at his horrible joke. +I looked back at him, rolled my eyes and drawled, “Lame…” +“Come on, I can’t be expected to make good jokes right now!” +“Just because you are excited, little boy, does not mean that your standards of humor can fall. I will not allow such nonsense.” +I had to admit, I was excited, as well. My heart was fluttering madly in my chest, and I found myself biting my lip to suppress the smile that was trying to emerge. Because Elijah and Violet had moved in front of us, James knew it was temporarily safe to put his arm around my waist as we walked. When I looked at him, I could not fight the smile anymore. When I looked at Penny’s face to find such childlike wonder and anticipation there, my smile grew even bigger and a chuckle of pure merriment escaped me. +Once we were back down in our housing compartment and the ship workers were strapping people in, I felt a dismal drop in my mood. +“It’s alright.” James told me softly in my ear, “I'm going to be right next to you, baby.” +“James, I can't do this.” I muttered to him as I turned away from Maura's ever-watchful eyes. “You know that I can't stand it. Especially now, after what happened last time.” +“Hey…” James said, and the worker closest to us looked up. “Can you strap us both in on her bed?” +The man nodded and adjusted the straps so that they were longer. James, with his arms around me, laid us both down. At that point, I did not care which members of my family saw or what they thought of it. I would explain it away later, saying that James was able to calm my anxieties better than anyone else, therefore I allowed his closeness to keep from succumbing to a panic attack. They would surely believe that. +I kept my face buried in James’s neck as we were strapped down to the cot. +“This isn't so bad, is it? Besides the fact that you haven't broken this cot in at all, this is alright.” +“Pardon me for being light.” I muttered with only half the amount of sass I normally would have used. “James, I don't want to do this...” +“The pilot has done this before, ma’am,” The worker assured me gently, “There’s nothing to be afraid of.” +“I don’t like this.” I whispered to James again, “I think I would probably take that pill again to avoid experiencing this.” +“There’s no way in hell I’d let you take that pill again. We’re going to get through this, baby. I promise. Fifteen more minutes, and we’re there.” +I nodded and looked up at him. He craned his neck so he could hold his lips to mine for one long, calming moment. In the corner of my eye, I saw Maura watching us still. +“Your upper extremities are probably going to lose all feeling because I am going to be squeezing you until this beastly contraption is on the ground,” I warned him, “All circulation is going to get cut off.” +“That’s okay. I’m tough. I can handle it.” +I nodded, squeezed my eyes shut, and burrowed further against his chest. +A faint shutter passed through the ship that caused people to mutter softly all around us. Before we could fully recover from the shock of feeling the ship move so strangely, it flew up into the air and crashed back down to the path it had been flying on before. When the ship jerked into the air again and plummeted into an even larger drop, the lights flickered, went out, and everyone in our housing compartment screamed in pure, heart-stopping terror. +I heard Penny crying out for me from the bed beside mine. My first instinct was to jump up and go to her, but the straps and James’s arms held me firmly in place. I was so selfish. I had been so concerned about my own anxieties that I had neglected Oenny. When I had found that they could strap two of us on a bed, I should have stayed with her. +“Penny! Penny!” I was screaming over everyone else. +“Oh my God, we’re going to die!” I heard Violet shrieking. “Oh my God! Maura! Maura!” +The ship was falling. We had broken through Pangaea's atmosphere and were falling to the hard ground too quickly to fathom. The whole ship would break apart on impact and our bodies would split with it. We had made it into space, flown so far from where we were from, and now, we were going to die in what was essentially a glorified plane crash. +“Penny, you’re okay! Penny, listen to me!” I was struggling to break free of the restraints so I could get to her. When I managed to maneuver one arm out, James held me to him even more tightly. I would have been able to squeeze out of the other restraints if he had slackened his grip on me. It was a good thing he was holding me, though, because the ship rose and fell abruptly again. The force sent us hurtling upwards again but the restraints, thankfully, kept us from flying right off of our beds. +“She’ll be okay.” James was assuring me calmly, “She’s fine. We’re all okay.” +He hadn’t realized it yet. He hadn’t realized that we were going to die. Everyone in the room was screeching in the dark, knowing that the end was near for all of us. The survivors of the human race were going to become extinct with the rest. A simple, terrifying fact stored in some deep corridor of my mind through which I never traveled shouted its message of despair and hopelessness to me at an eardrum-shattering volume: We had simply outrun the inevitable. We were meant to die with the others as the Earth burned. Death had caught up to us, knowing that a brutal higher power had demanded the eradication of the entire race. Death could not fail He or She or They who had created him... +My mind was racing, aiding my mind in forming erratic and eloquent thoughts. But no; I could not believe all of that. I could not believe that we had traveled so far only to die just as we reached Pangaea. +The ship gave another almighty lurch upwards, and my hands locked onto James. I held onto him with the last bit of strength left in my body. My eyes squeezed shut as I braced for the crash that would surely be my demise. I thought of what I would say to my parents upon seeing them. I could not think of any words but the three I had written on the paper. +It had been a lie. +We were falling again, our stomachs dropping as though we were on a thrill ride at an amusement park. +I heard a deafening screech that rattled everything, including our insides. +I could not breathe. I could not breathe. +I blinked in the total darkness. +Everything went black. + +Quinn + +We couldn’t even be sure if the ship was going to crash land on Pangaea or if we were falling into open space. Would we ever land? What was below us? What was above? There was no way to know. +The thought of falling forever in space, of being stuck in that stomach-churning drop for all eternity, made me want to close my eyes and beg for death. I wouldn’t be able to stand it for long. To fall forever, in my opinion, would be the absolute worst way to die. +Alice was crying, begging God to spare us. She rambled on and on, praying through her tears. I stared up into the thick darkness, widening my eyes in hopes of being able to see something. I hoped to see some indication that we had not reached the end yet. But even if the lights were on, all that would have been seen above me was the iron ceiling. There would be no angels assuring me that all would be calm in a few minutes. I didn’t have to decipher whether the tranquility they were promising would be reached in death or in just a few minutes when the ship miraculously evened itself out. +These are the thoughts that I had when facing my death. The animalistic instinct to get up and run was strong, yet I knew it was useless. There was no safe place to run if the ship truly was falling. The crash would be the end of everything. My heart pounded against my chest as I struggled to take a breath that would allow me to calm Alice. I didn’t know what I would say, but it would surely be empty promises that I couldn’t keep. Telling her that everything was going to be alright would be a lie. There is no way I could have known that for sure. +Is this how Alice’s parents felt while their souls were stuck inside of those creatures? Were they falling forever? +No, they were burning. +That thought certainly wasn’t soothing. +My parents had been killed trying to protect me. It was my fault. I should have been there. +I chose Alice. +Was that right? +I should have been there. +How had that thing killed them? There had been so much blood. +What had those things wanted? Why were they there? +Demons? I didn’t believe in them. +But if I had to picture a demon, those things came pretty close to the description. +We’re falling. +Falling… +Falling… +Where is the crash? +I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for it, begging the higher power I didn’t believe in to gift me with a swift destruction where I felt no pain. But don’t all people pray for that? I wasn’t special. I had been lucky once and now, I would feel every last second of agony that the people we had left behind had suffered. +Silence. People had stopped screaming, including Alice. +“Allie?” I choked out. +My mouth was dry, and my heart was still beating strongly in my chest. +“Are you okay?” Her voice was still quivering with the tears I couldn’t see falling from her eyes. “Are we… dead?” +“No. We’re not dead.” +People were beginning to mutter amongst themselves, trying to decide exactly what had just happened. +“Did you feel a crash? Are we still in the air?” +“I don’t know.” I replied as I struggled to sit up. The restraints on the bed held me down as they were supposed to. +“Where are the lights?” +“I don’t know, Allie.” +She cried harder. +“That was so scary.” She managed to whisper to me. +“It’s okay. I think that whatever it was, it’s over now.” I assured her with a firm calmness in my voice that I could barely muster. +“I wish I could see you.” +“I’m right here, baby.” +“Why haven't they made an announcement?” +“They will. Any minute now.” +We were silent, being forced to listen to other people creating all sorts of fanciful scenarios to explain what had just occurred. One man insisted that there were people on Pangaea who had been firing on our ship. +Okay, I mused, Whatever he brought on-board with him to smoke, I want some. +Despite the terror that was still inside of my chest, I couldn’t help but chuckle softly. +“What?” Alice asked me, and her voice was steadier now. +“Nothing. These people are funny.” +“Crazy is more like it.” She replied, “How did we get stuck in the freaking psych ward?” +“Maybe they saw your pissed-off face and assumed that you were a sociopath.” +“Okay, smart-ass, then why would they put you in here?” She asked, and I could hear in her voice that she was smiling. I grinned, too. +“They assumed I must be delusional given my association with a sociopath.” +“Shut up!” She exclaimed, “I will hand it to you, though, babe. You do always manage to make me laugh even in the worst possible situations. Even after we almost died...” +“That’s my job.” +The intercom beeped, and the familiar gravelly voice of the pilot came through. +“Sorry about the rough touch down, ladies and gentlemen. We have arrived on Pangaea. Someone will be by shortly to remove your restraints.” The man paused for a moment, perhaps unsure of what to say next. When he finished, it was with a statement said in unthinkable relief and vast disbelief: + “We did it, folks. We survived the end.” + +Violet + +“Just hurry up!” I shouted at the man unstrapping me. Brynna had passed out in the midst of the ship's collapse from the air. After learning that she had almost suffered heart failure on take-off, I was more than a little alarmed. My anger at her still burned inside of me but that didn’t mean that I cared for her any less. +I would hate myself for the things I had said if anything happened to her now. +Once my arms had been freed, I shot up and forced my shaking hands to hurriedly undo the restraints on my ankles. Elijah was furiously unstrapping James and Brynna, looking as terrified as I felt. +“Does she have a pulse?” Maura demanded as she held Penny’s head against her shoulder so she couldn’t see Brynna. I couldn’t imagine how badly that would scar Penny, seeing someone she loved so much lost after such chaos. +James was cradling Brynna in his arms, his fingers pressed to her wrist. He nodded and let out a sigh of relief as he put his hand on her face. +“She just passed out.” +“I’m surprised I didn’t pass out. What the hell was that?” Elijah asked as he looked around the room with his hands rested on top of his head. +“I guess it was just a rough landing. They said we’re here.” I squeezed the bridge of my nose for a minute as I tried to calm myself down. “I just want to be clear about one thing…” +“Come on. That’s it.” James was sitting Brynna up as she came back around. +“…I will never get back on this ship. Ever.” +Elijah put his arm around my shoulder. +“You know I’ve always said that if the opportunity came up to travel through space that I would. But I agree with you. I don’t ever want to see the inside of this thing again.” +“After two and a half weeks of being stuck here, no one can blame you for that.” James replied absentmindedly as he kept Brynna’s chin cupped in his hand. He was observing her eyes, making sure that she was truly awake and not miles away in some quiet, crazed stupor. After the panic attack she had had, temporarily going out of her mind would not have been the unlikeliest of scenarios. It had happened to her before. +Brynna nodded before forcing her trembling legs to support her slight weight. Instantly, she stumbled back, only to be caught by Elijah and James. +“I just need a minute. I’m fine.” She blurted out a little too loudly. +When she slumped back onto the bed, Elijah sat down beside her, took her hand, and looked at her only until she held her other hand up close to his face, ordering him without words to look away. +“She’s fine.” Elijah assured us with a grin. +Her gesture was a certain indication that she was returning to normal. My eyes met Maura’s for a moment after I looked away from James, who had rested his hand on Brynna’s back. My heart jumped at the sight of the anger I found looking back at me. It was beyond the fury she felt at the things Brynna had said to her. It was also not channeled towards one recipient. It was channeled towards two. +Maura knew everything. +“Where are Penny and Violet?” Brynna's voice was quieter than normal not only because of how weakened she was from passing out but because she was talking to the floor; her head was down between her knees. +“I’m here.” I told her gently. +It was the first time I had been able to speak to her kindly since I had found out about our parents. I sat down on the other side of her and grasped her other hand in both of mine. She squeezed mine tightly for a moment, which took me by surprise. That was, in Brynna’s case, a show of love. That simple gesture required the same amount of affection a normal person would need to feel before she threw her arms around her loved one and cried in happiness at finding them in one piece after believing they were dead. +But after that momentary squeeze, she slipped her hand out from under mine. +“Alright. I am fine.” She stood up and swayed on her feet. Elijah and James grasped both of her arms to steady her. “We have come this far. Let us go see this planet already.” +I grinned now, excited trepidation brewing inside of me. This was it. This was the moment every person on the ship had prayed for, theorized about, and imagined in luminous, intricate details. +It was the end of the journey and the beginning of the beginning. + +Part II: The Arrival + +Brynna + +By the time they opened the doors, everyone was silent. We were all aware of the tension in the air. The doubts that we were safe radiated through that uncomfortably thick silence. I could almost hear the collective beating of several thousand hearts. +There were too many questions to be asked. There were too many uncertainties. The journey there had been fraught with peril; some of us, myself included, had almost suffered fatal heart attacks from the sedative, the ship had almost plummeted out of the sky twice, and as people had grown more restless, the possibility of violence increased more than we could ever have been comfortable with. Finally, there we were, arriving at what we had been told was our salvation. But how could any of us believe that we were truly safe after that long, treacherous odyssey? +A buzzing noise sounded from the intercom, and the doors began to open. Here it was, the moment of truth. A stream of light blinded us all, even those standing far back in the crowd; we had spent so long in the darkness of space. Violet, at Penny’s behest, pushed us through so that we were standing near the front of the group. +“She wants to be the first to see it.” Violet had explained to me. +“Well, we will be the first to die if the air is toxic. So pump your brakes.” I had replied irritably, though I had certainly not directed such prickliness at Penny. Violet was the recipient of it, and rightfully so; was I the only one who considered the potentially dangerous outcomes of any and all situations? +I had overheard so many groups shouting that they wanted to be the first out. But the ominous burst of light seemed to have silenced even the most willful of those brave explorers. Since, thanks to Violet, we were so close to the front of the crowd, people behind us pushed us forward slightly. It became apparent that our proximity to the exit made us the guinea pigs. If we walked outside and burst into flames or fell over clutching our throats as we suffocated, they would know not to follow us. +I pictured us standing there for the rest of our lives, all too afraid to take the first step. There were too many different horrendous scenarios playing in each of our minds. We would be reduced to skeletal remains, each and every one of us, as the years of inertia passed. We would never know how it would have begun and ended on Pangaea. +“I’m going for it.” I heard Elijah say behind me, and I whipped around, my eyes wide. +“I am stunned that you would even consider such lunacy!” I spat at him in a livid whisper, “You have no idea what is out there!” +“Go for it, man.” A guy behind him urged. +There was a rumble of assent through the crowd around us. The glares I shot in the direction of those people encouraging him actually silenced them; they probably feared being set aflame if I decided to turn the heat-intensity of my look up just one more notch. +“Brynna, come on. We’ll be the first people to set foot on Pangaea!” He said to me urgently as he gripped my hand. “We’ll be the first people ever!” +“I am very worried about your fascination with fame and momentous accomplishments. It seems both pointless and foolhardy.” I replied after my eyes had locked with his. After hearing this strange, intricately-worded sentence, a woman standing just behind Elijah looked at me as though she were witnessing a hydra regenerating one of its recently severed heads. I could not help it that I saw no need to edit myself for the sake of bystanders who felt uncomfortable in the presence of such vast intelligence and flawless articulacy… +“I’m going to do it.” +I could see in his eyes a resolution that would not be undone with any snippet of wisdom, sly insult to his intelligence, or even a command to use common sense. His resolve to be the first man to walk on this planet would not be shaken by the threat of death or dismemberment or even one of my elaborately formed warnings. I knew that. +I also knew that I could not let him go alone. +“Let’s do it.” I sighed in resignation. His goofy grin emerged, and I frowned. “Do not make me slap that ridiculous smile right off of your face.” +James grasped my hand, and when I looked up at him, he nodded. +“Keep Penny back,” I told Violet, “If anything happens…” +“Don’t say that!” She whispered back in a trembling voice. +A few more people stepped forward. I suppose their guilt at allowing two young, reasonably attractive, obviously quite intelligent kids and their strapping older chaperone to face what could be certain death was winning out over their own survival instincts. I couldn’t fault them for that. Either that, or they had overheard Elijah’s musings on being the first people to set foot on Pangaea and wanted their own slice of the immortality that such an accomplishment would bring. +On one side of us, a single man strode forward. The pupils set right in the middle of his impossibly large, unbelievably bright blue eyes were contracted to the size of pinpoints. He stared forward, his hands trembling as potent, petrifying fear coursed through his body. It was not his trepidation that was pulling him forward. It was not a need to know what awaited us outside. He was a slight man bearing a strong resemblance to a fly searching for something that would sustain his very life; he was of the group who desired the endless fame that came with being “one of the firsts.” +The woman walking beside me was shaking only slightly and grasping the cross necklace that hung around her neck. Her husband was muttering a soft prayer as he locked his arm around her shoulder. I would have been moved by their show of devotion to both each other and a higher power if it weren't for the fact that every aspect of them (their appearance, their body language, the way the woman was closing her eyes and looking up to the heavens) screamed “performance.” +It screamed something else, too, but at that time, I did not know what. I never could have imagined it then. Not in a million years. +I suddenly wished that there was some deity that I believed in strongly. I would ask for the bravery this slow forward-march required. But apparently, I didn’t need to pray, because my feet moved one after the other, inching me further and further into that mysterious light. +After releasing my grip on James and Elijah, I reached up to cover my eyes as the light brightened. I could not understand the sudden increase in its intensity but still, I walked forward. +The first breath of Pangaean air cast an icy spell over my lungs. It was a sensation so amazing, it brought tears to my eyes that had nothing to do with the bright light of a second sun. Even when I knew that my eyes had adjusted to that bright stream, I kept them closed for a moment longer, preparing myself for the image I knew would take those breaths of invigorating air away. +And take them away it did. +We had landed in a field covered by deep green grass. The blades reached towards the cerulean sky where overhead, the sun was blazing; it was a dazzling yet gentle ball of light. As I stared into its incandescence, my eyes did not burn in the slightest. I could stare right into its depth and feel nothing but wonder burrowed deeply in my soul coupled with confusion and mild, non-threatening confusion—How could we look right at the sun? In the distance, the sky darkened to purple and cradled stars inside that twinkled like drops of rain. We had arrived at twilight. +The air was light and crisp like the first day of autumn. It did not burn as it traveled down into my lungs the way the polluted air of our Earth had. I could not imagine returning to our planet, if it still existed, and having to breathe such toxic fumes. I believed that it would kill me immediately. It was a privilege to take those steady inhalations of such unimaginable purity. +I reached down to touch the grass that rose to my waist. It was not rough or sharp in either the body or the tip. It was as soft as silk in its entirety. I wanted to lie down and burrow my face in it. I wanted to use the earth as my pillow forever. +It was a truly astounding feeling, to see such untainted beauty. +This is what our earth was, I thought to myself, And we destroyed it. +When James and I had killed those giants that morning after our initial meeting, we had seen the world from my balcony the way it had been intended. Through our whitened eyes, we had seen the stolen truth. Now, we were living in a land that possessed the very beauty we had decimated. We breathed the air that we had forced from our world. +All five senses were alive; I could taste the sweet, clean air on my tongue. I could smell it so vividly as it traveled through my nose. I could see the hypnotizing beauty all around me. I listened to the wind swishing the tops of the trees in the forest that surrounded us and felt the grass as it danced against my legs and tickled my bare skin. Those first moments were, quite simply, indescribably glorious, and I have never forgotten them; to this day, they still instill in me a tear-provoking nostalgia and sometimes, a desire to return to that innocence and wonder. +After seeing that we were still standing, several people were rushing to exit the ship. I snapped out of my mesmerized daze and turned to see Penny, Maura and Violet being shoved forward, struggling to stay on their feet. The ship workers were trying to keep order, but the excitement had boiled over. Though the other survivors had not been able to see this place first, they surely would not wait to be the last. +I cleared my throat and took one large, fantastic breath of air. I stunned those who could see me by shouting in a voice too large and loud for a young woman my size. +“Everyone shut up and listen!” +Yes, that was graceless. But sure enough, the feet stopped stomping down the ramp, and silence replaced the excited chattering that had been deafening only a moment before. +Once all eyes were on me, I felt a familiar fluttering in my chest that turned my stomach. But the thrill of arriving and seeing such splendor was enough to remedy the sudden bout of sickness. I found my voice again. +“If you could not trample each other, I am sure those that would be trampled in this stampede would appreciate it greatly. Try for a little civility.” I paused, wondering if I should add that they were not surprising me with their barbarism. I debated mentally if I should comment on their sudden courage when earlier, they had been shoving us out of the ship to spare themselves. I thought better of both snide statements and instead allowed the joyful beating of my heart to overthrow my acidic disdain just for one instance. I finished my call for order with, “Thank you so much.” +The chattering resumed at its previous volume, but people walked slower and with more consideration for those around them. My eyes found Penny, who was walking between Maura and Violet, grasping both of their hands. Her eyes were wide in wonder. Her mouth was open, too, but a smile was tugging at the ends. In her face, I saw the amazement that I felt in my heart. It was child-like in its very essence. It was a feeling I had never known but was thrilled to see reflected in her. +“Elijah? Are you okay?” James asked him, and I whipped around, feeling a jolt of concern in my heart. Was this peace inside of me a lie? Did being exposed to this immaculate place cause a deadly side-effect that took several minutes to expose its ugly face? +No on both accounts. +Elijah had his head angled up towards the sky, and his eyes closed. He was in a state of amazement that rendered him speechless. This had always been his dream, to travel through space and see another planet. When we were kids, he insisted that he was going to live on the moon. Then, he insisted that he was going to live on Pluto, because no one gave it any credit. When “they” deemed Pluto too small to be a planet, Elijah vowed to campaign for its status to be reinstated. +The boy was a nerd, through and through. His passion for all things involving space rivaled my own passion for literature. He was more likely to show his love for what amazed and befuddled him whereas I kept mine to myself. Now, he was practically in tears. +I should have made a crack about his masculinity draining before our very eyes. I should have told him that if he cried, I would never respect him again. But an hour or so earlier, we had believed that we were falling out of the sky. Now we were safely on Pangaea, our safe haven. I could not fault him for wanting to shed some tears of relief and joy. So many people around us were, as they jumped about, hugging their family members and strangers, alike. +I certainly would have wept a little, if I had been a stronger person. +“He’s totally going to cry right now.” Violet leaned over to Maura and whispered that loudly enough so he could hear. +“I’m not going to cry!” He croaked out in shaky indignation, “Stop staring at me!” +“You heard the man. Look away, ladies.” Maura turned Violet and Penny away and paid me no mind, which had become custom since our disagreement. While Elijah was turned away, struggling to get his emotions in check lest he be viewed by all of us as a pansy, I rushed to James and threw my arms around his neck before standing up on the tops of my toes to kiss him for one long, brilliant moment. His arms came around my back, and he pulled me closer to him. Then, in a quick movement that elicited a yelp of surprise from me, he turned me sideways and dipped me backwards. I was laughing hysterically, amazed at how graceful the quick maneuver had been and how jokingly dramatic it was. +“Yeah, that was a good one, I know.” He bragged jokingly. +I laughed at his arrogant proclamation and pulled his face close to mine so I could kiss him passionately again. +The tumultuous sounds of the crowd around us faded out in my ears to be replaced by the sound of my heart pounding. That warmth that came with his touch blared to life inside of me. I was spoiled by it now and always dreading the moment when it died away. +It disappeared abruptly that time because I felt a light kick on my leg. +“Ow!” I exclaimed, though it was not the kick that was painful. It was having to emerge so quickly from that quiet, comforting place I fell into while I was with James that pained me. +“He’s going to turn around any second! Control yourself!” Violet hissed at me, but I could see the traces of a smile on her lips. +James returned me to my feet, but I kept my arms around his neck. His hands were still rested on my face as we pressed our foreheads together and laughed softly in quiet triumph and unfathomable relief. He kissed me for one quick, fleeting second. +Five thousand people were saved from whatever had taken our earth and the rest of our race. Though we had lost some in the journey, the rest had arrived safely with hearts still beating and lungs still breathing precious air. Like every creature ever to walk the earth, our will to survive had flourished in the face of death and saved us all. It had even beaten the very end of all we knew. In short, it had trumped extinction. In the battle against the sadistic will of God, the Gods, or the universe, we had won. +Looking around at the faces in that crowd of survivors and listening to their loud shows of joy, I could not help but feel a hope that was as alien to me as the planet on which we now walked. Doubt did not cast a shadow on my belief that from our arrival onward, we would live in peace until we met our own individual, not collective, ends. +I allowed myself to fall prey to naivety and idealism. That hope was something I never would have tolerated inside of myself otherwise. +It would prove false. It would carry consequences. +It shielded my eyes, quite perilously, to the coming events. + +Quinn + +I wanted to shake the hand of the girl who called out for civility, because Alice and I would have been trampled by the over-anxious crowd if she had not. I couldn’t help but admire the girl's resolution to step out first when the rest of us had been so afraid. I wanted to approach her to give my thanks for her bravery. But she disappeared into the crowd that emerged from the ship. Once she was swallowed in the mass of people, I knew I’d more than likely never see her again. +“She’s got a loud voice for such a little person.” Alice said beside me. +“Yeah, she does.” I turned to her, grinning widely. “So, we’re here!” +“I know!” Alice clapped her hands excitedly and bobbed up and down on her feet for a moment of pure joy. “God, the air smells so much different than it did back home, doesn’t it?” +My mood dropped at the mention of home. It no longer existed, and the thought of it was sure to depress us both. Alice must have read that in my facial expression, because she quickly changed the subject. +“So now what?” +That question didn’t help keep the mood up, either. It was the newest question with unthinkable gravity behind it. We were there, finally, but what were we supposed to do first? +“We’re all going to sleep on the ship, right?” A man behind me asked. +“I guess we could,” A woman replied, “I hope they don’t expect us to sleep out here. You know that I’ve never liked camping, honey.” +“Well, if that’s the only option, then you’re just going to have to deal with it, sweetheart.” +“I don’t see why it would be the only option, David. They’ll let us sleep on the ship.” +“They’ll let all of us just keep running on and off the ship? Doubtful. People almost got stomped on a minute ago. Plus, can you imagine how long it will take if everyone decides to go in and out at the same time?” +“I don’t want to sleep on the ship, Quinn.” Alice told me after clasping her hands around one of mine. +“I don’t, either.” +The thought of having to stay confined to that ship at nighttime made my head spin. It was the same feeling I would experience if someone threw me in a trunk, slammed the lid shut, and locked me inside. After spending two and a half weeks on-board, I needed to be out in the open, and I knew Alice did, too. +“There are so many people!” Alice muttered as we looked around, “It’s like Rockefeller Center at Christmastime!” +“I don’t like it. Let’s try to move out of the crowd a little. +We had to squeeze past people as they argued and reasoned an answer to the question Alice had posed to me earlier. What exactly were we going to do now? +As a final answer, I heard an unfamiliar male voice over the loudspeaker. +“Ladies and gentlemen, can you direct your attention to the ship, please?” The man asked. +Alice and I looked to see that he was raising one hand in the air to show everyone where it was they were supposed to be looking. A hush fell over the crowd. +Though this was, without a doubt, the weirdest situation we could have found ourselves in, the universal quality to it was that people could rarely tell themselves what to do. Instead, they opted for the comfort of being told. Alice and I were no exception, but we could blame our age for that tendency, at least. +“Right here, ladies and gentlemen!” He strained himself to reach up higher and continued waving. “People in the back? Right here.” +Now everyone was giving him their full attention. +“Hello, everyone. We are going to be calling you by your housing compartment number. When your number is called, please come to the left side of the ship to gather your belongings. You will be given one tent per party. You will be given one set of matches, a set of rations, and a sleeping bag for every member of your party. We will be handing out rations daily at daybreak. The moment the sun comes up, one member of each party needs to be present to accept their rations. For your own sake, please do not be late.” +“Why would it matter?” I asked Alice softly. +“Shh!” She hushed me as she craned her neck to see the man speaking. +“It sounds like him.” A girl was whispering behind me, and I heard her jumping up and down as she tried to get a better look. +“You are imagining things.” Another girl hissed at her. +I drowned out their argument in order to hear the man better. He was speaking into a megaphone, but we were so far back that it was hard to hear. It was nearly impossible to get a good look at him. +“The ship is going to be closed off temporarily. Please remain within sight of it at all times. If you can’t see it, then you’ve gone too far, and you need to come back. Right now, we’re not sure if there is anything else here. There could be wild animals.” +“Are there people?” Someone in the crowd shouted. Some people laughed nervously, but the silence grew heavier with a sudden tension. Everyone was wondering that. It was not just a question, it was a fear we all shared. +“No, sir. Thank you for asking.” There was a note of irritation in the man’s voice, “Are there any other questions?” +“What will happen if we aren’t there at daybreak?” +“Just be there at daybreak.” The man insisted calmly. +“Why can’t we go off on our own?” Another man shouted. +“It’s too dangerous. We don’t know what’s out there. Ladies and gentlemen, there is strength in numbers. If there is a threat that we don’t know about, we will be more apt to survive it if we are all here to face it.” +One of the two girls who had been bickering behind us nearly shattered our eardrums with her deafening shout to the front. +“What’s your name?!” +“My name is Daniel Olivier. I paid for this ship to be built.” + +Violet + +I gasped sharply before storming straight ahead. In the process, I almost knocked the young couple in front of me to the ground as I ran forward. I pushed people and didn't bother to ask for their excusing. I knew Maura, Elijah, Brynna, James, and Penny were right behind me, but I didn’t look over my shoulder once, because I was in such a hurry to get to him. +“Daddy!” I exclaimed once I had reached the small stage he was standing on. I threw my arms around his neck, sobbing into his shoulder as he held me tightly. +“Hey, sweetheart. I knew you were here somewhere.” +“Why didn’t you come find us on the ship? We were registered. Why didn’t you come find us? She told me you were dead!” I pointed an accusing finger at Brynna whose face remained impassive. But if one were to look closely at her eyes, they would see the monstrous wrath burning behind that icy blue. I knew the look, and even in my elation, I felt a shudder pass through me; it always preceded one of her rages, that look… +My father’s face, however, was anything but expressionless. The smile that had emerged when he had seen us faded slowly. It was replaced by a fury so menacing that it almost matched Brynna’s. Her boldness never faltered, though, the way mine would have upon seeing that look. She stood firm and glared back at him, forcefully pushing his buttons, hoping that he would snap. +“Alright, we will deal with that later.” Maura said quickly, and they snapped their eyes to her at exactly the same time. +My dad reached out and put one hand on her face as she leaned forward. He kissed her cheek and she asked, “You alright?” +“I’m fine,” He replied softly, “Thank you for getting them here.” +Penny jumped into our dad’s arms, and he spun her in a circle. She giggled uproariously as she always did in those extremely rare instances that he played with her. Elijah, our dad believed, was far past the age where hugs were allowed, so they clasped hands quickly. It was a cold gesture that I had always found disturbing. It felt like whatever bond they had had before (and it had always been fragile) was permanently dead the day Dad decided he could no longer embrace Elijah. It’s a strange thing, when that happens between fathers and sons. +When it came time to speak to Brynna, he stared at her for a moment as she stared back. +“Come with me,” He ordered coldly, “I want to speak to you privately.” +“I do not want to speak to you, period,” Brynna snapped back without missing a beat, “so I will not be doing so.” +Oh, boy. Off they went … +“Don’t start that inane babbling with me. I said I wanted to talk to you. Now let’s go.” My anxiety was rising as he struggled to keep his temper. My mouth dried out, and my breaths stopped coming as easily despite the crispness of the air. +“I will not take orders from you. Not anymore…” +“There are people watching, Brynna Claire! Now move!” +“I am supposed to care that there are people watching? When have I ever cared about that, Dad?’ +Everything, from the way she stood to the devious glint in her eye, told me that she was purposely trying to stir the angry storm inside of him. My father acted brutally towards Brynna only. I had never been on the receiving end of his wrath. But I knew the consequences of it by witnessing what he had done to Brynna over the years. She never gave in to him or showed any fear, which only strengthened his determination to hurt her. +Her fingers linked with James’s, and he snapped out of an angry daze of his own. He had been glaring at my dad, his eyes burning red. I wanted to warn him that he had better allow his eyes to switch back to normal unless he wanted Dad to know that some drastic, freakish change was occurring in each of us. Somehow, I knew that Dad learning of our evolution would be dangerous for us all. +“She told you that she’s not going. That’s the end of it. Let’s go, Brynna.” +“James Maxwell…” My father’s expression changed from one of deep discontent to one of pure loathing at the sight of him. His eyes traveled down to see their hands grasped together. “Somehow, I knew you would find her.” +What the hell was going on? +“You two know each other?” Elijah asked, “You said you’d never met them, James.” +“He lied.” My dad replied simply. +“I was just going to say that I lied.” James added abruptly, “I lied about meeting your dad, at least. I never made the acquaintance of your mother, and thank God for that.” +“Don’t you say anything about her, you…” My dad started, his anger hitting a violent high point far more quickly than ever before. +“Why would you lie about that? About knowing them? Or him, or whichever one of them you knew? Do you realize what that means?” Brynna was asking him softly, and yet her voice was shaking with anger. +“Brynna, let’s go.” Dad had turned his attention back to her and was obviously growing more and more impatient with every moment that passed. +“Daniel, can’t we just be happy that we’re all together and that we’re alright? There will be time to be angry later. Just let it go for right now.” Maura was urging him gently as she grasped his hand. He shook her off, still glaring at Brynna. +“How do you two know each other?” Brynna demanded, looking between the two of them, “I want to know the truth!” +“And I want you to come with me. Let’s go.” +“She’s not going with you.” +Of the three, James was the most furious. His stature seemed to have grown; he had gained a sudden bulkiness that made him thicker and more intimidating. His eyes were burning red, and he didn’t seem to care that Dad saw. For his part, my father did not seem surprised by the change. +“Do you know what that is, Brynna?” My father asked as he pointed at James. “He looks like that because he feels that I’m impeding on his territory. It’s possession.” +“Well, I do not need anyone, let alone a liar, to protect me. You really feel the need to have a discussion? Then we will discuss.” +“Brynna!” James called after her, but she was walking with my dad to the other side of the ship where they would be out of view of the gawking crowd. +The onlookers had turned away after growing bored when they hadn’t been able to hear the whole conversation clearly, but if Dad reached out and hit Brynna the way he had a tendency to when he was angry, they would certainly turn back around to watch. An outburst like that certainly would not keep him in good standing with the survivors he was trying to lead. +I looked at Maura and saw tears in her eyes. +“I loved him once,” She whispered to me softly, or maybe she had whispered that to herself, because her eyes were on the ground, not on mine. She was swiping the tears from her eyes when she finally did look at me. +“I am sure you know that by now, that I loved him. But I loved him before he became what he is now.” +I nodded, barely understanding what she meant. I was too preoccupied with the fact that Brynna was about to see the worst of “what he was now.” The different man than the one Maura had fallen in love with was one that hated the very sight of his oldest daughter. +I was luckier to escape his wrath than I was to escape the end of the world. I knew that with absolute certainty. + +Brynna + +Because I was walking in front of him, I knew that he was going to grab my arm, twist it behind my back, and shove me up against the ship’s hard exterior before he did it. Because he was so angry, I knew he was going to hiss at me through clenched teeth to make his displeasure known. The only thing that I didn’t know was whether I’d be seeing the back side of his hand, something I hadn’t seen since I had moved out four years earlier. +“So, you thought that was it? You thought you’d leave your mother and me behind? You thought you’d escape here and shack up with that asshole, Maxwell?” +“How do you know him?” I demanded after realizing how very little fear there was in my heart, even in the presence of his rage. I only wanted to know where their association had begun and what the meaning was behind it. It was difficult for me to feel fear in the face of his anger anymore. I had become so accustomed to it that I found its theatricality and physicality almost comical; both were the result of his inability to simply articulate his undying hatred of me into words. +“You left us to die, you bitch!” +If there was one thing in life that I loathed most venomously, it was the use of gender-based insults. “Bitch”, “whore” and “slut” were disgraceful, but there was one more that was downright despicable. He had called me that before, generally after having one too many drinks. +“Where is my mother?” +I refrained from referring to her as “Mom” for I felt that the term was too closely correlated with warmth and sentiment. I had been doing that for years, simply because it irritated them both so much. +“Where do you think?! She burned up just like I was supposed to! Isn’t that what was supposed to happen? Well, you should have done your homework, sweetheart, because this whole expedition was bought and paid for by me! What, your little friend James didn’t tell you that? Was he too busy following after you like a pathetic little puppy dog?” +“You enjoy asking rhetorical questions, though I must say, I have always found them to be quite useless in determining what one wants to know...” +“Shut up!” He punched the side of the ship right beside my head. I only flinched slightly, which only infuriated him more. “I guess he also didn’t tell you that he engineered the ship?” +Well, that explained his calmness while the rest of us thought the ship was going down... That explained his calmness that had remained intact throughout all the peril we had experienced, actually. +“Now I want you to listen to me. Stay away from him.” +He had lied to me. I would have nothing more to do with him for that alone, not because my father had ordered me to keep my distance. +“If I catch you with him, I’ll deal with it the same way that I dealt with your stupid little friends.” +I looked at him, knowing that my eyes were going to turn red. It was that rage again. It was that inescapable feeling that I must end the life of someone causing me pain. For my pride, for my love of the people to whom he was cruelly and disrespectfully referring, for the years upon years of hatred and abuse between us, for that longing and love for the one he stole away from me, I would end that man. +“The two that couldn’t keep their noses out of your mother’s business went easily. The other two, not so much… Your little friends, I don’t even remember their names. And God, I don’t even remember the names of those two little bloggers now, either, and you were screwing one of them, weren’t you? God, what was her name, Brynna?” He continued to prod me with a sadistically triumphant smile scratched across his misshapen mouth. +His inability to recall the names of four innocent people he had ordered to be killed, three of which were so dear to me, sickened me worse than if he had spat their names at me in blatant disrespect for them. As far as her, I had tried my hardest not to think her name, or to see her face, or to remember all that had happened… Tears rushed into my eyes, but I blinked them away. I only saw her when my mind was unguarded in sleep, when her face could assail me at my most vulnerable moments… +Rachel. Rachel. Rachel. +I was beginning to panic. Those many painful feelings that only her death could provoke me to feel were utterly destroying the walls I had built in an effort to keep them out. He was destroying those walls, talking about her. +To his eye, though, I was still calm, vaguely sociopathic in my calmness. That is what he thought, anyway. With a surprisingly low level of surprise, I realized that I could hear what he was thinking. How could his barbs not be hitting me? How could I not be sobbing under the weight of his cruel words, of his forceful evoking of painful memories, his whole act of emotional torment? Why was I so damn unshakeable? He would break me. If he could not break my composure, he could break my bones; whatever he had to do, he would wipe that impassive look off my face. He would replace it with a look of fear or at the very least, a grimace of pain. +“You’re my daughter.” He hissed, his hands shaking violently now. “I might find the sight of you to be disgusting, but you’re still my kid. So, do you want to guess which option I’m going to favor when I get rid of him?” +I was through with James. I was ready to pretend that nothing had occurred between us. But the thought of losing him permanently, though I knew I would never be with him again, almost brought tears to my eyes. Tears streaming down my cheeks were as rare a sight as a unicorn tumbling out of a rainbow above Antarctica, so I hope one realizes how extreme the pain I felt was when I pictured James being irreversibly gone. +I hated him for lying to me. But I could not hate him completely. It made no sense, and to me, everything made sense. I did not find the confusion regarding my feelings for him to be a place in which I wished to spend my time. I shook my head slightly to clear the rambling, conflicting thoughts from my mind. +Everything was so loud. Within the confines of my skull, the thoughts were expanding, overlapping, feeding off each other to cause me the most pain. +“Tell me that you’re not going to see him again.” +I did not reply. I was proud to the point of recklessness and always had been. Even now, as I faced the possibility of physical pain, I could not cast my pride aside. It was too resilient, like the cockroaches I assumed were still scavenging amongst the ashes of our earth. +“Brynna Claire,” He growled as his fingers locked painfully around my upper arms. “Do not test me. I don’t like raising my hand to you, but I will if you don’t answer me. You’re smarter than this. Make the smart decision. Tell me you won’t see him again.” +I raised my eyes to him, fantasizing about reaching out abruptly and shoving my palm up into his nose with all the force my newly acquired strength would allow. The bones would shatter, and a jagged piece would be shoved up to pierce his brain. I wanted to lean forward and take an unforgiving bite out of his throat, right on that quickly throbbing, deep-blue vein. I wanted to jump on his back, grasp his head and rip it from his neck, destroying him the same way I destroyed that creature in my apartment. +Instead, I taunted him: +“Raise your hand, little boy.” +His hand came up, and he moved it behind him so that he could muster enough force to send me to the ground. I’ll admit, the pain evoked a small cry from me. I crashed sideways into the side of the ship before sliding down into the dirt. Looking up in time to see James suddenly appear in front of me did not improve my now very disagreeable mood. +“Go. Go away.” I gasped out as I widened my eyes in an attempt to clear my blurred vision. He was sitting me up. “You lied to me, and I want you to go.” +“Brynna, I lied to you because I knew you wouldn’t trust me. If you knew that I had worked with him to build this, you wouldn’t have come with me. We did vote on whether or not to allow them to come. We voted against them both, just like I said. I don’t know what he’s doing here. I thought you’d be safe from both of them here.” He was speaking quickly, trying to explain away committing the ultimate betrayal in my little world before I managed to hoist myself up and leave him forever. +“So you thought you’d save me, James?” I narrowed my eyes as a new outrage gripped me that had nothing to do with my father. +How dare he suggest that I needed to be rescued? I was a strong, independent woman who just so happened to be abused, sometimes severely, by her father. That didn’t mean that I was weak and in need of a knight in shining armor, as they say. How incredibly pathetic that would be… +His own defenses rose abruptly; coldness glazed over his warm, brown eyes, and his perfectly molded jaw tightened. The armies inside of us were raising their weapons, ready to fire on the enemy that had invaded their strongholds. We were pulling away just as we had begun to grow closer. +Deep down, past the anger, the betrayal, and the self-loathing I felt at allowing myself to grow too fond of him, my heart was splitting. I dreaded the moment he walked away from me. I prayed that somehow, I would find whatever was needed to change my mind; I searched desperately for some inner strength that would persuade me to let him stay. No revelation of the sort came, nor did my swelling pride dissolve. +“I told you that you would pull away,” He told me furiously, “You thought it would be me. But I knew it would be you.” +“Congratulations. Would you like some sort of award for your vast knowledge on the inner workings of Brynna Olivier?” I hissed back just as viciously. +“It is quite an accomplishment considering that you’re so fundamentally f…” +“This conversation has reached its end. I do not tolerate liars.” +“But you tolerate that son of a bitch, who just punched you in the face?” +“He’s my father. You’re… You’re…” I was stammering, a new phenomenon with which I was not familiar nor comfortable. The sudden change in my speaking pattern was evidence that I did not mean what I said next, “You’re nothing, James.” +He studied me as he shook his head slightly. I wanted to see anger on his face and the desire to fight me on my resolve to push him away. Doesn’t every woman want that? But all I saw in James’s face was a new determination to get as far away from me as he could, and to stay away this time. +My heart split even more fatally. I was surely bleeding to death internally. The part of me that cared for him so deeply and needed him blindly begged me through her rapidly falling, acidic tears to reach out, wrap my arms around his neck, and beg him to stay. Unfortunately, the side of me that did not allow such fragility to be shown to anyone, but especially men, crossed her arms, shook her head and dug her heels in. She would not beg James Maxwell for anything. She would not beg anyone for anything. +“Good luck to you, Brynna.” +His words were so cold. They were so final. There was not the smallest hint of that beautiful affection I knew he had for me. Over the past several days, a devotion to one another had bloomed in each of us. Mine was wilting away as though its water-source had been evaporated with one harsh ray from the sun. His was effectively eradicated; I wondered if even the smallest traces of it would survive for even an hour more. +My father ushered me back to the crowd, and I turned to watch James walking in the opposite direction, getting further and further away by the second. There were so many people. If I ever needed to find him, I would more than likely be unable to do so. That was the last time I would see him, ever. +I walked back to where Maura, Elijah, Penny, and Violet were standing together and chattering nervously. Only Penny comforted me with a warm hug around my leg and a kiss on my throbbing cheek when I knelt down in front of her. The rest just diverted their gazes and pretended not to notice the bruise that was already forming there. +“Your eyes are really dark blue.” Penny told me with her brows furrowed in curiosity. “Normally, they’re the color of the sky. Now they’re like the ocean.” +I was barely listening to her, God bless the sweet little girl. In my ears was the rhythmic tapping of my heart, and the last words James had spoke over and over again, and Rachel’s name, her voice. James’s voice. +I forced it away. I forced that immense, unimaginable pain away. I allowed myself just that one moment of agony as I replayed the exact second when he had disappeared from my sight over and over again. +I cannot explain it. I cannot think about it for long. The memory pains me still. + +Quinn + +Our housing compartment had been the very last, so by the time we got to the ship to retrieve our bags, people had already made their camps. The lucky people who had resided in the first compartment were able to set up right in front of the ship. We were forced to set up far in the back, closer to the tree line at the end of the field. +I had very little experience with camping, though my father had insisted that we try it when I was a little kid. Though my tent-constructing skills left a lot to be desired, I managed to build ours in under two hours. Of course, I had required the assistance of a woman from the camp next to ours. +“Too bad we got the last compartment, right? We’re all the way back here in the nosebleeds.” She had told me as she expertly hammered a peg into the ground. +“I know, right?” I replied, “I guess we’re second-class citizens.” +“I guess so.” She looked up at Alice, who was standing away from us and staring off into the darkened forest. The leaves on the trees were a dark evergreen; the sight of them made me tired for some reason. The forest was odd; every type of tree I could think of was cluttered together in my view. A weeping willow swayed in the wind, its long, flowing leaves grazing the rough trunk of a tall palm tree. A pine tree stood in the shadow of a towering oak. I couldn’t help but muse how weird this place was. +“Your girlfriend looks like she has had a bit of a rough time.” The woman informed me. +My thoughts snapped back to Alice, who remained motionless as she stared straight ahead. I wondered what exactly she was looking for, or if she was really looking for anything at all. +“We all have, right?” I replied with a noncommittal shrug, “Yeah, it’s crazy to say out loud, but there was this thing back home. I can’t describe to you exactly what it was. I just know that it was evil. It sounds crazy…” +“It doesn’t,” The woman shook her head, “I’m the chatty one out of me and my sisters, and I talked to a lot of people on the ship. We all had something after us. You and your girlfriend aren’t alone in that. What was your otherworldly stalker like?” +I chuckled softly at the term. “Otherworldly stalker” was an accurate description. +Though the recollection was painful given the way it all turned out, I found myself spilling all of the details to this stranger. I talked for a long time, and she never interrupted me. She never gave any indication that she was disturbed, even when I finished our story with the very real, very grim end. +“That’s horrible,” She told me, but her voice betrayed no true sympathy, “I guess her zoning off instead of helping you make camp is acceptable then. Poor thing…” +I didn’t know whether to be offended by her suggestion that Alice was essentially a useless companion or to ask myself if I had taken her statement the wrong way. I certainly didn’t believe that Alice not helping me make camp made her useless, though I had been slightly irritated at her as I was sweating and stressing over how to build a stupid tent. +“Baby!” I called to her. “It’s done!” +Alice jumped almost completely off the ground. +“Sorry!” I shouted again. +She gave no acknowledgment of my apology. She just meandered back slowly, glancing over her shoulder every couple of seconds to view the trees again. When her face became clearer to me as she got closer, I could see that her brows were wrinkled, and her mouth was crooked in an expression of curiosity and bemusement. +“Thank you. It was nice talking to you.” I told the woman, who nodded and studied Alice with narrow eyes. After she walked away, I reached out to grasp Alice’s hand. +“What is it, baby?” I put my finger under her chin to gently lift her head. +She glanced back over her shoulder, her eyes slowly scanning the trees. +“There’s something out there,” She told me, “I can feel it.” +She didn’t elaborate. She just unzipped the tent and went inside. +“It’s really big in here!” She called out to me, but I was looking into the darkness behind the tree-line now, looking for whatever it was that she claimed she felt. After a minute, I was able to convince myself that she was still stressed from the events of the past weeks and as a result, was imagining things. There was nothing out there. +I followed her into the tent to see her sitting on the ground, opening her suitcase. +“I want to keep at least one shirt in my bag. I don’t want to wear it.” She told me as she cradled a pink and black striped flannel to her chest. “I just want to keep it in my bag so that it will always smell like home.” +“That’s a good idea.” I replied as I opened the box of rations that we had gotten at the same time we retrieved our bags. “Well, at least the food on the ship was good, because this is all kinds of crap. Look at this!” +Though the proportions were quite large, the food itself was basic. It was only meant to supply the necessary nutrients. It was just enough to survive. +“Just add water. Where are we supposed to get water?” I asked as I held up a can of what I supposed was powdered soup. +“Look a little harder, darling.” Alice told me as she rooted around in the box to pull out three bottles of water. “Look, they gave us the bare minimum! One gallon a day each!” +“That was generous of them.” I replied bitterly. +I was a typical guy; I underwent a Jekyll and Hyde transformation when I became hungry or thirsty. If I was in desperate need of a drink or meal, I was also in desperate need of a straitjacket. A smart person would promptly avoid me at all costs. +“The extra bottle is for the stuff that needs water, I guess.” Alice told me. “So, do you want some powdered soup? I’ll cook it for you. It’ll be like I’m a housewife, right?” +“Are you being sarcastic?” +“Do you even need to ask?” She asked sarcastically, “I’m only kidding. But seriously, I will make it. Let me test my survival skills right here and right now.” +“You’re testing your survival skills by following a simple direction?” I laughed slightly. +“I am. Don’t rain on my parade.” +“Sorry.” I watched her pour the packets of soup into two plastic bowls. She poured in a small amount of water and stirred the contents with a plastic spoon, “I guess the days of nice silverware and plates and bowls are over.” +“Do we really need them, though? I think fine china and silverware are the least of our worries.” +“I know. I was just making a statement.” +“Here you go. That was like magic. I turned powder into soup. Think about it this way…” She took a bite of the chunky green liquid in the bowl and frowned. “When we went away to college, we would have been eating Ramen every night. We probably would have been using Styrofoam bowls and plastic cups and washing them every night because we couldn’t even afford paper plates. We’re basically living the exact way we would have been living at the end of the summer.” +“You’re trying really hard to stay positive, aren’t you?” +“Do I have any other choice?” +“No. I guess not.” I knew that I needed to get on that fake-optimism bandwagon quickly, or she would break down into tears. She needed my assurance the same way I needed hers. “We’ll chill here for a while until we get to explore. Then, we’ll figure out a way to get some wood, and I’ll build you our house.” +Her face had fallen slightly after she had tried to remain upbeat. Her true feelings were beginning to leak through that mask of happiness. But at the mention of our house, I saw joy on her face that was genuine and familiar to me. +“Maybe we’ll learn to make pots out of clay and stuff.” She replied enthusiastically, “Then you can have your nice plates and bowls.” +“I don’t need plates and bowls!” I laughed again, “I was being dumb.” +“Surprise, surprise.” +I shook my head at her in jocular offense and then leaned forward to kiss her. +“This could all shape up to be really, really cool,” She told me, and I knew that her proclamation was an optimistic thought she truly believed in. “I mean, we’ll just get to chill out for the rest of our lives. No one is going to expect us to work if we’re living on our own. We don't need money for anything. We’ll get up in the morning, decide that we don’t want to do anything, so we won’t do anything.” +“Is this proof that all people are lazy?” I asked. +“Pretty much,” She said through a fit of gleeful laughter, “I believe that, Quinn. I believe it’s everyone’s dream to do nothing. Isn’t that why people started retiring early and moving to Florida and stuff? Why would you work when you can just run around on the beach all day? Look at us. We hadn’t even started working for real, and we were already fantasizing about the day we didn’t have to work at all anymore. It just so happens that our time to do nothing has come a lot earlier than we planned.” +“That’s true. It’s weird to hear it put like that, but you’re right. Do you remember how my dad used to talk about how lazy our generation was?” +“Oh, yeah,” Alice smiled as she rolled her eyes, “I remember those lectures. I just wanted to be like, 'It’s your generation that got us into a crisis, ding-dong!’” +“And it’s their generation that didn't want to work, either. People were losing their jobs left and right, and there were still people who didn’t appreciate having good ones. Do you remember how your mom used to threaten to quit every week? And she was making a ridiculous amount of money!” +“I know. She annoyed me so much with that. Then I’d try to tell her about how she should consider herself lucky. And she was like, 'Alice, if you knew what I had to do at my job…’ ‘You don’t know what you’re talking about…’” +Her impression of her mother was spot on. +“Laziness, dude,” She continued, “She was the prime example of it. That was one of her bad qualities, I will say.” Alice’s smile faded as she looked off, “But I would want her here even if she had only her bad qualities.” +“I know. I want my parents here, too. They should be here.” +“I know they should. But you know, I’ve been thinking lately that I’m going to see them again. One day, when I die…” +“Which will be in a really long time…” I added. +“Which will be in a really long time,” She agreed, “I’ll see them again. It helps more than I thought it would.” +“I know it does. You know that I have no religious beliefs. But I’ve been thinking that a lot lately, too. And it is comforting.” +“It is. So we just need to live out our lives being as happy as we can be. Even though they didn’t approve of us, and they probably never would have, they know that we need each other now. So, we just need to try to live normally even though God knows this situation isn’t normal.” +“You’re right.” I smiled at her, completely in agreement with what she had said, “You’re absolutely right.” + +Violet + +“Sick” does not begin to describe how I felt when I saw my father and Maura together. I knew that they had a history, though the extent of their relationship remained a mystery to me. Now, with my mother so recently deceased, he was beginning to revisit his old bond with Maura. Besides the betrayal to my mom, the way Maura fawned over him was enough to make me gag. +There were constant compliments on her end that only boosted his already out of proportion ego. She made excuses for what he had done to Brynna, saying that it was Brynna’s own fault. Had she not been so cruel as to leave our mother behind, my dad wouldn’t have been so keen to sort her out. +“It was wrong, what she did,” She told me one morning over breakfast. I was staring off into the distance as the Pangaean sun rose over the top of the ship and blanketed us with its gentle light. “You said so yourself. I don’t believe in hitting any of you. But what she did was purely wrong, Violet. You know that it was, if we are being completely honest, almost evil! He was upset. He acted out in anger.” +“Maura, it’s not like this is the first time it’s happened. He’s always been meaner to her than he is to us,” I insisted, “And since when does she ever listen to him? He tells her to stay away from James, and James is gone now.” +“And that’s for the best! He had to assert his authority there. She may be an adult, and she may mature, but she cannot handle a relationship with a man his age. The poor girl can barely connect with anyone, let alone a man who comes with expectations and experience behind him.” +“Brynna can handle anything, Maura, and you know it!” +“I know that you think so. Where did this sudden change of heart come from? A couple of days ago, you were screaming that you wanted her to die. I do not agree that you should have said that, by the way. I never told you that I feel that was far too harsh.” +“Why are you so ready to excuse what Dad did? Back home, when he treated her like that, you’d always excuse it, and you’re doing it again!” +“I told you, what Brynna did was absolutely, undeniably wrong. He was acting out of anger…” +“It wasn’t out of anger!” I exclaimed, and the bowl I was holding shattered in my hands despite my loose grip on it. +“Violet Mae!” Maura reached out and pulled the shards from my hands, cutting herself in her haste to dispose of them before my father saw. +“It wasn’t out of anger, Maura. He has always done this. She should run away. If I were her, I’d run as far away from him as I could!” +“So, what, are you going to run away now?” Maura asked as she held a paper towel to the cut on her palm. I watched her blood soak through the pure white of the towel, billowing outwards to the very edges like a visible plague. +“He doesn’t treat me like that. But if he did, I’d be gone. Maura, you’ve never stuck up for her. She needs you to defend her.” +“Brynna doesn’t need anyone to defend her. She’s a Viking woman. She always has been, even as a small child. When she still lived at home, I tried to keep him calm so that he wouldn’t hurt her. She’s older now and can handle herself. If I tried to handle this for her, especially with how strained things are between us right now, she would tell me to butt out in colorful terms, and that would be the end of it.” +“Elijah is angry. He said he wanted to kill Dad.” +“That was worrisome the first time he said it all those years ago. He’s said it too many times since, and it has lost its effect.” +Her cavalier attitude towards the whole situation made me want to claw out my hair and scream at the sky. Now that my father was showing her the slightest bit of attention, even his abuse of the girl Maura had always thought of as her daughter wasn’t entirely wrong, at least not in Maura’s narrow view. +Our mother never would have tolerated it, despite what Brynna might have believed. +“Our mother was a not only a permissive parent, but a permissive wife.” Brynna said behind m,e and I turned to see her lying on her back in the grass, a cigarette burning in the hand whose back was pressed to her forehead. I stood up and knelt down beside her. She brought the cigarette to her lips and took a drag, but her eyes never opened beneath her sunglasses. I tried not to look at the dark black bruise on her slightly swollen cheek. +“How did you…” +“I just did.” She replied through a sigh, “You are worried about me. You needn’t be.” +“Brynna, you’re older now. You don’t have to tolerate him. I change my mind about James, okay? If you want him, go be with him. Just don’t let Dad hit you anymore!” +“James lied to me, and I will not forgive him for it. You know better than anyone just how intolerable I find those who lie. Dishonesty is for the weak. You know how I scorn weakness.” +Well, she was back to normal. I knew, deep down, that those especially complex sentences and sentiments were the result of her desperate attempt to hide her true feelings. I didn’t call her on it, though I should have. Perhaps if I had exposed her created ruse, she would have been spurned into action. +“I do not even know where he is, so even if you did tell me what you believe my words are masking, I would have no course of action.” +“Brynna, stop it!” I exclaimed angrily. I covered my ears as though my secret thoughts were tumbling out of them, moving across the space between us, and whispering to her. +“I cannot help it,” She replied dully, “Your thoughts are very loud. Can you hear mine?” +“No,” I shook my head, feeling like crying all of a sudden, “I haven’t heard yours since that first time, right after Miranda...” A shudder passed through me, and I reached out to grasp the hand she had rested on her stomach. She startled at my touch but hid her surprise immediately. +“Brynna, you’ve never had a weak moment in your life. Why are you being so calm about all of this? Why are you letting him treat you like this?” +“It was one instance of a pathetic man utilizing his superior physical strength to get his point across. He could not do it with harsh words the way that I can. He can only use his hands, like a little elementary school boy striking out at a bully on the playground.” She giggled humorlessly, “It is pathetic.” +“What does that have to do with anything that I just said?” +Tears were leaking from my eyes now. I couldn't understand what was wrong with her. +“I am not going to run from one I deem insignificant. He does not scare me. He is an annoyance and an inconvenience but nothing else. In fact, I find his appointment as leader of this band of ragtag survivors to be incredibly entertaining. I do so want to see how it all plays out.” +“You miss James! That’s why you’re being like this!” I accused her before putting both hands on her face and shaking her slightly. Instantly, she pushed my hands away. After sitting up, she pointed at me. +“Do not mention his name to me again! I will not tolerate being lied to! I had every right to know the truth about him from the very beginning. Instead, he lied to me! Do not bring him up again, Violet!” +She jumped up, straightened her tank top and her shorts, and huffed off. +I put my face in my hands and cried. They were the first tears that I would shed on Pangaea. Many more would come over the years, but the tears that streamed down my face that day were among the most painful. +They came when I realized that my sister was losing her fight. It was being stolen from her by our father, whom I loved tremendously but hated at the same time for what he was doing. I could not stand his violent treatment of her or the way she was beginning to submit to it. I wondered briefly if she was punishing James in her own way by allowing herself to suffer. If she was in pain, and he knew it somehow, his guilt over being unable to protect her would drive him insane. +No, my mind told me gently, She’s punishing herself for getting so close to James. +For once, my inner voice was right on the money. +The conflicting emotions were far too complicated for a girl my age. Through them I could see one solution, clear as the Pangaean morning: +I had to find James. +*** + +I set out later that afternoon with my small backpack slung over my shoulder. In it, I had packed just one bag of dried bananas and half a bottle of water. I didn’t assume that I would be gone that long. Maura was distracted because she was trying to entertain Penny, who was growing bored with having nothing to do. Sure, she had made friends with some of the other kids. They kicked a soccer ball around the open space several feet to the left of our collective campsite, and they built dirt mounds for people to step in. But she missed the comforts of television and swimming in our pool. They were luxuries she had grown used to that no longer existed. I could certainly sympathize. +I didn’t assume that it would be hard to find James. However, after an hour of searching, I sat down in a particularly soft-looking patch of grass and put my head on my arms. The smell of some sort of meat wafted over me; I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply. A group of people whose origin I could not determine right off were cooking up meat taken from an oversized rabbit whose skins now adorned the outer wall of their tent. I grimaced but then almost shrugged. Just because I couldn't stand to eat a cute rabbit didn't mean that other people couldn't, if eating said cute rabbit would ensure their survival. +I had asked many people if they knew where James was, only to be told that my description was too generic and could fit anyone. I would try to tailor it to specifics when I addressed the boy who was now walking in front of me. +“Hey!” I called out, and he stopped walking. He turned to look at me in curiosity. +“Hey. Are you lost?” He asked, and I was stunned by his beautiful green eyes. +Stay focused, Violet, I urged myself. +“No. I’m looking for someone. His name is James Maxwell. Have you heard of him?” +“No,” The boy replied, and with genuine remorse in his voice, he added, “Sorry.” He went to keep walking, but I jumped up and hurried after him. +“Maybe you’ve seen him. He’s about 6’1, muscular, with brown hair that he keeps gelled so that it looks messy, but it’s really styled. That's really the only way that I can describe it...” +The boy chuckled softly. +“What is he going to do when his hair gel runs out?” +It was a valid question but a random one. +“I don’t…” I started to say, but then I shook my head slightly and brought us back to the topic at hand, “He has dark brown eyes. He’s really sarcastic and funny. He has a goatee slash five-o-clock shadow thing going on. Is any of this ringing a bell?” +“Good-looking guy?” +“Yeah.” I nodded, “He’s really good-looking. He’s kind of a prick sometimes, too. Maybe you’ve run into him?” +“James, James…” He turned the word over on his tongue as though taste-testing a foreign food. He looked up at the blue sky, squinting slightly in the bright sunlight. “I really feel like I know who you’re talking about. I ran into a guy the other day who helped me fight off some assholes trying to steal my water. He fits the bill. I was so freaked out, though, that I don’t remember what he said his name was. He was looking for a fight though, by the look on his face.” +“How many days ago was this?” +“Two.” +Two days had passed since Brynna had told James to leave and never come back. Perhaps he had been so heartbroken by her abrupt dismissal that as he walked along, looking for someplace to settle down, he had stumbled across this boy being robbed and used the opportunity to relieve some of his stress. It made me sad to think about, despite the fact that I was still angry at him for what he had done to my mother and father. My anger was doubled when I thought about how he had lied to Brynna. She was so distrustful already, and he had given her a reason not to trust him or anyone else. I did not want to ponder, even for a moment, the implications such a lie presented for her. Would she ever trust him or any other man again? +In thinking about that, my heart sank as a new revelation gripped me. Even if I found James, Brynna wouldn’t care. She had exiled him from her life, and once that happened, there was no coming back. Her stubbornness would never fail her. Even if she wouldn’t admit it, I knew that James had hurt her deeply. She would not leave herself open to being hurt by him again. +But I had to find him. I had to get him to make her snap out of her submissive daze. It had driven me half-insane, but while she was with him, she was even sassier than normal. She was the strongest I had ever seen her. I needed James to awaken that strength in her. At the very least, he needed to help her find it again. The rest she would do on her own. +“We talked for a while, this guy and me.” The boy continued, and I noticed for the first time that he had a slight accent. I couldn’t peg exactly where he was from just by listening, though. “After he got my water back. He really hurt those other guys. But they’ve been doing this to a lot of people.” +“These guys have been stealing water and stuff from a lot of other people?” +“Yes,” He nodded grimly, “People are not as civil as that man with the megaphone would have us believe.” +“What else has been happening?” +Damn me and my journalistic mind! I always had to know the gritty details, and I always regretted learning them once they were told to me. +“Well, supposedly a woman got…” He trailed off and looked at me. I think, for the first time, he realized that I was a girl, and he should tread carefully with what he said. But I was an equal opportunist, in conversation and otherwise, so I urged him to continue truthfully. +“Don’t beat around the bush. I can handle it.” +“Well, a woman was raped two nights ago. First night, and someone was already getting assaulted.” +I don’t know why I wasn’t surprised. +“What happened to the guy that did it?” +“Another woman and her husband chased him off. They didn’t get a good look at his face, though, because we had put out our fires. I don’t know why we’re supposed to put them out so early.” +“Supposedly, they know for sure now that there are animals out there, and they don’t want them to be attracted to the light.” I almost repeated my father’s explanation verbatim. +“Well, this woman reported what happened to someone at the top.” +“At the top.” I turned the phrase over in my mind, realizing that a hierarchy had been established, and I was perched on top of it. That gave me no joy or satisfaction. The severity of the divide between people of power and the rest of us at home had been part of the reason for the world’s destruction. Now, the seeds were being planted here on Pangaea; they were weeds growing amongst pure white flowers in those soft fields of grass. +It was beginning again. The thought was too heavy to contemplate in full detail at that moment. +“They told her they’d make a point to try to find those men. But we haven’t seen any of them looking around.” +“Probably because they’re too busy congratulating themselves on being able to pull this off.” I replied bitterly before walking a little faster. “Well, if there’s one thing I know, it’s that things like what happened to that woman and to you will keep happening if they don’t do anything to stop it. My sister told me that people have always been enamored by the idea of the end of the world. Well, she actually says that it’s more the end of civilization that people are fascinated with.” +“Why does she think people are fascinated with something so terrible?” +“Because after it’s over, she says there are no laws. There are no expectations. People can get in touch with their animal nature to survive. If that means killing someone over a loaf of bread, then so be it. There’s no one to arrest you. Do you see what I’m saying?” +“That actually makes perfect sense. I was expecting some crackpot religious theory when you said your sister believed that people wanted the world to end.” +“No. My sister runs from religion the way the rest of us run from rabid dogs. What was the exact religious theory you had in mind, though?” +I was curious to know if his theory that he deemed so crazed was the same as one I had thought up in my own mind. Of course, I believed my theory to be perfectly sane. +“Well, some would say that people are fascinated with the world ending, because they know, that through being wiped off the earth by God or the Gods, depending on your religion, that at least they’re looking at you. At least God or the Gods are paying attention. Some people want to die in the apocalypse, because they know that their death is a righteous one. Their death is all part of the plan.” +“That’s deep,” I told him after a minute of silence, “My sister would like you. In fact, it’s weird that you would say ‘God or the Gods,’ because she says that all the time. So, she’d really like you, actually. She likes opinionated, interesting people.” +“And you think I’m interesting?” +“That was an interesting theory,” I smiled slightly, “Definitely up there with some of the crazier ones I’ve heard. But then, it’s not so crazy. I’m sure there are people like that. But yeah, if you ever run into her, tell her that one. Her name is Brynna.” +“And what’s your name?” He studied me with those beautiful eyes of his. +I smiled even bigger now, my face flushing red. His smile was as beautiful as the rest of him. I had always had a thing for guys who wore their hair swiped across their forehead. Brynna told me that boys who wore their hair like that were experiencing a slight gender crisis and would more than likely be caught wearing woman’s undergarments someday. Despite that disturbing image forever etched in my mind, I still loved that particular hairstyle. +To put it bluntly, the boy before me was just my type, and I was going to make that fact known. +“My name is Violet. Where do you live?” +“I live about a mile back that way.” He pointed in the direction I had come from. +“I live back that way, too. Maybe we can hang sometime.” +“Maybe we can.” He smiled again, “We’ll trade some more crazy things we’ve heard. I’ll keep you updated on current events. If you’re living up there with the man that runs this, you won’t hear a thing.” +“That man is my father.” +I blurted it out before I could stop myself. I covered my mouth, thinking I had blown it. +“I know.” He replied, “I saw you with him on the first day. That doesn’t freak me out, but I won’t say that I like him.” +I nodded. +“What’s your name?” I asked, just to break the silence. +“Nicklaus. Well, Nick, for short.” +“Cool. It’s been nice to meet you. Seriously, come find me. I need some people my own age to hang out with.” +“I do, too. We could hang out right now, if you like.” He shrugged his shoulders. “I could help you find this James Maxwell. Who is he, exactly?” +“He’s my sister’s…” +I tried several different words, including “boyfriend,” “friend,” “acquaintance,” before just settling on “person.” It was so very smooth of me. Thank you, Brynna, for being so complicated that I have to stutter over my words in order to put a status to your relationship with a man. Nick probably thought I was insane. +When I looked up at him, though, he was laughing softly. +“Alright. Let’s go find her person, then.” +*** + +It was while we were walking through the rows of different campsites that I began to see the discord that would eventually shake the foundation of our lives. When Dad had warned the people that they were to claim their rations by sunrise or else, he had neglected to mention that those who failed to appear would go hungry that day. I couldn’t fathom why he was allowing people to starve, but I knew that in time, the people would grow tired of it, and as we all had seen over the previous years on Earth, when people grew tired of things, absolute chaos ensued. +“Did he mention why he is refusing to give people food?” Nick asked me angrily as we watched a little girl take a huge gulp of water from a bottle the man in the campsite next to hers had handed over. +“No.” I answered vaguely. I knew that I would be asking him later that night. +The answer was clear to me. My father was ruthless, and he knew that by denying these people food, eventually they would begin to die off, and our numbers would thin out. I had overheard him telling one of his minions, as Brynna called them, that we were overpopulated. Enough food hadn’t been packed for every survivor. +“Nature has to take its course, I suppose.” Dad had told him. There was a grimness to his voice that I was unfamiliar with. Though allowing people to starve was a necessity in his opinion, he took no pleasure in seeing them die. +I didn’t relate that to Nick, though, because I knew that by being my father’s daughter, he would begin to see me as being just as cruel. I vowed to change my dad’s mind on the subject. I would make him feed everyone, regardless of whether they showed up on time or not. +Some would argue that what he was doing was the only option. But I didn’t see why we couldn’t all have food for the amount of time it took us to find our own on Pangaea. By the time the rations ran out, we would know what was safe to eat and what wasn’t. However, eating unknown plants would surely yield a few casualties, so that option wasn’t the kindest, either. +Surviving was going to get tougher as the weeks wore on. We were fools, because we had not planned out solutions to any of the more likely, most important challenges. +“Excuse me...” I approached a woman who was kneeling beside her daughter. I pulled my water bottle out of my bag and handed it to her. +“You’re his daughter, aren’t you?” The woman asked with a fury in her voice that scared me. “This is the second day he’s kept our food. We were there on time, too!” +“I’m sorry.” I said uselessly. +“Well, you shouldn’t be. But he should.” +“I know.” +“Thank you for the water.” +She was abrupt with her gratitude, but I could understand. Her daughter was trembling on the cot, crying softly but making no tears. Dehydration was beginning to take its toll on her small body. +I wanted to loathe him. I wanted to see him through the glare of hatred the same way Brynna did. But I couldn’t discount him. Perhaps if I pleaded with him, he would loosen up on those people. I would make him walk down to the end of the campsite and see the horrors they were beginning to experience. It would take some convincing, but I believed that I could get him to reconsider. +“Naïve.” Brynna’s voice said in my mind. I shook my head slightly to force her cold cynicism from my thoughts. +“Do you know who James Maxwell is?” I asked the woman. She turned to me in irritation, having thought our conversation was over. +“I don’t know if his last name is Maxwell. But a guy named James came through here just this morning. He was tall, muscular, brown hair, goatee and beard, nasty attitude...” +“That would be him.” I said grimly. +“Well, he left.” +“Left?” Nick asked in utter bewilderment, “Left to go where?” +“I don’t know. He took a tent and everything. He took some water and a rations box that he had stolen from someone.” +“He said that he had stolen it?” +I don’t know why that surprised me so much. Our father wouldn’t give him a rations box while he was on his own. The preservation of our supplies was part of the reason why, but the other part was far darker: He wanted James to die slowly for having a relationship, even one that was not physical, with Brynna. +“That’s what he said.” The woman huffed, and I could see that her aggravation was growing. “Anyway, we don’t need thieves in this camp. We don’t need rapists, either, but your father made it clear that he doesn’t care about that. All he cares about is a few people surviving.” +Dad had no set group of people that he wanted to survive. He was just trying to make the numbers dwindle down to a manageable figure. The woman had no idea exactly whose lifespan my father was trying to elongate, she just knew that there was a set group. She was wrong. +“This guy, James, took off into the woods. He’ll die out there, but maybe that’s for the best. How can anyone steal from other people now? I lived in Burma on Earth. I saw people starving everyday. But I rarely saw a man steal. Is this James man close to you?” +“To my sister.” I told her. +“Well, your sister had better think twice about him. What he did was wrong. Something like that shows a man for who he truly is.” +She turned away from me now, and I knew that our conversation was actually finished that time. I looked at Nick, and we turned without a word to head back the way we had come. +My search for James was over. Not only was he a liar who didn’t deserve my sister, but now he was also a thief. He had taken off like a coward to live by himself in the woods. +The woman was right, though I was ashamed to have such a terrible thought. Maybe James dying would be the best outcome for everyone including, if not especially, Brynna. + +Brynna + +It was night the first time we saw someone that was not of our world. I was pacing in front of the tent as Maura, Elijah, Penny, my father, and Violet slept. Maura was sleeping in my father’s tent at night, and the thought was so sickening that I found myself unable to sleep. The already turbulent, anxious energy was rolling in filthy disgust and pin-sharp betrayal. Even resting quietly was not an option for me anymore. +Violet was keeping something from me. Somehow, she blocked me out of her mind when I tried to decipher exactly what her precious secret was. She did not realize she was doing it, but every time she saw me coming, a wall so large even my strange, new power could not scale it went up inside of her mind. +I still did not know why I could hear peoples’ thoughts. When they passed by me, I could listen in to not only their meandering, ordinary musings but also their fears. They were afraid of starving. They were wary of my father. Both were valid anxieties. +I sat down in front of the fire pit and watched the embers as they died away, as they were replaced by gray, crumbling ashes. I stared at the dying light, thinking of James. Just as the fire burned itself into nonexistence, so did my feelings for him. I had never been clear on exactly what those feelings had meant. They were as hazy to me as other peoples’ innermost thoughts should have been. I had to trust what was sure: He had lied to me. I could not forgive him for that. +Plus, there was a faint whispering in the camp amongst the fearful survivors. People were beginning to embrace the lawlessness of this new land. Innermost desires to cause pain were being worn proudly, emblazoned on the chests of the evil for all of us to see. Selfishness and cruelty were flavors of every day. +I knew, from seeing into someone’s mind, that James was responsible for some of it. Exactly how much remained unclear. +It would only get worse. It would grow in intensity until my father was forced to act. When he did, the consequences were too horrid to picture. The brutality of it would stun everyone into submission. I knew my father was capable of such atrocity even if he did not know it yet. +James. +My mind tormented me by dropping some subtle clue to his continued existence. Sometimes it was just his name appearing like a ghost in the darkness of my thoughts. Sometimes, it was that overwhelming warmth consuming me; it hypnotized me into a daze where I saw only his face. +Looking back now, I know that I was foolish to believe that I could let him go. +“There are plenty of fish in the sea.” +Maura’s first words to me after several days were both insulting and annoying. A cliché? Really? Also, how could she allow herself to assume that I was so devastated over James that I needed her comfort? How could she suggest that I still felt anything for him at all? Did she not know me even after so many years? +I looked up after throwing my cigarette into the embers. The paper burned to a charred black, causing smoke to flow steadily in my direction. I looked up, squinting as my eyes watered. When I gazed out into the darkness, I saw the man standing far off by the trees. +Ours was the camp closest to the forest on that side, so I had the best view. My heart began to bang painfully against my chest as a fear I could not fathom filled me up like scalding hot water. Nausea gripped me; a thousand hands beat against the walls of my chest; the wings of a thousand birds fluttered madly against my stomach, generating the power my anxiety needed to operate with such ruthless efficiency. +He was wearing black pants and a loose-fitting black long sleeve shirt. Besides his eyes, which I could see even from a distance, he looked just like the rest of us. I could see a faint glow in the blackness of his eyes; it was a light within darkness. +His intentions were unknown. His identity was a mystery. All that could be known in certainty regarding him was that he was not one of us. +I squinted hard, trying to read into his mind. Instantly, a searing pain shot through my forehead and spread backwards to the base of my scalp. I collapsed to my knees and grasped my head in my hands. +I must have given a cry of pain, because Elijah came running out of the tent. +“What is it? What is it?” He demanded quietly as he held my arms. I looked up to see the man still standing in the same place. He had not moved an inch, but his eyes were rested on me now. +With a shaking hand, I pointed. +“What the…” Elijah whispered. He did not take his eyes off of the strange man as he pulled me to my feet. “Dad!” +As if our father would be brave enough to approach the stranger… I could have laughed. +However, our father proved me wrong when he immediately began to stalk across the grass. +“Danny!” Maura exclaimed behind me, and I scowled at the heavens. +Truly, I could have turned around and slapped her. Now, she was addressing him by an affectionate nickname. Vomit… +“Keep Violet and Penny back.” +I had felt them awaken from their sleep and heard their curious thoughts rise quietly to life. They were wondering what exactly was going on. +“Brynna!” Maura called after me, “Elijah!” +Congratulations, you know our names, I thought irritably. +She could have called something else out. She could have at least given us a “Come back!” or something similar. +We were following after my father who was already halfway across the untouched field where the man was standing. I couldn’t help but conjure up images of demons and ghosts appearing to humans. If I had to picture their earthly forms, the man was very close to that image. The way he stared at us unblinkingly as we approached was strange enough as it was. But the pallid color of his skin and the light within his black eyes... They were downright otherworldly. +My heartbeat skipped into high gear when we were right in front of him. His eyes locked with mine the moment I stopped walking. Still, he didn’t blink. I will give myself credit, though, when I say that I did not look away. Perhaps the stare-down was his way of frightening us off of the land. I would not be so easily swayed to move a group of thousands for his sake. +“Are you Pangaean?” My father asked him. +Clearly, he did not inherit any of my mother’s foreign diplomacy skills over the years of their marriage. A simple “Hello, can we help you?” might have started the conversation off a little better. +The man continued to look at me, even as my father glared at him, awaiting an answer. His stare was beginning to unnerve me. I felt as though he had invaded my mind and was listening in on every panicked thought. If I could hear the thoughts of others, could he? I prayed that my mind was closed to him, that he did not have my same ability. I could keep my composure physically but emotionally, I was crumpling. We were living through the subject of several science-fiction movies Elijah and I had watched, ones where hostile aliens killed humans for everything from territorial disputes to farming us for resources to just loathing our race. I could not peg exactly what the man’s motives were for sure, but I knew an attempt to frighten better than anyone. +“What do you want?” My father tried again, and his voice was still infused with boldness despite the growing fear I could hear inside of his mind. +Still, the man did not look away from me. To break the tense staring contest, I spoke next. +“Do you speak English?” +“Brynna, be quiet.” My father snapped at me. +The man’s gaze finally broke free from mine, and I felt as though a tremendous weight had been heaved off of my back. My cognitive functions were chugging along speedily as they always did once again. +“You’re from the green orb. You call it ‘Earth.’” The man spoke perfect English. +“We are.” +I ignored my father’s burning glare. He wanted to handle the situation himself, but somehow I knew I was more apt to diffuse whatever tension (and there was plenty) that stood firmly between us and this man. +“What do you call this place?” +“This is Purissimus.” He responded vaguely, but he looked back at me now. +“How can you speak English?” I asked him, though the answer certainly was not important. +“We have studied your race since the Beginning. We knew one day you would come.” +“Our world is gone.” My father chimed in. +It was as though the man simply could not begin to understand the situation unless he was the one explaining it. I, for one, believed that I was doing a more than satisfactory job of handling that first meeting. But my father had to be the chief, as men so often do. +“We came here to escape what happened there.” He continued, “We’ll stay out of your way.” +As if I was going to allow that man to just walk away, never to be seen again! The things he could tell us would be far beyond anything we could ever have known otherwise. I didn’t know if he would be up for sharing but that didn’t mean I wasn’t going to ask. When I looked at Elijah, behind the fear in his eyes, I saw the same desire to learn all of that vast knowledge the man could provide. +“You destroyed your home. It is gone, because you squandered it.” +He was right about that, so I didn’t argue. +“It’s gone because…” My father trailed off, and I smiled slightly to myself, awaiting his explanation for what had happened. “Either way, we’re here now, and we can’t leave. The ship had enough fuel to make one trip. Even if we had enough to make it back, we would have no home to go to.” +“You expect to keep so many people here on this field?” +My father's aggravation and self-righteousness were rising quickly. He was starting to become offended by the man’s attempts to tell him what to do. +“Do you have a problem with that?” +“Would you prefer us to move somewhere else?” I asked him. +His voice did not rise in anger, nor did he take his eyes off of my father. +“I would prefer for you to leave. Your kind is not welcome here.” +“Did you not hear what I just said? We have nowhere to go.” +“You destroyed your Earth. You will not destroy what is ours.” +Now, I was panicking again. +“For every day that you stay here, we will take ten from your number. They will not be taken from this realm peacefully. Please be aware of that.” +His skin seemed to glow in the moonlight just as he was beginning to slink back into the darkness of the trees. As the shadow took him, that strange light in his eyes snuffed out, and he truly did resemble a demonic creature from ancient religious literature. His eye sockets were all I could see. +If I wasn’t unnerved before, I was downright terrified now. Still, when I spoke, I did not show any fear. If that is a surprise by this point, then you clearly have not been paying attention. +Elijah looked at my dad for a solution to this very pressing, very dangerous situation. But our father was staring, utterly dumbfounded, at the place where the man had stood only seconds before. +“What are we going to do, Dad?” Elijah demanded as our father turned and stormed back towards our campsite. A long, seemingly endless line of people stood there, gawking and muttering quietly amongst themselves in speculation. It seemed as though every survivor had risen from their slumber. One slight whisper of some strangeness afoot, and they were all awake to witness it. +“Who was he?” +“Is he from here?” +“What does he want?” +Surely, our group suddenly speaking at a volume that rivaled a stadium during the Super Bowl was very disturbing to the natives we now knew existed. One of my father’s cronies came up with his trusty megaphone. They even placed a box down on the ground for him to stand on. After seeing that, I covered my mouth as a small smirk crept onto my lips. +“Ladies and gentlemen, we now know that there are others on Pangaea. They have asked that we refrain from littering and straying too far into the forest.” +I was laughing hysterically now and covering my mouth to hide it. When my father shot me a look of warning, I did not suddenly pretend to be seized by a coughing fit; I merely laughed harder. +He cleared his throat and looked back at the crowd. +“They say that if we do either of those things, there will be consequences. Therefore, anyone that strays too close to the tree-line will be shot.” +I must have looked slightly crazed for a moment as I turned my head to stare at him with eyes widened and all traces of that boisterous humor from a moment earlier gone in a flash. First of all, I had been unaware that guns were on the ship. They were just what we needed on an “uninhabited” planet. Clearly, he had known that Pangaea was populated long before we got there. Secondly, I was shocked at the brutality of his new order. He was already starving people in hopes of lowering our numbers. Now, he was threatening to shoot people if they got too close to the trees? Was being put in front of a firing squad for leaving one's dishes on the ground the next step in his plan? +“You haven’t thought this through.” I told him as he walked behind the ship, flanked by his goons, “He said nothing about littering, for the sake of all deities and Gods!” +“I hate when you say that!” He snapped after turning around to point his finger at me. +“Would you just listen?!” I grabbed his arm, and he shook me off forcefully, almost knocking me to the ground in the process. “This is his planet, and he wants us off. They are threatening us with murder!” +“Do you think I am so stupid that I zoned off during our conversation? I heard him! There is no use repeating it, Brynna Claire. What would you have me do? Do you want to be the one to tell people that we have to get back on the ship, leave here, and fly around until we run out of gas? We have no choice but to stay here. My guards will watch over the campsite. If they come for us, we’ll shoot them.” +“Why did you bring guns to a planet that wasn’t populated?” I challenged him after grabbing his arm again. “You knew they were here! You knew we were invading their planet!” +“We didn’t want anything from them but a place to live. How many times do you think these people have been on Earth? We’ve never told them to leave!” +“We didn’t know they existed!” +My voice had risen. My tone was betraying my growing trepidation that the situation would soon spiral completely out of control. In fact, I knew it would. +“Of course we didn't know they... +“If they were on Earth, so what?!” I continued furiously, “They did not drop five thousand of their people on us and demand that we let them stay! They know that what happened to Earth was our fault. If it was nuclear, we started the war. If the sun exploded or the ozone layer depleted suddenly, it was because we burned too much fuel or threw our plastic bottles in rivers... I do not know what the environmental implications or the catastrophic consequences of all of that would be! You will have to ask your son! Either way, why would they let us stay here? In enough time, we will do the same thing to this place!” +“So, you believe everything was all our fault? It wasn’t! I don’t know what happened. I don’t know why the earth had to end! But...” +“Yes, you do!” I interrupted him loudly, “You are lying! I will have no parts of this! I am telling everyone everything!” +He grabbed my wrist in a hold so painful that I was forced to wonder very briefly how I would make a splint after he shattered the bone. +“If you say a word, I’ll give you over to him. That’s how they do it in those stories you read, right? To create an alliance, they arrange an exchange of a female? If it’s through marriage or through slavery…” +“I never pegged you as a reader.” I snarled at him through a sardonic grin. “If you want to hit me, and I can see that you do, then do it. But I am taking people who want to go. I am well aware that we cannot leave the planet, but we sure as hell are not staying here.” +When I broke free of him, he reached out to grab me again, but I dodged him. I will admit that I did not expect him to try again. That is the only reason why he was able to succeed in getting a firm hold on me. After pulling me backwards and slamming me against the outer wall of the ship (again), he backhanded me hard across the face. If his hands had not been pinning me to the side of the wall, I would have fallen to the ground, only this time, James would not be there to scoop me up. As my ears rung and my eyes struggled to move back into focus, I heard my father shouting about “remembering who I was talking to” and “watching my (expletive) mouth.” +My head was turned away from him, and his hand was holding my chin. I only smiled slightly as blood dribbled out of my mouth onto the ground; I was thinking over and over again that what he was doing was more of a sign of weakness than of strength. Even as the tears of pain stung my eyes, I thought how humorous it was that he believed himself to be such a man, and yet he could not tolerate my scathing sarcastic nature, my threats to leave the land he ruled so cruelly, or even my demands for common sense. +“We are staying together.” I heard him clearly now, “If you’re not here, then I guess it will be Violet, right?” +I stopped smiling abruptly and looked up at him, livid beyond my wildest dreams. I know now that he saw my eyes turn red. They were redder than they had ever been. I could almost feel them burning. +“If you try anything like that with her, I will rip your heart out!” +I do not know where that violent sentiment came from, but I pictured disemboweling him clearly. I was drunk on the image of ripping his heart from his chest and biting into it. Something was seriously beginning to go wrong in me. Screws were loosening, and some ferocious creature I had no knowledge of before was taking hold. +“What is wrong with your eyes?” He demanded, but through his rage, I could hear the slight tremor in his voice. I had shaken off his hand, but he grabbed my face again to get a better look. The moment he touched my skin, though, he exclaimed in agony and pulled his suddenly reddened hands away. +“Do not try to stop me.” +“Don’t you understand that there is strength in numbers!?” He yelled after me as I began to walk away. “I will never let you take Penny! You goddamn freak, I will kill you before I let you take her! You won’t take Elijah or Violet, either. Or Maura!” +“Keep her. I don’t want her.” I replied quickly and with an air of blatant arrogance that I am sure only infuriated him more. +As I walked back around to the front of the ship, I heard him yelling still but did not care enough about what he was saying to listen. Once I was physically out of his presence, I could feel the cold night air on my face again. I could smell the sweet aroma of the white flowers that grew at the sides of the field where there were no tents. +I had returned to normal. +“Pack your stuff.” I told Violet. +“What? Why?!” She jumped up and looked at me with eyes widened in terror, “What happened?!” +“Penny, honey, get your bag.” I called into the tent. +“What are you on about now, Brynna?” Maura demanded, “What is going on?” She saw my face and grimaced. “Sit down. Let me get you some ice. I will talk to him later.” +I chose to answer the first two questions she asked but ignored the second part of what she had said completely. +“We are leaving. Now that you are newly reunited with the love of your life, you will feel no need to join us, I assume. But we will not stay here long enough to experience what is to come.” +“What is to come, dare I ask?” Maura asked as she crossed her arms over her chest, rolled her eyes, and yawned. +“I apologize. It is clear that what that man said is boring you. Please, go back to sleep if you are exhausted. Explaining the severity of the situation to you is slowing me down.” I told her hurriedly. +She chose to ignore my momentary rant. +“Look, I am as stunned by the fact that there are people on this planet as you are. But I am not going to be afraid until I have reason to be.” +“There is reason to be afraid.” Elijah told her bluntly as he stood and watched me throw my own things into my small suitcase. “Brynna, we can’t leave her and Dad here.” +“Really? He knew those people were here. He was just going to make them accept our presence. I do not want any parts of that. I do not want any parts of the massacre, either.” +“Maybe he was bluffing.” Elijah reasoned, “Maybe he was just trying to see if we really needed to be here.” +“I doubt it. What would you do if someone just dropped in on you the way we did to them? You would be angered greatly, would you not? We are getting out of here.” +“But Dad said that if we go into the woods…” Violet started. +“That native man said nothing about the woods. He told us to pack up our things, get back on the ship, and leave. We have no home to go to, as you know very well.” +“I think he was just trying to see if we really needed to be here. Brynna, please…” +“Here.” Maura stuck her hand in between us and dropped an icepack into Elijah's lap. “Make your stubborn sister put some ice on her face.” +She strode away before I could offer a snide retort to that comment. Elijah pressed the icepack to my face, and I cringed before moving away. +“I do not want that. I am perfectly fine.” I snapped at him as I busied my hands with untangling Violet's headphone cords. She had asked Maura to do it earlier but instead, our nanny had decided to take a long, extended walk to the ship with our father. +“Shut up and put this on your face, asshole.” +“I should punch you in the throat for calling me such a vile, unoriginal name.” But I finally did put the icepack on my face. His eyes flashed red, and I reached over to grasp his hand. “Let it go, Eli. He is nothing of concern for us.” +“He is of concern...” +“We are not going to talk about this. We are going to pack our things and go.” +“Let’s just see what happens tomorrow.” He told me, “How dumb will you feel if you take off and nothing happens?” +“I will not be around to find out if I was right or wrong, will I? If you and my father…” I turned my gaze to Maura, because she had suddenly resurfaced behind us, “Want to stay here and get yourselves killed, that is your prerogative, most certainly. But I will not sit by, doing nothing, and let the three of you die.” I looked back at Violet and Elijah. “I will not do it. And no, Violet, it has nothing to do with the fact that I saved your asses once!” +“Stop doing that!” Violet exclaimed, covering her ears and stomping her foot. +“Just to keep you informed, covering your ears does nothing.” I handed her the newly untangled headphones. +“Yay!” All traces of her aggravation at me evaporated suddenly; she smiled widely and walked back to her tent. +“Adolescent mood swings...” I muttered irritably with an eye-roll. +“Brynna, come on,” Elijah led me away from the group, “I sincerely don’t believe that this is anything to be worried about. It makes no sense! If he wanted us off Pangaea that badly, why would he only be taking ten people every day? Why wouldn’t he just come and kill us all right off? I’m sure that they have the means to do it. Plus, we don’t even know if he has any other people with him!” +“Right, this whole planet was created for one man. Aren’t you the more spiritual of the two of us? What Divine point is there in creating a huge mass of livable space for one person? +“I know that you’re being sarcastic right now. But if he wanted to show his real force to really convince us to leave, he would have brought others with him. He would have threatened to kill us all immediately. I don’t think this is serious. Please don’t go running off before you know if this is a real thing or not.” +“I do know, because I just know.” I replied, though I also knew that what I had just said made little sense to him. “If you want to stay here for a day to see the extent of this man’s devotion to his cause, then fine. I will allow it for one day. I cannot guarantee that we will not be one of his first ten. But after tomorrow, I am gone,” I stopped, feeling an unfamiliar lump in my throat as I prepared to finish my thought, “With or without you.” +“Okay. I know that you’re freaked out. But everything is fine. You’ll see. Tomorrow, nothing will happen. This guy is just trying to see how badly we need this place. Otherwise, he’d kill us all right now.” +“If you say so, Elijah…” I replied shortly, “Perhaps he is not killing us outright because he enjoys playing games.” +*** + +How people could live in such a state of delusion was beyond even my vast understanding of the human condition. I waited throughout the duration of the next day, feeling the storm on the horizon before it literally and figuratively broke over us. There was a rumbling in the suddenly overcast sky; it was a symbol from the heavens that trouble was brewing. +At six PM, Earth-time, lightning began to streak fantastically across the sky. People gazed up, dumfounded at the show of light just above our heads. In brilliant patterns, the lightning struck, leaving black holes in the clouds that quickly filled back over like a scab forming over a gaping wound. A beautifully scented rain descended on us. +People scrambled to get into their tents, but I stood on the moistening ground, staring up. +Alright, heavens. Message received. I thought to myself. +Even Elijah, the realist, was beginning to show signs of worry. Maura was beside herself. In a foolish display of trust in Maura's fragile emotions, my father had relayed all that had been said between us and the man who had come. Now she was clutching Penny in her arms and keeping a firm grasp on Violet's hand. +Others were cloaked in feigned ignorance. However well they hid their growing trepidation, I saw in their minds that they knew something monumentally dangerous was stirring in the cover of those trees. I watched several people stop their meandering activities during the day to stare blankly off into the darkness as they assessed a threat that they could not yet see. No matter, it would present itself before the night was over. +My father was perhaps the only one sure that nothing was going to occur. He pranced around like a show-horse, reminding me of his wife who had behaved with the same irritatingly fake brashness every time an election was near. He spoke to people candidly, explaining away his brutish actions and actually convincing a few of the survivors who were less able to think independently that their safety was his top priority. Those woeful individuals possessed a humanity that could be sold in exchange for their peace of mind. People were going to starve to death, but perhaps their faith in our morally corrupt leader would save them in the end. +Fools. He would trade the lambs that followed closely behind him, the shepherd, because they would go willingly. The ones that fought their slaughter would perhaps meet their ends brutally, but at least they would had fought. +I was neither the obedient nor the fighting lamb, for I was not a lamb at all. I was the wolf hunting the flock. I was looking for the weakest links to sacrifice to the butcher and his comrades that hid in the darkness of the trees. I had no grounds to call anyone on their lack of humanity, because my own was being called into question. My own self-preservation instinct was beginning to supersede my belief that we all needed to pull together. If it came down to either me or one of the faceless survivors being taken, I would willingly devour them in order to escape. I would kill anyone I had to if that was what it took to protect Violet, Penny, Elijah, and myself. +Please note that I took no pleasure in such a depraved selfishness. I expect and will accept punishment from a higher power on the mythical day that I depart this earthly realm, though I feel I have paid my debts in full. Perhaps there is no price high enough for feeling such self-centered ruthlessness. +The darkness of night was upon us. The rain had lessened to a light drizzle. +Alright, you have the cover of darkness. Bring it on, I urged the man silently. I stared at the spot where he had appeared the night before. After blinking once, he was there. But this time, there were others. Nine others, to be exact. +“What is going on?!” A woman behind me exclaimed. She had immediately sensed the imminent danger. There was a menagerie of screams as the natives rushed forward in a blur. A blinding sheet of rain erupted from the clouds and further disoriented us. +“Get to Penny!” +The thought was almost heart-stopping in its urgency. I ran to Maura, yanked Penny from her arms, and looked at Violet for one moment, only to fill her head with the thought to follow. She looked at Maura and then back at me before running in my wake. +I do not know where we were running, but the screams were the soundtrack to our flight. With every last shriek of horror or pain I heard, a new burst of adrenaline forced my legs to move faster. With one arm, I held Penny. With the other, I pulled Violet along. The muck that was rising from the rain-soaked field was making it harder to run as quickly as was necessary. With every step, we faced the risk of becoming lodged in it, immobile and defenseless as the natives hunted us. +“Brynn!” Elijah's voice shouted behind me. I turned to see that he had become stuck. Behind him was a blur of black getting closer at a speed that was impossible for us. +There was not one thought in my mind. The clearness was what spurred me to action. I threw Penny to Violet and ran the length of the distance between us and him. I knew that my momentum rivaled that of the man in pursuit of Elijah, because I was the one who would reach Elijah first. However, the enemy was not far behind, and he would have reached Elijah just a second after I did. +Something had come over me that day in my apartment when we had faced those Reapers. A new, violent beast consumed my human self. Though I had neither claws nor fangs nor the fighting instinct of a cornered animal, I had behaved like I did. My new ability to destroy a threat on Earth was nothing compared to what suddenly overtook me there in that field on Pangaea. I took one huge leap over Elijah and tackled the man running towards us. While still in midair, I sunk my teeth down into his neck and spun around quickly so that I was behind him, latched onto his back. He fell to the ground and landed face-down in the mud. +Elijah would tell me later that my eyes had turned white, and even from a few feet away, he could see that my pupils had elongated vertically to resemble the eyes of a snake or a cat, he was not sure. He reminded me of something I had already known whilst in the heat of that fight with the native; I was suddenly gifted with sharp, pointed fangs that allowed me to rip into the man's skin wherever I could do the most damage. +What he could not tell me was what he could not possibly know, unless he was reading my mind the way I could read his. As the man flipped over and landed gracefully on his hands and feet before standing up to charge me, my mind remained blank except for one basic thought. It was the last, most vital instinct of them all: Protect. +When he had flipped, he had sent me hurtling through the air to land painlessly on my back. I pushed myself up with a strength I had never before exhibited and charged right at him. Though he was clearly used to such power and skill, I was the one who took him down. I pinned his arms to the ground and slammed my head down into his, drawing in raspy, hissing breaths. +Elijah would tell me that I made an odd noise resembling a roar that I was attempting to stifle. +“It was so freaking awesome!” He would rave later, though I will admit, that the fourth word in his thrilled exclamation has been revised in order to cater to my profane hatred of profanity. +The man tried to free his arms, but my grip on him was tight enough to shatter his wrists. His fight to throw me off enraged me even further, and I slammed my head down into his again, only this time with even more brutal force. Whoever said that one cannot win with a head-butt was wrong. Though I will admit that I felt a slight sting, my mind remained clear. I was still able to fight with reckless and violent efficiency. +“Don't kill him!” Violet exclaimed, and I looked up just as I went to sink my teeth down into the pulsing vein of the stranger's throat. I would not drink his blood. I would simply kill him. I would kill him so that he was no longer a threat. +“Listen to your sister.” My father's voice said behind me. Though I was not looking, several others were with him, approaching us from behind. Half the campsite was coming to witness the strange event. “Don't kill him. We need him.” +Just because my father told me not to, I inched down closer to the man's throat, feeling an overpowering urge to rip into his skin. I couldn't deny it. I needed to kill him. He had been after Elijah. He was a threat to him. I needed to ensure my brother's safety by ending that man's life. +But Violet had been the first to order me not to kill him. In fact, it had barely been an order. It was more of an imploring plea. I looked up at her, the rain casting a moving gray sheet between us. Still, I could see her clearly. What was happening to me frightened her, and to see me kill another living being, human or not, would only worsen her new fear. So, I released the man's arms, jumped up and ran my fingers through my mud and rain-drenched hair, all the while loathing the fact that I had to turn my target over to my father when I so desperately needed to dispatch him violently from this world myself. +Of course, I knew letting go of him was the worst thing I could do, and I was right, as usual; he jumped up and turned to run. I could not be sure whether he was attempting to get away, or if he was going after Elijah again. For my brother's sake, I had to believe the latter. Without even turning around, I swung my fist back and hit the man hard in the face; the force sent him hurtling backwards to land sprawled out on his back. +Several of the men in our camp grabbed hold of him. I watched in slight amusement as ten of them hauled him off. It took ten fully grown men to subdue one. It was as a small smile pulled at my lips that I noticed the remaining spectators spectating me. Some looked downright horrified by my very existence. Others were bemused. Others thought I was easily the coolest thing on Pangaea. Others were expressionless, though their screaming minds betrayed their fear and curiosity. +My father was the only one whose mind shouted the livid thoughts of a confused and betrayed man. He felt that I had lied to him, though why he expected honesty after so many years of hatred between us, I was not sure. He felt that I had kept a dangerous secret from him, though he could not determine the exact nature of what it was that I had been hiding. I was one of them, he believed. I had always been one of them. But no, he had seen my birth. He knew that I was human. +The last word through his mind was one even he tried to push away: +Infected. +The alarm I felt at hearing that word spoken, even in his thoughts, was so sudden that it stole my breath away. I was not afraid of how he would handle my “infection,” though I should have been. I was more worried about being thought of as dangerously ill in the first place. +Elijah stood up, grasped my hand, and pulled me away from the gawking, silent crowd. The rain had ceased suddenly, so my brother, sisters, and I walked to the edge of the campsite that had been abandoned in the fight. +“Penny, did you see anything?” I asked her softly. They were odd words to speak after such a brutal occurrence but truly, Penny emerging without any scars, physical or emotional, was my chief concern. +Penny shook her head and reached her arms out to me. I felt that she was trembling with cold and potent fear. I knew that I could remedy both. I stood up with her as she clung to me with every last bit of her young strength. I reached into a tent and pulled out a blanket; I would repay the owner with my own later. After prying Penny from me in order to wrap her up, I swaddled her like a baby, even going so far as to tuck her arms inside the confines of the blanket. Then, I cradled her close to my chest, feeling my eyes dissolve back into their normal blue as they met her wide, fearful eyes. +Her fear was not of me, God bless her. Her fear was of what had just happened. Her fear was of the natives. +I shushed her when she started to cry softly. I rested my cheek against her forehead and rocked her back and forth, back and forth. My only thought was to warm and calm her. Though my muscles were beginning to ache and an angry cut on my forehead was dripping blood into my left eye, I thought of nothing but my sweet little sister. +It was strange, how I could switch from feeling nothing but a need to kill a living creature to a need to comfort one I held so very dearly to me. +I was thinking only of tranquility as I held her, believing wholeheartedly that I could soothe her not just with my words and my arms around her but also with calming thoughts. I was so lost in them that I was beginning to believe that such peace was actually possible. Even after I lulled her to sleep, I stayed drunk on that fabled serenity. I did not reemerge from its depths until I felt a hand on my shoulder. +I opened my eyes. +Penny was still nestled against my chest, fast asleep. I turned to look, expecting to see Elijah or Violet standing there. Instead, I saw my father standing with his burly minions behind him. Instead, I saw the butt of a shotgun being pulled back. +The last thing I heard was Penny screaming. +*** + +The highlights of the previous day played on in my mind like a grimly educational slide-show in a class on the meaning of things. I saw James's handsome face. I felt that striking warmth that absorbed me every time he had kissed me. As a quick, crippling terror exploded inside of me at the sight of the earth burning, I clung to that warmth of him in order to be comforted. Then, the warmth fell to a frigidity that was my need to feel nothing when it came to James. He had lied to me. He had walked away. He was gone forever. Violet's secret was that James had left the campsite. Despite knowing most things, I could not see his path clearly. I could not see him scarcely at all. But I did not want to see him. I wanted no parts of James Maxwell. +James Maxwell. James Maxwell. +His voice saying his name when he introduced himself to me deepened whatever spell I had fallen under. +I was repeating his first name as I emerged from the depths of that spell. +“I must be just as stupid as you think I am. I thought that you had let him go. I thought you had been able to reason away whatever ridiculous, immature feelings you had for him.” +It was my father talking. I opened my eyes to find that I was in a room lit only by one dim bulb hanging next to the iron door. He was sitting in front of me, tapping my pack of cigarettes on the table. Actually, it was not the pack that I had left in my tent. The one in his hands was unopened. +“Yeah.” He replied as he held the pack up for me to see. “We knew people would have a fit if they had to quit smoking, so we brought a few hundred packs. Though, when we run out, you'll have no choice but to quit. I brought these specifically for you, Brynna. I know they're your brand. I thought it was the least I could do.” +“The least you could have done was not hit me in the face, actually.” I replied after lifting my head delicately. “But you have already done that three times since we got here. Just like old times, is it not?” +He chuckled softly and slid the pack towards me. When in doubt, smoke a cigarette. That had always been my motto and mantra. But when I reached for the pack on the table, I found that my hands were cuffed tightly behind the chair in which I was sitting. A jolt of panic went through me that I prayed had not flashed through my eyes. The only way to trump him was to show no weakness. +“It appeared as though you hadn't realized that you were handcuffed, and I just wanted to make sure you were aware. That's only responsible.” +“Are you going to kill me, Dad?” +There was not even a slight tremor to my voice. I was not afraid of him. I did not call him “Dad” to soften him into sympathizing with me. I used the term in sarcasm and disdain to the shock of no one, including him. +“I don't know, Brynna. I talked with several people. You never would have been able to do that. Most of them are just so stupid.” He stood up and started to pace around the room, “They're afraid of you. They don't want you in the camp anymore. After seeing what they saw you do, they think you're one of them. One of the natives, I mean. You'll probably be surprised by this, but I did try to reason with all of them. I tried to tell them that you are my daughter, and I know that you're not one of them. I don't know what's come over you, but I know you're not a native.” +“This conversation is fascinating. Really, it is. But let me stop you right there. If they don't want me in the camp, then I'll pack my things and leave. I am not afraid of the natives. I can live in the woods.” +“That was originally going to be my first course of action. Banishment, exile, whatever you want to call it.” He told me after sitting back down again. +“Quarantine.” I added breezily in a play on his earlier theory regarding infection that I had so rudely heard while invading his mind. He ignored me. +“But then, I realized that I could use you. Did you notice how...” He looked up, searching for the right word. I read into his mind to root out what exactly it was he was trying to say. I wanted the little powwow to be over as soon as possible. The sooner I was able to start my attempt at surviving independently, the better. I wanted to know immediately how apt I was to make my own way. +“Did I notice how entranced the man was with me?” +“Well, did you?” +“I would not call it entrancement. I would not call it anything, because it did not exist. You are wrong.” +I knew that he was right. +“I'm not, though. We talked to the man that you attacked. He says that you're changing over. He says it's happening to a lot of us. Not all, just some. Special, is what he called you. Freaks, is what I call you.” +“You would.” I nodded and smiled in quiet triumph. He was afraid of me, of us, whoever or whatever we were. +“Now, the reason why I bring up the man from the first night is because he's their leader. There are so many of them, Brynna. There are too many. They'll overpower us. Do you remember what I said that day behind the ship? About trading you?” +“Sure do.” +My heart was beginning to hammer roughly against its cage of bone. He could hear it. He could feel my tension rising. I would not show it outwardly to him. I would never allow him to see such weakness when I knew of the sadistic delight it would bring him. +“Well, I must have had a freakish moment of my own, because I predicted that would be what he wanted. He wants you.” +I panicked internally. I had felt hunted before. I had felt preyed upon in my youth, though certainly not by my father. His best friend, my godfather... He had been so very bad. He was Maura's husband, too, I remembered... She had covered her ears when he dragged me downstairs... +Now I was going to face the same awful horror. I was going to be the prey again, this time to a man whose origin I did not even know. +My father saw the fear in my eyes. I did not look at him, but his thoughts betrayed an equal mix of satisfaction, justification, and surprisingly, regret. The three contrasts rolled together in a fight to the death. Regret won, a victory that stunned me into silence and enraptured attention. +“Brynna, I should have been able to love you.” He said as he stared intently at me, “We both should have. But after what happened, after what it did to you...” He trailed off and looked away, “It turned you into such an awful person. At first, we both felt sorry for you. How could we not? Then your brother...” +“I know that you hate me for what happened to Lucien.” I told him dryly. My eyes might have shown the sudden grip of sadness that had taken me, but my voice certainly would not. +I did know that they all hated me for that. But I hated myself for it, too. I allowed their loathing to contaminate me, though a small, sensible part of my inner self understood that my little brother's death had not been my fault. +I cannot speak about these things easily. I can barely put them into words. Still today, I feel great pain over them, despite living for years under the assumption that I could no longer feel or show strong emotional strife internally or externally, respectively. +“Your mother... She was broken after that. And I didn't care about what had happened to you anymore. I'll admit that to you. Neither did she. You were supposed to be watching him. I don't care what happened. You were old enough to know that you had to pay close attention to him or else an accident could happen. Your mother, Maura, and I explained that to you time and time again. I don't care how traumatized you were. You shouldn't have looked away.” +I was not going to make excuses. I was not going to pass the blame. +To this day, I still do not know how long he floated face-down in the water before I came out of my stupor. +I could not breathe when that thought crossed my mind. It always crept up on me like a knife-wielding thief in the night. It always gutted me and bled me dry. +“I couldn't love you after that. I tried. She did, too. But...” He leaned forward, his eyes begging me to understand, to see things as he saw them, which in his opinion, was the only way, “We wanted it to be you, not him. That's terrible to say, I know. I’m almost sorry that I’m saying it to you right now, that your mother and I said it so many times. A small part of me is sorry for saying such a horrible thing. But we're being honest now, aren't we?” +“I have always known that.” I stared at him as he struggled with that “new,” honest revelation. They had said things like that before. But through their actions even more than their words, I became aware that I was not wanted anymore. They stopped buying me Christmas presents. They stopped celebrating my birthday. My father started to lose his temper, striking me when he found himself too angry to use words. My mother pretended I did not exist, even going so far as to throw my baby book away. At the time that the world ended, it had been thirteen years since the event that had taken my innocence. It had been twelve and a half since my brother's passing. In that time, she had spoken perhaps four words to me, and even that is a generous figure. I was well aware of their hatred and resentment. +I accepted it. I could understand it. My moment of weakness had killed my brother. The moment I allowed myself to lapse into a fit of silence and ignorance to escape my raging, terrified thoughts, my little brother had slipped and fell, hitting his head on the side of our pool. +I cannot imagine him drowning. My heart splits a little every time I see it, even today, over sixty years later. +I had been so weak. I had been so irresponsible. That was why my brother had died. +I had been too trusting. I had been too naïve. That was why my godfather was able to do what he did. +I had tried to apologize, only to find that my words were as useless as the many baskets of fruit and flowers my parents' friends had sent the week after Lucien had died. I sat at the table, zoning off into a tormenting space of guilt, regret, disgust, fear, and loathing, staring at the fruit as it rotted and the flowers as they wilted away. +I expected Maura to apologize, too. I expected her to be on my side. What a little fool I was... She felt no anger over what her husband had done to me. She felt no pity for me. She felt only rage at what had happened to Lucien. She felt only that I had seduced her husband. +That I could not understand. I had been nine. +None of this is meant to make you see me positively. After all these years, I could not care less. Their faces fade from my mind with each day of my eternal life. I cannot remember my mother's face at all. It was blocked out, erased completely from the portrait I had of her in my mind. Elijah, Violet, and even Penny report the same blank spot in their memories where her face once blossomed in comforting familiarity. Perhaps I inadvertently erased her in my mind and theirs, though this has caused more pain than it has remedied. My father's face has begun to drip, like when rain falls on a painted canvas. Maura's is clearest to me, but then, I had been seeing it since the day I was born. It is branded into my memory quite painfully. +I have faith that one day, it will fade away, too. +All of those thoughts in that moment with my father were the direct result of the fact that I had fallen into the same kind of stupor that had indirectly claimed my brother's life. My father's shouting voice, his hands around my throat, the way he shook me... Those were my jolts back to reality. +“This is what it was! This is what killed him! You bitch! It should have been you!” +Seeing for the first time in thirteen years the exact state I had been in while his youngest child was struggling for life was enough to tip him over the edge. He slapped me, backhanded me, slapped me, backhanded me. I refused to cry out, but I did spit my blood at him once enough had filled my mouth. +“STOP IT!” +Maura's desperate scream, barely powerful enough to break through her sobs... +What in the world made her think that I needed her to save me? +“Go! Get out!” She found whatever small amount of strength she had in her to pull him away from me and push him towards the door. +“Don't you coddle her, Maura. If you do, we're done.” My father told her breathlessly before storming out of the room. +Being knocked around so forcefully must have severely boggled my mind, because I swore that I could hear him sniffling and gasping as he walked up the hallway. But surely, he would not cry over what he had said or done to me. If he was crying, which he probably was not, it was more than likely because he had been talking about Lucien, whom he loved more than the rest of us combined. +“Don't coddle me, Maura.” I said, loudly enough so he could hear, “If you do, you lose such a swell man.” +Even in such agony, and through a swelling mouth, I could still find my inherent sarcasm. I would not succumb to vulnerability now. +“Darling... my darling...” +Tears were running down her cheeks as she came around to my side of the table. She knelt in front of me, put her hands on my face, and pulled me forward to kiss my forehead. +I shook her off furiously. If my hands had been free, I would have slapped her. What made her think that I needed her? She had been kind to me in random spurts throughout the previous thirteen years. When she wasn't being kind, she was ignoring me. It took several alcoholic beverages coursing through her system for her to find the courage to be out-and-out cruel. +“I'll help you, sweetheart. I will convince him that this is ridiculous. You're just sick. We'll find a way to make you better.” +For the first time, I realized that I did not want to be better. If the new being that now dwelt inside of me was an illness, then I did not want to be cured. Part of that sudden acceptance was a realization that there was no stopping the change. But the larger part was a thrilled acknowledgment of the fact that Maura, my father, and so many others had not been “chosen,” we'll say, and as a result, were terrified of me. To put it in blunt, perhaps misleading words, I was suddenly gifted with a tremendous manipulative power, not just an enhanced physical strength. +“I'll make my own way from now on, thank you so much.” I replied as a grin spread across my puffy lips. “I am used to doing just that, and you know how I hate change.” +“I love you, Brynna.” She kissed my forehead again before pulling away to look at me. “I know things have been difficult, but I love you, and I'm sorry. I can make it up to you right now. I can make things right. I'll talk to him. I'm so sorry, Brynna!” +As another fit of tears took her, she threw her shaking arms around my neck. I grimaced in disgust, fearing briefly that the awkwardness I felt at being in the same room with such an emotional wreck would kill me. Secondhand embarrassment always took hold of me when others allowed themselves to exhibit hysterical outpourings of emotion. That secondhand embarrassment was genuinely painful. +I knew things that were impossible to know. Still, I did not know if she was genuinely remorseful, or if that was merely another moment of random, untrustworthy affection. Her mind yielded no clear answer. After she pulled away from me, I turned the blood over in my mouth, narrowing my eyes as I studied her appearance for some hint of her true motive. +“Just let me help you, sweetheart. Let me talk to him for you.” +I turned my head and spit the blood onto the concrete floor. +“I do not need your help.” I told her bluntly. “I do not want it, either. I would very much appreciate it if you would just leave the room. I ask for the kindness of your abandonment. That is all.” +“Please don't do that. Please don't start with that. You only do that when you're pushing someone away. Please don't push me away, Brynna.” +Now that rage that made shocking, sudden appearances blasted towards her in a delightfully terrifying display. +“You think you can push me away for years and that I should not be allowed to do the same to you!?” I bellowed as I lunged towards her. Even though I was handcuffed securely to the chair, she still jumped back. She had not been expecting the sudden change in my temperament. +“I do not want or need your help! I have never forgiven you! I have never forgotten what you allowed your husband to do to me!” +Her role in what Michael had done to me had never been addressed openly, at least not by me. My words broke her. She buried her face in her hands, whispering something that even my newly heightened sense of hearing could not decipher. +“Speak up, Maura, or I will just read your mind!” I ordered in a furious whisper. +Blood was dribbling out of my mouth, and my cheek was swollen on one side. She pulled her hands away from her face, reached up, and tried to wipe the blood away, but I shook her off, lunging forward again, needing so desperately to hit her. She cried into her hands for another annoyingly over-emotional moment. +“I said that I was afraid!” She whispered tremulously, “I said that I'm sorry, but I was so afraid of him...” +I laughed somewhat maniacally, I'll admit. +“I didn't help you then, but I can help you now, Brynna.” She implored me softly before reaching out to touch my face again. +“Stop trying to touch me!” +For a long moment, she stared at me, awaiting an answer that I refused to give to a question that I barely realized she had posed. What she wanted from me was a chance to make up for her cowardice and ignorance, both of which had allowed her husband to claim my innocence. I would never allow her to achieve that peace of mind so easily. I would never allow her to believe that all was forgiven. In fact, I firmly believed that what had occurred would never be completely erased between us. +After that long, dreadful silence that stirred her very soul, she turned to leave the room. +“Maura...” My voice was back to its normal volume. She turned back to me, a look of pathetically desperate hope in her eyes. +I spat my blood at her. She covered her face, and the wad of blood and saliva splashed onto the backs of her hands before dripping down her arms. It was gloriously disgusting, I will admit. +“That is for covering your damn ears. Now, get out.” + +Quinn + +The story of Brynna Olivier was twisted and contorted in a fashion that would rival the abilities of the press at home. Although, I sincerely doubted that even the most ridiculous of tabloids would believe that she was a Pangaean spy placed on Earth to gather our secrets. +“It's ridiculous, Quinn! He's her father!” Alice told me in a rage that I couldn't quite match, “Do you know what I heard today?” +She didn't wait for me to ask what it was exactly that she had heard. +“I heard that he's going to turn her over to the natives as a peace offering. His own daughter!” +“Maybe it's just a rumor. I doubt anyone could do something like that to their own kid.” +By instinct, though, I knew that I was mistaken. If it meant that he and the people he wanted to survive would see many days, he would sell his entire family. I knew that Daniel Olivier was that evil, but I didn't want to scare Alice by relaying that belief to her. +“It isn't a rumor! We can't sit by and let that happen!” +“Whoa...” I held up my hands to stop her from continuing. “We can't get involved in this. The last thing we need is to get exiled and be on our own.” +“We are on our own! He's starving people! Who is to say that tomorrow it's not our food that he's keeping!?” +“You are really upset about this.” +“And you're not? You're not upset that this man has pretty much appointed himself our leader and that he's cruel and evil? He's letting people die, Quinn, after we fought like hell to get here and live! She's not like him. She walked out of the ship first. She's brave.” +“That doesn't mean that she's not like him. It just means that she's brave. We don't know anything else about her besides that.” +“You're just saying all of this to make me change my mind about helping her. I know that you believe the same thing I believe. After last night...” Alice's voice was trembling now as the memory of the attack on us took over her. “I was right there when she attacked that guy. You should have seen the way she took him down.” She laughed slightly as she remembered it. “It was amazing. He was after her brother. I would pray for whatever came over her to come over me if it was you that was about to get eaten. They ripped people apart, Quinn. One of their people, a woman...” She grimaced slightly, “She ripped into this guy, and there was so much blood...” +“Hey...” I stood up and embraced her, “Let's not think about this right now.” +“They're going to come back. Someone at the top let it slip that they're going to take ten of us every night until we leave. We have nowhere to go, so they'll just keep coming back until there's no one left. They'll kill us all.” +“So, what do you think we should do?” +“I told you what I think we should do. We need to help Brynna! Don't ask me how I know that's what we're supposed to do. I just know. The same thing came over us when that thing broke into the house. We could see in the dark, we could communicate without words. Don't you see? We're mutating!” +“Mutating?” I asked her, as though the word had been spoken in a language I had never learned. +“I've told you this before. Our bodies are doing what they need to do in order for us to survive. We're getting faster, stronger, and smarter. We're learning to fight off threats, almost like how animals do. That's my theory, anyway. I think it's pretty reasonable.” +“It is reasonable.” I sat down on my sleeping bag, pondering what she had just said only to realize that it made absolutely perfect sense. “That would explain everything!” +“It has a magical element to it, though, doesn't it?” She sat down next to me. “It's not completely biological.” She paused and looked thoughtful for a minute, “There's something miraculous about it. It's not just science, you know?” +“I guess.” +“Daniel Olivier is afraid of her. He's not mutating the way that some of us are. We'll be next, once he realizes it's happening to more than just her. You know, I've heard his other kids are doing it, too.” +“Yeah, I heard someone saying that the other day. So, what is he going to do? Hand them all over to the leader of the natives?” +“I know he will. He thinks they're sick. He thinks they're infected with something. But you and I both know from what happened to us while we were still on Earth that it's not a sickness. It's a response to a threat, right?” +“Yes.” +“Quinn, I know this is what we're supposed to do. We have to get her out. We have to help her escape. It has a significance to it that I don't really understand yet. But then, maybe I'm not supposed to understand right now. Maybe we're just supposed to take a leap of faith.” +There was that word again: Faith. It was still a challenging idea for me, even after everything we had overcome since that psychic dream. However little I believed in the divine significance of our escape and continued survival, I did believe in Alice. I also knew that wherever she went, I was going to follow. So if she believed that we needed to save Brynna, then we were going to do it. We were going to fight together, for better or worse. +“Alright,” I nodded and looked up at her, “Do you have a plan?” +“I have the beginning of a plan. We need to get her brother alone. He's the closest to her, from what I've seen. So he'll be the one that will want to help her.” +“How are we going to get him alone?” +“We live in tents, Quinn,” She laughed, “Breaking and entering isn't exactly difficult, is it?” +*** + +It was three hours until nightfall. Thus, it was three hours until the natives returned for their dinner. We had three hours to escape the campsite. Suddenly, the two-day rush to the launch site didn't seem as time-sensitive as it had in the moment. +Alice led the way over to Elijah Olivier's tent. The woman with the dark red hair who had accompanied them was sitting behind it, her face in her hands, sobbing. Somehow, I knew not to sympathize with her. +I gripped the zipper of the tent in a shaking hand and began to pull it delicately. Inside, there was only silence. For all we knew, he wasn't even there. Perhaps that was for the best; we would sneak in, close the tent, and signal for him to be quiet when he returned. Then, we would explain to him what we were trying to do as quietly as possible. +When the tent was opened enough that I could see in, I saw that Elijah was inside and looking right at us. Like idiots, we ducked from his view, but by then it was too late. He ripped the zipper down and pulled us both inside with a strength and rage that stunned us both into terrified silence. +“What do you want?” He hissed at us with a fistful of our shirts clenched tightly in his fists. +“Calm down, man,” I whispered as I held up my hands in surrender, “We want to help your sister!” +He released us and turned back to whatever it was that he had been silently working on. Alice and I looked at each other in horror when he pulled out a gun and began loading it with bullets. We were not worried that he would shoot us. We were worried that he would shoot his way through anyone that stood in the way of the path to his sister. A massacre of his father's people would not spell peace for the rest of us. We would all suffer for it. +“Listen to me,” Alice reached out to grasp his wrist, but he shook her off, “Elijah? That's your name, isn't it?” +“That's me. Elijah Olivier. That name is becoming quite the stigma around here, isn't it?” +“It is,” I replied honestly, and Alice cast me a scathing look, “Sorry.” +“Don't apologize. I'm not deaf. I hear what people are saying. They're right, though. That's the sad thing.” +“You can't do anything completely insane, okay?” Alice reasoned quietly, “Going in there all guns blazing is completely insane!” +“Well, he wants to sell my sister off to those freaks that came in here and killed ten of us. I'll kill every last one of them before that happens. I'll kill my own dad before I let him hand her over to that guy, whoever the hell he is.” +Alice looked like she wanted to argue his point, but instead, she forged ahead with detailing our plan. +“You're going to need help. We're going to help you break in. I had another dream last night. She's at the bottom of the ship. I saw the number three. Does that mean anything to you?” +“There are storage compartments down there that are numbered. I don't need you two to go with me. You've just helped me more than I could ever thank you enough for.” +He loaded the clip into the gun quietly. +“Have you ever even shot a gun?” Alice demanded crossly. +“Nope. But it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out. Point and pull the trigger, right?” +I jumped in to aid Alice’s quest of calming him down. +“You're angry. You have every right to be. But if you get yourself killed, you're doing her no good. Do you think he'll tell them not to kill you? If you go in there, shooting the place up, do you think he'll tell them to bring you in alive?” +“I don't care what he does to me.” +“If you get yourself killed, you won't be able to save her!” Alice whispered in frantic irritation. “We'll go with you. We'll help you fight them off.” +“Are you telling me that you two can fight the same way she did the other day?” +“We can.” Alice answered, “There was this thing on earth. It was sitting outside of our window at night. And when I let it into the house, it tried to kill us. We fought it off. I shot it and killed it. It was my...” She stopped, closing her eyes for a minute to steady herself, “Let's just say that we both know what it is to lose someone. We also know that there's nothing wrong with Brynna. She doesn't deserve to be handed over to them. Whatever it is that’s happening isn’t just happening to her.” +“I know that, because it's happening to me.” Elijah looked up at us, his eyes burning, “My first plan was to show him how my eyes turn red every time I look at his face. Then, I can only hope that I would have grown fangs and been able to take him out the way Brynna took down the native that was after me.” +“What he's done to her and to everyone else is awful. But he's still your dad, Elijah.” Alice tried to reason with him, “If he is meant to die, it shouldn't be you killing him.” +His expression darkened as he looked up at her. +“If he's looking to hurt my sister, then it's my job to kill him.” +“We aren't going to kill anybody,” I chimed in again, “We're going to go fight some people, and we'll win, because they're not changing over the way we are. We're going to get her out of there before the natives come back tonight. We're going to leave camp. It's not safe here anymore.” +“Is there anywhere that's safe?” Elijah stared into the lantern that was burning away in the corner of his tent. “It doesn't matter. Anywhere is better than here. Brynna and I won't leave my sisters. My sisters won't let us leave Maura behind.” +“Is Maura that woman outside?” I asked. My tone displayed my distaste for her. I had never spoken a word to her but still, I didn't like her. More importantly, I didn't want to be responsible for her. +“Yeah. I don't trust her anymore.” He put the gun in his back pocket, “I was considering joining the Marines for a while. Doesn't every kid dream about that?” +“I know I did.” +I smiled slightly despite the situation. I didn't quite see how his aspirations to join the military had anything to do with the situation. But the memory of being a little boy and pretending trees were helicopters that I was jumping out of and play-fighting with my dad like we were in combat brought a flicker of joy to me that I hadn't been expecting. +They were memories I had long since forgotten. +“This is kind of like that. Like a bad-ass mission, you know? Breaking in, fighting through people, rescuing someone. God, if she heard me say, 'rescue…' Brynna doesn't need to be rescued. She's never needed me to protect her, but she has always let me think that she does.” I watched as tears rushed into his eyes. He assumed we weren't paying enough attention to see him swipe them away. “I'm not rescuing her now, either. I'm helping her save herself. She wouldn't have it any other way.” He cleared his throat and looked at us. “Before we do this, what are you names?” +We told him. +“Alright, Quinn and Alice. I don't know why you're so ready to do this with me. But you said you know that it's what you're supposed to do. I understand that, and I'm not going to question it.” +“Good, because we're running out of time.” Alice told him as we crawled out of his tent. “There's no time for questioning anything. Let's do this.” +They walked ahead of me, and I stood staring after her with my mouth agape. If any of the three of us was like a Marine, it was Alice. She was charging ahead, mission in mind, with courage swelling in her chest. Elijah was connected emotionally to the task, but Alice saw it through the clear eye of a soldier. +I followed after them, grinning despite my nerves beginning to respond to the situation. Her bravery inspired a great admiration in me. Our love was maturing from that of an adolescent romance to something real, something much deeper. Ever since we had landed on Pangaea, our bond had been stronger, feeling at times to be completely unbreakable. +I hoped someday she could see me with that same admiration. Once both of us reached that level, then I would know what I had always suspected: we were supposed to be together forever. +She hung back to grasp my hand. We walked along, smiling at each other as though we were simply taking an early evening stroll. Then she stood on her tiptoes, kissed my cheek, and whispered: +“You're the bravest guy I know. Don't forget it.” +Faith. It was a different kind than what we had discussed earlier, but it felt no less divine. +*** + +We stood, peering around the end of the ship as the first signs of night began to descend. A silence came over the forest that the three of us knew preceded the arrival of the natives. +“I told my other sister that if they come while I'm in here, they need to run into the woods. We'll have to look for them. But we'll find them. If anything should happen to me, they'll find James. I don't know if I can trust the guy, but I know that he's better than my father.” +Alice and I both knew that he wasn't telling us that to supply us with the information. He was reminding himself. Through that reminder, he was reassured that even in the event of his delay or his death, his sisters would be taken care of. I had seen his younger sister Violet many times. She appeared to be only a year or so younger than us, but there was a selfless quality to her that neither Alice nor I had acquired yet. +I watched her hand over a bottle of water to a child dying of thirst. She hadn't known whether her father would give her more to drink, but she had known Brynna would sacrifice her own. I was becoming fascinated with their family. I was fascinated by their quiet kindness. How Daniel Olivier's children could turn out so good when he was anything but baffled me. +“How are we going to get past the guards?” Alice whispered as she craned her neck to see how many were standing by the folded down stairs that led onto the ship. +“Why are there guards in the first place?” I asked, “Do they think someone is going to try to break her out?” +“No,” Elijah replied, “They think the natives are going to try to blow up the ship.” +“But if they want us to leave, then why would they blow up the ship?” I asked. +“Because if they can't get us to leave, then they can blow up our supplies so we won't be able to survive for very long.” Elijah answered in a voice devoid of emotion. “I can't shoot them without people hearing.” +“Wait here.” Alice told us. +“Allie!” I called after her in a loud whisper as she approached the guards. +“Hi!” She called out. She waved cheerfully, and I could hear her smiling, “Hey, I think someone robbed my tent. It's so funny, though. They only took my pads.” +Oh, Lord... +“Your what?” The man asked in slight horror. Typical male response to a woman bringing up that awful thing that happened to them once a month... I would have stammered out a response, too. +“My pads. Like... for my end-of-the-sentence,” Alice laughed in fake embarrassment, “I'm really going to be needing them, though. I was wondering if I could go into the storeroom and get another pack.” +“No civilians are allowed in the storeroom, sweetheart. I'm sorry.” +“Then can you go get them? It's kind of an emergency. The flood gates are opening, if you will...” +To watch those guards squirm in discomfort was more than amusing. It was downright hilarious. I was cracking up and struggling not to clap my hands in triumphant glee. Even Elijah was grinning as he watched. +“Go get them, man.” Another guard told the one Alice was addressing. +“Kids share way too many details these days...” He muttered as he walked up the high metal staircase to the door of the ship and scanned his key card. +Once it was open, Alice's falsely sunny demeanor vanished. If I wasn't in awe of her before, I definitely was when I saw her switch into Tomb Raider mode. She grabbed hold of the first guard and threw him against the hard, metal exterior of the ship. With one hand she held him firmly to the wall, and with the other, she grasped a handful of his hair. As Elijah and I watched with our mouths hanging open, she banged his head into the side of the ship twice with only enough force to knock him unconscious. +The two remaining guards had stood completely dumbfounded at her sudden changeover and at the unbelievable strength that a girl half their size possessed. But after that initial shock wore off, they sprung into defensive mode. The one on the ground grabbed her from behind and held her arms to her sides. She jerked her body forward and flipped him off of her back before jumping down onto him and hissing in his face. +Elijah and I were watching like moronic spectators at a football game. But when I saw the man who had opened the door pull a knife from his pocket, the animal in me awoke as well. +I charged forward at a speed that would make Olympic track stars pack up their gym bags and go home. I leaped through the air and collided with the metal railing at the top of the stairs. I hurtled over it to tackle the man backwards, but we tumbled over the railing on the other side and hit the ground hard. The fall knocked the wind out of him, but I felt nothing. In what seemed like one fluid motion, I kicked him so that he flung onto his back, jumped on top of him, and pinned his arms above his head. +The feeling of my teeth elongating to the shape of fangs was definitely the weirdest sensation I had experienced up to that point. Admittedly, my heart flung itself upwards in nauseated surprise just as my hands flew to my mouth to touch them. The only teeth that had grown were my canines and first incisors; they were almost how I would expect vampire fangs to be. The only differences were that there were four fangs instead of two, and they were much thicker than vampire teeth, and as a result, more durable. In that quick second of prodding my finger into the bottom of one fang, I managed to draw blood. Not only were they long but they were also very sharp. +As I touched the new, very strange additions to my mouth, the guard saw his chance to bring me down. He thrust the hand that held the knife forward, going right for my throat. I dodged the attack in a blur of movement and grabbed his wrist in one hand. I couldn't believe that he had tried to cut my throat; the thought infuriated me. At first, I hissed just as Alice had. Then, a soft growl rumbled in the back of my throat as I snapped his wrist in half with just a slight tightening of my fingers. +Just as he let out a wail of pain, I brought back my fist to punch him hard in the face. His scream choked off, and his eyes closed. In a frenzy, I looked around for any curious survivors that might have come around the end of the ship, searching for the source of the noise. I saw no one and breathed a deep, cleansing sigh of relief. In that breath, the instinct to fight and kill soothed itself, and I could have sworn, though this sounds insane, that I smelled the pepperoni, onion, mushroom, and sausage pizza that my mom, dad, and I ordered every Friday night for as long as I could remember. +“Quinn!” Alice exclaimed in a loud whisper, “Come on!” +The amazingly vivid smell disintegrated immediately, leaving me sniffing the air somewhat wildly. I begged for it to appear again from wherever it had come, because I needed the peace that had flooded through me the moment I smelled it to return. Instead, I had only the urge to run, fight, and sink my newly acquired fangs down into the vital arteries of anything that stood in the way of saving Brynna, a girl I had not met, but cared for because Alice did. +Elijah hurtled the railing the same way I had. He jumped into the open space as the metallic door began to slide shut. He pressed his back to one side of the doorway and kicked both feet up to hold the door open. +“Quinn, let's go!” Alice was shouting. +I scrambled up the stairs, and we ducked under Elijah's legs. Once we were inside, he rolled sideways, landing gracefully on all fours before pushing himself up to a standing position without moving his feet at all. +“You have to admit,” He grinned, “It's kind of awesome, right?” +“Hell yeah.” Alice beamed brightly. +All of us were trembling from the adrenaline rush our fight had stirred to life. I could see how people became addicted to thrills; as we faced death and pain, we embraced a perhaps nonexistent invincibility. In that invincibility, we were truly alive. We possessed the strength of bulls and the fighting prowess of lions; we were becoming more like animals every day. For the first time, I was excited about mutating. In the eyes of my two companions, I could see the same enthusiasm for our new animal nature. +I turned my head from right to left. On both sides, the corridor was eerily lit with dim bulbs. Both ways were identical. We could not be sure which way to go. +“Storage compartment, right?” Alice looked in either direction as I had. “I guess we should split up.” +“Famous last words…” I muttered, and Alice scowled at me in irritation, “Well, it’s true!” +“Do you have a better idea?” She asked, “We don’t have much time before Olivier’s people stumble on the guards we just took out. Once that happens, they’ll be coming in here, looking for whoever did it.” +“Yeah, we may be able to fight a few of them, but he has more people than you guys think. He thinks the only way to survive is by using force. So he brought plenty of force.” Elijah explained grimly, “We can’t take on all of them. We might be able to fight, but they have guns. So, you’re right, Alice. We need to get in and get out of here. You two go on. I’ll go alone.” +“No!” I exclaimed, “It doesn’t matter if we split up, because we have no way of telling one another if we find her! We need to stay together! Look, let’s just take thirty seconds and try to use whatever these weird powers are that we have.” +“What do you mean?” Alice asked, and I could see that her aggravation was growing as she became more frantic to find Brynna and get out. +I realized suddenly that I was sick of feeling like I was running out of time. +“I don’t know. Just…” +I closed my eyes and allowed the creature inside of me to take hold. It was instinctual and at times, close to knowing things that we could not possibly know on our own. They were staring at me, rendered silent by what they believed was just a stupid attempt to tap into a psychic side that didn’t exist. But I knew that I could at least gather which direction was the correct one in order to more quickly find Brynna. +“This way.” I pointed to the left side of the corridor, “Yeah, shut up, fools.” +“We don’t even know if you’re right yet!” Elijah called after me as we all ran down the darkened hallway. +“I am right. Don’t start doubting the powers, man!” I called back. +I stopped running suddenly and thrust my arm back to keep them from continuing on. The three of us carefully moved to see around the wall. With a drop in each of our hearts, we watched as Daniel Olivier began to walk in our direction, his brows furrowed in a question. He thought he had heard something, and he was coming to see if he really had. +“Elijah!” He called down the hallway, “Go back outside.” +Elijah went to move around us, but Alice reached out and grabbed him, shaking her head. However, after looking into his eyes, she let go of him. Though there was rage in them, it was not the rage that we had to embrace before we could hurt someone. The same way Alice had a plan, he did as well. +“Has she eaten?” He asked Daniel sourly. +“She had a few scraps of something. Well, we put a few scraps of something in front of her, and she didn’t eat it, because she’s hard-headed and absolutely determined to do the exact opposite of what I ask her to do. Either way, that’s all she’s getting right now. I know that it seems cruel, Eli. But I need to know what’s going on. I can’t protect you, your sisters, or Maura without knowing what exactly it is that’s happening to her.” +“And you think she knows?” +“I do. I think she knew this was going to happen to her. I think she knows what those natives want. You saw how calm their leader was when he spoke to her. It was only after we interrupted them that he threatened us.” +“That’s ridiculous, Dad. She just knew what she was doing. But as far as whatever made her change over to that, I don’t think it’s a threat. So, you need to go get her something else to eat.” +“No,” Daniel's voice was beginning to tremble slightly. Alice and I looked at each other, both worrying that at any minute, things were going to spiral completely out of control, “If anyone would be going to get her something else to eat, it would be you. But she’s not getting anything else. We can’t waste our food on someone like her.” +“Someone like her?” Elijah repeated in incredulous animosity, “She’s your daughter!” +“I don’t know what she is. But I know that if there’s one thing she’s not, it’s my kid. People are afraid of her. It’s my job as the person that is leading this group to make sure everyone feels secure.” +“And they feel secure while you’re starving them or threatening to shoot them if they walk near the forest or try to go off on their own?” +“I am doing that for our own good! If we give rations to everyone, every day, we’ll be dead in a month! I’m not exaggerating when I say that! We did the math! We never thought that so many people would come. We never…” +“So let people go off on their own, if that’s what they want!” +“Yes, let’s go into the forest, Elijah! The natives have already showed us what they’re capable of, so let’s piss them off even more by going into their territory.” +“This whole planet is their territory!” +“So what should we do? Do you want to load everyone back on the ship, so we can fly around for a few thousand miles, if we even break through the atmosphere at all? Do you want to keep going until…” He stopped and looked up as he took a deep breath. When he spoke again, his voice was firmly calm. +“I am doing the best I can. I have to make the hard decisions. That’s fine, because I know I can do it. Can you say the same, Eli?” +“Are you asking me if I can starve people? Are you asking me if I can shoot people? Because the answer is no. If you’re asking me if I can make the hard decisions…” There was the sound of impact on someone’s face, and Alice and I jumped out from behind the corner to see that Elijah had rammed the butt of the gun into his father’s head, “The answer is yes. But that wasn’t really hard…” +I exclaimed in stunned elation, laughing as I walked out from behind the corner. +“That was badass, man!” I told him after clapping him on the shoulder, “Pistol-whipping him, what you said... You're like Clint Eastwood right now!” +“I feel like Clint Eastwood right now.” He grinned broadly. +“You don't look like Clint Eastwood when you do that.” I scorned him jokingly, “You look like Hannah Montana.” +“Sorry. How's this?” He scowled darkly, and we both laughed again despite the situation. My heart was racing, and I had the weirdest urge to jump from one end of the hallway to the other while laughing maniacally. But then, I also wanted to find my own evildoer to pistol-whip. The evolutionary change was wreaking not-all-that-unpleasant havoc on my brain, too. +“Dude…” Alice whispered as she looked down at Daniel lying unconscious on the floor, “You just knocked your dad out!” +“Did I give you the impression that I was fond of him?” Elijah asked through another slight chuckle that was offset by the way his whole body was still shaking with fury. “That couldn’t be further from the truth.” +He pushed open the door to the storage room. All excitement and enthusiasm disappeared as he looked into the room where Brynna was being kept. +“Wait out here.” +We didn’t follow him into the room, but we did look inside after he went in. Brynna’s head was hanging forward, her chin resting on her chest. Her face was beginning to swell on one side from where her dad had beaten her. I looked at Alice to find her looking at me. In her eyes, I saw the same question: What had been the point of hurting her? The answers to the questions he asked were lost on everyone who was changing over, including us. If her bruises and cuts were the physical evidence of a brutal interrogation, I couldn’t help but wonder if soon I would be sporting some of my own. +Or maybe it had been personal. Maybe it was just more evidence of her father’s cruelty that was only directed at her. +“Do either of you know anything about First Aid?” Elijah called out to us. +Alice had worked at a daycare on Earth and was certified in both CPR and First Aid. She went into the room, and I followed behind her. +“Is that normal? The way her eyes are rolling like that?” Elijah asked as he freed Brynna’s hands with the key that had been hanging by the door. The dark part of my brain that made unwelcome suggestions in tense situations told me that Daniel had left the key right in her line of vision to taunt her. I hoped that I was wrong about that. +Alice had her fingers pressed to the pulsing vein in Brynna’s wrist. Her mouth was moving slightly as she counted out the beat, estimating when a minute was up, because she had no clock or watch. +“Her heart rate is a little fast. But that’s better than it being slow.” Alice informed us, “I don’t think it has anything to do with being hit in the head because…” +Alice gently grasped either side of Brynna’s head and tilted it back. Very delicately, she pulled up one of her eyelids. We all watched as Brynna’s bright blue eyes gleamed in the dim light and as her black pupil contracted to the size of a pinpoint. +“Yeah, her pupils are contracting. If she had a concussion, they would stay dilated.” +“So, what do you think it is?” +Once Alice had moved out of the way, Elijah was kneeling in front of Brynna and grasping her face with both hands. +“I think she’s trying to keep herself awake. I think she’s hungry and thirsty, too. Had she been eating or sleeping well before this?” +“She hadn’t eaten or slept since we got here.” Elijah replied as he put Brynna’s arm around his neck and lifted her into his arms. +“Adjust her so she isn’t lying back like that.” +“I’m trying.” +Elijah moved Brynna up so that she wasn’t tilting back in his arms anymore. Her head was rested snugly underneath of his. +“You got her?” Alice asked softly. +“Yeah. Just to tell you, Brynn, I know I’m not rescuing you.” He whispered softly to her, and I could have sworn I saw a small smile appear on her lips as though she had heard. +We walked quickly from the room, stepping over Daniel to continue back the way we came. As though to remind him even in his unconscious state how severely he had pissed him off, Elijah brought back his foot and kicked his father hard in the ribs. +“Well, that’s a new way to say goodbye, I guess.” Alice commented as we hurried along the corridor. +“I’ve been wanting to do that for years.” Elijah replied just as two guards walked out in front of us. +“Elijah, what are you…” One started to say, but Alice had lunged forward and tackled him backwards. +A strange noise, a mix between a grunt and a roar, forced its way from my stomach out of my mouth as I ran forward and dropped to slide on my knees towards the second guard. Once I reached him, I spun sideways and kicked my feet out to knock his from beneath him. As he crumpled to the ground, I heaved myself up and landed on top of him. With both hands, I grasped his head and slammed it down into the floor. +We were running after that. We were ready for an army of them. I didn’t have to look at Alice or Elijah to know their eyes had turned over white; we were all on the hunt. Once we reached the door that led out of the ship, Alice pushed the button, and the door slid open, revealing to us that night had fallen. The second we stepped out of the ship, we heard the screams of the survivors as the natives attacked. +It was those shouts of pain and terror that awoke Brynna from whatever stupor she was in. She rolled sideways out of Elijah’s arms to land on her knees in the dirt. Before we had even turned back to look at her, she had jumped onto her feet, swaying as vertigo overtook her for a brief second. +“Penny and Violet…” She muttered to Elijah as he grasped her arms to steady her. +“I took care of it. They know what to do. Just run!” +None of us needed him to repeat himself. We took off running as another massacre matching the one that had occurred the night before unfolded around us. It took every bit of my selfish willpower to not stop and help those I saw being ripped apart. As I ran, I was sprayed with the blood from a woman’s stomach as one of the natives dug his clawed hands deep inside of her abdomen. +Senseless and evil and sadistic and cruel… Their attack infuriated me but also drove me to move faster. +In the chaos, we were separated. + +Violet + +Maura knew something was amiss. Though I did have anxiety, I rarely shook my leg rapidly up and down to betray that I was worrying. My fears were always silent and unnoticeable, even to her. But as I awaited the return of Elijah and Brynna, I sat with Penny in my lap and bobbed her up and down on my legs that refused to keep still. +“I can’t color in the lines when you do that!” Penny snapped at me suddenly, and I tried to stop. I also tried to avoid Maura’s gaze. +“What’s wrong, honey?” She asked in quiet suspicion after sitting down beside me. +I shook my head slightly and shrugged. If I opened my mouth, I would spill Elijah’s plan. If I looked at her, I would begin to cry, and that would be enough of a confirmation. I was going to have to drag her off into the woods. A part of me wished that I could leave her, but I knew that I couldn’t. +“I know you’re scared. But your father said all we have to do is run to the door of the ship, and they’ll let us in. Dad is going to take care of all of us. And he’ll come around with Brynna. He always does.” +I don’t know where she found evidence to draw that conclusion. A look back at our history was enough for me to know that he had never come around when it came to Brynna. Since Lucien had died, he had made my sister’s life hell. It hadn’t been her fault. In her mind, she believed that everyone, including me, blamed her. But she was wrong; Elijah and I knew that whatever had caused her daze, her blind ignorance to what was occurring, had to have been serious. She never allowed herself a moment’s peace from her raging thoughts and her constant attention to detail. Her love for Lucien had been strong. +Night seized us like a faceless threat. Immediately, some of the braver people flocked to the end of the campsite to watch the trees that had gone still suddenly. My heart pounded in anticipation as my arms locked around Penny. I was ready to make our escape. +“Maura, when I say to run, you need to run with me.” I told her, and she looked away from the trees to stare at me. +“What are you…” +A native zoomed up to her out of nowhere, evoking a scream of surprise from both of us. Out of reflex, she reached out and punched him hard in the face. It had been a punch thrown with every bit of force she could possibly muster and still, the native didn’t stumble. In fact, hitting him had only injured her. I spun Penny around so she was on my back and ran forward, bringing my own fist back. +When my fist hit him, he flew backwards and landed on his back. Remembering that I had Penny attached to me was enough to stop me from going after him and finishing the nasty, bloody work. +“Run, Maura, run!” I shouted at her. +Before she could obey my order on her own, I had grabbed her hand and began pulling her with me as I took off running at a speed that she couldn’t achieve, being only human. I was forced to slow in order for her to keep up. +“Do not let go, Penny!” I yelled over the symphony of screams, running feet, slashing skin, and the pounding of bone on bone. +Penny was crying through her own high-pitched wails of terror, but her grip on me was strong enough to pull my skin away if anyone tried to snatch her off of me. Even my little sister was beginning to gather the inhuman strength that had awakened in some of us. +“Where are we going?!” Maura screamed frantically over the overlapping, deafening sounds. +“We’re just running! DUCK!” I reached back and forced her onto the ground as a native soared through the air towards us. I whipped around, waiting for him to turn and charge us again. But his target hadn’t been Maura, Penny, or me; it had been a man five feet behind us whose throat he had just bitten into. I went to jump up, only to see several of my dad’s guards storming towards us, machine guns in their hands. +“Stay down!” I yelled to Maura. +I pushed her down below the fallen log that I had only just seen kids practicing their balancing skills on the day before. I pulled Penny off of my back and wedged her in between Maura and me before laying both of them on the ground. Just as the gunshots rang out, Maura forced her way up from beneath me and covered Penny and me with her body. +The guards jumped over the log, firing blindly, and through Maura’s arms, I saw more of our number being taken down by the spray of bullets than the natives, who moved in a blur so quickly that shooting them was nearly impossible. I can’t begin to describe how horrifying it was, to see people I had begun to recognize by both name and face struck down by my father’s guards. They were good people who had survived the end of the world only to be shot by cowards firing blindly into the dark at targets they could not see. I knew that my father would not grieve their untimely, accidental demises. In fact, a part of me knew, and was sickened by knowing, that he would see their deaths as an all too welcome relief. +Once the men with the guns had passed us, I held Penny to my chest, waiting for her to wrap her legs and arms around me before we took off running again. Our hearts pounded, and our lungs threatened to collapse with each deep, heaving breath, but we didn’t stop. Our legs propelled us forward until we had broken into the cover of the trees. +“We need to keep moving!” I shouted over my shoulder to Maura as my eyes scanned every shadowed corner of the forest frantically. +“I can’t… I can’t…” Maura gasped out after collapsing onto the cold, pine-needle covered ground. I turned around and watched as she struggled for breath, knowing that until she had gathered her strength back, we couldn’t continue on into the trees. +“Maura, I know it’s hard, but we have to keep going.” I urged her as I continued to look all around. “If they want us, they’re going to follow us in here!” +“They live in here! We just have to wait them out. We can’t go any further!” She managed to exclaim despite her growing inability to breathe normally. +“We can’t stay at the campsite! They’re going to keep coming back! They’ll kill us all, Maura! +“Elijah… your father…” She paused for a long time before adding, “Brynna…” +“Look, I love Dad, but he made this worse for us!” I knelt down so that I was level with her and able to look imploringly into her eyes. “We can’t stay here with him!” +“So what are we going to do, darling?” She asked, and I was stunned to see that her eyes were ablaze with anger, “You’re going to do what Brynna tried to do and abandon him? You’re going to leave him the way Brynna left your mother?!” +Even as my need to keep moving stayed firmly rooted at the forefront of my mind, an animosity I couldn’t comprehend took hold of my heart. Maura was suggesting that Brynna’s abandonment of my mother saddened her. It took no intensified understanding of things for me to know that that was simply not true. Through my mother being left behind to burn on the earth, Maura had gotten my father. She was now the “wife” of the leader. After years of being beaten down by circumstance, she held a privileged position. +“If you want to stay, then you can stay.” I shot at her after standing back up. “I want you to come with me, because you’ve always been there for us, Maura. But if he’s more important to you than we are, then you can stay.” I turned away with tears welling in my eyes as I realized that Brynna’s dark feelings towards Maura might have been warranted. It’s a tough thing, seeing someone’s darkness at such a young age when before one had seen only light. +“It’s not that!” She told me after walking forward and grasping my arms, “Darling, you need to come back to the camp with me. Come back, and we’ll talk, alright? Of course I want to go with you. I don’t want to be anywhere else. But we cannot leave him to fight this on his own.” +“Do you really still see good in him, Maura?!” I shouted at her. Penny broke down into tears again. “Shh…” I whispered as I ran my hand down the back of her hair, “I’m sorry, Penny. I’m sorry.” +“I do. I do, because it’s still there. What he’s doing…” She shook her head slightly. I knew that she was trying to think of a convincing explanation for his heartless actions. “It is the difficult decision, but unfortunately, it’s also the right one. He has to keep a firm hand on these people, or there will be chaos. You are young. You do not understand that.” +“No. Contrary to what you may believe, I understand more than you do.” +I wanted to remain firm and angry. I wanted her to see no signs of pain on my face as I realized that she cared more for my father than she did for us, the children she had raised. But I loved Maura dearly because she had always been there. She had stepped into the role my mother had so willingly abandoned. For Elijah and me, at least, Maura was the only constant in our lives. +Tears streamed down my face as I turned to her and whispered, “Goodbye, Maura.” +Like the naïve child I was, I expected her to follow me. Even if she was cursing me under her breath, I still believed she wouldn’t let me walk away. +Her sobbing was drowned out by the noises that had come back to the forest. My feet moved me forward, carrying Penny and me closer and closer to an uncertainty that would never become clear. I knew Elijah and Brynna would find us if they had survived, but then what? What would we eat? Where would we sleep? How would we avoid the natives? +I forced my tears to stop for Penny’s sake. But inside, a terror as old as Earth and Pangaea roared as it took its first breath. + +Brynna + +I did not care if the natives heard me. The sounds in the forest had resumed their deafening musical number, and I screamed over the noise for Elijah, Violet, and Penny. Once or twice, I even called Maura’s name, though to see her when I expected to see only my siblings would have been truly sickening. I almost chuckled at the thought of vomiting right on her designer tennis shoes. +I had been walking for hours, knowing that the attack on the campsite was over and that the natives were back in the woods. I was exhausted beyond feeling any degree of fear. I was hungry enough that when I passed by a bush stocked with orange and black berries, I actually stopped to pick a few. I held them to my nose, sniffing them for a reason that I could not fathom. It didn’t matter how they smelled; I did not possess any length of knowledge on plants that were edible versus plants that were deadly. However, my heart began to beat erratically fast, even tripping over itself a few times. The second I dropped the berries to the ground to grasp my chest, my heart had resumed its normal gallop. +Alright, instincts. Message received. +“Elijah!” I called as my eyes widened in the darkness. I could see the clear outlines of the trees and the shadows that moved between them. I looked up, seeing the twinkling of a billion stars overhead. The canopy created by the clustered mass of abnormally large willows blocked their light. I was seeing in the dark because my body was forcing itself to see. +The space around me was open, and yet I felt as though I had been shut inside of a coffin. All around me, I was surrounded by the hodgepodge of trees. Their age yielded a silent knowledge of all that had passed, from the beginning to the present. Despite standing for thousands upon thousands of years, they still smelled as youthfully fresh as they had when they were mere saplings planted by the Gods. +Such strange thoughts to be having… +I broke into a clearing, knowing I had put miles between the campsite and myself. There was no turning back now. My sense of direction had always been skewed, but in that case, it was downright nonexistent. I would die of dehydration or starve before I found my way back to the campsite. Not that I wanted to return, of course… +My thoughts turned to my mother quite randomly. If my father had been on the ship, then common sense would dictate that he had not been with her. They had been living together even though their marriage had long been over. My father had so many mistresses, I used to say he had a harem. His age did not diminish his good looks, and as a result, many women, even those my own age, had desired him. Power certainly had something to do with their attraction. Thoughts of acquiring a fraction of his wealth surely aided their ability to devote themselves to him. They had disgusted me, those dirty little girls. How they could look at such a terrible man with even fake affection in their eyes, I did not know. But then, for once, I did not want to know. +My mother had an on-again and off-again relationship, as they are called, with a good and honest man named John. I had been stunned to learn that he was the foreman at a construction company that specialized in building expensive homes. That was how they had met; he had built the sprawling fortress that we called our house. Their relationship had begun shortly before what had happened with Michael. I remembered how he was the only male I trusted enough to allow in my presence after those unspeakable events with my godfather. In fact, my mother had taken me to stay with her at his house several times, just so I would feel safe. Once there, I spoke and laughed as though nothing at all had happened. I was, quite simply, a normal nine-year-old girl once again. +Remembering this makes me very sad. +I had always liked him. Despite his sex, I had trusted him. For a moment, I prayed to God, the Gods, or the empty space above my head that he had been with my mother when the event had occurred. I prayed that even though they had not been on good terms in many years, he had held her and assured her that they were going to be alright. They would not feel any pain. Everything would be over in just one millisecond, and he would hold onto her even after they had passed over to the other side. +I stopped abruptly, almost tripping over my feet in the process. Tears had slid out from the corners of both eyes in a rushing, violent, and almost unstoppable assault. I breathed heavily for a moment, swatting at my eyes to wipe them away. From the bottom of my stomach, I felt a bubbling, gnawing scream clawing its way up my chest and into my throat. My harried breaths hitched in my throat, and I struggled to continue breathing as my heart raced; it beat my insides to a bloody pulp as an agonizing punishment for what I had done. My hands flew to cover my mouth as I stomped my feet; to the audience of trees, I must have looked like a child holding her breath during a tantrum thrown to acquire some coveted prize. +A stirring in the bushes snapped me out of my reminiscences, noncommittal yet truly heartfelt prayers, and my somewhat maniacal fit of suppression. I ducked down, falling onto all fours and taking a huge inhalation of air. Where only a moment before, my lungs had been filled with something heavy and acidic, now they were clear and clean. The rustling in the bushes had snapped me back to the common realm where I did not have to feel. +I knew it was a native. They had been hunting me the whole time. I looked up, my breathing becoming heavier as I stared into the bushes that were moving sporadically but forcefully each time. Whoever it was, they were big. They would take me down easily. I would have to fight with weakness, as my strength had long since fled me. I would be killed without a doubt… +Instead of a person walking out, though, a lion the size of a small car came strolling towards me. In the silver light streaming through the break in the canopy, her huge blue eyes gleamed. I did not know whether to run or stare. +From her throat, she was emitting a low rumbling sound that sent a wondrous feeling of comfort through my body. It was not a growl of warning. It was more of a purr. I fought it for a moment, but a smile spread across my mouth as I stared with the awe of a child. I pushed myself up so that I was standing again. I knew not to approach her, though I could not be sure whether she would attack me or not. She was a monstrous beast that should have wanted to consume me for dinner, though I would have been less than an appetizer given her massive size. +The blue of her eyes was the strangest. Like glowing sapphires in the dark, they looked back at me searchingly, as though she had silently posed a question. When her head tilted sideways, I chuckled; I did the very same thing when I was confused. +“It is alright, beautiful.” I told her, “Though most people do not like me, most animals do. I’m pantheistic. ‘Humble before the smallest ant.’ I mean that in all sincerity.” +As though to tell me that she believed what I was saying, she sauntered forward a step. I backed up, gasping in surprise and slight alarm. But then, when her tail swished and the quizzical look resumed on her face, I squeezed my eyes shut and reached out a hand. +I laughed before I had even looked over; she had pressed the top of her soft head against my palm. When I scratched her ears with both hands, she laid down on the forest floor, purring loudly. +On Earth, we had feared beastly creatures. Though I was sure that many animals on Pangaea would gladly eat me, I sensed an innocence in most, because they had not yet learned to fear us. I wondered briefly if my views on wildlife had been accurate, if we truly were meant to share the earth with them by participating in a symbiotic relationship until we departed the world. +After a long while, a yowling far off in the distance drew her away from me. I was able to recognize her instinct to protect and care for the small cub that was making the noise. Through that rabid protective instinct, she would kill me if I followed. I knew better than to tread into her territory when her babies were resting there. +I turned to keep walking, smiling ever so slightly still. To look into that creature’s eyes, to see a mutual respect there between us, had been odd. But it had also held a degree of magic that I had scarcely been aware existed on this planet or the last. Seeing her had soothed that charged, frayed, electrical eruption that had overtaken me so suddenly. +Perhaps I was just tired, and as usual, reading too much into things, but a strange recognition had been present in the lion’s eyes. In fact, her eyes had been the same shade of blue as mine. It had been so clear to me that this creature had seen me before… +No. I was allowing the mysticism of the encounter to cloud my rational judgment. +The first blue light of dawn was beginning to stream through the leaves of the varied trees; that light illuminated my path for me. Morning was the time of day when the air smelled the cleanest. I breathed deeply, my head angled upwards towards the lightening sky as I walked. When I looked ahead, I stopped abruptly once again. +A tent, branded with the letters “USA” in black on the side of its green plastic covering was set up in my path. Outside, there was a chair, three books, and seven boxes of rations, two of which had been devoured. +I did not know for sure, but I suspected strongly… +I would venture to guess that no one but him had managed to escape into the woods, least of all with a tent and seven boxes of rations. +He was dead. If he were still alive, he would have come out of the tent. He would have sensed me moving ever closer to him as I walked. My legs moved forward, forcing my body to approach the sight I could not bear to see. I could close my eyes, but I knew that they would only force themselves open again in response to their own grim sense of curiosity. My heart was what I could not control most of all. It would shatter into jagged, cutting pieces upon seeing him dead. +But before I could begin to unzip the tent’s door, it flew open. I realized that I was pinned on the ground before feeling the pain of being held down so firmly. +A native! A native was hiding in there! I would be dead in seconds, ripped apart like a pig in a slaughterhouse… A knife was pressed to my throat, and I struggled to free my hands so I could swipe it away… +“Brynna?” +His voice stirred me out of my panicked stream of thoughts. I stopped fighting, and my eyes snapped open. I could have cried at the sight of his handsome face. I reached up, my eyes dissolving back into the shade of blue that matched the sky above our heads. +“I thought you were…” I stopped, unable to finish, because what I had thought had been so terrible. I was still lying on the ground when his arms wrapped around me quickly. My own were grabbing onto him as my lips moved feverishly over his face. He came down, kissing me hard on the lips with a longing and a passion that matched my own. When his mouth moved to my neck, I knew that our reunion was headed down a physical path I had never been comfortable with enough to actually tread down before. The first several times had not been my choice. I had been too afraid and too sickened to try it again after that. I will admit that I had been afraid for years, and as I locked my arms around James, even though I wanted to so badly, I was still afraid. +He sensed that in me and pulled away so he could put both of his hands on my face. +“We don’t have to.” He whispered to me, and I saw in his eyes that his concern was genuine and far more critical in determining the outcome of the situation than his sex drive was. That moment was enough to convince me that James was the man I was meant to do that with for the second, but also the first, time. I sat up and pulled him back to me so I could kiss him again. I grasped both of his hands and placed them on me, telling him without words that I wanted, more than I could say, for him to touch me. +“Just rip it!” I ordered as he attempted to pull my tank top off, only to be stopped by the built-in bra that kept it firmly rooted to my torso. He grasped the fabric in both hands and ripped it down the center. +My entire body was trembling; every part of it that was not shielded by his body was left utterly numb by the frigid morning air. My muscles were locked; my entire body was frozen, preparing for pain, because there would be pain, wouldn’t there? I could not be sure if it ever felt alright; I was so intelligent, but so clueless about those sorts of things… +“Look at me.” James said gently, because my eyes had dropped closed by their own will. I tried to become aware of my limbs again, and after a second, I felt the back of his neck under one of my hands and a fistful of his shirt clenched tightly in the other. +“Brynna…” His lips pressed to mine more gently than they ever had, and the warmth that stirred inside of me caressed the muscles that I was holding so tautly, massaging them until I was able to relax, however slightly. +“Look at me, baby.” He said again, and I did, “We don’t have to do this. I don’t want to, not if you’re not absolutely sure.” +I brought one of his rough hands to my lips. I nodded, kissing it once, before whispering, “I am sure.” +He saw the pure fear that I could not hide. It was not of him; it was of the vulnerability such an act required of me. I had never been able to have sex with anyone, because I had never allowed myself to be seen as weak. Giving myself over to another human being was a thought so terrifying that it could have stopped my heart without warning or prolonged pain. +But James’s warm brown eyes comforted me, assuring me that he was a good man with no intention of hurting me or using that vulnerability against me once it was over. He would be gentle and mindful of my fear, self-consciousness, and inexperience. He would prove to me that what I had experienced as a child was a perversion of an act meant to be used only as an expression of love. +He was less than honest, but he was good. The majority of his heart was admirably kind, and that kindness was part of the reason why his touch filled me with that peculiar but brilliant warmth. I never would have allowed any of what had occurred between us had he not been so good. +“James…” I whispered, and my throat locked up, but I shed no tears. “Is it going to hurt?” +“No.” He assured me softly, “I won’t let it. I promise.” +I nodded, looking into his eyes again. Simultaneously, I pulled him down towards me gently and rose to meet him halfway. The joining of our lips sent that warmth spreading outward rapidly in undulating waves over every inch of my skin. It plunged past the surface, far down into the deepest parts of me. His hands moved from my hips that he was grasping up my back, and he unhooked my bra. My breathing deepened suddenly, and when his kiss moved down my neck slowly, my lips parted, and a half-moan escaped me. I was barely aware of the cold ground under my back when he laid me back down again, because his mouth was going further down than my neck now. My hands were on his shoulders, and my fingers locked hard on them when his mouth enclosed over one of my breasts. The half disappeared; now I was moaning outwardly, in between deep breaths. +My legs parted for his hand when he reached down to rub me gently, first over my underwear and then, when I began to physically ache for him to touch me completely, he was. He kissed me from the bottom of my stomach up to my lips again, all the while rubbing me slowly, perfectly. +“Are you ready, baby?” He whispered gently. For the first time, I became aware that he certainly was ready. +I nodded, holding onto him with my shaking arms. +“Just relax. There you go. That’s it.” +Very gently, he pulled my underwear down. I was shaking so terribly and holding onto him so tightly. +“Are you absolutely sure?” He asked me again. +“I’m sure.” I nodded, “I trust you, James.” +And I did. Truly, I trusted him more than I had ever trusted a living soul in my life. +He looked at me for a long second, and then he kissed me again, more passionately than before. I squeezed his back when his forehead rested against mine. His hands rubbed up and down my thighs, the muscles of which were held as stiffly as they could possibly be held; with each movement of his hands, they relaxed a little bit more, falling apart for him again… +I gasped. +*** + +“It’s freezing, crazy.” James told me as I stood up to pull my cigarettes out of the pockets of my jeans. +I laughed softly and scurried back over to him with the pack in hand. I laid back down beside him and rested my head against his chiseled, bare chest. I looked up at him, unable to keep the smile from my face. He looked down at me, smiling softly, too, his fingers twirling in my hair. He kissed me for one long moment that filled me with that warmth that still intoxicated me. +After we had both reached the breathtaking end of our romantic foray (and I had come very close to reaching it, surprisingly enough), James had scooped me up into his arms and carried me into the tent. Once inside, he had laid me down, covered me with his sleeping bag, propped up a pillow behind him and crawled underneath the blanket beside me. I had heard a rumor once that some men were not appreciative of their partners lying on them after the actual sex was over, but I chanced it with James, because I needed that comforting physical contact with him. I knew by the way he encased me in his arms that he was not one of those aforementioned men. +“So tell me,” I lit two cigarettes and handed one to him, “Was that at least satisfactory?” +He looked down, giving me a look that shouted, “Are you kidding?” +“It was miles above excellent, actually.” He answered, “Are you okay? How do you feel?” +We laid down so that we were facing each other. Our conversation was taking a turn for the serious, and we needed to see the flickering of each emotion that passed on the others' face. +“I feel...” I tried to find a word that fit exactly what I was feeling, only to realize that there was more than one, “I feel happy. I feel amazed. I feel safe.” +“So, it's all positive emotions, then?” He asked me with a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Not the need to run?” +“Are you trying to dampen the mood?” I asked, but that small grin was still on my face. I had not used the many muscles it took to smile like that since I had been a small child. They were sore from the effort, but I barely noticed; I was too entranced by what had happened between us to feel any pain. +“Not at all.” He replied as he exhaled smoke. “I was only curious.” +“I do not want to be anywhere that is not right here with you, James. I need you to know that. I cared so much these past several days about your dishonesty. But I have let it go.” +“You were right.” He told me instantly, “I should have been honest with...” +I sat up and held my lips to his for a long, dazzling second. +“It's alright. Let's just move on from it.” +“Well, let me just say before we forget it that it will never happen again. I promise you, Brynna, I will never lie to you again. You had every right to be angry. I couldn't accept that at the time. I didn't understand it. But now I do. That, for you, is the ultimate betrayal. It won't happen again.” +I put both of my hands on his face and whispered, “I know, James.” +I took his arms and wrapped them around me. Once I was snuggly bundled up, I rested my head against his chest. +“We can only stay like this for a few more minutes, and then we have to go find Elijah, Violet, and Penny.” +“They're out here?” James asked. +“Of course. You didn't think after all of this that I would leave them behind, did you? But then, I wasn't really the one who saved them this time. They saved themselves.” +“From what?” +“It is such a long story. I'll tell you while we're looking. For a few minutes, though, just don’t let go of me.” +We were silent for a moment, our bodies pressed together to shield ourselves from the bitter cold of morning. +“Can I tell you something?” I asked, looking up at him. +“Of course you can.” +“I never thought I could do that with anyone. You suggested that you knew what had happened to me. Do you know the extent of it?” +“I don't know the details. But the outline is enough.” He replied, and darkness came over his eyes that I had not been expecting to see. A fury that rivaled and perhaps surpassed my own was ablaze in his heart. +“There is no use being angry over it anymore, honey.” +Wow. I was even able to call him by a pet name, a phenomenon in relationships that I had always found pathetically stupid and inescapably pointless. +“I know. I just hate that you had to go through that. No one should have to go through that, let alone a young girl. Do you mind if I ask...” +“I think you have the right to ask about it now.” +“That's not true. That's your story to tell, and don't let anyone ever say differently. You don't have to share that with anyone you don't want to. But if you do want to tell me, can I ask how old you were?” +“Nine.” +I surprised myself with the candid response. I had always run when the subject had been broached by anyone from my mother to reporters to a stranger who had read about the trial. But with James, I was safe. I could be honest with him without fear of being rejected or looked down upon. That safety was essential. +“Nine...” He repeated in very slight disgust. He was attempting to hide his anger from me, because he knew that I would be upset by it. I did not want two of us to carry the burden. It was mine to carry, and I would not inflict it on anyone else. +He must have read those thoughts in my mind, because he looked down at me in surprise. +“I'd carry all of it for you if I could. I'd take that pain from you, no question, if I could, Brynna.” +Tears rushed into my eyes upon hearing those words. I had been able to garner the strength it required to overcome my fear of intimacy, but I was still not ready to let him see me cry. I blinked several times as I kissed him again, feeling the tears slowly disintegrate back to wherever they had come. +“Physical intimacy always scared me, perhaps irrationally.” I said after a minute, “I couldn't stand the idea of feeling so vulnerable. I could not even think about allowing someone to get that close to me. It is the ultimate closeness, isn't it, when it is done for the right reasons?” I was quiet for a moment, but he did not speak to fill the space. He wanted me to continue. +“With you, it's right. I have never been so sure of anything. We might be a strange pairing, but the feeling that this is the way it was supposed to happen is so strong, I could not deny it if I tried. I am so happy that it was you. I do not care about anything else. I just know that this was right. I would not have done it otherwise.” +He kissed me softly again, and a delightfully sensuous shudder passed through me when I felt his tongue moving gently against mine. +“I am so glad to hear you say all of that. And after all we have been through, I am truly honored to have been the one you let that wall down with. I mean that when I say it, baby. I really do. And I will make sure you never regret it. That's a promise.” +I wrapped my arms around his neck and buried my face in them. His smell was so intoxicating, and his body was so firm and strong against mine that I wanted to make love to him again. Once we got up, we were back to fighting the faceless forces in pursuit of us. I wanted to lay there with him, warm under the blanket and safe in his arms until the end of my life. The moment we pulled apart, the world would come barging back to the forefront of our consciousness. The fall from the heavenly space we were currently occupying would be as abrupt and painful as being jerked from a pleasant dream by the screaming cry of an alarm clock. +But alas, reality was shriller than any man-made annoyance. We dressed quickly to avoid becoming too cold. We packed up his tent and rations before setting off in pursuit of Elijah, Violet, and Penny, hand in hand. + +Quinn + +“Alice!” +I had been shouting for hours, and my voice was getting hoarse. As the time passed from the last moment I had seen her, my worry grew into downright terror. I didn't even know for sure that she had made it out of the campsite. The only way I would know if the worst had happened was if I doubled back and returned, but I had been wandering for so long that finding my way back would be nearly impossible. +It was midday. The sun was high in the sky and casting through the trees to create an oddly calming green glaze on everything I saw. If only I was able to embrace the tranquility that my eyes were drinking in. It seemed so out of place, and yet I wished for nothing more than to sit and submerge myself in it. +We were in enemy territory. The natives lived in the woods and could have converged on me at any second. I would be dead before I even saw them. I was unable to move as quickly as they did even with my new strength and power. They were blurs of death: swift, lethal and inescapable. +“Alice!” +Now my voice had gone. I wouldn't be able to call her to me. The harsh sun was weakening me; I was sweating profusely and wiping my face on the back of my hands. I had to sit and rest for a minute. +We hadn't planned our escape nearly as well as we thought. We should have packed a bag with water and food. Instead, we took off into the woods with nothing but the clothes on our backs. Now, we were going to be forced to find a source of water. It took three days to dehydrate. The human body could survive without food but would crumple in no time without that precious liquid revitalizing us. +Maybe our evolution would allow us to go for longer periods of time without water. Somehow, I doubted that was true. As I tried to focus on anything other than the scratchy dryness of my tongue, my mind ran through images of lakes, streams, dripping faucets, and ice cubes one right after the other like a screen-saver meant to torment me. +My Anthropology teacher had told us that our war for oil was pointless and only temporary. Soon, the war for water would erupt. It was far more pressing. The consequences were far more severe. Maybe the apocalypse we had experienced was a more favorable one than what would have occurred otherwise. +My mind drifted to Brynna Olivier and her family. In Government, Alice and I had learned about her mother and the “Starting Five.” +“Corruption!” My slightly unhinged Government teacher had exclaimed as he slammed his fist on his desk for emphasis. Beside me, Alice had snorted through her nose and covered her mouth as she tried to suppress a giggle. Watching him lecture on those public officials that he deemed morally corrupt was entertaining, to say the least. Well, it was only entertaining when we, his students, disregarded the fact that his blood pressure was visibly rising, and he could fall over from a heart attack at any given moment. +“You might find this funny, Alice, but this is your future! The 'Starting Five,'” He drew out the name to emphasize his disdain and disgust for those involved in the group, “They have driven us so deep into debt that you, your children, and your children's children will be paying it off! They have stepped on every foreign leader's toes that they could. They started this conflict we’re in, and they made every country choose a side! We thought we had it made. We thought we had finally reached a new golden age in this country, but now, we teeter on the brink of total chaos!” +Yes. This was all coming from a man hired to mold impressionable young minds. +“Another world war is just around the corner, and you're laughing!” +“I'm not laughing,” Alice had replied, but she was still covering her face to hide her smile, “I'm taking this very seriously.” +“They're stepping on those other governments, because they're afraid of them calling our debt! We’re all indebted to each other after the Expansion, and yet here we are, ordering them to pay us back when we have so much to pay ourselves! If it were me, I would be down on bended knee, trying to please them.” +“This is America, Mr. Frank,” Alice grinned, “We don't get down on bended knee for anyone.” +Our like-minded classmates had clapped after she said that. But I had known that despite his flair for dramatics, he was right. +It's amazing how the things I had learned in school, while seeming so tedious and pointless in the broad outline of our young lives and our futures, made so much sense now when it meant nothing. At the time, even though I knew that what my teachers had said about things had varying degrees of truth, I still wasn't worried. But now, my knowledge yielded to understanding. My understanding yielded to anger. They had done this to us. To speak broadly, we had fled our earth for Pangaea to avoid a disaster they had created. To narrow it down, if Alice was dead now, it was their fault. +It's so easy to pass the blame sometimes. +I forced myself to push away my insight into the deeper meaning of all that was happening to focus on the task at hand. I needed to find Alice. Together, we would find the Oliviers. First and foremost, I was afraid for my girlfriend. But I also couldn't stand the idea of Elijah and Brynna's younger sisters out in the woods, alone. +“You're going to dehydrate if you keep walking briskly that way.” A voice said behind me. I whipped around abruptly, pulling a thick branch from the tree closest to me without realizing I was doing it. I turned and held my makeshift weapon out in front of me, ready for the fight. +My impulse to attack was stopped dead by the sight of Brynna and the man who had accompanied her out of the ship standing before me. +“Put it down, honey.” She said softly after turning back to the man with her. When he did not lower the large knife he was outstretching, she pushed his hand down gently. I was thankful that she was there to stop him, because I knew that if I had encountered him myself, he would have killed me. Looking into his eyes, I was sure of that. +“This young man was part of my retrieval operation.” Brynna explained to him, “I owe him quite substantially.” Her tone fell upon saying that. Brynna was not comfortable being indebted to anyone, even someone as non-threatening as me. +“Forget it. Have you seen my girlfriend? She's about 5'4, blonde, blue eyes...” +“I know what she looks like. I saw her when we were fleeing the campsite.” Brynna replied shortly. +Her disdainful tone was just about the strangest way to thank me for saving her life. I figured I wouldn't call her on it just yet. But if it continued, I would surely bring up how Alice and I risked our lives to help her. +“How very stereotypical of youth, Quinn Wesley.” +“I never told you my name. How do you know my name?” I demanded, wondering if I should have dropped the branch. Maybe she really was a Pangaean spy... +“I can read your thoughts. Basic information like that stays at the forefront of our minds, strangely enough.” +“What are you talking about? What's stereotypical?” I asked. +“Your need for thanks. Your need for recognition of your heroic actions. I do very much appreciate it. However, I am not going to change my inherent behavior in order to make that gratitude known.” +“You'll warm up to her. If I can, anyone can.” The man behind her told me. In his voice, I heard a slight exasperation. +“Who are you?” +“You ask a lot of questions.” Brynna told me. +“I'm James. You're Quinn. Nice to meet you.” He reached out his hand to me, and I shook it. He might not have thought twice about killing me had he stumbled upon me while alone but then, I probably would have reacted the very same way. The territory was hostile, and our lives were all we had. +“Have you seen my siblings running through here?” +“Don't you think I would be with them if I had?” +“I do not know. Maybe you are like this odd man, and you enjoy being alone.” +The way she wrapped her arm around James's back as she said that alerted me to the fact that they were a couple. I looked between them, trying to calculate the age difference. At the very least, it was twenty years. +“I don't enjoy being alone. I didn't really have a choice last time, did I?” He grinned broadly at her. With a slight smile on her face, she rolled her eyes. +“I suppose not.” She replied before looking back at me again. “Oh, look, he is very confused. That is also quite stereotypical of youth.” +“Aren't you like, twenty?” I asked her, though her age was none of my business. +“Twenty-two, dear.” +“Okay. Well, first of all, I'm only eighteen.” +“Hmm...” She replied carelessly as she and James continued walking. +“So, that makes you only four years older than me.” +“Your point?” She asked patiently. She was not looking at me as she strode along lightly but instead, was gazing at the ground and up at the trees as though following a shouting match between the two. She was so incredibly odd, even back then. +“When you comment on youthfulness or whatever the hell it is that you're commenting on, you're being weird.” +“That is her typical state of being. You might as well get used to it.” James responded over his shoulder. +“You're not that much older than me, so you're still young.” +“Only in physical age, Mr. Wesley.” She was looking up at the sky that was darkening overhead. “It is going to rain. Your girlfriend is very close. Her scent is on the trees, and her footprints are on the ground.” +“What do you mean, her scent? You can smell her?” +“That hasn't happened to you yet?” James asked me, and I looked at him in complete bewilderment as he pressed his nose to a tree and smelled it. “What do you think, baby? Maybe twenty minutes ago?” +“Less. Weren't you shouting for her at the very least?” +Brynna walked past me, looking at the ground. When I didn’t respond, she looked back at me, eyebrows raised, silently demanding an answer to her question. +“Do you hear my voice?” I pointed at my throat as though she could see my voice box that I assumed was hemorrhaging from the force of my shouts. +“Did you bother to look down?” She asked snidely. She moved some leaves off of the ground delicately to reveal more obvious footprints. “She was treading lightly. Perhaps something was in pursuit of her.” +“Yeah, something was in pursuit of her: Me.” +“Well, did you give her any reason to avoid you?” Brynna asked, and she looked up at me over the tops of her glasses disdainfully. +“Of course not! The last time I saw her, we were running from the natives.” +“Is that what you've been avoiding telling me?” James demanded suddenly as he turned to face her abruptly. +Her jaw opened and closed once as she tried to come up with a quick answer to his question. After scowling at me darkly, she found her words. +“I have only avoided it because now is not the time to discuss it. You said you have seen other people that you did not recognize. They were not ours. There are other people here. What other knowledge do you require?” +“Are they dangerous? Are they...” +“Very dangerous. They can come up on you without you even seeing them.” I answered, “And they're strong, too. I saw one of them force his hand into someone's chest without cutting them open or anything.” +“I saw one rip a man's head from his neck.” Brynna added, “James, I was going to tell you all of this. Is there truly a goal that can be achieved by knowing all of this now? We should not be talking about this now while we are searching for Elijah, Penny, and Violet.” +“Hold on, I'm still lost. They've been killing people?” James continued the conversation, completely ignoring her request to stop it. +We both stared at him, neither wanting to answer his question though we already had with our details. James had looped his large knife into his belt buckle at the back of his pants, but he reached back and pulled it out, checking the blade to make sure that it was still sharp enough to slash down a threat if we encountered one. +“They want us to leave Pangaea immediately. They ordered us to get on the ship and go. We tried to explain that there was nowhere for us to go, but they already knew. Apparently, they have been studying us. They can speak English because they have been watching us since the beginning of time.” Brynna explained grimly, “I do not know what their motive is. They said they would take ten of our number every night until we left. As you are very well aware, we do not have a planet to which we can return, so lest we wish to live on Mars, we need to make peace with them.” +“How?” +Brynna's expression darkened as her mind traveled to some not-so-distant memory. We would learn the details of her quick reminiscence much later. She never offered a verbal response, but her boyfriend appeared to know that look and its implications. +“We are going to talk more about this later, Brynna. Right now, we need to find everyone.” +“And then?” I looked between the two of them. +“That is the million dollar question, isn't it?” James replied with a nonchalant shrug. “I have enough rations to get us through a couple of days. Oh...” He reached into his bag and pulled out a bottle of water. “You're starting to look peaky.” +He tossed it to me, and I caught it in one hand, taking a grateful chug immediately. I relished the coolness as it traveled through me. No drink had ever been so glorious. +They started to whisper softly, not realizing that though I hadn't developed a super sense of smell, my ears had begun to pick up the tiniest sound. As I sat and focused, I could hear the sound of some unknown animal treading lightly across the soft forest floor. My instinct told me that the creature was harmless, so there was no need to run. I could hear the leaves as they fell and their soft impact as they hit land. I could also hear James and Brynna's secret conversation. +“I was going to tell you all of this.” Brynna informed him softly. +“You keep saying that.” +“Yes, because I am being honest.” +“What are you hiding from me? There's something else. I know it. There's something that you don't want to say.” +“Don't you know by now that if I do not want to say it, it will not be said, James?” +“I'm not telling you that you have to say it. I'm asking you to.” +“I am well aware of that. I will say it when the time is right.” +“It's something that scares you.” +“It does not scare me. Stop your dramatics. You know that I am very difficult to scare.” +“I know that if you were scared, you wouldn't admit it. What does your father have to do with this?” +“It does not matter. Not at all, James.” +“It does matter. You should see how red your eyes are.” +“Do you have a mirror?” +“Ha-ha, you are so funny, sweetheart.” +“We cannot have this conversation now while Violet, Penny, and Elijah are out there alone. We are discussing this later.” +“Yes. We are.” +“Okay.” +“Okay.” +A smooching sound, and they were walking away from me. +“Hey!” +I ran after them, watching as they both bent over to observe the ground. +“She was running erratically.” Brynna told me lightly, “There are two bigger sets of footprints here. She was being followed. Well, not followed, actually. It appears that she was being chased.” +“By what?” +“They are human footprints, so we can assume the natives.” Her head jerked up suddenly, and she smelled the air. “I smell blood.” +I almost collapsed. But somehow, I was able to suppress my fear of stumbling across Alice's dead body long enough to run after James and Brynna when they took off speedily. We pushed through trees and bushes, hurtled over fallen logs, and jumped over a ravine at least eight feet wide and bottomless. All along, Brynna led us. +My senses came alive during that sprint. I could smell the blood mixed in with the scents of the greenery and mid-afternoon haze. Together, they were a tantalizing mixture that should have lulled me into hypnosis. I could hear animals stomping their way away from us in fear as though we were lions on the hunt. I could see clearly in my side vision deer-like creatures dropping to the ground and camouflaging in the dirt. Weird... +We heaved ourselves over three oaks that had fallen one right on top of the other. Our leap over them was effortless. After we landed, Brynna skidded to a halt. James stopped beside her. I slid in the leaves, and she was forced to reach back and grab a hold of my shirt to keep me from falling flat on my back like a total square. She didn't turn her gaze away from whatever was in front of her, though her face was taut as she suppressed some unpleasant emotion. +I looked, and my eyes widened. +I had little need to wonder why the scent of blood was so strong... +Alice was bent over one of the natives, her teeth sunk deep into his stomach. With a loud screech, she pulled back and ripped his skin away. Blood sprayed into the air from the gaping wound like erupting fireworks. +“Allie?” +My voice was trembling, and my stomach was turning over in revulsion. Her head jerked up. Her white eyes met mine. For a moment, she spider-walked forward quickly on all fours, hissing. +“Allie!” I exclaimed as James raised his machete. I reached out, pushing his hand down abruptly. “James, don't!” +Her eyes dissolved back into their normal blue, and she pushed upwards so that she was standing. +“Quinn? They've been on me for hours. This one...” She pointed at the man lying face down in a pool of blood. “He was the first one. I didn't know there were two of them until I took him down. I know it's weird, and it's creepy...” +I backed away from her when she reached out to me. I had known that we were changing over to something that wasn't human. I had known that we could fight an enemy until they were hovering close to death. But I had no idea that we were actually going to kill people. I had seen her shoot that creature and collapse into a fit of rage, guilt, fear, and self-loathing as she realized that it was her mother. To take a human life, especially one of someone she loved, had been far too much for Alice to bear. Now, she was trying to justify killing this man. +“Quinn, I didn't have a choice. You saw what they do to people! They were going to do the same thing to me.” +“So, why didn't you knock them out?” I demanded furiously. I was shocked at my own anger and disgust. I had never been able to picture her killing something living. Unfortunately, I had stumbled upon her while she was in the act of it. It changed her in my mind from an innocent human girl whom I loved dearly to a monster I didn't recognize and couldn't possibly love at all. +“Don't tell me that you wouldn't have done the same thing if it had been you being attacked!” She replied defensively. “They were going to kill me. I wasn't taking them down. I was taking them out. It was the only way.” +“It wasn't. We got past those guards without killing them, Alice!” +“We were just trying to get onto the ship to get Brynna. Plus, they were only human! Quinn, please try to see this the only logical way. They were going to kill me so I killed them! I don't understand why you're so upset!” +“Because you think this is alright, just because we're here! You think it’s okay to kill people. You, the religious one out of the two of us, think it's okay to kill people without at least trying to find another way!” +“When they were ripping my head back, getting ready to rip my throat out, I wasn't looking for another way! I had no choice!” +“Well, you might not think so, but I do. And if I had been in your situation, I would have done everything in my power to avoid murdering someone, even a native! I might have been able to let it go if you weren't being so chill about it! If you had a little remorse, I might have been able to see you the same way. But no, you're perfectly fine with this and I can't agree with it, no matter who they are!” +“Children, we're departing.” Brynna spoke loudly over our shouts. “I hope your marital woes will soon yield a resolution that caters to your undying love.” +“We're not married.” Alice snapped at her, “Thank God! He's being unreasonable, right? Tell him he's being ridiculous!” +To be pulled into an argument that concerned neither of them apparently stunned them both, because their facial expressions were priceless. They were torn between trying to find the right words to say and wishing to keep silent. They wanted to stay safely out of the way of our anger. +Of course, Brynna, just like her mother, had an opinion on everything. +“Indeed, he is being unreasonable.” +And just like her mother, she was wrong about everything! +“Thank you!” Alice held her hands up in victory. +“Wipe the blood off of your face. It's disgusting!” I snapped. Admittedly, my outburst was immature, but seeing the way the natives' blood was dribbling from her lips down her chin and onto her neck was only making me angrier. It was a reminder of what she had done. +James grasped Brynna’s hand. +“Let’s walk away.” He told her, +“Yes. These conflicts do so often become contagious. Smart idea, honey.” Brynna nodded. +But as they walked away, Alice stormed after them, leaving me alone. +Maybe it was ridiculous. Maybe my anger was out of proportion. But imagine for a minute, stumbling upon the person you love snuffing out the life of a human being. Even though the Pangaean people were not humans, they resembled us perfectly. They had all the characteristics of beastly creatures, but physically, they were just like us. They had been born to parents who had loved them and raised them and now, a family somewhere was going to be grieving because Alice “had no choice.” I tried to see the situation from her perspective as I walked, but I knew that I couldn’t kill something of a human likeness. I couldn’t take someone out of this world who had an almost tangible history. +It makes no sense today. But in the moment, nothing could have been worse than knowing Alice’s blood was that of a killer’s and mine, in all honesty, was that of a coward’s. When I look at it in its most basic element today, that is the only conclusion to be drawn. +As I meandered about behind them, stuck in a frenzy of thoughts, I only saw the issue as Alice being a murderer and me being a moral person who would not take a life. Cowardice played no part in my beliefs. But the truth is, she was braver than me and always had been. It had been her idea to rescue Brynna. Before that, it had been her who had shot the creature that had broken into her house. I hated myself for it, but I felt emasculated by her drive to put an end to a threat whereas I could only hinder its violent efforts. +I didn’t realize that, being so young at the time. I just believed that I was right, and she was wrong. I was a good person, and she was a sadistic killer. Black and white thinking never helped anyone, and my own was making it impossible for me to see her in the same light that I had always seen her in. +I was stuck with her, though. We had come to Pangaea together and even though my feelings were irreversibly changed, I still couldn’t leave her. She was the only constant in my life. Pangaea was a dangerous place and not only because of the bloodthirsty natives. It was a one-eighty change from everything I had ever known, and Alice was the calm, stable center of it all. For her, I held the same role. Our relationship might have been effectively terminated before it had even really begun, but I couldn’t imagine living my life without seeing her every day. +Those thoughts were too much for me, in my young days. I thought I was so mature. After fleeing the earth, I assumed that I had to become a man by force of fate. I was nothing more than a little boy still, even after everything that we had survived. But, in perhaps undeserved fairness to me, I have to say that I couldn’t be blamed for still possessing such immaturity. +I looked at Brynna as she walked beside James. She was barely four years older than me and yet the distance between our dead Earth and Pangaea was shorter than the distance between our maturity levels. There she was, searching for her brother and sisters, whom I knew, from hearing Elijah talk, she had raised. Her body was that of a young adult, but her mind was on par with the man she was currently walking beside. I understood their attraction to each other more than I could understand anything else, including what I was feeling myself. +“I am glad you understand me. That was, strangely enough, my one goal in life.” She replied dreamily over her shoulder as her fingers linked with James’s. +“Stop it!” I exclaimed after covering my ears. She looked back at me and grinned in triumph and also, in curiosity. +“What is it about covering your ears? I am starting to believe that it means something. Maybe it is your instinct telling you that it will keep me out if you just try hard enough. Trust me, Quinn; I do not like hearing your thoughts as much as you do not like me hearing them.” +“Then stop!” I yelled again. +“Don’t worry about him, Brynna. He has always thrown tantrums like a spoiled baby.” +Brynna turned back to Alice, brows furrowed. For a moment, she just stared at her. Then, she spoke while shaking her head slightly in arrogant disbelief: +“We really need to work on your use of similes, darling. Perhaps a brainstorming of more creative options is in order.” +With that, she continued walking ahead. Alice watched her go, her face betraying how confused she was by what Brynna had said. +“What?” She called, but Brynna didn’t reply. She was bent back over the ground again, studying the footprints. +“Natives.” She replied carelessly before standing up and walking normally again. +“How do you even know?” I snapped irritably. I was starting to get very annoyed by her all-knowing presence. Was nothing sacred anymore? It wasn’t right that she allowed herself to travel so casually into my private thoughts. +“Don’t you just know things?” +“I do,” Alice answered, “Sometimes I do, I should say. You seem to be grasping whatever this is more than we are.” +“Some of us are more apt to embrace such gifts, especially when we were already predisposed to them. I am a genius, first and foremost, which makes the slight adjustment to my newly enhanced instincts and intelligence much easier.” +“Just because you can form long sentences doesn’t mean you’re a genius.” I told her icily. +“Trust me, man, she is.” James replied surely. +“Of course you’re going to say that.” +“Do not pass your animosity off onto us.” Brynna responded as she ran her hand over James’s back. Though she was speaking to me, her eyes were locked on his. “I have known you scarcely more than twelve hours. I will not bear the brunt of your emotional burden. I do not carry anyone’s baggage but my own.” +James kissed her quickly, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Alice’s head cock to the side and her face contort in surprise. She hadn’t been aware that they were together. +James hung back to talk me down when I went to argue with his girlfriend further. Alice walked quickly ahead to accompany her through the thick brush up ahead. Clearly, my girlfriend (or ex-girlfriend now) was going to be asking Brynna some very personal questions about her and James. I knew that she was suddenly very curious about their relationship. +“Just to let you in on the big secret, I’ll tell you that she does that to push people away. She’d hate me for telling you that, but that is why.” +“Well, it works,” I huffed back, “I’d be willing to bet she had no friends on earth.” +“You would lose that bet.” +“Were you her friend?” +“No. I met her right before we left. I saw her in this dream I had. Do you remember me, from the meeting?” +I studied his face closely. It came back to me all of a sudden: Alice and I had spoken to him directly while we were at the meeting of people who had seen the end. He had been the man who had told us where to go. During that meeting, he also gave an impassioned defense of Brynna. The other people had said that she was too closely linked to those responsible for the impending catastrophe. He said that she couldn’t be blamed for her parents’ mistakes. In the end, he had won his fight for her. I wondered if she knew all he had done to ensure her survival. +“I do remember you!” I pointed at him, “James Maxwell, right?” +“The very same.” +“You were thinner then. You’ve gotten…” I couldn’t quite figure out how the describe his new appearance. “I don’t know. You’re bulkier.” +“I know. Don’t ask me where it came from, because I haven’t lifted weights or done a sit-up since high school Gym. As you can see by my age, that was a long time ago.” +“Yeah.” I replied, noting that up close, I could see the slight wrinkles by his eyes, and the laugh lines around his mouth. He was definitely pushing into his mid-forties. I looked at Brynna, and like a typical guy, noticed her tight, toned physique. Though James definitely didn’t look, at least in terms of his body, like any forty year old I’d ever met, their faces distinguished their age. Brynna’s was undeniably youthful, unblemished by any age lines. James’s age was beginning to show on his. There was no denying that she would find him good-looking, because he certainly was, for an old guy, but I imagined that some would find their relationship downright disturbing, despite any level of physical attractiveness in him. +“Before you tell me your story, can I ask you something?” +“By all means.” +“You and Brynna, you’re…” +He laughed softly for a moment and nodded. +“Yeah. It shocks me just as much as it shocks you. Look at her. Look at me.” +“It’s not that. Do people give you two a hard time?” +“Well, our relationship was platonic for those few days on Earth and for a couple of days on the ship. It was progressing, though. Her family was suspicious and disapproved. Why do you ask?” +“I don’t even know, really. It’s just Alice and I used to get looks in our town. Look at her. Look at me.” +He actually did look at her for a minute and then turn his gaze to me. +“You’re not like, forty years old, are you?” He asked, genuinely confused as to what I was alluding to. +“No!” I couldn’t help but laugh. He had a laid back, cool-guy demeanor that came naturally to him. Because of his age, I decided that he was like an awesome teacher I'd want to chill with outside of school. “I’m black. She’s white.” +“People still get themselves out of sorts over interracial relationships?” His expression contorted into one of surprise and disdain for such old school narrow-mindedness. “That was barely going on when I was young. Are you serious?” +“Yeah. Our parents hated the idea. They used to tell us we were pretty much going to get stoned to death if we went to the wrong places. I didn’t believe it at first but now, being here, I see it. Some people at the campsite looked at us strangely. I’m amazed, honestly, that it really does still exist. So, maybe this is for the best, that we’re not together anymore.” +“I didn’t realize you two weren’t together anymore. Is she aware of that?” +“She is. I think I made it pretty clear.” +“Can I be honest with you?” +“I guess.” +“I think you’re being ridiculous. Now, don’t get all defensive.” He held his hand up to stop me when I went to burst out with an angry retort, “I warned you that I was going to be honest. You can’t tell me that if those things had been on her, and there was no other way, that you wouldn’t kill them.” +“I don’t know if I would!” I exclaimed, “I don’t think I’d be able to.” +“Is that your problem? You think she can do something that you’re not strong enough to do?” +“It’s not strength, James. It’s whether I’m a good person or not! I guess I should apologize for not wanting to kill people. I didn’t realize that just because we’re here we get to forget everything we know about being good people! And what really burns me up about it is that she was always the one between the two of us who was religious! She was always telling me we had to live by whatever it is they talk about in the Bible.” +“So, you think she’s a hypocrite?” +“Yeah! Now that you put it like that, I do! I just…” I trailed off, rubbing my eyes for a minute as I tried to find exactly what it was that I wanted to say. “I just want to hold onto a little of what we had on Earth. That’s the bottom line, I think. The most basic law of living we had was ‘don’t kill.’ It was the worst offense we had, right? So yeah, while we’re here, I’d like to keep that in mind. If there’s another way, I’ll take it.” +“What if she’s right, though, and there was no other way?” James pressed me calmly. “What if you had come through there and seen them ripping into her stomach? What then?” +Touché. But of course, I wasn’t going to admit outwardly that he had trumped me with his reasoning. +“So what, you’re telling me if they killed Brynna, you’d make it right by killing them? What would that prove?” +“It wouldn’t prove anything. On Earth, we all possessed a degree of human emotion. Rage was one of the worst. Have you noticed that here, it’s amplified? It’s become more potent. Our emotions here are part of our instincts. They drive us. They enable our survival.” +“If you say so. But you still haven’t answered…” +“If one of those things hurt Brynna, I would kill it in the worst ways. They would feel every last second of it. It wouldn’t prove anything nor would it bring her back. But that’s the drive of our kind, do you understand what I’m saying?” +“I guess.” +“If one of those things were attacking Brynna, and it came down between her and it, I would kill it because of that, too. It’s the call of the wild, Quinn.” +“We’re not part of the wild, though! We’re human beings!” +He studied me for a long time before replying. +“Are we?” +“I am! I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m still human! I thought this weird mutation stuff was cool at first, but now I’m seeing that it’s replacing our… our… humanity!” +“That’s not true. If we possessed no humanity, I wouldn’t care what happened to Brynna. I would only care about myself. Brynna certainly doesn’t need me to protect her. Alice proved that she doesn’t need you to protect her. They can take care of themselves. They always could, without our help, long before we came here. But if it comes down between me, Brynna, and the life of one of those things, I’m going to kill for our survival.” +I didn’t respond because I knew he was right. I had run out of retorts and exceptions to the new code we were living by on Pangaea. I wanted so desperately to hang onto the code of Earth, perhaps only for the sake of recognition. But I knew that my need for civility was bred from a fear of allowing my animal instincts to take over completely. What if they erased everything else? +“Just sleep on it. Let things ride for a few days. You’ll come to see that I’m right. I know that sounds cocky, but it’s true. What I’m saying to you is the truth. Think it over.” +No pondering was necessary. I knew he was right. As further proof of my immaturity, I refused to accept it. +Alice and I were finished. + +Violet + +Elijah had found us in no time. After he saw that we were safe, he quickly hurried off to find Brynna. He was operating on a grid in his mind; he walked in straight lines, using where Penny and I were resting as a starting point. In a blur, he would take off running until he felt he had gone too far. Then, he would return, move to the left by two feet, and run straight again. +When I opened my eyes, I saw that he was sitting beside me, huffing and puffing. I thought that he was catching his breath but in fact, he was crying. I had never seen my brother cry before, and I sat up quickly to wrap my arms around him. The moment I touched him, though, he jumped and furiously wiped at his eyes. +“It’s okay,” I told him gently, “Just let it out. You’ll feel better.” +“No. I need to stop it. It’s not helping us.” +“Just because you’re a boy doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to cry.” +“Yeah, it does,” He replied, “I’m just frustrated. It doesn’t matter how far I run. There’s no end to these woods, and I can’t find her anywhere. I have no idea where the hell she could be. She’s out there alone.” He paused, unsure of whether he should say what he said next. “I don’t even know if she’s alive, Vi.” +Admittedly, when I heard those words, my heart plummeted. Even after all the terrible things I had said to Brynna, I could not bear the thought of losing her. I had been furious, most definitely, but I had not meant those things. Though I still found it hard to admit, I needed her desperately. +“She is alive.” I told Elijah somewhat urgently but also convincingly. “Wherever she is, she's safe. There's a deeper meaning to all of this, Eli. There's some significance that we don't understand. Maybe we'll never understand it. But I don't believe that I would have had that dream only for one of us to die. There's no way Brynna would have saved us all only to be paid back by being killed. I just don't believe the universe is that cruel.” +He looked at me, smiling slightly and trying to suppress a bitter laugh. But when he spoke, I heard a condescension in his voice that reminded me of our lost sister. +“So, this 'deeper meaning' that would save Brynna is the same 'deeper meaning' that was responsible for an entire planet full of people being blown away by some huge explosion?” +“I know you're thinking that I'm naïve right now.” I snapped, “I know you’re being rude because you don’t believe in that stuff. But I didn't just say that to make you feel better. I do believe it, Elijah.” +“You would. You're still so young.” +“Me being seventeen has nothing to do with this!” I shot back angrily. “It's the truth! The natives are nothing. Whatever happens from here on out, I'm not going to be afraid. I refuse to believe that we would escape the earth only to die here.” +“Twenty people have died since we got here, Violet! They died brutally. The natives killed them because we're not welcome here. Not to mention, the countless people that died after taking that sedative. Where is all of that in the plan?” +I thought long and hard for a retort that would put the argument to bed. Coming up short, I just stood and started to gently shake Penny awake. +“You can sit here and cry, if that's what you need to do. But I'm not giving up on her.” I grasped Penny's hand as she rubbed her eyes sleepily, “Let's go, Penny.” +“Have you found Brynn yet?” +“No. Not yet, honey.” +Elijah followed after us, kicking rocks and stewing over his thoughts quietly. When we sat down to eat, he took his bottle of water and his bag of indistinguishable edible contents and hid behind a tree several feet from us. +“Why is Eli so mad?” Penny asked as she winked in the sunlight to look at me. +“He’s just mad.” +I shrugged the question off but knew that she would not be dissuaded from getting her answer so easily. +I was not skilled at hiding the emotional turmoil that was ever-present in our daily lives the way Brynna was. Under her watch, Penny had never known a detail of any familial conflict. That was quite a feat, considering that our family had more than its fair share of catastrophes, ranging from the mundane to the explosively devastating. +“Is he mad at me?” Penny asked, “I broke his cellphone.” +“Of course he's not mad at you!” I replied with a smile, “And what does he need his cellphone for, anyway? How did you break it?” +“I dropped it in the potty. He was letting me play with it. I was pretending that I was calling Jackie, and I tripped over my shoelace. It fell in the potty.” +“Oh.” I couldn't help but chuckle softly. +“Do you think Jackie is here?” +“Maybe.” +“Do you think Mommy is here somewhere? I thought I saw her the other day, but it was just a lady who told me to go away and to tell my daddy he is a mean man!” She mimicked the woman by raising her voice, putting one hand on her hip and wagging her finger at me. I found her impression to be amusing, but the fact that a woman had said such a cruel thing to Penny made me angry. Our father's actions were in no way my five year old sister's fault, and it was certainly not her responsibility to deliver messages of discontent. +While I had been walking through the campsite with Nick, I had been well aware of the hateful glances that were being thrown my way. Of course, no one said anything out of fear that I would report back to my father. If I did that, their food and water would be kept from them, most definitely. In actuality, though, I wouldn't have said anything to him, of course. I would have handled it myself. +“Mommy will be here soon.” I lied uselessly. +Penny may have been only five, but she was still apt to tell a lie from the truth. It's at that age that children begin to see through the farces of adults. The lies we tell them become nothing more than an inconvenient roadblock they have to hurtle over in order to reach the truth. +“Did Mommy stay on Earth?” She asked me, and immediately, her huge blue eyes filled with tears. No love had been lost between my mother and Penny, at least on my mother’s end, but Penny still recognized, however vaguely, that our mother was her mother. Penny only became a difficult child when she was in the care of Mom and Dad, and it was during those times that Mom furiously texted Brynna and demanded that she come pick Penny up. Regardless of that animosity, though, Penny still loved her, even if it was only because of the slight remembrance of being carried by her. +“No!” I reached out and embraced Penny quickly, “Of course not! She's here somewhere, honey. We just haven't found her yet. As soon as we find Brynna, we'll all go out and find her. We'll have her back with us in no time.” +“Will Maura and Daddy come find us?” She croaked out through her tears. +Now, despite giving Dad a hard time, and despite seeing him so infrequently, she did love him. In the rare instances that they saw each other, Dad became a completely different person, playing and laughing with his youngest child. Penny and Maura had always been close, because Maura watched Penny when my father forbade Brynna from doing it, and they had formed a tight bond over that very small amount of time. +Because of that love she had for them, I lied again. +“Yes. They're meeting us soon.” +I was digging the hole deeper for her. I was doing her absolutely no good by continuing that charade of optimism. But I couldn't break her little heart. I would leave that task to Brynna. Penny was still so young, and Brynna allowed her emotions to flow unchecked. Despite how uncomfortable outpourings of grief made her, Brynna was able to comfort Penny more swiftly and effectively than anyone else alive. Our mother's death would be the first bombshell. Dad and Maura's subsequent abandonment would be the second. I did not envy Brynna's position in the slightest. +If I had been stronger, I would have taken that responsibility from her. I would have told Penny myself to spare Brynna from having to inflict such pain on our sister. +I was stunned at how quickly my anger had dissipated. I had truly hated Brynna during our time on the ship. After I had learned that she had left our parents to die, the only reasonable reaction was to loathe the very sight of her. It took seeing my father behave so brutally towards her for me to understand that if she had felt it was right to leave him, she had certainly had her reasons. Her relationship with my mother had been one of quiet hatred. At first, it had been one-sided; my mother began to hate Brynna the day my younger brother died. As her animosity grew, Brynna's defenses went up. Part of her defensive strategy was to hate my mother back. The mutual loathing spared her the pain of bearing my mother's punishment, which consisted of cruel and unbreakable silence followed by periods of harsh verbal abuse. +Our parents had decided to have Penny eight years after my younger brother was dead and buried. Even at twelve, I was well aware that Penny was meant to fill the void left by Lucien. But after she was born, Mom and Dad weren't satisfied. Their old, still-stinging grief was not rectified by the angelic baby girl. The brunt of the responsibility the baby presented fell on Brynna's seventeen year old shoulders, because Brynna had insisted on caring for Penny herself. During the day, we had gone to school. Maura would feed and change Penny. At night, Brynna came home and became Penny’s mom. Everything she had needed to know about child-rearing she had learned from some parenting book with a really long title. +“I can teach myself to do anything.” She had told me proudly one night as she expertly swaddled Penny, who was crying hysterically despite being fed, changed, and cuddled. “See? I saw this in that book. It really does work!” +Penny had stopped crying almost immediately after she was wrapped tightly in the blanket. +“You're so smart, Brynna!” I had told her with the pride and admiration that is ever present in younger siblings. +Our mother poked her head in frequently. But when she found Penny asleep or content with Brynna, she would slink back into her bedroom and drink herself to sleep or into a stupor. +I could understand Mom's grief, even then. Her feelings had never changed towards Elijah or me. But her maternal feelings towards Brynna were broken, irreparably, and towards Penny, they were never formed. She had observed her growing belly with sadness in her eyes, as though the expansion was a malignant stomach tumor, not a child. Her rages and fits of tears had forced my father to lock her in their room. After Lucien died, she had taken a long vacation from work that left her feeling restless and ready to return. Working didn’t heal the wounds, but it certainly bandaged them. + After she got pregnant with Penny so many years later, though, she wanted nothing more than to shut herself away, hiding from the eyes of the world that would see how terribly she regretted ever conceiving her. +I had no reason besides her treatment of my sisters to create such an anger in me. But that reason was enough. +Once, when Penny was three and Brynna was turning twenty, our mother had stumbled into the room. Brynna had come home to visit with Penny, as she did every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. Normally, she left before my mom and dad came home from work or their recreational time out. But that night, my mom had returned early. After seeing Brynna, she shook her head, sighed in disgust, and went upstairs. +Brynna ignored Mom completely and continued to show Penny how to write uppercase letters. Maura was in the background, cooking dinner and looking over her shoulder at us every few seconds. I was leaned over my schoolbooks, looking up at Brynna and trying to remember how to spell the word “catastrophe.” +“Are you going to stay awake this time, Brynna?” My mother had slurred at her cruelly after making her grand re-entrance into the room. +“Mom, why are you walking like that?” I had asked her innocently before gasping in horror, “Are you drunk?!” +I had never been aware of her drinking habits before, but watching as she tripped over herself displayed them clearly to me. +“Shh!” She snapped, pointing a trembling finger at me for a second. “Should I sit here and watch? Make sure you don't kill another one of my kids?” +I didn't understand. I started to cry. +“Mom, stop!” I begged as I wiped at my eyes. +“Mrs. Olivier, you need to go back to your room.” Maura had told her. Even after twenty-two years, Maura had insisted on calling her “Mrs. Olivier.” Maura was even a few years older than my mom, and yet she still called her by our last name. That had always confused me. +“Don't tell me what I need to do! I need to protect my little girl!” She had run her hands sloppily down the back of my hair and leaned down to kiss the top of my head. “You shouldn't be alone with her, honey. She killed your brother! She killed him when she fell asleep! So selfish! My little boy!” She broke down into a drunken fit of hysterics so shameful, I'm surprised Brynna didn't slap her. “I don't care what happened to you! I don't care if it was ten men...” +“Just stumble away now, Mother.” +Brynna had only just begun to call our mom “Mother.” +“My Lucien is dead! Everyone knew…” She sniffed and breathed heavily, “Everyone knew he was my favorite! He was my baby! I miss him. Every year, I’ve thought that it will get better. But I still miss him so much.” She raised her voice to a vicious shout. “It should have been you! I wouldn't have cared at all, Brynna Claire!” +I couldn't understand how she could say such terrible things. I was in the dark as to what she was alluding to when she had said “ten men.” But there was little interpretation needed to understand the implications of the other words she was saying. I didn't want Brynna to die, especially after losing Lucien years earlier. So, I put my face in my hands and cried harder. +“Take your homework into the living room, darling,” Maura closed my books and packed them into my bag, “Brynn will be in to help you in just a second.” +“I will, Vi. Go on.” Brynna had agreed with a small, reassuring smile. +She was distracted instantly when my mother reached out and grabbed both of Penny's tiny hands. Brynna's eyes flashed with a rage we had all become very familiar with over the years. +“Get off of her!” She barked so loudly that I had to cover my ears. +Upon seeing the terrifyingly furious look on Brynna’s face, Mom had released her grip on Penny. +“You wouldn't even be here if he had lived!” Mom slurred in Penny’s face as tears fell freely from her eyes. “I wouldn't have bothered with you! I wouldn't have wanted you! I didn’t want you! Your daddy...” She said the word with such awful contempt, “Made me have you! He wanted another son like Lucien! You wouldn't even be here if your brother hadn't died!” +Penny was more afraid of that outburst than I was. I suddenly understood that my mother wasn't herself. When Maura engaged in the same reckless imbibing, I understood the same. But Penny had no idea. Remembering it, I felt a harsh pang of pity for her. +Brynna understood it perfectly, too. She didn't excuse my mother's childish behavior or Maura's, be it alcohol-induced or not. She didn't hold with excusing the cruelty of two fully grown, supposedly mature women. +At my mother's words, she allowed herself to snap. Her human frailty overcame her ability to suppress every last flicker of emotion that crossed her heart. Tears leaked from my eyes as I remembered the look on her face as she brought her hand back. Then, without hesitation, she slammed it hard across my mother's face. The look was not one of malicious, revenge-seeking fury; it was one of deep heartbreak and fear. +The moment Mom hit the ground, Maura grabbed Brynna and pushed her away before she could engage in any more violent behavior that would drive my mother to have her committed or worse. But Brynna pushed past her and pulled our frail, sobbing mother off of the ground. I had cried harder when I had seen the blood streaming down Mom’s face. +“You say whatever shit you want to me, but if you say something like that to her again, I will break your neck! Do you understand me?!” +“Brynna!” Maura had screamed at her as she reached out and tried to pull her away from Mom again. Brynna shook her off easily. +“You're the devil!” My mother had shrieked in rage as Brynna pulled her onto her feet by putting one of Mom's arms around her neck. “Satan! You're possessed! I should let your father kill you!” +“Alright...” Brynna had replied as she walked Mom out the room delicately. “Just be quiet and hold onto me. Maura, she will need some ice. Could you bring her some?” +Why had that memory crept up on me? Why had it been so clear? I was attempting to remain level-headed and emotionless for Penny's sake and even partly for Elijah's. Yet there I was, crying right along with my little sister. The cruelty of my mother in that reminiscence remedied my grief, at the very least. But my grief evaporating had left an empty hole that was filled only with a toxic hatred that I knew Brynna had been carrying for well over twelve years. +I hated all three of them for her sake. Elijah had accused me of still being so young. But the sudden loathing of my parents and Maura was proof that I was growing up far more quickly than even I could have imagined. +I had seen them as being nothing short of God-like before. Now, I was beginning to understand that my three parental figures resided at the other end of the theological spectrum. Perhaps they weren't at the very end, but they certainly were close. Brynna, whom I had begun to demonize after overhearing Maura, Dad, and Mom doing it for so long, was working her way back to the top. +I hated that one day Penny would have to experience that same upheaval of every belief she ever held on the people she loved. +Hopefully, if we were lucky, she would forget them. She would never grow to hate them, because they would simply disappear. +After all of this time, I know that wish has been granted. Believe me when I say that it brings me no joy. + +Brynna + +I was becoming more and more frantic, though those in my party never knew of my internal storm. The forest around us held a presence that we could not see. Besides the years of events that those old trees had seen, some other conversation was occurring between them. I felt unsafe suddenly and certainly not alone. There was something moving amongst those woods, watching us. +Whatever that unknown, malevolent force was could have claimed my brother and sisters. I would scarcely be aware, even with enhanced instincts and all-knowing perception. +I stopped walking and sat on the ground, leaning forward to put my face against my knees. +Just breathe, my mind urged as my heart pounded, Just keep breathing, Brynna. +“Alright…” James was kneeling in front of me and rubbing my arms, “Baby, we’re going to find them. I promise you, we’ll come across them any minute now.” +The eyes of Alice and Quinn were turned away from us. I could afford one fleeting moment of weakness while they looked off in the distance for any signs of movement. I flung my arms around James’s middle and pressed my cheek to his strong chest. His arms wrapped around my neck, and his lips pressed to my forehead. +“It’s okay. They’re not looking, sweetheart.” He told me softly when I went to pull away. With that reassurance, I grabbed a hold of him again even more tightly than I had before. “You’re allowed to be afraid, Brynn. I know that you don’t think you are, but anyone would be afraid right now. I’m afraid, and I’ve only known them for a few weeks.” +I shook my head. I trusted James’s judgment and appreciated his acceptance of my temporary descent into emotional madness, but I would not allow myself to succumb to the raging war of feeling. I had to remain clear-headed and ready to fight. He believed that my show of emotion was normal, but I disagreed. It was not something I had ever allowed in myself before. It was an inconvenience we could not afford. +I pulled away from him, letting him grasp my hands so he could pull me to my feet. I swayed slightly as dizziness twirled my brain in hastened circles. I grasped him to steady myself, and my brows furrowed as I squeezed his biceps. +“You are totally lifting weights!” I accused him with a large smile that was very uncharacteristic of me, “You were thin before. You certainly did not have these…” I squeezed his muscles again. “Believe me, I would have noticed. Despite my aversion to emphasizing physical attractiveness when searching for a mate, I do still look.” +“So you were checking me out?” +The anxiety brewing in my chest calmed as my smile grew. I balled up my fist and hit him lightly in the chest as his arm wrapped around my shoulders. He chuckled softly, a sound that filled my ears with that glow I was so used to by then. +“I don’t know what exactly is happening to me. But I like it.” He said, “Did I tell you I picked up a rock the size of a Volvo and moved it the other day?” +“You did not!” +“I did. You think I’m kidding, but I am being completely serious. It’s not like I’m eating a lot, either. I don’t know where this is coming from, but I definitely like it.” +“Do you think it’s the mutation?” +“I know it is. What else could it be?” +“Well, I love it. I thought you were quite good-looking when we first met. Though, if I am being honest, you were very thin.” +“I was. I hadn’t been feeling too well after I had that dream. Food repulsed me, to put it lightly.” +“Well, the fate of our kind was rested on your scrawny shoulders. You will be forgiven for not wanting to eat.” +“Okay, I wasn’t scrawny!” He protested. +“You were. You looked slightly ill, if I am still being frank.” +“When have you ever not been frank?” +“There were times. But now, I see no use in holding back honesty to spare feelings. It was something that developed as I aged, I suppose. It was part of my strange maturity.” +“Your maturity is very strange. It’s also the reason why I can easily justify having a relationship with you when you’re still so young.” +“Well, I am an adult, by the old world standards.” +“I know. But you’re also so mature. Can I ask you, though, why someone who looks like you would want to be with a guy my age? I’ve been curious about it, but I haven’t asked.” +“What do you mean ‘someone who looks like me?’ Looking at the context of the sentence, I can tell that it’s a compliment, but…” +“It is a compliment. You said you never had a lot of ‘suitors,’ and I don’t really understand why.” +“Elijah told you. I scared them away by being who I am.” +“Well, you don’t scare me.” +“Despite my best efforts. You know that I certainly tried to scare you away.” +“I know you did. But I was never afraid of you. I knew, and still do know, that beneath all of that disdain and animosity, you have a good heart. You have a great heart, actually.” +“And beneath all of your apathy and arrogance, you have the kindest heart I have seen. I have never been able to trust someone the way I trust you. Keep that in mind, if ever I start to pull away. In fact, remind me that I said that.” +He kissed me and replied, “I will.” +Apparently, a crushingly dense forest is a proper setting for heavy emotional discussions. Alice and Quinn were walking ahead of us, muttering to each other quietly so James and I could not hear. Their body language conveyed their tension and anger. It would not dissipate any time soon. +“It’s just a young person thing. In his heart, he knows he’s wrong. They’re reluctant to admit that their relationship has to last forever. That’s not true, of course. They can separate any time they want,” James explained as we studied them, “But that will be harder than it would have been, if the world was still right. She’s his last link to home and vice-versa.” +“You seem to feel that I have some emotional investment in their relationship.” +“I know you don’t. But you looked curious.” +“I was curious as to why she does not just punch him. That is what she wants to do.” +“Would you punch me?” +“If you were making me that angry, then yes.” +“You would not.” +I smiled up at him and kissed his cheek. +“You are right. I would use my words to punch you.” +“That would probably be worse.” +“Indeed, it would be.” +Alice and Quinn had disappeared into the brush up ahead. +“That is very odd…” I whispered in awe at what was in front of me. +James and I were looking up at a wall of thick palm leaves and pine needles. Interspersed with them were the crumbling leaves of the various trees that surrounded us. It was a huge green behemoth standing before us, blocking out the late afternoon sun. There was something threatening about its great mass. The feeling of being so small in the shadow of something so gargantuan was overpowering. I had to turn away for a moment. +When I turned back, I found James looking up towards the canopy overhead. The wall of shrubbery reached up to the very top of the tallest nearby tree. +“It’s blocking something. Alice! Quinn! Are you there?” +“Guys,” Alice’s voice said tremulously, “You have to see this!” +“How did you two get through there?” +“It parted for us. It was so weird!” Quinn called back. +“Well, I am just thrilled that they are so very special that…” I was beginning to mutter irritably as I walked up to the wall. But as I spoke, the leaves pulled back and up, revealing a small, oval-shaped tunnel. James and I looked at each other, our faces contorted into expressions of shock and amazement. +“That was quite impressive.” I told him as I stepped inside cautiously. I looked back, my eyes widening slightly as a new worrisome thought passed through my mind. “You don’t think this is going to close on us, do you?” +“No.” James replied, laughing. But his smile faded as he added, “At least, I don’t think so. I’ll go first. Scoot over.” +I moved to the side of the tunnel, grasping the twisted branches that made up its walls. He moved inside and maneuvered around me so that he was in front. I turned and grasped his hand as we walked through. +The walls never even shuddered in desire to close on us. We stepped out into the soft orange twilight once we had reached the end. +But it was not even close to sunset. Both James and I were dumbfounded by the sudden darkness of the world. We saw Alice and Quinn staring off, wide-eyed, into the distance, and we looked. +Of all the sights I had seen, it was by far the most breathtaking. +The sky over the metropolis was dark purple, like an oil painting made from the juice of smashed wild-berries. Interspersing with the vivid darkness were flecks of burnt orange swirled spectacularly into the canvas. The clouds hanging lazily against the backdrop were a deep hazel, though those cumulus beings stacked on top of one another were nearly transparent. +The city itself was alight with silver; the towering buildings and their surrounding subjects were made of soft chrome. The lights burning away in their windows were as orange as the light over our heads. It was natural translucence, so unlike the harsh, white, artificial lights we had used back home. Though I could feel the city bustling with life, not a sound reached us. The Pangaeans were quiet folk, in no rush and with no need of the excessive, deafening noises that we were so used to hearing. +It was the only city on Pangaea, or so I thought at the time. It was where its more forward-thinking, progressive citizens lived. I wanted nothing more than to run down the steep, high-grassed slope on which we were standing and disappear into the depths of the fantastic place that stood before me. I wanted to see every part of it. I wanted to experience the life of the Pangaeans. +But they were hostile to us. Surely, we would be killed. +I could understand it now. We were on their land, fresh from the planet we had so dirtied and inevitably destroyed with our filth and greed. We were a plague on those people whose age-old planet was as clean and pure as the day it had been born from empty space and a Godly hand. +Purissimus. That’s what the man had called it. Pure. +I understood why they hated us. We had shunned the creation gifted to us so many thousands of years earlier. The Pangaeans feared that our kind would do to their Purissimus what we had done to our Earth. +I understood it perfectly. I sympathized greatly. I almost hated us for being there, too, until I remembered that we had no other choice. My self-interest powerfully overruled my empathy. It certainly was not the first time that had happened. It certainly would not be the last. +“We have to go down there!” Alice exclaimed, and I could hear that she was beaming brightly with excitement. +“No.” I replied simply before turning my eyes away from the city to squash the temptation. +“Come on, the wall parted for us. They want us to come down there.” Alice informed us, and I suppressed a derisive chuckle unsuccessfully. I always found it so difficult not to correct people when they were so obviously wrong. In this case, I did not even try to stop myself. +“Yes. So they can kill us.” I said, “Darling, you must start using your instincts. They’ve been gifted to you for a reason. Embrace a little cynicism.” +“That seems to have worked out well for you so far.” She replied coldly. +“It has saved me and everyone I have ever held dearly to me. So yes, it has, as you say, ‘worked out.’” +I said all of that without skipping a beat. I could have used my gift of reading minds to bring up some darkness from her history. But the dark memory I could see through a thin haze in her mind was fresh. It had only just been burned into permanence. Her mother’s crumpled body was at the forefront of her thoughts. Apparently, her trustworthy nature had allowed her to be fooled into letting in a Scout. That’s what I called them: Scouts. +“I’m going down there. There are a lot of people. I can feel them. I’ll just blend in. They look just like us.” Alice told us, but Quinn grabbed her hand. +“You can’t, Alice.” +“Maybe we should go down there.” +James shocked me by spewing such empty-headed nonsense. I had been beginning to feel that he was on par with me, intelligence-wise. Part of intelligence was a firm hold on common sense. To go down into that city filled with natives would be suicide. Suicide defied common sense. +My face conveyed all of that before I could even open my mouth. +“Baby, we could reach out to them. They might look at us coming down there as a noble act, like we’re bravely extending them the olive branch. That could make them listen. You know it could.” +“Or they will rip us apart on sight. That is perhaps a predication far too extreme to be plausible. But I know that it is certainly a possible outcome. In fact, it is far more probable than them granting us an audience with whomever their leader is so we can explain ourselves, James.” +“What if it’s the only way?” He asked me. +“What on Earth, or Pangaea, in this case, I suppose…” I shook my head slightly, pondering the drastic change in a simple expression. I almost lost my train of thought, which most certainly was not new to me. With so many thoughts running wildly through my head before the change-over, I had always been apt to lose what I had been musing on silently. Now, I had the thoughts of others with which to contend. In that case, I found my way back to the point with little effort. +“What makes you think that this is the only way?” +“Because it seems so obvious.” He laughed slightly in disbelief that I was not grasping the genius behind his great plan. He failed to realize that if a plan truly was one of great intelligence, I would have thought of it first. +“James, do not force me to go into a lengthy, intricate tirade. I am becoming more and more exhausted as this day progresses. All of this running is draining my strength.” +“This could be exactly what we need to do. Maybe we’re meant to make peace with them, do you know what I mean?” +“Of course I know what you mean, James. That was not a difficult thought to decipher. However, I think you are wrong. You did not see what they did to people. It was brutal. It was sick. I certainly do not want to be ripped apart!” +“I will never let that happen, Brynna. I promise.” He changed courses immediately, “Alright, I have an idea.” +“Dear Lord…” I sighed heavily and sat down on the ground. He knelt in front of me. +“I’ll go down there alone. I’ll tell them that I need to come back to get you…” +“Let me stop you right there. If you go down there and then say that you need to leave immediately to fetch me, they are going to suspect that you are a spy. That would be any person’s first thought when the enemy strolls so willingly into their midst. Even a brain-dead, crack-addicted vagabond would suspect that.” +He covered his face, trying to hide the fact that he was laughing. I raised one eyebrow in irritation as I looked at him. +“Do you find me humorous, James? Because you should know that amusing you is just about the last bullet on my list of priorities.” +“I find you very humorous, baby. I know that you’re being serious, and I appreciate that. But sometimes, the things you say just make me laugh.” +“Yeah? The scrawny body you possessed on Earth made me laugh, but I did not call your attention to it.” +He laughed even harder now. I wanted to slap him. +“What do you want me to say?” I snapped at him angrily, “Do you want me to say that I am worried about you? Is this plan you are proposing some roundabout path to get me to say that I care?” +“No. Baby, stop it.” He grasped my hands, “You’re getting defensive.” +“You’re being stupid.” +“I know. I know.” He kissed my hands, “I’m sorry. You’re just funny sometimes.” +I studied him for a moment as he tried to suppress his crooked grin that I loved so much. I found myself fighting a smile. I was irritated, surely, but his amusement at what I had said did touch me. +“Well, I am glad you feel that way, honestly.” I told him as my shaken nerves calmed. “Not many people find me to be even slightly funny, so this is a plus, I suppose.” I looked at him, feeling myself choking back words that I wanted to say. But those particular words were forceful, and after several seconds of attempting to suppress them, they had to be spoken. Finally, they spewed forth from me as my defenses crumpled before him. +“I need you, James.” +Those particular words were always waiting to be said. There was never a moment when they were not true. +“I know,” He leaned in to kiss my lips tenderly, “I know, Brynna.” +“I have never needed another human being. I never needed a parental figure, even. But I need you. I hate it, but I do.” +“Why do you hate it?” He asked me. +“I do not hate it because of you. I hate it because I cannot stand allowing myself to rely on someone. I hate knowing that at any time, I could be…” I searched for the right term, “I could be damaged by you.” +His warm brown eyes gazed into mine for a long time. He was stone-serious now. +“I can’t promise you that I won’t hurt you, Brynna, but I will try my best not to.” He told me gently after resting both of his hands on my face. “I know that this is all very new to you. I know that it is something you’re learning.” +“Splendid. You know that you are my guinea pig. That eliminates awkwardness, surely.” +He smiled. +“That is definitely new. I've seen you use your disdain for people to avoid feeling things. I’ve never seen you make a joke to do it. That’s far more normal than anything I could have expected of you.” +“Well, I am not going to apologize for embracing a little normalcy, however unconsciously I embraced it.” +“I’m not asking you to. See? I made you angry. You’re getting defensive with everything I say.” +“You did make me angry. I can admit that to you. I am so used to feeling mild annoyance. But you are making me genuinely angry with your empty-headed suggestions. I have always been independent, and if something happened to you down there, I would survive. But James, I would grieve for you.” +The words being said aloud shocked him as much as they shocked me. +“I would be so sad.” I felt a rush of tears in my eyes. Furiously, I blinked them away but they were bullheaded, with a will of their own. In an abrupt motion, I flung my hand up in his direction, palm facing outward. +“Don’t look at me!” +Respectfully, he looked away. My own will to suppress the new insurgence of tears surpassed their own power; they never fell. +“Maybe you are right.” I told him in a voice devoid of any emotion. Whatever onslaught of feeling that had passed over me had dissipated, leaving no trace of its sudden grip. “Maybe this is our only way to reach out to them, to make them understand. But I have seen what they can do.” +He was looking back at me now. +“If they decide they want you dead, even with all of this power we have now, you would not stand a chance in a crowd of them. Do you understand?” +“Yes. I don’t agree, but I do understand.” +“Either way, it is not a risk I am willing to take. I am not willing to risk your life, not for anything. Okay?” +He nodded and pulled me close to him, kissing the top of my head after my arms had tightened around his middle. +“Okay.” +*** + +The hunt had to stop as night descended on us. We slunk back through the wall that opened for us again and set up camp in a clearing about a mile away. Alice rambled on excitedly, actually believing that I was listening. But in the firelight, I watched James as he studied the boxes of rations. In his mind that I could not see, he was speculating on how to give equal portions to the four of us while still preserving enough food to last. He was worried that when we found Elijah, Penny, and Violet that they would be starving and thirsty, and we would have no food or water to give them. We had to have enough for them, too. +Our supplies were wearing thin. At least the tent and sleeping bag were holding up. +That was the other dilemma: we had one sleeping bag. The night was growing colder as a huge, bright moon rose over us. I would have been disgusted, honestly, if we all had to sleep right next to each other in order to keep warm. But I would gladly oblige that request if it meant all of us would survive the night. I found Quinn and Alice to be slightly aggravating with their constant bickering and their never-absent urges to chat, but I certainly did not wish death on them. +Alice and Quinn. Their youth should have been infectious. I should have adapted to their normalcy. Instead, I felt nothing but the familiar cold in my heart. I felt neither desire nor ability to behave the way they did. +James was capable of entertaining them. Besides his sagely wisdom, he also had a fantastic sense of humor that shifted with every person he met, according to what he or she found amusing. Earlier that night, I had watched Alice and Quinn laugh hysterically at something he had said. They had forgotten their animosity towards one another for a moment as they listened to his rambling, clearly quite entertaining story. In their amusement, I saw what was expected of me. I was supposed to be like them. Even after the world had ended and we faced new, far more dangerous threats on Pangaea, I was supposed to laugh as I pulled the wool over my eyes. +I could not hold with such imprudence. I knew that for sure. What I did not know was if my will to remain so firmly grounded in reality was a blessing or a curse, if it was right or wrong. I truly did care to know which was the truth, by whomever's standards I should value. +I needed to pull away from James. He was too close. He had breached the battle-worn walls of my innermost defenses, and I needed to get away before they crumpled, never to be rebuilt again. I was in the palm of his hand. +Somewhere on that vast, seemingly endless planet, Maura was shaking her head in disappointment at me. Perhaps she was even cruelly smiling, waiting in breathless, sadistic anticipation for the moment he closed his fist and crushed me. +Or maybe she was worrying herself over it. But I doubted that was true. +I would not allow myself to be destroyed by a man. I was far too strong for that. I would not allow myself to love or even hold fond feelings for him. I had sworn never to engage in sexual activities with anyone. The vulnerability those acts required made me so sick, I truly could have vomited just by pondering the implications of such weakness for too long. I would not be seen as weak. My protection of myself and my pride were far more powerful than my need for James. +But no, all of those insidious thoughts were losing their life force inside of my crowded mind. I watched him worrying over the food we had left. I studied the creases in his face that were outlined by the shadows cast by the flames. I had never seen such a handsome man. I had never met one with such a gentle heart. Yes, he was acid-tongued, dishonest, and angry at his worst. But at his best, he took my breath away with his compassion. I had no reason to fear him. +Ironically, the voice now reasoning on James’s behalf was not my own; it was my mother’s. +Evil witch. Drunken, cold-hearted shrew. I got rid of her by calling her names. I would not allow myself to hear her voice, not even when the sound soothed me, despite all logic. +I had looked away from him, my expression souring into one that betrayed great pain. I shook it away, allowing my impassiveness to resume its place on the front lines of my appearance. +When my eyes moved back to where James had been sitting, he was gone. My heart gave a leap of protest at no longer being able to see him. Then, the warmth in me resumed when I felt his hands rubbing my shoulders. +“Were you listening to me, baby?” +I shook my head. +“I apologize. What did you say?” +“I said that you need to eat something. You’re starting to look sick.” +I shook my head again. +“You think I cannot read your face?” I replied softly, “I might not have full access to your thoughts just yet, but I know of your worry.” +“You know, you sound like you’re from the medieval age when you talk sometimes.” He told me as he laid down on his side behind me. I leaned back against him, took his arm, and pulled it over my shoulder so I could grasp his hand in both of mine. “Not in inflection, just in word choice. +“You sound like you dropped out of middle school when you talk sometimes.” I shot back at him, once again, without missing a beat. “Not in inflection, just in word choice, otherwise known as diction.” +“You’re a dope.” He told me. +“I’m a dope?” I frowned in joking offense. “You’re a dick.” +He laughed uproariously and kissed my hand. +“Was that a slanderous term, Ms. Olivier?” +“Maybe it was. That felt strangely liberating. It crept up on me, yes. But perhaps I should utilize our language’s most profane terms a little more often.” +“You are so weird.” He told me as he rubbed his eyes with his free hand. “But I love it. You know I do.” +“I do know. If you did not love it, you certainly would not put up with me. Of course, I would never change myself to fit your likes and dislikes. You know that as well as I do.” +“I’d never ask you to change yourself for me. I know you’d never ask me to change anything about myself, either.” +“You are correct about that. If I expect that courtesy, I will bestow it onto others. That is one of our greatest kindnesses, isn’t it? To accept one another even if it is, as they say, with warts and all?” +“I have no warts.” +“Nor do I. Wow, I cannot believe that you successfully distracted me from a serious topic I posed.” +“It’s magic. It’s skill.” He yawned and said, “It’s magical skill.” +I laughed again, covering my mouth to stifle the sound. He had laid his head down on his arm and closed his eyes. +“It is, indeed. Do not go to sleep, because we are discussing it now.” I informed him, and he opened his eyes but did not raise his head. “Thank you. You will not distract me any longer, nor will you drop out of consciousness before this conversation has been had. We are running low on food, are we not?” +“We are. So you’ll have mine. I’ll survive.” +I looked back at him, scowling darkly. His tone had been resolute; he would not accept any other suggestion or negotiation on the matter. Well, that is what he thought, anyway. +“You will not starve yourself for my sake. They are my siblings. If they need food, then they will have mine. You should not and are not expected to starve for them. I, on the other hand, would have it no other way.” +“I know. You put their interests far above your own, always. Why is that?” +“I asked you kindly not to distract me, you evilly manipulative man. I cannot believe how easily you are able to do that.” I cut off the discussion about my sacrificial tendencies in regards to Penny, Elijah, and Violet before it began. I wanted to tell him everything there was to know about my past. But I was not ready for that, and I would not push myself to reach that point. +“Your stomach is grumbling.” I informed him. +“I have all of this new muscle to eat through. You look like you’re two steps from a rehabilitation clinic.” +“Isn't that funny? There was a rehabilitation clinic right by my building. Too bad we are not on Earth anymore. I would not have to walk far, and if I escaped, I would be able to quickly disappear into my apartment and lock the door before they found me.” +“I remember you telling me about that clinic being so close to your apartment. You kindly directed me there when you thought I was trying to abduct you.” +“Technically, you did abduct me. But in this case, your criminal behavior saved my life.” I looked back at him again. “I hate to think about what would have happened if you had not been there that night. I see it all the time, you know. When I do finally sleep. I see many awful things, actually.” +I had seen beastly hands ripping into my abdomen and pulling out its contents. The two Reapers were eating me while my heart still pumped oxygen to my brain, allowing it to function well enough for me to process my predicament. I felt every excruciating moment of my death. I had seen the Earth burning, people screaming, dying, or worse, living. I had lived through the hearts and minds of those who had lost children, parents, husbands, wives, spouses. It was easy yet painful, moving through the collective unconscious of those who had survived. It never failed to leave me, after a tumultuous night of sleep, feeling raw and irreparably damaged. +All-Knowings, or Athenes, as we are officially called, are known universally by another name, Sanssommeil, or, loosely translated, The Sleepless. +“Come here.” James told me softly, and I leaned over to him. His lips grazed mine gently before pressing to them for a long, glowing moment. “You don’t ever have to worry about that, okay?” + I nodded. +Above all things, James wanted me to feel safe. I had never detailed the grimmer aspects of my life to him, but somehow, he already seemed to know them. At least, he knew their ghastly effects on me as a person. His efforts to make me feel secure worked perfectly. I had never felt as safe as I did when I was with him. There was still a part of my brain that urged me to pull away. But slowly, that part began to silence itself as it faded to nothing. I stood and waved goodbye to that inclination cheerfully but with a certain reluctance to accept its departure. I needed my cynicism and iciness to survive, didn’t I? +That woman ruined you. My mother had told me once, and when I looked up at her, shocked that she had spoken to me, I had seen that her eyes were fixated on Maura. When I asked her what she had said, she pretended that she had not spoken. Maybe she hadn’t. +“What are you thinking about? You look like you're in pain.” James told me, and I knew that though he tried to pass off what he had said as a joke, he was also slightly concerned. +“Nothing. Just thinking. I go off to strange places sometimes, but I always find my way back.” I explained quickly. I looked at him, and a smile pulled at the corners of my mouth. “I might be worried about having those two people I just met snuggled up against me while we sleep tonight. Picturing that would certainly provoke a look of agony to appear on my face.” +“Do you really think I would put you in such an uncomfortable position? Even though now, I'm definitely tempted because the look on your face would be priceless. Seriously, I'm in need of a good laugh.” +“Why don't you put me into that uncomfortable situation and observe the events that follow? Do you want to sleep alone with two teenagers, or do you want to sleep with me?” +“Now, are we talking about sleeping with you in the literal sense or...” +I shot him a scathing look over my shoulder. The effectiveness of that glare was hindered by the smile that had taken its place on my lips again. +“The evil stare, coupled with a grin she is trying to suppress. What do I make of this? Is she amused at my joke, or is she is trying to set me aflame?” He narrowed his eyes as he studied me. “I guess I should tell her that I compromised with those people, whose names are Alice and Quinn. They're going to sleep in the tent, but we’re going to get the sleeping bag. If we’re all still together tomorrow, then we’ll switch. Does that make you happy?” +“Consider me elated, honey.” +“Oh, elated... I've done well.” +Later, I watched as he unrolled the sleeping bag on the flattest part of the dirt. We crawled into it, the small space forcing me deep into his arms. I would not have wanted to be anywhere else, anyway. He locked his arms around me, and I was warmed wonderfully by the heat from his body. +“I’m going to stay up and keep watch. But you need to sleep, Brynn.” +All lighthearted joking and teasing had dissipated between us. Now, we were gravely serious. +“I don’t want to sleep. I told you that I have those awful dreams, James.” +He kissed my forehead. +“Don’t you remember what I told you on the ship when you took that pill?” He whispered after I had looked up at him. The kiss he planted on my lips sent that delightful shock-wave through my body. “I’ll watch over you, baby. I’ll wake you up. Right now, you have to sleep.” +I was so warm and snug there in the sleeping bag with him. Every part of me was drained from the day of walking and worrying. My body was seduced into sleep by the heaviness of my eyelids. +“We’ll figure this all out tomorrow.” He assured me gently, “We won't stop until we find them, I promise.” +I nodded, believing him. I needed to believe him. I could not picture Elijah, Penny, or Violet being hurt. I could not stand the image that forced itself to the front of my dozing mind: I saw them crawling on the ground, searching for food as their lives drained slowly and painfully like water from a bucket stuck through the bottom with a nail. +My Penny… If there was one person for whom I could admit that I felt actual love, it was her. I loved that little girl. I prayed to the faceless deities or the one God to keep them all safe, but I prayed for Penny above all else. Her childish mind was as pure and good as the planet on which we were currently residing. I feared the destruction of such purity. I would fight the mutilation of her innocence with the same malicious violence that the Pangaean people had used to fight us. +I wished someone had fought so viciously for me. +James’s heart was beating steadily in his chest, lulling me further into that blissful sleep. I grasped him tighter, drawing in his intoxicating scent. I wanted to stay there with him forever and forget every unspeakably horrific thing that had happened. +“You love him.” My mother’s voice told me, and I could hear the faint gleam of a smile in her words. +Shut up, Mother. + +Quinn + +We laid staring up at the tent above our heads. She was as far away from me as the space we were lying in would allow. I didn’t look at her. She didn’t look at me. Neither one of us said a word. +What the hell was my problem? There was no reason for my anger. I knew how pointless it was. I knew I was wrong. But of course, I couldn’t admit that out loud. I couldn’t allow myself to realize that our problems had nothing to do with her newly found craving for human flesh. She was my last reminder of home, and I was hers. That was a link I never thought could be shattered. In truth, it was that “unbreakable” link that was tearing us apart. +Who was Alice? She was my girlfriend of two years, and I loved her as much as seventeen-year-old boys can love their girlfriends, which, of course, is more than anyone else is capable of. But our final days on Earth had been the worst of our lives, to say the least. Our parents’ deaths had occurred in those days. We had been fleeing the great explosion. There had been so much uncertainty. Through that uncertainty, fear was born. I associated her with those unpleasant feelings because she had been with me as those awful events unfolded. She was a constant reminder of what we had seen, and what we had seen were sights that no one, especially not two seventeen-year-old kids, should ever have to see. +“I wish I could understand why you’re so mad, Quinn.” She said to me suddenly. The random break in the uncomfortable silence triggered irritation in me that was unwarranted. I should have known that she would want to talk about our problems. In fact, I should have wanted to talk about them, too. +My unwillingness to discuss our issues led to another question: Did I really want them to be fixed? +“Are you just going to ignore me?” She pushed. +“Yeah.” I answered shortly. +“Why?” Her voice was trembling with the threat of tears, “Quinn, I did what I had to do. Why can’t you understand that? Would you have wanted me to let myself get killed just so I wouldn’t kill someone else?” +I didn’t respond. I had made it very clear what I would have wanted her to do. I had so much to say but lacked the energy or the motivation to discuss and resolve the tension between us. +“I don’t understand you!” She exclaimed, and now, she was crying. “I never would have seen you differently. If you had killed those things, I wouldn’t have cared.” +“I know you wouldn’t have. And I told you that you could have just knocked them out.” +“I tried. They were so fast. They’re tough. It takes a lot to knock them out. They’re not like those guards, who were only human. The natives are monsters, Quinn. They're worse than those things that took my mom and dad, even.” +“I’m not going to apologize for wanting to find other ways around things. I’m not going to apologize for not wanting to kill people. I don’t want to mutate into whatever you’re mutating into. You’ve forgotten everything that you’ve ever believed in.” Just as I had begun to believe that I wouldn’t be telling her a thing, I was letting it all flow out like toxic, volcanic ash. “You were the one that told Elijah not to go into the ship after Brynna and start shooting people. You were the one on Earth who was always talking about God and how we should live a Christian life. Do you remember any of that? Or has whatever freakish thing that’s taking over you made you forget?” +She put her face in her hands and cried harder. I was being unnecessarily cruel and unforgivably immature. I didn’t realize that at the time. We never realize just how awful we can be when we’re fighting with people we love. In fact, it’s those we love who receive the worst of our rage. They feel our innermost darkness because we inflict it on them more willingly than we would on strangers. +“Maybe you’re not even you. For all I know, you’ve been taken over the same way that your parents were. Maybe that’s a sign, that it was your parents and not mine who got possessed by those things. Maybe you were always…” I searched for the right word before settling on one that was far and beyond anything I should have said, “Maybe you've been evil this whole time.” +“I’m evil because I defended myself? I had to kill both of my parents. I did it because they were stuck somewhere terrible, Quinn! If you knew what I had seen and what I had felt, you would never throw that in my face! If you knew how fast and strong those two natives were and how strongly I had known that they were going to kill me, then you wouldn’t care that I had killed them first. I didn’t want to get ripped apart! I didn’t want to die! I might have been the religious one on Earth, but you were the logical one. Or…” She realized how dumb that sounded, and tried to rephrase it unsuccessfully. “You were the one who… I don’t know! You were the one who believed in Darwin and all of that ‘survival of the fittest’ stuff. Weren’t you?” I didn’t answer, “Weren’t you?!” +“Yeah, I was. That has nothing to do with this.” +“Yes, it does! Remember when we used to argue about God and evolution?” +For a minute, I remembered those heated debates we had gotten into so many times. We had always been so interested in the things we learned in school, which was odd, considering that other kids our age didn’t care in the slightest. We used to debate and discuss all the interesting things we had read or been taught by our teachers. The arguing was never malicious; it was just spirited. +“You always used to say that as humans evolved, they adapted. You always used to go back to Darwin and ‘survival of the fittest.’ Isn’t that what’s happening to us?” +Maybe we couldn’t fully support Darwin’s theories as the reason for why we were changing, but it was certainly something to lean on. She was right, and I was so very wrong. +I still couldn’t admit it. +“We’re changing to adapt to a new world. There are threats here that we couldn’t face if we were just human.” +“So why are we the only ones who are doing it, then?” I demanded as I stabbed blindly at her arguments, just to cut them down and prove that I was right. +“There are other people who are doing it! James and Brynna are evolving! You’re not getting on their case about it!” +“Because they’re not my responsibility!” +“I’m not your responsibility, either!” She snapped at me as angry tears still streamed down her face. “I can take care of myself!” +“Well, you’re going to prove that now, because I’m not watching your back anymore! I don’t care about you anymore! If you want to embrace whatever this is, then fine. But I won’t! I don’t want to evolve, or whatever you want to call it! I want to be normal!” +“Well, newsflash, little boy, it’s happening whether you like it or not! And it doesn’t just come down to science! It’s God’s will, too!” +“You have a lot of nerve talking about God and His will, don’t you? Isn’t the number one rule in His little book not to kill people?!” +“Will you stop harping on that?! When will you understand that I had no choice?!” +“You’ve made stupid choices before. You let that thing into your house, and if I hadn’t shown up, you would be dead right now!” +“It talked to me in my mother’s voice! It appeared to me as her! I didn’t know! And in case you’ve forgotten, I was the one who shot it! So, don’t tell me I would have been screwed if you hadn’t come along!” +“I’m glad that you’re so happy that you shot your parents, Alice!” +“How can you say that?! I am not happy about it!” +We were fully screaming at each other by that point and not caring if James and Brynna heard. +“How could you ever say that I’m happy about it?! I had no choice then, either! They were suffering!” +“You don’t even know that for sure…” +“Believe me, I do! And just because you didn’t kill your own parents doesn’t mean that you didn’t kill them! You left! You had one after you, too!” +“Yeah, it was your dad!” +“It wasn’t my dad!” +“Well, your mom was outside of your house and the only other creature we know of was your dad! So yeah, it was him!” +“That wasn’t his fault, if it was him, but it wasn’t him! We’re both responsible for what happened to our parents! Something was after us, and we ran from it! We didn’t realize that we were running, but we were! So they possessed my parents to get close to us! And somehow, they’re all dead now. Nothing else matters except that they're dead now, Quinn! Somehow, through some chain of events, they’re dead!” +“You don’t need to question the chain of events! We know how it happened! And it was your fault! If you hadn’t called me that night, I would have been there to stop that thing before it killed them! My mom and dad were outside of my door! They had been trying to hide me from it! And I wasn’t even there!” +“That’s your own fault! That has nothing to do with me!” +“What part of, 'If you hadn’t called me,’ didn’t you understand?!” +“So what, you’re mad that you saved me?” +“Yeah, I am. Because you know what, if I could go back in time, I would have saved them! I should have saved them over you!” +The words brought such a sting that she was rendered silent. I wanted to cover my mouth after they came tumbling out. I wanted to take it back. But she jumped up and stormed out of the tent. After stomping past Brynna and James, who were still awake, she disappeared into the trees. +“This is none of our concern.” Brynna told James. +“We can’t let her go storming off into the woods at night by herself.” James reasoned with her. +“Sure we can.” Brynna replied airily. To prove it, she laid down and closed her eyes. “She will be back when she has had her tantrum. I would be angered substantially by such harsh, brutal words as well. A person stalking after me as I sought a quiet place to be angry would be the last thing I would want.” +“Just leave her! She can handle herself out there! She’s proven that, hasn’t she?!” I snapped at both of them as I zipped up the tent. +“I’ll go get her if you don’t.” James said to Brynna. +“James, I sincerely doubt that you can handle the tumultuous emotions of an eighteen-year-old girl.” +“But you can. Please, will you go get her before she gets hurt?” +I was sure that him gently prodding her into doing the right thing was a common occurrence in their relationship. If there was one person who knew how complicated women could be, it was James. I wanted to talk to him like I had earlier. Even though he had dragged me into that conversation about Alice, I had felt slightly less angry after it was over. I doubted that Brynna could comfort Alice, but I knew that James could talk me down. +But I didn’t want to be talked down. I was right. No one would tell me otherwise. +“Fine.” Brynna sighed heavily. +In my fury, I had pulled the zipper of the tent roughly but still hadn’t closed the flap all the way. Through the open space I saw her roll on top of him and lean down to kiss him quickly as he laid beneath her. +“Be safe. Holler if you need me.” +“I’ve got this. I can handle myself quite efficiently, Mr. Maxwell.” +“I know you can.” He reached up and moved her hair away from her face. “But just in case, right?” +She kissed him again and crawled out of the sleeping bag. He watched her walk off into the darkness of the trees that surrounded our clearing. +“You’re wrong!” James called back to me from outside. +“I am not!” +I heard him chuckle softly to himself. +“Ah, the arrogance of youth.” +“Your little girlfriend is like, three years older than me. So, I’m sure you see the arrogance of youth a lot.” +“I don’t, actually. Have a good night, Quinn.” +I knew that he wasn’t going to sleep because Brynna was out in the woods. He wouldn’t allow his guard to drop until she was safely back with him. I should have felt the same protectiveness over Alice. But my feelings for her were evaporating quickly. I never could have foreseen such a change in our relationship. I had thought naively that we would be together forever. Now, I knew that the chances of that actually happening were almost nonexistent. +I knew exactly what my parents had known all along. Though it hadn’t been different college choices, different life goals, or even outside hatred of interracial relationships that had torn us apart, we had still been torn apart. They had always known it would happen though they had never known that it would happen exactly the way it had. +Well, if you’re listening, I thought, I want you to know that you were right. You never could have known that we would end up here. But you did know that in the end, I wouldn’t love her anymore. So you were right. I just want you to know that. +I sensed that in some far off place unknown to the living, my parents felt no joy in response to my admittance of failure or even in my acknowledgment of their wisdom that had been so spot-on. It felt almost as though we had their approval finally, but that it made no difference now. +I felt that if they could change the course of events, they would not have spared themselves. They would have held Alice and me together. We needed each other now, they believed. We were all we had. +I turned over on my side and closed my eyes, shutting out those beliefs I knew to be factual. I forced myself to view them as just rambling speculations. +But in the deepest part of my heart, I knew that they were communicating with me somehow. When I was at the point right before I dropped off to sleep, I sometimes heard them, but that night, just before I shut out their transparent voices, I heard one last thing spoken by my father: +“…before it’s too late.” + +Violet + +Maura’s face tumbled around in my mind as I slept. The usual warmth that accompanied seeing her was absent, as though it had never existed to begin with. Now, all I felt was a rolling nausea as I thought about her abandonment; she had chosen our father, who would never love her, over us, who always would. +Brynna would call it desperation. They had been young when they were in love. In fact, Maura, in her drunken state, once admitted to Brynna that he was the only man she had ever loved. I knew that wasn’t true. Maura had been married once before, to my father’s best friend, who was the kindest, gentlest, most generous man I had ever known. I remembered him so fondly as bringing us presents and telling us stories about his trips overseas. While power had corrupted my father, it had never corrupted Michael. How Maura couldn’t love him was beyond my realm of understanding. +Maura lusted after my father with no shame. Long after he was married to my mother, she still carried a torch for him. It wasn’t a low-burning flame about to snuff out with one strong wind. It was a full-fledged inferno. I was beginning to see my father and Maura the way Brynna always had. +Perhaps that was unwise, to feel as Brynna felt. I knew that through all the hatred and disdain, there was a tiny hurt inside of her that was the direct result of the way everything had played out. I had never been on the receiving end of Maura’s bitterness, but Brynna certainly had. +Admitting that I was fascinated by my sister’s odd personality was easy. I spent plenty of time musing on it. I understood now that I was older exactly what had bred such animosity. Admitting that I pitied her, even slightly, was a hard pill to swallow. Brynna needed no one’s pity, and if she knew she had mine, it would infuriate her. +Penny was so easy to understand because she was young. Elijah was complicated in his own right, but since he had escaped much of the emotional storm by shutting himself in his room, he fared better than Brynna. Her distrust and her anger were spun around endlessly in her always moving mind. The way she spoke and the way she embraced such iciness were her defense mechanisms. +I hadn’t understood that before. It took feeling the harsh sting of Maura’s abandonment for me to understand. I couldn’t imagine the feeling amplified three-fold; Maura, my mother, and my father had all cut off their love for Brynna at the same time. I couldn’t imagine that kind of pain. +I decided that if I saw her again, I would give her and James my blessing. If she was able to trust him, then I absolutely should have been able to, as well. Of course, I had heard some stories about him from the other survivors that were not complimentary. But if I asked about the allegations that were made, I was sure that he’d be more than willing to explain himself. +I knew they had found their way back to each other, the same way I knew a lot of things. I just knew. +He made her happy. I saw her smile and laugh genuinely for the first time in so many years. When I was around, she tried to hide her happiness, but I could always see it. If there was one thing she couldn’t keep hidden, it was the joy she felt when she was with James. She deserved that, especially after what had happened with Lucien. +Elijah would see it differently. He would never approve of James. He would insist that in the end, James would only end up hurting her. She deserved sure, never-ending happiness. No gambling would be acceptable. It had to be sure. +I awoke from my sleep to see a shape looming over me. My heart skipped a beat, and I opened my mouth to scream, only to find that the sound had been cut off as though someone was grasping my throat. My hand flew up to touch my neck; I didn't feel a hand wrapped around it. +“It’s me!” A familiar voice whispered, and my fear calmed upon hearing it. I closed my eyes and reached up to touch his face; touching his distinct facial features was the only way I could be sure that what my hands felt matched the mental image I had of him and the voice that had spoken. +Nick. +“It’s gone mad back at camp! I ran in here after you because it’s not safe there anymore!” +“How did you find us?” I whispered after sitting up. “We’ve been looking for Brynna all day and haven’t been able to find her.” +“Remember when I told you that you smelled good? Well, somehow, I was able to follow your scent! I smelled it the minute I walked into the woods!” +“That’s crazy!” I whispered, “Can you smell Brynna?” +“I’ve never met her. I don’t know what she smells like.” +“Oh.” +“Are you alright? Have you seen those people in here?” +“Not yet.” I shook my head even though he couldn't see me. “But I know they’re around. Can’t you feel them?” +“Yes. It’s like they’re all around us but I can’t see them, you know?” +“I know.” I replied as I looked around into the endless darkness. The moon had moved further away from us, taking its natural lighting along. We wouldn’t be able to see until morning. For all we knew, the reason we could feel the natives lurking in the trees was because they actually were surrounding us. They could have attacked at any minute, and we’d have had no time to prepare. +“It’s dangerous to be sleeping out here in the open.” Nick warned me delicately. It was as though he had read my thoughts. “They can see in the dark.” +“I didn’t know that.” +“Yeah, they didn’t come to the campsite until later tonight. Your father made us put out our fires. It was the stupidest thing we could have done because we couldn’t see them. The moon was too far away to give us any light.” +“So, they just attacked you in the dark?” +“Yeah, and they didn’t miss the people they were going after. They went right to them. They didn’t need any light to see, so they can see in the dark. That's what I think, anyway. There isn't another explanation for how they could see.” +I shuddered and pulled my dirt-covered sweater around me. The days were mild, but the nights were freezing-cold on Pangaea. +“Did they only take ten?” +“No. Tonight, they took twenty. After they were gone, there was this huge fight. Your dad was trying to keep people calm but he only made it worse. People don’t trust him anymore. Not all people, anyway. The group is splitting up tomorrow.” +“Where are they going?” +“I don’t know. They don’t know, either. They’re just going, I think. They’re just getting out of the open.” +“Don’t the natives know that we have nowhere else to go? We can’t go back to Earth. It’s gone.” +“I know,” Nick replied, “Trust me, I’d love to go home now.” +“Remember the other day when we were talking about Germany?” +“Yeah.” I could hear him smiling. +“I always said that if I went to Europe, I wanted to see Paris, Rome, and London. But I definitely would add Germany to the list.” +“You’d love it. I know I did.” There was a long pause before he spoke the words that we both were thinking. “The last days on Earth were so chaotic that we didn't think this through completely. All we thought about was surviving another day. We just wanted to still be standing after everything was over. Even during all of that, though, I really did think that coming to another planet would be great. But I’d give anything to go home now.” +I was thankful for the darkness because tears began to leak from my eyes. I swallowed hard before taking a deep breath. I didn’t expect Nick to comfort me. I wouldn’t even put him into the position where he felt like he had to embrace me or offer me kind words of reassurance. So when I spoke, I made sure that my voice was steady. +“Me too.” +“I upset you.” +What the hell? +“I can see you.” He explained. +“You can see in the dark, too?” +“Yes. Try it. Just focus on it. Tell yourself that you need to be able to see.” +I closed my eyes and tried. Sure enough, when I opened them, I could see. It was like peering through a lens when the camera was set to night vision. The only difference was that details were not glossed over. In fact, they were crystal clear. +“Weird, isn’t it?” +I nodded. +“The natives can see in the dark and now we can, too.” I looked up at him, “That is really weird. Do you think we’re turning into them?” +I watched him look off, his face contorted into an expression of great concern. He had been contemplating that, too. I expected him to lie in order to spare my feelings. I didn’t think that he would want to worry me. But instead, he opted for honesty. +“I think so. I think it’s in the air here. We’re becoming Pangaean.” +“I don’t want to be Pangaean.” +“Neither do I. I read so many American comic books as a kid. X-Men, Green Lantern… You know what I’m talking about, ja?” +I nodded. I had been friends with a couple of guys whose whole lives revolved around raiding comic book stores for “hidden treasures,” as they called them. They were the biggest nerds that I had ever met, but they were also my very best friends. I had enjoyed our excursions to the store, our rambling excitement that was shared so willingly with the workers, and our hours spent reading silently within the safe confines of my indoor patio. +“You’re way too cool to be a girl.” One of them had told me. +I had laughed in response. +“You just haven't met any cool girls yet.” +I was smiling slightly at those memories. I remembered so vividly the colors of the pictures and the intricate stories. I had been a nerd. Miranda always made fun of me for it. Even though she was smart, she was a Justin Bieber fan who spent hours painting her nails and styling her hair. We had been so different. After existing for so long within the confines of high school, though, I believed that we were exactly the same. +My smile faded as a suffocating realization took hold of me: All of those people were dead. I hadn’t thought about it in those terms before. But every last one of my friends was gone. The finality of it took my breath away, leaving my grasping my chest as I struggled to draw in an unchallenged breath. +Nick was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice the sudden change in my mood. +“I read all of those things and thought it would be so cool to have powers. Sometimes, especially in X-Men, they wanted to be normal. I didn’t understand it. How could you want to be normal when you were special, right? But now, I do understand. We’re changing over into what the natives are, and I’d give anything to go back. Go back to Earth, go back to just being human.” +Hearing him talk had lulled me back into calmness. His voice and his words were so delicate, though I'm sure that sounds strange. The content of what he was saying was a welcome distraction, too. +“Comfort in normalcy.” I wiped at my eyes, wondering if I had muttered that phrase to him or in response to my internal musings about him. To avoid that heavy mental conversation, I addressed what he had said. “I feel the same way. I keep asking myself what I would have done if I knew everything I know now and Brynna came to me, telling me we had to leave the earth. I don’t know if I would have gone.” +“I think you would have. I know I would have. I wouldn’t have wanted to die. I’ll take having powers and being hunted by natives over dying. Even if we’re running from them, at least we’re still alive to run, you know?” +I did know. It was an almost paradoxical statement, and yet I totally understood what he was saying. I agreed wholeheartedly. +“We’ll find your sister, Violet. I found you.” +I nodded again and leaned into him. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders, and we stayed clasped together, protecting each other from the cold of the night and our own regrets and fears. When dawn broke, my eyes switched over to normal. I scanned the trees around us, seeing no one hiding amongst the fading darkness. Penny awoke a few minutes after the light began to descend on us. Elijah snored away, and I let him; he needed to sleep. +“Hi, Nick,” Penny greeted him with a wide smile, “Look, I lost a tooth!” She pointed into her mouth proudly. +“Oh, look at that!” Nick replied as he bent down to observe the gap. “Did you leave it under your pillow for the...” +I gestured to him madly behind Penny's back, mouthing, “No! No!” But Penny was smart enough to have already picked up exactly what Nick was about to say. +“Vi told me that the tooth fairy doesn’t live on Pangaea. She says that maybe there’s a different fairy that brings other stuff. I didn’t get anything. So I think she’s wrong. But it’s okay because I haven’t seen any stores. So I don’t think that I need money. And what other stuff could I get besides toys? I really wanted this singing thing I saw in the store back home...” +And away she went… Penny rambled to Nick enthusiastically about everything from her lost tooth to the way Elijah passed gas in his sleep. Nick was cracking up through that particular conversation. I turned my head away, trying not to show how hard I was laughing, too. Elijah would be mortified to learn that Penny shared that information with a semi-stranger so freely, and that made it all the funnier. +“And we’re looking for Brynna. We need to wake up Elijah so we can find her. I still haven’t told her about my tooth! Well, I haven’t told her because I haven’t seen her. But when we find her, Violet says she’s going to be so excited! I think she will be, too. Hang on a second, okay?” +She walked over to Elijah and shook him with both hands. +“Wake up, Eli! We have to go find Brynna.” +Elijah sat up abruptly, almost smacking into her head with his own. Luckily, she dodged out of the way in a blur of movement. Nick looked back at me, eyes and mouth opened wide in shock. I nodded and shrugged. +“Her, too?” He whispered to me. +I nodded again and suppressed a smile. +“What’s going on?” Elijah asked groggily as he looked around. His eyes stopped on Nick. +“Hey, man. How the hell did you find us?” +“Hey. It's a long story.” Nick replied, “How’s your digestion?” +I snorted through my nose as I tried not to laugh. But the hilarity overtook me; I leaned forward to rest my face against my legs and giggled uncontrollably. +“What are you talking about?” +“Nothing. I just hope it’s all going well.” +Elijah looked between us in confusion. Then, he shook his head. +“I’m not even going to ask. Seriously, though, how did you find us?” +“I must have memorized Violet’s scent. I followed it until I found you.” +“So you’re mutating too, then?” Elijah said. +“I guess so. Where is your nanny? What was her name?” +“Maura.” Elijah and I answered grimly. +“She stayed behind.” I answered. I didn’t want to divulge the full details. I didn’t want to hear a person voice my own disgust at Maura’s choice. To hear it spoken out loud by a third party observer would do more harm than good. Sure, I’d like to hear Maura being torn down as a broken, pathetic woman who abandoned her surrogate children for a man who didn't love her. But it wouldn't lessen the sting of her leaving us. Bashing her out loud would only upset Penny. +Nick didn’t ask questions. Instead, we all just started walking. Penny was munching on some dried fruit loudly behind me, reminding me of my own hunger. I looked down as my stomach gave a mighty rumble. I would feed her above myself, always. Elijah would skip his meals for me. We were used to sacrificing things for each other but those sacrifices had never involved food. We had always had more than enough at home, what with Maura demanding that our chef make us portions large enough to feed bodybuilders training for the Olympics. +“All you have to do is look west just a little bit, and you’ll see people who don’t have money to eat. If your parents can afford to feed you this much, then you should eat this much.” She would say as we shoveled in those generous helpings of rich, delicious foods. I tried not to remember the tangy tomato sauce on the homemade pasta or the huge pieces of fried chicken that when bitten into, yielded only juicy white meat. As I chewed a hard piece of dried pear, I tried not to remember the sweet berry cobbler that our chef always made us in the summertime… +“Oh my God, I’m torturing myself…” I muttered to Nick as he walked beside me. +“How is that?” +“I’m remembering all the food we used to eat at home. I told you about my parents' jobs. They had money, and they were never at home. Maura cooked once in a while, but we also had a chef. She made us so much food, we ran out of room in our stomachs.” +“What kind of food?” +“Nick!” I laughed, and my stomach growled painfully. “I’m not going to torture you, too!” +“Why not? Misery loves company, doesn’t it?” He asked with a smile. +“Maybe so. But that doesn’t mean that I’m going to torment you with my vivid memories of homemade pizza with oozing cheese, bloody steaks and huge baked potatoes with sour cream and butter melting inside…” I sighed longingly and leaned against him, grasping his arm in both hands. +“This is torturing me. You’re right.” He told me with a soft, forced laugh. +“Do you know what I would give for…” +I was so stunned by what was before me that I halted my sentence, never to resume it again. We had walked under a log and pushed through some hanging vines to come upon that sight. Nick and I stared, wide-eyed and mouths agape. I think we might have even been drooling. +Before us was a large grass hut. The smell of cooking meat wafted over us, sending us into an intoxicated stupor. On a table fashioned from the remnants of an old, huge, chopped-down tree, there were cooked vegetables; fluffy mashed potatoes, steamed greens of an unknown origin, mushrooms tossed in some sauce that appeared to be butter, and huge pieces of what appeared to be purplish-blue broccoli were right there, ours for the taking. On another trunk-table, there were huge pieces of meat, cut open in the center to reveal their peeling, juicy, red centers. Even from where I was standing, I could see that there was not a scrap of fat on those succulent cuts. I could smell freshwater, too, and when I looked, I saw a stream running quietly behind the hut. +“I don’t even know what to say.” I blurted out as I stared, unblinking, at the feast that was before us. +Nick just shook his head. I looked over at him to see that he was diverting his gaze to the trees above or around us. Every time he tried to look away, though, his eyes snapped back to the still-steaming food. His conscience was trying to force him away from the buffet that wasn’t ours, but his senses were overpowered by the grandiosity of it. His aching hunger was too much to bear in the presence of such divine food. +“Why are we hesitating?” He whispered before turning his gaze away to meet my eyes. +“I don’t know,” I giggled almost maniacally, “Let’s eat it!” +“No!” He grabbed my arm when I went to walk forward, “We’re starving, ja? So, why are we hesitating?” +“Because we know that this technically isn’t our food. But whoever is in that cabin won’t mind if we take some. Come on, we’re two starving kids. They won’t care.” +“Stop!” He grabbed my arm to stop me from entering the clearing and grabbing a huge piece of meat off of the pure-white bone. “It’s the instincts, Violet! They’re telling us not to eat it! And it’s a native in that cabin! They’re probably waiting for us to start eating their food. Then they’re going to come out and attack us!” +“God, I’ll knock on the door if it’s such a big deal.” +“Everything is quiet! Listen!” He exclaimed in a loud whisper as he looked all around again. I looked up, too, expecting to be able to call him a paranoid moron before shoving off to stuff my face. But he was right; the bird-like creatures that tweeted and sang in hypnotic consistency were silent. The trees were no longer rustling in the soft wind. In fact, the wind had stopped completely. It was as though we had fallen into some alternate space where some onlooker could pause the setting at will. +I could acknowledge that some unknown danger was brewing, or I could allow my hunger to drive me further into the clearing where I would drop down on my knees in front of those tree trunk tables and start eating every bit of that fantastic smelling food until it was gone. +“I’m so hungry, Nick…” +I struggled to grasp common sense. I struggled to remain in the brush. I knew that if I took a step, something would happen. There was a large chance that I would step out into the clearing and be ambushed by natives. But there was still that small chance that I could walk out and watch the food multiply to the same plentiful portions as what I was used to from home. It was such a small chance, but it still existed… +My instincts were not dissuading me from believing that it was true… +I took a step and was immediately plunged into darkness. +“Violet!” Nick yelled behind me, but his voice echoed around in my ears like some distant, annoying thought I was trying to suppress. The food and the cabin were still in front of my eyes. I knew that the sudden night was not normal, but for all I knew, it was just another Pangaean oddity. I ran to the trunk table and knelt in front, grabbing a huge handful of that steaming, sweating meat. It broke off with no fight, tumbling from the bone gracefully. With no finesse needed as I had no one to impress, I took a monstrous bite and actually growled in feral joy. The moment the meat hit my stomach, I could have stopped eating as I felt a comfortable fullness. But instead, I ripped even further into the handful I held, desperate for a permanent end to that agonizing hunger. +The door of the grass hut creaked open so loudly that I dropped the meat to cover my ears. I looked up to see a swirling, breathing darkness in the open space. I stared at it, remembering nightmares where I was staring into a dark abyss similar to that one, wishing I could pry my eyes away before some ghastly apparition appeared to me, scarring its hideous face onto my protesting retinas, never to be erased. I couldn’t look away; I strained my eyes trying, but they held steadfastly to the darkness. +From within it, I heard a raspy breathing. +I struggled to stand, wanting to run as quickly as my newly-mutated body would allow. I begged whatever was holding me still to release its iron grip. I begged my eyes to look away. +They poured out of the grass hut like ants furiously escaping their smashed colony. They crawled across the ground at a speed that would make the natives turn and run. Somehow, even as I drew quick, desperate breaths, I felt the meat in my hand turn to soft, dripping mush. I looked down to find that the bowl was filled with trailing pieces of flesh mixed with blood of such a deep red that it burned my eyes. +In a horror beyond anything ever experienced by man or woman, I screamed as tears poured from my eyes. Every last one of those hideous creatures stopped running. They stared at me with unblinking, white eyes. The slashes in their faces that were their mouths opened and closed the way a fish gasps as it flails on a ship’s deck. It was silent, so unflinchingly silent that my ears rang with the same high-pitched squealing that came before the blast that had destroyed the earth... +In an eruption of sound that shook the very dirt beneath my feet, my scream was sent back to me, toppling me backwards, crippling my body. It was being spewed back by those unholy creatures that wanted to rip me apart and consume the shreds of my body… +My mind remained fully functioning as ten of them jumped on top of me, their claw-like fingers scratching me wherever they could find bare flesh. I screamed in pain, awaiting the moment they ripped into my body and ended my life. +A flash of light caught my furiously moving eyes. +There was a guttural scream of rage that filled my ears. All the creatures looked in one sweeping movement. There were three more roars that almost spoke in affirmation to the first, and two more bright lights appeared in front of my burning eyes. Through the haze, I saw the outline of three human beings. Were they Pangaean? Were they humans? Was it Brynna, James, Nick, and Elijah? I couldn’t know for sure, but I prayed that whoever they were, they would save me. I prayed for life, just a few more seconds of it, at least. I was so young. I didn’t want to die… +A crack of lightning erupted overhead, catching onto the lights carried by those four rapidly moving, viciously fighting shadows. Those shadows thrust their arms forward, pushing the lightning that had struck them into the bodies of the creatures. In a blur, they all begin to retreat, forgetting how desperately they wanted to devour me. As the lights wielded by those mysterious shapes hit the creatures, they immediately began to convulse before crumpling to the ground in a pile of dust the color of soot. I watched, eyes wide as the monsters still on top of me jerked back and forth, spewing disgusting red froth before erupting in a display of fleshy fireworks or crumbling into that black ash. I coughed as some of the latter flew up my nose. Immediately, my body jerked forward in a series of powerful sneezes. +One of the shapes dropped down beside me. The light of day was returning even as I faded into the darkness of death. +“You stay with me! Violet, you keep your eyes open!” Her scream was one I had never heard before. In it, I heard desperation and fear so strong that they were capable, it seemed, of taking her life. “Keep her back! Eli, hold her back! +“VIOLET!” Penny's high-pitched, terrified shriek rattled my eardrums. +“Do not close your eyes!” Brynna was holding my face, screaming just as loudly. She shook me wildly for a minute. “Stay awake, do you hear me?! Violet!” +My eyes had closed, but I hadn't realized it. When I snapped them open, I saw the same fear I heard in her voice displayed unabashedly on her face. +“Brynn?” I looked up at her, gasping as the pain from being clawed so many times took hold suddenly. “Brynna?” +“Alright, we don’t have a choice anymore…” +James’s voice. +He was scooping me up in his strong, protective arms, bringing me more comfort than I ever could have imagined would be brought to me by him. But I was still gasping and sputtering blood, wails of agony erupting from me loudly enough to shake the trees. The wind whipped my already horribly pained face as James darted through the woods. I was reaching out for Brynna, screaming her name even as every breath inflicted even more pain on me. As she ran with the same inhuman speed beside him, she reached out and took my searching hand. +The last thing I saw was a towering green wall parting to reveal a circular tunnel. + +Brynna + +I had never run so fast before. No amount of Reapers or those Scouts that had attacked Violet could bring forth such speed in me. I felt no fear besides one. I felt no fear besides perhaps the greatest fear of all: Violet was going to die. +I smelled her blood seeping from those penetrating cuts the claws of those things had made. Why had she eaten that food? Why had she fallen for their so obviously transparent ruse? I had failed her. I had stolen all knowledge from our gene pool and left her with a festering emptiness that should have been full to the brim with common sense. I hadn’t imparted my distrust of all things. I thought I had been doing her a service by allowing her to remain naïve and trusting. I had failed her. +I might not have forced her to see the worlds as being fraught with danger, but I would not allow her to die for that inability to see. I would drag her back to life even if the effort killed me. I would empty every precious breath I had left into her dying lungs and jump-start her fading heart with the beats of my own. I would sell my soul. I would beg. No amount of shame was too high a price. +The natives in the lone city parted like the sea at Moses’s hands when James and I came barreling through. We sped by so quickly that I did not see their faces. Were they molded into the sneer of the animals within as their defenses sprang to life, urging them to attack? Or were they merely curious? I did not know, nor did I care. +I could hear her heart’s steady beats spacing out to a rhythm too dangerously slow. She was quiet. Her sudden silence drove my panic to reach a startling new level. +We stopped running once we reached an intersection. Blurs of light and sound whizzed by at the same vicious speed that we reached while running. The moving objects zoomed up a hill of asphalt and disappeared into the horizon between rows of gargantuan buildings. +A young girl with glowing purple eyes the color of the sky overhead stopped in front of us. Her mother had been clutching her hand tightly, but she had twisted free from her grip. She looked to be about Penny’s age. +Penny. I had left her with Elijah, Quinn, Alice, and whoever that boy was who had been with Violet when that awful event had occurred. +Why had he not stopped her? I would make my displeasure known on my next meeting with him. I would call him a coward for not accompanying her into that dark clearing. +The trees were parted overhead, and the Pangaean sun was glowing in the sky. Yet when we entered that space to fight those things, there had been only blackness and a crescent moon the color of blood. +If Violet died, I would kill that boy. I would destroy him with the animal fury I felt burning in a toxic wave of destruction within my chest. +“Adam.” The little girl had approached us without fear. She pointed to the towering palace that glinted in the fiery orange light of the clouds. “Adam.” +“Do not speak to the dark ones, Adina.” Her mother warned before reaching her hand out to draw the girl back to her. With an easy leap, the girl jumped onto her mother’s back to be carried off. Her arm was not attached to her mother’s body; she was still pointing to the palace. +James and I needed no more instruction. We were running again. +The palace was surrounded by a gate fashioned from the moaning trees in the forest. Their edges had been sharpened to points. Eight guards stood wearing airy silver armor that was bordered with the sharp spikes of some creature I did not know. The long sleeves of their uniform were made of the same material. +“We need to see Adam,” I gasped out, “We need to see him now! My sister is dying! Please let us in!” +“No inside.” A guard boomed through lips that barely formed his brutally loud words, “No…” +He stopped talking, and in the distance, I heard a whispering that raised the hair on my arms. The guards parted to the right and left in perfect unison, leaving a space for us to get through. The large wooden gate swung open. Ahead, I saw the door of the palace open simultaneously. +The interior of the man's home was as intricately designed as the paintings in French chapels. Murals that told stories I could not possibly have known were painted all along the walls. Ahead of us was a staircase that rose up at a sharp angle out of sight. In front of the staircase stood the man who had appeared that night at camp. That event seemed like it had passed so many years before the moment in which we found ourselves currently. +“Please, will you help her?” I asked immediately, forgoing a polite greeting in favor of immediate beseeching. “There were these creatures in the woods…” +“Shadows.” He answered the question I had not posed out loud. As he spoke, his eyes locked on James's. “They have returned.” +“Sure,” I nodded vigorously, “She’s bleeding, and she’s dying. I can hear her heartbeat, but I can hear it stopping. I can feel...” I was rambling in my panic, not realizing that I was divulging far too much information, “I can feel her life draining. Please help her. Please, I’ll do anything!” +“She was tempted by them. She succumbed to their seduction.” +“She was hungry. She was looking for me, and she hadn’t eaten in days…” +“It does not matter.” +“Yes, it does matter!” I screamed in desperate fury, “She’s only seventeen! She was acting exactly as most would at her age! She is young, and too trusting, and stupid! Please, we need your help!” +Violet’s breaths were ragged, interrupted only by soft moans of pain. The scratches were beginning to ooze a green liquid. The sight almost sent my hands flying to my mouth as an urge to vomit seized me. +“You are his offspring. Daniel Olivier.” +“Yes, but he does not speak for us.” The words rolled off my tongue before I fully understood exactly what I was saying. Somehow, I knew that was the right thing to say. +“I can see. You are of old. He is not.” +“This is all irrelevant!” I stomped my foot in frustration, “Do you feel it?! I know you can feel her life leaving her! I am begging you to do something!” +“It takes great courage to come to the dwelling of an enemy.” +What was the point of his inane musings? My sister was dying before his eyes, and yet he wanted to babble on about insignificant details! I could have reached out and slapped him, though I knew I would not live to feel the satisfaction. +“Follow me.” +The man began to ascend the staircase, gliding effortlessly up its steep steps. We were climbing each one carefully, looking back to see the ground floor getting further and further away. As we walked, I looked at James, knowing he felt the same as I did. We were climbing into the lion’s den. It was not clear whether we would ever emerge from its depths again. +We could not worry about that. I would do or say anything to save Violet. Once she was healed, I would claw my way out of that place, utilizing every new skill or enhancement that had overtaken me since landing on Pangaea in the process. +Adam led us to a room with blankets sewn from the skin of animals covering the floor. The walls were startlingly light-colored and blank; we had only seen those detailed pictures covering the walls from floor to ceiling since we had come inside. Adam beckoned to the animal skin rugs and James laid Violet down on them. +“Brynna!” She cried out, her blank eyes darting around in the empty space frantically as she searched for me. +“I am right here, honey,” I grasped her hand in both of mine and rested my forehead against hers, “I am right here with you, and I am not going to leave you.” +Adam had his eyes closed. I should have wanted to shout at him to get on with the life-saving, but I knew that he was calling out to someone. The doors opened only a minute later and a girl around my age walked in, pulling with her by a leash made of vine one of those hissing, snarling creatures. Its almost nonexistent lips curled back to reveal the rows of long, jagged teeth. Its blank, unseeing eyes rolled around disturbingly in the rotting sockets. +“What are you doing?!” James exclaimed in a rage as he jumped up to his feet. +“Do not question me, Protector,” Adam held his hand up to silence him, “You know not of our healing ways. Please ask your woman kindly to step away.” +“I am not going to step…” I started to say. +“I know that you will not do it on your own. You will not do it even if I tell you that remaining where you are will put your life in danger. You are very stubborn, and your love for this girl blinds you to any pain or threat that could befall you. Perhaps if your mate suggests kindly that you move away…” +“Come on, Brynn.” James was lightly grasping my shoulders now and tugging me away from Violet. +“No!” I exclaimed and shook him off. +“Baby, just let them do this.” James urged me gently. I looked at Violet, who was fading before my eyes. I looked at Adam, who I could not possibly trust. But James’s hands on my shoulders kept me grounded. I trusted him, certainly. If he felt that the situation was under control, then I would force myself to believe the same. I let him pull me away. +“Do not bring that thing near her!” I screamed at them as the girl led the creature over to Violet. +Adam held up a tightly wrapped bundle that he began to patiently unroll. Once the fabric had been pulled away, I saw that he was holding a dagger. +“What are you doing?!” I was desperately trying to get to Violet now. I would not let him hurt her. I had brought her there so that she would be saved. Now, he was going to kill her because she was, as he said, my father’s offspring. Or perhaps it was because, as I had said, she had been so very stupid and thus was undeserving of his pity and even her life. +No. I would never allow him to take her life for simply behaving as most her age would have. I would lose my life trying to end his if he tried to take Violet from me. +A look passed between James and Adam. After a short hesitation, James’s hands tightened on me from behind just as the dagger was plunged deep into Violet’s stomach. She let out one long exhale of air before clenching her teeth together tightly. I could not hear the sound she made because the scream that exploded from me bounced off of every blank wall and reverberated around the large room deafeningly. I was sure that she had screamed, too. +“Stop it! Let me go!” I shrieked furiously. I was trying in vain to claw and bite my way out of James’s grasp. I kicked him, swung my fists back to punch him, and sunk my teeth down into his arm three times before he curled his hand around my neck and held my head up against his shoulder. His free arm wrapped around my middle to lock my arms to my sides. +“James, let go!” +Adam moved the dagger into my sister’s stomach, allowing the blood to fully saturate the blade. +“I need a willing sacrifice of blood from one who possesses a heart that beats for her.” +What in the name of all deities and Gods in which I did not believe was that supposed to mean? Just as I acknowledged that I had no clue what he was suggesting, I thrust my arm out, understanding perfectly. He frowned at me in consternation and said curtly: +“I do apologize.” +He cut into my arm with a quick motion that left a deep, spraying cut. I watched in horrified fascination as my blood on the knife’s blade mixed visibly with Violet’s. Our blood was dripping off of the dagger as Adam brandished it above his head, moving on his knees closer to the enraged creature. It snapped its jaws at him, gargling and snarling as it lunged forward. +With the same swiftness, Adam plunged the knife into the waxy, white flesh of its chest. It put up far less of a fight before its death than I had been expecting. Immediately upon being stabbed with the blade doused in my blood and the blood of my sister, it crumpled. +When it hit the ground, it erupted into a blazing, perfectly formed inferno that stood on end. I watched, my eyes wide, as it burned into nonexistence. Adam reached forward into the fire, allowing the flesh on his arm to burn as our blood and the blood of the creature was singed into a hard crust on the blade. Once the blue blaze had snuffed out, he pressed the dagger to each wound on Violet’s body. +James had released my hands, and I was squeezing his arms that were wrapped around my neck. I could feel his forehead pressed against the back of my head as he whispered soft assurances to me that I was finally able to hear. +“I promise you, everything’s going to be alright. I’m not going to let anything happen to her. I promise you, Brynna. I promise.” +The burning of Violet’s skin brought about more pain in me than it did in her. She hardly jumped, though I assumed she had lost consciousness. With each press of the blood-caked blade on her wounds, I could hear her heartbeat growing ever closer to its normal speed. I could hear her lungs clearing as sweet breaths of perfect air filled them to their capacity. +I wanted to cry. But I had believed for years that my tear ducts no longer worked, so the tears I would have shed were forced to drip, unused and unwanted, back into whatever recesses they used as their dwelling inside my body. I turned to James and wrapped my arms around him, my entire body trembling as though I had just reached up to grasp an exposed wire while standing in a puddle. My body tingled with the same uncomfortable shock that I would have received in that case. His lips pressed to the soft skin of my neck twice, gifting me with that warmth that soothed me always. They traveled up to press to my cheek and then my forehead. I closed my eyes and just let him kiss me like that. I needed all the comfort I could get after such a harrowing event. +“She will live.” Adam’s voice snapped me out of whatever daze I had allowed myself to fall into. I turned back to him, still holding both of James’s arms around me as I dropped to my knees beside Violet. I reached out with one trembling hand and stroked her blood-soaked hair. +“I was not entirely sure if she would ascend. But she has, for which you should feel immense gratitude.” +“I do.” +I looked down at her as she slept peacefully. Her pain was gone. I could allow the calm to wash over me like a cleansing, holy rain, and it did; for several seconds, my eyes blinked slowly as a potent exhaustion settled into me; my lungs suddenly felt lighter than the air that filled them because the constriction in my chest had loosened; and the trembling in my arms and legs was slowing. Only one pressing matter was still at hand. I did not want to address it when I felt such relief, but I knew that it was an unavoidable topic, so I spoke again. “What do I owe you?” +Adam laughed softly, a sound that sent chills down my spine. There was plenty I could give him as payment, but none would be sacrificed willingly. I owed him a debt that I knew he would not let me escape. +“You fear me because of what I have done.” +“That does not answer my question.” I was finished listening to his random observations and ramblings. It was manipulation at its most obvious; he was controlling where the conversation went whether it was relevant to anything I said or not. +“I know that it does not. But I believe that someone with a strong heart such as yours deserves an explanation.” +I could not turn down an explanation, surely. Whether I had a strong heart or not was debatable. +“I sent my people to where yours were dwelling because your kind is not welcome on our Orb.” +“You have to understand that we have nowhere to go anymore.” +“I am aware of the destruction of your Orb. That is precisely why you are unwelcome on ours.” +“So, what?” I asked, looking up at him as my eyes turned red. I was playing with fire now. If he was offended by my anger, he could kill all three of us with a swift movement we would not see coming. I did not underestimate his power, even then. Still, I continued. +“You want us to board our ship again, fly through space, and then plummet into nothing as we all wait to die?” +“No,” He shook his head and tried to suppress a somewhat devious grin unsuccessfully, “I want to harvest the ones who do not belong here and keep the rest.” +“And what exactly is your method for determining who is worthy of their lives and who is not? Besides, it appears to me is that you and your people are just killing at random.” +“We most certainly do not kill at random!” +I had finally made him angry, but I stared him down still, unflinching. I would not be intimidated into backing off of the subject. I wanted to know his reasoning for killing innocent people. +“Brynna, maybe you should stop talking.” James suggested, and I could hear only the tiniest hint of trepidation in his voice. I could also feel in him the desire to fight with Adam, to destroy him if he stepped towards me threateningly. I reached back and grasped his hand, still not tearing my gaze away from the centuries-old man standing before me. +Adam looked taller, thicker, and even more menacing. His eyes glowed with a deep red that rivaled my own. I had infuriated him with the suggestion that he and his people were killing innocent bystanders, abiding by no rhyme or reason. However, he had given me no choice but to believe that was true. +“How well do you know those you saved from the destruction?” He demanded of me. +“There were too many,” I replied calmly, “I do not know a thing about some. With most, I know very little. With some, I know quite a bit.” +“Destroyers, tempters…” He snapped in pure disgust, “Craving all things while giving nothing in return... You know nothing of this?” +“Are you telling me that they were evil people? Even if they were, their deaths were unwarranted. Who are you to judge them?” +“I am not able to judge them as I did not Create them. But I am able to keep them off of my land.” +“So, this is your planet, then? Are you the all-knowing, all-powerful leader? Perhaps you should speak to my father; he could surely take some useful notes from a man of your high standing.” +There was my disdainful condescension rearing its head at the worst time. James sighed and let go of me with one hand to cover his face. +Adam, however, seemed to be softening as his earlier calmness resurfaced. His eyes dissolved back into their strange light green. +“I am almost all-knowing. I am very powerful. But I am simply a vessel. This is all not important. You must understand that those who died did not belong here. If they were not embracing darkness, then they simply were not changing.” +“So you know that we’re changing, then?” James spoke up finally. “Is it because we’re here?” +“It is because your planet is gone. You have lost your home and must now fight to survive. Nothing more. You all must live ages before you’d be worthy of our air.” +“You say you cannot judge because you are not the Creator. Yet here you are, judging us. Have you ever heard of individualism? Perhaps you could brush up on the subject instead of resorting to generalizations. Just because we are all of the same race does not mean that we are all the same.” +I was pushing my luck, I knew. I was expecting and even craving another outburst of proud rage. To my slight disappointment, he only chuckled again. +“You have a fire-tongue. You are changing over nicely.” +“I have always talked like this. Please, do not give your race credit for my oddities.” I was the one getting angry now. The whole conversation was not going at all as I expected. I did not like surprises in either circumstance or discussion. +“Oddities? That is what you have been told? What is your name?” +“Don’t tell…” James started to say. +“Brynna.” I answered proudly. +“Well, Brynna, whoever told you that your ways are oddities is wrong. It was always meant for you to behave this way. Have you sensed things? Have you known things that one cannot possibly know?” +I nodded. +“Welcome to Purissimus.” He smiled now, revealing his straight white teeth. I saw his fangs gleaming in the dim light. +“What about him?” I pointed at James, “Why is he growing muscle at such a rapid rate?” +“Muscle?” Adam furrowed his brows in confusion. +“You know…” I held my arms up and flexed, revealing that I, too, had toned up quite randomly since our arrival, “Muscle.” +“Ah, yes, his size. Females know all. Males know much but are more apt to protect. Of course, females are able to defend themselves quite efficiently. However, males are able to crush a threat with little effort. That is why he is ‘growing muscle,’ as you called it.” +“So all of this is a direct result of us fighting for our lives?” I asked, not knowing when to stop posing questions that were borderline offensive. I was on a roll now; I had to know everything. “You are part of the reason why we are fighting for our lives. So how can you be so calm about us changing into your kind?” +“I am calm about it because it was meant to be. Some were meant to change. Some were meant to die because they cannot or will not. I am pleased that your sister was able to be spared. I hope a long life is in store for each of you.” He nodded to us and turned to go. +“Wait!” I called after him, “What are we supposed to do now?” +“I cannot tell you, though I do know much.” Adam replied easily, “What is that excellent Earthean expression? About cards and what you all call ‘fate’?” +I was drawing a blank, something that was new for me. Then, I realized what he was trying to say and answered his question. +“'Let the cards fall where they may.'” +“Indeed. Such a wise and true philosophy should be kept in mind. Please, remember those words that you just spoke. Great darkness is coming.” +The door out of the room opened slowly. James and I turned around to watch it. When we turned back to question him further, he was gone. +“Well, that was just about the weirdest thing to ever happen.” James told me in a quick show of forced, lighthearted sarcasm. He picked Violet up again and turned to the door. “Let’s go, baby.” +But I was staring where Adam had only just stood, his final words to us tossing around in my mind. Great darkness? +I could feel it as well. The lurking danger was the voice whispering in the trees. It was the creatures that had attacked Violet. It was the Reapers. It was my father. +Together, they created a swirling mass of destruction. The ones in the path of that chaos would feel every last moment of pain. We would be touched by death. How it all was going to begin was irrelevant. What mattered was the fact that the end was nowhere in sight. +War. It was coming. It would consume us in its tornado of catastrophe and pain. +But why? For what reasons would this great conflict arise? +Of all the things I knew, I could not begin to decipher the reason. But I did know that the cards were beginning to fall. + +Quinn + +As much as I wanted to run into the city after Brynna and James, I couldn’t. My feet just wouldn’t move forward. My new acquaintances would not be welcomed but they also wouldn’t be killed. I knew that if Alice, Elijah, Nick, and I were to follow them, we would not be met with any kindness. In fact, a swift death would be our fate. I didn't know why James and Brynna were special, but I knew that no harm would come to them within the city limits. +We stood waiting for them to return. It wasn’t until nightfall that they came walking back. Immediately, we all jumped up and Elijah ran forward to make sure his sisters were alright. Penny was right behind him, her childish concern evident in her wide eyes. +“Is Violet okay?” She asked Brynna as James laid Violet down on the ground. +“She is just fine, honey.” Brynna assured her softly as she patted Penny’s hair. “Everything is fine.” +“I didn’t know if you all would be coming back…” Elijah told them weakly. +“We’re back.” Brynna was in no mood for forming her usually long and overly detailed sentences. The emotional insanity of the day had run her down. +“What’s it like?” Alice asked eagerly, and I scowled at her. If Brynna wasn’t up for rambling in her weird way, then she certainly wasn’t up for describing the city. +“It’s huge, to say the least.” James answered to spare his girlfriend the task. “There’s a huge castle at the end of it. That’s where their leader lives. That’s where we went.” +“What was he like?” Elijah asked, “Was he the same guy who came into the campsite?” +“I don’t know. I wasn’t there.” James replied, but Brynna nodded. +“And he didn’t try to kill you?” Elijah pressed, “I mean, thank God, but it’s a little inconsistent, don't you think?” +“He was slightly bemused by us being there.” Brynna explained dully. “He said something about bravery. Whatever the reason for our prolonged survival, we’re here now, and Violet is alright. I also know that we shouldn’t expect the same kindness again. They do not want us on their land. He made sure that was clear.” +“So why did he save her life? And how did he do it?” Elijah continued to push her, and I could see her patience wearing thin. +“Let the woman breathe for a minute.” I told him before turning to look at Brynna, “You look like you need to sleep.” +“I do. But I cannot. I have to keep an eye on her. She has not woken up yet, and that is worrisome. He said great darkness is coming. I sense it all around us. Can any of you feel it?” +We all looked at each other, shaking our heads. +“Well,” She muttered as she ran her fingers through her hair, “then it’s a cross I must bear by myself, I suppose. I need to talk to my father.” +“What?” Elijah jumped up and looked down at her where she was kneeling. “Brynna, the last time we were there, he…” +“I know what he wanted to do. But we are wandering aimlessly through the woods. If something is coming, then he will be the one who starts it. I need to know what exactly is going on.” +“The group is splitting up.” Nick answered, “Do you remember those other people who walked out with you from the ship?” +“Yes. The other sacrificial lambs.” Brynna replied bitterly. +“Well, there are these two people. They’re married. Their names are Mary and Richard Bachum. Did you ever meet them?” Nick asked her. +I remembered those two. They made an obvious show of their religious devotion by dropping to their knees and praying after both minor and major setbacks. After the first attack, they were downright insufferable. I had always found broad showings of faith to be slightly uncomfortable. That day, they were gesticulating, throwing their hands up to the sky and screaming loudly to the heavens, begging for help. I had wanted to storm over and order them to stop, as they were driving everyone around them even more deeply into paranoia. Instead, Alice and I went for a walk. +“What about them?” I asked, “Their camp was two over from mine and hers.” I beckoned to Alice with a quick jerk of my head. +“Well, they’ve gathered up a huge group of people. They’re heading north. Another guy said that he was getting people together.” Nick continued, “They were heading south.” +“And my father? Which group did he choose?” Elijah asked. +“He was staying behind. He had a group of his own.” +“How very interesting. I was not aware he had a spine.” Brynna said with an apathetic shrug. +“Just because he’s staying behind doesn’t mean that he has a spine. In fact, the only thing that it proves is that he doesn't have a brain.” Elijah spat back. His anger was not at her but at his father’s continued hold of power over weak-minded people. I could definitely agree that Elijah’s ill feelings towards the man were justified, but I didn’t want to know the details. It all seemed too complicated and upsetting. I couldn’t afford to carry anyone's emotional burdens because I had my own weighing me down. +“Yes, and he's not staying at the campsite. They’re moving on, too. I don’t know which direction they’re going. But I do know that these groups are staying away from each other.” Nick added. +“Why?” Alice asked. +“They disagree about where they will find safety. Perhaps there are also slight ideological differences. Am I correct?” Brynna asked. +“I’m not sure, honestly.” Nick replied, “But you’re probably right.” +“Good enough.” Brynna nodded, “Well, we can at least forage through the campsite for food and supplies. Then, we will form a group of our own, I suppose.” +“Maybe it would be better if we joined up with one.” I suggested before adding hastily, “But I definitely don’t want to go with the Bachums. No way.” +“They are out of the question, I agree.” Brynna chimed in. +“Your father’s group is also out of the question.” James added. +“Why are we joining up with a group?” Elijah asked suddenly, “I think we’ll do much better on our own.” +“Yes, because we’re doing so well already.” Alice replied with a roll of her eyes. “Violet just almost died. There are things in these woods that are deadly. Not to mention, we are so close to the natives. I mean, hello?!” Alice pointed to the city in the distance. “That’s their main city, as far as we know. They’re not just going to let us chill here. Safety in numbers, guys. I agree with both of you that we shouldn’t join up with your dad’s group or the Bachums. Even though the Bachums haven’t given us a reason to not trust them...” +“Their blind, naive, gaudy shows of faith are more reason than we need.” Brynna replied firmly. There was no shaking her conviction on anything, but in her objection to the Bachums, she was overly adamant. +“Thank you!” I exclaimed, holding my hands up to the sky. I put them back down immediately after realizing that I was accidentally mimicking the same gesture that I had criticized in those weird people. +“Fine. Whatever.” Alice huffed away with her arms crossed over her chest. +“So, we need to follow the other guy. Do you know his name?” James asked Nick. +“I’m trying to remember. He was very soft-spoken. He was far back in my section of the campsite. We were number five. Oh, I remember now!” Nick snapped his fingers as it came back to him. “Don. Don Abba.” +“Oh, Don!” Elijah exclaimed as he, too, remembered. “Yeah. Weird guy. He’s not weird in a threatening way. He’s just really smart. Really short, though. He said since he came here, a bunch of guys have gained like, fifty pounds in muscle mass, and he feels like he's only gotten shorter and thinner.” +A look passed between James and Brynna. They were trying to hide small smiles. I knew that James had undergone a transformation similar to the first that Elijah had described. They weren’t huge like bodybuilders or anything. But they were certainly toned up. I wished the same thing would happen to me. In James’s presence, I felt weaker and in need of an immediate weight-lifting binge. Of course, given that there were no weights, I would have a hard time catching up to him. It was shameful, considering he was twice my age. +A huge gasp behind us jolted us all out of our discussion. We turned to see Violet sit up suddenly. After drawing in several sharp gasps, she started to swing her arms around wildly; in between those huge breaths, she was screaming. +“It’s okay. It’s alright.” Brynna had run to her and dropped to her knees. She wrapped her arms around Violet’s neck and pulled her close. “They’re gone. You’re alright.” +Violet’s hands flew up to touch her face; she was checking the damage done by those creatures’ claws. But her scratches were long faded, healed by whatever magic the leader of the natives had summoned. +“What were those things?” She asked quietly as tears streamed down her face. +“I don’t know. What were you thinking, eating what was there?” Brynna demanded softly as she grasped both of Violet's hands in her own. +“I was just so hungry! Nick…” Violet looked behind her at Nick, who had walked forward. “I should have listened to you!” +“It was a mistake.” Nick told her gently with a shrug, “Anyone would have…” +“Do not make excuses for her!” +Brynna’s warmth had iced over in a matter of seconds. She was no longer hugging Violet or comforting her. Now, she was chastising her for what was an honest mistake, as Nick suggested. +“It was foolhardy at best. At worst, it was a show of plain, blind stupidity.” Brynna barked at him as she stood up; he flinched and backed up a step, and despite ourselves, James, Elijah, and I laughed softly, prompting Violet to scowl at us. +“Just so you are aware, you being attacked sent a jolt through my entire body that was like being stabbed right through the heart with an electrified, sulfuric acid-covered machete, and while I do appreciate that without that utter agony, I would not have been able to track you down, I do wish that you would appreciate that I would have preferred never to be in such discomfort. Also, it would be very nice if you would realize how…” She struggled to find a word, “How aggravating it was to see you in such a state! And to know that you had ended up in that state because you were too stupid to recognize paranormal subterfuge! That food was there to lure you in, so that you could become their food! How was that not obvious?! Penny is five, and she would have realized that!” +“Let’s go for a walk.” James told Brynna somewhat firmly. +“No! Of all the stupid courses of action one could take upon seeing unguarded food in the present climate, you took perhaps the most pitiless!” +“I’m sorry, Brynn!” Violet exclaimed through her tears. The genuine remorse in her voice was enough of an acknowledgment to Brynna’s accusations of stupidity. Violet knew that she had been wrong. +“Well, I am sure that you will think twice next time before consuming conveniently placed food, however hungry you may be.” +“I will. Of course I will.” Violet replied, “Please just go easy on me. I paid for it, didn’t I? I’m sorry. I know that you’re angry because I scared you…” +“You angered me by completely disregarding common sense! I would have thought you far more intelligent than this! Consider me more disappointed than angry.” +“Let’s go.” James ordered, but Brynna was already storming off ahead of us, headed back towards the campsite, I assumed. +“She’ll come around.” Alice assured Violet softly as Elijah pulled her to her feet. +“You know how she is. You’re right; you scared her, and she’s angry that she had to feel vulnerable.” Elijah added comfortingly, “It’s not fair of her to act this way after what you’ve been through. But honestly, Violet, what were you thinking?” +“I was hungry.” Violet insisted. She was desperate for someone to understand. “And then there was all this food…” +“It was like it had been set out for us.” Nick added helpfully, “And it smelled so good. Imagine that temptation.” +“Temptation. That sounds about right.” I chimed in with a nod of agreement. “It’s weird, isn’t it? You’re just walking along, and you stumble across that. We’re all inches from starving to death. Then you find food.” I looked at Violet who was wiping at her eyes quickly and sniffling with each new, soft sob that took her. “I would have done the same thing. It doesn’t matter how stupid it was. We’re only human, right?” +“Well, we’re not,” Alice snapped at me, “But that doesn’t mean that we don’t make human mistakes still. Those things…” Her voice dropped to a whisper, and all anger towards me faded as she looked at Violet. “They always tempt us first. They offer us what we want most in the world. I fell for it, too, Violet.” +“Really?” Violet was obviously reassured by the fact that she wasn’t the only one. +Alice nodded. +“It didn’t manage to attack me,” She continued, “But it would have killed me if I had given it a chance. I won’t even tell you exactly what happened after I killed it. I couldn’t tell you even if I wanted to.” +“Well, you have to tell me now. You can’t just lead into that and then drop it.” Violet told her in a steady voice. She was calmed down now. +“Sure I can. Maybe another time.” +Alice turned and scowled at me one last time before walking off. I wanted to blurt out the gory details of exactly what had transpired after she had shot the creature. But something stopped me from disclosing the secret she and I had kept so tightly guarded. I wasn’t afraid of what they would think. We hadn't known that those creatures had possessed her parents. We had only known that they were monsters hell-bent on killing us, though we still didn't know why. +The attack on Violet posed the same question. Were they just hungry beasts in need of a meal? They were too patient. The drive to eat would have been too strong to hold off long enough to stalk us for as long as Alice’s mom had. The way they consumed the souls of the living in order to mutate their bodies into that hideous form showed other motivations. +I had heard about Reapers. They also possessed the living in order to fool those they were hunting. As I had heard it, Brynna had been targeted by them. They were fallible, though; in her case, they possessed two younger guys in order to gain her trust. They didn’t know that she would never trust a man, young or old. +“We have a long walk ahead of us.” I told the group as we wandered through the woods. “We need to start thinking of ways to tell if we’re still us.” +“What the hell are you talking about?” Elijah asked over his shoulder. +“The Reapers and…” I raised my voice to call ahead of me. “What did you call them, James?” +“What?” +“The other ones. There’s Reapers and…” +“Shadows.” James answered vaguely, “That’s what the leader called them, anyway.” +“Well, the Reapers and the Shadows can appear to us as people we know. They do that so we’ll trust them. If one of us gets possessed by one of them, we won’t know until it’s too late.” +“Introducing such distrust and alarm into the present situation is unwise and quite cruel.” Brynna replied as she strolled along, looking up at the blue sky that was only slightly visible through the thick canopy of the various trees. +“Whatever.” I shook off her random assertion. “You know I’m right, Brynna.” +“Perhaps,” Brynna nodded, “But discussing this now, as we traverse the woods where those creatures dwell is a tad anxiety-provoking, is it not?” +“When else are we going to discuss it?” I questioned her before deciding that the whole argument was useless. I continued, undeterred. “We have to think of questions or something.” +“One question.” Elijah responded. +“What is it?” I asked irritably. +“No. We need to think of one question. It will be less confusing that way.” +“But we didn’t know each other before we came here.” Alice chimed in. “Quinn and I could answer personal questions about our lives before all this, but you all couldn’t. We couldn’t answer anything personal about your lives, either. How are we going to settle on one question?” +“Who was the President of the United States when the event occurred?” James asked, and I knew he was being sarcastic. +“Ooh!” Penny exclaimed as she jumped up and down with her hand raised. +“Penny!” James pointed at her as though he was calling on her in class. +“This isn’t helping!” I interrupted, and Penny frowned at me. Well, if that didn’t make me feel like a jerk, then nothing would. “Sorry, Penny. Wait just a minute.” +“You are not going to suggest that we share personal details of our pre-Pangaean lives, are you?” Brynna snidely asked, “This should not come as a surprise, but I will not be participating in a ridiculous emotional show-and-tell. Thank you so much.” +“You have to! You’re in the group, so you have to,” I snapped at her, “Why are you always so difficult?” +There was a part of me that was amused by her presence. There was even a small part of me that liked her, for reasons that were not clear. But her constant disagreement on any suggestion posed by anyone other than James and Elijah was beginning to aggravate me. Her disdain and her condescension were becoming too much to bear under the already stressful circumstances. +“I am difficult because people are disturbingly empty-headed.” +“That doesn't matter!” I told her angrily. “You're still a part of this group.” +“Well, then, I suppose I'm exiled.” Brynna replied apathetically. +“Brynn, be nice.” Penny ordered her gently. She walked up and grasped her hand. Brynna looked down at her little sister, smiled slightly, and offered no more argument on the subject. +“What is my favorite color?” Elijah asked. +“Clear,” Violet answered, “Because you’re boring.” +We all laughed at that. To diffuse the tension further, we all began to suggest ridiculous questions. +“How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop?” Alice suggested. +“How many minutes does it take to save fifteen percent or more on your car insurance?” Violet added. +“What was my mother’s sister’s aunt’s cousin’s uncle’s father’s, twice removed, name?” Nick replied. +“If an oddly out of place tree falls in a Pangaean forest, does it make a sound?” I even added to the discussion even though it was poking fun at the exercise I had suggested in the first place. Ahead of us, Brynna and Penny were singing some old Johnny Cash song softly. +“Besides Johnny Cash, who are two other bands or singers that Brynna deems worthy of existence?” James suggested. +“Do you know that?” Elijah laughed, “I can name one, but that's it.” +“I can name several. But there are two that come to mind besides Mr. Cash.” James replied. +“Excuse me, sir, but my musical tastes were disclosed to you in confidence during a day of boredom.” +“Well, I do apologize, ma’am.” James made a point not to touch her after he said that because Elijah was watching them in slight suspicion. James didn’t even look at her after he spoke. But I did see a small smile spread across her face. +“In what movie does Kate Winslet get naked?” I spat out quickly to change the subject. + “Oh, Kate…” Elijah sighed and looked up at the sky, “Thank God for her, man…” +“Every movie,” Violet answered, “That was a trick question. I like it.” +We continued on until we broke free of the trees. We found ourselves at the bank of a wide, deep river. Rapids rippled ominously against the large, sharp rocks. +“Look, Brynn! Look!” Penny exclaimed as James picked her up. “Look, James! Over there!” +James and Brynna were looking where she was pointing. On the bank of the river was a toad the size of a boulder. Its massive throat shot out with each deafening croak. +“Holy shit…” Elijah muttered before we all burst out laughing again. +“I saw a lion yesterday.” Brynna was telling Penny, “Guess how big it was.” +Penny beamed brightly as she continued to stare at the frog. +“Was it as big as Mr. Brock's pitbull?” She asked after looking back at Brynna. +“Bigger,” Brynna answered, “It was as big as Eli's car. Maybe even bigger than that, too.” +“No, it wasn't!” Elijah protested with another laugh, “You're making that up! And besides, a lion wouldn't be in a forest, Brynn. Come on, use your abnormally huge brain!” +“Excuse you, I have no reason to lie to her about something as trivial as a creature in the woods. And who says that lions can't live in the woods? The planet is called Pangaea for a reason, Elijah. The land is joined together. Any animal can live anywhere it wants. Are you unaware of the original theory of Pangaea? Earth was joined together once, too. Goodness, don't you read?” Brynna snapped at him. +“No.” Elijah answered simply. He and I laughed raucously, and she scowled in response. “I got through pre-med and two years of med school even though I used pages of my textbook to wipe my ass.” +I laughed even harder, and he laughed, too, until Brynna turned around and hit him really hard in the shoulder. +“Ow! Bitch!” +She hit him again, even harder. +“Language!” She pointed at Penny. “And gender-based insult!” +“Yeah, Eli! You’re using bad words!” Penny snapped at him, and she crossed her arms over her chest and stood with one foot stuck out in front of her the same way Brynna was standing at that moment. +“Oh, if I had a camera…” James said, and Brynna’s actual scowl dissolved into a fake one that he mimicked. +“Fine, you saw a lion!” Elijah told her, moving his arm around in circles to work the pain out. +“Do you think we'll see a penguin?!” Penny asked excitedly. +“I'll bet we could.” Brynna replied, and she was smiling again. +“Did the lion try to attack you?” Alice asked her. +“No. We looked at one another for a long while, and then she allowed me to pet her. It was definitely surreal, though. As is that impossibly enormous frog.” +“Now, we shouldn’t go near it, guys.” Penny warned us, “Its tongue is probably so big and sticky, it will grab us and eat us in one bite!” +Brynna beamed again and looked at her. “You are right, wise Penelope. Come, let us retrace our steps back through the woods to avoid this treacherous river and all its terrible beasts entirely.” +“Why would we go back into the woods? Why don’t we just swim across? Look.” Violet pointed up to the top of a cliff that rose eerily out of the trees. There at the top, we could just see one of the military tents from the ship. It was our campsite. +Brynna cleared her throat and pushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear as she turned to Violet. +“First of all…” +“Here we go…” James muttered, and he ran his hand over his head. “Brynna, come on. There's no time...” +“No, she is going to hear this in its entirety, James Maxwell! Do not try to stop me!” Brynna shot at him in a fury that the situation did not merit at all. “First of all, Violet, at this point in time, you are the only one out of this merry band of survivors to make a disgustingly foolish decision that almost ended your life. Secondly, that monstrous amphibian seated so serenely on that rock is more than likely just one beast that lives in this water. Third, you pointed upwards, to the top of a sprawling, gargantuan cliff. Therefore, you must be aware, given that you were the one who pointed up, that it is quite high and more than likely, impossible to climb without proper rappelling equipment. Have I gotten my point across yet, or must I continue?” +Violet sighed heavily and ran her fingers through her hair. +“I am so done fighting with you,” She muttered irritably in response to Brynna's points. “Sure. You win.” +“Not necessary, Brynna.” James snapped as he pointed his finger at her. +“Absolutely necessary, James.” Brynna pointed back at him, her eyes blazing. +“Just out of curiosity, is everything that I say going to met with your typical bullshit?” +“Oh, stop the presses, more profanity!” Brynna laughed as she held her hands up to the sky. “That really dissuades me from criticizing you further. Penny, do not let me hear that word escape your mouth. Understood?” +“I don’t say potty words.” Penny replied as she defiantly narrowed her eyes at Violet. “That’s not nice, Vi! It’s rude!” She pointed an accusing finger at her, and James turned his head away, trying to suppress a chuckle. +“Do you hear that, Violet? It’s rude. She’s absolutely right.” I told her jokingly, and she smiled. +And for the first time, I realized that she was really beautiful. I don’t know how, being a guy, I hadn’t noticed it before. But now, with the afternoon sun at her back, casting an otherworldly, almost holy glow over her light brown hair, illuminating her skin, casting a shadow perfectly to accentuate her body… +Oh, boy. I looked away immediately upon feeling Alice’s eyes on me. But then, why did I care what she thought? Violet hadn’t killed anyone, at least as far as I knew. Alice had. I looked back at Violet, but she had turned away to look up at the top of the cliff. Then, she looked down to one side of the river and up to the other end. I did the same, seeing that the trees continued along its banks for as far as the eye could see. +“I thought you said you knew where we were going, guys.” Violet scolded Nick, Elijah, and James. +“This is why we need to start navigating.” Alice told her. +“And setting up camp.” Violet added. +“And rationing the food.” Alice agreed. +“This is going to turn into some sort of ‘girl power’ moment, isn’t it?” I asked them with a roll of my eyes. +“It already has.” Alice replied coldly, “Alright, I’m going across. We’ll have to hike all the way in that direction to run parallel with the cliff. Remember how the campsite was surrounded by a marsh? Well, I think that was on the other side.” +“How did we loop around the river?” Violet asked, “The forest is huge.” +“Exactly,” Alice replied, “We wouldn’t have realized it if we went around. We’ve been walking for days. We’ve walked over water. That water was probably run-off from here.” +“I think we should just try to loop around again.” Nick suggested. +“That will take far too much time.” Brynna informed him curtly. “The people who went south will be long gone by the time we get to the campsite to track them. No, Alice’s actions are necessary and very courageous. Lead the pack, darling.” +“Was that a term of endearment?” Alice asked with a grin, “Wow. I'm kind of honored.” +“Yes. It surprised me as well.” Brynna replied sardonically. +“You’re not swimming across.” I told Alice, “Are you kidding me?” +“No, I'm not. You got a better idea?” She raised her eyebrows at me, “Once I’m across, I’ll look and see if there’s any way up.” +“The people who went west probably came through here. They’re probably making camp close by here because it’s a source of water.” Elijah suggested. He was trying to dissuade her further but she was already shedding her jacket and handing it to Brynna. +“Oh, for the love of Homer...” Brynna heaved a huge sigh of resignation and handed Alice's jacket to James. “I will not let you do this alone.” +“You don't have to come with me. If anything happens, you have way more to lose.” +“We both have four limbs, a torso, and a head. If there are any creatures lurking in the water looking to rip us to shreds, I will lose the same number of body parts that you will.” +“That's not what I meant.” +“I know.” +“Brynna, are you insane!? Seriously, have you completely lost your mind?” James demanded after grabbing her hand to stop her from going into the water. “We don't know what's in there. Besides, it's not like the rivers at home. Look,” He pointed down, “You can't even see the bottom.” +“Please do not fret for my sake, James.” Brynna replied with little care in her voice, “This young girl has volunteered to venture onward with little thought of her own safety. It is a selfless act meant to further our group's mission. For once in my life, I am playing the wing-woman to an act of heroism. This is a big moment for me.” +“I know you're being sarcastic right now, but you forget that we...” +“Shh!” Brynna exclaimed as she reached forward to touch his lips, “That statement lacked any semblance of sarcasm, for your information.” +She looked into his eyes for one long moment, wanting to kiss him, but Elijah was watching them closely. In her mind, she believed that he could have no suspicion based on the careful distance she and James were keeping from one another. But I knew better. He was beginning to sense that there was more to their relationship than just friendly antagonism. +Brynna and Alice walked forward slowly, cringing at the touch of the water. +“Oh my God, that's cold...” Alice gasped out as they walked a little further. +Once they cleared the rocks they were walking on, they were in water that was over their head. From the shore, the current had looked so weak but now, they were fighting to swim straight ahead. It was strong enough to send them sideways. +“Brynn!” Elijah ran to jump in the water, but Violet grabbed his hand and held him back. +“Look!” She screamed, pointing at something surfacing in the water. First, it appeared to be a tentacle belonging to perhaps a large octopus. What an octopus would be doing in freshwater was irrelevant. We were on Pangaea, not Earth. We didn't know which animals inhabited which habitats here. We were all staring, wide-eyed, as the frog on the bank of the river rolled backwards, end over end, in order to face the woods. It hopped away in bounding leaps, croaking frantically. Just as the frog reached the tree-line, the “tentacle” reached out and wrapped around it. The frog's massive weight was pulled with ease. +Right beside Alice, a massive head erupted out of the water. Its eyes were black and empty like a shark's, but its snout elongated like a dog's. In its mouth were rows and rows of fanged teeth. Those many sharpened daggers pierced into the frog's head and pulled backwards to rip it clean from its scaly body. +“Swim, Alice!” Brynna's voice shouted even though they were already kicking and paddling with everything they had. The current was moving around the beast, pulling them closer to its huge body. Another tentacle sprung from the water and headed straight for them. +“Duck! Go under!” Brynna screamed again, and without hesitation, they both plunged under the water. +The creature ducked its head under to search for them. It turned backwards and disappeared beneath the current. +“Run along the river. Meet us wherever it ends.” James told us hurriedly before diving into the deep part where Alice and Brynna had begun their swim. +“We're not getting separated again. Penny, hold onto me.” Elijah ordered quickly, “Can you swim, man?!” +I realized that he was talking to me. I could only nod in response as I stared at the violently churning rapids and the long tentacles rising out of the water several yards downstream. +“I don't want to go in there... I don't want to go in there...” Violet was muttering to herself. +“Let's go!” Elijah threw Penny onto his back and jumped in the water, too. +I followed suit, thinking of nothing but those black eyes. I pictured hundreds of them looking up at me from the bottom of the river that was so far below me. The thought snatched my breath from me. Even though I was finding it harder to breathe, I swam faster as that fear took over me. +Soon, we had no need to paddle. The current picked up as we were carried downstream. I was rolled and tossed by the water with no mercy. Twice, I slammed into rocks; the pain was horrible, but when I went to gasp, I only took in huge mouthfuls of water. I didn't know how I hadn't drowned yet. I was barely breathing. I couldn't swim. The water was pulling me further and further into its depths. I hated imagining that huge aquatic beast swimming rapidly up towards the surface below Alice and Brynna, its black eyes alive with hungry glee... +“Grab him!” A voice screamed, “Please! Don't let go! Don't let him go!” +A hand grasped my ankle tightly. Or was it one of those tentacles? I was being held under the water, or was I being pulled down into its black depths? +I had never seen a river beast, though I remembered the stories about “Nessie” on Earth. My oxygen-deprived brain tried to remember which body of water she had supposedly lived in. I couldn't even remember the names of the oceans... Everything was slipping away. +I hated Pangaea. I hated all its hidden dangers and its weird creatures. I wished that I had stayed behind to die because at least my untimely end would have been quick and mostly painless. +My lungs were filling up, stopping their function like they were electrical machines suddenly doused in water. Circuits were spraying sparks like Fourth of July fireworks. I was dying slowly. +I had heard that drowning was only painful and scary for a few minutes. Then, you just drifted away. I would not just sink to the depths of that river, never to be seen again. I was being pulled in by that fanged, terrifying creature as water rushed through my ears and flooded my brain. More sparks exploded wildly. +“QUINN!” Alice's voice shrieked in terror for a quick second. My head was under the water. When it resurfaced, I heard her again. + “...HIM! DON'T LET...” +I blacked out. +*** + +“It's all very simple. Twenty-three chest compressions that keep blood circulating. ‘Rescue breathing’ into the victim's mouth in order to refill the stores of oxygen they have lost. This is First Aid 101.” +I had never been so happy to hear the voice of Brynna Olivier. I opened my eyes and saw only the darkening sky overhead. The dark purple was calming for my eyes that were hazed over with river water. The orange clouds hurt, though. I squeezed my eyes shut again to block them out. +“It was like a hydra! Do you know a hydra?” Nick was asking in a trembling yet excited voice, “But it had those tentacle things!” +“I wonder if we were to cut off its head if more would grow back? If two more heads would grow back...” Elijah mused with the same enthusiasm. I watched as their shadowy outlines swung their arms around like they were wielding swords or, if the sound effects Nick was making were anything to go by, light-sabers. +“I don't know!” Nick replied, “But I'll bet that two more would grow back!” +“Perhaps you two should try to behead that serpent and see what actually does occur? At the most, the Biblical symbolism of such an act would surely be discussed extensively by all those that heard your valiant, noble tale. At the least, it would be a thrilling event to witness for myself and your fellow comrades.” +Well, I was so glad that my almost-death was such a thought-provoking and exciting experience for them. I sat up quickly but immediately fell backwards again into someone's arms. +“Quinn!” Alice's lips were on mine quickly. Her hand was rested on my face. I forgot everything that had happened since I found her in the process of killing that native. I only knew that our whole fight had been so stupid, so I kissed her back. +“Strong woman you have got there, good sir. Completely unfazed by complete emotional and situational chaos. Even the thought that you might be done for could not sway her nobility.” Brynna came into my view behind Alice. “I am a little wary of mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, so be happy that your erstwhile girlfriend was here to administer it.” +I was laughing through my fit of coughs. Alice waited until I was done, watching me the entire time with such relief on her face. I didn't know if it was just water dripping down her face or tears. +“I'm sorry.” I grasped her face. She shook her head before kissing me again. +“I love you.” She replied. +“I love you, too. Are you okay?” I asked, “Really stupid idea, Allie.” +“It was. It was so stupid!” She laughed through what I knew were tears for sure now. “I almost got all of us killed.” +“It was a valiant effort. But yes, we can all blame our near-death experience on you. We can all blame our nightmares filled with aquatic beasts on you, as well.” Brynna replied, and I watched her duck behind a tree, pulling James with her by the hand. +“I don't want to swim anymore.” Penny was telling Violet as she shook her head back and forth with wide eyes. +“Me neither. Not around here, anyway. When that thing popped up...” Violet giggled half-hysterically now as she shook with adrenaline. +“I think if I had had to pee, it would have happened right there...” Elijah replied. +“You're telling me.” Alice responded, “I'm surprised Brynna and I didn't fall over dead at the sight of it.” +“This is some place, isn't it?” +“Guys, come here!” Nick called from a few feet away. We followed his voice. +We found him standing, surrounded by the mouth of a cave; apparently, we had run parallel to the cliff as we floated downstream. I didn't want to think, even for a second, about having to climb up the steep slope. +“Well, it's either walk all the way back up the river and climb or try it this way.” Elijah told us grimly. +“Try it through the cave?!” Alice exclaimed in shock. +The trek back would be long and tiring. We had no way to camp now, as we had lost our supplies in the river. We also had no food again. However, once we arrived at the campsite we could look for rations boxes. Going into the cave didn't guarantee that we would end up where we needed to be, though. I was not looking forward to exploring the darkness inside. +Just as I went to voice all of these concerns, the noises of the forest silenced suddenly. We were all on edge; everyone except for Penny was looking around with white eyes. I looked up with my own, smelling the air and observing the thick, light gray clouds that blocked out the brilliant blue of the sky. +The natives were coming straight for us. +“You made peace with them, didn't you?” Elijah whispered to Brynna and James hurriedly, and we all looked abruptly in the direction where we had just seen a flash of movement. +“No. He healed her but he never said he would leave us alone.” +“But he let you leave the city!” +“He likes the chase, Eli. How many times must I explain this to you?” Brynna barked back in a furious whisper. We jerked our heads in another direction simultaneously. +“How do we know he's even coming for us?” Violet asked, “Maybe there are others around that they're after.” +“Everyone make sure that you can see in the dark. The sun is setting.” Alice instructed us quickly. +We all stood perfectly still, awaiting their first move. Maybe we would hear screams in the distance. Maybe Brynna and James had inadvertently made peace with them, and they weren’t hunting us. We couldn't be sure. +A scream sounded, high-pitched and girlish, behind us. We all whipped around to see Penny being dragged into the cave by hands that had suddenly appeared from inside of it. +“PENNY!” Brynna screamed, darting forward as the others descended on us. +I picked up a thick stick covered in thorns, barely wincing as my hands began to bleed. A man was running towards me, hissing and roaring with spit dripping from his large, lion-like fangs. I understood now. I understood why Alice had to do what she had done. That man, given one small chance, would kill me without a single blink or a second of remorse. If it was possible, he would rip into me while I was still able to process the pain. It was kill or be killed, a very old notion generally used to justify the taking of a life. In this case, it really was the only way. No justification was necessary on Pangaea. +I swung the branch with all the force I could summon. The man ducked the swing and instantly lunged forward to tackle me around the middle. As his arms locked around me, I recovered from the shock of not hitting him and swung downwards. The thorn-covered branch plunged into his back and he fell to the ground, wounded but not out completely. I hit him over and over again until a spray of blood splattered onto my face, and he didn't move anymore. +“Quinn, let's go!” Alice's voice called. +She was grasping the rocks at the corner of the cave's entrance. They were headed inside. James, Brynna, Elijah and Violet were already gone. Nick, Alice, and I were going after them. The other natives were retreating, watching us fall back into the darkness of the cave. They had little need to wonder if we would meet our deaths inside because one of their own had pulled Penny into its depths and would definitely finish us off. That's what I thought, anyway. +But no, as I turned back to watch the five remaining outside, I saw that their eyes were wide in terror as they watched us disappear. +“Guys,” I muttered back to Nick and Alice, “Maybe we shouldn't...” +“Come on.” Alice grasped my hand and pulled me deeper into the cave. +“I don't know what we ever did to them. They're accusing us of wanting to do something that no one wants to do. Not one of us wants to destroy this planet the way Earth was destroyed! But that's what they're accusing us of! It's not right!” Nick was exclaiming angrily as he stalked ahead of us. +“Look!” Nick and I watched as she picked up a large stick and Brynn's lighter. “She must have left this for us. Yeah, this is what she was burning the other day to make a fire. See this sap?” She held the branch right under my eyes that were already confused by such vast darkness and their ability to see in it. Alice struggled to light the lighter, and I reached out to take it from her. +I held the flame to the branch and watched it catch onto the wood. The sap fizzled and cracked, sending sparks dancing towards the stone ceiling of the cave. Alice swung the torch around to see the cave walls. +“Alright. It should burn for a while. Come on!” +I looked over my shoulder one last time before hurrying along in their wake. Both were on their mission to go after James, Brynna, Elijah, and Penny but I wanted nothing more than to turn back. +Something was waiting for us deep in the cave. Perhaps it was more than one thing; I had no way of knowing. But that familiar tugging had resumed in my chest, reminding me that all the decisions made up until that point had led to disaster. Our group was impulsive at best and suicidal at worst. I was the only level-headed one of the bunch. My head always overrode my heart, and I wasn't ashamed to admit it. +Now I was allowing my heart to guide me. I would not let Alice face anything alone now that I understood her ability to kill. I had experienced the same drive while facing the prospect of my own death. I had almost seen her get eaten by that river monster. I had seen her fight expertly when we were overrun by those Shadows. She was the one always protecting me and making the hard decisions, though I would never tell her that. I silently vowed to start splitting the heavy weight fifty-fifty. +I knew that no speculation or temptation would convince her to turn back. Nick was already five feet ahead of us, walking blindly into the dark with just a faint glow from Alice's torch. +“We've got to start thinking this stuff through.” I muttered to Alice, “We need to start planning, learning to defend ourselves. We need to make weapons.” +“Those are all good ideas, babe, but none of that helps us now. We need to focus on what we're doing. We'll talk more about that later.” +“I'm just saying. We're only going to get lucky so many times. Every time we've survived these random things this place throws at us, it's been because of luck.” +“That's not true,” Alice replied with a quick shake of her head, “It's been a miracle, actually. But only partly. The other part is that we're stronger now. We're faster, and we're better fighters. We're adapting. It's an even split.” +“I guess so.” +I didn't actually agree. + +Violet + +James and Brynna were ahead of Elijah and me. James held the torch up, and its flame lit the cave with an ominous orange glow. We were unstoppable, walking quickly after Penny. We couldn’t pinpoint exactly what had grabbed her, though we assumed that natives had been hiding in the cave, waiting for us to be foolish enough to enter it. When we had been hesitant, they had taken Penny, knowing that we would follow. +“I just want to offer a fair warning to each of you, though my justification is more than likely unnecessary.” Brynna told Elijah, James, and me quickly without looking back at us. “When I find those that took her, I am going to kill every last one of them.” +She was right; her justification really wasn’t necessary. We would all kill anyone who threatened Penny. +“She’s just a little girl.” I whispered tremulously, “Why would they take her?” +“Their business should have been with us!” Elijah spat furiously, “She’s five. She has nothing to do with this.” +“We’re keeping at least one alive.” James told us, and in his voice, I heard no room for negotiation. I didn’t want to spare a single one. I wanted them all dead for taking Penny. I could feel her fear in the back of my mind. It was distant, like a sickness held off by a vaccine but still present in the blood. Brynna could feel the full force of it. I knew by the way her body held tension in every muscle and her eyes bugged like she was expecting a physical blow. Once or twice, she looked over her shoulder at me. I knew that she was remembering scooping me up after I had been attacked. I knew thinking that I was going to die had petrified her. I wanted to apologize, but it wasn’t the right time yet. Soon, the opportunity would present itself, and I would tell her that though it wasn’t entirely my fault that I was attacked, I was still deeply sorry for what my almost-death had made her feel. I understood her anger at me. +“I’ll stay close, Brynn.” I muttered to her quietly after walking up behind her. She gave me an almost imperceptible nod in response. I watched as her hands balled into fists and then released over and over again. “We’re going to find her, I promise.” +“I should be reassuring you. I know you are as afraid as I am. I should be telling you everything is going to be alright.” There was a soft, almost inaudible pain in her voice that I had never heard before. Her genuine regret had surfaced because she thought she was falling short of her self-appointed duties. I walked up beside her quickly and squeezed her hand, feeling that her palm was wet with a cold, nervous sweat. Losing Penny was her worst fear. I had always known that. +“It’s okay,” I told her gently, “Just let me be there for you right now. It’s alright.” +This time, she didn’t nod or even look at me. Giving herself over to be cared for by another was not something she was comfortable with. But she squeezed my hand when I went to let go of hers; I had been ready to retreat from her when her anger and self-righteousness made themselves known. Instead, she was keeping me beside her and allowing me to silently soothe her fears by just holding onto her hand. +“Stop.” James held his hand up, and we halted but continued to stare ahead with our white eyes. Brynna tilted her head back to take one long inhalation. +“Natives.” She whispered to James. +“A lot of them,” James agreed, “Too many to count. We’ll never be able to handle them all.” +“Not in this tight space, no.” Brynna crept around the wall of rock that was in front of us. When she came back around, her skin had paled even more. “There are at least one hundred of them. I do not know what they’re doing.” +Elijah, James, and I walked around to see. To our immediate left, there was a staircase chiseled from the rock. We were on the makeshift landing, hidden by a rock wall about five feet high. I put my hands on the cold stone and looked over cautiously to see the natives engaged in what looked like a group interpretive dance performance. They were swaying their hands in the air, humming all together to create an eerie, echoing drone that bounced around the large open space of the cave. +Lion’s den. The term popped into my mind before I had time to suppress it. It was accurate; we were in their territory now. Our chances of escaping were slim. Our chances of fighting them all off were nonexistent. +“I had the very same thought when I entered Adam's home.” Brynna told me as she watched the natives. “Though I must say, this is a far stranger experience. It is even stranger than him.” +They twirled their wrists and reached their hands out far simultaneously. If we weren’t facing our swift yet painful deaths, I would have loved to observe them as they were. I had always said that it would be cool to observe primitive tribes going about their daily activities. For a minute, I watched, dumbfounded and fascinated, wishing I had a guide who could explain exactly what they were doing. +“Look!” Brynna whispered. I looked at her to find that she was standing behind James and holding onto him around the middle with one shaking arm. She was pointing up. +In the flickering fire light, we saw a mural that spanned the entire mass of the ceiling. It was a red painting of a four-armed man. In each hand, he was holding something different. In one, there was an eye similar to what would be found drawn on the wall of an ancient Egyptian temple. In another, there was a small stick-figure man pointing a bow and arrow at the sky. On the other side, the drawing’s hand was holding a flame encircled by black ash. And in the fourth, there was an apple. I was so busy trying to decipher exactly what the symbols meant that I didn’t realize the picture was caked onto the rock with dried blood. Over the many years, the blood had hardened; the image was etched onto the rock forever. +“We have to get Penny. We have to get her, James.” I heard Brynna whispering to him. When I looked at her again, I saw that she was standing on her tiptoes and pressing her forehead to the back of his neck. Both of her arms were around his middle now, and he was rubbing them gently. +“I know, baby. I’m working on it.” He whispered back as his eyes scanned down below for a way through that wouldn’t alert them to our presence. +“I have an idea.” I whispered. Out of reflex, Brynna scowled at me but then immediately relaxed her face. Her anger at me had dissipated. There was just no time for it. +“What is it?” She asked. +“We need to create a diversion.” +“Alright. Let me through.” Elijah whispered but then, there was silence in the room below us. We all instantly dropped down to our knees to hide below the wall. +“On this night, we offer a sacrifice to the One God,” A man’s deep voice was saying, “The All-Knowing, All-Seeing gift-bearer will receive our message of gratitude. He will receive the body and soul of this child who will not reveal her name.” +“Good girl, Penny…” Brynna whispered as she moved back and forth on her feet slightly, ready to spring forward at any minute. +“Until we know the child’s name, we cannot continue.” +“But He will strike us down!” A woman’s voice exclaimed frantically. +“The others will overtake us!” +Someone, perhaps the cave-idiot, stood up and spoke in a humble voice. +“Why are we speaking in the tongues of the Earth man?” +“Because we are not alone, Even. Three orphans of Earth have followed us. They are there.” +All of us looked at each other in horror. +“Can you not smell the poisonous air from their destroyed Orb that clings to them?” +In response to his rude comment, there was an outpouring of laughter. +Brynna jumped up, her eyes ablaze. James followed her as she began to descend the stairs. Elijah clearly wanted to follow but his steely resolve from a moment earlier had vanished only to be replaced by useless fear. I stood because I was unafraid of those barbarians and all their ridiculous babble. +“So, your speech was rousing, as I am sure you know.” Brynna's voice carried around the opening, reflecting the authoritative tone back to me. Where she found the courage to be so forceful in such a terrifying situation, I didn’t know. If we survived, I would ask her in hopes of being able to emulate it someday. +“But you are lying to your sheep, sir. Yes,” She looked at the many natives who were glaring at her, “I called you sheep. I want my sister.” +I took a step closer to James when I saw that some had allowed their eyes to turn over white and their fangs to shoot out. It was going to get real very quickly. +“Sister?” Their leader asked. +“Yes. It is an English word meaning ‘female born to other children of the same parents, in relation to the other children.’ Sound familiar?” Her words were dripping with their usual sarcasm and condescension, but her body was trembling with fury that threatened to boil over at any moment. +“James...” I whispered, but he shushed me. After a moment, he reached back and put his arm around my shoulders, and I immediately felt a little safer. +“Whatever Higher Power for whom you are currently gesticulating will have to wait while you find a substitution.” Brynna continued. “I want her back now.” +Their leader took a step back upon meeting her eyes. +“But she is of Earth…” He was trying to retain his composure but it was escaping him, “I was told you are of Earth. It is true that you are changing, but how?!” +Her patience evaporated. Whatever fragile hold she had on her self-control slipped from her grasp. In a blink, she had lunged forward and tackled him. His body was twisted backwards over a rock that rose from the ground. In her rage, James, Elijah, and I found ours. It was beginning to become apparent that when one of us snapped over into animal-mode, the rest would quickly follow suit. It was like an infection that spread through the air between targets. +I grabbed the first person nearest to me and threw him to the ground. I hissed in the man's face as I grasped his throat tightly. +“You are not of Earth! It is a lie! This is a lie told by the Others!” The man who had led the ceremony exclaimed not in fear, but in fury of his own. “I cannot believe this. I cannot believe the One God would...” +“Bring her to me.” Brynna ordered furiously. “James!” +“What?!” James barked at her as his hands clamped even more tightly around a young man’s upper arms. The boy, barely older than me, grimaced in pain. +“Whichever one you are holding, bring him.” +“No! James, no!” A woman erupted into a fit of tears that should have softened us. But I felt no sympathy for any of them. I allowed myself not to worry for even a second about preserving or ending their lives. There was one option: Kill or be killed. I knew it. We all knew it. +“You shut up!” I screamed at the woman as another of her kind held her tightly. +“Please, he is my only son! Mister James...” The woman was attempting to fall onto her knees, but her fellow cave-mates held her up. Her pleas for mercy would soon turn to Brynna, I was sure. My sister was the person ordering her only son to be taken from her, after all. +Brynna was unconcerned with the woman. Her eyes were fixated on the man she was holding to the rock. Her focus was only on keeping him alive long enough to learn Penny's location. +“Bring her to me, or I will rip you and every last one of your people apart. This is only mild aggravation. I do not think that you want to see rage.” Brynna told the leader slowly and fiercely, as though he didn’t comprehend her words or was purposely disregarding how serious she was. +“Just kill him, Brynna!” Elijah shouted in beastly rage, “Stop playing with him and kill him! He took Penny!” +“I can see everything you see except the reason.” Brynna whispered, and I looked over at her to see that she wore a quizzical expression on her face. “I have seen faint pictures of all things. But this…” +“You do see all things?” The man raised his head up, looking at her intently. She snapped out of her reverie and pushed his head back down forcefully. He gave one weak exclamation of pain. +“Bring the girl!” He shouted into the dark corridor just off of the open space we were standing in. “Is she yours?” +“She is my sister. Weren’t you listening?!” Brynna shot at him angrily before turning her eyes back to the corridor. +“How strange, the light in your heart for her…” He reached up and placed his hand on her chest. Instantly, James pulled the boy away from the wall by the back of his shirt and stormed over. But Brynna had already snapped the man's wrist clean in half. She looked intoxicated as he screamed in pain; there was a small smile on her lips and her eyes had closed. James grabbed his broken wrist and squeezed it hard. The bone shifted and a disgusting squishing sound could be heard. The man screamed again, and they both laughed softly in response. I would have cringed at what they were doing, but my blood-lust was shrieking in feverish desire to see the man tortured. I found myself laughing along with them. The sound reverberated back at us, amplified and hysterical, downright hyena-like. Some of the natives, whom earlier had been so ready to fight us, were beginning to shrink back into the shadows, their trembling no longer of indignant rage but of fear. +“I should snap your neck next.” All of James’s lighthearted amusement disappeared abruptly and his voice raised to a frighteningly loud shout, “You will not touch her!” +After his pain had subsided, the leader managed to say through gritted teeth: +“And you are a Protector now…” +“Let us help you, please!” A woman who still wanted to fight despite our show of adrenaline-induced hysteria pleaded with the leader breathlessly. Her fangs were glinting in the firelight, and her eyes were fixed on James and Brynna; I saw in her the same strong, undeniable urge to fight that we were all experiencing currently. +“No!” The man shouted indignantly, “I do not need your help! Stay back!” +“Brynna!” Penny’s voice screamed as two men dragged her into the open space by her tiny arms. +A soft cry of relief escaped both Brynna and myself as we ran forward to throw our arms around Penny. Our little sister's entire body was shaking with fear and cold and delicate cries. +Elijah charged one of the guards but stepped back upon seeing our sister. Physically, she was perfectly fine, thank God. But there was a terror in her eyes that replaced the glow of youth we were so used to seeing in her. +“Hold on, baby girl.” Brynna instructed softly. Penny wrapped her arms and legs around Brynna's middle. Brynna shed her jacket and maneuvered Penny into it. “Shh... Shh... You're alright, baby. I've got you.” +“This is your leader, ladies and gentlemen.” James pointed at the man whom he had just released. “He has been attacked and injured by two people who were barely even trying. If any of you try to follow us, you will see the full extent of what we can do!” +“If you take one of ours, it will mean that you wish to go to war!” Their leader called after us in warning, as though he was telling us that for our own good before we made a terrible, life-threatening mistake. +“Shh…” Brynna whispered to Penny. James grasped the back of Brynna's neck and led her along ahead of us. Penny was attached to the front of her chest and crying into her shoulder. +“Do you want me to carry her?” He asked her softly. +Brynna shook her head as I ran up to walk by her side. My hands flew up to rub Penny's back and to stroke her hair. +We allowed our feet to guide us back the way we had come. We had been in such a panic when we were running into the cave after Penny that we hadn’t marked our trail. Luckily for us, our instincts were getting stronger. At their current level of strength, they could lead us to safety. +When we emerged from the cave, Alice, Quinn, and Nick were sitting on the ground, waiting for us. +“Good teamwork, guys.” I spat at them sarcastically as I ran my hand down the back of Penny’s soft hair again. +“Who is that?!” Nick demanded furiously. He pointed to the boy who was struggling to free himself from Elijah’s tight grasp. +“Is she okay?” Alice ran over and touched Penny’s back. +“We are taking him, whether you like it or not!” I heard Elijah bark at Quinn and Nick. “We went in there. We saved Penny. We’re making the decisions from here on out!” +“He’s one of them! Are you mad?!” Nick asked, and he looked between all of us, awaiting further explanation. +“No, we aren't. In fact, this is the sanest thing we've done since we've been here!” James snapped at him before grabbing the boy by both of his arms and dragging him off. +His cavalier nature that so smartly rivaled Brynna's arrogance and disdain for all things was gone. He was losing his grip on the situation, and it was wearing him down right before our eyes. Now, we had a prisoner. What were we supposed to do with him? +Nick's gentle touch on my arm snapped me out of my thoughts. +“I don't want to talk to you.” I walked away from him, trying to force my eyes to turn back over to their normal brown by blinking feverishly. +“Why? What did I do?” +“You stayed out here!” +“Yeah, and we had to kill four natives! They dragged us out of the cave. They were going to kill us!” +“And then you just decided to let us handle that situation on our own? A five-year-old girl gets pulled into a cave by God knows what, you kill some natives, and then you just call it a day? Forget the fact that you and I have both been toying with the idea of having a relationship. Not to sound like an overly emotional stereotype, but how would I ever be able to trust you?!” +“Maybe because I've saved your life before!” +“Excuse me?!” I whipped around to face him. “When have you ever saved my life? If I recall correctly, I was the one swooping in to play Han Solo to your Princess Leia! I was the one fighting natives!” +“Did you just use a Star Wars reference?” +“Yeah, I did! As if you didn't know that I was a nerd already!” +“Why are you so angry?” +“Because, Nick! The three of you just sat out here while we faced those natives in the cave. I get that it's the twenty-first century in Earth time and that women can stand up for themselves. That's not what this is about. It's about you being able to defend me if I need you to! If I get myself into a bad situation, I would need to trust that you would be there for me. Look at James and Brynna! She almost gets eaten by a dinosaur-slash-kraken-slash-Loch Ness Monster-thing and he jumps in the water to save her! Penny gets dragged into a cave, Brynna runs in after her, and James follows. Do you see what I'm saying here?” +“Well, haven't your sister and James been together for a long time?!” +“No! They just got together like, a week ago!” I sighed heavily and looked up to the sky for guidance. +“I don't know what you would like for me to say, Violet.” He told me softly. “Whatever it is, just tell me, and I'll say it, alright?” +“This conversation is stupid. This whole thing is stupid. I shouldn't expect anything of you. We never set anything in stone, right? Plus, I don't need anyone to save me.” +Brynna's pride and self-righteous anger were flying from my mouth before I could stop them. Pride might have been a sin, but Brynna wore it like a badge of honor and rightfully so. Though she was currently going against every life principle she had ever established in terms of men and relationships by engaging in a romance with James, she had always been right about them. They were untrustworthy. All were cowards at their core. All would save themselves over their female partner if the choice was given because they lacked our maternal, caring nature that was cruelly inflicted on us by the Gods. +Brynna's words, not mine. +But now, they were becoming mine. I stormed away from Nick, sickened by the sight of his face. How I ever believed that I could trust him after all Brynna had taught me was beyond my understanding. I was finished with dating. If my life was in danger, I needed a boy who would kill in order to save me. That was only if I needed saving. I needed a boy who would follow me into almost certain death with no hesitation. It was a grand, romantic thought that should have been accompanied by a string quartet and swans soaring overhead in a perfectly synchronized flight. It was so ridiculous. +It wasn't entirely unheard of, though. I watched James and Brynna walking ahead. Even as he steered the boy through the trees, he glanced at her every few seconds to make sure that she was beside him. In the fights that I had witnessed, he had never treated her as though she couldn't defend herself. It was only because he was her boyfriend that he accompanied her into dangerous situations. It wasn't because she needed to be saved by a big, strong man. Despite my anger, I smiled as I watched them walk. Brynna deserved no less than the man she had; he was kind, strong, and brave to the point of recklessness. He was even good-looking, to top it all off. +“Maybe I need to start looking for a man twice my age.” I mused to Alice. +“I should have followed you.” Alice ignored what I had said. It seemed to dawn on her, and she looked at me with her eyes widened. “No, don't do what she's doing. He's a great guy, don't get me wrong. But they'll never last, Violet.” +“What?” I took a step away from her. That anger that had dissipated so quickly took hold of me again. +“Come on, are you serious?” Alice asked and she actually chuckled slightly in disbelief. “She's twenty-two. He's like, forty-five. When has that ever worked?” +“On Earth, maybe it wouldn't have worked. Maybe it would have. We'll never know, will we?” I snapped at her bitterly. “You don't know my sister. You might think that you do, but you don't. She really cares for him. She trusts him. You have no idea what that means in Brynna's world.” +“Does she love him?” Her voice was saturated with lighthearted sarcasm. +“Yeah, I think she does, actually!” I replied indignantly. “Just because you and your boyfriend, who is your same age, can't make it work doesn't mean that Brynna and James can't. She's way mature for her age, and he loves her, too!” +“You're clearly not that mature for your age or else we wouldn't even be having this conversation.” +“Oh, shut up! All of you! How's this?” I had stormed ahead, but I turned back to face her, Quinn, and Nick. “You're cowards! All of you! We went into that cave after Penny, and you all stood out here and waited! If that had been any of you, I would have followed you. But you all are cowards!” +I turned around and walked quickly to catch up to Brynna, James, and Elijah. I didn't hear their snippy retorts. I wasn't even sure they had spoken any. I just knew that as soon as we met up with Don Abba's people, we were shaking those three immediately and continuing on our own. +It was the first seismic shift in our mindset. It was mirrored almost exactly in the other groups, though I wasn't aware of that yet. The question of cowardice was being posed to every man, woman and child by the circumstances that brewed beneath the fragile grasp we held on our lives. Being considered brave meant more than just being able to fight natives with every last bit of superhuman strength we possessed. It meant more than not succumbing to the fear that one would starve or dehydrate sooner rather than later. It also meant that one had to be able to make the tough, sometimes merciless decisions. +The boy we had stolen was one of those decisions. I watched as James and Brynna dragged him along, noting that he was maybe a year older than me, if that. Because of his sandy hair and tan skin, I was reminded of the surfer boys back home who lounged around on the beach all day. Some had been annoying because their ability to stand up on a board that was being thrust about by waves made them cocky enough to think that they could have any girl they wanted. But most had been harmless and just looking to have fun. It was a stupid thought, I knew. The boy we had taken had never seen Earth and was, in reality, nothing like those boys. I had to stop sympathizing, or else I would be as much of a coward as Alice, Quinn, and Nick were. +“What are we going to do with him, Brynn?” I asked after we had stopped walking. It had taken hours, but we had put as much distance between us and the cave as we could. James was pulling vines that crisscrossed around the trunk of an old oak tree; he used them to tie the boy to it. +“I hope he camped frequently as a child and knows how to tie a rope. Those knots have to be strong. I am sure that if we give him half the chance, he will break free and kill us all. We are going to need to keep watch over him for as long as he is with us.” She ran her fingers through her hair. I knew she was purposely evading my question because the answer had not come readily to her. +“I have many questions for him, none of which will help us substantially.” +“Like what?” I pressed her. +“Well, I want to know why they took Penny, first and foremost.” +“That man said they were going to...” I stopped, feeling a lump in my throat as horrible images of Penny being offered up as a human sacrifice to some faceless God bombarded my mind. “Well, you remember what they said.” +“They said that they would sacrifice her.” Brynna clearly hadn't heard a word I had said. “But why?” +“It was a religious sacrifice.” Elijah answered after coming up behind us. “You saw the way they were dancing around like that. Plus, there was that thing painted on the ceiling with the four arms. It's their deity.” +We blinked up at him in disbelief, neither one of us knowing how he knew that. +“What? I took Anthropology freshmen year.” +“Right. Indeed, you did. See?” She looked at me, “The benefits of a liberal-arts education. All that you just said will more than likely make up the bulk of that boy’s answer to my question. It does not help us at all. We could ask him for the whereabouts of a safe place to live, though I sincerely doubt that any place on this planet is safe from the eyes of the natives.” Brynna adjusted Penny, whom she was still holding to her chest. I moved Penny's hair out of her face to find that she had fallen asleep. +“It was too much for her. I cannot imagine the fear she must have felt.” Brynna muttered to us. She was trying hard to suppress the note of sadness in her voice that was brought about swiftly and easily by the thought of Penny in any kind of pain. “She just needs to sleep.” +“Do you want me to take her? Your arms are shaking because you've been carrying her for so long.” Elijah pointed, and for the first time, I noticed that Brynna's arms were shaking somewhat severely. +“Are you cold? Do you want my jacket?” I remembered that she had shed her own to give to Penny. While we were walking and it got colder, Brynna had pulled the hood up over Penny's head. I smiled slightly, thinking how cute Penny looked inside of the sweatshirt that, despite Brynna's small size, was still much too big for her. +“No. Keep it, dear.” She laid her head against Penny's. “And it's alright. I'll just sit down.” +“You can't carry her around forever, Brynn.” Elijah told her gently. “They're not going to get her again. I promise.” +“Promises are just words, no matter how honorable their intentions may be. There is no way you could possibly guarantee that Penny will not be taken by them again. The chances of them stealing her from me while she is attached to my chest are slim to none. And she is, quite literally, attached to my chest. Look...” She carefully maneuvered her hands so that she could push Penny away ever so slightly without waking her. Elijah and I both grimaced upon seeing that where Penny's bare skin met Brynna's, they were linked together. +“Oh my God...” Elijah muttered. He looked away and rubbed his eyes as a shudder of disgust passed through him. “How are you going to pry her off?” +“When she or I want to let go, we will let go, Eli.” Brynna replied with a sigh. “It is part of the mutation, I am assuming.” +“James, have you seen this?” Elijah pointed at Brynna when James came over to us. +For a moment, his eyes widened as he thought, I'm sure, that Brynna had been injured in some way. But then, he saw that Elijah was referencing Penny's attachment to her skin and he calmed. +“Oh. Yeah, I pointed that out to her. I assume it has some evolutionary meaning that I don't really feel like speculating about right now.” +“What are we going to do with him?” I expected the straight answer from James that I had wanted from Brynna. He didn't disappoint. +“We're going to find out what we want to know from him. After that...” He paused for a minute. Then, he shrugged, raised his eyebrows and shook his head. “I don't know.” +“What do we want to know from him? What can he tell us?” I prodded him further. +“We need to find out where we can go. We need a place where they can't get at us as easily. Then, we're going to find out why they're trying to kill us.” James continued breezily. “I also need to know if they have any weaknesses or if there are any kinds of real weapons on this stupid planet. Probably not, though.” +“I don't know. Their city was quite advanced. I am sure they have ways of protecting themselves. They more than likely do not manufacture guns, but knives and spears existing somewhere is certainly a plausible scenario.” Brynna chimed in. +“We're never going to be able to fight them with knives and spears.” My eyes were widened as I looked between the three of them. +“We will learn. We have adapted to survive this much, have we not? If we are meant to fight with knives and spears, then it will be done.” Brynna reassured me. “Did anyone else gather that the natives are split into two factions that I assume are at war with one another?” +“No. Where in the world did you get that from?” James asked her, “Did you read their minds?” +“One of the people, in her fit of pious terror, mentioned that their God was going to let the 'others' attack, if Penny was not sacrificed immediately. 'Overtake us' were her exact words.” +“And you think that by the others, she meant maybe the people in the city?” James asked. “Well, it would make sense. Why would those people be living in a cave when they could be living in that huge city? Do you think that them being at war with each other could help us?” +“Yes, I do,” Brynna answered, “But the reason why it will help us is one that, depending on your own personal morality, might repulse you.” +“Are any of us really that moral anymore?” I asked with a shrug. +There was silence; apparently, I had just said something deep that required a moment of thought. In that silence, I mused on the subject as well. Sure enough, I arrived at the conclusion that we weren't moral anymore. The longer we stayed on Pangaea, the more we embraced heartless brutality. We didn't really have a choice in the matter. +“What's your idea?” I wanted to break that uncomfortable quiet because the idea of losing my humanity was one that made my heart bound upwards into my throat. I feared becoming completely superhuman, as I now was able to understand and acknowledge the full implications of the change. +“I know the way I just know sometimes that this boy is important. I am sensing a familial connection to their leader. That man whom I assaulted, the one who was speaking, is their leader.” +“If there's a familial connection, why didn't he stop us from taking him?” Elijah asked. +“Perhaps he thought it was wiser to pretend that the boy was nothing than to give away his high standing. We would be more likely to hurt him if we knew he was of 'royal' blood, correct?” Brynna leaned forward in earnest as she explained. +“Yes.” James agreed, “I know what you're going to suggest. Do you want me to tell you?” +“Absolutely.” +“You think we should hand him over to the city-natives in exchange for our safety. He'd be a peace offering.” +“Indeed. I do not want to think for too long about what they might do to him. It will weaken my resolve to go through with the plan. But if this is our chance to live safely, then we need to take it. Running from them is only a temporary solution. It is not even a sure bet that we will escape them every time they come for us. This is our chance to guarantee our own safety.” +“But he's a kid!” Alice's voice exclaimed behind us in horror. We all jumped before turning around to see that she, Nick, and Quinn had been listening. +“The three of you were disqualified from these negotiations before they even began, I'm afraid.” Brynna informed them in a fake, rueful tone, “You gave up your rights to determine the fate of our young prisoner when you decided to sit, twiddling your thumbs, as we dragged him out of the cave with us after saving Penny.” +“You said something about them offering up Penny as a human sacrifice.” Quinn told us. +“Yes, I suppose if you were rudely eavesdropping, you would have heard that snippet of our conversation.” Brynna responded icily. +“So now, you want to offer up this guy as a sacrifice!” Quinn shouted in disgust, “He's a kid, just like us! You're no better than them if you do this. For all we know, he's never done anything a day in his life to deserve being killed!” +“We don't know that they'll kill him.” I crossed my arms over my chest and scowled at him. +“It's a pretty safe bet that they're going to kill him, and you all know it!” Alice looked at us with tears in her eyes. “I want no parts of this!” +“No one asked her to have a part in it.” I told Brynna, James, and Elijah angrily. We watched as she huffed off. +“Ignore the little girl, Violet,” Brynna replied, “She is just trying to be heard. After we turn this boy over, are we going to join up with Don’s group?” +“We don’t really have a choice. Even if they guarantee our safety, there’s no way that we can hunt for the rest of our lives on our own.” Elijah looked around us, seeing what the rest of us saw; either the forest was scant in animal population or they were very good at keeping themselves hidden from hungry apocalypse survivors. +“I want to shake Nick, Alice, and Quinn.” I proclaimed suddenly. “They’re a liability, don’t you think?” I looked at Brynna, knowing that if anyone was going to be in agreement that we had to abandon the three kids who were tagging along on our little adventure, it would be her. +“I do not know if that is necessary at this point. They may still be of some use. Until we join up with a larger group, we need as many eyes and ears watching and listening for threats, even if that is all we will get from them. Their fighting skills are archaic, barely above average. Ours have adapted further than I ever could have imagined.” Brynna looked back at the boy tied to the tree. His head was lolling from side to side, resting on his shoulder one minute and then falling forward so his chin touched his chest the next. +“What’s his problem?” I asked. +“While you were arguing with Nick, he tried to run. James and I took him down. He’s a native. He should be easier to handle like this.” Elijah told us as he chewed a piece of grass. +“Get that out of your mouth.” I scolded him. +“I suppose now that we have successfully carried out a rescue mission and intimidated our enemies in combat that Elijah is a cowboy slash super soldier. I find his imaginary world very cute. Surely, a full-fledged paracosm is just around the corner. We may soon find him barking out orders to his imaginary platoon or pretending that he is shooting at train robbers whilst atop a galloping horse.” Brynna smiled at him ruefully. I cracked up, mentally noting how surprised I was to have understood everything she had said. +He pretended to kick her in the leg. +“Actually, I’m just hungry, asshole.” +“Do not refer to me by that disgusting term, you foul-mouthed perversion.” She was only feigning great offense, and we laughed again. +“You're hungry!? We could eat him!” Alice shouted sarcastically to us. +“Go away!” I shouted at her, “If you have a better idea on how to handle the situation, by all means, let us hear it!” +“You sound like me.” Brynna said with a grin. +I fought the urge to smile because I was scowling at Alice still. +“You weren’t attacked by those things. Your sister wasn’t taken by them.” I felt that animal rage that had exploded inside of me as I got out of Miranda’s car that day resurface. “You can barely fight because you’re trying not to change over! We’re embracing whatever is happening to us. The three of you stand no chance against them, but we do. Besides these new abilities, we have him!” I pointed at the boy, “And he may just be the only peace offering we will ever have our hands on!” +“He’s a human being! I mean, he’s not human, but he’s…” +“We have the same abilities he has, and yet he tried to kill us.” I sighed heavily and rolled my eyes. “I am done with this conversation. Keep your poor attempts at debilitating sarcasm to yourself. They make you look pathetically ridiculous.” +“Very nice.” Brynna said to me proudly. +“Thank you.” +She was gently pulling Penny from her chest. I crinkled my brows as I watched their skin separate. Not even a red mark was left behind on either of them. She handed Penny to me, and I turned her sideways to press the skin of her chest to my own. It didn’t attach. +“Alright, nothing too gruesome, if you please.” Brynna said softly to James, who was glaring at the boy in silent fury. “Hey…” Brynna reached out to put her hand under his chin and turned his head so he was looking at her. I watched from a distance as his white eyes changed over to their usual brown at the sight of her. After glancing over her shoulder to make sure Elijah’s back was turned, she stood on her tiptoes to kiss James quickly. I had never seen her in a relationship before, but I knew from watching them periodically over the previous days that she was more than fond of him. It was strange to see that loving side of her worn so proudly on her sleeve. Even as those Pangaean powers began to overtake her Earthly human nature, the humanity that had long been suppressed was growing stronger by the day; it was clawing its way to the surface in a fight for its already significantly weakened life. It was truly strange to witness, after knowing Brynna as being cold and emotionless for so many years. +“Let me do the talking.” Brynna told him. +“I don’t want you talking to him.” James replied just as quietly. “He’s dangerous.” +“Are you suggesting that I cannot take care of myself, James Maxwell?” She asked in a tone slightly more teasing than I would have expected of her. +“Of course not.” He smiled slightly as he kissed her again. “I know very well that you can. Is it such a crime for me to be concerned about you?” +“No.” Brynna shook her head. She was all seriousness now. “It is not at all, honey.” +“Are you sure you don’t want me to talk to him?” +“I am sure.” +I looked off to see if Elijah was returning from his trip to the oak-tree-makeshift-bathroom ten feet from us. Sure enough, he was walking back, his hand ruffling the back of his hair as he looked at the ground. He seemed lost in thought but I couldn’t blame him; huge decisions were about to be made and their consequences would be felt for years to come. There was no escaping the magnitude of the conundrum in which we found ourselves. +I picked up a small rock and threw it at James and Brynna. +“Ow! Stop hitting me with things!” Brynna exclaimed, and she rubbed her ribcage quickly where the rock had hit her. +“I’m sorry!” I squealed before covering my mouth, “I was trying to hit your leg!” +“All of these new powers, and you can’t throw a rock accurately? Such a shame but so funny, as well...” James replied jokingly as he looked up at the sky. +“Shut up, James.” I laughed. +“That seems to be a popular sentiment around here.” He muttered, and Brynna and I both giggled somewhat obnoxiously. +“What’s so funny?” Elijah asked when he came back. +“Nothing.” I replied, “James is being his typical self again, so that’s a plus for everyone.” +“Good. You were starting to get kind of Goth on us, man.” +“Are there even still Goths?” I stopped after feeling a quick tug in my heart, “Were there still… never mind.” +“I am going to ask him questions.” Brynna informed Elijah. “I have requested that nothing too monstrous occur. Are we in agreement on that?” Elijah and James nodded, “Alright, then. Come along.” +Brynna turned and walked over to the boy who had just awoken. He was looking around, clearly trying to determine his surroundings. +“You and Penny stay back.” Elijah put his arm out to stop me from walking forward. “You can listen. But stay away from him.” +I nodded and sat down behind a large rock that obscured Penny and me from the Pangaean boy’s view. I could hear perfectly despite the distance between myself and the prisoner. Enhanced hearing was proving to be more and more useful the longer I was able to control it. +Brynna skipped traditional greetings. There were no niceties to be observed with that violent boy. However, in her strategic move to break down his defenses, she did ask his name before plowing ahead with her questioning. +The boy sounded slightly bored when he answered. +“Jonathon,” He narrowed his eyes at her, “I know that your name is something rather strange, is it not?” +“You’re not going to know her name.” James said a little too calmly to be believed. I knew that beneath the surface, his fury raced along with his heart; I could almost hear the rapid beats in my mind. +“Are you of importance to the man who was speaking?” +“I suppose so, yes. He is my father.” +“Your father offered little help as we dragged you from the cave.” +“He was more concerned that his sacrifice was getting away, if I had to decipher the meaning of his apathy.” +“That's why?” Elijah replied. He looked at James and Brynna. “He allowed his son and his sacrifice to be taken. I’m not so sure that we should fear this guy.” +“You should, if you are wise!” Jonathon glared at Elijah. “He is commanded by the One God.” +“The God that was painted on your ceiling in blood?” Brynna asked calmly. +“Yes. The God that bestows us with gifts and miracles is the one to which we were going to sacrifice the girl.” +“So, now what? Now that you did not sacrifice my sister, what is going to happen to you?” +“The others will stand a better chance of overtaking us.” +“You’re giving away this information rather freely. Why are you not hesitating in telling us all of this?” James asked, and his voice betrayed his growing anger now. +“Because you are not our greatest threat. Why should I fear you knowing our secrets? You will soon be dead. We know that a heavy darkness is descending on our lands. You humans will be the first to perish in it.” +“You are well aware that we are not humans anymore.” Brynna told him. +“I do not know what you are, and it does not matter to me.” The boy was getting angry now, too. “If you do not return me to my father, he will kill you. He will kill every last one of the people you brought with you on your vessel.” +“‘The others,’” Brynna said questioningly, “Are they the ones who live in the city? Is my theory correct that you are two separate factions at war with one another?’ +“The city dwellers…” The boy repeated in such disdain, I’m sure Brynna was jealous. “All their progression, all their love of new and shiny things, they desert the One God. He will not reward them. I do not know why my people believe that they hold any power.” +“That’s an affirmative on your theory being correct, dear.” James told Brynna. +“Have your cave-dwelling people attacked us before? Have you attacked any of the survivors from Earth?’ +“No. You are but a nuisance. When our war with the city is won, we will turn our gaze to you. Then, our world will be pure again.” +“May I ask you something that is rather unimportant?” +“Only if you tell me your name.” + “Knowing my name will not aid you in any way, Jonathon. Surely, you know that. Here is the prelude to my question: Adam, the leader of the city, informed me that you have studied our kind for ages. Clearly, you hold us in high regard. Now for my question, though I assume you will not answer it truthfully: Where is this animosity coming from, dare I ask?” +The boy was silent. +“Like I said, it is unimportant. If you do not answer, I will say that my question was just yet another instance of me thinking out loud. Though, this next question will interest you, because it concerns your fate: What do you think Adam’s actions would be if we were to turn you over to him?’ +I peeked around the wall to see that the boy’s eyes were wide and he was stuttering in his attempts to get his fear under control. +“You cannot… my father will… I…” +“His actions will be violent and painful, we can assume.” Elijah answered for him. +“Are you attempting to make peace with him?” The boy demanded in a shaking voice. “Are you going to trade me so that he will spare your lives? You can give me back to my father, and he will protect all of you. He will not sacrifice the girl. He will protect you! Adam spares no one! You cannot make peace with him!” +“Why are we listening to this? We have the upper-hand. He knows it. He’s trying to talk his way out of this. If we go back to that cave, we’re going to get ambushed.” Elijah informed the other two. The boy's promises were empty ones. They were absolutely impossible for anyone, even him, the son, to guarantee. We controlled his fate, and we had to use that fact to our advantage. +Yet I was beginning to sympathize with him. Seeing his youth up close and musing on his resemblance to kids I might have known on Earth were putting the wheels in motion for my heart to change course. Brynna looked at me, sensing that new reluctance. She walked over and grasped my arms gently. +“You do not have to have a say in this. You can walk away from this decision with clean hands, and I will not think less of you. I know that my opinion of you is not something about which you care greatly, but I wanted you to know that I will not judge you if you choose to stay out of this.” +“How can you say I don't care about your opinion of me?” I asked her softly. My throat clenched when I raised my brown eyes to meet her startling blue ones. “Yours is the only opinion that matters, Brynn.” +She opened her mouth to respond but for once, she came up short on the correct words to say. That’s what I assumed, anyway. But a very small, very naïve part of me believed that I had moved her with what I had said. +She cleared her throat and gave a response after a few short seconds of gathering her many thoughts. +“Either way, I do not want this on your conscience.” +“You would rather me think less of you? I’m not saying that I would. But I might, when we reach the end of this. He’s so young. He’s my age. Do you understand where my sympathy is coming from?” I stopped and chuckled softly to myself. The sudden change in my mood provoked a small grimace of confusion to form on her face. “Of course you understand it. That was a stupid question.” +“I do. I want to do the right thing by all of us. On Earth, the right thing never involved handing over a boy to his family's bloodthirsty enemies. We never would have to trade him when he is perhaps innocent of all the charges we hold to his father. We would never have found ourselves making such a terrible decision. But things are different now. I have told you that before. Do you remember when we saw that horrible film about the end of the world?” +“Yeah. I can’t even remember what it was called now…” I smiled after remembering how Brynna had rolled her eyes and thrown her hands up in exasperation at the stupidity of what was happening in the movie. +“I do not, either. But do you remember how afterward, I told you that I believed the world’s fascination with the end of civilization was prophetic in a way. You were so afraid. You always took all of my rambling beliefs to heart, even the most conspiratorial. Even the most ridiculous. Bringing this memory forward has a purpose. It is relevant to what we are currently trying to decide. I understand the fascination now. We are living free of restrictions, both legal and spiritual. It tells us more about ourselves as people than we ever could have discovered living under law. Instead of some faceless judge deciding this boy’s fate, it is us slamming the gavel, if you will.” +“Do you like it? Do you like having that responsibility, Brynna?” +She shook her head back and forth and puffed on the cigarette that I hadn’t seen her light. +“I never had a desire to play God, Violet Mae. I only wanted to spectate as others tried. I need you to remember that, no matter what may occur from here on out.” +I nodded and studied her face. Her exhaustion was becoming more evident as the days passed. I’m sure the weariness in her eyes was reflected in my own. I reached out and grasped her hand. +“James wants to hand him over.” +I brought up James simply to gauge her level of attachment to him. I was curious to know how deep the bond had forged itself inside each of them. +“Yes, he does. He feels no sense of reluctance to do so, either. He will do anything to keep us safe, no matter how cruel.” +“Are you okay with that?” +Brynna nodded. +“We are two completely different breeds. Men take action with little thought. Women think for ages but rarely act.” +“That’s not true. You’ve acted on impulse quite a bit here of late.” +“That was different. I was emotionally motivated to protect the people I love. Then again,” She looked up at the stars that were beginning to awake for their nocturnal watch over the world, “His motivation is the same as mine. Perhaps my whole theory is ridiculous.” +“Whoa…” I reached out and grasped her hand. “You have never admitted to flaws in your reasoning. This is a big moment. If Hell was still beneath our feet, I would have felt it freeze over through my shoes.” +“Shut up…” She murmured through a small smile. “You are curious about mine and James’s relationship.” +“Well, not curious. When you say it like that, it sounds creepy, like I want intimate details of your love life, or something…” I looked at her, suddenly serious, “Brynna, did you two…” +“That is none of your business!” She exclaimed as she grasped her heart in genuine shock at the question, as though she were a sixteenth-century, God-loving maiden asked for relations outside of marriage by a sleazy, smooth-talking king. I giggled. +“You totally did!” +“I did nothing of the sort…’ +“Brynn,” I took her hand again, “I’m not twelve anymore. I’m old enough to know that these things happen. Don’t worry, I’m not going to go mimic your sinful actions.” +She laughed again. +“Do as I say, not as I do. Isn’t that the old expression?’ +“I don’t know about old. But it certainly does get thrown around a lot.” +“It is generally used to excuse hypocrisy, which is why I refrain from saying it. Just remember that mine and James’s relationship is to be kept from Elijah at all costs.” +“Of course. He likes him a lot right now. He thinks he’s hilarious. Just let him find out that you two are involved, and he’ll think James is Satan preying on young virgins. I approve, though, Brynna. I know that you don’t need anyone’s approval, but you have mine.” +She nodded and looked at me, still smiling slightly. +“In the same way that my opinion matters greatly to you, yours matters greatly to me. If you ever tell anyone I said that, I will injure you severely, far worse than any Shadow in the woods ever could.” +My heart surged. Brynna had always done whatever she saw fit to do, with no regard for what anyone, even those who believed they were close to her, thought of her actions. Now, she had just admitted that what I thought mattered to her. It was a moment that repaired and strengthened the bond between us. Watching her reckless courage and wishing I possessed a fraction of it had ignited the electrical surge that was pulling us back together. Her gentleness that I had long believed to be permanently dead was beginning to resurface, making it easier for me to see her clearly. My heart still ached for our mother, whom Brynna had heartlessly left behind. I had been so thrilled to find that our father was alive but now, I wished that her cold decision had been reversed. I wished that he had been left to die and our mother had been spared. A part of me even wished Maura had died with him. +“Forget about her.” Brynna told me as we walked back towards the boy. +“Brynna!” I covered my ears like I always did when she entered my mind to read my thoughts, “How do you do that?!” +“When someone has a sudden change of mood, generally going from very happy to very sad or angry, as you just did, their thoughts scream what their mouths will not say.” +“I just don’t want to talk about it. Do you know what I realized?” I said in an attempt to change the subject. “You talk like them.” +“Like who?” +“The Pangaean people. They’re all really eloquent, aren’t they?” +“They are, indeed. Though, I was eloquent long before we arrived here. I chalk that up to my vast intelligence, as you very well know.” +“I know. Or maybe…” +“If you are going to suggest that fate, which is a fallacy, mind you, had anything to do with this, I am going to scowl at you.” +“Okay.” I shut up. +We had reached Elijah and James, who were pulling the boy up onto his feet. Elijah tied his hands behind him with the vine, utilizing his knowledge of knots that he had acquired in Boy Scouts. Apparently, he never forgot the lesson. +“Alright, let’s go.” +“Just take me back to my father. He’ll kill me! Adam will kill me, and then my father will come after all of you!” +“Shut up!” Elijah snapped at him as he walked him forward. “I’ll kill you myself if you don’t shut up.” +“Eli!” I exclaimed in horror. I was truly shocked that he would even suggest mercilessly murdering someone who posed no real threat. +“Just keep walking.” Elijah shot at the boy. +And so we were walking again, Elijah and James leading the struggling boy forward in the direction of the city. Brynna followed closely behind, cradling a still sleeping Penny. I followed her, trying to fight against my stubborn heart that knew what we were doing was wrong. Alice, Quinn and Nick moved in our wake, mumbling about heartlessness and bad decisions. +I almost turned and joined their group. + +Part III: The Almighty Split + +Brynna + +We had believed that we were going in the right direction. I forgave my mistake simply because we had only been on Pangaea for a short while. It was impossible for me to hold myself accountable for not knowing the full layout of the land. The Pangaean boy was by no means going to give us any help. We were walking him to his death, after all. +I was sitting down quietly, watching Elijah as he tried to coax Penny into eating some berries he had found. He had eaten a whole handful the day before in order to discover any toxicity that may have been hidden under their green, scaly skins. Surely, fruit so ugly had to be poisonous. I had given him a long, furious lecture on reckless actions, suppressing my urge to scream and hit him for being so unforgivably stupid. I understood why he had done it. What I was truly angry about was that we had to play Roulette with our lives in order to eat. He hadn’t apologized. He hadn’t spoken at all. He had just let me lecture him on stupidity. +“Stop glaring before you burn a hole in his back, baby.” James told me, and I turned the furious glare he had just commented on to him. “Never mind. Glare all you want.” +He walked down the fallen log on which he was perched. My anger dissolved as I reached up to wrap my arms around his middle. +“I am running out of cigarettes. I stole several packs from one of the storage units on our first night here. I should have stolen rations.” +“Yes, so we could have witnessed a witch hunt to rival the one in Salem hundreds of years ago. That’s a smart plan, my love.” +I beamed happily as he knelt beside me and grasped my hands. He smiled, too, when he looked up at me. +“I was expecting to get an earful for telling you that your plan would have led to disaster, and you’re smiling.” +“I have grown used to your sarcasm, so sometimes, it will not affect me in the slightest. I am smiling because I like when you call me 'my love.’” I told him softly, “It sounds so medieval, so it is similar to the way I always talk. Plus, the endearment is heartwarming.” +He laughed softly and kissed me. +“My love, my love, my love…” +I laughed now, too, and wrapped my arms around his neck as my lips caressed his. We both stopped, looking over to see Penny still refusing the berries that Elijah was offering her. No amount of begging or lying was going to work. +“Are you going to step in any time soon?” +“No, sir. If he wants to eat potentially poisonous plant life, that is his prerogative.” +“Those aren't poisonous, though. The ones he ate earlier have worked their way through his system by now, and if they were poisonous, he wouldn't still be here.” +“I know. But as punishment for the scare he gave me, he can fight Penny to eat. It is a lost cause. She is as stubborn as I am.” +“If you went over there and told her to eat them right now, she would do it.” +“I know she would. That is one of the perks of my job as surrogate mother: She listens to me.” +“You’ve never told me how that came to be.” +“There is not much to tell.” I shrugged, “Our mother had her in order to fill the void left by the death of my youngest brother. Maura and my mother resented us both. I was young and self-interested, but I knew that I had to put that aside and take care of her. There is a difference between meeting a child’s basic needs and actually caring for a child, as I was very much and still am very much aware. During the time that I raised Penny, I was also chiefly responsible for Violet, who was reaching the age where Maura and my mother deemed her stable enough in her own identity and in her own capabilities to stand on her own. She was mostly left to her own devices, which can lead to trouble for a teenagers. I am very aware of that, as well. See? That is not really much of a story, now, is it?” +“Actually, it is. You rarely divulge details like that.” He kissed my cheek, “You must be succumbing to my charms.” +I laughed and placed my hand on his face. +“That happened long ago, sweetheart.” I stood up after kissing him again, knowing I had shocked him by admitting my enchantment with him out loud. He followed after me, and after catching up, he put his arm around my shoulder. I smiled up at him again. +“I have been meaning to tell you that there is a structure nearby.” +He looked at me in slight surprise. +“How do you just randomly drop that into the conversation?’ +“Technically, we were not talking so there was no conversation. But I digress…” I linked my fingers with his and pulled him along. “Come with me.” +I had been out wandering, looking for shrubbery that appeared to be non-life-threatening. I led him to the canal into which I had almost tripped. It was an irrigation system of some kind that was quite advanced, considering our surroundings. +“I was going to follow it but I was not sure if I would be encountering any more natives looking for a sacrifice.” +“Good. Let’s follow it now.” +We were careful to avoid falling into the ditch. It was deep, with steep sides fashioned from dirt hardened by the blazing hot sun. Once, I lost my footing, and if it weren’t for James’s quick hands, I would have gone tumbling down into it. +“Graceful, baby…” He told me sarcastically. +Later, he almost tripped, and I reached out, grasped the back of his shirt in both hands, and pulled him away from the edge. +“Go ahead and say it because I know you want to.” He challenged me in good humor, but I sauntered forward, smiling widely as I walked in front of him. +“It is nice up here on the high road, James.” I told him over my shoulder. I heard him laugh loudly as he rushed forward to wrap me in his arms from behind. He kissed my cheek, and for some reason, I found myself giggling girlishly again. We were currently enjoying rare alone time with which we had not been gifted since meeting up with Alice and Quinn. We both knew that we had a task at hand and that romance would have to wait. But that does not mean that both of us were not thinking about it constantly… We were a new couple, after all. +When I broke free of his arms and walked ahead of him, he reached out, grabbed my hand, spun me around, and pulled me back to him. The maneuver was as graceful as a classic dance step and yet I still yelped in surprise. Just as the sound escaped me, I felt his mouth on mine and his arms locked around me once again. We walked further away from the water ditch; there was nothing that would kill the mood faster than rolling down the steep embankment and slamming onto the hardened earth. +We fell into a soft mossy patch. I started to undo his belt as his lips trailed down my neck and chest smoothly. I tilted my head back, relishing in the feeling of his kisses on my sensitive skin. When I felt his mouth moving slowly and sensuously down my stomach and his hands pulling my pants down feverishly, I struggled to draw in a steady breath but once I had, I managed to moan his name only once. Then, I could only draw in deep, heaving breaths. +His lips were trailing up my inner thigh in an almost cruel tease. On the places where his hands or lips touched, my skin tingled sensuously before sending a scintillating rush of heat to the place where soon his mouth would be. +When his lips and tongue were moving against me finally, it was an almost sinful relief. Instantly, my eyes were closed, and I was running my hands through his hair, breathing in deeply and moaning out his name. +It was while I was clawing the ground beside me and breathing heavily that I began to feel dead eyes watching us. Somehow, the heavy feeling of that eerie presence interrupted the mind-numbing pleasure that James was inflicting on me. + When I opened my eyes, my furiously beating heart lurched upwards. Before I could even process what was before me, my arousal completely evaporated, and I could only feel a sharply painful surprise that streamed through my veins to every part of my body. That surprise dissolved into icy shock and then, to a horror that almost pulled a scream from deep in my stomach. +“James!” I whacked him harder than I intended on the back. When he did not respond fast enough, I yanked his head up by his hair that was still clutched in my hand. +“Ow! What?!” He asked. But after looking up, his eyes immediately fell on what I was seeing. He jumped up and pulled me with him so that I was cradled in his arms. I allowed myself just one second where I squeezed my eyes shut and burrowed my face into his neck. +“Alright, we're going to go. It's okay, baby.” +I rolled out of his grasp and landed on my feet. The sight before us paralyzed me; all I could do was stare in utter terror and repulsion. Vaguely, I felt James pulling my pants up again. +“Honey, I want to go.” My voice betrayed my fear as did the way my entire body shook. “James, I don’t want to stay here.” +Rows upon rows of bodies were hanging from the trees, their eyes and mouths opened wide in a silent scream that would never be heard. I held James’s hand to my chest, stopping him from walking forward when he went to observe the bodies more closely. +“It wasn’t being hung that killed them. That’s just for show. Look…” He pointed at the body that was closest to us. +I had been so distracted by the morbid way the woman's head was rested sideways on her shoulder that I had not noticed the contents of her abdomen hanging from a gaping, still-dripping wound. My body lurched forward abruptly. If I were to vomit, it would simply be the physical, tangible manifestation of the scream to which I was refusing to give life. +James had not realized that I was going to be so thoroughly sickened by the sight of that woman’s mangled body. I had handled everything else so efficiently, with not even a hint of any kind of emotional distress. After calling my attention to the true atrocity of what we were witnessing, he knew that he had inadvertently frightened me. +“Baby, I’m sorry.” +I shook my head and closed my eyes, struggling to suppress the nausea churning my stomach in sickening gyrations. He rested both of his hands on my face and kissed my forehead. +“There are so many of them...” I whispered in a trembling voice, “James...” +“I know. Come on, we'll go. You're alright. We're both alright. Can you walk, sweetheart?” +I nodded vigorously but clutched him tighter when he released his grip on me slightly. +“I have to start taking care of myself again, James.” I muttered with my eyes still closed. I needed to change the subject in order to keep the angrily bubbling bile down where it belonged. “You are spoiling me with your attentiveness and your care.” +“This is spoiling you?” He cupped my chin, raised my head, and pressed his forehead to mine. “This is what you consider spoiling?” +“Indeed. It is an amazing albeit unfamiliar gift. You are the only one who has ever gotten this close to me.” +“Well, I’m not going anywhere.” He assured me for perhaps the hundredth time. It did not matter how many times he said it. Every time was a new reminder, a new breath of life to resuscitate a slowly dying idea. +“I know very well that you’ve spent your entire life taking care of yourself. But you need to understand and accept that it’s alright to let someone else carry your weight for you. Don’t tell yourself that you need to start pulling away. Don’t do that again, Brynna.” +His words held a soft plea that I had not heard before. He had teased me on my never-ending urge to run from him and all he represented. He had been both infuriated by that tendency and profoundly hurt by it, as well. Now, he was expressing indirectly that he could not stand for us to be apart again. I looked up at him and put both of my hands on his face now. +“I do not want to leave you, honey. The fact that I have made it this far is astounding. Trust me, you should be patting yourself on the back for hanging in this long. We have been through the worst things that any living beings can experience, and we have gotten through them together. Do you agree?” +“Of course I do. I never would have been able to get through this without you. And I even count your condescending, pain-in-the-ass side, because that got me through, too.” +I smiled and stroked the stubble on one side of his face with my thumb. +“Only because you were picturing all the quiet places on the ship or on this planet where you could possibly kill me?” +“Not kill you, no.” He replied with a teasing grin, “But definitely use my Jedi mind powers to make you trip over your shoelaces or something similar.” +I laughed and hit him lightly in the chest. After standing on my tiptoes to wrap my arms around his neck, I turned my face to him and breathed in his intoxicating scent. Our bathing options were limited. In fact, they were nonexistent on most days. Still, James smelled as seductively wonderful as ever. +“Can we go?” I asked, “I feel like they just watched this entire conversation.” +“You’re afraid of dead people hearing you confess that you have feelings, too?” He replied. +“I am afraid of dead people, period.” +We turned to walk away, abandoning our search for the building from which the irrigation system stemmed. Nothing threw off a hunt for shelter like finding bodies hung up and slashed open in the trees. Just as we began to walk away with our hands clasped together, we jumped at the sound of a loud bang behind us. Immediately, we whipped around, our eyes white in cautionary alarm. We were ready for a fight. +We were never given a chance because when we turned, a spotlight that illuminated the darkness of the forest blinded us. I covered my eyes, only to feel two pairs of hands grabbing me. +“No!” I threw my body forward and flipped one of the assailants over my shoulder. The other let go and backed away as he realized that I was rounding on him to attack. +I stopped before the fight even began, though. I recognized the face of the man who had grabbed me. +“James, stop.” I looked over to see him repeatedly punching another man in the face. He released his iron grip on that one's throat and watched him crumple to the ground. Then, he walked back over to me. +“Are you with Don Abba?” I asked the boy. He was trembling terribly and holding up his hands in surrender. “Do not stand like that. You have not seen half of what we are capable of. You are betraying your weakness.” +The boy immediately put his hands down. +“You’re his daughter, aren’t you?” +“No. My father is the obnoxiously power-starved man with the gray hair who believed that he was fit to be ruler of the campsite.” +“No, not his daughter…” He gestured with his head towards James, “You're Olivier's daughter.” +“I suppose you could call me that as it is factually accurate. It's accurate biologically, anyway. In terms of sentimentality and non-literal connotations of the word, though...” +“Brynn...” James said behind me, and I shook my head slightly, rerouting my mental course until it was back on track. +“You are human, aren’t you? Your thoughts clearly show human tendencies.” I was speaking gently, noting that he was carrying a double barrel shotgun. If I frightened him too severely, I would be shot, and no level of superior powers would heal a wound from a gun that size. +“How do you know…” +“Just relax.” James instructed him calmly, “We're all on the same side here, okay? You startled us. That’s why we attacked your friends.” +“We saw you from inside. We thought you were from here.” +“You thought we were Pangaean?” I asked, and he didn’t respond. The poor young man was shaking so severely that if he were not talking clearly, I would fear that he was succumbing to a seizure. +“You don’t want to go in there, Ms. Olivier. They’re not friends of yours in there. They don’t like you because you’re his kid.” +“Well, I do not like him. I am as disgusted by him as the rest of you are. Just take me to Don. I will explain the situation.” +“No, you don’t understand. He’s… he’s…” The boy trailed off, turning white as the threat of losing consciousness became evident to him. +“You have nothing to be afraid of, sweetheart.” I assured him as gently as I could. +I felt great sympathy for that poor boy. He was younger than Violet, and yet he was sent out with a gun to dispatch a threat. I wondered how many of those unfortunate souls hanging in the trees were killed by that young man who was clearly in over his head. +“What is your name?” +“Andy.” He answered, and I watched as tears welled in his eyes. “I don’t want to do this…” +The conversation we were having should have been all the warning James and I needed to hear in order to convince us that we should turn back. But our need for community was driven by our survival instinct. We could not responsibly continue to trek along on our own, not after Penny had been taken. Our fellow survivors were our only chance. +“Alright, Andy. You do not have to do anything that you do not want to do.” I looked at James and tried to convey what I was thinking. Somehow, I was able to manage it, because he nodded in response to my silent question. “We have a prisoner. We stole him from a large group of natives that live in a cave a few miles back.” +“The cave people are bad. That’s what Adam said.” +“You have spoken to Adam?” +“Don joined up with him. That’s why there are…” He pointed at the bodies, “They aren’t just other survivors. Most of them aren’t. But some of them…” He pointed at the bodies closest to us but did not actually look at them, “Those three… They were in my housing compartment. They slept right next to my dad and me…” +James and I were silent, looking at the three bodies. Andy was wiping at his eyes as tears escaped before he could stop them. There were no gentle reassurances I could give him; in fact, there was nothing to be said at all. So, I returned us back to the reason why we had come, for the sake of all of us. +“We need to speak to Don.” +Andy nodded and wiped his eyes quickly. He wanted to erase any indication of his emotional outburst. I assumed that Don would not take kindly to one of his “soldiers” breaking down into a fit of guilt and regret. I gently clasped his arm, surprising myself with that moment of kindness. No non-family member had ever witnessed my caring nature, which barely existed in silence let alone in visible action. +“I’m Brynna, but I am sure you know that.” He nodded, “This is my…” I trailed off, not knowing how to describe James still despite how far we had come together, “This is James.” +I had to forgive myself just once for taking the easy way out of a conversational conundrum. +He looked between us and smiled ever so slightly. +“Anyone from Earth is alright with me. After all of this…” He shuddered slightly, “Come with me. I’ll take you to Don.” +*** + +We were led by Andy to a towering wall made from smooth, old rock. Vines slashed their way across its surface so that the whole structure camouflaged into the surrounding forest. After walking several feet, Andy pulled back a particularly thick patch of vines that held beautifully shaped pink flowers. +“Don't let them fool you.” Andy told me as he used his knife to pull back the vines. “The second you touch them, they shoot a barb from inside straight into your eye. If you manage to avoid that, they get you with this weird white smoke that kills you in seconds.” +Without even addressing exactly what he had said, I looked at James. +“Do you think Penny...” +“No,” He held my hand to comfort me, “Her instincts will stop her, sweetheart. Besides, I doubt there are any more around here...” +“That's not true, actually. There's a whole tree where they grow around the trunk about a quarter mile from where we're standing.” +“Let's not talk about that.” James said firmly, and when I went to continue, he grasped my face and shook his head to warn me against speaking further on the subject of Penny, Violet, and Elijah. +A door meticulously fashioned from old stones was revealed to us once Andy had safely moved all of the vines away with his knife. A small window at the top of the door was pushed open, and an eye appeared; it looked between the three of us in slight alarm before the door swung open without a word from the mysterious gatekeeper. In fact, when we walked through, we did not even see him. When I looked up the long, dirt path we were to travel, I saw at the end a colossal Gothic mansion that had to be as old as the planet itself. It was in that house that Don and his people had taken shelter. +I surveyed the grounds, noticing that people were busily farming on either side of the path. I did not know exactly what they were growing, but I did note that two men sat in chairs on both sides, lazily observing the work being done. My brows furrowed, and I looked at James, finding my own confusion reflected in his eyes. +“How big is this place?” +“The house or the grounds?” Andy asked quietly. His gaze was diverted to the ground so he could easily avoid looking at the people working. +“Both.” James and I answered simultaneously. +“The house is bigger than any Hollywood mansion back home, I can tell you that. It’s big enough to house all of the people who came with Don.” +“And the grounds?” +“They stretch on for miles. The ground is really fertile, Don says, so we’re planting our own stuff. We’re all responsible for feeding ourselves, but some has to be given to Don and his people…” He trailed off, perhaps sensing that this information was not meant to be divulged so freely. +“Cool. Thanks.” James said in an easy tone that was meant to let Andy know discreetly that it was alright to end the conversation. I squeezed his hand. He was proving to be an invaluable asset in those complicated situations that always seemed to be cropping up; those particular moments that I could not squirm my way out of were as unwelcome as weeds in a lavish garden but luckily, James was there to keep everything cut and polished. +“I have a bad feeling.” I whispered to him almost inaudibly. I pointed to my chest quickly. “Something ominous is lurking, James.” +James shook his head and turned mine so that I was looking at him. +“You have nothing to be afraid of, Brynn. I promise.” +“James, this just does not feel...” +“I know. But I've got you, sweetheart.” +That was all the reassurance I needed. +Andy pushed the door open, and a torrent of cold air that smelled of dust and ruin rushed towards us. I huddled closer to James, though my need for a closer proximity to him had little to do with the chill in the air. There were more people in the corridors and huge, sprawling rooms of the mansion. They were busy pulling vines down that had invaded the house and covered the walls from outside. Some were even patching windows and floorboards. I watched two kids a few years older than Penny as they swept the floor, giggling softly all the while as they observed James and me. +Besides being slightly disturbed by witnessing that instance of child labor, I was pleased to see that there was no gender divide; both men and women were cleaning and farming. I had no idea at the time why I cared about something so incredibly trivial, but the reason would become apparent later. In the moment, I chalked it up to the unapologetic feminism I had always embraced as long as I had known to have an opinion on the matter. +When we reached the top of the creaking staircase, Andy led us through a corridor lined with chestnut walls and white doors. As we walked, the maroon rug that ran the length of the hallway coughed dust up from under our feet. I sneezed four times, trying to stifle the sound by covering my mouth but still, it bounced off the walls in an endless echo. +“Bless you for the rest of the day.” James said quietly after my fifth sneeze. +“Thank you.” I muttered after wrapping my arms around one of his to avoid holding his hand. He did not share my mild germophobic tendencies but still, I wanted to be courteous at the very least. +Andy raised a shaking hand to knock on the door before us. He cast his eyes downward once again when a male voice instructed us to enter. +Don Abba was certainly not what I was expecting. Though I had been informed by Nick that he was a humble man with little to say, I still expected one who led a group of terrified survivors to be terrifying, himself. +James was of a decent height, but he certainly was not gigantically tall, where I had to possibly suffer a neck injury each time I looked up at him. But the top of Don Abba’s head barely reached James's chin. There was a certain alarm constantly present in his large blue eyes; they darted from me, to James, to Andy, and back again in record rapidity. After all he had seen and experienced in order to safely bring those for whom he was involuntarily responsible there to safety, I could forgive his skittishness. His hands shook as they spun a feather quickly over his fingers. He was clean-shaven, leading me to assume that they had devised some kind of shaving technique. Perhaps they even had some method of showering. +“Hello.” He greeted us softly as he rose to his feet slowly. “You’re from Earth. I remember you two, especially. You were the brave souls willing to walk out into the unknown before the rest of us cowards. You were the very first to volunteer.” +There was not a hint of irony in his voice. I could not help but smile slightly as I shook his outstretched hand. His modesty and honesty were refreshing even under the uncertain circumstances. +“In the interest of full disclosure, I am going to inform you that I am Daniel Olivier’s daughter. My name is Brynna Olivier.” +“I am well aware that you’re his daughter. I’m also well aware that you don’t share his ruthlessness.” +I suppressed a small chuckle. Perhaps I did not willingly starve people as a means of population control. Perhaps I would not cause even the slightest harm, either physical or emotional, to my offspring. But I certainly was ruthless in my own way. +“This is my…” I put my hand on James’s arms but stopped short once again when I attempted to come up with the right term for what James was in relation to me. I did not want to frighten him away by proclaiming anything too serious. I did not want to insult him by downplaying whatever our relationship was to him. I tried again, hoping the appropriate term would just come tumbling out when the time came for it to be spoken. “This is my…” +Nope. +“Boyfriend.” James answered for me, and he was smiling slightly in sarcastic triumph as he shook Don's hand, “James Maxwell.” +“Yes,” I positively beamed and grasped his arm, “Boyfriend.” +“Very nice to meet you both. Don Abba.” He replied, still in that barely audible voice. But there was genuine enthusiasm present in his tone. He indicated the two intricately designed leather chairs in front of the polished wooden desk behind which he was taking his place again. “May I ask how you found us? Before you answer,” He held up his hand and looked behind me, where Andy was still standing. “Andy, would you kindly bring these two something to drink?” +“Thank you.” I muttered awkwardly. We were both reaching the point of dehydration where the symptoms began to slow the body down. We certainly needed all of our wits about us now because though Don Abba was not physically threatening, he had many in his house who were. The feeling of unease was still stabbing at my insides, and we could not afford to let our guards down or be unable to fight if Don suddenly turned on us. +“So, you were telling me how you found us.” +Neither of us had given even the beginning of an answer, actually, but I chose not to call his attention to that. In order to appear cooperative, I answered without a fight. +“We found you because we were looking for you. We have been traveling through the woods for days now.” +“Yes, you escaped the campsite after your father very rudely informed you that you would be traded to Adam. Adam is the…” +“We know who he is.” James informed him crossly. The slight mention of what my father had proposed left him reeling and enraged, not only because it was atrocious, but because he had not been expecting it at all. I reached over and grasped his hand when Don looked away, and a stream of his thoughts bombarded my mind; there were many expletives and gruesome threats of violence promised for the next time he saw my father. +“It’s alright, baby.” I whispered, so quietly I was unsure if he heard. He continued to stare straight ahead, his eyes ablaze with animal rage, but his other hand came to rest over mine, and after a minute, he pulled my hand to his lips and kissed it quickly. The gesture was not just to comfort me; it was an apology, for not being there, for leaving me when I needed him. +“You do know Adam?” Don sounded slightly shocked as he jotted something down with the feather. +“Oh, it is a quill…” I mused out loud. I had been slightly bemused as to why the man was carrying around a feather. +“Yes,” He smiled slightly, “I have to keep track of what we’re doing here some way, don’t I?” +“I do not know what you are doing here, but I am going to say yes to the query you just posed to me.” I was looking around the office. The light outside was having trouble breaking through the thick clouds; the room was lit only by the slightest glow from the guarded late-afternoon sun. +“How is it that you know Adam, exactly?” We both stared at him, feeling threatened by his inquisitiveness. He looked up at us and smiled warmly. “Just curious.” +“We had to go to the city in order to save my sister. She was attacked by some creatures in the woods.” +“Which creatures?” He asked, “We’ve encountered quite a few. We’ve lost several people to the various things that are in those trees.” +“Adam called the ones that attacked her ‘Shadows.’” +“Oh, they’re the worst!” Don replied sympathetically, “Six of my people were killed by them a couple of days ago. They walked right into their nest. I didn’t know that Adam could heal people injured by them.” +A woman entered the room with a silver tray bearing two hollowed-out coconut shells filled with liquid. James and I took them and looked at each other warily. These people really had gone above and beyond in deciphering how exactly they were going to survive. They were completely self-sufficient. Still, there was something not quite right about the situation… +“Your sisters and your brother escaped with you, didn’t they?” +“Yes.” I nodded and swirled the liquid around in the shell. +“Are they alright? Why aren’t they with you?” I looked up to find that his eyes had widened in alarm once again. +“They’re fine,” I assured him calmly before changing the subject. “So, you have aligned yourself with Adam.” +“Yes, I have. He has offered to help us with our problem, and in return, we will help him with his. That’s the deal, anyway. Who knows if he’ll honor it?” +“What exactly is your problem that you’re dealing with?” James asked in a tone that challenged Don to lie, if he so dared. +“We don’t see eye-to-eye with the other group of Earth survivors, James. Adam has offered to help us rectify the situation.” +“Rectify it how?” James pressed, and I glared in his direction to warn him without words not to push the man too far, lest we wish to overstay our welcome. +“We want to get rid of them. Originally, your father decided to form his own group. The natives took out most of them. They would have gotten him, too, if it weren’t for us. But we weren’t going to allow him or his people to stay here, so he left.” +“Where did he go? With the Bachums?” +“Yes. And they took him in with open arms, as I’m told.” +“How very Godly of them…” I muttered irritably. I rolled my eyes to the heavens that I was currently criticizing. +Don laughed softly. +“I can gather that you don’t quite see eye-to-eye with them, either. The reason why we want them gone is because Adam will grant total safety to only one of us. It will either be the Bachums or me. We are trying to round up the survivors who chose neither group, though there are few left alive, sadly.” He was silent for a moment, studying us as he attempted to gauge our reactions to that most chilling news. +“That's terrible.” I said, just to offer some response. +“It is. It's also very unfortunate that we should have to resort to such barbaric measures in order to live here safely. But this is Adam’s world. He determines how things run. He decides how it all turns out.” +“You mean to tell me that he’s proposed this epic war between you and the Bachums, and yet he’s helping you? Forgive my morality, but isn’t that cheating?” James asked somewhat derisively. +“Perhaps. But it’s also a fair trade between myself and him. His people hate the cave-dwellers. They say that they are stuck in the past. They won’t move forward with the times.” +“Is that why they tried to sacrifice my five-year-old sister?” I leaned forward slightly in anticipation. I needed to hear his answer. +“Yes. They believe that in order to be pious one must also be heartless. If they want to appease their God and keep their lives and freedom, they have to follow a very bloody and violent interpretation of their creed.” +“Adam told you all of this?” I was shocked that he would divulge secrets to a different breed so readily. +“I told him if he wanted my help, then he needed to be honest with me.” +I nodded, surprised again by Don's boldness. +“You were inside the cave?” +“Yes.” James and I answered. +“Then you saw their painting on the ceiling, I’m sure. The Four-Armed God?” +“Yes.” +“Did you see what he was holding?” +“There were symbols. Yeah, we saw them.” James answered. +“They symbolize the four great powers bestowed on the people we call the natives. Apparently, for the first several hundred years on Earth, we had those powers, too. Now some of us are regaining them. We’re evolving, but in a way, we’re also moving backwards in time. Does that make any sense?” +“Is that why he’s so strong now?” I beckoned to James. “Is that why I can see these things before they happen and hear other people’s thoughts?” +“Yes. That’s why you can fight like wild animals. It’s all an evolutionary tactic that had been rendered inert by our civilized lives on Earth.” +“Oh.” I muttered. I ran my fingers through my hair and then placed my face in my hands for a minute of quiet processing. It was far too much information to take in at once. My ability to think was not aided by my desperate need to eat and drink. A headache was rumbling painfully in my ears as it tightened around my forehead and ran with heavy feet down the back of my neck. +“Are you alright?” +“Drink this, baby.” James told me softly, and I felt the coconut shell being held to my lips. He tilted it back, and I drank two gulps of the most amazingly sweet coconut juice I had ever tasted. +“Oh my God…” I muttered. +“It’s good, isn’t it?” Don replied with a slight grin. +I nodded and took another drink. After I had swallowed, I spoke again. +“So, why are only some of us changing?” +“Because we’re embracing it, Brynna. Do you want to know something else that’s shocking? Prepare yourself.” +“I am prepared.” I answered instantly. +He paused, forcing me to mentally prepare for another bombshell. I just wanted to know what he was going to say. I was sick of dramatic, soap-opera-style breaks in conversation. +“We will never die.” +I stopped breathing at the words. James had taken a huge gulp of coconut juice and was choking on it now. +“I told you to prepare yourself.” +“We’re… immortal?” I exclaimed in incredulous shock. I was unsure why the thought brought forth such a potent fear in me. +“Immortal, ageless…” Don filled in airily. “Do you enjoy being young and beautiful?” +I looked at him quizzically, feeling slightly put off by that random and personal question with such heavy implications behind it. Or perhaps I was imagining things. I felt quite dizzy. +“I suppose.” +“Well, then, you’ll be happy to know that you will look the same forever. You won’t age another day, either of you. Any of you, I should say, because your sisters and brothers are…” He furrowed his brows when he looked at me, “Where did you say they were?” +I shook my head back and forth rapidly, trying to be discreet about my fight with that sudden onslaught of dizziness. If we wanted to stay there, he had to believe that we were all able-bodied enough to work, and if I passed out, he would assume that I was afflicted with some illness that rendered me anything but. +“I did not say.” +“Brynn…” James muttered to me as he went to stand up. I looked over just as he fell to his knees, holding his head. +Oh, God or Gods... +Disregarding any wisdom or common sense, I jumped up onto my feet only to feel the ground sashay right out from beneath them. I hit the ground hard before turning over onto my back to stare up at the ceiling. The dancing stars and pools of black and silver that had become so familiar to me during my descent into drugged sleep on the ship were back. I had been drugged again, this time completely against my knowledge and will. +“Her sisters and brother are out there. They’re close.” Don’s voice was still as calm as ever, as though he was simply commenting on the weather on any old day instead of standing over two people who were struggling to remain conscious after he had drugged them for no reason that was evident. +“James!” I cried out. + My heart resumed its fearful, quickened march. I hated any kind of sedation. This time, it was so much worse because I had not been able to stop it… It had been against my will, just like the very first time back on Earth… +I only heard James spit out three words in fury after he had reached out and grasped Don’s ankle to stop him from walking further away where he would not be able to hear him. +“Let… her… go…” +The long-clawed hands that were the darkness of deep, unforgiving sleep grabbed hold of me and dragged me into the unknown depths more merciless than that of the river in which we had almost drowned. +Pull for the surface, Brynna, my mind screamed in a plea too desperate to ever be spoken aloud by me. +It was useless. The hands were too strong. I collapsed onto the floor. +The already dim light faded away. +*** + +“LET GO!” Violet was screaming desperately. I kicked and fought for the surface, trying to break free from the serpent that was pulling me into the depths of the dark water in which I had become completely submerged. +“BRYNNA! BRYNNA!” Penny’s terror was yet another monstrous water-beast that was wrapping me in the iron grip of its tentacles. +“NO! PENNY!” Violet again, but this time her tears were choking off her words. I had to break free of the haze, of the waking dream I was stuck in to save her. I had to get to her and Penny. There was no knowing what Don and his people were capable of doing. +“Just listen to me, listen…” Quinn’s voice, begging shamelessly for an audience and a chance to explain. It was useless. +“Where is she?!” Elijah was furious as he demanded the details of my whereabouts and an assurance that I was, at the very least, still alive. God or Gods bless him. +“Hey, she’s coming out of it. Don!” An unfamiliar voice belonging to a young man who had just realized that I was not nearly as unconscious as I appeared to be... My mind had risen up for one brief moment to alert itself that Elijah, Penny, and Violet were near. +The coconut juice, as sweet and pure as any endless dream, rained down my throat in a flood more dangerous than its delicious taste would have me believe. +I fell back into darkness. +*** + +“Brynna? Brynna?” +At first, I believed it was James. My eyes snapped open, needing to see his face, needing to know that he was there. When my vision focused, though, disappointment, and admittedly, a shot of fear broke over me; it was Don seated in front of me. +I jumped, ready to attack him for what he had done. He had mentioned something about embracing our powers, and I certainly had. I was going to show him just how ready I was to utilize my new killer instincts by ripping his throat out. How dare he drug James and me? How dare he steal Penny, Elijah, and Violet away? How could he strike such fear in their hearts without reason? How dare he keep me here so that I could not absolve that fear for them? +Once again, my hands were cuffed behind my back. I wondered where they had procured the cuffs but prayed that they had stolen them off one of my father’s thugs in a bloody fight that ended in said thug being no longer of this world. Dare to dream, I suppose. My mind was racing through more thoughts than what could have been possible to process at once, and yet there I was, processing every last one. +“Yes, I’m sorry about those.” +“Do not fret.” I muttered in a voice quiet not from fear but from physical weakness. I stifled a yawn. Whatever drug they had slipped into our drinks had drained all the energy that I had left. My deep, sedative-induced sleep had done nothing to remedy that exhaustion. +“I still have my feet.” I told him as the yawn burst forth despite all efforts to suppress it. “If you come any closer, I will kick you squarely in the face.” +“I don’t doubt it. I won’t be coming any closer. Would you like to talk?” +“About what, dare I ask?” +I ordered my racing heart to slow. I would not show fear in front of him or anyone else. Doing so would accomplish nothing. Instead, I would start negotiating. Blubbering like a three-year-old frightened by a shadow in the closet was going to render all my points moot. A man would not negotiate with a woman who cried. He would simply look down on her for dissolving into a display of weakness he would never know, for his breed was different. +Strange thoughts… +“Where are Penny, Elijah, Violet, and James?” I demanded first. Despite asking such an emotionally heavy question, I kept my voice as emotionless as possible. Remaining calm when asking whether or not the members of one’s family are even still alive is quite challenging, as I am sure you can surmise. +“They’re alright. They’re just down the hall from you. Given the current climate between ourselves, the cave-dwellers, as you call them, and the Bachums, we’re lucky to have these cells below the house. Adam told me that they were used for these same purposes hundreds of years ago, during yet another war between himself and the Old Spirits. That’s what they’re called, officially.” +“I want to see them. I want to see that they are all alive and unharmed.” +I was in no mood to learn any new information for the first time in my life. Nothing he was saying mattered to me. The only thing that mattered was knowing that they were safe. +“They are. Well, your boyfriend isn’t. He came out of his sleep early, just as they were cuffing him. We had to take him down.” +My heart erupted in a fiery, volcanic explosion that replaced my blood with burning, agonizing lava. They had killed James. Oh my God, oh my God… +My eyes must have been bugging because Don leaned forward, shaking his head vigorously and wearing a look of great concern. +“Oh, sweetheart, no; he's not dead. Of course not! We don’t hurt those we don’t have to hurt.” +I could not suppress it; I sighed in relief. +“I apologize for the misunderstanding. I can hear your heart racing. That really frightened you. May I ask you a question, just to satisfy my curiosity?” +I did not respond. I was still reeling from those brief yet incredibly painful moments where I had believed that James was dead. I had not known where to begin grieving, even. I hated the man in front of me for even mistakenly leading me to believe that I had lost James. +“Do you love him?” He asked before I had been given a chance to refuse his question. +I stared at him, stunned by the brashness of what he was asking. I did not understand how he could believe that intimate details of mine and James’s relationship were any business of his. +“I only ask because I find the pairing strange. No judgment.” He held his hands up and smiled disarmingly. “But he is much older than you. He probably graduated college before you were even born!” +“Not that it's any of your business, but our age difference does not matter now. It never did, but it especially does not now, given that we are immortal. At least, you proclaim that we are immortal. Or was that some intricate, lucid dream I had after you very rudely drugged me and my much older boyfriend?” +“I did say that. It’s the truth. But you still haven’t answered my question.” +“Why do you even care?” I demanded, and my aggravation leaked through my facade of calmness. “It truly is none of your business, wouldn’t you agree? What do my feelings for James, at any degree of intensity, have to do with you?” +“I told you that I’m just curious.” +“Well, I am going to stick with my original answer, thank you so much. It is none of your business.” +He smiled slightly. +“That’s never a good answer, Brynna. It implies shame, in this case at your relationship with a man so much older than you. It sometimes denotes that one person’s feelings aren’t as strong as the other’s, if they are there at all. So, is it you who doesn’t love James when he loves you, or the other way around?” +“It is neither.” I replied icily, “It is none of your damn business.” I wanted him to be angry at my resolve not to answer him, but he merely smiled and studied me closely again. +“We could use someone like you around here. You’re worthy of knowing our secrets.” +“I have no interest in your secrets, nor would I ever work for a man who resorts to assault and murder in order to gain a place in the world.” +“James said something about you being so mature, but that was perhaps the most idealistic, youthful thing I’ve ever heard, especially given what you’ve witnessed.” +That insignificant excuse of a man was attempting to belittle me. As he laughed somewhat hysterically at what I had said, I forced my rage to remain level. I focused only on obtaining the answers that I so desperately needed. +“You have spoken to James?” +His laughter subsided, but he ignored my question. +“You’ll see things my way, Brynna. You’ll see that my actions are the result of not having a choice. It’s either us or them.” +“Did Adam ever explain exactly why it is that we all cannot live here together peacefully? Do not roll your eyes at me like I am some wide-eyed, empty-headed flower-child, Don!” I snapped at him loudly. I had stunned both him and myself with my outburst, as it was the direct result of the fact that I was truly, dangerously angry. +“You want to know the reason why he won’t allow all of us to share his planet? We can’t. All of that conflict on Earth led to so much destruction, not to mention the end of the world as we knew it. He can’t risk that here. This place is pure. That’s why it’s called Purissimus. I can’t imagine destroying this world like we destroyed ours. Can you?” +I did not answer. He continued, undeterred, as though he had not asked me a question at all. +“If we destroyed this place the way we destroyed Earth, it would be terrible. It would be an abomination. It would be absolutely horrible to commit the same crime twice, don’t you agree?” +This time, his large eyes met mine. I could see his resolve staring powerfully back at me; he would not continue our conversation unless I answered him. Because I was desperate to find Penny, Violet, Elijah, and James, I did not hesitate in replying. +“Yes, I do. But you cannot tell me that there are no ways for us to live here together. Send one group to the north, one to the south…” I sighed in frustration, “I do not know! I never intended to follow in my mother’s footsteps. I would never have been able to solve disputes between countries. I cannot solve this one here. But violence is certainly not the only answer.” +“You’ve almost been killed by them, and yet you still sympathize with them?” He was incredulous at the strength of my heart. He was in awe of it. I was not flattered. +“I do not generalize an entire group of people based on the violent actions of a few. Also, I do not finish battles that were started by others for reasons I do not know.” +“Perhaps not. I can see that you're not keen to the idea of fighting, which is perfectly fine for now. Your conflict resolution skills might need some toning up, but let me say this: your mother wasn’t able to solve any disputes, domestic or foreign. She was very good at starting them, though, wasn't she?” +I did not answer once again. I scowled just at the thought of her. +“Now, I'm drawing a blank on your mom. I can't place her appearance at all in my mind. Is she the red-headed woman who with your father?” +“No,” My expression darkened even more at the mere mention of Maura. “And I will not talk about her.” +“About the woman with your father, or your mom?” +“Both.” +“Does that other woman bear a resemblance to your mother?” +“No.” The anger was bubbling up, threatening to boil over. I forced it down, trying to picture something, anything that would suppress it. Penny’s smiling face came into my mind; the mental sight of her beautifully youthful happiness absolved my anger but brought forward new fear and sadness in me. I wanted so desperately for her to live a safe and happy life. It had always been my intention to ensure that Penny lived a wondrous, carefree childhood, unblemished by any of the horrid things I had experienced as I grew. She would always have my love, when I had not had anyone’s. She would remain innocent and naïve for the duration of her youth because I would never allow her to see the cruelty or sickness of evil men. She would never know regret or pain. I would spare her from all of the most unspeakable things of the world even if such never-ending protection cost me my own life. +Racing thoughts again. Focus, Brynna. +“I was almost killed by Adam’s people.” I changed the subject. It was the perfect way to erase those unpleasant memories and recollections. +“But Adam is on our side now. He won’t let you forget that. He will show you how good it is to be on his side, Brynna. Plus, you were also almost killed by the Old Spirits, too. You took one of them hostage.” +“Where is he?” I asked, though I barely cared. +“We delivered him to Adam. He is very grateful.” +“I am sure he is.” My heart dropped. What I felt now was the sting of regret on which I had mused briefly but had not expected to actually experience. Was that boy going to be another body hanging in the woods to warn enemies away from Don's stronghold? I could not bear the thought of sending a young man to his death. Although, if everyone truly was immortal and ageless, I had no way of knowing exactly how old he was. His aging might have stopped hundreds of years earlier, for all I knew. +“He would like to speak to you, too. Would you like to see him now?” +“No. I want to see that they are all okay. The longer you stall, the more I am beginning to believe that you have done something to them. I want to make sure they are alright.” +“For the sake of the one God, Mr. Abba, let the young woman see her dear ones.” +It was Adam’s voice. He was entering the room with the same effortless charm and predatory nature of the Serpent who had targeted another man sharing his very same name. He moved behind me, sending a chill that twisted around my spine like two rough hands wringing a rag dry. After kneeling down behind me, he freed my hands. I could feel his eyes watching me. +I jumped up and turned abruptly to face him. It was all his fault. We would have lived peacefully in our campsite until the day we ran out of food. We never would have known any of that violence if he had not attacked us so senselessly. +I spun around and lunged for his throat. I was stunned that he did not stagger back a single step after I had run into him with every bit of strength left inside of me. His hands came up and lazily peeled mine from around his neck. I prepared myself for a physical blow that never came. He merely chuckled and held my wrists lightly to my sides. +“There is no need for that, Ms. Olivier. I would not hurt you even if you had chosen the other side.” +“I have not chosen any side!” I actually stomped my foot to show the frustration that had been building inside of me for the previous half-hour of conversation with Don. I could not stand not knowing if my family was alright. I wanted to beat in the man's head for even allowing me to question whether they were safe or not. +“Even if you do not realize it, you have chosen a side.” Adam's smile widened, and his eyes gleamed maliciously. +“I have not done anything of...” I trailed off when my brain began to turn pirouettes once again. “God or Gods, what is wrong with you people?!” +I put my face in my hands as I swayed on my feet. Adam reached out to steady me. At first, I shook him off, but then I had no choice but to allow him to hold me upright. +“Just take me to them.” I ordered weakly and immediately, he turned me to face the door. +“Can you walk?” His voice was gentle as his arm wrapped around my shoulder. I nodded; even if I could not, there was no way I was allowing him to carry me. +He let me take a few cautious steps before he tightened his grip to ensure that if my knees were to crumple out from beneath me that I would not hit the floor. With every step, my mind cleared just a little bit more. +“Now, please do not be alarmed by his appearance. He is going to be alright, I promise you.” Adam was still speaking gently, as though he was soothing a screaming child. I glared at him as he opened the door. +James was sitting, handcuffed to his chair, facing the doorway. His head was rolling from one side to the other as his eyes did the same in their sockets. +“Oh, my God…” I managed to gasp out as I rushed forward and knelt in front of him. “James?” My hands were on his face, “James! Honey, wake up.” I shook him carefully, noting that his face was bruised severely, and there was blood dribbling from one side of his mouth. The next time I spoke, I was not shocked to hear my voice break. “James, please wake up, baby!” +I pressed my forehead to his, fighting the tears that so desperately wanted to fall. Perhaps I would feel stronger if I just allowed a few to leak out. +No. I needed to remain defiant. I could beg for James to come back to me through frenzied, quickened, suffocating breaths, but I would not shed a tear. +“Did… they… hurt you?” His voice was so weak and low, I believed I had imagined it. I leaned in when he repeated himself. +“No. I am alright. Look at you, honey…” The crackling in my voice made him open his eyes. +“I’ll be fine.” He was trying to raise his voice above a whisper for my sake. “Have they said anything?” +“Too much has been said. It would take too long to repeat it all. What matters is that they do not intend to kill us, which is a plus, surely.” +“Indeed, it is.” He nodded and looked into my eyes. I put both of my hands on his face again before kissing him for a long, tender moment. “Don’t worry about me, baby. I'm tough; I can handle it.” +“I am worried about you. Beating you up was unnecessary.” +“I was ready to kill every one of them to get to you. It was necessary, or else they’d all be dead.” +“I know,” I pressed my forehead to his again, “They have Violet, Penny, and Elijah. They have Quinn, Alice, and Nick, too, but I could not care less about that.” +“We need to stick together now. We need to start caring about them. They’re just kids, baby. We need to start watching over them a little more.” +“I sincerely doubt that any of them desire our protection. They are much too proud, which is admirable. It is also very convenient for our sake.” +“I’m being serious.” He told me as I wrapped my arms around his neck and rested my head against his chest. I was comforted by the sound of his heart beating steadily. He was truly in no danger of succumbing to his injuries. “I already feel a little better, sweetheart. I felt better the minute I saw you.” +“Yes, because the sight of my greasy, matted hair, dirt-covered clothes and body, and smeared makeup has rejuvenating powers to rival Adam’s.” +He chuckled weakly and kissed my forehead. +“Yeah, it does.” +I squeezed him a little harder and closed my eyes, wishing that I could fall asleep there with my body against his, listening to his heartbeat all the while. +“That is a very sweet thing to say, though I am sure that you are exaggerating slightly.” +“I'm not, actually. Your ability to downplay yourself never ceases to amaze me.” +I changed the subject quickly. +“Don asked about us.” +“Did he now? I am shocked that he would so nosily pry into our business.” +I ignored his sarcasm. +“He is puzzled by our relationship. He does not understand what a young woman like myself would be doing with someone your age. He asked if I love you. It was quite random and aggressively forward of him to ask such a thing. It is no business of his.” +“What did you say?” James asked, and I pulled away to look up at him. +“Your curiosity is driven by your own need to know my feelings.” I accused him softly, “This is not the time or the place to discuss such things, James.” +“You’ll have to forgive me for wanting to know.” +“You are the only man I have ever met who actually cares what I am feeling.” +“Is that such a bad thing?” +“No. It is just interesting. Confusing, also, and you know how befuddlement does not suit me at all. When the time is right, I will tell you where I stand on the matter. Just know that I am very fond of you.” Looking into his bruised face that was still so handsome despite his injuries, I was urged to say more. I allowed myself to indulge my heart’s desire to express my feelings, even if just for a moment. “I adore you. I depend on you more than I have ever allowed myself to depend on anyone, and that is comforting, James. It is comforting to know that someone else is willing to care for me. I have done that myself for so long without complaint. That is why I say that you spoil me.” +“That’s not spoiling, Brynn. That's what is supposed to happen. It’s normal. It’s right.” +“Perhaps so. But it is as alien to me as the planet on which we are walking and the situation in which we currently find ourselves.” +“Our situation?” +“I was referring to both our relationship and the current conundrum with Adam and Don. They want us to stay here. I do not know why I feel such a reluctance to do so. They are offering us shelter, protection, food…” I looked at him, “It will be good for Penny and Violet to be around other people. It will be good for us, too.” +“To be around other people?” +“Yes, because we will be protected. I read his mind. He will allow you and me to live together. There will be no judgment, no chiding about our relationship. Of course, I do not care about that.” +“Nor do I, baby.” He closed his eyes after I embraced him warmly again. He burrowed his face in my hair and kissed my head. “You smell so good.” +“So do you.” I smiled brightly, “Do not ask me how that is possible considering that we have been living a life free of soap and shampoo. We have been bathing in streams, for the sake of all deities and Gods.” +He chuckled softly again. +“What?” +“I love that one. That’s one of your more famous Brynna-isms.” +“Brynna-isms?” I repeated through a giggle. +“That’s what I’ve been calling them mentally.” +“I like it.” +“Do you?” +“Yes.” I laughed as he moved forward with difficulty to kiss me. I closed my eyes and returned his kiss, feeling my heart fluttering madly in the way that I had become accustomed to experiencing. I had never understood how so many great writers could toil endlessly over love and all its counterparts. Hate I understood. Loathing was a motivator, driven by its God, Anger. But love seemed so trivial, so meaningless. I agreed with Maura who said that it was a “bloody waste of time.” Now, I understood what all the fuss was about. I could write endless pages on my feelings for James, which I would not acknowledge openly as charging dangerously close to the border of love. I shuddered to think what I would feel when I hopped over that invisible, mental divide. +I pulled away when a bitter, gnawing cold filled up my insides. Maura’s others words, so unwelcome, were echoing through every dark room corridor of my mind, which only a second earlier had been blissfully empty as James kissed me. +“They will trick you with their wiles, my dear. They want to make you weak. They prey on women to make themselves feel like men. It is all a play for power and control, for total dominance.” +“Tell me,” James whispered gently, “Tell me what you’re thinking.” +I shook my head, begging the warmth to return. It had been so serene, so divinely perfect. I should have known it would not last. My wise wariness of men was beginning to rear its hideously deformed head as my feelings for James grew. +“You have all the power over it, sweetheart,” James's eyes met mine, “You make the final decision.” +“I know. James, if you knew the full details of everything, you would not be so surprised.” +“I’m not surprised. I’m not upset. I understand, Brynna.” +“I know.” I nodded, feeling tears welling up in my eyes again. I wanted to love him. I wanted the defenses I had built so tediously for many years to crumple into nonexistence. I wanted James. I needed him. And he was right, I knew. Only I could decide whether or not I would advance our relationship. Only I could decide when to shut those protectively cynical voices down for good. Those beliefs that had a mind of their own were actually mine, and I could eradicate them if I found the power to do so. +“I should not be asking for your patience anymore.” +“Stop.” He kissed me again. I moved closer to him and kissed him back, “We have all the time in the world, baby.” +All the time in the world... That reminded me. I pulled away so I could look into his eyes. In my own, he saw that tremendous and dreadful fear that I could not sufficiently explain. +“What? What is it?” He asked as he tried to reach forward to grasp my face. Then, he remembered that his hands were still cuffed behind the chair in which he was sitting. +“He told me we are immortal.” I answered softly, “And we have stopped aging.” +“That’s…” He laughed softly to brush off the ridiculous notion, but in his eyes, I saw that he knew it was true with just as much certainty as I did. +“It is what everyone wants, isn’t it?” I asked with a slightly bitter laugh, “Every living creature, human or otherwise, is afraid to die. Yet here we are, wondering whether the gift of eternal life is right. We are not sure if we even want it.” +“It’s too much to think about now. Jesus, Brynn…” He muttered incredulously, “That was a bombshell and a half.” +“I know. I should have given you a warning. I am sorry.” +Don appeared in the doorway behind us. +“So, what have you decided? Good, you’re awake, James. How do you feel?” +“Seven of your people beat the shit out of me while I was still too drugged up to win the fight. How do you think I feel?” James asked, and I watched his eyes turn red. +“Relax. Look at me.” I had both of my hands on his face, “We need to let this go, baby.” +“I’ll let it go.” James told me loudly enough so Don could hear. “But you don’t want to know what I’m going to do if it happens again. In a fair fight, those seven guys would have been nothing by the time I was done with them. Let me remind you, too, that it took seven of your best people to take me down. Keep that in mind, Don, if ever you decide to pull that shit again, but especially, and you better listen and absorb every last syllable of this, especially if you put your hands on her again!” +“I don’t doubt any of that, James, what with your newly acquired strength. No one will be trying to hurt you, her, or the other kids again. That is a promise.” Don was slightly rattled by James's threat, but he plowed forward with the conversation, trying to keep things upbeat. “So, has Brynna told you what I have offered?” +“Shelter, food, community. Yeah, she told me.” +“And what have the two of you decided?” +“We don’t really have much of a choice, do we?” James spat at him, “It’s either stay here and live, or try to make it out there where there are natives and Shadows around every turn, amongst other things. Let me ask you, what do you think our decision is?” +“James…” I raised my eyebrows, warning him without words that we needed to make nice with those people, despite how sickening it was. I certainly was not going to grovel, but I was not going to complicate the situation with animosity and obvious aggression, either. +“Alright,” He barked at me somewhat more angrily than I expected, “I'm done.” +“I’ll go get Robert. He has the keys to your handcuffs.” +“Thanks, honey!” James called after him sarcastically. +“Hey…” I grasped his chin lightly and spoke as sternly as I could when he switched into his angry, disdainful mode. I found it very entertaining when said anger was not directed at me. “If we want to stay here, you are going to have to play nice with the big kids on the playground, lest you wish to get sand kicked in your face. And do not snap furiously at your girlfriend, lest you wish for celibacy.” +He could not help it. Despite his irritation at my suggestion, he laughed. +“You know I don’t wish for that. Not in the slightest. God, I’ve had a really hard day, and you’re threatening me with that? What are you? Oh, right; you're a monster. That's what.” +I giggled again before returning to the topic at hand. +“I am serious, James. We need to try for peace with these people. I do not trust them as far as I can throw them, especially since they have teamed up with Adam. But we need to stay here for our own safety. We are both proud to a fault. We need to suppress our urge to be vain and just go with the flow, as they say.” +“Baby, this is…” He stopped upon seeing the disapproving look on my face. “Do you really want to do this?” +“I do not want to. I just know that we have to. I will tell you the details of my conversation with Don at a more convenient time. Right now, you will just have to trust me when I say that we need to be here.” +He was still frowning when he nodded, but when he kissed me again, I knew that his dismay and irritation were not directed at me. +“Only for your sake, my love.” +I beamed brightly at the endearment and pressed my head to his chest. He rested his own on top of mine, and I closed my eyes, knowing that he was reluctant to stay but so thankful that we were. We were going to keep one eye open when we slept, surely. But at least we did not have to worry that natives would cut our throats in the middle of the night. We could handle the humans easily. We were evolving, and most of them were not. +I could not help but believe that we had the whole situation under control at last. However, believing was very different than knowing, I had discovered. +I knew that the danger was still evident around every turn. I knew that if there was ever a time to run, this was it. +What I don’t know is why I didn’t. +*** + +Violet, Elijah, and Penny were not handcuffed. When I entered each of their rooms, they hugged me, asked if I was alright, inquired about James’s whereabouts, and then expressed their desire to leave and never return. +“We’re staying.” I told them when we were all together in a group. Violet, who had been embracing James, turned to look at me, eyes wide in surprise. +“What do you mean, we’re staying? Brynn, they dragged us out of the jungle in the middle of the day, they threw us in cells…” +“Yes, they were very untoward. They were not kind. However, we all know that trekking through the jungle is unsafe. Our experience in the cave was enough of an indication. It was more than a fair warning. We need to stay here with other people who can protect us, if need be.” +“We were doing fine protecting ourselves.” Elijah spat angrily, “We’re evolving. Most of the people here aren’t, I'd be willing to bet.” +“Wasn’t this always our endgame, though?” James chimed in to help me out, “Weren’t we headed here to begin with?” +“Yeah, before the monstrous squid-shark experience, we were headed here. That should have been enough of a sign.” Violet crossed her arms over her chest, closing herself off to any further reasoning. I was still going to try to explain whether she was open to hearing the logistical details behind my decision or not. +“I am aware that we are all upset. But they are offering us a place to stay. Everyone works around here, so we would have to be alright with that. But we will have a supply of food, constant shelter, and there is strength in numbers, like we have always said.” +“Look, Brynn, I can see why you think this would be a good idea.” Elijah told me after a moment of pondering all I had said. “But there was no reason for them to drag us out the woods like that. We really thought that they were natives, and I almost killed one of them.” +“Well, clearly they are not that offended by your violent outburst because you are still standing here.” +“I don’t trust that guy.” +“It’s not Don that I don’t trust.” Violet disagreed, “He’s nothing. He’s not a threat at all. I mean, look at him…” +We all turned to observe Don, who was talking quietly to Adam. I did not listen in on their conversation because I knew that Adam would sense it. I had already experienced the mind-numbing pain he inflicted on those who rudely eavesdropped. +“He’s nothing,” Violet repeated, “It’s that other guy. What did you say his name was?” +“Adam. But you need to remember that he saved your life when he certainly didn’t have to. Because of that, we should at least try to trust him.” James told her. +“James, they beat you up. How can you not want to do the same to them?” Violet changed tactics quickly; she was now appealing to his ruthless pride. Smart move, Violet Mae… +His expression darkened suddenly at the mention of it. I grasped his hand in mine and linked our fingers together. He looked at me and softened immediately. I smiled at him before looking away. +“Your sister is right,” James told them, “We don’t have a choice. We have to stay here.” +“They know that we’re changing over.” Elijah told us, “I heard two of the guards talking about it. I understand that we need to be part of a group, but I don’t think that aligning ourselves with people who hang their freaking dismembered enemies from trees…” +“That is enough.” I snapped at him. I looked down at Penny, who held my other hand even tighter at the mention of the poor souls left to hang in the woods. “You didn’t see that, did you?” +She shook her head and wrapped her arms around my middle. I patted her head comfortingly. +“You are angry that they dragged you here. I understand that. I am not exactly thrilled about it, either. But I also understand that despite what they have done, they are our best chance of surviving.” I sighed heavily, looking up for divine guidance to help me determine how best to make them understand. As usual, I was offered no help, at least not by a higher power. +James rescued me from the conversational stalemate as he always did. +“It has been a long, violent fight. Every day since we’ve been here, we’ve been fighting something. Natives, Shadows, cave-people, monstrous squid-sharks…” He looked between Violet and Elijah, “The list will go on the longer we stay out there. Who knows what else we’ll see? Who knows if we’ll continue to survive? At least here, we have a chance. We might not see another fight ever. Is there anything else that we could possibly ask for, given the circumstances?” +Elijah and Violet were convinced by what he had said. They still distrusted the situation as James and I did. But they knew he was right. I wanted to hug him in thanks for convincing them, but I also wanted to roll my eyes in annoyance that was only partially serious. Why was it always James who was able to convince people? We would have to compare notes on the fine art of debating a course of action. +“Now we need to tell Quinn, Alice, and Nick that we are staying.” I heeded James’s request that we keep them close. He looked at me, and I nodded before speaking again, “I might not agree, but it is important to you.” +“It is.” James responded, and I could see that he wanted to kiss me to show his gratitude for my agreement. But Elijah was there with us, so instead of a kiss, I got a quick squeeze on the shoulder. “I don’t want to see them get hurt after everything we’ve survived.” +“I know. I am starting to agree with you more and more on that, believe it or not.” +“Or not.” He responded sardonically, and I swatted him lightly in the arm with a suppressed smile forming on my face. +“Well, I don’t agree with that at all!” Violet exclaimed after crossing her arms again, “We don’t need them. You two don’t need any more responsibility. We were just saying that you two are leading the way and doing a damn good job of it.” +“You thought that was a good job?” James asked incredulously, “I shudder to think what a bad job is.” +“Speak for yourself, James Maxwell. I personally believe that we were doing a stellar job.” +“We nearly got eaten by a prehistoric river serpent, we almost drowned in said river, we were attacked by…” +“Thank you!” I pressed my fingers to his lips to stop him from continuing. +“Whatever your own opinions of it are, even Quinn, Alice, and Nick said that under the circumstances, you guys are doing a good job.” Elijah added. +“Oh, so you all have spoken? That is nice.” I replied honestly, “That will make convincing them to stay much easier. I was picturing a slippery, one hundred and seventy-nine degree slope.” +“I talked to them.” Elijah corrected me, “Violet is still mad that they left us to fight by ourselves in the cave.” +“Forgive me for being slightly put out by an obvious show of cowardice.” +“Alright, Brynna…” Elijah snapped sarcastically, “I wasn’t getting on you about it. I was just telling her what was going on after they disappeared.” +“I just don’t think that you two need to be responsible for three people who wouldn’t throw water on us if we were on fire. That’s all I’m saying.” Violet held her hands up in defense. +“I would not go that far. Surely, if all was known, and there was a sense of immediacy, not to mention the guilt that would follow watching someone burn to death…” I started. +“Oh my God, Brynna!” Violet threw her hands up in frustration now. +While Violet was clearly at her wits end from hearing so many of my overly logistical musings on things, James and Elijah were both laughing hysterically after that particular one. +“You think I am being funny, but I was just pointing out a fallacy…” I continued seriously. I sighed heavily and walked forward, heading towards Adam and Don. When they turned to me, I shuddered upon meeting Adam’s eyes. There was a depth to them that I had not noticed before. It was downright unnerving; the icy chill of his gaze shot clean through my own and burrowed deep inside of my mind, where it could see all and know all, even the things I had kept secret for so long. I looked away from him immediately and spoke to Don instead. Standing next to Adam, Don was about as threatening as a guppy swimming alongside a great white shark. I looked between them, trying not to smile; the simile was very fitting, actually. +“We have decided to stay, though as I have stated, I do not believe that we have much of a choice.” +“Of course you…” Don started soothingly only to be interrupted by Adam. +“You are right, as always, Ms. Olivier. You did not have a choice.” +“Adam, I don’t think that making the girl feel imprisoned is helpful in making her want to stay.” +“I would not have let you leave, because there are many out there who hunt you. There are creatures that hunt any living food source, of course. But they are the least of your worries. Did Don inform you that Richard Bachum and your father have a bounty on your head?” +I was momentarily stunned into silence, which more than answered whether or not Don had told me. +“It is of little importance now that you are here. You needn’t worry. You are safe behind these walls. You can fight like an animal if you venture out and they attack you. You have a strong man who feels great affection for you and will protect you.” His eyes darkened when he looked at James, and I could have sworn I heard a note of disdain in his voice. “And of course, the Bachums and your father fear crossing me.” +“I am not worried,” I lied, “Nor am I confused. Nor am I surprised. The Bachums will cross you because that is the arrangement of your war, is it not, Adam?” +“They are not crossing me if they continue to fight. They are crossing Don.” +“What exactly are they offering as a bounty? Is it only me that they are after?” I pressed him. +I had to know how to process the notion of being hunted. I needed to know the exact reason behind their desire to capture and kill me, because it could become a weapon if any situation called for one. +“They are offering safety. They are offering an exit from the war that is starting as we speak. They are offering an abundance of food and royal standing. For what more could any of you ask?” +“I am going to assume that you were being condescending when you said that, and I am going to ignore it for the time being.” I crossed my arms in indignation, reminding myself of my younger sister who was standing the exact same way as she watched us. “Is it only me? What is their reasoning?” +“Their highest bounty is for you. But they are also hunting your sisters and brother.” +“Do they want us dead or alive?” +“With you, preferably alive. With the others, certainly alive.” +“Adam, I don’t think this is right, telling her all of this…” Don chimed in. We both scowled at him, and he shrunk into the background where he did not speak again. +“What about James?” I asked. +“They want him dead.” +I almost grasped my heart as the icy fear took a strangling hold of it once again. I suppressed the urge. +“And their reasoning?” +“Does it matter?” Adam asked me after raising an eyebrow. +“It matters to me.” +Adam chuckled softly, nodding in a show of respect for my need to learn all that could be known. It showed great wisdom and an embrace of common sense. That is what his mind was saying, anyway. For some reason, he was allowing me to see into it, though his many thoughts were hazy, like trying to see into a mirror after throwing water on the glass. +“You all have been gifted with great powers that we also possess. Each of you has been given at least one. They do not take kindly to being rejected by the One God they follow so closely. They do not blame Him. They blame you.” +“Interesting…” I mused on that for a moment. +“They know that those who embraced their powers will be more likely to win their place here. They do not like being usurped. They certainly will not allow a total victory. They certainly will not surrender.” +“May I ask you something?” +“You are going to ask me whether I agree or not. I can sense your stubbornness and your aggression.” +“Well, I am not going to apologize for either.” +“I would never expect you to apologize, Ms. Olivier.” +“This is truly a rare opportunity to get inside the mind of a tyrant.” +“You believe I am tyrannical?” +I furrowed my brows and stared at him. My silence and the look on my face answered his question. He chuckled softly again. +“Continue, Ms. Olivier.” +“Why is it that we cannot all live here? Why do you insist on one group eradicating the other?” +It was a question that had been tugging at my consciousness since mine and Don’s discussion. Now, I was faced with what was perhaps the only chance to have it answered. I needed to know just for my own mind. I could not see the answer clearly the way I could see other things. +“That will become evident to you soon enough.” Adam replied, and our eyes met again. +He reached out his hand to me. Once I clasped it, he brought mine to his lips. As he kissed the back of my hand, he never broke his gaze away from my eyes. +“Your stubbornness and aggression will persist most boldly in my mind until we meet again, Ms. Olivier.” +I blinked, and he was gone. +*** + +Elijah knew about James and me. When two women were asked by Don to lead us to our rooms, I was not careful or quiet when I disclosed to them that James and I would be sharing. Elijah narrowed his eyes at me, and I shrugged. +“What do you want me to say?” I asked him softly. +“Can you come with me, please?” He grabbed my arm and pulled me away from our group before I had a chance to tell him that I could not. +“Are you serious right now?” He was clearly trying to keep a hold on his anger and disapproval, though I could not imagine why. I was more than capable of dealing with both. +“This does not have to turn into anything drawn out. Perhaps I was wrong in keeping mine and James’s relationship status a secret. I should have been open with you from the start. I do apologize.” +“Are you kidding me?” +“You just asked me if I was serious, and now you are asking…” +“Don’t even pull that right now!” He exploded suddenly and pointed at me in rage. “You and him? Brynna, are you out of your mind?!” +“No, Eli, I am not.” I replied calmly, “I am twenty-two years old and fully capable of deciding with whom I want to be involved in a relationship. I have decided on James.” +“He’s like…” Elijah threw his hands up as he tried to settle on exactly which exaggerated number he was going to use to define James's age. I stopped him before he could speak it. +“He is forty-five. I am not going to spend even a moment justifying our relationship to you. I certainly do not have to do that, therefore I will not. I don’t care whether you approve or disapprove. We have been together officially for several weeks, but I know that you had to have noticed how we were even before then. There was always an attraction.” +“I did notice it. I noticed that he was attracted to you, and it disgusted me. That’s why I called him on it the first night I met him.” He told me as he shook with fury. “He’s preying on you! You’re young enough to be his kid!” +“He has done nothing predatory throughout the entire duration of time that I have known him. He is a good man. He has one eye out for me constantly. He would do anything to make sure that I am safe.” +“Is that what this about? Feeling safe?” His tone softened only slightly. +“No. It is about the fact that when I look at James, I see a brave, humorous, painfully good-looking man who cares deeply about you, Violet, Penny, and me. That is why I am with him. Because I…” I stopped, knowing that admitting to Elijah the true level my feelings for James had reached would only make him angrier. +“I’m not going to approve of it, Brynna. I will never approve of it!” +“What, are you our father now?” My anger rose instantly at his assumption that I needed or even wanted his approval. +“No, I’m not. Thank God! But I am technically the man of the family now, and I don’t approve of him!” +“You had no problems with him only a moment ago.” +“That was before I found out that he dates girls half his age! That he preys on girls too stupid to realize they’re being played! What if I started dating someone who was half my age?! What if I started dating a twelve-year-old, Brynna?!” +“First of all, that is an utterly ridiculous comparison. What you suggested would violate several old-world laws. This is not a matter of James dating me while I am too young to fully grasp what we are doing. I am an adult, Elijah! Secondly, it is folly to accuse me of stupidity. I mean, really! It is utterly nonsensical to assume that I would ever be enchanted into foolishness by a man!” +“Yeah? It happens to the best, doesn’t it? Look at Mom! Look at Maura!” +“And now you have offended me further by comparing me to them!” I exclaimed furiously, and my eyes turned red at the mere suggestion that I, for better or worse, was similar to Maura or our mother. “They are certainly not the best of any breed, human or otherwise! What occurs between James and I has nothing to do with you!” +“You know, I get it now.” He was grinning with a sadistic rage I had never seen in him. He was going to say something cruel, something unforgivable. I braced for it. +“Go ahead. If you want to have that look on your face, then you say it, Elijah.” I challenged him in a dangerous whisper. +“This is all about Lucien, isn't it? And Dad.” +To what he was referring exactly escaped me somehow. Lucien's death and my relationship with James possessed no commonality to one another, I believed. +“You're with him to punish yourself for letting our brother die, right?” +My stomach turned over. I almost heaved forward as the assault of memories overtook my consciousness. My anger spiked as his words lashed their way through my stream of thoughts. How long had he floated in the water before I emerged from my stupor? Had he screamed my name? Had he called to me so desperately for help? Had he thought that I was purposely ignoring him so that he would die? +That particular thought was the one to send me reeling into a space of temporary insanity. +I ran my fingers through my hair and closed my eyes for just one second as I tried to control the high-speed train of my consciousness. I wanted to scream again and stomp my feet until that terrible question faded away. There was not even a tiny part of my brain that could bear it. I could not imagine, even for a moment, that he had thought I was allowing him to drown for some selfish reason... +My sweating palms slid off of the table in the hallway that I had tried to grasp in order to steady myself. +None of those obvious signs indicating that what he had already said was enough stopped Elijah from continuing. +“You’ve got your Daddy issues, and he’s old enough to be your daddy. Christ, Brynna, you’re such a cliché!” +“Shut up, Elijah…” I warned him, because my hands were beginning to shake, and my vocal chords were being strummed roughly by my desire to start screaming the most vile, hateful things I could possibly think. +“He probably tells you all the things you want to hear about how Lucien died. He's old, so he's desperate to keep you. He'll say anything. Any normal, young guy wouldn't be able to look at you knowing that you killed your own...” +I would not have stopped myself if I could have. I slapped him so hard across the face that he slammed into the wall and left a dent in the plaster. He ran through a list of expletives that were meant to make me sorry but failed. I glared at him, wanting to hit him again and again until every last bone in his body was broken. Even in my cruelest moments towards Maura, my mother, or even my father, I had never said anything so agonizingly cruel. How could my brother, my protector, say such terrible things? I couldn’t fathom it. +Holding onto the anger while forcing away the hurt, I stormed away and opened the door to my room. There, I found the man who had caused the great conflict. Elijah followed after me, shouting still about my promiscuity and stupidity, though those are terms too nice to put in the place of what he actually said. He yelled about my ignorance and malicious self-interest that had resulted in our brother's death. + James was standing at the window, and he turned upon my entrance into the room. +He was outlined by the bright moon that had come up over the tree line. A shadow was cast over his face, eerily complimenting the anger I could see in his eyes. If his thoughts were any indication, and obviously they were, he had not heard the details of mine and Elijah’s fight. He knew that it involved him, but he had tuned out the arguing to give me privacy. +My eyes were ablaze with rage that I would not allow to dissolve into pain. I refused to cry, even in front of James. I would hold onto the anger because it was more honorable than admitting to being hurt. I needed something to distract me, some way to release the poisonously incensed energy coursing through my veins. My blood was on fire, burning through every part of my insides with no mercy. I would surely melt from the inside out. +When James looked into my eyes from across the room, he saw both the anger I wore proudly on my sleeve and the hurt I was trying to suppress. He sensed my need to release both in a frenzied action. Animals can sense desire in other animals. It was no different for James and me; we were becoming more animalistic with each passing day. +“Come on, then.” He challenged me, and I attacked. +I ran forward, jumped into his arms, and wrapped my legs around him to hold on. We fell onto the mattress made of feathers, kissing frenetically, as though our very lives depended on that moment between us. James and I had been fighting the desire to sneak off into the woods to do exactly what we were doing in the present. Now, there was nothing to stop us, and fury to drive us forward. +Our hands were ripping at our clothes as the scorching anticipation reached its maximum level. I had never experienced such painful desire. There was but one cure for the hunger from which James and I were suffering. There was but one way to exorcise the fear, regret, and uncertainty that had been plaguing us since we had walked off the ship that very first day on Pangaea. +I did not gasp in shock or feel any fear at all that second time. I was safe there, encased in his strong, muscular arms. With the same rabid intensity of his kiss, James pulled my hips forward. My back arched as I grasped the soft animal fur beneath my body on the mattress. Because I knew that no one was near enough to hear, I moaned loudly as I reached up, wrapped my arms around him, and clawed his chiseled back. +I yelped in surprise when he pulled me to him, lifted me up off of the strange bed and slammed me into the wall. Our profusely sweating bodies ground together, and he panted into my neck as he thrust harder and faster. There was nothing else in the world that mattered. There was only him and me. There was only that tortured longing between us that was being rectified in the most carnal way. There were no other feelings that mattered besides the feel of his tongue moving against mine and his full length filling me perfectly. +I broke free of his kiss so that I could bury my face in his neck. +Because I was vastly inexperienced with sex, I was unaware of what orgasms felt like when they were the result of sex with a man. The first time with James, I had been self-conscious, albeit very slightly, and extremely nervous, so I had not had one. But this time, as James thrust into me, I tightened my arms around him as I felt a quickly growing, warm heaviness building deep within me. +“James…” I gasped, “Oh, my God… James, I’m going to…” +I buried my face in his shoulder to try to stifle the volume of the moan that I could not suppress. +“Oh, my God… It’s… happening!” +Even in the “heat of the moment,” we’ll say, he still laughed. +“It’s okay. Just let it happen, baby.” He told me, and he kissed me quickly, “Are you okay? Do you want me to st…” +“No!” I exclaimed, before moaning out, “Oh my God, no…” +I thrust my hips forward and moaned even louder, and when it finally did happen, I tried but failed again to suppress the loud cry of absolute ecstasy. Every part of me felt warm and relaxed, even though my legs were shaking, and my arms were still locked around his neck. I was so drained by the intensity of what had just occurred between us that I couldn’t worry about how many others had heard, though I assumed it had to have been every resident living in the colossal house. +He held me as we both breathed heavily. Somehow, he managed to force his legs to walk back to the bed. I knew that after what we had just done, my legs simply would not cooperate with the command to walk. As a matter of fact, my brain might have forgotten what walking even was, however briefly. +James propped himself up on his elbow, only to become so entranced by me lying completely undressed before him that he had to lean in to kiss me from my neck, down my chest, and down my stomach. I felt that rush of warmth between my legs as his hands ran up my thighs slowly. +When his lips traveled back up to meet mine, I could not help but smile. +“Feeling better?” He asked me with a grin, “I know I am.” +“Yes, I was afraid your severe injuries would leave you feeling less than up for ‘we-are-safe-hooray’ sex.” I told him, deadpan. +“That’s what I thought this was. I’m glad we were on the same page, dear.” I was lying beneath him, looking up into his brown eyes that never failed to allure me. I giggled at his own deadpan response. He laughed softly, too, as he took my hand and pressed it to his lips. +“You were amazing.” He was completely serious now. +“So were you.” +“Yeah? I try.” +“You succeed.” I put on hand behind his head and raised my own, pulling him closer to me. His arm came around my back so I could rest my head against it as I kissed him. When we stopped, I could see in his alluring eyes that he was going to ask me what had been discussed between Elijah and me. +“Do you want to talk about it?” He asked, proving me right. +I shook my head. +“But I know that I should.” +“You should. We always knew he was going to disapprove. Let me guess; he said I was prowling on you, right?” +“How did you know?” +“That’s exactly what I would say if the situation were reversed.” +“Well, it is ridiculous! I am more than mature enough to handle a relationship with an old man such as yourself…” He chuckled at that, and I could not suppress my own smile after seeing him laugh. “It is ridiculous of him to assume otherwise. Not to mention, it is none of his business.” +“Well, he’s your brother, baby. He’s worried about you. He thinks that you’re allowing yourself to be blinded by love...” He trailed off but returned to the conversation quickly with his typical lighthearted sarcasm in tow, “Or like, or fondness, or whatever it is that we’re calling this these days.” +“Ha-ha, I know you are trying to jest about this in order to lighten the mood. I don’t care what Elijah thinks. I do not appreciate that he attributed our relationship to a trauma from my past. He had the nerve to suggest that I only find you tolerable simply because you lie and coddle me, and because I have ‘daddy issues.’” +“He said what?! +Oh, God or Gods… +“James…” I sat up slightly to put both hands on his face. “Honey, there is no use being angry about it. I am not even upset.” +He knew that I was lying, but he forced the newly born anger inside him to disperse quickly for my sake. +“I should kick his ass from here to next week.” James told me with a dark scowl. +“No!” I grasped his face even more firmly, “That will accomplish nothing, and despite my disbelief that he would say such a thing and despite my anger, he is still my brother.” +“You don’t deserve for people to treat you this way, Brynna.” James told me firmly, and his eyes rose to lock on mine again. “You do know that, don’t you?” +“Of course I do, James. That does not mean that I can stop them, though, now does it? He was angry. I know that now…” I stopped, not believing a word of what I was saying in regards to Elijah. +He sensed my lie and called me on it immediately. +“No, you don’t. You don’t have to defend my honor to him or anyone else. I don’t feel weird about us being together. I don’t feel any shame in telling people about it.” +“Neither do I!” I told him honestly, “I don’t know why people are getting all bent out of shape about it.” +“Because it’s something to talk about. In Elijah’s case, he thinks it’s right to object because by the old world standards, our relationship would be considered very weird. He also thinks that he’s protecting you from me. I'm sure that he really does believe that you're with me just so I'll coddle you, and because of your issues with your dad, as you said. But how he can blame you for what happened...” He stopped and clenched his jaw in anger. When he continued, his voice was quieter from his effort to suppress that fury. +“Several people blame me for that, James.” +“I don't know how anyone can blame you for what happened to him after what happened to you!” +“Elijah and Violet know absolutely nothing of that, and I intend to keep it that way, James.” +“Why? So they can keep blaming you for something that never could have been your fault, even if that hadn't happened?” + “I will take their anger, resentment, and pain over their pity, James. You know that to be true. You know the full extent of what happened with my godfather?” +“I do. You told me.” +“I didn't tell you. You already knew.” +“Yes, but you've discussed it with me.” +“The reason why I discussed it with you is because I knew that you wouldn't pity me. I knew that if you and I were going to enter into a relationship that I needed to be honest with you. When I began to pull away, you deserved to know why. You needed to know that the reason why I am afraid of intimacy is because of him.” +He grasped my hand. +“I would never hurt you that way, Brynna. Not like he did. Whatever his name is…” +“Michael. His name was Michael. He was Maura’s husband. Because of that, and because he was my father’s best friend, we called him ‘Uncle Mike.’ He worked overseas for my father, and when he came home, he lavished all of us with gifts, me especially. At first, I was thrilled. What little girl does not want clothes from Paris, stuffed animals from Japan…” I trailed off, deciding against describing the worst part of it all. +James put one hand on my face. He kissed me tenderly. +“You don’t have to tell me anymore if you don’t want to. But I think this is good for you, sweetheart. Have you ever told anyone about it?” +“No. But everyone knew. There was a trial. It was a huge to-do, believe me. It was still getting press, even twelve years after it happened. The entire saga was used as a weapon against my mother. I might not have agreed with her politically, but suggesting that her absence in our home resulted in a disgusting pedophile being able to assault her daughter is an accusation that is untrue, at best. At worst, it is a completely disgraceful show of chauvinism, and you know how I just love that.” I rolled my eyes and scowled. “Plus, I did not appreciate being used as a weapon in the war of politics.” +“Who would appreciate that? But especially after something like that...” He shook his head, unsure of how to handle that particular topic. It was hard for people to imagine, I knew. Most people on Earth had been lucky in that they did not have to live from election to election as they grew up. They did not have to be slandered and used as a tool of manipulation in the great game of sympathy, anger, and fear, with the great victory of votes. +“Yes. It was quite unfortunate for everyone involved, not just me.” +“If there was a trial, then you must have told someone about it after it happened.” +“I told my mother, surprisingly enough. She confronted Michael. She was livid. She had me seen by a doctor who confirmed that what I had said occurred actually had. If you had seen me during that appointment, after what had happened to me...” I shook my head slightly as the screams and cries that had erupted from me that day echoed in perfect clarity through my mind. +“Your mom was there with you, though, wasn't she?” +“Yes. I will say that I am thankful for her presence in that case, at least. She managed to calm me down enough for them to gather whatever information it was that they needed to gather.” +“So, they were able to prove it, then?” +“I said that already, James Maxwell.” I scolded him only somewhat seriously. +“You did.” He realized, and his hands tightened around mine. “I'm sorry, baby.” +“It is alright. Michael lied his way out of it. I will not tell you how cruel he was to me after he found out that I had told.” +My voice was devoid of emotion as I retold the awful experience to him. It was the first time I had ever spoken outwardly about it with a third party. I could feel the heavy weight lifting from me as I spoke. +“What about Maura? What did she do?” +“She was always in the house when it happened. He started giving me a sedative to keep me quiet. Before I would succumb to the drug, though, I would scream for her. I would…” I stopped again, ashamed of what I was about to say. +“Go on. It’s okay.” +“I would beg her, James. I would plead with her to stop him. She would cry and cover her ears, screaming to me that she was so sorry.” I rolled my eyes and then paused for a long moment, trying to channel my anger. After looking away from him, I came back to my senses somewhat. +“I do not know why I am telling you this.” +“It doesn’t matter why. The point is that someone is hearing it.” +“I swore I would never speak of it again. I made my mother swear that we would pretend it never happened. She was apologetic for allowing Mike to convince her that I was just projecting his image onto the face of the true person who had done that to me. He also told her that I was a fanciful little girl who enjoyed making up dramatic stories like what I read in my books. His lies were outrageous, to say the least. I never would have believed them. I swore a lot of things to myself after that. I swore I would never allow a man near me again. I swore I would never be vulnerable like that again. What you and I are doing now goes against everything that I have ever believed.” +“And how do you feel about going against everything you’ve ever believed?” +I smiled slightly as I looked into his eyes again. +“Because it is you, I don’t mind. At least not anymore. If there is one thing I can say with absolute certainty and with no shame, it is that I trust you, James. You promised me a moment ago that you would never hurt me that way, and I believe you with no doubt in my mind. You do not have even a trace of that cruelty in your heart. I trust you.” +How he had managed to break through the defensive walls of everything I had ever sworn to myself, every protective measure that I had set into place, I will never fully understand. I give all the credit to fate; James and I were meant to be together for reasons that were unclear to us then. +“Good,” He kissed my hand, “I know that your trust is hard-earned. I appreciate that. I won’t ever make you sorry. I promise.” +I nodded. +“I have never told anybody this before. It is strange, to share it so openly. I do feel a great deal of shame, which is why what Elijah said was so incredibly hurtful. If I had feelings, they might have been hurt.” +“Oh, Lord…” James rolled his eyes, “That’s another Brynna-ism.” +I grinned. +“I can never outwardly admit being hurt. That’s why I never cry. It’s weakness. I don’t tolerate weakness in myself or in those that I helped raise. That’s why Violet gets the brunt of my insanity. You know, I look at Violet and Penny, and I cannot imagine turning them away if they came to me with that. If they told me that the worst had happened, I would believe them. I would not doubt for a second that they were being absolutely truthful. I would kill the man responsible as painfully as possible. I would feel no remorse for it. That is a horrible, immoral truth. It goes against everything we are taught when studying anything spiritual. But it is the only truth, James.” +“You don’t have to justify that to me. You don’t have to apologize for that. I understand because that’s how I feel about you. I’d kill anyone who threatened or hurt you. You don’t have to worry about being hurt like that again. It will never happen while I’m here. I know that you are more than capable of taking care of yourself. But I’ll always be right behind you, watching over you. I promised you that, didn’t I?” +I nodded, feeling tears well in my eyes. I reached up to swipe them away before they fell. We had covered a landmine-strewn emotional field together. I had discussed the horrid experience that defined my childhood with him when I had never been able to stomach the subject with anyone else. But I still would not cry in front of him. I would not cry in front of anyone. Quite simply, I would not cry at all, ever. +“Damn you, James Maxwell, you have made authentic tears come into my eyes.” +He smiled and kissed my hand again. +“But you don’t have to be upset about it because they didn’t fall, did they?” +“Nope. You will never see the day that happens. So don't hold your breath.” +“I won’t. I mean what I said, baby. You’re safe now. Your life comes before mine. I can’t…” He put both of his hands on my face, “I don’t know how it happened. I don’t know how my feelings for you grew this quickly. I’m not used to this. On Earth, I was in and out of different relationships from week to week. But you…” He tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear, “You’re different. It hasn’t been long since I’ve known you, but I think I felt this way from the very beginning, Brynna.” +I smiled, feeling more real tears in my eyes. He reached up and wiped them away. +“I feel quite the same way about you. And I know it was from the moment I met you. Well, after I realized that you were not trying to assault and kill me.” +“That took a while.” He told me, and we both laughed again. “I knew that you would warm up to me eventually.” +“I have more than warmed up to you. I feel great fondness for you.” +“Yeah, you’re not so bad yourself.” +“Oh, good.” I said with a smile. +“Do you want to go to sleep, or do you want to go look around?” +“I know that you want to look around so I will accompany you. But let’s make it quick.” +The house was very easy to become lost in, even with James’s above-average sense of direction. We found our way into the kitchen, where there was a group of people cleaning up. Apparently, they had just had dinner while we were still downstairs in the cells. The kind people there offered us some food that they were wrapping to put away in the basement. We declined, but I did ask for them to send a generous helping of everything upstairs to Penny, Violet, and Elijah. I even asked on behalf of the other three. They agreed, and we continued our exploration. +On the third floor where we had come from, there were enough rooms that few people had to share. Of course, the house's population included families that wanted to room together, so there was even extra space for anyone that came along looking for shelter. +“We made the right choice.” A man told us when we stopped to talk with him about his experience living there. “There are three meals a day, a roof over our heads, and we’re safe from the natives and the other people from the ship. What else can we ask for?” +Still, I was reluctant to believe that all was well. I was never going to let down my guard, no matter how comfortingly normal my surroundings were. The joyful, relieved testaments of the other residents were not enough to break my cautionary view of our current situation. +James agreed that we needed to keep an eye out for danger. +“I don’t trust anything that’s too good to be true.” He told me, “I think these people are afraid, and they’re willing to believe what they want to believe. It’s stupid to do that, as you well know.” +“Yes, I do.” I replied as I inhaled the smoke from the last cigarette in my pack. We were sitting on the back porch, staring out at the rain that had begun to fall. The smell was heavenly and should have convinced me that it was alright to believe that we were safe. But any sign from God or the Gods that everything was going to be okay was still met with distrust in me. I had three other people for whom I was responsible. I could not allow my desire to feel secure to override my cynicism. +“They’re going to believe every word out of that guy’s mouth. He holds a lot of power, and I don’t like it.” James told me darkly. I looked over at him to find that his brown eyes were illuminated by the touches of sunlight that were still able to break through the rain clouds. When I did not reply, he looked over at me. +“What? Why are you smiling?” +“No reason.” I said, but my smile grew, “You are a handsome devil.” +He chuckled softly and leaned over to kiss me. +“That was a random assertion, but I appreciate it very much. You're the female equivalent of that.” +“Oh, why thank you.” I grinned, but then returned to the topic at hand. “Anyway, he is so timid, and yet, I don't trust him. I don’t trust anyone who holds power over a whole group of people. I am surprised that so many people trust him after their experiences with my father.” +“Well, your father was a prime example of why it's unwise to trust those with too much power. He appointed himself our leader at the campsite, and I was not going to live under the thumb of Daniel Olivier. I preferred taking my chances out in the woods. I would take on one hundred natives single-handed before I lived under his rules.” +“Well, I don’t think that Don possesses the ability to enact the same cruel laws and regulations that my father put into place. He was starving people, did you know that? He wanted nature to take its course so that our population there would dwindle. That man we just spoke to was one of them. His daughter almost died. I could sense the fear of losing her still hanging about in his mind. It was fading away, but it was still present.” +“Your father is exactly the type of person that we don’t need here. He is the proverbial wolf amongst the proverbial flock of sheep.” +“It does not help that most of the sheep are so desperate for a strong leader that they will follow anyone. That is why we need to exercise caution while we are here. Don could turn into the same beast that my father has always been. It is too much power for one person.” +“I agree, baby. You know I agree with that.” He looked at me, wanting to ask a question that he knew I would be reluctant to answer. +“Go on, darling.” I rolled my eyes to the overcast sky above our heads. +“What happened to you after I left the campsite?” +I flicked the ember off of my cigarette and exhaled the last precious puff of smoke. I watched it billow away, wanting to do nothing more than dodge that particular conversation. I knew how angry it would make him. It still infuriated me enough to drive that killer instinct I was just beginning to discover. The relationship between my father and I had always been a violent one devoid of any semblance of love and respect. But I never could have guessed, even with infinite knowledge, that he would hand me over to Adam as a peace offering. He had suggested that Adam was entranced with me, which I knew was true. If my father was aware of that, then he knew that trading me to Adam would have resulted in the worst possible assault, one that I had already experienced. The most despicable aspect of it was that my father did not care what Adam did to me. He only wanted to guarantee his own safety. +“Hey…” James was saying gently. When I resurfaced, I found that his hands were on my face. I looked up at him, realizing that I had briefly left the common time-frame in order to dwell within the space of those nasty, heart-tugging thoughts. +I opened my mouth to ask how long it had been since I had submerged into silence, but before I could, James answered me, knowing that the question was coming because he knew me so well already. +“Only a few minutes.” He told me, and after a gentle kiss, he studied me closely to discern whether or not I was alright. +“I am sorry.” I told him dryly. I did not know what else to say. +“Don’t apologize. You never apologize for anything. Definitely don’t apologize for that, sweetheart.” +“What occurred between my father and me is not difficult for me to discuss. The topic we were speaking of earlier is much harder. I do not understand either event, though. I do not understand how a man can want to cause harm to his own child. Not just any harm, either, but the worst. He told me that Adam wanted me. In exchange, Adam was offering him safety. I would like to give my father the benefit of the doubt and say that he just wanted to protect those for whom he was responsible, meaning the whole campsite.” +“But that’s bullshit, and you know it!” James hissed furiously. I could see him shaking in rage. +“Please don’t get angry. It is just not worth it, James.” +“You’re worth me getting angry over, Brynna! What else did he say?” +“There were many things that he said. He did not admit it out loud, but he is terrified by the idea of people evolving while he stays the same. He was going to round them all up and either banish them or kill them outright. It is truly disgusting, how horrible of a person he is. It is mind-boggling, to say the very least. The reason why he even took me away from the others is because he was afraid and repulsed by what I was turning into. When the natives attacked, I changed over so I could fight them off. I think the entire campsite saw. The other people were afraid, too.” +“How did you get away?” +“Elijah, Alice, and Quinn broke into the ship to get me. They are all changing over, as you very well know. They embrace what they are turning into the same way that you and I do. Through their strength and their ability to fight, they were able to get me out.” +James nodded before asking another uncomfortable question. +“Why did he hit you?” +That bitterness I had so long embraced in order to survive the depressing truth burgeoned inside of me sickeningly, like a rose turned black with rot; it forced a small smile of disgusted disbelief to appear on my face. +“I did exactly what you just witnessed. I went out of it. It reminded him of something that he will never forgive. He knew that I was in that exact state of mind while my brother was dying. I am aware that you know all about that, just like you know all about Michael, my mother, my siblings...” +For my sake, he lightened the mood with a joke. +“Yeah. That’s all public record, not that I was spying on you or anything. Not that I was looking you up, drooling over your picture, climbing up your broken fire-escape to gaze in at you longingly... Nothing like that. Of course not.” +As always, his dry sense of humor got the better of me. Despite all that we had just discussed, I laughed, almost hysterically. I embraced him, so appreciative of his easy maneuvering out of tight emotional spaces in which I was uncomfortable. He was beyond angry at my father for what he had done. I understood that our evolution sharpened our emotions, creating a storm of potency that was felt through every limb. Somehow, James was able to suppress his animal rage for me. After tightening my arms around him, I kissed his neck. +“I didn’t follow you to that bar. It was strictly coincidence, you know.” He added, and I giggled again, shocked that he was able to bring forth such a girlish sound in me. I had never giggled a day in my life until I met him. In fact, I even hated the word ‘giggle.’ +“No, you admitted that you were stalking me. You are a legitimate creeper.” +“Only for you, my love. My love, my love, my love…” +I laughed again, and then we were kissing fervently, completely unaware of the world around us. +“Sorry to interrupt…” +Don blasted Abba. +“Really?” I muttered irritably. I pulled away from James, whom I could see was equally aggravated by the interruption. +“I know it has only been a few hours, but how are you settling in?” +I looked at James, blinking in disbelief. What a trivial question so unworthy of our time. I had to remind myself that he was just being courteous. +“It is nice.” I answered vaguely. +“Just nice?” +“What do you want me to say?” I asked, “Are you expecting thanks? Did I thank you yet?” +“No. But I’m not after gratitude. It’s unimportant to me.” +“Well, it should be very important to you.” I told him, “We are incredibly thankful that you are allowing us to stay here. The house is amazing. What you are doing here is remarkable, really.” +“I try my best.” Don replied humbly, “I know that my interruption is not welcome. But besides inquiring how you two are adjusting thus far, I also wanted to offer you work.” +James and I both were well aware that work was certainly not being offered; it was being quietly demanded. I wondered briefly what the consequences would be if we declined. I was not so narcissistic as to believe that we should be excused from responsibilities. I was simply curious. I was still on my quest to discover the complete blueprint of Don Abba's emotional and intellectual flow. In short, I was attempting to peg his personality accurately in order to determine whether or not we had anything to fear from him. +Alright, that was not a short explanation... +“Do we have choices?” I asked Don. +“Of course.” He smiled and leaned against one of the porch’s posts, “Well, you do, Brynna. But James, you’ll like what I’m offering you. I know that this job is right up your alley.” +“How nice.” James replied irritably. +“Stop it.” I scolded him. +“You’re too intimidating to be put on yard work, or in the garden, or in the kitchen. You definitely belong with our security detail. Being a guard is perhaps the most important job here, given the circumstances. We’ve been doing the best we can with who we have, but you’re perfect for the job.” +“You really think so?” James asked emotionlessly. +I glared at James, prompting him to hold his hands up in surrender. +“I’m done.” +“Forgive him. He has forgotten his manners. He is also very grateful to be staying here. He has said so himself. Why he is not making his gratitude known is beyond me, but I intend to find out.” +“It’s alright. You all have had a rough time out there. I know. It took us two days to get here. We had to fight our way through natives and creatures, too. I know how hard it is. It changes a person, doesn’t it?” +I nodded. James glared at him. +“Now, don’t get me wrong, we have many men and women working in security who are very good at what they do. The men have evolved into exactly what you’re evolving into.” +“And what is that, Don?” James asked. +“I don’t know exactly what to call it. The term around here is ‘Strong-Arm.’ Adam says the official name for them is the Herculians. They were regular people, just like you were. Once they got here, they bulked up. They took hold of their animal nature proudly, just like you. You all have been gifted with unthinkable strength.” +James stared at him, so irritated by his presence that I had to bite my lip in order to suppress a laugh. His glare turned to me; he was even more aggravated by how amusing I found his bad attitude. +“Well, I’ll do the job because I know I don’t have a choice.” He ignored me as I buried my face in his neck so I could laugh quietly. He didn't shake me off, despite how angry he was; in fact, his arm tightened around my shoulders. +“Alright. Fantastic.” Don smiled genuinely again, “And you, Brynna,” I looked up at him, “I thought about putting you on the same job.” +“I would do I,t but I assume that one who works security has to spend a lot of time out of the house. Am I correct in that assumption?” +“Indeed.” +“Well, I have my sisters to look after. If it is possible, I would prefer something where I can be close to them. I do not assume that anyone will try to hurt them…” +“You don’t need to explain.” Don held up his hand in an attempt to pacify my belief that I was somehow offending him. “I understand completely.” +“Okay, then.” I frowned in uncertainty at his show of empathy. “I can do just about anything. So, you name it, I will do it,” I paused, realizing that I had given him far too much freedom to choose my occupation, “Just not bathrooms. I do not do bathrooms.” +Don laughed. +“How about helping out in the kitchen? Do you do that?” +I laughed, too, in utter relief. +“Sure. Why not? I am not the best cook in the world, but I will help out as best I can.” +“Great. How would your sisters like that job?” +“They would positively adore it, I am sure. They have always liked toiling about in the kitchen. They used to bake something every weekend together at my apartment. I am not saying that all of their attempts were successful…” +“That doesn’t matter. There will be plenty of help for all of you. I am just a firm believer in the fact that people need to work. If we are going to all live here together, everyone should be doing something to help out. What we grow in the garden or cook in the kitchen can certainly be kept individually, but some has to go to everyone. I need your honest opinion. Do you feel that I’m right in that?” +I was not going to lie, certainly not for his sake. +“Yes, I agree wholeheartedly.” +“Good. I know that you’re very bright. People who can think like you should definitely lend their opinion because it always seems to be useful.” +Oh, flattery. The man was trying to win my approval as though the entire existence of his little colony depended on it. +“What if I had said no?” I asked in a challenge that was perhaps unfair. +He was taken aback for a moment, but he quickly shrugged off my question with his soft, easy-going smile. +“Well, I would have had to rethink a few things.” +Now, I was not foolish enough to believe that if I had disagreed with him, he would have changed his entire operation based on my opinion. When he said he would have had “to rethink a few things”, he meant only that he would be shortening the duration of our stay in his home. Don believed that from his response, I would be tickled that he valued my opinion but instead, I saw only the clear message he was trying to convey: He was in control. +Because of his smile and his stature, one would not have been able to decipher that aggressive meaning behind his humdrum words easily, if one even could at all. But his ruse was not fooling James and me in the slightest. +“James, a group is heading out for the campsite tomorrow. Would you like to accompany them?” +There was another question to which there was one set answer. +“What are they after?” +“Just as much as they can carry from the underbelly of the ship. As many supplies as possible. We try to go every couple of days.” +“It takes two days to get there, you said?” I asked, and my eyes widened slightly. I did not want him to go if he would be gone for so long. I was far too used to his constant presence. We did not spend every waking moment latched together, but I was comforted by knowing that he was near at all times. I could not imagine adjusting to our first days in Don’s camp without him. +“No, that was just with stopping to rest, rerouting, you know. If he leaves by sunup, he’ll be back by sundown.” +“Oh.” I sat back again and pulled James’s arm onto my shoulder where it had been before I had moved. +“That’s fine with me.” James told Don. +“Great. Adam has provided us with some knives and spears to use. However,” Don leaned forward conspiratorially, “I will tell you that I am after the guns that were brought.” +“My father’s guards have the guns. If he has joined with the Bachums, who knows where they are?” I informed him dismally. +“The Bachums and their people are in the north. We don’t know exactly where. But if any of those guns were left behind, especially since your father’s guards have a few of them, we need to have the rest. Do you know what I’m saying?” +“That certainly wasn’t hard to understand, so yes.” James replied sourly. +I rolled my eyes and swore to myself that I would beat him later for being so incredibly rude. +“You shouldn’t run into any trouble since they’re so far north. But if you do…” +“I can handle it. I’m sure your other security dogs can, too.” +“I have full faith in you. Anyway, we don’t have any rules around here, so wander about for as long as you want.” +“Well, I am so glad to hear that I don’t have a curfew, Don. Thanks.” +I scowled back at him almost evilly. +“Generally, I am the one accused of possessing a snarky streak, but my lovely boyfriend seems to be trying to give me a run for my money. You have my apologies for that.” +“It’s quite alright. Like I said, we spent two days out there. I can’t imagine spending a week. Have a good evening, you two.” +He was gone as quickly as he had come. +“Well, you seem to really like him.” James's irritation was evident when he stood up and started to pace. “Were you just agreeing with me earlier to agree with me when you said you didn’t trust him?” +“I don’t trust him, James. But that does not mean I am going to be openly hostile towards him when he has kindly let us into this home…” +“Everyone needs to work…” James muttered, “Like we really have a choice!” +“We do not have a choice, not if we want to stay here. It is not unfair of him to ask for everyone to contribute. I will give him that.” +“You’ll give him a lot of credit when he doesn’t deserve it. You’re falling for that little act of his. You are just like the other people here! You’re so desperate to believe that we’re safe…” +“Do not even accuse me of pulling the wool over my eyes! I am constantly on the alert for anything even remotely shady, be it here, or in the woods, or…” +“You were the one who said there was no reason for them to kick my ass like they did.” +“Is that what this is about?” I asked him incredulously, “James, I told you that in a fair fight, you would have killed them. Nobody sees you as being any less for what happened…” +“I am well aware that I would have killed them in a fair fight. I certainly don’t need your reassurance on that.” +“Then I will stop reassuring you! It is all very simple, James; if we want to stay here, we need to tow the line, listen to what he says, within reason…” +“See, that!” He snapped and pointed his finger at me, “‘Within reason.' That is where the problem is going to come in. We don’t know exactly what is 'within reason' for him. I know that there is more to him than that little charade that he puts on! What was the purpose of drugging us?!” +“I suppose he needed to know where our allegiance was, or…” +“No! It was a power-play, Brynna! Goddamn it, you are not stupid! Stop acting like you are! You need to see all of this for what it is! He was showing us exactly how much control he has over the situation. He was showing us that he’s willing to resort to assaulting people in order to find out what he wants to know!” +“He is not even that smart!” I snapped at him. Every last one of those notions presented in his tirade were completely hyperbolic, to say the least. I almost laughed at how ludicrous they were. +“Goddamn it, don't even grin like that, like I'm being an idiot and you're up on a cloud of knowledge looking down on me!” +“Relatively good simile, if I may...” +He punched one of the smaller pillars on the porch, sending pieces of wood and tiny projectiles of white paint flying. I frowned; we had been conscious in Don's house for less than three hours and already, we had dented a wall (when I had slapped Elijah) and broken a part of his lovely, picturesque porch. +“Do not start that right now.” James growled furiously, “Do not underestimate this situation and try to distract me from telling you exactly how deep in shit we are!” +“Oh, God or Gods, you are so dramatic!” I exclaimed as I covered my face in irritation. “This is not a matter of me ignoring the level of danger. This is a matter of you and me disagreeing on how high that level is.” +“He’s aligned with Adam, so it's pretty fucking high, Brynna!” +Once again, I was scowling. Oh, I how I loathed profanity... +“You and I both know that Adam would like to see all of us dead! He doesn't just want the Bachums gone! He wants all of us gone!” +“Well, he'll never get all of us gone.” I mimicked him, which only added to his fury. “James, I don’t find his alliance with Adam to be admirable or even wise. I certainly don’t trust Adam, but…” +“There is something very bad brewing here, Brynna.” +His voice was lower and more civil. If he could not convince me with his brash fury, then he would try to beseech my understanding with calmness. But I could see that he was still livid at my “naivety.” His body was shaking, sending sprays of blood from his busted knuckles flying wildly. His brown eyes were still swirled with flecks of red. Seeing the physical evidence of his out-of-proportion and horribly misguided anger only irritated me. +“I know you feel it as well as I do.” He continued, “It’s not only here in this house, it’s the whole damn planet. We fell right into the middle of a war between the city-people and the cave-people. Now, Adam is using us as pawns in the game. You’re going to have to forgive me for not wanting to fight a war that I care nothing about! Earlier, you said that you hated being a pawn in the political game. This is just like that.” +“James...” I said in a furious whisper, “Do not take what I said earlier and use it to your advantage. Do not try to use something that I confided in you as manipulation.” +“If that's what it will take to make you see this, then I will use it, Brynna!” +“Then you run the risk of infuriating me. If you want to take that risk, then go ahead!” I stopped, took a deep breath and tried to regain some of my composure. “James, I know that these are not the most desirable circumstances…” +“Yeah, no shit, baby...” +“Will you stop interrupting me for half a second so I can say what I want to say?!” I snapped at him. Now my irritation had made the high jump back to anger. +“Fine, go on. I'm sure this will be riveting.” +“Oh my God, just shut up!” I exclaimed, but after a deep breath, I resumed talking at a mild volume. “Adam has said that it will be either Don’s group or the Bachums’ group that will be able to live here free of any threat. We have no choice but to fight if we want to live here. It does not matter if we believe in what he believes. We need to live here safely, do you understand?” +“Of course I understand! This just isn’t the way to go about it! I really thought you were smarter than this, Brynna.” +I stood up, completely livid now. +“Do not suggest for even a moment that your intelligence rises above or is even on par with mine! I can feel things before they happen! I can read into people’s hearts and minds! Not to mention, on Earth, I probably could have dismantled an atomic bomb while playing a game of chess, and…” +“You are so arrogant! It drives me insane, Brynna!” +“Really? Well, you are ungrateful and proud!” +“As if you’re not proud! I don’t know why I’m taking any lectures from you about being polite, the way you tear your own sister and brother down all the time!” +“That is none of your business! And just for the record, I do that…” +“To feel superior, because you’re arrogant! It’s easier for you to be a bitch to them than to actually be their sister. And just so you know, let me clarify this for you: Refusing to feel anything is more of a sign of weakness than feeling whatever it is that you feel. Not to mention that while you’re projecting all of your anger onto them, you’re destroying them! You have a complex and half, I’m telling you!” +“Oh, thank you, Dr. Maxwell!” I exclaimed as I clapped my hands, “I do not know what would have happened to me if I had not received your astute psychological analysis! Please, say whatever you need to say! Say what you are feeling because I will not! All of this is in response to Don and Adam?!” +“It’s in response to you walking around like you know everything, and then you going and exhibiting such astounding stupidity! That’s what this is about, Brynna! I want you to get your head on straight!” +“No, you want me to acknowledge some vast character flaws you feel I possess.” I was not yelling anymore. I could see our fight for what it really was, and the reality made me rather sad. “You want to knock me down a few pegs, as they say.” +“I want you to see things for what they are.” He reiterated firmly. “But I also want you to see just how ridiculous you calling me out for being rude is. Yes, I want you to realize that being a cold, hypocritical bitch is going to destroy those girls the same way your mother and Maura being cold, hypocritical bitches destroyed you.” +“Wow, apparently it is the day for the men in my life to hurl overly personal insults at me. I am going to bed so that hopefully tomorrow, it will be the day when those men either apologize or fall off of a cliff!” +“Yes, because that was so mature, Brynna.” +“Perhaps it was not, but I will not be debating that with you. Please, for your own sake, find somewhere else to sleep tonight.” +I turned away, stung by all that had been shouted or venomously spat. What Elijah had said earlier received a new breath of life in my mind; it bounced back to the forefront to intermingle gladly with James’s cruel words. I was amazed that our fight had descended into such hostility. I understood that he was angry with me for not seeing things his way. I understood that he was frustrated because in his opinion, I was allowing myself to embrace naivety in place of a true grasp on the dangerous situation in which we had fallen when we had come seeking Don’s help. +After returning to our bedroom and closing the door, I laid down on the bed. It was more like a gigantic pillow than a mattress, I decided. Thousands of feathers filled the two pieces of fabric that had been sewn together all around the ends. Under my head were regular pillows, fashioned the same way. The animal fur blanket was soft on both sides, keeping me warm despite the chill in my heart. +Maura was in my mind, shaking her head at me. I warned you, she seemed to be saying. You allowed yourself to fall victim to his charms. +She was right, but I still snapped at her to go away using disgusting obscenities that I had never uttered, even mentally. +The door opened and closed quietly about an hour later. I heard his footsteps approach the bed. I had my eyes closed and was pretending to be asleep, but I listened as he unlaced his shoes and let them fall with a hard thud to the floor. As I wondered if he was going to attempt to wake me in order to apologize, he shed his shirt and pants and crawled into bed beside me. I waited, feeling his eyes on me. I did not know if I would accept his apology even if he offered one. We had been fighting and cruel things were always said in the heat of a fight. They were things that were not meant. They were simply intended to weaken the defenses of the other person, for reasons that neither party truly understood. We only hurt the ones we love, after all. That expression is an apt way to determine the causality of fights between people, but it certainly does not determine a sure reason why we feel the need to tear down the ones for whom we care. +I felt a fresh surge of anger roar to life in his heart as he turned away from me. +I fell asleep. +*** + +I could not be sure that what occurred the following morning was just a dream. I assumed that it must have been the ideas of the hidden-away little girl who did exist somewhere inside of me. She was projecting her idealistic view of how a fight should resolve into my dreams. +I felt James’s lips moving slowly up my arm to my neck and then to my cheek. +“I’m sorry.” He whispered in my ear. +And then, profoundly shocking both the cynical shrew and that wide-eyed, empty-headed little girl inside of me, he whispered: +“I love you.” +It was a dream. I awoke with the familiar longing to fall back into the sea of sleep where those poignant moments occurred. If there was one feeling that I loathed profoundly, it was awaking from the soothing alternate universe that existed only in sleep to find a harsh, hostile reality gnashing its teeth at me. I had been experiencing that literal wake-up call for much of my life. It never lost its potent, pitiless edge. +“You look tired.” Alice informed me gently when I exited my room for my first day of work. She was attempting to make nice with me by displaying concern for my well-being. I was in no mood to hold a grudge. I nodded in response. +“Are you alright?” +“I am peachy, dear.” I lied effortlessly, “All is right with the world now that we are here.” +“It is amazing, isn’t it?” She beamed brightly and began to pull her long, blonde hair into a messy bun on top of her head. “I really feel like we’re going to be okay from here on out. It will be easy to forget that there’s a fight going on.” +“Indeed.” My insides soured upon hearing such blind optimism spoken out loud so freely. Was I spewing that same nonsense the night before? Was that what had angered James? Alice’s belief that all was perfectly well could be forgiven, for she had never displayed my same intelligent distrust. I had pulled the wool over my eyes, however briefly. James’s final words would not be excused until he had apologized properly. But I admitted bitterly that he was right in all the other things he had said. +“Where’s James?” +“He joined security detail. They need some muscle, I suppose.” +“Quinn got that job, too!” Alice was clearly enthused by the common link between us. Both of our men were out fighting for our continued survival. We were bonded together by the sisterhood of brave women left behind by braver men. I suppressed a gag and several very self-righteous thoughts. +“Did he offer you that job?” I asked her, and my mind cleared of all intelligence when she spoke again. +“No. He said that you, Penny, and Violet would be working in the kitchen, and that I would be put there. Why? Did he offer that job to you?” +“He did. I should have taken it. I do not know how I am going to fare doing something that requires no adrenaline or fangs.” +“I know, right?” Alice said, and I rolled my eyes, “After what we’ve been through these past couple of days, it’s going to be weird not to be constantly looking over our shoulders, isn’t it?” +“Indeed. Alice,” I looked at her, prepared to shock myself by asking such a candid question of an intellectual inferior, “You and Quinn were experiencing some difficulties in your relationship before. Though his reasoning behind his anger was flawed and he knew that, he did not let it go.” +“Yeah, he’s really stubborn. He always has been. He always thinks he’s right, even when he’s being ridiculous, like he was with that fight we had. It drives me crazy sometimes.” +“So, how did it resolve? How did you settle the matter?” +Alice gaped at me for a moment, stunned that I was actually posing a question to her. In asking for a solution to mine and James’s problem, I was admitting that she knew something I did not. I expected her to stick her tongue out at me, gloat for the duration of our walk down to the kitchen, and then tell everyone she met about my moment of cerebral weakness. +Instead, she reached out, placed her hand on my arm, and rubbed it comfortingly. I cringed for a moment but then realized that her consolation was needed, however slightly. +“You’re so weird.” She told me with a small smile. “Every time someone touches you, you cringe.” +“Yes. I have been told by several practitioners of the voodoo science that is psychoanalysis that I have trust issues. Could you answer my question?” +“Well, we just had to let it run its course, I guess. I had to wait for him to actually let me talk before I could apologize for whatever part I played in it.” +“So, you had to admit fault even though it was not…” +“No, I didn’t say that I admitted fault. I apologized for not talking about it sooner. I apologized for the misunderstanding. The rest of the apologies had to come from him because he was in the wrong. I know that you’re probably going to say that you’re not at fault, but between you and James, in complete honesty, who is wronger?” +“The correct term is 'more wrong' but...” I muttered, and she frowned jokingly at me, “Never mind. I am not going to be biased, as I have slept on it for a night and am seeing it clearly now. I should have said things differently. I should have acknowledged that perhaps I was being slightly hypocritical. I should have agreed with him because I do actually agree. But what he said to me would have been very hurtful if I had feelings that could be hurt…” +I saw her roll her eyes and smile slightly. I chose to ignore that. She chose not to call me on the ridiculous suggestion that I had no feelings. +“We were both angry. I think, in a way, we are testing one another. We are trying to see how deeply our devotion runs. I could be wrong, I suppose.” +“I don’t think so. But just know, from an outsider's perspective, that he really cares about you. I didn't think so before, but after watching you two these past couple of days, I can see that. I know that you two haven’t been together for very long…” She trailed off, and I realized that she had posed a question to me. +“Well, it has only been since I found him in the woods that we have been dating officially. But there was always a spark, a flirtation, if you will, from the moment I began to trust him. I cannot say I felt that way from the moment we met, because that is a long story.” +“Well, I’d love to hear it sometime. But just keep that in mind. It hasn’t been long, but his feelings for you run deep. It sounds really cheesy, but I can see it in the way he looks at you. And just so you know,” Alice beamed, “You look at him the same way.” +When she walked into the kitchen ahead of me, I smiled to myself. I knew she was right about that. For the first time, I acknowledged that my feelings for James had progressed far more quickly than I ever could have imagined. Those were not the hopeful, blindly sanguine feelings present at the early stages in relationships. It was not ‘puppy love’, as it was called. It was, quite simply, love. +It was a new breed of love, though. It was a perfect mixture of joyful lightness and dark recklessness. It was a love that could burn brilliantly or scorch painfully. It was far more enhanced than anything we could have experienced on Earth. +It was yet another complexity of Pangaean evolution. +*** + +I was not familiar with activities that were enjoyable due to the presence of other people, but that was the case with work in the kitchen. We had a daunting task ahead of us; we were required to utilize the homegrown Pangaean fruits, vegetables and the hunted meat to make a meal large enough to feed the entire population of Don’s commune. Violet, Alice and I shuddered at the task, only to be reassured that it was not only possible, it was much easier than it sounded, given how many hands were contributing. +I engaged in conversation with the other people, interested by each of their stories that were being shared with us freely. There were many different cultures coming together in that kitchen. There was a man from Brazil, a woman from Switzerland, a man from New Zealand… The list was endless. I enjoyed their company, truly. +“My husband is on guard duty, too.” A woman named Rachel told me. +“Do you worry about him? I am very worried about James and Elijah, admittedly.” +“I was at first. But look at what’s happening to all of us. We’re getting stronger every day. We’re becoming more like Adam’s people. Maybe if we were still completely human, I’d have to worry about him. But now, I don’t worry at all. They can handle themselves. We could handle ourselves out there, what with what we’re changing into!” +I laughed before replying. +“We could probably handle it better.” +She laughed raucously and nudged me with her elbow. +“That’s right, girl.” She looked up at Penny, “Your sister is beautiful.” +After watching the man from Japan expertly flip and toss his knives around before chopping the vegetables at record speed, Penny gasped, beamed brightly and clapped her hands in excitement. I covered my mouth as I beamed at the sight of her youthful enthusiasm. +“She is, isn't she?” I responded to Rachel after that moment of observing Penny. +“Is she secretly your little girl?” Rachel asked, and I shook my head before reconsidering. +“Well,” I replied softly, “yes, I suppose if she was not already before, she certainly is now.” +“You look at her the way moms look at their babies, I know that much. It’s very sweet.” +“Thank you.” I replied with a soft chuckle. +I returned to stirring the huge pot in front of me. It had taken six of us to lift it into its holder over the fire pit that was built at the far end of the kitchen, closest to the windows. +“Can I ask you something?” She asked after looking over at me. +I nodded and watched as she dropped some freshly cut spices into the boiling water. +“I suppose so.” +“How do you feel about the fact that she’ll never age?” +I had not thought about it. Given that I was prone to looking at the darker side of any scenario, I was surprised to find that Penny remaining five for all eternity was not something that scared or saddened me in any way. +“Don’t we all wish once we are older that we can go back to seeing things the way we did when we were children? When we are young, we see the magic in everything because we have not seen the darkness of the world yet. Penny will live in that state of mind forever. Yes, she will be my responsibility forever but...” I smiled, “that’s how it would have turned out anyway.” +Rachel smiled, too. +We were going to live forever on Pangaea. Eternity was far too great for us to imagine. We would witness every shift, gradual and sudden, that our new world underwent. We would never grow old, lose our strength and fade away. It was the dream of all living creatures, even those who did not admit it to themselves. Everyone wanted to remain in the common, known realm, sometimes for no other reason than that they were too afraid to face the unknown that came after. I could not help but smile at the thought of spending thousands upon thousands of years with James and my family, free from the worry of illness or the plague of old age. Sure, we could still die, if we were killed by another or by accident. But those were forces far easier to control than the deadly weapons wielded by nature. +And Penny would remain young and innocent forever. It was poetic, in a way; I had lost my own innocence at such a young age and yet Penny would retain hers for as long as she lived. Her childlike wonder would never escape her. It would never be replaced by the same harsh reality that woke me every morning. I was not envious of my little sister. I wanted nothing more than for her to have what I had lost. It was an added bonus that she now had it indefinitely. +Rachel was right; I looked at her the way a mother looked at her child. I wanted the best for her. I would trade my life with no questions, regrets or hesitations if it meant that hers would be lengthened. +When Maura had fallen short, I had done my best to take care of Penny. I had been so young and yet I knew that her precious life depended on my competency and care. I swore I would never fail her. I would never abandon her. I would never allow her to wonder if she was truly wanted. Now, she was officially my child. Our father and Maura were gone. Our mother was gone. Penny's happiness and her longevity depended on me. It had always been scary to be responsible for another life. It still was, but I knew that I could handle it. +Above all things, I knew that I could take care of Penny. +I walked over to her after my work was done and kissed her forehead. +“Are you having fun?” I tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. +“Yeah. Did you see him juggle his knives?! And then he cut the vegetables really, really fast! I want to do that!” +“No!” I exclaimed as I wrapped her up in my arms, “That is far too dangerous, little one!” +“Will James play soccer with me again today?” Her arms were around me and her chin was pressed to my chest as she looked up at me. +“I’m sure he will.” I replied, and I was sure. Whatever problems James and I were experiencing would not deter him from playing the role of Penny's surrogate father. He adored my precious sister almost as much as I did. My smile grew at the thought of their bond. I pulled away from her and kissed her forehead again. + “I love you, Penny.” +She beamed up at me, her blue eyes that matched my own alight with the glow from the mid-afternoon sun. +“I love you too, Brynna.” +*** + +James returned just as the sun was beginning to set. I had been in the throes of nicotine withdrawal for several hours before a fellow smoker took pity on me and offered one of his own cigarettes. I was just finishing it when I saw the group returning. They were talking loudly and hauling several bags. After willingly changing my eyes over to enhance my vision, I stood up from the porch-swing I had been sitting on. I needed to make sure he was with them. They were carrying on enthusiastically, clearly bonding over their joint mission and raving enthusiastically about their huge load and safe return. I saw James carrying on with Quinn and some other guys. I turned and walked over to the swing again after flicking out my cigarette. +“Hi, Brynna.” The men and women greeted me as they passed. Quinn outstretched his fist to me; I pounded my own against it and actually chuckled softly. +“Yeah, I’ll be in in a minute.” James called after them when they said that they were getting dinner. He sauntered over to me, grasping a pack of cigarettes in his hand. After sitting down beside me, he opened the pack and extracted two. I took one when he offered it to me and smiled slightly when he struck a match and lit the end of mine before lighting his own. +“So, I can see that you are enjoying camaraderie amongst your band of brothers.” +“And sisters. There are ladies in our group. This is an equal opportunist establishment, my dear.” +“I know it is. There are guys working in the kitchen and cleaning, too. I do so enjoy when traditional gender roles are trounced in favor of new-age equality.” +James laughed as he slid his arm around my shoulder and pulled me closer to him. I nestled my head against his chest. +“I’m sorry,” He told me softly, “I shouldn’t have said the things I said.” +I looked up at him. +“I am sorry, too. You are right about Don and this place. I suppose that while I am looking down upon those willing to unwisely take this arrangement at face value, I am doing just that. It is hypocritical, like you said.” +“But my reaction was over the top. And calling you cold-hearted…” +“And a female dog…” +He looked down at me and I grinned up at him. He exhaled smoke as he laughed. +“That, too... It was wrong of me, and I’m sorry.” +“We were both very upset. You have never given me reason to believe that you speaking to me that way is going to become commonplace. I am just so glad you’re back,” I rested my head on his chest again and held him tighter, “I was worried about you today.” +“Were you?” He asked, sounding bemused. +“Very much so. You know how I need to keep my eye on the people close to me constantly. When you all aren’t in my sight, the darkly creative side of me churns out countless horrendous scenarios. That tendency was hard enough to cope with on Earth. Now, we face threats every day. They are threats that we are unfamiliar with, also, which heightens my level of anxiety substantially. We are constantly in danger of being killed.” +“I know we are.” +“So, tell me news of the outside world, Vespucci.” +“Vespucci? That's an interesting choice.” +“Well, he did discover America. Would you prefer that I call you 'Columbus?’ I am sure you are aware of the rumor that has long circulated about him.” +“I am aware. Vespucci is fine.” +I giggled softly and closed my eyes, being soothed so wonderfully by the way he was rubbing my back. +“Alright, then. Spill the details of your brave excursion.” +“Well, the campsite is a ghost town, obviously. The bodies are still there. We all feel awful about that. They’re going to ask Don if we can go back and bury them.” +“And you are not angry that they are requesting Don’s permission to do something that should have been done immediately? Actually, that they are requesting his permission at all?” +“No. I’m not mad. I’m done being mad. I know that we can’t trust him, at least not completely. But I’ll give the guy a chance. That’s what you were suggesting last night, I know. I agree with you. We need to give this a chance.” +“Indeed, we do. What else happened?” +“The place has been turned over by the Bachums’ people, I assume. Tents were destroyed. The ship was broken into.” +“Well, they must not have stolen all the supplies. You all were hauling plenty of bags.” +“They didn’t take everything. There’s so much stuff down in those storage rooms, baby. It will take weeks to bring it all back. We’re going out again tomorrow but we're bringing the wheelbarrows with us. We’ll be able to transport even more than we did today.” +“What about the guns? Did they get those, too?” +“They cleaned out most of them, yeah. But we managed to find five.” +“Just five?” I looked up at him in slight alarm, “You mean to tell me that those radically religious dimwits have the rest of the guns?” +“That is what I mean to tell you. It’s unfortunate…” +“It is more than unfortunate. They could storm in here any day and we would not stand a chance!” +“They’re not going to do that, though.” +“Really? That is exactly what I would instruct my empty-headed minions to do, if I were directing their little Guerilla Bible Club.” +“The fact that they’re a Bible Club might work in our favor, if you…” James started but upon seeing the look that I gave him, he backtracked. “Right.” +“You know exactly what I am going to say, so I am not going to say it aloud, lest I wish to become very irritated. Of course, it goes both ways, doesn’t it? Don’s group seems to be all the people who don’t care about religion or government or anything at all, really. That can be just as dangerous as the other extreme.” +“It can,” James agreed, “But let’s not worry until we have to worry, okay?” I looked at him for a long moment. “Okay? Okay?” I smiled, laid my head against his chest and closed my eyes when he began to soothingly rub my back again. My arms tightened around his middle. “Let’s just enjoy this charade of safety and security for as long as humanly possible.” +“When you put it like that, you make it very difficult for me to pretend.” +“I apologize for that from the bottom of my heart, my dear.” +“You do not, you terrible scourge of a man.” +“I do so, you abominable wench.” It was not even a second after the words had left his mouth that we were doubled over, laughing loudly and hysterically. “That was so bad. I'm sorry, baby...” He managed to say as he continued to laugh. +“Oh, my God...” I was wiping the tears of pure, joyful hysteria from my eyes. “That was so boldly simplistic and impassively spoken...” +“What?!” +“Guys!” Violet came running onto the porch. We both jumped up, all signs of our merriment from just a moment before erased. Given her abrupt arrival, we thought that there was some terrible emergency unfolding inside. +“What's happening?” I demanded quickly. +“Nothing,” Violet chuckled to herself, “Everything is cool. Dinner’s ready. What are you two carrying on about out here?” +“Oh, nothing, darling,” I replied as I wiped at my eyes again, “James is very humorous.” I held James’s hand as he flicked his cigarette out with the other. Once the ember was off, he put the cigarette on the end of his thumb and prepared to flick it onto the lawn. “Don’t you dare litter!” +“Whoa! Pump your brakes, crazy!” He exclaimed as he and Violet both laughed, “A raging environmentalist, my girlfriend is.” +“Your inverted syntax, I love, Mr. Maxwell.” +“You love Mr. Maxwell?” He asked, and I reached back to slap him lightly in the chest several times. +“You are hell-bent on driving me insane!” I exclaimed but I couldn’t fight the smile that had spread across my lips. He always brought out that breezy, easy-going side of me. It was refreshing after so many years of smiling only when absolutely necessary and laughing never. +He was walking behind me with his arms wrapped around my neck. He kissed my cheek as we hobbled along towards the dining room. +“You’ve been driving me insane since the day we met. This is just revenge.” +“Yeah?” I asked, “I hate you.” +We had reached the dining room. He kissed my cheek one last time, prompting an ugly glare to come our way from Elijah. We were standing in the doorway, observing the dinner scene. Everyone was crowded around at least fifty tables that had been arranged in a long, curved line. The massive dining room was full to the brim with the people of the house. The laughter and loud discussions of those great many individuals filled our ears as we noted the warm light cast by the torches that lined the wall and the orange glow of the sunset streaming through the many windows. The sight would have made an interesting, very aesthetically-pleasing painting. I could not help but feel the faint glow of hope inside of me that everything would stay picturesque, just like that. I was amazed by how soothing the sight of those people and that place was. +“You hate me?” +“Yes, I do.” I replied, but I was still observing the room. +“That’s very sad.” He told me dryly before whispering in my ear, “Because I love you.” +I actually gasped out loud. He took my hand and led me into the dining room before I could respond. When we sat down beside Penny and Violet, he did not look at me. I was incredulous at his confession. I thought that it would be ages before he felt the same level of affection for me that I felt for him. My heart soared and I bit my lip, trying not to beam like a moronic simpleton. +Randomly, I reached over, turned his head gently and kissed him. +“I love you, too.” +“That doesn’t make you want to run for the hills?” He asked with a wry smile. +I shook my head. +“No. You are stuck with me, Mr. Maxwell.” +“Well, Ms. Olivier,” His lips grazed mine for another sweet, gentle kiss, “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” +*** + +“What is this?” I asked Aisha. She was the wife of a man named Frank who worked on security with James. She was holding a tray out to me with one brilliantly red berry in the center. Even though the berry was very small, the silver metal of the tray around it seemed to fade in the shadow of its potent color. +“Is this what he was talking about?” James asked, and I looked between the two of them, befuddled as to what exactly it was that they were referring to. James suddenly seemed thrilled by the sight of the red berry, as though it was a coveted gift finally found under a crowded Christmas tree. +“What, dare I ask, was he talking about? Who is 'he?'” I asked. +“Don found these berries out in the woods. He was hungry so he ate some. Apparently, they have some really psychedelic side effects, if you know what I mean.” She grinned at me conspiratorially. In response to what she had said and the ridiculous look on her face, I frowned. +“You may find this shocking but I have absolutely no idea what you mean. Would you care to elaborate?” +“Weren't you just saying this afternoon that you wanted to relax?” James asked me. +“Yes, I do recall...” I stopped and turned back to him slowly. On my face was perhaps the most fiendishly evil glare I had ever utilized to deter him from a course of action. +“That's scary.” He told me nonchalantly. +“I know it is.” I snapped after crossing my arms over my chest. “Are you suggesting that we get high? James, we are not two college kids sitting in a dorm room trying to piss our time away.” +“Maybe not, but you could be a college kid. Is that enough?” He asked in an overly concerned tone that proved he was purposely trying to irritate me. My scowl darkened. +“I could slap that smirk right off of your face right now. Instead, I am simply going to put Penny to bed. Come along, Penelope.” I grasped her hand tightly in mine and huffed away. +“Just to verify, though, you won't be mad at me if I eat one?” He called after me. I was tempted to use a very vulgar hand gesture to answer that question. Instead, I ignored him. +“It is a strange day when you have to start asking someone questions like that...” I heard him mutter to Aisha. +Just before ascending the stairs, I turned back to see Don sitting at the far end of the room in a high-backed wooden chair. Behind his chair, a fire blazed in the grate; that light darkened the space around him. If ever there was a symbol of doom, that was it. I could have shouted a warning to the others. But in their eyes, I saw a need to consume the berries that were being offered to them. They wanted to let go. +I wanted to let go. +It had been several weeks since our arrival at Don's house. Though James and I were finding it easier to relax after getting to know so many kind people there, we still found it necessary to keep our eyes open and our heads clear at all times. We were not afraid of many in Don's house, but there were some that sought to please the man who ran the show. They, and the man himself, were worrisome folks. +But if I ate that berry, I would forget all of that trepidation and anxiety. I would forget how afraid I was for the lives of Penny, Violet, Elijah, and James. I would forget the regrets and sadness that attempted to plague me daily. My mind would empty and even out, quite wondrously... +“No.” I said out loud to sway my temptation. Only verbally could I express my desire to suppress the urge. Internally, I was craving whatever “psychedelic state” was brought on by the berry. +“But I didn't say I was actually going to do it!” Penny exclaimed as she looked up at me with wide, terrified eyes. “I just think it would be funny!” +“What did you say?” I looked down at her as we walked up the stairs. +“I didn't say anything. You heard me thinking about it!” +“What were you thinking about?” +She blinked up at me for several seconds. +“Nothing.” +I lost it. I was laughing hysterically and covering my mouth to stifle the sound. Her huge eyes looking up at me betrayed the guilt she felt at some fleeting thought she had only briefly mused on. I didn't even care what exactly it was that she thought would be humorous. It was more than likely an innocent prank that would cause no harm. +I did not stop laughing until after she was changed into her pajamas. I remembered how every night on Earth, I had always fought her to go to bed. At first, I had been stern, informing her that only one story would be read and then she would have to promptly go to sleep. Somehow, she always managed to get at least three stories out of me. By the time I turned her light off, we were giggling ridiculously at jokes no one else could possibly find funny. The memory warmed me and as I sat with her that night, stroking her hair until she fell asleep, I knew that we would be doing that bedtime routine forever. +I could have cried. The thought was more beautiful than any Pangaean sunset. +After she had drifted off into a peaceful slumber, I tucked the blankets in even more tightly around her. As always, I carefully eased my light weight off of the bed and slunk back away from her, watching her as she slept until I had reached the door. After closing it behind me, I walked back downstairs, still smiling to myself. +Batteries must have been found on the ship because I could hear an old White Stripes song playing boisterously in the living room downstairs. I knew that several people in the house had brought their portable iPod players with them from Earth. They had also brought batteries of their own. Some people were quite skilled at remembering every last necessity and convenience that they wished to bring with them on our collective, one-way journey. +Curiosity got the better of me. If I had simply gone to bed, I never would have tasted the sinfully sweet juice of the Peace Fruit. I would have never known the full extent of the activities Don allowed and encouraged to occur in his house. +“Brynna!” Violet's arms were around me the moment I walked into the room. She nestled her head against mine several times before rubbing her face into my neck. When her hair tickled my skin most irritatingly, I jerked away from her. +“Will you stop that?” I whispered fiercely to her after I had pulled away. +One look at her face and I could have murdered James and Elijah. +Her eyes were glowing with the same cerulean color of the juice that filled the red skins of those berries. The lazy smile that was spread across her face and the way her eyelids drooped every so often confirmed what I was dreading mentally: She had been offered that natural drug and instead of refusing, she had taken it. +“You love this song.” She said as she twirled a strand of my hair around her finger. “That's what James said! He loves you, Brynna...” +People all around the room were lounging in the elaborately designed furniture, laughing quietly and in some disturbing cases, caressing each other quite inappropriately. Don, for instance, was being fondled by one woman around his age and another around mine. They whispered of his bravery in sentences far too intricate for the intelligence level I knew they possessed. At one point, they muttered in a language they had never learned. His glowing blue eyes glazed over in both lust and satisfaction, quite to my bemusement. How he could emanate both at the same time, I was not sure. +I almost heaved forward at such a disgusting sight of human frailty. Perhaps I was being what most would call “a stick in the mud”, but their behavior was proof of their inferior standing to me. They had all allowed themselves to become high on a mysterious berry from the forest, simply so they could engage in conscience-free “relaxation.” I shuddered to think what would occur in that room. +“Don says that while the juice from these berries flowed through his veins, he saw the one God.” Violet informed me. Her eyes were rolling back in her head as her hands ran through her hair. The soft texture was enough to intoxicate her further. +What I was witnessing had to be quite close to the effects of ecstasy. Or perhaps LSD. My heart dropped heavily into my stomach when I recalled another drug, one that had been manufactured and outlawed immediately after an unfortunate issue arose involving cannibalism. Something about a bath... I could not remember. I prayed that the effects of the berries would not take a dark turn for the worse. +“You should have been here. Just as we were starting to feel the peace, Don told us that story. It was beautiful, Brynna.” +I frowned at her when abnormally large tears began to fall from her eyes. +“The world will be at peace, just like this right now, as long as Don lets us live. As long as we let people live. Live and let live.” +“Alright, this is ridiculous!” I grabbed her arm. Her over-dramatic gasp would have been quite comical had she not been genuinely horrified by me grabbing her so aggressively. She jerked her arm away and rubbed the spot where my hand-print was still visible. +“Ow...” She moaned with a terribly depressing frown on her face now, “Meanie, be nice.” +“That last statement was completely redundant and utterly puerile but then, I sincerely doubt that you remember the definitions of those fifth-grade level words.” +“So mean...” She sighed heavily and wiped a tear that had fallen from her eyes away. “I love you and you love me, too. We love each other even though we fight so much, Brynna. That doesn't matter. You're my sister and I love you. Even when you're mean...” +I exclaimed in irritation and then began to scold her in a shaking voice: +“Violet Mae, this kind of idealistic, drug-fueled rambling was not cute in the 1960's when those mindless people that called themselves hippies were spouting it off to people or to walls, whichever would listen. It most certainly is not cute now.” +“The walls are standing still. So still, like the core of Purissimus...” +I felt like a mother sent to pull her child from what the young people called a “rave.” I felt like at any moment, people would pull pacifiers from their pockets to suck on before waving glow-sticks in my face. Yes, I will admit that I was extinguishing the life of the party. But imagine for a moment stumbling across a group of people, both young and old, engaging in such reckless foolishness. Some, including Alice and Quinn, were beginning to remove their clothing. If there were ever a toxic environment from which I needed to forcibly extract my sister, I was standing in the dead-center of it. +I actually covered my eyes for a moment because I was so incredibly embarrassed for the people around me. When I looked up, Violet had swayed off into the crowd of those dancing by the open windows. The light from the fire was lower, creating a commanding darkness that I could scarcely see through. I became aware of smoke tickling the inside of my nose. While normal smoke would have burned my nasal passages, whatever that was only made me want to smile. I did not even want to sneeze. +The sweet smell of that smoke mixed with the wonderfully brisk evening air; the breeze gently stung my face as it flew by me. I found myself smiling as a lightness suddenly took hold of my heart. I was looking around, feeling the coolness of the night wrapped around me. I was reminded of the days at home on Earth when the summer had finally faded away into fall... +A quick stab of horror pierced my already fallen heart when I saw Don crush one of the berries on the table. As the light blue juice was exposed to the air, it seemed to fizzle. Afterward, where the liquid had been, there was only thick, black powder. I watched Don brush the dust into his hand and carefully siphon it into a pipe fashioned from the wood of one of the old trees in the forest. That intricately fashioned smoking device could only have been a gift from Adam. The pipe was far too excellent to be crafted by Don's hand. +After lighting the end of his pipe and inhaling deeply, Don blew the smoke into the older woman's open mouth. +My head was starting to spin. The dizziness that rattled my brain was not unpleasant, though. A memory from when I was three years old overtook me; I was on a merry-go-round, waving to my mother every time she came into my view around the bend. Elijah was beside me, riding a huge, black horse with yellow eyes. We were giggling the way children do, shouting to our mom and smiling for the camera she was holding up. +Why had I left her? My face was buried in my hands as the delightfully happy feeling that had accompanied the long lost memory died away. It was replaced by a regret so excruciating that I had to grasp my chest. Surely my heart would literally fall from my body. Surely, it would fall to the floor where I would see just how blackened it was from my years of hating her, my father, Maura, Michael... +James's hands gently grasped mine. As soon as he pulled them away from my face, his lips pressed to my forehead, my closed eyes, my nose and both of my cheeks. +Warmth. Luminescence. A desire that burned from my heart to between my legs so deliciously that I could have cried. All around us, people were standing up to leave. Soon, they would disappear into the rooms of the house where they would rectify their own erotic urges. Some were still just lounging, whispering to one another and laughing quietly to themselves. +What was the name of the song playing? I could scarcely remember the name of the band, too. A color, or the absence of color, and the word “Keys.” It was one of their songs that received little attention yet it was one of their best. +“Don't, man.” Elijah's voice said lazily and James let go of me. When his hands lost their grip, I expected to be filled with that ever-present ice again. Instead, I simply turned back to find him still there behind me, though now he was sitting on the couch with his head tilted back. I did not know where Elijah had gone. +Violet was in the crowd of people that I had wandered into, dancing slowly. As my heart twirled and spun in beautiful synchrony with my singing brain, I began to dance, too. +“Just a psychotic girl and I won't get lost in your world...” +As the women vocalizing in the background of the song intensified, I raised my hands to the ceiling, feeling so calm, so alive, so beautiful, so powerful... +James was watching me. The song was so true, he knew. He and I both knew that wisdom would tell him to stay away. But love was not wise. It was not even smart. It was just one of the many results that could occur when emotions won out over logic. +It is funny how when one is on drugs, suddenly the most random events pull together to form one cohesive whole tailor-made for the individual. Every song was written for that individual, every word spoken is about the individual, the universe was created for the individual… That individual is the hand of God, creating meaning, while simultaneously being the only thought in God’s mind. +James could not stand to stay away. He could not bear the thought of losing me. I almost allowed tears to fall from my eyes when I realized that I felt the same way about him. +Watching me was too much for him. In a blur of movement, he was in front of me and scooping me off of my feet. I was so entranced by his expertly sensuous kisses that I did not realize we were leaving the room. It was a blissful feeling, to be mindless. +We were in one of the back rooms of the house. I could still hear the music playing clearly. Now, the song had changed. A band whose name was written in all capital letters. A singer with a raspy voice. An exclamation: +“SAIL.” +Our clothes were off and I was on top of him, my lips moving slowly down his firm body. His hand grasped hold of my long hair and pulled backwards. I was sitting in his lap, straddling him, but now, our sweating torsos were touching. I moaned out loud when his tongue grazed my neck in between each perfectly placed kiss. While I was so hypnotized by the erotic intensity his mouth on my skin brought forth inside of me, he pulled my hips forward abruptly, taking me, literally and figuratively, by surprise. +I exclaimed at the feeling, almost in tears from the fierce pleasure of it. From the top of my head to the ends of my feet, I burned delightfully in desire to reach what I knew would be an utterly world-shattering conclusion. And yet, I wanted to experience the brilliantly agonizing, gradual ascent to that ending. After my head tilted back, his mouth moved down to my chest that was rising and falling with my deep breaths. By then, I was not moaning in ecstasy anymore; I was crying in sensual delirium. +When his deep voice saying my name echoed around in my ears, I grasped his shoulders and moved even more quickly. Nothing else in the entire world could possibly exist. Time had stopped. The Peace Fruit summoned images of the two of us, alone in a paradise as old as any world. Heaven, Nirvana, and tangible serenity... I might have seen Hell, too, but it was beautiful. +I did not have to worry about the entire house hearing the loud hybrid of a moan and a scream that escaped me just before I collapsed onto him. Tears were streaming down my face as we both gasped for breath. All around the house, my enhanced hearing picked up the animal grunts and moans of those engaged in similar activities. Our only response to the sound was hysterical laughter; James and I laughed until we cried. +Another song was playing, starting slowly, guitars intermixed with a techno beat. Whomever had brought his or her iPod was my musical sister or brother, because the song was yet another I knew and loved, but in the moment, could not name. I felt an almost tangible connection that linked me to person supplying the beautiful music I loved to the rest of us. Regardless of one’s beliefs about different genres of music, music in general truly does pull us together, and in that night, we all felt it in our hearts and souls. It was linking us all together, making us one cohesive whole. Those songs had been written for us, in the same way that the universe had been built for us. +“Are we human / Or are we denser? / My sign is vital / My hands are cold / And I’m on my knees / Looking for the answer / Are we human? Or we denser?” +The moon was streaming through the window, and I was not wiping the tears of completely random, completely heavenly joy that were falling from my eyes as I reached into the beam and felt the light caressing my skin. James reached out, too, feeling it and laughing with me. Before I could blink, he had lifted me, and I was sitting on the wide, cushioned window-ledge with my legs draped over his shoulders, my head tilted back, and my mouth open slightly as I breathed in slowly, deeply, moaning, once his face was burrowed between my legs. The moon’s light was all around us, cradling us. +“Will your system be alright / when you dream of home tonight…” +My back pressed to the wonderfully chilled glass of the window as his hands came up to grasp mine. +“…There is no message we’re receiving / let me know is your heart still beating?” +His hands grasped my hips, and he pulled me towards him at the same time that he was coming up to rest his knees on the window-ledge in front of me. My legs were still on his shoulders, and after entering me with a powerful thrust, it took both of us mere minutes to reach the same earth-shattering conclusion we had reached only moments before, it seemed. As I moaned out his name, and he made a noise between a carnal grunt and a moan, I reached up and pulled him to me. His heaving chest was pressed to mine, and after a moment, he slid down to nuzzle his face into my chest a few times before resting his cheek in between my breasts. +“Oh, my God…” He said, and I thought he might be crying, so I laughed hysterically again. “Where did you come from? You weren’t here a few months ago, and now you’re here, and I love you, and I should say you’re too young for me, and I might have something wrong with me for loving you, but I don’t care… I just love you, and want you, and I think I’m laughing now…” +He was laughing. We both were. All the limbs of our sweating, gasping bodies were entwined together, tied in indecipherable knots; my leg was over his, my foot rubbing up and down the back of his calf, and his was wrapped around my back, grasping the back of my hand on the other side of my body. It should have been uncomfortable, but it was not. Everything was perfect. +Perhaps our behavior was anything but morally upstanding. Perhaps succumbing to the force of the Peace Fruit was weak on our parts. But imagine for a moment exactly how wondrous total emptiness was for myself, James, my brother, sister, and housemates. After all we had fought to survive, we were allowed just one night of wild frivolity. James and I were allowed a night of the most mind-numbing pleasure imaginable. We'll call it our celebration, our way to show our gratitude to ourselves for all we had overcome. +When we awoke the next morning, I was still lying on top of him. In his deep slumber, he had turned us sideways to lie on the window-seat. His arms had not released me. Someone, who had gotten an embarrassing view of both mine and James's naked bodies, had covered us with a blanket. I cringed in humiliation and ran my fingers through my sweat-drenched hair. +Those who had built the house had knowledge on indoor plumbing, it seemed. Every room had a shower that ran with hot and cold water. I awoke James, and we walked up to our room, wrapped in the same blanket. We closed the bathroom door behind us. Penny, I was pleased to see, was sleeping peacefully still. The unsavory actions committed by us and the people in our house had not awoken her. For that, I was thankful. +My body was still weak from the erotic intensity of the night before. As the gloriously hot water poured over our skin, I clung to James and buried my face in his chest. The wildflower shampoo smelled divine, like the promise made by God regarding heaven coming to Earth. I almost moaned in ecstasy as I massaged that thick, sweet-smelling slop against my scalp. My nerve endings were still on high alert; they were heightened even in response to the simplest of pleasures. +Breakfast was not due for another two hours, given the position of the sun. James and I seemed to be the first people who had risen from the deep sleep that followed the intoxication. After dressing in clean clothes that smelled of home, we walked, hand in hand, down the hallway. +“We need to find Violet.” +“Are you worried? Don't be worried.” James told me. +“I am quite worried. I neglected my responsibilities last night, and I can only pray that she did not pay a price for my ignorance.” +The way Lucien did, my mind taunted cruelly. I stopped walking and pressed my hand to my forehead. I wished that I could reach into my skull and strangle my sadistic conscience. +“Hey...” James whispered. He let go of my other hand so that he could place both of his on my face. “We're happy, baby. Last night was one of the best nights of my life.” +“You mean the drug-fueled moral depravity or the earth-shaking sex?” I asked after pressing the top of my head against his chest. +“Both. Tell me that you didn't enjoy that last night.” +“I enjoyed the latter substantially. I wish that the former had not occurred.” +“You torment yourself over everything. Maybe we should have become Bachums.” He told me as we continued walking. “I'm glad that you ate the Peace Fruit last night. For the first time in your life, you finally let go.” +“How do you know it was the first time in my life? I actually have a very sordid history with street drugs.” +“Oh, yeah? Which?” +“Peyote.” +“Oh, my God!” He exclaimed, laughing. + “It was nice. Not the peyote. The Peace Fruit.” I said with a slight smile, “It was so peaceful.” +“That's why it's called Peace Fruit, my love.” +“Whatever it is called, I will not be doing that for a very long time. I sincerely doubt that I will ever do it again.” +“We'll see about that.” +I scowled at him in jocular scorn. +“That 'Peace Fruit' as you call it, could be used as Rohypnol.” I told him, “Given your stalking tendencies, I would not be surprised if you were alright with that.” +“With forcibly drugging you?! Jesus, baby! That’s intense. But I guess now is a good time to tell you about the time I bought Rohypnol outside of a bar in New York. There was this stunningly beautiful young woman with an evil glint in her eye sitting and watching the other patrons in the bar disdainfully...” +I punched him lightly in the arm as he laughed raucously at his own joke. +“It would not surprise me!” +“Oh, baby, you know I'm just messing with you!” +I was walking ahead of him when he grasped my hand and pulled me back to him. In a quick movement, he dipped me backwards and kissed me passionately. When his mouth finally broke from mine, I looked up at him, trying to suppress a smile. +“Why are you bending me over like this?” +“Bending you over...” He repeated in exaggerated intrigue, “I'm going to show you bending you over..” +“Oh, really?” I grinned up at him, “You have my full permission to show me exactly what you're talking about.” +“Say no more.” +Without taking his eyes off of mine, he kicked backwards, sending a door to one of the many closets in the house flying open. There were two screams from within. James and I both jumped and shouted in surprise when five of our housemates came stumbling out into the hallway without a scrap of clothing on any of their bodies. +James was staring, wide-eyed and mouth open, in absolute horror. The look on his face and the situation as a whole had me doubled over, clutching my stomach as I laughed. My arms reached out and grasped James as I struggled to stand upright. +“Baby, this is so disturbing... I think we need to move out...” James muttered as he shook his head back and forth. I only laughed harder. +“Stop!” I grasped my stomach with one hand and wiped the tears from my eyes with the other, “This is so ridiculous! Oh, God or Gods... I cannot take it!” +“Sorry, guys.” An English man said. He was trying to hide his lower appendage from our view with both hands. “Closet's free now.” +“Oh, that's gross!” James exclaimed in genuine revulsion. +“Come on, honey.” I managed to say through my laughter, “You were so eager to show me how you were going to bend me over, and now the closet is free! How convenient!” +“I see your point of view on the Peace Fruit now.” James told me as he rubbed his eyes. “You win, baby.” +The uncontrollable giggles that shook my entire body only intensified. +“It's not funny!” He exclaimed finally, “I feel violated!” +Alice and Quinn stumbled out of their room, cracking up just as I was. +“What are you two so happy about? If you knew the horrors we have just seen...” James shook his head again. +“What are you so happy about, Brynna?” Quinn asked me to purposely avoid the question he had just been asked by James. +“Oh, human tendencies, of course.” I replied as we descended the stairs, “Have either of you seen Violet?” +“Yeah. She and Nick were sneaking past our door about an hour ago.” Alice answered, “That was a good time last night, wasn't it?” +I stopped in my tracks, my laughter ceasing quickly as though it had never existed in the first place. +“I swear, if my sister and that boy are having intercourse, I am going to castrate him with a dull sewing needle!” +The stifled laughter of Alice, Quinn, and James told me that my outburst was a tad over the top. +“I choose to ignore your laughter at my emotional torment! She is seventeen and has only known him for a few months.” I scowled as James's thoughts entered my mind, “You know what, I am aware that that statement is hypocritical! Actually, it is not. You and I have known each other for longer, and...” +More of his thoughts invaded my brain. I wondered briefly if he was assailing me with them purposely. +“I know that we had sex after only...” I stopped and threw up my hands in irritation, “You know what, I get enough of your sarcasm when you speak. I do not need to hear it telepathically, as well. So shut up, James!” +“And there it is!” James commentated happily, to the delight of Alice and Quinn. +That aforementioned vulgar hand gesture? James got two. +*** + +When I found Violet and Nick, they were lying in the dew-covered grass out in front of the house. They were on their sides facing each other and grasping hands. In the blue light of a new dawn, I could see the affection in their eyes. In my sister, I saw the same lightness of love that was present in my own eyes every time I looked at James. +I should have been happy for her. Instead, I lost my temper. +“Get up!” I snapped at her, and several feet away, in the tree line, a trio of birds took flight. I kid you not, my anger even startled the still half-asleep wildlife. +Nick immediately jumped up, stammering as he attempted to explain exactly what he and my sister were doing lying side by side on the front lawn as the sun began to rise. After the night of indulgence, I dared not speculate how far their affection had carried them. I shuddered to imagine that Violet had moved from infatuation to a physical romance with the young man. +“Brynna, just don't, alright? You were actually cool last night. You were chilled out and having a good time. Why do you want to spoil it?” Violet asked as she slowly rose onto her feet. “More importantly, why do you want to ruin this for me?” +“If my one concern in life was to achieve a social status of 'coolness,' I would die miserably unfulfilled almost certainly.” +“Yes,” Violet nodded with her eyebrows raised, “You would.” +“Be quiet, for the sake of all deities and Gods!” I covered my face for a moment with a shaking hand. “I understand that he is quite handsome and...” +“...and he's a nice guy who protects me and likes me.” She added, “What more do you need to know? I don't ask questions about you and James. I trust your judgment.” +“I swear, it was a simple two-word command. Be quiet. I do not believe that it is a difficult direction to follow. What occurred here last night is not to be repeated ever again. The consequences of such mindless frivolity will rear their ugly heads. That much is certain.” +“What do you mean?” Violet asked, and she was completely serious all of a sudden. “Did you see something? What is it, Brynn?” +“I did not see anything. But I feel trouble brewing, and that is plenty. Now, if you two had... had...” +James had walked up beside me as I struggled to say the word. I was not a prude, as I am sure you have gathered, but when it came to my sister, I was simply not comfortable discussing carnal matters with her. The awkwardness would surely be the death of me. +“James, will you take her for a walk before her head explodes?” Violet asked him, “Seriously, man. Listen to her stammering. She's like a robot that just got water thrown on it. Help me out.” +James chuckled as he wrapped his arm around my shoulder. +“Just for the record, Brynn, that didn't happen!” Violet called to me. +As enough distance was put between Violet and me, I looked up at James. +“She is being truthful, isn't she?” +James kissed my head and grinned. +“I don't know, baby. Is she?” +I scowled at him in fury. He was toying with my emotions and turning my concern into a joke. I certainly was not laughing. +“I am just ecstatic that my worrying over my sister's choices in life is entertaining you. Believe me when I say that I have yearned my entire life to amuse someone with my anxiety.” +“Let me assure you, my dear Brynna, that your anxiety neither amuses nor saddens me. Merely, I am befuddled by it, for the sake of all deities and Gods.” I glared at him even more scornfully, “See? That was another one of my attempts to talk like you.” His lips pressed to mine in an obnoxiously over-the-top kiss. “You are quite humorous.” +“You are quite aggravating.” I pulled away from him, “And the all-access pass you have been enjoying in regards to my body? Consider it expired.” +I walked ahead of him, smiling slightly to myself. I heard him chuckle but then, the sound slowly died away. +“Wait, are you being serious?” +“I do not know, baby.” I replied as Frank held the front door open for me. “Am I?” +All whimsy evaporated when my eyes met Frank's. A sudden wave of emotion came over me; in the depths of the tidal mass, I saw fear, grief, and fury. James, seeing my body tense as though I had just received a physical blow, was at my side in a blink. +“What is it?” I asked Frank quietly. +Instinct was driving me forward before I could hear his answer. I was hurtling up the steps two at a time. My heart raced in frenzied terror, sensing that something terrible had just occurred. The Peace Fruit... It brought out the worst in those who succumbed to its twisting, smooth-as-silk vines... +Every dark desire of man could be achieved while one was intoxicated by its juices. The conscience disappeared, and the most vulgar, despicable acts could be carried out without fear of guilt. I had known that to be true even as I allowed myself to lapse deeply into the blissful hypnosis. Even as I did not fear the crash on hard earth that would surely result from the high, I could not avoid the trepidation felt when imagining what might await me as I fell. Now, I would see it firsthand. +She had awoken just after James and I had crept from the room. She had been rubbing her still-heavy eyes as her little feet pattered against the cold hardwood floor of the hallway. The white curtains billowed in the early morning breeze, but she walked through with ease, paying them no mind. It had been the smell of blood that had jolted her to full alertness. A door had been left ajar just beside where she was standing. Her childish curiosity had pulled her forward. Her hand had pushed open the door. The man was still in there, standing over the two bodies, his eyes not as blue as blindness... +“Brynna...” Frank's voice said behind me, “James, stop her!” +“Where is she?” I was muttering, unable to raise my voice above a crackling whisper. People gaped at me as I walked by and whispered behind their hands. +“That's her sister...” +“She's more like her mother than anything...” +“God, poor girl...” +“Where is she?!” I was able to speak loudly now as my eyes darted wildly around the hallway. I clawed and pushed my way through the gawking crowd of spectators. Up ahead, I heard her animal grunts, hisses, and even a feeble roar. +“Brynna, it was not his fault. It was the Peace Fruit...” Don was beginning to say, “Listen, we cannot judge him for what he did. That's not what we're about here...” +I pushed Don Abba with so much force that he was thrown several feet away. The door to that same room Penny had walked into was closed. The sound of nails running down the length of the wood on the other side sounded. +“Don't go in there!” Don exclaimed, “They're not supposed to change this young! We don't know what's wrong with her!” +I threw open the door to reveal the dimly lit, blood-splattered room. Inconveniently, the sun rose on the other side of the house. Its light had not yet reached the dark space before my eyes. The effect of such darkness was eerie, especially given the circumstances. +“Penny?” I whispered, and my eyes changed over to white. Even with my enhanced vision, I could not see her. A man was breathing laboriously on the floor, barely alive but still so far from death. He was the same man I had seen through Penny's terrified eyes. The claw marks on his body were neatly cut from his forehead to his chin, but as they moved down his torso, they sunk deeper and as a result, his flesh was torn sloppily. +“Penny?” I looked around frantically for her. In the corner of my eye, I saw a blur of movement dart under the bed. Outside, the onlookers gasped and grabbed onto one another in horror and also, perverted, voyeuristic excitement. +“Come on, baby. That's enough.” I forced the eruption of fear inside of my chest to calm. I needed to emanate warmth and serenity for her. Her killer instincts were switched on, and she would not come to me while I was afraid. The animal inside of her would only be soothed by the maternity I carried for her. Only through my motherly affection would she be soothed. +“James, mellow out.” I hissed at him over my shoulder. +“What?” James whispered back, “What the hell are you talking about right now? I'm just going to reach under and grab her!” +“No! She's not herself. Calm yourself down.” +“Are you still high?!” +I scowled at him and barked in a furious whisper when I spoke: +“Shut up and do what I say!” +“Well, shit, you asked me so nicely, why would I not do that?” He rolled his eyes and sighed heavily, standing perfectly still. He opened one eye to look at me. “I can't do it when you're staring at me like that!” +“Fine, I will look away.” +I did. A long moment of silence. +“This is stupid.” +“Goddamn it, James!” I exclaimed loudly. +There was another loud flutter of movement under the bed and a roar that was a little stronger. +“Alright, I'm doing it.” James told me, “I'm calming down. You win.” +I felt the peace wash over him. It was natural, another positive perk of our evolution. That serenity radiated through the air and wrapped tightly around Penny like a soft baby blanket. Together, our combined tranquility coaxed her from her hiding place. +Consider it Pangaean parenting. +Her huge brown eyes met ours as she scampered to us. Her tiny arms wrapped around my neck as my own grasped her tightly. James encased us in his strong embrace. Outside in the hallway, I heard some of the onlookers clapping. I could have lit them all on fire with the look I cast their way. +Penny moved so that she could hold onto James. Her soft whimpers began as she buried her face in his neck. +“Shh...” James whispered. He kissed her head as we moved through the crowd. I kept my hand on her back as I scowled at Don. +“Come on. Everything's okay, baby.” James was telling her softly, “Brynn and I are right here.” +I did not need an expert on forensics to explain to me what had occurred. The man had killed two women while under the influence of the Peace Fruit. Penny had stumbled upon him as he stood over their mutilated bodies. In a quick move to eradicate all witnesses, he had attacked her, thinking that she would be easily dispatched. Unfortunately for him, he had not realized that the same powers that we were slowly grasping had begun to take hold of my sister, as well. She had killed him to defend herself. +James laid Penny down on the bed and muttered to me that he was going to run her a bath. He kissed my forehead before he walked away. Furiously, I began to wipe the blood from Penny's face, cringing as several drops came close to rolling into her eyes. Her soft cries of terror clawed my heart viciously. Only rage could bandage those wounds. I was far beyond angry. My rage extended to so many different people, I could barely keep their faces straight. James's handsome face dissolved into Don's and then to Adam's. I saw my mother, who would have such cutting words to say about the incident; I saw Maura, who was not there... I rubbed my temples as my head pounded. +When James reappeared to tell me the bath was ready, I scooped Penny up and pushed past him furiously. When he attempted to follow me in to the bathroom, I slammed the door in his face and turned the lock. I listened as he rattled the doorknob. +Penny had suffered minimal physical wounds. A few scratches on her skin were the worst of the damage. A small raised bump on her forehead was little cause for concern. The man's blood swirled around her in the steaming bathwater. Even the lavender and wildflower infused soap could not erase his smell. I hummed softly to her, attempting to soothe her with my voice. The song and the soap were lulling her to sleep. By the time I wrapped a towel around her, her cries had stopped, and her eyes were drooping. Her head nestled under mine as I carried her back out into the bedroom. +“Vamoose.” I muttered to James after I had moved to the dresser beside the window. +“I know you're pissed off, but for the life of me, Brynna, I cannot decipher exactly what I did to you this time.” He whispered back angrily. +“Take your self-righteous indignation out into the hallway.” I raised my voice to a conversational volume but did not betray my disgust and rage to him just then. I would not show my anger in front of Penny. I would not argue with James in front of her the way my mother and father had fought viciously in front of Elijah, Violet, and me. +“Don't even start this shit with me. After what happened...” +I sat down on the bed and looked over my shoulder at him. +“Go.” I ordered firmly. My eyes were set in steely resolve. +“I am getting really sick of your bullshit. Just so you know.” +The door slammed behind me. I wanted to follow him, screaming until my lungs were devoid of air about showing his childish anger in front of my sister while she was so upset. However, if I were to do that, it would be quite hypocritical. The whole statement would be rendered moot by my own immature show of rage. I dressed Penny quietly, shushing her when her cries began again. +“What happened?!” Violet and Elijah had come running in. +“Be quiet!” I snapped at them before looking back at Penny. She was looking at me with big, terrified eyes. Tears streamed from them down her round cheeks again. I pressed my lips to her forehead and continued stroking her hair. I held my hand out behind me and mimed silently for Elijah and Violet to stay away until she was asleep. They obeyed. +The terrible events of the early morning had taken their toll on her. The physical exertion of what she had done had exhausted her body. The terror of killing a living being had wrung her young mind dry. What she needed more than anything was a long sleep. When she awoke, we would deal with the after-effects of such a terrifying occurrence. +My sister was five years old when she killed a man. It had been in self-defense and because she was changing early. I would remind her of that every day. Every day, her mind would find that evil man, and she would succumb to a guilt far beyond her years. I prayed to a God in whom I did not believe every night that she would forget his face. But every morning that followed, I would realize, begrudgingly and with fury in my heart, that my prayers had gone unanswered. +Don and James were talking furiously at the top of the stairs that led to our floor. I approached them, listening in on the conversation before they noticed my presence. +“Things got out of control, and for that, I apologize.” Don was saying quickly, “Those two women will be buried, but Donovan must be saved.” +“He tried to kill her! He tried to kill a five-year-old girl!” +“We cannot hold him accountable for what he did.” +“He wasn't even high, Don! Where is your head at right now?!” +“I do not judge people for what they do. I can't, James. That would go against everything I believe in! When I brought people here, I promised them a place to live where they would not be judged.” +“You can't be serious! He raped and killed two women! He tried to kill Penny! What kind of message is this going to send to your people? You're going to let them believe that you tolerate rape and murder?!” +“Precisely. Humans are inbred with dark desires. We all have them, James. You can't deny that. I cannot hold Donovan responsible for doing exactly what I said I would allow.” +“You said you would allow assault and...” +“No. I said that there would be no rules. This is a consequence of that notion, but every great society has moments of downfall.” +“So, this is a great society now? That's what this is about?” +I had approached them. Don's expression soured upon seeing my face. I scowled at him darkly, my heart racing in rage at all he had said. +“This is not a great society, Don. This is a circus.” I spat at him, “You will hold that abhorrent pig responsible for what he did to my sister. If he had killed her, I would have destroyed him. In fact, I will still kill him for what he did!” +“You most certainly will not!” Don shot at me, “Two wrongs do not make a right, Brynna, and I will thank you to remember that!” +“I will rip his body apart. If I could also consume his despicable soul, you can bet your life that I would! If I could steal from him whatever eternal salvation awaits us when we depart this world, I would!” +“I might not have any rules for you to follow, Brynna, but you will not touch him.” Don ordered in fury, “I might not like order, but as long as we are all living here, we will not harm each other.” +“He killed two women! He tried to kill my sister! That is harming people, is it not? Where do those events fit in your idealistic world of bullshit?!” +Yes. I cursed. +“Get yourself under control before you come downstairs.” His eyes glared into mine, “James, you are responsible for her. If anything happens, I will throw all of you out. Is that understood?” +“We are leaving! And he most certainly is not responsible for me!” I exclaimed angrily before storming away. +“You can't leave! There's no safe place out there for you, Brynna! Your father is looking for you! He has a bounty on your head! You have nowhere to go!” +“Ignore her. She's just having one of her little girl tantrums.” James told him loudly as he leaned against the wall. +I turned around, walked up to him, and slapped him so hard across the face that Don gasped. +“What the f—” James started to say, but I hit him again. +“I am already livid. My fury is directed right at you. Do not tempt me to commit violent acts. Do you understand me?!” I growled furiously after my eyes had turned red. +“Let me tell you something, you crazy...” James began. +I turned and huffed away before opening and closing the door to Violet's room. Her suitcases were still lying on the floor, only half-empty. We had been in Don's house for weeks and still, she had not unpacked completely. I wondered if perhaps she was wary of staying, or if she knew that I would make us leave. For a moment, my heart jolted in guilt. How could I uproot their lives when I knew how much they loved living there? +Because two women were killed and those other people in the house enjoyed recklessly and publicly indulging their most carnal inclinations. Because heavy drug use was not only allowed, it was encouraged. What more did I need to know? +The door to the room slammed, and James stormed up to me. His hands grasped my upper arms painfully as he spun me to face him. +“That is enough!” He snarled with his face close to mine, “You are not going anywhere. Your father wants you dead. If he gets you alive, there is no saying what he'll do to you! I am not going to have that on my conscience. Have I made myself perfectly clear?!” +“Do you really think that I am going to obey your orders like I am some intellectually insufficient, pitifully smitten schoolgirl, James Maxwell!? I will not stay here another day, and you will not follow me! What happened to Penny is your fault! You were high, and you were not there for her!” +“Newsflash, sweetheart, neither were you!” +I swung my fist up to hit him, but he grasped my wrist firmly. Beneath his fingers, the bone began to break. I barely winced. +“Hit me again, and watch what happens.” He warned me, and now his eyes were blazing red, too. +“Let go of me!” I shouted at him before pushing him with my free hand. “If I had not been going downstairs to check on you, I never would have breathed in that smoke! It is your fault that I wasn't there for Penny! You were so recklessly stupid! You were so childish, wanting to get high because all of your stupid friends were! You are so stupid, James!” +The hand I was pushing him with flew up to slap him again. That was when whatever fragile hold he had on his anger was lost. That was when whatever remaining juice from the Peace Fruit that was flowing through his veins whispered angrily to him that he had to defend his physical health and his masculinity. +James had been gifted with great strength. As a result, in a physical fight, he would inflict great damage on me. I wished that I had remembered that, but it was too late by the time I realized it. +His arms wrapped around me and lifted my small body up. Then, he slammed me down hard on Violet's bed. Despite the thick padding between the two coverings, my back hit the hardwood floor beneath the bed. +Do you remember how I described to you the feeling of one cornered? Well, when James pinned my arms above my head with one of his hands, I fought with that same desperate, mindless, intensity. I forgot the notion of suppressing my fear in order to avoid being seen as weak. I screamed and kicked him. I lunged forward, trying to sink my teeth down into his throat. Nothing, not even my best effort, could successfully subdue or even weaken him. +He was hissing insults at me through his clenched teeth. If he was to be believed, I was a female dog, a morally loose female, and a mental patient. Most disgustingly, he spat out a derogatory slang term for a woman's lower anatomy once or twice. I fought to free myself from his grasp, all the while bracing for the moment when his fists began to rain hard, excruciating blows upon me. I had fought my father just like that so many times. I could not believe that the man I loved was capable of the same cruelty. +“James, stop it!” I screamed after dodging the first punch he threw at me, “JAMES! STOP!” +The second punch landed hard on my jaw. +I was horrified to see that his eyes had dissolved back into that deep blue of the fruit's juice. Somehow, the Peace Fruit (so stupidly named) still held him in its grasp. +His free hand was tugging at my sweatpants in a struggle to pull them down. +“James, please don't! James, please stop!” +Consider it shameless. Consider it weak. I know that I do still. I was almost in tears as I begged him. I was unable to picture any scenario more horrendous than James, whom I loved so incredibly much, assaulting me in the most terrible and unforgivable way. +“James! Please, honey, this isn't you! JAMES!” +His teeth sunk down into my shoulder. I landed a perfect kick between his legs, and his jaws released. We both howled in pain together. +“Honey, please! James, stop!” I whispered to him as he gathered himself back up. I was struggling to free my wrists from his firm grasp again. “Look at me. James, honey, look at me!” +The door came crashing down. James looked up, and his grip released. I swung my fists up in a fury and managed to hit him several times in the face. I did not care who had arrived just in the nick of time. I only wanted to inflict as much physical damage on James as I could for what he had just attempted. +Of all the people on Pangaea, Adam was my “rescuer.” He shouted over his shoulder, presumably at Violet, Alice, and Quinn to stay back. Terrified, they nodded and shrunk away. Adam threw James backwards, shouting in a language unknown to our kind. Even in my state, shock registered upon hearing James shout back at him in the same tongue. The evolution apparently had intellectual side effects beyond what I had previously believed. +James’s new strength was a force to be reckoned with. But Adam had lived for thousands of years with the same power and as a result, even my boyfriend did not stand a chance against him. Adam threw James back into the wall, shouting still and trembling in a rage that could have shook the ground beneath our feet. They fought for several minutes, and I laid on the bed, curled up in a ball, shaking with sobs that never came. Tears brimmed on my eyes as I buried my face in my hands, but I did not shed them. Still, even after all that had just happened, I could not cry. +“Don’t hurt him…” I managed to gasp out when James gave a shout of pain. +I loved him still. I knew that he was not himself. Sure, he would have to deal with my terrible anger while he won back my trust. I wondered briefly if he would even try to resolve the issues that were now standing firmly between us. A tugging part of my cynical heart told me he would not, and I didn’t know if I cared or not. +“Adam, stop!” I shouted after turning over onto my side to look at him. +Adam looked back at me before grabbing a hold of James’s shirt and hauling him over to the door of Violet’s bedroom. With an almighty thrust, he threw him into the hallway. +“Elijah!” I screamed when my brother immediately went for his throat, roaring in protective rage. +“Don’t!” Adam shouted deafeningly. The house trembled in fear at the sound. Elijah hissed at Adam but released his grip on James. I did not see James run. +Other people had gathered in the doorway, thirsting for a show of drama. A front row seat was coveted by all; their lives had no meaning, I decided. They needed to witness theatrical events in order to feel fulfilled. Perhaps they even held themselves in higher regard as they watched me, knowing their lives had not taken such a traumatic turn, even after they had been high. Only through noble actions of their own were they spared from experiencing my pain. +Adam’s hands, so rough in texture but so gentle in movement, pulled my pants up. I covered my face, feeling the skin of my cheeks burning in a humiliation so toxic, I believed it would be the poison that ended me. I could not understand his words, for he was speaking in his language, but his tone was gentle, soothing. The beast of Pangaea was trying to calm me. +“Make them go away.” I whispered to him. +Instead, he picked me up with ease and ran from the room. I closed my eyes, feeling the air whizzing past me as he bolted from the house, over the lawn and into the trees. When he laid me down in a soft patch of grass beneath a towering oak, I looked up at him. +In the mid-morning sun that shined through the trees, the color of his eyes seemed to glow. Reflected back at me, I saw both a fearful concern and a desire to quiet the thunderous emotional storm inside of me. His hand rested on my face as he leaned down to kiss my forehead tenderly. His lips moved down my face, pressing to both of my still burning cheeks, my nose, and both of my closed eyes. Just as his mouth stopped to hover above mine, he pulled away. +“I do apologize,” He muttered after looking away from me, “I have allowed my human side to get the better of me.” +I shook my head and sat up quickly. +“Thank you.” I said without a scrap of actual gratitude in my voice. Perhaps it was an old habit unable to die, but I still could not trust him completely. In fact, I could not trust him at all. He had saved me in the interest of a motivation that was not clear to me. His tenderness from a moment earlier was simply meant to make me drop my guard. +“I know that you do not trust me, Brynna, and for that, I am very sorry. I did not present myself to you as I should have. Killing your people was an action on my part that was not pondered through completely. I did not think of the consequences. I only thought of Purissimus.” +“Did you encourage Don to eat the Peace Fruit?” I asked. +“Yes. I did.” +“Why?” +“Such reckless indulgence is so fitting of his persona, is it not?” +“I suppose so. I would just like you to be aware of the consequences. My younger sister killed a man today. That man had assaulted and murdered two women. Penny caught him in the act. A few others have died, though I do not know how. I only know that they have been killed.” +“Some went willingly. The Peace Fruit enhances that which will invoke a state of peace, hence the name. For some, that peace could only be achieved in death. They wanted to escape all that is happening here.” +“If you had left us alone…” +“My reasoning behind this war will make itself evident to you in time.” +“I doubt that sincerely.” +“I am sure you do. Just know this, Brynna: I am not your enemy. Your disgusting male partner may plant distrust of me in your mind, but it is a lie.” +“Another consequence of you encouraging Don to give us drugs was what James did to me. His eyes were still blue.” +“Yes. The Peace Fruit has been known to cause grisly after-effects in those who ingest it.” +“I have an idea, Adam and it is a very admirable one.” +“I would love to hear it.” +My eyes darkened as I looked at him. My voice trembled with fury as I spoke. +“Stay away from me. Stay away from my sisters and brother. Stay away from the house. Slink back into your city, and live out your miserable, immortal existence far from us. Stop interfering in our lives and tempting us with things we do not need. I do not care about your reasoning. It will not become clear to me, because I will not think of it for even one moment.” +I expected my own anger to come back at me, swinging wildly and in indignation. I expected, at the very least, a flash of hurt in his eyes. But alas, I must have forgotten briefly with whom I was dealing. +Adam chuckled softly, and a chill swirled down my spine. He leaned forward and ran his finger down the length of my face. +“Your anger is admirable. Your spirit is strong. I find you fascinating, Brynna Olivier.” +“I find you aggravating,” I smacked his hand away, “Do not touch me.” +I stood and turned to run back to the house. +“I wish you the best of luck in repairing what has been broken between you and your mate. He loves you very much.” Adam said as he followed after me. +“Why are you walking behind me?” I turned around to walk backwards. I did not like being in his presence and not having my eyes fixed on him at all times. As I have said, I did not trust him or his unsavory intentions. +“I am seeing you home.” +“I do not need you to see me home.” I replied irritably. +“Believe me when I say that you do.” He smiled arrogantly. +“What is it with stalking men? Do you have no pride in yourself? I believe my message to you just now was very clear. Can you not gather that I want nothing more to do with you?” +“Consider that fact gathered, my dear.” +I turned back around and rolled my eyes skyward. I could not imagine a man more annoying. I could not imagine a man more intimidating. The two traits were strange in their coexistence. +When we reached the house, I opened the front door, ignoring the stares of those who had clearly been awaiting my return. Just as I stepped inside, his hand grasped my wrist gently. I shuddered as a warm, tickling sensation traveled slowly up my arm. When his other hand took my other wrist, the same feeling took hold. The two currents ran until they finally joined together at my wounded shoulder. I closed my eyes as I felt the skin mesh back together, knowing that the evidence of the gaping bite-marks had been erased. +“Your wrists were broken.” +Adam’s voice snapped me out of my drunken daze. +“Your shoulder was still bleeding, also. You will find them all as strong as the day you were born. Goodbye, my beauty.” +He zoomed off across the field, gone from my sight as quickly as he had emerged. As the effects of his healing power wore off, I registered what he had called me. I exclaimed loudly and stomped my foot in disgust. I hated him. I hated how his nature baffled me. Whatever armor guarded his heart could not be breached even by my most stinging rejection. Instead of musing for hours on such an annoyingly frustrating tendency, I silently resolved to find another way. Surely, there was some way to hurt him. +When I returned to my room, Penny was still asleep. Violet, Elijah, Alice, and Quinn were waiting for me, but I quickly shooed them away. I needed peace and quiet. I needed to sleep as my sister was. +“We will talk about this when I wake up. I need some time alone.” +“Brynna, I’ll kill him when he gets back…” +“You will do nothing of the sort. Goodnight.” I closed the door and walked slowly back to the bed. I laid down beside Penny, not even bothering to change my clothes or cover myself with the thick, animal-skin blanket. +I just closed my eyes. +*** + +A note from Violet was on the nightstand, placed right where my eyes would fall when they opened. She and Elijah had taken Penny downstairs to get some food. Don said that I was excused from work responsibilities for the day. She loved me. I sighed and rolled my eyes to the sky. What a terribly odd situation… +I moved into the bathroom and turned on the shower. Over the rushing water, I did not hear the door open, but I did feel his presence in the room. I did hear his rapidly beating heart. My body braced for a physical blow or his rough hands throwing me down onto the floor. I was prepared to fight him to the death if he tried to hurt me the way he had earlier in the day. It would break my heart, quite literally, to hurt or kill him. But I would not be assaulted so terribly again. +Instead of pain, though, I felt only that warmth. I closed my eyes as my body and mind bathed in it. His arms were wrapped around me from behind, and his forehead was pressed to my back. I shuddered as his lips moved over my shoulders, up my neck, and to my ear. +“I’m so sorry.” He whispered, and I heard a crack in his voice. “Brynna, I’m so sorry. I love you so much. I’m sorry.” +“How many berries did you eat?” I asked him firmly. +“What?” +“How many berries did you eat?” +“That’s a random question, baby.” His voice still betrayed great pain and guilt. +“Answer it.” +“Three. Why?” +I turned to him and threw my arms around his neck. For the first time, I saw him cry. He made no noise when he did it, and I could feel how ashamed he was to be doing it, but he cried into my neck, sniffling and taking a silent breath once in a while. I could not imagine his guilt. I could not imagine his sadness. I had suffered pain at his hands. He loved me tremendously, passionately, and yet, while under the influence of that terrible fruit, he had harmed me. I knew that it had not been him. +“Promise me that it will never happen again.” I whispered. +“Never, baby. I promise. Brynna, I promise you.” +He kissed the bruises that were forming on my face. He kissed my shoulder where his teeth-marks were still only just visible. When he finally kissed my lips, I had tears in my eyes. +“I love you,” I told him in between his kisses, “I love you, James.” +“I know, baby. I love you, too.” +We were lying down on the floor of the bathroom. We were shedding our clothes already. +I do not care if you think that I was wrong for taking him back so easily. I knew his strong heart beat for me. I knew his love for me was pure. I knew that he was truly sorry. More than any of that, I knew that he would never harm me so cruelly again. +I needed James. For that, I am not sorry. +*** + +In regards to the murders, the story became clear. Both women were high on the Peace Fruit when the man, who was sober, had encountered them. They had fought him like the animals that they were, but he had won. Because he was clear-headed, he was able to utilize his new strength far more efficiently than they could in their state. He had killed them when they began to scream. +Penny told me her story in a tiny voice so unfitting of her normally boisterous personality. James and I sat beside her as Violet and Elijah paced outside in the hallway. Her honesty on the subject was astounding, but because she was so young, she did not know that she could have lied. James and I had agreed that we would only console her. We would not offer any halfhearted lectures on the immorality of killing another human being, which is what Don had told us to do before James had threatened to knock his teeth out. It was hilarious and infuriating, how easily Don’s creed was exposed for its hypocrisy. It was immoral for Penny to kill Donovan, when we supposedly lived in a society with no rules or morals. Instead of telling her what Don had said he wanted us to tell her, we stressed to her that what she had done was an act of self-defense. We promised her that we would never allow such a terrible thing to happen to her again. +Luckily, her mind had been clouded by her instincts during the act. The aftermath had been what had scared her. Tears leaked from her big, blue eyes as she told us about coming around to her senses and finding blood covering her body. +“I didn’t know what happened. But I think I really hurt him.” +I had not lied. I had just reiterated to her that she had been defending herself. +For several days, she was sullen, withdrawn from the simple work she did in the kitchen and from the people with whom she normally joked around and spoke to happily about anything and everything. Everyone understood, God or Gods bless them. +If I am remaining perfectly honest, I will tell you that I feared for James. I feared that his friends on security detail would ostracize him for what he had done. So many had witnessed the after-effects of his abuse, and as a result, the entire house knew the gory details. My fears were unnecessary, however; several men and women had suffered similar moments of frantic violence the day after their high. In fact, only a select few, myself included, had not. +Now, one would assume that after two women were slain and several people attacked their loved ones following their night of drugged frivolity, that the Peace Fruit would never be seen again in our house or consumed by the populace. +No. Not only did people continue to consume the berries one right after the other, they also began to drink whole bottles of the cheap liquor that had been scavenged from the ship on top of it. The parties were disgusting cesspools of sex, erotic violence, and screaming thanks to Don. +“Do you remember The Great Gatsby?” I asked James one night as I sat up in our bed, reading another one of Fitzgerald’s great works. +“Indeed, I do. Who doesn’t remember The Great Gatsby?” +“Many, I am sure,” I replied, “Do you remember how the parties thrown at Gatsby’s mansion were described? They were considered wild, which was so telling of the time period.” +“Well, that was the Roaring Twenties, at least according to my grandfather. That’s exactly how he described it.” James replied as he sketched my picture absentmindedly. I could not help but smile slightly as I watched him looking down over his glasses at the paper with his brows furrowed in concentration. I had not been aware until just a day or so earlier that he possessed such an affinity for drawing. While he had been in the woods, he had sketched several nature scenes that would make any art professor fall over himself in awe. +“For some reason, whenever I read that book, which was often, I always wanted to be there.” +“At one of Gatsby’s parties?” +“Indeed. I always wanted to experience the total abandon of living in that time when morals were shunned and people boozed themselves into demented delirium every night.” +He looked up at me, grinning widely. I turned my head on the side, raised my eyebrows and frowned jokingly. +“Plow ahead with your acerbic comment, my love. I can see that it is one you cannot suppress.” +He did not need me to tell him twice. +“You, Brynna Olivier, actually wanted to have fun?” +I kicked his leg lightly and he laughed to himself. +“That was not even clever, and yes, I did. The point of the story, Mr. Maxwell, is that I know now that I would rather die than engage in such folly. I know now that it is very dangerous for human beings to be given the freedom to embrace their dark side.” +“Maybe so. But I think Gatsby’s parties, though extravagant, did not involve people using drugs and smacking the shit out of each other or worse. His were just for fun, for celebration.” +“Well, they were also for show, which you and I both know is partly the motivation behind these parties thrown by Don. But those moronic children downstairs would have us believe that what they are doing is also for celebration.” +“But we know that’s not the case.” James assured me, “They’re doing that because for the first time in their lives, there is no one to tell them they can’t. In fact, they even have Don who is encouraging them. And I’m sure Adam is, as well.” His expression darkened upon mentioning his name. After we had resolved our issues, he had asked me where Adam had taken me and what was said. I had declined to answer. +“Will you ever tell me what happened?” James asked me quietly after putting his pencil down. +“No.” I answered through a yawn and a stretch. +“You’re sure he didn’t hurt you?” +“Would I be this calm if he had?” +“I suppose not.” James eyed me curiously, “I think you feel like you won something over him.” +“What?” My face contorted into a look of confusion, “Won what, dare I ask?” +“I don’t know, because you won’t tell me.” +“Should I be expecting belligerence now, James?” I turned my head on the side and raised my eyebrow again. +“Not belligerence. Just curiosity.” +“You know what they say about curiosity, don’t you? It kills felines.” +“Oh, well, luckily, I’m not a feline. In fact, if I’m anything, I’m a canine.” +“Yes,” I widened my eyes and nodded slowly, “You are.” +Our slight disagreement over my secrecy dissolved. We both laughed until he jumped up and came forward quickly to kiss me hard. +“I love you.” He told me softly. +“I love you.” I answered back sincerely before pressing my lips to his again. “Show me the picture.” +“No. It's terrible. It doesn't do you justice.” +“Stop. Let me see it.” +“Only if you fully understand that I am very tired, and that makes drawing difficult...” +“Stop acting like a shy, insecure little girl and show me the damn picture, James Maxwell.” I ordered him only half seriously. +“Oh my God! You're going to give me an eating disorder or a drinking problem if you keep talking to me like that, woman!” He exclaimed in mock rage as he sat up and grabbed the pad of paper from the end of our bed. “I didn't sign it, so it isn't worth anything.” +I chuckled to myself as I opened the pad to the page that he had drawn on. My mouth fell open slightly as I observed the drawing; every contour of my body and every detail of my face was spot-on. In the picture, my hand was rested lightly against the side of my face where I always placed it while I read. In the picture, I was so very beautiful, almost sensual in a way. My slender legs were curled up and crossed over at the ankle, and the book rested against my knees. My face was fixed into an expression of both curiosity and peace, as though the future events in the story I was reading were being guessed in my mind, but I was not tormenting myself over not knowing exactly what was to come. +“I'm not normally this sensitive about it. But what do you think?” James asked me softly. In my peripheral vision, I could see him studying me closely. +“I think you made me look very pretty.” I couldn't fight the smile that emerged when I turned my head to look at him. +He reached out and gently moved my long hair away from my face. +“You are pretty. You're beautiful, Brynna.” +My smile grew, and I kissed him. I closed my eyes as our lips moved together tenderly. +“Do you want to hear something rather odd?” +“Sure.” +“I don't think I would have been able to survive all of this if I didn't have you. If we hadn't met, I might have been able to pull through. But we did meet, and we got closer. If I hadn't found you in the woods...” +His lips were on mine again for a quick, warm kiss. +“You would have pulled through. If there's one thing I know for sure, it's that you would have survived, Brynna. But either way, you did find me. I'm here. We're together.” +“I know. I suppose what I am trying to say is that I am thankful for you. I am thankful that I have you here with me. I am thankful that I have been able to get past whatever you want to call my issues and that I am able to admit that I love you. I don't know how I was able to feel so strongly for you so quickly, but I do.” +“I know you do, and believe me, I love you the same way. I'm baffled by it, too. I don't know how it's possible to feel this way about someone I only met a few months ago. At my age, you don't subscribe to the idea of love at first sight or even strong love at all, really. But something about you changed that in me. I know it's very real. It's very strong. Call me crazy, but I think it can last, Brynn.” +I smiled and nodded. +“So do I.” +We laid down side by side, grasping hands. I looked up at him, still smiling. +“It’s a free day tomorrow. What do you want to do?” +Don gave us all one day off from work a week. +“We can take Penny down to the lake. That will get her mind off of things.” +“It will.” I beamed, “She loves to swim down there. As long as you go in the water with her, because you know that I will not.” +“Yeah, I know. You and your fear of natural water. It was only a gargantuan water monster with huge teeth and strangling tentacles, Brynna. Seriously, you’ve got to move on.” +I laughed again. +“Yeah, well,” I shrugged, “We all have our little phobias, don’t we? Some people are afraid of spiders. Some people are afraid of prehistoric water beasts.” +“Some people are afraid of cucumbers. It happens, right?” +“It happens.” He was leaning towards me to kiss me again, and I closed the space between our mouths. When we laid down, I nestled my head against his chest and closed my eyes. +“Oh! We forgot to blow out the candles and turn the fire down!” I jumped up to go do both, silently chiding myself for forgetting such an important action. We could have burnt the house down with all of its idiotic party-goers inside. How very tragic that would have been… +“No. You stay here. It’s cold. I’ll do it.” He kissed my forehead as he stood up. +“You are sweet.” +“I try, but only for you, baby. I have to make up for when I’m a dog.” +I giggled and covered my mouth as I always did to stifle the sound. When he returned, I held up the animal fur blanket so he could crawl underneath of it. Our joint heat perfectly fought off the chill of the evening. Now that the fire was turned down, we had only the blanket and each other to keep warm. +“You’re not a dog, James.” I told him as I closed my eyes. +“No?” +“No way.” +After a few minutes of quiet, I spoke again. +“Do you think they will bury that man? Don said that they will, but I just cannot believe that someone would want to memorialize such a despicable person.” +“Well, unfortunately, Don is that someone. He's probably the only person on this planet who wants to have a funeral for that piece of shit. People are pissed about what he did. Out of all the people who died, four were suicides and two were murders. People are even more pissed about the fact that the murderer was sober when he did what he did. But yeah, as soon as he dies, we'll all be expected to turn out in droves to put him to rest. Maybe he'll even expect us to cry, which I'm sure is going to be quite difficult for you, despite your affinity for act...” +I sat up suddenly after my eyes jerked open. James sat up, too, his eyes white. He assumed that my sudden motion was the result of a foreboding feeling warning me of danger in the house. +“He's still alive?” I asked in a voice that was beginning to tremble. +“You didn't know that.” James realized before rubbing his eyes with both hands. “Oh, shit...” +“How is he alive? She inflicted great damage on him. He was bleeding out of his eyes when they carried him from the room. I assumed he would be dead in minutes, and you are telling me now that he has been alive for a day and a half?” +“No. I was lying,” He told me quickly, “I was mistaken.” +I blinked at him for several uncomfortable seconds. +“I was!” He insisted, “I must have heard it wrong.” +“You know what I'm going to say.” I growled at him with my eyes narrowed slightly. +“Yeah, and I will. I'm shutting up.” He laid back down and pulled me towards him. “Baby, even if he lives, he won't be able to do that again. He won't be physically able to hurt anyone again, least of all Penny. I'm sure he'll never go toe-to-toe with her again. Look what she did to him!” +“If he can find the strength in his mutilated body to harm her, he certainly will.” I whispered back as I laid my head on his chest. “He will most certainly want revenge for what she did to him. I cannot afford to take that chance.” +He turned sideways so that I was lying beside him and he could look into my eyes as he spoke. +“If he comes after Penny, we will deal with him together. Until then, just leave him alone. Don't do anything stupid, Brynn. Acting recklessly right now is stupid. You and I both know you're anything but that, don't we?” +I nodded and kissed him gently. +“Yes,” I replied convincingly, “You're right. For once.” +“I was bound to get a win on the board sometime, wasn't I?” +I smiled again. +“Yes. I suppose so. I will see you in the morning, my dear.” +Being overly intelligent made lying quite easy. I could correctly gauge which lies were believable and which were not. I could easily decide which details should be spoken and which would give away the ruse. Body language and eye contact were key to pulling off a lie, either big or small. As I smiled up at James, keeping my eyes locked on his, I knew that he believed me. Inside, my smile grew. +*** + +After he had fallen asleep, I carefully got up so as not to wake him. I crept out of our bedroom and closed the door behind me without a sound. My destination was set: In the basement, the doctors in our camp kept a makeshift office. They would have taken Donovan there. +The party was still in full swing, even as the second moon began its final descent towards the horizon. The bright beams cast from that white orb in the sky lit my way for me. It was not until I had silently opened the basement door that I was plunged into total darkness. +“Change over.” I whispered to myself, and at the command, my eyes were able to see. I walked easily down each steep stone step. Once I reached the landing, I moved through the corridor, my feet lightly touching the concrete floor and not making even the quietest patter. +Two doors down from the beginning of the corridor, and I would find my target, lying immobile on a bed made from logs and animal fur. His breaths would rasp in my ears as he struggled to say his piece. He would surely apologize and swear never to harm one hair on Penny's head. Perhaps he would even cry in repentance and beg for my forgiveness. +In response to all of those possible scenarios, I would simply pull the pillow from under his head and smother him. I would look up to the sky and smile as I felt his body struggling beneath me. When he moved no more, I would place the pillow back under his head and saunter away. His pleas for mercy and his tears of apology would have meant nothing. They would have only proved further that he was not a man. +Pulling my hoodie sleeve down over my hand, I turned the brass doorknob. The room was empty. The only light came from a tiny flame still burning inside of a lantern beside his bed. Sure enough, his breathing was labored and his wounds, in the state of repair that they were in, were beginning to crust over while still oozing repulsively. I walked closer to him to observe the plants that were cut up or minced completely and separated into piles on his nightstand. I knew one of them was called Elixir, and it was said to cure the most terrible of diseases and injuries. Several of our number had been afflicted with various cancers and found themselves cured upon ingesting that plant. In fact, they felt healthy again and ready to face their immortal lives with joy. If Donovan were to be given Elixir, his injuries would be healed completely. He would be strong once again. +As the thought grasped me, I pulled the pillow from under his head, thinking of Penny. As the fear assuaged, that rage I was becoming so comfortable with took its place. As I placed the pillow over his face, I wondered only briefly if I was truly capable of murdering a defenseless man. +The short answer: Yes, for I had to protect Penny. If Don would not punish the man for what he had done, I certainly would. I would enact the most final, resolute punishment imaginable: I would end his life. +Beside me, the lantern's flame flickered to full life. I was aware of someone standing in the room with me. I did not have to guess for very long because he spoke immediately; his voice was as unwelcome as a hard blow to my head. +“Well, good evening to you, you breathtaking silent assassin.” +I did not appreciate his pun. +“What do you want?” I asked in a fury before whipping around to find Adam leaning against the door-frame with his huge arms crossed over his muscular chest. In his tight, black t-shirt and because of his slick, styled gray hair, he almost looked like an overage version of a ridiculous moron on that New Jersey-based “reality” show. However, I must admit, his physical attractiveness was not unnoticed by me. I ripped those thoughts about his physique and handsome face from my mind as though they were my own form of cancer. I glanced at the Elixir, wondering if it could rid me of such disgusting thoughts of Adam. +“I want you to think what you are doing through very carefully. I want you to be sure that you have fully prepared for the consequences of such a violent action.” +“I have. Thank you so much.” I replied curtly, and my fingers tightened around the soft plush pillow I still held in my hands. I raised it above my head and took a deep breath. +Donovan's thoughts screamed that he was sorry. He was not aware that I was standing there beside him, ready to end his life. He was not apologizing because he had suffered such extensive injuries. His cries of sorrow were genuine. His plea for his life was driven by his desire to “get better.” Perhaps, he wondered, there was a drug on the planet that could erase his sickest, most depraved urges. +Sickness. Was he sick? +“I want you to leave.” I told Adam quietly. “I told you to stay away. I was very clear in my orders. Yet here you are.” +“I was enjoying your leader's party when I saw you slink down the stairs. Curiosity got the better of me, I am afraid.” He replied as though I had asked for an explanation. +“If Penny had not been able to defend herself, he would have killed her.” I told Adam quickly. Our pattern of conversation was characterized by us both running on separate tracks, completely ignoring whatever the other said. +“If I don't kill him now, he will kill her. All of his internal cries for forgiveness do not erase the rage he feels in his heart for what she has done to him.” +“Are you quite certain of that?” Adam asked. +“Yes.” +“You are not.” +“You do not know what I am thinking. You also do not know what I can hear inside of him.” +I was not sure if he could hear Donovan's thoughts or not. I wondered if perhaps Adam was right, and I was lying. Maybe Donovan did not feel that strong urge to take revenge on my sister. Whatever the case, I refused to take the chance. I had to end his life. Though a part of me sympathized with him and wondered if maybe he could be saved from his violent lust, I could not risk his physical recovery. I could not see him walk around, healthy and whole once again, after the fear he had struck in Penny. +“There it is.” Adam whispered. I was startled to find that he was right behind me. “You cannot bear to see him live, for you wish to enact your own final form of justice. You wish to dispatch a man from this realm whom you feel does not deserve his life. You accuse me of playing God. How very hypocritical of you, Ms. Olivier.” +“Go away!” I shot at him furiously. I had raised my voice so that it thundered authoritatively around the room. I was sick of his calmness. I was sick of his constant analysis of me. +“You cannot do it while I am standing here. You know that you are wrong.” +“I am not wrong! I am doing this for Penny!” +“You are doing this to feel that you have taken action against a morally depraved man. You suffered great pain at another man's hands as a child. Now, you wish to kill poor Donovan because you were unable to kill your father. You think I do not know of your weaknesses, Brynna Olivier. But I know them all. You are doing this to assert power over men like them, for it is men like them who took your own power.” +I looked back at him, the flame from the lantern beside me crackling in my eyes. +“How are you able to read my mind? How do you know all of that, Adam?!” +“It is not your mind that I am reading; it is your face. Your eyes tell dark stories of your terrible past. I find it very...” His hands ran down my arms, and I shook him off furiously, “…intriguing.” +He was right only partially. A large portion of my decision to kill Donovan was motivated by my fear for Penny's safety. But the other part, the larger part, wanted to kill him for what he had done to those women. I wanted to avenge the violent deaths that could have been my own. I wanted to avenge the repulsive act to which those two women had been subjected, for I had suffered it myself. +“You are weak in that sense, my dear Brynna. Your fire both strengthens and cripples you. It is almost pathetic, in a way. It is certainly a fascinating paradox in my view, at least.” +Now, his barbs were flying. Whatever minimal pain I had inflicted on him with my cutting rejection and my bluntly honest assessment of his ways was driving his words. He wanted to punish me for my harshness towards him. +I found myself laughing. I covered my mouth lightly to suppress the snort that always seemed to follow such hilarity. +“I must have cut you so very deep, Adam. I am aware that you thought yourself unable to feel pain. I wondered that myself, actually. Now, I know that you feel. Not only do you feel, but it was me who was able to hurt you. Now, I know that I have power over you.” I smiled to myself, “For whatever reason, I am able to shatter your armor.” +He chuckled softly and squeezed my shoulders more tightly than perhaps he intended. His mouth pressed to my ear, and he whispered: +“Do not flatter yourself, my dear. I hold your life in my hands. I hold your secrets very close, even those that you do not know yet. I can shatter your armor just by making a fist. Do not forget that.” +As he drifted away from me, I looked down at the maimed man before me with fury boiling to frenzied life in my chest. I hated Adam. I hated Donovan. I hated Don. I hated those raucous, partying buffoons stomping and screaming above my head. I hated Dad. I hated Mom. I hated Maura. I hated Michael. +I brought the pillow down and held it over Donovan's face; I strengthened my grip as he thrashed wildly. He had found his strength somehow in the moment of his death, though by then, it was useless to him. It did not come close to matching my own. His hands flew up to claw at my arms as he attempted to weaken my grip. Even after his body went slack, and his chest deflated the air his lungs had been holding, I did not move. +“Your fire...” Adam said again from the doorway, “It lights your way, of course. But it also casts a great darkness.” +I merely looked down into the face of the man I had just killed as Adam finished his thought in a whisper: +“A shadow.” +His final two words rang in my ears long after he was gone. +*** + +“Did you hear that Donovan died last night in his sleep?” Rachel asked me the following morning. +“I did.” I stirred the pot of water boiling in front of me, showing no discernible emotion in response to that piece of news. +“They're saying he was just injured too severely.” Tony, another one of my friends said, “He went peacefully. Didn't deserve it, if you ask me. And I know if I ask you, you’ll say the same thing.” +“No. He did not.” +I looked towards the end of the room where James was playing a game of cards with Frank, Quinn, Tony’s boyfriend, Tom, and the rest of security detail. They were not making another trip to the campsite that day and the little farm work they had volunteered to do had already been finished. We were chopping, mincing, stewing and baking the fruits of their labor. +James's eyes met mine several times throughout the morning. In them, I saw a recognition, a suspicion that would be voiced at the earliest convenience. That night, I was sure he would question me about Donovan's death. +I could not understand how most people found it so difficult to act coolly and rationally after taking a life. My face did not betray the slightest indication of what I had done. I did not jump nervously or flinch upon hearing the news of Donovan's death. I simply acted as I always did. I simply emptied my mind of what I had done. +Above all else, I felt no guilt. Because of that alone, I should have worried. I should have acknowledged then that Adam's assessment of me was correct. I should have begun trying to morph my frigid heart into whatever it had been before. But then, it had always been so cold. +“So, did you do it, Brynna?” James asked me that night. +I screwed up my face in mild confusion and continued to brush out my wet hair. +“Did I do what, James?” I asked calmly with a high note of curiosity in my voice that was only just convincing enough. +“Did you kill him?” +“Who? Donovan?” +“Yes.” +“No, but I wish he had. He died in his sleep.” I replied easily, “You know that if I were to kill him for what he did to Penny, there would be nothing left of him.” +“Are you lying to me?” +“That is rude, James.” +“Maybe so. But are you?” +“No.” +“Are you sure?” +“God or Gods, yes!” I exclaimed in frustration, “How can you even ask me this? How can you even suspect me of doing something like that?” +“Because Donovan was a disgusting excuse for a human being, and he wronged you when he went after Penny. That's how.” +“I was here with you all last night. I was asleep. Nature just took its course with him. What I find so very odd is that we cannot accept that. We are so used to strange and unsavory circumstances that we cannot accept that a man met his death in his sleep.” +James sat down beside me and grasped both of my hands. +“I know you weren't here with me last night. You were gone for an hour.” +My heart plummeted, but I did not show even a hint of that new discomfort on my face. +“So, let me ask you again: Did you kill him?” +I stared at him for a long while. After several minutes had passed, I shrugged in apathy. I was not sorry. +He nodded and broke his hold on my hands. +“That's what I thought.” He muttered as he laid down in bed beside me. +“So, what now?” I looked over at him and awaited an answer. +“Now, we can only hope that they don't find out. Otherwise, we're out on our asses. We're going to be feeling around in the forest, looking for a place to live where they can't get at us. You didn't think this through at all, did you?” +“I did. More than you could know.” +I crawled up behind him and wrapped my arms around his middle. I kissed his shoulder and laid my head down. +“Everything will be fine. I covered all the bases, as they say. Given their lack of a forensic investigator, they will never know that I was there. Even if we had an entire crime scene investigative team, they would find nothing. Alright?” +My hands were rested on his chest. His came up to grasp them. +“You're sure?” +“Positive.” +“Alright, then.” +“You're alright with this?” +After he had turned over to look at me, I saw a steely ice hanging about in his normally warm brown eyes. +“If it had been you, I would have destroyed him. There would have been nothing left of him.” +I smiled slightly and climbed on top of him. My hair was hanging in my face, and he moved it away as I leaned down to kiss his lips gently. +“I know.” +Nothing more came of Donovan's death. +*** + +We passed our free time in the ways that most living in normal circumstances would. Our housemates became more like friendly neighbors; we spent an abundance of time with them, getting to know their families and their back stories. Every person had an interesting story to tell, I found. +Penny made friends easily, as she always had. It took time but eventually, I was able to leave her in the care of others. However, despite my fragile trust in the people around me strengthening every day, I would not leave Penny alone with males, even those who had children. James assured me gently that the chances of the unthinkable happening to Penny were slim but still, I could not risk it. +Violet saw Nick more often than I was truly comfortable with. Though the young man was quite gentlemanly towards her and me, I could not help but suspect that their relationship was physical. James, once again, assured me that I was mistaken. His theory was that I was still guilt-ridden over breaking my long-held principles regarding men with him. As a result, I believed subconsciously that Violet was making a mistake that I had long taught her never to make. +I thanked him for his astute psychological analysis once again, knowing that he was wrong about his theory, at least somewhat. +I had absolutely no regrets when it came to James. My feelings for him had long since surpassed my need to pull away. To put it bluntly, I was hopelessly, desperately in love with him. How could I not have been? We had survived the end together. When the burden of our new lives began to wear one or both of us down, we pulled together and carried the weight. As a child, when I had pictured relationships, I had always just seen the sexual aspect. As you can imagine, I was thoroughly disgusted by such stunted, out of place images of two people allowing such intimate closeness, both physical and emotional, to one another. But I understood suddenly that when one was in love, one was able to achieve that closeness without any shame or fear. After so many years of shuddering in discomfort every time I pictured having a physical tryst with a man, I believed in the normalcy and true romance of the act. +We bonded over the most trivial things. We laughed so often that outsiders and passerby more than likely believed us to be consistently high on the Peace Fruit. I had not laughed with such frequency in so many years. The muscles in my face protested the constant assault of smiles and giggles at first but then, they adjusted to the lighthearted nature of mine and James' time together. My heart followed a similar path: I was beginning to drop my need to disdainfully tear down others as I wallowed in the misery and woe of the world. I was beginning to see things through a lens of beauty and idealism, however foolishly. James aided me in accepting that new outlook just as he came to grip it firmly himself. +In short, I felt so blissfully alive, for perhaps the first time in my life. +“What about this one?” I asked him one night. I was pressing one finger lightly against the tattoo over his heart. “That's very...” +“I know.” He sighed heavily and shook his head in overly dramatic shame. “I like to say it's simple.” +I laughed and swooped my hair back so that I could observe the tattoo more closely. I was perched on his middle, straddling him and adjusting my glasses so I could see the details of his embarrassingly ridiculous tattoo. +“That is a nice way of saying, 'It is very old and poorly designed.'” +“Excuse me, madam, I designed this tattoo myself.” +“Oh my God...” I covered my mouth to hide my slightly chagrined smile. “Are you serious?” +His face broke into a grin, and he chuckled softly. +“No. Of course not. I walked into the shop, flipped through one of the books for five minutes, and chose this one.” +“So, you must have been young, then?” I asked, “Like eighteen?” +“Forty-one, actually.” +The boisterous giggles that took hold of me almost erased the look of consternation that he was trying so valiantly to keep plastered on his face. As I covered my mouth and struggled to stay upright, his hands grasped my hips, holding me firmly so I did not fall off of him. +“This right here,” He touched the tattoo, “…is most certainly not a laughing matter. This is a cautionary tale to warn young people like you against drinking heavily with your friends and wandering into a tattoo shop at midnight. Seriously, that story is like the new-age Hansel and Gretel. You should be terrified right now.” +“Stop!” I exclaimed, grasping my stomach as I only laughed harder. “You are right, though! It is the worst tattoo I have ever had the displeasure of viewing!” +“I don't need to translate that into regular people-speak, but I might anyway.” +The tattoo in question was a tawny owl wearing dark-rimmed glasses. The location was curious, considering that a design placed over one's heart would generally denote some overly emotional sentiment. If James had tattooed one of his many girlfriend's names there, though that surely would have been very stupid, I might have understood. But a brash caricature of an animal seemed out of place over his heart that I knew to be so very large. +“I was looking at it earlier when we were...” I trailed off, spinning my hand by my head as though that somehow signified “having sex.” James mimicked the awkward hand gesture, and then we were both laughing again. +“You were looking at it? While we were doing that? Am I off my game today, or something?” +“Just because I was looking at it doesn't mean that I was not paying attention to what you and I were doing. It just caught my eye, and I found myself unable to tear my gaze away.” +“And you thought, 'My boyfriend has the greatest taste in ink...'” +“No. I thought, 'That is a strange place for a tattoo whose existence was clearly born from whimsy.'” +“You like that one. ‘Born from whimsy...'” +“I do, indeed.” +“What do you think I should have gotten there? My wife's name, or something?” +“That would be both obscene and doltish, so no.” I replied, shaking my head rapidly. My choice of words seemed to amuse him because he was chuckling softly once again. +“This is no laughing matter, James Maxwell.” I said in jocular scorn, “Are you unaware of the fact that it has been proven to end relationships when one of the people in said romantic binding tattoo the name of their partner on their person?” +“Don't get me wrong, I love the alliteration, but do you want to cite your source on that? Because I think you're wrong. I'm sure there are other reasons that the relationship ends.” +“Ha-ha, I know you are being blithely sarcastic. I'm sure there are other reasons as well. But there is a causal relationship between the two events, at least in my humble opinion.” +“Your humble opinion? I don't think I need to tell you that what you just said is an oxymoron.” +We were laughing again. +“Alright, lady, you want me to explain every drunken night I spent in tattoo parlors. I want to know about yours.” +“I only have three tattoos and believe me, the stories are not that interesting. Plus, I was stone-cold sober when I got each and every one of them, so the stories you have requested regarding drunken nights would simply not be truthful.” +“I never asked for stories regarding,” He stopped, “…whatever it was that you just said.” +I grinned in over-the-top triumph. +“Yeah? That face? 'Ha-ha, I got you?'” He asked before sitting up quickly and pressing his lips to mine hard. “I'm treading very close to a dangerously personal topic, aren't I?” +“What makes you say that?” I asked calmly, though internally, my insides were beginning to swell in anxiety. He was right; the stories behind each of my tattoos were very personal. +“Because you're starting to get that sketchy look in your eyes like I am treading very close to a dangerously personal topic. Either that, or you're about to go on a killing rampage.” +“Oh, look at you. You know me so well.” I made an effort to smile at him and shrug, “At another time, my dear, I will tell you all about them. Just not tonight. Besides, my ink does not rival that lovely bespectacled avian creature that is cemented so glaringly on your chest.” I walked my fingers over it, smiling in genuine amusement once again. +“That one on your back certainly rivals it. You know how that one drives me crazy. I love it.” +“Despite how colossal it is?” +“It is the perfect size, actually. Sometimes, when you bend over, I can see it when your shirt comes up. You did it the other day, and I kid you not, every male on Security Detail was staring.” +“People were gawking at me, and you didn't say anything?” I feigned shock and offense. +“Nope. I just grinned and nodded. I got several fist bumps. I'm a little bit of a celebrity amongst those guys, I have to say. They think you are very attractive and that I'm old. Because those two things don't generally go together unless there is a large sum of money involved, they believe that I must be some God-like creation who reeled you in with my charm and boyish good looks,” He shrugged nonchalantly, “And my massive lower appendage.” +I laughed so raucously that I nearly rolled off of him again. His hands found my waist, and he held me up. +“I find it really insulting that you're laughing like that. Just so you know...” +I kissed him quickly. +“I love you dearly, James Maxwell,” I gasped out, “You never fail to entertain me.” +“I love you passionately, Brynna Olivier. Even when you're about to suffer a concussion after your laughter sends you flying sideways off of me and onto the floor...” +“Stop!” I covered my mouth as I snorted, “I really might fall off of you!” +“It would be kind of funny. You have to admit.” +“If I were to suffer a concussion, you would find it humorous?! You don't love me at all, James Maxwell!” I accused him teasingly. +“Oh, I don't?” +“No. I know the truth now.” +“You think that's the truth?” +“I do, or else I wouldn't have said that now, would I?” +He sat up quickly and pulled me forward, crushing my mouth against his. My hands traveled over the curves of his back, exploring the rocky terrain in innocently greedy fascination. My breathing hitched in my throat as his tongue confidently moved against my own. +When he pulled away, he rested his hand on my cheek. I placed my own over top of his and noted as I looked into his eyes that he was suddenly completely serious. +“I love every last thing about you, Brynna.” +My heart jumped in surprise before falling over itself in a swoon of powerful affection for him. When I finally regained my ability to speak, I found that my throat had clenched in the urge to cry at such simple yet so emotionally resounding words. +“I never thought I would hear that from someone in a thousand years. Surely, you are mistaken.” +“Surely, I'm not, actually. Luckily for you and me, we do have a thousand years. We probably have two, three, maybe even four thousand years.” +“A part of me doubts seriously that you will last through that much time with me. Eventually, my tendencies will drive you away.” +“Really?” He raised his eyebrows at me in an acknowledgment of some challenge that I did not realize I had proposed. +I nodded, trying to smile again but feeling those unwelcome tears that so painfully hindered my ability to breathe reemerge quickly. He saw them and reached out to gently wipe them away. I turned my head away from him, trying to hide the sadness that he had inadvertently provoked in me. There was nothing else in the world that I wanted more than to be with him forever as he suggested we would be. But I knew myself. I knew him quite well, also. I knew that somewhere, deeply guarded inside of him, was a breaking point. After much prodding, eventually that forceful reluctance and drive to get away from an emotional tormentor would detonate. In my own way, I tormented him. My need to detach drove my cruelty to spur back to life and as a result, he was driven away. +“Stop.” He whispered after resting his forehead against mine. I closed my eyes and drank in his deliciously soothing scent. “I might not be able to read your thoughts, but I can read your face very easily.” +“Really?” I asked softly as I stroked his stubble-covered cheek with my thumb. “I thought I hid these moments well. Now you're telling me that I do not.” +“I can see them now. You don't think that I know, but I can tell when you're upset. I can generally guess what it is that's upsetting you. Right now, you think you're going to drive me away.” +I was shocked that he had guessed accurately the true nature of my distress. +“Brynna,” His hands grasped mine, “Look at me.” +I did. +“I told you that I love you and that I think we can last, and believe me, I mean that. A part of me knows that the same way you just know things most of the time. But just in case I'm wrong and that feeling is bullshit, I'm going to say that we should just play this by ear. I know you sit and worry about the future and what it holds for you, for me, for us, for Violet, for Penny... constantly. But how about if we just take this one step at a time?” +“I suppose that would alleviate some of my anxiety. But you do know that it will take some time for me to condition myself to think that way. So, once again, I must ask for your patience, which I am sure just thrills you.” +“It does thrill me. Do you know why?” +“I know that this is very shocking but no, I do not know why.” +“It thrills me because in a roundabout way, you just admitted I'm right. And that's another one on the scoreboard for me finally, so thank you for that, my dear.” +The tension in the room between us broke. I found myself laughing again as I wrapped my arms around his neck and my legs around his torso. As I gazed into his deep, soulful eyes, I contemplated his words. In that long moment of silence, I realized that his wisdom rivaled mine and that he was right. On my end, I had to begin trusting him completely. I had to let go of my fear and doubt regarding our love for one another. Most importantly, I had to start living in the moment. After all that we had overcome, I deserved that. Instead of tormenting myself over what the future might have held, I needed to strive for total happiness and inner harmony in the present. I had studied eastern religions extensively and such practices were stressed as guidelines for a life that was truly worth living. I smiled as I remembered pouring over those books, drinking in the customs that would enable such free and peaceful thinking. +“What?” James asked me softly as his hands gently moved my hair away from my face. +I shook my head and shrugged. +“You are right. You might jest about it, but you're right. You are much smarter than that ridiculous tattoo on your chest would lead me to believe.” +He laughed with me and kissed my lips tenderly. After that, he laid down, still holding me to him. I slid off of him and propped my head up on my hand so I could look into his eyes. I was so very enamored by their light shade and how I truly could see every bit of the goodness in his soul when I looked at him. In every minimal etching of age in his face, I saw his goodness. You cannot imagine the peace that brought me. +I fell asleep listening to the consistent serenade of his strongly beating heart with a smile on my face. As I drifted off, my contact with his skin enabled me to hear clearly one key thought that passed through his mind just before he fell asleep, as well: +“I saw her and everything changed. Everything.” +No words, either written or spoken, had ever made my heart erupt into beats of such wild intensity. I picked my head up, stroked his handsome face again, and caressed his lips with mine. Knowing that he was asleep, I offered a confession of my own. +“I know now that I can’t live without you.” +No words, either written or spoken, had ever terrified me so painfully while bringing me so much insensible joy and comfort. Tears rushed into my eyes as I studied his relaxed features and listened to his soft breathing. I did not shed them, but they came in pure joy at the sight of him, this man I adored so deeply and needed so desperately. +“I love you so much, James.” +After I laid my head down against his chest again, his hand came up to rub my back. From the barrier between sleep and consciousness, he whispered: +“I love you, too, baby.” +I fell asleep smiling. +*** + +I was walking back to my room alone a few nights later, thinking about Maura. I was stunned to find her face at the forefront of my mind. I was baffled as to how my heart could possibly be hurting for her. +Quite surprisingly, I hoped that she was well. +As soon as my sympathy bubbled up, it quickly died off, as though someone had turned down the flame beneath the steaming pot of my thoughts. Now, her face merely simmered beneath the surface of the water; in a few short minutes, it had slowly faded away in the rising steam. +“You’re beautiful.” A voice said behind me. +I whipped around, startled by the presence of a man I knew only by face. +“You are frightening.” I replied sarcastically. With that verbal barb at him thrown, I turned around to keep walking. +“Are you up for sharing?” +“Excuse me?” I looked back at him again. +“Sharing.” +“You repeating the word does not disclose its definition. I am aware that somehow, the meaning has changed, given the vague contextual clues of our conversation.” +He laughed flippantly as he strode forward to walk by my side. +“You’re weird.” +“Why do you keep attributing random traits to me when you scarcely know who I am? In fact, why are you following me?” +“I just really want to know if you’re up for sharing.” +“What does that mean?” I threw my hands up in frustration. +“Everyone is doing it.” +“You have a difficult time answering simple questions. I am sure grade school was quite challenging for you.” +“Everyone says you’re a firecracker. I’ve never talked to you before…” +“And thank God or the Gods for that.” +“…but now I see it.” +“I am going into my room now.” +“Can I join you?” +“No.” I narrowed my eyes and shook my head as I whispered the simple word. I was befuddled as to what that strange man could possibly want. But slowly, it began to dawn on me: He was looking to, as the kids say, “hook up.” +“Oh, my,” I ran my fingers through my hair. “Not only am I completely uninterested in having intercourse with a man of your empty-headed nature, but I am also in a relationship.” +“Everyone who is sharing is with someone. That’s why they call it ‘sharing.’” +The context finally became clear to me. I grimaced in disgust. +“People in relationships are sharing their partners. Is that at what you are hinting right now? Clearly, if you would not say it outright, you must have been aware that I would not agree to engage in such lewd behavior.” +“No. I just wanted to see if you’re as sharp as they say.” +“Well, I can assure you that I am. Carry on now.” +I slid the old key into the lock on my door. When I opened it and strode inside, he followed me in. +“Your boyfriend’s not here. I’ll bet you anything he won’t mind. He gets what we’re doing here. He gets how we live.” +“That sentence made absolutely no sense, and if you do not take two steps back so that I can slam the door in your face, I will gladly kick you so hard in the testicles that even the most gifted doctor left on this planet will be unable to retrieve them from inside of your body!” +“Come on. It will be fun! You need to let loose, girl! Seriously, with what we’re doing here, how we’re living, you can’t think that no one is going to make passes at you. I also know that you won’t be able to resist for very long.” He grinned at me. +“I won’t be able to resist you, specifically, or the notion of free love?’ +“Both.” +I sighed heavily and let my eyes change over. +“I hope you were not planning on producing children…” +“You’ve been with that old guy. You need to be with someone like me. Let me show you how it’s done! When it's over, you won't even want him anymore.” +So many things could have been said in response to that. So many pins could have pierced the thick skin of his ego. I could have told him that James, though he was older, knew things about women and sexual pleasure that would baffle him into a drooling fit of confusion and shame at his own lack of knowledge. I could have said that even if he and I were the only two people left out of our group, I still would not have sex with him. I could have said that James and I were strongly bonded and interested in no other people. In my case, I was especially not interested in horny little boys like him. +Words just would not satisfy my irritation, for once. So, I brought back my foot and kicked him with all the force I could summon right between his legs. The excruciating pain snatched the breath from his lungs. He fell to his knees with both hands clutching his wounded lower appendage. I should have felt slightly guilty for inflicting such agony. Instead I pushed him hard so that he fell backwards out of my room. I kicked both of his feet until his whole body was in the hallway. Then, I slammed the door shut and listened for a moment to him moaning in pain. +“Gross…” I whispered. +James came in a few minutes later, looking back over his shoulder in slightly amused confusion at the boy who was still lying on the floor. +“He made a pass at you?” +I nodded, my face displaying my disgust and annoyance. +“Kicked him in the balls?” +“Yes.” +James looked back at him as he writhed on the floor in pain still. +“Was he vulgar?” +“Very.” +“Good on ya.” +He closed the door. +*** + +“It’s a bad day to be in this camp.” Rachel told me sullenly one morning as she and I and Tony listened to the shouting match being waged in the hallway. Don had raised the donated rations quantity yet again. To that date, he had raised it three times. First, it was every person contributing a handful of their crops. Then, it was half. Now, he had raised the quantity to sixty-five percent. +“Do you know what I heard?” Rachel asked me. +“No, I do not know. What did you hear?” +“I heard that Jimmy and Gary’s room got ransacked. Everything was torn up and thrown all around. Their watches and stuff were missing.” +“Someone wrecked their room to steal their watches?” Tony asked, and I smacked his hand because he was continually eating pieces of the carrots I had been chopping for fifteen minutes. “Ow! What is the use of a watch here, exactly?” +“Does it matter? Plus, it wasn’t just their watches that got stolen. Whoever did it took some of their crops, too. They were keeping a lot of corn and orange cabbage up there to eat. I heard even a few bottles of water were taken out of the icebox.” +“How very rude! I have heard similar tales of woe.” +Many of our acquaintances in the kitchen had been victims of thievery. One girl a few years older than me told me that her sister’s diamond earrings had been stolen. A man told me that someone had stolen his wife’s wedding ring. I had been silently hoping that the cowardly thief was just one man or woman with a pitiful case of kleptomania. I knew better, however. I knew that not only was there more than one thief but that they were working alone. Somehow, multiple thieves stealing for just themselves was more frightening than a band of thieves working in a group. +Human morality was slowly slipping away. People were embracing the lawlessness that would certainly coincide with Don's way of life. +“Has Don been looking for whomever they are?” I asked. +“No. You know Don.” Rachel said with a roll of her eyes, “Don says that it’s unfortunate but he won’t be doing anything to stop it. We all just have to start locking our doors. You think you can trust people…” +“I do not ever think that I can trust people. I know that people are allowing their dark sides to get the better of them. They are allowing apathy and selfishness to rule their lives. Don encourages that, doesn’t he? Look at how he pushes the Peace Fruit at everyone.” +“I know.” +“And now he wants to raise the tax.” Tony added, “God, we already get peanuts, don’t we, and now we’ve got to pay even more to him. And why? So he can pony is up to Adam and keep us in his good graces.” +“Ugh. Adam.” I groaned, and they made similar noises of assent. +After a long moment, Rachel said, “He is really hot, though.” +“Rachel!” Tony and I said simultaneously. +“You’re going to starve us, Don!” I heard Elijah shout in the hallway. +“That’s what he wants, Eli! I don’t even know why you’re surprised!” Frank yelled in response. +“Why would I want to starve anyone? I’m not…” Don stopped, afraid of treading too close to a personal insult with my rapidly growing brother. Elijah was beginning to show signs of the same evolution that had taken hold of James. +“What? You’re not my father? Well, believe me, you’re dancing pretty close to that line, Don! These people farm all day. They work their asses off in the hot sun all day long so they can feed themselves! You can’t tell them how much they should be giving you!” +“I absolutely can, or we will starve! Don’t you see?! I am taking enough food so that we can all eat. I am taking enough to be cooked and served to everyone. How you can believe that I should be encouraging selfishness at a time like this is beyond me, Elijah! You are so young! You are the product of your affluent upbringing, I'm telling you!” +“This has nothing to do with being young or growing up with money, Don! This has to do with right and wrong! You’re stealing what people are growing themselves. That was never part of the deal!”“What was the deal? Tell me what the deal was, and I’ll do my best to make it happen!” Don replied sarcastically. “I am doing the best I can with what we have!’ +“You’re giving most of it over to him!” +“Him who?!” Don demanded, and I watched him throw his hands up in frustration as he spoke. +“Adam!” Frank and Elijah shouted simultaneously and in the same tone of impassioned accusation. +“Adam gets next to nothing from us.” Don lied quickly. I could tell that he was being less than truthful by the way he stammered and rolled his eyes multiple times. For a moment, he looked as though he might be succumbing to some sort of fit. Given how much of the Peace Fruit he consumed an evening, I would not be surprised if he suffered some form of neurological shutdown. +“We’re at the breaking point. Things were fine for a few weeks, but he’s screwing us now, guys.” Rachel told me softly as she skinned a large rabbit behind me. I grimaced at the sight and turned back to the vegetables and herbs that I was responsible for. +I nodded in response to what she had said as I picked up a handful of strongly-scented herbs that I had chopped and threw them into the steaming water on the stove. +“He expects us to believe his lies. He expects us not to question him. That is just plain irresponsibility, and I will have no parts of it.” I told her solemnly. +I wiped the sweat from my forehead on the back of my hand and glanced over at Penny. She and two of her friends were filling water bottles and glancing in apprehension towards the door. When Penny's fearful eyes met mine, I smiled, rolled my eyes, and shook my head in an attempt to pretend like the argument outside was just an instance of three boys being utterly silly. A look of relief came over her face, and I watched as she told her friends that everything was alright. +“Why do you think he’s giving Adam most of the crops?” Rachel asked. “Do you really think it’s just to keep us in his good graces? Does Adam really need crops?” +“Of course he doesn’t, and yes, I do think that Don is trying to appease him. But I know, from listening in on his thoughts, that Don believes Adam is also aiding the Bachums, though I am almost sure that is not true. Adam has some sort of stake in this war. There is something very crucial in it for him. I have not yet deciphered exactly what that something is.” +“I can’t believe that Adam would just take our food like that. You’re right, Rache: He’s not wanting for shit up there in his city. Lord knows he probably has plenty to eat. He’s their leader. I’m sure he’s eating well.” Tony replied in disgust. +“Yes. I am sure of that, as well. But I absolutely can believe that he would take from us. He will take whatever he wants just to take, I’m afraid.” +We stopped talking for a few minutes to focus on our mindless jobs while also trying to drown out our opinions on the matter. +“Are you and James okay?” Rachel asked me. Her question moved a little too close to personal territory in a way with which I was not comfortable entirely. But instead of snapping at her about her business versus business that was mine, I sighed heavily, and reminded myself that we were basically friends. +“We are doing well. I forgive him for what he did.” +“That’s pretty big of you, considering exactly what he did.” +“Well, he was high. He has not taken the Peace Fruit since. I cannot believe so many others are still recklessly endangering themselves and everyone else in this house by doing so.” +“It’s what everyone wants though, isn’t it?” Tony replied bitterly, “They don’t want to think. That’s why so many people aren’t calling Don on his bullshit. They just want to keep their mouths shut and tow the line.” +“That kind of thinking led to the mess we were in on Earth. The political mess, I mean. The governmental mess…” +“I guess you’re right.” +“I am right.” +“Of course you are.” Tony chuckled before turning to another serious, personal topic, “What about Penny? How is she?” +I looked over at her again and Rachel and Tony joined me in the glance. The water bottles were full and standing in neat lines on the sink. Penny and her friends had moved on to separating vegetables both known and exotic. Nick was there with her, talking to her quietly while stealing a little of everything. Penny beamed when he ate what he had taken in grand gestures. A few times, she even laughed out loud. I could not help but smile to myself. +“She is coming around. It has been a few weeks. She still feels badly about it, but we are working to resolve her guilt. It is a struggle, but she will endure.” +“I don’t doubt that.” Tony said, and he grinned at me, which caused me to grin in response before he had even finished what he was going to say. “Not when she’s got her tough-as-nails mama to look out for her.” +My grin widened at the compliment; it was so very fitting. +“I do my best. James and I have both picked up the slack that was never carried by my parents. Finally, she has a respectable father figure.” +“He is respectable. He loves her a lot. Everybody says that. Everybody says that he loves you a lot, too. Tom says that he talks about you constantly. Well, almost constantly. It’s not like, creepy constantly.” +“I know he does. I am sure our relationship is still very shocking to everyone…” +“Not at all.” Rachel chimed in, “People get it. He’s good to you. Everybody sees that. Except for what happened with the Peace Fruit but then, so many others went through the same side effects. He’s a good man, Brynna.” She pointed at me with the knife, and my eyes widened. Tony cracked up. “Don’t let him go.” +How very sentimental and yet, how very true as well. The smile on my face widened at the thought of him. When they were not running back and forth to the campsite, the security detail worked out in the fields with the gardeners, harvesting the land for our sustenance. I pictured him out there with his shirt tied around his head, sweating as he plowed the fertile earth. I pictured him laughing along with the jokes and banter that the gardeners tended to use as their conversation. A swelling of love for him spread throughout my chest, caressing my insides and warming me straight down to my soul. +“I am glad that you said that.” I told Rachel through my small smile. +“Why is that?” +“Because though I might not ever have doubted this, I suddenly acknowledged openly to myself how lucky I am to have him. He loves me. He loves Penny and Violet. He even loves Elijah, to a certain degree.” +“Well, I hate to rain on your parade, and dampen your mood, and all that stuff,” Tony said, “But that feeling is definitely not reciprocated.” +“It is not.” I replied with a slight smile, “But in time, Eli will see why I love him so much. When I would come in contact with men I thought to be upstanding in all ways, I always described them as good, honest, and decent. James fits all three of those traits quite nicely.” +“He does. Plus, he has a rocking body and a hot face.” Rachel added. +“Rachel! One would never know that you are happily married!” +“What?! I notice when other guys are attractive, and Joe notices when other girls are attractive. We have a hands, mouths, and lower anatomies to ourselves and each other rule.” +“I like that rule. Can Tom and I have that rule? Cuz that Pangaean guy that comes here and talks to the Ares? Holy shit. I call him Black Beauty.” +“And he’s gay, too!” I said excitedly, “Well, he’s both. But still!” +“Oh, Jesus take the wheel…” He murmured, and Rachel and I laughed hysterically. “I’m just kidding. I will deny saying all of that if you tell Tom I said it. What we talk about stays between us girls.” +We laughed even harder, because Tony was so tough and buff and grizzly bear-like that to hear him refer to himself as a girl was just too hilarious. +“But seriously, Brynn, Rachel’s observations are astute. James is the total package. Consider yourself lucky, and believe me when I say, most women here are jealous that you have him. I don’t look it, but I’m gay, and I love gossip.” +“Oh, Tony, we know. You’re our source!” Rachel told him. +“Exactly. To continue being the source, I have to listen in on what people say, and there are ladies here—married, single, old, young—who are jealous of what you and James have.” +“That gives me very little pleasure, surprisingly enough.” I said, “I do not care about the envy of other women.” I thought to myself for a moment before clarifying a nagging point, “But if any of them try to take him from me, they are going to suffer the full wrath of my evolution, I can tell you that.” +Rachel, Tony, and I both laughed half-hysterically. +“Yeah, girl!” Rachel said, “That’s your man!” +“Damn right, he is.” +“We’ll help you kill the bitch who tries to take him from you.” Tony said. +“Damn right, we will.” Rachel agreed. +We laughed again, ignoring the ongoing argument out in the hallway. I did not care to listen. I just wanted to muse briefly on how everything had remained level despite all that had lead me to believe that chaos was inevitable. I looked around, feeling great affection for my coworkers in the kitchen. I liked mostly everyone in the house. I enjoyed socializing with them, which as I am sure you have gathered, was quite an odd turn for me. +I had help, finally, in taking care of Penny. I did not have to shoulder the responsibilities completely on my own. She had a paternal figure who was both strong and caring. Violet had somebody else to bother with her requests for permission to do teenage things. Sure, Elijah had someone to hate, but I did not view him through the eyes of maternity with which I viewed my sisters. I could not have cared less what he thought of James. +I loved that man dearly. I would hold him close to me for all the immortal years I spent on Pangaea. We would strengthen our deep bond with every moment we spent together. Maybe, I thought quietly to myself with uncertainty, we would even have children of our own. +No, maybe not. +Outside the window, thunder rumbled and a streak of lightning slashed a jagged line of light through the dark gray clouds. +How very, very cliché, my mind drawled sarcastically. +No, I thought forcefully in response, It's nothing. Superstition is for the young and stupid. +Yet I could not help but believe that something ominous was on the horizon. The world would soon erupt into madness and no one, not even me with all of the things I knew, would be able to stop it. + +Quinn + +I had been reluctant to believe that everything was going to turn up, but after several months living in Don’s house, I couldn’t help but embrace a little optimism. There were many people to talk to, and the work definitely wasn’t difficult. We never ran into any threatening forces on our trips to the campsite, and we were foraging more than we needed. +After the first night when Alice and I took the Peace Fruit, we had witnessed the horrible after-effects. James had attacked Brynna. He hadn’t just used his fists; he had tried to do the absolute worst. Alice was devastated; she sympathized greatly with the girl who was barely our friend. I couldn’t help but feel badly for her, too. But we didn’t judge James. We both just silently thanked our lucky stars that we hadn’t suffered a similar episode of violence. +After that, though, everything shaped up. People continued to party every night but those who didn't want to take their chances again with the Fruit hung out together. Believe me when I say that those lazy evenings playing cards, listening to music, and talking about our lives on both Earth and Pangaea were welcome moments of peace far more powerful than anything that could be achieved by the two-faced Peace fruit. +It wasn’t the log cabin that I had promised Alice, but it was a consistent lifestyle. It was the most normal life we could have had on Pangaea. I went off to “work” every morning and came home to her every night. She worked in the kitchen with Brynna, Violet, and Penny all day. Since coming to Pangaea, we were living more like married people than we ever would have at our age on Earth. It was good practice for the real thing. +“So, what do you think, man?” Angie, one of only five women on our team, asked one day as we walked, “Who is going to be the first to get married? Brynna and James, or Quinn and Alice?” +“Don’t say that word to Brynn. She’ll flip.” I told her with a laugh. James and Brynna were inseparable, but I knew that getting married was not at the top of their priorities list, at least not yet. She would be especially adamant about avoiding marriage, given her staunch opposition to the institution as a whole. +“Yeah, and we’re not at that point yet.” James agreed, “Maybe in a couple of years.” +“You two love each other, don’t you?” Angie pressed him. +“Of course we do.” James said surely. “But this is the twenty-first century. Well, who knows what century it is here? But from where we came from, it was the twenty-first, and marriage was on its way out anyway.” +“I heard that over in Mary and Rich Bachum’s camp, you have to be married to someone.” Bennie, an Italian-American from New York, informed us, “They’re like the Gestapo over there.” +“I don’t know if the Gestapo ever mandated marriage.” James replied, “Wait, who told you that?” +“Gary and Danielle Hill.” Bennie answered, “They escaped from there.” +“They escaped? They didn’t just leave?” +“No. They run a tight ship up north.” Bennie continued. James and I looked at each other in disbelief, both of us wondering if Bennie was exaggerating or even fabricating the story all together. I made a mental note to find Gary and Danielle later that evening so I could ask. +“It’s supposedly like, very refined. Men have to work, women have to stay home.” Bennie went on. “There are lots of rules.” +“Do they dictate how many times a week you have to screw your wife, too? I could use that rule around here.” Wes, the least popular member of our group, mused. He expected us to laugh, and a few of the guys did. James, Bennie, Tom, Frank, and I gave each other the same look we always wore when he opened his mouth: one of disgusted disbelief at his ridiculous foulness. +“I hate that guy.” Bennie muttered as we walked. +“Yeah, he’s a tool.” Angie agreed, and we shared a quiet laugh. +We broke through the trees, the graveyard that was once our campsite looming in the distance against the mid-afternoon sun. We climbed the hill, talking about whatever random tidbits of our daily lives popped into our head. +“And in response to your question, Frank…” I said, “Alice and I aren’t thinking about getting married any time soon, either. Besides, we’re all basically married to the people we live with, aren’t we?” +“Yeah, man. Plus, how would we even get married?” Frank replied, “Aisha and I were talking about that last night. All that normal shit we’re used to from the old ways, even something like getting married, is gone.” +“It’s gone because it’s unnecessary.” James chimed in again, “Marriage was for show. I don’t need to be married to Brynn for me to know that I love her. You don’t need to be married to Alice; Frank, you don’t need to be married to Aisha, and Tom, you don’t need to be married to Tony.” +“You all are such guys!” Angie groaned loudly, “Bennie, listen to these idiots. Marriage isn’t for show, you old dog. It’s for commitment. It’s to show your boyfriend or girlfriend that you want to be in it with them ‘til the end. Maybe I’m just being a typical female about this, but it’s true.” +“Amen, girl.” Bennie replied. +“No, typical female.” I chimed in, and the guys all burst out laughing. Angie turned around and punched me in the arm. +“I’ve heard you talk, sir. You’re the most romantic guy I know. The way you talk about Allie, and you don’t want to marry her?” Angie challenged me. +“It’s not that. Frank is right. How would we even do it? And James is right. It isn’t necessary anymore.” +“Yes, it is!” Angie and Bennie exclaimed. +“Ooh, battle of the sexes!” Frank proclaimed dramatically. +“Hey, if you two want to marry your significant others, then by all means, go for it.” James told them as he held his hands up in surrender, “We’ll come to the festivities and drink all the booze.” +“Does Don allow gay marriage?” Bennie asked, “Would he even let Nicole and I get married?” +“Don is the most non-judgmental person on the planet. We’re lucky in that everyone in our house is non-judgmental, or at least they seem to be. I think anything goes, really. Now, if you were over in the Bachums camp, then no. You two, and Tony and Tom would get stoned to death.” Frank told her. +“They’d have to catch me first.” Tom said. +“Exactly.” Bennie agreed, “I want to sneak over there and just watch them live.” +“You want to witness their misery. Sadist…” James shook his head in jokingly disgusted disbelief at her. +“Who says they’re miserable? I think some people like being restricted. It keeps them from having to think for themselves.” +“Oh, we’re getting deep!” James informed the rest of us. +“James Maxwell! You and your freaking sarcasm! At least Brynn gives you a run for…” +We stopped talking all at once. Our animal fangs shot out as our eyes turned white. There were others amongst us. I closed my eyes and smelled the air as I tried to determine the source of the warning that was pounding in my chest. +“They know we’re here.” I muttered to the rest of our group, “Remember that they have…” +Frank went down before the sound of the gunshot had even registered. All of us jumped to the ground before crawling to take cover behind rocks or by ducking back into the trees. The person was wielding a machine gun and firing off bullets without pause. Whoever it was, they were certainly not aiming. They were just firing into the distance where they had seen movement and hoping for a hit. +When there was a slight pause, Bennie jumped up from behind the rock she was crouched behind and pointed the Beretta we had stolen on our first trip at the person charging us. She aimed and fired expertly with no hesitation. With ease, she took down the assailant from almost forty feet away. +“Alright, let’s go!” She ordered before moving out from behind the rock. We jumped up and followed her. Don had supplied those of us who didn’t have guns with knives and spears. I grasped my knife firmly, trying to ignore the trembling in my arms and noting that I much preferred just fighting with my hands. I didn’t want to stab anyone. +“We should just go back!” Angie called to us as she and Henry, another guy on our team, lifted Frank onto his feet. +“You two take him back! We’ll handle this!” James ordered before looking at me, “You ready for this, man?” +“There’s no time to not be ready. Let’s go!” +We charged out, running right into two of the Bachums’ people. James made a valiant effort of trying to take one of them down by sliding in the mud towards the boy and kicking his feet out from under him. The boy he knocked down, however, pulled a handgun from the back of his pants and aimed right at James’s head. Quick as a flash, James jumped up and ducked behind some crates. The boy fired blindly at the crates, hoping to hit him, but James was crouched low to the ground, almost like he was doing a push-up. When the gunshots stopped, he barreled over the crates and punched the kid so hard in the face that his jaw snapped. The boy yelled in agony and spit teeth out onto the ground. Then, his wits returned, and he aimed the gun at James again. Blood spewed from his mouth as he shouted some gargled obscenity. James’s thought processes had abandoned him the same way mine would have if I were in a fight for my life. He was not aware that the person trying to kill him was just a young boy. He brought back his fist and hit him again, knocking him unconscious or worse. +For a moment, we stared at the kid, noting that he was probably younger than me. James shook his head slightly. I could see his guilt, and I sympathized with it. +“Come on. Let’s go.” I urged him, “Take his gun.” +James and I stared, hearing the gunfire all around us and the yells of the people, ours and theirs, clashing in a fight to the death. +“You take it.” He told me before sprinting off to find another opponent who was, hopefully, much older. +I stared at the motionless boy. I took his gun and ran after the other people in my party. +Several of them had wrestled guns from the Bachums’ people and were firing off bullets as best they could. I never aimed my gun at any of the people who charged me. Instead, I beat them into unconsciousness, remembering how I had said that killing them wasn’t necessary. Alice had told me that I would never know until I was on the receiving end of their merciless assault. Now, I could safely continue to say that I hadn't needed to break my rule... +One of them jumped onto my back and grasped both sides of my head. She struggled to twist it sideways but every muscle in my neck had tensed, making my head as impossible to turn as a rusted wheel. I flung my head back to nail the person hard in the face. After whipping around, I jumped on top of the woman and grabbed her hair. I pulled her head towards me and slammed it hard into the ground, that animal roar erupting from me with enough force to scare the second native that was charging me away. +Native… Why were there natives? +In that one second that it took for me to make that realization, the woman below me brought her fists back and hit me hard in the stomach. I grunted in pain, my breaths rasping as I tried to inhale. She pushed me backwards and got over top of me now. With a deafening screech, she brought her clawed hand back and scratched my cheek deeply. With her other hand, she did the same on the other side of my face. I spit a mouthful of blood at her, and she was blinded for only a minute. She screamed in surprise, but I lunged forward to tackle her around the middle. Once she had collapsed back into the mud, I got above her again. +I was breathing raspy breaths at her for a minute, my blood dripping onto her face as she shrieked and roared at me in burning, animal rage. I brought my head back and slammed it down into hers twice, ignoring the dizziness that was bound to follow two head-butts. +The gun had flown from my hand, and I reached sideways for it. That movement gave her just enough time to pull a twisted dagger from the pocket of her black dress. I tried to brace for the blow, but no thought or physical tensing could have prepared me for the unbearable pain of being stabbed straight through the stomach. +I didn’t scream; it felt as though my lungs had deflated. I could only gargle and hold my stomach as blood poured over my hands. I fell backwards, kicked my feet and arched upwards, trying desperately to apply pressure to the wound but instead, only paining myself more. While struggling for a breath, for enough air to yell out, I watched her crawl over top of me and raise her knife for the final blow. There was only one defense that my strength would allow; I kicked her once and sent her hurtling backwards. +I tried to push my way away from her towards the gun. As she stood back up, I kicked my feet harder and faster, propelling myself across the ground with strength that was beginning to fade slowly with the effort. When she lunged through the air, her white eyes ablaze with fury and her own lion-like teeth on display, I reached back and finally, thankfully, grabbed the gun. +The safety… I had heard the term before, but that didn’t mean I knew what it meant. I pushed something on the side of the gun and then aimed. Just as she was about to plunge her knife into my chest upon landing on me, I fired off every bullet in the chamber. +She fell on top of me, hissing and snarling weakly in my ear. I struggled to push her, off but the exertion was too painful. I moaned in pain as I turned over onto my side; she fell off of me, but that was the least of my concerns. I reached back slowly, my arm trembling, and ran my hand down my back. +“Oh, man…” I muttered, and a maniacal giggle burst from me. I had to have been going delirious from the blood loss and the pain. “Bitch stabbed me straight through…” +I laid down and my laughter died away as quickly as it had come alive. I stared up at the sun that was hiding behind the thick, eerily gray clouds. Nature was completely untarnished on Pangaea; all the colors, light and dark, were more brilliant than anything we had ever seen on Earth. I thought about Earth for a long while, wondering if I would trade the death that was sure to be slow and agonizing for the quick, explosive death that had wiped out the population on our home planet. +“Alice…” I muttered aloud in response to my mind reminding me that on Pangaea, Alice and I had gotten what we had always wanted. We had gotten what would have been denied us by the progression of an Earthly life. +I worried that she would be very sad. I knew that if the situation were reversed, I would be inconsolable. +I had to put my faith in her strength now. She would survive. I knew that. She would be taken care of by Brynna and James. She would have a family of sorts, made up of the other people in the house. I knew that she would grieve, but I also knew that my death wouldn’t be her own, too. +I closed my eyes. + +Violet + +The chaos in the foyer of the house drew us away from our work. Brynna had been distracted all morning; at least once an hour, she would stop abruptly in the middle of whatever task she had been assigned to close her eyes and hold her heart with one hand. When I inquired if she was alright, she muttered that she was and forced herself to resume her work immediately. At one point, she leaned forward to put her hands on her knees and hung her head. Some dark knowing was plaguing her. Some premonition of an awful event was snaking around her and snatching the precious breaths in her lungs. +“Let’s go get some air.” Alice told her. When Brynna shook her head, Alice took one of her arms and led her out of the room. +They disappeared for about ten minutes. When they returned, all the color had drained from Alice’s face. +Brynna and Alice were the first to run from the kitchen towards the entrance hall. Brynna was well aware that whatever terrible thing that had been pulling at her instincts all morning had finally occurred. +“What happened?!” I heard Alice scream. I rounded the corner and gasped sharply upon seeing the sight. +All of the men and women in security were either covered in their own blood or the blood of another. Dirt had caked onto their shoes, splattered up their legs, and covered their torsos. The ones either unconscious or dead, I couldn’t know, were being carried or dragged along by those still able to move. +“Ten of them… Ten of them came through the gate…” +“Quinn! Oh God! Oh my God!” I knelt beside Alice and grasped her shoulders. I moved down to press my face to the side of hers. +“It’s going to be okay…” I whispered in a trembling voice, “He's going to be okay...” +Ten of them were coming our way... +“Are they armed?!” Don demanded after he had stormed into the room. When I looked up at him, I saw that his eyes were red with the blaze of fury. +James nodded in response before he and Brynna took off out of the house. +“Brynna!” I screamed in terror as I jumped up to run after her. But a hand grasped my arm roughly and threw me back to Alice. Elijah was going after her, too. Wes, Bennie, and Tom followed after him. +“Stay with him. I’ll be right back!” I told Alice. She nodded, and I ran onto the porch, my entire body trembling so viciously that I was finding it difficult to move at a pace the situation required. +The Bachums had coerced some natives to join their side. Their group charged our group. Guns were fired, and someone went down. I jumped out of the way as five stray bullets came whizzing at me, quicker than one beat of my racing heart. I crawled to the wooden post of the porch and peeked out, watching as Brynna ran forward in a blur, jumped, planted her foot in the stomach of one of the charging natives and flipped in a complete circle over his head. +“Whoa!” I was unable to hide my awe, even under the highly dangerous circumstances. +Her back was to the native, who had jumped up and turned to face her. She swung her arm back, and I saw for the first time that she had brought the knife she had been using in the kitchen. With a fluid movement, she sliced into the man’s throat and then flipped him over her shoulder without ever turning around completely to face him. +“Keep at least one alive!” Don’s deafening shout behind me made me jump. +Elijah had the upper-hand in his fight. He was one deadly strike away from killing his opponent. Instead of ripping into his flesh with his fangs, he thrust his fist forward hard enough to send the man flying backwards several feet. +When they had won, they returned, huffing and puffing from the effort. James’s arm was wrapped tightly around Brynna’s shoulders. Her own were locked around his middle. They were keeping each other close after facing such a dangerous threat. +Elijah and Wes were dragging the unconscious man Elijah had taken down. Tom was carrying a huge native man on his shoulders without even a grimace. +“One native, one Bachum…” Tom said as he threw his body forward so that the native landed hard on his back with a painful thud. +“Perfect.” Don replied in a voice lacking emotion. “Get them downstairs.” +Brynna pulled me up, and I squeezed her hand in both of mine as we walked. I let go only to grab hold of her arm. I rested my head on her shoulder as we entered the house again. +The injured were being carried upstairs. We had only four doctors in our group. They were coming upstairs from the basement where they and several others had been trying to fashion an office and an examination room for them to use. +“Alright, I need anything clean that can be used to stop the bleeding. I need anything that can be used as bandages. I need alcohol.” One of them demanded quickly. +Several people were off in search of those items. +We followed them upstairs and began to immediately search for Alice. +“Put them in here. It’s the most space.” Don instructed. He was pointing to his own room, the master suite. +Alice was sobbing beside Quinn and grasping his hand tightly. +“I don’t think he’s breathing!” She cried hysterically. When she looked up at us, we saw the black lines smeared down her face from the mix of tears and mascara. +I didn’t know what to say and neither did James or Elijah. There are few words that can comfort those preparing to lose ones they love. That is a truth that has never changed. +“It is alright. Look at me. Alice, look at me.” Brynna was knelt on the other side of Quinn. Dr. Anthony tossed her one of the First Aid kits that had been foraged from the ship. +“Do the best you can.” He told her hurriedly, and she nodded. I noticed that her hands were only trembling slightly. +“I am going to do everything in my power, Allie. I promise.” Brynna told her. My sister's eyes were still fixed on our friend's even as her hands pulled out the gauze from the kit and pressed it to Quinn’s wound almost by their own will. +“But you’re not a doctor… We need him…” +“I will not be offended by your lack of faith. Guys, I need alcohol,” She ordered us over her shoulder, “And Don is calling Adam. When he gets here, tell him that I need to see him.” +“Brynn, the last person we…” James started to say. +“Alcohol, James! Now!” She barked at us before pushing harder on Quinn’s wound. His body jerked forward, and he moaned softly. +“He’s alive. He can still feel pain. That’s a good sign.” Brynna told Alice soothingly. Alice nodded and kissed Quinn's hand twice. +“What can I do?” Alice managed to whisper to Brynna. +“Talk to him. Keep him with us.” +Alice nodded again and moved closer to Quinn’s head so he could hear her voice. +“Hey, baby…” She whispered through her shuddering sobs, “I’m right here. We’re all right here. Brynn is going to help you. She’s going to do everything she can. I’m going to do whatever I need to do to make you better, okay? I’m not going to let you go anywhere. I promise.” +James handed Brynna a small bottle of vodka. Those tiny bottles had been very popular on the ship at nighttime, when people from all over came together to talk and socialize before they all went to bed. I had always been annoyed by the noise those drunken people made in the rec-room, which was three floors above where we slept. But now, I was definitely thankful for the bottles. +“Shh…” Alice whispered after putting her hand on Quinn’s face. He had jumped again when Brynna poured the alcohol onto his stomach, “It’s okay, baby. I know it stings, but it’s going to help you. It will. I promise.” +“You requested to see me, Ms. Olivier?” +Everyone except for Brynna jumped upon finding Adam standing right beside our group. +“Oh, wipe that smirk off of your face!” She snapped at him angrily. I gasped and covered my mouth, stunned that she would call him on his cruel arrogance and the joy he was clearly experiencing at witnessing our misfortune. I wanted to shakily remind her that if he wanted, he could easily murder each and every one of us. +“I apologize.” +My brows crinkled together in confusion. Had my sister's scathing nature really gotten Adam, the leader of an entire planet, to apologize sincerely? +“I need to know how severe his wound is. I need to know if anything got damaged, and what I should do.” +“Oh, do you?” He asked with his eyebrows raised and a smirk on his face again. +Quinn started trembling, slightly at first. But then, as though we had pressed a fully charged defibrillator to his chest (which, given his condition, would have been very useful), his body jumped off of the ground, twitching and jerking wildly. +“Quinn!” Alice was wailing now. I embraced her again as tears streamed down my cheeks. She was trying to hold him down, but Brynna broke her grip. +“Just let it run its course.” She ordered softly, “He has lost a lot of blood.” When she addressed Adam, her warmth froze over, and a violent scowl of impatience took hold of her features. +“What do you want?” +“What do you think I want? Mr. Maxwell, I have had all that I can stand of you and will gladly snap you in half if you step towards me aggressively. Please think again.” His eyes were blazing when he looked at James. +“Brynna, do not agree to this. Don’t listen to him!” James ordered her. +“He’s going to die any second now, James.” Brynna looked at Alice and then back at Quinn, who had gone motionless. “He has two minutes, maybe less.” +“Just tell him you’ll do what he wants!” Alice screamed at her pleadingly, “Please, Brynna! Please!” +Brynna looked up at James, a desperation in her eyes that I had never seen before. As quickly as I had noticed it, it was gone. Her resolve had returned. +“I will handle this myself, thank you so much.” She shot at Adam, “Carry on.” +Adam chuckled softly and turned to walk away. +“Without blood, he will pass. You will need Elixir, which I supplied to your leader just yesterday.” +“Yes…” Brynna realized in a soft whisper. She looked up at Elijah and me. +“Where is it?” I asked immediately. +“It is downstairs where they were building. It is dark blue, almost black, with purple around the edges. It is a medium-sized leaf. Go! Hurry up!” +Elijah and I ran downstairs, almost knocking over those who were waiting in the hallway for news, because we were in such a rush. We stormed into the basement, avoiding the corridor that led to the very last floor of the house. We ran down the hallway lit with torches. When we entered the room where the doctors had been working, we rooted through their large bags of medicinal supplies until we found the very leaves Brynna had described. +“What does this do?” Elijah asked. +“Who cares?” I responded as we took off running again, “If he says it will work, and if Brynna believes him, then it will work!” +When we returned, Adam was healing Bennie's gunshot wound. His hands were covered in blood; he had dug into the wound in order to extract the bullet. I grimaced. +When I handed her the leaf, Brynna put it in her mouth and chewed it up as quickly as she could. Once or twice, she scrunched up her face in disgust. Apparently, it wasn’t the most appetizing of plants. +“Open his mouth.” +“Oh, gross…” Elijah murmured. He turned away with his hands over his eyes. +“Shut up, Eli!” Brynna, Alice, and I yelled simultaneously. I grasped Quinn's head and tilted it back so Alice could pull his mouth open. Brynna spat the spit-saturated leaf into her hand and shoved it into Quinn’s mouth. Her fingers pressed to the artery in his neck that, given her expression, I could gather was barely pulsing anymore. +“He’s not swallowing it!” Alice cried, “Damn it!” She pushed her fingers down into his throat, forcing the mashed-up leaf down further, “It’s down! It’s down!” +“Alright.” Brynna nodded, “Now, we just have to wait.” +As she sat back, she looked over at Adam, scowling once again. When James sat beside her, she took his arm and wrapped it around her shoulder. +“He ever looks at you like that again…” James muttered to her, and I noticed for the first time that not only had his irises turned red but so had the whites of his eyes. I looked down, knowing that James had reached the level of anger humans simply could not achieve. If ever there was a time when he was unthinkably dangerous, it was during those moments of unspeakable outrage. +“Look at me.” Brynna whispered to him. She grasped his chin and looked up into his eyes. Now, I looked at them again. Her blue eyes were glowing with the calming tranquility of the ocean to extinguish the fire that burned in James’s. His eyes returned to normal. +“Guys, look! Look!” Alice exclaimed. When we did, we saw her pointing to the wound in Quinn’s stomach. We all leaned in to watch as his skin pulled back together. It was as though an invisible needle was sewing the wound closed. Color was returning to his face as his breath began to draw in and let go quietly. +“You did it! Brynn, you did it!” Alice screamed in shameless glee. She reached out, pulled Brynna forward, and squeezed her so tightly that Brynna frowned in pain. +“I have a slight fear of suffocation…” Brynna told her. But she was patting Alice's back and smiling slightly. +“Thank you! Thank you!” Alice was crying. +“Well, there is little need for tears now, my dear.” +Typical Brynna, so uncomfortable with outpourings of any emotion that wasn’t blind rage. Alice apologized and wiped her tears away. +“You’re right. He’s going to be okay. You saved his life.” +“We all saved his life. We all helped.” Brynna corrected her. +“Call Guinness, ladies and gentlemen. Brynna Oliver has said something humble!” James exclaimed. Brynna reached back and slapped him lightly in the chest, a gesture she seemed to favor when she was looking to offset his sarcasm. +“As if you can say anything about being humble…” She told him. +“I know.” He kissed her forehead and continued to rub her back even after his lips had left her skin. +“Alright, children, any more PDA, and Elijah is bound to explode.” I warned them quickly. Elijah was clenching his jaw and his fists as he looked at them. +“What is that?” James indicated his stance, “You look like you’re having digestive issues. It’s not a good look for you. It’s not a good look for anyone, actually.” +“Stop it.” Brynna told him as she covered her mouth to stifle a laugh. +“Yeah, and being a pedophile isn’t just a bad look, it’s also a crime.” +“Elijah!” I exclaimed in shock. +“Don’t fret, Violet.” James said in his normal tone of breezy arrogance, “He is completely clueless as to what constitutes pedophilia, I guess. Let me inform you, sweetheart,” He said to Elijah, +“That by old world standards, the term was defined generally as a sexual relationship between an adult and a child under the age of eighteen. Given that your sister is twenty-two years old, I just don’t fit the bill. I’m sorry to have to call you on your stupidity, but hey, what can you do?” +Elijah was steaming at being torn down so effortlessly. I tried to remain neutral in the argument, but his hatred of James was over the top and unnecessary. James had hurt Brynna once while under the influence of a drug that he had never taken again. Everyone in the house could see how deeply he loved her. Everyone could also see that the feeling was mutual; Brynna loved him right back and just as much. +“Do you have any idea how badly I want to kill you?” +“Why? Because I’m with your sister, or because I made you look like a whining, temper tantrum-throwing little boy? That certainly isn’t a good look for you, either.” +“What kind of a man gets with a girl her age? Oh, see, that was wrong of me. I called you a man. You’re not a man…” +“Gentlemen!” Brynna stood up and stepped in between them, “That is enough!” +“What would Mom say?!” Elijah snapped at her. Brynna opened her mouth to retort, but he cut her off. “Right, you don’t care about that. You don’t care anything about Mom. I know he talked you into letting her die. Are you that desperate to have him that you would let him talk you into that?” +“First of all, I am not desperate to have him. I never groveled for his affections nor did I compromise any aspect of myself, so you had better think twice before you hurl that accusation at me!” Brynna hissed at him. +I groaned as I watched the blue of her eyes swirl with flecks of red now. +“Secondly, if you ever insinuate that it was James who coerced me into abandoning our mother on Earth…” +“You’ll what? Are you going to kill me? That would be the icing on the cake, wouldn’t it?! You’d kill me for him the same way you killed Mom for…” +When she hit him, he flew backwards and almost knocked over Nikki, Bennie's girlfriend. +“That’s enough.” James told her as she struggled to break his grip on her hands. “It's alright, baby. It's okay. Come on. Let’s go.” +But Elijah had waited weeks to fight that battle. The venue and the time were not appropriate, but he was going to say his piece now, for better or worse. Instead of shouting an obscenity-laced tirade full of insults and insinuations, he ran forward to tackle James around the middle. Alice and I exclaimed as we jumped onto our feet. Brynna simply watched with her arms crossed over her chest. All the while, she shook her head in disgust and rolled her eyes. +Elijah never even grasped the upper-hand in the fight. James was faster and stronger; tossing Elijah about was like throwing a paper doll. Never once did he hit him, though Elijah managed to land a few punches. +“Are you done?” James finally barked at him as he held Elijah against the wall. “Tell me you’re done, and I’ll let you go.” +“I have had it with this.” Brynna spoke up suddenly. They both looked back at her to find that she was resting her head against her hand and squeezing her eyes shut. +“Baby…” James started to say. +“Don’t you two understand that this is the last thing we need right now!?” She had lifted her head to glare at them. “I am an adult, Elijah Daniel, and I will make my own decisions. He is just angry, James, and there is no reason for you to engage him physically! With your strength, you could easily crush him, so learn some self-control!” +“He could not easily…” Elijah started to say. +“Shut up!” She stomped her foot in frustration, “I do not care if you approve of our relationship or not, Eli. We are together. For your own sake, you must learn to deal with that. I know that your rejection of the idea is bred from your brotherly affection for me. I know that you feel it is your duty to protect me the way our father never did. I appreciate that. Believe me, I do. But James is alright, don’t you see that? You know me. If I can trust him, then there is absolutely no reason why you cannot do the same.” +“So, what do you want?” Elijah wiped the blood away from his mouth and laughed slightly in aggravation, “Do you want us to shake hands? Do you want me to give you my blessing?” +“No. I just do not want to fight with you anymore. I am so tired of this never-ceasing familial strife. We have a chance here to start completely over. What Quinn said the other night was true; we are all we have from our old lives. We need to stick together. Do you all agree?” +She was so exhausted by the fight that had endured for hundreds of colorful reasons for thirteen years. It was evident in her eyes as she spoke. She had always been expected to carry the brunt of the weight. Now, the fatigue was beginning to show. The fight between Elijah and James was yet another conflict that was up to her to resolve. I admired her strength as I was seeing it through an untarnished lens for the first time in years. But I also couldn’t help but pity her for how cruelly unfair her life had been. Tears ran down my cheeks at the thought of it. +“I agree.” I told her instantly after walking over to grasp her hand. “And I just want you to be happy, Brynn. And James, you know I love you.” I wiped at my eyes. +“I know you do, and I love you, too.” He told me, “I love you and Penny just as much as she does.” +“Eli, she’s right. We need to stop all of this conflict. It has gone on for too long. You were gone. She had to handle everything. She had to raise Penny and me. She had to take their abuse for what happened to Lucien…” +“I do not want or need any pity for all of that, honey…” Brynna started to say quietly. +“I don’t want him to pity you, either. I just want him to understand that if you want to be with James, then you should be! Even now, you’re still the one taking care of us. You made the decisions that we couldn’t make. I wish that we had been able to save Mom. But I know that even if you deny it, you do feel guilty about it. I can’t imagine how hard it must have been.” +She offered no response. She would never admit feeling any regret in her decision. +“I am tired of the drama, too.” Elijah told us wearily, “But I can’t accept him. He is too old for you, Brynna. You’re nothing but his midlife crisis!” +“Well, I’m going to be stuck in midlife forever, so what does that say about our relationship’s longevity?” James shot back at him, “It’s a losing battle, ladies. Just throw in the…” +“You must truly think I am stupid.” Brynna told Elijah dangerously. “Your anger is at no one else but me. What you said about our mother proved that. You are projecting your anger onto him...” +“Yeah, I'm pissed about Mom!” Elijah interrupted her loudly, “You're right as always, Brynna! How in the world did you guess that I'm pissed about Mom being dead?! I can't believe that you left her behind. I can't even begin to understand how you can have so much evil in your heart, evil that could make you do something like that! But I also know that he insisted on leaving her. You went along with it because he insisted!” +“Our parents were both barred from the ship, not by him, but by the group as a whole. Our mother would have been saved had she not chosen to associate with that merry band of morons she called her colleagues. You hold our mother to a standard of God-like perfection, Eli, and you always have! You do the same, though slightly less so, with Maura. Neither of them are what you believe them to be. I can give you props, however, because you do see our father for what he is. They are the type who have no place here. They deserved no new beginning.” +“How can you say that?!” Elijah demanded furiously, “How can you talk about them like that?” +“Because if our mother and her little friends hadn't pissed off everyone from America to Australia, we'd still be breathing the air on Earth. If they hadn't done everything in their power to destroy our planet...” +“They didn't know what they were doing!” +“And you think that they shouldn't be faulted for that ignorance, which yielded such catastrophic results?!” James asked him in fury, “The entire world is gone! They started a goddamn nuclear war! If they had just kept their noses out of other people's business...” +“My mother was trying to help people!” Elijah screamed at them, unable to keep the cap on his anger now. “Besides, we don't even know for sure that it was a nuclear war!” +“Brynna, what did Mom do, exactly?” +I wasn't sure if I even wanted to know. I had been too naïve, too blinded by my need for her love to see her clearly. Brynna, despite her ill feelings towards my mother, would only speak the truth about her, for my sake. Unfortunately, the truth was so shameful that it beat any bold-faced lie she could have told that would make me see our mom in the same dark light that she did. +“Now is not the time.” Brynna told me, and her blue eyes were set in stone. +“Yes it is, Brynna. You're accusing him of holding her to a standard she doesn't deserve. Yet, here you are, protecting her.” +“I protect her still because she was very weak. She believed herself to be so strong but she could carry nothing, not even the lightest of burdens.” +“She carried you, didn't she?” +“Are we speaking of carrying in the physical sense or in the metaphorical? Because in regards to the former, yes, she did carry me for nine...” +“Shut up!” Elijah snapped at her, “And don't spread your lies to Violet! Don't try to make her see Mom the way you see her! You hated her for no reason! She wasn't home, yes. She had a drinking problem...” +“She was a raging alcoholic, Elijah, and you know that to be truthful!” +“She said some things to you that she didn't mean. You know she didn't mean that stuff she said!” +“Which is why she spewed that venom at me for twelve years, if she spoke to me at all...” +“Well, maybe you should have kept your eyes open when you were watching Lucien! Maybe you should have stayed awake!” +“Is that what they told you?!” Brynna was screaming now, “They told you I was asleep?!” +“We all know that she was young, and she shouldn't have been watching him in the first place, Eli...” I started to say in an effort to diffuse the almost excruciatingly strong tension. +“I was not asleep! What did they tell you about Michael?! Did they tell you that he could heal sick children with a touch of his hand and raise the dead from their graves?! What did they tell you about where he went?” +“You shut up about him!” Elijah pointed at her with a shaking hand, “Dad was gone. Michael was the only father we ever had! If he hadn't gotten killed in Iran...” +Brynna slammed her fists down onto the table that she had walked behind. Her eyes had finally turned completely red. +“So, now he is a war hero? Now, they put him up with the men and women who really did lose their lives in that pitilessly stupid war they started!? That's what they told you!?” +Oh, the conflict of so many years was erupting in a display of explosions that rivaled any that occurred in an action film. Every part of our history they disagreed on was going to be shouted about now to no end. I knew very little of the truth, but Brynna knew it all. I was going to hear the secrets that had been kept buried deep, spoken of in looks and silences too heavy to understand at such a tender age. +“That's what they told me. So, where is he really, Brynna? I'm interested to hear this. I'm interested to hear whatever ridiculous lie you're going to tell about him now! You lie about all the people who ever loved you. Why?! He loved us like his own! He loved you like his own!” +Brynna laughed maniacally and threw her hands up. +“Oh, yes, he loved me, Elijah!” +“Let's go. Let's go get some air, baby.” James had grasped Brynna's arms gently, seeing in her what I hadn't yet realized: She was going to cry. +“There was only one way for him to show me how much he loved me!” +I thought I was finally old enough to understand all the dirty secrets. But I didn't grasp what she was alluding to. +“What are you even talking about? You know what, don't even tell me, okay? Because it's probably just some insane lie that you thought up. In fact, he probably thought it up, just so he could help you lie to yourself! That's what you do, isn't it, James? You give her complete freedom from any responsibility. You let her believe what she wants to believe while everyone else reminds her what she did when she tries to forget it!” +James was on Elijah in a flash, grabbing the front of his shirt in both hands and slamming him down onto the table. I did not rush to his defense. I watched him struggle to break James's iron grip only to discover that with that rage inside of him and with that new, brutal strength, James was impossible to fight. +“You need to take a very hard look back at the life you lived on Earth, Elijah. You need to start searching for some inconsistencies. All these things you're saying, all these ridiculous beliefs with no grounding in reality, are the result of the fact that you are too young and too weak to see things for what they are. You accuse her of being so weak that she needs me to lie to her while you stand back and lie to yourself constantly. I was led to believe that you're a smart kid. Stop hiding from it! Be a man for once in your goddamn life!” +“Because you're the authority on what constitutes being a man, right? You, with your girlfriend who is young enough to be your kid, who you...” +“When you finally do discover the truth about those people you're defending, this fight that you claim is in defense of your sister will be rendered completely useless. You'll see that I am the only man who has ever been able to protect her. I am the only man who has ever treated her right.” +James released him and walked back to Brynna, who was grasping the apple charm on her bracelet. There was sadness in her eyes that she was too exhausted to hide. Intermixed with the sadness was the fear of a cornered animal waiting for the strike of death. I was starting to understand the sickening truth which, for Brynna, was worse than her own death. For me to see the true catalyst behind her emotional coldness and arrogance was worse than me believing her to just be a heartless shrew whose soul had long fled her. +“Brynna!” I ran after her and James. +“I'm sorry. I had to say it. I couldn't take it, baby. I'm sorry.” He had been whispering to her as he walked her along. +She cleared her throat before turning to me to reveal that the look in her eyes had only intensified the further away she got from Elijah. It took my breath away for a moment. When I swallowed and tried to take a breath, I discovered that my throat had tightened under the threat of tears. +“What?” She asked, her voice neither rising in anger nor falling in sadness. There was simply nothing there when she spoke. +I needed to ask for confirmation that would solidify what I knew to be true: Uncle Mike had raped her when she was just a child. I couldn't begin to guess how long it had gone on. But I knew that the effects had reverberated through her young life, twisting and contorting her mind into what it was currently. The event had spawned an alien creature incapable of learning the ways of those considered normal. It had made her an outcast. Tears leaked from my eyes that I furiously wiped away. I understood why she loathed the weakness of tears now; if she was pushing her way through life with dry eyes, then I sure as hell had better do the same. There was no reason for my constant whining and crying. +“Was it the worst?” I was trying to steady my voice when I spoke. +She studied me for a long second. She would tell me later that she was both surprised, impressed, and very thankful for my tact in not using any heavy words to describe what had happened with “Uncle Mike”; words like “rape” or “assault” sent chills down her spine and turned her stomach. +“Yes.” She answered. +I tried to suppress my tears, but the guilt and shame over judging her so harshly were too much to bear. +“Why didn't you tell me?” +“It was not, and still isn't, a burden I wish for you to carry. It’s mine.” +“And Luc?” +Now, the pain in her eyes intensified, and her grip on James's arms tightened. He was holding her around the middle from behind. Because of how pale her skin was and how badly she was shaking, I worried briefly that he was the only reason she was still standing. When she spoke, her hands began to run up and down his arms somewhat neurotically. +“I looked away, and by the time I looked back, he was gone.” +Even speaking of our brother, whom we both loved dearly, didn't evoke a shred of emotion in her voice. +“Did Maura know?” +She looked away from me and up at James for a minute. The question that came over her eyes answered my own. She was unsure whether she wanted to defile the high perception I had of Maura, our mother, and our father. I reached out, closed my eyes, and held onto the wall as I tried to gather my thoughts. +“Tell me they didn't know, Brynna. Tell me that they tried to stop it.” +“Our mother did. Our father didn't believe me. Maura was present.” +I lurched forward, so horribly sickened by the fact that Maura had not stopped such senseless, sick violence. My youth could not be blamed for why I didn't understand. There was no explanation. There was no excuse. +“How did you ever look at her? How did you ever forgive her?” +“Because Maura was weak like our mother, and I knew that from a very young age. I was the victim of her weakness, however. She paid no price for it. She still has not paid for it.” +“How could you have saved her? How could you have saved her from Earth? She doesn't deserve...” +“Perhaps she does deserve life, and perhaps she does not. I owed her a debt. If it were not for her, I would not have survived infancy. If she had not cared for me, I would not have grown up to care for you and Penny. You two would not exist, either.” +“But it's so wrong!” I wanted to reach out and throw my arms around her. I needed her to comfort me when the situation called for the reverse. +“Yes.” She replied vaguely. I got the feeling that she didn't know what else to say. +“How can you not hate her? I hate her now! I hate them all for letting it happen and for blaming you for Lucien...” +“Violet...” She whispered, and warmth finally emerged in her words. I felt her hands on my face, and her thumbs wiping my tears away. “I have had this huge anger inside of me for many years. That rage plants the most insidious, detrimental thoughts in one's mind. I do not wish that for you. Everything that has happened to me is my own burden to carry, like I said. Do not add to that weight by embracing anger, rejection, and despondency. It is useless now. It was useless then, as well.” +“But it's not fair!” +“You know exactly which cliché I am going to utilize, so I will not even say it.” +“I know. ‘Life isn't fair.’” +“Indeed. We are safe now. We have created a new life. You were happy before this conversation, weren't you?” +I nodded. +“I love it here.” I told her honestly. +“I know. If all of the things that happened on Earth were payment for the happiness we are currently experiencing, then it was worth it. It was worth this chance at something better than what we would have had. Okay?” +I nodded and looked up at her. Then, I turned my gaze to James. +“James, I know it's an uphill battle, but you better take care of her.” +“I can take perfectly satisfactory care of myself, thank you so much.” Brynna told me with the usual sass in her voice. Her tone reassured me that she was returning to normal. +“Fine. Then how about this? James, take care of her when she finds herself incapable of taking care of herself. Is that better?” +“Indeed. But I will never be unable to take care of myself, but the thought that I will have the gorgeous Mr. Maxwell to aid me if ever I could not is comforting.” +“I've learned to navigate these conversational minefields she sets up.” James told me, “You need to start watching your step. She'll get you.” +“I know she will. But I'm serious.” +“And I will do just that, Vi. You don't need to worry about that. It is my job to put her above myself, and I do. I always do.” +I nodded, feeling genuinely relieved. I looked between the two of them for a moment. Though they fought, there was a durability to their relationship now that was far superior to anything that could be experienced in the early stages of a romance on Earth. It was odd to think that two people who had only met eleven months earlier would be capable of having such deep feelings for one another. But the forces of the universe were strong and insistent that they meet and fall in love, never to part for the duration of their eternal lives. I wondered if they would have children together. +“My stars, Violet Mae!” Brynna exclaimed, and she grasped her chest in shock. +“What? What?” I asked as the panic pulled me from the depth of my thoughts. My thoughts... I gasped and covered my ears. “Stop doing that!” +“Children!?” She repeated, “Are you daft?!” +She grasped James's hands tightly to steady herself. +“Oh, no...” James replied, shaking his head back and forth quickly. “We have more than our fair share with you and Penny. Actually, come to think of it, we have the best of both worlds with you two; we have the teenager to make us pull our hair out, and the precious, angelic little girl to shower with love and gifts.” +“What are you going to shower me with, then?” I put my hands on my hips in mock indignation. +“Advice and stern warnings.” James answered immediately. Brynna and I both broke out into laughter. She stood on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. I knew that she was comforted by his inclusion in our lives and how openly he discussed being present in the long run. It was consistency and stability that had never been given to her, for whatever reason. +Everything should have looked up from there. But then, we had been saying that for far too long. It was while we were picking up Penny from the kitchen that we knew, beyond any doubt, that something terrible was brewing. +An almost tangible rage and tension laid heavily over the house like a blanket of smog. People were shouting, running, and demanding blood in the name of those we had lost. When Don passed us calmly, he listened to their demands but said nothing. I saw more white eyes and fangs than I should have been comfortable with. People were ready to go to war. +“Brynn!” Penny ran to us, her ballerina flats pattering against the floor almost noiselessly. She jumped into Brynna's arms and squeezed her tightly. +“Hey, baby,” Brynna greeted her soothingly in an attempt to pretend like nothing was wrong. “Did you have fun?” +“Everyone is yelling and running! Everyone is mad!” Penny looked between the three of us. “I'm scared because they're loud, and they have sharp teeth, and their eyes are scary! I wanted to come find you!” +“No.” Brynna replied firmly, “You do not ever leave the person that I ask to watch you, Penelope.” +A genuine fear was in Brynna’s eyes, one that was there and gone in a matter of seconds. It had emerged at the thought of being unable to find Penny. +“Don't be afraid, honey.” Brynna nuzzled Penny gently with her head. “No one's going to hurt you. We are just going to go upstairs and play until dinner, okay?” +Penny nodded and reached her tiny arms out to James. Brynna handed her over and rubbed her back for a minute when Penny laid her head against his. +“Alright, come on....” +We opened the door to leave the kitchen only to find Adam and Don standing right in our path. +“Can you two talk?” Don asked, “It's very important.” +“No.” Brynna and James replied simultaneously as they pushed past them. +“We're going after the Bachums. We're going to need all the able-bodied people we can find.” +“Funny, baby, I thought we told them that we couldn't talk?” James told Brynna. +“Yes, that is quite humorous. I remember saying that, as well.” Brynna replied. +“They have crossed over onto our land, killed our people senselessly and unfairly...” +“They threaten your very place on Purissimus.” Adam added convincingly. I knew that his eyes were only on Brynna. “You will fight them sooner or later, if you wish to stay.” +“No, I will not. Coincidentally, Adam, you have some rogue civilians joined up with the other team. Either that, or you are playing Don for a fool, which I am sure is none too difficult.” +“To what are you referring?” +“Oh, just the people clearly from this planet who we saw fighting alongside the Bachums’ people. No big deal.” James replied airily. +“Those were not my people.” Adam informed him with a soft chuckle of derision. “They are the Old Spirits, far removed from my city. Their allegiance with the others is not surprising. They favor ruthless, pious action to appease the one God. Both the Bachums and the Old Spirits remain rooted firmly in the past that simply cannot exist nowadays. It is unsurprising.” +“Maybe it is evidence, though, that you have no handle on the people of your world so you should stop trying to have a handle on the people from ours. Just a thought...” James continued. +“We are going down to question those we took.” Don interrupted them. I noted that he looked even tinier in Adam's shadow. “James, Brynna, I'd like for you to accompany me.” +“Yes.” Brynna replied, “And I would like five minutes of peace and a unicorn, but those are simply not options, are they?” +“There is no other option for the two of you right now. You will either join us or suffer the consequences.” Adam informed them dryly. +“And what, dare I ask, are the consequences? I thought there were no laws here, Don. I thought that nothing was required.” +“It's not.” Don replied timidly. He shrunk even more under Brynna's harsh stare. “It's not required by me, at least. But he has final say.” +“Whatever fear I had of you has officially been pacified.” James told Don sarcastically. Don scowled at him. +“I wield power you cannot possibly imagine, James. If you're not afraid of me, you certainly should be.” +“You're just the sidekick. If I'm not afraid of the boss, why would I be afraid of his right-hand man?” +“You're making me very angry.” +“And what? I won't like you when you're angry?” James pressed him tauntingly. +“No, you won't. We have been gifted with powers, James. Do you want to know what mine is? I can harness emotional energy. With it, I can...” He closed his eyes for a moment, and the floor beneath our feet began to shake. At first, it was only a slight rumble, similar to what is felt when a car is turned on. But then, the foundation of the house began to tremble; people were running and screaming past us, trying to get out before the whole structure crumpled to the ground. Penny was crying, and James was holding her close with both hands. I held onto Brynna, screaming with the others, as the torches lighting the hallway flickered and went out. Throughout the duration of that man-made earthquake, Adam merely smiled and leaned against the wall, observing the dust that fell from the ceiling. +“Stop it!” Brynna screamed at him after finally stepping forward. She glared into his eyes when he opened them again. He lurched forward, stumbling several steps, looking alarmed. The shaking ceased. +“All you had to do, Don, was ask nicely.” Brynna hissed at him as he crumpled to his knees, holding his temples. “Do you want to know what my power is? I can see and understand things of which you know nothing. I can see every thought in your mind, all sadness that you have held in your heart and every fear from which you have ever run. If that demonstration of strength was meant to make us succumb to your will, then know this: I can make that very power you harness destroy you from the inside out. James can rip you apart without stopping for breath. Now, what was it that you wanted from us?” +It all made sense now; we were predestined for the powers we now wielded. Brynna had always been unthinkably intelligent, but now she could read our minds and hearts while sensing future events by instinct alone. She understood the forces of the universe, how they shifted and contorted to warn us of impending danger. I had always been prone to violent rages, petrifying anxiety, and crippling depression. There had been times when I was sure those storms of feeling would be the end of me. Once, they were the end of someone I held very dear to me. Miranda had paid the price for my burgeoning, adaptive power. +“Violet!” +I looked at Brynna and James. Penny was still in James's arms, crying into his neck, her tiny body trembling in fear. It had been Brynna who had shouted. +“Take Penny back to mine and James's room. Lock the door. Do not let anyone in unless it is Alice, Quinn, or Elijah.” +“Why do I have to lock the door?” +James handed Penny to me. +Brynna watched as a man went running by, shouting to Don that it was time to go to war. She looked back at me, raised an eyebrow, and pursed her lips. +“Right.” I replied, “Be quick, you two. Okay?” +She nodded. Then she did something she hadn't done in almost five years. She grasped my face and pressed her lips to my forehead. I was stunned and moved so deeply by the gesture that tears rushed into my eyes by their own will. She nodded to me again, and I hurried off with Penny, looking over my shoulder just before I rounded the corner. +The people of our house were stomping and shouting like hungry animals in a deadly herd. A stampede would soon be heading into the north after the Bachums. Their attack on us had proven that they were ready to fight until they erased us from existence. Now, we had to show that we desired the very same course of action. +In the eyes of both Brynna and James, I saw that they understood that terrible truth as well as I did, if not better. They were ready to fight. They wanted nothing more than to live the peaceful life they had promised Penny and me, but they knew that wasn't an option now. +The darkness was closing in. + +Brynna + +“I am going to speak with the boy from the cave. His father and I do not see eye-to-eye.” +I stared at Adam, wondering why he was justifying his actions only to me. I did not care about the war he wished to start, nor did I care about the one that had raged for years before our arrival on the planet. I looked up when dust fell from the ceiling; the people with whom we had been living were no better than animals. They were running through the house, gathering any blunt instruments that could be used as weapons. Their rage knew no bounds. +I understood that completely. It had been a truce made behind closed doors: The Bachums would not set foot on our land. We would abide by the same courtesy. The bodies in the trees had simply been a final warning. I could not justify such senseless violence, but I did understand, if only somewhat. +“I do not wish for you to see me speak to him.” +“Why is that, Adam?” I asked with my arms crossed over my chest. +“Because I know that you already think very little of me.” +I was confused, a state of being that was as alien to me as the man I was looking at. +“And the feelings of an Earthean woman are important to you?” +There was a trace of a smile on his lips. +“Only yours, my dear Brynna.” +“Why is that?” +Now, he was openly smiling. +“Another time.” +He turned and sauntered away. The torches flickered as he passed, cowering in his growing ire. I returned to James who had been watching my conversation with Adam closely. +“He does not want me to watch him interrogate the boy from the cave.” +“Why?” James asked. +“Well, it certainly does not matter. Don wants us to interrogate the other boy. I do not believe that Adam will harm Jonathon. He is the other leader's son. He is much too important to be dispatched so quickly.” +“He is. I think you're right. I hope so, at least.” He turned his gaze to me. “I'm starting to think we were wrong.” +“Wrong in the side we chose, or wrong in our capture of Jonathon?” +“Both. But in regards to the former, we certainly weren't going to go sing to the heavens with the Bachums.” +“Definitely not.” I chuckled, “Or be forced into a loveless marriage where we had to bear ten children.” +“I can't say I wouldn't enjoy that.” +“Oh, no?” +“Nope.” +We laughed only slightly. I kissed him and buried my face in his neck. +“You are no longer a canine. You are officially swine.” +I felt his warm breath on my neck when he laughed now. +“I know. I'm a sick man.” +“No.” I shook my head and looked up at him. “James, I don't want to do this.” +“I know.” My inner storm was calmed for the duration of time that his lips were on mine. “I don't want you to do this, either. Just wait out here for me, okay? Anything that you could gather from him with your power, I can easily gather with mine. Maybe you can convince Adam to leave Jonathon alone. He seems to value your opinion.” +I shook my head. +“No. I won't leave you to face doing this alone. And Adam will not listen; his fury was too great.” +“So, he'll kill him? Could you see that?” James asked me, somewhat more intensely than I expected. “We'll never be able to right this, if he does. It will be our fault if he dies. He's a kid. He's probably Violet's age.” +I nodded and stood on my tiptoes to rest my forehead against his. In a trembling voice, I whispered: +“We made a terrible mistake.” +Those words were weighted with such stinging regret, with such terrifying implications. If that boy died, it would be our fault. We had acted rashly, thinking that he would be able to offer some useful information to us. We had thought that handing him over to Adam would be easy; we had thought that it would guarantee our safety. Yet there we were, still stuck on the front-lines of the storm that was coming to pass. +“Don wants him alive. He wants them both alive. We have no choice but to do this.” My eyes met his again. “With what we were talking about earlier...” +“About our two choices?” +“Indeed. What about in regards to the latter?” +He was quiet for a long moment. That pause was enough of an answer but still, he spoke. +“You're right. That was a mistake. We could have left. It was egotistical of me to take him...” +“You? Egotistical? No.” I smiled up at him. +“A cliché about rocks and glass houses comes to mind, my dear.” He told me calmly, “I thought it was a smart move. But now, I feel guilty about it. Do you feel guilty about it?” +“Of course I do. He is very young, like you said. He looks that way, anyway. Now, if he dies, his blood is on our hands.” +“You know what that means, don't you?” +“I am sure I do.” +He raised his eyebrow at me, calling me silently on my own ego once again. I grinned at him innocently. +“We need to rectify the error.” +“By breaking him out of here?” I asked, stunned. +“Imagine that, you didn't know what it meant. We need to try to convince Adam to let him go first. If that doesn't work, then yes. We need to let him go ourselves.” +I nodded in response. +“I agree.” +We were stalling out of fear of admitting exactly what we had been asked to do. We were meant to interrogate the boy from the Bachum camp; we were meant to get answers through whatever means were necessary. Were our hearts truly cold enough to commit such an act? +“Remember that they killed three of our people.” James told me. “We were completely outnumbered and outgunned. We're lucky to still be here. To still be alive, I mean.” +“Is that how you're justifying this?” +“Yes.” He answered, and I nodded again. +The boy was handcuffed to a chair. He had been observing the underground cell he was in, but when James and I entered, he looked at us; I saw distinct, unshakeable fear in his eyes. I watched as he took a deep breath, knowing he was trying to steady his nerves. My own rattled loudly, urging me to turn back. I had always been cold, but I had never physically harmed a defenseless human being. Yes, I had killed to defend myself and my siblings. But I had never hurt one who had no chance, as was the case with this handcuffed boy. I did not know many who were capable of such brutality. James was right in saying that they had unjustly attacked us. But if we had the guns, would we not have followed a similar course of action? +James and I sat down in front of him in the wicker chairs that Don had left. As we studied him, he only glanced up once or twice. +“Freaks...” He muttered, but his voice was trembling so severely when he said it that I could not take offense. I looked at James, sensing the same reluctance in him to move forward with the questioning. He was meant to utilize his great strength to cause pain. I was meant to enter this boy's mind to ferret out what we needed to know. I took no joy in trespassing into the thoughts of another. My own stream of consciousness ran deep, powerfully consuming any silence that might have surfaced from its depths. I did not need to dive into the endless stream belonging to another person. +“Tell me about yourself.” +It was the only point from which to jump off. He looked at me now, and behind the fear in his eyes, I saw great defiance. +“Your name is Christian.” +“How do you...” +I touched my forehead. +“I can read your mind. I do not wish to do that, as it can sometimes be very painful.” +“Painful for you, or painful for me?” He asked softly. +“For both of us.” I answered, “My boyfriend here,” He was understandably shocked to learn that James and I were a couple, “He is very, very strong. Any answers that we need desperately will be retrieved, either through my ability to read your heart and mind or through brute force. I do not wish to use either method. I would much prefer talking civilly.” +“Are you two Don's lapdogs? Are you his muscle?” He asked in a voice of condescension that required more bravery than he actually felt. +“No. We are unappreciative of your attack on us. Three of our number were killed. They stood very little chance against your guns.” +“And we stand very little chance against your powers, or whatever you call them.” +“By powers, do you mean the two I have just described?” I asked. +“What the fuck do you think I mean?!” He bellowed at me, and I will admit, I jumped slightly. +“Hey!” James lunged forward and grabbed the front of Christian's shirt. The young boy looked up at him, into his blazing red eyes, and his terror could not be masked anymore. He stammered out a few indiscernible words as he heaved back and forth in his chair with each tight breath he struggled to draw in. +“James...” I stood up, grasped his hands, and pulled him away from the boy. Very gently, I sat him back down in his chair. +“I highly suggest you watch your mouth, you understand me?” +Now that the threat of immediate bodily harm had dissipated, the boy was beginning to regain some of his earlier steel. His eyes narrowed as he looked between the two of us, clearly trying to determine what we were going to ask him next. To keep him from straining himself in his attempts to guess my question, I asked one. +“What do they tell you about what's happening to us here?” +After barely a pause, he answered. +“They're calling it 'Satan's Gift' where I'm from.” +“What else do they say?” I asked. +“They say that you all have aligned with the devils that roam this land.” +“The city-dwelling natives, you mean.” +“The man who attacked our campsite is who I mean.” +“Well, I would like to reassure you, for your own mind, that we were evolving for days before we came here. In some cases, people had been evolving for weeks.” I explained, “You all would, too, if you just...” +“We don't want to evolve!” The boy exclaimed hysterically. His eyes were ablaze with self-righteous anger. “We are humans, created in God's image! We will stay the same, because it's what God intended!” +Oh, we had us a devout believer. This was bound to be interesting... +“The only reason why we're even still alive is because God wants us to be. You all take these powers and allow this 'evolution,' as you call it, to happen. We will never do that.” +“No one is asking you to.” James snapped at him. +“That's what the man who attacked the campsite said. He told us we had to accept the change or we'd all die. We'd rather die than be freaks like you! It's wrong! It's...” He stammered for a moment in his fury before settling on an appropriate adjective that would make his point strongly, “It's unnatural.” +I countered his best effort easily. +“Actually, my dear, it is the most natural thing in the world. Our changes happened through no pact with the devil nor through any requests of our own. They just happened.” +“You're lying! You aligned yourself with him! He gave you these powers. If you're with him, then you're against God!” +“Listen, we are not fans of Adam, either. But as far as we know, your leaders are not the most Godly of people, either. You have aligned with the other natives, haven't you? The ones from the cave?” I inquired, only to be met with quiet on his end. “Come on, Christian, you were so eager to talk only a moment ago. I was enjoying our conversation. Let us continue it nicely.” +The silence continued. +“Don't make me hit you.” James warned him airily. +Still, he did not speak. James stood up quickly and grabbed the front of his shirt again. +“Yes! Yes!” Christian exclaimed, “They believe in the same things we believe! They don't have any powers! They can fight, but that's it! They don't follow what the other man says!” +“See? Was that so hard?” James asked calmly as he sat back down. +The boy was trembling and trying to decide between James and me whose power could cause the most pain. I gave him just a short minute to gather himself together before asking my next question. +“What goes on in your camp? Is it as uptight as we have heard?” +“No. There is nothing wrong with the way we live our lives.” +“Tell me about it.” I put my head on my hand and observed him closely. +“We pray a lot. We pray for good fortune and for victory against all of you.” On the last part, he grimaced in disgust. “I'm not going to apologize for having faith. If that's what you want from me, don't hold your breath! I'll never renounce God or Mary and Rich!” +Interesting! +“We want to know about your way of life up there. That is all.” I assured him. I even held up my hands to signal surrender. +“We live the way we're supposed to live. The Bachums protect us, because God protects them.” +“That's what they say?” James raised a skeptical eyebrow, “Seriously?” +“It's true! Your ability to fight didn't save your people, did it? They've been touched by God. That's the only reason why more of our people survived.” +“Sure.” James replied, “You must be their most pious follower. I'm sure not everyone feels as strongly about this nonsense as you do.” +“Believe me, they do!” The boy snapped indignantly, “We know that we're living the right way.” +“You believe that you can decide what the right way to live is?” James's anger was growing again. +“No, your master decided that! He decided that the way you freaks live is right when he said that only one of our sides will walk out of this!” +“You are referring to the war for our place here?” +“What else would I be referring to?! God, they said that you're so smart! You ask the stupidest questions!” He shouted at me again. “Just like a woman, isn't it?! Just like a c...” +His foul word was cut off just after the first sound of it could alert us to what he was about to say. Every muscle in my body had tensed in preparation for it, and my eyes had shut by their own accord. When I opened them, I discovered that James had grabbed him again. +“I dare you.” He snarled at him, “I dare you to say it. I dare you to call her that!” +“Look at you. Her big protector. You're going to die defending her. No bitch is worth that. I have a wife that they gave me.” +I had gently sat James back down in his seat. +“If it came down between me and her, I'd hold her in front of me just so I could run away. I'm not ashamed of that, and I don't have to be. No bitch is worth my life.” +“What a big man you are, Christian.” I hissed in dangerous, venomous rage. “God or Gods, you are no older than my younger sister, and you have been forced to get married. You have been convinced that you are allowed to speak and feel this way about women. Do you have a mother, Christian? Do you have sisters?” +“No. My mother is dead. It's just me and my wife now.” +“Well, I weep for her, believe me.” I continued. +“Yeah, that's just like a bitch, too. Weeping, I mean. I make mine weep everyday...” +“You need to drop those people, and come to the right side.” James told him before turning to me, “Shit, even Adam is better than what he is dealing with, baby.” +“We'll never bow down to that disgusting man the way you all have! We'll always stay true to our God. It will be you that is smited in fire!” +“Is smited a word?” James asked me, simply to aggravate Christian. I could not suppress a small smirk now that such intense dislike for that boy had grown inside of me. +“The world has already been 'smited.'” I told Christian sarcastically, “Rather, it was smote. Whatever the correct grammatical usage of the term, our world is gone, destroyed by man, I’m afraid. Not God.” +“No. It was God's reckoning, and it will follow us here! You all think you're safe. You think with your powers, you are out of His reach. He will destroy you for aligning with that man! He will cast you into the deepest layer of hell!” +“Desperation and fear yield such interesting results.” I mused out loud incredulously, “Were you this devout on earth?” +“No,” He growled, “I was bad. I was selfish and evil. I stole from people and hurt my family. I went to jail twice. The Bachums have made me see how wrong I was. I have received my lashings and been born again.” +“Lashings?” James and I asked, in equal shock. +“We have all paid the price for what we did on Earth. We are as pure as the Lamb now.” +“I sincerely doubt that.” I rolled my eyes. He lunged forward. +“Stupid girl! You think you know everything! You think you know what you're doing! You think you've got a handle on everything, don't you?!” +“That was very repetitive...” +“Where I'm from, you wouldn't even be allowed to speak!” +“So, would you call your camp a patriarchal society?” I asked calmly. My cavalier apathy to his anger only fanned the flames. +“Women do what they're told. That's how it should have been on Earth. That is in the good Book. Women are submissive to their husbands.” +“Gross...” I whispered, making a face to convey my disgust. I looked over at James. “Honey, do you want me to be submissive to you?” +“No. How very boring that would be.” James replied with his head rested against his hand. +“You can poke fun at us. You can chide us for what we believe. But we're right. There will come a time when you all are grasping for the holy light, and it will go dark on you! God will not pull you from the black abyss and...” +“This is insanity.” James cut him off mid-sentence and addressed me, “Those people up there will end up killing themselves before we even get the chance.” He turned back to the boy, “I guarantee you, my spunky friend, that there are plenty of people who can still think for themselves just waiting to overthrow your beloved leaders. You need to prepare for that. You'll find that once they're out of the way, you'll be much better off. Which brings me to my next question: Besides guns, exactly what defenses do you have?” +“Why would I tell you that? Why would I help you?” +“Wouldn't you like to live?” James asked calmly. +“James, we cannot punish him for what he believes. I am not angered by the things he said. I am profoundly stunned that people would go along with such stupidity but then, I do understand. They were afraid for their lives. They turned to those who offered them safety in return for blind allegiance. They need to believe in all of this divine protection nonsense in order to sleep at night.” +“I don't need your defense.” The boy shot at me suddenly. +“Darling, I was not defending you. I was simply explaining your delusional ramblings out loud to myself.” +“Your father believes. At least someone in your family of trash believes. I pity him. He tried to lead us but failed. The reason why he failed is because through his seed, he bore children of Satan. That's what Rich told him when he got his lashings.” +“My father got lashings?” I pretended to be overjoyed at the idea. Secretly, I was; I never imagined that he would ever suffer physical pain at another's hands the way that he had forced me to suffer and now, I was learning that he had. It was petty and childish to feel that way but then, I could not question the giddy feeling that rose inside of me as I thought of it. +“How could he possibly have known, though, that you all would turn out to be such freaks?” Christian continued as though I had not spoken, “I feel bad for him.” +“You shouldn't. If you'd like to talk about evil and hell, then know this: That man will have a throne right next to the beast you believe has claimed us. If there were a hell, that is.” +“He has relented. He has received great punishment for his evil ways. That red-headed woman with him received worse. And your mother, if she were here, would have learned her place very quickly. She would have received the absolute worst of it.” +“Well, thank God she didn't make the trip.” James replied, and the tone of his voice provoked a laugh in me. +“You think I don't know who you are?” The boy shot at me. He was desperately trying to needle me into an emotional meltdown. I merely smiled at him and tried not to giggle at his display of what was essentially an overcharged, religion-themed show of team spirit. +“I know all about your life on Earth. So, let me ask you this,” He grinned in sadistic glee, +“Did what happened with your father's best friend turn you on to older men? Is that why you're with him?” +Consider me needled. +Any time that event was brought up, I immediately felt a surge of bile skyrocketing from my stomach into my throat. I had to stop myself from lurching forward. I had to stop myself from grasping my head as dizziness shredded my brain to string that blew in some cranial breeze. The challenge of stopping all of those bodily reactions to the reawakened trauma blinded me to James's ascent from his seat. I had no time to stop him. By the time I had recomposed myself enough to see clearly, he had lunged forward over the table and tackled Christian backwards. +“James!” I stood up, but it was too late. He was pounding his fists into the boy's face, mumbling obscenities in that animal rage we were slowly becoming accustomed to experiencing. When the screech that preceded sure bloodshed escaped his throat, I hurtled over the fallen table and grabbed a hold of him. +I possessed not a fraction of his strength. Though I was capable of fighting to near-death and winning with ease, I could not match the pure force of James's newly evolved strength. Pulling with all my might only pained me. He jerked forward and ripped into the boy's neck. +The scream that filled the room was short-lived, followed by a gurgling sound that forced me to turn away. I closed my eyes, grasping the leg of the overturned table; it was the only thing close that I could use to steady myself. I listened as James's heavy breaths were drawn in and released, waiting for the loud expulsion of murderous fury. Sure enough, a moment later, he roared, and the force of the sound extinguished the torches, leaving us in darkness. +“Is he dead?” I asked the black room. +“I lost control.” +“That's not what I asked.” +A long moment of silence followed my statement. I looked up, my eyes adjusting to the darkness, enabling me to see clearly. James was knelt over the boy's twitching body, checking for a pulse. +“He's gone.” +“That certainly was not what Don had in mind when he asked us to use our powers to gain answers.” I was lighting the torches back up with my lighter. +“Well, I don't care what Don thinks. Were you not listening?! Did you not hear the things he was saying?” +“I heard them. His insults were directed entirely at me. You had no reason to kill him. I understand that you feel it was for my sake...” +James turned and stormed out of the room. +“Get out of my way!” He shouted at Don as he passed. +“What happened?” Don asked me as I hurried past him after James. +“He lost control.” I repeated James's earlier words; it was the only choice explanation for what had just occurred. +“Is he dead?” Don demanded, “Did you even find out what I asked you to find out?” +“He was never going to tell us what their defenses were.” +“Why did James kill him? What did he do?” +“He made some personal slights against me. We found out about their way of life, but that's... +“Their way of life?!” Don repeated in incredulous anger, “What good will that do us? Knowing about their way of life isn't going to...” +“I am sick of being yelled at by weak-minded men.” I snapped, both in conversation and in feeling. +With that, I pushed past him. As I walked past, a door swung open beside me. Adam walked out calmly, wiping blood from his mouth and licking his fangs. I was simultaneously fascinated and repulsed by that man whose swagger and charisma never failed him, not even after he had just taken a life. +“Your interrogation ended on a very similar high note, did it not? Oh, the look on young Jonathon's face when he saw that it was none other than me coming to question him...” He smiled evilly and leaned against the wall. +I groaned in disgust loudly before storming away. Now, I felt guilty not only over the death of the devout boy but over Jonathon, too. I should have gone with my instincts. The decision to live at Don's commune was wrong. Sure, we had been happy. We had felt secure, however briefly. But now, we were going to be forced to fight. I had two sisters who were my sole responsibility. I had a brother who, despite his temper, was also mine to look after, and I had a boyfriend whose rage, once unleashed, yielded terrible results. I pondered momentarily the childlike hope I had allowed to set in not only when we landed on Pangaea but also when we moved into Don's house. Now, I knew it had all been a dream. Dreams so often turn to nightmares before the person asleep can stop the harsh and sudden change. I understood that now. +Don's hand wrapped around my wrist. I almost gasped in pain when his grip tightened. When he spun me around to face him, I saw the beast for the second time that evening but this time, the madness was even more intense. Don Abba was suddenly appearing to me in his truest form; he was a monster who thrived on chaos and catastrophe. With that crazed energy, he could command his subjects to do his brutal bidding, and they would not ask questions. They would go along with his plans out of fear, but also by their own will. He would make them believe their rampage was justified, in need of being carried out to protect their freedom. It would be all too easy for him. +“He will pay a great price for what he has done, and you should, too! You were there! You're an accomplice!” He pushed me against the wall hard. I commanded myself not to grimace in pain, and my body obeyed. I even managed a smile of aggravated disbelief. +“Don't you smirk at me!” He punched the wall right next to my face. I jumped only slightly. +“Get your hands off of me.” I ordered calmly, my smile growing with my dangerously insidious fury. Both then and now, I knew and know, respectively, that if that man had not released his grip on me in ten seconds, I would have destroyed him. I would have torn the limbs from his body and stomped on the remains until there was nothing left but a pool of blood and some shredded skin. In doing that, I would have shown him never to accost me so aggressively while simultaneously doing the world a favor by erasing him from it. +“I asked one simple thing of you! I needed to know what their defenses were! Now, we're going in blind! You can thank yourself when I send your brother in first! He'll be the first to die.” +Now, I grabbed him. I pushed him backwards, my long, pointed fangs shooting out. I held him against the wall and hissed in his face. +“I am your leader! Let go of me now!” +“You will not touch any of the people I love, Don Abba! If you want to die, then make your move! You will be dead before you can take two steps towards them! You do not want me as your enemy!” He struggled against my grip and I locked my hands on him even more tightly. He did grimace in pain and was unable to stifle a gasp. +“I carry at least a little of every power. So tell me,” I squeezed him harder, feeling my fingernails ready to rip into his skin. He yelled out in pain, “Does this hurt? Would you like me to utilize them all at once? That is coming next!” +“Let go! Let go!” Don begged as he tried to pry my fingers from his skin before my nails pushed through. +“I will let go if you shut up and listen!” +For the first time, I was in control of the situation. For the first time, I was going to lead the way. I remembered how helpless and hopeless I had felt for so many years. All of that suffering, all of that self-loathing... They were being rectified right then. I was going to handle the situation with the Bachums myself. I was going to end the war and win our freedom. Don would be nothing but a fly buzzing in my ear. I could not deny that he was valuable; I needed any able-bodied men and women who were able to fight. Additionally, Don had the rage and power I needed to convince others to join us. He had the ability to cause great destruction with the power he had mastered. I did need him. +“We are going north. We are going to take down the Bachums. We need only one strike.” +“They have all the guns! They have all the weapons your father brought!” +“Well, then, we had better learn to duck and cover.” I replied with a small grin. +Adam chuckled. I scowled at him before turning my attention back to Don. +“Your people are angry, Don. We have lived our lives in peace, giving without a fight what you have deemed is a fair share. But people do not believe it is all that fair. Adam, how much food does he supply you with?” +“I don't give him that m...” +“Very much.” Adam answered cheerfully, “Far more than I need. His offerings are to appease me, which I am sure you already know, given your brilliance.” +I wanted to remind him that flattery would get him nowhere, but I knew that it was not the time, at least not yet. +“Adam!” Don protested the spilling of that secret. +“Exactly. Your people are angry, Don, but it is alright.” I let go of him, “You are going to absolve their anger and fear right now. You are going to go up there and tell them that we are going to war. You are going to tell them that it has been brought to your attention that they are unhappy with the share they have had to contribute. You will tell them that when we return from this fight with the Bachums, revisions will be made. Adam, you will stop exploiting our hard work.” +“I would hardly say that I am exploiting your hard work. I am simply accepting what I am being given. I am simply...” +“Thank you so much. I am glad we agree.” I cut him off and beamed brightly at him. I expected to see the beast in him emerge right there in front of me. Something told me he did not appreciate being mouthed off to. He was the leader of his people, for the sake of all deities and Gods. He was the king of an evolved, superior race. Surely he would not take any orders from a lowly, almost fully-evolved human. But he smiled slightly and leaned against the wall again to observe the scene before him. +“Did you expect anger at your insolence?” He asked me as he wiped the blood from his hands onto a towel I had not noticed he was holding. +“I did, indeed.” +“I know I did!” Don interjected furiously. +“I find it very fascinating, as boggling as the rest of you, Ms. Olivier. I find it quite enjoyable.” +My face betrayed my confusion and surprise. His smile widened. +“I like a woman with feeling.” +“As opposed to a corpse? What are you even talking about right now? +“Think about it. +“Anyway,” I ignored Adam and looked back at Don, “Do you understand what I have said? Do you understand my reasoning?” +“I suppose.” He smirked at me, “Remind me to put in my will that if I should die, you may take my place.” +I smirked back. +“How much do you want to bet people would like me more?” +“You're so clever.” He replied irritably. +“Yes. I am.” +“Children, shall we adjourn to the front porch?” +“Indeed, Adam. Let us adjourn.” I strode ahead of the two men, thinking that their current state of minds were polar opposites. Don was seething, believing that I was trying to steal his almighty throne. He loathed that I had used such force on him. He felt like less of a man. Well, that certainly had taken very little to accomplish. +Adam, on the other hand, was bouncing in light, airy good-humor on the inside. The feeling of bewildered joy filled me up, reminding me of spring rain, the light in James's eyes, Penny's lighthearted, girlish giggle, and oddly enough, the smell of Maura's perfume. At the end of that stream of vividly beautiful, sedating memories, I saw the moment when I had first seen Adam. I threw myself backwards out of the thoughts, my heart pounding with the same potent fear I had felt that night. I blinked several times, chancing a glance back at him. I jumped slightly to find that he was just behind me. +Why had I felt such sublime sedation upon seeing his face? Why had my heart soared so brilliantly? +His pale white hand grazed my back just once, sending shivers down my spine that neither repulsed nor scintillated me. He leaned forward, pressed his smooth lips to my ear, and whispered in a tone of malicious seduction: +“Well, isn't that interesting?” +*** + +“It has been brought to my attention that you all are not happy with the provisions that have been made.” +There was a noticeable shift in the tension that had been bounding through the crowd already. Those with whom we lived were now afraid of Don's wrath. Earlier, they had only been ready for the fight with the Bachums. +“It's alright,” Don held his hands up and closed his eyes for one dramatic moment, “I understand. If you may allow me to be candid for a minute, I will tell you that I need all of you. Because of that, your happiness is very important to me. When we return, revisions will be made.” Don's eyes found me in the crowd. He scowled for but one quick second. I smiled in satisfaction at him before he looked away. +“We are walking now into what might very well be the first and only fight with the Bachums. Adam has given us an advantage, though I cannot lie to all of you and say that this will be easy. We are going to have a hell of a time trying to take them all down. They have guns, grenades, and other weapons that Daniel Olivier made sure were on board. The Bachums have also aligned with the other natives.” +There was a gasp in the crowd and a sudden rustle of whispers. +“Nobody worry. They have not accepted their evolution. We have. We are stronger and faster. We're able to fight until the last breath with ease and precision. We have nothing to fear once we can get past the guns. Now, let me make this very clear...” +A change was coming over him. It was as sudden as the appearance of James at my side. The latter avoided my eyes when he grasped my hand. I stifled the urge to inquire where he had been. +The former raised his voice several octaves to an authoritative thunder. His eyes bugged and the desire for bloodshed that was already being whispered about in our group hit a crescendo in the face of his self-righteous energy. +“We are most like the natives who were already here! We are the ones who are supposed to live! Those people believe that they are above us! They believe that we have shunned God, and maybe we have. But we need to prove to them that they are not protected. We need to show them the wrath of red anarchy!” +“That's right!” A man behind me yelled. +“Bring them down!” A woman shrieked in the back of the group. +“They believe that we have aligned with the devil! They believe, in all their self-righteous Bible verse-spewing nonsense, that we are evil and undeserving of life! Well, we are going to show them that though they may follow their laws and beg for safety from God, we are unstoppable. We are not going to be swayed by fear! We are going to take our rightful place in this land!” +“YEAH!” Several men behind us yelled before throwing their fists into the air. I looked back at them in aggravation; they had startled me, and I did not appreciate it. +“They shot our people! They shot Angie, taking her away from her husband...” He beckoned to Angie's husband in the crowd, whose murderous need for revenge was justified. “…and their four children! He took Frank, who was loved greatly by his wife, by all of us! He was the first volunteer for the security detail! They took Perry, Hiroshi, Abdul, John, and Katie! They took our brothers and sisters!” +“KILL THEM!” A man in the back shouted. Roars of assent followed his bloodthirsty cry. Oh, the pot was bubbling now. Even I was beginning to mentally prepare for war. Even I was ready to make them suffer for those they had taken. Our house consisted of many people, all of whom had become close. One family's loss was everyone's loss. It was time to inflict the same pain on those in the Bachum camp. It was time to show them who truly was the superior race. +“They followed them through the gates of our home and would have killed us all, had our other brave family members not stopped them!” He beckoned to those of us who had dispatched the insurgency. +“They will know how seriously we take that offense. They call us freaks! They call us traitors to our kind! They say our powers make us unworthy of happiness! But we will show them today that they are the traitors! They are the ones unworthy of life! We will never let the Bachums forget that when you take from us, we take ten times more from you. Now, I ask you: Who will join me?!” +The explosion of noise was immediate. The men and women surrounding us were roaring their commitment to the cause. If James, Elijah, and I were fans of such pious shows of faith, we would have roared, too. We would have thrust our fists into the air to show our allegiance. The three of us certainly felt the same fury and were ready to inflict the same violence, though we would not show it. We stared straight ahead, our eyes burning brighter than the torches that lit the scene. +The time had finally come to stake our claim on this land. +*** + +“Keep Penny close.” +“Why?” +Violet was becoming more like me every day. Every command had to be questioned; even the most simple of instructions required detailed explanation. +“These people are not themselves. They are angry and itching for violence. They want to exact revenge on those responsible. No rash action is unjustified.” +“I don't think that they would hurt Penny and me, Brynn. We haven't done anything to them.” +“We are our father's children. Being his is plenty. We should be back by night tomorrow. Until then, stay up here. I have left plenty of food in your room.” +“You stole food?!” Violet whispered in terror, “Brynn, do you have any idea what Don will do if he...” +“He is not going to find out. He is coming with us.” +“I don't like this.” She said in a shaking voice, “This is bad. You're right, no one is acting like themselves. They're acting insane.” +“They are insane. Losing seven of our number had its desired effect. However, I sincerely doubt that the Bachums are aware that we are coming so soon. It is best to strike them when they are reveling in their victory.” +“Just be so careful!” She hugged me tightly. +I wanted to pull away. Then, my hands moved up by their own will and smoothed the back of her soft hair. I closed my eyes, enjoying that moment of sisterly love. It had been so long since I had allowed myself to be embraced by her. I had left her so quickly upon realizing that she was old enough to stand on her own. I wanted to apologize for my coldness; I never should have put such distance between us. My pride was still too strong. Any apology that I wished to be heard was stifled by my belief that I was always right. +I pulled away and rested my hand on her face. +“I never wished for you to see such awful brutality.” +“I know.” She reached up to swipe at her tearing eyes. +“I have never wanted to kill anyone. But those people attacked us unfairly. They killed seven of our people. I might not be Don's biggest fan, but I do feel great fondness for those we live with. I feel their pain, and some have lost their family tonight. I cannot imagine.” +“I know. You don't have to explain yourself to me. If you'd let me, I'd go with you.” +“I'd sooner let you die before me. Though honestly, the two circumstances are synonymous. If you were to accompany me into the north, you would more than likely die before I could save you. I cannot afford to have one eye on the battle and one on you. Do you understand?” +“I guess.” She crossed her arms. Any body language expert would say that the gesture was evidence of her feeling anything but understanding. I smiled slightly; she was so headstrong and so set in her beliefs. She could fight perfectly well, and yet I was sticking her on the sidelines. No amount of time that she stood with her arms crossed or her lips pursed in irritation would change my mind, however. She was not going to come with James, Elijah, and me to fight the Bachums. I would not lose her in that bloody struggle. +“Remember what I said. I will see you tomorrow night.” +I looked at her for one quiet moment of remembrance. If that was the last time I would see my sister, I wanted to etch every detail of her young, beautiful face into my memory. If I was going to die that night, I needed the comfort of familiarity; I needed my sisters' faces in my mind to remind me why I had lost my life. I would gladly die fighting for them. I shuddered to think of them facing that hostile world alone, without my guidance or tough love. I turned away from her, forcing those breathtakingly fearful thoughts from my mind. +“Brynn?” +“Yes?” I asked without turning around. +“I love you.” +I smiled slightly and turned to her, acknowledging mentally that whatever strife had been between us had dissipated. +“I love you too, Violet.” I was surprised that I had no urge to vomit upon saying such heavy words. Something was changing in me. Some softness I more than likely could not afford was beginning to set in. +She deserves your kindness, I reminded myself, Here of late, you have taken far more than you have given. +“No tears, ma'am. Keep it tough.” I ordered her, but my own throat had clenched. A renegade tear more headstrong than my will to suppress all feeling streamed down my face. I wiped it away and observed the drop on my hand as though it was a newly discovered species. My heart jumped in surprise and cowered in disgust at the sight simultaneously. Mainly, I was fascinated. +“Look at that. Real tears.” Violet told me, and when I looked up at her, she had many streaming down her face. She rushed to me and threw her arms around my neck. Though I allowed no more of my own tears to fall, I did hold onto her tightly, feeling that ever-present darkness rearing its head at us and bearing its fangs. It was poised to strike and hissing evilly in a final warning. +I walked away from Violet knowing something terrible was on the horizon. Whatever strength I had on Pangaea was going to fail me soon enough. My world was going to be rocked and squeezed in the iron fist of someone's rage. As I kissed Violet's head and left her there to tend to Penny, I swore to fight the impending event until my very last breath. When I returned, I would keep them in my sight. I would keep them next to me, destroying any harm, tangible or otherwise, that hunted them. +I should not have walked away. +*** + +James and I walked in silence, side by side. I could sense his exasperation with me. We had come so far together; for once in his life, he was committed to one woman. For the first time in my life, I was in love with a man. Not only was I in love, but I was in love passionately. That love ran far deeper than I could possibly gauge. But the events in the world were pushing and pulling us together and apart. I could not deny that awful truth. +“Say something.” I urged him quietly. +“I don't have anything to say.” +“Tell me why you are angry. I know how much you love doing that.” +He ignored me, opting to stare ahead instead of providing me with a straightforward answer. I looked over to see that the torch light was once again casting a shadow over his eyes. It perfectly complimented his present emotional state of anger and unease. Just for a moment, I allowed myself to push into his thoughts. +Regret. There was so much tortured guilt. He had killed a young boy. Though he was still furious at the things the boy had said, he wished that he had been able to control himself. Why couldn't he control himself anymore? I made him so angry sometimes. What if he hurt me even when he was in his right state of mind? +I grasped his hand and pulled him away from the group. +“Believe me when I say that every time you've walked in front of me, I've been checking you out because those pants look awesome.” He told me quickly, “I'd like nothing more than to rip them off of you. But now isn't exactly the best time, my dear.” +“Shut up!” I whispered gently. +I placed both of my hands on his face and stood on my tiptoes to kiss him. I slid my tongue into his mouth and shivered delightfully when I felt his moving against mine. +“Well, if you insist...” He said in between my kisses. +But then, just as he was beginning to ready himself for another passionate round of animal love-making, he pulled away. There was torment in his eyes as he ran his hand over his head and looked away from me. +“I think we need to stop seeing each other for a while.” +Now, ordinarily, I would have immediately gone on the defensive. But luckily, I had trespassed into his thoughts for that one second. I had felt the tortured pain in his heart. I had felt his nauseating fear that I would one day be on the receiving end of his rage. +“Really?” I asked him after crossing my arms over my chest and turning my head on the side as I observed him. He had become used to that stance; I used it when I was displeased with something he had said. +“Don't stand like that.” He warned me breathlessly as his gaze scorched into my own, “You know what that does to me.” +For some reason, the stance that showed my discontent provoked a heightened state of arousal in him. I wondered briefly what that said about our relationship. Realizing that it meant nothing, I returned to the topic at hand. +“You would never hurt me. So, stop worrying.” +“What are you...” He stopped and raised an eyebrow at me. Now he was the one who was displeased. “Really?! Brynna, I know we haven't exactly had a chance to talk about this, what with this ridiculous war going on, but we really have to set up some boundaries with your new ability.” +“Why? I happen to know that given how I baffle you so frustratingly, if the situation were reversed, you would be in my mind constantly, trying to figure me out.” +“Yeah, but that's because...” He stopped upon viewing the look on my face, “Alright, I just led myself into a black hole. Resurfacing...” He shook his head back and forth quickly to clear and reroute his mind to the current topic of discussion. +I walked ahead of him, keeping the torches of the others in my sight. +“Do you love me, James?” +“What?” +“It is a difficult question, I know. Surely, loving me is very difficult. You deserve a medal.” +“It isn't difficult, baby. You're difficult, yes. But that makes me love you more, I think. Yes, I love you. There's the answer to your difficult question: I love you. Don't ask me how it happened so quickly, because I wouldn't be able to tell you.” +“I chalk it up to our animal nature.” +“I chalk it up to how hot you look in those pants.” +I turned back to him and beamed. +“Wow, James; you really know how to make a girl go weak in the knees. I would have mistaken you for a boy my own age when you said that.” +“Hey, you throw some tight jeans into the equation, and every man becomes a drooling, overly hormonal twenty-two year old. Not twenty-two even; more like sixteen.” +“I do not know about jeans being the surest way, especially tight jeans. I mean, what if my behind were very misshapen, or had a tail, or something?” +“Oh, my God!” He groaned before wrapping his arms around me from behind. He pressed his lips to my neck, right on the spot that always sent a burning, sensuous prickle down my spine. “You drive me insane! Why the hell would you have a tail?” +“Well, we are far more animalistic now than we were on Earth. A tail might be right around the corner, and you will have to deal with it.” +He laughed, and I looked back at him; my smile grew upon seeing the light returning to his eyes. +“Well, this is proof that we've come a long way, my dear.” I smiled as he kissed me gently. +“What is?” +“If anyone would have threatened to end a relationship with me...” +“You would have knee-capped them?” James asked, “Should I be worried?” +“No!” I replied through my laughter. “I would have ended it first. I would not have waited for any reasoning. I would have been gone before my pride could be too badly shaken.” +“And then you would have knee-capped them?” +I punched him lightly in the chest several times. He let me land a few before he picked me up and held me against a tree. His mouth claimed mine as my legs wrapped around him, and my hands grasped either side of his neck. +“This is the last thing that should be on our minds right now.” I told him, but I was kissing him back, needing to extinguish the growing lust in my heart for him. The battle with the Bachums could wait. We had to have one last round, just in case it was the very last time. +He pulled my shirt over my head and as my lips moved down his neck, he laid me down in the grass beneath a weeping willow tree. I watched for a moment as the flowing leaves swayed lightly behind him in the deliciously pure, crisp wind. I unzipped his jeans and reached beneath the hemline of his boxers... +“James! Brynna!” +We both stopped, still breathing heavily. His forehead was pressed to mine, and his eyes were squeezed shut. +“I'm going to kill that man, Brynna.” He muttered to me before turning back to face the direction from which Don's voice had come. “What do you want?!” +I covered my mouth as I giggled. I could not help it. It was somewhat humorous. James looked at me, his white eyes turning back to their normal shade of soft brown. He leaned down, smiling slightly, too. His lips grazed mine and then pressed to them, this time harder than before; he was telling me silently that we would finish what we had started later. +“You think it's funny?” He asked me teasingly as his hands ran up the sides of my thighs and moved around to caress my backside that had been catching his eye so frequently that evening. He pulled me up so I was sitting in his lap. +“Only slightly.” I kissed him quite amorously, for I was aching to continue. But knowing that Don was still lurking about, waiting for us to join him, ripped the romantic mood to shreds. I was certainly not going to follow through on those carnal urges while someone, especially him, stood so near. +“I understand that with all the tension and anger in the air that the blood starts to run hot and all that. It's very difficult to suppress every animal instinct, including the urge to mate.” +I looked at James before bursting into laughter and burying my face in his neck to stifle the sound. Don's words were not that of a brutal, bloodthirsty tribe leader but of a high school biology teacher awkwardly preaching abstinence. My raucous laughter set James off, though he never quite achieved my level of amused hysteria. Men were always angrier at interruptions than women were. I certainly hated that James and I could not continue; my body and mind pleaded with me to forget Don's presence. But I could certainly recognize the humor completely in Don's gentle prodding, while James barely could. +I pulled my shirt on, still chuckling softly to myself. When we returned to Don, he was looking away from us. +“I do apologize. Believe me, I'm all about doing what makes you happy. You two are well aware of that. But we've got a fight to get to. After that, do what you want.” He turned and walked away, muttering to himself about rambunctious, horny teenagers and forty-something year old men who should know better. I practically collapsed as the fit of giggles took me. James was the rock-solid pillar that kept me standing. +He wrapped his arm around my neck. We continued our walk behind Don. +For a few precious moments, we had forgotten the battle that was to be waged. We had allowed our spirits to join together in a moment of primal impulse and human connectivity. Our closeness had erased the fear we carried as we both silently pondered how we would continue our lives on Pangaea without one another. I grasped James's hand tightly in mine for a moment. My breathing had suddenly gone shallow, and I struggled not to stop walking so I could turn to him and throw myself into his arms. I wanted to cry hysterically while begging him to come home with me. How could I live without him? +My heart literally skipped several beats at the thought. When I looked up at him, his lips tenderly caressed mine. +“I'm right here.” He whispered to me. We were close to the others, and he knew that I would not want anyone to know I was suffering from any ill emotion. I needed to be seen as fearless, lest I wished my fellow soldiers to pity or otherwise disrespect me. +“We're going to be fine. We're going to see the end of this. We're going to get home to Penny and Violet before you know it.” +“Whatever happens, just make it out of this.” I looked at him with the very plea I had just spoken even clearer in my eyes. “Promise me you will still be here tomorrow. You will do whatever is necessary to survive and go back home with me.” +He kissed me softly again. +“I promise,” He grinned slightly, “I'll meet you at the finish line.” +I rested my head against his shoulder. We continued walking. +*** + +The Bachums' devotion to a higher power had certainly paid off for them. They moved north quickly with nothing but their luggage and whatever supplies they could carry. I cannot imagine how they survived the biting cold unless a miracle had been bestowed upon them by God or the Gods. After a day of walking, our heightened immune systems were crashing, leaving us open to frostbite and unknown Pangaean diseases. I could not help but worry for our lives. +“We have to stop!” Elijah shouted to Don as the wind and snow cast an almighty shield between us and the Bachums. “We have to camp for the night, Don!” +Don turned around to observe the “soldiers” in whom he had such pride. Several were stumbling along, shivering so violently they appeared to be seizing. Ones who could not walk were being carried; James and I were pulling Wes between us. No matter how aggravating the boy’s repulsively foul sense of humor was, we could not leave him behind to die in the snow. +“No!” Don called back to us, “They could pass by here! They'll kill us all!” +“We don't have a choice!” Christina, another woman who had joined our cause, shouted furiously, “We need to wait until this storm passes!” +“We need to keep going!” Don yelled insistently, “Come on! We can make it!” +“You're wrong!” Christina's son, Derek, bellowed in a rage that matched his mother's. In fact, they were even standing in identical poses of anger. +“Just start pitching the tents!” I called over the howling wind, “He'll stop!” +I was surprised that everyone obeyed my command immediately. Of course, my order was the more popular of the two. Of course they would follow it. I caught Don's scowl. Instead of shrinking back as I am sure most would have after seeing the overly emotional performance he churned out the night before, I stared back, my eyes blazing with a fire that far surpassed his. +Don and I were no longer seeing eye to eye. Gone were the moments of levity between us. He was well aware now that I was becoming the more popular leader between the two of us. I understood what people wanted, needed, feared, and loved far more than he was capable of knowing. I could not help but smile to myself. Immediately, I erased the smirk from my face out of fear that it would freeze there. I reached up to feel my nose and gasped in pain at my own touch. +“Please don't hit me with that.” I managed to gasp out to James as he got ready to hammer the stake for the tent into the ground. +“No. You haven't made me that mad yet. You try to steal the blankets tonight like you always do, though…” +Even in the worst circumstantial binds, he managed to make jokes. I laughed and held onto the stake even more tightly. I only flinched the first time. After that, I knew that his hands were steady despite the cold, and he would not hurt me. +We crawled into the tent finally, watching as the canvas over our heads shook violently in the wind. My clothes were soaked through from the constant assault of snow and ice. I turned around to see him already peeling out of his equally saturated garments. I began to do the same. +“James!” I exclaimed in horror as I tried to unzip my light sweatshirt only to find that my fingers were no longer functional. He whipped around, his eyes wide in momentary terror. Upon finding me perfectly well except for the partial paralysis, he moved over to me. +“They're just cold, baby.” +The cold had weakened us both so terribly. Even whispering was painful. Every word jerked out of us as our bodies contorted in violent shivers. His blue-tinted lips worked into a frown of concentration as his fingers maneuvered around the zipper of my sweatshirt. He pulled it down slowly and then pushed the jacket off when the zipper finally broke apart. He pulled my shirt over my head with great effort, but the real challenge was getting my jeans off. +“How do you like these tight jeans now?” I gasped out, prompting him to laugh weakly. +“We really didn't think this through at all, did we? Going north... gets colder, right? Simplest concept... Baby, you're the genius... I blame you...” +“Shut up... James...” The laugh that escaped me almost brought me to my knees. I had never been so cold. I had not thought it possible for the body to withstand such extreme freezing. I did not understand how it was possible to survive such an assault on the sense of touch. My skin burned even as it froze, the perfect paradox... +“Come on.” He urged me softly. I stepped out of my jeans, holding onto his firm shoulders to keep from falling over. “That's it. Whoa, whoa!” My legs gave out beneath me, and my arms flew around his neck; I held on to avoid hitting the hard, frozen ground. He was on his knees, holding me around the middle. +“Easy, baby. Let's go.” He turned me sideways and let me collapse into his arms. Being so near death was provoking emotions in me. Luckily, my tear ducts seemed to have frozen shut, forever locking my rare tears inside. My frozen tears stuck in place forever were a permanent, tangible reminder of something I had always known: I could not cry. How ironic... +James made sure that I was deep inside the sleeping bag before he crawled in beside me. I cuddled up against his chest and locked my trembling arms around him. His were around me, too, holding me snugly. +“Remember when I commented on your chivalry?” I whispered to him. +“Yeah.” +“You just proved it again.” +Another laugh. A kiss on my forehead. +“I try to make up for all the times when I'm a dog, remember? It’s just…” He shuddered for a minute, “…good karma.” +“Good to know.” I whispered, “James…” My voice rose suddenly as fear began to fill my chest with a cold almost as deadly as the stinging air outside of our tent. I would be nothing but a solid block of ice soon; I had always been so cold internally, ever since I was young and made the decision not to feel. Now I would be frozen externally as well. How ironic… +“Shh…” James whispered, “We’re alright, baby. Everything is going to be okay.” +I shook my head, cringing when my muscles, also frozen, were forced to jerk back to life with the movement. +“This is it. We’re going to die, aren’t we?” +He kissed my forehead and held me to him even more tightly. +“You’re asking me? You’re the one who knows everything.” +“I don’t see anything right now. That can’t be a comforting sign, can it?” +“We’re immortal. Can we die?” +“I feel like I’m dying. So yes, I suppose we can.” +“Just keep talking. Just stay awake.” He urged me, “We’re going to get through…” +His silence alarmed me. I sat up, turning our bodies so he was lying beneath me. I grasped his face in my numb, almost unmovable hands. +“James?” I shook him only slightly. My strength was failing. I could summon not even a quarter of the power I was able to wield normally. I wanted to lay my head on his chest, close my eyes, and let destiny have its way with us both. I did not want to fight anymore, in any sense. I did not want to awaken the following morning to continue our trek to the Bachum camp. I did not want to fight this war Adam had started. I understood that exterminating the other side was our only chance of living an immortal life on Pangaea. If we wanted peace, we had to earn it. Though surely, there had to be another way. There had to be a way for us to exist harmoniously. But then, was there really? The Bachums and their mindless followers hated us for what we were. We resented their hate. While we lived by Don’s lack of rules, they lived under too many rules to count. We were too different to coexist. +Hadn’t that always been the way, even on Earth? +“James, wake up!” My voice broke in the effort it took to speak passionately. I was begging him now, the fear in my heart so strong, I believed it would kill me long before the cold could. I could not lose him now. I could not bear to be without him. I loved him. I needed him. As I tried to wake him, I realized that I no longer felt any shame in how desperately I needed him or how deeply I loved him. +How many more were clutching their loved ones in the tents that surrounded us, watching as they breathed their last breaths? How many would we have lost by the following morning? Don’s fight would have to be postponed if our number was eradicated by the frigid conditions. But I did not care about Don’s war. I only cared about James, Elijah, and the people who had become my friends. We had family back at the house that had become our home. Violet, Penny… What would happen to them? +An exhausting surge of warmth erupted between James and me, manifesting where our bodies were touching. I closed my eyes and laid my head against his chest. I grasped his firm shoulders, pleading with the God I did not believe in to spare us. I had never thought about dying before. I realized that the thought provoked the same childish terror in me that was felt by all living creatures as they faced the end. We are bred with the will to survive at all costs. Death is the endgame we all seek to avoid, even if the effort to live will be what kills us in the end. It is universal. It is a malignant truth. +I was hallucinating, surely. The warmth between us was simply a physical manifestation of the love I had in my heart for him. It was the tangible intangibility of the feeling that filled me up when he kissed me, held me, or even said my name. God or Gods, I loved that man, foolishly and recklessly, but brilliantly as well… +“I have to tell you something.” His voice whispered in my ear. I opened my eyes to find that we were lying side by side in the sleeping bag once again. His brown eyes were shaded by his drooping eyelids; he was struggling for consciousness, trying so desperately to watch over me with a vigilance that had long been weakened by unimaginable exhaustion. +I shushed him now, begging him with the sound to stay quiet when only before I had been begging him to speak. I had not the strength that was needed to talk anymore. The warmth between us was a blanket so snug and soothing that I could not resist the temptation of sleep. Whatever was left of my strength was used to turn my head up so I could kiss his cracked, freezing lips. +“I have to tell you. I should have told you…” +“You love me. That’s all I need…” +I fell away into that seductive sleep. +*** + +If we had died then, it would have made the rest of the tale much easier. There would have been no betrayal, no fight to the death, no war that raged for countless years. There would have been no more pain. While humans sidestep the inevitable final consequence that is death, they secretly wish for the peace that it brings. Once crossed over, we no longer feel the suffering that has long defined us as humans, as being one step above the other animals in God’s creation. +The evolution we were experiencing on Pangaea was almost a step backwards, I found myself thinking as I slept. We were reverting back to the ways of our forefathers, when we walked on all fours and hunted our food with nothing but our hands and teeth. Our animal nature was our only link to continued survival. The only difference between our original ancestors that had first populated the earth and what remained of our race on Pangaea was that we felt and reasoned without pause and with an intensity strong enough to buckle our knees, so to speak… +“Brynn?” +His voice was so beautiful in my dreams. His masculinity was evident even when he spoke. I had always had a fascination with strong, protective men who would die for their significant other. Alas, James fighting for my life with more force than what he utilized to fight for his own was something else we shared in common with our ancestors. Chivalry, as I called it, always existed. Or perhaps that was ideology bred from that childlike fear I had experienced as I died… +“Brynna?” +His lips stimulated warmth wherever they pressed on my face. Had we traveled from the realm of the living to the mysterious next together? +“Wake up, baby. Come on.” +“Her lips are starting to turn back to normal.” +What the hell was Elijah doing in mine and James’s eternal paradise? Violet used to place her hands palm of one rested on the back of the other, and twiddle her thumbs, calling the gesture in a dull monotone the “awkward turtle.” Generally, that strange hand sign was used when situations became uncomfortable in our home. I always chuckled to myself, though I was baffled as to how a shelled sea creature could possibly be clumsy or inept at handling social situations… +I opened my eyes just so the sight of James’s handsome face would shut those inane thoughts out of my mind. My brows furrowed instantly at the harsh white light over their heads. It had long been rumored that when one dies, they are faced with the blinding, comforting light of the afterlife. It is supposedly brighter than the sun, yet it does not hurt to stare into it. I closed my eyes again, moaning softly. That light behind James and Elijah was agonizing. I hated liars… +“How is she doing?” Don’s voice was as welcome as the fabled devil’s. All I needed was to hear Adam’s voice, and then my paradise would dissolve completely into hell. +“She is very strong. I am sure that in a moment, she will be on her feet, scathingly criticizing your stupidity, Donald.” +Seriously? +“Why, dare I ask, are all of you hovering over me?” I asked slowly with my eyes still covered. I was not sure if I truly wanted to know the answer to that question. +James eased me up into a sitting position. I widened my eyes and shook my head slightly to suppress the dizziness that followed somersaults performed in rapid succession or a night of binge-drinking. Or, as it pertains to this particular occurrence, once one regains consciousness the morning after almost freezing to death on a guerilla mission. +“Didn’t you claim to possess the same knowledge and wisdom I possess?” I asked as my index and middle finger massaged the center of my forehead firmly. After the tension had eased, and I realized that my question had still not been answered, my gaze snapped onto Don. “Hello? I am addressing you.” +“I said that I knew what we were getting ourselves into, coming up here.” +“You said that you knew how Pangaea worked.” +“Pangaea…” Adam repeated with a roll of his eyes and a derisive chuckle, “Such a ridiculous name…’ +“It actually is not, considering that the land here is combined to form one large mass of land, which, if you are familiar with how the land on Earth was originally…” I stopped. Not worth it… +“I know exactly what you’re going to say.” Don spat at me, “You’re going to say that I should have known that coming up north would mean snow and frigid conditions, and that…’ +“You are the one who claimed you were a genius.” I shook my head in condescension. “Do not snipe at me because you were too empty-headed to realize that by old world knowledge, going up meant temperatures would go down. It is all very simple.” +“So, you knew that we would come up here and almost freeze to death?” He asked me angrily. “If so, why did you come?” +“This is not about me, Donald. This is about you.” I turned my scowl to Adam, “And what are you doing here?” +“I was due for a trip north.” Adam answered vaguely. +“You are lying.” I replied as James helped me onto my feet. We were still in the tent that had miraculously remained standing despite the strong wind and the strength of the falling snow. I did not know why I was surprised; they were military tents constructed to withstand sandstorms and extreme temperatures. +I was uncomfortable with the amount of men in my tent, so I pushed past them all to move into open air. I would not be surrounded by males in such a confined space. Nothing would happen, surely, but it was still disturbing on a level I knew all too well. Once outside, I momentarily allowed my eyes to drink in the beautified landscape; the mountains surrounding me and the ground beneath my feet were both covered in the whitest snow I had ever been privileged to see. It would be a sin to trample on such purity. I remembered living in New York briefly and experiencing back-to-back snowstorms that had left the greatest city in the world buried deep. It had been a comfortingly surrealist sight. As I observed the rising sun that was casting a soft glow on the snow-covered hills in hues of pink, orange, and soft yellow, I felt the same soothing wonder and awe. It filled me to the brim with a warmth that fended off the still-biting cold. +Then Don spoke again. +“The bottom line is, I don’t know how they made it here without your help, Adam. You said that you were on our side!” +“Your accusations hold no real weight. Perhaps your enemies found warm clothing in the ship. Perhaps they were just very lucky.” +“Perhaps both of you gentlemen need a time out.” +There I was, sticking my nose into matters that neither concerned nor interested me. Don was more than likely correct; given Adam’s mysterious nature and his disloyalty to our kind, it would not surprise me if he was aiding the Bachums as well as us. He thought himself to be the emperor of Rome and we, the gladiators thrown into the ring to fight to the death. If he wanted to aid our separate quests for survival by throwing some spears and knives into the fighting space, then he would, but only so the fight would be bloodier and as a result, far more entertaining. +“How did they make it here? The truth!” Don demanded, and I frowned at the sky as clouds appeared where there had only been the light of dawn before. +“Statement and question!” I interrupted Adam, and stepped in between them. “The shift in the weather is quite interesting. Where only moments ago there was sun, now there are clouds that foreshadow another blizzard. Are you doing this?” +“It is not me who is doing anything, Ms. Olivier. It is him.” Adam pointed at Don. +“You made that blizzard hit us last night?” Elijah demanded in rage, “What? Is that another side effect of harnessing your emotions, or whatever you said you could do?” +“That’s not me. I would know if it were me.” Don replied, but he sounded unsure. He looked to Adam for an explanation. +“That is the Bachums making that happen, though surely they do not know it. As I have been told, they are unkind to those who harness what you all call ‘powers.’” +“And what do you call them?” Elijah asked him, his momentary anger replaced by a slight fear he was not hiding well. He feared Adam’s power and rightly so; even I knew that with a snap of his fingers, Adam could kill us all. The forces of the universe that we called powers and the new, enhanced state of being we called evolution had cradled him for thousands upon thousands of years. He could utilize any of the strange powers we found ourselves now able to wield with expert precision. I knew that he was powerful, gifted with abilities by God or the Gods that we were only just beginning to understand. Yet, I did not fear him. Even when I had first spoken to him and his deep eyes had never left mine, I was unafraid. Or at least, I was mostly unafraid… +“We call them ‘gifts.’ Someone aligned with the Bachums is very afraid or very angry. They are manipulating the space around them to match what they are feeling. I am unsure whether it is intentional, meant to drive all of you back, or if they do not even realize they are doing it.” +“Do you know who it is that’s doing it?” Elijah pressed him. “Because they’ll be the first person I go after.” +“I do not know. But Brynna does.” Adam’s knowing gaze turned to me. I shuddered internally as I looked into the depths of those flawless green eyes… +“It is our father.” The sound of my own voice and the disgusting feeling of repulsion that filled me up as I spoke of him jerked me from the hypnotic spell Adam’s eyes always put me under. +“What?” Elijah asked, “Does he know we’re coming?” +“No.” I answered. “I can feel great anger in him. He knows that he is mutating. He is a freak like his now-bastard children. His thoughts are very loud. However, I assume that we are very close. I can feel others in their camp, fearing the change. It is not accepted. To change over means to die. Am I right in all of this, Adam? Because your face is in their minds as well, so I can guess that you have become familiar with them.” +Adam chuckled softly, a sound that sent a shiver down my spine that was far more sinister than the cold that surrounded us. +“You know far too much, Brynna. Your powers stun even me. You have always possessed the ability to hold vast knowledge, to understand all things. Now that you are here, you do. It is a gift I envy. It is the only one I was not given.” +“If you want to play on both sides of the aisle, Adam, then we will no longer be supplying you with any of the fruits of our labor, literal or otherwise.” The declaration rolled off of my tongue before I had a chance to stop it. It was an expertly formed sentence, full to the brim with emotional force and ringing truth, but it was certainly unwise. Don looked at me, his eyes so wide, I feared they would fall from his head. James and Elijah stood tall behind me, backing up the assertion. Their support aided me in standing firm. +“Is that so?” Adam took a step towards me. +James was standing in front of me. Immediately, I moved around him and grasped his hand in a silent, very quick show of gratitude at his will to protect me. +“They are terrified of you. But they also hate you. We have embraced what has happened to us since we have come here. We have allowed ourselves to become more like your people with no fear, regret, or hesitation. They prosecute those who show signs of changing over. Why would you want to help them?” +“My dear Brynna,” Adam grinned and looked down at me. He stood so close that his delicious smell filled my nose, hypnotizing me for one seductive moment. I knew that that was part of his evolution, as well; his ability to seduce and hypnotize neutralized threats to him. “If I did not aid them, they would stand no chance. You know that I love the spectacle. Our race was forced from your earth, despite being much older and far superior to your own. Granted, it has played nicely in our favor. Your Earth was destroyed by the insolence of your inferior race. Now, I only wish to watch all of you crawl and fight and grovel for your place here, the way you forced my kind to crawl and fight and grovel. Unfortunately, you all have gained powers. It is almost insulting to know that you are becoming more like us, but alas, I cannot stop it, and I do accept it. I wish to see, once and for all, who will be left standing: our kind or theirs? Though, I am sure you can guess on which side I would place my bets.” +I had been unaware that Adam’s kind had ever resided on Earth. In not knowing that, I could not have known that they were forced to leave. I still did not support his war order, but I did understand, however minimally. +“You believe this will be quick. You believe that we will destroy them in one bout, simply by using what we have become. You are wrong, Adam.” The tone of my voice betrayed a genuine sadness at his inability to see clearly. In my mind, I saw that potent cloud of darkness engulfing our lives for many, many years to come. I saw Adam and his city consumed by it, both lying in the ruins of death. +I backed away a step and grasped James’s arm to steady myself. +“What is it? What do you see?” Don demanded as he pushed past Elijah to get closer to me. +“There is no end to this. There is no point in storming the Bachums’ camp. It does not end here today. It is infinite. It is so large, I do not understand it.” I turned and walked away from them all as my heart raced. I had just been gifted with a sight bred from my ability to know and see all things. That particular gift bred vast intelligence but also deep insight. What I had experienced on Earth had been profound and seen scarcely before. What I was experiencing on Pangaea was miles beyond that. I could now see backwards and forwards, though not at will. I could see the deepest recesses of a person’s soul. I could read their thoughts. That moment of understanding that the war was meant to go on was the moment my earthly self fled me, only to be replaced by who I would be for all eternity. I was no longer human in any sense. +Others would confide in me later their moments of realizing whatever fraction of them was still human had disappeared. Interestingly, it always follows a stunning revelation, though none have matched exactly what I discovered in that horrid sight. +“Look closer, Brynna!” Adam called after me, “You will be horrified at what you see!” +His words drove the stake of knowing deeper into my heart; I struggled not to double over. The house was in flames, and Violet and Penny were running, running, running… +The other natives had been watching, knowing they were not our primary enemy. The death of the boy we had taken from them had been felt by his mother and father. They wanted revenge. They would take from us what we had taken from them… It was they who were aligned with the Bachums, not Adam… Adam merely encouraged them to fight… +There were no longer two wars raging on Pangaea. There was but one, one that would require the two slowly intermixing races to align on their two different sides, to fight for their place, ideas, and beliefs… + It was a war that had been fought so many times before, on Earth and Pangaea. The reasons were always the same. My mother had done nothing to provoke what had occurred on Earth. It was always meant to be. Wars were meant to be fought and lost by both sides in every way. There was no victory. There was no end. It was no different on Pangaea than it had been on Earth. That was a truth as old as the sun above our heads and the land beneath our feet. It was a truth that predated the existence of those who would fight and die in the senseless wars… +I was running, my insides screaming at me to move quickly and without pause. I obeyed; my legs carried me forward even as my lungs threatened to collapse under the strain of frenzied breaths. I could sense James and Elijah running behind me and others just behind them. We had abandoned everything at our makeshift campsite, including Adam. As I realized that great evil had come over our home, so had the others. I had allowed my thoughts to become contagious. They were infected with my terror and knowing; though they did not understand what it was that was driving me, they did not question it. +Endurance that never ran out was another gift of our kind. We were able to run despite the pain in our chests and legs. We were driven by the Sight… +The air was thicker, almost impossible to breathe, but we were still miles from the house. In the sky, an ominous cloud of black smoke hung evilly and eerily, beckoning us forward while simultaneously provoking an urge to draw back. Don was yelling frantically. For a moment, I caught his mental frequency; he was fearing for those he was responsible for in his heart. It was shocking to find such concern for his people in Don Abba’s mind. It was admirable. +I was coming up on the runoff that had originally alerted James and me to the presence of the structure inhabited by Don and his people. Water rushed through the ditch with the same violent intensity as the fear in my heart. Before my eyes, the water rose, whooshing past with ominous power. I did not allow myself to fear falling in, despite knowing that if I did, I would surely drown. I leaped over the water and landed gracefully on my feet on the other side. I did not stop to mentally congratulate myself for making it or to marvel at my new powers that allowed me to make such a miraculous jump. I simply kept running, knowing that soon the bodies hanging from the trees would come into view. +The smell of the rotting corpses should have forced me to stop; I was inhaling the scent, allowing it to fill my nose and mouth with every harsh breath I took. But still, I ran. +We did this to ourselves, the cynicism inbred so deeply in me scoffed, How could you believe they wouldn’t retaliate when we’ve killed so many of theirs? +Get to Violet and Penny, my mother’s voice, warm and welcome, spoke over the snidely unsympathetic bitch in me. I nodded in response to her invisible voice, my breaths raspy and my eyes wildly following the stars that danced in their sight. +I could not run when I reached the house. I could not move at all. I was firmly rooted to the spot in the wet earth, doubled over as I tried to draw in a necessary inhalation only to choke on the thick smoke that had stolen the oxygen right out of the space I was standing in. +The house was on fire, falling apart at the seams. Our people were running away from it, some screaming, some sobbing, some just wearing expressions of wide-eyed terror. +“Brynna, they hit us out of nowhere… they’re still here… they’re back there!” Rachel pointed back to the house. I looked at her with eyes that had turned over white. I no longer needed to breathe. I was on the hunt, ready for the vicious, fiery fight. Those men and women for whom I had grown to care no longer had a home. My sisters were among the mass of people somewhere; they were desperately afraid and crying out for me. Yet despite my close proximity, I could not feel their separate energies. They were far from me, farther than I could imagine. +I walked. The smoke in the air did nothing but sting my eyes, prompting tears to well but never fall. I was breathing not out of necessity but out of rage; I drew heavy, rasping, rapid breaths as I scanned the crowd of people running past me for any who were not ours. +Finally, when the last of our large number ran past, I saw not only several of the Bachums’ people but also several cave-dwellers. +Alright, I thought to myself for one brief, motivational moment, It’s on. +The roar that erupted from my throat sent them staggering backwards, tripping over themselves to run in the opposite direction, as far away from me as they could. +“They came back! They came back!” A man was shrieking in horror and waving his hands in a manner similar to what one would expect of a lunatic just freed from a straitjacket. “God help us!” +I caught up to him first, dropping down so I was sliding on my side through the wet grass and slippery dirt. Once I had caught up to him, I spun my body sideways abruptly so my legs met his ankles and he tripped. He fell face-first into the dirt before throwing himself up immediately to crawl quickly across the ground. His scream was oddly similar to the sound of Penny's when she saw a spider. +Penny! +I grabbed his soaking wet hair; rain was cascading down from the heavens in an onslaught as violent as my own. After yanking his head backwards with a force that would have snapped his neck had I allowed it, I sunk my fangs deep into his shoulder and crushed the bone in my sharpened teeth. The shriek he let out would have made a better person back off. No good man or woman would be able to tolerate such a sound of agony. I bit harder and pulled backwards to rip part of the bone clean from his body. +“Where are they?!” I screamed in his ear deafeningly. I noticed a small rock jutting out of the mud; I slammed his head down onto it before pulling him up so his back was against my front. “Where are they?!” +“Who?! Who?!” He was sobbing now and struggling to free himself from my grasp. I pushed him forward again to hold him face-down in a puddle of thick mud and streaming water. With his face submerged in that puddle, he started gasping for air only to draw in mouthfuls of that dense, saturated earth. As he struggled to breathe, I observed the scene unfolding around me through the thick, almost blinding sheet of rain and smoke; James, Elijah, and the rest of our vigilante crowd were fighting through the stream of bullets that were cutting through the air with no mercy. The sound of gunfire echoed against the trees that surrounded us, intermixing with the screams of the wounded, dying, or under siege. I watched a man with a machine gun run past me, shooting wildly over his shoulder. I pulled the man’s face from the mud as I ducked; after lying all the way on my back while still on my knees, I used his body to shield me. His body jerked back and forth as it was riddled with bullets. I was lucky that none had gone straight through him. +Several of our people, even those not on security detail, were on the trail of the man with the machine gun. +I pushed the man off of me and crawled on top of him to find that he was still alive, but barely. His torso was protected by a Kevlar vest, but given that he had no miraculous protective device to shield his neck and head, the bullet that had gone through his throat would surely be the end of him. +“Where are they?” My nose was almost touching his when I whispered fiercely again. “Where are they?!” +He was muttering a prayer to himself, making his peace with the Lord for all the evil he had committed in his life. Through the blood and mud that filled his mouth, I heard something about adultery, prostitutes, and that red-headed woman from camp whose name he could not remember. God, why couldn’t he remember? He had hurt her terribly. +The man was in a great amount of pain. I had been the one to inflict such profound suffering on him. Yet in his heart, I sensed no hatred for me. I sensed only regret; he was sorry that it had come to this. The revelation stunned me; it jerked my heart free from its proper place in my chest cavity and wrung it dry. I pulled away and ran one bloodied hand over my hair, urging myself to keep fighting, urging myself to believe those people were evil hypocrites who deserved to die… +“Come on Brynna!” I muttered out loud before slamming my hand down in the dirt. I had never had a moment of sympathy for anyone, including and perhaps especially, myself. Now, in battle, I was going to feel for another human being. I was going to question his motives, his very nature as a human being, instead of just killing him outright for what he and his leaders had done to our people and our home. My humanity, for the first time in my life, was getting the better of me. I had not even known that it existed in any remarkable capacity, and in that moment, it was suffocating me. +“That’s it! Take the rest alive!” Don shouted over the pounding rain, screams of agony, and despairing sobs. I had witnessed the fate of those who were taken alive. A swift exit from our world was an option that, in comparison, was worthy of being begged and bartered for. I turned back to the man who had turned over onto his side; the tears of pain that fell from his eyes scratched at my already raw heart with fingernails sharp enough to draw blood. I shuddered as I knelt beside him. I was soaked through with rain, covered in mud, bleeding from the fight; it was déjà vu all over again. I recalled bitterly the fight with the natives that had led my father to imprison me. I looked around at the others who had resided in our house; they revered our powers and celebrated them as gifts. I did not have to fear being persecuted for no longer being human. If I were from the camp where the man dying before me was from, I would have been killed long ago. I pitied him even more; he had the potential to embrace great power yet was not allowed to. Perhaps was even unwilling to. His devotion to the Bachums and the higher power of which they acted in favor had blinded him to the necessity of the change. It was very, very sad. +What provoked an even stronger despondency in my heart was that I knew the man would be healed only to be tortured. Several of our number were missing, according to Don’s shouts of rage. The survivors of the opposition would provide us with their whereabouts, whether they wanted to or not. Answers would be retrieved, by any means necessary. It would be excruciating for them both physically and emotionally; as they suffered unthinkable torture, they would also fear for the moment when it ended, for the end of their torment meant their deaths. It was so very cruel. It was so very senseless. I could not bear to see that man in any more pain. The only difference between us was one of opinion; that difference was certainly not worth killing one another over. +“I’m sorry…” He whispered when his eyes met mine. +I stared at him, not wanting to speak. I did not want to exchange any words with that man I had almost killed, whom I would see being tortured brutally over the following days. +“For what?” I said after gathering enough fortitude to speak. +“For your sisters…” +I would kill him. I would rip him to pieces if he did not elaborate. I needed to know what he knew. Where were they? What did the Bachums want with them? Why had he spoken of them? +“Not their fault… don’t deserve it…” +“Where are they? Where are they?!” I shouted again, and in my rage, I jerked my hand forward to dig my nails into the open wound in his shoulder. He cried out, his entire body tense in response to the great agony. Then, his muscles relaxed, and his face went slack. He collapsed on the ground, dead at my hands. +“Brynna! Where is Brynna?!” +Why in the world would Alice be demanding to know my whereabouts? I turned to find her running towards me, gasping with tremendous sobs. I shuddered at the show of emotion despite the situation. How very pitiful it was… Admittedly, the situation was one to bring forth harrowing fear and crushing sadness, but to show the world both through one’s tears was not admirable or useful in any way. +“I tried to stop them! I tried to get Penny and Violet back from them, but they shot at me!” She screamed as she threw her arms around my neck. I smelled blood seeping from a gaping wound inflicted on her that I had not yet seen. +“Did they hit you?” I asked in a trembling voice. She nodded and pulled away to show me her arm. +“I did everything I could! Quinn went after them! He’s not fast because he got hurt but he’s going after them!” +“Which way?” James and Elijah had appeared behind us; James was the one speaking. “Which way, Alice?!” +“That way!” Alice pointed behind the house. James and Elijah needed no prodding, nor did I. Alice, despite her injury, was also ready to fight for my sisters. We all took off running, a deadly herd of beasts hell-bent on killing those who had taken ones we loved so dearly. +We tore through the trees, stopping not when our bodies protested the continued assault of running without pause or even when we realized that we were alone in the forest. We just moved, smelling the air constantly for any trace of my sisters’ scents. +The only thing that could stop me was the realization that my sisters were gone, taken far from where I could reach. The joined landmass that gave Pangaea its name was endless, larger than three of Earth’s combined land put together. I stopped running, and my knees buckled beneath me. I breathed in and out rapidly, clawing the earth as I drew each shuddering breath. +“We’re going to find them, Brynna! I promise. I promise you, Brynn. I promise!” Elijah was saying to me, though I knew that he scarcely believed his own words. I threw my arms around his neck, my eyes wide in that potent terror that made breathing almost impossible. +“Oh, God,” I gasped out, “Oh, my God… oh God, oh God…” +There were no other words to convey the storm of feeling in my heart; regret, guilt, fear, sadness… I should have been there. I should not have left them alone. I should have seen it coming. Where were they? Were they going to be hurt? Were they going to live past the next day? On Earth, when someone was abducted, police and federal investigators gave the person a twenty-four hour window to be found before they could be almost sure that the worst had happened. In a day, would my sisters no longer exist? +Elijah lifted me into his arms and turned to carry me back to the house. I was petrified, frozen to him as the terror thrashed my heart from side to side, throwing it against the walls of my chest until it laid dormant, indefensible. I squeezed my eyes shut and realized that my entire body was trembling. +“It’s going to be okay. It’s going to be okay, Brynn.” Alice’s voice, her hands rubbing one of my arms that were wrapped around Elijah’s neck… +Once we were back at the house, Elijah handed me to James. +“Eli!” I called after him, my voice cracking in the threat of tears. He turned back to me and put one of his hands on my face. “Stay with me!” +I was begging him shamelessly, needing him to stay close, where I could see him. Only seeing him would assure me that he was alright. Our sisters were gone, taken from us. I could not lose my brother, too. Together, we would find them. Together, we would make everything alright. I could not bear the emotional burden of fearing for my sisters’ lives without my brother. +“Watch her for me.” Elijah looked up at James, speaking with a softness in his voice, showing clearly a grateful resignation of his anger. He was ready to accept him. He was tired of hating him, of worrying that he was preying on me. James had proven himself to Elijah, and as a result, had won his approval. I should have been relieved. +“Don’t worry. I’ve got her.” James replied, and Elijah nodded, thankful for him being there to protect me. James was another set of eyes to watch over me, another body to keep me safe. He loved me, Elijah knew now. +I must have whimpered, because James sat down on the cold ground so he could look me over. My wounds were internal, entirely emotional… They would not kill me, at least not quickly. I rolled out of his arms and knelt on the ground, bent over so my arms were rested on the sopping wet earth. I rocked back and forth with my head hung. The sound I was making did not precede tears, though it certainly sounded like a torrent of them were ready to cascade down my face. +My Penny… my beautiful, precious, innocent Penny… I had raised that little girl. I had loved her when our mother and father had deemed her insignificant, when Maura turned away. I had done my best, at such a young age, to make sure she grew up happily, free from the same fear and resentment that plagued me. +Violet had suffered the brunt of my frigidity. I had loved her when she needed me to, only to cruelly pull away when I decided she was old enough to fend for herself. I owed her a thousand useless apologies. I owed her warmth every day for all eternity to make up for my coldness. +I would never get the chance because someone, for whatever reason, had decided that I could no longer have them. I was angry at the Bachums, at the cave-dwellers, at Adam, at myself, at God… I was furious at God. Why did my sisters have to be pawns in that ridiculous game of tug-of-war? Why should they suffer for Adam’s cruel entertainment? They had nothing to do with the war. I was the soldier fighting. They were merely innocent bystanders. But weren’t the innocents always the ones to suffer? The guilty always walked free. In terms of conflict both domestic and foreign, the innocent civilians were always the ones to be maimed or worse. The true threat, the one who pulled the strings and ordered for the violence to occur, never showed his or her face long enough to be hurt. +It was always the innocents. +My whimpering choked off suddenly to be replaced by a mighty scream that sent the huge blackbirds flying from their nests in the surrounding forest. Somewhere in the distance, a large cat roared, frightening the smaller wildlife even more severely. When my scream abruptly stopped, I drew another shuddering breath only so I could scream again. +“That’s it. That’s it.” Alice was encouraging me softly. I could feel her hand rubbing my back. “Let it out.” +Normally, I would tell her to leave me alone, invoking a certain obscene slang term for the act of engaging in intercourse followed by the word “off.” Instead, I only screamed again, my hand squeezing hers in a tight grip. It was as though my grasp on her was the only thing keeping me from plummeting into a dark, endless ravine. My head was still hanging forward, my mud and rain-soaked hair covering my face. James’s hand was running down the back of my hair as he sat in front of me; I leaned forward and rested the top of my head against his chest. I felt Quinn’s hands on my back, too; he had found his way out of the woods and returned to us. +The terror that tagged along closely with uncertainty was driving me further and further to the edge. If they had not been there with me, urging me to exorcise those ragged, inflamed feelings from my heart, I would have fallen into insanity, most certainly. +There was one fear stronger than the fear of death, I discovered. For some, the idea of dying was enough to bring them to their knees. To leave this realm meant to enter another we knew nothing of; the fear of the unknown had always been the anxiety-provoking element in humans’ thoughts of death. +But losing those who one loves is an idea that provokes a stronger fear, by far. I loved Violet and Penny so much, I felt my heart splitting, quite literally, at the thought of losing them. Screaming did nothing to bring them back to me. But when one is terrified, one screams. Through the mist that was left after the worst of my fear had been thrust forcefully (and deafeningly) from my body by shouting, there was but one action, clearer than a Pangaean morning. +“We are going after them.” +“Yeah. We are, Brynn. We’ll find them. I promise, we will.” Alice assured me gently. +“No,” I shook my head back and forth, and looked up at all of them, “It was the Bachums who took them. They’ll take them to wherever they are living. We were so close. They knew we were coming to hit them, so they hit us first. We need to go back!” +“You want to go back north?” Quinn asked me. +“Yes! That is where they are headed. I know it is. I am going after them. I will kill anyone who gets in my way. I will go in there and kill every last one of their people if it means that I will get Violet and Penny back. None of you had better tell me that I am exaggerating, or that I am foolish to think that we can actually beat them because…” +“I’m going with you.” James interrupted me, “You know I’m with you, baby.” +“I’m in.” Quinn agreed, nodding. +“Me too.” Alice chimed in, “When do we leave?” +“Right now.” I stood up and turned to see Elijah hurrying back to us. “I know you’re in, too, so let’s go.” +“To the Bachums’ camp?” Elijah asked. +“No, to the moon, Eli!” I exclaimed in aggravation as I threw my hands up in the air and rolled my eyes. +“Okay, chill out! James, walk with me.” +I watched as he led James away from our group, my brows furrowed. +“One minute he hates him, the next he wants to bond. There is no time for this!” +“You are correct, Brynna. There is very little time for this. In fact, the longer you wait, the more distance those animals put between you and your sisters.” +I turned to see Adam standing behind me, having appeared from nowhere as he always did. +“Do you have any idea how unwelcome the sight of your face is?” I snarled at him, “If you had not started this, they would still be here! You put them in danger!” I closed the space between us and craned my neck painfully to glare up at him, “If they die, Adam, you have my word that I will kill you! You may think that you are invincible and that some lowly Earthean could not kill you even when utilizing her best effort, but you are wrong! If they are taken from me, I will end you. Do you understand me?!” +“Brynna,” Alice breathed, “I don’t think you should…” +“Understood.” Adam smiled at me dangerously before placing both of his smooth hands on my face. “You have great fire in your heart, Ms. Olivier. I admire that.” +“Do not touch me!” I shook him off and took a step back. +“But alas, while there is fire, there is also great fear.” His smile widened, and his eyes glinted with malignant madness, “That fear generally yields distrust, which has always proved useful to you. Why do you shun it now?” +“Do not even try to play your Machiavellian mind games with me, Adam. I have always possessed intelligence far above what others are capable of achieving in their wildest dreams. You will never win.” +“I am not playing a game with you, Brynna. In fact, what I speak of is very serious. Your fear of men has always kept you safe. Now, you trust a man with secrets far more terrible than even he cares to realize.” +“What are you talking about?” I asked. He had my interest now. James turned and hurried back to us after hearing that snippet of our conversation. +“What are you putting in her head now, Adam?” James demanded furiously. Upon viewing Adam's face, his eyes turned over red. +“I am simply warning her to be wary of you. I believe that is only fair, given that she has allowed herself to be blinded by her love for you. What she feels for you is vast and uncompromising, bred from inexperience and that blind eye of which I speak. It saddens me to see such naivety in one so brilliant.” +“He says that you have secrets, James. Is there anything you wish to tell me?” +James looked between the two of us, scowling in rage. +“I want you to stay away from her, do you understand me?” He barked forcefully as he pointed at Adam. “She doesn’t need to hear your lies. What’s happening is your fault. If you hadn’t insisted on this war, Penny and Violet would still be with us. If you had just let us live here peacefully, none of this would be happening!” +“And you are so familiar with living peacefully, are you not?” Adam asked before turning away. “Open your eyes, Ms. Olivier. Close your heart. Do it now before it is too late to rectify the consequences of your trust.” +He disappeared among the crowd of our people. Don was leading the charge in our direction, fury on his face. +“Are you ready to go back north?” Don called to us. +“Definitely.” Quinn answered, “We’re all in. When are we leaving?” +“Right now.” Don answered, “We have a few more guns now, which should close the gap between us and them a little bit. Here,” Don handed me a small handgun. I checked to make sure it was loaded before flipping the safety on. I stuck the gun in the back of my jeans, feeling like an action movie heroine ready for an epic shootout with a sadistic villain. I forced Adam’s comments from my mind for the time being. Adam urging me to distrust James for an ambiguous reason was not important; I had to find Penny and Violet first, and then I would give James the third degree, as they say. +“Wait a minute.” Bennie said as she stepped to the front of the group. “Some of us need to stay behind. Not all of us can make the trip, Don.” +She was right; we had elderly people and children who would not survive the harsh climate of the mountains. I looked around at them all, seeing genuine panic in their eyes. When the house had been standing, our way of life thriving inside its walls, everyone had a purpose. Everyone did their part by contributing something, even if it was just folding clean clothes or washing the fruits and vegetables harvested from the earth. Don insisted that everyone contribute their fair share willingly, and he was right. We understood that one weak link in the chain meant collapse. Those fearful individuals I was observing were going to be deemed weak by Don; though they could help achieve our goal of survival when the house was up and running, they surely could not help us fight the Bachums. +“Well, that’s not my concern right now. They came up on us and attacked those of you who couldn’t fight. They burned our house down. They destroyed everything we’ve fought so hard to build. So right now, my concern is going up there and taking back what’s ours. They took our people! God only knows what is going to happen to them! I have said it before, and I’ll say it again: they hate our kind!” +“But what are we supposed to do?” An elderly woman asked feebly as she clutched a small child in her arms. I almost covered my mouth as the urge to sob openly tightened me in its grip. +“You’re going to have to stay here. Just wait for us to get back.” +“But what if they get back before you do?” Bennie demanded, “We can’t afford to lose anyone else!” +“Listen,” Don held up his hands as though preaching a sermon. “We have survived thus far by simply adhering to my belief that everyone can contribute. Now, we don’t have that life we built anymore. We have a new purpose: We need to destroy the Bachums. They are a constant threat. They are more dangerous than I ever could have imagined. Now, it’s unfortunate, but those who can’t fight cannot be our top priority right now. All of you,” He indicated those who would not be joining us on our trek or in the battle that followed, “You all know that you can’t contribute equally anymore. Not in this new purpose.” +Ah, everything I suspected he was thinking was actually being said. At least he was honest... +“So, you’re just going to leave us here to die?” An older man asked. +“Not to die, of course not! You’re just going to have to…” +“We will find a new place to take shelter. We will leave a few behind to protect all of you. The fire is out, so we will go in and try to find whatever remains of the food supply. In the meantime, all of this rainwater is good for drinking, so we need to find containers for it.” I looked around to find everyone staring at me, shocked that I would openly contradict Don’s orders. He was our leader who had led us to safety and prolonged our lives by running a smooth operation in his house. Through his idea that all of us had to work and contribute, we had thrived. He had angered them by taking more than a fair share to give to Adam but even in their displeasure, they understood the necessity of appeasing the man who made Don’s vision possible in the first place. Their loyalty to Don ran deep, and I was trampling on it mercilessly with orders of my own. +However, as is always the case when a leader issues an unpopular order, people jump ships quickly and without a second thought. Everyone immediately set to work, doing the things that I had said. I was momentarily surprised. Then, I mentally patted myself on the back for understanding what those people truly needed far more coherently than Don did. I had towed the line when Don had taken from the joint food supply, but his suggestion that we leave those he considered weak behind to die was unacceptable and reminiscent of another man I had known. Just when I had begun to believe that Don was the leader my father never could have been, I realized that they were one in the same. +I walked over to Rachel and Bennie, who were brainstorming ideas on where to set up a new shelter. +“Ladies, I need you to make sure that everything I just ordered gets done.” I handed them the gun Don had given me. +“Wait, where are you going?” Rachel grasped my arm as I went to turn away. +“Why do we need a gun?” +“Because Don is very angry that I have overridden his order and more than likely will not follow mine. If he needs a little prodding,” I touched a spot on my arm, “Right here is a flesh wound. After that, threaten to shoot him right between the eyes.” +“Consider it done.” Bennie clapped me on the shoulder. +“Most of these people are on our side, but several of them believe that Don is right, and these people need to be left behind. You all know who you can trust.” +They both nodded. +“When we get back, we will need a way to find all of you again.” +“I’ll leave a note in the sycamore tree, in that squirrel hole at the base.” Rachel told me, “You know the one, right at the end of the runoff going south?” +“I do. Stay away from the campsite and the city. There is a cave about ten miles back in that direction.” I pointed, “Unless you wish to be confronted by Adam’s enemies and made a human sacrifice, do not go inside of it. On the subject of Adam, do not trust him. If he offers you shelter, take it, but do not close your eyes for a second. Just lay low for a couple of days until we get back, and then we will find another place. Did you two get all of that?” +“Yeah,” Bennie nodded, “Damn, girl, you’re going to be taking over from Don before you know it.” +I chuckled softly, tickled by the compliment. I was surprised by how happy that acknowledgment of my rebellion and leadership skills thrilled me. I turned to walk away, a scowl replacing the smile on my face at the sight of Don glaring at me. His thoughts screamed his desire to rip my throat out with his fangs. No one would take his power from him. He had built our lives from the ground up. He had welcomed my family and me into the house he ran. My nerve astounded and infuriated him simultaneously. I could not help but grin and raise my eyebrows at him in a silent taunt. See, Don? They do like me more. +“Are you all ready?” I asked James, Alice, Quinn, and Elijah. +“Ready.” Alice answered. The rest nodded. +“What were you two talking about?” I demanded of Elijah and James. Elijah looked at me, his wide eyes betraying that a secret was being kept. James had a magnificent poker face, but his lack of expression was enough of a hint. +“Well, we might as well tell her now!” Elijah told James as I walked ahead of them. +“Tell me what, Eli?” I looked over my shoulder at them as we walked. +“Leave it alone, Eli. Just let it go.” James ordered. +“But she’s just going to read my…” +I turned around to walk backwards and squinted my eyes at him. The whole conversation between him and James repeated clearly and without pause. Elijah’s mind was ripe for reading, because the photographic content of his memories did not just apply to images but also to entire experiences. +“Adam says that the other natives have had people in our camp.” +“Adam said that? And you believe him?” +“Why would he lie about that, James?” +“Why wouldn’t he lie about that, Eli? He’s stirring the pot. He’s trying to turn us against each other. He’s the puppeteer in this, isn’t he?” +“I believe him. I mean, there are so many of us, and it’s not like we had a ship manifest. We’ll never know who they are. But here’s where it gets worse: he says that the other natives believe that we somehow stole their powers. They don’t have them anymore. They’re pissed off that we do.” +“How in the world could we have stolen their powers?” +“I know, right? I mean, we were on Earth, for God’s sake! But that’s why they tried to sacrifice Penny. They were trying to steal back their powers while also appeasing their God. Adam says that’s why they’re exiled in the woods. His people don’t believe in all of that over-the-top religious stuff. That’s kind of what he said. I missed that part of it.” +“Adam is just freely sharing this information now? I definitely don’t believe it. What does he have to gain from suddenly letting us into the loop? Besides messing with our heads and making us distrust each other, which both of those consequences, I’ll have you know, are very effective in war. Don’t buy into his bullshit, Elijah. You’re smarter than that.” +“I do buy into it! It’s not bullshit, James. It all makes sense. They’re aligned with the Bachums because the Bachums are over-the-top and crazy!” +“The Bachums also hate anyone with powers. Why would they help these other people gain back the powers they claim are from Satan? Come on, man. Use your head! You’re starting to make me believe that Brynna got all the brains in the family.” +“James, don’t try to tell me that it doesn’t make sense. Listen… Whether it’s true or isn’t true is irrelevant right now. For the time being, we need to keep this from Brynn. If she has a reason to put to what they’ve done, she’s going to freak out.” +“I sincerely doubt that. She trusts Adam to the death, right?” +“Very funny. James, this isn’t good.” +“I know.” +“We just need to keep it from her. For her sake, we need to lie.” +“You were the one who said we shouldn’t tell her, Eli. Now you’re going to…” James stopped talking when he saw me bend over. I had suddenly been afflicted with a harsh inability to breathe. I wanted to prove Elijah wrong by having no discernible reaction to what I had just learned, but he had been right; knowing now why the other natives hated us so much was enough to bring me to my knees. Knowing the reasoning behind their attempt to sacrifice Penny was a terrifying revelation; it revealed to me their intentions. +“It’s alright.” James was holding me and kissing the top of my head. “Let’s go, baby. Come on. We’ll go after them right now.” He looked back at Elijah, “So, you were right. I’m a big enough man to admit it.” +“It’s cool.” Elijah had his hands on my back. +I broke away from both of them and continued trekking towards the forest, knowing that Elijah, James, Alice, and Quinn would follow in my wake. I was running through all the terrible things I wanted to do to those responsible for the abduction of my sisters when one of those guilty individuals strode right in front of me to block my path. +“Where do you think you’re going? Also, what do you think you’re doing?!” Don demanded savagely. I shook my head slightly and moved sideways so I could walk around him, but he was adamant on stopping me. He reached out and grabbed the tops of my arms with both hands hard. I would have winced had the fury that exploded in my heart not shielded me from pain. +“Get off of me!” I barked at him furiously, and my long fangs emerged suddenly. I lunged forward and opened my mouth, ready to rip his throat out when a sudden pain in my chest brought me to the ground. +“Yeah. That hurts, doesn’t it?” He asked with his face close to mine. I was kneeling in front of him, still trying to shake off his hard grasp even as the pain intensified. “I just amplified everything you're feeling. You think you’re going to take what’s mine? You think you’re going to rule these people? You’ve done nothing for them since you’ve been here. You’ve done nothing for anyone your entire life! I’ll kill you, Brynna. I will kill you before I ever see you taking over from me. I built this place from the ground up! I have given them everything!” +“Yes, just so you could take everything back!” I screamed at him. +I had not realized how much space I had put between myself and James, Elijah, Alice, and Quinn. The gap was closed in seconds by my enraged boyfriend, whose eyes were darker than blood upon finding me being accosted so aggressively. His hand grabbed Don’s wrist in an excruciatingly tight hold; Don was now the one falling to his knees. +“If you ever…” James tightened his grip even more, “…lay your hands…” Don’s wrist snapped in two. He cried out in pain, and I grimaced and shuddered, simultaneously disgusted and entertained. “…on her again…” James tightened his hand around Don’s other wrist. +“Stop! Stop!” +James took a handful of his hair and pulled him back so he was looking at me. +“Apologize.” +“What?!” +“Apologize. Generally that action involves speaking and the word 'sorry.’ I know that you think you make the laws around here, but you don’t. Right now, you’re going to follow mine. Apologize to her.” +“I will not apologize to her when she is the one…” +James squeezed his wrist harder. I watched as Don’s face contorted into an expression of both agony and terror at being forced to withstand even more pain. +“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” He cried out. +“Look at her. You look at her when you say it, you son of a bitch!” +“James…” I stood up, walked forward, and placed both of my hands on his face. “Thank you. That will do.” +“Okay.” +James released him instantly, but continued to glare down at him as he curled up on the ground and grasped his wrist. James pointed at him over my shoulder, gritting his teeth in an urge to suppress his violent inclination to rip that little man apart. +“Look at the big man. Look at the big leader now. You’re such a big man that you need to rough up a woman to make your point.” James spat at him, trembling with the fury so clearly evident in his eyes. “I am astounded that you would be so stupid, doing that right in front of me.” +“Come on.” I whispered to him before standing on my toes to kiss his cheek twice. “Come on, baby.” +My voice was the beast’s sedation. When James’s eyes met mine, they were that deep brown that glowed in the dying sun. I kissed his lips for one long, glorious moment that calmed him further. But when his eyes saw Don trying to maneuver his way onto his feet, the rage erupted once again. He stormed forward, almost unrecognizable in his anger, but I grasped his face and kissed him again. +“I love you,” I whispered to him, and his hands pulled me closer to him gently. He kissed me again with even more frenzied heat than I had used to kiss him. +As we walked away, I heard Don give another shout of pain. I turned back to see that both Quinn and Elijah had kicked him, one right after the other, in the ribs. +“We are going to pay dearly for that.” I told James dismally. +The feeling of foreboding that had failed to warn me of the danger Penny and Violet were in dragged its claw-like fingernails through my chest. I could feel Don trying to channel his rage and bring us to our knees. His grasp on the powers with which he had been bestowed would only make his eradication of us that much easier. I shuddered to think what would happen when we returned. My sweating hands held one of James’s. +“Hey,” His finger trailed lightly along my jawline. I turned my head to look at him. “No worries. Not one, you got it?” +I nodded, the trace of a smile on my lips upon being filled with that glorious warmth that accompanied the sight of him. His kiss expanded that warmth inside of me; I could feel it strongly from the top of my head to the tips of my toes. I wished I could stay forever submerged in that warmth; I would swim in it until the world no longer existed. +But Violet and Penny were in need of rescue, and I would not lose them to anyone, least of all the Bachums and the natives who had aligned with them. Or had the Bachums aligned with the natives? It was an impossibility, at least at the current time, to decipher which pack ruled the tribe. +It was unclear because at the time, it was irrelevant. What mattered was the fight ahead of us. The population of our house had been quite large, hovering in the middle hundreds. But in the northern part of Pangaea, the Bachums possessed an army that would make Genghis Khan positively green with envy. Their number doubled or perhaps even tripled ours. Yet there we were, five people facing over three thousand. +I was undaunted. I was unafraid to die if it meant the safety and prolonged life of my sisters. I had wronged both of them in so many ways; I had deprived Violet of my love after she had reached a certain age, and Penny had been born only to rectify my deadly mistake. No act would ever truly make up for what I had put them through. Nothing I did could ever erase the pain I had inflicted upon them. +“I know what you’re thinking.” Elijah told me softly after we had hopped the canal and begun our trek through the shadowed forest. +“I sincerely doubt that.” +I avoided his eyes as I spoke strictly out of guilt. I was responsible for what had happened to our sisters. If the worst happened, their blood would be on my hands. If we lost them, I wanted him to blame me. I wanted to feel every last bit of his hatred and resentment. My foolishness and naivety already warranted public and private scorn. I wanted no one’s sympathy, for I did not deserve it. +“Tell me it’s my fault. Is that what you are thinking?” I whispered to him so James, Alice, and Quinn could not hear. +“No. See, you told me you didn’t think I could know what you’re thinking, but I was right. You’re blaming yourself for this. Brynn, it’s not your…” +I closed my eyes, shook my head slightly, and held my hand up to stop him. +“I am supposed to know these things. I allowed my blood-lust to lead me away from them when given the current climate, I should have stayed right by their sides where I could protect and watch over them. I do not want to imagine, even vaguely, what might happen to them. I only want to get them back. But there is one other issue that I must resolve, and it involves you. I need to know if you blame me for this.” +“Well, I don’t.” He told me instantly, “I don’t, Brynn. Does that help you or hurt you, to know that I don’t blame you?” +“Neither. It is just something else to know.” I watched as James, Alice, and Quinn walked ahead of us. “I will never say a negative word about those two again. Alice suffered a gunshot wound because she refused to allow Penny and Violet to be taken. Quinn immediately ran after them, suffering injuries in his pursuit. They have earned my respect.” +Elijah nodded and looked at me. +“And I’ll never say a negative word about James again. He has earned my approval.” +I smiled, surprised to find how happy Elijah’s approval made me. I discovered that while I had been saying frequently that I did not care what my brother or anyone else thought of mine and James’s relationship, Elijah’s opinion did matter greatly to me. I had always operated by the laws and morals of my heart and mind, never stopping to wonder what anyone thought. Now, I was seeing that those I held dearest to me, meaning Elijah, Penny, and Violet, would hold sway over my actions. They were all I had, after all. +“What made you change your mind, if I might ask?” I asked him. +“A lot of things. He cares about you. He protects you without thinking about his own safety. He respects you. He can deal with your insanity and send it right back at you. Plus, you told him something you never told me, which must mean you trust him. Brynna,” He looked at me with eyes begging for an answer he assumed I would not give, “Why didn’t you tell me about what happened?” +I wanted to shut off. An icy glare and a hurried walk forward would affirm his suspicions that I would never disclose the details of what had happened to me. But my brother deserved to know the truth after so many years of lies. +“I did not tell you because I hated the way people looked at me after they knew. I hated seeing their pity. Sometimes, I swear to you, I saw very slight disgust. I know now that those people must have thought that I had in some way allowed it to happen. Perhaps they even believed that I had asked. Whatever the reason and whatever the emotion behind the look, I did not like it.” +He stared at me for a long while, clearly fighting tears. +“I also did not want you or Violet to ever carry that burden, even minimally. I did not want you two to wonder how you could ever have loved such an evil man.” +“How could I, Brynn?! How could I not have…” +“You were very young. On the surface, Michael was very kind. He had been present in our lives from the moment we entered that world. We all trusted him and loved him like family. It just turns out that we were all wrong.” +“Did he ever say why?” +It was a child’s question posed to me by my twenty-four year old brother. Normally, I scoffed at such displays of foolish childishness. But with Elijah, I understood; his inner goodness was as pure as a child’s and thus, he was blinded to the true nature of people like Michael. I felt as though answering honestly would crush his refreshing ignorance the way a boot crushes a newly bloomed flower. Tears welled in my eyes, forcing me to look away. +“Sometimes, there is no reason for such depravity. Just know, Eli, that I am alright now. For years, I hated everyone except for you, Violet, and Penny. I know it must have seemed like I hated you, too, but I did not. After what happened to Lucien, I did not want to cause you or Violet any more pain.” +“But that wasn’t your fault, either! How could they have said that was your fault? You weren’t sleeping!” +“I might as well have been sleeping. I just...” I rubbed my forehead with the tips of my fingers for a moment, wondering how best to continue, “I had such a firm grasp on everything around me all the time. I was always so alert that the slightest sound could make me jump up out of my skin. I would lapse into those fits and lose track of everything but still, my mind never relaxed. I just wallowed in the worst of it, trying to make sense of it all. Lucien paid the price for my ignorance.” +“But it wasn’t your fault! You were sick, Brynna. They shouldn’t have left you alone with him! And Dad was calling you a liar! I remember that! Mom believed you, but Dad didn’t! And then Mom turned on you after Lucien, and that’s so horrible, Brynn. Dad, Maura, and Mom were cruel. They deserve everything they get for what they did to you!” +“See, that is what I was afraid of.” I stopped him from walking and grasped his hand. “I told Violet this, and I will tell you as well: Do not change your feelings towards them on my behalf. Do not allow yourself to hate those you have loved your whole life simply because they were cruel to me. It is not…” +“Don’t even try to tell me it’s not worth it, Brynna. It is worth it! They told you they wished it had been you. They told you they hated you. Mom kicked you out the day you turned eighteen. Maura used to get drunk and tell you to kill yourself, for God’s sake! And I was too stupid to ask questions! I ran off to college and left you to deal with all of that by yourself! I left you to raise Violet and Penny by yourself. And worst of all, I didn’t stop that sick piece of shit from touching you!” +“Stop.” I whispered to him as tears ran down his cheeks. I put both of my hands on his face and wiped them away. “Eli, you were eleven years old. You could not have known.” +“I would have killed him. I should have killed Dad, too. I will, for every time he hit you and for every time he told you he wished you were dead.” +“No. I have made my peace with all of this, Eli. We are here on Pangaea. We have a chance to start over. Once we get Penny and Violet back, we will start everything over. We will disappear into the woods with like-minded people and live out eternity just trying to have the best life we can. That will make up for all horrible things that happened on Earth.” +He nodded, wiping at his eyes furiously, so ashamed of himself for crying. +“I’m going to lose my man-card right now.” He told me, and I chuckled softly. +“No. A little emotion is allowed under the stressful circumstances. Even tough men are allowed a few tears. If even I am saying that feelings and tears are warranted, then it must be true, right?” +“Do you love James?” He asked me. Upon seeing the look of surprise on my face at the random question, he elaborated. “You just deserve to be happy after everything. Is it serious with him? Do you think you two will be together for a long time? Do you love him?” +I looked ahead of us, observing James as he walked. That man had come along from nowhere and saved my life not just once. He had tolerated my personal slights and the intricate difficulties of my personality and past. He was quick to make me laugh or to comfort me when my anxieties grew too large to handle alone. In fact, he did not allow me to handle anything alone, no matter how much I insisted or insulted. After all of that became evident, I had wanted our friendship to progress into something more, and it had, beautifully and rapidly. I could not live a day without him. The love I had in my heart for him brought tears to my eyes and that tiny smile to my lips. Knowing that those wonderful feelings were mutual was enough to take my breath away. +“Yes,” I answered Elijah, “To all of the above.” +Elijah nodded and smiled, too. +“Good.” + +Quinn + +It was not smoke or shouts that had alerted us to the presence of the Bachums. It was a full-fledged inferno. I had been out chopping wood with Eric and Teresa, a married couple from Maine. We had been joking about Don’s crazy eyes, a subject that brought much laughter to many in the house. We respected Don tremendously for what he had done for us, but some things are too funny to ignore. +“Especially when he starts getting overexcited. Man, I sometimes think they’re going to fall right out of his head.” Eric told us. +“Do it again. Do the thing again.” Teresa urged him through her hysterical laughter. +Eric widened his eyes so that the whites glowed in the twilight. He pulled a sadistic, all-tooth grin and began to chop wood quickly and with gusto. Teresa and I fell over ourselves, cracking up at the impression. +“Does this make you uncomfortable?!” Eric bellowed as he continued chopping the wood in fury. +We only laughed harder. +“Better resume our work before he gets back. Just think, guys, we’re going to be completely safe pretty soon. The other side will be gone. We’ll have won. It’s pretty awesome, isn’t it?” Teresa asked with a dreamy smile. +“I don’t know if it’s going to be that easy.” +“Are you kidding? We’re tougher and stronger than they are. We’ve allowed ourselves to change over, and they’re too afraid to do the same. They think the powers are evil. God, people like that annoy me.” Teresa shook her head. +“Whatever. We don’t have to worry about them anymore. I think Brynna said something about bringing back a lot of their people. We could use more people around here, what with all the work. She doesn’t think that all of them are as devoted to the cause as the Bachums are.” Eric said, “She’s a good kid.” +“She’s a little crazy, but she’s definitely grown on me. I couldn’t stand the bitchiness before but now, it’s actually kind of funny.” Teresa told us, “She really gives Don a hard time. Don’t get me wrong, I like Don. But he’s a little intense. She calls his attention to how crazy he is sometimes. Like, I guarantee you that she was the one who told him the amount we had to contribute needs to be less.” +“Knowing Brynna the way I do, I can tell you that she was definitely the force behind Don’s change of heart. She doesn’t take that stuff lying down.” I chimed in as I threw two pieces of wood into the wheelbarrow. +“Hard to believe she’s Daniel Olivier’s kid, considering how nuts he was. We would all be dead if we had stayed. We’re just fortunate enough to have chosen the side that doesn’t tell us when we’re allowed to eat, drink, or take a…” +Eric turned around, his eyes wide. He wasn't pulling another dead-on impression of Don; there was a rustling in the trees that had nothing to do with the evening wind. Frenzied movements were breaking sticks on the ground and rustling the dirt and pine needles that covered the forest floor. Humans were approaching our camp. +I smelled the air, trying to discern a familiar scent. If any of the people had crossed my path in the campsite, I would remember their smell. We needed to know if we were dealing with humans or natives. My nose told me that we were dealing with both, but also that there was a fire burning close by. +I whipped around, being assailed instantly by a thick cloud of black smoke. My stinging eyes could see through it vaguely, but the blazing fire consuming our home was bright enough that I didn't need to ask questions. Eric and I, both clutching our axes, turned to run for the house. +“Stay here.” I heard Eric tell Teresa behind me. +That was the last I saw of them. +I ran into the house through the backdoor, shouting for Alice, Penny, and Violet. I choked on the smoke that had filled the space. When a beam crashed beside me, I jumped sideways and rolled away, just narrowly avoiding being crushed. In my quick dodge, I hadn’t realized that I was rolling right towards the fire. Even after I knew that I was safe, I didn’t realize I was burning. Only when I felt the pain did my reflexes kick in, telling me to move. I ran out of the kitchen towards the stairs. +“Quinn! Quinn!” Alice was screaming. +“Alice! Where are you?!” +“At the front door!” +I couldn’t go forward because the roof had collapsed; as a result, the many floors of the house had fallen in on each other and were blocking my way. I tried to go back into the kitchen to use the back door again, but an almighty rumble above my head stopped me in my tracks. I stumbled backwards when another beam fell just in front of me, blocking my entrance into the kitchen. I swore loudly as I jumped up out of the rubble that I had been blown into by the force of the beam hitting the ground. I jumped up and down, trying to swat the embers out of my clothes before they caught fire. Sweat poured from me, and tears pooled in my eyes; the smoke was thick, and the fire was strong. +“QUINN!” Alice screamed. +“You have to jump over it!” I heard Violet shouting. +“What?!” I exclaimed, noting that the pile of rubble between myself and them was at least ten feet high. +“It’s going to hurt, but it’s the only way!” Violet continued loudly and urgently, “Trust me, you’ll make it!” +“Oh, man…” I muttered to myself as I looked up at the towering wall of burning debris just in front of me. +I backed up so my back was almost touching the burning beam that was blocking the kitchen door. I looked up at the ceiling and pressed my hands together. “Lord, if you’re up there,” I stopped and rolled my eyes, “Never mind.” +My legs carried me forward at that inhuman speed I was becoming used to. My body acted by its own accord; my hands pulled me up, ignoring the painful burning of my skin making contact with the fire. I ran so quickly up the mountain of splintered, burning wood that even when parts slid under my shoes, I was still able to keep moving. Once at the top, I turned sideways and heaved all the force in my body forward so I slid quickly without stopping. Fresh air was intermingling with the coarse smoke, tempting me to run faster towards the open door. Alice, Penny, and Violet were there, encouraging me to run faster. +And I did run faster. +Breaking into the fresh evening air was perhaps as joyous as witnessing a new life being born into the world. I collapsed onto the wet grass, turned onto my back, and gazed into the purple sky darkened by the smoke. I breathed amazingly clear breaths; the smell of the grass and the pure Pangaean air had never been more blissful. +Penny threw herself onto my chest and wrapped her small arms around me. Immediately, she was squeezing the deliciously crisp air back out of my lungs. I laughed with the air that remained. +“You did it, Quinn! You were like Spider-Man! You ran so fast, and you jumped so high!” +“Thanks, Penn.” I was squeezing her back. +“Pretty impressive, baby. Good job.” Alice said after leaning down to kiss me. +Violet pounded my fist when I reached it out to her, but her eyes stayed locked on our burning house. I sat up, pulling Penny and Alice with me. The foundation collapsed. The roof caved in completely. The walls crumbled. The place we had grown to love as our home was gone. Violet ran her fingers through her hair before scooping Penny up. +“Come on. We need to hide before they find…” +The native that tackled her knocked all the air from her body. They tumbled end over end across the grass. Violet was sprawled out on her stomach, trying to gather her strength and wind. Penny was sobbing in pain after smacking her head hard on the ground. The native had landed gracefully on all fours and was charging them both again. +“NO!” Alice screamed. None other than Rich Bachum was storming towards us, pointing a gun and firing with a steady hand. +“Run!” I shouted after them, but Alice had already charged him. When she reached him, she wrapped her arms around his middle and threw her full weight against him. He fell to the ground and reached for the gun that had flown to his left. +“Penny! Violet! Run!” I shouted deafeningly to them. +I went storming towards the native who had attacked them. Violet hesitated for a minute too long, wondering if she should stay and help us fight. Her personality was structured very similar to how Brynna’s was built; they would never leave those they cared for behind to face a threat alone. In that moment when she decided that she would stay and fight, one of the other Bachum men picked Penny up by the back of her shirt, as though she was a dog that had to be carried by the fat at the back of its neck. He ran away with her under his arm. +“Allie, he’s taking her!” Violet screamed as she chased after him. Alice had been busy punching Rich Bachum repeatedly and cursing him for all he had done. But at those words, she rolled off of him and landed crouched over with her hands and feet both on the ground. She followed after Violet, and I ran beside her. +Violet fell over suddenly, and once she hit the ground, she screamed in horror and grabbed at her neck, her legs kicking violently. +“Violet!” My exhausted voice cracked under the strain of the desperate shout. +I struggled to push through a crowd of our people who were running from the gun-wielding Bachum soldiers. By the time Alice and I had cleared the herd of people fleeing for their lives, a native man had thrown Violet over his shoulder, started running, and put at least half a mile between us and him. Violet was motionless; I assumed that they had shot her with some sort of tranquilizer dart. +Alice and I stopped running. We were grasping our chests as we gasped for breath, but our bodies and minds physically ached to continue in pursuit of our friends. +“Where’s Nick?” I asked her. +“What?!” She asked through her tears that had emerged suddenly. +“Where is Nick?!” I grabbed both of her arms and shook her. +“I don't know! He was just with Violet before! He was inside the house…” +“If you see him, tell him which way I went. When James, Elijah, and Brynna get back, tell them what happened! I’m going after them!” +“Quinn, wait!” +“You stay here!” I called over my shoulder. +To say that I sprinted is an understatement. To say that I ran so quickly that the trees around me became an indiscernible blur of brown and green is more accurate. I felt like a hamster in a wheel; my feet pounding the ground were spinning the planet in rapid circles, and everyone I knew was struggling to hold on. I didn’t stop on their account. I only stopped when stars started to glisten against the navy blue backdrop of the night sky. There was no way of knowing exactly how long I had been running. But I turned back, dreading the moment I saw Brynna and Elijah. When I saw them again, I would have to tell them that I had failed. I would have to tell them that even after they asked me to look after their sisters, I had let them get taken. +In the present, Brynna and I were side by side, kneeling beside the river. +“I’m sorry about Violet and Penny.” I told her, choosing to forego an easy descent into the conversation in favor of swift entrance and hopefully, swift exit. We were filling our canteens and splashing the wonderfully cool water on our sweating faces. We were, according to James, seven miles out from the mountains. The air was beginning to freeze over; after filling our canteens, we were going to change into our sweatshirts and heavy pants. Luckily, our luggage had only just been retrieved from the campsite at the time the fire had started. In fact, while I had been chopping wood with Eric and Teresa, I hadn’t even known that it had arrived. All of our suitcases were waiting outside for us to pick through when the fire had destroyed the house. We had only brought what we needed with us on our journey north. +“Excuse me?” Brynna looked over at me, inhaling smoke from the cigarette that was burning between her lips and exhaling it through her nose. +“I’m sorry that Violet and Penny were taken. I should have…” +“Don’t.” She whispered to me, and I looked up at her, shocked by the defeat in her voice. I understood then that her strength and resistance were beginning to fail her. The worry was just too much to bear. +“Brynn, we'll find them. Come hell or high water, we will…” +“Hell or high water,” She laughed bitterly, “Such an interesting expression, if you think about it. It invokes both Satan and God, respectively. It is further proof of the never-ending battle between the two. For the record, I would take both the flames of the underworld or a flood from God over facing the Bachums. They are a force of the universe all their own. Their devotion to God has allowed them to recruit devout followers who will gladly die for the cause. Most of them are decent people who are just scared of the unknown that awaits on the road ahead of them.” +“Yeah, but most of them would think nothing of killing every last man, woman, and child we know. They would justify it by saying that we had been taken over by Satan because we’re different than they are.” +“Indeed. But I cannot justify taking a life simply because we disagree.” +“So, what are you going to do when we get there?” A soft chuckle of derision escaped me. “Ask them politely to give Violet and Penny back? Tell them you’ll trade some damn corn and orange cabbage for your sisters? It doesn’t work like that anymore, Brynna, and you’re smart enough to know that.” +“What I find so funny is that mere months ago you were ending your three year relationship with your girlfriend because she killed a native. Now, you are encouraging me to slaughter our opponents swiftly and without a second thought. It was you who decried the loss of our humanity, Quinn Wesley, not I.” +She was right. The hypocrisy being brought to my attention was unwelcome yet inescapably groundbreaking. We stared at each other for a long moment before she looked away; she was giving me space and silence to maul over her words. +“You’re right.” I told her suddenly as I filled my canteen up to replace the water I had just chugged back. +She grinned at me. +“Are you really surprised?” +She yelped and dodged quickly when I swatted water from the stream at her. +“Do that again, and you will not like the consequences, Quinnevra. A very wise man once said, 'You better check yourself before you wreck yourself.’” +The hysterical laughter that erupted out of me actually made her jump. Alice came over, looking between the two of us in surprise. I doubled over and grasped a rock to support myself. +“You’ll never believe this, baby!” I gasped out to Alice, “Brynna Olivier can be funny!” +Alice looked at Brynna, who rolled her eyes to the heavens as she tried to suppress a smile. +“He only thinks I was being funny. I do not succumb to a drunken state of whimsy on any occasion, least of all this one. Come along, children. Let us continue the walk to our deaths.” +Alice was laughing now, too. We watched as Brynna sauntered ahead of us, knowing that she was grinning to herself. +“Oh, and did you just call me ‘Quinnevra?’” I asked her when Alice and I caught up to her. +“Indeed, I did. That name will more than likely stick, so you might want to set the wheels in motion to begin getting used to it.” +“Where in the world did you come up with that?” +“Ginevra was a very strong character in my favorite book series of all time.” +“So you think I am a very strong man, then? Well, thank you for the compliment, Brynn. It’s unexpected, and it really makes me feel good about myself. Thank you.” +“You’re very welcome. Ginevra was a female.” She wrapped her arms around James’s middle as she walked beside him. She smiled up at him when he placed his arm over her shoulders. +“Oh!” Alice was cracking up and clapping her hands. +“You’re on her side now? Traitor…” I muttered. +“Estrogen club. You cannot fight biology.” Brynna called to me over her shoulder. +“Stop!” Alice exclaimed as she laughed harder. +“Well, I don’t know how you two did it. She’s been a zombie for hours.” Elijah told us quietly. +“She just needed to get her mind off of it for a few minutes.” Alice replied, “Plus, she’s getting ready for the fight. We all are.” +“Yeah, I noticed that.” Elijah nodded, “I’m starting to feel stronger. It’s like an adrenaline rush, you know?” +“That’s exactly what it’s like.” I agreed, “Except it happens without being provoked, and it doesn’t go away. I have to admit, I dig it.” +“I dig it, too.” Elijah laughed, “The Bachums don’t know what they’re missing. Well, I guess they’re about to. We’re about to show them.” +“Yes. We are.” +A darkness came over all of us, erasing the lighthearted humor from only seconds earlier. I looked at them, seeing my growing blood-lust reflected in their eyes. Whatever naive, boyish morals I had preached before were gone; now, I understood the necessity for violence. +“Hey, Brynn!” I called up to her. +“Hey, Quinn.” +We all chuckled at the rhyme. +“I have a question.” I told her when the laughter had died away again. +“Well, you can be sure that I have an answer.” +“You said that you’re worried about taking lives of people who disagree with you.” +“That was a statement, my dear, not a question.” +“Just keep listening, my dear. I asked you this question already. What are you going to do when you get there if you don’t want to kill anyone? They’re going to try to kill you, right?” +“I said that I would not harm anyone who simply disagrees with me. I said nothing about not killing anyone. It is Don who wishes to completely eradicate the other side. As I have stated, I believe that more than half would be willing to live peacefully amongst our kind. Furthermore, I will only harm those who seek to harm myself or any of you. Those who were responsible for Violet and Penny being taken will also pay the ultimate price. Now, is that evil, or is that necessary?” +“Or is it necessarily evil?” James asked. Brynna looked up at him. “I know, that was profound. You don’t have to tell me.” +Brynna giggled softly and stood on her tiptoes to plant a kiss on his cheek. +“You are very humorous, Mr. Maxwell.” +“And you are very wise, Ms. Olivier. Not to mention, so very attractive...” +“Oh, gross!” Elijah covered his ears in horror, “Seriously, guys, I approve of your relationship. I’ve said that. But can you keep the sappy, grocery-store romance novel stuff to a minimum? It’s…” +“I know. It’s very awkward. I apologize.” James looked back at Elijah, “Seriously, I do.” +“It’s cool. You get it, though, right? She’s my little sister, and she’s dating a grandfather, and it’s weird, but I’m cool with it…” +“Oh!” Alice and I both exclaimed as James and Brynna laughed hysterically. James turned around and pretended to swing at Elijah’s head. +“It’s cool, though, because I’ve always wanted an older brother. I’ve always kind of wanted a dad, too, so you’re like, killing two birds with one stone.” Elijah continued. +Brynna laughed hysterically as she slapped her palm to her face and hung her head. Alice and I were beside ourselves. +James wrapped his arm around Elijah’s neck and held him tightly in a choke-hold. +“You’ve got nothing,’ old man!” Elijah exclaimed as he tried to fight his way out of James’s grip. +“Really? I think I’ve got something. I’m going to have your dignity in a minute, because you’re embarrassing yourself right now. You look like a mouse stuck in a hole in the wall.” +The adrenaline was coursing amongst our group like an infectious disease. We were nearing the base of the mountain now, traveling in temperatures soaring far below zero. Our winter clothes had nothing to do with the warmth that filled each of us. Our bodies were responding to the threat of the harsh conditions and the impending fight. We were preparing unconsciously. The evolutionary implications of our lighthearted playfulness were not lost on any of us. Our fear for Violet and Penny would have quickly crippled us had our adrenaline not begun to work quietly. +“Alright, ladies and gentlemen,” Elijah looked at Brynna, Alice, and me, “Grandpa,” Elijah said to James who mimed kicking him hard between the legs. Elijah dodged, cracking up again, “Let’s start climbing.” +It was only after we had begun to climb that all the “whimsy,” as Brynna called it, disappeared. Our minds were focused solely on threats lurking in the snow. Our eyes and ears were alert to any signs of movement around us. Luckily, the gray clouds overhead didn’t shed the snow that was hiding within them. It was only a matter of time, we knew. We had to get in and out of the Bachum camp before another blizzard hit. +At the top of the mountain, we had a clear view of the settlement. Rows upon rows of log cabins lined the snow-covered land. At the far end of the village, a tall log pyramid had been built. No guessing was necessary to determine who lived in that particular building. +“It’s weird to see a pyramid in the snow.” I commented somewhat randomly. No one responded; James, Brynna, and Elijah were scanning the landscape, looking for the best spot to launch our sneak attack. I leaned forward to count how many people were meandering about; the total was zero. +“Where is everyone?” Alice voiced my internal question. +“I don’t know. Probably praying, or sacrificing goats, I don’t know.” Elijah replied sarcastically. “That’s beautiful, though. We can walk right in, and they’ll never know.” He looked at us, “Are you all ready for this?” +In response, Brynna began to trek down the mountain, turning her feet sideways to avoid sliding in the snow and ice. We all followed behind her, crouching low to the ground to avoid being seen. +“It’s too quiet.” Alice whispered to me. “I don’t like it. I don’t trust it, Quinn.” +I grasped her hand tightly in mine. +Brynna, James, and Elijah didn’t trust it either, apparently. When we had reached the base of the mountain, they slunk forward and ducked behind the large boulders that stuck up from the earth like giant stone anthills. Even as we got closer, no one emerged from the cabins or the pyramid at the end of the dirt path. +“Do you think they’re messing with us?” I whispered to the rest. +“Perhaps. Surely if that’s the case, then they know we’re here.” Brynna replied, “But why they would hide from five people…” +She walked forward quickly and looked all around. Alice gasped when she walked up the steps of one of the cabins and pushed open the door. James and Elijah ran forward when she disappeared into the darkness of the house. Alice and I looked at each other, wanting nothing more than to stay hidden behind the rock. The quiet of the village was unnerving; in every corner lurked a silent threat, or so it seemed. But we had suffered the brunt of Brynna’s rage when we had forced them to face the cave-dwellers alone. We knew now that we were all in that mess together; one person’s fight was everyone’s fight. +Once inside the cabin, Alice and I were both shocked to find such a reasonably sized space so sparsely populated. There were only two animal fur beds in one corner, a wooden faucet perched high on the wall in one corner with a small dial beneath it, and a hole in the floor that they clearly used as a bathroom. +“Well, I have to say that we fared better.” James commented as he looked around. “Is this their shower? I wonder if they get hot water like we do.” +“Do you see a furnace attached to these houses? No, they have only cold water. At least they have an indoor plumbing system, though, so it’s not all bad.” Brynna frowned when she looked into the hole that was carved in the floor, “Tell me this is not their toilet.” +“It smells like a toilet.” Alice covered her nose with one hand and grasped Brynna’s hand with the other, “This is a terrible place.” +Brynna smiled slightly at her purposely over-dramatic comment on the obvious. +“Look at this.” Elijah said, and we all turned to see that he was holding up one rations box and a half moldy tomato. “This is it. Unless they ate the rest, this is all they get to eat.” +“That’s foul.” Brynna muttered in disgust, “Come on. The deathly atmosphere and horrid conditions under which these people have been forced to live is provoking a high level of despondency in me to which I am not used. Come along.” +“Let me translate for you,” James told us, “'I feel really bad for these people, and I don’t want to admit it openly.'” +“Why don't you translate this, James Maxwell?” As she walked out of the cabin, she gave him the finger. +“I’m sorry, I am not fluent in sign language.” James replied sarcastically as he followed after her. +“Alright,” Brynna told us once we were all outside. “There is but one course of action to take, and it is very unwise. In fact, it is downright stupid. Yes, I am going to do something stupid.” +“What are you going to do?” Elijah asked her hurriedly, “Brynna, don’t test our…” +“BACHUMS!” She shouted deafeningly. We all gasped as her voice echoed off of the surrounding mountains, reverberating just as loudly as her original scream. “COME OUT, COME OUT, WHEREVER YOU ARE!” +“Brynna!” Alice exclaimed in a fearful whisper. “Brynna, stop it!” +“The adrenaline rush is messing with your head! Stop it!” I ordered her fiercely. +She laughed softly, and still, the sound echoed eerily around the empty village. +“You didn’t think I would show up?!” She was walking forward. “You didn’t think I would hunt you down for taking what’s mine? Very foolish, my dears! I adore your pyramid, by the way!” +We had reached the many steps that led to the door of the pyramid. +“Let me guess, you’re going to shoot me the moment I open the door!” +“Don’t open the door! Don’t open the door!” Alice begged her as we watched her saunter up the steps. +James grabbed her, but it was too late; she had already kicked the door of the pyramid in, sending it flying off of its hinges and ricocheting down the long, dark corridor. No bullets sprayed out into the open air to bring both her and James down. No exclamation of horror or battle cry came rushing down the hallway to meet us outside the front door. +“How very disappointing.” Brynna muttered as she turned away. James grabbed her arm roughly and spun her to face him. +“Are you insane?” He hissed at her furiously. +“I am sorry, did you want to search every cabin only to find dust and dank depression? I know I didn’t.” She jerked her hand free from his grasp. Something came over her suddenly, snuffing out the boisterous recklessness that had seized her. Her expression softened just before her knees gave out. +“It’s alright. Baby, everything’s okay.” James told her as he lifted her off of her feet. +That strange moaning sound escaped her again as she grasped his face with one hand and buried her own in his neck. +“Brynn… Brynn, it’s all going to be okay.” Elijah told her as he rubbed her arm. +Her whimpers and moans made her sound as though she were seconds from getting sick. Whatever anger I had felt at her for endangering us evaporated suddenly. Sympathy exploded inside of me. I couldn’t imagine fearing for Alice’s life, and in all honesty, she was only my girlfriend. Brynna had raised those girls by herself, sacrificing her own childhood in order to ensure that they grew up happily. Penny especially was her daughter; she even bore an uncanny resemblance to her. I couldn’t imagine the blind fear that Brynna was experiencing. I didn’t want to try. +All the adrenaline that had been built up for the fight was escaping us. Alice sat down on the log steps of the pyramid, put her face in her hands, and started to cry softly. James leaned against the ledge in the pyramid wall, kissing Brynna’s face gently and whispering soft promises to her that he couldn’t possibly keep. Elijah walked away from us, choosing to drain his fear and grief in private where we couldn’t see. I sat down beside Alice, staring at the dead village in front of my eyes. The clouds cast a gray light on the world, amplifying the sadness in our hearts. If there’s one thing I’ve learned over these many years, it’s that reaching the dead-end of the road is a harrowing and very sad thing. To look left, right, upwards, and downwards and see no path, not even one that is obscured from view by underbrush or fallen boulders or darkness, is enough to turn the bravest men and women into sobbing children. It is enough to buckle the knees of Brynna Olivier, who had never fallen in the face of any sadness, ever. +“This world is huge, Quinn. They could be anywhere. Where do we even start?” Alice whispered to me through her tears. I pulled her close as tears pooled in my own eyes, too. They fell only when my face was hidden in her hair. +It began to snow. + +Violet + +“Please, Lord, let me have inherited Brynna's steel spine. I'll need it now and forever.” +The prayer crossed my mind as I drifted in the depths of unconsciousness, and I meant every word. My eyes slowly opened as my heart dreaded discovering the nature of the situation I was in. All in all, it wasn't too bad; I was lying on one of the fur beds in a room that was thankfully dark. I massaged my throbbing temples, grimacing as I sat up. Luckily, the memories of what had happened at the house were still fresh in my mind; they played out seamlessly in a review meant to remind me of the danger I was in. +“Penny?” My voice crackled and broke; I was in need of water desperately. +“She's not here.” +I had begun to forget her voice, but the English accent gave her away. I turned away from the wall and saw that Maura was keeping vigil at my bedside. +“Maura.” +“That's me.” She replied with a slight smile. “Darling, it's been so long. I've missed you.” +She opened her arms, actually believing that I was in the mood for hugs and teary apologies. +“Where is Penny?” I forced my voice to rise. I needed to assert authority over the situation or they would think that I was weak and could be easily broken. It was the Bachums who had taken me; they and the cave-dwellers had aligned to defeat Adam's city people and those I had lived with happily for several months. Brynna, Elijah, James, Alice, and Quinn were in the latter group; I would not sit back and allow the others to harm them. My heart fluttered magnificently as I realized that I could now gain valuable information about the opposing side. The soldier mentality had taken over, and I was ready to learn all that I could before fighting my way out of captivity. +Oh, how naïve I was... +“Penny's fine, Vi. You did not honestly think your father and I would let anything happen to her, did you? Or you, for that matter.” +“Eli and Brynn... What about them?” I asked fiercely. +“Elijah and Brynna have gotten themselves involved with that terrible man. What is his name?” +“Don Abba.” +“Yes. Him...” Maura avoided my eyes. I realized that she hadn't looked at me since I had turned over to see her. There was something different about her; something was broken, something was lost. Her body was frail, and her face was sunken in, giving her the appearance of a rapidly decaying corpse. Admittedly, a small pang of sympathy pulled at my heartstrings. She had always been so beautiful. Her time with the Bachums had not agreed with her at all. +“That other man,” Her brows furrowed in apathetic confusion, “Or is he a man? Adam. He's just as bad, if not worse. He made us think he was on our side. Then, he turned on us. Apparently, our offerings were not good enough for him. Whatever you all were doing where you were living clearly worked in your favor. He has aligned himself with you, hasn't he?” +“Do you really think I am so stupid that I would actually answer that question honestly?” +The dim light cast by the torches around the walls enhanced her skeletal features eerily. I shuddered slightly, a part of me wanting to reach out, embrace her, and urge her to come back with me to the remains of our house. Don would allow me to bring her, as long as she swore allegiance to him and cast away all thoughts of my father. I needed to prod her gently in that direction; no matter what had occurred since arriving on Pangaea, she had helped raise me on Earth. She had been an ever-present figure in my life. The very sight of her evoked a strange calm in my heart as the smell of summer rain filled my nose. I shook my head slightly, forcing that random serenity from my mind. It was simply an inconvenience under the tense circumstances. +“I hate that we're on opposite sides of this, Violet.” Maura whispered, and her dull, drooping eyes finally met mine. “I love you. I love Penny. You have to know that. I've driven your father mad with how much I've talked about you.” +“Yeah? Is that how you got those bruises on your face?” +They colored her pure white skin in a pattern of dark blue, purple, and black like a sloppily designed ink blot test. In the darkness, the cuts in her lip looked like piercings punctured into her flesh by an amateur. +“No. That wasn't your father.” She whispered, and her eyes diverted away from me again as her hands flew up to cover her face from my view. She stayed like that for a long while, but after starting to draw back from both me and the topic at hand, she reconsidered and leaned forward, her dead eyes alight suddenly with a need to make me understand something vital. +“Why are you looking at me like that?” I could not look into her eyes for long without a shiver stomping up every vertebrae in my spine. +What had happened to her? I did not recognize the woman I had seen every day for seventeen years. I could not begin to fathom what she had been forced to endure in order for that drastic change to come over her. +“Violet, if you understood the gravity of what is to come, you wouldn't be asking me such stupid questions.” +Jerking my hands from her grasp, I stood up and began to pace. My heart raced not with the battle-ready anticipation of a warrior placed in enemy territory at the right place and time but with the fear of an abandoned child. Maura was gone. It had taken mere minutes alone with her to understand just how unhinged she had become. I wondered how many others had succumbed to such lunacy. If I spoke of that to Brynna, she would surely weigh the effects on a scale of environmental hardships and malnutrition versus tyrannical regimes and potent, never-ending fear of death. Briefly, I found myself wondering the same, and in my wondering, I found that the scale remained level. +“Why did they attack us?” +“The same reason you attacked us, darling. Adam and Tyre have spoken clearly, haven't they? Only one side can live. But it's alright.” Her hands grasping mine again stopped my furious pacing. “You're with us now. Violet, I have seen the error of my ways. We have all repented for the awful things we did on Earth. Do you want to hear the strangest thing? It was only yesterday that everyone had finally repented. Then, we attacked Don and Adam's people and destroyed them! Isn't that amazing?” +She let go of my hands to clasp her own together. While she looked up at the ceiling with tear-filled eyes, I grimaced in discomfort. Her hopeful, blind gratitude to this God she had been told encouraged war was sickening. I scowled at her, my red eyes burning into hers when she looked back at me. +“Violet, do not do that!” She jumped up abruptly and pointed at me with a trembling finger. “Make them right! Do not let your eyes change colors! They'll kill you for that! It's,” She looked around fearfully before lowering her voice to a whisper, “It's Satan that has given all of you those powers. Look at what they do to you! They make you kill! They make you control people's minds! They make you control the forces of nature when that is God's job! Violet, I need you to see clearly! Please,” Tears cascaded down her swollen, bruised cheeks, “I love you, and I couldn't bear it if I lost you!” +“I love bursting your bubble, Maura, but I sincerely doubt that your ridiculous leaders killed the other side completely. Maybe you took a few of our people. But you certainly didn't take them all. We all have powers, you're right. You're wrong to say that they're evil. You're just afraid of what you don't understand. I guess that for you, it's easier to shut off your mind and worship this God blindly even though it's crazy people who claim he exists, but I will never be that stupid, do you hear me?!” I leaned forward so my face was close to hers. “What is the endgame, Maura? Why am I here?” +“Because your father was meant to give me a gift now that we're married. He's very powerful, even here. They said that he could give me one gift, and do you want to know what I asked for?” +“I don't have to guess.” I replied sarcastically, “Well, it's a bubble-bursting extravaganza, because I'm telling you now that I'm not staying here, and neither is Penny.” +“You're safe here. The other side is dead. If they haven't all died yet, they will soon enough. We'll win, and we'll be able to live peacefully. We survived the end of days, Violet. Now, our brave soldiers are going to make sure we survive this new age, too. And we're going to fight them and win without ever using those terrible powers. It's going to be wonderful, darling, I promise. We are the chosen race, my love. We will come out of this on top. The Bachums promised us that much. The Old Spirits have been kind to us. Tyre makes sure that we are fed. He hates Adam, and he will bring him down. They will reclaim the city.” +“No, I can assure you that they won't.” I snapped at her indignantly, “Adam told us that Tyre, or whatever the hell his name is, has lost his powers. All of his people have.” +“They were farming the earth. Adam’s people. They sent horrible creatures to hunt down people like Brynna and Elijah. People who had allowed the change. They know that humans are not meant to wield such great power. Luckily, they got a lot of them. But the people who made it and have embraced those powers...” Maura shook her head, “They have to die, Violet. That's why I'm telling you to stop it. Stop it, or they'll...” +“Maura, get out.” +My father was standing in the doorway. Maura jumped up and immediately walked towards the door with her head down. Her clothes hung like draping robes from her emaciated form. I shuddered again. +While she looked on the verge of death from starvation, my father had acquired a swollen belly and fatty jowls. I grimaced at the sight of him; he had always been handsome, so handsome that two women had vied for his affections and countless others—young women, only as old or a little bit older than Brynna!—had chased after him, tongues wagging, even when he surpassed the age of fifty. Now, he reminded me of an eighteenth century king who spent his days imbibing on ale and gorging roasted pig meat as readily as he breathed. The metaphor was not far from the truth, I would soon discover. +“Violet.” He opened his arms as he walked towards me. What was it with those people expecting warm embraces after all that had transpired between our two sparring armies? Did they truly believe that I had longed for them, or that my allegiance would change with no hesitation? I held my hand up when he went to wrap his arms around me. +“I know. A lot of bad things have happened. But just know that I'm going to make it up to you.” He sat down on the chair Maura had been sitting in, and it creaked under his weight. “I was afraid that you and Penny were starving to death. But you look healthy. I'm glad. At least that despicable man and that disgusting tramp made sure you were fed.” +“Did you just call Brynna a tramp, really?” I asked with a slight laugh, “That's funny.” +“Violet, you should have no loyalty to her anymore. I saved your life in more ways than you know. Not to mention, I'm your father, and you wouldn't be here without me, right?” +“So, I should just forget that you abandoned Mom, imposed rules over the campsite that involved people starving to death, abandoned us, shacked up with Maura, and abducted Penny and me from our home?” +“I did not abandon your mother; Brynna did! I was letting people starve because I was thinking of the group. You don't think that was hard for me to do that to people? I had to think of the whole and not the parts, Violet. I don't expect you to understand that.” In his voice, I heard genuine remorse. I heard a genuine plea for me to understand. +“You're right. I don't understand that.” I told him angrily, “There were other ways, Dad, and you know...” +“I had to do what was right for everyone. We never would have survived a month if everyone had to have a fair share. Don't you see that? And I didn't abandon you! You ran away. We searched for you for days! Maura and I love each other, so yes, we're together. But that doesn't mean that I don't still love your mother. How could I not still love her? We were married for almost twenty-five years.” +“And God knows how many affairs you had! Don't try to convince me that you two were happily married! You might think that I'm still that young, immature little girl that I was only a year ago, but I remember things clearly now!” +“You remember things the way Brynna wants you to remember things.” My father hissed in fury. “I can't imagine the lies she's put in your head.” +“Brynna never even talked about you. She never tried to warp my view of you, Mom or Maura. But I do know something that you all kept a secret. I know what happened to her. I know now, even better than I did before, that what happened to Lucien wasn't her fault.” +He rose to his feet, trembling with rage. +“Lucien's death was no one's fault but hers! She went off into her head, and while she was rolling around in her ridiculous thoughts, he was drowning! My son! Your brother!” +“You all shouldn't have left her alone! Not after what happened! And you called her a liar! Maura knew it was happening! Only Mom believed her! Only Mom took care of her after it was over! That is, until Lucien died, and she turned on her, too! I believed your lies about Brynna for years, Dad. But for some reason, I couldn't hate her. Now, I know why. I couldn't hate her because all of the things you said about her were bullshit!” +“You watch your mouth!” He grabbed a hold of my face in a grip so painful that I whimpered. My body was shaking with fear; I squeezed my eyes shut when he brought back his hand. I was going to experience the same punishment he had inflicted only on Brynna. I wanted to feel the pain she had been forced to endure. I deserved it for believing their disgusting lies. But my father took a breath, released my face, and dropped his arm back to his side. When I opened my eyes, I saw that he was seated again with his face pressed into his hands. +“I know now that what Brynna said happened actually did happen. With Michael, I mean. I wish I could say that I feel badly for her, but I don't. I can't, and I have tried, Violet; believe me, I’ve tried. Sometimes, I do, but then it goes away when I saw Luc’s face. When I see how he looked after she had pulled him out of the pool. I'm sure I would feel terrible if she hadn't been responsible for Lucien's death. I’m sure I would have wanted to kill him, like any father should. But that was my son, Violet.” +My heart jumped with the same startled, momentary terror that follows being spooked by someone jumping out from behind a wall and shouting in your face. His voice had broken, and he had tears in his eyes. +“He was my youngest child. He looked just like me. You can't imagine the love I had for him. He was so young, and he had those huge eyes. You remember them. They always lit up the moment I came through the door. God, I loved that little boy so much...” +He covered his face with one hand as tears ran down his cheeks. A part of me began to sympathize. +No, my mind shouted in a fury that shocked me just as much as his tears did, He doesn't deserve your pity. He is an evil man. Whatever pain he feels is karma. +Was Lucien's death karma for the evil deeds committed by both him and my mother? I couldn't bear the thought of my little brother paying the price for their sins. +“And she took him from me. She was so profoundly selfish, Violet. You've seen how she is. I've had a lot of time to think about what happened to our family while we were on Earth. I've come to the conclusion that Brynna is lying to all of us and herself when she says that she drifted off. I think that she let him drown because she was angry at your mother and me for letting Michael do what he did. She made us pay a price for our ignorance. That is unforgivable, sweetheart.” +“Yes, it would be, if it were true. Somehow, I don’t think a ten year old could come up with that, Dad.” +“She deserves that disgusting man she's with now. He's a traitor. He's a liar. He's a killer.” +“James is a good man.” I spat at him, voicing the fury I felt down to my bones. “He is good to her, which I'm sure makes you hate him. Let me ask you something, Dad.” +“Go ahead. Anything, honey.” He looked up at me. +“Why is Maura so beaten up?” +We stared at each other for a good long while. I tried to detect any emotions that flickered across his face, but none were present. There was only a thoughtless ambivalence I knew preceded an apathetic explanation that would involve at least one reference to the God they worshiped so blindly. +“Maura refused to repent for a very long time. She deserved what they did to her. But she's alright now, Violet. I took care of her myself after it was all said and done. What you need to understand is that Mary and Rich do what they have to do. They make us see the Light by whatever means necessary. They do use force, especially when people are stubborn, like Maura was. But she knows now all the things she did were wrong. She's a better person for it.” +“Will they use force on me so that I'll see the Light?” I asked sarcastically, but I was deeply afraid of being forced to endure such agonizing torture. I couldn't bring to mind readily any significant misdeeds I had committed in my short life, but I knew they would find something to punish me for. +“Of course not!” He assured me firmly. “You're only sixteen.” +“I'm seventeen. Well, eighteen now; it’s been about a year since we came here, hasn’t it?” I corrected him quickly. +“That's right. Either way, you haven't done anything that requires repentance. Us older folks, though, have done plenty. But every last one of us has paid for what we did. And the Good Lord has graced us with a victory we couldn't possibly imagine.” +“You were never religious before. You said religion was for cowards. You used to say it was a drug. Do you remember that?” +“'Before' is the key word there, sweetheart. Everything is different here. Everything has changed. Now come on, I have a surprise for you.” +I didn't want to leave the cell I had been placed in. Learning the ways of the Bachums was crucial to discovering how best to beat them, but I couldn't stand the thought of pretending to be on their side. I was a product of living under Don's tutelage; all I wanted was to see them die. They were a threat to our existence. They were the only things standing between us and a peaceful life on Pangaea. +But I allowed my father to steer me out into a torch-lit corridor. He walked ahead of me up a set of stairs fashioned from logs. With one strong thrust, he pushed open a trap door above our heads, unleashing a blinding stream of light that sent me stumbling back. +“Whoa...” He grasped my arms to keep me from tumbling backwards down the steps. “Sorry. I should have warned you about that.” +He had to practically carry me out into the sunlight. I was unable to open my eyes until they had properly adjusted. When I finally saw what was around me, I was as stunned by the beauty of it as I always was when witnessing Pangaea's natural wonders. +The village had been built into the stone walls of the surrounding mountains. The houses were beautifully constructed from wood and leaves, stretching as far as I could see. We were at the very top of the mountain; I felt almost level with the sun. It was warmer than I would have expected; the snow beneath our feet was beginning to dissolve before my eyes. The blue sky was even more brilliant from the top of the world than it was from the ground below. If I hadn't been in enemy territory, I might have cried at such a beautiful sight. +“So, this is the famous Violet Olivier.” +I whipped around to see an elegantly dressed woman studying me with hazel eyes so menacing I believed that she might have been capable of killing me with one glance. The jack-o-lantern grin on her face didn't help to dissolve the illusion. Her age bordered around fifty, but her skin bore no trace of aging. Even without any makeup on, she was still gorgeous. I noted the cross displayed on her prominent chest. Little deliberation was necessary to determine her identity. +“So, you're the famous Mary Bachum.” +“Introductions clearly aren't in order.” Her arms were around me before I could even mentally prepare for close proximity to such a snake-like creature. To avoid being stoned to death, I patted her back but still could not bring myself to squeeze her with both of my own arms. +“I am so glad that they managed to get you and your sister away from those people.” Her claw- like fingernails were digging into my cheek as she grasped my chin. “I can't imagine how scared you must have been, living with those mutated freaks.” +She insulted them so casually, I almost laughed. +“Where is my sister?” I asked, trying to keep my voice level. I couldn't afford to be perceived as overly confrontational. I was outnumbered laughably, so a fight was out of the question. +“She's with your mother, of course.” +“Maura isn't my mother.” +“Mary, I was just about to tell Violet about who we've arranged for her.” +“Oh, yes!” Mary clapped her hands together once gleefully. “He is a very smart boy, your boyfriend. It took no prodding for him to realize that this is where he is supposed to be. I can see that you're smart in the same way.” +“What?” I asked, furrowing my brows, “Who are you...” +“Violet!” A voice said behind me in thrilled relief. + Good thing I wasn't like Brynna who firmly believed she would melt at the slightest physical contact with other people. I was rolling my eyes skyward at having to endure another awkward embrace. But just as the irritation reached its peak, his smell overtook me, and I was squeezing him so tightly, I was sure that he couldn't breathe. +“Nick...” I fought the tears of relief that rushed into my eyes. +“Are you alright?” He asked me softly so Mary and my dad, who were listening closely, couldn't hear. +“I'm fine. Are you?” +“I'm perfect. Isn't this great? We're finally away from those freaks! We're safe up here. We're going to win the war.” +His eyes betrayed his lies only to me. +“Yes.” I replied, following his lead, “It's great, isn't it? Maura and Dad are here, and you know how I've missed them.” +“I love you.” He told me randomly. +“Wha...” +His mouth on mine cut off my dumbfounded reaction to such an emotionally heavy statement. We were dancing in a charade that I didn't understand. I kissed him back to keep up with him. Clearly, Nick had a plan that I was supposed to follow. +“I love you, too.” I smiled despite my vast confusion. +“That is very sweet.” Mary was grasping her heart, grinning gigantically. +“He's a good man, Vi, just like Mary said. He knows where his loyalty belongs. Plus, he's proof that you’re normal, and thank God for that! Compare him to that freak your sister is dating.” +“Shh...” Mary whispered, grasping his arm, “We are not going to speak of those awful people. God wouldn't want their names to cross our lips.” +“You're right.” My dad smiled at her, “Well, Vi, I know it's sudden, and you're probably going to be a little surprised, but Mary and Rich have a couple of rules that you have to follow. One of them is that everyone, except for those under the age of fifteen, has to be married.” +‘A little surprised’ was the understatement of the thousands of years that the Earth and Pangaea had existed. I grasped Nick's hand tightly in my own, my eyes wide. His face wore a similar expression of horrified disbelief. To think that I was only three years shy of the cut-off… +“Why?” He asked. +“Because if you love someone, you get married, of course!” Mary replied with another bright grin. She put her arms around both of us and walked us along. “It's a huge step, but it's the right step. Here, we live by a strict moral code, one that has been outlined for us by God. Following His laws has led us to victory. While that awful man, Abba, believes that people can govern themselves, we believe that people must live by the laws of God. Alcohol and the drugs that grow in the ground here are forbidden. People must uphold the traditional values of marriage; one man, one woman. That's how it's written, after all.” +“What else are we not allowed to do?” +“Oh, sweetheart, don't make it sound so restrictive! We do require all of the people we're feeding and housing to attend church services in that building.” She pointed to the large wooden structure in the dead center of the village square, “That's our church. We have services three times a day.” +That seemed a bit excessive... +“We did take some cues from your people, though. The people we had in your camp reported that you all grow your own food. They taught us how to do it, so we can thank them for that.” +“Only that.” My father added with a scowl. +“Yes. Only for that. Your sister will attend classes every day. We have several teachers in our group who will teach her the ways of the Lord. Of course, she'll also learn math.” +Wow. How progressive of them to teach Math. +“The men work while the women take care of the house. So Nick, you'll be helping to harvest the crops. Violet, you'll make sure that he has a nice dinner waiting for him when he comes home.” +Oh, God, I was going to throw up… It was like a nightmare. It was almost too clichéd to be believable, but how many people like her had I met on Earth? Every time I thought I had met the last extreme, to-the-letter follower of the Bible, I met another and another and another. Don’s way of living was like a violent, never-ending, anything-goes circus, while Rich and Mary’s way of living was a violent, never-ending, nothing-goes Sunday school. +“When are we getting married, exactly?” I tried to sound as though I was looking forward to the forced union. +“Three days.” Mary replied, “Just a simple service. Now, gentlemen, I'd like to talk to Violet alone. Nick, if you'd like to go to the Temple, Rich will fill you in on all you need to know about your duties.” +“Alright. Violet, I'll see you at dinner.” My dad told me. Nick kissed me again and very discreetly indicated both of my eyes. After that quick gesture, he widened his own. Message received: +“Keep your eyes open.” +An awkward silence perched malevolently between Mary and me. At least, it was awkward for me. That deceptive smile remained plastered on her face at all times. Her soft hands grasped my own as she sat us both down on a stone bench. +“I know it seems like a lot to handle. I know it seems a little over the top. We had some people suggest that we had taken away their basic freedoms. That's not the case, Violet. We have these rules because human beings need to have these rules. We are human beings, despite what Don and his band of brutes would have you believe.” +“What are the consequences for breaking the rules?” +Her smile widened and that wicked gleam in her eyes intensified. This was a woman who enjoyed seeing people punished brutally. How that fit into the Godly creed, I didn't know. +“They are severe. The rules have shaped our lives, down to the very foundation. We wouldn't be here if Rich hadn't put them into effect. Men work to ensure that we have enough food to eat. Women cook, clean, and sew, among other things. The roles are of equal importance; you must understand that.” +“Do you mandate how many children we have to pop out, too?” I asked before biting my tongue. The sarcasm was inherent, as I'm sure you've realized. Her smile faltered when she realized that I was being facetious. I scrambled to cover the misstep. +“That's what Don told us. He said that you make people have lots of babies even if they don't want to. He said that you make people...” I lowered my voice to a dramatically timid whisper. “You make people have relations whenever you say they have to.” +She closed her eyes, her smile vanished completely. I wondered if it had ever existed, given how quickly it was erased from her face. Her hands tightened around mine. +“What an awful thing for him to tell you! You poor child...” +“I've never done that before, and I'm afraid to.” +“Of course you've never done that before! Your father raised you well. Though, he did permit Maura to infect you with her cynicism and her, if I may be frank, less-than-moral ways when it comes to men. Violet, no one will ever tell you when you have to do that. You'll only do that with Nick when you're ready to, and only after you're married. That man spreads his vicious lies because he knows that what he is doing is wrong. A part of him knows that he deserves to be struck down for what he has allowed people to do in that festering, sinful place he called a home. That wasn't a home, Violet. That wasn't a family. You don't have to live in fear of men soliciting that from you. We all value marriage here, so don't worry about that for a second. You don't have to worry about being tempted with drugs or alcohol, either, because like I said, we don't allow either here. We just live our lives in peace, in the light of God. It's the best way to live, I promise you, Violet. I promise you.” +There was a warmth to her voice that hadn't been present before. I almost believed her. I know that she believed herself. She and Rich both believed exactly what my father did; they were acting with the needs of others in mind. They were promoting the greater good. I wished that I could believe the promises she was making. Besides the unequal gender roles and the brutality that they evoked when punishing those who broke their rules, the place seemed to be alright. Living under Don's lack of rules had bred some sticky situations that were whispered about while we worked. His belief that we were not fit to judge even when one of our own committed a cruel act had allowed men and women to harm one another without fear of consequences. Here, at least, I didn't have to worry about being stolen from or assaulted. +But I wasn't staying. Nick and I would be escaping long before they could force us to get married. We would take Penny and run as far from that deceptively perfect place as we could. I would not be taken in by her promises. I could see that while she insisted the laws were for our benefit, they were simply the way that she and her husband controlled others. Those other people were scared survivors of the cataclysmic event that had taken our Earth. They would follow anyone who promised them safety. The laws they lived under were comforting to them because to adhere to the restrictions meant shutting off their brains and towing the line without hesitation. It must have been nice, to have no reason to think. +“Violet!” +Her girlish squeal of excitement jolted me out of my reverie. I pulled my hands from Mary's grasp and turned just in time to catch her when she jumped towards me. Penny's small arms wrapped around my neck, and her lips pressed to my cheek. +“I missed you, Vi!” She exclaimed with both of her tiny hands on my face. +“I missed you, too, Penn. Are you alright?” +“Mommy and I talked, even though her face still hurts a lot! She’s alright, but she misses Brynna. Right? Right, Maura?” +Maura’s eyes were wide, and she was stammering as she tried to answer, but Penny just kept talking, undaunted. +“Maura and I went for a walk, and she showed me where this gigantic eagle lives. It has these really big eggs, and it saw us, and flew away!” +I had to love her excitement and how she had no idea that we were in danger. I wanted to preserve her innocence by allowing her to believe that we were safe. +“When are Brynna, James, Eli, Allie, and Quinn getting here? Maura said they would be here soon. I want to show them the eagle!” +“Uh...” I looked back at Mary to find her scowling at Maura darkly. “They'll be here soon.” +I should have rectified Maura's mistake by saying that the rest of our family would never meet us there. That's what Mary wanted me to say. Her eyes screamed but one command: Tell that little girl that her family is dead. But I couldn't break her little heart. I couldn't even pretend that Brynna, Elijah, Alice, Quinn, and James were gone. My avoidance of saying such a terrible thing was for both Penny’s benefit and my own. I just couldn’t bear the thought of it. +“Go on, sweetheart. We'll meet you there.” Mary told us with the grin molded on her thin lips that a fox would wear upon finally sneaking its way into a rabbit hole. I heard her whispering furiously to Maura, but I blocked out her words. +“Maura says her face will be better soon. She says it doesn't hurt anymore. Don is so mean! Why did he do that to Maura, Vi?” +“I don't know.” I replied vaguely. All of the lies that were being told by so many different people were beginning to jumble together. While I wanted to keep Penny as deep in the dark as I could in regards to the precarious situation we were in, I was finding it difficult to keep everyone's tall tales separated. I would have a hard time recalling the details at will, which made protecting Penny even more challenging. +“Come on. I know you must be starving.” +“I am! And Maura said that they have lizard berry pie!” +“Lizard berry pie!” I exclaimed, mirroring her excitement. +It sounds horrible, but it’s wonderful, I promise. In fact, in the moment, the thought of it made me smile a little bit, because I remembered the look on Brynna’s face when she had first heard it spoken by one of Adam’s people. Her eyebrows had wrinkled, and her eyes had widened, and she had grimaced in utter revolt, asking as nicely as she could if it contained actual lizards, and if so, what kind, because she only ate dinosaur? Believe it or not, the Pangaean baker had gotten a kick out of that and said that he was fresh out of Tyrannosaurus Rex but would find some for her, before explaining that the pie was made of green berries from the forest that resembled lizard skin. It tastes like chocolate-covered peaches and charred sugar like what’s on the top of crème brulee, and it is utterly divine; it is so divine that I was surprised the Bachums allowed their people to have it; such indulgence was a sin, I would be told, but once in a while, sins had to be indulged. Or something. +For the duration of our walk to the Temple, Maura stayed several steps behind us, her head down. I knew she was on the verge of tears, and my heart broke for her. I was done pretending that her suffering didn't impact me. What she had done didn't matter anymore. Every glance, every movement of her body betrayed her great fear of those people she was being forced to live with. My eyes scanned those walking past me, and my heart dropped even further into my stomach. The men sauntered like kings while the women kept their heads down like lowly servants. At least in Don's camp, everyone greeted each other warmly and happily. People smiled even while they were ramming a knife in your back or reaching behind you to snatch your belongings right off of your person. But in the Bachum camp, the men traveled in packs while the women avoided even a glance at one another. +A phrase came back to me from Bible school: wolves in sheep clothing. A Brynna-ism, as James called them, came back to me as well: +“If it seems like it's too good to be true, you're probably two steps from the edge of total catastrophe.” +I received both of those messages timidly. +*** + +After an awkward prayer, dinner was eaten in silence. I tried not to observe those around me too closely, out of fear of giving myself away. Penny stared around, unabashed, her brows furrowed in confusion. +“Why is no one talking?” She whispered to me. +I shushed her and squeezed her hands under the table. +After an awkward dinner, we were a part of an awkward religious ceremony that involved speaking in some unknown language, gesticulating wildly to the sky, and singing in monotonous vowels for three hours. After everyone was exhausted from all the rigorous worshiping, we fell into our seats and watched as Tyre took the podium from Rich. Rich clapped his hands, and everyone joined in immediately. When I saw Tyre glance at Penny hungrily, I nearly jumped out of my chair and charged him. Nick’s hands tightening around both of mine stopped me. +You cannot imagine the suffocating feeling of suppressing your true nature. You cannot imagine how difficult it is to stifle even your protective instinct that will guarantee the longevity of a child. I would become uncomfortably familiar with the stifling weight of keeping the beast down over the following days. +“Ladies and gentlemen, I am very pleased to stand before you today with joyous news. Abba's group has split. The battle was won in your favor. Congratulations.” +There was a rumble of applause so deafening, I feared briefly that the wooden walls would cave. I saw every display of happiness one can observe in human beings; everything from a small smirk to screaming thanks at the ceiling and jumping up and down in ecstasy. +“The war is not over yet, however. We still must take back the city from Adam.” +Now, people muttered darkly amongst themselves about evil incarnate and damnation. I stifled the urge to roll my eyes. +“Jesus...” Nick murmured in disgusted disbelief. +I looked at him, silently urging him not to speak. +“I know!” A woman in front of us turned around, smiling gigantically. “God is so great!” +“These people don't know anything about God or His so...” I began to whisper to Nick, but Maura smacked my hand, not looking at me. When I gasped in response to the slight pain, I also looked over at her. She gave me an almost imperceptible shake of her head. +“Richard and I believe that it is time for you all to know the great truth behind the bloodshed that has claimed the lives of so many of my people and his. Only through this great truth will you truly understand.” +Jeez, were they going to dim the lights dramatically? +“Thousands of years ago, when the Earth and Purissimus had just come into being, human-like creatures were shaped in the image of the One God. His rules were simple; you all are familiar with the Great Ten. The war with Adam began with the building of the Shining City. While my people and I wished to continue worshiping in order to show our profound thanks for the powers that He had bestowed upon us, Adam wished to harvest the world for resources in order to build an empire.” +Anger was pulsing through the crowd. Penny looked at me, her eyes widened slightly in fear. I pulled her into my lap and held her close. +“The greatest gift that was given to us was this pure land that we inhabit. Adam was destroying it mercilessly. As more of the land died, his powers only grew more potent while ours began to die away. We did not grieve the loss; we only realized that if Adam, in all his infinite evil and his love of destruction, possessed them, then surely, they were not of God but of the Beast. Our fight had been raging for many years when from out of the sky, came your ship. Our numbers had been lessened by his brutality. We were fortunate that there were those who know the Great Truth on board your craft. You all know the Truth.” He beckoned out to the audience who were hanging onto his every word. They were thrilled to be complimented by him. There was not a shred of doubt amongst any of them. +“While Adam embraces the powers of the Beast, you all are our gift from the one God. You all will aid us in achieving our victory. From out of the ashes of a ruined world came the faithful warriors for whom I had so long asked. Together, we will overthrow Adam. Together, we will claim the city and restore Purissimus to its Godly glory. It is the will of the all-mighty Creator, for this war to be fought. It is His will for us to win. Never fear defeat, my friends. We are the Chosen Ones.” +“On the note of never fearing defeat, I'd like to add this, if you don't mind, Tyre.” +“Please...” Tyre stepped away, and Rich took the podium. +“I'd like all of you men who fight to remember this: God gave his one son to die for our sins. If you are grieving those we lost yesterday, just remember that they died serving God. They died fighting in the name of Him and his Son.” +I watched as people nodded with tears either brimming in their eyes or streaming rapidly down their faces. One man even pumped his fist into the air. Rich was eating up the adulation and the show of unity amongst his people. He stepped away from the podium, beckoning for Tyre to take it again. +“Now, because we have won such a spectacular victory, we must make an offering.” +Silence. Forget a knife; a chainsaw couldn't have cut through the tension in that room. All around, people glanced, wide-eyed at one another. A woman in front of us put her face in her hands, stifling sobs. What the hell? +“Please don't fret, my lady.” Tyre told her kindly, but his eyes were glinting with malice. “It will not be one of you this time. It will be one who is consumed by the darkness. It will be one that we took from Abba. Gentlemen...” +He gestured to the door at the far right end of the hall. From out of it, two male Old Spirits dragged Eric, one of the men responsible for keeping our fires burning, from the back room. Though he fought to free himself from their grasp, he did not scream obscenities or call those people on their blind, pitilessly stupid devotion. My heart raced as I turned Penny away from the scene. +“It's Eric!” She cried to me. “What are they going to do?” +I shushed her again, my entire body trembling. Eric had been a friend to everyone; he was always ready with a joke or to laugh at one told by someone else. He did an amazing impression of Don that never failed to make every fall over themselves laughing. He and his wife had been very much loved. I wanted to run forward, throw myself over him, and beg them to stop their senseless violence. I wanted to scream, reminding them that no God in the western canon demanded ritual sacrifice, at least according to Brynna, who knew everything. Were they really so blind? Were they really so stupid in terms of the faith they claimed they followed down to the letter? +They slammed Eric down on the altar at the front of the church. People were standing, craning their necks to get a better look. I turned my head away, fighting tears and my own faltering breaths. Nick wrapped his arm around my shoulder, pulling both Penny and me closer to him. His eyes were averted from the carnage in front of us. +Arms raised to the sky and swayed back and forth as people hummed in an ominous monotone. Maura's hand snaked around my back, grasping a handful of my shirt. Even her eyes were cast down. As others screamed and cried for the sacrifice, we prayed for something, anything that would stop it. A light would fill the hall and the booming voice of the Lord would demand that they stop their pitiless bloodshed. Jesus Christ would chastise them for embracing such brutal methods of worship and claiming that they were following His code. +But the hall remained dimly lit by the torches. The only sound came from the worshipers risen from their seats, crying out to the heavens and stomping their feet, shaking the foundation of the structure we were in. For a moment, I prayed that the roof would collapse on our heads. Penny's tears ran down my neck, and I grasped her even more tightly, squeezing my eyes shut as Tyre raised the knife above his head… +Cheers erupted, and through my half-opened eyes, I saw people embracing before raising their hands to the sky in triumph and thanks. +Look anywhere else! Don't look, Violet! My mind whispered in a desperate, shaky plea. Even my brain knew that seeing Eric's mangled body would weaken the already fragile grip I held on my sanity. To lose it there in the church meant not only my death, but Penny’s and Nick’s, and maybe even Maura's. +There is truth to the belief that a subconscious part of our minds is fascinated by tragedy and gruesome sights. That part of my brain pulled my protesting eyes to the sight of Eric's body. Blood was dripping down the altar, pattering against the hardwood floor like a grotesque rain. His eyes and mouth were still wide open in his final scream of terror. +God grasped the top of the building and spun us in fierce, powerful circles. My legs were knocked out from beneath me. I hit the ground hard, feeling Penny flying from my arms. +The darkness in the hearts of those people snuffed out the light from the torches. +I closed my eyes. +*** + +“I am so sorry about this, Rich. I just don't think she's used to it yet.” +“Don't apologize, Dan. It's alright. It's always shocking the first time. But I'm sure she knows that it was necessary. If she doesn't know now, she will soon enough.” +Yeah, I'd know that soon, alright… Right after I realized that every evil act of man ever committed on Earth or Pangaea was for the greater good... +“Hey, Vi.” Nick's blurry outline was in front of my eyes when I opened them. I felt a cup of water being pressed to my lips and the cold liquid pouring down my throat. My hands flew up to rub my forehead. “You're alright, liebling. It's all over now.” +“How are you feeling?” +Mary Bachum's voice showed the greatest concern which betrayed her true apathy. Her voice was as welcome as a blow to the head. +“You gave us quite a scare, Violet.” She told me. “Drink that water. It will help.” +Her clawed hand squeezed my knee. I struggled not to push it off, stand up, and begin berating them all for what they had done to Eric. It had been murder. None of the other things they said were sinful actually were, but what they had done to Eric was certainly a sin. +My heart beat so quickly, I feared they could hear it; if they did, they would know my fear and beneath that, my traitorous intentions. I didn't see Penny or Maura, and Nick's eyes were full to the brim with quiet fear to rival my own. Had they inflicted my punishment for fainting onto Maura and Penny? +“Be clever, Violet. Play the part.” Brynna's voice urged me gently in my mind. +“I don't do very well around blood.” I explained ruefully. “I’m so sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Bachum.” +Mary and Rich both laughed softly, assuring me that it was alright. My father joined in after a moment of frowning at me in disbelief. He was well aware that I had always been the one to dress wounds while Brynna faced away from the injured party, her skin paler than a corpse's. +“I know. Believe it or not, a lot of people couldn't handle it in the beginning, so you're not alone.” Rich said as he beamed at me. “Mary, you even used to cringe a little bit.” +“I fainted outright the first time, too.” Mary told me as she shook her head sheepishly. +“You did!” Rich snapped his fingers as he remembered. “I felt just awful, Violet. I knew that I had better go find a flower patch that night, and bring some home for her.” +“And he did!” Mary wrapped her arm around his back and smiled up at him in genuine adoration. “It's alright, honey. I understood that it was necessary. And now, I don't have to look away for a second.” She let go of Rich and grasped my hand. God, that woman was so overly touchy. +The lie rose from my stomach into my throat before spewing out of my lips like bile. It tasted even worse, by far. +“I understand that it was necessary, too. I am really sorry that I fainted. Truly, I feel terrible about it. I feel like I distracted people from it.” +I wanted the hand of God to reach out and smack me in the mouth like I was a back-talking child. I still don't know how I found the will to say something so repulsive and untrue. +“Please, don't apologize. You and your father, always apologizing. We understand, Violet.” Rich told me, and now his hand was resting on my shoulder for an uncomfortable minute. “Now, please, Nick, take your soon-to-be wife back to your house. You remember where it is?” +“Yes.” Nick answered instantly before jumping up to take my hand. “I'll take very good care of her.” +“Of course you will.” Mary agreed, and her eyes were watery at the sight of our young love. She placed her hand over her heart as she looked between the two of us. Vomit... +She kissed my cheek and then his, still beaming like a proud parent watching her children as they went off to prom. Double vomit... +Nick and I tried not to run from the building. He kept his arm around my shoulder, steering me to the door and opening it for me like the true gentlemen he was. Once we were out in the frigid night air, we walked calmly for a few steps before upping our pace to a brisk walk. Several times, we glanced over our shoulders to make sure that they weren't following us. Never once did I let go of his hand, nor did he ever try to pull it from my grasp. +“Oh, my God... oh, my God...” I whispered. Tears were blurring my vision, and my nose was running. Snow was beginning to shoot vengefully from the clouds. We were shivering as the freezing cold wind nipped at our exposed skin. Our cheeks were red as the air smacked us for even pretending to feel such great ambivalence to the murder of a man we had known. Even if we hadn't known him, our little charade was reprehensible. We were cowards, both of us. Had Eric's eyes found me in the crowd of people screaming for his death? Had he seen my remorse? Did it matter? +Of course it didn’t. He was dead. +I was sobbing quietly as both of my hands held onto Nick's arm now. +“Where is it? Where's the house?” I croaked out through my tears. +“I don't know. I just said that so we could get out of there!” He told me as he walked us along. The terror in my heart and the cold around me shook my body into a fit of shivers that gave me the appearance of being in the throes of a seizure. The falling snow and the blazing wind had extinguished the torches that would have lit the way. We were traveling blind; I feared that at any moment, we would walk right off the cliff and tumble to the ground so many thousands of feet below. Even the stars were hidden by the clouds in the sky. +Nick stopped us so he could shed his hoodie. Beneath it, he was wearing a Black Keys t-shirt. I remembered that night in the house when we had kissed as their song played smoothly from Teresa's iPod. Sure, the hangover from the Peace Fruit was unpleasant, but the night with him had been worth it. My tears fell freely, and my cries intensified. I just wanted to go home. I wanted more than anything than to lay with him on my bed in my room and talk and read and listen to music like we always did. He wrapped his jacket around my shoulders and put both of his cold hands on my face as I told him all of that out loud. After a moment, he kissed my forehead tenderly. +“You need this.” I gasped out to him as I started to shrug out of his jacket. +“No, you do.” He replied softly, pulling the thick sweatshirt back onto me and zipping it up. “Listen to me. We're going to be alright, Violet. Look at me.” +I raised my eyes to meet his and was stunned to find that in the depths of green, there were flecks of light blue. I remembered pictures of tropical beaches with waves of the same color lapping the shores. On my bucket list (which did not regard the things I wished to do before my death, but rather before I got married and had children), I had said that I wanted to see at least five beaches that were as beautiful in real life as they were in their pictures. I knew I never would now, so I cried harder. The snow seemed to thicken even more dangerously. +“We're going to get out of here. We're going to get Penny, and we're going to run.” He whispered to me. +“We don't know where we are.” I cried, “How are we going to find our way back to them? How will Brynna and Eli ever find us?” +“We'll find them.” His beautiful eyes stared intently into mine. In his gaze, I saw another trouble that had little to do with our current predicament. +“What is it?” I asked him softly. +“Nothing. Now isn't the time.” +“But...” +“Another time, Vi.” He stopped, realizing that he might not get another opportunity to tell me whatever it was that he was withholding. +“Just tell me.” +“I shouldn't have kissed you like that. I shouldn't have done that just for show. That was rude of me.” +“No, it wasn't. It was smart. You carried me through that, Nick. I couldn't have lied like that without you helping me.” +His soft laugh warmed my ears. +“I don't know if me helping you lie is such a good thing.” +“In this case, it was. It saved our lives.” +“Either way, that wasn't real. But this is.” He closed the gap between us, and his lips were pressed to mine. The cold fled from both of our bodies. The snow around us ceased. The torches along the path erupted to life. We pulled away, stunned by the change in the atmosphere. +And we both laughed. +*** + +Penny was coloring with worn crayons when we returned. She beamed up at Nick and me. +“I can't wait for Brynn to get here. Look! I drew us.” +Penny's picture perfectly exemplified her childish innocence; we were all holding hands, standing side by side in the garden that had been in front of Don's house. She had drawn a huge sun and birds flying in the sky. I couldn't help but smile. +“Look at James's big muscles!” She squealed happily before laughing half hysterically at her own joke. Nick and I laughed with her while Maura merely smiled. +“Can we talk?” Maura asked me softly. I nodded before looking back at Nick. +“I've got her.” Nick told me before I could ask him to watch Penny. “Come on, Penn. We'll draw Violet when she's mad.” +Penny giggled, and I whacked him lightly in the shoulder before walking out onto the front porch with Maura. There were many steps that led to that porch from the ground; it was strange to look down and see the dirt path so far below us. The sight before me was picturesque; a snowy night scene reminiscent of a Robert Frost poem. The mountains in the distance were blurred by the torrent of flakes that drifted lazily from the heavens. I remembered Brynna's voice, reading me Frost's best poems before I went to bed. She had always been enamored with his intricate descriptions of things. +The sudden urge to cry took me off guard. I swallowed hard, suppressing the tears before they could fall. I didn't want to explain to Maura that I was simply missing my older sister. But Brynna's name would not be far from my lips that night, because Maura needed to know of the conclusion I had finally reached. +“You should know that Brynna told me everything. I found out about what happened to her.” +“Oh, did you?” Maura asked after sitting down on the wooden bench that was carved directly into the house's front wall beneath a window. “I'm surprised she finally spoke of it. That old secret has been kept locked up tight, I'm afraid.” +“You're afraid of that?” +“Not fearful, just...” +“I know what you mean. I'm just surprised that you find it regrettable that she never talked about it, considering how it makes you look.” +“And how does it make me look?” +“Like a coward.” +“Ouch.” Maura looked up at me, and I averted my eyes; there were tears streaming from hers. “As much as it hurts to hear it, you are right. I have spent so much time passing the blame off onto so many others. I've pointed my finger at Michael, your mother, Brynna, herself... You know what they say about pointing fingers, don't you? Three more are always pointing back. I deserve Brynna's hate.” +I sat down beside her and studied her intently. Now, she was the one looking elsewhere. +“How could you have stood by and let him do that to her? She was so young, Maura. Look at what it did to her!” +“I know. You don't have to tell me. I am well aware that what happened forever changed her. I've spent a lot of time thinking since we've come here. I mean, of course I have, given that I'm not allowed to have a job that doesn't involve dust rags or pots and pans. Cooking and cleaning are jobs conducted in silence with nothing but your own thoughts to keep you company. I've spent a lot of time wondering how she might have turned out if that hadn't happened or if I had stopped him.” +“Why didn't you?” +“Because I was a coward, like you said. As awful as it sounds, I knew that it was either me or her. Believe me, I hate myself for that now. I can see in your eyes that you hate me for that, too.” +“I don't hate you. I'm having a hard time loving you the way I did before. But I definitely don't hate you, Maura. I just need to understand, for my own mind, how you could have let something so terrible happen to her.” +“My pride was involved, too. I couldn't stand that my husband desired a nine year old child and not me.” +“You're not helping your cause.” I stood up and moved away from her, fuming. “Saying things like that will make me hate you.” +“It's the truth. There's no point in lying about any of this anymore. The Earth is gone. The players in that horrid production are either dead or far from me. You're the only one within earshot now, so I'm telling you.” +“Well, you should tell Brynna.” +“I should tell Brynna that I wanted to preserve my own well-being over hers and that my ego was destroyed upon finding that my husband wanted her and not me? Yes, Violet. That will resolve our differences most certainly.” Her eyes met mine. “I deserve everything they've done to me here. The beatings were my punishment for what I did. I feel like I can finally let go of the anger I have towards myself about that. That’s what they’re for, Violet. That’s what all of it is for. So we can let go. So we can feel we deserve this second chance we’ve been given. After all I’ve suffered here, I can forgive myself for what I allowed Brynna to suffer there. They did me a favor. God did me a favor. For once.” +“Well, I'm glad you've found your peace.” My sarcasm could not be ignored. She laughed bitterly. +“Who says that I've found my peace?” +“You just did.” +“No, I didn't. I said that I can let go of the anger towards myself. I said nothing about the anger Brynna feels, or you feel. Only after I have her forgiveness will I have yours. Only after you've both forgiven me will I find my peace.” +“You've sat by and watched them sacrifice people. Do you really think that's normal, Maura? Do you really think that's what God wants?” +“Of course not, darling. But didn't what I allowed to happen to Brynna prove to you that I will not stick my neck out for anyone? I couldn't do it even for her, and I loved her...” She stopped, closing her eyes for a moment before she continued. “I love her more than anything.” +“Well, I'll give you one thing: at least you're not deceiving yourself the way the rest of these freaks are. They accuse us of being evil, and yet they're murdering innocent people. They're justifying their evil by saying that they're acting in the favor of good.” +“Wow.” She smiled very sadly, almost longingly, “You sounded so much like her when you said that.” +“I know I did. Are you angry at her for telling me?” +“Of course not. I told you that I deserve for you to hate me. Besides, I'm glad she finally told someone. Has she told that man?” +“You know perfectly well that his name is James.” +“He's a monster. I hope that she has guarded her heart the way I taught her to.” +“She loves him. He loves her. There's nothing else to know. No guarding of hearts is necessary.” +“There's plenty more to know!” Maura snapped at me. My surprise at her sudden burst of anger must have shown on my face, because she offered me a quick albeit sincere apology. +“This is some fight, isn't it?” I whispered, and tears rushed into my eyes as I studied her. Both physically and emotionally, she was almost unrecognizable. Gone was the strong-willed, intelligent woman who had helped raise us. Brynna had always blamed Maura's red hair for her sassiness while ruing her own dependence on stereotypes. But I had always agreed with her, saying that in Maura’s case, the cliché was spot on. +“It is. Who would have ever thought that we would find ourselves on opposite sides?” +“Are we on opposite sides, Maura? Are you really so dedicated to these people? Do you really believe what they believe?” +“Of course I don't. But I am devoted to your father.” +“Yeah.” My voice crackled as the pressure in my throat intensified. “You've always been loyal to him. You've proven that not only here, but on Earth, too. Maura,” I knelt in front of her and grasped both of her hands. “Look at me,” She did. “He will never love you the way you love him. I'm starting to believe that he's incapable of loving anyone.” +“Is that what Brynna told you to say?” +“Why are you two so narcissistic and so obsessed with her that you think she spends all of her time talking about both of you?!” I raised my voice and broke away from her. There would be no reasoning with her. My father would always be to blame for her never-failing inclination to abandon all those she professed to love. He was, in the most pathetic way, her guiding light. +“She hasn't spoken of us?” +“No! In fact, she told me the reason why she never talks about you, Dad, and Mom. Do you want to know what it is?” +“Enlighten me.” +“She never wanted us to carry the same anger that she carries in her heart. She never wanted Elijah, Penny, and I to hate you. She said that there was no point in all of us carrying that hate. She wanted to carry it alone.” +“How noble of her.” +“I know you're being sarcastic, and you have a lot of nerve, Maura! You tear her down when she is ten times the person you are! If that happened to me, I know that I would turn everyone I knew against the people they loved if those people were responsible for something so terrible! Mom and Dad cut her off after what happened to Lucien. You did, too! It wasn't her fault, don't you see that? How could you all have let her believe that it was?” +“I don't know.” Maura shook her head. “I guess to avoid admitting that it was our fault. You're right; I don't come close to what she is. She's stronger than the three of us combined. I'm glad that she has passed that to you. The four of you were born and raised by weakness. I'm glad that Brynna possesses such great strength. I suppose everything happens for a reason. What happened with Michael was for the best.” +I stumbled over my words as I tried to respond to such a ridiculous statement. For a moment, I believed that she was merely being sarcastic. But upon looking at her, I saw that she was merely spouting off what had been forced into her head. I knelt in front of her again and put both hands on her face. +“Maura,” Tears were rolling down my cheeks, and my voice had shattered completely. “Come back. Snap out of it! It doesn't matter anymore, okay? All that matters is that we have to get back to her and Eli. We have to go home!” +“I can't leave him. I can't abandon Danny. I love him.” She cried to me with a fear so potent in her eyes and voice that I was able to picture her forty years younger, clutching a blanket to her chest as she stared into the darkness that surrounded her. Her body was wracked with deep, shuddering sobs that far surpassed my own. +“I know.” I whispered as I eased her head onto my shoulder and squeezed her tightly. “I know you do. But he let them do this to you, Maura.” I wept softly into her shoulder for a minute before finally finding the strength to continue. “I don't even recognize you anymore.” +“I know. I'm so sorry.” She managed to gasp out to me. “I want to leave here. They hurt me, Violet. They hit me, and they all...” Her breathing became ragged suddenly, and her hands clawed at my back as she tried to breathe normally. “Those terrible men… They are so cruel, Violet!” She cried even harder. “I already said I was sorry! I said that I believed, but Tyre told them I was lying! And I am! I am lying, Violet! Oh, God, they’ll kill me when they find out! But they know! They already know! She said they’ll do it soon! They wanted me to be an example, to show people what will happen if they’re stubborn. When they kill me, it will be another example, he said. Oh, God… Oh, God…” +“No.” I told her firmly. “Maura, everything's going to be alright. We're going to leave here. You're coming with us. Even if you don't want to, you are.” +“I do want to. Violet, how could Danny have let them do that to me? How could he have let them hurt me like that? I love him. I’ve loved him for twenty seven years…” +That was it. My heart broke apart into fractions. The rapidly falling snow couldn't match the tears that were streaming down my face. The howling wind was merely a whisper compared to the hoarse, quivering sobs that fell out of me like the most sorrowful melody ever sung. +“I know you love him. But I love you, Maura.” I whispered to her. “And I'm not going to let anyone hurt you again. I know that's hard to believe, coming from me. I know you must think that there's no way I can really protect you, but I will. I promise you, I'm going to take care of you.” +“I believe that. The four of you are capable of anything. I know I'm safe now.” +“Are you ready to leave?” +She nodded vigorously. +“Then, let's go get Penny and Nick. We're out of here.” +*** + + “Don't take anything.” Nick gently took the rations box from my hand and placed it back on the counter. “We'll get by.” +“Are you sure? There aren't any plants up here that we can eat. You know that we'll need water. The last thing we need is to be tricked by the Shadows again.” +“I doubt you'll ever be tricked by a Shadow again.” +I remembered the terrible pain that I had suffered through after being attacked by so many of those hideous creatures, and I shuddered. Nick's arms were around me, and I was squeezing him back, drunk on the much-needed comfort. The knock at the door broke us apart. +“Go in the other room with Penny.” He told me, and the intensity in his voice forced me to look at him. I gasped when I saw that his eyes were white. He was ready for the fight. +“Change them back!” I grasped his face. “Look at me!” +When he did, I saw that the ocean was dancing to the shore and back again in his eyes. I kissed him. +“Keep them like that. They'll kill you, Nick.” +“I know. Now go.” +I hurried into the room where Penny was fast asleep on the bed, still clutching the torn and beaten children's book that Maura had brought for her. I picked it up, observing the water-worn cover: Where the Wild Things Are. I remembered overhearing Maura telling Penny that the book was forbidden. I tried to remember the controversy that had surrounded the classic children's tale on Earth, but my heart and mind had remained behind with Nick. I faced the door, closing my eyes, and listening closely. +“Where is Violet?” My father's voice. +“She's asleep. Why? Is there a problem?” +“There most certainly is.” Rich replied. “Step aside, Nick. Daniel, I'll talk to her alone, if you don't mind.” +“Maybe you should get Mary...” Daniel started to say. +“Daniel...” The edge of warning in his voice set my absent heart beating at an even more rapid pace. The door opened and Rich Bachum stood before me, grinning from ear to ear with the same menacing mischief of his wife's sadistically gleeful smile. +“You're not sleeping.” +“I woke up when I heard the knock on the door.” +“Penny is tuckered out.” He observed, “What book is this?” +My eyes widened, and when my heart plummeted, the uncomfortable drop in my chest almost left me squirming. His smile vanished at the sight of the cover. He turned to me, his eyes blazing. +“Did you bring this from your house?” He hissed at me. +“No. I didn't bring anything. I was brought here against my will, if you recall.” +Cowardice and timidity held no purpose anymore. We were leaving whether those people liked it or not; if I had to change over and kill that man standing before me, then I would. Nothing would stop me from getting Penny, Nick, Maura, and I back to Brynna and Elijah. +“I know that we logged this down in our storeroom. We labeled it as contraband.” +Contraband. I tried to remember the exact definition of the term. I recalled the word “smuggle.” +“People brought all sorts of things that were forbidden. We gave everyone a chance to forfeit things like this.” He held the book up as though he were grasping a bag of week-old garbage that had been left to rot in the sun. He grimaced at the smell. +“Do you have any idea what this book is about, Violet? I'm going to assume that you don't, otherwise you would never let Penny even glance at the cover.” +“It's about a boy whose bedroom turns into a jungle. He meets huge monsters that make him their king. They recognize and respect his mischief. It's about standing up to what scares you. It's about conquering your fears.” +The expression of disbelief on the man's face was almost funny enough to double me over in hysterical laughter. Luckily, my common sense dictated that I should remain silent. +“This book is about convening with demons, Violet. The author himself said so.” +You don't know how difficult it was not to counter such a ridiculous lie with the truth. +“The man who wrote it was a homosexual. Do you know what that is? I'm sure you do, considering that you've grown up in the twenty-first century. You all have been exposed to that and so many other poisons.” +Rich enjoyed asking loaded questions he already knew the answers to. He was sly and conniving, much to my surprise. Through hearing Brynna's opinions on the matter, I had always believed that people who buried their noses in religion were blinding themselves to the reality of the world. They allowed hate and bigotry to fester in their hearts, morphing them into unrecognizable beasts far more dangerous than any Shadow or Reaper. They were stupid, plain and simple. +It was not all religious people, certainly not. But it was those who found hate in the ultimate message of love. The message was simple, Brynna said: Love others as you love yourself. People who justified their prejudice with the words of the Lord were sinners in His eyes. People who understood the true meaning and modeled their lives after Him were both brilliantly intelligent and faithful, deserving of their place in Heaven. She didn’t say that last part; I did. +“Now, all of this is assuming that there is a God. I do wish that I believed.” Brynna had told me through the thick cigarette smoke that swirled around, encasing her in a dense, dark fog. +Rich and his people were neither brilliantly smart nor faithful; they read the words but lost themselves in the meaning they created and imposed on the world. But saying that he wasn't intelligent shouldn't suggest that he didn't possess the cunning instinct of a wolf sauntering around a doe's den. +“Our people were infected with popular culture. That fascination with vampires was disgusting. Children, just like you, were reading those books and watching those shows. God, it was terrifying for Mary and I, as parents. To see children so enamored with becoming one with the darkness, of being fed on by creatures that were, in their most basic element, missionaries of Satan...” He shook his head at the memory and looked to the ceiling for Divine comfort. “You can't imagine what that's like. One day, when you and Nick have children of your own, you'll understand.” +I assumed his tirade against the infectious abomination that was modern day entertainment was over. I could not have been so lucky. +“It wasn't just new things that we made people get rid of when they agreed to take our oath. In one family, the father was a literature professor. He had brought so much filth like this to give to his children. I'm trying to remember their titles. Gosh, why can't I think of them? I'm sure you'd know them, unfortunately.” +Brynna had given a passionate speech in school about banning books. Her two friends had said that the teacher and students had erupted into cheers at the end. +“You should have seen how bad she was blushing...” Her guy friend whose name I couldn't remember had told me enthusiastically that night. +Years later, I had somehow convinced her to perform the now-famous speech for me. It had truly been an art of persuasive communication. In the speech, she had briefly described ten books that were commonly challenged by faceless groups or raging, biased individuals. They pushed their way to the forefront of my mind as I stood there with Rich. The temptation was too great; I rattled them off much to his horror. +“The Catcher in the Rye by Steinbeck, Brave New World by Huxley, 1984 by Orwell, Huckleberry Finn by Twain...” I stopped, switching gears in my mind to contemporary literature. I could see that Rich was becoming more on edge as I depicted my vast knowledge on the books he had deemed reprehensible. “And Tango Makes Three, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Har...” +“Oh yes!” He interrupted me loudly and aggressively. He was struggling to exert control over the conversation. “Those awful books about wizards and magic, we took a lot of those.” His eyes lit up in malicious glee to match his smile. +Brynna's favorite books... +“Witchcraft is a sin, Violet. Despite what all of you down there in your camp and despite what those books would have you believe, witchcraft is a sin. I know that to you, it seems like just an innocent book. Most of these things do seem innocent, but they’re not. The influence they hold…” He shuddered in genuine disgust. “Kids were running around, wishing they were witches.” +“And wizards.” I added. +He scowled darkly at me but continued, undaunted. +“That's what Don and his people are, when it comes right down to it, and I will not suffer a witch to live. Neither will Tyre. Mary and I both are genuinely repulsed that this same man, the literary professor, I mean, was allowing his children to read those books. The whole family was exiled for that reason alone.” +“So you, the good and faithful leader of these people, threw an entire family out onto the slopes of the mountain, knowing that they would starve or freeze to death.” +“You make it sound terrible when you say it like that. No, Violet, that's not how it happened. We gave them a rations box and a knife. There are plenty of mountain animals to hunt. Anyone can make a fire.” +“How very generous of you.” I whispered icily. The animal inside of me was rearing its head, clawing to the surface to escape the darkness that was slowly extinguishing its life. I had been in the Bachum camp for under twenty four hours and was already sensing the destruction of the evolutionary force I had allowed to thrive within me. Now, the predatory instinct, fueled by the fury of a guardian grieving the loss of innocents, was coming out to play. +“That family was a danger to our group. Mary and I had to do the same to many others who didn't follow our laws. They were pathetically stupid people who were holding onto tokens of the past that are irrelevant now and were always disgusting in terms of morality. Things have been better since we burned all that garbage and threw out those people who brought it to our camp. Don't you see why Mary and I had to take action?” +“No, I don't, Rich.” My voice was trembling, and my hands were bawling into fists. “I don't believe what you believe. Does that mean that I'll be exiled?” +“No.” He whispered as he walked closer to me slowly, his eyes blazing. “All that means is that we'll have to break you the same way we broke Maura.” +No fear. Not an ounce. Not a whisper. I closed the gap between us and glared up into his eyes. +“I am taking Penny, Maura, and Nick. We are leaving tonight. For your own sake, don't try to stop us. You disgrace the code you claim you follow. You know nothing of God.” +“And you do?” His hand grabbed my chin in a painfully tight hold. He was spitting his words at me through clenched teeth. “Why? Because your sister is a mutated freak who put these ridiculous ideas into your head? If I have to beat that filth out of you myself, then I will.” +“You won't touch me!” I barked at him. All suppression failed; my eyes turned white as I prepared for the fight. +“Don't you dare look at me like that! Don't you look at me like I'm something to eat! I am your leader! You will do as I say! Or you will be...” +We were standing so close together that only one fighting action was prudent; I brought my head back before lunging forward abruptly yet forcefully. After my head slammed into his, the grip he held on my face released, and he stumbled backwards, grasping his nose. I could have sworn that I heard a whimper escape him. +I was going to kill him. Outside, thunder rumbled overhead. The clouds in the sky were stabbed by lightning bolts, bleeding snow onto the earth. One particularly loud burst of electrical energy split the roof of our home in two. The wood of the roof burst into flames. Rich stared up, eyes wide in giddy adulation; he believed his warped perception of God was going to strike me down with one perfectly aimed lightning bolt. +Unfortunately for him, he was very, very misguided in that belief. +Rich propelled himself backwards by rapidly kicking his feet. Each time he scooted away, a bolt of lightning struck the hardwood floor just in front of him. He was narrowly avoiding being fried to a crisp each time. Penny's arms were wrapped around my legs as she watched through her fingers. The fire was beginning to fall around us as the roof caved in. I kicked open the bedroom door to find my father, Maura, and Nick staring, wide-eyed, at us. +“They're my feelings,” My voice conveyed my surprise. “They make things happen...” +“What did you do?!” My father shouted before running into the room where I'm sure Rich was huddled in a corner, praying for my swift demise. The cabin dropped sideways as one of the stilts split in two, sending us all hurtling into the far wall. Nick's body slammed against the window, breaking it open. +“Nick!” I shouted after spinning Penny around so she could attach to my back. I could hear Maura sobbing. +“It's okay!” Nick shouted to me over the blazing inferno that was claiming the cabin. “I'll land on my feet, and you will, too! Come on!” +I looked back at Maura and reached out to her. Tears were falling freely down her face as she looked between my father and me. I was offering her an escape from the torment those people would continue to subject her to as long as she lived. My father was more than likely going to burn to death or die on impact when the cabin crashed onto the pathway below us. I didn't quite see how any deliberation was necessary. The fire engulfing the house and the smoke filling the air didn't aid my patience or understanding. I mentally noted that I would give her a mere ten seconds to make up her mind. +I understood she loved him. I understood she had longed for twenty-plus years to be married to him. But his cruelty had only increased as the years went on. Pangaea was a new chapter for all of us, but for him, it was a clean slate to be dirtied by his relentless need for inflicting pain. She had suffered the worst of his pent-up sadism. I needed her to make a decision before we all met our ends. +“Violet, we have to go!” Penny screamed in my ear. +I still didn't reach out and pull Maura towards me. I would not suffer her resentment later. I would not hear that I had forced her to abandon the love of her life. Maura was always one to point fingers. She was an insolent child when she didn't get her way. If I pulled her out of the burning house, she would tell me later that she had wanted to die with him. I would be the one who ruined her plans, even by saving her life. +Only after she nodded to me and reached out for my hand did I pull her towards me. Without thinking for a minute about the drop or my legs shattering upon impact, we plummeted to the ground. +The phrase “angry mob” is one that so rarely gets used seriously, at least if one is talking about torches burning, guns loaded, nooses tied, the town coroner carting along an empty, wooden coffin, and all of that. In fact, most people never see one like that. However, the crowd coming towards us consisted of people who were practically gnashing their teeth as they shouted about punishment and fiery pits. +“Time to go.” Nick told us. He pulled Penny off of my back and threw her onto his. I kept a firm grasp on Maura's hand as we kicked our way through the knee-high snow. If I didn't calm my fury, their whole village would be buried. +“They're coming! Nick, they're coming!” Penny was shrieking as we ran. +I chanced a glance over my shoulder to find that the mob was closing in. The burning cabin fell away from the mountain before crashing to the earth in a spectacularly loud explosion of wood, flames, and billowing black smoke. Mary Bachum screamed. +“Violet, you have to do something!” Maura urged me as she looked back. “They're getting closer!” +I could feel their monstrous energy. I could feel their thirst for our blood. They would hang all of us from the highest point of their temple. They would sacrifice us with sadistic glee. We were dangers to their way of life. We knew where they were, and we would return with other “mutated freaks” to take them down. They would gladly kill us all, including Penny, who was too young and too innocent to fight or understand. +They would kill Penny. I remembered Tyre talking about sacrificing her to his God. Snowballing from that thought, I remembered in its entirety the conversation Rich and I had just had about all the people he had left to die simply because they hadn’t believed what he and his crazed wife did. Their followers might have just been scared survivors, but they were also incredibly dangerous in their own right. If Rich and Mary pointed, they would swarm a target and rip him or her to pieces. Then, they would drop to their knees and scream their thanks to the heavens as their victim bled out on the ground. +That kind of blind and bloodthirsty devotion was evil, too. +The mountain gave an almighty rumble that sent several more houses tumbling to the ground. We ran even faster to avoid them. I could hear the whooshing of a rushing wave of snow cascading down the mountain towards us. +“RUN!” I screamed over the deafening noise. +We narrowly escaped it. I turned back, huffing and puffing to catch my breath. The avalanche had killed the mob, maybe. It created an impenetrable barrier between us, most certainly. +“So I have to admit, your power is cooler than mine.” Nick told me through his gasps for air. +I smiled slightly, realizing then that I wielded a power far greater than I ever could have imagined. I couldn't wait to tell Brynna and Elijah. +“Well, we don't have to worry about them anymore.” +Something tugged at the giddy excitement I felt at escaping the Bachums' camp. Something Maura had said earlier was playing back to me like a deafening, relentless taunt screamed by children on a playground. I turned to her to find that she was looking off into the distance at the stars twinkling in the now all-clear sky. +“Hey...” +We were all soaking wet from the snow and shivering as the adrenaline died away. Maura, who had not evolved, would be the first to die if someone was meant to be taken that night. I wrapped my arms around her, praying for a surge of warmth that would comfort her. To my immense surprise, heat blazed between us. She turned to me, wrapped her arms around my back and buried her face in my shoulder. +“There was something you said earlier that I need you to tell me now.” +She nodded, knowing what I meant. Her head moved up, and she whispered her secret in my ear. My eyes bugged in terror as I looked up at Nick. +“What?” He was utterly panic-stricken by the expression on my face. “What is it?” +The warmth was extinguished between Maura and I as easily as a quick blow snuffs out a candle. My entire body was shaking but not because of the cold. I struggled to find words. I struggled to make a sound. Her secret was one that was hardly believable, and yet I believed. I knew, the way we just know things, that she wasn't lying. +“What?!” Nick demanded, now walking towards me. +“We have to get to Brynna! I have to tell Brynna!” + +Brynna + +James’s arms snaked around me as I zipped my jacket onto the girl we had found. From the stunted gasps of cracked, frozen lips, I had learned her story. She and her family had been exiled from the Bachum camp for possessing books and other trinkets deemed morally objectionable. She, her brother, and her mother had survived for two days before a blizzard that came from nowhere claimed their father and forced them to keep trying to move down the mountain. I asked for her name simply so an attempt could be made on my part to comfort her. I couldn’t imagine losing someone I loved in such a brutal, unforgiving stream of events. I couldn’t imagine the permanence of death when Penny and Violet were still missing. +After travailing back down the mountain after my slight emotional hiccup, my mind was hatching circumstances that might explain the abandoned village. The theories ranged from sane to ludicrous, logical to fantastical, all at once, in a tornado of words, pictures, and sounds. I squeezed my eyes shut as I placed the girl down on a bed of half-frozen moss in the forest. +“We need to keep moving.” I told James softly. I felt his jacket being placed around my shoulders and then his perfectly strong arms again. +“I know.” His lips pressed to my shoulder. “It’s still too cold here. They’ll never last the night. We might not even make it.” +I nodded, tensing as the girl laid her head in my lap. She was thirteen at the most and still, I cringed as she desperately attempted to forge a bond with me. I could not afford attachment to any outside party. James, Alice, and Quinn were each another inch of width in the threshold of catastrophe. Any more, and my heart might have spontaneously ceased to beat. +“Be nice.” James whispered to me, “She’s afraid. You’re helping her.” +As quickly as the iceberg had sprung forth from the waters, it melted away into the surrounding mass. The ocean moved calmly again at James’s command. +“You know we can’t afford this right now.” +The girl slumbering peacefully in my lap was named Ellie. Her little brother, called Oliver, was the same age as Penny. Their mother, who had never regained consciousness even after we had carried her to those slightly warmer temperatures, was named Savannah. The girl would not tell me much about the Bachum camp, though I would surely continue to question her until I had gotten my answers. There was no alternative route anymore; if those strangers knew the Bachums’ secrets, then I would know, too. +“They sent in spies. That’s a tactical maneuver we never could have expected of them.” I told James softly. “We don’t know how many there were. We don’t even know if they are still amongst us. We won’t know how much they know until it’s too late.” +“They’ve already destroyed the house. There’s not much else they can do, is there?” +“They can eradicate us completely while we’re vulnerable. While we’re crawling about, searching for shelter and starving to death, they can hit us. That’s plenty. You may chalk this up to an effort on my part to tailor all of their actions mentally to involve me, but I think that they took Penny and Violet to distract me.” +“Of course they did, baby. But it wasn’t just you. They took so many others. It was a risky move on their part, though. They would either cripple us or piss us off.” +“They’ve done both, I’m afraid. I’m finding it harder to focus. I can’t summon whatever force enables us to fight so efficiently. At least, I can’t summon it as easily. The worry is too great. I can’t stop thinking about what Penny and Violet might be enduring.” I shook my head and rubbed my eyes. “I’m exhausted, but I won’t sleep until they’re safe.” +“That’s not doing them any good, Brynna. You’re right that it’s partially worry; that's why you can't use the change as easily. But you’re tired, and that’s not going to help you or them. Just close your eyes for…” +“No.” I firmly replied. I deserved not a moment of the peace that came with sleep. It would be an insult to my sisters if I allowed myself to relax while they were missing and awaiting my rescue. +“Do you feel them?” James asked me softly. +I looked back at him, brows crinkled in an expression of aggravated confusion. +“Brynna, your power is that you know things. Use it. Close your eyes and try to feel their presence. Try to feel what they’re feeling. You can do it. I know you can.” +“I don’t think that is how it works, James.” +“Just try.” +I sighed in exasperation at his faith in my power. I was losing my strong trust in the evolution; it was an inconvenience to feel the rushing stream of fear, doubt, regret, and sadness felt by those inhabiting Pangaea. Their thoughts screamed to be heard and sympathized with. My own thoughs and feelings were amplified tenfold by what I heard and felt in others. +A whirring noise drowned out the silence that surrounded James and me. Contorted voices shouted, their words indecipherable. Sobs and beating hearts shook the very foundation of my mind. At the center of the chaos was a glowing light, radiating warmth and tranquil silence. In that soft, beautiful eye of the storm, I could see Penny. Her innocence and inner peace were wrapping around me, a blanket of serene warmth to save me from the cold of the other agonizing emotions. +“I didn’t like them very much. And Brynna will be so happy! Maura is with us again!” +Standing a few feet from her light, Violet was thinking of Nick and the telling of a long-held secret. That particular revelation that stood firmly at the forefront of her mind would rip the ground out from beneath us all. My heart pounded in trepidation as I emerged from the sea of feeling and thought. Only my own mind was screaming. +“They got away.” +“See? I told you. You can do it.” James boasted with an air of jest to his words. +I smiled back at him before whacking him lightly as I always did when his sarcasm took gravity from a situation that warranted grave seriousness. +“They’re very close. Come on!” I pulled him to his feet and turned to Elijah, who was dozing against a tree. “Eli!” +“Yeah?!” His voice bombarded the forest with noise. He looked around wildly, expecting a fight. +“Watch them. Let’s go.” Two commands in one breath was not even a record for me. +“Where are you two going? Do I even want to know?” Elijah called after us. +“Violet and Penny are close!” I called over my shoulder. +“What?!” +“Stay here!” +After going through so much trouble to save Savannah, Oliver, and their mother, one would assume that Elijah would have listened. However, he left Alice and Quinn, both sleeping, to guard the new additions to our merry band. +“What do you mean they’re…?” +But upon breaking through the trees, I saw four and a half shapes trekking towards us, lifting their feet to step through the still melting snow at the foot of the mountain. +“Oh my…” No witty remarks or elaborately formed exclamations could adequately express the relief or the joy. Tears might have sufficed, but then, I was not one for crying, as I am sure you have gathered. +Violet cried enough for the two of us. I did break my code of conduct by kissing her cheek twice, though. I held her so tightly, I thought she would be crushed. The previous twenty-four hours seemed so long, an endless stream of time with only darkness at the end. Every inch of my all-knowing ways could not have predicted the outcome of Violet and Penny being taken. I had been unable to see and thus, I was left to wonder and speculate with only the darkest tools of my mind to mold the future. +And yet there they were, right in front of me. I scooped Penny up, my trembling arms locking around her small body so that no one could take her again. I looked her over before turning my searching gaze to Violet, whom Elijah was now practically suffocating in an embrace. If there was one bruise, even a paper-cut… But there was none. +To call her an elephant in the room metaphorically would be accurate. To call Maura an elephant in the literal sense was far too generous. Her clothes hung from her skeletal frame, reminding me of the gruesome images shown during Health class to warn of the dangers of eating disorders. The bruises that covered her did not spark a rage in me; I felt merely a dim concern. For a moment, I wished that I could feel something towards her. I wished that I could rush to her, inquire about her well-being, and promise her that I would remedy any pain she was feeling. For a moment, I thought those feelings would emerge, but in my mind, I saw her hands flying up to cover her ears. Ice saved me from sympathy. +“You look…” I started to say, but she nodded. +“I know. Are you going to gloat, Brynna?” +Malice was absent from her voice. In fact, when she spoke those words, I heard only quiet pleading. +“Do you think so little of me?” I whispered to her so the others couldn’t hear. +“I left him. I left the life we had built…” +“Don’t get sentimental.” My voice rose one octave from an only slightly gentle whisper to an aggravated hiss. “Look what he’s done to you!” +“It wasn’t him.” She muttered with her eyes fixed below her on the ground. +“Why won’t you look at me?” +“I can’t tell you anything about them, alright?” Her eyes rose to meet mine, and I saw a mirrored image of myself; defiance was staring back at me. “There are good people up there. People that I don’t want to see get hurt…’ +“How very noble.” I turned away from her and thought I heard her crying softly.Elijah, despite his earlier anger towards her, swooped in to comfort her, knowing that I could and would not. +“It’s alright. It’s okay.” James told me softly as he squeezed both of my hands. I looked past him, out at the mountain and the surrounding land glowing in the twilight. The greenery was beginning to spring forth from the snow, gasping for the fresh air. I could sympathize with that, surely. +“You don’t owe her anything.” James told me. “Don’t think that you do.” +I nodded. +“Even if there is no debt, we still have to take her with us. We can’t leave her. Any person with a scrap of goodness in their heart deserves a chance, James.” +“I know. Of course we’ll take her with us, baby.” +I heard a shriek of joy behind me, and Alice was flying through the trees, running to Violet and Penny. Violet screamed, too. I had missed the emergence of their friendship, though when I thought back to those peaceful days in the kitchen, I remembered their long talks about typical nonsense. To hear such inane conversation normally provoked an eye roll and a disdainful remark from me about the vapid nature of youth. But in their case, it warmed me to see such normalcy. I wanted them both to be young and happy. +“I almost had an asthma attack chasing you, and they’re really uncomfortable, so don’t ever get taken again.” Quinn told Violet. She giggled raucously in response and returned his warm hug. +There was one person to whom I had not spoken yet. I walked over to Nick and stood on my tiptoes to embrace him. When that awkward moment of warmth expired, I went to pull away immediately. +“Stop being weird.” He told me. +I smiled and held onto him for a minute longer. +“Thank you. From her thoughts, I gathered that you were taking care of her.” I informed him. +“No way. She was taking care of me. It was her grand escape plan.” +“Well, just so you know, she was thinking that she couldn’t have done it without you. I suppose that warrants a pat on the back. So…” I reached back and clapped him on the back once. +“Ow.” +“Pansy.” I grinned and then turned to the group at large. “Alright, ladies and gentlemen, we…” +“…are going to follow Adam back to the city.” +Adam’s appearance was sudden and unwelcome, and why was I still surprised? I jumped when I realized he was standing just in back of me, so close that we were almost touching. +“Back up two steps.” I snapped at him, “I value my bubble.” +“What bubble?” He asked me, sounding blithely amused, which was also quite common for him. +“If you don’t take two steps back, I’ll tell you all about it.” +Don and a group of four others came stomping out of the trees, looking disgruntled. +“You know, you really should tell me when you’re going to take off like that. We almost lost you!” +Don, in typical passive aggressive fashion, scowled at me instead of Adam. +“Hello, Don.” I greeted him with a winning smile of pure taunting. The grin vanished abruptly from my face as I looked back at Adam, rolled my eyes and moved to stand beside James. +Though it was a doubtful scenario, I was starting to wonder if Adam was, as Violet would put it, “into me.” Surely, a leader of so many who was several thousand years old would have no interest in me. But his subtle glances and his knowing smiles were strange. Perhaps he wanted to kill me, which would be far more desirable a scenario than him coveting my affections. However unlikely, I still made a point of standing beside James when Adam was present so as to make the point crystal clear: James was the man with whom I had chosen to be romantically involved, and that more than likely would not change. Though both men were, if honesty is required, incredibly good-looking, James was also kind, humorous, and, though this is awkward, very skilled at copulating. Adam was nothing more than a warlord who hid in his vast city, manipulating circumstances in the world at large to create the most entertaining spectacle, which he would watch with rabid enthusiasm even as lives were ended violently. In fact, the more violent the deaths, the happier he would be. +But I digress. This is all unimportant. +“Brynna, I need to talk to you.” Violet took my hand and pulled me away from James. +The secret! In my relief, I had forgotten ever learning that there was a revelation to be told. +“What is it? I know there is something significant.” +“It’s more than significant.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. She looked behind me to ensure that no one was eavesdropping. My anticipation grew. +“What is it?” I demanded again. +“Well, I’m sure that you know that the Bachums sent people to spy on us. They sent them so they could attack us from within, you know? And they’ve joined with the other natives. You know, the ones that Adam is fighting...” +“Yes, I know, I know. Now, what is the secret?” My impatience was growing. +“Brynna…” Her hands grasped mine, and her eyes looked behind me again. +“Get up!” A voice shouted, and now, I whipped around. +“Stop!” Violet was screaming and running away from me. Though the sight before us should have erased the questions from my mind and spurred me to immediate action, I still found myself mentally pouting, knowing it would be even longer before I knew the hidden truth she was withholding. +Maura had fallen to the ground, her body weakened from whatever physical abuse she had been forced to endure. Don was pulling her up roughly by her arms, trying to force her to stand. When he finally managed to maneuver her onto her feet, he moved forward so his face was close to hers. +“You’re with him?!” He bellowed in an intimidating show of brutal, verbal force. “You’re with him, and you think we’re going to take you in!? I want to know everything, do you understand?!” +“Put a leash on your dog. A muzzle, too, while you’re at it. We’re trying to have a discussion.” I snapped at Adam as I watched Violet grab hold of Don and throw him off of Maura. +“She’s his wife!” Don had gotten back onto his feet and was pointing an accusatory finger at Maura. +“I left him, didn’t I?” Maura screamed back, but her voice was trembling under the threat of tears. +“She came with us willingly. We didn’t take her.” Nick explained hurriedly in an attempt to help. +“You all know that we can’t just let her come live with us like nothing has happened! For all we know, they wanted you to take her! She could run back to them any time she wants! They know you three trust her!” +“And what would she tell them?” I demanded with a derisive giggle. “I’m sure our forages for berries and roots and our hurried search for shelter will be most pivotal in determining their next course of militaristic action.” I rolled my eyes to the sky, begging for an intervention that would swiftly remedy the stupidity of those individuals around me. +“You’re just mad because of what they did!” Violet proclaimed furiously. “You’re just trying to punish her for what Mary and Rich did to us! It wasn’t her fault, Don! She’s suffered enough! She wants to be on our side now! You’re just trying to make her suffer because Mary and Rich took our people and burned down the house!” +“They killed ten of our people, so yes, I am.” Don replied quickly and curtly. “Now, shut up and get out of the way.” +I zoomed forward in a blur, appearing in front of him before he could even process that I had moved at all. His hands were wrapped around Violet’s wrist, and he had been in the motion of pushing her away from him forcefully. Upon seeing that my fangs had emerged, he immediately let her go. +“You and I do not see eye to eye. That has never yielded favorable outcomes, has it, Don? If you ever touch her again…” +“Brynna, I’m not a spy. I don’t care about this war. I just want it to be over.” Maura was telling me quickly as two of the men cuffed her hands behind her back. “Brynna, please don’t let them do this!” +“What is it that you are planning?” I demanded. “What is it that you think she can tell you?” +“It’s not a matter of her telling me anything. It’s a matter of what she’ll tell them. Weren’t you listening?” Don snapped at me. I chose to ignore his condescension. +“Walk.” One of the men who had cuffed her hands was steering Maura forward. +“There are three others from their camp in the trees. That’s what she just whispered to him!” The woman speaking pointed at Alice, who gasped and covered her mouth. I rolled my eyes again. +“I’m sorry! Brynn, I’m sorry!” Alice uncovered her mouth to apologize but quickly covered it again. +Savannah and Oliver’s mother had regained consciousness. Because she was an adult, they cuffed her hands as well. +“Mama!” Her son screamed, and my heart panged in painful sympathy. +“Please do something!” Ellie was imploring James and me, as though we had extensive control over Don and his lapdogs. I so desperately wished that was the case but alas, it was not. +“I will do what I can for all of you when we arrive where we are headed.” I managed to tell her quickly as two other men pulled her away from me. “Don’t worry, Ellie!” +With one hand, I latched my fingers around James’s. With the other, I ran my fingers through my hair and drew in one deep, trembling breath. There would be blood shed that night and pain experienced by those poor woman for whom I was involuntarily responsible. I had several miles to prepare for that grim reality. My plan would have to be formulated before we reached the city. +Throughout the entire duration of the walk, Violet never stopped screaming at Don. Every couple of minutes, Elijah would threaten him with some painful and degrading consequence, should harm befall any of the prisoners he had taken. Adam sauntered along at the front, looking pleased with himself. Why wouldn’t he be? He had his bloody show. +“Do you think I owe her something now?” I asked after several minutes of silence. When James did not answer, I turned my fiery gaze onto him. +“Yes. But you and I both owe that woman and her children far more.” James told me softly. His grip tightened comfortingly on my hand. Since we were close to the back of the group, I allowed myself a small showing of weakness: I rubbed my head against his shoulder and left it rested there until we had broken through the trees. +I dreaded what might happen in the city for good reason. The end of a time was upon us. A seismic shift in climate was brewing. I watched the last of daylight disappear completely; we were suddenly plunged into darkness so thick, it could only have been symbolic. +By the time the Pangaean sun rose, our world would be in ruins. +*** + +I was sitting on the other side of a two-way mirror. Apparently, mirror-craft is a universal occupation. I’m afraid that torturous interrogation techniques are also. +Another backhand across Maura’s face left her silent. She had been crying, begging to see Violet, who, as she claimed, would explain everything. +“You’re his wife! You can’t convince me that you don’t know anything, Maura!” Don bellowed at her. Even from outside, the volume of his voice rattled my eardrums. My hands were on my face, my fingers massaging the center of my forehead. I noted briefly that I was trembling. +“There’s nothing you could have done. If they exiled us, we would have nowhere to go. We tried to live on our own when we first got here. Every day, there was something else. We can’t do it, Brynn.” James tried to reassure me softly. In his voice, I heard no true dedication to the words he was speaking. His excuses did not register, even to him. +“I can’t sit by and allow this.” I told him. “There is never a reason for a man to raise his hand to a woman. I am sure I have told you my feelings on the matter many times.” I stood and turned away from the sight. “And right now, what they’re doing is just the tip of the iceberg. Who knows where it will end? Well, of course, I do. I do not see a course out of this where she lives, James.” +I hadn’t spoken the words out loud. I hadn’t told the grim truth to Elijah, whom I could hear shouting enraged promises of violence out in the hallway or Violet, who was sobbing openly. I hadn’t told Alice and Quinn, who were upstairs, trying to rally together a makeshift protest. +“She doesn’t deserve to die.” I told James. + In those terrible moments of the purest, most desperate terror and the most disgusting degradation all those years ago that Maura had allowed to happen by promoting her own interest over mine, I never thought that I would ever say later that she deserved her life. As I stood, watching her succumb to such heinous torment, I knew that I could not allow it to continue. +“I have to go to Adam. He can stop this. He pulls the strings, James.” +“No.” James told me firmly. “I don’t know what he wants exactly, but by the way he looks at you, it’s not in your best interest.” +“I don’t care! He’s helped me before without giving me a debt to pay.” +“You only think that he didn’t give you a debt to pay. What are you talking about? When did he help you? Was it when he blithely informed you that you needed that plant to save Quinn? Was it when he showed up on the mountain when you were freezing to death? He’ll call your debt any day now, Brynna. He is sick. He’s meticulous, too. He will play any angle he has to, as long as he gets what he wants from you. The more you ask of him, the higher the price.” +“James, I believe you are over-reaching just a tad.” +“I'm not!” James exclaimed before rubbing his eyes as he gathered his thoughts. “It's the way he looks at you, Brynna. I can't stand it. It makes me sick! Every time I see him look at you, my skin crawls.” +“Is that what this is about?” I pulled his hand away from his face gently. “James, I love you. You know that my feelings towards him border very closely on absolute loathing...” +“I don’t know what he wants from you, Brynna, but I know that you’re in his debt. He’s saved your life before. He saved you…” He trailed off, remembering the terrible instance involving the Peace Fruit. +“We cannot have this conversation now, James. Later, we can discuss it for hours, if you feel so inclined. Adam is the only person who can stop Don. I am going to make him do just that.” +“Then you’ll owe him again! Brynna, you cannot play games with him. We have seen what he can do. We know what he wants from all of us. You think he’ll cut you loose from your obligations to him just because you can talk quickly and negotiate well? He doesn’t negotiate! And you can’t outsmart him. Look at how long he’s been around.” +“What do you recommend, James? Short of killing Don, the only course of action that will result in a favorable outcome would be going to Adam for help. He saved Violet and asked for nothing in return. That was the most crucial instance of him helping me. Surely, that instance would designate the highest payment, given how deeply I care for her. If he were going to ask for his payment, I believe he would have done so by now.” +James sighed and put both hands on his face. After a long moment, he exclaimed in frustration. +“You’re smarter than this, Brynna!” He accused me furiously. “You know it’s only a matter of time. Are you afraid of what he might ask you for? Is that why you refuse to admit that you owe him?” +“What purpose does it serve to you or anyone else if I admit that I owe him something? This conversation is redundant and therefore pointless, so I am exiting it now.” +I strode away, but he caught up to me. He wrapped me in his arms and held me tightly against him. I frowned when I felt him kiss the back of my head. His sudden show of affection confused me. I could not understand the sudden change in his mood. +“What are you doing? Am I meant to succumb to your embrace and forget what I have resolved to do?” I asked condescendingly, though my hand did reach back over my shoulder to touch his face. “Is that your plan? Because I must tell you that that plan actually succeeding is less likely than hell becoming the new Aspen.” +“I lied to you, Brynna.” +His voice was quiet, but his tone was resolute. I prayed that I had not heard him correctly, but his tone cruelly assured me that I had. Dread seemed to take him as he prepared to say out loud whatever it was that he had kept from me. In his heart, I sensed the excruciating realization that in mere moments, I would no longer wish to be with him. I would be the one who walked away when I had so tormented myself over picturing that scenario reversed. +“Excuse me?” +“I’ve lied to you about something very serious. I should have told you from the moment I met you. When you asked me about it, I should have been honest. I just want to apologize for that now.” +“Well, I am certainly not going to accept your apology without knowing exactly what the nature of the lie is!” I shook my way out of his embrace, “You know that I do not tolerate liars, James! What have you not told me?” +“I had a wife.” +Somehow, that was disappointing. Just as I had geared my adrenal system into overdrive, preparing for his bombshell and the outburst of rage that would follow such a stunning betrayal of truth and honesty, he had revealed something that I could have easily guessed. +“Honey, that’s,” I shook my head as I tried to mentally gather how he could believe that such a revelation was angering. “I know that I asked whether you had been married before…” +“No, listen,” He grasped both of my hands and looked into my eyes. “I had a wife. She and I, given our careers, knew about Adam. We knew about his people. We had met him long before he ever came to camp that night. Brynna, he was on Earth.” +“For what?” I asked quickly. A grimace was working to emerge on my face as the slow bloom of that festering secret spread bitter, metallic ooze over my tongue and rendered me nearly unable to speak. Something earth-shattering was going to be revealed to me now by him. Violet’s secret… +“He was looking for people like us. He was looking for people who saw the end. He was looking for people who were starting to show signs of the evolution.” +“For what?” I asked again. +“I don’t like the way you’re saying that.” He told me softly as he ran his hand over his head. “It’s a little unnerving.” +“I could not care less about that. Continue talking now.” +“At first, he wanted to take us himself. He and his people wanted to study us, because they didn’t know how it was possible that we could have powers when some others here, meaning Tyre’s group, had lost theirs. Obviously, those of us who knew about this were completely against that. So, we found our own way.” +“What does your spouse have to do with this?” +Now, my head was spinning. Now, I was beginning to feel the urge to run. I did not want to hear any more. I was pacing back and forth, running my fingers through my hair and struggling to breathe normally. Behind me, behind that thick wall with the two-way mirror implanted dead in the center, Maura screamed again and cried out for my father. +“I don’t know! I’m sorry!” She cried desperately. “Please, Don…” +“You had better arrive at the point right this second, James! What common link is there between your wife, your previous association with Adam, and my current predicament?” +“My wife and I were over for a long time before the event. We had an open marriage, to say the least. When I realized that the world was ending, and I saw your face in my dream, I knew that I had to go to you. I had to get you and your family onto the ship. My wife disagreed.” +“DON! STOP!” Maura pleaded through her loud, trembling sobs. My heart pumped blood rapidly into my ears; the liquid flooded my brain and blocked out James's face and his words only momentarily. I was running out of time. Maura's life was beginning to slip from the current stream of souls inhabiting Pangaea into an unknown realm that I would never know... +“We fought over it.” James was saying. “It wasn’t just that. There were so many other things we were screaming at each other about, I don’t even remember them all. Something came over me. You know what it is. You’ve experienced it, that killing instinct. And I… I…” +The end to his story was clear. His stammering avoidance of saying the words was proof enough that he had killed his wife. When I grasped his scratchy, stubble-covered cheek, his eyes darted all around to avoid mine. For only a shuddering minute in time, I saw his tears of regret. +“I’m sorry.” I whispered to him. I stood on my tiptoes so I could press my forehead to his. “I’m sorry that happened to you.” +“To me? How can you feel sorry for me? I killed her, Brynna. I deserve whatever bad happens to me from here on out. I don’t deserve you. I don’t deserve for you to look at me the way you’re looking at me right now. Don’t you see that?” +“I see very clearly. I see in your heart a guilt too painful to imagine. You might not have loved her anymore, but you loved her once. You were not aware that you possessed such strength. You could not have stopped yourself.” +“And if I push you the way I pushed her, and you fall like that…” +I shushed him gently and grasped both of his arms. I pulled them so they encased me. Then, I gently eased his head onto my shoulder, realizing that he was crying only when his few tears ran down my neck. He never made a sound. +“Goddamn it, I’m losing my man-card.” He told me sarcastically as he pulled away from me, swiping at his eyes. +“Stop it.” I grasped his hands. +“I’m surprised you’re not breaking this off right now, given how much you hate emotions.” +“I couldn’t break this off just because you shed a few tears. Now, if you start sobbing loudly and screaming for help at the heavens, I might consider it.” We both chuckled softly. “Now, tell me how Adam fits into all of this.” +His eyes did not darken. His face did not contort into an expression of desire to suppress the secret. Everything simply went blank. I realized then that the worst of his story had not yet been told. Now, I would learn the true details that would shatter what we had built. Now, I would know what it was that he had kept from me. +“Adam showed up. He must have just known what I had done. I was going to call the police and turn myself in. But he stopped me. He talked me down, told me that it was the evolution. Then, he got rid of her body. By then, I thought that maybe he was alright. Maybe I had judged him wrong. He had helped me without asking me for anything in return.” +“But I suspect that he did ask for something in return.” +“Yeah, he did. Brynna, he…” James grasped both of my hands again. +“What? Say it, James.” I broke my hands out of his grip and raised his head so he was looking at me again. +“He wanted you.” +By now you know that Adam wanted me. My father had kindly pointed that out. Adam's behavior betrayed his great interest in me. I knew that somehow, his intentions were not completely malevolent. However, being desired for any reason by a man as old, powerful, and bloodthirsty as he was certainly provoked great fear inside of me. I am not ashamed to admit that, even now. +“Why?” I closed my eyes as I attempted to stop the suddenly quickened pace with which Pangaea spun on its axis. +“I didn't know then. I knew about the Shadows, but I didn't know about the Reapers. When Adam sent them with me, they were supposed to be making sure that I held up my end of the deal. When I didn't...” +“You went to the bar that night knowing that you were supposed to turn me over to him?!” I exclaimed as I whipped around to face him. “At that point, you were still planning on giving me to him?!” +“I was, but only until I saw you, Brynna! After that, I knew that I couldn't do it. I saw you, and everything changed. Everything, Brynna.” +“I heard that same thought in your head weeks ago, and I naively believed that it was some sweet sentiment regarding your love for me changing your life. God or Gods, that was so stupid on my end! I almost deserve this for being so blinded by my love for you!” +“You don't deserve this, Brynna. I am so sorry, and…” +“So why didn't Adam kill you after you failed to come through on your obligation to him?” +“He said that I got you to the planet, and that was enough for him at that moment. But he said that eventually...” +“Stop pausing and just tell me what you need to tell me, James!” I shouted in fury. +“Eventually, I was going to have to give you up to him.” +“And what did you say?! Please tell me that you said you wouldn't! Please tell me that you told him we were together, and he could go to hell! Even if you referred to me in possessive terms, meaning that you said I was yours, just tell me that you told him he couldn't have me, James!” +His silence was resounding. The answer to such a terrible question had never been more painfully clear. I staggered back a step, my hand coming up to cover my mouth and my eyes widening as I turned away. I did not doubt that he was being completely honest. Only the truth could be so vile. My arms wrapped around my middle and my hands squeezed two fistfuls of my sweatshirt in their grip tightly. The precious Pangaean air could not find an open passage into my body; my head spun, and I was forced to reach out and grab a hold of the wall to steady myself. +Vertigo is rendered inert by touching a firm, unmoving object, I reminded myself. But that old trick was proved to be false. My legs collapsed from underneath me and only James's arms could right the frantic movement of my brain tossing about from side to side in my head. +“Don't touch me...” I whispered fiercely, struggling to break his grip on me. +“I'm sorry, Brynna. I'm so sorry.” +“Don't touch me!” My voice rose to a forceful scream. “Just tell me what it is that he's going to give you in return for me! Just tell me so that I can, at the very least, know exactly how valuable the reward is for my life!” +“He said he'd let me keep my immortal life.” +I found myself laughing, covering my mouth as though he had just delivered some sarcastic response to one of my quips. +“So, a reward of no value at all. That's discouraging...” I turned away from him, cringing at his attempts to touch me. +“Just let me tell you everything. Brynna, I'll explain everything, I promise. And then you can yell and scream and hit me, if it will make it right. Whatever you need me to do to put it right, I’ll do it.” +From the third step leading to the floor above us, I looked back at him, shaking my head. +“I have heard all that I wish to hear, James. There are no hidden motives behind what you did. To put it quite simply, you were too much of a coward to do what you were told. You couldn't turn me over to Adam because you knew that your guilt would end your life.” +“That's not true, baby.” He was standing at the bottom of the stairs now, imploring me to see his side of the story. Stubbornly, I refused to be swayed by his pleading eyes or his words that sought but failed to explain. +“I love you, Brynna.” He told me uselessly. +“You don't. Forgive my childish sentiments regarding love, but from what I have read, the state of being generally denotes a willingness to die for the one whom your affections are directed. Clearly, that is not reality. I don't know how long it was going to be before he came to kill you, but I know that you would have given me to him then. Am I correct in that assumption? Don't answer that!” I changed my mind quickly and squeezed my eyes shut to block out his handsome face. “I am resolved now not to care. Whatever you and I had is over, James.” +“Brynna, I should have told you all of this before now...” +“I now understand my inability to understand all of those books I read in which love was the key arc of the story.” I replied, more to myself than to him. “I was simply too intelligent to believe such things exist. For a while, with you, I did believe in that. Now, I understand again that such beliefs are downright ridiculous. How very interesting, when life comes full circle...” +“Stop. You're doing that to avoid feeling this. Just let me explain it to you, Brynna. If you wanted to walk away, you would have done it by now. You love me. You know I love you so much, baby. I will tell you everything you want to know, I promise.” +“I know everything already, James. In fact, I think I know it more than you do. I know that you would have traded my life for yours with great hesitation. I know that in time after that, you would have reasoned away your guilt. I would have been nothing but a distant memory to you, some uncomfortable presence in your mind that brought about a dull ache in your heart...” +“That's what I thought would happen, but that's not...” +“Your lies baffle you, James. You are blinding yourself to them.” +I was offering dull, lifeless retorts to every point he presented to me. If I felt the pain of his betrayal there, even for the quickest of milliseconds, I would crumple to the ground, screaming, sobbing, and pleading with him to tell me that he was lying, that it was all just a cruel joke. I am sure that this goes without saying by now, but I would not beg him or anyone else for anything. +“Brynna, you know... you know I love you. Somewhere, you know that. Stay with me, baby. I'll tell you everything. Just don't end this. I can explain this to you...” +Maura's shriek of pain raised the hair on the back of my neck. I squeezed my eyes shut and broke free from his grasp, fighting the tremor of fright that passed through me at the thought of her time running out. +“I understand this far better than you do.” I told James in hurried anger. “Do not condescend me by implying that I need an explanation from you. Goodbye, James.” +His arms locked around my middle, and he held me to him. +“It's over, so let go of me. There is nothing you can say.” I told him firmly, “God or Gods, I cannot process this. I cannot understand it.” I told him firmly as my throat tightened under the threat of tears. “I love you so much that this baffles me, James! It strangles every ability I have to understand! God or Gods, what have you just done to me? What have you done to me?” +Never have words from my lips betrayed such great sadness. Or fear. Or regret. Never have words from my lips been more resolute. More final. More strangely cold and paradoxically unfeeling… +Even after I was alone in the hallway above where we had stood, I did not cry. My heart wrenched painfully downwards, though, pulling me forward so I had to steady myself once again. I moaned softly as my fingernails clawed into my chest. I was struggling to remain on my feet, whimpering softly but shedding not a single tear. +I did not want James's explanation because his lies would torment me into madness. Maybe, after I had slipped away into a world populated only by insane, smothering delusions, I would accept those lies and excuses to be factual representations of a fabled truth. I knew, deep down in my soul where those dark, unwelcome feelings lurked, that if I allowed him to speak, he would convince me. My love for him would flare up in an effervescent display of sparks that were fueled by that warmth that erupted inside of me every time I looked at him and my own stupid, pathetically idealistic, disgustingly sentimental youth. His spell consumed me, wrapping me tightly in a snug blanket and keeping me safe from the world and myself, too. If I listened to his voice for even a moment, I would only be hypnotized once again. +There was but one person with whom I needed an audience, and I sensed his presence growing nearer and nearer to me. In a hurried movement, I ran up the hallway, searching for the grand puppeteer himself. In a quick moment of Seeing, I could hear his thoughts. +He was searching for me, as well. He sensed my pain, my weakness. The hunter's disciple had failed to secure the prey. Now, he was closing in for the kill himself while the wounded creature hobbled away desperately. Only I was not going to run. Nothing was going to stop me from procuring the answers I was so wildly pursuing. +If I would not accept the truth from James, I would be forced to accept whatever story Adam told me. With that in mind, I ran in the direction of his blurry thoughts. +*** + +“I can sense that you wish to speak to me.” He told me apathetically as he leaned against the wall and observed the ceiling. Elijah and Violet were in the room, looking between the two of us in concern and curiosity. +“Yes.” I replied with a glare in their direction. “Alone, if you please.” +“I do please.” Adam replied, raising his eyebrows. His eyes snapped over to Elijah, who had just opened his mouth to speak. “I have no intention of harming her, Mr. Olivier. Though I do find your protective nature quite admirable. You are the perfect brother, and I mean that in all sincerity.” +“Shut up and walk.” I hissed at him, angered that he would openly address one of my siblings. +“Oh, ‘bossy.’ Is that not what men call powerful women where you are from?” +We walked through the door adjacent to the hallway where my brother and sister were whispering amongst themselves, wondering what exactly had occurred between James and me. Elijah did not understand, as I gathered from his loud thoughts, how two people who loved each other so very much could find a reason to separate. Violet knew the truth, as it had been her secret, after all. Her heart broke perhaps even more severely than my own; she had loved James and been so happy that I had found him. +I shook my head back and forth quickly, expelling their voices from my mind. Adam beckoned to the chair that I hadn't realized I was grasping. The wooden backing had splintered beneath my firm grasp. +“Sit.” He instructed. Though his tone was gentle, anything but commanding, I still scowled at him. +“Do I look like a dog to you?” I shot at him in quiet yet potent irritation. I raised my voice only after he grabbed my shoulders. “Let go of me!” +He maneuvered me around the chair with ease before gently sitting me down. +“You are far too beautiful to ever be confused with a canine, my dear Brynna. However, at the moment, you could be confused with an apparition. If I did not know better, I would assume that I was being visited by some grieving soul’s dearly departed loved one.” +“I am very tired, Adam.” I whispered. My defenses were rebuilding, and yet in those words, the foundation took a hard kick. I was admitting weakness. I was admitting an exhaustion far beyond anything that was strictly physical. +“I know. You are also quite thin. You need a full meal and a full night of rest.” +“No. What I need requires your assistance.” +A grin tugged at the corners of his lips. He blocked the smile by spreading his fingers to lazily cover his mouth. Under my scorching glare, he resumed his normal expression of curious amusement. +“I apologize. Males are all built the same no matter where we are from. I took your words as containing a suggestive undertone, and I do apologize.” +My face was in my hands. With the tips of my fingers, I massaged the center of my forehead, hoping to disperse the blinding pain that had centered there abruptly. +“Ms. Olivier, I am very sorry. I know you are not in the mood for jesting.” +“You are right. Just be quiet until I ask a question that requires an answer.” +“Alright.” +“Why am I so important that you would send James after me?” +“You are the last of your kind.” He answered with no hesitation. “The All-Knowings, or Athenes, as they are more elegantly called, were eradicated several hundred years ago. I knew that humans were being gifted with powers. While I found this change in your original kind to be very interesting, albeit very befuddling, Tyre was furious, to the say the least.” +“Why?” +“Because he and his people have long since lost their powers. They feel that the one God chose a race of inferiors over his.” +“Why did they lose their powers?” +“Do you truly think so highly of me that you believe I know His intentions?” +“That is sarcasm and your pathetic attempt at charm.” I rubbed my eyes again, exasperated already. +“I do apologize.” +“I do not accept. But that's moot right now, okay?” +“Alright. I do so love your use of the word 'moot.'” +My eyes glared into his. +“Another apology.” He said with a trace of a smile. My eyes were sure to remain permanently stuck looking up to the sky, as many times as I had rolled them that evening. +“How long have you known that James went rogue?” +“'Went rogue?' What does that mean? I am sorry, I am still becoming accustomed to Earthean phrases and figures of speech.” +“Let me rephrase my question: How long have you known that James broke his promise to you?” +“Ah, yes. Understood. I visited your planet several times over the thousands of years since we left. When I commanded James Maxwell to deliver you to me, it was only a week or so before the event that claimed your Earth. He told me that he would not fulfill his duty only after you had arrived, and I found him in the forest. Once there, he told me that he needed more time. He succeeded in one thing, at least. When the Reapers were tracking you, he was meant to protect you from them. He did so quite masterfully. Credit where credit is due, I suppose...” +I was silent, every part of my inner being stinging painfully. I had always believed grief to be the most painful of all emotions, followed closely by regret, guilt, and nostalgia, in that order. However, betrayal had hopped over all to take the top spot on my list. Not only had James been sent to abduct me, but he was not even enough of a man to do it. He employed those terrible creatures that he then killed to protect me. It was all so mind-boggling. I was not used to the state of confusion. I was not used to being unable to connect all the dots. +“Are you still with me, my dear?” +“Don't call me that.” +“Once again, I apologize. This is a first for me. Apologizing so many times, that is. You have quite an interesting effect on me, Ms. Olivier.” +“Would you just call me Brynna?” I whispered as I pulled my face away from my hands. +“May I take it as a compliment that you are allowing me to call you by your first name?” +“If you take me allowing you to call me by my first name as a compliment, will that boost your already far over-inflated ego?” +“Indeed.” +I covered my mouth discreetly, trying to hide the tiny, almost nonexistent smile that was struggling to emerge. He was so annoyingly arrogant and composed about everything. I was moving past irritation at both of those things and into a place where they were beginning to entertain me. A part of me believed his attitude was meant to do just that. If that were the case, he was skilled at pretending to be completely serious. +“I know that you are attempting to suppress a smile. I would like you to know that I am pleased to have brought about such a change in your state of mind.” +I furrowed my brows and shook my head ever so slightly. +“You are so weird.” +He chuckled softly, his eyes alight with humor. +“I could say the very same about you. I know that many already have. Please, continue. You are asking all the right questions and by now, you deserve the answers.” +There was so much more to be asked, so I obliged. +“When was the last time that you and James spoke about me?” +“Another excellent question. It was just three days ago.” +Hello, boot. Meet stomach. I bent over again and buried my face in my hands. Then, I rested my head against my knees. God or Gods, betrayal hurt. I was sickened that James had been so close to me in every possible way. I could not stand the burning, stinging, stabbing pain in my heart. I was almost sweating as my body sought to exorcise the emotional torment. Never before had I fallen for such a charade and yet now, James had made a fool out of me. His lies were endless. I would never forgive myself for believing them. +Adam leaned forward and delicately placed his hand on my back. +“Look at me.” +“No.” +“Alright. Do you have any more questions?” +“Why is my gift so powerful? Why is it so important to you?” +I did look up at him again. My eyes would stay fixated on his so that if a lie flickered across his face, I would detect it immediately. That arrogant smile vanished from his face. He leaned forward and grasped my hands. When I struggled to pull them away, fearing that he would feel the dampness of my palms, he only grasped them tighter. +“I do not want you to fear me. I have no intention of harming you in any way. If you agree to help me, I will protect you. If you align with me, I will be willing to sacrifice my own life in order to keep you and the people you hold dear safe. Is that understood?” +“You did not answer my question.” +Now I needed to know what duties he would require of me, if I were to align completely with him. More importantly, I needed to know how I could help destroy our opposition. The war could distract me from my agonizing thoughts about James. The hurt was throbbing inside of me, birthing an all too familiar beast: Rage. I had never taken any hit, physical or emotional, without hitting back harder and with better aim. The current state of things would amplify that tendency ten-fold. +“Why is my ability to know things so important to you, Adam?” +“Because you can see things, Brynna.” He answered solemnly. “You can feel what is to come. You can determine a person's true self with little effort. You can read their innermost thoughts. Not to mention your vast knowledge on all things, small and large. Your power is invaluable. That is why Tyre, Rich Bachum, and your father want you dead. That is why I want you alive.” +“So, if I stay here with you, what will you ask of me?” +“Nothing as worrisome as what I am sure you are imagining. Merely your opinion, which I have discovered you are not shy about sharing.” +I nodded, unable to decipher whether he was being honest or lying to me shamelessly. Even staring intently into his eyes did not answer that question. It didn't matter, at least not in that particular moment. +“And if I refuse?” I asked. +He shrugged and smiled slightly. +“No matter what you decide, welcome to Lumiere.” +“What is that?” +“The name of the city.” +I nodded and gazed into his intriguing eyes once again. +“I have a favor to ask of you. I will owe you a debt if you oblige.” +“That is a dangerous thing to say, Brynna. I am a man who never allows a debt to go unpaid.” +“I am well aware of that. I sensed that in you the day we met.” +It was true. The day my eyes had first met his, when he had appeared like a long dead ghost from the darkness of the forest, I had sensed in him great power and brutal strength, first and foremost. But behind all of that, I sensed a man with an unrelenting grasp on all that was around him, including those who owed him. +“And still, you wish to say such a thing?” He asked almost breathlessly. “That is foolishness far below you.” +“Foolish or wise, it does not matter. I'm sure you already know exactly what I am going to ask.” +“I can assure you that I do not, though I have theories.” +“Well, allow me to confirm one of them: I want Don to let Maura go. Though she and I will never be on sufficiently comfortable terms, she is very important to my sisters and brother.” +Saying the words out loud relieved their burden. I had openly acknowledged, at last, that the bad blood, as they call it, between Maura and I would never evaporate. We would never be what we once were. I did not hate her. In fact, I pitied her. Sometimes, a feeling hovers deep in the core of one's being, and no name can be given to it. It is simply a discomfort unlike any felt before. It is a mixture of terrible betrayal, dull hurt, and in contrast, devastating numbness. The three coexist simultaneously, none fighting for prevalence or longevity. They know they will survive for all time, like tumors immune to all medicine. Maura had provoked that feeling in me, and yet I did not wish for her to die. Somewhere, very deep down, cowering in the face of my still very alive and very powerful anger, was love for her. That love, if you can believe it (and I know I barely do), carried great strength. +Adam was studying me, searching my face for an answer to some question he would not pose. +“Short of killing Don, there was only one other option. I had to come to you and ask for her to be spared.” +“Yes.” +I looked up at him. +“Yes?” I questioned. “Is that an affirmative in response to my statement, or are you telling me that you will stop him?” +“Both. Donald listens to me. He knows the consequences will be severe if he does not. And yes, I will stop him.” +I nodded and reached out suddenly to grasp his hands. I didn't know why, but the touch between us sent a calming breeze through me, so very different from what I had experienced with James. Though the feelings were both undeniably pleasurable, they were so complex in their differences. James had sent warmth through me. Adam sent a soothing chill. Fire and ice, so to speak... +I snapped out of my thoughts and looked up at him. He had leaned closer to me suddenly, pulling one of his hands from my grasp so he could place it on my face. Only a deep seriousness was etched into every smooth line of his face. In the hypnotizing glow of his eyes that was so reminiscent of the way the sun cast that serene, surreal light through the tree canopy of the Pangaean forest, I saw both a hunger to continue whatever it was we were doing and a warning to me that I needed to pull away. It was a look of pure torture, perfect evidence that beneath all of his arrogance, there was a self-loathing to rival my own. Adam and I were so incredibly similar. That similarity stunned both of us and drew us closer together as though our very cores were magnetized. +I had never needed a man before, and I still didn't. My heart was, admittedly, shattered by James's betrayal. To completely renounce what I stated earlier, I will say that above all feelings, vulnerability is the absolute worst. Betrayal breeds it in abundance. Because of how exposed I felt by what James had done, I was allowing myself to drift closer to Adam when I should have been running with wild, reckless speed in the opposite direction. Adam had been the one to send James, and surely, he deserved a large percentage of my wrath. But Adam had not slept beside me every night, telling me he loved me more than his own life and promising never to lie to me. Though Adam could protect me, I needed to prove once again that I could take care of myself. With those thoughts in my mind, I pulled away from him, trying not to cringe as the ice that had pacified my demons melted away. In the flood it left, the worst parts of me sprung up, gasping for air after being submerged. I deserved such a terrible feeling. I hoped it would serve as a reminder to me that I needed to keep my distance from Adam and anyone else who sought to protect and coddle me. +“Before you run off, berating yourself for allowing that moment of humanity, let me say this: James made another deal with me after he ran from your campsite. I told him that should you two find one another, he was to protect you by whatever means necessary. Because he did not do as I ordered the first time, I was ready to kill him. He made another deal with me for his life like the coward that he is.” +“Is that meant to reassure me, Adam?” I asked softly with no edge to my voice. +“No, but this will: He loves you and his feelings on the matter have changed substantially. Three days ago, when we spoke, he told me to kill him. He said he would rather die than trade you. Yet I could not abide by his wish. I could not end his life.” +“Why?” I whispered after swallowing hard to contain the headstrong tears that so boldly wished to fall. +“Because I see in your eyes every time you look at him, and right now, also, how very much you love him. I cannot hurt you, Brynna, in any sense. I might not agree with your choice of man. I believe that you can do far better. But it is your choice.” +“What were the new terms of your deal?” I asked, somewhat randomly. “The one you made the last time you two spoke?” +“I told him that if he keeps you safe, I will not kill him. As long as you are alive, his debt to me is paid. It was the same deal as the second. It is the only one that truly matters. I simply want what is best for you, Brynna.” +“Why is that?” My eyes gazed intently into his, and I even leaned forward slightly in anticipation of his answer. “What am I to you, besides someone who possesses a power that you feel will guarantee you a victory in your war?” +He smiled and laughed softly; the sound embraced my ears warmly and forced a small shudder to run up and down the length of my tired body. +“That is the reason. You most certainly do know all, my dear Brynna.” +I do not know what exactly it was that I thought he would say in response to my last question. Perhaps I conceitedly believed that he truly did have feelings for me and that he would admit them outright. The way he wielded his charisma and dry humor in my presence led me to think that he wanted more from me than just the services my power could offer. But now, he had affirmed that my power was all he needed. There was no secret lust for me, as my brain had led me to believe, for whatever surely unnecessary reason. +“Such interesting thoughts. They are very loud.” +I jumped up, shaking my head back and forth and covering my ears. +“If you can read minds, why do you need me to do it for you?” +“Your thoughts tend to scream. You feel things very strongly, which does not surprise me. You are able to share your thoughts with others. That is another aspect of your power. I can hear them because a part of you wants me to hear them.” +I was tempted to loudly exclaim about the excrement of a bull in obscene terms. Instead, I just shook my head and turned away from him. I searched my mind for an insult or statement that would successfully deflate his arrogance. But I was very tired and unable to fashion one that was both creative and intricate. I had to settle on one that obviously betrayed my great exhaustion. +“Whatever you say, you audacious prick. Now, would you please honor your end of our agreement?” +His soft laughter followed me even after I had left the room. +*** + +Maura was in tremendous pain. Violet and Elijah sat by her side, dabbing the blood from her wounds, the sweat from her forehead, and the tears that fell freely from her eyes with cold water wrung into a rag. I stood outside of the door, leaning against the frame and smoking, pondering all that had occurred to the tune of Maura's sobs. Slowly, I began to sympathize with her. Just as that thought raised its voice to an audible volume, I heard her: +“Brynna!” She called. +I furrowed my brows and looked into the room. For hours, she had cried for Elijah and Violet. Because he was old enough to handle the emotional strain of seeing our second mother in such a state, I had not stopped Elijah from taking his place at her bedside. Besides, she needed his medical expertise; her wounds were severe, and the pain grew worse every hour. Violet, on the other hand, fought me endlessly when I stopped her from entering the room. Finally, I relented, tired of fighting with her, tired of fighting at all. +“There was no reason for your violence towards her. You were simply attempting to eradicate your feelings of inadequacy. I hope you know that. I hope you realize that you and your friends beat and tormented a woman in order to feel like men.” I told Don scathingly in an effort to ignore Maura's pleas for me. After a few moments, she went silent. +“Brynna...” +In Violet's soft cry, I heard a plea for my merciful repentance. I heard her wish for me to enter the room and comfort Maura. I heard her beg for a small touch of normalcy inside my intricate being, for a part that cared for others without being held firmly in opposition by the ghosts of the past. +I ignored her, too. +“This is counterproductive.” Don muttered back to me as he rubbed his eyes. +“What is? You torturing Maura or our current conversation?” +“Both. Maybe I did do it for the reasons you're saying. Maybe you're right about that. I'm a big enough man to admit that, and doesn't that count for something?” He looked up at me. +“I suppose. However, it does not reverse the life-threatening wounds you and your thugs inflicted on her. It does not undo the toll her fear has taken on her body. If you could successfully reverse those, then I would consider us square.” +The smoke I exhaled cast a haze between us that hid his expression. +“Can I be frank with you?” +“I suppose. I do love honesty, however brutal.” +“This isn't brutal. It's an observation and a proposition.” +“How interesting.” I replied apathetically. +“You love her. I don't know what happened between the two of you, but you need to realize that it's obvious. There is bad blood there, definitely. But you wouldn't have brought her to Pangaea if you didn't feel some level of affection for her. While I don't feel guilty for what I did because of who she is, who she's married to, I do know that there more than likely was a different way to go about it.” +“Of course there was. There were many paths you could have taken. Unfortunately, you chose the darkest one. I think you should ponder exactly what that says about you. Though, spoiler alert, what it says is not good.” +“Would you just be quiet and listen for a second? You told me that you and I don't see eye to eye, and that is very true. I believe that force is necessary and sacrifices must be made. You don't.” +“No, I don't disagree that force and sacrifices are necessary. You and I differ on when force should be utilized and which sacrifices are worth making. On the subject of sacrifice, we disagree as to which are morally acceptable.” +“Brynna Olivier, I thought you shunned morality.” There was a lightness to his voice that I had not heard in many months. +I looked over at him, smiling slightly. +“I never said that, either. What is it that you are asking me, Don? I am unable to decipher it at the present time as I am now entering my third day without sleep. My exhaustion hinders my ability to comprehend even something as simple as your true intentions.” +“You must be. Generally, you know what I am trying to say even when I don't.” +“Are you complimenting me? Is that meant to advance the likelihood of me accepting whatever proposition it is that you refuse to say out loud?” I scratched the end of my cigarette against the concrete wall and watched the rain of sparks fall to the ground. +“Yes. But that shouldn't suggest that I'm not being honest. And my proposition is that I need someone to bounce ideas off of. I need someone to help me figure out what I'm supposed to do. I know you have never really trusted me, though I have tried to gain your trust. Brynna, I need for us to put our differences aside. I didn't want to become their leader, if you can even call me that. I don't even like to use that word. I need you to trust me when I say that when this all began, all I wanted was to keep people safe, and once we were safe, to keep us alive.” +“I trust that wholeheartedly, Don. Power corrupted you as it has corrupted many men and women far greater than both you and me. It sounds now, though, that you are resurfacing. You are coming back to your senses. Otherwise, you would not be asking for help.” +“I am asking for help. Brynna, I'm asking you to be my second-in-command.” +I nodded again and looked up at him; I had seen who Don truly was a handful of times before. I had seen a man who possessed the will and ability to protect others. Our time at the house, though there had been hiccups both minimal and severe, had been the most peaceful and productive time we spent on Pangaea. With my help, we could avoid those problems that had been faced and as a result, actually stand a chance of winning the war against the Bachums. I could mold him to see as I saw: The other side could not all be killed, for they were not all bad people. They were scared survivors scrambling to make their way on Pangaea, knowing that they could not do it alone. In short, they were just like us, except they had turned to the Bachums, who offered them safety in exchange for their blind commitment to their ridiculously unrealistic vision of God. In time, they would find their way to us, and if I could convince Don that they were on our side, we could protect them, too. +“Don Abba, you have yourself a deal.” After lighting up yet another cigarette, I reached my hand out to him. +“Really?” He asked, and when his comically large eyes widened, I chuckled softly. Very enthusiastically, he shook my hand. +“Yes.” +“I was so prepared for you to refuse that I don't know what to say now.” +“Just say that we're going to make this work. We're going to figure this out. In the end, everything will turn out in our favor.” +“We're going to figure this out. We're going to make it work.” He told me instantly. +“Yes. Do you know how we can start? You can let that woman and her two children out of lockup.” +He grimaced. +“Are you sure?” +“I am positive.” +For a moment, he looked thoughtful. Then he nodded, and in his heart, I could sense an acknowledgment that I was right. When he reached the stairs that led down to the cells, he turned back to me. +“I am very sorry for what I did to Maura. Though she did admit that she knows what they're planning, I could have gone about getting my answers in a different way. It's amazing, how quickly guilt starts to kick in. Pray that you never feel this.” He was silent for a minute, his eyes fixated on a crack in the concrete floor beneath our feet. When he spoke again, his voice was quiet, resigned to a fact that saddened and disgusted him. “I know that I'm sick, Brynna. You might not see it as sickness, but it's uncontrollable, just like a fatal disease. That's why I need you. I need you to help me avoid the worst in myself.” +“I know you do.” I told him somewhat gently. “I'll help you any way I can, Don. If Maura dies today, there will be anger towards you, great anger that I will control just barely. But I do believe in time and with our joint mission in mind, I will overcome it.” +“Fair enough.” He replied. “But will you forgive me for it?” +I looked into the room when Maura called my name again. I looked back at him and shook my head before saying softly and resolutely, “No.” +“Brynna, please just come in here!” Violet screamed to me through her tears. Begrudgingly, I walked into the room. Maura, even when her eyes were open, was not conscious. When she spoke, she spoke to my father, Violet, her mother, Elijah, Penny, and Lucien. Never once did she speak to me. Now, she was calling out for me. I could not afford the anger that I felt towards her for that. I didn't understand why it was there, but I knew that her condition was worsening. If the worst was going to happen, I had to let that anger go. +I had to let it go. +“I need you both to leave for a few minutes.” I told Elijah and Violet, who looked at me curiously. +“Why?” Violet asked. “Brynn, what if she...” +“If she does, I would prefer you not see it.” +“But I need to be with her, Brynna!” Violet wailed before throwing her arms around my neck and crying into them. I rubbed her back comfortingly. +“Violet, I need you to trust me on that. You do not need to see her die. Now, just in case it happens while I'm here, say your goodbyes now.” +“Brynn, Jesus Christ!” Elijah was stunned by my blunt order. He was too young to understand. +“Elijah, I am not going to shield either of you from the grave severity of the situation. You do not deserve to be lied to. I would not forgive myself if you two never got a chance to tell her goodbye.” +Elijah glared at me for a moment and then knelt down beside the bed, his mouth close to Maura's ear. +“I know you're in pain. I'm so sorry for that, Maura. They said that there's nothing we can do. I should have stopped them. I did try. I told them there was nothing that you could tell them. But they didn't listen, and I should have broken down the door. I should have run in there and killed them all for what they were doing.” +Regret. It cascaded from the tip of his consciousness like acidic rain. Every other thought melted away as the drops burst open against them. I hated that he now had the means to torment himself forever. +“I know what happened...” He told her as tears began to leak from his eyes. “I know what you did with Brynna. I don't understand it. But it doesn't matter now. She doesn't want me to be angry at you.” +Maura gave a soft moan of agony. I wondered if it was in response to what he had said. +“So I'm not angry. If this is it, Maura, I just need you to take that with you, okay? I need you to know that.” +My own throat clenched. I held Violet tighter, focusing my energy on keeping my tears at bay. I would not cry. +“I need you to know that I love you. That is just about the most clichéd thing to say, and I know that if you can hear me, you're rolling your eyes and telling me to come up with something more original,” We all laughed softly at that. “But that's the best I've got.” +“It's plenty, Eli.” I assured him, “It may be clichéd, but it's plenty.” +He nodded, squeezed my shoulder, swiped at his eyes, and left the room. +“Alright, honey, your turn.” I told Violet softly. She took Elijah's place beside the bed. +“Maura...” She managed to croak out. Then she sprang up, threw her arms over Maura, and cried hysterically into her chest. “I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!” +“Shh...” I whispered as I eased her up off of Maura. “You have nothing to apologize for.” +“I promised her I'd keep her safe! I said I'd take care of her, Brynn! I failed her. Don't you see? I failed her!” She cried to me uncontrollably. I struggled not to grasp my chest or contort my face into an expression of pain as my heart broke for her. +“You didn't!” I told her firmly. Some of my earlier ice resurfaced, but its new life was not bred from a desire to push her away. It was meant to convince her of a truth that would heal her grief, however minimally. “There was nothing you could have done, Violet Mae. Don is cruel and relentless in his pursuit of answers. Maura told him outwardly that she knew what they are planning, and though this is certainly not her fault, if she had lied…” I stopped, re-routed. “Never mind. Regardless of what could have been, she would not want you to feel any sense of responsibility or any guilt over what has happened to her. That is the last thing she would want.” +Violet looked up at Maura's bruised and bloodied face. She kissed her forehead gently. +“I love you, Maura. Please don't die. Please, I need you.” +“Alright. Go with Elijah.” I took her hand and steered her towards the door. When I opened it, Alice and Quinn had come downstairs. A look passed between Alice and me. Immediately, she knew that I was going to ask her to watch over my sister. She nodded and squeezed my hand. I was stunned briefly that she understood so clearly. A surge of love for her went through me. I realized that she and Quinn were my friends. I pondered the implications of that even as I closed the door to the room. +When I turned back to Maura, my mind went blank. Her eyes had opened. Not only was she awake, but she was present. +“Brynna?” She asked weakly with tears rolling down her cheeks. Painfully, she turned her head to look at me. I walked forward slowly, not knowing what to say. I would not unleash the rage I felt towards her for what happened. In her final moments, she did not deserve to feel guilt or sadness. I sincerely doubted that anyone deserved to feel such things during the final remainder of their time in our known realm. +“Will you sit with me?” She asked timidly before reaching her hand out to me with great effort. +I nodded and sat down beside her. After a moment, she lowered her hand, realizing that I was not going to take it. She knew the pain of the previous years would not allow such a show of support and love. What was worse is that she accepted and understood that. +“I owe you more apologies than I can count. And this is my last chance…” She whispered. I had to lean forward to hear her. In her voice, I heard her strength fading slowly. +“That's not important. Did you hear Elijah and Violet?” I asked her, and she shook her head. “Well, they begged you not to die. So stop talking like you are.” +“I was waiting for you.” She told me with a tiny smile on her swollen lips. “I wanted you to be with me when I woke up. I need to tell you how sorry I am for everything.” +“It's over. It's in the past.” I said in an unconvincing, robotic tone. What else could be said? +“No.” She shook her head, “Stop it. I do not deserve for you to forgive me so easily.” +“Maura, I don't want to talk about this!” I shot at her when I felt tears well in my eyes suddenly. +“I was a coward. I was afraid of what Michael was going to do to me. I deserve a lifetime in hell for allowing him to do what he did to you. It's all my fault. Everything you feel now is my fault. I’ve never taken responsibility for it, not once. I have never told you that none of it is your fault. Not Michael, not Luc, not your parents… It’s my fault, Brynna.” She was crying again and straining to continue. “I know that. I deserve everything that has happened to me. I do, Brynna.” +“Stop it!” I whispered firmly as the tears brimmed and prepared to fall. +“I love you, and I am so sorry. I don't expect you to forgive me. You don't owe me that. What I want more than for my guilt to go away is for you to be alright, Brynna. I just want you to live a happy life. I want you to fall in love. I want you to have children of your own someday, because you will be the best mother. Just look at how you are with Penny, darling...” +“I will not be engaging in such foolish triviality again. I fell in love once, and it ended terribly. I loved a man who was nothing more than a liar.” +“He was nothing.” +“He was everything, Maura!” I exclaimed in indignation before jumping up and starting to pace. “He is the only man I have ever trusted. He is the only man I have ever loved! And the only reason we met is because Adam sent him after me!” +“I know how badly it hurts you.” +“It doesn't hurt me!” I snapped at her. “It pisses me off! God, you were right all along, weren’t you? That is the absolute worst part of it! You always said to never let them in, because this is what they will do. This is how it always ends, right? I let this man into my life, I fell in love with him in what was practically an instant, and I allowed myself to love him so much, and now he is gone, the same way that Rachel is gone, except James is still alive, but it doesn’t matter, because I will never let him back into my life or Penny’s life! And all of this could have been avoided if I had just… just…” +It went back beyond our first kiss. It went back to our first meeting. I could not discern the exact moment when I realized it was a possibility that I could have romantic feelings for him. Was it when he had grasped my hand in the car? Was it when he had patched up my head and my arm in his apartment, allowing me to hold a knife because I was still so distrustful of him? Was it when he had begun to gain my trust in the diner, when we had experienced together the horror he had originally felt alone at the fast-approaching end of the world? Was it when he had lit my cigarette? All of those instances seemed to have occurred thousands of years earlier. But when was it, exactly, that I should have ordered myself never to feel for him? +“Stop.” She whispered. “Sit down.” +I stopped walking when I felt my heart racing and my head spinning. I sat down beside her again, knowing I would collapse if I continued to stand. +“I know it doesn't seem like it, but you will love again, Brynna. I know that I warned you against them. I know that my own love life is not an example. But you will love someone again, and they will be good, and strong, and they will love you, too. They will never inflict this pain on you. All of those ideals you told me about from your books, all of those things that you said you don’t believe in… They’re real, Brynna. They’re real, and you deserve them. You will have every last one of them, my darling.” +I shook my head slightly, though I wanted so desperately to believe her. When I looked at her, my tears had multiplied. She saw them and reached out to wipe them away. +“Do you promise?” I whispered in the voice of a child. +She nodded and smiled weakly. +“I promise.” +She gave a weak moan of pain again. I reached out and grabbed hold of her hands. I brought them to my chest and held them tightly. A feeling took my breath away when it emerged suddenly. I realized that I needed her. I realized that everything, every terrible moment in our joint past, didn't matter anymore. It was of the old world, and the old world was gone. I had promised that Pangaea would be a new start for everyone and yet I held old world grudges. I allowed myself to succumb to old-world pain. +I had to let it go. +“Maura, I just realized something.” +“Yeah?” She managed to mutter as she opened her eyes. +“I need you. I cannot do this without you.” +“Shh...” She wiped my eyes again. “You can do anything, Brynna Claire. Anything, do you understand me?” +“But I need you to stay with me!” My voice cracked, and a stray tear streamed down my cheek. +“I said,” She cringed in pain for a moment, stifling a soft moan. “I said, 'Do you understand?'” +I nodded and moved closer to her. +“Stay with me. Stay with me, Maura.” I whispered after pressing my forehead to hers. Her hands grasped my face. As the tears finally fell, I whispered words I had not said to her in many, many years: + “I love you.” +“I know you do. I need you to know that I know that, and have always known it, alright? And I love you, too. I need you to know that, too. I have hurt you terribly… and yet I love you the most.” +A sob escaped me, and I felt her tears running down her face onto my hands. +“I love you so much, my beautiful Brynna.” +So clichéd, and yet the only words that could ever matter. Her lips kissed my cheek twice. I laid my head against her chest, crying harder when I felt her arms wrapping around me. +“It's alright, honey.” She whispered to me as I sobbed and held onto her for all the life left in us both, “Shh... Everything is going to be alright, my sweet girl. I promise you. I promise, darling.” +At the end of her life, she had resumed the task she had taken at the beginning of mine; she calmed my cries with ease and gentleness while I was bundled up snugly in her arms. We were, most definitely, consumed by one of life's full circles. +“I wanted it to be you… here with me.” +I nodded and held onto her even more tightly. +“I'm here.” I whispered back through my tears. +I still don't know how long we laid there before I heard her breathing and heartbeat slow and stop. But I will tell you that there is one thing I know for sure, and you might not believe it: When I sat up, the weight of the pain had lifted. I nearly toppled over from the new lightness of my being. I looked down at her, at how she looked to be merely asleep, and though my tears still fell, I knew that in her last moments, she had taken the pain from me. She would carry it for me far away, to wherever she was going, where it could never harm me again. That was her final gift to me. That was her final act of repentance and apology. +“Come on.” Elijah was saying softly to me. I hadn't realized that he had come to check on me. Now, I was the one being steered from the room. I was the one being escorted, mercifully, from the terrible sadness of Maura's death. I had never imagined that I would feel a thing. I had never guessed I would grieve her passing. But then, even when I hated her, I had always loved her. Love and hate are so very close, after all. +My immediate action upon reentering the hall was to embrace Violet. Upon seeing my tear-streaked face, she knew the worst had happened. Her sobs were painful, twisting and wringing my insides dry. But they were cleansing, at least on her end. They were the audible expulsion of her own grief. For her, crying relieved the pain. +When the building shook, I assumed my internal explosive energy had manifested in an imaginary outer display. But upon seeing the alarmed looks on the teary faces of Alice, Quinn, and Elijah, I realized that something really was happening. The darkness had come. It was beating down our door, ready to destroy us as we stood in its path. +“Take them and find James! Run!” The words tumbled from my mouth towards Elijah as the imminent danger of the situation registered clearly in my mind. I did not know exactly what was occurring above our heads, nor did I want to send my friends and family to James for assistance, but I knew swift action was necessary. In fact, it was the only crucial link between us and our lives continuing past the present. +Adam ran into the corridor just as I ducked back into the room with Maura. I couldn't leave her. I could hear him shouting to my friends and siblings, ordering them to get out of the building. But I could not leave Maura's body, not when she, like everyone else both good and evil, deserved to be buried properly. After all she had suffered, I had to put her to rest. +“We have to go!” Adam was shouting at me now. “They're here!” +“Who?” My tone betrayed my apathy. I cared nothing for the war anymore. The day, the place, everything about the whole ordeal had taken a toll on me. I could not afford a scrap of emotion, as I was already being contorted and tormented by the pain of Maura's death and the stinging betrayal left by the truth I had learned about James. +“They stole the sun harness!” +“Adam, what the hell is a sun harness?” I asked, my voice never rising above a mere murmur. +“It doesn't matter what it is! We need to go now!” +“I will not leave her.” +“What are you talking about, Brynna?” He demanded dangerously as he walked closer to me. “She is gone. There is nothing more you can do for her.” +“I can bury her. I don't know if that is a custom...” +“Be quiet. Get up. Let's go.” He ordered and a hazardous nuclear explosion of fury blasted mightily inside of me. I stood up, whipped around, stormed towards him, and shoved him hard in his firm chest. +“If it wasn't for you, she would still be here!” I shouted before pushing him again. Surprisingly, I was able to make him stumble back a step. “You and your pitifully stupid war! And you sent James! I fell in love with him, and it was all a lie! Why did you do this?!” I opened my hand, brought it up to his face, and slapped him hard. I was a fan of slapping. I was finding that it was the only remedy for certain infuriating things. It truly did help. +“Brynna, I will explain everything to you!” He grabbed both of my wrists in a painful hold. I grimaced but fought wildly to free them from his grasp only to find that he was as strong as he looked; he never lost or even weakened his grip. +The ceiling shed dust on the next impact. I could smell smoke. A fire had taken hold of the building and soon, we would be consumed by it. Adam was right; we had to leave. But one glance at Maura's peacefully absent body strengthened my resolve to stay. +“I'll carry her out. In a few minutes, I'll have gathered the strength to carry her.” +“We don't have a few minutes!” His voice thundered deafeningly. I had angered him, and I knew it. Under normal circumstances, my bullheaded nature entertained him, but as the fire ate through the walls around us, closing in for the kill, he found my tendency to dig my heels in frustrating and also, potentially deadly. I would have been substantially irritated by such stubbornness, as well. +“Go!” I shouted back at him just as loudly. The fire would not be what brought the building down; our shouting match certainly would. +“You're going to carry her?” He grabbed the tops of my arms after I turned away from him to kneel at Maura's bedside. +“Yes.” I shot at him defiantly. +“No.” He snarled before yanking me upwards so I was standing on my feet. “I am going to carry you.” +I was over his shoulder, and he was ramming himself into the blocked door before I had even processed his words completely. +“NO!” I screamed as I struggled to throw myself off of him. In one fluid motion, he adjusted me on his shoulder, strengthened his hold on me, and rammed into the door again. The force with which he hit it sent it flying off its hinges, pinning the piece of debris that had been blocking it against the opposite wall. I watched the room behind us fill with thick smoke; Maura disappeared from my view. +“No, no, no!” I grabbed both sides of the door frame and held on tight. In time, he would get frustrated and drop me onto the floor. Then, he would run for the stairway, dodging flaming pieces falling from the roof before hurtling up the steps and saving himself. By that time, I would not be able to save myself or Maura's body. I would simply curl up beside her and await the final moment. No one would be perched mournfully beside me, apologizing for how they had wronged me, telling me they loved me, or even lying to me, saying that everything would be alright. I would prefer it that way. No symphony of emotionally heavy words and empty reassurances would be necessary. The only soundtrack I would need to my last coherent thoughts would be the crackling of the fire and the bone-shaking explosions overhead. I had heard that in home fires, smoke was the killer, not the flames. Surely, though, my death would still be painful; I would struggle to draw clean air into my lungs but instead, would only breathe toxic, heavy, black smoke. I would suffocate, to put it simply. But at least I would not burn. +“I will hurt you if you do not let go!” Adam shouted once again. I did not doubt his sincerity. +“I'm not leaving her!” I shrieked. I had graduated from struggling to fall out of his grasp to kicking my feet into his stomach so he would drop me. “I can't leave her! Don't you see?! She might have left me before, but if I was gone, she wouldn't leave! I know that! I know it, and I can't leave her, Adam!” The tears running down my cheeks were not a result of the coarse smoke stinging my eyes. The crack in my voice softened him. Instead of hurting me, he pulled me forward, turned me sideways and cradled me in his arms. +“It is just her body.” He whispered to me. “You know that. Her soul is safe.” +I stared up into his eyes. That quickly, I accepted his words. I knew, beyond any shadow of doubt, that he was right. There was no use risking my life to bury an empty shell. The most essential part of her essence was already safe, sent back to the source from which we all were sprung. I hoped that there was a merciful one God, who welcomed her through the fabled gates of Heaven with open arms. I hoped wherever she was that she was safe. As I hoped and prayed for her eternal happiness, my arms flung up to wrap around Adam's neck. I held onto him tightly, closing my eyes so as not to see Maura's body disappear from view. Though Adam had convinced me that she was safe, I could not bear to see her body consumed in flames. Old-world thinking persisted, even then. +We were moving quickly, though Adam was not running. Never once did he attempt to put me down as he maneuvered through the fallen, burning rubble. In fact, I could sense that he preferred having me nestled safely in his arms. There, I could not be hurt. What strange thoughts for him to be having... Quickly, I determined that he knew if I were to perish in the fire, I could not agree to help him. +“That is foolishness far below you, Brynna Olivier.” He muttered to me as he kicked open the door at the top of the stairs. I looked up at him, my eyes wide. “Not very amusing when the tables turn, is it?” +I turned my head to the side, stunned to find that I was breathing fresh air. We had emerged onto long dirt pathway leading to the gate in front of Adam's mansion. We turned back to look up, only to find that the entire house had gone up in flames. I looked at him, shocked to see that there was not a shred of pain evident in his eyes. Seeing his house burn didn't faze him in the slightest. Still, I grasped his hand. If I were watching my home of so many years crumble to the ground before me, I would certainly want someone to comfort me, though I would not ask for it, and I would prefer their condolence to be silent and simple. +“Come on.” I whispered to him. “We have to go.” +He nodded, and we turned away, only to find ourselves surrounded. Having been lost in our thoughts, we did not sense the angry horde of Bachum supporters approaching. In their minds, I heard shrill cries of gratitude to a mortal man, though I could not decipher exactly whose face it was that they were holding so firmly at the forefront of their minds. They owed him their lives, according to Tyre, for he had stolen the sun harness. He was one of ours, buried deep within our camp, exactly as Elijah had told James. This man was hidden so deeply, even to them, that they could not picture him clearly. But whoever he was, he was still amongst our numbers, and if Adam and I managed to escape the city—a scenario that was growing increasingly less likely—I knew that it was imperative to seek out him and his accomplices. +“What in the name of the one God or Gods is a sun harness?” +“Contextual clues, my dear. Think on it for a moment.” Adam replied as he put his arm in front of me and moved me behind him. I moved right back out to stand beside him. I would face the mob of fanatical crazies with him, for I was not afraid in the slightest. +“You will run when I say so.” Adam muttered to me firmly as Tyre moved to the front of the crowd. There was another deafening bang that rattled the earth, and the building fifty feet from Adam's mansion fell to the ground in flaming scraps. I did not nod in affirmation to Adam's order. He glared at me, ordering me to nod or say out loud that I understood. I raised my eyebrows, cocked my head to the side slightly, and glared back at him. I think if I were a man, he would have punched me. +“Well, I never thought I would see the day when you were found wandering about without your guards.” +Tyre was even more menacing in the dim, smoke-filled twilight. His eyes reflected the darkest hues of the earth. His pale white skin eerily contrasted with the darkness of his eyes and his prominent nose that sat between them proudly. While many men on Pangaea were healthily muscular, Tyre was unbelievably tall—almost seven feet, at least!—and almost dangerously thin. The immortality of the other men I knew had never drained the traces of vibrant youth. Tyre had been sucked dry of such fresh beauty. The man seemed born to play the ghoulishly gaunt villain in a horror movie. The cliché was not lost on me, and I almost laughed to myself as it became clear. +“Brynna Olivier...” He turned his gleaming white grin of triumph to me. I scowled at him defiantly. “I have been told by your father that you now know all. Pity you did not join us. Now, who knows?” +“I know. Isn't that why you wanted me dead, Tyre?” I challenged him. “So, where is your lapdog? I have so desperately wanted to meet Rich Bachum.” +“He's powering the harness, of course.” Tyre replied in a voice of dangerous elation. “Come now, Adam, let us make this quick.” Anger pulsed beneath the cool and collected facade. A barbaric glee was beginning to rear its head inside of him. He had finally won. It had been hundreds of years since Adam had tossed him and his people from the city he had not wanted built, and finally, he could dole out Adam's last punishment. +“You will not attempt to fight me, will you? You and those two humans are three of a kind, Tyre.” Adam was grinning ear-to-ear, genuinely amused by whatever it was he sensed in Tyre. “You're cowards more likely to sneak up on your foes in the night than to stand face-to-face with them. You will make deals in the hopes of being spared, deserting all you believe just to breathe the air here for another day.” +“I have never made a deal with you! I would never be so foolish!” Tyre hissed venomously, his fangs forming far more slowly than ours did. “This girl has, hasn't she? Otherwise, her father would have killed her by now. But no, she stands here before me in perfect condition, and thank the God for that! I can now end her myself.” +Adam's calm ambivalence disappeared in a blink. I felt the change in him several seconds before I looked over. Upon looking into his red eyes, I knew that a fight would ensue between them. He would, for whatever reason, fight for me. I could not understand why, and he had no time to explain. I do not think that he would have, even if we had ages to talk. +“If you so much as turn your gaze to her,” When he began to speak, his voice was a furious whisper. But as he continued, it rose to its intimidatingly forceful thunder. “I will destroy every man around you before I KILL YOU WHERE YOU STAND!” +Whoa... My eyes were wide, and my eyebrows were raised in shock. When Tyre did turn his gaze to me, it was a direct provocation that was imprudent, to say the very least. Adam's fangs sprung out, and he lunged forward; the roar that erupted from him made his thunderous shouts seem like mere whispers in the dark. His hand was locked firmly around Tyre's throat when six of the enemy's men pulled him off. Even as they forced Adam onto his knees, I could see the terror in their eyes that he would break free and slaughter them all effortlessly. Beneath that fear, though, I could see their lusting fury; they wanted to see him killed. They wanted to congratulate themselves and each other after it was over. They wanted to revel in the war's ending, knowing they had won. +Tyre rose to his feet, smiling in sadistic glee. From behind him, a man handed over a large, curved sword. Adam never fought to free himself. His pride would not allow it. Even as Tyre brought the sword above his head and froze, the smirk never left Adam's face. +“STOP!” I stunned both myself and the men around me with my scream of protest. Even Adam was surprised, though he hid it well. +“You are next, my dear.” Tyre grinned at me. +“Run.” Adam instructed me calmly. +“NO!” I shouted. +“Do not let her run. You all will pay a price if she gets away!” Tyre shouted at them. +“Run now, Brynna.” Adam's words were still infused with a lightness that was so out of place in the current conundrum. He sounded as though he was telling a mildly humorous joke. I could have stabbed him myself. +When one man walked forward to hold me in place, my own beast burst out of its cage in a grandiose, violent escape. I closed the space between that man and I before jumping up and locking my legs on either side of his torso. I grabbed a hold of his head in both hands, practically salivating as I pictured sinking my teeth down into his throat. My head jerked up to the sky, and I screeched shrilly at the heavens. When the sound drained out of me completely, I twisted my hands, spinning the man's head around on his neck. He crumpled to the ground beneath me; I was still attached to him, and yet I managed to land gracefully on my knees. My head jerked up in time to see that I had created a necessary diversion. The men holding Adam were in a state of horror that slackened their grip on him. +My own fighting abilities were lackluster in comparison to his brutal strength. In one swipe, he swung his arm back, colliding with each man and sending him flying backwards into the gates outside of his house that now stood in rubble. Tyre snapped out of whatever daze he was in and brought the knife down. Adam dodged the blade in time for it to miss his chest but still, it made contact, plunging deep into his stomach. He grimaced in pain only slightly. +“Do not look at me! Fight them!” He bellowed at me. +Whatever daze I was in, I abruptly came out of to join the common realm once again. Instantly, I sprung into action; I ran past a man charging me and snatched the dagger he was carrying right out of his hand. +Alright, genetic mutation. Show me what I can do, I thought just as a man got close enough for me to strike. +I stretched my arm out, spun in a circle and heard the sickening slash of skin as the knife cut through the charging man's throat. I felt the warm spray of blood on my arm as I slammed my hand onto the ground to stop my body from spinning anymore. Without looking, I threw the knife sideways; I heard another man's bones cracking around the serrated blade after it forcefully entered his chest cavity. My head jerked in my second victim's direction before my legs carried me to him. He was falling forward, grasping his chest. In a blur of movement, I ripped the knife from his chest, placed my hands on his shoulders, and propelled myself into a flip through the air before landing on my feet. +Two younger men were facing me. In them, I sensed no darkness. I saw no evil in their hearts as I had seen inside of the others I had just killed. They stared at me in horror, trembling, awaiting my move. The guns in their hands rattled as they shook. They never raised them. +“Go home, gentlemen.” I whispered after taking a much needed deep breath. +They looked at me, looked at each other, and then turned to run. Two gunshots rang out behind me, and I looked down at myself; they were loud enough that I knew they had been made by a sufficiently large shotgun. If I had been shot, the bullets would have blown open a hole in my abdomen, given the close proximity of the shooter. +But I was not the wounded party; the two boys who had run were. They had fallen to the ground, their top halves messes of blood and flesh. I will admit that I felt an unimaginably strong surge of pain through my body at seeing such innocent creatures taken so cruelly before what could ever rightfully be their time. As the despair assuaged, outrage took its place. I knew exactly who stood behind me, wielding that gun. Only he would feel the need to carry such a large weapon, for he would not accept nature's power. +Rich Bachum turned the muzzle of the shotgun so that it was pointed at me. I understood suddenly why Adam showed and perhaps felt no fear. He wished to die an honorable death. I would never fall to my knees, sniveling and pleading like a coward. I would not shed a tear. I would not attempt to forge a deal. I would die the same way I had always lived: in defiance of cowardice. +“At last we meet, Mr. Bachum.” +“Do not say my name, you disgusting freak! You don’t get to say my name!” He shouted, and I frowned in revulsion when a large wad of spit flew from his mouth as he spoke. +“I can sense that I have been living in your mind rent-free, as they say.” +“You were raised well! You're from Earth! You...” He took a step towards me, “Vile...” Another step, and he raised the shotgun so it was aligned with my head, “Whore!” +I expected him to fire after he was finished that particular sentiment. However, his shaking hands just held the gun even more firmly. +“Ooh...” I sang with a grin and chuckle, “Vile! An honorable choice of words, Mr. Bachum.” +“What did I just say?! I do not want to hear my name coming from your disgusting mouth!” +“Pull the trigger, Mr. Bachum.” I ordered softly, tauntingly. +“I am warning you!” +“Are you a big enough man to do it, Mr. Bachum?” +I took a step towards him, my grin widening as I realized that I already knew the pathetic answer to the question I had just posed. He could not pull the trigger. In my heart, I felt nothing but pride and audacity. In his, I felt great fear. +“You stand above others because you know all.” My tone dripped condescension and sarcasm, which I’m sure does not surprise you at this point. “Yet, you stand now before just little me,” I held my arms out to the side, “And you're speechless. You're motionless. You know not what to do. You're terrified because you've never killed a woman. You've beaten them and degraded them terribly, but can you willingly kill one? No, your lapdogs do that for you.” +“You don't know what I'm thinking.” +“Your mind is screaming.” I spun my hands beside my head to mime the churning stream of thoughts that were pouring from his mind. “I can hear everything.” +“You're crazy!” He bellowed furiously, but his voice cracked on the last word. I covered my mouth to suppress the giggle that took hold of me. “You're lying! You can’t hear me!” +“If I don't do this, she'll kill Mary.” +“If I don't do this, she'll kill Mary.” I repeated and my grin widened as his frown deepened. +“How is she doing that?!” +“How is she doing that?!” I shouted up at the sky. I was acting quite manically, I admit... The adrenaline has that effect. +“Oh my God, the devil is real. He has her! Oh, dear God...” +“Oh, dear God! Oh, dear God! Oh, dear God!” I shouted, all evidence of whimsy extinguishing each time I said those words until I was snarling them at him viciously. Now, only that painful, familiar rage stood firmly in my chest to spur me to further action. “Just because I don't believe in your warped perception of God does not mean I'm in line with the devil, Mr. Bachum!” +I was walking towards him now, willing him to put his finger on the trigger. I could end him. Sure, if Rich fell, the war would not end. But Tyre would be short an arm; he would be amputated and vulnerable to our attack. Adam's city was burning around me. I could hear the screams of his people as they scrambled for the city limits. When I closed my eyes briefly, I saw men, women, and children running in terror and disappearing through the wall into the darkness of the forest. I saw others belonging to Tyre pulling back a thick golden string on the back of a large, glass, circular bowl poised towards the sky. The sun darkened overhead as one of its rays was sucked into the bowl. One of his men turned the device so it would fire into one of the crowds of screaming, terrified people. I opened my eyes just as a fire more powerful than any that could erupt from a man-made bomb consumed them. +It had taken exactly one second to see all that I had seen. My power was growing stronger. +“This is a win-win for both of us, Rich.” I told him softly. “If we live, we live another day. If we die, well...” I smiled and shook my head slightly as I studied his face. “One of us will know the truth about all this, won't we?” +“You know nothing of ‘all this!’ You know nothing of anything!” +I blinked at him. +“Too easy.” I murmured. +“If you did, you would not align with Adam! You would not allow yourself to be twisted into some filthy creature from this world! You don't deserve a minute of life if you think that all of this is right!” +I realized suddenly that all the men who had surrounded us were dead. Tyre had run off when he realized that he was the only target left for Adam to disembowel. I was staring down the business end of a shotgun that was being pointed at me by a deranged, fanatical lunatic, and yet Adam had not stepped in to intervene. Perhaps he was allowing me to handle the situation on my own. I appreciated his belief in me. I appreciated his willingness to let me dispatch the threat that stood so firmly and tremulously before me alone. +No. I realized that something was not right. +I reached forward and grabbed the muzzle of the gun. With a quick, powerful jerk of my arm, I was able to pull it from Rich's grasp and send him down onto his knees. He looked up at me, willing me to shoot him. Only after being martyred in this “holy” war would he earn his place at God's side. His ignorance and his blind devotion to that phantom version of God brought about the strangest feeling in me: pity. +“We find ourselves at an impasse, Rich.” I told him as I put the gun over my shoulder. “I will not shoot you because I will not spoil you with a death you and your despicable wife would be proud of. Goodbye for now. I know next time you will not hesitate.” +Like the contemptible coward he was, he ran. Later, I knew Tyre would make him pay for not killing me. Rich knew of the consequences and still, he did not fight me. I turned back to watch him disappear from view, knowing that he and I would meet again, knowing that I would be the one to kill him or vice-versa. Either way, one of us would end the other. +“Adam?” I asked as I turned around. Amongst the pile of bodies, I could not see him. My exhaustion seemed to have intensified. My legs dragged as I walked through the carnage. I struggled to raise them when I had to step over the fallen men. +“Adam?!” I asked again, too tired to suppress the fear for him that was so evident in my voice. +“Here.” +His voice was barely audible, even in the silence. In it, I heard his pain. I forced my tired body to move quickly, knowing he was hurt badly. I did not want to imagine, even for a moment, that he might die. While his personality and his actions antagonized me to no end, sometimes purposely, I couldn't stand to lose someone else, even the man who from the moment I met him, had stirred a great, raging storm of conflicting emotions inside of me. +“Hey...” I whispered gently before kneeling beside him. As soon as I had steadied myself, I pressed my hand to the wound in his stomach. His warm blood streamed over my hand, saturating my skin with the darkest red I had ever seen. +“It's fatal, Brynna.” +“Stop it.” I ordered firmly. “Come on. We need to leave. Before he left, Rich thought about the others and bringing them back here to finish us off. I also saw more fire from the harness. We need to go.” +“You need to go. There is no help for me.” He told me in a tone firm enough to rival my own yet still displaying his weak and pained state. An explosion of empathy overtook me, and I knew then that I could not leave him. +“My city will burn. It is my duty and my humblest privilege to stay and burn with it.” +“This is like the captain going down with the ship.” I told him. “And though it is very honorable, you are far too important to die now. Think about your dear friend Don. He would be lost without you. Now, get up.” +“I cannot walk. It is fatal, Brynna. You must go.” +“Stop saying that.” I took his arm and wrapped it around my neck. “On three, okay? One, two, three!” I pulled him forward, and he moved his feet back, turning his body to rise onto his knees. The pain had to have been tremendous, unimaginable... Still, he did not make a sound. +“I must stay.” He gasped out. “I must stay here to die, Brynna. This is my city.” +We were both on our knees facing one another. My face was very close to his. As my empathy grew for him, I did something unexpected: I closed the space between us and planted a quick, warm kiss on his cheek. +“I know. But this is your world, also. It is overrun by the Bachums, their people, and their message that is a perversion of all we know and believe. We can only save Pang… Purissimus… with your help, Adam.” +His rough hand came up to grasp my cheek. The scorching heat between us had nothing to do with the building that had just collapsed beside us in an almighty explosion of fire and debris. His eyes hypnotized me into a beautifully tranquil space that erased all fear and pain. Stranger even is the fact that I could see a similar lull in his eyes as he gazed into mine. +I shook my head back and forth rapidly and frowned slightly. +“Alright, we need to get you on your feet. One, two, three!” +He did emit one almost inaudible groan of pain when I pulled him even harder. My hand was pressed over the one of his that he had covering the wound. Once I had successfully gotten him onto his feet, he stumbled into me, nearly knocking both of us back to the ground. I dug my heels into the blood-soaked earth and slid backwards in the soggy moisture for one unsure minute. Then, my strength registered finitely in my arms and torso, and I was able to hold him, despite his great mass. +“I'll try to walk as best as I can.” He gasped out to me as we both continued to hold his wound. +“Or I could carry you. You carried me earlier, and now, I owe you the same courtesy.” I told him in an effort to lighten the mood with a terrible joke. Sure enough, he chuckled weakly. The effort it took for him to force the laugh out pained him severely. I knew by the way he grimaced. +We took small, labored strides to move forward, away from the small battle we had just fought and won; away from the war we were fighting and losing. I ignored the growing ache in my shoulders and back and focused on him, knowing his pain was turning to agony and still, he would not show it to me. I focused on the tree line that grew closer very slowly with each step we took. I yearned for the shelter of the forest, where even the Bachums feared to tread. They had been spoiled by their open surroundings and therefore, knew nothing of the dangers within the trees. They would not risk their lives by traveling through the woods unless absolutely necessary. I knew that James was smart enough to hide Violet, Elijah, Penny, Alice, and Quinn within their age-old shelter. In my mind, I saw him ordering Don to turn Savannah, Oliver, and Ellie over to him. He had ushered them to safety as well. In the forest, he knew they would all be safe. +Well, they would be safe from the Bachums. +The hill was the most arduous part of our journey. While I supported most of his weight, I also pushed him gently, giving him just enough momentum to move his feet up the steep slope. When we reached the top, I was using him to support myself almost as much as he was using me. +“You could have left me, you know.” He whispered to me as we both stood, catching our breath. +I looked up at him and scowled. +“Do you think so little of me?” My scowl dissolved into a dramatically disapproving frown. From the frown, a tiny smirk formed. Adam laughed the soft chuckle that was I was beginning to acknowledge as his trademark. Then, he pressed his lips to my forehead for a long, tender, thankful kiss. I jerked away, alarm springing to life uncomfortably inside of my chest. I couldn't afford to grow closer to him. I couldn't even afford the lack of physical distance between him and me. Our immediate closeness and our growing dependency on one another reminded me of James, and I cringed visibly. +“You and your aversion to feelings...” He shook his head slightly and tightened his grip on me for no other reason than that his legs were beginning to fail him. “That was only meant to thank you for saving my life. If I wished for romantic involvement with you, I would leave little room for doubt or deliberation.” +I spun us around to face the woods and walked forward quickly, leaving his feet struggling to move at the same pace. +“Keep talking like that, and you'll be crawling behind me.” +“At least I will be at the perfect level to watch you as you walk ahead of me.” +“You are repulsive!” I exclaimed as I slapped him very gently in the chest. Any more force than what I had used would send him falling to the ground. His bloodied hand came up quickly to grasp the one I had used to hit him. I looked up at him, entranced into silence by those beautiful eyes once again. James, Maura, and the burning city behind us disappeared from my conscious thoughts, and there was only that breathtakingly beautiful silence. There was only him, with his ruggedly handsome face, his muscular chest beneath my hand, and his strong body leaning against mine. There were no explosive bangs created by the sun's energy being thrust forcefully into the buildings Adam's people had labored endlessly to build. There was only the sound of our beating hearts; after we turned to face one another, I felt the strength of his thumping against the bones of my chest. I brought my hand up to rest on his scratchy, stubble-covered cheek. His rough hands moved my sweat and blood-drenched hair from my face. Rising up onto my tiptoes, I leaned into him... +Slut. +My brain broadcast the word on a spinning marquee. Maura’s voice read it out loud. Without hesitation, I pulled away and closed my eyes when he rested his forehead against mine. A bang so powerful that it shook the very land beneath our feet made us turn our attention to the city. The sun had disappeared from the sky, but the blinding light of its flames lit up the space before us. From within its painful luminescence, I watched the shadows of buildings crumble to ash; I watched the ash disappear into nothing. People unfortunate enough to be in the midst of their escape were blasted away, and I knew there would be no remains; not a bone, not a shred of skin... +I remembered another world, another time, another race being erased from existence in a thunderous display of God's power that rivaled the one I was seeing unfold before me. From the ashes of our Earth, we had been meant to travel the universe to a brave new world. We were meant to rebuild civilization and create a new life. Yet here we all were, scattered, afraid, and once again, on the brink of extinction. Since our arrival on the purest of planets, we had desecrated all of our God-given chances to create a new world from the debris of destruction. +We were, I am very sad to say, the living results of a shattered genesis. We were, beyond the forgiving shadow of doubt, failures of nature. No holy war could remedy such a persistent, painful truth. No lies or reassurances we would inevitably tell ourselves could change the certainty of our deficiency as a race or our impending, final demise. +When the last of that blinding light died away, the sun resumed its place in the sky only to be assailed by the black smoke of the fallen city. Its rays struggled to break through the blockade; as a result, an eerie haze was cast on the ashes and the few scraps of debris that had managed to survive the blast. The sight was beautiful in its own way, though disturbingly bizarre to the point of chilling every last drop of my blood. I had always wondered what a nuclear holocaust would look like, and the sun harness had produced such a scene for my viewing. I shook my head back and forth, reminding myself that so many of Adam's people and maybe even a few of my own had been killed. Whatever remained of their bodies now drifted away in the wind. +I was twirling through space, falling forever. There was nothing left. Every salvation, every moment of solace had been taken from us cruelly and without just cause. Every escape was merely an unnecessary detour on the road to the final scene, where we would be slaughtered painfully and without mercy. We would be taken from the worlds and lives we had so dirtied and contorted. +“Adam?” I asked softly. Both of my hands held his firmly. +“Yes?” +“I believe we have reached the end.” +In my peripheral vision, I saw him shake his head. He reached out and ran his finger along my jawline before turning my head so I could look into his eyes once again. +“My dear Brynna,” He whispered, “The darkest evil has not yet even broken the horizon.” + +Book Two of the Eternity series, The Bargaining Path +will be available in April 2014 + +The Shattered Genesis© and the Eternity Series© are copyrighted to T. Rudacille. Please do not distribute this work without permission of the author. diff --git a/data/Apocalypse/495942.txt b/data/Apocalypse/495942.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..baf79be --- /dev/null +++ b/data/Apocalypse/495942.txt @@ -0,0 +1,676 @@ + +Jason Borrego + + + + +INFECTED FREAKS +VOLUME 1 +FAMILY FIRST + + +Copyright +This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental. +Infected Freaks Volume One: Family First +Copyright © 2014 Jason Borrego +All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means –electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or another—except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior written permission of the publisher. +Published by Broken Light Studios at Smashwords +First Edition: August 2014 +http://www.jasonborrego.com/ + +Table of Contents +Copy Right +Author’s Note +Prologue +I +II +III +IV +V +VI +VII +VOLUME 2: THE ECHO OF DECAY +CORDYCEPS FUNGUS +ABOUT THE AUTHOR +OTHER BOOKS BY JASON BORREGO +CONTESTS +Authors Note + +INFECTED FREAKS isn’t your typical zombie apocalypse. The survival horror series brings to life the struggle of Abraham Heinz, his family, and the torment of a world facing extinction. The series, fused with emotion, will be delivered in a volume of novella-sized episodes that will make up a much larger tale of tragedy. Think of it as a favorite TV show or comic that will continue to build upon each breathtaking volume. +Dare to enter into the promise of heart-wrenching decisions? Make sure to leave the light on first. + +Prologue + +Abraham Heinz sipped his whiskey and settled into the stiff wooden chair in his two-story barn. The salvaged police radio was ready to broadcast in the studio he built on the second floor. He took a long look at the rusty microphone he recovered and exhaled. This was his last chance to reach his two missing children in the ruins of America. Abraham, a devoted father of five, had three of his grown children with him on the mountain farm. His two missing children, a son and daughter, fled to different sides of America’s second Civil War. In his heart, he knew the broadcast was limited, but he was determined to try anyway. Abraham would never rest until he discovered the fate of both Robb and Alison. He started his broadcast the same way he did every one of them, with a description of how things got to where they were today. He always tried to give information to any who may be listening in for the first time. +“It’s been three years since the planetary object known as Red Dead first appeared in the sky. What’s left of my household thinks that’s the least of our worries, but I don’t think it was a coincidence the first shots of combat happened hours later. It wasn’t long after the United States of America erupted in a merciless Civil War. Again, the greatest nation in the world was alienated by an extended version of the Mason Dixon Line. The rest of the world followed suit, picking sides for reasons only God knows. That’s when I packed up my family in Denver and fled to the Rocky Mountains. I had to get out of the city. The good state of Colorado banded together with Kansas and Utah, shaping America’s only neutral zone. Working together, the three states were safe from the effects of the Civil War.” +Abraham hated his digital voice; it sounded arrogant and gaudy. His sun-weathered skin itched from a dozen hay pricks and the combined smell of human and animal feces assaulted his broad, wrinkled nose. “We took over a small farm a few clicks from the Heart of Colorado. It took some getting used to, living in the mountains away from all the glamor of the Mile High City. But we had everything we needed, and most important, my family was safe. Then, life got real. Some say the Northern Republic was the first to drop a nuclear bomb. Still, others suggested the dirty rumor was all a setup organized by the Southern Liberty. All I know is that one year into the dreadful war every nation launched whatever it had. According to the news, the hardest hit regions were overseas, but that didn’t mean America escaped unscathed. +“The East Coast of America was reported to be a radioactive wasteland. A few days later, a terrible silence blanketed the airwaves. Televisions were reduced to static. Odd enough, the antenna radio stations lasted for a few more days. The self-proclaimed experts explained that the sheer force of the countless bombs provoked perpetual tremors throughout the tectonic plates. Mother Nature responded to our stupidity with a fury that devastated more or less every inch of dirt. The last bit of news we heard was that California had broken and slipped off into the salty sea. I guess, in the end, all those conspiracy shows got it right.” +Abraham knew handheld radios existed out there somewhere. What he didn’t understand was why nobody responded. It was always a one-way address. “It took almost six months before we came across our first set of survivors after the initial bombing. For the longest time, I thought the mountain folk might have been all that was left. Then, rumors of the sickos, murderers, and the ruthless assaulted our ears. In the southern part of the state, the wicked banded together and plundered the weak and the innocent. A few of them drifted my direction. I killed to protect my family, and I would do it again. By the grace of God, we managed to endure. Only a few survivors ever managed to find my farm. Most of them stayed true to the far-reaching highways leading toward Denver and promise of its bright lights. +“I didn’t trust anyone. My wife made me give a few of the travelers a night’s stay in my barn. One of them I was forced to murder. The other thanked us and continued on toward the Mile High City. The Stiles, a nice bunch of folk, they asked me and my family to tag along and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think about it. Yet, my wife was quick to remind me that no one ever came back from that direction. We spent many nights watching the vacant roads. Her words gave me an eerie feeling, so I declined. I figured my chances were better in the sticks. Don’t know if they ever made it, and right now, I don’t care.” +His words sounded like a monster with terrible fangs, terrifying anyone out there listening. He took another deep gulp and wiped the wetness from his cracked lips. His back was soaked with sweat, his nerves on end. Yet Abraham was determined to finish his routine broadcast. +“My brother used to say we needed struggles to polish our hearts. I still think that’s a crock of bologna. One year into this senseless war, right before the first bomb fell, my sweet son Robb ran away with some foolish scientists. He decided to fight for the South. I told him we didn’t have a stake in this accursed conflict, but he went anyway. It broke my heart and damn near killed my wife. A few days later, my youngest daughter, Alison, enlisted in the Northern Republic Army. Her new husband was a high-ranking officer. That was the real reason she left. +“Still, that night I suffered my first heart attack. Looking back, death would have been much kinder. But I’m sure you’ve had troubles too. When it rains it pours. It seems the end of the world was simply the beginning of my nightmare. Partner, if you’re out there in the wilderness, listening to me ramble on this old police radio, then you already know about the infected freaks. That’s what my family calls them. They aren’t senseless like those zombies you used to see in the movies. These things are right out of a nightmare.” +Abraham sighed. He saw a great mountain when he closed his stinging eyes. The mound was covered in fresh graves, and he wished he could have been buried in one before all this trouble went down. Breathe, you need to breathe. He gripped the longstanding microphone and rasped. His tired hands wouldn’t stop shaking. +“My sweet mama used to tell me to turn on the nightlight if I was scared. Bless her soul, the whole night sky is a pulsating red light, but I don’t feel any safer. My family thinks I’m crazy, and at this point I might be. I’ve studied that foul crimson light escaping Red Dead. I’ve seen the way it nourishes the infected freaks. I was reading a book about photosynthesis and I’m willing to bet my farm that’s exactly what’s going on. Those creatures aren’t dead. They’re living monsters that don’t need to sleep or rest. The only thing they need is to spread those spores by devouring man and beast.” +As his eyes grew accustomed to the dark, he saw frightening images in the rough wood timber of the construct. He pushed away the whiskey bottle and decided to be more careful about his life choices. Was he an alcoholic? He didn’t think so. +“Materials are slim. Most of the neighboring ranches have been looted. It seems the infected have already consumed everything outside of fifty miles of my farm. As much as I hate the monsters, I hate the buzzing sound chiming in their foul mouths ten times more. It hurts my old ears. If you hear something that sounds like a swarm of bees riding hell’s wave, you better run until you can’t run anymore. I learned to love the overcast skies at night because the churning clouds blot out the crimson color of night. When the cherry light is blocked, the infected seem to go away. I don’t know how else to explain it. Red Dead did this. I don’t know how, but everything is linked to the approaching planet. Peter, my oldest son, says the planet is still out near the edge of the Milky Way. To me it looks as close as the moon.” +The creaking boards under the pressure of the hissing wind brought his attention back toward the rocking loft doors. It was almost dark, and that meant locking down and praying nothing infected ventured this far into the woods. “I’ve been thinking hard about packing up and heading to Denver. The infected have stalked closer to the farm in recent weeks. I don’t know how we’ve survived this long. That and the dwindling supplies have kept an old man like me second guessing the safety of the farm. I want to find my missing children. I guess that is part of the reason I’ve been talking your ear off for the last few months. Is it safe? Does anyone know what is happening in Denver or anywhere else? Is anybody out there?” +Abraham wanted nothing more than to stay at that farm. The Civil War separated him from his blood and getting them back was his deepest desire. Had Robb and Alison stayed at the farm, he might have relaxed for a small time. For all he knew, the farm was the last bit of civilization left in post-apocalyptic America. Perhaps both sides of the war killed what little life was left on Earth. Abraham didn’t want to think what it meant if his family was all that remained. We will never be alone. His mind centered on the infected monsters creeping closer with each new season. +“This is Abraham Heinz, and if you can hear this, I will help you. Meet me at the dinosaur gas station where Highway 24 and 9 intersect. Do it tomorrow before dusk. I will help you in exchange for labor or answers. Robb, Alison, if you can hear this, you get your butts home. If anyone else is out there, the daylight is all burned up. You best get somewhere safe and do it fast. That daunting, blood-soaked sky is going to get them vile things moving in a hurry. You can have all the money in the world. You can drive fancy cars and travel across the oceans. But without family, you have nothing. Goodnight.” Abraham flicked the power switch and buried his carven face in his hands. How did this happen? +He told himself he was done with the silly broadcast, but in his heart, he thought he might try it again tomorrow night. He was beginning to think it might help him survive. +I + +Abraham’s sour features hovered above the rocks, needles, and yellow grass, inching closer to the threshold of the cliff. His face was etched in rich dirt and carved by close to sixty years of strenuous life. The foul stench of his breath told of wasted hours spent watching and observing. Out in the distance, he saw a glimmering light kindle through the broken window of the abandoned gas station. Using his collar, he wiped at his sweaty cheek and took a second glance. His age had left his eyes in question. Yet, without a shadow of a doubt, he saw the spark of a flickering candle. Somebody’s in the station. What he didn’t know was how that was possible. Looking at his black banded wrist watch, he wondered if the intruders had been in there since last night or maybe longer. +The slanted sign with the goofy green dinosaur reflected the dying sunlight, causing a glare. Exhaling a grave breath, Abraham realized the comfort of daylight was about to diminish in a hurry. It was hard for him to believe it had been three years since Red Dead first appeared in the sky. He shifted back, his sore spine aching, and waited for the durable rucksack to sink into the soft earth. His deep-rooted eyes steadied and searched for his grandson. A faint outline stood erect near an old ponderosa pine. “Come on over,” he whispered, careful to cup his hands around his chapped lips. It wasn’t long before Hunter joined him on the tangled overlook. The view gave them a faultless line of sight. The teenage boy had become his strength over the tumultuous years. Still, Hunter was brash and unwise. +“Are we heading home?” Hunter questioned, crouching near a berry bush. The boy’s stonewashed jean jacket was smeared in a week’s worth of filth and briny sweat. He slipped his hands into his pockets and stared. “What’s wrong?” +The agony on Abraham’s stamped face spoke volumes to the type of world he was forced to withstand. It had become an ugly place of horror and death. “We’re not alone.” Abraham pointed to the lambent light. He watched the boy unsling a bolt action rifle and slip behind its scope. “Can you see anything?” Abraham asked as he rested his hands on his hips and waited for the boy to scan the tiny strip of town. +“I see a filthy man in the building.” Hunter pulled back and adjusted the optics. “He’s the only one inside the gas station as far as I can tell.” +Abraham was amazed Hunter could see through the broken windows of the ruined structure. “Is it your father? Is he inside the building?” +Hunter sighed. “Nope, the flesh is too dark.” Abraham knew his grandson was ready to give up on his missing father. Robb, the boy’s father, left in a hurry two long years ago. Nobody had heard from him since, and in all reality, he was most likely dead. At least that’s what his grandson believed. Abraham hated hearing him whine. He had told Hunter a hundred times that he sounded like a little girl. It wasn’t meant to be mean; it was just the way Abraham was wired. The Apocalypse caused the old man to callous. In a way, Abraham knew Hunter was having a difficult time. That’s why he put up the sass. +“Is it one of those things?” Abraham asked, leaning closer. He had only encountered the creatures a few times. Each time, the infected scared the piss out of him. The buzzing hum was terrible. +Hunter rolled up his cuffs, pinching his gun between his side and elbow. “The infected, no, this is a normal human best I can tell.” +Abraham had come to hate the infected freaks. Whatever they were, it was something dreaded. “Daylight is running out. You ready for this?” +“Let me go,” Hunter pleaded. “You’re getting too old to keep rushing into the darkness. It should be me down there.” +Abraham shook his head and scrunched his white, bushy eyebrows. “What did you say?” +His grandson showed his teeth and this only pinched Abraham harder. “Nothing,” the boy muttered. +Abraham heard the smartass loud and clear. He decided to ignore it. “You’re the better shot,” Abraham explained, believing in the boy’s raw talent. “Besides, I left my glasses at the farm.” +“Why don’t we leave him?” +“What if he knows what’s going on? I need answers. I can’t stand the silence. I need to know if Denver is a smoking crater. Nobody ever comes back from that direction. Or maybe it’s all that is left.” +His grandson looked at him as if his words bored him. “Alright, do what you need to do.” +“Oh, never mind.” Abraham looked up at the planetary object, knowing that in less than an hour, its crimson light would bring the infected out to the abandoned highways in swarms. He didn’t want to think what the cities might actually look like. “I promise, next time you can go, and I’ll cover you. But this time, I need your eagle eyes scanning for threats. My radio broadcast is far-reaching and we don’t want any trouble.” Abraham had fed the boy the same line at least half a dozen times over the last month. +“Okay, Grandpa. Remember the candle light, you’ll draw those things like a moth to the flame once the daylight dies,” his grandson reminded him. +Hunter made it sound as if he were a parent reminding a child. This only burned Abraham’s patience more. He thought about the wretched creatures and how fast they sprung upon the Stencil Ranch and its bright lights. If Abraham hadn’t dragged Hunter out of it, his grandson would have perished with the entire family of ranchers. Remembering the sight of moldy blood threaded through the freaks’ fast fangs brought a shade of gray to his tough features. The screams of terror echoed in his mind. The monsters seemed to enjoy the warmth of light. +“We got about twenty minutes. Keep me safe.” Abraham gulped. +“Whatever,” Hunter said, rolling his piercing eyes. He rested his elbows on the edge of a dubious boulder. On his belly, he placed his focus on the optic and rested his finger parallel to the trigger. +“Never touch the trigger until you’re ready to shoot,” Abraham repeated for the third time this trip. The words Remington were stenciled to the stained wood frame of the high-powered rifle. The gun had served Hunter well over the years. It was the same rifle Hunter used to kill a man, a real, living human. +It took a moment for Abraham to muster the strength to carry on. Once he did, he hiked down the curved dirt pathway, staying low for cover and support. To the left and right were knots of rocks and weeds that stretched on for miles in every direction. Wild bushes and pine trees dotted the rigid landscape. A light breeze whispered through his blue flannel shirt as he kept an eye on the empty highways that intersected at the strip of town. The several buildings etched together didn’t deserve to be called a town. It was too small. +The sudden retreat of shadows at the edge of the uninhabited structure gave him pause. Fifteen minutes. I better play it safe. Abraham quickened his step. The last time he stayed out after dark, he all but lost his life in a bloody chase that left him bruised and his imagination on the brink of insanity. He sprinted down the final stretch of road careful to check every direction. Looks safe. +The glass doors at the front had been shattered for years. The owners fled to Denver with everyone else after the first bombs fell. Yet, Abraham wasn’t sure if Denver survived the global catastrophe. Part of him only believed in what he saw, and for the last six months, he hadn’t seen a soul outside of a few neighbors. Maybe what was left of his family and the specks of locals were all that survived? Had the world evolved into the new stomping grounds for the infected? Perhaps humanity was already lost? +He entered the ruined building ready to fight. Get it together, old man. The sloping shelves of sheet metal were empty minus the inch-thick dust that had settled like an unfavorable blanket. When he moved around the chipped counter, his hands dropped to the butt of his pistol holstered at his side. Bloody handprints painted the floor and continued up toward the backroom. He maneuvered around the smears, trying not to picture the blossomed features of the diseased freaks. +Against better judgment, Abraham followed the smudges into the backroom of the gas station. His eyes followed the flicker of shadows toward the deep corners. The prompt pounding of fists against the sealed freezer door stole his breath. The freezer was held shut by a length of metal pipe. His heart drummed to the rhythm of an unforgiving beat. A trail of bloody footprints swerved around several inclined shelves. +Then, he saw the man lying against the inside wall of the backroom. “What happened to you?” Abraham muttered, unable to blink. Chunks of the dark-skinned man’s neck hung like a ruffled collar of flesh. His sore, pink eyes stared up at Abraham and then back to the walk-in freezer. +“Can you help?” wheezed the man, his white button-up shirt saturated in clotted blood. +“Did one of the infected do this?” Abraham questioned, focusing on the candle melting on the floor nearby. He still didn’t understand the savage, diseased oddities and their purpose. The clotted wound of the man was caked in a strange, almost demonic-looking fungus. It had interlaced itself with the human tissue. +“Help me,” the man snapped, fighting off an intoxicating case of chills. “There is a pack of them on Highway 24. They came fast.” +Abraham wished he had listened to his smartass grandson. He should have gone home while he had the chance. “What’s in the freezer?” His mind drifted to a dark place of wonder and fright. Abraham’s blood pressure increased. This was the closest the infection had come to his farm and the truth of if left a foul taste on his tongue. The continuous pounding echoed in spans of agony. “What the hell is in there?” Abraham stared at the freezer, trying to calm his nerves. +“It’s my daughter, Wheezy, oh sweet Wheezy.” The dark-skinned man licked his lips. He sat in a puddle of his own blood. The man was going to die no matter what Abraham did and this brought a sour tang to his gut. After the crimson glow kissed his dark flesh, the man would come back as a pawn. +“Is she infected?” Abraham felt heartless. He turned his focus to the glassless window panes and ran his eyes up toward the blurry overlook. He knew Hunter was watching him and his new friend. The sun had set, and the dying light rattled his senses. Time is getting short. +“I asked you a question.” He unsnapped the button on his hip holster. Abraham wasn’t afraid to shoot and ask questions later. This was the standard of survival over the years. +“Why, you want a piece of her?” +Abraham stepped back. What is wrong with this guy? +“I heard you talking on the radio,” the man replied, applying pressure to his raw neck. “You said you could help.” His breathing quickened and his eyes closed. The man’s right hand swung to the left, spilling the burning candle. The wax ran in a snaking current and ignited a pile of useless debris. All Abraham could see in the blue of the flame was a swarm of infected rushing their direction. The fire calls the infected. The man snickered, accepting his fate. “The fire is bright, the fire is tight, it’s the only way to keep things right,” the dark-skinned man sang through constricting lungs. +“You need to get it together.” Abraham looked at the freezer door and tried his best to listen to the faint voice coming from the other side. Was the man’s daughter infected or was she a victim to the man’s insanity? “Listen, I need answers.” +“We got attacked up the road a few miles back.” +Shit, the infected are too damn close. “Were you heading to Denver?” +“Denver, it survived. My friend took off there a while back and never returned. It must be nice.” The dark-skinned man looked at the growing flames and raised his voice higher and continued to sing his fevered song. “Fire calls them. Fire inspires their plagued dreams of red.” +“Listen, that fire is going to kill us both. I need you to crawl toward the window. You might have a couple of hours till you turn.” Abraham would have wanted to spend them with his family if he were in the man’s shoes. Seconds, hours, and days were something he had learned to treasure. +The man only sung louder. “The fire is a mother’s love—the fire tingles like a first kiss on a carnival night.” +Screw you. Abraham scrambled to the freezer door. There was no blood and no sign of contamination. When the man locked his daughter in the freezer, she would have been leaking like a sink if she were infected. There was no turning back for Abraham. With the blistering heat fingering his flesh, he plunked out the metal pipe holding the freezer door shut. He gulped and prayed she wasn’t diseased. In the background, the flames ran up the walls and exploded out, setting fire to a quarter of the arid building. The calling card of the dead, he remembered, peeling back the door. +First, he heard the shuffling of steps falling toward the back. A beautiful ebony-skinned girl stood amid a pile of spoiled boxes. Real tears wet her eyes. She tugged at her short-shorts and waited to see what Abraham would do. Stuck on her hands was a black pair of fingerless weight lifting gloves. All the girl could muster was a panicky smile. +“About time,” she said, twisting her hands. The girl had obviously been through hell. +Abraham shifted back and pointed the pistol at the thrashing cleavage exploding out of her tiny green tank top. “Are you infected?” It was a simple question. If she was, he would kill the girl and her father. If she wasn’t, then he hadn’t the faintest idea of what the future would hold. +“Gramps, we have to go!” He heard Hunter’s voice boom through the broken window of the backroom. “The fire’s going to attract them!” +“What are you doing? Go back to the cliff,” he snapped, keeping the weapon aimed on the girl. He couldn’t think. All he could hear was the crazy man still singing his song of fire and affection. The smoke blurred Abraham’s senses as he tried to calm his nerves. “Dammit, I told you stay.” He wished his grandson would listen. “You’re just like your father. You don’t listen!” +Hunter looked like a ghost as he stood at the window, speechless. Abraham saw in his grandson’s eyes he wasn’t anything like Robb. I shouldn’t have said that. +“I’m not infected,” the teenage girl stammered with southern attitude. Abraham saw she wanted to say more, but fear must have held her tongue. +Abraham frowned. +“Gramps! We have to go. Now!” shrieked Hunter. +Abraham knew he could be stubborn. He had overheard Hunter talking about how it was him and his constant need to control Robb that drove Hunter’s father away. Abraham didn’t want to argue with the headstrong boy. +The fresh cinders polluted the air with thick smoke and choked the dark-skinned man and his damning song. A soaring spark set fire to parts of the roof. Still, the dying man remained in place, singing his song through clogged lungs. The girl inched out of the putrid freezer and didn’t seem to care one bit about the mysterious man. The hate in her eyes burned brighter than the flames dancing around the ruins. +“I can’t save your father,” Abraham muttered, sliding back toward the glassless window ledge. The fire was overtaking the building. He lowered his gun and motioned for the frightened girl to join him. “The building is going to collapse. We have to hurry.” +The girl took one last glance at the black man and then turned away and heaved. +Abraham wanted to tell her to sort out her feelings later. He didn’t have time for weaklings. But he couldn’t find the heart. “Get out the window.” The groan of the burning timber wailed as she wiped her mouth and followed him. Through the thick smoke he could see the tiny black girl had no love for the foul man. +“I hope it hurts, Rictor,” she yelled back toward the black man. Rictor’s congested lungs brought a makeshift smile to her reflective face. She quivered, taking Abraham’s hand, and toppled back out the window. Yet, it was Hunter who grabbed a handful of her arm and yanked. The way she regarded Hunter was less than innocent. “I don’t need your help,” she said, pushing him back. +The smell of burnt flesh swirled about as Rictor’s shrieks of sweet fire transformed into blood-curdling cries for help. If any infected were near, they would be on them in a few minutes. +“Hurry up,” Abraham cracked, pounding the ground with his black boots. The daylight had disappeared behind the brush of the endless mountains. The night sky glittered in a crimson cloak from Red Dead as it had for the last three years. +Abraham fell to the ground, covering his head as a massive explosion rocked the landscape, leaving him in awe. Shards of burning wood reached out far into the parched background, setting the nearby brush ablaze. Brushing off the tiny embers, Abraham broke off the highway and into the woodland. His memories of a world so cold left him dazed. Here they come, Abraham thought, pushing Hunter up the slope of the overpass. +A sudden buzzing sound cut through the sparkling red night. Abraham shoved his grandson again while looking back over his shoulder. He knew hiding in the trees was their only option of escape. +“Move it!” The ominous sound reminded him of Stencil Ranch. Only this time the callous sound was louder. He hardly believed it when he reached the top of the mountain. His heart beat out of control as he spun around to see if any of the things had followed. +“What do we do?” the girl asked, pulling at her loose pig tails. +“Hush,” snapped Abraham, watching the fire crackle and claim new territory. Yet it was the sound of an angry bee hive magnified by the sound of a thousand burning bodies, if that were possible, that frightened him. He dropped down into the dirt and plugged his ears. The blaze had devoured the building, giving Abraham a false sense of daylight. He had avoided the gas station over the years because of its close proximity to the highways. At first, it was the criminals he was trying to avoid, but now it was the infected freaks layered in morbid fungus and evil desires. +“Here they come,” Hunter warned. +The horde of freaks emerged down the highway, sprinting toward the warmth of the flames. They swarmed fast and reached the blazing flames rising up into the bloodstained sky. The buzzing sound hit Abraham like a bag of icy bones. The creatures wouldn’t touch the flames or bright light. No, the infected only wanted to be close to the warmth. +“I don’t want to die,” the girl whimpered. +“You won’t,” Hunter replied, reaching out to touch the girl’s hand. +Abraham watched her pull back fast like a snake. I don’t have time for children. He wanted to take a hot shower. Yet, the cool refreshing water would never wash away his haunted memories. +Abraham shuddered, hoping the fire killed whatever scent was left. He couldn’t prove it, but those things could smell better than a bloodhound. Most of their faces were clustered in deep rifts of fungi. He was almost positive the monsters couldn’t see out of their rotten eye sockets. They must use some sort of sonar like a bat. For a moment, he feared the infected would stalk up the narrow path and overtake them. Little could be done to stop such a large horde. He looked down at his pistol and wished he had brought a bigger gun. I’ll eat a bullet before I become one of those things. +Abraham knotted his fist in the dirt, wishing he was home enjoying his wife’s good cooking. The infected freaks rocked back and forth, ogling the smothering flames from a safe distance. Abraham didn’t want to study the monsters anymore. He wanted to run home and check on his family. +Then and there, out of the burning building sprinted the sizzling black man. Rictor cried for mercy, howling for help as he collapsed. In an instant, the inhuman creatures attacked. Abraham turned away as the monsters tore out chunks of Rictor’s cooked flesh and stuffed it in their famished maws. They wouldn’t tear him apart, only injure him enough to carry on the infection. +“You don’t have to look,” Abraham whispered, eyeing the girl. However, the girl almost seemed to enjoy the sight of the black man getting torn asunder. Abraham’s soul started to shake. We must remember who we are or risk becoming a monster. “We need to get moving,” he slurred, crawling away from the edge. “We messed up staying out this late.” His worse fear was leading the monsters back to his family, and it showed on his quivering lips. +II + +Abraham, Hunter, and the girl hurried through the forest for what felt like hours. The long way home took them miles in the wrong direction. Nevertheless, it kept the chances of running into the infected freaks down a few notches. Abraham fell against a pine tree, panting and praying nothing had followed them. Salt dripped down the side of his engraved face. +“Let’s take a break,” he muttered, touching his throbbing chest. The sweet sound of the forest at night was a symphony of crickets, owls, and coyotes. It was a thousand times better than the gurgling, buzzing sound that escaped the infected freaks. If only this was a bad dream, he considered. “Why don’t you tell us about your travels? What brought you out here?” He fixed his gaze on the mysterious girl and sighed. It was hard for him to trust anyone. +The girl hadn’t spoken a word for the duration of their tedious hike. “I really don’t know where to begin.” She hesitated and had maintained her distance throughout the trip. Abraham could tell the girl didn’t trust them. Dependence was a monster that devoured everything in this world. This was something he understood and respected. +Abraham sighed. “It couldn’t be easy watching your father die. But you know he was already dead.” Words never came out right for the old man. However, sometimes the truth was better in one big gulp. “Once the infected scratch or bite, a person is as good as dead. Still, I’m not sure about inhaling the spores they seem to produce.” +“We don’t know anything for certain,” Hunter interjected. Abraham and his grandson had spent many nights discussing the diseased abominations in the recent months. +“Rictor wasn’t my father,” the girl snapped. +Abraham wondered how long had it been since she was free. Had it been the entire three years? The intensity of his beating heart drove him to rest a hand back against a nearby tree trunk. Put under the primal stress of a world without rules, his mind created walls to protect his family. I should have left her. +Sam slipped a few fingers into her tight front pocket and withdrew a single pill. She swallowed it and seemed pleased by the effects. Abraham forced his gaze down toward his muddy boots. He remembered his encounters with humans turned criminals over the last few years. He wanted to say he understood the girl’s pain, but lacked the nerve. +Abraham swore the hearts of men were almost as dark as the infected. Though the words were never spoken, he understood the girl was somehow the black man’s slave. What he didn’t understand was how to talk around it. He needed answers before he would bring the girl back to his farm. Part of him wondered if the girl could have been part of some larger group plotting an ambush. +“What should we call you?” Hunter’s voice echoed. +Abraham gave his grandson a crossed stare and waited for the boy to reply by rolling his eyes. +A swirl of fire flies orbited the space in front of her innocent face. “My name is Samantha, but you can call me Sam.” Reaching up, she clutched a small heart shaped locket woven on a dirty silver chain. +“Nice too meet you, Sam. My name is Abraham and this piece of work is my grandson, Hunter. Are you hungry?” Abraham slipped out of his rucksack and then tossed a little container to Hunter. +“You had food all this time?” The crimson light filtered through the trees, highlighting the woods around them. She took a piece of jerky from Hunter and swallowed. “So do you guys always rescue women you don’t know? Tie them up and keep them in your basement?” +Abraham couldn’t believe the words coming out of her mouth. She reminded him of Hunter. Damn disrespectful teens. “You bet,” he answered, tired of getting shit from young punks. +Sam only stared back at him. He knew she was considering running. +“Did you see a lot of infected on the road?” Abraham stared at Sam and wiped his clammy hands on his pant legs. +“I guess.” Sam shuffled back and then saw the menacing curve of his smile. “You got any running water at your farm?” +“We got solar and wind power,” Hunter replied. +“So the shower is actually hot?” +“Hunter,” Abraham said, holding up his hands. +Sam showed her teeth. “I get it, you don’t trust me, and I sure as hell don’t trust you. But what choice do we have? I mean, the infected are combing the mountains searching for us, so maybe we should keep on moving.” +Abraham thought that was a good idea. He wasn’t one for long talks about feelings and by what he could tell, neither was Sam. +*** +Abraham froze, his heart pounding. There was no sign of the infected. Yet, the hideous sounds were all around. It was the rigorous wail of a stadium infested with bees. He moved past a mound of branches, careful to plot his steps. Abraham located a variety of potential hiding places, but none of nooks seemed promising against the horde of undead. Through the high buzzing, he recognized the familiar trickle of a creek and remembered the old mill house that sat at the edge of the back roads. +The name of the place escaped his memory, but the vast collection of warehouses and a water-powered wheel that once produced electricity was etched into his mind. The wheel had been damaged during the initial fall of the world, and last year’s drought reduced the waterway into a thirsty, dry bed. Still, the four connected buildings promised thick walls against the unseen oddities. Jumping over a falling aspen, he spotted the outline of the complex. It wasn’t long before Abraham and his group reached a broken door on the front of the compound. The entrance was already open and begging him to come inside. +Abraham entered the nameless mill several times over the years, and knew the other side opened to a clearing. He gathered himself for a few seconds, listening to the song of decay and marched into the empty lobby stripped of all furnishings. The disease had never been this close to home. It happened too fast, and his thoughts drifted toward the safety of his family at the farm house. +“This place is dark,” Sam stuttered through clenched teeth. +Abraham was pleased the dense walls had drowned out the worst of the buzzing moans stalking the forest. “Darkness is better than that god-awful crimson light.” He strode through another set of doors and turned to secure them safety behind. Breathe slowly. They don’t make heart medication anymore, he told himself, placing his boot a few inches in front of the other and inching across the dark space. +Hollow stalls and the stink of a ripe outhouse that hadn’t been emptied in years filled the larger vaulted room. He closed his eyes and remembered the loads of people who slept in the stacks of hay during the beginning of the apocalypse. All of them were heading to Denver, chasing a fading dream. He cast a curious glance into the first stall they passed and saw moth-eaten blankets and a stack of trash consumed in a vigorous bloom of mold. He didn’t think much of it. As he passed the third stall, he saw a half-eaten horse decaying on a stack of piss-colored hay. Again he noticed a terrible blight consuming the compartment. Behind him, he heard Sam try to stop herself from vomiting. +“People have to eat,” he muttered, looking up to the second level balcony. +“What was that?” asked Hunter, turning back. +Abraham heard the shuffling of unsteady steps and then a distant door rattled. “Shit, they must smell us,” he said, crouching down. +Abraham doubled checked each direction. As his eyes adjusted, he saw fungus thriving in the dark damp environment. It was everywhere. Afraid, he made his way to a set of metal stairs to get a better view. Each step reverberated throughout the mill in an uncanny manner. The second level balcony was only a fourth of the mill, and he saw a third level thrice as small as the second. No walls separated the floors, only a crusty grate and broken set of rails. +Then, he heard a tin scatter across the first level floor in the obscurity. “Hurry,” he mouthed, gliding up and praying for a miracle. A metallic tang of fear nested on the tip of his tongue. Desperate, he blinked away the horrible thoughts and refused to give up and give in. He found the second floor covered in a web of vines and draped in a colony of alien growth. It appeared months old, healthy and bright in wet colors. Parts of it looked alien, tattered, and tooth marked; a fragment of it pulsated with each icy breath. +Abraham knew if any of them screamed, they would die. He could only hope the teenagers could swallow their fear and accept the horror. Behind him, Hunter tensed. A quiet rustle followed the silence. Then the snapping of a twig alerted them of the presence of infected. They followed us in. +Abraham shifted for a better view. All he could see was Sam squeezing Hunter’s forearm. He crouched down, and through the gap in the grate flooring, he saw something bloated and infected. His pulse quickened with each fearful breath. Abraham was moving again, this time across the second floor toward a warped ladder leading up to the third-level balcony. +“Go first,” he said, trying to forget what he thought he saw. +A clouded cone formed around his labored breath. The temperature had dropped in the late hour. He waited for both of them to climb to the top of the small balcony and then followed. The makeshift balcony was the highest point in the crumbling structure. A single dirty window was etched into the far side. He wiped a small spot clean and then leaned over the filthy window edge. What he saw almost brought him to his knees. Outside, under the now-familiar red glow of night, the entire west side of the mill was flooded with undead abominations. A sharp pain set fire to his weak heart. He took a seat on the floor and cupped his jaw. +“How is this possible?” Never in his life had he seen this many in one place. His old eyes fluttered in distress. Abraham’s underclothing was saturated in sweat and zest, causing him to pull at his clothing. The breeze from the cracked tower brought the powerful smell to his nose. +“What are we going to do?” Hunter pinched back the bolt on the rifle and then smashed it forward after checking the loaded chamber. “You led us here to die. They’ll reach the farm and kill everyone.” +Sam placed an icy palm on Hunter’s tense shoulder and smiled. “We still have a chance,” she said, pointing at the drainage ditch. “I think it’s a straight shot out into deep woods.” +Abraham thought about correcting Hunter’s attitude, but he didn’t have the strength. “It might work if we work together.” He brought a quaking hand to his constricted chest. Another rattle echoed across the blackness below. “Shit!” His white hair was slicked back in grime and his puffy eyes bulged at each sharp pain stabbing his heart. Not another heart attack. +“Are you alright?” Hunter asked. +Abraham knew the painful prompts were written all over his face. He knew if he died, everybody died. And still that wasn’t the reason for his mounting sorrow. +“Take it easy,” Hunter said, helping Abraham to the ground. +“I’ll live,” Abraham panted. “I need one of you to set a distraction on the south end of the mill.” Beads of sweat glistened on the slope of his nose. “Did you hear me?” +Hunter looked at him with fear and compassion. “Fire—it will buy us time to get out and cover our scent.” +Sam hesitated. “It will call every one of them in the area. Do you really want that?” +Silence and stealth were the rules now, and Abraham was aware that violating those rules meant a swift death. “There’s no other way. Fire will draw them to the mill and clear us a path.” He knew from experience that the infected freaks never came out during the day. “Have you ever seen one of the infected during the daytime?” +Sam shook her head. +“I have a theory. I think these things don’t like the sun. It appears that the darkness of this place keeps them safe from the burn of daylight. Places like this must serve as nests or hives.” +“And you just reunited the super horde with this small nest. Great job, Gramps,” Hunter said. “The farm is going to fall.” +“I always wondered where they went during the day,” Sam said, rubbing her arms furiously. +For the longest time, Abraham thought they might be nocturnal creatures, but now, he wondered if the sun burned them or cooked the fungus somehow. What type of monsters were these things that nested in the damp darkness of an old mill? His mind was running through various theories. +“How far is the farm?” Sam chewed at her fingernails. +“I’d guess a few miles,” Hunter answered. +“Can we make it?” she questioned, crossing her eyebrows. +Abraham growled as if life slapped him clean across his face. It was the sharp burn in his heart. “We have too. But with all of these infected, we won’t last for long.” +“A huge fire will draw every infected to the mill.” Hunter’s voice was quick, but quiet. He looked once more at his struggling grandfather. “Do you really think this is a nest?” +“I think they seek shelter underground and perhaps in places like this.” Abraham didn’t want to scare them with all of his crazy notions. +“So if we destroy the hives, will this infestation stop?” Sam rubbed her forearms. +“It’s an idea.” Abraham spat, feeling lightheaded. “But dark places dot the surface of the Rocky Mountains. So destroying them all will be impossible.” +“Are you going to be safe up here?” Hunter glanced around while asking as if he were checking the walls for climbers. +“I’ll be safe enough. It’s you two who are heading back down. But I think they are drawn out into the crimson night—it feeds them, or comforts them… Shit, I don’t know, but they seem to need it. So the bottom level should be mostly empty until dawn. Except the ones that followed us.” +“But…” started Hunter. +“Go now, and be quick about it,” Abraham interrupted, giving his concept more thought. He slid down flat on his back and stared up at the rotten wood of the water wheel outside of the window. “Wait! The water wheel—can we climb down it?” +Sam was closest and moved her head up and down. “I think it’s possible.” +“Good, now use that shit in your survival pack to set that fire and get your butts back up here.” There was a time when Abraham had believed old things held beauty. Yet in this agonizing moment, he wished everything would be torn down and made anew. In a haze, he listened to the teens make their way back down the creaking ladder. It killed him sending his grandson toward danger, but his damaged heart didn’t give him any other options. I believe in you, Abraham thought, scooting closer to the tower ledge. +III + +Hunter Heinz scanned the endless shadows of the abandoned mill. A narrow gangway caked in purple mushrooms connected to an adjoining building on the second level. Could it be a way out? It threatened to bloom in the same alien fungus. To Hunter the puffs lining the gangway looked like wet peaches that breathed. He didn’t think it was any safer in that direction. The timber construct of the mill was moist and thriving in damp mold. He needed something dry to start a fire. A string of bruised mushrooms grew out of the grated floor and appeared to glow red in the dark. Every time Hunter left the farm, his grandpa was quick to remind him to take his survival bag. This time he was glad he listened. He pulled out his lighter and rolled the top, striking a flame. The wet mushrooms quivered and the boy could have sworn they hissed. Had Hunter know the hissing came from below, he would have never produced such a light in this dark place. +Then and there an ear-bleeding buzz erupted. Hunter dropped the lighter and clamped his hands over his ears and cowered, unable to think or move. Sam was next to him, trembling. Her dark eyes swept about the gloom as if whatever made the noise was near. After a few fast breaths, the energetic sound stopped as did the small quake it produced. +Oh, my God, Hunter thought, peering over the broken ledge. He positioned his rifle as if it were an assault rifle, scanning the first floor below. Whatever had made that squeal must have been gigantic. +“It came from below,” he suggested to Sam. +Sam stayed tight to his back, giving Hunter butterflies. He bent over and snatched up the lighter as his boots clapped against the damp surface with each step. Hunter wanted to show his grandfather he could pull his own weight. He felt bad for all of the rude comments he made, but then again, he was only a teenager living in this nasty world. +“The mushrooms are a part of the infection, don’t you think?” he heard Sam ask. +“I don’t know,” he whispered back to her. One of the nearby pillars on the second level balcony was tangled in a devilish vine that produced a nasty-looking flower with teeth. The thing seemed to glow in the dark. Hunter wanted to test the theory despite his gut feeling. His lighter struck a flame and graced the center of the flower. The bud recoiled and shut its mouth. It hissed as if it were in pain. Hunter’s scrunched face told of a deep fear. He killed the glimmer of light fast and waited for the screeching to subside. Broken steps staggered below and dared him to strike a light again. The infected were searching for a way up. +As Hunter’s courage built back up, a quaking buzz stole his breath. It was louder than before, and high in the vaulted ceiling, a small amount of dirt rained down upon his head. All he could think about was taking a shower. The short distance to the stairs leading back to the first floor left his skin prickled in bumps. Below, he heard the shuffle of evil steps echoing across the shrill landscape in haste. Carefully, he took aim. +“A gang of them down there,” he mouthed back to Sam. His eagle eyes could make out a dozen shapes. By the way the things moved, he could tell they saw the flicker of light earlier. +Sam remained silent and pointed. One of the infected freaks looked like something he had never seen. Most of the infected corpses were regular human carcasses rotted in ambiguous fungus. Yet, this one was different; its flowered head had switched places with its right shoulder. Its leather flesh was bloated ten times its normal size and its hands were replaced with some sort of moldy cord of vines. He forced a second glance at the twelve foot monster stalking the open levels of the first floor. The colossal diseased corpse was too big to fit under the balcony, and now paced in front of a fortress of hay. +It was more than enough to burn the mill to the ground. +“Don’t you dare think about it,” Sam said. “We can start the fire from up here.” +“This mold is damp. Hopefully some of that hay is dry.” He stood alert, his rifle sight following his cunning eyes. “Besides, I think you’re right. The fungus is alive, and it feels the fire.” Excruciating pressure flourished in his swirling thoughts with a rush of throbbing adrenaline. +“I’ve never killed one before,” she admitted. She grabbed a fistful of his jean jacket and stared into his hazel eyes. “I need you to keep me safe.” Her trembling hands fumbled forward against his strong heartbeat. +“Don’t worry. You stay up here where it’s safe. I need to go down there and start the fire,” he said. “Remember, they’re not like us.” He held out an empty brown bottle and turned his gaze downward toward the beast with contorted limbs and deep-rooted toadstools. “If they back me into a corner, use this to draw them away. We only get one chance.” +She took the old beer bottle from him. +Hunter was fueled by the will to impress his grandfather. He had lasted this long. Of course Abraham had kept him alive for the most part. Nevertheless, now he had a chance to shine. He bit his lower lip, on the edge of courage in his awareness. +“Be safe.” She kissed him on the cheek and hurried back toward the center rail of the balcony for a better view. +God, help us, Hunter thought, plugging his nose. He glided down the stairs as soft as a cat. His vision had adjusted to the dark as he stepped to the first floor. His heart pounded loud in his ears. A gang of the infected stumbled around the mill arranged more like an abandoned maze. He slipped to the right, then stood tall against one of the seedy support beams. He couldn’t see them all, but the big one sounded like a rabid dog. Congested buzzing through its branched nose and nasty groans left it sucking in air and spreading foul spores. Rows of warped wood herded the infected in various directions. For several seconds, with muscles tight, sweat steaming off his skin, Hunter climbed through and over a series of wooden fences. The lumber dripped with a slimy yellow fungus the boy was careful to avoid. +Looking up, he saw Sam watching him from the balcony. This gave him courage as he weaved through the obstacles, avoiding the infected at every turn. Hunter felt smart and adept. Then, he heard something drop from the balcony. It smashed hard into the ground level, alerting the monsters in the mill. At least it was on the other end. +The infected staggered about, almost smelling their air with their blooming, clustered faces of living mold. Hunter crouched into a small void under a warped cubby and waited. The withered feet of one of the creatures stomped in front of the space. There was nowhere to run. If he fired the rifle, the creature would die, but its friends would be on him faster than flies on dung. +A second pair of rotten feet still wearing a pair of blood-soaked basketball shoes joined the first. The buzzing sound sliced through his brain like a piercing wail of evil. His sweaty hands tightened around the rifle as the cracking joints of their knees bent down. It was too late. They must have sensed him. +Out of the blue, a second crash burst in the other direction. The two infected stood erect and darted toward the sound clinking and buzzing in waves. He tore out from under his hiding spot, ready to finish the mission. Yet, before he was out, he felt the presence of another infected. He fell back and avoided the creature marching toward the sound, its budding face spilling offensive spores in haste. A nasty wound on its left thigh was knotted in rotten lumps of cool puss and bright-colored flesh. Had the boy been hydrated, he might have pissed his pants. Nonetheless, after his nerves settled, he stepped out, this time more concerned with his surroundings. +Ten yards ahead sat the dead, grass-colored fortress of hay. Already moving, he darted through the bend and slid under a broken piece of metal serving as a divider. He froze near a water trot and realized the big, nasty one stood guard near the bundles of hay. His eyes drifted up and searched for Sam, but there was no sign of the southern girl. He needed her to lure the beast away. She already used the bottle. At that moment, the big, nasty infected creature, clear as day, erupted in a buzzing sound that brought down a section of the second floor balcony. +Sam! He listened for any moans from the girl. The cry of the freak was followed by the immense creature stomping forward in a manic rage. The shock had almost immobilized Hunter. Once it passed, he crawled forward and climbed up the bundles of hay. He reached into his pocket and prayed his hands would be steady enough to light the fire. He had no idea how he was going to get back to the stairs. +The heavy-rooted feet of the massive creature stumbled around, and its foul, infected face parted like the red sea as a cord of vines danced back and forth. The powerful new sound stole Hunter’s breath. He was sure the monster could smell him. I’m fucked. +Trapped between the hay and an infected freak towering over twelve feet, Hunter had no hope. He wedged his frame between rolls of hay and the back wall, hoping to remain undiscovered. Hunter imagined the monster’s hot breath as its slow, approaching steps shook the ground. The thing reeked of decomposing excrement. Hunter squeezed his rifle and prayed. It was all he could do. +*** +The abysmal creature’s feeler arms stretched against the front of the pyramid of hay, searching for the boy. The terrible odor resonating from the foul thing worked to disorient the boy. +Eyes fixed in horror, Abraham had the fright of a father watching his child get run over in the street. As he sucked in a quick breath, ready to burst, he touched Sam’s shoulder and covered her mouth. He didn’t want her to scream. He knew she would react poorly, and worked hard to twist her back, so she could see his face. +The fright in her eyes caused his hand to slip off her quivering mouth. +“Get to the third level,” Abraham whispered, his dry lips pulling back from her ear. She squirmed back and darted for the ladder to the third level. A nauseating stab churned his stomach as he was forced to imagine the terrible things Rictor must have done to her. Hunter, he reminded himself turning back toward the broken rail overlooking the first floor. +For Abraham, it was far worse knowing he would have to do something stupid to save his grandson. He could only hope and pray he was faster than the monster and its lesser brethren. At his age, the odds weren’t in his favor. He leveled his pistol at the rotten head of the thing; it was the size of a large truck. It’s not enough, he thought, spotting a half empty whiskey bottle near the second-level ledge. He crossed the grate, and suppressed his fears. His hand turned counterclockwise and the liquor splashed down upon the head of the anomaly. He longed for the harsh drink to be pouring down his throat. +The giant freak screamed, causing a momentary brain mismatch: anger, terror, and everything in an eternal nightmare too loud, too piercing. Abraham jolted back like a frightened child, dropping the bottle. Yet, he wasn’t a child; he was an old man. The buzzing continued it was the sound of demonic steel knifing into every frequency ever known. He reached into his survival pack and produced a homemade Molotov cocktail. He readied the weapon quick as he could. The flint of his lighter exploded in color, giving away his position. The rag lit and the glass left his hand in the blink of an eye. It exploded when it shattered upon the bloated frame of the immense infected freak. The flames spread out, shocking the rest of the infected scurrying about in a dark rage. +Fighting the sudden light, Abraham hurried toward an old pulley tangled with a hook. He twisted its crane-like frame, and prayed the twine wasn’t frayed. The hook swung down low, smashing the infected giant across its boiled face, and continued toward the stack of hay. +“Hunter, get your ass up here,” he snapped. The blister of flames devouring the lower levels spread about quick and wild. The thick smoke made it hard to breathe. “Hunter, move! Now!” +A second later, the teenage boy climbed to the top of the pyramid of hay and jumped into the hook. Abraham heaved with all his might, and thanks to the boy running up the backside of the wall, he managed to heave him over the balcony rail. +Below, the flames stunned the infected. Abraham yanked Hunter to his feet and moved through the darkness. The boy was dumbfounded. Abraham found himself dragging Hunter back to the ladder leading up to the third level. Hunter stared at him as if he could not comprehend what had happened. Abraham reached out and slapped his grandson. He was out of options. It worked as Hunter erupted in a rapid cough caused by the building smoke. Abraham knew it was the boy’s asthma. +“Only a little farther,” Abraham grunted, trying to settle down. + A band of sweltering infected scrambled up to the second floor, zoning in on the boy’s uncontrollable cough. Some of them were human torches. In a matter of seconds, they were nearly on him. Hunter tried to level his rifle, but the monsters came too fast. +Abraham drew his pistol and fired, recounting the people he had killed over his lifetime. “Climb, you stupid boy!” he shouted as he emptied the magazine. The first wave was dead. However, the burning bodies ignited part of the second floor. +Hunter gripped the ladder and scaled it though the harsh coughing continued. Abraham emptied a second magazine, then pushed the boy the rest of the way up using the side of his sweat-filled, flush face. Below, he heard the infected scratching, howling, and struggling to climb at the base of the ladder. The flames were trapping them in the mill. +“At least they can’t climb,” he breathed out. +Sam had already opened the window and slipped out onto the water wheel. The wood was warped, the beams fractured, and when Abraham and Hunter joined her, the weight drove them down in a hurry. Plywood ripped from parts of the great wheel as the frame crumbled. Yet, the soft dirt of the dry riverbed insulated their hard fall. The metal base of the wheel whined as they scrambled forward, the snapping sound of metal echoing in the crimson night. +Abraham ran, afraid to look back. He envisioned one of the infected dragging him into the hard soil to feast upon his flesh. The two teenagers were a good twenty yards ahead of him, sprinting into the void. Terrified beyond belief, he ran, screaming prayers in his dark mind that his heart would not give out. The blistering sound of the fire was nothing compared to the final screech of the giant creature. Was it dead? Could such a thing die? All he knew was a bunch of the creatures were trapped in the flames. He jolted forward past every tangle of shrubbery and every shadowy tree, trying to convince his own running mind that living was worth the challenge of survival. +IV + +A few hours’ journey would bring them to the last remaining safe spot on the planet, at least that’s how Abraham felt after everything he experienced. It took a lot of running, but together Abraham, Hunter, and Sam outran the horrors of the mill. His bruised heels begged for rest. The desire of his heart was to see his family with his own eyes. His blue flannel shirt had rubbed him raw under his armpits, and his boots were a filthy muddle from small pools of water that dotted the riverbed. For one length of the run, they were forced to climb out and travel amongst the sharp rocks. Abraham didn’t want to risk losing time stuck in the muddy sand. +The riverbed gave way to a thicket of trees that spotted the final mountain peak. Over the final peak rested Abraham’s humble little farm. The copse of trees on the mountainside was broken into a variety of sections and species. He loved the aspens and the smell of the bristlecone pines, yet it was the implanted cottonwood in the summer he favored the most. +He led them, his pistol never leaving his hand, praying his family at the farm was alive and untouched. It was sad that the dread was normal for him, changing only in degree and circumstance. Part of him, like a frightened child, wondered if it might have been better to have died back at the mill. Stop that weak thinking. As long as his family was alive, death wasn’t an option. He stomped and trampled on fevered memories of agony. Hundreds of infected swarmed the old factory, and the big guy almost devoured his grandson. Was it foolish to set out to the gas station? Did he believe his two missing children were still alive after two years? As a father, he had no choice. It was part of what kept him going. But he had put the rest of his family in danger. +“Can we stop already? I have to use the bathroom,” Sam said. It was the second time she had asked. +Abraham could tell the girl was tough, but then again, he didn’t fully trust her. “Alright, make it quick.” Abraham stopped and scanned the stunted firs and assortment of pines for any sign of danger. Once he was satisfied, he took a seat on a log covered in green lichen and exhaled. Everything happens for a reason, he heard his wife saying in his mind. Was the girl a reason worth risking his life and the life of his grandson? Each person you meet is a string connecting you to your destiny, his wife again whispered in his stubborn mind. +He watched both Hunter and Sam scurry in opposite directions. It dawned on him that they were still mischievous teenagers. Nonetheless, the fear of survival kept both looking over their shoulders, almost expecting danger. What has this world become? +Abraham held the thought, fingering the white stubble on his weathered face. Falling farther back on the log, he felt the throbbing pain in his ankle for the first time. There were too many sharp spaces and unsettled rocks in the riverbed to escape unscathed. Nevertheless, his grit kept him stumbling forward away from the god-awful sounds of the infected. He told himself it was only a mild sprain. +In the darkness he heard Samantha call out. “I’ve never seen a big guy like that.” +“Hope we never see one like that again,” Abraham answered. +“It looked like its moldy insides were on its outside,” said Hunter, somewhere in the red night. “Does that make sense?” +Abraham didn’t know how to explain the abomination. “It reeked worse than a highland skunk.” +“Funny, I almost shit my pants,” said Hunter. Then, he must have remembered he was with an attractive female. “I mean, not literally.” He laughed, lowering his eyes. +“Let’s call it a septic,” Sam said, emerging from the dense tree line. “It smelled like an old septic tank back in a trailer park I used to live in.” +“A septic—I like it,” grunted Abraham. He remembered the swollen frame of the septic blistering when the fire swam across its dead flesh. “I wonder if the fire was enough to kill the foul thing.” +“It’s dead,” said Hunter. “Do you think it’s a hiccup or are their more weird hybrids out there?” Hunter stopped in front of Abraham and saw his grandfather pointing to his fly. “Oh snap,” the boy slurred, making uneasy eye contact with Sam. +She laughed and lowered her tense shoulders. She appeared somewhat comfortable for the first time. +“I don’t know.” Abraham was finding it hard to imagine, at least on the surface. +“It’s not an anomaly,” Sam blurted. “The man I was traveling with, Rictor, he had heard of some different versions of the cordyceps fungus infection. I never saw any of them. But Rictor always talked about them when we were walking. I overheard about the zombie infection from hundreds of different sources, but I didn’t understand it, at least not at that point in my life. To tell you the truth, I still don’t understand. But I think it started overseas.” Sam pulled at her pig tails. +“What the hell is a cordyceps fungus?” Abraham hated fancy words. +“Rictor told me it was some sort of parasitic fungus that transformed insects into puppets. It attacks its host and takes total control. I don’t know really.” +“I heard of that on one of the nature shows. I remember them talking about how the fungus was able to take over the insects mind. But they said it would never work on a human.” +“That’s what Rictor told me, sugar,” she replied. “I don’t know if it’s real. But I must admit it makes sense.” +Abraham saw the devil in her eyes. As if she was daring him to call her a liar. “How did you and Rictor meet?” Abraham couldn’t deny the girl had a certain allure for trouble. Was it the tiny shorts, the southern tongue, or sassy attitude? Probably a little of everything, he considered. +“He wasn’t always a bad man. I mean, when I met him, he talked a good game. He gave me protection, food, shelter, and saved my brother more than a few times. We met when I was still wandering the south with my brother.” +“What was your brother’s name?” Hunter asked. +“Hunter,” she answered, blinking her eyes. “Kidding, it was Tyrell. It was me and him for the longest time. We were trying to escape the super famine in Texas. Denver was the city of dreams, or so we heard from others heading north. Making a new life there was all my brother would talk about—clean air, plenty of food, and no bullets flying through the thin walls.” +“Why don’t we walk and talk?” Abraham suggested. He averted his strong gaze from the girl and stared up at the stars. He would listen to her story and decide if she was worthy to stay at the farm. Sam and Hunter led the way as he struggled to walk on his swollen ankle. +Sam swatted a bug threatening her neck and then continued her story. “We hitched a ride with a nice couple to a town called Durango. At least that’s what the locals called it. The strip town was crammed with refugees talking about the super infection killing everything overseas. Rumors suggested that the infection had reached America. Tyrell told me it wasn’t true. Now I know he lied to keep me from being scared.” +Abraham noticed how tight his shoulders had become and rolled them back to ease the tension. He couldn’t stop looking back. His mind kept replaying imagines of the infected. +“We met Rictor in Durango early on. He was the only other black man in the city. He told Tyrell that brothers needed to stick together. I thought it sounded stupid.” +“Durango, is it still a gambling town?” Abraham looked at her scowling back at him, the moment taking on overtones of familiarity and fear. Abraham heard tales about the casinos early on when people were still heading toward Denver, before the terrible silence. Durango was close enough to the southern border that it attracted a lot of soldiers looking for a good time in a safe environment. +“You better believe it,” she replied. “That’s where all of the riffraff came to play and prey upon the poor and the weak.” +“So you didn’t like the town?” Hunter questioned, ducking down to examine a broken twig. +“I didn’t say that. A town like that has many uses. Tyrell made us a fine living playing cards and tossing dice. We had a small chalet, nothing to brag about, but it was home.” +Here it comes, Abraham told himself, reading the girl’s curious face. She is going to finally give me some answers. +“Unfortunately, many people came through the town. I heard the Northern Republic scum dropped the first nuclear bomb on Jackson, Mississippi. After that, both sides traded everything they had, and the world followed the America way, killing everything. Rictor was the one who told us about the cordyceps fungus infection.” +Abraham took his hand off the grip of his holstered pistol. “I reckon that sounds about right.” He didn’t understand much about the fungal infection. It didn’t matter. All that mattered was finding a safe place for his family until some scientist put a stop to the monsters. +Abraham moved between the branches, feeling the softness of the aspen’s bark. All around the wind was playing a sad tune of misery. Abraham found himself thinking of the infected freaks again. He didn’t miss the crooked smiles or the troubled sounds. +“A lot of the stuff you said on that radio broadcast, it is true, and it is truer than you know, sugar. Rictor and Tyrell ended up taking their gambling winnings and going into the devils water business, brewing it in an old mine they purchased after riding a three-day win streak. It was a huge success. We moved up into a fancy house with working water and solar power. It was the best living since Red Dead first appeared.” +The breeze brushed against his cheeks bringing a sense of insecurity. Abraham smiled as if the girl had taken the words right out of his mouth. Everything went to hell after Red Dead. He offered her a strip of jerky and the ebony-skinned girl accepted with a half-smile. +The whispering wind had carried its first burning cinders to their location. It reminded Abraham of their daring escape, but only for a moment. He was more interested in hearing the girl’s tale. Abraham’s dad had told him a man could learn a lot more about a person or situation by listening. This was something he had tried to teach Hunter and failed. “Do you know a man named Robb? He was my son and he might have headed that direction right before the first bomb fell.” +Sam nodded. “I remember you saying that on the radio, and sorry, too many faces to remember during our stay in Durango. Thinking back on it, I wish we had only traveled through Durango and continued to Denver.” She paused. “I don’t know anything real about Denver. I heard a lot of tales and some of them are bunk, and still others might be true. I know you want answers about the Mile High City, but I don’t know up from down. But I believe my brother is alive, and that means I need to find him.” +Abraham closed his eyes. His brain whirled in mysterious thoughts. “So Rictor told you about other infected breeds—or should we call them types? We have only seen the normal infected corpses in the mountains until the mill.” +Sam whirled. “Yes, he told me about monsters. I always thought he was lying, but after seeing the septic, he had to be telling the truth. Toward the end of our stay in Durango, a group of men dressed in expensive suits came to talk to Tyrell. They gabbed loudly when they chugged whiskey. They told many stories amongst themselves about the different infected species. They told my brother that the longer the fungus thrived, the more severe the effects of the infection grew. Maybe that big guy at the mill had been carrying the infection a little longer than the rest.” +Abraham heard something shuffle in the distance. It sounded like small game, but he wasn’t going to play around. “Stay alert,” he whispered, drawing his gun. +“Should I stop talking?” +“No keep talking and walking.” + Sam nodded. “So, my stupid brother left for Denver without telling me much. I think it must have been a month back. He told me he would be back in a few days. That was bullshit.” +And what did Rictor do to you? Abraham could smell out the plot, but he wasn’t sure how it went down. He saw Hunter creep down and examine a trail of deer scat. +“Weeks ran by, and his mood grew fouler.” +Abraham watched the girl watch his grandson. He could see the quiet beauty exchange between the two. Hunter needs a friend. She could be good for him. +“Rictor hit me a few times asking questions, but I didn’t know anything about the business side of the arrangement. At least he didn’t hit too hard.” +Abraham understood her pain. He knew what it meant to cling to the idea that someone was alive. “A man should never strike a lady.” He stopped and adjusted the furrowed collar of his filthy shirt and then picked up his pace. Abraham was surprised to find her somewhat smiling as she led the way through the forest. However, he understood the tale was about to shatter into a deep rift of tragedy. +Sam sped up and wrapped her arms around her chest. “When Rictor asked me to tag along with him to search for my brother, I thought it would be for the best. I dreamed of living in Denver. But my dumbass brother left me.” +Ahead, Hunter blended into the shadows, following the faint trail into the dense brush. The boy’s deep sweat reflected the soft red light and brought a crimson glow to a hefty web towering above the boy. Abraham stayed true to the trail. “Hunter, get your ass back on the trail.” +“Or what?” the boy snapped. +Abraham clenched his teeth and darted in that direction. +“Then, life got real. Our ride was stopped near Salida. It was an ugly town, run down and operated by a bunch of savages. If you’re ever heading that direction, I’d stay the hell away. Anyhow, a series of sentries had set up a roadblock. They demanded we pay the Wrench his toll. I guess this guy was some sort of king pin living in that damn city. Rictor got pissed, but he paid. They didn’t know he knew they were prisoners who escaped Canon City Federation Prison. If I had to guess, I would say that the Wrench was the worst of them.” +Abraham knew about the massive prison break. He killed a few of the outlaws who traveled his direction. And I would do it again, he thought, parting the branches as he followed Hunter. +Sam touched her silver heart-shaped locket and then hooked a right to follow them. +“Is that a gift from your brother?” Abraham asked, trying to keep her clam. +“Yes,” she answered. +Abraham could see the bond between her and her brother was stitched deep. The bond between him and his grandson was blistered. Hunter would always blame Abraham for chasing off his dad. This was something Abraham was learning to deal with. +“We continued through Salida and continued north on Highway 285.” +“They were waiting for you, weren’t they?” questioned Abraham. +“Your damn right those miserable bastards were waiting outside of town. They blocked the road with an old trash truck. Then they smashed into us from the side. Rictor fought them off.” +“Rictor sounds like a tough dude,” Hunter spat from the shadows. +The boy had been quiet. Abraham almost lost him. +“Rictor was a monster.” +“What do think they would have done to you if they caught you?” asked Hunter. He didn’t think about the tenderness of the situation. +“Shut up, boy,” Abraham growled, rolling his eyes. +“We walked after that for what felt like forever. There was nothing but silence everywhere we went. It was the scariest thing I had ever experienced. Each night, Red Dead seemed to fuel his nasty mood. He muttered curses aimed toward my brother under his breath. But Rictor kept us safe from the pockets of infected we came across.” +Abraham looked at Hunter with raised eyebrows. +Hunter was standing over the bloody carcass of a deer. “It seems a gang of infected tore it apart.” Hunter thrust his rifle over his shoulder and placed his hands on his hips. “Judging by the tracks, the small pack that killed it scurried toward the mill in a hurry.” +Abraham was amazed at the rate of mold that had already painted the festering wounds of the dead animal. “The fire worked,” Abraham reminded them. “Sorry, go ahead and finish,” he said to Sam, staring at the red glow at the peak of the mountain. “And let’s get back on the trail.” +Sam wanted to finish her story. No, she needed to tell the tale. He saw this in the way her eyes watered. Abraham followed the sound of an owl up toward the sky trying to make her comfortable. + “Rictor’s urges grew with his frustration, first a quick fondle, and then more kisses. He treated me like a dog.” She had hated the touching and it showed on her expression. “Every night, he tried something new, and every time, I screamed and fought.” Sam swallowed hard then a violent shiver followed. “I couldn’t sleep for weeks. The fear had taken over.” +Talking about it would free her from its internal torment. But Abraham wasn’t going to force the girl to do anything. “I’m sorry,” he offered. +“Fuck him! After a few more days, we came to an abandoned farm house. At dusk, he forced himself on top of me and licked his nasty tongue up and down my neck. My wrists were held up above my head with one of his large hands. That fucker went back to the button on my shorts.” Sam looked down in shame and disgust. +“You don’t have too,” Abraham said, turning his focus back toward the bastard sky. Stop staring. +“He didn’t rape me,” she spat, unable to hold back her tears. “He would have, but…” She burst into a deep crying, and when Hunter went to comfort to her, she held out a hand to stop him. The poor teenage boy didn’t understand the sensitive nature of the subject. Abraham knew Hunter only wanted to help, but in certain cases, comfort meant reliving bad memories. +Abraham would explain that to his grandson later. He realized he was marching through a clump of weeds covered in sharp pricks. He shrugged off the slight pain against his flesh. Damn blood flow must be getting worse. +“The buzzing sound came hard and fast. That sicko was struggling to get my shorts down. I bit, fought, kicked, screamed, and gave everything I had. I was mad enough to kill him. Do you think that was wrong?” +“Hell no, you should of fucking killed him!” Abraham stammered and Hunter agreed. +Sam glanced about, seemingly unsure of her feelings. “‘Be brave, girl,’ he told me over and over. I was exhausted. I couldn’t fight him—he was too strong. In that moment of defeat, an angel came to rescue me. One of the infected freaks tore into the room and bit him in the neck.” +The foul smell of decay slapped Abraham’s nostrils, bringing the horrors of the mill to life. +“In the end, Rictor survived, and he drove a screw driver through its rotten brain until nothing was left but mush. Without a word, we stared at each other from across the room. I stayed close to a lamp and imagined smashing it across his forehead. It was in that moment that your broadcast came over a shortwave radio near the nightstand.” +“I thought for the longest time I was talking to myself,” Abraham said, feeling at ease. “And those infected freaks are no angels.” +Sam canted her head and disagreed by shaking her head. She would have been Rictor’s had the infected thing not come to her rescue. +“Rictor pleaded with me to help him to the gas station. He apologized a thousand times. What choice did I have? I was hoping maybe you could help me find my brother. By the time we reached the old station, he was starting to change. He took me by the hair and locked me in the freezer.” The poor girl was shaking from head to toe. +“It seems the universe gave him what he deserved.” Abraham noticed a shift in the wind, and the smoldering smell of fire subsided. +“Were you serious about heading to Denver? On the radio you said you thought about it. Was that for real?” +Abraham chewed on her words. Would he leave his farm? He hadn’t given it serious thought until he discovered the nest a few miles away. If she had asked him a few days ago, he would have said no, but now the infected were within striking distance. It would only be a matter of time. “The thing is… nobody who’s gone to Denver has ever come back.” +“Why would anyone leave a city with food, wine, and power? You’ve seen what the Rocky Mountains have become. Or did you lie about wanting to go to Denver?” +“I didn’t lie.” Then, why did he feel guilty? “I like you, Sam, and I’ll give it a hard thought. But for now, we must keep moving.” He had taken an interest in the southern girl. Maybe this was fate or the hand of God guiding him toward one of his missing children. That, of course, made him think of his loving wife, Beth. Beth was a timeless beauty frosted with age. Most of his family was still alive and accounted for, and for that he was grateful. The world had taken a turn toward hell; it was fading. Or was it dying? He holstered his pistol and continued on toward the farm in silence. He needed time to reflect. He needed answers to his many burning questions. +V + +“Look,” Samantha said, pointing through the cords of branches. +Abraham followed her finger, fighting the annoying stab in his heart. He winced as if his eyes had deceived him. He followed the tip of the dirt road downward, past the staked fence, all the way to his worn farm house. He saw white paint smeared across the two-story barn. +INFECTED: STAY AWAY, it said in bold, bright letters. +You got to be shitting me, he mused. +“Is that your farm?” Sam asked, touching her lower lip. +Abraham looked at his warm home dotted in emptiness, feeling as if a part of him faded with the wind. The durable house was full of character despite its many imperfections. In a way the humble home had reminded Abraham of his own beat-up persona. Now it was tainted. +Without another word, he ran. Hysterical, he shouted his wife’s name, then his eldest son’s. As he stumbled down the narrow pathway, small runnels of rock and sand crumbled down with him. Mad in sorrow and thought, he leapt across a trifling crevice and continued in haste. His face was full of detestation and every carved etch was highlighted in the blood light of the early hour. He thought of his wife’s expression, innocent with age. It cannot end this way. There are sorrows too great and troubles that never end, but he never imagined his home falling to the decay of the infected. This was a world that had died in that drumming moment. +Coming to a stop at the front door, he studied a mandatory evacuation notice pinned to the panel frame. Unable to sit still, he exploded through the unlocked front door and studied the milky foam spread thickly over the living room walls. It reminded him of the remnants of a fire extinguisher. It was bubbled and an ivory color that gave off a sick, sweet smell. +“Beth,” he wailed, fumbling toward the stairs. She has to be alive. Bleeding through the curtains in his bedroom was the putrid color of red. +The storm raged on in his feeble mind, and Abraham couldn’t gage the reality of the situation. “Beth!” he shrieked, moving across to the guest room, where his eldest son was keeping some of his things. “Where did they go?” His arms seemed to seek out the walls as he staggered back down the swaying stairwell. +“Why!” he shouted, collapsing to his knees. He fell forward to his hands and lowered his drumming chest toward the stained floor. Still, he clawed his way back into the living room and scooped a hand across the end table, knocking off a bottle of medication. His quaking fingers had trouble gripping the bottle, and even more opening the childproof top. He hadn’t used the heart medication in two years, and when he broke the top, he swallowed the pill dry. Falling inch by inch to the floor, he rolled to his aching back. +“Beth,” he gasped. +“Here,” Sam said. She nudged a glass of water to his dry lips and gave it a tilt. “Drink up, sugar.” After, he felt Hunter grip him under his arms and lift him to the couch. There would be answers in a few moments, but for now, he knew he needed to close his eyes and rest. +“You will not steal my wife,” he whispered. “You will not touch my family!” +Sam brushed his fevered brow with her dirty hands and hummed a beautiful old tune. In a haze, and then a blur, Abraham listened to Hunter’s heavy footsteps running through the house. The world distorted, and minutes later, the boy settled in the cozy chair across from him. Abraham knew better than to ask if he had found anyone. If Hunter had, he wouldn’t have been shedding tears like a snake skin, hard and abrasive. +Abraham worried about his family. He closed his eyes as he was taken back two years ago. One year after Red Dead first stained the sky in blood. The same night he suffered his first heart attack. The same night he lost Robb to the war. +*** +The blistering illumination of Red Dead burned the sky. The thick, cream-colored curtains were pulled tight, though it wasn’t enough to keep the glow out of his bedroom. Red Dead had entered the solar system one year ago, the exact day the accursed Civil War began. The mountains promised his three sons, two daughters, and handful of grandchildren priceless safety. Leaving the congested city was the smartest thing he ever did, or so he thought. +The Neutral Zone Federation promised a safe haven for families wanting to escape the Civil War, but Denver was constantly patrolled by the Federation Military. The Mile High City felt more like a refugee camp under martial law. In the mountains, Abraham and his family relished their freedom. Both the North and the South signed the Treaty of Life and respected the neutral ground of Colorado, Utah, and Kansas. Surprising enough, only a few Americans sought sanctuary in the safe zone. Everyone else was sucked into the bloodlust of combat. +The Civil War enlisted every nation on the planet. The political lies came hard and fast. Each side had its own warped version of freedom and liberty. Abraham always used to tell his children that freedom in this country was an illusion. Nobody is laughing anymore. Stuffing the feathered pillow over his eyes, he wondered if all of the hard fighting had something to do with that alien planet. He knew the elect would never spill the truth as he scrunched his wrinkled face. +War never changed; it was the same stench of rotting bodies and endless terrors. Abraham served in the U.S. Army before the Civil War when he was but a boy. However, now he believed the old “red, white, and blue” was a distant memory. The latest weapons threatened to pulverize every damn continent like a festering wound stuffed with radiation. The carnage coming was like nothing the world had ever faced. And all for what? +Wide awake, the internal chaos brought his sore eyes to his tiny wife sleeping beside him. Listening to his wife’s tiny snores, his cheeks dimpled. Beth was the sweetest soul. Dust danced upon the shards of crimson light that highlighted her gentle features. +“You awake, Beth?” he asked brushing an auburn curl out of her face. The only answer was a huff of air as she stirred in peaceful harmony. “I don’t know what I would do without you,” he mouthed. Beth had lost two brothers to the senseless violence. Both of them wore the navy blue jackets of the Northern Republic. Sweet Beth begged them not to go. She knew both sides were wrong. You could never justify kindergarteners in coffins. Nevertheless, her brothers were stuffed with testosterone and whiskey when they enlisted. The vicious conflict left countless fractured families and broken homes. +I can’t believe that was a year ago, he thought, rolling to his side and kicking his stiff legs. Africa, Australia, Europe, Japan, Canada, and Israel made up the superpowers sided with the North. The South aligned itself with China, Russia, South America, and most of the Middle East. As bad as it was in America, most of the counties overseas were far worse. Hate had reached its boiling point. All that was left was the nuclear option. It hadn’t happened yet, but most people believed it was only a matter of time. +He shifted to his aching back and stared up at the white ceiling. His focus rocked back and forth like he was watching an endless tennis match. He prayed for the infinite torment of his running mind to end. Nonetheless, the end ever came. Abraham didn’t know what to do or if anything would help him sleep. He hated the red shimmers of light. It affected him, made him angry and restless. Maybe it was causing all of the worldwide bloodshed? +A slight ringing tapped in his left ear. As if he could hear the phone before it erupted in tone, his age spotted hands scrambled for the receiver. He didn’t want to wake his tranquil wife. In few days the first bombs would fall and the phone lines would be forever gone. The whole world would fester. +“Hello?” he whispered, cupping his mouth with his free hand. He slid on a frameless pair of glasses and waited. +“Dad,” said Peter loud enough to reverberate. +“Peter, is that you?” Abraham climbed out of his tangle of blankets. +“Sorry to wake you,” his oldest son replied, breathing heavily through his nose. +“You didn’t wake me.” +Peter sighed “Still not sleeping?” +“A little here and there,” Abraham whispered, sliding his feet into a pair of slippers at the edge of the bed. He slipped out into the shadowy hall, wondering why Peter was calling this early in the morning. Peter was his oldest son and a humble man. He was considered Abraham’s good kid. Peter had taken up residence a few miles down the dirt road. All of Abraham’s family lived nearby, and that was a blessing. +“Have you talked to Robb?” +Abraham shook his wary head. He hadn’t talked to his son in three weeks. Robb was the middle boy, and a bit different in a peculiar way. Robb loved science and math. He could read and understand things that made Abraham’s head drum. That wasn’t to say the rest of his children were dumb. All of them were successful in their own ways. Yet, Robb was rocket science, fly-you-to-the-moon smart. He never played with toys; he never played sports. All he ever wanted to do was read and build things. +After a slight pause Abraham sighed. “You know, I haven’t spoken to him since he started that conversation about the joining the Southern Liberty. Abraham hated war. Robb wanted to go work for a private contractor somewhere in Texas. It was a nasty fight and no walls were thick enough to keep them safe. Abraham wasn’t going to lose a child to the mindless ploys of the rich. Abraham somehow knew he was recalling this memory and that made the pain of losing Robb worse. +“I just got off the phone with an ecstatic Robb.” Peter said it almost as if he was proud. “He said he’s going tonight.” +Abraham dragged his clammy hands across his exhausted face. “What?” He wondered aloud. +“Robb told me to gather the family and head to your house. He was going to give us some big speech. He said the end of the world was near.” +“He’s coming here?” Abraham gasped. “Why would he tell you such things?” +“Robb said time was short.” +Abraham still didn’t believe his son was threatening to join the South. “What the hell’s wrong with your brother?” He rushed for the second floor window and parted the ivory blinds with his meaty figures. His heart almost stopped when he saw a slick car’s high beams coming down the dirt road. +“Someone’s coming,” Abraham said full of passion. +“Robb,” breathed Peter. “What should I do? Should we come?” +“Maybe your brother was out drinking. This doesn’t make sense.” Abraham hurried down the old creaking stairs and lifted the curtain at the front window, a big bay window of length. He squinted as the high beams blinded him for a moment. “He’s driving like a manic. And how did he afford the gas?” +The silver vehicle swept across the long driveway and slid to a screeching halt. Abraham stepped back, holding his pained heart. Too much pressure, he thought, falling back into his comfortable plaid recliner. Robb would have to wait. Abraham reached over and popped the top of his heart medication. Two blue pills tumbled from the vial into his rough palms and then shot into his dry mouth. He swallowed hard as the agony increased. The medication had kept him heart attack free so far. +“Dad?” called out Peter. “Dad, are you alright? Who was in the vehicle?” +Abraham tensed as he let the phone fall out of his hand. He hadn’t seen Robb in three weeks. He sat slack jawed, his brown eyes bulging as Robb burst through his front door like he had over the years. +“What is going on?” Abraham met the gorgeous eyes of two of his grandchildren shuffling in behind their zealous dad. Their shrieks grew with his drumming heartbeat. Robb puffed and panted as he ignored Abraham and kept moving. +“Dad, please don’t go!” wailed Emme, tugging at Robb’s pin-striped blazer. The little black pack on her shoulders must have weighed close to thirty pounds. She was a sweet girl of ten back then, with a spirit bright enough to rival the daylight. Abraham enjoyed Emme the most of his seven grandchildren. The reality of the situation forced him to pick up a stale glass of water and take a sip. The medicine was working, but its effects were too slow for his liking. His heart hammered in his overused chest as he sunk farther into the folds of the chair. +“I’m going with you, Dad,” exclaimed Hunter, picking up his bags. The teenage boy had sideswiped bangs and a lean frame. His personality matched the bad boy presence attributed to teenage angst. However, Abraham’s son, Robb, in his late-thirties, looked pale and sick. +He watched Robb yank at Hunter’s denim sleeve and speak with authority. “I will be back. You’ll be safe here with Grandma and Grandpa.” +“What the hell is going on?” demanded Abraham, trying to stand up, yet the tightness in his chest kept him seated. “You’re going to get yourself killed.” All of his swelling anger came back with vengeance in his hard glare. “I forbid you from joining the South.” +Robb’s grin mocked him. “I called Peter, Benjamin, Lilly, and Alison. I told them to make haste for the farm. We need to talk.” The red glisten from the terrestrial object bled into the room, highlighting Robb’s dark hair laced with a hint of his mother’s curls. +“Do you know what time it is?” questioned Abraham, adjusting his glasses. The clock on the wall confirmed the late hour, but Robb didn’t seem to care. “Where is your wife, Robb?” +“Tori went to warn her dad.” +“Warn Glenn about what? That you’ve gone off your rocker?” Glenn was Abraham’s closest neighbor and Emme and Hunter’s other grandpa. The crazy man was far from someone Abraham would call a friend. They had plenty of disputes between them over the last year. +At that strident moment, Beth rushed down the stairs, threading her frail arms around her trembling grandchildren. “What is the meaning of this?” she said. +Abraham pounded his fists. “That fool of a boy is going to fight for the South.” +Her thin lips quivered as she hugged little Emme in a somber embrace. “Robb, is it true?” +“Tori and I must go if the world is to survive what is coming. The apocalypse is on its way.” +“Why do you always talk in riddles?” snapped Abraham, wanting to slap the stupid out of his son. +“Are you listening to me? Get off your high horse and use your brain.” +Abraham was more than frustrated with his dim-witted son. Robb always thought he knew best, but he didn’t understand respect. +“Hush now. That’s your father,” Beth spat. “Show some respect.” +Abraham exchanged dark glances with his son. +After several deep breaths, Robb turned back to his mother. Beth was always willing to listen to reason. “I’m leaving my children with you. I’ll return as soon as possible.” +With a dejected look, Beth wiped the wet corners of her coffee-colored eyes. A grandmother always loved her grandchildren in a way she never could her own children. Abraham knew this to be true. Both Hunter and Emme melted into her warm embrace. However, the little girl continued to wail. It was like a banshee’s cry to Abraham as he cringed. +Abraham fought his way up despite the throbbing numbness climbing up his left side. His shaggy white eyebrows on his old face cut together. +“You’ll need guns.” Robb shifted back toward the door. “And shelter after the bombs settle.” +“Guns are illegal here,” snapped Abraham as Emme fell silent upon Beth’s hammering chest. +“Is everything okay?” questioned Tori as she burst into the house. +Everyone muttered a different word for no. Nobody was fine; in fact, it was the complete opposite. +Abraham saw the terror in Tori’s body language. Her straight, yellow hair fell down her slender back. “Robb, we have to go,” she said to her husband. +“The rest of my brothers and sisters haven’t arrived,” Robb replied. +“My daddy is coming,” Tori muttered with hollow eyes. She ran to her frightened children and took them in her loving arms. “It’s going to be okay,” she assured them. +Robb sighed. “I thought you said he wasn’t a problem?” +The scattering of loose gravel alerted them of someone else’s arrival. Was it the rest of the Abraham’s children or Tori’s crazy old father? +“The world is about to change. The North and the South are getting ready to launch a barrage of nuclear devices,” Robb said. +Abraham watched Robb clear the blemished coffee table between them. A pile of books and a glass tub of shiny hard candy crashed onto the carpeted floor. The sharp sound echoed across the space as tension between father and son intensified. +Robb swung up a hardened suitcase with a bang and clinked open the two plastic snaps. Inside was a variety of guns including assault rifles, hunting rifles, shotguns, and even pistols. Robb pointed back to another suitcase near the door and spoke soft and easy. “It’s stuffed with extra ammo. Hide it in the barn or one of the hunting cabins. Bury some of it out in the woods. I’m sure you remember how to use it, Dad.” + “A nuclear war?” Abraham gazed at Robb’s arsenal and then back to his somber son. He loved Robb, but the conflict had made his boy crazy. I think you need to leave, he thought, but couldn’t say the words. All he wanted was for his son to stay. Abraham couldn’t process the information fast enough. His eyes sunk a little deeper in his sullen expression. The red shade of the planetary object brought a fevered mien to his stoned appearance. He returned his eyes to his humming wife. “Did you hear him?” +“I heard him,” Beth hummed, rocking Emme. + “I don’t want to die,” Emme whimpered louder. Emme must have felt protected, sandwiched between her grandma and her mother. There was no safer place on the planet. +“Take care of your sister,” Robb said to Hunter. “We’ll be back.” +“What good are guns in a nuclear war?” asked Abraham, interlacing his fingers behind his head. +“Don’t go, Mom,” moaned Hunter, climbing into her familiar arms. +“I don’t have a choice.” Tori sobbed, running a hand through his messy hair. Abraham could see she didn’t want to leave her babies. +“There will be no home if we fail,” added Robb. He touched his boy gently across the shoulder and then turned for the door with Abraham hot on his heels. +Standing next to a rusted pickup truck was Tori’s father, Glenn. “Come out here, boy. I want to have words with you,” the crude rancher said, smacking his thin lips. Abraham watched Tori rush out the door. She pleaded with her drunken father. The whiskey breath must have burned her damp eyes by the jerk reaction she presented. +Robb followed his wife out and down the porch steps. Glenn had family serving in the Northern Republic. Everyone knew he hated all ties to Southern Liberty. The slender farmer scowled as his brow rose. He opened his pinkish eyes and stared. “I’ll tell you something, Robb. You try and run off and join the South, I’ll kill you.” +Robb smiled like a playful boy. “You don’t understand. They need brilliant minds to fight what’s coming.” + “Fuck you, and your alien talk.” +“It’s the spores that are going to change the world. It will make you wish for death, but it will never come.” +Abraham didn’t like the tone of the conversation. He moved back for a moment to the arsenal of weapons. He hadn’t fired a gun since his days in the service. The Neutral Zone Federation had a weapon ban it enforced with an iron fist in the city, but in the sticks, their presence was limited. +At first, Abraham thought about heading to Mexico. He believed the weapons ban was ploy for something sinister. He didn’t like the idea of living amongst a government of unarmed civilians. But he felt this place was the only way to keep his family out of the Civil War. Screw the rules, he thought as his fingers scratched the glossy gun metal of a pistol. He pressed the magazine release and frowned at the stack of .45 rounds, ready to do some damage. +The shouting outside intensified. Tori called for Abraham to join them outside. The fear in her tone gave him the balls to stuff the gun into the back of his gray pajama pants. Muttering sinful curses under his breath, he strode out into the crimson night. +“Hold on, Glenn,” he mumbled, taking in his wily neighbor’s unpredictable eyes. It was grandpa verse grandpa. +“I never liked your son. He’s weak like you, Abraham,” Glenn spat with a stream of chewing tobacco dripping out of his mouth. +“I’ve pissed harder than you’ve ever fought.” Abraham took another step closer, watching a new set of headlights dip through the thicket of trees. “That’s going to be Benjamin Heinz,” he suggested, watching Glenn turn back to the rumbling sound of the vehicle. “How many times did my son kick your son’s ass? Close to a dozen if I remember right. Funny, your boy was two years older and a good foot taller. What do you think he’s going to do to you?” +Glenn laughed, then busted Robb in the mouth. Robb never saw the sucker punch coming. Glenn moaned, then tucked his fist back, wincing in discomfort. “Piss on you, Abraham. Don’t worry. I got me a Northern soldier on the way. He’s going to take care of this Southern traitor,” Glenn promised. +Abraham sucked in a lungful of thin air. His daughter Alison was engaged to a Northern soldier named Steven who happened to be on leave in the area. Most of the soldiers on both sides took their vacations in the neutral zone. It was the only safe place for a combatant. Steven had a certain savvy about him that disgusted an old man such as himself. Maybe it was because the soldier reminded Abraham of his own persona during his youthful time in the military. +Abraham never liked Glenn. The troublesome neighbor had given his family a barrage of issues because of Robb and Tori’s relationship. Nevertheless, it was the poisoning of his dog that burned in his soul. +Abraham watched Benjamin jump out of his vehicle. One of the straps on Benjamin’s brown overalls was busted and swung with each heavy step. Ben was the largest in the Heinz family with refined muscles that never took a day of rest. He continued in a straight line for Glenn, only taking his eyes off of him once, glancing down to check his injured brother. +“Nobody hits Robb except me,” he said. +Glenn spit at the ground and showed his toothless grin. “Ben, you don’t know what he did.” +Ben’s oil stained hands were balls as he crushed Glenn in the stomach. Glenn fell, clutching tight to his swollen belly. “Tell me he deserved it, Robb,” Ben snapped at his brother. “Tell me!” +“Every ounce of it,” Robb answered. +Abraham gawked at the edge of the driveway. He saw another car he didn’t hear drive up. This was one of those fancy electric vehicles. A tall man slipped out the back of the car on polished dress shoes. The navy blue trousers held up by suspenders told Abraham he was in serious trouble. He knew the Northern scumbag was here for Robb. Abraham felt the tension inch down his spine. The man was indeed Steven Waller, his youngest daughters, fiancé. Steven had two fellow Yankees following his every step. “This isn’t a war zone,” Abraham called out, though everyone appeared to ignore his words. +“Is it true?” Steven asked, coming to a stop several feet back. +Abraham’s stomach wrenched. “This is neutral ground. You got no right.” +“A little birdy tells me Robb claims to have information about a nuclear war? And news about some sort of nasty virus?” +“Go to hell.” Robb spat out a wealth of blood as he climbed up to his feet. “Your people did this,” he accused, drenched in sweat and salt. “The Northern Republic is responsible for the coming apocalypse.” +“Both sides use bombs, but nuclear bombs are against the rules. You will be coming with us. I promise you, Abraham, no harm will come to him.” Steven pointed and his two Yankee goons descended on Robb. + Benjamin cut off the two soldiers in a hurry, his breath hot in their shaved faces. “Nobody’s touching my brother.” The two soldiers looked back to Steven for orders. + “For America,” Glenn slurred as he took another cheap shot at Robb, splitting his left eye. Robb staggered and then fell into the dirt. +Abraham fingered the stubble on his strong jaw as he stepped forward. He saw his son on his knees, bleeding through his teeth and tracing a finger over his gashed eye. Part of him loved the sight; Robb needed to get his butt kicked. He’d always been weak. Yet as a father, Abraham wasn’t going to let some man his age take a swing without consequences. +Increasing his speed, Abraham saw his chance and took it with fury. A straight jab brought Glenn to his knees. “Nobody is touching my family!” Enraged, Abraham turned his scowl toward Steven and his cronies. “Get off my property right now. Screw the North and the South!” Abraham felt the vein in his temple throbbing. “You think the blood spilled by the Northern Republic doesn’t stain your hands, Steven?” +Glenn rose and threaded his hand in his daughter’s yellow hair. He yanked her back hard. “You have turned my own daughter into a criminal.” He pushed her into the dirt and charged Robb again. +Weak, hairy arms grabbed around Glenn’s collar and tugged. It was Robb, and the sight made Abraham proud. His son had never fought back. During Robb’s teen years, the boy would come home with black eyes and tales of how he only cowered. Whatever cause Robb was sworn to, it made him fight. This was something new. Robb forced himself on top of old Glenn and more slapped than punched. +“Nobody touches my wife,” he howled. +It was in that moment that Abraham realized the crimson night had turned the weakest of souls into fierce predators. Everything that happened after blurred as the onset to his first heart attack ensued. Steven and his men thought it would be a good time to take advantage of a stunned crowd. One of them, a plump man with a splash of freckles, swung at Abraham. The heart medication made Abraham numb to an otherwise stinging blow. He took a second punch to the gut and spit. Then he gave a series of his own. +He could hear Beth screaming at the door’s edge. Then and there, as sudden as it began, the screaming stopped. Abraham imagined the end of the conflict. The tussle would see Steven and his men away and Glenn back to his home. Imaging the typical ending, he failed to see Crazy old Glenn reaching for something in his pocket. +“I always hated you,” Glenn slurred through his whiskey breath. “Either the soldiers take him or I kill him.” As he pulled out his hand, a knife flashed in the crimson light. +“Put it down,” Abraham snapped, holding up a cautious hand. It had happened too fast. “Glenn, you’re not thinking right.” Breathing hard and waiting for the pain in his knuckles to subside enough for him to gage the situation, Abraham trembled with raw adrenaline. The silence stretched across the shadows of the farm in an uncanny manner. +After three or four seconds, Glenn stood above Robb and held his three inches of honed steel at the ready. +“I need him alive,” slurred Steve, holding a hunk of flesh dripping from his fat lips. He tried to sit up, but the beat down suffered at the hands of Benjamin left him stunned and tangled. +“This isn’t you, Glenn.” Abraham slid his hand back and grasped the familiar grip of the pistol. “Nobody has to get hurt. We can still all walk away from this and fix it another day.” +“I do this for the good of the country,” Glenn said, his voice shaky as he took a moment to appreciate the daunting blood-colored night. Closing his big eyes, Glenn ran his hand down in a swift downward motion. Red Dead must have spoken to Glenn in a rage of consuming fire as if a dark god were forcing his hand. The pleas fell silent on his deaf ears. Red Dead had ushered in commands that could never be disobeyed. +“Die!” Glenn shrieked. +Adrenaline rushing, Abraham swung the pistol and steadied his aim. Yet, before he could pull the trigger, a loud bang rang in his old ears tearing the color from his world. +He could smell the gunpowder, and when he turned and saw his grandson Hunter with a rifle, the color came back in a flash. The teenage boy was trembling as the sound echoed throughout the mass of the trees. +Everyone cried out his name, but Hunter stood still as if nothing else in the world existed. At the first release of his salty tears, he pointed the gun at Steven. “Leave my father alone!” The wild in Hunter’s eyes told the soldiers he wasn’t playing—that and the gaping hole in Glenn’s chest. +Abraham scrutinized Steven and his men as they retreated to their vehicle. In the still moment, he saw many memories of war. Was this a victory? Or the beginning of something far worse? Steven drove away and Abraham couldn’t help but wonder if the fool would return with the authorities. Guns were illegal. The spinning wheels pounded over ruts and potholes, the vehicle almost scraped its springs. Steven is gone. +A few moments later, his oldest son, Peter, rolled up in his station wagon with Abraham’s daughters, Lilly and Alison. This would be the last time the entire Heinz family stood together on the farm. Abraham gazed at each of his five children and staggered back to the steps of the porch. His heart fluttered. The wild fire in his chest was spreading. And then all he saw was darkness. +Nobody standing there on that dreadful night understood the far-reaching truth of Robb’s words. Yet, it was there for all of them to see two years ago. Had Abraham listened back then, things might have been different. He didn’t know how, but he needed to believe. +VI + +Abraham’s eyes flickered back to reality, pulling hard from the recollection. Remembering had put him in a dark corner with little optimism. He grunted a cry as he felt the sharp edge of a dagger pull out of his sore chest cavity. The memory seared him as he swept upright and steadied his feet on the carpet. Clutching his throat, he fought for air as the panic of the past curled back and left him to his disturbed thoughts. In his twisting and turning, he had thrown the decorative pillows from the couch. +“Beth,” he said, feeling her heartbeat within his own. After the breathless moment ended, he glared around the room. Across from him Hunter sat, his rifle in his hand, the safety off. The boy’s eyes were bottomless holes of confusion. Abraham grunted as he reached for his frameless glasses on the coffee table. +“You okay?” Hunter questioned, looking back over his shoulder. Near the big bay window was Sam, crossbow slung over her narrow back as she stole a peek outside into the blood-colored night. The crossbow was Abraham’s son’s. Peter had kept it up stairs in the spare bedroom for over a year. +“Did you find them?” Abraham asked, fighting a bad case of the shakes. The nightmare relived took a toll on him. Hard to believe it’s been two years. +“I found tracks, bus tracks. I think some sort of military or government agency must have come to the farm. The word ‘infected’ is spray painted on the barn door and its sides. I think they evacuated our family.” +“Did you go in?” Abraham was up and ready to fight. +Hunter looked down and then up. “No. There really are some infected trapped in the barn. I can’t get inside without freeing them. They are everywhere now. I was out scouting and saw a horde of them heading this direction.” +“The bus tracks,” Abraham said, “can they be followed?” A bitter chill had crept up his waterlogged back. He looked at his black-banded watch and realized he’d been out for a half hour. The daylight would soon break the horizon and chase away the monsters. +“I followed the tread back to Highway 9. They were heading toward the dinosaur gas station. If the people are stopping to pick up survivors, we might be able to catch them. Maybe Denver is safe and sound.” +“Someone’s coming,” whispered Sam, too loud for the moment. She ducked inside the curtains as the harsh buzzing sound left the three of them plaster-white and begging for a break. +“You mean something,” Abraham corrected. With a quick, one-eyed glance around the corner, he caught sight of more shadows near the back door. “They have us surrounded.” He knew they weren’t going to escape though the first floor. “Get upstairs, to the roof.” +Abraham worked his way up to the second floor and then rattled the stubborn window open. Both teenagers slipped out onto the roof and inched toward the side of the house. Abraham knew after Robb left, Hunter would sneak out to the roof and stare at the enormous red planet. That explained how the boy knew the terrain so well. +“Should we wait?” Sam questioned. +“No, if they surround the house we will be trapped.” Curse you, Red Dead, Abraham thought, scrambling down the rough bark of the devolved tree. Before he knew it, he was squirming around the backside of the barn, and by God’s good grace, avoided the infected monsters clawing at the front windows and door. +“Barony Tompkins,” Abraham whispered. It was a neighbor twenty miles west of his farm. They had shared drinks on a fishing trip after Robb left. Barony’s son had joined the South too, and both Abraham and Barony were heartbroken to lose their children. +“It’s not him, at least not anymore,” Hunter reminded his grandfather. +This was true. The fungus had woven itself amongst his human tissue creating a cluster of peeled flesh and oozing sores. It was hard to think this man was once human. The thing screamed one of its best buzzing sounds and then the rest of its friends trapped in the barn joined in like a group of baying wolves. Was that how they communicated? Could they communicate? Abraham didn’t know, but he was pretty sure they were locking in on his scent. +The sound of shattering glass was sure to be the front windows back at the farm house. His old friend didn’t wait; Barony hurried toward the sound at a frightening pace. When he did, Abraham cut across the empty space, praying the rest of the way was clear. +He weaved behind a cylindrical garbage can, then a tree, and from there, it was a straight shot toward his closest hunting cabin. The rattling of chains gave him pause, and when his eyes adjusted, he saw Greta Tompkins trying to get into the crude cabin. Inside, he had hid the keys to the old Blazer and a wealth of supplies, guns, and ammo. Nonetheless, the woman who used to bake him apple pies was guarding its only entrance. Only she was infected. +“We have to get in there,” he called back to Hunter. +“You want me to draw it away?” +“Hell no, there are too many of the infected stirring about. We need to be silent.” Abraham turned his stoned glare toward Samantha. Her ebony skin blended in the shadows and gave her a healthy advantage when it came to natural camouflage. “Samantha, what is your last name?” +“Why?” +Abraham only growled. +“Downs, Samantha Downs.” +“Samantha Downs, can you shoot that thing in the head?” +Sam’s finger edged at the base of the crossbow and whipped it in front of her chest. “My brother taught me to hunt small game back in Durango. It was how we ate before he got good at cards. I had this exact model.” +“Can you kill it?” Abraham asked, realizing how monstrous he sounded. Hunter was already forced to grow up too fast, and now he was asking the girl to do the same. He would need them both if they were to survive. He would worry about giving Peter back his crossbow later. +Sam didn’t smile. She had the look of a person who had never killed. +“It’s not a person,” Abraham said. +“I can do it,” she replied + Abraham knew what it meant to fight the smothering demons of fear. +On feet as soft as a cat, she scurried toward a fern, then took aim at the head. Everyone could see ring worm scratching through the putrid eye holes of the freak, and the sight caused her to look away for a moment. She whispered something and it must have inspired her. +“Go help her,” Abraham whispered back to his grandson. +Hunter paused and before he could move, Sam had positioned herself for the shot. The bolt was snug in the flight groove, and the stock wedged tightly against her shoulder. One hand gripped the trigger and the other the clasp. The string was trapped and the iron sights lined up seamless with her eyes. +The corpse rattled the chain binding the front door to the hunting cabin, and then it was over. Sam blinked hard and pulled the trigger. The bolt sang through the air and bit hard into the neighbor’s skull. The thump of its dead frame brought a certain joy to her face. Abraham could almost hear her say, I did it. +The padlock parted as Abraham used a tarnished key that hung around his neck. He left the door ajar and went to collect supplies. Looking through the window in the back, he saw another of the infected stirring about outside. It pushed its nasty, decomposed flesh against the window and pressed, revealing hideous details in the dim, red light. It sensed them. Abraham approached and opened the window. The thing reached out its infected hands and threaded them through the opening. +“You filthy monster,” he whispered as he hammered an old railroad spike into the things eye—deeper and deeper until the infected freak slipped down into the blanket of pine needles. +“It’s dead,” Sam said, showing a great deal of resolve. Abraham didn’t like the look she gave him. Her wide eyes accused him of enjoying the killing. He wanted to remind her she smiled when she saw Rictor burning, but he didn’t have the time. +Behind them, Hunter slung a few bandoleers of ammo across his chest and then picked up a fresh survival pack. “And to think three years ago, I thought you were crazy,” he said as his face broke into a tired grin. +“Hurry up and get to the Blazer,” Abraham replied. He slung an assault rifle over his shoulder and thought the icy chill of the metal felt respectable. Then and there, he saw Sam twanging the crossbow. He almost understood her awareness as he flinched at the sound of the cord flinging forward and launching the bolt. Abraham hit the ground in a hurry, and felt his body for holes. That crazy bitch, he told himself. Lost in the moment, he shifted and saw the bolt deep in the skull of the diseased thing he had just stabbed. A starburst of gore and bone fragments splattered about. +“I guess it wasn’t dead,” she said, shrugging her narrow shoulders. “You didn’t think I was going to shoot you, did you?” she asked, showing her teeth. +Abraham snarled as quiet as he could. He snatched a survival bag and then tossed it to the girl wearing a menacing smile. “You might prove useful,” he whispered, careful to watch her fluttering eyes. Abraham was annoyed by his grandson’s soft laugher in the background. “Shut up!” Hunter fell silent when he saw the curved edges of Abraham’s mouth. For the first time the boy actually listened. +It was dark outside as a gust of wind ushered in a series of dark clouds. It shielded them from the eerie crimson light of Red Dead, and it felt pacifying upon his exposed skin. The temperature had an icy tint to it, cutting through his flannel and pinching his skin. Abraham crept across the space back toward the farm house. Cautious, he avoided a pair of infected freaks, their gazes locked toward the darkened sky. Their vacant eyes, slack jaws, and seedy faces suggested they missed the crimson color of the night. I hope you never see the red again. He watched them for any proof to his theory. +The dead appeared to freeze in place like a child searching the sky for life. They all looked up as if to curse the storm clouds. “I knew it,” he said, wishing his son Robb had stayed behind. Robb would have understood the science behind the phenomenon. Yet, the fool stormed off to save the day, and was now probably dead. He had to be; everything was dead and rotting in a discolored kind of way. +“Should we burn it to the ground?” Hunter asked. +Abraham focused on the last three years and tried to remember any bit of good. Yet, all he recalled was a string of bad memories. It was here his grandson lost his father and mother to duty. It was here he watched his daughter Alison join the North with her no-good husband. It was here Hunter killed his other grandpa, and in doing such enabled Robb to escape to the South. And it was here the rest of his family was torn away from him by an unknown group. Abraham struggled to overcome the strangling thoughts of reality, his reality. He felt like screaming and then killing every infected corpse on the farm. Was this the beginning of his lunacy? Or had it begun a long time ago? I don’t think so, he thought, welling up in tears. +“We leave it,” he finally said, winded and shaking. I’ll return one day, he thought, and I’ll have my family with me. He marched quiet toward the big black ’76 Blazer. The shadows of the slight stirring from the infected made his heart race. However, they remained frozen and locked upon the churning and rolling clouds. The best part was the high frequency of the buzzing had fallen too. +Scratching at his chin, he reflected on a poem his wife had told him. Nothing comes close to a mother’s love and the way she feels and adores her children. Was this the same love Red Dead shared with the infected freaks? Was that even possible? Were they somehow that planet’s bastard children? It sure seemed to be. That crimson illumination seemed to give the diseased freaks life and power. It was like the shade of red was a cheerleader, calling out praise for every inch of space they infected and spoiled. +Bringing a strained hand to his eyes, he wondered what would happen if the mother was taken away forever. Would the infected corpses fade away or would they unleash a child’s scorn? Or was Abraham mad? +“Grandpa Heinz! Grandpa, it’s time to go,” said Hunter, shaking his grandpa’s shoulder. +Abraham turned and pressed his back to the cold steel of the vehicle, his fists doubled, his wits stretched. “Good-bye,” he said, peeling the door open. There were too many of the infected oddities. He knew they wouldn’t stand a chance. Beth told him to stay away from the gas station. Maybe he should have listened. It might have saved his family. Good-bye never came easy, and it left its nasty residue upon his sticky mind. +“Good gracious,” he muttered, trying not to choke up. The clouds had parted for the moment. Then, a thunderous boom assaulted his ears. As he stood there with his hands pressed over his lobes, the infected freaks came back to life and with them the terrible buzzing sound from hell. Yet, that wasn’t the assaulting sound he heard. He looked out across the daunting house to the sealed barn and saw the glowing mocha-colored eyes of a little girl standing near the open loft doors on the second level of the barn. +“Emme,” he said, closing the truck door. “And she has a gun.” +VII + +Abraham was up and on the run. A bittersweet sense circled his soul. Emme’s alive. He plucked a hammer from a work bench and split the first putrid skull close to enough to taste his wrath. He ducked under the branches of the cottonwood, splashing his carved features with fresh blood. More and more plasma slapped his body as he swung the hammer toward the diseased freaks breaking out of the big red barn. The trapped creatures poured out like a river. +“Emme, you wait up there,” he yelled, and when he did, a band of infected shifted his direction. He slapped them across their temples and followed up breaking one’s moldy cheek. Rotten, withered hands reached out to greet him. He howled at them and swung down hard, fracturing bone and spilling brains. They didn’t smell too good; of course, he didn’t smell fresh himself. His nostrils flared like a thoroughbred champion kicking down the final stretch of the track. +“Let go of him, you jack wagon.” He heard Emme scream. That was something he used to say. “Go back to hell,” the twelve-year-old hollered, tossing down a shovel at one of the infected. “I hate you!” Emme had picked up her foul mouth from hanging out with Abraham. +“Emme, hold on!” Abraham glided over a broken car and stomped down an infected freak. His boot crushed the soft, rotten noddle until it spilled a bunch of plump worms. +“Get back!” Emme screamed, tossing a rake down. On her shoulders was her little black backpack stuffed with little girl things. She was too innocent for this world. + He continued toward his barn, killing anything that stood in his way. Sucking air through his mouth, he clenched his fists tight around the base of the hammer. Standing in a web of fungus was Mr. Tompkins. +“You stay back,” Abraham slurred. “Dammit, Barony, I’m not playing with you!” Like the mindless beast he was, Barony staggered forward and dove for Abraham. The blast from Hunter’s gun left Abraham’s ears ringing as a gaping hole was left in the middle of his neighbor’s face. “I warned you,” Abraham stuttered. Abraham didn’t feel bad that would come later. +Emme managed to kick a bucket down to the first level. The squishy thud brought Emme back from the ledge as she shook in violent tremors. “Take that, you piece of garbage,” she yelled down. +It was Barony’s brother, Timmy; he rose with fractured limbs and lunged toward Abraham. Old Abraham dropped his hammer and reached for his pistol. The crusty old man swallowed his agony and fired, his eyes cold as a serpent. The first shot slammed into Timmy’s clustered shoulder. However, the creature’s momentum drove Abraham into the ground. The dull teeth of Timmy tore at Abraham’s flannel like a zealous dog, his dislocated jaw swallowing clumps of the cheap fabric. +That’s when something snapped in Abraham Heinz. His hands nailed up under Timmy’s cleft chin, and after the third strike, he gripped Timmy’s neck and squeezed. Rolling over, Abraham was now on top of the flesh-eating disease. He clawed his thumbs through its puss-filled eye sockets and pressed his fists through the decomposed skull. A slurping sound followed the creature’s brain as it shot out its eyes, ears and nose. +“You killed him,” Emme wailed from the second floor. Abraham saw her wide eyes flooded with tears. He knew her little mind was trying to understand what she had witnessed. “You can’t do that.” +“Dammit, Emme, get down here,” he snapped. He rested his stained hands on his knees and climbed to his feet. No cuts, he considered, looking at his hands. +“Timmy came by yesterday. I saw him talking with Grandma,” Emme shrieked. “And you crushed his face.” She disappeared, hiding in the shadows of the second floor. “You’re not my grandpa.” +“Timmy wasn’t himself, not anymore. Listen to me—we have to go,” Abraham said, turning back toward the mind bending sound of something immense. “Seriously? Can’t I get a flipping break?” +“Grandpa, we have a problem,” hollered Hunter, sprinting into the battered barn. He stopped short when he caught the sight of Abraham. “You got blood all over you.” +“So do you,” Abraham replied, wiping a clump of flowery gore from his flush cheek. The appearance of his grandson wavered and then came back into focus. +“It’s a septic,” shouted Sam somewhere outside in the darkness. +That was a major problem. Encouraging thoughts were in short supply. For all Abraham believed, there hadn’t been a shred of good luck in three years. +“Hunter, get up to the second floor and get your damn sister.” Abraham sprinted out of the barn and stopped dead in his tracks. Mad as hell, he holstered his pistol and cussed. At the far edge of the driveway, the frenzied septic stomped its feet into the ground, shaking everything within an acre. Abraham lifted his slung 55.6 carbine and fired a few shots into its cauliflower, pug face. The bullets had no effect. The deep-seared skin of the septic gave life to his nightmare. “It’s the big guy from the mill,” he hollered back. “It must have followed us.” +“It’s still alive,” Hunter barked, breaching the crown of the ladder to the second floor of the barn. On the second story, the boy was on the same level as the hysterical septic; its skin reeked of excrement, ash, and fouler things. “Coming straight for us,” the boy warned, sending the rifle bolt forward and getting ready to send the demon back to hell. +Abraham watched his grandson proudly. +“Make it go away!” screamed Emme. The freak’s sonic cry boomed like some sort of futuristic military weapon out of a science fiction movie. The sound forced Emme to tear the rechargeable hearing aids from her ears. There was a ring of birds that scattered from the trees and darted for safer branches, if such a thing existed. “I want Grandma!” +“I do too,” Hunter said as he got down and took aim at the parasitic features of the profane fiend. He fired with surgical precision. The empty brass flew out as he rocked the rifle bolt back and then inserted the next. It was a big fucking round. Yet, it did nothing to the walking septic tank. Its saturated stink of fungus and parasites swallowed the bullets. Hunter looked at the rifle to make sure it wasn’t a toy. “It’s not working.” +“Where’s Sam?” Abraham shouted turning away from his grandchildren. +Hunter scanned the shadows. “She’s on the roof of the farm house.” +At the base of the tree was a horde of the infected tearing at the jagged bark. At that moment, the rest of the clouds parted as if the Red Mother were coming to the diseased freaks’ rescue. Abraham had slammed one of the large bay doors closed and was working on the second. With every reserve of strength, body, and mind, he heaved. Yet, when he sensed the crimson light, he knew the bad was about to take a dive for worse. Shit! Shit! Shit! The second door crashed closed and he fixed a wedge of timber between the rough notches and fell back. “That ought to hold them,” he gasped, reaching out his hand and climbing back to his feet. +At first there was only scratching at the bay door, then the rest of the infected slammed against the sturdy wood, trying to pry it open. He stood slack jawed and grinned. “Is that all you got?” His head felt empty, and he sank back toward the ladder, vision clouded, pain raging from the depths of his body. His hair was stained red and dripping in the remains of his undead victims. +As if the alien fungus understood his wise crack, the brutal septic charged like a steaming bull fighting to protect its life. +“Grandpa!” Hunter shrieked, rolling away from the high loft doors, above the locked bay doors. It was too late; the foul thing lowered its frame and exploded into the lumber, tearing apart the hinges. The twisting sound of metal was pleasant compared to the hideous sound waves of the immense freak. Emme curled up as part of the roof caved. The septic smashed over and over against the splintering wood. It was relentless in its desire for revenge. +“Are we sick? I don’t want to be one of them,” Emme said, plugging back in her hearing aids. Abraham’s other daughter Lilly was a scientist and created a rechargeable battery system for the device. Emme could hear without them, but certain frequencies fell deaf upon her eardrums. Starved of the solar power of the farm, she would have to learn to survive without them. +“Holy smokes,” Hunter snapped, aiming down the slanted loft doors. It was like awakening from a nightmare. Hunter was too young to understand what his grandfather had experienced in conflict. All Abraham could hear was his little granddaughter both far and near. At that point, the floor splintered and he felt gravity sucking him down toward the mammoth mouth of the creature. Hunter wedged his feet between fractured timbers and poked the tip of the barrel against the final notch and held his position for the moment. “Help!” +“Hunter!” Emme weaved through the broke structure and tossed down a cord of rope that was already secured to a hinge. “Climb, you stupid boy!” Emme must have sounded like her grandpa to Hunter. Abraham watched everything with bated breath. +The towering septic paused a moment just below the loft doors. The crimson light shone on its blistered face and must have reminded Emme of the terrible day her mother and father left. Abraham remembered Tori planting kisses on Emme’s forehead and squeezing her like a teddy. He saw the color disappear from her cheeks. Abraham shot across the barn, ready to face the beast. +The septic howled its buzzing cry, then slammed against the loft doors again. It was trying to tear Hunter down. Sometimes Hunter was a jerk to his sister, but the boy didn’t deserve to digest in the foul-smelling things stomach. +“Grandpa, do something!” +Hunter lost his rifle as it slid down into the monster’s rampage. He wrapped his forearms around the frayed rope as the rest of the floor boards were sucked down. It was like a jagged wood chipper crushing several yards below. The boy did the only thing he could—scream like a little girl. Hunter dangled above the snapping jaw of the septic as Abraham felt a certain rage take over him. +Abraham gripped the icy steering wheel of his tractor until his knuckles were white. He loved his grandchildren too much; it hurt to think of anything else bad happening to one of them. Both had lost their parents and he lost his son. +He screamed in a hysterical frenzy as his foot floored the gas pedal. The engine of the tractor whined as it plowed ahead. The sound of the timber exploding was followed by the spurts of toxic blood spraying against the protective windshield with a thump. He didn’t stop; instead, he slammed the pedal harder, despite the parasitic gore raining all around. The right leg collapsed under the septic as it was forced back, snapping whatever moldy joint was holding it together. The creature was distracted and disoriented, and on its back. +Abraham knew this was his only chance. He pressed harder as the wheels fought for footing, digging deeper into the awful flesh of the beast and a dozen of its lesser friends. The septic’s auditory yowl lasted for several seconds as its branched hands tried to heave the big green tractor off its mushy frame. Abraham simply stared ahead at the fifty shades of red, gasping and trembling, until his eyes took him to a dark place. A place that only existed in the mind of a parent trying to save their child—or grandchild. +Then, it was over, the carnage, the fright; it all ended with a loud slurping sound crushing the remains of the septic like a blender. The huge wheels spun in reckless abandon, the sound a sweet symphony. +“Nobody hurts my family,” he sang. “I don’t care how big you are.” +Abraham slumped forward in the torn tractor seat, pressing his hands tighter against the wheel. Sometimes he could think clear, and sometimes it was the demons whispering their lies. He touched the cold door handle and exhaled. Is it over? +He winced as he hit the ground. Yet, standing there like an angel in the distance was sweet little Emme. She pushed her purple glasses up the slope of her button nose, then ran to him. No matter what, he had loved her from the first moment he could remember. Even as a baby, only Grandpa Abraham could calm her frantic crying spells. The warm embrace must have meant safety. +He held her against his pounding chest and whispered, “Are you alright?” +“I’m fine,” she replied, wiping her dripping nose against the only clean spot on his shirt. +He pulled back and looked her up and down. “What happened?” +“The men in yellow suits with breathing masks came and told Uncle Peter it wasn’t safe. They said the infection had claimed all of the nearby towns. Uncle Peter tried to tell them we were staying and waiting for you, but the men insisted. Our family was loaded up on armored buses and taken. Grandma was crying like crazy.” Emme looked as if she were about to cry again. +“They left you behind?” he asked, brushing one of her rebellious light brown curls out of her shaky face. +“I hid. I didn’t want to go without you. I knew you would come back. I got trapped in the barn with all of those dead bodies. Only they weren’t dead.” Emme’s arms and legs were stiff when she wiggled out from his grasp. “There is blood on the ground, blood on the sky, and blood all over you!” +“Trust me, I hate the color red too,” he said, realizing the infected had devoured all of the farm animals. +Far off over the mountains, Emme heard the buzzing of more infected freaks. When her brother placed a hand on her back, she quivered. “More are coming,” she said, putting an arm around Hunter and giving him a big hug. +He only stared at her with big eyes. “Can you hear them?” Hunter questioned trying to listen for the buzzing sound. “I can’t hear anything.” +“They are coming,” she warned, adjusting her hearing aids. “They’re still far away, but they’re coming.” +In the background there was only the sound of heavy wind and the drip of water. It was the first time Abraham felt like he was without the terrible sound. Morning had come to save them. The sunlight would chase the monsters back into the dark crevices of the mountains. “We should be safe,” he replied. +The swelling in Hunter’s face was bright and would leave a healthy bruise. The boy had a few minor cuts from the collapsing of the barn, but considering the size of the septic; Abraham thought he got off easy. Showing his smile, he pulled the boy and his sister into his warm embrace and sobbed. +“Where did these men take them?” +“I would guess Denver. What about the farm?” Emme asked, placing an ear to his chest as if to listen to the pounding of his heart. +Abraham had come to this place to survive, and it was going to be hard to leave. One moment, they were laughing and playing games, the next moment stole everything. Abraham turned his head back toward the farm house and sighed. “Our time at the farm is over. Fix your eyes in the opposite direction, for that is our future.” +He listened for the voice of reason. However, only the terrible evil spoke to him. The animals were dead, his family taken, but at least two of his grandchildren were safe. He grabbed the little girl and pulled her close. “We’ll find Grandma and then the rest of our family. I swear that to you, my little princess.” +“That thing got enough juice to make it to Denver?” Sam asked, emerging from the curve of the farm house. Her green tank top was now brown-red. She picked up the hammer Abraham had used from the dirt and held it out in her open palm. “Sugar, you might want to keep this. I think it suits you.” +Abraham made himself look at all the carnage. Flesh, fungus, and blood battered together like a cake mix. It took him a moment to realize these things had once been human. The infected no longer looked like people. The fungus had eaten their eyes, and sometimes their faces. He took the bloody hammer and smiled. +“I did what I had to do, and would do it again,” he promised, adjusting his glasses. “If the rest of the way is stuffed with this infected dung, then no, we won’t make it to Denver with the little gas left in the tank.” He regarded the bits of bones and pieces of flesh strung about the area. “But it is a step in the right direction.” +He watched his grandson look up and noticed Sam’s curvy figure. +“Glad you made it,” Hunter said, smiling at the beautiful girl. +“Honey, I’m not going to die. Not until I find my brother. It seems that fate has strung us together. And it’s clear as mud it wants us to travel to Denver or whatever is left of the Mile High City. How about we all get a change of clothes before we set out into the great unknown?” +“But more of them are coming,” Emme warned, tugging on her grandpa’s sleeve. +“Look,” Hunter said, pointing at the first rays of dawn. “The sun will drive them away. We should be safe until dusk.” +Abraham chewed on Sam’s words. They were the same words his wife would have spoken. Yes, believing everything happened for a reason was a bit childish. The universe was vast; the country alone more miles than he could ever walk. The wind could have been wrong, but maybe he simply needed to believe in something. Somewhere out there, far away, his family needed him. The connection of his heart wavered in his heavy chest. I’m coming, Beth. Looking up at the fading stars, he wondered if his wife was looking up at the same blistered morning sky and thinking of him. He turned back toward the truck while everyone else took off to the house. He heard Emme introduce herself to Sam, and promise Sam that she could wear some of her aunt’s clothes. The morning glory had stretched across his wary face, and the daylight gave him strength, strength to fight on in a world of shit and piss. I will search for my family for now and forever. +VOLUME 2: THE ECHO OF DECAY +BUY NOW +If you enjoyed Infected Freaks: Volume One, please consider giving a review and sharing your experience with a friend. +Abraham’s nightmare has just begun… +After a narrow escape, Abraham Heinz and the rest of his group set out to find his missing family members. The hostile territory takes them to an old friend, hiding away in what is left of a crumbling mountain town. +Abraham finds his friend and is thankful for shelter from the infected freaks roaming the desolate landscape. However, he quickly discovers that his old friend has dangerous secrets. Abraham must decide if the life of a stranger is worth trading for his missing family. +Sign up for the free newsletter on Jason’s website to stay informed on important news, contests, videos, and updates for all things related to Infected Freaks. +www.jasonborrego.com + + +CORDYCEPS FUNGUS +MIND CONTROLLING FUNGUS FOUND IN BRAZILIAN RAIN FOREST: +Most fictional zombie infections are a product of a deadly virus. However, in the deep forests of Brazil a real cordyceps fungus has done the impossible. It has brought to life the zombie apocalypse on the insect world. Originally thought to be a single class of fungi, the cordyceps is now divided between four distinct species with the possibility for many more. This is part of the inspiration for my book series INFECTED FREAKS. +“The newly discovered phenomenon is frightening scientists around the globe. This is because of the mind controlling abilities the fungi presents. Scientists have announced the zombie fungus species can infect ants, take over the brain, and then kill the insect in a spot that is desirable to grow more fungi and help spread the spores. Some of these ants could travel miles to find the right spot. This makes the body of the ant a puppet to the fungi. +The parasitic spores attach to the ant, eventually breaking through the exoskeleton using mechanical pressure and enzymes. A bite, a scratch, a tear in the flesh would be enough for the fungi to invade the blood stream with the ultimate goal of the brain. +Next up is the yeast stage. The fungi spreads in the ant’s body and presumably produces compounds that affect the ant’s hemocoel and utilizes the evolutionary trait of an extended phenotype to manipulate the behavioral patterns exhibited by the ant. Zombie ants begin to have irregularly spaced full body convolutions which sends them to the forest floor. The insect climbs up the stem of a plant and uses its mandibles to secure itself to a leaf vein, with abnormal force, leaving dumbbell-shaped marks on it. +Once the mandibles of the ant are secured to the leaf vein, atrophy sets in destroying the sarcomere connections in the muscle fibers, and reduces the mitochondria and sarcoplasmic reticula. The ant is no longer able to control the muscles of the mandible and will remain affixed here. This lockjaw trait is popularly known as the death grip, and is essential in the fungus’s fitness. The fungus then kills the ant, and continues to grow as its hyphae invade more soft tissues and structurally fortify the ant’s exoskeleton. More mycelia then sprout out of the ant, and securely anchor it to the plant substrate while secreting antimicrobials to ward off competition. When the fungus is ready to reproduce, its fruiting bodies grow from the ant’s head and rupture, releasing the spores. This process takes 4 to 10 days.” +The discovery by David Hughes and colleagues is something of wonder and terror. The fungal growth is only thought to harm the insect population. However, with each new species of fungus the risk to humans seems paramount. The fungus is capable of adapting to various environments and victims. Should the fungi ever infect a human brain the results may be similar to the fantasied zombie apocalypse. +The cordyceps fungus is an ever evolving species that scientists are just beginning to understand. With thousands of zombie fungi in tropical forests across the globe yet to be discovered, the chances of a human infection are high according to some of the specialists in the field. +The fungus uses its host to spread the infection. The human body is capable of spreading such a virus in an uncanny manner. Instead of devouring flesh the will of the creature would be to infect other hosts. This is exactly what these zombie ants do to its own colony. Once an ant is infected, the fungus forces the bug to bit other ants and in doing so allows the infection to spread at a frightening rate. The same concept applied to humans is exactly what the zombie apocalypse entails. However, unlike zombies a brainless body would bloom into a forest of fungus and create pockets of spores to infect the next unlucky person to stroll close enough. The human tissue would feed the fungi for a wealth of time allowing the process to devour mankind in a short period. +However, ants are smart and if they sense infected member they will carry them away from the colony hoping to avoid the infection. Of course the fungus infecting humans is speculation at this point. But in my new book series Infected Freaks the outbreak is real and possibly alien. +Learn more about the cordyceps fungus on the Web: +http://www.jasonborrego.com/ +https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuKjBIBBAL8 +http://www.jasonborrego.com/cordyceps-fungus/ +https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dA02gyLwh0A&list=PL_qbtwt0bvuUlYqIpEqMyd_jCkK3VzelS +https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WHaFWgKSsU&list=PL_qbtwt0bvuUlYqIpEqMyd_jCkK3VzelS +http://www.wired.com/2013/09/absurd-creature-of-the-week-zombie-ant-fungus/ +http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/zombie-ant-fungus-parasite/ +http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/03/pictures/110303-zombie-ants-fungus-new-species-fungi-bugs-science-brazil +ABOUT THE AUTHOR +Jason Borrego is author based in Denver, Colorado. He is leading the charge against hard-hitting political issues such as who would win in a fight—a pirate or a ninja. Please let him know on Facebook or Twitter. +In addition, in these troubling times Jason aims to expose major cover ups such as dragons behind every major war, zombies boosting the coffee industry and the unicorns unionizing movement plaguing the nation. +How is a lowly author supposed to focus? As an exhausted war veteran, a college grad with endless debt, a parent without a clue, and future knight of the round table—most will find his writing chronicles his own journeys and struggles in life. That should scare you! +Are you still there? +Great, you must be crazy too! +Now we can share stories of fishing with Golem in Mordor. Please join me on Facebook, Twitter, and visit my Website for all things bold, even though I feel italic. +www.jasonborrego.com +www.jasonborrego.com/contests (FOR FREE STUFF) +www.facebook.com/jasonborrego123 +https://twitter.com/JasonBorrego123 +www.youtube.com/user/jasonborrego123 +OTHER BOOKS BY JASON BORREGO + +A Prisoner of the Wasteland: Antonio is a hero of war, a deeply felt soldier that questions the limits of sanity. A lifetime of gut wrenching pain has left him as a fractured shell of his former glory. His gut wrenching journey reminds us that we are all vulnerable. The conclusion offers no easy answers. +A College of Spirits and Warfare: Ray’s inspiring adventure begs for belief in the impossible. Discovering a whole new world hidden in plain view at an infamous college, requires admirable friends. He must discover to walk with friends in the dark, or die alone in the light. Ray shows us that the shoulder of a friend is sharp as any sword. +The Inner Workings of Decay: Jude’s is left to ponder what it is to be human. The stealth assassin never belonged, but the reason will shatter his every conviction. Jude must look past his flesh, and discover the true meaning of his existence. The only question that remains is will he still believe? +Untold Secrets of Redwood: Rose’s struggle is a heart stopping tale of tragedy that exposes the carnal nature of a divided family, in a supernatural world. It will appeal to fans of hard hitting heroines. +Stuffed Courage: This children’s fantasy is an epic adventure about enduring and overcoming bad dreams and nightmares. In addition to facing his fears, Alex will have to take on his nightmares, an annoying sister, and his clueless parents that only get in his way. This young boy and his teddy bear find their courage pushed to its ghostly limits in this brave adventure! +CONTESTS +Subscribe to Jason’s free newsletter via Email and win! You will be automatically entered to win promotional prizes and random contests you won’t hear about anywhere else. +Sign up now for the newsletter: +http://www.jasonborrego.com/contests/ +Increase your chances for prizes by following Jason on the following social media platforms: +https://www.facebook.com/jasonborrego123 +https://twitter.com/JasonBorrego123 +https://www.youtube.com/user/jasonborrego123 +http://www.pinterest.com/jasonborrego123/ diff --git a/generator/ctrl/training_utils/training.py b/generator/ctrl/training_utils/forest_training.py similarity index 99% rename from generator/ctrl/training_utils/training.py rename to generator/ctrl/training_utils/forest_training.py index 4b9c787..e439fdd 100644 --- a/generator/ctrl/training_utils/training.py +++ b/generator/ctrl/training_utils/forest_training.py @@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ def loss(labels, logits): # the optimizer is not used since this code only supports inference # however, to compile the model, we still define it optimizer = tf.contrib.estimator.clip_gradients_by_norm( - tf.train.AdagradOptimizer(learning_rate=1e-2), 0.25) + tf.train.AdagradOptimizer(learning_rate=3e-3), 0.25) # compile the model with the optimizer and loss model.compile(optimizer=optimizer, loss=loss) From cb912fdb9364d26a1271af8bce491369cacfc683 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: nickwalton Date: Wed, 30 Oct 2019 19:47:56 -0600 Subject: [PATCH 11/11] update --- generator/ctrl/training_utils/training.py | 166 ++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 166 insertions(+) create mode 100644 generator/ctrl/training_utils/training.py diff --git a/generator/ctrl/training_utils/training.py b/generator/ctrl/training_utils/training.py new file mode 100644 index 0000000..772f7ab --- /dev/null +++ b/generator/ctrl/training_utils/training.py @@ -0,0 +1,166 @@ +from __future__ import division +from __future__ import print_function +import sys + +sys.path.append('../') +import tensorflow as tf +import os +import numpy as np + +tf.enable_eager_execution() +import transformer +import argparse +import pdb +import re +from collections import Counter +from tensorflow.python import debug as tf_debug +from tensorflow.python.ops import math_ops +from tensorflow.python.ops import embedding_ops +import fastBPE +import platform + +use_py3 = platform.python_version()[0] == '3' + +parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description='TensorFlow code for generating from CTRL') +parser.add_argument('--model_dir', type=str, required=True, + help='location of model checkpoint') +parser.add_argument('--seed', type=int, default=1337, + help='random seed for TensorFlow, numpy and PythonHash') +parser.add_argument('--sequence_len', type=int, default=256, + help='sequence len of model being fine-tuned (must match also the TFRecords)') +parser.add_argument('--iterations', type=int, default=1000, + help='random seed for TensorFlow, numpy and PythonHash') + +args = parser.parse_args() +tf.random.set_random_seed(args.seed) +os.environ['PYTHONHASHSEED'] = str(args.seed) +np.random.seed(args.seed) + +# load the vocabulary from file +vocab = open('../vocab').read().decode(encoding='utf-8').split('\n') if not use_py3 else open('../vocab', + encoding='utf-8').read().split( + '\n') +vocab = list(map(lambda x: x.split(' ')[0], vocab)) + [''] + ['\n'] +print('{} unique words'.format(len(vocab))) + +# length of the vocabulary +vocab_size = len(vocab) + +# define the numericalization map +# idx2word maps the numericalized ID to the word +# word2idx maps the word to the numericalized ID +word2idx = {u: i for i, u in enumerate(vocab)} +idx2word = np.array(vocab) + +# sequence length to use for the transformer +# must match the model being fine-tuned +seq_length = args.sequence_len + + +def input_fn(params=None): + print('READING!', params) + dataset = tf.data.Dataset.list_files(tf.io.gfile.glob('./*.tfrecords'), shuffle=True) + + tf_data = tf.data.TFRecordDataset(dataset) + myfeatures = { + 'input': tf.io.FixedLenFeature([256], tf.int64), + 'output': tf.io.FixedLenFeature([256], tf.int64) + } + + def _parse_text_function(example_proto): + blah = tf.io.parse_single_example(example_proto, myfeatures) + return blah['input'], blah['output'] + + train_data = tf_data.map(_parse_text_function).batch(params['batch_size'], drop_remainder=True).repeat().shuffle( + 10000) # .prefetch(tf.contrib.data.AUTOTUNE) + + return train_data + + +# the dimension of the transformer +embedding_dim = 1280 + + +# Now, we begin defining the model +# we defer the transformer definition to transformer.py +# here, we only define the tied softmax layer +# this layer ties the softmax weights to the input embeddings +class TiedEmbeddingSoftmax(tf.keras.layers.Layer): + + def __init__(self, vocab_size=vocab_size, embedding_size=embedding_dim, **kwargs): + super(TiedEmbeddingSoftmax, self).__init__() + self.w = self.add_weight(name='w', shape=(vocab_size, embedding_size), + initializer='random_normal', + trainable=True) + self.b = self.add_weight(name='b', shape=(vocab_size,), + initializer='zeros', + trainable=True) + + def call(self, inputs, embed=True): + if embed: + dtype = tf.keras.backend.dtype(inputs) + if dtype != 'int32' and dtype != 'int64': + inputs = math_ops.cast(inputs, 'int32') + return embedding_ops.embedding_lookup(self.w, inputs) + else: + return tf.tensordot(inputs, tf.transpose(self.w), 1) + self.b + + +# input for the keras model +tokens = tf.keras.layers.Input(shape=(seq_length,), dtype='int32') + +# instantiates a tied softmax class +tied_embedding_softmax = TiedEmbeddingSoftmax() + +# embedded tokens, before passing it to the transformer +embedded = tied_embedding_softmax(tokens, embed=True) + +# the activations after passing it from the transformer +# for some odd reason, TPUs don't play well with specifying the arguments of the Encoder() function +# so you have to leave them at their defaults +transformed = transformer.Encoder()(embedded, training=False) + +# pass the activations from our tiedsoftmax class +# this time with embed=False denoting that we are doing the softmax operation +# and not a lookup +logits = tied_embedding_softmax(transformed, embed=False) + +# finally, define the Keras model with inputs as tokens and outputs as the logits we just computed +model = tf.keras.Model(inputs=tokens, outputs=logits) + + +# the loss function is a simple categorical crossentropy between the logits and the labels +def loss(labels, logits): + return tf.keras.losses.sparse_categorical_crossentropy(labels, logits, from_logits=True) + + +# the optimizer is not used since this code only supports inference +# however, to compile the model, we still define it +optimizer = tf.contrib.estimator.clip_gradients_by_norm( + tf.train.AdagradOptimizer(learning_rate=3e-3), 0.25) + +# compile the model with the optimizer and loss +model.compile(optimizer=optimizer, loss=loss) +print(model.summary()) + +# IMPORTANT +# this is where the saved model is presented to the code +# the model directory should have the model checkpoint and +# a checkpoint file +run_config = tf.contrib.tpu.RunConfig( + model_dir=args.model_dir) + +# this converts the Keras model to a TensorFlow estimator +# this step is critical +# remember to patch the TF 1.14 file before running the code, else you're going to see errors here + +run_config = tf.contrib.tpu.RunConfig( + model_dir=args.model_dir, + session_config=tf.ConfigProto(allow_soft_placement=True, log_device_placement=True), + tpu_config=tf.contrib.tpu.TPUConfig(iterations_per_loop=100, num_cores_per_replica=1, + input_partition_dims=[[1, 1], [1, 1]], per_host_input_for_training=3)) +tf.logging.set_verbosity(tf.logging.INFO) + +estimator_model = tf.keras.estimator.model_to_estimator(keras_model=model, config=run_config) + +estimator_model.train(input_fn=input_fn, steps=args.iterations) \ No newline at end of file