Author: Erica Stevens
Date: 2014-05-05 04:00:00+00:00
Keywords: Anthologies; Post Apocalyptic
Description: APOCALYPSE – UNDERWATER CITY by Chrissy Peebles ***This is a 15,000 word novella*** This series does have dark moments and is intended for mature audiences only. I’m a survivor, living in a post-apocalyptic world. I live deep in the ocean and that's how we all survived the world's greatest catastrophe known to man. I’d often dreamt of a normal life, but sadly, that wasn’t what fate had in store for me. RAVENOUS by Erica Stevens The world didn't end with a bang, it didn't go out in a ball of fire and fury, nor did it end in ice. But in some strange way, ice was the end; or maybe it was the begi
Publisher: Dark Shadows Publishing

DARK WORLD

(5 post-apocalyptic stories)

Copyright © 2014 Erica Stevens, Kristen Middleton, and Chrissy Peebles

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without express written permission of the author. This eBook is licensed for your enjoyment only. It may not be re-sold or given away to other people.

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.

Table of Contents

DARK WORLD

Table of Contents

Introduction

APOCALYPSE – UNDERWATER CITY

Copyright © 2012 by Chrissy Peebles

Episode 1

About the Author

Ravenous

Copyright 2012 Erica Stevens

Also From The Author

Dedication

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Where to Find the Author

About the Author

Zombie Games

Copyright ©2012 by Kristen Middleton

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Kristen Middleton Author Links and Books

The Zombie Chronicles

BLURB

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Crush Sample Chapter 1

The Survivor Chronicles: Book 1, The Upheaval

Copyright 2013 Erica Stevens

Also From the Author

Dedication

Acknowledgements

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Where to Find the Author

About the Author

Introduction

Some stories have been previously published. Some stories are novellas and some are full length. All your questions won’t be answered without purchasing the next book.

When fate and destiny collide, one must fight the darkness or be swallowed up.

What happens when you're fated to be the very thing that makes you shudder?

What if there was a fate worse than death? In this anthology, each hero or book heroine has a dark fate... a marked destiny. Will these inspirational characters survive the cards of fate they have been dealt?

5 thrilling stories in one volume

This is FIVE works of fiction from some of today's most exciting authors.

A star-studded anthology of thrilling, action-packed and totally swoon-worthy first books by your favorite women authors.

***Click directly on the title to be taken directly to the story in this anthology***

APOCALYPSE – UNDERWATER CITY
by Chrissy Peebles

***This is a 15,000 word novella***

This series does have dark moments and is intended for mature audiences only.

BOOK TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CF9UkY0qiSo

I’m a survivor, living in a post-apocalyptic world. I live deep in the ocean and that's how we all survived the world's greatest catastrophe known to man. I’d often dreamt of a normal life, but sadly, that wasn’t what fate had in store for me.

Where do I even begin? Let’s start from the beginning, shall we?

My name is Sky Hammons, and this is my story. It’s actually quite like my name, because it is a tale of hope, faith, and new beginnings—like a bright, blue summer sky. Or at least that was what I’d wished for, back when I was naïve and clueless enough to believe it. I really wish my journey could be summed up like that, and at first, it seemed like that might be the case. But then that bright sky darkened, and things fell apart. As if Chicken Little’s fears were coming true, my blue sky shattered. They say “The truth will set you free,” but I can’t say I believe that—at least not anymore. In my case, the bitter truth shook me to my very core. I never would have imagined that life could be so cruel or that people could be so deranged outside of an Alfred Hitchcock script or some awful horror movie, but I learned one thing: Never, ever believe what you’re told.

I’d been hand-fed lies since birth from my so-called government, and like a mindless drone, I’d happily believed every fraudulent word of the garbage they spewed. Maybe I just wanted that warm, fuzzy feeling; their lies comforted me and allowed me to sleep better at night. After all, who doesn’t want peace and hope and goodwill and all those other things splattered in snowy glitter all over the front of Christmas cards?

When I got a little older and started to take a good, close look at the world around me, I began to challenge the world I lived in. I began to realize it wasn’t all marshmallows and unicorns and Norman Rockwell paintings, and I started to ask questions. I’d always hoped for a bright future, but little did I know that absolute terror was lurking just around the corner. As I dug into the unknown, I was confronted by my worst nightmare.

My name is Sky, and this is my story.

***Click directly on the title to be taken directly to the story in this anthology***

RAVENOUS by Erica Stevens

The world didn’t end with a bang, it didn’t go out in a ball of fire and fury, nor did it end in ice. But in some strange way, ice was the end; or maybe it was the beginning of something more.

Bethany is stunned and horrified when she finds herself suddenly alone in a world that was alive only moments before. Terrified, she flees into the streets of her town, looking for answers, and desperate to reach her family. Panicked, she is nearly captured by the monsters hunting her until Cade steps in to rescue her. Dark and distant, most people in school are wary of Cade, yet oddly fascinated by him. They had once been close as children, but it has been years since Bethany has had any real contact with Cade. As their situation becomes even more perilous, Bethany struggles to come to terms with her past, her terrifying new reality, and her growing love for a boy that is powerful, mysterious, and perhaps even more frightening than the aliens hunting them. Aliens that want more than their lives, they also want their blood.

Book 1 The Ravening Series

Young Adult. This book contains some language, violence, and sexual situations. Recommended for ages fifteen and up.

***Click directly on the title to be taken directly to the story in this anthology***

ZOMBIE GAMES (ORIGINS) by Kristen Middleton

Seventeen-year-old Cassandra Wild thought that living in the chaos of her mother's home daycare and dealing with new feelings for Bryce, her martial arts instructor, was a struggle until her world turned upside down. When an untested vaccine kills more than just a rampant flu virus, Cassie learns how to survive in a world where the dead walk and the living... run!

This YA story is a lighthearted adventure filled with zombies, butt-kicking teenaged girls, a man obsessed with video games, an annoying but totally HOT karate instructor, and humor  when needed.

*This is a young adult fictional story that includes some language, violence, and adult situations. Recommended for mature teens or older.

***Click directly on the title to be taken directly to the story in this anthology***

THE ZOMBIE CHRONICLES by Chrissy Peebles

The Zombie Chronicles Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/ociUHiL1g70

*This is a young adult book series. Each chronicle will feature Dean's struggles as he tries to survive in this new world. And thus the name, The Zombie Chronicles. I hope you enjoy this series, and thank you for giving book one a chance.*

Warning: Mild violence. For mature teens or older.

Val was bitten by a zombie and now she’s scheduled for lethal injection. Breaking all the rules, eighteen year old, Dean Walters snags an experimental serum. But it can’t be tested until Val turns into a zombie: something authorities won’t allow. Her execution is scheduled to happen before transformation is complete, giving Dean only hours to break her out.

When their helicopter crashes straight into the heart of Zombie Land, his rescue mission becomes a fight for survival…and giving up on Val is NOT an option.

***Click directly on the title to be taken directly to the story in this anthology***

THE SURVIVOR CHRONICLES by Erica Stevens

***Note*** This book is the first compilation of an ongoing serial story, due to this fact it does not have a conclusion. A new chapter is released to the public for free every Monday on the Erica Stevens blog and Facebook page. The second book is available for purchase. The fourth book is currently in progress. This book is not a survivalist story. Though they are not in this book, the following books in this series do contain almost zombie like people.

The First tremors of the earth were felt at 7:22 EST. time. Every single person felt the rumbling, and experienced the tremors that would forever alter the course of history. Most did not survive. These are the accounts of some of those that did.

***Due to language and graphic content this book is recommended for readers 17 and older.

Edited by Kevin Mills
Edited by Leslie Mitchell at G2 Freelance Editing.

Cover art by www.EbookLaunch.com

This is the end of this introduction. Book 1 will start now. Thanks for joining and giving each series a chance.

APOCALYPSE – UNDERWATER CITY

Part 1 of The Hope Saga

by

Chrissy Peebles

Copyright © 2012 by Chrissy Peebles

Edited by: Autumn J. Conley

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.

Chrissy’s Blog: http://chrissypeebles.blogspot.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=vb.351121651567296&type=2#!/pages/Chrissy-Peebles/351121651567296

***Read a sample chapter of Crush (a vampire romance) at the very end of The Zombie Chronicles. It’s further down in this manuscript***

Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CF9UkY0qiSo

Episode 1

I’d often dreamt of a normal life, but sadly, that wasn’t what fate had in store for me.

Where do I even begin? Let’s start from the beginning, shall we?

My name is Sky Hammons, and this is my story. It’s actually quite like my name, because it is a tale of hope, faith, and new beginnings—like a bright, blue summer sky. Or at least that was what I’d wished for, back when I was naïve and clueless enough to believe it. I really wish my journey could be summed up like that, and at first, it seemed like that might be the case. But then that bright sky darkened, and things fell apart. As if Chicken Little’s fears were coming true, my blue sky shattered. They say “The truth will set you free,” but I can’t say I believe that—at least not anymore. In my case, the bitter truth shook me to my very core. I never would have imagined that life could be so cruel or that people could be so deranged outside of an Alfred Hitchcock script or some awful horror movie, but I learned one thing: Never, ever believe what you’re told.

I’d been hand-fed lies since birth from my so-called government, and like a mindless drone, I’d happily believed every fraudulent word of the garbage they spewed. Maybe I just wanted that warm, fuzzy feeling; their lies comforted me and allowed me to sleep better at night. After all, who doesn’t want peace and hope and goodwill and all those other things splattered in snowy glitter all over the front of Christmas cards?

When I got a little older and started to take a good, close look at the world around me, I began to challenge the world I lived in. I began to realize it wasn’t all marshmallows and unicorns and Norman Rockwell paintings, and I started to ask questions. I’d always hoped for a bright future, but little did I know that absolute terror was lurking just around the corner. As I dug into the unknown, I was confronted by my worst nightmare, but before I get too far ahead of myself, let me get back to the beginning.

I’m a survivor, living in a post-apocalyptic world. Sure, everyone thinks an apocalypse has to do with zombies or war or some sort of epidemic of biblical proportions. Nope. It wasn’t fantasy or make-believe or international disagreements over oil prices or gun control or something that scares Sunday school kids into saying their prayers every night. Much more frightening than all the doomsday scenarios we could imagine, it was a real-life natural disaster that eliminated humankind from the face of the Earth.

Years ago, a giant asteroid, twenty-five times more powerful than the biggest nuclear bomb, slammed into our planet, destroying the atmosphere and killing just about everyone. It was almost a mortal blow, but some survived. A giant asteroid? Really? Sure, it was the stuff of science fiction, a horror story people used to imagine back in the days when screaming hordes panicked over The War of the Worlds radio broadcast and fled their homes. But it wasn’t just a Hollywood imagining like Deep Impact or Armageddon. The simple fact is that asteroids are very real. They exist. They’ve been hitting the moon for centuries, and we all know about the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs sixty-five million years ago. Asteroids are not a myth, like zombies and Godzilla. Those big rocks are all too real, and when one collided with our planet, we all learned just how real they were.

Of course, our brilliant meteorologists and scientists and space gurus had spotted the asteroid; in fact, they spotted it a year before impact, so we all knew it was out there, floating in our direction, like a big iceberg threatening to take down a luxury cruise. What we didn’t know was just how wrong those leading scientists were about its path of destruction. All of them swore it would miss Earth completely—all of them except my grandparents, whose much wiser calculations gave them a year to prepare. My mother wouldn’t be alive if it weren’t for them, but thanks to their genius and initiative in creating a glass habitat at the bottom of the ocean, she was saved, thus giving me a chance at life. They named our underwater fortress Asha, which means “miracle,” and that was exactly what it was. It was comprised of 100 biodomes in which people could live, work, and farm, all surrounding a large, central biome. The subaquatic community could survive anything and everything, from a hurricane to a nuclear war, and everyone hoped it would be a safe place to stay until the asteroid disaster was over.

Unfortunately, most of society treated my grandpa like Noah; no one would heed his warnings about the impending disaster, and most dismissed him as some sort of nut. While everyone laughed, my grandparents went straight into action, and they secured donations from several wealthy benefactors to support their efforts. They created and constructed a glass city on the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, covering an area of 700 acres, complete with technologically advanced controls to handle environmental concerns like air supply and humidity. They even employed very capable city operators to monitor life support systems, air composition, temperature, and humidity in the central control dome.

The truth will set you free? Maybe, but in our case, the truth had only submerged us under the sea. I was just glad that my grandparents knew it, or I wouldn’t even be here to tell you about it.

Year 2015, near Miami, Florida

Beyond two high pillars stretched the Command Center, bustling with personnel and equipped with a full array of blinking panels, consoles, maps, and charts. In the middle, a contingent of people watched a giant monitor, as big as a billboard. The images changed continuously, showing various sides of the asteroid that loomed above Earth.

My grandfather looked at the huge monitor in horror. “It’s happening,” he whispered, “just like we predicted.”

“Harley,” a scientist said, “the asteroid’s a mile wide, and it’s coming in at 30,000 MPH. There’s no way around it. We’re looking at a global catastrophe.”

My grandfather studied the readings carefully. “I’m afraid you’re right about that. From the looks of these readings, the collision is gonna have an impact ten million times greater than the bomb that hit Hiroshima. We need to put out the evacuation warning immediately. Is everyone in place?”

“Just waitin’ for your signal, Chief,” said a brunette woman.

“Good,” my grandfather nodded. “Sound the alarm, folks…and this isn’t a drill. This is the real deal.”

“I’m on it,” she said.

“It’s gonna hit New York City,” another said. “The force of impact will flatten everything from Washington DC to Boston.”

“Then what are we waiting for?” my grandmother said. “Let’s get to Asha.”

A scientist’s jaw dropped as he peeked over the thick rim of his glasses at the huge boulder that was about to smash into our world. “This is the story of Noah all over again. Nobody believed us. They just…everyone laughed and ridiculed us, and the press called us idiots and fanatics. But we…they…we were right all along. Oh my gosh,” he stuttered, nearly paralyzed with disbelief and fear. “We were right, and they’re all going to die.”

“Of course we were right. I never doubted my calculations for a minute,” my grandfather said. “If only they would have listened to me.”

“We’re going to die right along with them if we don’t go now!” my grandmother shouted.

Another scientist slowly stood. “This is even bigger than we anticipated. It doesn’t look like the ocean will be hit directly, but surely there will be unprecedented tidal waves to contend with.”

“You mean…like a tsunami?” one asked.

“Yeah! What if the glass city doesn’t hold up?” another frantically questioned.

“Then we’re all doomed, and it’ll be the end for all mankind.”

My grandmother squeezed my grandfather’s hand as she stared at the huge piece of space debris that was about to literally rock our world. “May God help us all.”

Those who’d chosen to believe the truth rushed to Asha and quickly got settled in, just as they’d practiced seemingly hundreds of times. The inevitable crash occurred just moments later, heating the atmosphere to temperatures that quickly ignited raging forest fires, cooking and incinerating anything and everything on the surface. Intense blasts of wind and gas swirled. So much dust, rock, and debris had been thrown up into the air that the sun was almost invisible, and in the darkness and confusion, most living things on Earth died. Years later, even when I was born, the survivors still couldn’t return to the surface. The global climate had been dramatically affected, and we all feared the worst—that our feet or our lungs would melt if we even touched that boiling surface or dared a breath of that toxic air.

Year 2035

The strongest and bravest eventually returned to the surface and worked hard to rebuild, to create a survivable environment for the rest of us. We named our new surface city Vita, which means “life” in Latin. I couldn’t wait to leave Asha and see our new, glorious metropolis. The air had finally become breathable, and the land was slowly healing. We all knew we had a lot of rebuilding to do, but everyone was up to the challenge. It was decided that we’d come up a few at a time, and our chosen president, Dante Marcellus, created a list of the order that the adults would surface. Those of us who were younger would leave Asha on our eighteenth birthdays; on the first of each month, they took anyone who had a birthday the following month, along with any adults who were on the list. I was so excited about my turn. I had longed to see the surface of Earth, to feel sunshine, and to breathe fresh air since I’d spent my whole short life underwater.

How warm will the sun be on my face? I wondered. Can the sky really be as blue as the pictures I’ve seen? Are the clouds really that fluffy? I wanted to inhale the salty scent of the ocean. I tried to picture in my mind what it was really like. Sometimes I dreamt about it, everything swirling and foaming in whites and blues much brighter than they were looking at it from the bottom. A new beginning would start for me the second I took my first real breath outside our glass city, and I was sure it was going to be glorious.

Some people said we were born in a post-apocalyptic nightmare, but I had always tried to look at things in a more positive light. I was alive, and I cherished every breath I took, even if those breaths came from machine-simulated air. I was basically an orphan, since my mom had died when I was three, when my dad was called to the surface. Since then, my aunt had raised me; she had opted to stay below to take care of her four children, my cousins.

I was looking forward to a fresh start. In spite of all the doomsday talk, it wasn’t the end of our world. We’d survived, and we could try again, and I was certain we could get back on our feet with a lot of hard work and determination. I’d chosen to believe there was a wonderful future awaiting us, and I had to hold on to that hope. At the very least, we’d go down in the history books as survivors who colonized the sea.

***

Rachel brushed her brown hair out of her dark eyes. “I can’t believe you beat me again,” she said, staring angrily at the striped balls that still lay on the table.

“You know nobody down here can beat me,” I said, grinning.

She smiled, then tugged on my long, blonde French braid. “You’re a hustler. That’s what you are.”

“Hey! I won fair and square.”

“Nah. I only let you win because it’s your sixteenth birthday.”

I smiled. “In that case, I get all the loot.”

“Fat chance, but I’ll tell ya what. I’m not a sore loser. Let’s play again. Winner gets the necklace, earrings, and bracelet.”

“Game on,” I said.

“Great!”

My gaze narrowed. “Oh, hey, I forgot to ask you. Did you leave me flowers for my birthday?”

She cocked a brow. “Um, no. You know I can’t grow anything. I bet it was Brett! How romantic. Any idea where I can find a boyfriend like that?”

I smiled. “I’ve tried to set you up countless times with nice guys.”

“I know. But there’s never that spark.” She sighed. “I guess I better make that spark, because we’re all that’s left of humanity.” She bit her lip hard. “Okay, my love life is depressing me. Tell me more about those flowers and let’s try to figure out this little mystery.”

“Somebody left me a pot of white, pink, scarlet, and yellow begonias right outside our quarters.”

“No note?”

“It just said Happy Birthday, Sky. It can’t be Brett. I never saw Brett watering any plants. And I know him too well. He’d never take the time to grow flowers. He’s a great guy, but growing stuff. Definitely not his forte. Somebody put a lot of work into growing them. And I’ve already asked my family and everyone else I know. The flowers are a complete mystery.”

“Maybe somebody’s crushing on you.”

“On me? No way.”

She grinned widely. “Girlfriend, you’ve got a secret admirer.”

“But why the secrets? I’d love to know who it is.”

“Maybe he’s threatened by Brett.”

“Or maybe it was just somebody being sweet.”

“So what’s Brett up today anyway?” she asked. “Shouldn’t he be spending the day with you on your birthday?”

“He’s milking cows and has a million chores to do. He won’t get out of work until later.”

“I’m surprised you’re not working in the greenhouse.”

My green house was a magical place that came alive when my flowers bloomed. I was so good at it that I was even put in charge when Rita started to neglect the place and didn’t produce enough food. I surprised everyone and pumped out food faster than anyone thought was possible. Everything was a big, disorganized mess so I instituted a new system and labeled everything with a permanent marker on plant stakes and paper labels. I even added hanging plants to save space. The better a greenhouse is ran, maintained, and cared for, the more food and flowers it will offer.

As I pruned plants, transplanted seedlings and cultivated flowers, I enjoyed the time alone. It gave me time to grieve and think about my mother. I still wasn’t over my mother’s death. It also gave me time to think about my family, personal reflection, and my life. Part of me liked being alone. And besides, I always butted heads with everyone anyway. Maybe I was meant to be a loner.

There’s nothing like getting down with the dirt to melt away all your problems. It was a cleansing and therapeutic way to work through my grief. And it was also my way of getting in touch with nature, since I wasn’t allowed to go to the surface.

“I took the day off for my birthday,” I said. “Who wants to work on their birthday? Not me.”

“Well, you deserve it because you work so darn hard. I’m so glad I’m off today. My mom works me to death in that kitchen. I’d rather play all day in the dirt like you. I’d love to get my hands dirty instead of waterlogged from dishes.”

I smiled. “Oh, hey. I’ll have big, juicy strawberries ready this week.”

Her black eyes lit up. “I can’t wait!”

“Brett’s dying for some too.”

“Well, yeah. You grow the sweetest strawberries around.”

I chuckled. “I’m the only one.”

She laughed. “So when is the lettuce coming? I want to eat a nice, healthy salad.”

“I’ll have more lettuce in two weeks.”

“Awesome.”

My best friend grabbed the triangle and racked the balls up, making sure to put the eight-ball in the middle. “I’ll break,” she said, positioning her cue and squinting to take aim. “And I want solids this time.”

I grinned. “Have at it. But this gardener is going to kick your butt again.”

She was holding the stick at an angle, ready to fire away, when a humming sound caught our attention. “The chute,” she said.

“That’s weird. As far as I know, nobody is scheduled to arrive.”

I shot my gaze across the room at the glass tubes that transported people to and from the surface and vice versa. The glass lid slowly opened, and three friendly city workers stepped out.

“Hi Walter, Melvin, and Chad,” I said.

They were three brothers we had gotten to know quite well since they were always down here fixing any problems the place had.

“Hi, girls,” Walter replied.

“Hello, fellas,” Rachel said flirtatiously. “We weren’t, uh…expecting anybody, but do you care for a friendly game of billiards on this lovely April day?” she asked, rubbing her thumb on her pool cue.

Walter frowned. “Not much of a pool player, I’m afraid.”

I smiled. “I can teach you everything you need to know in ten minutes.”

His face lit up as he met my gaze. “I-I’d love to, Sky, but we’re down here on important business.”

“Really? I hope it’s nothing serious.”

“We just need some oxygen readings. Stupid machine’s glitching again, and I’m gonna have to reset everything,” Melvin complained. “It’s gonna take a couple of hours minimum.”

Walter stared at me, then grinned. “You know, Sky, you’ve got the prettiest eyes. I swear, they look different every time I see them.”

“Thanks,” I said. “I guess they do change color sometimes.”

“You know what they say about people with hazel eyes?” Rachel chimed in.

“No. Why don’t you enlighten us?” I said.

“They’re unpredictable and fun-loving.”

I laughed. Unpredictable. I was definitely that.

“Okay, then,” Rachel said. “We’re going to get back to our game now. But you two have fun.”

“You too,” Chad said.

“You’re more than welcome to play when you’re done,” she said.

“We’ll keep it in mind,” Walter said, winking at me.

After they walked down the corridor, something fell from Walter’s pocket. It was the key card for the glass chutes. I picked it up and my mouth opened to call his name when an idea suddenly struck me. They’d be gone for hours. They’d said so themselves. Maybe we could sneak a peek at the surface. I couldn’t believe I had the key card to activate the chutes. It was like destiny was paving the path for me to go see what was up there. It was beckoning me.

We went back to our game while I pondered the idea. Would I return the key card or would I make the most of what fate delivered in my hands?

Rachel looked at me. “I heard Chad has a crush on Carla.”

“He’s too nice to have a crush on such a wench,” I said.

Carla was my arch enemy, my nemesis down here. She was tall, pretty, and tough. We fought all the time over something stupid that happened when we were fourteen. I thought it was petty. Fighting over a guy is lame. But if Carla could ruin my day, she sure would in a heartbeat.

“Did you see the way Walter looked at you?” Rachel asked. “He’s got a huge crush on you. Maybe you should go for it, Sky.”

“What!? He’s way too old. I’m only sixteen, and he’s gotta be in his twenties. Besides, I already have a boyfriend, remember?”

She playfully nudged me. “Just messin’ with you. I guess those brothers aren’t my type either, but you gotta admit they look pretty good in those uniforms, all big and buff.”

“You just love muscles, don’t ya?”

She shrugged, then made the break, scattering balls across the green velvet. “The more, the dreamier,” she said.

We both laughed.

“Well, Melvin seems to be kinda into you.”

“Meh, it’s the boobs,” she said, glancing down at her ample chest. “I think I’ve got the biggest melons down here.”

“Melvin’s not that shallow, Rachel.”

“Right. He’s a man, isn’t he? All men are like that.”

I chuckled.

“They’re good guys though, like big, giant teddy bears,” she said. “I don’t know how many times they’ve gone out of their way for me.”

“Didn’t Melvin bring you back some fresh apples?”

“Yeah. He’s always doing stuff like that.”

“You shouldn’t accept too many gifts if you don’t wanna lead him on.”

“Pssh. He knows he’s in the friend zone.”

“They’re so lucky,” I said. “They get to see the surface, and we’re stuck down here for two more years.”

“I know, right? It’s so not fair.”

My gaze drifted to the glass capsules that shot up a clear tunnel straight to the surface. “What do you think is up there?”

“Sky, please tell me you’re not back on that ridiculous conspiracy theory again. You watch too many old movies.”

“I don’t know. Don’t you find it the least bit odd that they won’t let us go up there except for a few at a time? What’s that old song say? ‘Despite all my rage, I am still just a rat in a cage.’ I feel like that, and I’m sick of it.”

“So you’re quoting The Smashed Cantaloupes now?”

“Smashing Pumpkins,” I corrected, rolling my eyes at her lack of appreciation for the retro tunes my mother used to listen to.

“Whatever. I think you need to lay off the oldies and the Hollywood classics. They’re getting to you.” She playfully nudged me. “C’mon now. Do rats play pool?”

Rachel really was like a lab rat in many ways, or at least one of the three blind mice; she just accepted everything they told her. I, on the other hand, questioned everything, and since no one seemed to want to tell me the truth, I’d vowed to find the answers myself. I didn’t believe anything I was told, until I saw the evidence with my own eyes.

“They’re hiding something. I can feel it deep down. The few lucky ones who do leave are never allowed to come back down here or communicate with us. Anyone who does say anything about the surface seems to suddenly disappear or have an accident.” I bite my lip hard, pondering. “What ever happened to Marla? She disappeared into thin air.”

“She ran her mouth. Which is why you should shut up too. She spewed out this same crap.”

“Don’t we have the freedom to say what we feel? Why do we have to be afraid to speak our mind?”

“Sky, come on.”

“What do you think happened to her?” I asked.

“I think they took her. Maybe imprisoned her on the surface.”

“Or killed her,” I said, flatly.

“Do you really think there that cold?” she asked. “Sure they’re bossy and domineering but they care about restoring this planet. They’re passionate about it. And so was Marla. We’re all on the same team.”

“True. But if you defy them, watch out.”

“You’re paranoid. I think they just gave her some jail time to straighten her up.”

“How do I know what they’re telling me is the truth? I mean, I never saw the surface. Does it even exist? Is any of this real?”

“Gosh, Sky. Maybe we shouldn’t have watched The Matrix last night? It was just a movie, and that Canoe Reeds—d

“Keanu Reeves,” I corrected, rolling my eyes again.

“Whatever. You can’t seriously think this is all a dream and that our bodies are being stored somewhere? Next thing I know, you’ll be wearing a black trench coat and checking your neck for a microchip.”

“Don’t be silly. Of course I don’t think that, but I do think someone is up to no good. I don’t trust Dante Marcellus as far as I can throw him. You shouldn’t go around gobbling up everything they feed you, Rachel. All we know about the world is what we’ve been told. If they’d just let one of us up there to go see for ourselves, I might believe them, but they keep us isolated in this underwater tank like prisoners, making us totally dependent on them. We can’t even breathe without them, because they have to pump in the oxygen to the city. Like I said, we’re rats in a cage.”

“And, like I’ve told you a million times before, I think they’re just protecting us,” she said.

“From what?”

“I think the atmosphere up there isn’t as stable as what they’ve told us, and they don’t want us to panic.”

“I just wish I could see for myself, that’s all,” I said.

“They take good care of us. You said yourself that we couldn’t even breathe without them. And on top of oxygen, they give us food, water, and supplies.”

“But maybe you’re right, to some degree. Maybe they don’t want to dash our hopes and tell us—”

“That the sky is red and black and the air isn’t breathable?”

“That people’s toes are melting off when they set foot up there? That some sort of mutant cockroach/bigfoot hybrid survived and is eating people as soon as they step out of the tube?”

Her eyes grew wide. “Uh…maybe.”

“I don’t care what’s up there. I can’t live like this for the rest of my life. I refuse to.” My heart began to race as I thought of being encapsulated in that glass, undersea bubble for the rest of my existence. I gripped her arm. “I need to know, Rachel. I can’t live another minute not knowing the truth about what’s up there, if there’s really anything up there. I can’t take it. I just can’t.”

“Look, I didn’t mean to get you all worked up. This is supposed to be a great day, your sweet sixteen and all that. It’s supposed to be…unforgettable.”

“Hmm. You’re right,” I said. I peeked around the corridor and down the long hall, then walked back.

Rachel looked at me curiously. “You’ve got that sneaky smirk on your face again, that look that always seems to land us in trouble. What’s going on in that crazy head of yours?”

My face beamed. “Well…”

She arched an eyebrow, intrigued. “What, Sky?” she asked. “What are you thinking? Or do I even want to know?”

“You said it.”

“I said it?” she asked, clearly confused. “What are you talking about?”

I gripped her hands in pure excitement. “The sky, Rachel. I want to see it for my sixteenth birthday. Like you said, this is supposed to be a memorable, special day. So let’s make it one.”

“Hmm. Sky wants to see the sky,” she mocked. “How…poetic. This is just like you—act first and think later.”

I playfully nudged her. “You heard Melvin. They’ll be gone for hours. We can sneak up there, take a peek, and be back before they even know we’re gone.”

My thirst for spontaneity always got me in trouble, and I’d never found anything wrong with trying to make the most out of every moment. I was an adrenaline junkie, I guess, and I always wanted to immerse myself in situations that posed a great level of risk. This was definitely one of those moments. Nobody from our city had ever been allowed to go to the surface on a whim; only security, maintenance, and city officials knew what was up there, because none of the survivors who’d already gone had come back to talk about it. My curiosity was killing me. Is the air really breathable? The workers who returned  never wore gas masks or anything like that, so I assumed it was, but assumption had never been good enough for me. I had to find out for myself, and there was only one way to do that. I knew Rachel thought it was yet another ludicrous, flaky idea, but I thought it was absolutely brilliant. I only hoped I wouldn’t prove her right and get caught. Little did I know that this little act of rebellion would foreshadow what would lie ahead for me in the coming years.

“So how do you think you’re going to get up there?” Rachel asked.

“With this.” I held up the card I snatched from Walter.

“You’re so bad!”

“When he goes back and doesn’t have it, they’ll just change the cards or code.”

“They’ll definitely change it so that card is good for only right now.”

“I like right now.”

“You’ve got questions, Sky. We all do.”

“Listen,” I said, trying to reason with her, “how do we even know there’s really a sun and blue sky up there?”

“Because our parents told us, and it’s in all the science books.”

I raised a brow. “But have you actually seen it for yourself?”

“No.”

“Then how can you believe it?”

“Because…well, I, uh…”

“Exactly.”

“Books don’t lie.”

“Books are written by people, and people do lie. If you’re so convinced, though, let’s go put that theory to the test,” I said. “Let’s see if those textbooks are really just fairytales.”

Rachel swallowed hard. “I don’t think we should—”

“C’mon, Rachel. You know you’re just as curious as I am,” I said. “I mean, why should they get to have all the fun while we’re stuck down here?”

She smirked. “Yeah. I guess pool does get a little old.”

“I’m going. You can come with me if you want, and I hope you will, but I’m going up either way. I have to see it. I have to see it for myself, and this might be my only chance.”

“Okay.”

“If we’re gonna do it, we need to go now.”

“Wait. If we’re going to go through with this craziness, we might as well do it right.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re going to see the sky for the first time. Shouldn’t you take your ball and chain with you?”

“Not Brett.”

“Why not? This is gonna be a big moment. He’ll wanna be there.”

“You know why. He’ll try to stop me, like he always does. I love Brett. I do. But I’m not in the mood for a lecture. I say we make this a girls’ day out, no boys allowed.”

“Your boyfriend’s gonna be so mad at me.”

“Hey, he knew what he got himself into when he started dating me. I need to be who I am, and Brett knows that. He deals with it, or he takes a hike. I won’t change for anybody—not even him.”

“You’ve never hidden your…adventurous spirit, that’s for sure.”

“What can I say? I’m definitely not the girl next door. But I think Brett loves my colorful, take-no-bull attitude and my entertaining personality.”

She laughed. “Sometimes you can be a loose cannon, but you’re definitely entertaining.”

“You know you love my inherent charisma and charm. Besides, what would you do without me? You’d completely drown of boredom in this underwater city. You’re so lucky you’ve got me.”

She gave me a fist-bump. “True dat.”

I smiled. “So…are we gonna sit here all day psychoanalyzing me, or are we gonna do this thing?”

She hesitated, then said, “Let’s think about it for a minute. What if we’re caught?”

I clapped her shoulder. “No thinking, no analyzing, no talking yourself out of it. Let’s just do it. Be a little carefree and daring for once. I promise you won’t regret it.”

“Five minutes. We’re only gonna look around up there for five minutes, and I’m only doing it because it’s your birthday.”

“That’s the only reason? Are you sure about that?”

“Well, I guess maybe the curiosity is gnawing away at me a little too.”

“I thought so,” I said, wearing a victorious grin.

We walked across the room to the travel chutes were, and when I hit the red button, the glass door opened.

Rachel grabbed my arm. “Wait! This is just…crazy. I don’t think we should—”

I just winked at her. “See ya up there!” I said, ignoring her change of mind. I knew I was letting my let’s-do-it attitude take precedence over the rules, but I had no problem plunging right into things, getting my hands dirty. I’d always lived in the moment, and I had to have fun, be spontaneous, live on the edge. I acted on impulse, and I guess that made me a little unpredictable, but I’d always been that way, and everyone knew it. Maybe I was just trying to find my place in this world, but I was quite determined, and nothing was going to stop me.

“You’re going up there with or without me, aren’t you?”

“You bet,” I answered. I didn’t want to force Rachel into anything she didn’t want to do, because she wasn’t as bold and daring as I was, but I wouldn’t give up my chance. If worst came to worst, I would go myself and give my best friend a full report when I swooshed back down. “You really do get me, Rachel,” I said. “This is something I have to do for myself. If you don’t wanna go, just stay down here and play lookout.”

“How am I supposed to do that? By the time I see them coming, it’ll be too late. It’s not like I’ll be able to whistle for ya.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll be back in a blink, and I’ll fill you in on all the juicy details.”

She bit her bottom lip and looked into the tube. Then she sighed. “Goodness, Sky. I think you could talk anybody into anything. Let’s go.”

“No,” I said. “I don’t want to get you into any more trouble.”

“Hey, I’m my own person. I make my own decisions. This is something I wanna do. I’m tired of reading about what the sky looks like. I want to see it for myself.”

“Sounds like a plan,” I said, smiling at her.

She nodded. “We’ll be the first ones, but we can’t tell anybody.”

“Right. It’ll be our little secret.”

She got inside, and I hit the little blue button inside that shut the door. My gosh! I had such an inborn enthusiasm for taking these kinds of risks. I was always looking for the next big adventure or buzz. And it’s not like we had a ton of them in this city. It’s one reason why my soul longed for the surface. Taking a deep breath, I scanned the card and hit the red button that would jettison us to the top. The chutes automatically took anyone in any of the chutes up to the top once activated. It only took a few seconds to make the trip. When the door opened, I slowly got out and stepped cautiously onto a huge dock. A boat was securely fastened there, and I knew it belonged to the men who were busy working below.

The sun embraced me in its warmth, and salty air kissed my face. My heart thundered as Rachel gripped my arm, squealing with the exhilaration of stepping on that forbidden ground. I covered my eyes, then slowly peered through my fingers. The expanse of blue water stretched as far as I could see, and it was spectacular—even more glorious than anything I’d seen in textbooks or in my dreams. “It’s so bright,” I said, covering my eyes again.

I waited for my eyes to adjust, and when they did, my jaw dropped at the stunning backdrop before me. My heart continued to pound in excitement as I stared up at the blue, billowy heavens. The hue was so stunning that it was as if I’d never seen blue before, and fluffy, white clouds dotted the sky. All my attempts to capture it with words failed. All I could mutter was, “Well, no black and red sky.”

“And we’re breathing clean, fresh air,” Rachel added. “I’m so glad I was wrong!”

“Me too.”

She chuckled.

“Why would they keep this from us though?” I said. “Maybe they’re afraid everyone would rush to the surface, that they’d revolt, ignore the rules, break out, and riot for the chance to spend the rest of their lives under this blue sky.”

“Do you think people ever took this for granted before the asteroid struck?”

“I don’t see how they could have, but I know I won’t—not as long as I live.”

“Me neither.”

“It’s even more beautiful than what Mom described,” I whispered, “even more majestic than any book or movie I’ve ever seen.” I spun in a slow circle. I was seeing sunlight for the first time, and it was mesmerizing. The sky was an endless portrait, stretching for miles and miles, and that image would be forever imprinted deep in my soul. Standing beneath that azure expanse, I felt pure peace, bliss, and tranquility.

Next, I closed my eyes to give my ears and nose a chance to take it all in. As squawking seagulls circled overhead, I inhaled deeply. I could instantly taste salt from the fresh air coming off the ocean. At first, it shocked my senses. So much sea salt. It was actually quite overwhelming, but only at first.

I opened my eyes again. It’s the deepest blue I’ve ever seen, the most soothing color in the universe.

I welcomed the warm rays as they bathed my face, arms, and legs. It felt like pure Heaven. A warm breeze brushed across my face. The magical seascape sparkled across the ripples in the gentle sea. The waves flowed toward me, and I studied each and every one. What a wonderful gift from the universe.

I couldn’t remember ever having been so excited before about nature. Honestly, I’d never given it much thought. I’d been cooped up in that underwater city, with no idea about what I was really missing.

Rachel began to sob, squeezing my arm as she stared, awestruck, at the serene body of water. No description I could ever give could truly capture its mysterious majesty and breathtaking beauty. I don’t think either one of us expected it to be so emotional, but it was the most breathtaking thing we’d ever seen.

“It’s beautiful,” I said, absolutely hypnotized by its magic. “It’s everything I hoped…and more.” I stared at that big, great, fantastic world out there, all of it waiting for me. “We could leave, Rachel. We could swim to shore and be free. We’d never have to go back down there again, and—”

“If we leave before we’re officially dismissed, we’ll be cast out.”

“I don’t care,” I said. “They’ve got no right to keep us locked up down there. This place looks safe enough, and the air is fine. Why must they still confine us in that sunken tomb?”

“I hate when you get these crazy ideas in your head.”

“Fine. I’ll go back down, but only on one condition.”

“What?”

I smiled. “Take a swim with me.”

“You really are insane!”

“You know it.”

“There must be hundreds of sharks down there.”

“And who exactly told us that?”

“Them.”

I sat on the edge of the dock and dangled my foot precariously into the water.

“What’re doing?” she asked in shock.

“Testing the waters. And see? Nothing is biting my foot off.”

“Stop!”

I put my foot in deeper. “It’s perfect for a swim.”

“Is it freezing cold?”

“Why don’t you try it for yourself and find out?”

“Because I’m very attached to my foot.”

I smiled. “So am I. And nothing’s biting it off.”

“Yet!”

“Don’t you see? They don’t want us to swim away. They instill fear in us so we’ll listen and obey. I’m not one for obeying the rules, and I’m certainly not some mindless zombie under their command.”

“Yeah, we all know that!”

“You said you wanted to look at the sky. Don’t you want to see more of it than this? Don’t you want to know if they’re lying about the sharks?”

“And you want to test it by jumping in?”

“I know they’re lying to us. I wouldn’t risk my life or yours if I wasn’t sure.”

She bit her lip hard. “What makes you so sure though?”

“We live under the sea. If there were as many sharks as they say, we would see them through the glass all the time.”

“Yeah, but—”

“You can stay here and wait for me if you want, but I’m gonna put my theory to the test.”

“It’s official. You’re a lunatic.”

“I thought you loved my adventurous personality.”

“Not when it comes to being devoured by a bunch of man-eating fish.”

I grinned. “It’s my birthday, and I want to swim in the ocean. Help me make this the most memorable birthday ever.”

She smiled. “It very well could be.”

“You’re smiling, which means you know I’m right. They’ve been exaggerating about the sharks. Why? My guess is that it’s to keep us in line, to keep us from leaving the glass city. They’re trying to control everything we do. They have been, ever since Dante Marcellus and his minions took over.”

I had an uncanny ability to read people, to determine their motives by scrutinizing their body language, stance, and gestures. I often caught small, telling details that others missed, so I knew something was not right about our leader. I had to wonder what he was trying to hide.

“Be careful how you talk about our elected president,” Rachel said. “People who talk about him mysteriously disappear.”

“He wants to be in complete control, and I don’t trust him. I wonder how he’s treating the others who’ve made it to the surface.”

“Who knows? None of them have come back except the workers, and they don’t say anything.”

“And why not? Why aren’t they allowed to come back?” I asked.

“Uh…because he’s scared they’ll tell us how messed up everything is?” she said, more of a question than a statement.

“Right. So…are you ready to defy Dante Marcellus? Are you ready to call his bluff?”

“I think so.”

“Are you sure?” I asked.

“You’re giving me an out?” she said.

“Yep.”

She looked at me, then at the water. “Screw it! Let’s do this!”

My body tingled with anticipation, and before she could say another word, I grabbed her hand. “On the count of three!” She gasped, and I started the count down. “One…two…three!” I pulled her to the edge of the dock, and we both jumped in with a big splash. “It’s amazing!” I shouted, pushing the wet hair out of my eyes. “But maybe Mother Nature poured in a little too much salt.”

She laughed. “As long as my skin isn’t melting off and nothing’s eating my ankles, it’s fine with me. We’re alive,” she said, anxiously looking around.

“What are you looking for? Jaws? There are no sharks. I mean, they do exist, but the ocean isn’t just a pit of teeth, like they tried to tell us.”

“Why would they lie to us like that?”

“Let’s not worry about them right now. They suck the joy out of everything. Let’s just enjoy the water.”

And with that, I dived down about six feet and opened my eyes, taking in the beautiful bluish-green, glistening ripples around me. When I breached the surface again, we played around and splashed each other. We even did cannonballs for the very first time. When my fingers began to wrinkle like prunes, we laughed and got out. I sprawled out across the dock and let the sun dry me.

“What if they come up?” Rachel asked.

“At this point, I don’t care. The sun feels so good. Why can’t we do this all the time? What gives them the right to keep us from it? Last time I checked, the world doesn’t belong to them. It belongs to all of us, and it isn’t right for them to hog it for themselves.”

“When they leave, they’ll lock down everything, so we won’t be able to come back up.”

“No worries. I’ll find a way.”

“Look, this was fun, and we had a great time, but we really oughtta go. We shouldn’t press our luck. We’ve been up here a lot longer than the five minutes I agreed to, and Walter, Chad, and Melvin might come back at any minute. What will they do when they find us up here lounging around like we’re on some beach?”

“You’re right.”

She stood and reached down to give me a hand. “Really, this was great. Thanks for talking me into it.”

Just then, we heard the chutes dispatching.

Crap!

Rachel and I looked at each other in complete shock. If we hid, we’d be locked out for good; whenever they left for land, they locked the chutes. But if we got caught, we’d be punished severely. Dante Marcellus didn’t like me very much as it was, since he considered me to be somewhat of a rebel who enjoyed bucking his authority, and I didn’t want to give him more ammo to use against me.

“Hide!” I said.

“But how will we get back in?”

I didn’t even think about it. I just jumped into the water behind the dock, and Rachel reluctantly followed. I held on to the support beam as waves gently swished against me. A chill shot up my spine when the doors opened and they got out. I debated giving myself up, but my stubborn side wouldn’t let me. I wasn’t about to stand there and watch Dante wear a smug smile on his face while he punished me. All things considered, it was a whole lot better to be locked up than locked out.

“I love seeing them,” Chad said.

“Well, don’t get too attached,” Melvin said.

“I feel bad for them.”

“Just remember what Dante said. We’ve been divided, but it’s for good reason. We’re just lucky he picked us to be on the winning team.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. Do you have the tools?”

“Got ‘em right here.”

“Good,” Melvin said. “Then let’s get this thing fixed and head to lunch. I’m starvin’.”

The door closed with a hiss, and the men disappeared down the chute.

I let out a long breath, then climbed back on the dock. My shoulders shrugged in relief. “Man, that was close.”

“We’d better give ‘em a minute or two to get back to whatever they’re doing.”

I nodded, then turned to look at the gorgeous sky one last time. I was still utterly captivated by its breathtaking beauty, and I couldn’t believe it had been hidden from me for my entire sixteen years of life. The more I thought about it, the angrier I got.

After a few minutes, we climbed back into the capsules and returned to the city.

As the glass lid opened, I held my breath and clutched my heart, hoping we wouldn’t get busted. “All clear,” I said, looking around.

Rachel grabbed my hand, and we bolted all the way back to my room. We looked at each in stunned disbelief.

“This has been the best birthday ever!” I said.

“I know.”

“We just saw the sky, the ocean! Can you believe it? It’s up there. It’s all really up there,” I screamed in delight.

Her eyes widened in delight. “I know. I can’t believe it.”

Joy surged through me. “It’s gonna be so hard not to tell anybody.”

“We have to keep it a secret.”

“I know. I feel like screaming it from the rooftops, but don’t worry. My lips are sealed.”

Her gaze narrowed. “Sky…”

“I have to tell Brett. We can’t possibly keep a secret like this from him.”

“I guess it’d be all right to tell him. I know he can keep his mouth shut, but nobody else.”

“I swear. Mum’s the word.”

“You’ve kept all my secrets, so I trust you.”

“I promise,” I said, nodding. “Hey, what do you think they were talking about? The one man said it was great to see old friends, which I can understand, but the other told him not to get too attached.”

“Yeah, I found that odd too—and a little scary.”

“The one even said he feels bad for them. What the heck do you think that means? And what was all that business about being divided and Dante picking them for the winning team?”

“Hmm. Maybe it just means they have to be up on the surface working all the time, and maybe he just felt bad because we’re all stuck down here.”

“But what’s the winning team?”

She laughed. “The chosen pioneers who first went out and colonized the land. We’ll join the team when we turn eighteen.”

“I’m not so sure about that. It sounds pretty scandalous to me. He actually said we’ve been divided.”

“There you go again.”

“What?”

“Analyzing something to death. You know you’re putting way too much thought into this, right? Look, the people they took up first have experience, are trained in a skill or profession. That’s why they chose the doctors, nurses, teachers, hunters, and so on. It’s how a society is built.”

“That’s not the point. I hate that they insist on controlling everything.”

“Yeah, that part sucks, but I guess they think it’s for everybody’s good. Besides, what can we do about it? We’re just teenagers.”

“We revolt, that’s what!”

“Ha-ha. Very funny. What are you, Joan of Arc or something?”

“I’m not kidding. Maybe I was born to rebel.”

“Well, you’d better keep that in check,” she joked.

“I’ve got just enough rebel in me, and I’m one of the good guys. I want to fight for positive changes. I think we should get everyone together and have a big meeting, get everyone to sign a petition. I mean, we still have rights, don’t we?”

“Yeah, but…well, I think Dante’s just passionate about the new start up there. He’s planned everything so carefully, thought about every single aspect. He wants this place to work.”

I still didn’t trust Dante. He hadn’t even taken the time to explain everything. I didn’t want to accept his rules, even if everyone else conformed and followed him like sheep, never questioning anything he said or did. No one had informed us about the surface, and we weren’t prepared, yet no one seemed to be asking the questions I was. Why? Don’t they care? Are they too scared to ask, to demand some answers about our future? Why can’t we talk to those who have gone up before us? As the questions spun around my mind, I grew angrier and angrier. I was tired of being deceived by our leaders, tired of feeling like stupid livestock being herded to and fro on their whim. “So we just obey him and say nothing, ask nothing?” I asked. “Like good little sheep?”

“Shh! You know as well as I do that people who say things like that end up…missing. Please stop talking that way. I can’t bear to lose you in some mysterious disappearance.”

“Do you hear yourself? We shouldn’t have to keep our mouths shut. This is supposed to be a free society, and we should be able to voice our thoughts and opinions, to ask questions. If Dante insists on abducting everyone who dares to buck the system, what kind of leader is he? A tyrant, that’s what he is. We should start a revolution. Without followers, Dante wouldn’t achieve anything.”

“Please stop. He has way too many minions, and—”

Seeing how upset my friend was getting, I decided to tone it down a bit. “Don’t worry,” I interrupted. “I won’t say anything. I’ll keep my mouth shut, and I’ll only complain to you and Brett. At least Dante doesn’t have the place bugged like in all those spy movies we watch.”

“True.”

“Still, I can’t but help wonder what he’s up to.”

“We all know Dante is a control freak. Everything has to be done his way. I don’t think it’s as sinister as you think. It’s just…his personality.”

“When we do finally go up there, do you really want to live under his rule? It’s a big world, and he can’t control all of it. Some of us can just take off, get as far away as we possibly can. We’ll swim if we have to.”

“I-I don’t know. Wouldn’t it be better to stay with the group?”

“There’s nothing more I want to do than help build a new world, but I won’t live under a tyrant to do it. If that’s our only choice, I’d rather run away.”

“The rules might not be so bad,” she said. “It’s all part of being…civilized.”

“Civilized? Is it civilized to keep people locked in a bubble underwater until he feels like releasing us? If that’s being civilized, I want nothing to do with it,” I snapped. “I’m tired of being treated like a prisoner when I did nothing wrong.”

“But we’re not prisoners. When we’re eighteen, we’ll go up—legally. In the meantime, Dante’s workers are busy building a world for us up there.”

I sighed. “See? It’s all about power and control, and you’re under his thumb just like everyone else is. We should be allowed to go up to the surface whenever we want.”

“It’s only two more years.”

“After seeing the sun, sky, and ocean, do you really want to wait that long?” I asked.

“No, but what choice do we really have?”

“I’m a misfit down here,” I said. “I’m the only one who complains. We only live once, right?”

“Yeah, I get the whole YOLO thing, but—”

She was trying to be hip by using the word, YOLO. It was an acronym for "you only live once". It was kind of like carpe diem or memento mori. It implied that one should enjoy life, even if that meant taking risks. Made me think of the 2011 song "The Motto" by Canadian rapper Drake.

“So why would you wanna spend the rest of your teenage years down here in this waterlogged, boring glass aquarium?” I asked.

“You know what they say. ‘Great leaders boldly drive forward, clearing a path for those who follow.’”

“Great leaders, huh? So you think Dante is actually clearing a path for us?”

“Yes. Just think how fantastic it’ll be when we get up there.”

“You’re such a dreamer,” I said. “You always believe the best about everyone.” I’d always thought my friend was too trusting, and it infuriated me that she just accepted whatever she was told, without question. We had a lot in common, and we were best friends, but in that way, we were very, very different.

She threw a pillow at me. “Enough with all this serious talk. I’m starvin’. Let’s go get lunch.”

I laughed.

Rachel looked at me oddly.

“What?” I asked.

“Your face is pink.”

When I looked at hers, I noticed she had the same problem. “You do too.”

“Did we catch some terrible rash up there?”

“Maybe the air’s not safe after all,” I joked.

“That’s not funny!” she snapped. “How can you stay so calm? Who knows what germs we brought back down here.”

I smirked, trying not to break into laughter. “It’s a sunburn.”

“What?”

“Our skin is pale. We got a sun burn from the sun, that’s all.”

“My first sun burn?”

“Yeah. I know the perfect trick. Make up, lots of it!”

We went back and put on lots of cover up to conceal our sunburn. It worked like a charm. We didn’t have tons of make up so we used it very sparingly on special occasions, or for emergencies like this one.

On the way to the cafeteria, I ran into my twelve year old cousin.

“These are for you,” she said handing me a pot with a Christmas cactus. The red and pink drooping flowers were gorgeous. “Happy Birthday!”

“I love it!” I said, my face lighting up. “When did you plant this for me?”

“They’re not from me, silly. They were sitting in the lounge with your name on them.”

I cocked a brow. “Who are they from?”

“I don’t know. The card just has your name. Who keeps leaving you all these flowers? We don’t have any more room for them. Because there’s more that came.”

“More?”

“Yep. I don’t think Brett’s going to like that much.”

I bit my lip. “Yeah, I’m gonna have to agree with you on that one.”

***

After lunch, Walter called me over. He delivered supplies from the surface and did lots of repair jobs for our city. He lived on the surface already and only submerged about once a month, and whenever he did, he made it a point to chitchat with me. Walter was a nice, sweet guy, and both Rachel and I could clearly see that he had a crush on me. His cheeks always turned red when he talked to me, and he stuttered and wrung his hands. I thought of him as nothing more than a friend, but it was cute and a bit flattering that he liked me that way. He was big and buff, like a wrestler, and he had black, curly hair and dark eyes. “Hi, Sky,” he said.

“Hello, Walter,” I answered. “You’re still here, huh?”

“Yeah. Took all day to fix that stupid thing.” He handed me a wrapped present in blue, floral wrapping paper. “Here. This is for you.”

I smiled at the sweet gesture, but I felt awkward accepting a gift from him; I didn’t want to lead him on.

“Happy birthday,” he said. “I hope you like it.”

I smiled and slowly unwrapped the present. My jaw dropped at the pair of small diamond stud earrings. “Wow, Walter,” I said, glancing up at him. “This is very sweet of you, but—”

“I was hoping to make…a glittering statement,” he said. “Do you like it?”

“It’s very beautiful, but I…” I trailed off and looked down at the jewelry. It was too much. I hardly knew the guy, and Brett would have a fit if he found out that another man was giving me presents like that. Walter knew I was dating Brett, but he didn’t seem to take that too seriously. Awkward. Just a little while ago, I’d given Rachel a firm warning about not accepting apples from Melvin, and now Walter was giving me diamonds. I didn’t want him to have any expectations when I arrived on the surface; even if I would be a legal adult by then, I didn’t want to date him and certainly had no intention of marrying him. He had previously mentioned finding his special woman and settling down, and I sure hoped he wasn’t talking about me.

I smiled and tried to be polite. “Thank you, Walter. Really. It’s just lovely, but I’m afraid…well, I can’t accept it.”

He frowned. “It’s just a token of my friendship. Nothing more. I won them in a raffle held by Dante. What am I going to do with them? They don’t look good on me.”

I chuckled.

“It sure is pretty, Walter, but like I said, I just can’t accept it.”

“Shoot. I knew it was too much. I shoulda stuck with something simpler.”

“Save these diamond studs for that special somebody.”

“I know the perfect girl. She smiles at me a lot. I’ll be sure to save it for her,” he said, trying not to sound too embarrassed, but his cheeks had turned even darker red, and his eyes looked sad—like a punished puppy’s.

“She won’t be disappointed.”

“But now I don’t have anything to give you for your birthday.”

“I know the perfect present.”

“Yeah? What?”

“Info,” I said, smiling slyly. I figured if Walter liked me enough to buy me an expensive and rare gift like that (it wasn’t like there were still jewelry stores on every corner in the new upper world), maybe he’d be willing to flap his lips, even if he wasn’t supposed to.

“Info?”

“Yeah. Tell me what it’s like up there, Walter.”

“What do you want to know?”

“Is the sky really blue?” I asked, wondering if he’d lie to me like all the other talking heads on Dante’s payroll.

“It is. In fact, it’s the prettiest shade of blue I’ve ever seen. Today, it’s especially gorgeous, with white, fluffy clouds floating by. You couldn’t ask for a prettier day on your birthday.”

Whew! I thought, glad he was telling me the truth. I knew, because I’d seen it for myself. “It sounds lovely. What’s the city like?”

“Dante made sure to build Viti in the best part of Miami, the least-damaged area. We’re all working together to build a strong, beautiful community.”

“Do you see my dad, my brother, or my sister?”

“All the time.”

“How are they doing?”

“Wonderful.”

“Please tell them I said hello.”

“I will.” His gaze narrowed. “What’s wrong, Sky?”

“Walter, I just don’t see why I have to wait, why I can’t go up to the surface to be with my family. Why are some of us left behind down here? Miami’s a big city. Surely there’s enough room for all of us.”

“Look, you should enjoy your life down here while you can. It is beautiful up there, but it’s a lot of hard work.”

“I know, but I don’t care. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to help our community.”

“You’ll be up there in no time. Don’t rush it, Sky.”

***

After my talk with Walter ended, I ran into Brett. When I did, I lit up like a Christmas tree; my awesome boyfriend always had that effect on me. Brett had short, blond hair and brown eyes. He wasn’t muscular, but he was definitely fit and in shape, very athletic. I’d been smitten with him ever since he took my toy truck when I was five. We’d grown up together, and we’d been sweethearts since childhood. He was the perfect guy for me, and no one—not even Walter—could replace him.

I didn’t like keeping secrets from Brett, so I told him about the jewelry dilemma. He was pretty cool about it, surprisingly mature for his age, and I was thankful for that. We decided to walk to his room because he had a special birthday present of his own to give to me. As nice and thoughtful as Walter’s gift had been, Brett could have given me a paper airplane, and that would have meant a whole lot more to me than Walter’s diamonds.

When I overheard a couple talking, I listened intently.

“Dante Marcellus has envisioned a glorious future for everyone,” Jan said.

Her husband nodded. “He has a strategic plan to get us all out of here. We just have to wait our turn. It’ll only be a little longer.”

“Well, some things are worth waiting for. I’m sure he has good things in store for us.”

“I agree. We couldn’t ask for a more charming, adaptable, persuasive leader.”

“Remember that last speech he gave before he went to the surface? I felt the energy and adrenaline when he talked about the challenges we’d face.”

I rolled my eyes, tired of Dante’s fan club, and continued walking to Brett’s room. How can all these people so blindly accept everything that man tells them? I wanted to say something about it, but I was pretty sure Brett was tired of me standing on my soapbox, ranting and raving about it all the time.

Brett opened the door, and I walked in first and sat down on his bed.

“I’m afraid I can’t top diamonds and silver,” he said as he walked over to the dresser to pull something out of his drawer.

“I turned those down, remember?” I reminded him. “A gift from anyone else doesn’t mean anything to me.”

“Sky, I know there’s only one man in your life,” he said, absolutely aware that no other man could compete with him when it came to my affections.

I grinned. “You’re right…and you’re him, baby.”

He softly brushed his lips against mine in a soft kiss. “Happy birthday, Sky,” he said, handing me a card and a present.

The passionate kiss would have been enough, but I smiled and opened the box. When I saw what was inside it, I screamed in delight at the giant stone set in a stylish silver ring.

“It’s a mood ring,” he said. “It changes colors when your mood does. It reminds me of your eyes,” he explained.

“I love it, Brett! It’s just…perfect.” I jumped into his arms, and he lifted me up and kissed me.

“I know it’s not a diamond, but—”

I put my finger to his lips. “I’d rather have this any day. This is more…me, and it flatters me that you know that.”

He grinned, and I kissed him on the cheek and slid the ring on my finger.

***

I wasn’t a huge fan of school, but I did actually look forward to my survival class. They taught us lots of survival tips, including how to start fires and how to fight. I thought learning how to shoot would be quite important if we had to hunt, but Mrs. Selena thought otherwise, because she was entirely opposed to guns. She did teach us how to use crossbows though, in the huge room we used for sparring and for target practice. I had the best aim of anyone in class, and it was nice to actually have a talent besides gardening and shooting pool.

After class was over for the day, Rachel and I decided to stay and practice. We knew experience was the best teacher. Besides, we enjoyed sparring, and it was a friendly match. It wasn’t really dangerous, because we used wooden spears with padded tips. Sometimes, though, we’d sneak and use real spears, but we were always super careful.

“You ready for a two-hour battle?” Rachel asked.

“Bring it on.”

After a few minutes, Carla came in. “Hey, Sky,” she said.

I met her gaze straight on. “What do you want?”

Her sapphire blue eyes blazed as she pushed strands of black hair from her face. “Wanna take me on?”

“I’d be glad to,” Rachel said.

“Not you. I want the garden girl, the nerd with the green thumb.”

I smiled, refusing to be ashamed of my passion. “You mean garden girl extraordinaire,” I said, correcting her.

“We all know why you wanna fight Sky,” Rachel said, glaring at our uninvited guest.

Carla stared at me but didn’t say anything.

Both Rachel and I knew that she really just wanted revenge. She was still furious that her boyfriend had dumped her for me when we were fourteen. I only went on two dates with the guy, and it never amounted to anything. In fact, I started dating Brett shortly thereafter, but she still hadn’t gotten over it. As petty as it was, she continued to carry a grudge, and she was always trying to get back at me in one way or another—even in after-school sparring sessions.

Rachel rolled her eyes. “Are you ever gonna get over it? Gosh, Carla. It’s been years since your puppy-love crush dumped you…and I can’t say I blame him.”

“I just think Sky is pretty slimy, just like the worms that crawl in the dirt she plays in.”

“Them’s fightin’ words,” I said, grinning. “Care for a little hand-to-hand combat?”

“Why? You scared to fight with a spear?” she said in a mocking voice. “Did I mess you up too bad last time?”

The last time I’d fought her, she’d smashed my knuckles and bruised my shoulder. Carla towered over me and was all muscle. She worked out every day, and she really was a force to be reckoned with. Almost everyone feared her, but I didn’t—even if she did kick my butt in sparring. “Spears it is then,” I said. “Now mask up and bring it on.”

Rachel shot me a look. “Let’s just leave.”

“Why? I never turn down a good fight.”

Without another word, Carla came at me, but I used basic blocking maneuvers to defend myself. My footwork was spot on. I threw my whole body into every jab, because I knew if I just used my arms, I’d only tire myself out. I also was careful not to give in to the temptation to lean forward to get that extra range when thrusting; I knew that would just throw me off balance and put my face right within range of Carla’s spear.

I left an inch or two of pole sticking out behind my hand, in case Carla tried to pull it from my grip, a move she was infamous for. One advantage I had over her was that she was very predictable. I protected my whole body and pointed at her shoulder in a threatening manner. I thrust toward her, then returned to my sideways crouch, positioning my spear in perfect position. I kept my knees bent and kept my weight on the balls of my feet, just as we’d been taught to do.

She was tough, so I knew she’d win the first few onslaughts, but I also knew she’d tire easily. I, on the other hand, was smaller and more agile, and I had lots of endurance. My movements were quick and sharp as I blocked and then immediately attacked. I tried every little trick I knew to force her to move around more than I was, trying to wear her out. Then, when she was out of breath and her muscles were aching, I’d have my chance to strike.

Suddenly, she clumsily and foolishly leaned forward. She deserved to get a spear in her face, but instead, I grabbed her and pulled her off her feet. She counterattacked and came at me, but with lightning speed, I moved my spear parallel, into the path of the attacking spear.

“You suck!” she shouted.

“Why? Because I blocked you?”

“Sky will outthink you anytime!” Rachel shouted from the sidelines.

“Shut up! What are you, her cheerleader? Where are your freaking pom-poms?” Carla said.

I decided to rush her while her attention was diverted. She launched the spear with an underhand throw toward my head, a move that might have killed me if we weren’t just practicing. The spear caught me on the side of the head and drove the helmet into my face.

“Sky!” Rachel shouted.

I was thankful for good, full-face protection. The helmet was equipped with a heavy foam and made of leather, and the hard, plastic face mask had a rubberized surface. I pulled off the helmet and felt a warm trickle down my face, and I was furious that I’d let my guard down and reacted so poorly rather than thinking things out. Carla could use her freakishly large body to fight, but I always tried to rely on my brains. This time, that had failed me.

“You’re bleeding,” Rachel said, handing me a towel. “Did the spear get you?”

Upon closer inspection, I noticed that the damage had been done from the meshing driven into my cheek rather than from the tip of the spear itself. “I’m fine,” I said.

“Well, I think we’re done here,” Carla said, stripping off her helmet.

“I’m not!” I yelled at her. “Get back over here, and let’s finish this.”

She winked. “See you at dinner, loser.”

“No!” I said, wiping sweat off my head. “The fight’s not over.”

“A fight? Felt more like a dance in the park to me. You’re nothing but a garden nerd. What does Brett see in you anyway, with all that dirt beneath your fingernails? Besides, why do you wanna fight? Shouldn’t you be out weeding or hoeing or something?” she said, smirking at her own double-entendre.

“At least what I do is useful to everyone, and people on the surface will depend on it—including you. We can’t eat without planting…and from the looks of it, you eat more than most, you freaking Amazon.”

“You’ve got no skills, Sky. Just admit that to yourself.”

She then turned and walked away.

Angry, I started to charge at her, but Rachel pulled me back.

“Let me go!” I shouted.

“No. We’ll get her back later, when she’s least expecting it.”

“I can’t stand that girl!” I fumed, throwing down my spear.

“Don’t let her get to you.”

“How do I ignore it? She knows just what buttons to push and…ugh, I can’t stand her.”

“Yes, and she loves pushing your buttons. The best way to get under her skin is to just ignore her.”

I looked down at my mask. “She gave me another deep dent.”

“Yeah, just like the one between your eyes and on the cheek. Man, that mask is taking a beating.”

“Better that, than my face. Besides, battle scars on my mask just add…character, right?”

“Right. You look like a badass with that dented up mask.”

“A badass who knows how to grow pansies. Hmm. Who would have ever thought?”

We both burst out in laughter.

***

A month passed, and flowers seemed to show up when I least expected them. I always wondered why no one bothered to give them to me in person. Brett tried to be understanding, but he was obviously growing quite frustrated with it.

My five-year-old niece admired my long French braid. “How do you braid it so close to your head?” she asked.

“Lots of practice. If you can master the French braid, you can do any hairstyle—any kind of braid or twist.”

“Teach me!”

“Okay,” I said. “How about after my classes?”

She smiled. “Yay!”

I grinned back at her.

After I ate breakfast, I said goodbye to my cousins and my aunt, then headed out to the library to go to my class. As I stepped out of our suite and about tripped over a pot of geraniums. I bent down and picked up the note that was leaning against the pot. I read it aloud, in a mumble: “For Sky. From: Your Secret Admirer.” I looked for a signature or any telling sign of who might have left the flowers there, but there wasn’t a clue.

Rachel came up the hall. “Ready?”

I handed her the card. “Just what I need, more flowers.”

“Ah. Your secret admirer strikes again, huh?”

“Who do you think it is?” I asked.

“I have no idea, but are you gonna tell Brett?”

“I have to. We don’t hide anything from each other.”

“I’m not sure that’s a great idea. It’s just gonna cause a fight. Men don’t like competition.”

“Brett’s not insecure like that.”

Her gaze narrowed. “Maybe not, but it’s obvious that he’s getting ticked off at all these bouquets and plants from some mystery man.” She blew out a breath. “You know, you could send Mr. Mysterious my way. You already have a boyfriend. I don’t.”

We both chuckled.

When we turned the bend, we saw a girl sprawled out on the floor, as if she’d fainted.

“Oh my gosh!” I said and ran over to her. “Annie!” I said. “Are you okay?”

Her eyes were closed, like she was sleeping, and her complexion was bluish and dusky. There were visible black and blue marks on her neck, and she didn’t answer.

Gasping, I felt for a pulse and leaned down to see if she was breathing. I looked up at Rachel and shook my head as tears began to form in my eyes. “She’s…Annie’s gone,” I stuttered.

Rachel screamed and threw her hands over her mouth.

When Lisa and Beth approached and saw Annie’s body lying on the floor, they also gasped and began to weep.

“Annie? We have to help her!” Lisa said. “How can you just sit there and do nothing?”

When she tried to run over to Annie, I hurried to my feet and held her back. ”There’s nothing we can do,” I said softly. “She’s…dead.” I then turned to Beth. “Can you go get help?”

She nodded, wide-eyed, and ran off.

“What happened to h-her?” Lisa asked, sobbing as we all held each other in a consoling group hug. “Was she m-murdered, like Sid a few months ago? Who would do something this awful? Who!?”

“She has the same marks on her neck,” Rachel said, weeping. “I think she was strangled too.”

Sid had gone for a jog around the indoor track and had never returned. Her sister had gone out to look for her, only to find her strangled, lifeless body.

My heart thundered as I thought about the seriousness of our situation. Annie was only sixteen, like me, and while she wasn’t exactly a close friend, she was definitely a sweet girl. She pretty much kept to herself and loved working out in the mornings. We’d all written Sid’s murder off as some sort of horrible fluke, assuming someone had just snapped and killed her in a fit of rage. Everyone had assumed the killer was her boyfriend, driven to the dirty deed in a moment of passion, but he had adamantly denied it. Now, whoever the killer was, he or she was back to work.

“You know what this means?” I said.

“What?” Beth asked.

“We have a serial killer on our hands.”

She let out a long sob. I pulled her into another group hug with Rachel, and emotion flooded through the three of us as we tried to make sense of it. Two innocent girls had been brutally murdered, their lives snuffed out by some kind of sicko.

Lisa managed to find help, so workers from the surface were immediately dispatched and came to collect Annie.

Her mother cried and fell to her knees. “Please! Please don’t take my baby away,” she called out, her voice trembling.

“It’s protocol, ma’am,” one of the workers stated in a cold, robotic voice. “It is a health hazard, and the body has to be removed.”

“The body? That’s m-my little girl you’re talking about, mister! Don’t call her ‘the body’!” the mother screamed, and her cries made more tears well up in my eyes.

After they took Annie away, we tried to console and comfort her mother, but there was no use. School was canceled, giving us all time to grieve the loss.

As upset as we were, our government refused to do anything; it was as if they had more important matters to deal with. It made no sense to me that they had so little concern for the citizens of Asha. If we are such a burden to them, I wondered, then why don’t they just let us go to the surface and fend for ourselves? At least up there, we wouldn’t be trapped like freaking fish in a barrel for some maniac to take down one by one.

But instead, we were trapped in a bubble with a killer who was running amok, preying on young girls. No one from the surface seemed to care, and no formal investigation was launched. We had no contact with the topside world, and we continued to be held in that underwater cage like prisoners. Poor Annie’s mother couldn’t even give her a proper memorial, because they wouldn’t give her body back. When Annie’s mother made a stink about it and started to publically question their unethical behavior, she mysteriously disappeared a few days later. I didn’t trust our government at all, and I knew Dante and his goons were responsible for the disappearances of anyone who dared to speak his or her mind about the way we were being treated. They wanted to keep us in line and in check, under their control at all times. Something wasn’t right, and I swore I would get to the bottom of it, one way or another.

To be continued…

See cover on next page.

Rebel Princess is available now: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KR1RVIG

UK Rebel Princess is available now: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00KR1RVIG

***Read a sample chapter of Crush (a vampire romance) at the very end of The Zombie Chronicles. It’s further down in this manuscript***

About the Author

Want to learn more about Chrissy Peebles books? Here are some books, blurbs, and book trailers.

Facebook Fan Page: (I’d love to hear your comments and thoughts!)

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=vb.351121651567296&type=2#!/pages/Chrissy-Peebles/351121651567296

The Hope Saga BOOK TRAILER: http://youtu.be/CF9UkY0qiSo

Zombie Series

BOOK TRAILER: http://youtu.be/ociUHiL1g70

This is a young adult book series.
Warning: Mild violence. For mature teens or older.

Val was bitten by a zombie and now she’s scheduled for lethal injection. Breaking all the rules, eighteen year old, Dean Walters snags an experimental serum. But it can’t be tested until Val turns into a zombie: something authorities won’t allow. Her execution is scheduled to happen before transformation is complete, giving Dean only hours to break her out.

When their helicopter crashes straight into the heart of Zombie Land, his rescue mission becomes a fight for survival…and giving up on Val is NOT an option.

The Zombie Chronicles US Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008R53WBO

The Zombie Chronicles UK Link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008R53WBO?*Version*=1&*entries*=0

See the prequel to The Zombie Chronicles in Val.

Book Trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mp43Ml4hvE

Link to Val: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IXY5SI4

UK link to Val: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00IXY5SI4

Paranormal/Time Travel Romance Series

Eternal Vows link US link: http://amzn.com/B007HPDFBC

Eternal Vows link UK link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007HPD

BOOK TRAILER: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_w-eZwPJbA

Never marry a stranger...even if he is a drop-dead gorgeous immortal king.

Never pretend to be a princess.

And most importantly...never slip on an ancient wedding ring you know nothing about.

Sarah Larker returns to a cave where her sister disappeared ten years earlier. She walks through a portal and is mistaken for a runaway princess on the run by a dangerous immortal king in medieval times. Her plan is bold as well as daring—become this princess, wed the king, and slip on an ancient wedding ring that will unlock the portal back home. Then find her sister and run as fast as she can out of Dodge. But taking on the identity of Princess Gloria comes along with dangerous consequences; and slipping on the ruby ring comes with an even higher price.

Book 1 in The Trapped in the Hollow Earth Novelette Series

The Trapped in the Hollow Earth Novelette Series Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viwT0M8Ms_g&feature=youtu.be

Castaway US Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009KZGWBM

Castaway UK Link:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B009KZGWBM?*Version*=1&*entries*=0

Castaway Blurb

The dream vacation that might just turn deadly...

Seventeen-year-old Casey Smith can't wait to embark on her summer vacation, not least because she's finally shed her tomboy image, and now heartthrob Mike seems interested. What starts out great, with lots of flirting, taking her a step closer to winning her crush's heart, soon turns into her worst nightmare.

Tossed out to sea during a freak storm, Casey is washed up on what she presumes to be a mysterious tropical island that's on no map she's ever seen.

Young Adult, Paranormal Romance Series

Enchanted Castle US Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008LDZG3Y

Enchanted Castle UK Link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008LDZG3Y?*Version*=1&*entries*=0

Zoey Sanders attends her senior year of high school at a mysterious, gothic castle in Scotland. As much as she loves meeting her Prince Charming, she begins to wonder if the castle is really haunted.

Vampire Series

The Crush Saga Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/4eMF8KXEUc4

***Read the first chapter at the end of The Zombie Chronicles. It’s further down in this anthology***

Crush Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FBRKH8M

Crush UK Link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00FBRKH8M?*Version*=1&*entries*=0

Want more FREE stories?!

End of intro.

Ravenous

By Erica Stevens

Copyright 2012 Erica Stevens

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 recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. Thank you for downloading this eBook. This is the copyrighted property of the author, and may not be reproduced, copied and distributed for commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoyed this book, please encourage your friends to download their own copy.

Also From The Author

The Captive Series

Captured (Book 1)

Renegade (Book2)

Refugee (Book 3)

Salvation (Book 4)

The Kindred Series

Kindred (Book 1)

Ashes (Book 2)

Kindled (Book 3)

Inferno (Book 4)

Phoenix Rising (Book 5)

The Ravening Series

Ravenous (Book 1)

Taken Over (Book 2)

Reclamation (Book 3)

The Survivor Chronicles

Book 1: The Upheaval
Book 2: The Divide

Dedication

Special thanks to my husband and best friend, and
my parents, siblings, nieces and nephews who make life more interesting and fun.

Chapter 1

Frozen.

Completely and utterly freaking frozen.

One second ago the woman was speaking to me. She had, in fact, been half way through the word nice from the phrase "have a nice day" when she suddenly and completely stopped moving. Her face still held the same expression, her hand was frozen in mid air; she just stood there like some sort of strange mannequin-like statue standing behind the counter.

She stared at me unerringly, but it seemed as if she couldn't see me as I watched her unblinking, vacant brown eyes. I kept waiting for her to come back to life, to finish her sentence, to hand me my change, but as the seconds ticked into minutes I began to realize that she wasn't going to move. I began to realize that she was not playing some sort of sick, demented trick on me.

She had in fact suddenly, instantaneously, been struck completely immobile.

It was the oddest, most unnerving thing I had ever seen and all I could do was gape at her. I continued to stand there, not because I wanted to, no one in their right mind would want to keep standing there, but simply because I was shocked into immobility. I hadn't suddenly been struck inert like the woman across from me, but I was entirely unable to move as I gazed back at her. I finally managed to close my mouth. Not because I was recovering from the astonishment that still gripped me so tightly I couldn't bring myself to move, but because a little bit of drool had started to form at the corners of my mouth, and my jaw actually hurt from gawking at her for so long.

Though I managed to make the small movement of closing my mouth, I couldn't make any others. I couldn't drop the arm that was extended across the counter. I couldn't close the open hand still waiting in expectation of my change clasped within the woman's hand. I had absolutely no intention of touching the woman in order to retrieve it either.

I didn't care how scarce money was nowadays, I was not going to touch her and if I was going to get my money back I would have to make contact with her frozen hand. I would actually have to pry open her clasped fingers in order to retrieve what was mine, because it was becoming extremely obvious that the woman was not going to move again anytime soon if she moved again at all.

I shuddered at the thought as the hair on the back of my neck stood on end. I knew no one was there but I couldn't shake the feeling that there was someone standing just behind me, breathing down my neck. I didn't know what that woman's hand would feel like; it was probably still warm because she had only frozen minutes ago. Even though she was still on her feet, even though I didn't know if she really was dead, in my mind her hand would feel as cold and clammy as a corpse's.

A small spasm jerked through my extended arm, causing it to jump a little. It wasn't the aching pain in my rigid arm that finally caused me to pull it back, but the fact that the small twitch had almost caused me to touch her. The mere thought made my stomach feel as if it had a hundred worms crawling through it. My arm fell limply back to my side, my mouth parted again.

For the first time in awhile, I blinked. Then, I closed my watering eyes, as I prayed that everything would be normal when I opened them once more. It was not.

Slowly I raised my hand and waved it in front of her unblinking, unseeing eyes. She remained as blank as a slate. I thought that perhaps I should hit her, maybe pinch her, but that brought me back to the having to touch her aspect. Throw something at her? I glanced at the gum stacked before the counter. It was a soft projectile but hard enough that it would get someone's attention. Maybe it would wake her up, but I didn't think it would work, and I couldn't bring myself to heave something at the defenseless woman. It seemed as bad as stealing candy from a child.

I took a small step back, swallowing heavily as I looked around the store. Though it hadn't been crowded, it was easy to pick out every person amongst the racks of souvenir clothes (clothes that didn't sell much anymore, at least not to tourists as we had few of them now) and candy counters. Mainly because they were all as still as stone too. I doubted throwing something at them would work either.

It was eerily quiet within the store. I didn't hear any movement on the street outside either. Driving had been banned a month ago (I now realized why), but I didn't even hear the hum of bicycle tires or the thumping footsteps of the passing crowd. The muted murmur of conversations had vanished. The street sounded just as dead as the store now appeared. The hum of the store's air conditioner made my hair stand up even more as it seemed unnaturally loud in the unnerving hush.

I turned toward the door but the blinds had been drawn over the window to block out the summer sunlight. It was impossible to see if the rest of the world had been as affected as the store. I tried to believe that it hadn't, that this store was an isolated incident, but I knew it wasn't. A cold chill, that had nothing to do with the a/c unit, raced down my spine. The room swam and blurred before me as fear threatened to choke me.

The store was cool but I was sweating profusely. I could barely breathe as I tried to gasp in air but my lungs didn't want to cooperate. Nausea coiled through me, it burned its way up my throat. My mouth was flooded with saliva and I felt like I'd been sucking on copper pennies, but I was somehow able to keep it down. This was the weirdest, creepiest, most terrifying thing I had experienced in years, but I could not throw up in this store. The act of doing so somehow seemed even more wrong and degrading than the situation surrounding me now.

I was hyperventilating though. I knew that. I couldn't breathe and yet the more I panted for air, the less I was able to get into my lungs. I needed fresh air, I needed out of this store. My bag was still on the counter, but I was reluctant to grasp hold of it. I was sure my mom would forgive me for not bringing the milk home.

My mom!

My heart was beating with the force of a jackhammer as my chest constricted. Nausea rose swiftly through me again. I managed to take a stumbling, awkward step back. Was my mom like these people? Was she one of them now, or was she like me? Was there anyone else like me? Was I the only one? And why was I still able to move while they couldn't? What had happened to them, would it happen to me?

That thought caused my adrenaline to kick so fiercely that I was shaking from the effects of it. I glanced over the people again. They remained frozen. Not a one of them had moved in the past five minutes. I hadn't even seen them take a breath, but they had to be breathing, didn't they? Were they dead? Would they ever move again?

The questions rolled through my mind rapidly, my head began to spin. The questions kept hitting me, but I didn't have answers to any of them. I couldn't even begin to fathom the answers to any of them. Though I didn't feel like going anywhere near the woman again, I knew I had to grab that bag. If my mom wasn't like this, then I suddenly had to deliver that milk to her. And if she was...

I shut the thought down; it was too much to handle right now. This situation was awful enough without adding to it. Darting forward, I snagged hold of the bag and ripped it off the counter. The rustle of the plastic set my teeth on edge. I ground my jaw, fighting back a scream as I took an abrupt step back. The woman remained unmoving, her hand still extended with my change. Her warm brown eyes didn't even flicker as I waved a hand in front of her face. I was tempted to see if she was still breathing, if she had a pulse, but try as I might I could not bring myself to touch her. I was ashamed of my cowardice but the thought was completely revolting.

Keeping my eyes on the human statues I cautiously edged toward the door. I didn't know what they would be like if they came to life again. Images of every zombie movie I'd ever seen flooded my mind. I pictured them coming back to life to tear me to shreds as they tried to get at my brains, and organs. A shudder tore through me.

Reaching the door, I pulled down on the blinds in order to peek out at the seemingly peaceful day. People were frozen in midstride, or leaning against store fronts. Some were stopped in mid conversation with their hands in the air, or their heads tilted back to peer at the sky. A man and woman had been riding their bikes down the road when the strange freezing had occurred. They were now sprawled out on the street, their feet tangled awkwardly in the toppled bikes. The wheels were still spinning slowly; the only movement in the otherwise still day. Neither of them had made an attempt to break their fall, they had simply face planted into the asphalt. Blood had trickled from the man's nose and formed a small puddle beneath him. The woman's face was obscured by the brown hair tumbling around her shoulders.

Swallowing heavily I tried to gather my courage to step onto that deserted, desolate street. Was there no one else that could still move? I couldn't be the only one. That thought was almost as terrifying as becoming one of the frozen people.

If I was frozen at least I wouldn't be alone, and perhaps I wouldn't even know what had happened to me. Or perhaps, chillingly, I would.

I removed my trembling hand from the blind. I couldn't stay here, I had to move. I had to get to my family, to see if they were safe. Gradually, I eased the door open. The small bell above it was a mellow sound that was piercingly shrill in the hushed day. I winced at the noise, scrunching up like a turtle as I waited for something to attack me. Everything remained still.

Involuntarily my gaze went to the sky. A cold trickle crept through me as I spotted the ship hovering over Boston. It was a good sixty miles away but its ominous presence was felt just as strongly as if it had been directly over head. I shuddered at the reminder of it, shuddered at the realization that though they had spouted peace, they had finally revealed themselves to be anything but peaceful. Something I had suspected since their arrival, though I had never suspected anything like this.

Who could have?

I slipped from the store, closing the door silently behind me. It took me a moment to realize that not even the birds were singing. I glanced around, but I didn't see animal bodies littered amongst the people in the streets. They may have been affected also, but I didn't think so. There would be some birds lying amongst the people if that was the case. Apparently the birds had even been scared off by the sudden pall that hung over the world.

My heart was thumping loudly in my chest as I crept through the still streets, trying not to burst into tears as I warily studied the alien ship. It wasn't coming toward our town, it didn't appear to be moving, but I knew it was only a matter of time before they appeared in the streets, before they came to take everyone. Somehow I knew that was exactly what they intended to do.

It was what they were going to do with everyone after they came that frightened me most.

I slipped down another street, keeping my eye on the hovering spacecraft in the distance. Bret had once told me he thought they had eyes everywhere, that they knew our every move. I could only pray that he'd been wrong. Their technology was far superior to ours, that was an undisputed fact, but I had to cling to the hope that they hadn't mastered the ability to know where every person was at all times.

Please let that be true, I pleaded frantically. Please. I was nobody of importance, there was no reason they would monitor my movements.

I turned another corner, slinking through the shadows as I moved toward the center of town. I didn't know if it was possible for the inside of a ribcage to become bruised, but I was almost certain that mine was due to the drumbeat of my heart.

People were scattered about the streets in different positions and different situations. One couple was kissing and another was holding hands on a bench. A family was getting their picture taken by the old mill, and a group of children were frozen in the middle of a game of tag. I stopped to study the children. Goose pimples broke out on my flesh, even in the hot summer sun I was chilled by the sight of them. They were the creepiest things I had come across so far, so innocent yet spine-chilling and unnerving in their frozen state.

I forced myself to turn away from them before I started screaming hysterically and didn't stop until the aliens were drawn by my screams. I slipped into an alley, leaning against the cold wall as I struggled to catch my breath. I closed my eyes, trying not to fall apart as I fought not to completely freak out. I was still over a mile from my house and wasn't sure I was going to make it.

I tilted my head back as I scanned the roofs in search of cameras. I saw none, but that didn't matter. For all I knew they didn't even have to have cameras to spy on us with. For all I knew, they were omniscient. That thought didn't seem entirely farfetched, not anymore. They could apparently freeze people in an instant after all, why wouldn't they know where we were at all times? Taking another deep breath I attempted to gather my waning courage.

I felt like a criminal as I stealthily crept down the alley. I glanced quickly away from the man leaning against the brick building at the end. He'd been in the act of relieving himself, urine had stained the bricks and formed a puddle before him, but thankfully there was no urine still coming out. Slipping onto another main road, I dashed down the sidewalk quickly, dodging the frozen people with every other step.

Lifting my arm, I used the back of my hand to wipe the sweat from my forehead as it dripped into one of my eyes. I slid into another alley and bent over as I was gripped by the sudden urge to curl into a ball and let my sanity go. I thought the world might be a better place if I did. At least I wouldn't be alone anymore. For a minute I was consumed by the urge to just give up, to wait here until they found me, but I had never quit before and I wasn't about to start now. Not when I didn't know what had become of my family, maybe after, if they were gone...

I let the thought trail off; there was no use in dwelling on it. Not until I knew.

I pushed off the wall, breaking into a brisk jog as I hurried down the alley. Turning a corner, I began to move faster, nearly sprinting as I raced down the sidewalk. I was breathing so rapidly that I almost didn't hear the distant rumbling noise until it was too late. As it was, it just barely caught my attention in time.

I pressed flat to the wall, my fingers curled into the wood as the ground beneath my feet began to tremble. My head rapidly bounced back and forth as I searched for the cause of the strange sensation and noise. Creeping forward, I kept my hand pressed against the glass window of a store. The noise grew louder, the quaking increased as the sidewalk beneath my feet began to tremble even more.

I didn't know where to go or what to do. My throat was clogged, my body thrummed with tension. I continued to steadily creep forward, but I had to get off the street. I had to find a place to hide. My hand slipped into nothingness, I nearly fell sideways as someone grabbed hold of my arm. A startled cry started to escape me, but a hand slammed over my mouth as I was yanked against a solid chest.

Chapter 2

"Shh Bethany," someone hissed in my ear.

My struggles eased at the sound of my name. The grip on my arm loosened, the hand fell away from my mouth. I turned quickly, my eyes widened on the person that had grabbed me. Cade stared back at me, his midnight eyes hooded, and his black hair falling across his sculpted face. His full mouth was compressed into a firm line.

We'd gone to high school together, but those two words were the most I'd heard from him in over a year. Though, there were times I'd caught him staring at me questioningly, or watching me with an intensity that never failed to steal my breath and cause my pulse to race. With just one look Cade could make my skin tingle and my toes curl in a way that no one else had ever been able to. Though I knew he had no interest in me romantically, there had been a time when I'd harbored a crush on him. I was pretty sure nearly every girl in school had.

He was a year older than me, having just finished his senior year, but that wasn't the reason I hadn't talked to him in awhile. The main reason was that I'd been too intimidated by his brooding nature, and striking looks to approach him. To intimidated by the rumors and innuendo that ran rampant through the school about him. The gossip claimed that he was involved in everything from gangs to Satan worshipping and even the mob. I didn't believe the rumors, but Cade did nothing to disprove them, and at times I thought he enjoyed letting them spin wildly out of control.

He placed a long finger against my lips, gesturing for me to stay quiet as his hand slipped into mine. I stared at his strong fingers, amazed by the way our hands seemed to fit together seamlessly. I was losing my freaking mind. The world was falling apart around me and I was marveling over the fact that our hands were a perfect fit, and the fact that he was actually holding my hand.

He bent over me, a shiver raced down my spine as his full lips brushed against my ear. "This way."

My fingers tightened around his. I wasn't alone anymore and judging by the set of Cade's jaw, and the determination in his eyes, he had a plan which was much more than I'd had just seconds ago. He tugged me down an alley, moving with a grace that was both astonishing and captivating. I was nowhere near as graceful, a fact I was acutely aware of as I made sure not to trip over my two left feet.

I wanted to ask him where we were going but I didn't speak as he led me down another street. The rumbling sound became distant, but I knew we wouldn't escape it for long. It would find us, and I was terrified of the consequences of what would happen when it did. Cade held a hand behind him, halting me at the edge of an alley. He held up a finger as he peeked around the corner of the building. His fingers unfolded from mine as he stepped out of the shadows.

My heart kicked harder as he disappeared from view. He was the only person I'd discovered, I couldn't lose him now. I was getting ready to follow him when he reappeared. His eyes, black as onyx and cold as ice, flickered briefly over me. I felt the force of his gaze all the way to the tips of my toes. I thought I would see disapproval flicker over his features as he was a calm and reassuring presence, while I was a trembling mess, but there was none.

His fingers entwined within mine again. Turning away he began to pull me down the street again. I nearly collided with him as he turned suddenly and tugged me into the shadowed doorway of a store. My legs were shaking as the rumbling noise grew closer again. I could feel vibrations in the stoop beneath my feet. Whatever was hunting us, whatever was out there, it was getting closer.

A sense of urgency filled me as Cade opened the door and slid noiselessly into the antique store. I followed behind, biting on my lower lip as I fought back the scream welling within my throat. Cade slid the door shut; the faint click of the lock was barely audible over the growing noise outside.

He turned toward the shaded windows and pulled down a slat to peer out. Even his profile was perfect, I realized as I stared at his square jaw and sculpted nose. His teeth clenched as he pulled me back a step. Seeing and hearing him now, I was struck by the memory of the last time we'd spoken nearly a year ago.

I'd been standing on the street, watching alongside my mom and little sister as one of the massive alien ships first arrived. It slid over top of us as it moved toward the city, blocking out the sun, and emitting a low humming noise that had been barely discernible over the normal sounds of the day. I had clung to my mom and sister, my heart hammering, awe and apprehension filling me as we watched it.

In the movies UFO's were usually depicted as silver and shiny, this was not. It was pitch black, dull, and cold in appearance. It was only later that we would learn it was black because it was powered by solar energy and the black captured the powerful rays of the sun better. The ship was tubular in design with two large engines attached to each side of it. Though there was a hazy disturbance trailing from the engines, it was clear enough that the sky beyond could be seen through the fumes. The ship was so quiet that it seemed impossible that the sizeable engines attached to it were actually powering it forward.

Twenty five alien ships had arrived that day to encircle the earth. Five settled over the U.S., three over Canada, and four throughout central and South America. Five more moved in over Europe, five more over Asia, two over Africa, and one hovered above Australia. Their arrival had signaled a short period of chaos and uncertainty. But over time things had settled down as no imminent threat emerged to kill us all, and the aliens repeatedly proclaimed peace.

As time passed this claim seemed more and more acceptable, especially once they began to share their greater technology and vastly superior medical advances with us. Incurable cancers were cured; diseases were brought under control, if not eradicated. They taught us to harvest solar power in new and far more effective ways that drastically reduced our reliance on fossil fuels and nearly eradicated air pollution. They introduced a new form of irrigation that allowed us to grow food even in the most arid of deserts, including Antarctica. Millions of starving people were suddenly fed, people were healthier, happier, and starting to rely upon the advances the aliens gave to us. Everything they did for us was an improvement; life became radically better for everyone throughout those first nine months.

But on that strange, frightening first day, Cade had been in my neighborhood. I never knew why, as he didn't live close to us, but suddenly his car was stopping before me. He'd leaned across the front seat of his beater car, his arm on the passenger side window as he leaned toward us. Toward me. He had been thinner then and gangly, but never awkward. Cade had miraculously managed to skip all of the awkward stages that were involved with being a teenager and always been gorgeous, heartbreakingly so.

His midnight eyes appeared even darker as the sun disappeared behind the ship and he pinned me with that unerring, fathomless gaze. I was unnerved, and yet strangely enchanted by his forceful stare, a stare that didn't leave me, not even to watch the extraordinary new arrivals as they slid across the sky. I had to force my gaze away from his as I turned my attention back to our suddenly bizarre sky. Then the ship had moved past us. The sun had reappeared as the ship left the rural areas behind for Boston.

"Are you ok?"

My attention had been drawn back to Cade as he uttered the question. I couldn't find words for him; I didn't have any right now. I was terrified, fascinated, and completely astonished to realize that aliens actually did exist. And they were here. I didn't know if I was ok, I didn't know if any of us would ever be ok again. Clenching my jaw, feeling like an idiot in the face of his confident aura, I had managed a small nod.

There had been a strange gleam in his eyes as he studied me attentively. He'd appeared strangely torn about leaving us there, but that made no sense, we barely knew each other, and we certainly weren't friends. At least we weren't friends anymore, we hadn't been for years. Finally he had returned my nod, sat back in the driver's seat, and drove away. I'd watched him go until he took a left and disappeared. We hadn't spoken since.

I blinked as I was torn from the memory of that day by the shaking of the building. A strange thrill of excitement ran through me as I studied Cade with a growing sense of wonder and curiosity.

Then, the quaking increased and I forgot all about him as my terror spiked again. The glass in the windows began to rattle in the frames, vibrating with the force of whatever was coming toward us. I took an instinctive step back. Cade's hand briefly slid against my back, stopping me from moving before his touch slipped away.

I watched in fascination, and dread, as he moved back toward the window. I almost grabbed him and told him to stop, but I was unable to move. He eased down a slat on the blinds, barely moving it as he peered out the window. Drawn by curiosity, I crept toward him. Pressing against his back, I leaned forward to peer over his shoulder. He shot me a look but didn't try to stop me.

The shaking increased, the noise level escalated as it echoed throughout the store. I searched for the source of the sound, but I couldn't pinpoint it through the small gap in the blinds. I jumped as a large thing suddenly loomed before us. And thing was the only word that could be used to describe it. I had no idea what it was; I'd never seen anything like it. But it was awful, disgusting, gross in ways that I had never begun to imagine gross.

Cade grabbed hold of my shoulder, holding me still as I instinctively took a frightened step back from the monstrosity outside. I nearly collided with a table containing fragile figurines that would have shattered on impact. The saying bull in a china shop flashed through my mind, and I knew I would have to be careful. I was about as graceful as that bull. There were far too many fragile things within this store, and too many hideous things outside that we had to avoid.

The thing was smaller than a Mac truck but there was something about it that reminded me of a semi without its trailer. It crept forward on numerous legs that were arachnid in appearance, but swollen, red, and bloated like an overfed tick. The legs seemed to pulse and vibrate with some strange life force. I was completely unable to understand what it was doing, unable to comprehend what it could possibly be. My mind simply couldn't wrap around the hideousness of this atrocity before us.

It stopped next to a few of the frozen bodies, hovering above them as it lowered to get closer to the people. I watched in repulsed fascination as one of those legs curled up before snaking out from the revolting creature. The tentacle-like appendage moved with an uncanny, rapid grace that was almost as captivating as it was disgusting. I found myself entranced by its snakelike movements. The tentacle was clear as it slithered over the ground before snagging hold of a man holding hands with a woman.

My mouth dropped and a scream tore up my throat. Before I could utter a sound, Cade slid his hand over my mouth. He pulled me against him, pressing my back to his chest as he held me close. My knees buckled and I found myself barely able to remain standing. Cade helped keep me up, but I could feel a tremor in his taut, lean muscles.

The tentacle thingy slithered up the man's leg and up to his chest. It pulled back when it reached the man's face and hovered before him like a cobra ready to strike. It remained there for a few seconds before attacking with deadly, and startling, velocity. It sank into the man's throat and drove forward as it buried itself deep within his body. The tentacle was clearly visible as it slithered beneath the man's skin and rapidly made its way through his body. The clear tentacle began to fill with pulsating blood as the man suddenly, and violently, came back to life. Vomit rolled through me, and it was only the mortifying thought of throwing up on Cade's hand that helped me suppress it.

The poor man thrashed against the thing moving through him, his arms flailed crazily against the brutal assault being waged on his body. He grasped at the woman beside him, but she remained still as stone, oblivious to his agony. The man's fingers tore at the invader, trying to pull it free, but his efforts were useless and only caused more blood to spill from his already brutalized throat. I gagged, choked, nearly fell as every muscle in my body collapsed.

This time Cade was barely able to keep me up. A small shudder ran through his body as he held me. He took his hand away from my mouth and wrapped his arms around my waist he pulled me away from the window. I didn't fight against him, there was no fight left within me.

Cade hastily led me through the store. He dodged the shelves, and delicate artifacts, with a graceful ease that even through my strange numbness, I was able to admire. We passed by the counter. A gray haired man stood behind it, a duster was clasped in the hand above his head as he faced the shelves behind the register. His spectacles gleamed in the glow of the lamps dangling from the ceiling above him. I moved toward him to do something, to try and wake him if I could. I had to get him out of here before that awful thing came for him.

Cade's hand squeezed mine; he shook his head at me as he continued to rapidly pull me forward. I was tempted to fight against him, but I was ashamed to admit that I was too terrified to offer much of a protest. Cade opened a door in the back of the store and pulled me into the darkened stairwell. Closing the door behind us, he pulled the string to turn on a dim bulb. Light filled the narrow, steep stairway, but it didn't reveal the bottom of the steps.

I glanced up at him, he was a good three inches taller than me at around five eleven. Cade bent close to me, pressing his lips against my ear again. "Stay," he said so low that I barely heard him over the loud rush of blood filling my ears.

I remained where I was simply because I wasn't certain I'd be able to walk anyway. A strange, uncontrollable shaking was starting to take hold of my body. My knees were trembling; I couldn't hold my hands still no matter how much I tried. I wrapped my arms around myself, but it did nothing to ease the chill that had crept into my quaking bones.

Even in this stairwell, away from the street, I could still feel the vibrations the thing caused within the building. I could vividly recall the man struggling against the awful creature greedily pulling the blood from his body.

Another dim light clicked on below. Cade was silhouetted within the shadows as he reappeared at the bottom of the stairs. He moved with unfailing silence back to me. His hand was gentle upon my elbow as he turned the light off and guided me down the steps. I was oddly and painfully aware of the fact that though he moved silently, I did not.

He led me through the basement, guiding me through the clutter of boxes. I kept expecting to walk through a cobweb but the basement was surprisingly free of spiders and dust. Amongst the boxes were antiques that had already been unpacked, and set out in preparation for the move upstairs. Others had been stored away until their new owners could pick them up, something they would never do now. Cade led me to the back wall. I stood staring at it as he pushed on something that I couldn't see. I frowned at him, and then at the wall as it began to creek and groan. In my hypersensitive, over stimulated state, I was barely able to keep myself from screaming.

My nose wrinkled as he led me into the small, musty smelling room that had been revealed by the hidden door in the back wall. I was having troubling breathing, I couldn't see the walls surrounding me, but I could feel their nearness along my skin. I almost turned and bolted from the room, but I somehow managed to keep myself under control. Mainly because Cade's hand was strong and reassuring on my elbow and I couldn't humiliate myself in front of him.

He pulled the door most of the way shut before tugging on another string. Light flooded into the room, which was about twelve by twelve feet wide. There were only a few boxes within it, one of which was taller than me and nearly twice as wide. I couldn't help but speculate about what treasures were hidden within these boxes, and stashed away in this secret room.

"Stay here."

I whirled as Cade released me. "Wait!" I gasped, lunging for him. I could maybe stay in this room if he was here, but by myself...

By myself I would go crazy.

His grasp on my shoulders was surprisingly tender as he held me back and shook his head at me. "I have to get him. I can't leave him up there."

I couldn't form words to argue with him. He was right, that poor man couldn't be left up there to be drained dry by that awful, bloodthirsty thing. But I couldn't be left here either. I despised being trapped within closed confines. It was a phobia that had taken hold of me years ago, and it had never let me go. I didn't think it ever would.

He was already shaking his head as I spoke again. "I'll help you."

"No Bethany. Stay here."

"Cade..."

"It will be better if I go alone, quicker. Quieter."

I wanted to protest and tell him that I was just as terrified of this room as I was of that damn thing out there. I didn't do anything though. He was right, that man required help and I couldn't bring myself to look like a sniveling coward in front of him. Never in front of Cade.

I didn't know what it was, but I'd always found myself having to appear less childlike, and more confident around him. But then again, my childhood had been cruelly ripped away from me years ago.

We had lived in this town together almost our entire lives, but we barely knew each other, and yet he gave me a sense of strength I'd never known before. Even when we passed in the hallways, not speaking, not touching, I'd always felt a strange sense of comfort just from knowing that he was there. There had always been a connection to him that I had neither understood nor tried to develop. I considered my feelings for him a silly crush, one that was inappropriately rearing back to life right now. All hell was breaking lose above us, and yet I found myself strangely lost to the magnificent force of his smoldering gaze.

He most certainly didn't feel anything for me, a dull, clumsy girl that was as far off his radar as the Planet Jupiter. Though he was intimidating and aloof, girls had flocked to him. They'd been drawn in by his alluring good looks and the air of mystery that enshrouded him. However, I'd never seen him with any of those girls, and as far as I knew he wasn't dating anyone. I didn't even know if he ever had dated anyone, no matter what the rumors said.

But even with his distant attitude, and seeming disinterest in everything and everyone, I had still found him watching me within the halls, or on the street. Sometimes I would look up and he would be staring at me with an intensity that never failed to make me quiver inside. Staring at me in a way that made me feel he knew me better than anyone else, maybe even knew me better than I knew myself.

I knew his attention didn't mean anything, that I just yearned for it to, but whenever I found him watching me it always left me rattled and longing for something more. Something that I couldn't begin to understand but knew that I craved desperately. Those were the few times I actually did feel like a silly child again, because there was no way that Cade Marshall could ever see anything even remotely interesting or special in me.

I was feeling that strange connection to him again now, and it was giving me an odd sense of security and warmth. I couldn't turn into a blathering idiot in front of him. I just couldn't. No matter how much I didn't want to stay in this cramped room by myself.

My hand fell back to my side, my lips pinched together as I managed to give him a brisk nod. He continued to study me, but I kept my face impassive and tried to keep my fear hidden from him. I wasn't sure it was working though.

Finally he turned away from me and slipped out the door. It wasn't until I heard the lock click into place that I realized I didn't know how I would escape this room if he didn't come back.

Chapter 3

I was shaking, close to tearing my hair out, and on the verge of screaming hysterically by the time that Cade returned. He hadn't been gone long, minutes only, but I was sweating so badly that my clothes were soaked and I was horrified by the realization that I was probably starting to smell worse than the dank room surrounding me. Though I tried to hide my distress from him, tried to put on a brave front and prove that I wasn't a weak idiot, I knew I failed miserably.

He closed the door behind him. "The man?" I managed to choke out.

Cade raised a black eyebrow, his head cocked to the side as he watched me. My shaking had eased now that he was back, but my throat was still clogged. I was humiliated by the fact that I was on the verge of tears. When I needed to be at my strongest, I was so close to completely falling apart, and all because of four stupid walls and a door.

"In the basement. He's fine, or as fine as he can be, considering." I managed a nod. My hand fluttered nervously up to push my dampened hair back. "Are you ok?"

"Fine," I croaked. "Just fine."

"Are you claustrophobic?"

I started to shake my head to deny it. I had never admitted it to anyone, even if there were times when I couldn't hide it. I hadn't even truly admitted it to myself. I was too ashamed by the fact that cramped spaces tended to upset and frighten me, too ashamed of the weakness. My family knew about it though, as I went out of my way to avoid tight enclosures, including cars for extended periods of time. "Maybe a little," I hedged.

"I can open the door again if that will help, but we won't be able to talk."

My gaze flitted longingly to the closed door. I was certain the air out there was much fresher than the air in here. I would like to be able to speak to him though, and the last thing I wanted was that hideous thing slithering into this room. "No I'm fine." It wasn't a complete lie, I did feel better with him here, and I was certain that my fear would lessen the more I was exposed to, and forced to acknowledge it. Though he didn't look as if he believed me, he didn't reopen the door. "Will he be ok out there?"

"I think so. They seem to only be going for the people on the street right now."

"Why?"

His jaw clenched, a muscle in his cheek jumped. "I think they're trying to clear it."

I wanted to vehemently deny his words, but the second I heard them I knew he was right. Those things were focusing on the streets because they had to clear them, and the frozen people were obstacles right now. I hadn't been sick to my stomach since I was a kid, but I was fairly certain that by the end of today I would end up losing my breakfast, if not my life.

A chill raced down my spine. The hair on my neck and arms stood on end. There was a very good chance that I, that we, would not survive this day. This attack was methodical, well planned, deliberate, and brutal. The aliens wouldn't care for survivors, they wouldn't tolerate them, and that is exactly what Cade and I were.

I wrapped my arms around myself as I tried to ease the numbness slipping through my body. "I can't stay here," I whispered. "My family. I have to get to them."

Cade nodded. "We have to wait a little bit."

"My sister..."

"We'll get to them Bethany. I promise we will get to them."

I found that I believed him. I didn't know why I did, or why I felt that he would do whatever he could to help me, but I knew that he would. My head bowed, tears of frustration and anger burned my eyes. I wouldn't shed them though; I hadn't cried in years, I wouldn't cry now.

"Why are we still moving while everyone else is, well..."

My question trailed off, I didn't know how to describe the state of these people right now. Frozen? Mannequins? Corpses? The living dead? Whatever they were, and no matter what they were called, they were the freakiest things I had ever seen. "I don't know. I imagine that somehow we were all given something, whether through food or water, medicine or surgery, or even simply the air we breathe. It seems that for some reason it didn't work on us though."

"Not yet."

Cade's eyes were hooded as he tilted his head to study me. I swallowed heavily, hating the words I had just uttered, but we both knew that they were true. Just because we weren't statues now didn't mean that we weren't going to become statues later. At any moment we could freeze and become trapped within the confines of our own bodies. That thought did nothing to ease the constriction in my chest that being within this room had started. In fact, it took all I had not to completely fall apart. Took all I had to keep on breathing even though it was suddenly very difficult. I didn't know if those people were consciously aware of the fact that they were frozen and about to be killed, but I preferred to think that they weren't. I couldn't bear the thought that they knew they were stuck like that and about to be devoured. If they did know...

I abruptly shut that thought off. It was too awful to even begin to contemplate. I couldn't take that if it were to happen to me. I would rather die first.

"They may simply be taking us in stages," he agreed. "Or it may never happen to us. We are all different; we are all made of different DNA. There is no way that everyone would react in the same way to whatever it was they gave us. I'm sure we'll be fine Bethany."

I would like to believe that we wouldn't be struck immobile any minute now. I had a feeling that if the aliens discovered whatever they had done hadn't worked on us, the consequences for us would be even worse than what the people on the street were going through. They wouldn't be happy to learn that they weren't perfect, and that things hadn't gone exactly as planned. We would be punished.

Horribly.

I swallowed heavily, frightened by the realization. We couldn't get caught. But what were we supposed to do? Where were we supposed to go? I labored to keep my mounting panic contained. First things first, I had to get out of this room and find my family. I prayed that they were safe.

"I never trusted them," I whispered.

"I know."

My attention turned back to Cade. He had moved deeper into the room, his midnight hair blended seamlessly with the shadows hugging him. The black tank top he wore emphasized the corded muscles of his arms as it blended in with the dark. The summer sun had deepened his already olive complexion to a bronzed hue that I was envious of and would never be able to achieve. My summer color tended to be red if I spent too much time in the sun.

He was examining a few of the boxes, but he didn't try to open them, and he didn't appear to be truly interested in their contents. I had the feeling that though he wasn't looking at me, his concentration was still solely focused upon me. "How did you know that?"

He lifted a large box with surprising ease and placed it on top of another. "It's been written all over your face for the past year."

Though I had caught him watching me, I hadn't realized he'd been scrutinizing me so closely, but apparently he must have been watching a little more keenly than I had realized. "Oh."

"You don't hide things very well."

"I see." Though I didn't see, and I was more than a little confused by this conversation. I decided to change the topic. "How did you know about this room?"

"I've been working for Peter for two years now."

"Peter?"

"The man outside." I frowned, my hands clenched more firmly on my arms. I hadn't known that. In fact there wasn't a whole lot I did know about him anymore, other than rumors. The girls at school called him the black devil due to his cold demeanor, midnight hair and coal colored eyes. I had never given much thought to the nickname, I'd thought it was silly and that they were absurd for saying it. Standing in his presence now I completely understood it, and couldn't shake it from my mind. "He keeps the most valuable things secured in here."

I just nodded. I didn't know what else to say. I wasn't sure if I was reading too much into this conversation, or if I was completely missing something. Either way, I was beginning to feel like an idiot.

I hadn't been expecting any of this when I'd woken up this morning. But then, it could be worse, I could be one of those people in the street. I was lucky to still be moving, I was lucky to have someone else with me now. Especially Cade, as he seemed remarkably calm and competent considering the way our lives had been abruptly turned upside down.

I had to pull myself together; it was the only way I was going to survive. "Sit."

My attention was drawn back to Cade. He had settled himself onto one of the boxes; his arm was draped over his bent leg as he watched me. I had no intention of moving away from the door though. I was not going any deeper into this room. The very idea of it was enough to make my heartbeat excel and my skin crawl. I shook my head.

He climbed to his feet and carried one of the boxes over to me. "Sit Bethany, relax. I have a feeling we won't be getting many more opportunities to do that anytime soon. We had better take advantage of it now."

I stared up at him, momentarily lost as he gazed at me. I had always tried not to let how attractive he was effect me but it was impossible. We were completely different people and he was way out of my league. He'd always been a strange enigma that was fascinating, but nearly impossible to solve. He could have any girl he desired, probably most women too. And I was... well I was just me. Not awful, but nothing overly remarkable either.

But now Cade was only inches from me and his presence was overwhelming in the small room. I felt like a fool, but I couldn't stop myself from admiring the sheer magnificence of him as he leaned close enough for me to see the stubble lining his jaw. He smelled like an enticing combination of spices and crisp fresh air. I shifted self consciously. I didn't want to move away from him, but I didn't want him paying too close of attention to me either. He could see that I was a mess, but he didn't have to smell me on top of it.

I didn't think I could relax, but I limply slid onto the box because I didn't know what else to do. He watched me for a minute before moving back to his own box. We didn't speak as the bulb cast shadows around the room. It shook from the vibrations of that thing making its way down the street, draining its victims.

Draining people.

Chapter 4

We slipped through the shadows of the buildings, Cade moving with easy grace that was astonishing. I wasn't silent or graceful, but at least I wasn't a blundering idiot. Not this time anyway. I followed him as we made our way through the streets. I didn't feel the rumbling approach of those monstrous things, but I kept alert for any sign of their return, or any sign of something else coming for us.

The streets weren't as cluttered with people now. I didn't know what they did with the bodies when they were done with them, but thankfully they didn't leave them behind. Guilt filled me for feeling relieved about the disappearance of the frozen people, but I couldn't handle seeing their broken remains cluttering the street. Not on top of everything else.

Cade slipped around a corner; my heart picked up a beat as he disappeared from view. He was waiting for me when I turned the corner, his hand stretched behind him to hold me back.

I stopped, my breath trapped within me as I strained to hear anything out of the ordinary. It was unnaturally still in the fading light of day. I wondered if the aliens had retreated to their ships for the night, or if they would be returning soon to start collecting the people still within their homes and stores.

Cade moved forward again. We made our way out of the center of town, slipping into backyards, staying to the woods as we swept through the shadows with more speed. Excitement and trepidation hammered through me as we neared my house. I didn't know what to expect, I tried not to get my hopes up too much, but it was impossible.

I almost broke into a run when my house finally came into view, but Cade held me back, his arm encircling my waist as he kept a firm grip on me. "Getting yourself killed won't do you or your family any good."

I nodded, biting on my bottom lip as I ignored the strange sensations his touch aroused in me. Or at least tried to ignore them but it was impossible. My body tingled with unfamiliar currents of electricity when his fingers brushed over the bare skin exposed by the slight uplifting of my t-shirt. His breath was warm as it increased against my ear.

I forced myself to focus on something other than him, now was most certainly not the time to be thinking about this stuff. My house looked ominous in the growing night. It appeared empty, cold, and dark. My home was never dark. Abigail was forever turning on lights, but she always forgot to turn them off. It wasn't unusual to come home and find every light in the house spilling from the windows, lighting the night like a homing beacon.

My mother and Aiden were constantly lecturing Abby to turn the lights back off; I remained silent on the matter. Though I never said it, I secretly liked the welcoming warmth of the lights when I came home. There had been enough darkness in our lives, I wasn't about to tell Abby that she should keep the house dark too.

The complete absence of them now was enough to make my eyes burn.

"Cade," I croaked, choked by the lump in my throat.

"They wouldn't turn the lights on Bethany, not tonight." I tried to find solace in his words, but there was none. "Come."

He entwined his fingers with mine and led me through the trees. We moved quickly across the street before darting around to the back. For the first time I realized just how rundown my home had become. Paint was peeling off in flakes; the back porch sagged beneath the weight of years gone by and the weather.

I winced as the stairs creaked beneath my feet. My heart hammered as I twisted the knob and cautiously pushed the door open. The hinges squeaked, the kitchen floor groaned as I stepped inside. The familiar scent of my mom's perfume, food, and scented candles washed over me. In the dim illumination I could make out the tidy kitchen counters and the outline of pictures, report cards, and magnets that covered the fridge. Plants hung in the window over the sink, dishes were stacked neatly in the dish drain.

It was my home, and for the first time it felt cold and lonely. Vacant.

I carefully made my way through the kitchen. Though there was enough light to guide me, I moved mostly on instinct through the rooms. Cade followed silently as I crept up the stairs. "Mom?" I was afraid to speak too loud in the foreboding silence. "Mom?"

I heard the choked tears in my voice. I swallowed heavily, forcing myself to speak louder as we reached the top of the steps. "Mom?"

"Bethany." I jumped a little, startled by the response. I had truly believed that I was never going to receive one. Cade placed a hand in the small of my back, steadying me before I crashed into the banister. "Bethy?"

"Abby?"

There was a faint shuffling noise and then my little sister appeared in the doorway of our mom's bedroom. Relief filled me; a small cry escaped my lips as my knees nearly gave out. And then I was moving, running, fighting back tears of joy as I grasped hold of her. At fifteen, she was only two years younger than me, but she seemed much younger. Maybe it was her far more petite, and delicate build, but I felt it had more to do with her innocent, youthful air. She was nowhere near as jaded as I was.

Her small arms wrapped around me as she sobbed against my shirt. "Oh Bethy I was so scared! I didn't know what to do, I couldn't leave her," she moaned.

I closed my eyes, my heart breaking as Abby confirmed that our mother hadn't been as lucky as us. I could barely breathe, but holding Abby gave me a sense of strength that I hadn't felt until right now. I had to be strong for her; I had to keep her safe. No matter what, I had to make sure that she survived. "Aiden?"

Her coffee colored hair fell about her shoulders in a tumbling mass of long curls as she shook her head. "I don't know, he went to see Bret earlier but he hasn't come back."

My hands clenched on her shoulders as I took solace in the fact that at least she was still moving, still ok. If Aiden was able to move he would come back here as soon as he could. Bret's house was farther away than the antique store though. If he wasn't still moving then I would find him at Bret's, but I was in no hurry to rush out of here. Not until I saw my mom.

"Where is she?"

Abby nodded toward our mother's bedroom, but it was obvious that she wasn't ready to go back into it. She was shaking, and unlike me there were tears rapidly coursing down her face. I ached for her, she had probably spent the entire day standing guard over our mother, terrified and confused, and completely alone. I didn't blame her for not wanting to return, she'd done enough already.

"Stay here," I said as I squeezed her shoulder.

I moved past her as I crept into my mom's room. The room was dark, but I saw her instantly. She was sitting on the bed with her head bowed over the papers spread out before her. Her reading glasses were in place, a pen was clasped between her lips. Her chocolate hair had been pulled into a lose bun that hung against her slender neck. The resemblance between her and Abby was unmistakable. They both had elfin features, dark hair, and a petite physique. Abby and my mother had always reminded me of delicate faeries. I often felt awkward and out of place around them due to my clumsiness and slightly larger build, a part of me was convinced I would accidentally knock them over one day. I was slender like them, but taller and my skin was fairer as Aiden and I had inherited our dad's height and honey blond hair.

"Mom," I whispered, even though I knew it wouldn't do any good. She didn't respond, didn't even blink. I moved closer to her, shoving aside the papers as I slid onto the bed. I had seen her in this exact same position many times before, but this was the first time I'd ever felt out of place and frightened. I touched her cheek lightly, her skin was still warm, but it was cooler than it should have been. That man had still been alive, she had to be also, I hoped. "Oh mom."

I bowed my head to hers, resting my forehead against her bent head. I was struggling not to lose complete control, not to turn into a sobbing mess, but I wasn't sure I could keep my sanity through this whole catastrophe. I felt Cade's presence in the room, sensed his gaze upon me before I saw him.

My hand lingered upon my mother's cheek as I turned to him. "What do we do?" I asked.

"We survive." They were cold words, and yet the tone that accompanied them was not. It was understanding and sympathetic. It was also resilient and unwavering. "Because we have to, because it is what she would want you to do."

"I can't leave her here."

"I know." I turned away from him, unable to form words or opinions right now. "We won't. I have to go somewhere right now though."

My head snapped around, my mouth dropped open in shock. I released my mom's still hand as I limply slid off the bed and took a step toward him. "Where?" I managed to choke out.

"I have to go to my house. There are some things I have to do."

I was confused by this sudden turn of events. I hadn't expected him to leave us here, but of course there would be things that he would have to do, things that he would have to check on at his own home. I didn't know where he lived anymore, or who he lived with, if anyone. He was most likely on his own now, he was eighteen after all. "Of course."

"I'll be back." I barely managed a nod. "Soon."

"We... we could come with you."

He shook his head. "No, I'll move faster by myself and Aiden could still return. You have to stay here."

"But..."

He broke off my protest. "You have to stay with your mother Bethany, and you have to see if your brother returns. You'll never forgive yourself if you don't. My place is only half a mile from here. I'll be safe in the woods."

I was surprised to learn he lived so close. Cade had bounced around so much over the years that it had been difficult to keep track of where he was living at any given time. "What if you don't come back?" I whispered. "What if something happens to you and I could have helped to stop it? Abby can wait for Aiden." Even as I said the words I knew that I couldn't leave her again.

"There are more of those things out there than there is of us now Bethany. Their technology is better, they planned this, and they have the upper hand. I don't think there's anything either of us could do to stop them right now. Besides, you don't want to leave your sister again."

"You're not safe out there Cade, you can't go alone."

He was before me now as he had moved steadily closer throughout the conversation. I had to tilt my head back to take all of him in. His eyes and hair blended in with the night around us, giving the sinister impression that he was a part of the darkness and far more at home in it than any other person would be. His handsome features were half hidden in shadow, his full mouth pinched. I was breathless as he pushed the hair back from my shoulders. His fingers stroked over my cheek, leaving a trail of heat in their wake. My mouth parted in amazement, my face tilted instinctively into his caress. I didn't know what was going on, what he had in mind, until his lips pressed against mine.

And then, I just didn't care anymore.

Chapter 5

In the beginning his lips were warm, supple yet firm, as they pressed against mine. But his mouth became steadily more demanding, and his hand became more forceful upon me as he pulled me closer to him. I was caught up in the warmth and pleasure of his kiss, ensnared within the whirlwind of emotions and passion that sprang forth. Engulfed by the tempest his exquisite, desperate kiss created as his tongue entwined with mine.

I didn't know what he was desperate for, but I sensed the full force of that desperation beneath the rolling joy and passion that swirled rapidly between us, escalating higher and higher until I was certain that it was going to consume us both. I found I didn't care if it did. I only wanted to ease the passionate need I sensed simmering so fiercely beneath his calm facade.

Why he would need or desire me, I didn't know and I didn't care. Not right now. I was too entangled in the astonishing sensations encompassing me to care. His arm encircled my waist as he lifted me against him and held me firm against his chest. I had never felt like this before, never experienced something so fantastic, and joyous, and right. And it was so very right; it was as if everything in the world, no matter how awful and horrible it was, would be ok. I had found a place to belong, a place of safety within his arms. As long as I was here, and he was here, I would survive. We would survive.

Then something else began to happen. Something within my mind began to unravel, opening before me like a morning glory to daybreak. Memories spilled forth, engulfing me as they spiraled rapidly beyond my control. Memories that I had buried years ago, because that was where I preferred them. Memories of that horrible day. A day that, until this one, I had never thought could be topped as far as terror and devastation went.

I had been trapped, upside down, pinned by the twisted metal of the car. Stuck within the backseat I could do nothing more than stare at the broken body of my father in front of me. In the beginning he had been awake, he had asked about me and tried to calm me, but as time dragged on, and more blood was lost, he'd stopped speaking.

It had been awful, horrendous. So awful in fact that I had been too numb to cry, too engulfed by melancholy to fully understand what was going on. I was only nine, the most I knew of death was the small ceremonies we'd held to bury our pets in the backyard. I didn't know much of death, but I knew the exact instant when my father left me. I knew the man I loved more than anything wasn't coming back to me, and I still didn't cry. I'd been trapped within that wreck for hours, unable to break free no matter how hard I tried before they found us.

It had taken another hour for the rescuers to free me from the car. For that hour they had draped a sheet over my father, not to protect me from seeing him, it was too late for that. They had done it because they were unable to handle the sight of his ruined body, especially in front of his eerily composed and somewhat unnerving young daughter.

I didn't cry that day, or the three that followed it. I didn't speak either. I didn't talk about what I had seen, what it had been like to be imprisoned, unable to break free, while I listened to the sound of my father's blood dripping against the roof. I didn't talk about the fact that his small moans of suffering, moans that he had tried to stifle from me, haunted my every moment.

I didn't mention the awful silence and desolation that had engulfed me when those moans had stopped. I was left with only the endlessly dripping blood, and the horrifying realization that my father was gone. I had been unable to tell him that I loved him just once more before he left me. I told no one about any of it, not even my mother, who even through her own grief was more concerned about my wellbeing than her own.

That was the main reason I didn't cry. I didn't want her to know how badly I was damaged, how haunted and tormented I was. I wanted her to believe that I was strong, that I would be ok. I wanted her to believe that no matter what had happened she wouldn't have to worry about me too. I was fine. I was brave. I would survive, no matter how distraught and broken I really was.

It wasn't until the day of the funeral that I finally cried, and thankfully my mother hadn't been there to see it. But Cade had.

The funeral had been over but I was still wearing the small black dress my mother had picked out for me. Abby and Aiden, also dressed in black, hadn't been as stoic as me throughout the ceremony. They had wept openly. It was a fact that wasn't missed by most people and at the reception after I was the main topic of conversation. Though they whispered, and thought they were keeping their words from me, I wasn't as gone as they seemed to think I was.

I didn't catch it all, but I caught enough to know that their hushed words weren't truly heartfelt, but merely more gossip for them to banter about. Was there something wrong with me? Had the accident ruined me? Had I always been a cold child? Had they somehow managed to miss my oddness until now, when it was so blatantly obvious?

I'd slipped out of the house, eager to escape the oppressive heat of our home and their phony concern. There was a large, beautiful garden to the right of the house that my mom had been forced to sell the following year. The garden had been my mother's pride and joy, filled with flowers, strange plants, and the enticing scent of roses and lavender. In the far back corner there had been a wooden bench tucked beneath the drooping boughs of a giant willow. It was that bench that I made my way to.

I sat there for hours, my hands folded before me as I watched bees buzzing lazily about, and butterflies flitting from here to there. I tried not to think about anything, tried not to break under the weight of my mourning as it threatened to consume me. I don't know how long I sat there before I felt the presence of someone else. I lifted my head, blinking against the sun that had drifted lower in the sky. It took a few seconds to make out the young boy that had wandered into the garden; astonishment filled me as I recognized Cade.

Up until a couple of years ago Cade had been good friends with Aiden and I had always liked him. Unlike Aiden's other friends he had never tried to push me away, never called me names, and had not found me annoying, or tried to ditch me. He'd always invited me to play with them, always been kind and gentle. He'd exhibited endless patience with me, even when he'd taught me how to fish and I had insisted on throwing them all back. Aiden had vehemently protested it. Cade had simply done as I'd asked without a word of complaint and an understanding smile that had melted my young heart.

Then, when I was seven and Cade was eight, his parent's were killed in a home robbery gone wrong. Cade had been fortunate enough to be at a friend's house when the murders occurred. He was placed into foster care after, and though he still lived in our town he didn't live near us anymore. His friendship with Aiden ended abruptly after, and he'd stopped coming to our house nearly every day. He became distant and unfriendly toward us as he took to moving callously, and methodically, through his life. At his parent's funeral the caring friend I'd known, and loved, had ignored me when I tried to convey my sympathy over his awful loss. I'd tried to speak to him twice after that, but he'd walked right past me. Rejected and confused, I had given up trying to reach out to him.

And then, two years later, Cade with two parents gone and me with one, he was suddenly standing before me again. He was taller than the last time he'd been at my house, lankier, and already becoming one of the most handsome and sought after boys in school. Yet, that was not the person standing before me in the garden. This person was different. This person wasn't just a mere boy, not anymore. For the first time I understood that though Cade still looked like a boy, he had already stopped being one. He had, in fact, become a man two years ago when his parents were so viciously taken away from him. Fate had seen fit to spare him, but longing and sorrow remained in his surprisingly wise eyes.

For the first time I understood why Cade didn't smile and laugh and talk and play with us anymore. I understood that though I may do those things again someday, I would never do them in the same way that I had done them just four days ago. For the first time, I understood that though Abby and Aiden had also lost a parent, they didn't share what Cade and I did. They didn't have to live with the burden of having been spared, when they should have died.

My siblings would never wish that they had been home too, so maybe they could have done something to stop it like Cade did. They would never wish that they had been able to warn our dad about the deer sooner, before it had been too late to stop the car. They would never feel guilt over being the ones to survive, when they shouldn't have. When we shouldn't have.

Cade sat beside me in the fading light of what had been a beautiful early summer day. We didn't speak as an hour, and then two, slipped by. The sunset lit up the sky with a myriad of beautiful colors that should have been uplifting, but somehow only made me sadder. My father would never see such a beautiful sunset again. I shouldn't have been there to see it, but I was.

Seeming to sense my growing distress, Cade's fingers slid into mine and something began to ease inside of me. I felt at home, I didn't feel so ashamed and devastated with him beside me, holding me. For the first time in days I didn't feel guilty, I wasn't consumed by self-hatred. I didn't close my eyes and see the broken body of my father. The nightmares that caused me to wake, screaming soundlessly every night, didn't even seem so bad right now. With him holding my hand I didn't feel like I was going to fall apart, shattering like a dropped piece of glass if I moved the wrong way. For the first time, I almost felt a small measure of peace again.

"It's ok to cry." His voice was soft as the sun slipped beyond the horizon.

And for the first and last time, I did. I didn't sob loudly or completely fall apart. I didn't scream and rail against the heavens, or fate, as I had worried every second of the past few days I would. Instead I wept soundlessly as all the anguish and shame steadily poured from my broken heart. He wrapped his arm around me and pulled me against his side. Cradling my head, he didn't tell me to stop, didn't tell me that it would all be alright, didn't offer me the same false words that everyone else had over the past few days. He simply held and comforted me in a way that I had never been held, or comforted, before.

It was nightfall before my tears finally subsided and I lay spent against him. I could feel the rigid press of his ribs against my cheek; hear the solid beat of his heart. The crickets were out, an owl hooted somewhere in the distance, and though it was growing cooler neither of us moved. I needed him and his understanding. I had to know that I wasn't as hated as I felt. In those moments, I needed him more than I had ever needed anything in my life. I was not going to be the first one to pull away.

It was another hour before my front door opened and light spilled across the large front porch. People had been steadily leaving all day, but no one had noticed us under the shelter of the willow tree. There were still a few cars in the drive, but I knew that it wasn't one of their owners stepping outside now.

"Bethany! Bethy are you out here!?" I longed to stay hidden away and remain secure in Cade's arms all night. The last thing I felt like doing was returning to that house, with all of its loving memories, and reminders of things lost. With all of the enclosed spaces that seemed menacing to me after the car accident. "Bethany where are you!?"

It was the edge of hysteria in her voice that roused me from my cocoon of understanding and support. She had just lost her husband, and she was terrified that she was losing me. I hadn't understood it at the time, but my mother had known I was standing on a thin precipice that was about to crumble from beneath me. She had worried she would lose me forever, and she hadn't known how to stop it from happening. Only Cade had.

"Bethany!" Her voice broke, the 'any' part of my name came out as more of a sob then a shout.

"Here mom!" I called, unable to bear the thought of her crying again, at least not over me. Though, she had already cried plenty of times for me. "I'm right here!"

"Where?"

"The garden. I'll be right in!"

She didn't call for me again, but she didn't go inside either. She stood in the doorway, waiting patiently for her wayward, broken child. Cade squeezed my hand; I sensed the loss that filled him, the regret and sadness that held him captive. He wrapped his hand around the back of my head. Pulling me to him, he kissed my forehead with a note of goodbye that caused the last of my tears to fall.

"One day Bethany the nightmares will not plague you, the hurt will not be all encompassing, and you will be able to breathe again. It does get better, I can promise you that much."

I nodded; he was the first person that had told me this that I actually believed. I put faith in his words because he knew; he understood how I felt more than anyone else possibly could. Over time, through the therapy my mom forced me into, and because of the enduring love of my family, friends, and my own growing understanding of the world and myself, things had gotten better. Just as he had promised they would. But back then, his promise was the only thing I had to count on in those early hours, days, and weeks. The only thing I had to cling to in order to keep some grip on the world surrounding me, in order to keep on breathing.

"Bethany!" my mom called again, impatience and anxiety evident in her voice.

"I have to go." He nodded, pulled me close to him and kissing me ever so tenderly again but this time on the mouth. I stared at him in awe, my lips trembling as I was jolted by the impact of his warm lips upon mine. I had just received my first kiss, and it had been so delightfully sweet and uplifting. It had been everything I had ever dreamed it would be, even on that hideously bleak night, and it had been with him. "Goodnight Cade."

He managed a small smile; his black eyes gleamed in the increasing moonlight as he released me. My legs were shaking from his lingering effect on me as I made my way out from under the tree. "Goodbye Bethany," I thought I heard him whisper.

When I glanced back I could just barely make him out upon the bench, watching me as I walked to the house. Over the next few weeks I kept expecting him to reappear, I would even go to the garden and wait for him, but he never did. I would see him in school, but I was too shy to approach him after being rebuked before, and he didn't approach me. Then, as time slipped by, and the normal routine of life once again took hold, I stopped waiting for him to reappear, and eventually forgot about that night.

Until now.

Now I was swarmed by the memory, the emotions, the loss, and the peace that he had given me on that long ago night. And once again I was crying.

Chapter 6

"It's ok Bethany." I heard him whisper through the haze of memories assaulting me. "It's ok to cry."

Those hauntingly familiar words wrenched a muted sob from me. I bowed my head before him as he soothingly stroked my cheeks. I think he knew where my mind had gone, what memories haunted me now. "You didn't come back after that night. You didn't come back then."

His forehead rested on mine as his hands pressed against my cheeks. "I couldn't." I understood. My fresh grief had reopened his barely healed wounds. That night he had come to offer me what comfort he could, but he had been unable to handle giving me anymore. "This time, no matter what, I will come back for you Bethany, I promise. I will always come back for you. But you must stay here, with your sister and your mother."

I was tempted to argue his decision, but I couldn't. He pressed something into my hand and closed my fingers around it. "I locked the store when we left. If I'm not back in three hours you and Abby are going to have to get your mother back to that room. Bring enough supplies for a week. Yes Bethany, you must do this." He emphasized in response to my rapid head shaking.

"I can't. That room."

He lifted my face and took a step closer to me. "It's the safest place for now. You have to find something to help you get your mother over there, and you will be ok in that room. It's not that car Bethany."

I recoiled from his words, shrinking before him as he struck straight at the heart of the matter. I tried to pull my face free of his grasp but he refused to release me. "If they find us we will be trapped in there, cornered like rats." I managed to stammer in my defense.

"They won't find you."

"You can't know that!" I shot back, struggling to hide my upset behind my anger.

"No," he murmured. "I can't know that, but it is the safest place for all of you right now. I will meet you there if I can't get back here in time."

"Cade..."

He kissed me again, putting an end to my protest with his lips. I sighed against him, letting go of my indignation as relief and pleasure swamped me. I slid my fingers into his thick hair, pulling him closer as I opened my mouth to his again. This was wonderful, he was wonderful, and I never wanted it to end. But it had to. I didn't know what any of this meant, but I did know that I couldn't keep him here.

This time I was the one that pulled away. I rested my hands over his strong ones, squeezing them before moving away. He had to go; I knew that, he knew that. What neither of us knew was what was going to happen if he did return, or if he didn't. But he had to leave now, before I couldn't let him.

"I will come back Bethany," he vowed.

I nodded as I managed a weak smile. I watched him move out of the room until he disappeared. I felt a piece of my heart go with him. Abby moved into the doorway, her doe brown eyes were as round as baseballs as she gazed at me. "Well one thing's for sure," she said after a lengthy silence.

I licked my lips nervously. My body thrilled at the fact that I could still taste him on me as my toes curled. Swallowing heavily, I tried to wet my parched throat. He had to come back, he just had too. "What's that?" I managed to croak out.

"If Bret isn't frozen, he's going to be pretty pissed if we find him."

My mouth parted, I inhaled sharply as shock rocked me back on my heels. It was the first time I'd thought about Bret in awhile. The first time I'd thought about my sweet and loving boyfriend who was nothing but kind and unfailingly faithful to me. How could I possibly have forgotten about him? Guilt and dismay filled me as I slumped onto the bed. I had forgotten about Bret, but if he was still moving, I knew that he had not forgotten about me. Not even for one small second would he have forgotten about me. In fact, if he was still moving I was certain he would be arriving here as soon as he could, with his best friend, my brother.

***

Abby and I struggled to move our mother onto the piece of plywood I had uncovered from behind our sagging shed. Originally we had planned to transport her in our old red wagon, but there was no way for us to maneuver it rapidly and quietly through the woods. I had to pause repeatedly to wipe the sweat from my brow as I fought to maneuver our immobile mother onto the small board. I hoped that Abby would be able to hold up her end; she was strong for her size, but not used to physical labor.

It was going to be a tiring walk back to the antique store if we didn't have help.

Tears slid down Abby's face as she briefly stroked our mother's hair. I was captivated by the striking similarities between them. Even if our mother was gone forever (a fact that I couldn't even consider right now), she would live on in Abby far more than she would in Aiden or I.

For as long as I could keep Abby alive, anyway, I realized with a pang of longing. Abby was my responsibility now, and I had to keep her safe, no matter what happened.

I moved to the window and cautiously pulled back the curtain. The street lights, on a timer, had come to life a couple of hours ago. Almost all of the houses on the street were dark. A few owners had accidently forgotten to turn off lights on their way out the door this morning, or perhaps they had left them on in preparation for their late return home tonight. A home that none of them appeared to have come back to. If there were other people out there still moving about, they were keeping their presence as secret as we were.

It was so lonely, so gloomy and frightening out there. I shuddered as I tried to keep my apprehension hidden from Abby. "It's been an hour," Abby whispered.

"He'll come back." I replied more for my benefit than for hers. "Stay here Abby."

She bolted from the bed and staggered toward me. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to pack some things. Just stay away from the windows."

"Bethany..."

I left the room before she could protest further. I felt bad leaving her there, but I had to have some time alone to think, and attempt to sort this whole mess out. Not like that was going to be possible. I hurried to the bedroom that Abby and I shared. Whereas I was a complete neat freak, Abby was the exact opposite. It was difficult to make out the mess of clothes on the floor by her bed, or avoid tripping over them. I hadn't seen or heard any movement for hours, but I felt as if the most minuscule noise would be heard all the way to the moon if I made it.

I dug out my school backpack and dumped the contents on the bed. For the first time I didn't bother to place them neatly. There was no need; I didn't think I would be returning either here, or to school. I quickly gathered my clothes and shoved them into the backpack along with shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, and toothbrushes. I would like to pack more, but I had to keep things as light as possible, especially without being able to drive anywhere. I grabbed Abby's backpack and began to shove clothes inside for her. Abby would have preferred to pack her own things, but she would have taken an excruciatingly long time to do so. I was nipping that little problem in the bud right now.

I carried both backpacks, with their meager contents, out to the hall where I placed them by the door for later. I moved carefully downstairs, feeling my way forward as I tried not to trip over my own feet. Creeping into the kitchen I pulled a trash bag from beneath the sink. I packed only a few perishables. We would have to eat them right away, but I was determined to bring as much food as possible and there wasn't much in the way of canned goods. I topped the bag off with paper plates, spoons, and forks before tossing in a can opener. From the pantry I pulled a case of water out before grabbing some of Aiden's Gatorade and a few sodas. In the end I put the sodas back, Abby would want them, but they would only weigh the plywood down more.

I placed the bag by the backdoor. Pressing my hand against the glass, I stared out at the night. Thankfully the moon wasn't bright tonight, but the stars twinkled in the sky. I allowed myself to recall the time before the aliens had come, a time when I had looked to the sky and dreamed if there was anything else out there.

I wished that question had never been answered.

At first they had seemed peaceful, eager to help us, happy to impart their wisdom. But after the beginning peace, and shared advances, things began to change. It started gradually, with a few rights stripped away here and there. It had been so gradual in fact that we hadn't truly noticed their losses until it had been too late. Weapons were barred to promote peace amongst us all. The aliens claimed that they didn't possess weapons, or at least not ones they were willing to show us at that time. It was obvious now that their weapons were far more twisted and deadly than anything we ever could have imagined, or possessed.

Then our cell phones were done away with. It was odd not to have the device strapped to me all the time, but the towers were taken down because the aliens claimed that they did, in fact, cause cancer and other health problems. Our government had believed them; apparently there had been evidence to support the alien's claim.

Airplanes were banned next; their threat to the alien spacecrafts, and to human life, was the explanation behind that one. We travelled in alien space craft's when it was necessary, but it wasn't often they allowed humans on board. It was mostly government officials, powerful businessmen, certain wealthy, and some famous people that were allowed on the smaller alien ships.

The transition was eagerly accepted by some, but a growing dissent had started to move throughout the world over the past couple of months. However, it had been too late to stop the rapid acceleration that was taking place. The internet was next; they didn't offer a reason for this. There was no need to anymore as they had already methodically taken almost everything over and shut it down. Vehicles and driving had been banned last week, and it was at this point in time that most people began to realize that we were separated from the rest of the world, cut off from the towns next to us even.

It was too late by then. We had nothing left, they had taken it all, and we had allowed them to do it. Now they had come for our lives. They were sweeping through our streets, literally sucking the life from people. I shuddered, my hand pressed flatter against the glass. I wanted Cade back; I had to know that he was ok. I wished that Aiden was here, that I knew if my brother was safe.

I needed Bret also, what I had done with Cade was awful, but I did love Bret. He was impossible not to love. He was so open and honest and caring that there were times when I thought he was too good to be true, but he was. Times when I felt like less of a person because I knew I wasn't as good as he was, and that I never could be. I was withdrawn, adrift in the world with little idea of where I planned to go, even before all of this had occurred, and I could be extremely cynical. I knew the world was a cold, cruel place that was just waiting to strike down the ones we loved down. But Bret didn't see it that way. He saw it as something good and wondrous, something beautiful. He saw it as something to be treasured and enjoyed every day.

Bret was an amazing man that I couldn't begin to fathom, and wasn't entirely sure I wanted to. Someone like Bret shouldn't be figured out; he should only be enjoyed and cherished. And I did cherish him, even if his kisses didn't cause the same heart stopping physical yearning that Cade's did. Even if I had never felt completely understood and accepted by Bret. At least not in the same strange way that Cade seemed to understand and accept me.

Bret thought I could be better; he tried in subtle and not so subtle ways to change my reserved nature. It was strange to realize that Cade seemed to accept me for me, seemed to believe that I was already stronger and more capable than I believed myself to be. He had more faith in me than anyone I had ever known before and it humbled and awed me.

An aching sadness began to fill me. If Bret was frozen then there was a good possibility that his light would be taken from this world. That would be one of the greatest losses this planet would ever know. Yet, if he wasn't frozen, there was the distinct possibility that he wouldn't emerge from this the same; that his inherent goodness would be tarnished by the evil threatening us now. If he knew about my feelings for Cade, and what had just passed between us, a part of him would be broken.

He trusted me completely and loved me with an open honesty I hadn't been sure I deserved even before I kissed Cade. Now I was certain that I didn't deserve it. Bret could never know; I could never hurt him in such a way, or allow him to be hurt so badly. I had always known I was not the great person Bret believed me to be, but he didn't have to know just how awful I really was. Not yet anyway. He would find out soon enough, if he was still moving. Bret would finally acknowledge that I wasn't the perfect person he thought I was. I just hoped it didn't destroy him.

I moved away from the window. I hated the stars now, despised their mocking brilliance. The stars had held their own secrets, but they had been horrible secrets that they'd spewed upon us in waves of hatred and death. I wondered if the rest of the world was sharing in this horrendous experience, or if the aliens were moving around the planet at a leisurely pace. Perhaps they were methodically taking over the world one town at a time until it was completely theirs. I felt that it was more than likely it was the whole world at once. They wouldn't take the chance of others finding out what was going on, and finding some way to stop them.

If there was any way to stop them.

There was no way to know what was going on elsewhere though, no way for us to establish contact outside of this town, without leaving it. I had no idea how we would get our mother that far if it ended up just being Abigail and I. That was a problem I'd tackle if we came to it though.

Moving through the kitchen, I avoided the table as I made my way back to the hall. I had just stepped out of the room when a light flashed over the back door. I froze, my heart hammering, my adrenaline pulsing rapidly through my body as I stood breathless and shaking. The light moved rapidly over the backdoor and bounced around the room. At first I thought it was the beam from a flashlight, that either the aliens or some idiot was making their way through the woods behind our home. Then I realized that it was one of their smaller spaceships, one of the ones that I had only seen twice before.

They were usually docked within the larger ships, hidden away. But when they had emerged they'd flitted about with an easy grace that had reminded me of a firefly. The smaller ships had been purposely brought forth in order to show the government, and the people, the dexterity and speed that they possessed. They had been brought out as a way to gain trust, as a promise of more hopeful futures for all of us, promises that had turned out to be nothing but lies.

Now one of them was on the move again, but this time it wasn't whimsical and fascinating. Nothing good could come from its sudden appearance. I slipped further into the shadow of the stairs, uncertain how to handle this sudden development. I didn't think that they might be moving on already. Instinctively I knew they wouldn't leave until they made sure they had all of the people, and blood, they could gather.

The lights danced around the room, flashing off the countertops, floor, and table. It seemed as if they were trying to search for us within the house. But that was crazy. There was no way that they could know we were here. They couldn't. Or could they?

I shuddered at the thought, my heart pounded as my throat went dry. Cade was out there somewhere, unprotected and vulnerable to the searching lights. I took another step back and then froze as I realized the lights were also bouncing across the front windows, filling the living room and hall. I couldn't move, there was nowhere for me to go, no way to escape the increasingly frantic bounce and sway of the beams.

I could hear the frantic staccato of my heart as it hammered against my ribs. I didn't breathe, I wasn't sure I could draw air into my constricted chest. I stared at the roof above me as I prayed that Abby was away from the lights, that she didn't attempt to go near a window. I loved her dearly, but sometimes she didn't think through the consequences of her actions. I hoped that this wasn't one of those times.

I remained still as stone as the lights flashed over the house and me. The ships were moving far slower than they had during their exhibition. What the hell were they doing?

And then, the screaming began.

Chapter 7

I bolted forward, racing down the hall as adrenaline spurted through me. I completely forgot about the lights, completely forgot about my own safety as concern for Abby consumed me. I grasped hold of the banister and leapt up the stairs two at a time. My foot caught one of the steps wrong, I nearly face planted as I fell in an awkward direction. My fingers scrambled to keep hold of the banister; it was the only thing that kept me from tumbling down the stairs. Pain lanced through my knees and hands as they smacked off the stairs, but Abby's endless screams heedlessly drove me back to my feet.

"Abby! Abby!" I raced down the hall, blinking against the blinding radiance flashing rapidly over my brutalized eyes. I felt like I was in a hideously bad horror movie as I lifted my hands to try and fend off some of the dazzling beams. Abby's screams rose and fell as her terror pulsated throughout the house. I plunged down the hall, no longer caring about the noise I made as I ran. It didn't matter anyway; they already knew we were here.

I slammed off of a table in the hallway, knocking it over with a clattering bang. It skidded a few feet away and I had to jump over it as it tumbled down the hall. Abby's cries abruptly broke off and I found the ensuing hush far worse than her screams had been. Light flooded my mother's room as I burst through the doorway. I stumbled, fell, lurched back to my feet before stumbling back again and slamming into the bedroom wall.

I flattened against the wall; my heart was in my throat as I took in the awful spectacle before me. It wasn't us that the aliens were looking for, but our mother. That thing, that awful tentacle thing was in the room. It was moving up and down in a searching pattern as it slid across the floor toward where our mother still sat upon the plywood.

Abby was on the bed, her mouth gaping, her hands grasping either side of her head as she watched the thing slithering forward. It had broken the window; glass littered the floor around it and gleamed in the illumination filling the room. "Oh," Abby moaned.

I didn't know what to do, how to react. Then that thing reached our mother. Images of what had happened to the man on the street flooded my mind. There was no way I was going to allow that to happen to her. I scurried forward and fell to my knees as I grabbed a piece of glass from the floor. I ignored the sting that sliced through my palms and knees as the glass bit into my flesh. Adrenaline propelled me as I lifted the glass over my head and drove down with the full force of my might.

Blood exploded over me, but I instinctively knew it was not that things blood. It pulsed out of the tentacle in spraying waves that coated me, and the walls. I thought it was Abby's screams filling the room and it took me a minute to realize it was actually the thing that was screaming. It screeched as it jerked and flopped over the floor, twisting and withering violently as it reared up high before slamming down again.

I staggered back to my feet and scrambled to get out of the way as it whipped toward me. It slammed into my back, knocking me to my hands and knees with a blow forceful enough to knock the air from my lungs. Choking, gasping for breath, I attempted to crawl away as it came at me again. The end of the tentacle opened to reveal piercing, needlelike teeth that had been crammed into a hideous, six inch wide mouth.

A gurgled cry of alarm tore from me. I was shaking, and my shirt was plastered to me with sweat and blood. I was half afraid I was going to have a heart attack. I may not be frozen like the others, but that thing was still completely capable of killing me, even if I had maimed it. Its howling cries grew louder as it zipped at me, slicing across my cheek and spilling more of my blood. Suddenly its screams weren't all about agony, but also excitement and hunger as it tasted me.

I dodged its attack as it searched for the source of fresh blood. I rapidly crab crawled backwards as it lunged at me again. This time I wasn't fast enough though.

It wrapped around my middle and wound toward my throat with the speed of a cobra. I clawed at it, trying to grasp it as it neared my throat with deadly velocity. "No, no, no," I found myself uselessly panting out the word, even as the thing continued to ensnare me.

"Bethany!" Abby screamed.

Then it was there, in front of my face, floating before my eyes. Those thousands of needlelike teeth clicked as they rippled over like dandelions blowing in a summer wind. Though it had no discernible eyes I knew it was staring at me, judging me, sizing me up; tormenting me before it delivered its killing blow.

The thing screamed as it reared back. I recoiled as I waited for the death blow to be delivered, but it didn't come. I winced as it constricted upon me, nearly cracking my ribs with its intense pressure. The thing dropped suddenly, hissing and screaming as it plummeted out of my line of vision. Inhaling deeply, I was finally able to draw a full breath as its crushing embrace on my lungs eased.

My gaze found Abby across the way, sitting over the creature. The piece of glass within her hands had been driven through my original impact area, severing the thing in half. She was shaking as she stared back at me with blood splattered cheeks. Gratitude filled me; I pulled the limp thing away from me and dropped it onto the floor as I shakily rose to my feet.

I had only a moment of relief though as all of the beams suddenly stopped flashing and became focused solely upon our house. They blazed dazzlingly, lighting the room far more than even the sun would. I lifted my hand in an attempt to block the blinding light from my burning retinas. "Abby, get away from the window," I commanded.

"Bethany?"

"Get away from the window!" I ordered more sternly, my teeth clenching as my body thrummed with a sense of impending doom.

Abby crawled toward me; carefully avoiding the thing sprawled on the floor. "Hurry Abby, hurry!" I urged.

She was almost to me when another window shattered. Glass sprayed inward, showering the room with its jagged slivers. It cut across my arms, sliced my flesh, and one shard imbedded in my raised right forearm. A cry escaped me as I grabbed hold of the glass and tore it from my skin. Blood surged forth but I had no time to try and staunch the flow. Abby was curled into the fetal position, her hands wrapped protectively around her head. Her screams were piercing as they reverberated throughout the room.

We had to get out of here. Now.

I tossed the glass aside as I ran toward Abby. "Get up Abby! Get up!" I grabbed hold of her shoulders and pulled her toward me. "Abby get up!"

She was still screaming as she stumbled to her feet. Her cheek had been cut, glass was in her hair, but thankfully she seemed to have weathered the exploding window better than I had. "Grab the plywood. Abby, grab the plywood!"

Shock was evident in her slack features and glazed eyes. The courage she had just recently displayed seemed to have vanished before this fresh onslaught of brutality. I thought maybe I should slap her, that is what they did in movies after all, but I felt the last thing Abby needed was any more physical trauma right now. "Abby please, you have to help me. I can't do this alone."

She was moving with me to the plywood when a burst of motion caught my attention. I wouldn't have been more surprised to see a talking squirrel sitting in the window as I was to see at least twenty of those things crammed into it now. They moved and dodged and darted as gracefully as sparrows as they swarmed toward us.

"Move!" I cried.

I grabbed hold of the plywood and lifted my mom swiftly off the bed. Abby was sobbing as she grabbed the other end. "Hurry Abby, hurry." The tears streaking down her face cleansed some of the blood that had sprayed over her. "Go," I urged.

Abby choked on her sobs as she moved toward the door. My arms were already aching from the weight of the plywood, and our mother. We couldn't move fast enough, couldn't get out of this room in time. I found myself wordlessly praying, desperate to run, desperate to move faster. Desperate to survive as all of my survival instincts kicked into high gear and the fight or flight response consumed me.

"Bethany," Abby moaned.

She was near the door, almost completely out of it, but I wasn't close enough. I wasn't nearly close enough, and Abby could see those things. She knew where they were, I didn't. "I'm sorry," I breathed.

She opened her mouth to say something but I shoved forward, thrusting the plywood, and our mother, forcefully at her. Abby cried out and staggered into the hall before she disappeared beneath the weight of the plywood, and our mother's frozen form. I dove through the door, rolling as I dodged the snapping tentacles close on my heels.

Chapter 8

I scrambled back over top of the plywood, not feeling at all sorry when I knocked my immobile mother out of the way. I was pretty sure she would forgive me, and understand. I lunged forward and grabbed the bottom of the bedroom door as one of those things rushed at me with deadly purpose. I yanked the door toward me, slamming it shut with a resounding thud that echoed throughout the house.

I fell back, my rapid pants loud in my ears as I tried to catch my breath. One of the things slammed into the door, rattling it in its frame. The old wood held up beneath the onslaught. For now, anyway. "Abby get up! Abby up, up!"

Abby was trying to get to her feet, but she struggled beneath the weight of the plywood lying half on top of her. I tugged impatiently at it as I helped to pull it off of her. The things were banging against the door with more urgency now. They would break through it soon enough. Finally freeing Abby, I threw the plywood back down and began to awkwardly roll our mom onto it.

"Bethany," Abby whispered. "Bethany, we have to go."

"I know, I know," I replied impatiently as I finally managed to shove my mom haphazardly onto the wood. Light suddenly filled the upper hallway. The hair on the nape of my neck stood on end as I lifted my head. The window at the end of the hall was now ablaze, the room behind me had become eerily silent. "Oh."

Abby grasped hold of my arm, her grip bruising and harsh. "Bethy."

I raised slowly, my heart hammering, and my whole body trembling. "Get the other end of the plywood Abby."

"Bethy..."

"Now Abby, get it now!"

She released me and crawled to the other end of the board. It wasn't the beams blazing in on us that unnerved me most, but the sudden, ensuing, horrendous quiet. The only sound was the faint scrape of Abby's shoe against the floor as she bent to pick up the other side.

They were toying with us, and they were enjoying every minute of it. For the first time I became certain that we wouldn't escape this, that we wouldn't make it of this house alive. I ignored the bite the weight of the plywood caused my injured palms as I gripped it firmly. Shuffling forward, I kicked aside the broken bits of the table I had knocked over earlier. There may be no chance that we were going to escape this, but I wasn't going to give up easily.

"Go Abby." Her deep brown eyes rolled toward me as she stared at me with a trembling bottom lip. "Move."

Abby kept her eyes on the window, but she began to edge her way down the hall toward the stairs. There was no sound as she turned into the stairwell and made her way backwards down the steps. Tears brimmed in her eyes, but she didn't complain and she didn't cry. She made it to the bottom of the stairs and turned the corner. Light was still blazing through the windows, illuminating our way as we shuffled through the downstairs hallway.

"What are they doing?" Abby whispered. I shook my head; I had no answer for that. "They're going to kill us."

I agreed. I just wasn't going to tell her that. We were almost to the kitchen when the backdoor flew open. I accidently slammed the board into Abby, nearly knocking her over, as she stopped abruptly. My heart lurched in my chest, instantly my throat went dry. I was certain that this was the end, we were going to die. I wanted to grab Abby and shove her behind me to try and keep her safe, but I couldn't reach her with the plywood between us.

Someone stepped into the kitchen. I blinked rapidly, trying to get my eyes to focus on the person that was highlighted by the harsh glow of light. Abby was shaking so severely that the board was rattling. Was it one of the aliens? Had they actually come down in order to start retrieving us? "Abby?"

"Aiden?" she croaked. My whole body sagged with relief. "Aiden?"

He stepped further into the room, coming into better view as he moved. "Mom?" he whispered.

"You shouldn't have come Aiden," I breathed. Heartbreak filled me as I realized that he was now trapped with us.

"Bethany..."

"You shouldn't have come Aiden," I repeated fighting to get the words out around the lump of tears clogging my throat.

"I had to."

"We're going to die."

I had feared that it might be true, but saying the words aloud made it a completely devastating reality. It was true. The three of us wouldn't make it out of this house alive. "Bethy..."

My gaze slid past Aiden, my heart plummeted even further as Bret stepped into the room behind him. "Oh Bret," I whispered, despair filling me. Not Bret too, I didn't think I could handle it. He was a part of our family; he was a part of me. He was Aiden's best friend, Abby's second brother, and he was here because he loved me with everything he had. He was going to die because of me, and I had kissed another man just an hour ago. I had never hated myself more. "You shouldn't have come."

He frowned at me as his head tilted to the side. Like Aiden and I, he was fair, but his hair was a darker blond than ours. "I had to," he said simply, and it was that simple for him. The acid in my stomach churned like I'd just eaten bad chicken. Guilt churned within me as self hatred swamped me. I was suddenly grateful that I wouldn't have much longer to despise myself.

"Hurry," Aiden urged.

I didn't say it didn't matter if we hurried or not. I'd already expressed my opinion on this whole situation. I wasn't going to bring them down any further with my pessimism. "What is going on?" Bret's gaze flitted toward the fully aglow front of the house.

"We pissed them off," I answered. "And now they're toying with us."

Aiden came forward and nudged Abby aside as he grabbed the plywood. His gaze locked on our mother, tears shimmered in his eyes as his head tilted to the side. "Mom," he murmured. The heartache in his voice was almost more than I could bear.

"Aiden please, we have to move. Abby by the door there are some bags of food, you have to grab them." I didn't think we would make it far, but we would need food if we did, and we had to do something other than stand here. I had to think about something other than our impending demise.

"Why are you covered in blood?" Aiden demanded.

I shook my head; I wasn't ready to get into all of the gory details right now. There was no reason to. If Aiden hadn't seen those awful sucking tentacles yet, I was pretty sure he was about to. "Go Abby, please," I pleaded.

She nodded as she released the plywood to Aiden. His gaze was back on our mom, I'd seen kicked puppies that looked better than he did. Abby grabbed the bags by the door and turned back to us expectantly. Bret came to me, but thankfully I couldn't release the plywood to hug him. I could barely stand the small kiss he dropped on my cheek. It just made me feel even more disloyal and hideous.

I had known for a few years how he felt about me, but up until this year I had warded off his advances. I loved him, deeply, but I'd never been sure if it was as anything more than a friend. Four months ago I finally relented to his pursuit. I'd reasoned that the only way I could ever know how I truly felt about him was to stop pushing him away, and treating him like a brother. Perhaps I could fall in love with him then.

Things were good between us, sweet and caring, and simple. We never fought, never even bickered. But our relationship didn't possess any of the passion, or rightness, that I felt with Cade. It was rare when we kissed, and I still found it awkward and uncomfortable. Bret was patient with me, certain that I would eventually come to feel more for him, and it was impossible not to put faith in anything that Bret said. Where Cade was an enigma, always had been, and always would be, Bret was an open book of honesty, hope, and love.

Bret's hand lingered on my cheek, brushing aside some of the drying blood that clung to me. "Are you ok?"

"No," I answered honestly. "I am not ok. We have to get out of here, now."

"Yes." His hand brushed briefly against mine as he took the plywood from me. He was bigger than Cade, taller and broader through the shoulders. He was exceptionally handsome in a lively, unguarded way that was the exact opposite of Cade's dark splendor. Bret had been the quarterback on the football team, the star athlete. He could have had a full ride to any college he chose but that hope had been squashed by the aliens. People didn't travel anywhere anymore, never mind to college in order to better themselves. The aliens had claimed that under their society everyone would be equal, and that higher education wasn't necessary. There would be no more starvation, no more illness and premature death, and far less crime. It had never surprised me that so many people had fallen for their lies; it was easy to believe in something if someone was desperate enough.

Bret had been mister popularity, the golden boy that the girls had chased around, and yet, for some reason he had chosen to pursue me. I should have been flattered by this; all of my friends had told me so. They'd been jealous when he'd started asking me out. They'd also been extremely incredulous, and angry, when I had continued to turn him down. They hadn't been any happier when I finally relented and said yes to him. They simply hadn't understood how I felt about Bret; they still didn't, and in all honesty, neither did I.

"Bethy." I turned my head toward him, trying to keep my face impassive as I met his gaze. "I'll keep you safe."

I winced involuntarily, mentally kicking myself even harder. If, by some miracle, we did survive this I was officially going to consider myself the worst human being ever.

"We have to be quick, move through the woods, down the trail. We can lose them once we get into the thick areas." Aiden's tone was hopeful, but we all knew that was highly unlikely. They were airborne after all. "Abby, get the door."

Abby glanced nervously at all of us as her hands clenched on the bag she held. Taking a deep breath she managed a firm nod before hastily pulling the door open. My heart leapt in my chest, but Abby was already rushing outside. I almost screamed at her to wait, to come back, but we were no safer in here than we were out there.

"Stay close," Bret ordered as we rushed out the door behind Abby.

I was tempted to argue with him and tell him that I could take care of myself, but what was the point? I couldn't take care of myself in this situation. No one could.

The light was far more vivid outside; it blazed across the sky with the force of a million bulbs. It blared against my eyes, causing me to stumble and nearly fall as I bumbled blindly behind the plywood. A rumbling filled the air and shook the ground. I was dismayed to recognize it as the same awful sensation that had accompanied the arrival of that hideous thing earlier.

I didn't look back to see what was coming at us, I knew what was back there, and I didn't want to see it again. Bret's breathing was heavy beside me, I strained to make out Abby, but I couldn't see her through the glare pounding against my irises. I was going to be blind by the time this was over.

I felt more than heard or saw the impending attack, simply because those two senses were almost completely useless right now. I knew that it was coming, that something was hunting us, and that it was close. I wasn't ready, I was too young for this, and I certainly had never thought I'd go out this way.

An image of my father flashed before my eyes. I was grateful that he'd never had to know this, had never had to see his family hunted and slaughtered like rodents. I was glad that, as of right now, my mother seemed to have no idea that she was being pursued, and that her children were so close to death. Unfortunately she would wake up, just as that man had, but by then it would be too late, and death would follow shortly after. She would never have to know the loss of her children.

I was glad for all of these things, and I was especially glad that I seemed to be the first one that they were going to take down. I couldn't stand to watch as they took my siblings, and Bret. I was tempted to let go of the board and bolt in a different direction, but I knew it wouldn't do me any good, and I wasn't about to go down like a coward.

No, I was going to die brave, or at least make an attempt at it.

Chapter 9

A loud bang rang out, causing me to jump as Abby let out a startled scream. I ducked low as another bang shattered the air and the weird, echoing screams of the creatures filled the night. They hissed and screeched as another reverberating bang erupted. I was finally able to place the source of the loud, startling explosions, as gunshots.

I looked rapidly around, but though the vivid illumination had faded somewhat with the start of the gunshots it was still tough to make anything out. Another shot thundered through the air. Bret cursed loudly; he was half bent over the plywood as we continued to rush forward. I caught a brief glimpse of Abby as she dashed off the trail and disappeared into the woods. My shoulders slumped, at least Abby was safer.

The strange screaming increased intensified as another shot rang out. We were almost to the end of the path, almost to the thicker woods when my eyes finally detected the source of the gunshots. Cade stood at the edge of the woods, a shotgun leveled against his shoulder, his gaze focused on something beyond us. I was finally able to breathe easy again as the constriction in my chest loosened. I didn't know where he'd gotten the gun from, and I didn't care as he fired another shot.

His black eyes briefly met mine before he dropped the gun and rapidly reloaded it. "Hurry!" Abby called from the woods. "Please hurry!"

Cade raised the gun again and fired another shot that caused the odd, hissing type of scream to explode in a torrent of rage and pain that made my eardrums throb. "This way!" someone else shouted from the woods.

Aiden left the trail and plunged deeper into the forest. Cade slipped into the shadows, disappearing as he blended in with the night. We slipped through the forest, unnaturally loud as we crashed through the trees, and underbrush, desperate to escape the monsters that followed us. I didn't see Cade again until he appeared as suddenly as a ghost beside me.

"Give it to me," His hand was against mine as he tried to take the plywood from me. "Let go Bethany."

"No, my mom..."

"I'll keep her safe, just get ahead of us."

"Cade..."

"Go."

The brief caress of his fingers against mine sent a firestorm of sensations throughout me. I stared at him as I tried to understand what exactly was going on, but I failed miserably. "Listen to him Bethy," Bret urged. I fought against the guilt filling me as I relinquished my hold on the plywood. "Stay with Abby."

I turned from them, unable to meet either of their gazes as I ran from them. And it was the two of them I was running from right now, not the aliens.

For the first time I chanced a glance over my shoulder to see what pursued us. It was one of the smaller ships, a little larger than a bus as it hovered over the forest. The lights had been toned down, but there were five of them still bouncing over top of the trees as it relentlessly searched for us. It wasn't that far away, but I sensed that it might possibly be heading in the wrong direction. The creature that had followed us into the woods, the one eager for blood, was not going the wrong way though.

I could hear it crashing through the trees, stalking us, scenting our blood as it trailed us. Then I realized what was happening. The ship was moving off because it knew that we wouldn't escape. It wasn't worried about us evading the creature it had left to destroy us. It was off to hunt other prey while it left one of its monsters to hunt us. And it was a monster. I could see it now, not clearly, but it was there. I sensed that it was different than the one I had seen earlier.

It seemed larger, but it moved with startling speed for its massive size and cumbersome build. It wasn't so much tall as it was wide. It skittered through the woods, shaking the trees as it roughly bumped against them and rattled the leaves in their bowers. Though the tentacles made it appear as if it were an octopus on dry land, its flattened head quickly squashed any octopus resemblance. Two giant pinchers extended from what I could only assume was its mouth. They were about three feet long and made a nail on chalkboard kind of noise as they clicked eagerly together.

A tick maybe? I thought wildly. Was it a giant tick? But no, it wasn't even like that, not with its pulsating red color that was nearly translucent at times.

Then, ever so slowly, I began to realize that the red trickling through it was not its normal hue. The red color in it was blood, human blood, and this thing was not full yet. Its normal color was the nearly opalescent shade that rippled throughout the creature, flowing with its movements. An opalescent shade that made it appear jellyfish-like, but other than the color it looked nothing like a jellyfish either.

For a second I couldn't move, I could only stare at one of the monstrosities that the aliens had unleashed upon us. It didn't appear to have eyes, at least not any that I could make out from here. But it knew where we were as it hunted us like dogs on the scent of a rabbit.

I dimly acknowledged the fact that if the aliens had shown us these things upon first arriving we would have known instantly that they had not come in peace. We would have known what they'd intended all along. We would have been prepared for this betrayal. Whatever they had done to make people freeze had to have been a lengthy process. That had to be the reason they had pretended peace for as long as they had. They just hadn't known that some of us would survive their silent attack.

Before this had happened, we had only seen the friendly versions of the aliens, versions that looked very similar to us, and induced trust. They didn't have bug eyes, a giant head, and small bodies like so many movies had led us to believe. Instead they were of average height, the tallest one I had seen was only six feet and he appeared to be a rarity. They had light olive to dark complexions, dark eyes, and dark hair. This fact had led many people to believe that whatever galaxy they had come from, their planet was closer to a sun, or suns, than ours was.

Beside the fact that their coloring was not as varied as ours, there were other differences between them and us. It was rumored that they were physically stronger and faster than us, that they could see and hear better. I had never seen a display of these statements, but there had been a few news reports speculating on it, and claiming to have witnesses before the news had been shut down.

None of the aliens wore glasses, and it had been bantered about that they could possibly see at night. It was even rumored that they healed more rapidly. I didn't know if these rumors were true, I had never seen proof of them, but I didn't discount them either. I didn't discount anything about the invaders anymore. For all I knew they could fly and I wouldn't be surprised to see them do so.

I didn't know what these things were that the aliens had unleashed upon us. Maybe they were the alien's own messed up creations, or their pets even, but I didn't believe that they were the aliens themselves. I didn't for a moment think that the face the aliens had shown us was some kind of disguise. There was no way they could have been hiding this hideous, massive creature beneath their outer skin.

But where had these creatures come from? It didn't seem as if they would be easily leashed and kept under wraps. Not for almost a year anyway.

I was baffled by the strange twist these awful things represented. But there was no time for deciphering what they were now. Not when one of those things was closing in on us, skittering through the woods as rapidly as a squirrel through a tree. If we didn't do something, it would be on top of us in a matter of minutes.

The gun was draped over Cade's shoulder; he wouldn't be able to get to it in time. I don't know what came over me, what possessed me, but I darted back to him. "Give me the gun."

He blinked at me. "What?"

"The gun Cade, give me the gun," I insisted impatiently.

"Bethany..."

"It's useless on your back, and we're going to need it."

He didn't shrug out of the shotgun strapped to his back, but somehow managed to juggle the plywood as he reached under his shirt and pulled out what I assumed was a revolver. It looked like the ones I'd seen on TV anyway. "Do you know how to use that?"

"I'll figure it out," I muttered, turning it in my hand as we jogged onward. I didn't point it anywhere near me, or anyone else. It was the first time I'd ever handled a gun, and if the shaking of my hand was any indication, I wasn't to be trusted with it.

I felt stronger with the gun in my hand though. Safer, even though I knew that it was only a false sense of security. None of us were safe right now; we probably never would be again. "You shouldn't have done that!" Bret growled at Cade.

I knew that he loved me, but Bret seemed to think that I needed his protection at all times and that I couldn't take care of myself. Though, I supposed my tendencies toward being a loner and incessantly clumsy helped perpetuate his belief. As did the fact that I had never really done anything to change his opinion. It didn't annoy me all that often, and I hadn't felt like arguing about it so I had allowed it to continue. It had been the wrong thing to do, because it was irritating me right now.

"She'll be fine," Cade told him.

"Bethany doesn't know how to handle a gun, if she shoots herself..."

"She'll be fine!" Cade interrupted briskly. I kept hold of the revolver as I jogged away from the elevated testosterone.

That thing was still stalking us, but it wasn't ready to launch its attack yet. I caught up with Abby; she was still carrying the bag of food over her shoulder. Jenna Howe was toting another bag that I could only assume held more food, or perhaps weapons.

My mouth dropped as I spotted Jenna. Everything had been so hectic, frantic, and terrifying when we fled the house that I hadn't noticed her until now. I didn't know where she had come from, but I suddenly recalled the other voice I'd heard calling to us from the woods. This was the most disheveled I'd ever seen Jenna look, yet I was certain that she still looked ten thousand times better than I did right now. Like Abigail, she was slender and delicate, with a fragile air that made me wary of breaking her in my awkwardness. Her skin was as smooth as porcelain, and her eyes a striking emerald green. Her rosebud mouth trembled with the force of her exhales, her pale cheeks were flushed with exertion, and her strawberry colored hair was a disheveled mess around her heart shaped face.

Though we were the same age, Jenna and I were not friends. We never had been. We didn't run in the same circles at school. Jenna was popular, perfect, and wealthy. She was always immaculately dressed in expensive clothes and her makeup and nails were flawless.

Jenna and Bret had dated a few years ago, and most people thought that they were the ones that belonged together. Including Jenna. She'd never made it a secret that she still wanted him, she had never tried to hide her flirtatious behavior with him, or her animosity toward me. I'd never really known how to react to her so I tended to ignore her, which was easy enough most of the time.

However, there were times when she was impossible to ignore, and so was her overt behavior. Times when even I had to acknowledge the fact that she would do anything to get Bret back. I honestly couldn't understand why he wasn't with her still, why he had broken up with her in the first place, or why he continued to choose me over her.

"Where are we going?" Jenna asked. It was probably the first time she had talked to me in three months. I was fine with that. I had few friends and I liked it that way. I tried not to think of them now, or the fact that I may never see them again. It would be ok, I told myself. I would survive their loss, I had survived worse before, but I still ached for them. I hoped that if they weren't frozen they were able to get away, and that if they were frozen their deaths were as quick and painless as possible. I wished there was some way that I could go to them, some way to help them, but there wasn't. My family had to come first, maybe later...

Maybe later I would be able to see them again, but I didn't hold out much hope for that. This was no longer the world I had always known, I was gripped by the knowledge that everything I had always known was now gone. That nothing would ever be the same again and that there would be a lot more loss before all of this was over.

"The antique shop."

"Where Cade works?" Jenna squeaked.

I blinked in surprise. Even Jenna had known that Cade worked at the antique store. But of course she had, she may have her sights set on Bret, but Jenna was one of the people that would know where everyone she considered of importance worked, hung out, or lived. "Yes."

"Why?"

I didn't answer that question. I wasn't entirely sure I knew why we were going there. I glanced behind me, but the encompassing shadows of the night were closing in on us. The ship was fading into the distance; only the persistent slithering sounds alerted me to the fact that we were still being toyed with.

"I don't know where my parents are," Jenna whispered. "They were going out to do some shopping. They wouldn't have gone far though. My mom hates the fact we have to walk everywhere now, but I didn't see them anywhere near our house after this happened. I don't know where they are. I waited for hours, and then I ran into Cade..."

I glanced back at Bret, frowning as he met my gaze. Where were his parents I wondered? It was only then that I realized just how awful, and heartbreaking this whole situation was. Just then I thought about the families that had been, and would continue to be, destroyed by everything that had happened today.

Including my own.

I looked to my immobile mother. We still had her, and there was still hope that she would come back to us, but was there really a chance? Even if there wasn't, there was no way I was going to let those things get a hold of her.

"I waited, but they didn't come back." My attention was drawn back to Jenna. It didn't appear as if she were talking to me anymore. Instead, she seemed to be trying to work through her guilt and distress. I wanted to comfort her, to assure her that she hadn't done anything wrong, but my words would do little good and I knew it. She would blame herself until the bitter end. "I looked for them, but I was afraid to go far. I left them a note. Maybe I should go back."

"There's nothing you could do Jenna," I finally managed to assure her. "We can't go back now, that thing is right behind us."

Her vivid eyes drifted behind us. "I left a note..."

"They'll find it."

"Will they find me?"

My heart was breaking for her. "I hope so," I answered honestly.

"Are we going to survive?" Jenna asked tremulously.

There was no answer to that question; I didn't even know why she had asked it. "Go left," Cade ordered from behind us.

I veered to the left, pushing Jenna and Abby with me, forcing them deeper into the trees. It was grueling enough for us to make our way through the thick underbrush; the three guys holding our mother were having an even tougher time. I doubled back, slipping behind them as I searched the woods. I was trying not to lose my control, struggling not to give into the panic that was clamoring against my skull, and pounding through my veins. But I was frightened that I was going to crack and fall apart. I had held up through my father's death, but this...

Well, this was Hell on earth.

"Bethany!" Bret whispered harshly. I ignored him as I slipped a few feet deeper into the woods. That thing was out there, somewhere. "Bethany get back here!"

I bristled over his commanding tone, but I didn't obey him, I didn't know why he thought I would. There was some commotion, and then someone was grabbing hold of my arm, trying to pull me back through the trees. "Bethany," Bret whispered in my ear. "Come on, we have to get out of here."

"I know that." I tried to tug my arm free, but he refused to relinquish me. "Bret!" I hissed, impatience tearing through me. He didn't release me as he pulled me forward, tugging me behind the others. There was no way that we were going to be able to outrun that thing, it was impossible. If we didn't stop it, it would only follow us to the store. "We have to stop it, it won't go away!" I panted. "We can't outrun it Bret, it will only catch us." It was true, we were already wearing down. Other than Bret, none of us were exactly athletes, though Cade was in a lot better shape than I'd ever thought possible for someone I'd never even seen in gym class.

"Finally!" I shouted when he continued to pull me along, ignoring my protests. "We have to finally stand up for ourselves! Bret, stop!"

My voice was bordering on shrill, and I could barely breathe, but I was right. If we didn't make a stand we were going to die. There was no way for us to outrun it, no way for us to escape its ruthless approach. No way that we would lose it before we made it to the antique store. "This is it Bret," I whispered. "This is it."

His eyes were shadowed in the night, but I knew their clear green color well. I also knew that stubborn set of his chin, and the muscle that was twitching in his cheek. He was torn, annoyed, but beneath it all I could sense his concern for me, for himself, for all of us. "Bret."

He turned away from me. "Do you have any more guns?" he demanded of Cade.

They had stopped running with us and the plywood sat on the ground between him and Aiden. I couldn't see Abby and Jenna but I sensed them in the night, waiting breathlessly for us to join them. Cade's eyes were hooded, his upper lip curled as he studied Bret. A trickle of sweat slid down my spine, but even so I was chilled.

"Cade?" I inquired, hoping to divert his attention from Bret.

The sneer slid from his lips as he briefly glanced at me. He pulled his bulky duffle bag forward, tugged open the zipper and tossed something to Bret. It was only when the dim radiance of the moon flashed across it that I realized it was another gun. I was tempted to ask him where he'd acquired the weapons, but now wasn't the time. He pulled the shotgun from his shoulder while Aiden motioned Abby and Jenna forward.

I dug the key from my pocket; my hand shook as I handed it back to Cade. "Take mom." Aiden had a hold of Abby's shoulders as Cade handed the key to Jenna and explained how to get into the room. Jenna was pale and shaking, Abby looked about ready to cry as she tremulously hugged Aiden, and then me.

"Come with us Bethany," she pleaded.

"I can't. Go on now Abby, get to safety."

"I think you should go Bethy," Aiden said.

I shook my head, refusing to relent, refusing to cower and hide. I had been hiding for years, slinking silently through my life, trying to remain unseen in the world. I wouldn't be silent tonight, and I would do anything I could to keep my little sister safe. I had to. If we couldn't all escape, I was at least going to buy Abby enough time to get to relative safety.

I hugged Abby, turned her away, and nudged her toward the plywood still holding our mother. I couldn't watch her walk away. The two of them would struggle with our mother, but they would get her there. Abby was one of the most stubborn people I'd ever met, she wouldn't fail.

"Bethany..."

"I'm fine Bret."

"I love you."

My mouth dropped, my heart plummeted in much the same manner. I knew how he felt about me, knew he dreamed of things that I never had, mainly because I rarely dreamed of anything. Life was too precarious for dreams that may never come true. But he had never said those words to me before, let alone announced them in front of my brother, and Cade.

I could feel the smoldering heat of Cade's gaze on my back. I didn't know what to say, what to do, and thankfully I didn't have time to worry about it. The snakelike tentacles burst free of the woods, proving that at least the creature had excellent timing along with its violent urge to murder.

It felt good to squeeze the trigger on the gun, to finally take a stand. The gun recoiled fiercely, I had prepared myself for this, but it still knocked me back at least a foot. The guns cracked loudly as bullets whizzed through the woods. I steadied myself, holding the gun tighter and bracing my legs further apart in order to take the kickback better.

The second shot didn't hit the creature, but it didn't almost knock me over either. I adjusted myself, aiming a little more to the left and slightly higher. I fired again and had an instant of feeling like the cat that ate the canary; I was fairly certain I'd hit the monster, but it was tough to tell as Cade, Aiden, and Bret continued to fire upon the thing. They seemed to be doing better with their shots, but that thing was still coming toward us rapidly, skittering forward with a rush of momentum that I was beginning to think would never stop.

I was seized by the urge to turn and run screaming into the woods. However, I was many things, but a coward wasn't one of them. I wouldn't abandon them right now, no matter how much my survival instincts were telling me to do so. If they decided to retreat...

Well I'd be running like the hounds of Hell were after me with them. Looking at this thing, I was pretty sure that they just might be.

It was getting closer, only fifteen feet away now. It barreled through the woods at us, snapping smaller trees in half and darting with an almost mesmerizing grace around the larger ones. I was almost as entranced and impressed by this thing, as I was repulsed by it.

I was taking time with my shots, I didn't know how many bullets the gun possessed and I didn't know how to reload it. I had to make sure that when that thing was on top of us, and it would be soon, that I at least had some bullets left in my gun.

It was a good thing that Cade appeared to be an excellent shot. He seemed to be the only one that hadn't missed yet, the only one doing consistent damage to it. Damage that was scarcely making a dent.

Ten feet, I fired another shot. Eight feet, I could feel my heart jump all the way into my throat. Six feet, I was half worried that I was going to piss myself. Four feet, I fired off another shot as a tentacle lashed out.

I never saw the thing until it slammed against the side of my face. My head whipped around, my teeth clamped down on my tongue so hard that blood spurted into my mouth. I cried out, as I stumbled back from the force of the blow. My vision swam, stars burst over my eyes as blackness threatened to consume me.

Someone shouted my name, I didn't know who. I couldn't make out the voice over the loud ringing in my ears. Arms encircled me, pulling me back as something wrapped around my leg. A strangled scream escaped as I fought against the unconsciousness trying to claim me. "Kill it! Kill it!"

Bret's frightened cries were muffled in my ears, but I knew now that it was him holding me. That it was him trying to keep me from the clutches of that hideous thing. Bret's arms clenched around me as the creature tried to pull me away. I knew he would never let me go. Aiden appeared beside us, a knife in his hand. I held my breath and closed my eyes as I braced myself. I knew what these things did when they were stabbed, and it wasn't pretty.

A loud, ear splitting shriek rent the air. My hands slammed over my ears, an answering scream almost ripped from me but I managed to suppress it in time. Bret's breath was warm against my neck as he ducked over me. My fingers dug into the rigid muscles of his arm as another shot rang through the air. The awful screeching grew louder, blood sprayed over us as the broken tentacle whipped through the air. More blood sprayed from the bullet holes as Cade fired two more shots.

The screaming ended abruptly.

Bret's breath was ragged in my ears now; I could feel the frantic beat of his heart against my cheek. The thing wrapped around my leg went slack, but it didn't release me. I wanted to close my eyes, click my heels together, and go back to a year to when things hadn't been easy but they had been far better than this never ending nightmare.

"Bethany?"

"I'm fine."

"Then why are you shaking?" I almost asked Bret why he was shaking, but I realized that he actually wasn't shaking; it was the force of my tremors rocking him. It was unnerving to know this, but I couldn't stop myself. "It's ok, we're safe for now."

I bit on my lip as I managed a brief nod. It was Cade that un-wrapped the remains of the tentacle from my leg. Bret helped me to my feet, for a second I was terrified that my wobbling legs wouldn't hold me. Bret rubbed my arms as he held me before him. "The thing?" I managed to croak out.

"Dead." Cade was beside us, my revolver in his hand. He slid a bullet into it, spun the cylinder, and slammed it shut before handing it to me again. "Are you going to be ok with this?"

"Maybe she shouldn't have it," Bret protested instantly.

"Bethany?" Cade inquired.

I swallowed heavily and forced myself to nod. "Yes."

"Beth..."

"I need something to help protect us Bret."

"We're fine for right now," he protested.

"For right now," I emphasized.

I could see the concern in his soft green eyes, but I could also see the love. His fingers were as wispy as butterfly wings against my cheek as he took a step toward me. Cade thrust the revolver in between us and smiled grimly. Bret shook his head but didn't protest further as I took the gun from Cade again.

Chapter 10

I staggered through the door of the antique shop. My stomach heaved as I slumped to the floor. I could barely catch my breath; my lungs were on fire as I strained to keep control of my shaking body. I jumped when hands seized hold of me. "It's ok Bethy."

It wasn't ok, both Aiden and I knew that, but I wasn't about to protest. He hauled me to my feet, pulling me beside him as he led me through the store. It was a good thing that Aiden was more graceful than I was, I would have knocked everything in the store over if he hadn't been leading me. My stomach rolled again, bile burned the back of my throat but I refused to vomit, I would not lose the meager contents of my stomach here.

"Stairs Bethy, where are the stairs?" he breathed in my ear.

I managed to raise a tremulous arm and point in the direction of where the stairs were. He took an abrupt right as he headed for the door. Holding me up, he pulled the door open. The stairs were hidden amongst the shadows but neither Aiden nor I turn on the light on. We strained not to fall down the steep steps as we felt our way along the wall. We were halfway down when I vomited.

I simply couldn't hold it in anymore. The awful screams, sights, and sounds haunted my every movement.

Aiden leaned against the wall as he held me against his chest and rubbed my hair. I was shaking, on the verge of vomiting again when Bret stepped into the stairwell followed rapidly by Cade. I pulled away from Aiden as I leapt forward, scrambling to try and get back out as Cade started to close the door. "No, wait!" I stumbled up a few steps before tripping and falling to my knees. "Wait!"

"Bethy."

"Let go of me!" I nearly screeched when Aiden wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me toward him. "I can't be here! Aiden, let go of me!"

He didn't let me go; instead he pulled me further down the stairs. Bret and Cade followed behind as I tussled within Aiden's grasp and then went limp. Cade found the cord and pulled the switch on the light. I ducked my head, unable to look; my eyes were still wounded from the harsh light of earlier. I blinked rapidly as I tried to focus my gaze.

I was covered in blood, some of it was mine. Most of it wasn't. Not all of it was from that creature either. I wanted to deny that fact, but I couldn't. I knew deep in my heart that most of the blood was from my neighbors, my friends. That thing had been stuffed like a fat tick, ripe with all the blood of the people we knew.

"Where is the room?" Bret asked.

Cade strode toward the back wall. There was a harshness to him that I hadn't noticed before, a coldness that left me almost as shaken as the bloodbath we had just witnessed. I thought I might throw up again.

My head was spinning; I was going to vomit again. I wondered briefly if the blow to my head had been worse than I'd thought. I heard Abby's gasp of fear, relief filled me as unconsciousness descended over me.

***

I didn't know what time it was when I woke up. All I knew was that everyone else in the room was sound asleep, and I had to get out of here. My head throbbed dully but the nausea had subsided and I felt much better than I had before passing out.

I breathed a sigh of relief when I found the switch for the door and pushed it open. I stumbled out and managed to catch myself before I crashed into something. I turned back to the people within the room. Abby was curled against Aiden; she looked even younger and far more vulnerable in her sleep. Jenna was in a ball; her head rested on one of the old blankets that had been draped over a crate. Cade was the farthest away, sitting with his back against the wall and his chin on his chest. Bret was close to where I'd been sleeping, I think he had been even closer to me, but had rolled away in his sleep.

I took one last look at them before I slid the door carefully closed. I crept up the stairs, being far stealthier than I had ever thought I could be. But then again, there was a lot I'd done this day that I hadn't thought I ever would, or could, do. I had never dreamed I would fire a gun, let alone help to kill something with it.

Opening the door a sliver, I stuck my eye against the crack as I strained to see anything. My ears strained as I searched for noise. I felt brave enough, and secure enough, to open the door a little further before slipping completely out of the cellar. Sunlight filtered through the blinds, another day had risen; at least the world hadn't completely frozen overnight.

The first thing I looked for was the bathroom, which I found in a small room behind the counter. I was horrified by the blood that streaked my face. My blue eyes were shadowed by dark circles; my long blonde hair was a tangled mess and I thought I might have to cut it off. There was a bruise forming on one side of my face, it took up most of my cheek. The freckles that speckled my face appeared to have disappeared beneath the bruise so that I was only half-freckled now. It was a disconcerting effect, but one that I found fascinating.

Beneath the bruise was a jagged slice about three inches in length. I touched it tenderly, wincing as pain lanced through the area where the creature had struck me. It was ugly looking but it wouldn't leave a scar and it was far better than the alternative. Even with the bruise I wasn't completely hideous, I wasn't stunning or perfectly manicured like Jenna, but I wasn't awful either. My features weren't elfin like Abby's but they were proportioned well enough for my face.

If I was better at placing my feet I probably wouldn't feel as awkward as I always did. My mother had always assured me I would grow into my body, but it hadn't happened yet.

I turned the water on, and to the best of my ability, scrubbed the blood from my face and arms before ducking my head to wash as much of the blood out of my hair as I could. The water ran red and the sink was a mess by the time I was done. My lip curled as I washed the blood splatters from the basin.

I felt marginally better afterwards, but not much. I yearned for the backpacks full of toothpaste and clothes that had been abandoned at my house. I would have killed for a hairbrush and conditioner as I worked to remove the tangles with my fingers. It took awhile, and I ripped out a lot of hair in the process, but I finally managed to get most of it unknotted.

I made my way to the front of the store. The blinds were still drawn, but the sun crept in around the edges of them. I inhaled deeply, taking a moment to enjoy its soothing warmth, and reassuring presence. The world continued to turn and some form of life would go on, even if it wasn't human.

My hand trembled as I pulled one of the slats on the blinds down. I cautiously peered out at the unnaturally still street. Even creepier were the things left behind. Bicycles, papers, coffee cups, wallets, purses, and even shoes were scattered about the street, with other possessions, like discarded causalities of war. There were no bodies out there though, there were no people left at all.

I shuddered as I stared at the desolate scene. It almost seemed as if it might be safe to go outside again. I knew it wasn't. I may not be able to see them right now, but they were out there. Somewhere. But we couldn't stay here forever either. We would eventually have to move, they would find us if we didn't.

Or maybe they wouldn't...

"Bethany." I jumped at the harsh whisper. Releasing the blind I turned as Cade stepped out of the cellar. His eyes narrowed in displeasure, his full lips compressed into a severe line. The blood that had coated him last night was gone, and now that I thought of it, I realized that they had all been cleaner than me. "What are you doing?"

"All of the people are gone."

"If you don't take better care of yourself you'll be gone too," he muttered so quietly that I almost didn't catch it all.

"I've been taking care of myself for awhile now," I retorted, trying not to lose my patience. I'd thought that he was different than Bret, that he had a little more confidence in me. Apparently I was wrong.

His midnight eyes raked me as his black eyebrows furrowed. Then, his face relaxed and a small smile pulled at the corners of his mouth as he moved toward me. It was so rare to see him smile that I'd forgotten how sweet and melting it could be. Stretching behind me he pulled the blind apart to peer outside. My heart kicked up a beat; I could feel the blood rushing through my ears. His arm was near my head, the heat of his body pressed against me as he took a step closer.

His gaze came back to me as he released the blind. I stared up at him, hoping that he wouldn't kiss me again, praying that he would. "I know you can take care of yourself, but wandering around alone isn't safe. For anyone."

I swallowed heavily and managed a nod. "I didn't want to be in that room."

"I know."

It unnerved me just how much he seemed to understand me. "Where did you get the guns?"

Those raven colored eyes gleamed beautifully in the dim illumination as they focused on me again. "I've been collecting them for awhile now."

I swallowed heavily as I nodded slowly. I'd hated driving in cars after my father was killed; it had been torture for me. Cade's parents had been killed in a home invasion; it seemed he had been trying to make sure that nothing like that ever happened again. I'd dealt with my aversion to cars by exposing myself to short rides that became gradually extended over time. I'd never grown completely comfortable with them, but at least I was able to stay in them for a half an hour or so now. Cade had dealt with the aftermath of his trauma by stockpiling guns.

"How did you get them?"

His mouth quirked. "You can get anything you want if you have enough money, and know the right people."

"And you know the right people?" I retorted.

"Yes. Or at least I did."

Of course he would. That's who he was after all. Rumors of dangerous and illegal activities ran rampant about him; apparently at least some of them had been true.

"But the aliens..." I started.

"Can't take what they can't find."

"That's why you had to go back to your house?"

"Yes."

I didn't know what to say to that or what to do. I was out of words and he was so tantalizingly close to me. My fingers twitched, I ached to rest them against his solid chest and feel the muscles I knew ran under his shirt. My skin tingled with the anticipation of the possibility of his kiss, but Bret's words echoed in my ears. He loved me, and Cade was a puzzle that I didn't understand.

Then Cade was closer to me, over me. He was all that I could see or think about as his eyes filled my vision. His hand was on my cheek, in my wet hair as it slid around to the back of my head. My mouth parted involuntarily. My head was telling me that this was a bad idea, that this was wrong. My heart didn't care. All I craved was to feel his lips against mine again. His scent engulfed me. It was more pungent than it had been yesterday, his natural odor more potent and his cologne not as strong, but it was still alluring. I swayed toward him as his fingers caressed the back of my head. His lips were just a breath away, so tantalizingly close...

Chapter 11

A creak on the stairs caused him to pull away. Disappointment filled me, I felt lost as Cade's hand slid away from me and he took a step back. The moment was broken but my body still pulsed with unfulfilled desire.

The door opened and Bret stepped out from the cellar, he glanced questioningly at Cade before focusing his attention on me. "Are you ok?"

I smiled wanly at him as I nodded. "Fine."

His gaze traveled back to Cade before returning to the window. "Are they out there?"

"Not right now," Cade responded. "But they will be."

"They'll come in here."

"Yes."

I shuddered, my hands dug into my arms. "We should figure out a plan then."

Cade said nothing. What was there to say? Bret came forward and wrapped his arms around me. Though there wasn't a whole lot of excitement in his arms, there was a sense of comfort and rightness that was undeniable. Bret loved me, I loved him. Maybe I didn't love him the same way that he loved me, but it was still love. Or maybe I did love him in the same way, and this strange attraction toward Cade was just clouding my judgment.

Either way, I didn't have the time to figure it out and wasn't entirely sure that I cared to. There were far more important things to worry about now. "Where are your parents?" I tilted my head back to look up at Bret.

His jaw clenched, his eyes became sad as he shook his head. "My father is one of the lost. I thought..." He swallowed heavily and cleared his throat. "I thought we'd be able to get back to him after we checked on you and Abby. I didn't know; I would have brought him."

I rested a comforting hand over his. I could already sense his inner light growing dimmer and I hated it. "It's not your fault," I assured him.

He nodded. "My mother wasn't home, but I assume that she is probably like them also. It seems most people are." He said the words, but there was hope still within his gaze. "I should have left a note or something just in case, I really thought we'd be able to make it back."

There was nothing I could say to that, no reassurances I could give him. "The others are awake, we should go back down," Cade said.

I stiffened as Bret tried to lead me toward the stairs. Like a stubborn child I could feel my heels digging into the floor in an attempt to stop his forward momentum. "Wait." He stopped, frowning as he looked down at me. "We should stay up here, we're trapped down there."

"We're trapped up here too. They might not be able to find us down there, and you should eat."

"We won't know if they come in and we're down there!" I protested hotly. I hated the unreasonable dread already beginning to build in my chest at the mere thought of going down there again. I cursed this weakness and my susceptibility to it.

"It will be fine Bethany, we'll leave the door to the room open so we can hear them if they come in."

I was frantic, desperate not to return to those awful, gloomy depths, but there was little I could do about it. I couldn't stay up here, it was too risky, and I was starving. I also didn't want anyone else to know about my weakness. Certainly not Bret, he already thought I was fragile, already thought I was someone that always needed to be protected, even when I didn't.

I tried to choke back my alarm, but I had very little strength and courage left to draw upon. Those resources seemed to be quickly drying up. I clung to my pride as I relented enough to be pulled back down the stairs. I didn't look at Cade again, I couldn't. I didn't want to see the displeasure over being interrupted, or the pity I was certain was burning within his eyes.

He knew, no matter how much I tried to hide it, he knew about my phobia and he pitied me for it. I kept my attention focused on my feet and concentrated on simply breathing in and out as Cade closed the door behind us.

We stepped off the steps and into the shadows. Someone had been waiting for us as the bulb immediately clicked on at the bottom. Aiden stood beneath the dangling bulb, string in hand as he surveyed the three of us. His clear mahogany eyes, so similar to Abby's, were still swollen from sleep, but he was alert.

"What's going on up there?" he asked.

"It's quiet, for now," Cade responded.

Aiden nodded, his hand slid off the string. The door to the secret room creaked open and Abby poked her head out. "Can we eat now?"

"I told them to wait until everyone was here," Aiden explained. "Yes."

Abby went back into the room and reemerged with the bag of food. My stomach felt empty, I needed nourishment, but my appetite was gone. "Is there any change in them?" I inquired while nodding at Peter and our mom.

"No."

Abby handed me a package of peanut butter crackers. "Will they ever wake up?" she asked.

My gaze drifted toward Cade as thoughts of the man from the street flashed through my mind. He had woken up. He had come back to life, either because the pain had been so excruciating, or because there was something about those suckers that reawakened their victims. Or maybe it was the aliens themselves that somehow triggered a reawakening in their victims. Maybe the aliens enjoyed watching people suffer before they died such an awful death.

I shuddered, the crackers crunched in my clenched hand. "Bethany," Abby scolded.

"We saw one wake up," Cade said guardedly.

"When? What? How?" Jenna squeaked.

Cade held my gaze, but I wasn't going to explain about the man's reawakening. I couldn't. He turned away from me. He told them what we had seen, and how the man had come back to life. And then he told about the man's death.

The silence that followed his statement was thick and heavy. No one made a sound, no one moved, I was fairly certain that no one even breathed.

"So extreme pain, or those creatures, maybe even the aliens themselves, can wake people up," Aiden pondered as he tapped his chin thoughtfully. I could almost see the wheels in his curious mind spinning as he tried to solve the mystery. He would have made an outstanding doctor or scientist if the aliens hadn't arrived to rob him of his dreams.

"It could have just been that one man that was able to wake up again," Bret pointed out.

I tossed the crushed crackers back to Abby. We couldn't afford to waste any food, no matter how destroyed it was, and I wasn't going to eat it. "Well how do we find out which one it is?" Jenna asked.

The answer was obvious but no one could voice it. "The old man..." Aiden's voice trailed off when Cade bristled at the suggestion.

"What would we do to him?" Jenna asked breathlessly.

A muscle in Cade's cheek jumped but he didn't offer any protest. "I don't know," Bret responded.

"Who would do it?" Abby demanded.

No one answered that time. We would have to deliberately harm Peter, deliberately be cruel to him in order to see if he would come back to life. The intentions were good, but carrying them out wouldn't be. I already knew who would be the one to do it.

Cade wouldn't look at me now as he stared into the hidden corner of the cellar with his jaw clenched. I wanted to tell him that it didn't have to be him, but I knew it would do me little good. I couldn't lie to him either, I couldn't offer him false words; everything inside of me was against doing such a thing.

"I won't be long," he muttered.

I took a step toward him, hating the haunted look on his face and the pinched set of his mouth, but he had already disappeared into the hidden room. Bret tried to stop me as I turned away, but I shrugged his hands off. Biting on my bottom lip I strained to keep my tears from spilling over. I didn't hear anything from the room, I didn't know what Cade was doing to him, but the smell of burnt hair drifted toward me.

I cringed, my hands dug into my arms to the point of bruising. I didn't hear a yelp, or a burst of motion like the man outside had shown. My heart sank. I didn't turn back around when Cade reemerged, I wasn't disgusted with him; I was disgusted with all of us.

"Nothing."

The simple word was like a dagger to my chest. What had we done? What had we stood by and allowed to happen?

What were we going to do?

"How long can they stay like that before they die?" No one answered Abby's question. "They can't stay like that for long, can they? I mean they have to eat, they have to drink; they have to go to the bathroom for crying out loud! Don't they?"

Still no one responded to her. "Don't they?" she demanded.

"We don't know Abby," Aiden said calmly.

A low sob escaped Abby. I didn't know the answers to her questions either, but I could at least give her some sense of comfort. I moved to my little sister and wrapped my arms around her as I took comfort in her warm body, and small arms. I still had Abby, I still had Aiden. I was more fortunate than most.

Far more fortunate.

I couldn't feel pity for myself; I couldn't cower in here, trapped and cornered. We had to survive, somehow. Abby had to survive, no matter what happened.

"What are we going to do?" Jenna's voice was smaller than usual.

"Not stay here," I answered.

"Bethany, how are we going to get mom somewhere else?" Abby whispered.

It was Cade I looked toward, but it was Aiden that answered. "We don't Abigail."

I closed my eyes as anguish tore at my heart, shredding it, destroying it, turning me into something that I wasn't. I wasn't cold, I wasn't uncaring, but I could feel something creeping over me, through me, that left me frozen.

"No!" Abby nearly screeched. I slammed my hand over her mouth, cringing as my gaze shot to the door at the top of the stairs. We all stood motionless, breathless as we waited to see if Hell would descend upon us. I moved my hand cautiously away from her mouth when it appeared that we were still safe.

I held onto her, but I barely felt her anymore, not through the ice encasing me. Aiden sighed as he ran a hand through his hair, Jenna's eyes were rolling in her head, and Bret wouldn't meet my gaze. Only Cade stared at me head on. His eyes burned with the intense desire to make me understand, to make me see, but I already understood, I already saw the situation for what it was. I just didn't like what I saw.

We couldn't stay here.

It would only slow us down to bring her with us.

Or maybe we could stay here. Maybe this would all blow over. We had food; we had water, a bathroom, and weapons. We had a secure hiding place; we could make a stand for awhile. It may even be better if we stayed. Why did everyone think it best to leave then, including me? Well, I wanted to leave because I hated to be trapped anywhere. For my mom though, I knew I could suck this up, I could stay in that room for however long I had to.

We could all stay here. It would be fine, they wouldn't find us, we would be safe until someone saved us, and of course someone would save us. We still had military, or at least I thought we still had a military, at the very least some military personnel. We had been shut off from the world for so long that I wasn't sure we had a military anymore. For all I knew the aliens had taken them out first. In fact, they probably had been the first target, even ahead of the government.

Although every part of me screamed against leaving our mother in that tiny room, a place I never wanted to return to myself, I wasn't sure there was anything else that we could do. There had to still be some members of the military left, but I doubted there were enough of them to launch much of an attack. More than half, if not almost all of them, were probably frozen.

Vehicles may still work, but no one could drive them without being spotted instantly in the deadened streets. That was if cars would even work anymore. No one, that I knew, had tried to drive a car in weeks. Never mind planes and helicopters, or tanks. There was no way to know if we could even attempt to mount any sort of defense against these monsters.

There was no one coming to help us, no one out there to rescue us. The realization wasn't gradual in coming. Yes, it had taken me awhile to actually get to that train of thought because I hadn't had time to go there yet, but the realization slammed me with sudden, horrifying intensity. I was cold, choked with an agonizing sense of despair and yet oddly accepting of the unraveling of our fates.

There was no one coming. There was no help out there for us anymore.

We couldn't stay. To hole up in here and cower was to admit defeat. To hole up in here and cower was to die. With no rescue coming the food would run out, the water would dry up. Maybe, just maybe, the aliens would move on from here before all of that happened, but there was no guarantee of that. They could stay out there forever, waiting for us to emerge like a cat looking to pounce upon a mouse slipping from a hole. We could stay here for a little bit, but eventually we would have to leave. We would have to.

When the time came, we wouldn't be able to take our mother with us.

Maybe we could stay for a bit, maybe we could wait, and we could hope, but eventually reality would catch up with us. It was better to face it now, rather than wait and see. It would be better if we broke free while the aliens were distracted with the remaining people, than to wait for them to come to us. Better to leave here before they came inside and discovered us.

"Oh," I breathed.

"Bethy..."

I shook my head, holding up my hand to stop Aiden's words. I couldn't hear them, not right now. I understood them, but I couldn't hear them spoken aloud. Bret rested his hand on my shoulder; I didn't shrug him off. He was a good man, strong, and I needed his comfort and strength right now. "We'll stay today," Cade offered.

"No, we have to wait a few more days," Abby protested.

"They haven't started going through the inside of buildings in this part of town yet, the longer we wait the more likely they are to come here. No matter how many of them there are, it will still take them awhile to go through all of the houses. We have to get out of here before they reach us, and we should leave under cover of night," Cade said.

"You don't even know if they're going through all of the houses and buildings!"

"What do you think they were doing last night at our home?" Aiden asked. My mind was spinning, running through everything I did, and didn't, know. Abby would have to go on, I knew that. Aiden would take care of her, protect her with his life. "We have to carry as little as possible. It will be difficult at night but it will offer us cover."

"Wait," Abby's words were choked. "We can't."

"It will be ok Abby," I assured her as I hugged her. "It will be ok, you'll see."

"But we can't leave her here all alone. We can't."

"We won't," I promised.

"Bethy," Bret protested.

I shook my head, hugged my sister close again and released her. It would be ok I told myself, knowing full well that it wouldn't be.

Chapter 12

Nightfall seemed to arrive faster than I had anticipated. It wasn't until I crept back upstairs to peer out the window that I realized it wasn't true nightfall. The larger ship had moved; it was above us now, blocking out the radiance of the sun.

"We should move soon," Bret said.

I said nothing as there was nothing to say. The bag of food was by the backdoor. Tears were rolling down Abby's youthful cheeks. Aiden couldn't bring himself to look at either of us, I knew what he was thinking, but it wasn't going to happen. He was the stronger one of us; he would have to be the one that stayed with Abby.

"I'm not going."

I spun toward Cade, my mouth dropped as he uttered those words. Those were supposed to be my words; that was what I was supposed to be saying, not him. He was not going to be the one who stayed. "No."

"It's not going to be you Bethy." I continued to gape at him. His eyes were shards of black ice as they locked on mine. "No matter what you may think."

"You don't know what I think!" I retorted.

"Yes, I do, and it is not going to be you."

"That is our mother!"

"Peter has been very kind to me, I will not leave him," Cade said.

"Then I'll stay with you."

"No."

"No! You can't tell me no!" I took a deep breath and managed to gain a little more control of myself before I continued to speak. "You can't make my choices for me."

"Bethany," Abby whimpered.

I glanced helplessly at the others gathered within the room. Even if I hadn't told anyone else about it, they seemed to have guessed that I planned to stay. They all knew me well, yet I felt it was Cade that had first discerned the fact that I had decided to stay with my mother.

I read the truth In Cade's relentless stare. He wasn't going to budge on his decision. It had been alright when I had decided that I would stay. I had been in control, I had been accepting of the fact that I would be alone. But the thought of Cade staying here was terrifying to me. I couldn't leave him here. I would never be able to live with myself if I did.

"It has been decided," Cade said firmly.

"By who? When?" Jenna asked as her eyes flitted around the room.

"By us," Bret answered. He took hold of my hand, clinging to it when I tried to pull free. "Last night when you were asleep."

"You knew last night you were going to do this?" I breathed, unable to tear my gaze away from Cade's.

I had just found him, I barely knew him, but I couldn't lose him. I simply couldn't. I would be empty without him, I didn't know how I knew that, but I did. I would be hollow, broken, a shell of myself without him. It startled me how certain I was of this when just yesterday I hadn't spoken to him in a year. But a lot had changed in twenty-four hours. He'd reawakened memories and feelings I'd buried over the years. Feelings that I couldn't bury again now, no matter how hard I tried. I may have been too young to realize it at the time, but Cade had owned a piece of my heart as a child; a piece of my heart that I'd never gotten back. Perhaps he'd even owned my whole heart, and that was why I'd never been able to feel anything more than friendship for any other man.

Cade Marshall had stolen my heart when I was five but I was only just realizing it now.

"Yes," Aiden answered. "We have to go now Bethany."

"No. I'm not leaving."

"Please Bethy, please," Abby pleaded. "Don't leave me." I opened my mouth to protest. I was astonished by the revelations rolling through me. It was more than just Peter, I knew Cade was doing this for me, to keep me safe, and I couldn't let that happen. "Bethany." Abby's hand tightened on my arm to the point that it was bruising. "Bethy please," she whispered.

"Abigail..."

"Don't leave me. We can't leave mom, and you, behind. Please Bethany I can't lose you both."

I closed my eyes, groaning inwardly at her heartfelt plea. I bit on my bottom lip as I fought against the tears that burned my eyes. This was awful, just awful.

"Bethany..." Aiden's voice trailed off. He hadn't stopped because he didn't know what to say, but because a low rattle had begun to shake the store. Abby pressed closer to me as she started to tremble. The ground beneath my feet vibrated; the merchandise on the shelves started to clink together.

I held my breath as my heart pounded deafeningly in my ears. A thumping bang shook the store and caused me to stumble a little. A sob tore from Abby as her nails dug into my arm. The windows shook within their panes as the glass rattled more forcefully. Somewhere within the store something slid off a shelf. I jumped and bit back a scream when it shattered upon the ground.

Abby buried her face against my chest as something else fell to the floor and broke on impact. I barely managed to bite back a scream as the entire store lurched violently. Jenna wasn't able to do the same as her startled cry rang out. Cade slid his hand over her mouth, pulling her against his chest as the store shook and heaved again. We waited breathlessly to see if Jenna's scream had been heard over the growing noise.

The earth beneath my feet seemed to disappear for a second as the floor rolled. I staggered to the side as boards began to splinter from the powerful upheaval. The front windows shattered and glass splayed inward. I ducked over Abby, covering her with my body as I tried to protect her from the cutting shards. Bret grabbed hold of us, pulling us back as another forceful thump knocked shelves over, and caused one of the light fixtures to fall. Abby sobbed loudly as a cry escaped her.

"Shh Abby," I whispered frantically. "Please be quiet, please."

Beams flashed over the windows and danced over the broken frames before moving on. "What's going on?" Jenna squeaked.

"Quiet!" Cade commanded.

Another rattling bang shuddered through the building swaying us all back and forth. Though I had never experienced an earthquake, I imagined that this was what it felt like. There was a heaving, rolling, sensation that caused me to stagger sideways. The world was completely unstable beneath my feet, and the ground felt like it was going to plummet out from under me at any minute.

A loud twisting screech filled the air. I cringed, clutching Abby as the noise grew in intensity and pierced the night with its shrill sound. Abby's moan was drowned out by the ever growing din. Bret pushed us back, keeping us behind him as light flared through the store once more. A twisting, heaving, drop caused the floor to fall out beneath us and more boards to splinter and crack. This time I couldn't bite back my startled cry as we lurched to the side. I staggered, struggling to keep hold of Abby as I fought to keep my balance on the rocking floor.

"We have to get out of here!" Bret hissed.

He pulled me back as more windows shattered and the shelves at the front of the store began to tumble like dominoes. The whole store was going to come down on our heads if we stayed in here. The crashing shelf behind me caught the back of my leg. I stumbled forward awkwardly, nearly dragging Abby down with me as my legs gave out. Bret and Abby managed to keep me on my feet, but just barely.

"We have to go! We have to go!" Jenna screamed.

Cade was pulling her toward us, his jaw locked and his nostrils flaring as another rousing crash shook the building. It wouldn't be long before the whole thing toppled in on us. This wasn't the west coast; this building wasn't built to survive the shaking jolts that it was receiving. It wasn't built to survive anything more than a moderate hurricane, if even that.

Aiden hurried toward us, his arm raised protectively over his head as bits of ceiling began to rain down. "Mom!" Abby was yelling. "What about mom?"

"Backdoor!" Cade shouted as he pointed behind us. "Head for the backdoor!"

No one tried to be cautious anymore. There was no reason to be. If the aliens could hear us over the screeching, tortuous racket echoing outside they deserved to get us. There was no way that we would ever be able to constantly elude their grasp if they were that much more advanced than us, if they were that superior to us.

Abby was tugging at me, Bret was pulling me, and I was desperately trying to dodge the merchandise that had gone from being inane to hazardous and deadly in a matter of seconds. I thrust Abby at Bret before we made it to the backdoor. "Mom!" Abby was still yelling but I could barely hear her over the crashing bangs echoing throughout the store.

"I know."

I stumbled forward as I struggled to get back to our mother, fought to keep my balance in a rapidly unraveling world. Aiden grabbed hold of my arm as a resounding crash rocked the store. We tumbled to the side and bounced off a set of rattling shelves. A silver elephant toppled off the shelf and struck Aiden in the shoulder. He winced and scurried away from the shelf as it began to treacherously rock back and forth. The shelf was massive, if it fell on us we would be trapped, pinned within this store and at the mercy of the monsters outside.

I became frozen as my terror over being trapped anywhere burst to hot, vivid life.

Aiden threw himself away from the shelf. He wrapped his arm around my waist as he dove forward. We fell to the floor in a tumbled heap; the breath was knocked out of me, my tailbone screamed in protest as we bounced away from the shelf. The shelf spilled its aged contents upon the floor as it toppled over. I was able to breathe again, but not very well.

A huge crack fissured across the ceiling, an enormous bang rocked every wall of the building. Debris began to rain down on us; plaster coated the floor, covered our clothes and stuck to our hair and skin. Hands seized hold of me and Bret hauled me to my feet as the front of the store suddenly crumpled. Wood and nails snapped as if they were no more than toothpicks.

Bret pulled me toward the open backdoor. Aiden was behind us, limping a little as we stumbled forward. Cade appeared amongst the rubble and purposely strode toward us through the collapsing store. He took hold of my other arm and hurried me forward as we fell into the muggy night air. I inhaled the fresh air greedily, struggling not to cry as I rapidly spun back around. I pulled free of Bret's grasp and stumbled back toward the store. Peter! My mother!

Beams flashed throughout the night, illuminating the crumbling buildings around us. The awful screeching noise seemed to be moving away, but the building continued to fall apart before us. Two by fours cracked, heavy roof beams caved like a house of cards. My heart plummeted; I limply fell to my knees as I gazed at the back wall, the only piece of the store that remained.

How could we possibly dig them out of there?

I knew the answer to that question before I even answered it. We couldn't. We simply couldn't.

My whole body was trembling, shaking. Broken. I was so broken. My father had died because I had failed to get out of that car, because I had failed him. Now my mother was dead because I had failed once again. I had left her in there, and she was gone.

Aiden shushed Abby as she began to loudly weep. I turned to look at my siblings and saw the answering hopelessness in Aiden's eyes. In his gaze I saw the truth. We were now orphans.

Chapter 13

Abby was crying soundlessly, her head bowed and her hair falling around her slender shoulders. I couldn't comfort her, not now, that job had fallen to Jenna. She had her arm around Abby's shoulders; her head was bent over Abby as she tried to ease her sorrow. It was impossible, we all knew that. Jenna herself was struggling with the likelihood that she would never see her parents again. The only difference was that Jenna hadn't received the cruel confirmation that they were dead like we just had.

Even Aiden had shed a few tears, he'd tried to keep them hidden from us, but I'd seen them. I hadn't cried. I was fairly certain that I wouldn't cry, not now, not in front of my siblings. Someone had to stay strong, and just like with my father, it would be me. I didn't meet Cade's gaze, I could feel it burning into my back but I wouldn't look at him. Bret kept his arm around me, seeking to give me comfort even though I didn't like it. He didn't seem to understand that though, and I'd given up shrugging his arm off. What was the point?

"Why did the building collapse like that?" Abby moaned. "What caused it?"

A muscle in my cheek jumped, my jaw ached from clenching it so tightly. I didn't know what had caused it, but whatever it was had had been big, it had been brutal, and it was going to come for us. Of that much I was certain. It would continue to hunt for survivors. It would be unrelenting and ruthless in its pursuit. It apparently hadn't known that we were in the store, but I was certain that once it got a bead on us, it wasn't going to stop in its determination to drain us dry.

I closed my eyes, my hands fisted at my sides. Whatever the aliens were doing, whatever they were intent on accomplishing, they were really beginning to piss me off!

"Bethany." I forced my eyes open. Bret was watching me with wide eyed apprehension. "Are you ok?"

I wanted to be a better person for him, to be the person he thought I was. I wanted to be kinder, more understanding, and more faithful. I wanted to show some sort of emotion, other than fury right now, but I couldn't. I hated to disappoint him, but I didn't know how to be anything different. I had tried to be a better person for him for the past few months, I truly had, but it was impossible for me. I thought that if he understood me better things could be different between us, but he didn't, and they weren't.

In fact I was fairly certain he wouldn't want anything to do with the person I truly was, because he was just too good to understand that person. I was a survivor, I was a fighter, and I was hard. It was the first time I admitted that fact to myself, but it was true. I'd thought that it was the death of my father that had caused me to be this way, but I was beginning to realize that I was wrong. Jenna had more than likely lost her family, yet she was comforting Abby. Bret had more than likely lost his parents and yet he was still caring and good.

Yes, I had watched my father die. Yes, I had been young and defenseless. But we were defenseless now, and yet I still sensed more humanity in them than I did in myself. Perhaps it was shock but I didn't think so. What was wrong with me? Why couldn't I be like them?

For the first time I was able to look at Cade again. The duffel bag with the guns was slung over his shoulder, his hand rested against the strap. Cade was a wealth of mystery and confusion to me that I wasn't sure I would ever understand. Yet, as his compelling eyes landed upon me, I knew with unfailing certainty that he understood me completely. He saw inside of me and knew what kind of person I was.

He saw my many flaws, and for some strange reason he didn't mind them. He saw the depths of my imperfections, the intensity of my coldness, and he understood it. I was suddenly struck by the realization that I didn't know what was worse. Being completely understood and accepted for my many defects, or constantly trying to prove that I didn't have them.

Was it better to be accepted for being an awful human being, or to have someone believe that I was something better than I was?

Cade's eyes narrowed, his head tilted to the side. Displeasure flashed across his features, his hand clenched on the strap around his chest. The beams of moonlight hit his onyx eyes nearly turning them blue. I had the disconcerting feeling he knew what I was thinking, or at least the direction of my thoughts, and he didn't like them.

"Bethany?"

"I'm fine," I responded as I turned my attention back to Bret.

"Maybe we should stop."

"We have to keep moving."

"Keep moving where?" Jenna asked; her voice faint and forlorn.

"Somewhere." Though I had no idea where. I just knew that we couldn't sit still. If we stopped we were sitting ducks.

"Somewhere is not an answer!" she retorted. "We have to have somewhere to go; just roaming aimlessly around is doing nothing for any of us! We should find somewhere safe to hide!"

"Since you know where all of those places are, why don't you just tell us where to go!?" I snapped back.

Jenna glared at me, her delicate jaw clenched as her teeth grated back and forth. "Ok, easy, we should probably come up with some kind of plan," Bret interjected calmly. "We have to find shelter."

"I'm not going inside again," I responded at once.

They all looked at me like I'd sprung another head, even Cade seemed somewhat taken aback. "Bethy..."

"No Aiden. If you guys would like to find shelter that's fine, but there is no way I'm going inside again. Not right now anyway," I amended when I saw their distraught faces.

"Well we have to find some place to hide!"

Jenna's whining tone was grating on my last nerve. I understood that she was frightened, but I'd never had a vast storage of patience (yet another fault of mine), and I found that I had even less now. My nerve endings felt as if someone was constantly taking a match to them. I was hurt, I was frightened too, but most of all I was angry and she was enflaming that anger right now.

"And we will." Cade touched Jenna's arm briefly, reassuringly. "But for now, we have to keep moving."

"The old lighthouse, only teens go there anymore. It will be safe," Jenna said.

"Nothing is safe anymore," Abby whispered.

Jenna's lower lip trembled, her arm tightened around Abby's shoulder. "It will be safer than the woods."

"You really believe that a lighthouse, used to call in ships, set out on a Jetty that can be seen across the bay, is safer than the woods?" I asked incredulously.

"I don't hear you coming up with any ideas!" she practically wailed.

"Our old tree house."

We all turned to Aiden. "What?" Bret asked.

"Our old tree house," Aiden's brown eyes sparkled with enthusiasm. "Our old house is on Cranberry Isle, the area has been built up over the past few years, but it's still relatively private. Even more private is the tree house that Bethy and I built with our father when we were younger..."

"You intend for us to hide in a tree house!?" Jenna nearly screeched.

I sighed as I rolled my eyes. She was going to be the undoing of my temper, I was certain of it. "It's a little bit more than a tree house," Aiden told her.

"I'm not dying in a tree house," Jenna retorted.

"We spent a lot of time on it; it's more than a tree house," Aiden insisted. "It's actually pretty well equipped for a tree house."

"We haven't been there in years Aiden, you can't possibly know what condition it's still in," I reminded him.

He shifted uncomfortably. "I've been there recently."

I started as my mouth parted. Aiden and I didn't tell each other everything, but we shared more, and were closer than most siblings. We looked out for, loved, and protected Abby, but the two of us were closer in age, bonded by more shared experiences, and truly liked each other now that we were older. Going to the tree house didn't sound like something Aiden would do, he wasn't a nostalgic person, and it definitely seemed like something he would have told me about.

I didn't know if I was more stunned, or more upset, that he hadn't. I didn't ask when, or why, and he didn't seem to feel like elaborating.

"It will be a good place to hide out for a bit. We can come up with a better plan then."

"Cranberry Isle is a good three miles away," Jenna grumbled.

"Then we had better get moving," Bret said as he slipped his hand into mine and squeezed it.

Chapter 14

It was a tree house, and I still refused to go inside it. I sat against the tree with my knees drawn up to my chest, surrounded only by the forest. There was a small stream about thirty feet away, I couldn't see it, but I knew its location from childhood memories. The sound of running water was like mellow music in the oddly still woods. Birds weren't singing; there were no squirrels running amongst the trees. I was terrified that the alien's magic ability to freeze things had somehow extended to the animals. How could we stop them if they were able to pull off such a colossal attack?

I could only hope that it was our presence that had scared the animals away, or that they still hadn't awakened in the early morning hours. I rested my forehead on my knees, trying not to think about it, trying to just block everything out but it was almost impossible. Aiden had been right; the tree house was in good shape, excellent even. I didn't think it was the new home owners that had kept it in such good condition, Aiden and I hadn't disclosed its location when we moved from Cranberry Isle. This was our tree house; neither of us could stand the thought of anyone else playing amongst its walls.

Abby had been too young for the tree house at the time, she had come out here with us once, but I highly doubted she would have remembered how to get here on her own. Abby was many things, but adventurous and handy were not amongst her vast list of attributes. That left only Aiden to keep up the maintenance, and he had done a fantastic job of it. I just couldn't believe that he had kept it from me all of these years, but then there was plenty that I had kept from him also.

I lifted my head to gaze up at the wooden structure thirty feet above me. It was nestled in the crook of four large branches of a massive maple. There were three ways to escape the tree house, and two ways to enter it. A metal ladder stretched from the ground up to a hole against the trunk of the tree. The hole was usually left open, but it could be closed and the ladder thrown away if it was necessary.

A rope ladder hung from the other side of the tree, the one closest to the stream. It could be pulled up rapidly, and had been many times when we were younger and under the attack of trolls and other nefarious creatures. The third and final exit was a metal pole that had rusted over the years, but still appeared stable. It had always been my favorite way to exit the fort when in a rush to escape from the fiends that had breached our security. The exits had been for fun when we were kids, now I was glad that we had decided to build so many emergency escapes.

I stared at the bottom of the fort but I sensed no movement up there. They must all be asleep. Even Bret had climbed into the leafy bowers, curious about the elaborate fort. I had told him to stay up there for awhile. I was amazed that he had actually listened to me. He was terrified for me, I could see that, but thankfully he seemed to understand my need for solitude.

I had no doubt that he would return soon though. I rose to my feet and stretched my back as I walked to the edge of the small clearing. Years ago we had cut the woods back, creating a large area to play in, and a nice path to traverse through the forest. The woods had reclaimed most of the path. Just as the wilderness would reclaim everything that was going to be abandoned, and forgotten when this was over. The world would change, it had changed already. Houses may very well be a thing of the past; the forest would regain the land it had lost over the years, animals would be the new residents of homes. I shuddered at the thought; there would be much for the wilderness to reclaim when this was all done. Maybe even our bodies.

I hated my morose thoughts, but they wouldn't go away. Neither would the heart wrenching anguish of losing my mom. Now that we were stopped, now that I was alone, now that I wasn't focusing upon inane little things like Cade's interaction with Jenna, I couldn't stop the flood of loss and memories that surged through me. Tears didn't streak my face, but hollow, dry sobs racked through my chest and hunched my shoulders as I hugged myself. She had gone fast; they hadn't gotten a hold of her. I kept telling myself this, kept trying to reassure myself with those thoughts, but it didn't ease the knot of anguish searing my chest.

This wasn't the trauma of my father's death. Losing my mother had been shocking, and yes this whole thing was traumatizing, but I hadn't been with her at the instant of death. I hadn't seen the suffering and fear. I hadn't seen the worry for me, for her family. I hadn't seen death clouding my mother's gaze, as I had with my father.

I sharply veered away from those thoughts; they would only lead to places that I never wanted to travel to again. Dark places, and an even gloomier and despondent version of me than I ever wanted to know again. I paced to the edge of the clearing, tugging at my hair as I wrapped it around my finger. The honey color of it was nearly brown with dirt, sweat, and residue from the antique store. I would have given anything for a shower as I could barely stand the smell of myself anymore.

My last memory of the stream as a child told me that it was small. I imagined it would seem even smaller now that I was an adult, but at least it was something. I glanced back at the tree house. The small shutters had been drawn over the three windows, blocking out the sun so they could make an attempt at sleep.

I slipped through the forest, shoving aside bull briar, grape vine, and branches as I made my way to the stream. I was bleeding and sweating even more by the time I broke free of the woods and stumbled upon the stream. It was smaller than I remembered, but it was still one of the most wonderful things I'd seen in awhile.

I hastily kicked off my sneakers and socks and shed my filthy clothes. The stream was a little above my knees as I waded in and dropped down to sit upon the rocky bottom. The cold water washed deliciously over my heated, filthy skin. Closing my eyes I fell back in the stream, allowing it to engulf me. I opened my eyes to stare out at the world through the blurry haze of water above me. It was beautiful; the sky was as pristine and clear as the water trickling over my head. My lungs began to burn, but I stayed under, trying to pretend that the world was as perfect as it seemed from beneath the surface.

Unfortunately, I didn't have gills. I burst free of the water, gasping for air as I tried to fill my lungs. I wasn't safe here, I knew that, but I couldn't drag myself from the cool stream. It was the only sliver of peace I had managed to find in awhile. Pulling my knees against my chest, I rested my chin upon them and closed my eyes.

***

It was falling over in the water that jolted me awake. I was disoriented and confused by my surroundings. Bolting upright, I splashed and crashed about in the water as I wiped the wet hair from my face. Blinking away the water clinging to my lashes I swiftly looked around the darkening woods. I didn't know how long I'd been sitting in the stream, but the sun was lower, and I was freezing and starting to resemble a raisin. My skin was covered with at least fifty red welts from the mosquito's dancing over the water.

I shakily rose to my feet, wincing as the softened pads of them landed upon the rocks. I made my way out of the stream, teetering like a newborn foal as I tried to avoid the more jagged looking rocks. I rang my hair out when I reached the shore. The last thing I felt like doing was putting my filthy clothes back on. Unfortunately I didn't have any other options.

I slipped the smelly clothing back on and shuddered at the feel of it against my skin. Now that my skin was clean, the smell of them was even more repulsive as it engulfed me. I didn't care if it was wrong or not, as soon as night fell I was going to search out some clean clothes. I was certain the owners of them would understand; if they were still alive they were probably looking for the same thing.

I groaned in disgust as I slipped the dirty socks back on and shoved my feet into my sneakers. "Feel better?"

I stumbled backwards and nearly fell over as the voice came from the edge of the woods. It took me some time to find Cade half hidden within the shadows of the day. "How long have you been there?" I demanded, trying to control the accelerated beat of my heart as I thought about what he might have seen.

He shrugged, which was a highly annoying gesture that caused my jaw to clench. "Not long." His voice was causal, his posture almost indolent as his eyes perused me. He moved with the stealthy grace of a hunting tiger as he came toward me. I clung to my annoyance, even as my pulse began to escalate and a strange tingling filtered into my fingertips. Even dirty and disheveled he was gorgeous and a little overwhelming. I took a step back, struggling to breathe normally as he approached.

"I didn't see anything if that's what you're worried about."

It seemed he was taking pity on me as he uttered these words. I didn't want his pity, and I didn't want him looking at me like I was a child. I already got enough of that from Bret. "Good."

"Bethany..."

"We should get back. It's getting late."

I turned away as I tried to retain my remaining shreds of dignity. He grabbed hold of my hand and pulled me back. A small cry escaped me but it was buried beneath the press of his lips. Even though I was frozen in place my instant physical reaction to him was startling in its intensity. I knew that I should pull away, that this was completely wrong, but I couldn't find the strength to do so. He cradled my cheeks as he pulled me closer to him. For the first time I began to feel safe, for the first time I didn't hurt and I wasn't terrified. In his arms I felt as if there was no one else in the world, but us.

His lips brushed against mine, just a butterfly caress, before he reluctantly pulled away. His forehead rested against mine, his fingers stroked my cheeks. I didn't want the moment to ever end, didn't ever want to part from him, but I had to. We had to.

"Why are you doing this?" I whispered.

His eyes deliberately surveyed my face. "Isn't it obvious?" I shook my head. He sighed as his lips brushed over mine again. Heat pooled through me once more, my heart beat a rapid staccato that I was sure he could hear. "It should be."

"But, Bret..." He didn't move away from me, as I'd thought he would at the reminder of my boyfriend. "Bret's a good person."

"He is."

"He loves me."

"This has nothing to do with him Bethany."

"But it does." I closed my eyes, unable to meet the stark candor of his gaze.

"I'll tell him if you want."

My mouth dropped as my eyes flew open. "That's not what I want!" I blurted. I didn't want Bret to know anything about this. It would be such a huge weight off my chest, such a giant burden taken from me to tell him about my infidelity. However, I wasn't going to upset Bret simply to ease my conscious. But there was a part of me that yearned to let this out so badly that I almost wept at the joyous thought of it.

"Then what do you want? I'll give you anything you ask for, just tell me." His voice was raspy with desire.

My throat was clogged with tears for him, for Bret. I had no intention of hurting Cade either, but I suddenly realized that I was. "I don't know Cade. I don't even know what this is. I don't even know if we're still going to be alive tomorrow morning. I know that I don't want to hurt Bret, I just can't, he deserves better. We, all of us, are all that we have right now. We have to trust each other in order to survive. Bret is a good guy, he loves me, and I can't betray his trust anymore than I already have."

"He does love you." I hadn't expected Cade to say that he loved me too, there was no way that he could, but I hadn't expected such a nonchalant confirmation like the one he gave.

"He deserves better."

Cade frowned at me. "Than you?"

I licked my lips as my anxious gaze darted toward the trees. His fingers slid over my face again. "Yes, he deserves far better than me. I'm so confused."

"I'm not. There is nothing better than you."

Before I could protest his statement he was kissing me again. His arms were around me and I was no longer confused, I suddenly knew where I belonged. It was the oddest, most bewildering, and absolutely breathtaking feeling I'd ever experienced. How could I feel like this for someone I barely knew? How could this feel so right and good, when it would only hurt people?

It was the sound of Cade's name being called that tore me away from him again. I was so ensnared in a cocoon of warmth and pleasure that thoughts weren't properly coalescing in my brain, but Cade was quick to recover. My eyes widened as a thunderous expression crossed his face. He cursed as he released me and stalked toward the forest as my name was called.

"Jenna!" he snarled. "Jenna be quiet!"

"Where are you? Is Bethany with you?" His eyes smoldered as they met mine again. I felt as if I was just seeing him for the first time, who was this person that was so undeniably angry over such a small thing? "Cade!"

"Quiet!" he hissed, but it was too late. I heard the loud crunch of underbrush at the same time he did. I stared at Cade in horror, uncertain what to do. I wanted to bolt in a million different directions at once, but I didn't know which way was the safest one. "Run Jenna!"

Then Cade was in front of me, grasping hold of my arms as he pulled me toward the woods. "Cade," I breathed.

"Run Bethany. Run."

I had picked my way carefully through all of the thorns on my way to the stream, now I dove into them with reckless abandon. I was scratched, bloodied and bruised but I didn't care as I shoved my way through the trees and vegetation. I thought I should try to go with a little more ease, but I was too terrified to slow down right now.

I could hear Cade behind me, and although we were both traveling through the same crap, I was certain that he was a thousand times quieter than me. My foot became entangled in a mess of briars, tripping me up. I cried out as I tumbled to the ground in an ungraceful heap. Thorns tore into my flesh and dug into my palms.

Cade grabbed hold of me and lifted me up swiftly. I turned to run again, but he held me back. Before I knew what was happening he was pushing me against a tree. "Climb," he breathed in my ear.

I drew on all the things I had learned as a child as I pulled myself up the tree. I glanced back at Cade; he was rapidly scurrying up behind me as I moved higher and higher into the limbs of the giant oak. Then he was next to me, pressing me against the trunk of the tree. His breathing was loud in my ear; I could feel his heartbeat as he pressed flat against me.

"Stay perfectly still."

That was easier said than done as every part of my body was trembling from apprehension and exertion. I was frightened of what was coming, afraid of the unknown, and consumed with terror for my brother and sister. Cade wrapped his arms around me and flattened himself against me. I didn't know where Jenna had gone; I prayed that she was safe, that she had heard the approaching danger also.

"Jenna," I whispered.

Cade rested his head in the hollow of my neck. "You're the only one that matters Bethy." My mouth dropped, he lifted his head to meet my disbelieving stare. The words were harsh, almost cruel in their detachment, but there was something heartwarming and reassuring in them that left me trembling and weak. "You've always been the only one that matters."

Now how did I respond to that? How did anyone respond to that? I thought that I should protest, that I should tell him that of course other people mattered, and always would. I thought these things, but I didn't say them, mainly because I was unreasonably pleased by the conviction behind his fervent words. My breath was robbed from me, I wasn't certain I was ever going to breathe right again.

I thought that he was going to kiss me, but his eyes slid away. The noise of the forest was getting closer; it seemed as if a herd of deer were tromping their way through. For a moment relief filled me, maybe it wasn't the aliens, maybe the wildlife was starting to move around again.

Cade pressed me back when I tried to move away from the trunk of the tree. He shot me a look, his jaw clenched as he shook his head briskly. The muscles in his lean arms bulged as they constricted around me. Even now, terrified, bloody, and cornered, I felt myself reacting to him. He must have sensed a change in my breathing, or in my body, as his gaze slid back to me. Those eyes were dazzling, liquid pools of onyx that gleamed in the light filtering through the leaves. I could see fear in his gaze, but there was also something far more intense that I couldn't quite place.

He leaned close to me, his lips pressed against my ear. I reveled in the feel of him, of the breath whispering over my skin. "I'm not confused Bethany," he whispered so softly that I barely heard him. "I never have been."

I shivered in response as the woods suddenly erupted with motion.

Chapter 15

I gawked at the sight beneath us, too startled to react at first. "Cade..."

"I see," he murmured.

I blinked as I tried to convince myself that what I was seeing was real. "They're human."

"Yes."

I followed him back down the tree. The group of ten people spun toward us, drawing out the weapons they possessed as we landed on the ground. "Easy," Cade said, using his arm to push me back from them as he shielded me with his body. I frowned at his back but he wouldn't let me out as he kept his arm pressed against my chest.

They studied us skeptically before lowering their spears and one rifle. "What are you doing here?" a tall burly man demanded.

"The same as you I suppose," Cade responded with more nonchalance than I would have managed under the circumstances.

The man eyed us warily. I was staggered by the hostility radiating from them, we weren't their enemy. "Are they out here?" a woman asked tremulously.

"Not yet, but I'm sure it's only a matter of time. Where did you come from?" Cade inquired.

"Mashpee." The man responded, indicating the town next to ours. "We're making our way to the bridges."

"Are you going to attempt to cross them?" I blurted.

"We can't stay on this side, we're trapped here."

I glanced at Cade; I wasn't at all sure how I felt about that. It was true, on this side we were cut off from the world, separated from the mainland by the canal. The bridges were the only way off the manmade island, but nothing had crossed over them in awhile, car or person. The thought of attempting to cross them on foot seemed like a suicide mission to me. We would be out in the open, high up in the air and easily spotted from above. I would rather jump in the canal and take my chances with the deadly current and cool water, rather than try and run across either bridge.

"They're just gonna herd the survivors into smaller and smaller pieces of land, until they can't herd us anymore. Until there is nowhere left for us to go. We have to get off this island," the man continued.

I shuddered as I realized that the man was right. They would continue to push us where they chose, but the bridges were not an option, at least not to me. Neither was swimming across, and a boat would be an easy target on the open sea, or in the canal. We were trapped here, stuck, and at the mercy of the aliens hunting us. "Have you met many other survivors?" I inquired tremulously.

"I met up with three others near the Sandwich line and we've picked up two others along the way."

They hadn't walked an overly long distance, but I thought they should have discovered more people in the area they'd covered. "We'll walk with you," Cade said.

"Cade," I whispered as dread filled me at the thought. They were the first people we'd seen since all of this started, I should be ecstatic to see them, and yet their plan terrified me. I didn't even like driving over the bridges, never mind running across the damn things.

"We'll go with you for a little while," Cade amended as he squeezed my arm. "If that's ok?"

They exchanged quick glances. "Strength in numbers," the man agreed.

"Yes." My heart was hammering as my skin became coated with a thin sheen of sweat. "There are others of us nearby." Cade turned to me clasped hold of my shoulders. "I have to find Jenna; there is no way to know how far she ran. Wait for us."

"Cade..."

He was disappearing into the woods before I could offer a full protest though. I marveled over his grace and ability to move with such speed and ease before focusing my attention back on the group. They looked as beaten and terrified as I felt. I found my defenses crumpling and I managed a small smile for them. One that was only halfheartedly returned. "This way," I said.

***

It had taken Cade nearly a half an hour to find Jenna and bring her back to the tree house, by that time it was almost dusk. The group was divided on if it would be best to keep moving, or wait until daybreak. A majority vote had us packing up our meager supplies and moving on. I preferred to keep moving, we had stayed here too long and I felt we would be pushing our luck if we continued to do so.

Bret worried over me as he cleaned my cuts with some of the water we had left. One of the members of the other group had bandages. I wanted to tell Bret to stop and not to worry about me. I was certain that if he knew the truth about me, the last thing in the world he'd choose to do was touch me. I wouldn't blame him in the least.

I forced myself not to turn away from him, none of this was his fault, it was all mine. I felt like a mummy with my hands wrapped up, but apparently my dive into the thorns had done more damage than I'd realized. "You have to be more careful," Bret muttered as he finished tying the bandage.

He looked at me in amusement. We both knew that was a near impossibility. After all, I was the girl who had tripped over her own feet and sprained an ankle last year. A fact that, until all of this happened, Aiden and Bret had found highly amusing. "I'm fine Bret," I assured him.

His clear green eyes were warm and caring as he squeezed my hand. "You're a train wreck, but I love you."

Guilt coiled through me, I shied away from the words. I wished he would stop saying them. It took all I had not to jerk away when he bent to kiss my cheek. I could feel Cade's gaze burning into me from across the clearing, but I couldn't bring myself to look at him. I felt like the lowest of life forms, and I wasn't ready to deal with the fact that I was now a cheater. Ok well maybe I wasn't a full blown adulteress, it had only been a couple of kisses, but I was still a horrible person and I knew it.

I just wished that Cade wasn't so damn irresistible, or that I wasn't so damn weak.

I went to grab the bag of food but Bret beat me to it. "Let your hands heal."

I wasn't going to argue, there was no need. I fell into line beside Abby; she slid her hand through my arm. "I'm glad we've found others."

"Yes, me too."

Though I still wasn't certain how all of this was going to work out. Heading toward the bridges meant heading toward higher populated areas; areas that would have a higher concentration of frozen people, and aliens. And crossing the bridges? We couldn't, we simply couldn't. Unfortunately, I knew that some people were determined to do just that, and I was a little scared that Jenna was completely for it. She was nearly hysterical after Cade had brought her back and was hell bent on getting off of Cape Cod.

I didn't realize I was staring at her, and Cade, until I caught him staring back at me. My face colored and I ducked my head. Abby giggled beside me. "I think he likes you."

"He's just a friend," I responded quickly, perhaps a little too quickly.

She had only been teasing but my reaction to her, and my focus on Cade, hadn't escaped her attention. Abby might have written off the kiss she had witnessed earlier as the heat of the moment, or temporary insanity, but I could see a dawning realization in her gaze. "Bethy..." she whispered.

"How are you doing?" I asked as a way to change the conversation.

"Bethany what are you doing?"

"Nothing Abby. How are you holding up?"

I could tell she was tempted to say more, but eventually she decided to go with my change of subject. "Surviving, just like everyone else."

I wondered how we were surviving at all. How we were still moving and carrying on through all of this. I could barely stand to think of our mother, I was frightened I would turn into a sobbing mess if I did. We were all exhausted, hungry, and terrified, and yet we continued to fight for our lives no matter how uncomfortable and uncertain we had become. Abby leaned against my side and rested her head on my arm. She was strong, but I knew she wouldn't be able to take much more. I wasn't so sure any of us could.

"We are going to survive this though," she muttered.

I turned my attention back to Abby and forced a smile. "Yes we are."

I hoped that I wasn't lying to her, but deep down I felt I was. We moved through the woods, skirting the roads and staying within the shadows. As we approached the Sagamore Bridge I was surprised to see that all of its lights still on, and blazing vibrantly. I stopped to stare as I recalled all the times I had seen the bridge lit up like this. It was a beautiful, sweeping, glowing beacon against the night. Yet, even though it looked much the same, it was completely different.

It was the middle of summer and the bridge was completely deserted. Last summer the bridge had been packed with traffic, the sound of cars had filled the night as tourists came and went at a snail's pace. Now there was nothing there except for the lights, and almost certain death.

"The lights are on," Jenna muttered. "We can't go across if the lights are on. They'll spot us instantly if we do."

"We'll try the Bourne Bridge," one of the members of the other group said.

"The lights will be on there too," I told them.

"You can't know that," a woman retorted brusquely.

No, I couldn't know it for sure, but it was more than likely true. They just didn't want to believe it, yet.

"We'll go to the other bridge," Cade said reasonably. "It's not that far. If we stick to the edge of the woods and move quickly, we can get there before daybreak."

We hadn't discussed if we were going to attempt the crossing. I knew that Jenna was for it, but what did everyone else feel? I looked to Aiden, but he was conversing with one of the other men.

I thought of the other bridge, and then remembered something we were all forgetting about. "What about the military base?" I asked. They all frowned as they stared at me in the night. Their eyes were eerily aglow in the moonlight filtering through the trees. "I know it's closed. I know the aliens kicked everyone off of it, but it's big, and it's wooded. There are a lot of places to hide there, a lot of buildings we can sneak into, and there might be weapons still there or maybe even food."

"I don't know the base very well," one man said.

"The aliens could be out there," another woman replied. "Wouldn't it make sense for them to take over that place and use it as their own?"

I couldn't argue with that, it would make sense, but I doubted the aliens were on the base. I didn't think they would take up any sort of permanent residence down here. They hated us; they thought nothing of us, which was very obvious by the fact that they were hunting us like rabid animals and putting us down without hesitation. Now that I had thought about the base, I wasn't ready to let it go. There could be weapons out there still; there would be places to hide. There may even be places that we could make a stand, places from which we could defend ourselves. We couldn't run forever, we wouldn't survive doing that. Our supplies were limited.

But as much as the base was taking root in my mind, I could tell that they were dead set against it. "We have to get to the mainland," another man in the group said.

I sighed in resignation, Abby's hand tightened on my arm. There was no reasoning with them, no arguing with them. They had their minds set. I looked toward Aiden, but he wasn't going to argue, I could see that on his face. He felt the mainland was the best option also. A shiver rolled down my spine, those people were going to get themselves killed, and they were going to take me and my friends and family with them.

Chapter 16

I didn't argue as we fell into step with them. Though it was almost five miles, we arrived at the Bourne Bridge far faster than I would have liked. I stared at the impressive metal structure arching gracefully over the canal; it was the twin in many ways to the Sagamore. I kept waiting for the Twilight Zone music to start playing, kept waiting for something to happen. I couldn't shake the feeling that we were the only people left on earth, that we'd been sucked into some kind of time loop or perhaps were even being punked. I kept waiting for someone to jump out and yell, 'Gotcha!'

Neither of those things happened.

The roadway leading to the bridge was as clear as day to me. It almost seemed as if the lights were trying to lure us onto the soaring structure like a mouse to cheese. I was certain we would be snatched up the minute we stepped out of the shadows of the forest.

Abby stood on her tiptoes and pulled me closer to her. "I don't want to cross it."

I pressed my finger against my lips for her to keep quiet. The others gathered together to talk amongst themselves. Abby and I stayed back. I was against separating, it was the last thing I wanted to do, but I wasn't going to cross that bridge, and I wasn't going to let them make Abby cross it either. I didn't know what we would do if we were left behind, but I was willing to take my chances on this side rather than step onto that death trap.

I couldn't hear what they were saying, but Cade was shaking his head firmly with his arms crossed over his chest. There were small tremors running through Abby's petite frame. Jenna was behind Cade, nodding as he shook his head. Aiden was hanging back, looking unsure of either option while Bret was raptly listening to each argument, trying to decipher which course of action he felt would be best.

"You have to stay here Abby."

I tried to free myself from her grip, but she only held on tighter. "No."

"Abby..."

But it didn't matter; the group was beginning to break apart. Aiden was coming toward us. I could tell by the set of his shoulders, and the determination in his eyes, that I wasn't going to like what he had to say.

"We're going to go over in groups," he told me.

"I'm not going over," I told him.

"Bethany..."

"No Aiden, I am not crossing that bridge. It's suicide."

"It's suicide to stay here," he said.

"Crossing that bridge is instantaneous suicide and you know that. We still have a chance over here; we can come up with a different plan if we just think about it reasonably."

"The aliens might not have considered the bridges."

The sheer stupidity of that statement caused my mouth to drop as I gaped at him. They somehow had the technology to navigate galaxies with ease, and freeze a good chunk of the population, but they wouldn't have the foresight to monitor the only two ways off of Cape Cod? I had no idea what anyone was thinking, but they weren't using their brains, that much was clear. "Aiden..."

"We can't stay here Bethany."

"There has to be another way," I insisted.

"What way?"

I didn't know how to answer that. The canal was known for its treacherous currents, and to swim it would be almost as obvious as running across the bridge, but even that seemed a better option to me than this. And then I knew. I knew exactly how we could get to the other side. "What if I have a better plan Aiden?" I asked.

He stared unblinkingly at me. "What is it?"

"If we find some diving gear, we could use it to swim across. We could stay under water, stay out of view. It could work."

Aiden became silent; Abby stared up at me, while Cade seemed to be thinking it over. "None of us know how to use scuba gear, and where would we even get it?" Aiden finally asked.

I didn't care if none of us could scuba dive or not. I was far more willing to take my chances with it than I was with the bridge. "Someone here might know how, and there's a rental place a few miles away. They have all kinds of beach supplies in there; they may have something that we could use."

The other group had moved closer to us, but none of them spoke out when I mentioned scuba diving. "We can figure it out," I whispered.

"It's not something you just figure out Bethany."

I glowered ferociously at him. "I would rather take my chances with that instead of running across something over a hundred feet in the freaking air Aiden!" I snapped, unsure why he was stubbornly clinging to this crazy notion. He was one of the smartest people I knew, but he was being adamantly stupid right now. My idea wasn't without risk, and possibly death, but it was still better than this absolute insanity.

"She has a point," Cade said. "We can swim around the canal, avoiding the currents, and come up somewhere more sheltered on the other side."

"We don't know how to use scuba gear," one of the other group insisted firmly. "We would never be able to do it."

"I know how to scuba dive." My attention was drawn to a young woman in her late teens or early twenties. Her long reddish hair, so dark that it was nearly brown, hung in thick curls to the middle of her back. Her cat green eyes were intense as she surveyed the group. "My father and I used to go lobster diving. I'm not an expert, but I do well enough with it. I could help."

I eagerly looked to Aiden, but his jaw was clenched and I could tell he was still against it. "We don't know for sure that the store will have rental gear."

"It's worth a shot," Abby said.

"There may not even be enough for all of us, and then what?" another woman in the group inquired.

My patience was reaching the end of its short rope. "Then we come back here tomorrow night, but at least we would have tried," I stridently stated.

"You can stand here and debate this all you want. I'm not waiting anymore. The closer it gets to dawn, the less likely our chances of getting across are going to become," a man amongst the group insisted. "And we may not have another night. This may be our only chance to escape, and I'm not going to blow it."

"But this isn't a chance, this is death!" I insisted. "Please don't do this. It's foolish."

I didn't understand their absolute insistence upon this course of action. Was it because it was the only plan they believed in? Was it because they believed the other side of the bridge was magically better? Or was it simply because they finally had something to do, something to cling to other than fear and uncertainty?

Whatever it was, I knew that I wasn't going to be able to stop them, and I was terrified that I wouldn't be able to talk sense into Aiden either. Would he leave Abby and I here just to do this? Just to prove a point?

"You'll see Bethy, when we get to the other side, you can join us."

My heart was hammering. Abby was shaking even more as her fingers dug into my arm. "Aiden don't," she pleaded.

He looked at her as if he didn't know who she was; apparently he'd thought that she would be eager to cross too. "Why don't we just think over what Bethany is saying," Cade suggested.

"What is there to think about?" The burly man shoved his way through the group to us. He hoisted his spear higher as he swung his pack onto his back. "This is the plan."

My heart was hammering; my mouth had gone completely dry. There didn't seem to be any way to stop this. "At least stay with us," I urged Aiden. "If they make it to the other side then maybe we'll consider going."

Aiden looked torn; he glanced back at the group of four that was starting to gather near the road. "We're in the third group, we'll go then."

Apparently I had already been divided without my knowledge, or approval. "Why are we even splitting up?" Abby inquired.

"Smaller groups will be less noticeable," Aiden explained.

"Yeah, that's gonna help," I retorted.

"You know I love you Bethy, but optimism has never been one of your stronger qualities," Aiden said.

I glared at him, fighting to keep control of my rising temper as my hands fisted at my sides. He may be my brother, and one of my best friends, but there were times when our personalities completely clashed. Unfortunately this was one of those times, and his stubborn insistence may very well get us killed. No matter how much I was against crossing that bridge, I knew that I wouldn't let him go alone. I couldn't. "Realism is not the same as pessimism. You're being foolish Aiden; you're not even listening to reason."

"This is a good plan."

I bit my lip, arguing with him was getting me nowhere. I looked toward Cade, but his attention was focused upon the people already leaving the woods. I closed my eyes, made a plea for their safety, and then forced myself to watch. I couldn't keep my eyes closed against this; I had to know what was going to happen no matter how awful it might be.

"No, it's not," I whispered.

Bret stepped closer to me and slid his hand into mine. "I'll keep you safe."

I managed a tremulous smile for him, but we both knew that it would be nearly impossible for anyone to stop the kind of murderous intent that we had seen earlier. His hand was warm and strong in mine. I knew every callous and every small scar that marked it. Yet as I held his hand, I didn't feel the strong pull, the strong need that tore at me whenever Cade was near.

The next group stepped forward, entering the street as the first group reached the far side of the rotary. They were only five feet from the beginning of the bridge, just passing the entrance of the IHOP. They stepped onto the bridge, moving cautiously as they began the climb up. They weren't quite over the water yet, but still above the concrete walkway and jagged rocks that marked the side of the canal. I shuddered at the thought of something happening to the bridge now, not like falling into the canal would save them, but it seemed somewhat more pleasant than concrete and rocks.

"Ok, let's go."

Bret took a step forward; apparently he was in our group while the other man and woman would be the last ones to go with Jenna and Cade. "Wait!" Abby said anxiously as Cade stepped toward us.

My heart was hammering, I could barely breathe as my hand clenched around Bret's. The second group was almost at the beginning of the bridge. The first was just cresting the middle of it; if not for the lights they would no longer be visible. I could sense Aiden's growing excitement; he really believed that this was going to be ok. I wanted him to be right, they had gotten further than I'd expected, but I was still unable to accept it.

"We have to go Abby, it's the plan." Aiden seemed agitated by the fact that we weren't adhering strictly to the plan. I understood his need to control something, to feel like he ruled his own life again. I just would have preferred if he had chosen something a little less deadly, like our food supplies maybe.

"Just wait until the second group gets a little further Aiden, please," Abby whispered.

I decided to let her try to persuade Aiden, he had a harder time saying no to her than he did to me. He looked hesitant but he waited until the second group was already on the bridge and the first group was beginning to fade from sight. Then, without further speaking to us, Aiden began to move from the woods. I franticly glanced back at Cade.

Cade's jaw was locked as he came toward us. The determination in his gaze was a sign of impending trouble. I knew he wasn't going to make me cross that bridge. "Aiden wait," he commanded crisply.

Aiden spun back toward him, but the other two members of Cade's group were also coming forward. One of them was the girl who had claimed to know how to scuba dive. "Molly." She thrust her small hand forward to shake Aiden's. I took hold of her hand, surprised by the strength in her firm grip as I introduced myself.

"We'll go now instead. You'll see, we'll all be fine," the man said. He shot Abby and I a sympathetic look that set my teeth on edge.

"Fine," Aiden said. "Let's go Bret."

"Wait," Bret protested instantly. "Bethany..."

"It's ok Bret, I'll be fine," I assured him. "I would like to stay with Abby."

"Cade can go over with Aiden."

Hope sparked in Jenna's eyes at the idea of being with Bret. Abby looked franticly back and forth between the two groups. I was ashamed by the spurt of disappointment that shot through me at the thought of being separated from Cade. "Let's just go," Aiden said impatiently.

"I'd prefer not to leave you here," Bret said to me.

"Bret come on," Aiden interjected, practically bouncing on his toes in his eagerness to move.

"Bethany?" Bret asked.

I forced down the lump in my throat. "I'll be fine."

"Would you like me to stay?" he inquired.

I wanted them all to stay, but my opinion didn't seem to matter right now. "Its fine," I managed to choke out.

He smiled at me tremulously, squeezed my hand, and kissed me tenderly on the lips. I didn't recoil from him and didn't push him away. In fact I kissed him back because I was fairly certain I would never see him again, and I did love him. He hurried to join Aiden and Cade swiftly took Bret's place at my side. I stared morosely up at Cade, struggling not to cry as Abby began to sob quietly.

The first group made it to the other side of the bridge; I could almost feel their relief. They weren't out of the woods yet, they were still completely exposed and out in the open, but they'd made it much further than I had thought they were going to. Hope began to fill me as I realized that perhaps I'd been wrong after all, perhaps we were all going to make it across. Perhaps the bridges were the answer.

I was seized by the urge to run across the bridge, race over to the other side and kiss the ground of the mainland. I glanced eagerly at Cade, Abby's tears began to dry up, and Jenna looked like she was about to start jumping for joy. The second group was more than halfway there; Aiden was almost to the IHOP. "Let's go," Jenna said eagerly.

I managed a wan smile for Cade when he turned toward me. Jenna stepped out of the shadows and made her way toward the road. I swallowed nervously, gathered my courage, and followed Jenna. Abby had stopped crying as she moved with us. Cade stayed close to my side, little shivers of pleasure shot through me every time his arm brushed against mine. I didn't feel so awful about us right now, I couldn't. I needed him.

It was just that simple.

Aiden was at the foot of the bridge. The second group was almost safely to the other side when intense light blazed forth. For a minute I was blinded, and completely confused. I thought something had happened with the lights on the bridge, that perhaps a power surge had somehow caused them to blaze even brighter.

Then, I heard the screams.

Chapter 17

I didn't stop to think. I shoved Abby back and pushed her towards the woods. "Run!" I yelled at her. She turned beneath my shoving hands and stumbled toward the forest. I turned and plunged in the opposite direction. "Aiden!"

I couldn't see him over the glare burning my irises, couldn't hear him above the screams that shredded the night. "Aiden!"

I was running toward the blinding light and certain death that made it impossible to see the bridge anymore. I had no idea where I was or where I was running to. I stumbled, tripped, and sprawled onto grass. I had somehow managed to make it into the rotary, where exactly in the rotary I was though, I didn't know. I could be closer to the bridge; I could be on the complete opposite side. I struggled back to my feet.

"Aiden! Bret!" I screamed, terror for their lives clawed at me and left me nearly breathless. Not my brother, I pleaded. Please not my brother, please not Bret. Please. Please. Please.

I crashed through some bushes that tore at my skin and clothes before I plowed into another bush that halted me abruptly. I thought I was somewhere near the Cape Cod spelled out with yews in the center of the rotary. I couldn't be certain though, but I thought I may have hit the C of Cape. That meant I had at least approached the bridge side of the rotary in my heedless rush, and I wasn't running aimlessly in the wrong direction. I just didn't know where to go from here, which direction was the right one.

Arms wrapped around me and pulled me back. A terrified scream escaped me; I clawed savagely at the arms, certain that death had just locked me within its lasting embrace. "It's me Bethany," a voice whispered in my ear. I slumped as I recognized Cade's voice, but I couldn't see his arms around my waist against the harshness of the glow surrounding us. "We have to go back Bethy, we have to go back."

Cade was pulling me away, dragging me toward something. I didn't know which way we were going, what was happening anymore. More screams echoed out of the light. I was reminded of a wounded mountain lion and had never heard such awful, agonizing sounds in my entire life. I wanted to clasp my hands over my ears and attempt to drown out the suffering that echoed within those shrieks. I would never get that sound out of my head.

Aiden. Bret. My heart was shattering. This was it; I couldn't take anymore. This was my breaking point. It would soon be over, for all of us, and I didn't even care anymore.

Cade kept his arm locked around my waist as he pulled me to the ground. "Move Bethany!" he grated in my ear.

I didn't care to move, I didn't truly care to do anything ever again. When I remained limp beneath him, he began to half push and half drag me into the center of a bunch of bushes. They were scratchy and caused my skin to burn. Whatever the bushes were, they weren't friendly. Cade cursed as he followed behind me, struggling against the low hung branches of the plant.

I didn't care about the bushes, or the pain. The only thing I cared about right now was the fact that I could finally cover my ears. Curling into the fetal position, I clamped my hands over my ears, but it did little to drown out the awful sounds. Cade wrapped himself around me, using his body to cover mine.

"Shh, Bethy, shh love." I didn't realize that a low keening sound had been escaping from me. I was shaking, but no tears spilled free. I was too horrified, to shocked to cry.

"Cade," I moaned.

His body was warm and strong as he enfolded me within his embrace. His cheek was against mine, his hand wrapped around my head and forehead as he tried to shelter me. There was nothing sexual about his embrace right now. There was only a desperate need to protect me, to shield me from the horror and death that surrounded us. His mouth was against my cheek; his breath warm and ragged on my skin.

My eyes remained closed but the light burned against my eyelids, I thought it would be seared permanently into my irises. "My sweet Bethany."

He kissed my cheek gently. That was when I became certain that we were going to die, and that he knew it as well as I did. I found that to be an even worse realization. Cade had been stoic throughout this whole thing, even somewhat playful. I sensed the regret and longing that radiated from those three words.

The glow was briefly more intense and I became aware of the fact that the screams had stopped. The silence, either from the lack of noise or from the suffocating quality of the light, was profound. I shivered, Cade held me closer as the luminosity faded.

I remained frozen, too stunned to move. I didn't open my eyes; I wasn't ready to see anything. I strained to hear something, but there was nothing to hear. Not anymore. It was nearing dawn, but the birds didn't chirp. I couldn't even hear Cade's breath anymore, couldn't hear the fierce beat of his heart. The peace was unnerving in the wake of all the noise and light.

I couldn't take it anymore, my eyes flew open. It took a moment, but gradually they began to adjust to the early morning dawn. At first all I could make out was the plant wrapped around us. I couldn't identify it immediately, but its size, look, and smell made me think of juniper.

Cade gradually unraveled from me. I froze, unwilling to move as he crept forward. The bush was large, but not large enough to keep him hidden for much longer. Sound flooded in like high tide on a full moon. The world came to life again as he lifted some of the lower branches and peered out. I winced against the abrasive sound of the plant as the branches grated against each other.

I couldn't see anything, but I caught the small slump of his shoulders. "I think it's safe."

His voice was surprisingly soothing against the stark clamor that pulsated in my eardrums. "Think?" I winced; my voice was nowhere near as calming. He nodded. "They also thought the bridge was safe."

"You didn't." No I hadn't, but that didn't do anybody any good right now. Especially not Aiden and Bret. A twinge tugged at my heart as a lump lodged in my throat. "I think the bridge was booby trapped somehow. I don't believe the aliens are around here right now. But if I'm right, what just happened is going to bring them here, in droves."

He continued when I looked at him questioningly. "I saw no ship; there were none of those creatures around. Nothing happened until the first group made it off the bridge and onto the highway. I think the trap was set to lure in as many people as possible before it was released, just in case an escape was attempted in groups."

I was appalled and sickened by the endless depths of cruelty the aliens possessed. "We either go now, or we wait until morning Bethany. When it is light out."

Translation, when they would be able to see us better. "Now is good."

I barely caught the brief flash of his gaze as he turned back to me. I was more than just impressed by his resilience, I was awed by it. He had lost so much in his life, endured so much, and yet he wasn't going to quit. Not even now, when things seemed far bleaker than they had only ten minutes ago. There was a good chunk of me that was completely ready to cave.

I had lost too much in these past couple of days; my mother, my brother, my boyfriend, it was too much. Maybe Cade was able to carry so stalwartly on because he hadn't suffered such harsh losses as recently as I had, but I knew that wasn't the reason behind his determination. Cade had lost a lot in his life; maybe not as much as I had, but he'd also experienced great loss and sorrow. He was just as confused as I was, just as frightened, but he was going to forge on.

The only difference between us, I realized now, was that he truly believed we were going to survive all of this. I didn't. The realization was a little depressing, and yet a little reassuring. He believed that we were going to survive, and I found that I believed in Cade. I may not have faith that we would make it through this, but I had faith that he would do everything in his power to ensure we did.

"Come on Bethany."

His fingers were strong in mine as he pulled me out from under the bush. "Abby?"

"She made it into the woods," he assured me.

I glanced around, but we were on the backside of the rotary and I couldn't see the bridge from here. Cade was bent over as he darted into the middle of the road with me in tow. I felt exposed here, vulnerable. I held my breath as I waited for the awful light to blaze forth, for our death to come, but it remained still in the early dawn. Cade held firm to me as we plunged into the woods. I took my first easy breath as relief rushed through me, but I knew we weren't in the clear yet. We had to find somewhere safe before full daylight set in.

Cade continued to pull me forward, but I had to look. I had to know. I pulled my hand free of his. "Bethany!" he hissed.

I scrambled through the woods, tearing at the leaves and dirt as I stumbled back up the embankment we had just plunged down. I nearly fell over as I skidded to a halt near the road. I had expected to find desiccated remnants of the once proud bridge. Instead, I was struck by the fact that it looked exactly the same. The lights were still on, but in the growing day they were far dimmer.

I didn't see human body parts or guts like I'd expected, but I felt certain that if I crept closer I would find some blood. Of course there would be blood, there had to be. Humans had once stood there, and now they were completely gone. There had to be some remaining evidence that they had existed.

However I saw no sign of them in the dawning day. My brother had completely disappeared. My heart struggled to pump the blood through my veins, but it was having great difficulty with the simple task.

"Bethany." I turned back to Cade. Abby and Jenna were behind him. Abby was crying; tears ran down her dirt streaked face. The sight of my sister, my only living relative, helped to ease the constriction in my chest a little. "We have to go Bethy."

I bit on my bottom lip as I nodded to him. I knew we had to go, but I didn't want to. I didn't even know where we were going to go, or what we were going to do. I wasn't ready to leave Aiden and Bret behind, even if they were already gone. I glanced back at the hated bridge. Our lives were rapidly unraveling, but for now, at least we were still alive.

Motion to the right caught my attention. My eyes narrowed on the IHOP restaurant. There were woods behind the building, and in the shadows of those woods, there was movement. I took a step forward as I strained to see what was moving around over there. Aiden suddenly appeared at the edge, his hair was tussled and standing on end, he looked beaten, but he was there.

"Aiden," I breathed.

"What?" Cade demanded.

Abby, Cade, and Jenna hurried to my side as Bret appeared. Relief swamped me and I found myself able to breathe again. "Oh!" Abby cried, she went to run out of the woods but Cade grabbed hold of her arm and pulled her back.

"You can't go out there," he admonished.

Abby looked like she was going to protest but thankfully she thought better of it and remained silent. Molly appeared behind Bret. It seemed that she had taken the worst of whatever had happened to them. Her clothes were torn; her reddish hair was a frizzy, crazed mess around her dirt streaked face.

I didn't see the man that had been with their group. I didn't know if he was choosing to remain hidden, or if he'd been lost like the others. Aiden pointed behind the building, toward the road that ran under the bridge. He began to make motions like he was doing something, but I couldn't quite figure out what it was. "Is he pumping gas?" Jenna asked in confusion.

"The gas station, down by the beach," Cade said with a note of dawning realization in his tone as Aiden began to make swimming motions.

"Near the rental place," I whispered.

Cade gave him the thumbs up sign. Aiden hesitated before nodding and slipping into the woods. Molly followed behind him but Bret remained for a moment before blowing me a kiss and fading away. "Thank God," I whispered.

Cade squeezed my shoulder and pulled me away from the roadway. I didn't miss the questioning look that Jenna shot me. Though it seemed silly to even think about such things now, I knew that she would reveal anything that happened between Cade and I to Bret. Even now, after all of this, she still wanted him. Or maybe it was because all of this, she wanted him even more. We had few loved ones left, it only made sense that we would search out more loved ones to rely and depend on.

I looked toward Cade. From the outside looking in, someone might say that was what I was doing with him, and what he was doing with me. But as his midnight gaze met mine, I knew better. I knew that no matter how badly I didn't want Bret to be hurt, he would be. There was no way to stop that, because in Cade's eyes I could see my future, my home.

It was the strangest, most exciting, confusing, and comforting feeling I'd ever experienced and I savored in it. Cade's carved features softened, his eyes gleamed with understanding as a secretive smile curved his full mouth. A connection sizzled between us, a bond that I felt in every cell of my body as my toes curled. His hand seemed to burn into my skin, searing through my flesh as it flooded me with a heat the likes of which I'd never felt before. A heat that I'd never even imagined could exist until Cade.

"What are we going to do now?" Jenna inquired.

Though our attention was diverted to her, I could still feel the strange connection that pulsated between us. I was unreasonably certain that the strange bond couldn't be broken, that it never would be. Not even by death.

I thought I should be terrified of these emotions; I'd never wanted to be this vulnerable and exposed. But I was vulnerable, I was exposed, and I was at the complete mercy of my feelings for Cade. I'd vowed I would never feel this helpless again after my father's death, but I failed miserably.

If he didn't feel the same way about me... But he did. I was illogically certain of that.

I slid a sideways glance toward him as he walked beside me. His shoulders were tense, his gaze slid over the woods as he seemed to search everywhere at once. His words from the tree whispered back over me, 'you will always be the only one that matters.' They had been true, I knew that instinctively; knew it with everything that I was and always would be.

He had meant those words, because for some strange reason Cade desired me, and cared for me far more than I had ever realized. We were bonded by similar experiences and grief, but even more than that Cade saw all of me. Saw everything that I was, and always would be, and he understood it in a way that no one else could. I think he understood me better than I did, and though it was frightening it was also exhilarating and wondrously comforting.

If something were to happen to him...

I abruptly broke that thought off. I couldn't go there; I couldn't even begin to go there. I couldn't bring myself to face the fact that I was more than likely going to lose more loved ones before this was over. That it was likely we wouldn't all survive, that none of us may survive.

"Find a good place to lay low for the day, and get some rest. We can't get to the gas station without running across the highway; we're better off doing that at night, and we can't keep going without some rest," Cade finally answered.

We slipped further into the woods and moved quickly through the underbrush. "I'm so relieved," Abby said as she looped her arm through mine.

"Me too," I agreed, though it felt odd to be happy in this horrible situation. People had just died, many other lives had been lost, but we still had Aiden and Bret. We began to climb as the woods started sweeping upward. It was full morning now and sweat was already beginning to bead along my forehead and trickle down my back. I longed to sit for a little bit, maybe even close my eyes. Recently my main mode of transportation had been my feet, as had many other people's, but I wasn't prepared for this much walking, and running. I was pretty sure my blisters were growing blisters.

Cade stopped as we came across an old rock wall splitting the hill in half. "If we keep going we're going to come across the paintball course," I said.

Cade nodded as he studied the wall, and then the woods. Then, slowly, his head tilted back. My heart seemed to stop; I stiffened as my heart leapt into my throat. Before I could tilt my head back to see what had caught his attention, he grabbed hold of me and shoved me against the rough bark of a locust tree. My breath was momentarily knocked from me.

"Stay," he ordered.

I was too astonished to move anyway. He had been so fast, so rapid, and I watched in amazement as he used that speed to grab hold of Abby and Jenna. He pulled them back, sheltering them beneath the leafy bowers of a large oak. The three of them flattened against the trunk of the tree as the small ship that had somehow caught Cade's attention, moved across the sky over a hundred yards away.

I could feel the boogeyman breathing down my neck as my thoughts turned to the others. Aiden, Bret, and Molly had been lucky before, I could only hope that luck would hold out. They were sitting ducks if they didn't find some sort of shelter. Even if it was just a tree.

"Bethany!" I turned at Cade's harsh whisper. He'd stepped from the shadows of the tree; his hand was outstretched to me. My attention was drawn back to the ship as it settled over the area of the bridge; I waited, breathlessly to see what it was going to do. "Bethany, we have to go!"

A door in the bottom of the ship slid open. My heart started playing the drums as something dropped out of the ship. It was small and round. At first I had the insane notion that it was a cannonball, but right before it dropped below the tree line, legs unfolded. Another one dropped from the ship as the first one disappeared. They were the size of a grown dog, perhaps a Shepherd, but it was impossible to tell from this distance.

What were they?

Chapter 18

I nearly jumped out of my skin as Cade grasped hold of my arm. "We have to go!"

"What are they?" I breathed. He stared relentlessly at me. Knowledge trickled through me as my toes curled in my shoes. "Those things that drain people, but they're so small."

"That means they're probably faster."

"They come in different sizes?" I squeaked.

"They haven't fed yet."

I was going to deny his words, but he was right. I knew it the minute he said it, he was telling the truth. They were small because they weren't bloated with the blood of people. As they fed, they would get bigger.

We may be what they fed on.

"We have to run Bethany. Now."

His hand slid into mine as he pulled me up the hill. We slipped and slid as we frantically climbed upward. I grasped hold of the thin vegetation, pulling myself up with straggling bayberries, rhododendrons, and seedlings. Cade released my hand to help Abby as she floundered up a steep section. Though I knew it wasn't true, I thought I could hear them scurrying through the trees behind us, gaining on us.

But perhaps I was right.

I chanced a glance over my shoulder. The twisting movement caused my foot to land awkwardly; I was thrown off balance as my ankle turned out from under me. A startled cry escaped me as I pitched forward and slipped back down the hill. Cade snagged hold of my wrist before I fell too far. His eyes blazed into mine as my mouth parted.

"You're clumsy," he muttered.

"You're fast," I retorted as he helped pull me back to my feet.

Abby and Jenna had stopped to wait for us but as we started up the hill again they turned and fled again. Panic filled me as my sister disappeared over top of the hill, but then Cade pulled me to the top and over the brink. It was briefly downhill before the ground leveled out and we became enclosed by the paintball course.

We raced past walls covered in myriad colors of paint. Cade took the lead, dodging tires, sacks of sand, and ramshackle buildings with ease. My legs were beginning to burn, Jenna was starting to lag, and Abby was struggling to keep up. The three of us were winded but Cade seemed as if he could go for miles, even with the guns strapped to his back. I hadn't thought he was much of an athlete apparently I'd been completely wrong.

He disappeared around a corner before quickly reappearing. I stopped before him, laboring for breath as I bent over to rest my hands on my knees. "We have to keep moving."

I took a deep breath and forced myself to move. Abby's hair was matted to her face with sweat and grime; her doe eyes were red rimmed and swollen as she panted for breath. I thought Jenna was going to complain but she remained unspoken as she wiped the tangled hair from her face and continued on.

Cade pulled a gun from the waistband of his pants. His black eyes were intense as he handed it to me. My hand trembled with exhaustion as I took it from him; it was the same gun I had used before. "Do not fire unless it becomes absolutely necessary." I frowned as my attention turned from the deadly weapon, to him. "It will only bring more of them."

"More?" I breathed as Abby stepped closer to me. His attention turned toward the woods. A shiver crept up my spine, the hair on my neck rose as I turned to survey the hushed forest. They were out there. My skin crawled with the realization as I took an involuntary step back. Cade seized hold of my hand and wrapped it around the gun as he squeezed it in order to infuse me with his unwavering strength.

"This way," he whispered.

We followed him as he moved with relative ease through the course. A sign, painted in different colors, read JUNGLE COURSE and had an arrow pointing down a path. This area of the woods had been transformed into a forest that wasn't from the northeast. Moss was draped from the trees; I brushed it out of my way as it enshrouded the path with an air of mystery. Vines hung from limbs and crawled over the trees lining the small path. Some of them were as thick as my calf, others were small and thin. Ivy grew over the pathway and covered the dirt before disappearing into the woods.

Fake birds and monkeys were propped up in the trees; I spotted a couple of jaguars, a few boas and other snakes hidden within the landscape. I had never been here before, but I was fascinated by the atmosphere they had created. I probably would have been shot instantly if I had played as I would have been far more preoccupied with trying to find the things hidden along the pathway, and in the woods.

Cade suddenly stepped off the trail and plunged into the woods. He pushed aside vines and moss as he moved. We followed behind, trying to stay as quiet as possible as we moved as swiftly through the dense woods as we could. Cade stopped near a large locust tree; his eyes narrowed as he surveyed the woods. I didn't know what he was doing, but he seemed certain of something as he turned to the right and started walking again.

A twig snapped behind me. I jumped, instinctively raising my gun as I spun toward the source of the sound. I saw nothing amongst the vegetation and trees, but something was there, I knew it. I could feel it in the marrow of my bones as every primitive instinct I had screamed at me to run. Cade was at my side, his hand tender on my arm as he pushed it down. He placed a finger against his lips as he gestured for me to remain silent.

He led me forward, searching the forest as we moved. He halted me at the base of three intersecting pines that had nearly grown together in the dense woods. He bent; grabbed hold of something and lifted it up. I watched in amazement as he pulled the forest floor into the air. It took me a second to realize that he was actually holding a large piece of plywood that had been convincingly covered with dirt, leaves, pine needles, and sticks.

"In," he whispered gesturing to Abby.

She stared at him in disbelief before bending low and climbing into the small hole the plywood had covered. Jenna followed but I hesitated, unwilling to climb under the wood. Cade shook his head at me when I took a step forward.

"Stay in here until I come for you." He noiselessly lowered the wood over their hiding place. Turning to me, his jaw clenched as he pointed at the tree behind me. I glanced at the large maple, understanding what it was that he would like for me to do.

'You?' I mouthed.

He shook his head and pulled a honed, wicked looking knife from the holster at his side. I remained unmoving, uncertain. I shook my head as he pointed at the tree again. I couldn't leave him down here, unprotected, vulnerable to the things hunting us in the shadows of the forest. He was beside me suddenly, his hand on my waist as he pushed me toward the tree. "Climb."

"You can't stay down here."

He grasped hold of my hips and lifted me up. I didn't have time to protest or fight him. "Climb Bethany. Now."

I swallowed heavily as I grabbed hold of the tree and began to pull myself up. I looked back to find Cade watching me from the ground before he turned away. I almost jumped back out of the tree, almost threw myself from its leafy bowers, but I grasped hold of the limb and pulled myself up. I would have a better shot from up here anyway if I had to take it.

Halfway up the tree I shimmied out to the end of a thick branch and flattened myself against it in order to blend in with the thick foliage surrounding me. I searched rapidly for Cade but he seemed to have vanished within the thick "jungle" surrounding us. My heart hammered, my head spun, where had he gone? How had he disappeared so rapidly and soundlessly into the wilderness surrounding us?

I was about to move forward when that thing crept into the clearing. Bark bit under my fingernails as my fingers curled into the limb. Horror and fear tore through me in equal waves that left me shaken and on the edge of falling out of the tree. It was a combination of every nightmare I'd ever had, yet I'd never in my life imagined something so appalling could exist.

It was not overbearing and cumbersome like its bigger brothers. No this was the size of a small Great Dane. It was oval in shape, its legs arachnid in appearance as it crept forward cautiously before taking a small step back. It's chelicerae like mouth clicked as it took another step forward. Unlike its older brothers, it didn't look like a bloated tick and it was opaque in color. But it was not opaque enough that I couldn't see the throbbing pulse of what I assumed was the hideous creature's heart. Strange, twisted things were wrapped in circles close to the monstrosity's hideous mouth. They contained a black, viscous material that seemed to sift and flow within the vein-like circles but didn't move out through its body.

It made me sick to look at it but I couldn't tear my eyes away either.

It seemed to be looking everywhere at once but I didn't know where its eyes were actually focusing. Perhaps it didn't have any, perhaps it could only smell me, or even hear the rapid beat of my heart. It somehow seemed to know that we were close though as it edged closer to where Jenna and Abby were hiding. My hand tensed on the gun, I aimed it at the thing. I knew Cade was right, firing the gun would only bring more of them here, but I would destroy that thing before it ever got a hold of my sister.

That was when I saw Cade. He was kneeling at the edge of the woods, the knife clasped within his right hand as he pressed it against the ground. Shadows played over him, making him nearly imperceptible in the shade of the trees. An unnerving air of calmness surrounded him and I was reminded a lion before they pounced. I was mesmerized by him; I couldn't look away as he rose and disappeared from view.

I blinked as I searched for him, but he was no longer visible in the shadows. My attention was drawn back to the thing still creeping toward where Jenna and Abby were hidden. Cade reemerged like a ghost from a wall. He moved with startling speed as he raced from the woods. A scream rose in my throat, I choked on it as the creature spun toward him. It took a startled step back before raising on its hind legs in preparation of Cade's attack.

A strange squeal escaped the monster as Cade slammed into it. Dread flooded me, I couldn't stay here; I couldn't remain useless. I scurried back, moving as quickly as I could down the tree as I was filled with the driving urgency to get to Cade, to help him. He couldn't take on that thing by himself, he simply couldn't. I leapt out of the tree when I was still ten feet from the ground. My ankles protested the action but I didn't care as I raced through the forest to him. I didn't know what I was going to do against that thing but I didn't care.

I had lost sight of Cade when I dropped out of the tree, but as I plunged through some thick underbrush, he came into view again. I was nearly brought up short, nearly undone by the spectacle that greeted me. I was struck by the fact that the battle had become oddly hushed after that initial squeal. It had also become far more violent and bloody. I stumbled forward and nearly fell as Cade lifted the knife over his head and plunged it into the already staggering creature.

It wasn't the awful bluish black blood that covered him, and the creature, or even the tentacle that had emerged from the underbelly of the beast and now flopped on the ground that caused me to halt. It was the utter calm façade that Cade still possessed. He didn't seem winded, didn't even seem fazed as the creature crumpled beneath him. He ripped the knife free and wiped the blackened blade on a handful of leaves he snagged from the ground.

I remained unmoving, my breath trapped in my chest as he finally lifted his gaze to me. He was as still as stone as he watched me. I didn't know what to do, what to say. I didn't know what I had just witnessed and I was uncertain as to who exactly this person standing across from me was. I'd known him nearly my whole life, even when we hadn't spoken he'd always been a presence in my world. Now he was standing there, covered in that repugnant blood and staring at me with a look that both broke my heart and terrified me.

He looked as vulnerable as a child, looked as if he desperately needed me to understand what had just happened, but I didn't know how to. He was primitive and untamed, and I was filled with the certainty that this wouldn't be the last time he killed with such force and brutality.

But then, it was a necessity of our lives now. I was just amazed by how fast he had accepted this and how well he had taken to it.

"Are you ok?" I managed to croak out in a tremulous voice. He nodded as he used his forearm to wipe some of the blood from his face. I found myself able to move and breathe again as I spotted the gash on his upper arm. He had won the battle, but he hadn't walked away unscathed. "You're injured."

"I'm fine."

"You don't know what kind of germs those things carry."

He turned his arm over and frowned at the blood seeping from it. "It's a shallow cut Bethany."

He used his good arm to keep me back. I frowned at him, shoving aside his good arm as I seized hold of his hand. "Don't be a baby, let me see."

He sighed but relented to me as I pushed him toward a rock. He settled upon it as I gathered the meager stash of supplies we had left. There were no bandages but there was a small thing of antibiotic cream and I ripped up a shirt to use as a makeshift bandage. I felt his eyes watching me as I knelt before him. He didn't flinch, didn't move away from my touch as I gently used the rag to clean the blood from the injury. He was right, it was shallow, but I still slathered cream on it in the hopes that it would prevent infection and kill any alien germs.

"You're good at that."

I managed a wan smile. "When you're as clumsy as I am you learn a few tricks."

His low chuckle was a sound I found I liked immeasurably. I grinned as I sat back on my heels to admire his rare and fleeting smile. "I thought perhaps you were considering becoming a doctor."

"No, that was Aiden."

My amusement faded with the stark reminder of everything we had lost. Cade's smile slipped away, a muscle in his cheek jumped. "I see, and what did you dream of doing?"

My gaze drifted toward the forest line as I thought over his question. I'd never really known what I'd wanted to do, what I would become. I'd assumed I'd go to college, I'd even considered going away, but I'd never truly thought about what I would study there. I would never have the opportunity to find out either.

"I don't know," I admitted as I wiped the excess cream and remaining blood from his arm.

"Whatever it was I'm sure you would have been good at it."

I glanced at him from under lowered lashes as I tried to discern if he was kidding with me or not. He didn't appear to be. "What about you? Were you going to go to college?"

He shrugged absently as I tied the torn piece of shirt around his arm. I had to force myself not to linger over his supple skin, and rigid muscles. Had to force myself not to notice the flush the feel of his skin brought to my face and body.

"Eventually," he finally responded.

"Where would you have gone, and for what?"

Those heart-stopping eyes flickered briefly over my face. "I hadn't decided yet."

I sat back on my heels as I studied him. I had the feeling he wasn't telling me something, that there was something he wasn't revealing. I didn't have a chance to question him further though as Jenna and Abby appeared.

"Are you ok?" Jenna blurted.

Cade pulled the sleeve of his shirt down to cover half of the rag. "Fine," he muttered.

Abby gaped at the dead creature just feet away. I couldn't bring myself to look at the ruined remains. "How did you know about that hiding place?" Jenna asked.

Cade's hand clasped briefly around mine before he rose to his feet. "I spent a lot of time up here." I was taken aback by the revelation. I didn't exactly pin Cade as a paintball kinda guy, but then there were a lot of things I'd never pictured him as but was beginning to realize he was. "I know the course extremely well."

"Thankfully," Abby muttered.

"Why?" I inquired.

He shrugged as he rolled his shoulders and stretched his back. "Target practice." He flashed a smile, but his gaze drifted away from all of us to search the woods. "We should get moving."

I wasn't going to argue with that. I wrapped my arms around Abby's shoulders and forcefully turned her away from the creature she was still gawking at. "It's awful."

"It is," I agreed.

Chapter 19

"This is as good a spot as any," Cade declared.

I dropped the small bag on the ground and slid down. I was acutely aware of the fact that our main food source had gone with Aiden, and I wasn't even sure he still had it. However, my stomach rumbled eagerly as I recalled the meager food supplies that had been placed into Cade's duffel bag of guns before we had left the tree house. It had seemed smarter to have the food and water spread out between us, and I was extremely relieved it had been. I was starving, but I was fairly certain I was going to pass out before I got the chance to eat. I was tempted to take my sneakers off, but decided against it. I didn't want to see the mess that I knew my feet had to be, and I wasn't going to be caught unawares in bare feet.

Cade was digging through the bag when I lay down on the ground, propped my head on my hands and passed out cold.

***

It was mid afternoon when I woke again. Cade was the only other one awake, I was beginning to suspect that he didn't sleep at all, and it was more than a little daunting. Did he have any weaknesses?

I yawned, stretching as I lifted myself up. Cade's eyes were hooded as he watched me, he may not sleep but it was more than apparent that he had to get some rest. There were circles under his eyes, bags were beginning to form, and they had become bloodshot.

His tanned complexion was paler than normal, and there was a pinched look around his mouth that made it seem as if he were in pain. Uneasiness filled me as I watched him, the lack of sleep or hunger was starting to get to him. Or perhaps his wound was starting to become infected with some strange alien parasite.

"You should rest." I tried to keep my tone cheerful, but the worried tension in it was obvious.

"Not tired."

"Liar."

His full mouth curved into a small smile, he shifted as he draped his arm over his knee and watched me. "You have to eat."

I nodded. "I do, and you should sleep."

His fingers played idly with a stick. "I got an hour or so."

I would have to be happy with that fact, it was more than I'd thought he'd received, and I knew it was all he'd give into for now. I dug into the bag and pulled out a thing of peanut butter crackers. I should probably eat more, but I didn't know how long it would take us to rejoin the others, and I had to make sure that Abby had enough food. I could go hungry, she wasn't going to though. My belly rumbled as I nibbled on the crackers and tried to trick my stomach into thinking it was receiving more than it was.

I watched Abby as she slept; she looked so peaceful and content. It was hard to believe that every waking moment of her life had become such a constant battle, and from here on out it would continue to be so. I was so entrenched in my thoughts that I didn't realize I was on my last cracker, until it was gone. I wiped my hands on my legs as I tried to ignore the gnawing hunger in my stomach. I pulled my knees up against my chest and wrapped my arms around them.

"We have to get moving soon," Cade said.

I nodded my agreement, my fingers clenched as I fought the urge to retrieve more food from the bag. I was eager to move again, eager to get to the gas station, to be doing something once more. Now that I was awake again, I felt vulnerable out in the open and exposed here. A faint rustling drew my attention back to Cade as he dug amongst the bag. I closed my eyes and turned away from him.

"Bethany." Cade was kneeling before me when I opened my eyes. He held a granola bar, an apple, and a bottle of water out to me. I shook my head as my gaze went to Abby's slumbering form. "We all ate earlier, you should eat more."

"I'm fine."

"There's enough to last a couple of days if we're careful. Hopefully, by then, we'll have found some more food, or rejoined the others."

"And if we don't?"

"Then we will cross that bridge when we get to it." I shot him an angry look, nowhere near as amused by his words as he was. He grinned at me, his eyes danced with the merriment that filled them. "You can't keep her safe if you don't have the energy to do so."

I could have continued to protest, but his sound reasoning and the loud rumbling of my stomach were my undoing. I offered a grateful smile as I took the food from him. He rose to his feet to study the forest as he stretched. "I'm going to scope out the area, see if I can decide the best way to go." My eyes shot to him, I paused with the apple halfway to my mouth. "I won't be long, but now that you're awake..."

His voice trailed off. All I could do was stare at him. Finally, I swallowed heavily and managed a small nod. We would be fine, he would be fine, but I couldn't stop the overwhelming vulnerability that suffused me. "Of course. Yeah, I'll keep watch. Stay safe."

He flashed that charming, damn near heart stopping grin. "Always."

Worry filled me as he slipped from sight amongst the trees. He would be fine, I repeatedly told myself as I munched down the food and took a drink of water. It was warm, but it still quenched my thirst. I stood and walked a little further away. I peered into the trees as two squirrels leapt eagerly through the branches. I smiled as I watched them jump and play, it was such a normal, everyday display, and yet it meant so very much to me right now. I inhaled deeply as I savored in this moment; relieved to see the return of the wildlife.

When I turned back around I was startled to discover that Cade had returned. He moved with such stealth that I hadn't heard or sensed his approach. In the hour or so that he'd been gone, he seemed to have regained some of his vigor. The color was back in his face and his mouth wasn't as pinched. Perhaps I had merely imagined the exhaustion and tension enveloping him earlier. I had just woken up after all, I'd still been groggy. I didn't think that was the case, but whatever he'd discovered while he'd been gone had definitely put some life back into him.

His expression which was usually tough, and composed, was neither of those things as he watched me. Now it was lax with a longing to it that left me breathless and trembling. I didn't understand how just one look from him could have such a profound effect on me, but it did, and I found that it was enough to make me feel almost normal again. His smile was warming and so beautiful that I couldn't help but return it.

My attention was torn away from him as Abby began to stir. She moaned as she stretched her arms and back. I sighed in resignation, not at all looking forward to the next leg of our journey, but knowing that we had to go. Abby sat up as Cade strode over and began to shake Jenna awake.

Chapter 20

We labored over top of the hill. As much physical activity as I'd been doing lately, I was still panting for breath, and my legs were shaking by the time we made it to the top. I rose to my full height to survey the slope of the hill as it fell sharply toward the highway. I was struggling to just breathe through my mouth. It wasn't working though, the scent of garbage and rot was revolting and inescapable in the heat of the hot sun. Waves of heat and methane drifted into the air, distorting it before us.

None of us had been eager to make our way through the dump to the highway; unfortunately it had seemed like the safest option, and we could move through the day instead of having to stop again. The awful stench of the trash would mask our scents, and make it difficult to follow us, if they did happen to track by scent. There were also numerous places to hide amongst the heaping mounds of awful refuse.

I had thought I was filthy and smelly before, it was nothing compared to now. Not to mention the gut wrenching, horrific bugs that we discovered amongst the overwhelming mounds of waste. What little food had been in my stomach was now gone. I continued to dry heave, but there was nothing left in me to lose. Abby had been crying softly, but she was now eerily silent. We weren't so fortunate when it came to Jenna. She hadn't stopped complaining since the second we'd scaled the fence into the dump.

"I want to go home. I can't... I can't. I just want to go home."

"You have to Jenna. There is no home to go to anymore," Cade said, and not for the first time.

I wanted to scream at her. I wanted to break down and beg to go home too. I wanted to flee down the mound of trash, bolt out of the dump, and inhale greedy gulps of fresh air again but I didn't. Though I was certain I was never going to get the stench scrubbed off of me, or rid myself of the squishy, crawly, creepy feeling of bugs climbing and slithering over me. I shuddered as my gaze traveled down the massive mound.

At least it was downhill from here.

Jenna began to cry again. "My parents," she whimpered. I tore my attention away from the endless garbage. It was the first time she'd mentioned them in awhile. There was so much sorrow in her voice, so much misery in her small body. Sadness ripped through my heart, my throat burned with tears. "They're probably dead."

We had also lost our mother but Abby, Aiden, and I had survived such a loss before. It didn't make the loss any easier, but we were better prepared to deal with it than Jenna or Bret. Now Jenna's shock over this whole situation was wearing off, and in the middle of a massive pile of crap she was beginning to fall apart. She was starting to accept reality, and her grief was threatening to consume her. Unfortunately her breakdown threatened all of our lives.

"Shh Jenna, shush now, it's ok," Cade comforted.

"It's not ok!" she wailed. "It will never be ok again!"

I gave Cade credit for the fact that he didn't argue with Jenna, didn't try to lie to her and tell her that it would be ok. Instead, Cade continued to calm her as we waded through the sucking, heaping, rotten mess beneath us. Abby made her way over to me and slid her hand into mine. Jenna was weeping, her head buried against Cade's chest as they made their way forward. He looked about as happy with this fact as he would to drink lemon juice, but he didn't push her away.

I missed our mother and wished that we had been able to save her. I wished that we would have the chance to lay her to rest, and grieve for her the way that we'd been able to grieve for our father. I couldn't think about her remaining trapped beneath that rubble forever, it was too painful. But even more, I wished that Jenna didn't have to know what it felt like to be tossed about in the sea of mourning and anguish that opened upon losing a parent. We had never really liked each other, but the sorrow she was going through now wasn't something I would wish on my most hated enemy, if I ever had one.

"One day Jenna, it will not hurt so bad." Cade's eyes met mine over top of Jenna's head. They were not the same words he had uttered to me on that long ago day, but they were along the same lines. "One day the agony will not be so consuming."

The words were true, but they didn't hint at the gaping hole that the loss would leave behind.

I tried to use my shirt to cover my nose, it helped a little but the annoyance it caused wasn't worth the little aid it provided. "Awful," Abby whispered.

I completely agreed but I felt the word "awful" didn't quite describe this dismal experience. The pile began to even out, leveling across the ground. The end to the sea of crap seemed to finally be in view, though I was certain we would never escape the smell. I could taste its awfulness on my tongue. This place would haunt my memories until the end of my days. I shuddered and drew strength from Abby's slender frame as we picked our way through the smaller layer of trash.

I glanced toward the sky, surprised by the lack of seagulls and crows in the air. They always circled the dump, cawing and diving for food. In fact, even though we had trudged through a veritable mountain of waste, I was stunned to realize that we hadn't encountered any creatures. No birds, no rodents, not even a few stray cats or dogs were hanging around looking to be fed.

I froze as I scanned rapidly over the heaping mounds stretching around us. The birds had been singing this morning, and now...

And now there was nothing again.

I pulled Abby back, stopping her before she continued onward. "Bethany!" she hissed.

I shook my head at her as I scanned the pristine sky again. It was hot; maybe the animals were seeking the sanctuary of the shade. But all of them? It seemed not only unlikely but nearly impossible.

"Bethy come on, I want to get out of here!"

"Shh Abby!"

Cade and Jenna had stopped walking; they were staring at me with confusion and impatience. "Come on Bethany."

"Something's not right," I muttered.

"No kidding!" Jenna retorted.

I didn't rise to her snippy attitude; instead I released Abby and headed back the way we had come. "Bethany!"

I held up a hand to forestall Cade's words. One of the greatest things I had experienced in the past day was finally making the descent down this veritable mountain of crap, and now I was crazily clawing my way back up it. The trash skidded and slipped out from underneath me, making the climb even more difficult. My legs ached, my lungs were beginning to burn again, but finally I made it to a small peak in the rubble.

I rose slowly as I scanned over the hills spanning out before me. I glanced back toward the sky, but there was still nothing there. Across the tons of trash I spotted movement on the far side of the heap. I strained my eyes to make out what was across the way. The heat, and waves of decomposition rising off of the pile, made whatever it was blurry and difficult to discern. It could be anything, it could be the missing animals, it could be more people, but a crushing sense of impending doom began to descend over me.

Trepidation worked its way through my body; I didn't have to see what was coming to know that it wasn't going to be good. I slipped and slid, skidded and tripped through the disgusting mess as I fled back down the heap. My feet skidded out from under me, I cried out as I lost complete control of my body. I plummeted, rolled, and bounced jarringly through the filth.

Hands grasped hold of my arms, rescuing me from being buried within the mound as they pulled me from the filth cascading upon me. Crap was pulled off of me, brushed away, thrown to the ground in a useless attempt to clean me a little. "What is it?" Cade demanded his hands surprisingly gentle on my skin as his gaze trailed back up the mountain. "Bethany, what is it?"

"I don't know," I panted, trying not to think about the filth and bugs that I had just rolled and squished through. "It's not good though. I think they're still tracking us."

Cade grabbed hold of my arm, running and jumping through the trash as we tried to move as quickly as we could through the pile of calf high rubbish. We reached Abby and Jenna but Cade didn't release me as he continued to drag me forward. I seized hold of Abby's hand, tugging her along with me. My heart was racing faster than a NASCAR car as the garbage seemed to suck and pull at us even more than it had before. We were never going to escape; the refuse was never going to let us go. It was going to mire us down until those things were upon us, until we were nothing more than useless bodies added to the decomposing debris scattered around us.

Rationally I knew that the trash heap didn't have thoughts, and wasn't actually on the side of the aliens, but right now it seemed as much of an enemy to me as the monsters stalking us. I was convinced that it was doing everything it could to make sure we remained here to nourish it.

The garbage released us so suddenly that I nearly fell to my knees as the waste gave out and pavement rushed up to meet us. "This way," Cade ordered as he released me and dashed toward the right.

I didn't know where we were going; I'd never been here before and I did not want my final resting place to be in the dump. A giant warehouse loomed in front of us; one of the massive garage doors was open revealing the gloomy interior. I balked against going inside as Cade plunged into the darkness. The last thing I wanted was to be trapped and killed amongst the giant walls.

"Bethy," Abby breathed when I hesitated. "Bethany please."

Fear of imminent death outweighed my fear of being trapped within the cavernous building. I ran through the open doorway as Cade began to pull some ropes, rapidly lowering the massive garage door. "Wait!" I gasped.

"It has to be done." His jaw was clenched, a muscle jumped in his cheek as his face became florid. He'd been lowering the door so rapidly that I hadn't realized it was heavy and he was struggling not to let it crash down. It settled into place with only a small clatter of metal on pavement. "This way."

"How do you know where we're going?" Abby inquired.

"I don't," he responded bluntly.

I shuddered at Cade's words but followed behind as he led us through the building. There were small windows up high in the lofty walls, but they didn't illuminate much of the cavernous structure. The stench of decomposing trash lingered, but I saw no sign of it within the building. The four of us had brought that scent with us, a scent that would be easily traceable within these walls. If I thought it would help to rid ourselves of our clothes, I would have gladly stripped from the offending garments, but the revolting odor had sunk into our skin and hair by now.

There was an area that had steel piping around five gaping holes in the ground. I leaned over the pipe railing to peer into the shadowy depths. Something glinted within the sunlight, but I couldn't quite make out what it was. "Recyclables," Cade explained.

That was why this building didn't reek, I realized. Unfortunately the fact that this was where the recyclables were brought did little to aid our cause. Cade moved past the bins and toward the back wall. Abby's grip was nearly bone cracking as Cade vanished. Jenna followed behind and then Abby and I slipped into the small back room.

It appeared to be the worker's break room as there were two tables with five chairs crammed around them. A microwave, TV and radio, and four different vending machines were against the wall. Cade stopped, his head tilted to the side as he studied the machines. Moving swiftly he tugged his shirt over his head and rapidly wrapped it around his hand. It was the worst time possible, but even so I couldn't help but admire the flex and play of his lean muscles, and ridged abdomen, as he stalked toward the glass fronted machine.

I didn't quite process what he intended until he began to knock out the glass. I winced as glass trickled to the ground. It sounded as loud as gunshots to me, but I tried to assure myself that it wasn't nearly as loud as I thought it was. That, in fact, it was relatively quiet considering the circumstances.

He grabbed hold of the bag of guns and dragged it toward him. Releasing Abby's hand, I hurried to help him as he unzipped the bag and began to stuff it full of chips, cookies, and candies. It wasn't the healthiest assortment, but it was much better than starvation.

Cade zipped the bag closed and sat back. I knew I should stop admiring the smooth flex and play of skin over his lean muscles, but I couldn't tear my gaze away. There was no smug male pride in his gaze as he caught me admiring him. Instead, a fierce hunger blazed to life with such intensity that I found I couldn't breathe. In fact, I couldn't recall anything except for him.

It was the feel of Jenna's gaze on me that finally tore my attention from Cade. I didn't look at her as I ducked my head and turned back toward the doorway we had come through. I had to force my thoughts away from him as I strained to hear anything, but it was alarmingly quiet in the large building. Too quiet.

Maybe I had only imagined that something was moving toward us over the garbage heap, but I didn't think so. I knew what I'd seen, and the complete lack of animals was impossible to ignore. Animals knew things we didn't and had instincts that were far more honed than ours. I was beginning to suspect the aliens had the same effect upon them that an earthquake would, and that they were fleeing before we even knew the monsters were near. I wasn't about to ignore their more finely honed instincts in favor of my less than perfect ones.

"Bethy."

Abby's whisper alerted me to the fact that we were ready to move on. Thankfully Cade had donned his shirt again and was now toting the bag. Jenna had disappeared from the room, but Abby and Cade were impatiently waiting for me by another door. Cade quickly ushered me into the room. The room was thrown into complete darkness as he closed the door behind us. Terror erupted through me like a bursting dam; I took a stumbling step back as the overwhelming urge to flee encompassed me. I could feel the walls closing in on me, crushing against my sides and robbing the air from my lungs.

Chapter 21

"Easy." Cade's breath was warm against my ear as he whispered the word. His reassuring presence gave me a small measure of comfort. I was at least able to keep myself from screaming or running away as I ripped my hair out. Then, to my dismay and relief, illumination flooded the room. Abby was standing by the door, her hand on the switch.

"Abby..."

"It's ok; there are no windows in this room," Cade assured me.

I glanced rapidly around the room, not feeling at all relived as I took in the cramped, dreary space. It was a small bathroom with a urinal and a toilet. The sink was yellowed and didn't look as if it had been cleaned since the seventies, the mirror was cracked, and I was certain that it was only our stench that was blocking the stench of this room. For some reason, that I didn't even want to begin to fathom, there was a large drain in the center of the room.

"It's like we're stuck in an unending dirty, stinky hell," Jenna muttered.

I silently agreed.

"We can't stay in here. It's a dead end," Cade said.

Cade was grabbing for the knob when the ground beneath our feet began to shake. My breath froze, a scream strangled in my throat as sweat beaded my forehead. Cade pushed Abby's hand down on the switch. It didn't matter if there were no windows in this room; it was a relief to be plunged into darkness again. At least for them it was, it gave them a false sense of security. It gave me almost instantaneous heart palpitations. With the lights out, it felt as if the walls were creeping steadily closer to me once more. No matter how irrational the thought was, I couldn't shake it.

The water in the toilet began to splash against the sides as the ground shook with a forceful, wrenching motion. A scream would have erupted from me if Cade hadn't slammed his hand over my mouth to stifle it. "Stay calm Bethy. It's only going to get worse, and you are going to have to handle it if you are going to survive, if your sister is going to survive."

I managed a small nod, and though I thought he was going to release me right away his arms remained strong and secure around me. It was the first time I sensed his uncertainty as to whether or not we would make it out of this alive. If we were going to die, he was going to hug me one more time, and I was going to return it. I didn't feel guilt as I took solace in his strong embrace.

He reluctantly released me as a loud crash rebounded through the building and shook it on its foundation. It sounded as if something had just smashed into the large garage door. "They know we're in here," Abby whispered.

"Maybe, maybe not," Cade responded. "They may have picked up our scent recently, but they would have caught up to us already if they'd been tracking us since yesterday. Either way, we can't stay here."

"What are we going to do?" Jenna squeaked.

I was thinking the same exact thing as a small light flared into the tiny room. Cade was kneeling down, a penlight in his hand as he examined the drain. My heart plummeted, my head spun, and for a frightening moment I actually thought I might pass out. Instead, I remained standing, my legs trembling as I struggled not to vomit.

Cade placed the penlight between his teeth as he started to feel around the edges of the drain. "Are you out of your mind?" Jenna inquired shakily. "We don't even know where that goes. I'm not crawling through sewage."

Cade lifted the beam to something I hadn't noticed before. There was a shower head sticking out of the wall with two knobs beneath it. I forgot all about the danger we faced as my fingers itched to turn on that water and plunge beneath the refreshing spray. I didn't care if it was freezing cold, it would be heaven. There was a dwindling bar of blue soap settled onto a metal dish. I craved it as badly as an alcoholic craved alcohol.

"It's a water drain. It's not sewage," Cade stated.

"You don't know that," Jenna breathed.

"I know that if we stay here, we're dead." As if to reinforce his words, the sound of twisting metal echoed through the air. I was pretty sure that the garage doors were starting to give out. "This is a town facility, there's a possibility it might lead straight to the water treatment center."

"You don't know if it leads anywhere at all. You don't know if it just dead ends. You don't know if it doesn't become so narrow that we can't fit through it." Jenna was becoming somewhat hysterical and her rushed words were doing nothing to ease my rising panic.

"No, I don't, but I do know that we have to try."

I agreed that we had to try, or at least they did, but I was fairly certain that I wasn't going in that awful thing. Cade grabbed hold of the grate and pulled it free with surprising ease. It rattled as he placed it on the ground. Cade shone the beam into the hole as he leaned forward to peer into. I wrapped my arms around myself, but I failed to ease the shaking that was starting to overtake me.

A wrenching screech echoed throughout the building. I half expected something to come barging through the door as I glanced behind me nervously. I didn't have to see them to know that the bay doors had just given way. Those things were now in the building, and it wouldn't take them long to make their way here. "It goes straight down about ten feet before making a turn. Jenna..."

"No," she whispered.

Cade lifted his head to stare at her. There was a lack of empathy in his gaze that left me rattled and numb. "Then you will stay here and die. The choice is yours, but we will not stay here with you."

Abby's mouth dropped. Jenna's bottom lip trembled, tears brimmed in her eyes. She turned toward me but I couldn't meet her gaze. Instead, I remained focused upon that hole, that thing that I was dreading crawling into too. I was fairly certain I might fracture like broken glass and go crazy if I did.

"I'll go first."

Cade and Abby's eyebrows shot into their hairlines as they turned to me. I was also shocked that the words had just popped out of my mouth. But I was certain that if I didn't jump into that hole and get it over and done with, I never would. If I was in between two people, I would feel even more trapped, and I couldn't handle that. Not right now anyway. If I didn't get in that hole right now I'd be dead, and so would Abby as she wouldn't leave me here.

Apparently Cade might though. I shuddered at the thought, but I'd seen the ferociousness in his gaze, the callousness he'd directed at Jenna. I didn't want that turned on me; I couldn't deal with his scorn right now. I had to do this, it was the only way. I had to stop being a coward, even if it drove me mad.

"Bethany..."

"It's ok Abby, I'll be fine, but I have to go first. I have to."

I stepped up to the hole. It had a three foot diameter, but it looked about the same as three inches would to me right now. I didn't realize I was shaking uncontrollably until my teeth began to chatter. I clenched my jaw as I tried to make them stop, but a trembling was working its way through every bone in my body. I was certain that it wasn't going to stop until I made it to the end of the pipe, or simply went bonkers. I wasn't sure which one would happen first.

"Can I take the light?" I inquired tremulously.

Another loud crash resounded from outside of the room. They were getting closer. Cade's raven colored eyes were caring and warm as he handed the light over. I wondered if he would have left me behind if I'd refused to do this. For some reason I didn't think he would have, but I wasn't going to ask.

Taking a deep breath, I dropped to my knees. Cade seized hold of my arm, I blinked as I tried to bring him into focus. His eyes blazed into mine, I could feel the determination that he was trying to instill in me. His thumb stroked over my skin before he finally released me.

"You can do this."

I shuddered as I tore my attention away from him, put my hands out, and squirmed into the hole before I couldn't. I instantly wanted to start screaming, instantly balked against the horrendous sensation that immediately encompassed me. There was about six inches above me as I squirmed, crawled, and slithered down the pipe but it felt as if it were crushing my back and squeezing the air from my lungs.

The air within the pipe was cool and musty like an old stone cellar on a humid day. The small beam revealed a glistening layer of gunk, mold, and something that I couldn't identify coating the walls. I fought against screaming and squirming my way backwards when I felt someone enter the pipe behind me. The crushing sensation of being buried alive encompassed me; it was becoming increasingly difficult to breathe. I was going to die, not from being trapped in the pipe but because I felt as if my lungs were starting to shut down.

I reached a turn, and after a little bit of maneuvering, managed to twist my way into the curve. It didn't feel as if the pipe was getting smaller, but I was certain it was. I couldn't let myself think about being trapped in here, couldn't let myself think that there might be no way out. I would become useless if I did, and everyone else would be trapped behind me.

"Bethany?"

"I'm fine," I managed to choke out to Abby though we both knew I was lying.

I'd made it another twenty feet when a rocking bang from above caused the pipe to shudder. A creaking, groaning noise echoed throughout the system. A low whimper escaped me as I froze. If there had been enough room in the pipe I was pretty sure I would have curled into a ball and screamed like a baby.

"Faster Bethy, faster."

Cade didn't have to say it twice. I was suddenly frantic to be free of this world of unending torture and madness within these crushing confines. I wasn't entirely against death as an option anymore, not if it meant escaping this convoluted pipe. I was either going to find the end of this tunnel, or I was going to die in it, and I didn't care anymore which one came first.

Using my elbows and feet, I squirmed my way forward like an earthworm at a more rapid pace. The beam bounced over the walls, flashing over the slime and sludge that had been there for longer than I'd probably been alive. The stink of the refuse had been bad; this forgotten mix of hair, dead skin, waste, and gunk was almost as bad. It coated me and permeated everything as it pressed against my lips, and slid up my nose.

I was tempted to vomit, but then I would also have to crawl through that too. Though, at this point, it might be cleaner than the mess I was already struggling through.

The pipe took a sharp turn down. I used the light to peer into it. The dim glow bounced off of the slush infested network that twisted somewhere out of sight about fifteen feet down. Where did the damn thing go, and would we be able to get through it?

"Bethany?" Abby asked.

"It drops again," I warned in a strangled voice that I barely recognized and was more than a little ashamed of.

I pulled myself into the void.

Chapter 22

There was light at the end of the tunnel. I had to turn off the flashlight to make sure, but there it was, a bright beacon against the darkness enshrouding me. Hope surged through me; I continued forward at a more rapid pace. Tears flooded my eyes and clogged my throat.

I didn't care what was at the end of this tunnel, didn't care if it dumped into raw sewage or a nest full of aliens. I didn't care if I was scooped up and eaten as soon as I broke free. I only cared about escaping this cramped enclosure and breathing fresh air once again. I heard a gasp from Abby as I made it to the end and heedlessly plunged out of the pipe.

It was a further drop than I'd anticipated; I hit the muddied, wet ground with a loud grunt. Pain shot through my bruised tailbone and elbow. The air was forcefully knocked out of me, and then it blessedly rushed back in. I clawed at the watery ground as I pulled myself clear of the pipe exit. I blinked against the harsh glare of the day that burned my eyes.

Though it was wet beneath me I wasn't in a puddle, and even if I couldn't see yet I knew that I was in the wide open. I couldn't feel walls around me anymore. Hands seized hold of my arms; I blinked, trying to clear the tears away that were blurring my vision. It was then that I realized that the sun wasn't the reason I couldn't see, it was the tears streaking down my face and clogging my eyes. "Are you ok?" Cade demanded.

I tried to reassure him that I was dazed, but completely fine. Only a groan escaped though as a sob ripped free of me. I was shaken, torn, and very close to coming completely undone. I had managed to keep it together in that awful pipe, but it had been too much. I could feel a shattering forming inside of me and I was afraid it might just destroy me.

Cade wrapped me up in his arms and pulled me against him. He buried my head in his neck to muffle the sounds of my tears with his body. I clung to him as all of the pent up horror of that pipe, and everything else that had occurred, boiled out of me.

"Bethany, Bethy hush. You're out now, you made it. You're free, it's over, and you did great. You did great," Cade whispered against my ear. His hands entangled in my snarled and filthy hair as he held me closer.

I clawed at his skin and clothes as I tried to get closer to him, though it was nearly impossible to do so. It was impossible to be any closer but I had to be, I needed more. I needed him, all of him. The absolute certainty of that was soul shaking, it nearly ripped me in two as I held him, oblivious to anyone outside of the two of us. No one else existed in this world of warm sanctuary within Cade's strong embrace. I wasn't aware that my sobs had subsided until I felt the stroke of his hands over my hair, soothing me as I began to tremble. Not from fear this time, or relief, but from the sheer wonder of this tender moment, and his touch.

I didn't care that we were both covered with slime and stunk to high heaven. I didn't even care that there were two other people watching us. All I cared about was the fact that I didn't ever want to let go. I could hear his answering response to me in the excited beat of his heart, and his ragged breathing.

"Bethany," he whispered, his lips against my ear, his hands in my hair. "My brave Bethany."

I didn't feel so brave today. I felt like a coward, drained and nearly defeated. If it hadn't been for his subtle strength, and unwavering faith in me, I wasn't sure that I would have made it this far. It was a faith I wasn't sure I deserved, especially not after the breakdown I had just experienced. Jenna may complain about everything, but at least she was keeping it together. I was unraveling faster than a yo-yo. If there had been any aliens in the area, I could have just killed us and all because I had a problem with small spaces.

"I'm sorry," I breathed.

He didn't tell me it was ok, didn't say anything but simply brushed a comforting kiss over my temple. He may have forced Jenna into that pipe, he may have even left her behind, but in that moment I knew that he wouldn't have forced me, and he never would have left me. He would have done everything he could to keep me safe, even if it meant him dying. I almost started crying again at the realization, but this time I managed to keep my tears at bay. What was this astonishing, horrible, confusing situation that I had been sucked into?

Just days ago life hadn't been perfect, but it had been peaceful. I'd had a home, and a mom. I'd known my siblings were safe, and that I would be seeing them again. I'd had a nice, loving boyfriend. I had been certain that if enough time passed I would come to love him one day, because who wouldn't love Bret? Every other girl in the school loved him, except for me.

Wrapped within Cade's arms I began to understand why I'd never been in love with Bret. Even though I hadn't known it, and might never have recognized it if it hadn't been for everything that had happened, I understood it now. Ever since those days of fishing and playing, of kind words and small smiles, ever since that night in the garden, Cade had owned my heart, and always would.

What I didn't know was why he had chosen me, and chosen me he had. Years ago. Of that I was certain. Before his parents had been killed, before my father's death, he had chosen me. I recalled the first time that Aiden had brought him home. He'd been six at the time, young, reserved, and new to town. I'd been five.

Even at that young age there had been a strange wisdom in his onyx eyes. A wisdom that had pierced me and held me entranced. He'd been beautiful and perplexing as he studied me in a way that I'd never been studied before. There had been confusion in his gaze, disbelief, and a strange yearning that I hadn't understood at the time. I understood it now. Just as I understood that he would always be a part of me, and that he had been since that first moment.

I may have forgotten about those earlier days in the aftermath of my father's death, and the subsequent years of being studiously avoided by Cade, but I was acutely reminded of that little boy now, and the unexpected link that had ensnared us. My heart lumbered with the memories, and the love surging through me. I could see that little boy perfectly, standing in our doorway for the first time, his face slack with amazement and his eyes wide as he watched me.

Then, ever so slowly, that boy had smiled at me. It had been a striking and rare smile that warmed the black ice of his gaze, and caused me to smile enthusiastically in return. He'd been Aiden's friend, but he was far more than that to me. We'd been together nearly every day of the two years that followed. He'd been my everything then, and though I'd been too young to understand relationships, or recognize that I was helplessly in love with him, I knew now that I had been. And that I still was.

But in one awful night that had all changed. I wondered what it would have been like between us if his parents hadn't been killed. What our lives would have been like if we hadn't been separated by hideous chance. I knew there never would have been a relationship with Bret. As much as I cared for Bret, it would have been Cade and I this entire time. There never would have been anyone else, of that I was certain. Fate hadn't worked that way, and though we'd been separated then, I knew we wouldn't be separated again. Not willingly, anyway.

He pulled back from me. His hands cradled my face as his thumbs rubbed over my cheeks. I knew I had to be filthy, he was filthy, we were all filthy, but he didn't care, and neither did I. His breath was warm against my mouth as his lips brushed over mine. My heart leapt, plummeted, and then soared high again. A sigh of pleasure, and awe, escaped me. I leaned into him, savoring the heat of his mouth, and the pleasure that flooded my body as his tongue flickered over mine. My fingers curled into his back, my toes curled in my battered sneakers as his hand clenched on the back of my head.

For a moment I allowed myself to be lost to him as passion blazed hotter between us and he jerked me more firmly against his rigid body.

But only for a moment. I panted for breath as I pulled away and blinked his dirt smeared face into focus. There was a second when I thought he was going to kiss me again, but he regained control of himself as he moved a little further back to put some distance between our bodies. I smiled as I traced my fingers over the striking angles of his face. "We have to go."

"We do." His voice was strained and harsh.

For some reason his simple words caused my smile to grow. I was pleased by the answering spark of merriment I saw in his midnight eyes. It was rare to see any joy in his gaze, but right now it was beaming out at me radiantly. He swiftly kissed me again before rising gracefully. He held his hand out to help me to my feet. I was shaky but my legs somehow managed to keep me up.

Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to look at Jenna and Abby. Jenna was staring at me with a haughty look on her face that set my teeth on edge as she smirked at me. I knew that she would tell Bret as soon as she saw him, but there was no way to avoid that anymore. There was no stopping this thing between Cade and I, and I didn't want try to anymore. It had to come from me though; I had to tell Bret about it, not her. This wasn't Bret's fault and I needed him to understand that, I also needed him to understand that I did love him. I just didn't love him like this.

Abby had moved away from us; she was studying the area where we had landed. Cade took hold of my hand as Abby turned back to us. She was unable to stop the flicker of relief that filtered over her face at seeing Cade and I apart. "This can't be legal," she muttered.

I frowned as I took in our surroundings for the first time. We were standing in a soppy bowl in the ground. Grass and weeds sprouted up here and there, but the outside of the area we stood in the plants were burnt from the harsh August sun. I looked at the pipe we had tumbled out of and realized that it was broken. Five feet to my right, the rest of the pipe was jutting three feet out of the ground. The broken pieces lay in a jumbled heap around us.

"Don't think they knew about it," Cade said.

He released my hand. Climbing up the small hole we were in he lay flat against the grassy hillside as he scanned the horizon. He turned over to look in the other direction before scurrying back down to us. "The dump is about a mile away. I don't see anything coming this way."

"Where are we?" Jenna asked.

Cade shook his head. "I don't know, but we have to get moving. If they discovered that pipe then they'll know where we went. Let's go."

I refused to look at Jenna as we fell into line behind Cade. We headed toward a copse of trees that didn't appear nearly thick enough for my liking.

Chapter 23

I was relieved, and exhausted, when we finally came across the highway. The sun was beginning to set; we wouldn't have much of a break before we were forced to try the inevitable crossing. I hadn't allowed my thoughts to turn to Aiden and Bret since we'd been separated. For the first time I wondered if they were ok, if those things had chased them too, or if they had made it to the gas station already as they'd had a much easier and closer route than us.

I numbly accepted the bag of chips and half full bottle of water that Cade handed to me. I was starving, so hungry my head hurt, yet I leisurely ate the chips and barely tasted them. "We'll have to move quickly," Cade said.

I studied the two lane highway. We would have to dash across it before making it to the median, which was dotted with trees and scrub brush. The median would offer ten feet of refuge before we would have to run across two more lanes in order to reach the safety of more woods. Though those woods were nowhere near as thick as some of the ones we had traversed earlier.

Cade handed me the duffel bag containing our supplies. I frowned at him as he turned away and made his way to the edge of the tree line. I snapped out of my strange stupor to hurry after him. "What are you doing?" I demanded.

"I'm going to go out there first. Make sure it's safe."

"Like hell!" I retorted.

His face was half hidden in the shadows as he knelt to study the road. "Would you like another replay of the bridge?"

I swallowed heavily as I glanced back at the open expanse of highway. Unlike the bridge there were no lights to illuminate the road, but after the events at the dump I could almost feel the aliens lying in wait, hovering over us, and setting a trap to take us down. "We'll find another way."

"There is no other way."

"I'll go with you," I offered.

He shook his head as his gaze drifted to Abby. "You can't leave her alone."

"Stop using her against me!"

He ran a hand through his tussled hair. "I'm not using her against you; I just need you to stay here Bethany. I'll be back. I promise."

I tried to find solace in his words, I couldn't. "You can't promise that."

"No, I can't." I frowned at him. I had expected some kind of reassurance, some false promises even. I was slightly taken aback by his blunt admission. "But if you come with me, and something happens, these two will be left alone. They need someone to lead them."

I glanced over my shoulder to make sure I was out of earshot. "I'm the one that has completely collapsed in this situation Cade, not them. They're holding up far better than I."

He rose to his full height and moved subtly closer to me. The heat of his body radiated against mine even though he remained a foot away. "That may be true, but you are still stronger than them Bethany. You reached a breaking point today, but many would have reached theirs years ago if they had carried the same burdens as you. You will not break again, I know that..."

"You can't know that," I interrupted.

"Of course I can, I know you. You'll get them through this because you have to. If they lose us both, they won't make it. Trust me on that."

I bit my bottom lip as I continued to frown at him. I wanted to believe him, but a part of me believed he was just feeding me a line of bull in order to get me to stay behind while he tested the waters. I could almost see the gears turning in his head, the thoughts bouncing rapidly through his brain as he tried to think of some other way to dissuade me.

"Without you?"

"What?" He was thrown off by my questioning him instead of arguing further.

"Do you honestly believe that I will be able to keep it together without you?"

He shifted nervously, I could tell he was hesitant to say his next words, but say them he did. "You kept it together after your father died, until me. You kept it together today, until me. I'm the reason you fall apart Bethany."

"That's not true!" I protested vehemently.

He glanced over my shoulder; his jaw clenched as a muscle jumped in his cheek. "It is true, without me you will make it through this..."

"That's awful of you to say! Especially after everything that has happened!" I snapped, growing infuriated with his words and the absolute belief he had in them. "How could you believe that I'm stronger without you!?"

He grabbed hold of my shoulders and pulled my rigid form a step closer to him. "I never said that. When I'm not around you bury your emotions because you don't trust anyone else with them, but..."

"But for some reason I trust you."

A small smile quirked the corner of his full mouth as his eyes twinkled mischievously. "Yes, for some reason you trust the devil."

I started in surprise as he mentioned his nickname from school. "You knew they called you the dark devil?"

His grin widened. "The devil knows all."

"You're not funny," I muttered.

"I'm not trying to be." He kissed me softly on the forehead before releasing me and taking a step back. "You will get them through this Bethany. No matter what, I know you will."

Though I appreciated his unwavering faith in me, I wanted to grab hold of him and plead with him to stay. I wanted to tell him I loved him but the words stuck in my throat. It was obvious that he was set on this course of action, and I wasn't going to be able to stop him.

"Be safe."

He flashed a cocky grin that caused my heart to melt and my toes to curl. "Always."

Before I could say another word he darted away from me, bolted across the road, and disappeared into the shelter of the median with startling speed and grace. I was left gaping after him, my heart hammering as a cold sweat broke out on my body. I'd never seen anyone move like that. I took a small step after him, torn between the urge to follow, and the need to stay with my sister.

My gaze slid back to Abby. She and Jenna had crept closer to me, but still hung back a good five feet. I could see the fear in their faces, a fear that caused me to straighten my shoulders and tilt my chin up. Cade was right, I would find some way to get them out of this. No matter what it took, I would get them out of here, even if I had to do it without him.

A faint rustle of the leaves was the only thing that alerted me to the fact that Cade was making his way across the other side of the highway. I held my breath as I counted to myself. I thought he should at least be back in the median by the time I made it to a hundred. At two hundred I was beginning to panic. At three hundred, I could barely breathe through the constriction encircling my chest.

At five hundred my throat was beginning to burn and I was barely breathing anymore. Five fifty...

I didn't know how long we should stay here for. How long we should wait for him to return. I wasn't sure that I would be able to get my feet to move away from here if the time came. There was no dazzling light, no crashing bangs echoing throughout the forest signaling the creature's arrival, but when I hit eight hundred I was becoming increasingly certain that Cade wasn't going to return.

We didn't know what other kinds of weapons these aliens possessed, didn't know what they were capable of. Just because they'd always announced their arrival with noise and light before didn't mean that they always had to. The noise and lights could just be a scare tactic, one that worked really well as far as I was concerned. Maybe they had taken Cade. Maybe they knew we were here and were just waiting for us to expose ourselves.

I took a step back from the roadside, losing count as I began to search the night around us. Were they out there? Hunting us, stalking us? Were they closing in on us even now? I hadn't planned to leave Cade, but he had been gone far longer than he should have been, and he had faith in me that I would continue on, that I would get them to safety.

"Bethany..." Abby started.

"Five more minutes," I whispered.

"But he's been gone..."

"Five more minutes Abby."

"Look, I get that you don't want to leave your lover behind, but they could be closing in on us even now," Jenna grumbled.

I shot Jenna a furious look, my hands fisted at my sides. "Five more minutes!" I snarled.

She glared at me as she shifted her stance. I turned back to the road and started to count again. One more time to two hundred, and then we would have to go. We would have to. Fifty six... fifty seven... fifty ei... Movement rustled the trees in the median.

My breath froze; I took a quick step forward as hope exploded through me. Everything went still again and then Cade was emerging from the shadows. My legs shook as relief flooded me; I was able to take my first real breath since he'd left. Cade knelt by the side of the road, his hand rested on the ground as he searched for us. I stepped forward enough to expose myself to him in the dim moonlight that illuminated the road. He lifted his hand and gestured for us to come over.

"Let's go," I breathed.

"Wait!" Jenna blurted.

"We have to go now, while it's still safe."

"Out there?" she croaked.

I decided to take a page from Cade's book. "Then stay here. Let's go Abby, now."

Jenna's frantic gaze flitted around, but she offered no further protest as Abby came toward me. I bowed beneath the weight of the duffel bag as I heaved it onto my shoulder. It was far heavier than I had expected it to be considering the ease with which Cade carried it. I straightened my shoulders and burst onto the road with Abby close at my heels and Jenna following behind reluctantly.

Chapter 24

We trudged through the woods with our heads bent and our shoulders slumped. I had more bug bites on me than freckles now and I'd given up on trying slapping them away. We had managed to get some sleep, but not much. Jenna had been bitchier than usual for the first hour of our walk. She had finally, and thankfully, grown silent.

"How much further do you think it is?" Abby asked.

"Mile, maybe two," Cade answered absently.

It wasn't that far, I kept telling myself. An hour at the most, and that was only if the terrain became rough, which I didn't think it would. Or I hoped it wouldn't anyway. There weren't any dumps between us and the gas station at least. I kept my head down, my feet throbbed, my legs were weak but I could make it. We all could.

Though the trees mostly blocked the sun, the heat of the day had grown oppressive. I was beginning to feel like a wilted dandelion even though a sea breeze stirred the leaves in the trees.

I was so focused on my misery that I didn't notice Cade had stopped until I bumped into him. He pushed me behind him with his arm as he studied the woods. His body was as taut as a bow string as it vibrated with tension. I frowned as I glanced around. There were a couple of squirrels sitting in the trees so I didn't think the aliens were near, but something had caught Cade's attention.

The distinct crack of a twig caused me to jump. Jenna and Abby huddled closer to us. A squirrel dashed through the branches of a tree, creating a small raucous as it leapt into another one before disappearing into the woods. Was it fleeing from approaching aliens or from some other unseen thing?

"Abby? Bethany?"

I spun in the direction the voice had come from. "Aiden?" I croaked.

He stared at us like we were a band of circus performers out for a Sunday stroll in our underwear. I knew we looked awful. Our clothes were caked with muck; Abby's delicate features were streaked with dirt and slime. Her coffee brown hair was now black, and a tangled rats nest. Jenna's strawberry hair was also far darker; she'd placed it into a braid before going into the dump so it wasn't the tangled mess that mine and Abby's was. My own honey hued hair was now a snarled, filthy brown.

No wonder Aiden was having a tough time recognizing us beneath the layers of grime.

I couldn't stop the smile that spread over my face at the blessed sight of him. He still appeared a little singed, or shocked, from whatever had happened to him on the bridge. His fair hair was standing on end, and burn marks marred the pale skin of his arms, neck and face. But he was cleaner than we were, and I was certain he smelled far better.

Abby let out a delighted cry and raced toward him. Aiden grinned as he held out his arms to receive her. I followed behind her, but by the time I got to them Aiden's nose was already wrinkled and his lip curled as he pulled back. "Holy crap Abby you smell awful!" he cried.

I halted in midstride, unable to stop the burst of laughter that bubbled out of me. He turned toward me and held his arms out. "I don't smell any better," I assured him.

"I don't care."

My laughter ceased as I stepped into his welcoming embrace. Though he was brave enough to hug me, it didn't last long, and Abby and I left a sludge mark on the front of his shirt. "Are you ok?" I asked.

"Yes."

"Bret, Molly?" My voice squeaked, I could barely breathe as I awaited his answer.

Aiden grinned at me. "They're fine," he assured me. "Bret's on the road across from the gas station, Molly's on the road next to it keeping watch for you guys."

Cade and Jenna had edged closer, but remained behind us. "What happened?" Jenna asked.

Aiden's eyes darkened as sadness crept over his features. "I don't really know; we were almost to the bridge when it all just went to shit." His gaze moved away from us, he seemed to be focusing on something that neither of us could see. "That guy that was with us, he was in the front. When that light hit him..." Aiden's voice grew taut; a small tremor shimmered through him. "The edges of the light seemed to set him on fire, from the inside out."

My mouth had gone dry as he uttered the words inside out. Instinctively I sought out Cade and took hold of his hand. "The fire actually came from his mouth." Aiden shuddered; his eyes came back to us. "I could feel it creeping up inside of me. I could feel it licking against my organs, burning its way through me. Thankfully, whereas the others had been trapped by the light, we weren't far enough in to be completely caught up by it. The three of us were able to break free, able to run. I didn't even know where we were until we managed to get to the other side of the IHOP."

Abby threw herself back into his arms. I released Cade and wrapped my arms around them both. "Thank God you're ok," I whispered.

"You too," he said with a small smile. "And from the looks of you it doesn't seem like you had a very easy time of it."

"It was awful," Abby agreed.

"Let's go find the others and you can tell us all about it. We've found a place to stay for the past couple of days. I'll take you there before going to retrieve them."

***

The shower had been lukewarm by the time I got to it, but I didn't care, it was still amazing. I scrubbed myself so ferociously that my skin was red and chapped by the time I was done. I lathered conditioner into my hair hoping that it would help untangle the horrific mess it had become.

We had managed to dig up some clothes upon entering the basement apartment, but they were all men's clothes. I didn't care; I would rather have walked around nude then put my disgusting dump clothes back on again. My old clothes were sitting in a trash bag now, but I could still smell them. Either that or the stench really had permeated my skin forever. Just the thought made me scrub myself again, it was becoming painful to do so, but I didn't care.

Intending to save at least some warm water for Cade, I finally tore myself away from the delightful spray. I dressed in the loose fitting tee and oversized pants. Using a belt I cinched the waist and rolled the bottom of the jeans up. It took me awhile, and a lot of wincing and cursing, but I was finally able to untangle my hair so that it fell around my shoulders and back again.

I didn't pick up the trash bag with my clothes in it, but rather opened up the door and kicked it out. Much like a soccer ball, I bounced it back and forth as I made my way down the hall. I kicked it next to the other two bags sitting by the bulkhead in the small galley kitchen. There was no stove but a hotplate sat next to the microwave. I didn't know if the home above had been the parents of the guy that had lived here, but the entrance into the house had been blocked off. The bulkhead was the only way in or out.

The basement had no windows, but we had only turned on one lamp upon entering. The lamp was in the far back, in a small living room with a battered sofa and a ratty armchair that looked entirely inviting. I slumped into the chair, pleasantly surprised by how comfortable it was considering that stuffing was popping out of the arms. Cade slipped down the hall and moved toward the shower.

I drew my legs up onto the seat, closed my eyes, and passed out.

I didn't know how much time had passed before I woke again. It was impossible to tell time in the windowless room. My legs were asleep, my neck ached from sleeping at such an awkward angle, but I felt better than I had earlier. "You're awake."

My hands slapped down on the arms as I bolted upright. I hadn't realized that Bret was on the couch until he'd spoken. I winced as my legs protested against me straightening them and my neck screamed in twisted agony, but I was eventually able to unravel myself from my cramped position. "I didn't see you there. Where is everyone?"

"Bedroom down the hall. How are you?"

I swallowed heavily. His tone sounded dull and flat. There was something wrong, and I was afraid I already knew what it was. I'd been an idiot to fall asleep before I'd had a chance to talk to him; it seemed as if Jenna had beaten me to it. "Ok."

"From what Abby said it sounded like you guys had a rough time out there."

"It could have been worse. Far worse."

I tried to make him out on the couch, but all I could see was a deeper shadow as someone had turned off the lamp. There was definitely something off about him, but I wasn't sure if Jenna had talked to him, or if he was just as exhausted as the rest of us. I swallowed heavily. If Jenna hadn't spoken to him, then I had to now. There was no point in dragging this out, no reason to cause him more grief than I was already going to. I couldn't keep up this charade, and I had a feeling that Cade wouldn't allow it to continue for much longer.

The couch groaned as he stood up and shuffled toward me. Guilt and self hatred flooded me as he knelt before me and took hold of my hands. I was about to pull my hands away, but he leaned forward and kissed me before I could react. My head spun, I almost recoiled from him, but I couldn't bring myself to be that cruel. Bret didn't deserve that, he didn't deserve any of this. There was no spark in the kiss, no passion, but it was comforting, familiar, and sweet. I allowed him to kiss me briefly before I pulled away from him.

"I'm glad you're safe Bethany, and that you're here. With me."

"Bret..."

"We can get through this, together. We can get through anything together."

His hands squeezed mine more firmly as he leaned closer. I swallowed heavily, unsure how to proceed. I'd never dealt with anything like this before. "Bret, we have to talk."

"You had a rough time out there."

"We all did."

"Sometimes things happen..." My eyebrows drew together as my mouth pursed. Had Jenna talked to him, or had he picked up on a strange vibe from Cade and I? Either way, it seemed as if he was determined not to hear what I had to say, or to rationalize it away.

"Did you speak to Jenna?'

"Jenna? No, why?"

I hedged, uncertain how to proceed. He must have picked up on something between Cade and me, or perhaps Cade had said something after I'd fallen asleep. "Bret there's something we should talk about. Did Cade..."

His hands tightened on mine, he leaned closer. "We don't have to talk about him. When people are frightened, or stressed, they do things that they normally wouldn't do."

"Bret..."

"It's ok Bethany; things will go back to normal now or at least as normal as they can be under the circumstances."

I didn't know what to say to him, I could barely breathe through the anguish clenching my chest. I'd known Bret most of my life, he was a good person. It was me that was awful and wrong. I clasped both of his hands in mine. I knew what had to be done, but maybe it didn't have to be done right now. It was obvious that he didn't want it to be right now, obvious that he was clinging to the hope that we would be fine. There wasn't much that I could give him, but I could give him that at least. Couldn't I?

My eyes shot toward the doorway as movement caught my attention. I didn't know how long Cade had been standing there, but if he hadn't moved I never would have noticed him. It seemed as if he was a part of the shadows as he blended in with them seamlessly. I was amazed and a little unnerved by the way the shadows embraced him.

I pulled back, unable to stop myself as Bret leaned forward to kiss me again. Distress flashed through his eyes, his hands clenched upon mine as he sat back on his heels. I couldn't look at either of them as I untangled my hands from Bret's grasp and rose slowly. My back protested the movement as I stretched my cramped muscles, but it felt good to move again.

I blinked against the harsh flare of light as Cade flipped the switch. Resentment flashed across Bret's features when he spotted Cade leaning in the doorway. "What do you want?" Bret demanded.

Apparently Bret had decided to take all of his ire out on Cade, instead of me where it belonged. Cade lifted a black eyebrow as wry amusement flitted over his handsome features. Under the amusement though was a seething mass of tension. This was a situation that was going to have to be resolved, soon, or it was going to get ugly. It never should have gotten to this point to begin with.

And it was entirely my fault.

"You know what I want, or at least who," Cade drawled.

My mouth dropped, my hands clenched on my arms as I stared at him in utter disbelief. I couldn't believe he'd just said that. "Son of a bitch!" Bret growled.

I seized hold of Bret's arm as he took a threatening step forward. He looked about ready to beat the crap out of Cade, but Cade remained leaning nonchalantly in the doorway. He didn't appear at all fazed by Bret's irritation though Bret was a good thirty pounds heavier, and three inches taller. "I just thought that all the cards should be on the table, so there is no confusion about what my intentions are." I could only stand there and continue to gape at Cade as his gaze burned over me. "I know what I want, and now you do too."

Bret was shaking in my grip, his hands fisted at his sides. I was trembling from the effects of Cade's sizzling look, and from the words he had just uttered. "Don't do this now," I managed to whisper. Bret didn't relax in my grasp, but his gaze slowly slid toward me. The look of betrayal in his eyes made me want to cry. "Bret, I'm sorry, I really am. I didn't mean for this to happen, I never meant to hurt you, it's the last thing in the world I ever..."

I gasped as he knocked my hand aside and jerked his arm from my grasp. Cade's casual demeanor vanished as he came away from the door. Fury darkened his features; his eyes were shards of black ice as a muscle in his cheek twitched. My heart leapt into my throat, I stood in between them and threw up my hands to halt Cade's approach.

"You want to take this out on someone then take it out on me!" Cade snarled. His rage was so volatile, so intense, that it caused the hair on the nape of my neck to stand up. It didn't matter if Bret was bigger; in that moment I was certain that Cade might just kill him. "Not her, me."

Before I knew what Cade planned he seized hold of my hand with surprising tenderness, considering the enraged look on his face, and began to rub it. "It's fine... I'm fine," I managed to stammer out. His eyes came toward me; they crinkled at the edges as his gaze softened. My hand clenched around his, I couldn't stop the immediate physical and emotional reaction that surged through me.

"What's going on?" I had been so caught up in everything that I hadn't noticed Aiden's appearance in the room. His hair was rumpled from sleep, his eyes were a little swollen, but there was a keen edge in his gaze that was somewhat unnerving. "Are you ok?" he demanded of me as his attention honed in on Cade's hand on mine.

"I'm fine. Everything's fine," I managed to reassure him.

He glanced at Bret, then at Cade, before finally settling on me again. Cade had been his friend once, but that had been years ago. Bret was his best friend now; I knew where Aiden's loyalties would lie. I didn't want him put in the middle of this. "Better be," he said. "Abby, Molly, and Jenna are awake too."

"Good, we have to figure out what we're going to do."

"Didn't Bret tell you?"

I glanced back at Bret, but he wouldn't look at me as his gaze remained focused on the far wall. His mouth was clamped shut and his arms folded over his broad chest. I ached for the sting of rejection I sensed in him. Swallowing heavily I turned my attention back to Aiden. "No," I informed him.

"The rental store down the road does have scuba gear."

I frowned in confusion. "But you said that was a bad idea."

"It's the only one we have now. The fact that we have to get to the mainland hasn't changed Bethany. We can't stay on this side. They'll find us." My hand tensed on Cade's as I sought his strength. I knew I should let go of him, knew that I was only hurting Bret more, but I couldn't bring myself to release him. I was a truly awful person. Cade's hands wrapped around my arms, he pulled me a small step closer to him. His attention was still half on Bret as he listened to Aiden. "We have to do something Bethany."

Though Aiden was trying to keep his face expressionless, confusion and astonishment blazed from the eyes rapidly flickering back and forth between the three of us. He focused on me, shook his head, opened his mouth to say something, and then clamped it shut again. He muttered something under his breath, it was so low that I couldn't make it out, but Cade pulled me even closer to him.

"I know we do," I muttered.

"It's getting dark now, we should be going soon."

I couldn't wait to get out of this apartment, and to put some space between Cade and Bret. But the thought of being outside again, of being completely exposed to those creatures once more, caused a cold chill to run down my spine.

Chapter 25

I turned the scuba tank over in my hands. I had no idea what we were going to do with these things. What were we thinking to even attempt this incredibly crazy idea, even if it had been my crazy idea? Drowning was not the way I intended to go out, but then again neither was getting my blood drained by some crazy freaking spider/tick/octopus/jellyfish-like monster.

Both options sucked, but I preferred to give my body over to nature than the aliens any day. "There might be some kind of manual or something around here," Aiden muttered as he wandered behind the counter. "A video even."

"A video?" I inquired dryly.

"DVD maybe."

I rolled my eyes as I shook my head. Only Aiden would think that he could play a DVD and know what to do, or that there even was a DVD on the basics of scuba diving. But then again, for all I knew, there actually might be one. Abby was holding up a set of flippers, studying them carefully as she flapped them in the air. We had lived on Cape Cod our entire lives, but strangely enough my siblings and I had never donned a set of flippers before.

"We do have Molly," I reminded him.

Aiden shrugged absently. "Would still like to learn as much as possible beforehand."

I followed Aiden behind the counter and held a flashlight for him as he rummaged through the shelves. I didn't think he had a snowballs chance in Hell of finding a video, but I didn't say that to him. I figured he simply needed something to distract him from what we were going to do. "Here's something."

"What?" I asked in surprise.

He pulled out a stack of papers and fluttered them in the air. "It's a manual." Well that might be helpful, I thought. Though, I was pretty sure that reading about scuba diving wasn't the best way to learn how to do it. It was better than nothing though, that was for sure. He sat back on his heels and flipped through the pages. "It will help."

He put it on top of the counter as he stood up. Cade and Molly came around from where they had been exploring the back of the store. "There's a room back there, but it has windows. We either leave tonight for the mainland, or we go back to the apartment," Cade informed us briskly.

He'd been on edge since we'd left the apartment. The strange thing was that I didn't think it had anything to do with what had happened with Bret, but something else entirely. He was pale again and his mouth was pinched once more. I wondered if perhaps he hadn't slept like the rest of us. I worried that he was going to make himself sick with lack of sleep and nutrition.

"I would like to read this." Aiden drew my attention back to him as he tapped his fingers on the pages before him. "Maybe we should go back to the apartment till tomorrow night then."

"Are we taking all this stuff with us?" Jenna inquired. I'd noticed that she'd become a lot more agreeable since she'd seen Cade and I holding hands in front of Bret. "It's pretty heavy."

"I guess we can leave it," Aiden answered but his attention was elsewhere. He was like a pit bull when he became focused on something, he locked onto it and wouldn't let go, and right now he was focused on that manual.

"There's no guarantee we'll be able to make it back here," I interjected.

"Hmm, true," Aiden muttered.

I sighed as I shook my head at him. I moved away from the counter and headed toward the window at the back of the store. Through the trees and homes, I could just make out the light of the moon sparkling across the gleaming surface of the ocean. It all looked so peaceful, so delightfully normal and safe. For one brief second I could almost believe that everything was as it should be.

I closed my eyes as I tried to bottle the rush of emotions that swelled up in me. For a minute I allowed myself to long for everything that we had lost, and everything that we would never have again. Then, I opened my eyes, and forced myself to accept the fact that this was our new reality. Running, hiding, being hungry, scared, dirty, and tired was all we would know for the rest of our lives. But at least we were alive, we still had loved ones, and we were still moving which was more than I could say for most people.

"Are you ok Bethy?"

I hadn't heard Abby approach but she was suddenly at my side. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure? You seem so... ah... I don't know, but you don't seem like you lately."

She was trying to discreetly ask about Cade, but I didn't have any answers for her. I didn't know what it all meant, how it would all turn out. All I knew was that everything was extremely complicated and I wasn't ready to talk about it. "None of us are the same lately."

"Bret..."

"I don't want to talk about it Abby."

"He loves you Bethany. He's our friend. What are you doing?" Unable to stand the pleading look in her eyes anymore I turned back to the window. I felt bad enough without her heaping more guilt onto me. "Cade is..."

I glanced pointedly at her. "Is what?"

She shrugged her delicate shoulders. "I don't know; he's always so distant and aloof, so cold and hard. He's a stranger, Bethany..."

"I can't explain it Abby, but Cade isn't those things, not really."

Abby's gaze drifted toward where Jenna stood with Molly. I knew she was thinking about when Cade had threatened to leave Jenna at the dump. "That is who he is Bethy. It's the way he is toward all of us." Her doe eyes flitted back to me, her mouth parted as she gazed at me with dawning understanding. "It's just not who he is with you."

I shifted slightly before turning my attention back to the window. She was right, Cade was detached, he was remorseless, and he was deadly. They were all traits that he had clearly exhibited over the past few days. He just wasn't like that with me and he never would be. I knew that instinctively. I didn't know how to explain that to her though, and I wasn't sure she would understand even if I could explain it to her. People had been wary of Cade for years; that wasn't going to change simply because I wanted it to.

She rested her hand on my arm. "I hope you know what you're doing."

"I don't," I admitted.

She squeezed my arm before hooking her arm through mine and leaning against my side. "He is gorgeous," she muttered.

I chuckled as I hugged her to me, taking solace in her warmth. "It's time to head back." Cade didn't acknowledge the midnight hair falling into one of his eyes as he stepped beside us and focused on me. "Your brother is determined to read that thing cover to cover."

"Of course he is." Abby rolled her eyes as she pulled away from me.

She only made it one step before an echoing, crashing screech froze her in place. The sound rumbled throughout the night, and shook the building, as its crescendo rose to higher levels. Abby threw her hands over her ears. She took a step back as it steadily grew louder, and more ear piercing with every second. I didn't even realize that Jenna was screaming until Molly slammed her hand over Jenna's mouth to stifle her. It made little difference though; I never heard Jenna's screams above the rising shriek pulsating through the air.

Abby was nearly on top of me as she fell back. Cade seized hold of my arms as a series of rambling crashes, and the brutal squeal of twisted metal resonated through the air. It seemed to go on forever, rising and falling in streams of sound that shook the windows and caused the floor to shake. I didn't know what was causing the noise but I was beginning to fear that it was never going to stop, that it was just going to continue endlessly on until it deafened us, or drove us all mad.

Then it stopped as suddenly as it started. The ensuing quiet was more unnerving than the awful sound had been. We all held our breaths as we strained to hear or see anything. My ears were ringing; I was shaking within Cade's grip. I kept waiting for the noise to start again, kept waiting for something to happen, but the world remained still.

"What... what was that?" Molly breathed.

Aiden took a step from behind the counter; his face was far paler than normal. "I think it was the bridge."

"What!?" Jenna demanded.

"The bridge, I think the bridge just collapsed, or was blown up, or whatever. But I'm pretty sure that was the Bourne Bridge," Aiden answered.

Though I couldn't see it from here, I knew that he was right. The bridge that had been a constant staple in my life was gone. As a young child I'd despised driving over it, certain that it would collapse beneath us. After my father's death I hadn't stayed in a car long enough to make the trip over the bridge until a couple of years ago. Both bridges had been a major topic of conversation for the locals, when the tourists flooded in and created massive congestion during the summer. The bridges had been sweeping testimonials to the architecture and technology of the thirties, and now at least one of them was a pile of rubble within the canal it had once gracefully spanned.

"Why would they destroy the bridge?" Jenna whispered.

"Someone must have tried to get across again," Abby replied.

"No," Aiden's forehead furrowed as he puzzled it out. "Someone made it across."

A jolt of astonishment rocked me. "What?" I inquired.

Excitement filled Aiden's eyes as he began to talk faster. "Think about it, those things were waiting for us to try and cross that bridge, waiting for us so they could spring their trap. For them, those bridges were like picking off ants at a picnic, easy, simple, and they had the right bait. They wouldn't destroy that opportunity unless something had gone wrong, unless someone had made it across. Unless someone survived."

Hope swelled up my throat. "You really think so?"

"I do."

I glanced eagerly at Cade, but his eyes were distant and turbulent as he focused on the far wall. "Or we did it," Cade said.

"Huh?" Abby asked.

"There has to be some military still around, there are most definitely other survivors out there. It could have been either group that destroyed the bridge."

"But why?" Molly demanded.

"To deter others from attempting to cross it and to keep more people from getting killed."

There was an extended silence before Bret finally spoke. "No matter what it's a good thing that the bridge is gone. Either someone made it safely to the other side and is seeking help, or there are others on the other side looking to damage the aliens, and they could help us. At least no one else will be hurt again by trying to cross that bridge."

"We should get out of here. No matter which side did it, it's going to attract a lot of attention and we aren't that far from it." Molly bit on her bottom lip as she stared at the window.

She was right, of course, but the last thing I felt like doing was going back outside. Everyone seemed to feel the same way, as no one moved. I finally broke out of the paralysis clinging to me as I reluctantly pulled away from Cade and made my way to the front door. Pulling the blinds apart I peered out at the night. I could see nothing, but I had the unsettling feeling that there was a menacing presence just waiting for us out there.

I backed away from the door. Goose pimples broke out on my skin as a cold chill swept down my spine. "How long will it take you to read that thing?" I managed to croak out.

"I don't know, an hour, maybe two," Aiden answered.

"I don't think we have that long."

"Betha..."

Aiden's words were cut off as another rattling explosion rent the air. I jumped back, nearly falling over my own feet as I staggered away from the door. I threw my arms up as the glass window exploded inward and littered the store with shards of glass. Cade lurched forward, grabbing hold of my arms he pulled me down and covered me with his body as another loud bang rent the air. I curled into a ball beneath him and covered my ears as I tried to protect them from the noise.

Cade scrambled over me for something I couldn't see. He returned, pulling my hand away he pressed his mouth to my ear. "We have to go Bethany."

"Where!?" I cried over the resounding explosions.

Cade didn't answer as he seized hold of my hand and pulled me to my feet. Another loud bang shattered one of the windows at the far end of the store as the explosions seemed to get steadily closer. I'd had nightmares like this, being frozen in place as imminent death rushed toward me. Then I'd been able to wake up, now I was trapped, stuck like a fly in a spider's web.

Cade released me and stumbled forward as he staggered toward the wall containing the scuba gear. "Give me a hand!" he yelled at Bret.

Bret and Aiden lurched forward to help Cade tear the equipment from the walls. I seized hold of one of the boxes containing an assortment of floaties and tubes. The contents scattered across the floor as I hurriedly dumped them out. I tossed the box to Aiden and searched for another one as they began to fill it.

Another explosion shook the earth; my ears were ringing from the continuous onslaught of noise. The ground beneath my feet began to vibrate. I jumped as a hand wrapped around my arm, Bret pulled me against his side. "This way Bethany!" he shouted above the noise.

I searched for Aiden and Cade, but they were struggling to carry the equipment and the box. "We have to help them!" I cried.

"We have to get out of here!" he snapped back.

"Wait..." I strained to break free of him, but he wouldn't let me go. "Cade."

Cade's head whipped around, his eyes narrowed upon us. "Get her out of here!" he growled with such ferocity that even I was taken aback. "Now! Get her out now!"

Bret tugged on my arm, and this time I relented and stopped fighting him. Abby was already by the back door, holding it open for us. Bret pulled me forward rapidly; I nearly tripped over my own feet as I hurried to keep up with him. I staggered out the door, inhaling giant gulps of air that was nowhere near as fresh as I had hoped it would be. It smelled rancid and there was a bitterness to its taste that caused me to recoil. My lungs burned from the tainted air, my nose hairs were singed by the intense heat.

For a brief, entirely disorienting minute, I thought that it was snowing. But it couldn't be snowing, not in August anyway, could it? Then again, far stranger things had happened over the past few days, snow in August didn't seem entirely impossible right now. I stretched my hand up and blinked against the fine particles coating my eyelashes, falling across my face, and turning the night sky completely black as they blocked out the stars and moon. The fine particles were pungent against my lips. It took me a moment to realize that it wasn't in fact snow, but fine, flowing ash.

I turned to the right, the building blocked some of my view but the sky behind the building was a vivid red orange hue. Whereas the night around us was as dark as midnight, it was as bright as the sun over there. And it looked angry, malevolent, and deadly. We all stood, staring in awe at the glowing, malicious sky. We had been so eager to flee the building, but now I found that my feet wouldn't move. I didn't want to see what the building hid, what was sheltered from our view.

"Awful," Abby breathed.

"What is that?" Molly croaked out.

"Flames from the bridge must have spread," Bret muttered.

"The gas station," I whispered.

"And the other buildings close to it. Those were the explosions. The fire is going to keep spreading. It will reach other propane tanks, gas tanks, oil tanks. We have to go before it gets to us." I dropped my hands, dismayed by the coating of soot that clung to them. "We have no choice but to swim now."

He tugged me back a few steps. For a second I remained frozen, and then self preservation kicked in. Bret's hand slipped away as we hurried down the hill, struggling to stay on our feet on the uneven, gloomy terrain. I had to keep wiping the ashes from my eyes as they stuck heavily to my lashes and made it even more difficult to see. The hill became slick with the material coating it, I slipped and slid, waiting for the inevitable moment when I lost my balance.

Surprisingly, I wasn't the first one to go down. Instead, Molly let out a small cry as she lost her footing. Her arms pin wheeled in a useless attempt to keep her balance as her feet flew out from beneath her. I winced for her as she landed on her butt, bounced a few times before doing a complete ass over teakettle somersault.

Bret and Abby made an attempt to grab hold of her, but she quickly catapulted out of their reach. Molly let out a muffled cry of pain, but she remained terrifyingly quiet as she plummeted out of view. "Molly!" Abby cried.

"Hush!" Bret commanded briskly.

"But..."

"Shut up Abby, Molly did."

Abby became silent but I could almost hear her tears. My heart hammered, was Molly ok? Had she been injured in the fall? I had no way of knowing what was at the bottom of the hill; I could barely see a foot in front of me due to the inescapable blackness. Were there rocks down there? Was the ocean down there?

I chanced a glance over my shoulder; I could barely make out Cade and Aiden struggling down the hill behind us. Their breathing was loud in the oppressive air, but then, so was mine. My lungs labored, my throat burned. It couldn't be good to be inhaling this crap, but there was little that any of us could do about that now.

A loud pop sizzled through the air. A burst of fire leapt into the air over the burning glow behind the store. A propane tank perhaps? I tried to recall the buildings in the area of the bridge. There was the IHOP, a hotel; no there were two hotels, a laundry mat, convenience store, gas station, funeral home, tourist traps, woods, and plenty of homes. There were so many things to spread the growing flames, things that would rapidly catch fire without anyone to stop the inferno.

The aliens certainly wouldn't stop it. Not when they knew it would flush out the remaining people like rats fleeing a flood. That's exactly what we were now, trapped rats that they would hone in on quickly, especially if we continued to head toward the water.

My heart flip flopped; I tore my attention away from the abhorrent flames. Was that the real reason the bridge had been destroyed? Had the aliens decided to ruin any chance of escape, and set fire to the land in order to draw us out?

I was so fixated on my own thoughts that I didn't realize the ground had begun to level out. Molly came into view at the bottom of the hill. She was dirty, disheveled, and her bottom lip was bleeding but she appeared otherwise unharmed. We raced across the street, fleeing into the backyards of residential homes, staying parallel with the railroad tracks that ran near the beach. The tracks followed the water and roads, yet the trees surrounding them offered us enough protection to stay hidden from anything above.

Our breathing grew labored, my lungs were burning from the acrid air, but no one asked to stop. It simply wasn't an option right now. I don't know how long we ran for, pounding over unseen ground, trying to escape the ash and deadly flames. I didn't dare look back to see how close the fire was, I didn't want to know how much time we had left.

"This way," Aiden panted.

We followed as he took a right and dashed through someone's yard before stopping at the edge of the woods. I stared out at the shadowed parking lot before us. A chill cooled the sweat on my body at the thought of running out there. We would be exposed, vulnerable.

Aiden and Cade dropped the equipment they had been carrying. They muttered to each other before a small flashlight clicked on. "Aiden!" I hissed.

His mahogany eyes were piercing as he gazed at me over the beam. I was pinned by that stare, frozen within its desperate depths. "Do you plan to use this crap or not!?" he demanded.

I bit my bottom lip as I finally turned back to the hungry inferno. Above the tree line I could make out the angry glow of the flames. We had gained some time, but there was too much kindling and fuel in between the fire, and us, to think that it had been much. We had an hour, maybe two, before those flames came far too close for my liking.

"Why are there only four tanks?"

My head whipped around at Jenna's question. I strained to see into the box that Cade had been carrying, hoping that I'd missed something, hoping that fear had caused me to lose my ability to count right. One, two, three, four... No, no, there had to be more. One, two, three, four...

But no matter how I turned that box, no matter how I twisted it in my head, I still only saw four tanks within it. "They were the only ones," Cade told her.

"I saw at least ten tanks in that store!" Jenna retorted fiercely, terror causing her bitchier side to reemerge in front of Bret. But then again, I was feeling pretty damn bitchy right now too.

Cade's coal eyes were wintry; Jenna recoiled from him as he leveled her with his remorseless gaze. "They were the only ones with oxygen in them," Cade elaborated.

My heart plummeted; my legs suddenly became so weak that I slumped to the ground. The ash wasn't as thick here, but it would be soon. I stared out at the parking lot toward the beckoning ocean beyond. There were still some boats floating out there, bobbing on the small waves that lapped against them. They taunted me with their presence; they would be so useful right now, but to climb on one, start it up, and use it would be certain death.

"What are we going to do?" Abby breathed.

"Share them," Molly answered simply as if it was the most obvious answer in the world.

I swallowed heavily at the suggestion. It was such a long swim to be sharing tanks, especially when most of us didn't have a clue as to what we were doing. I turned to Cade, trying not to give way to my panic. His eyes burned into mine. Though he wasn't right next to me, I could feel the soothing caress of his presence on my raw soul.

"Is that possible?" Jenna squeaked.

"It's going to have to be," Molly muttered her attention riveted upon the contents of the box as she pawed through it.

I watched with growing unease as she began to pull things out and lay them neatly upon the ground.

Chapter 26

I felt like swamp thing/idiot as I walked/wobbled toward the edge of the water. I also felt extremely exposed. It was only a brief time that we would be in the open, only a brief moment in which there was a chance we would be spotted, but that moment was far too big for my liking.

We had avoided the parking lot area, moving further down the shoreline to a more secluded spot. It was a further distance to the mainland from here, but we had all opted for a longer swim rather than longer exposure time. Molly, as the only one with experience, was the only one with her own tank. It would be better if she possessed it and was able to help out if something went wrong. Molly and Aiden were the only ones with compasses.

My eyes lingered upon the rope tying us all together, except for Molly. I didn't like this, not one bit. Though the ocean was vast I could already feel a growing sense of unease about being trapped beneath its rolling waves.

Aiden and Abby had been paired together in the front; Bret and Jenna were behind them, and finally Cade and I. Cade had the tank strapped to his back, though I had a feeling that he would try and force me to take the mouthpiece far more often than I would need it. I only hoped he didn't hurt himself in the process.

Knives had been handed out in case someone got into trouble and had to be cut away. In case they had to be sacrificed. I didn't have a knife, but then I wouldn't have been able to cut the rope and sacrifice anyone anyway, no matter what happened. I shuddered at the thought and shifted the bag of guns on my back. The weight of the guns was reassuring. They had been divided into three waterproof bags and given to the three of us without tanks.

I wasn't too confident in this plan, but it was all we had. It had taken a half an hour for Molly to explain everything to us as quickly, and as well, as she could. It had been another half an hour before we found a secluded backyard. The falling ash had become thicker again and dawn was only hours away. We didn't have any time to try and formulate another plan.

I didn't think there was one anyway.

"Let's go."

Molly easily slipped into the water, my entrance was nowhere near as graceful as hers as I flopped, floundered, and fell into the ocean. I was thankful for the wetsuit as the chill of the salty water hit my cheeks and hands. I inhaled deeply before ducking beneath the waves. Though I was nowhere near lacking in oxygen, my lungs began to burn as panic tried to claim me. Cade was suddenly beside me, I couldn't see him through the murky water, but his hand grasped hold of my arm before stroking upward.

His presence caused the burning in my lungs to ease a little. I held onto the rope as I kicked through the water. It hadn't been long, I knew that, but I felt as if we were making good progress, even if I couldn't see where we were going. Apparently Molly decided that we were far enough down as she clicked on the light. I could barely see the dim glow, it briefly highlighted Aiden in front of me, and then it was gone as Molly turned it back off. There was a shifting in front of me, a small turning toward the right.

Cade was beside me again, I didn't know what he planned until I felt the press of the mouth piece against my lips. I tasted salt and water as I inhaled deeply, grateful for the fresh surge of oxygen that filled my lungs. His hand lightly pressed over my mouth, looking to calm me as we continued to slip through the sea.

This was going far better than I'd anticipated; a fact that only caused my uneasiness to spike. Everything had been so grueling up to this point; I had expected the same thing here. It made me anxious and tense, I was certain that something was going to happen. Cade tried to force me to keep the mouth piece, but I managed to give it back to him. For a brief time my fingers entwined in his, and then he was taking the air from me.

We made our way through the water, the beam would flare briefly every once in awhile before going back out. Subtle adjustments would be made in our direction as Molly read the compass. Three sharp tugs on the line alerted me that we were finally approaching land. Hope and foreboding shot through me. We were almost out of here, but there was no way to know what awaited us on the other side.

Then suddenly I felt it, a rising up of the ocean floor beneath us. We began a steady ascent, swimming upward as we headed for land again. What were we going to do if they were awaiting us? Nothing, there would be nothing we could do. We couldn't get to the guns, we wouldn't have enough time to flee back into the sea, and even if we did, we wouldn't have enough oxygen to remain hidden for much longer.

We had done all that we could, now all we could do was pray that luck stayed on our side. There was a shifting to the left; I followed along until I felt my head break water. I rose cautiously and pulled the mask slightly up as I surveyed the rocky shore. Cade was beside me, his midnight hair was matted against his forehead, and the water had plastered his shirt to his chest. He pressed closer to me as the air hit my wet hair and skin, causing me to shiver.

"This way," Molly whispered.

We half swam/walked closer to the shore. The darkness was so complete that I couldn't see if there was anything waiting for us. Molly pulled her flippers off and tossed them onto the shoreline. I tugged the flippers off and wiggled my toes in the sand as I took a brief second to enjoy the simple pleasure as the others ditched their flippers and tanks.

I could barely breathe as we scrambled forward. The shore was rocky and rough beneath my bare feet but there was no way I was stopping to dig shoes out of the bag on my back. Cade's hand wrapped around my upper arm, I felt as if we were moving through quicksand as we slipped in the shifting sand.

We were almost to the tree line when illumination blazed over us. Everything seemed to slow around me; we were mired on the beach, trapped like rats beneath the glow. Everything around me was acute and vibrant. The air seemed to shimmer like the air above asphalt on a hot summer day. I felt as if I could reach out and touch every particle. In those, the final minutes of my life, I was completely connected to the world, and the people around me. I could hear and see everything, I could feel the energy of the earth, feel the life force that would forever connect me to the ones I loved. Though they had always seemed noiseless, I could almost hear the hum of the engines as one of the ships moved over us.

Then Cade was grabbing hold of me, wrapping his arms around me, and pulling me down beneath him. The earth rushed up to meet me; I spit and coughed as sand filled my nose and mouth. His hand in front of me was a deep bronze color in the dazzling light. I didn't know what he was doing until I saw the knife. Then, the rope connecting me to Aiden was sliced.

Love bloomed in my chest as I realized that he had just freed my brother and sister. They would be able to make it, we never would. We were too far behind, too far away from the sanctuary of the trees.

"Cade..."

"I love you Bethany."

A sob ripped from me as my fingers dug into the sand. His lips were warm against my cheek as he kissed me. I turned into him, savoring our last moments together, taking comfort in the solid strength he radiated. I tried to tell him that I loved him too, that I always had, and always would. The words stuck in my throat though, I couldn't get them out.

"Bethany!" Abby's scream echoed from the woods. Tears burned my eyes as I watched her struggling against Aiden's restraining hold. "Bethany!" I knew that Aiden would keep her safe. Ever practical, ever stoic Aiden would save Abby because he knew there was no hope for me.

Then another light blazed forth. A moan of despair tore from me as it illuminated the woods. My siblings weren't going to be able to escape either. They were as trapped as we were.

I was so caught up in my despair that I didn't immediately recognize the noise that blazed out of the forest, erupted across the beach, and echoed through the night. Then, the sound pierced my foggy, distorted mind. I inhaled sharply, getting a mouthful of salty sand for my effort, but I didn't care as gunshots continued to ring out across the beach. Far more gunshots than anything our supply of weapons could have achieved.

I lifted my head, wincing against the barrage of lights that burst from the woods. It wasn't another ship, but something else entirely. Cade was frozen above me, his muscles taut and rigid as they encompassed me. Then he was seizing hold of my arm and pulling me to my feet. "Stay low!"

I bent over as I labored through the sand sifting beneath my feet. I could barely see or hear anything over the gunshots and lights. Cade was grabbing for me when he tripped and fell. For a second I didn't understand what had happened, Cade was always so graceful and sure. Then I felt the brusque tug of the rope still binding us.

I cried out as I was roughly pulled back and knocked off my feet. My fingers clawed uselessly at the beach, but there was nothing for me to grab hold of, nothing to stop my violent propulsion backward. I spun onto my back, horrified to find Cade halfway off the ground. One of those things was wrapped around his waist, tugging him into the air, and toward certain death.

A scream tore from my throat. I lunged at him, trying to grasp hold of his hands as we were pulled backward. My heart hammered, it wasn't my life and safety that I was concerned with anymore, but his. Another tentacle snaked toward me, but Cade was somehow able to turn and knock it away. I was tugged brusquely forward, lifted off the ground and awkwardly thrust back onto my feet. I stumbled and reached for Cade again, but he was getting further away from me.

"Cade!" I screamed. Jerked forward, I was spun around before being slammed face down onto the beach as the rope joining us was pulled taut. The breath was knocked out of me, I could barely see as stars burst before my eyes. I strained to clear my vision as I fought to breathe again.

I was drug toward the shore by the rope binding us. Somehow I managed to flip onto my back once more. Grabbing hold of the rope I tried to dig my feet in, tried to get some kind of leverage as I fought to keep Cade from being torn away from me. My hands caught fire as the rope tore across my palms but I refused to let go.

My feet hit the water; I was plunged in up to my knees. For one brief, clarifying instant I knew true, and heart stopping dismay as my eyes met Cade's. "Cade." His name was just a whisper on my lips, a breath that even I barely heard, but I knew that he somehow had.

I was jerked to my feet again as Cade cut the rope.

A scream of anguish swelled up my chest and tore out of me. "No!" I wailed as I fell into the ocean. I scrambled to my feet and crashed into the surf as I tried to catch Cade before he disappeared from sight.

"No! Caaaaade!!!!"

I was so focused on him that I didn't see the other tentacle coming at me until it knocked me off my feet.

Chapter 27

I didn't know what happened after that. Hands grasped at me and pulled me from the surf, they carried me somewhere. I wasn't handled roughly, but there was a hurried urgency to the hands that was disconcerting and frightening. I couldn't quite make sense of anything; I didn't know where I was. Time went in and out in flashing blurs that left me disoriented and confused.

At times I was certain that no time had passed, at others I felt as if an eternity had slipped by. Yet, through it all I was acutely aware of one fact and one fact alone...

Cade was gone.

He had cut the rope. He'd been taken by those awful creatures. He was gone. He was probably dead.

In those moments of utter clarity the anguish of his loss was so intense that it was all consuming, and debilitating. Agony would flash through me, it would sear me with its intensity and I would once again lose myself to the world of delirium and denial that enshrouded me.

Then, one day, I awoke. At first I wanted to return to oblivion and lose myself to the world of delirium and denial, but I couldn't. I had to face reality. I couldn't simply curl into a ball and die like a part of me so badly longed to. It hurt to breathe; my heart was a broken vessel that only served to pump blood through my veins. But it continued to pump, I continued to breathe, and apparently the world was still turning. It was time that I rejoined it.

I found myself in a small room, one that I didn't recognize, and one that I couldn't begin to place. I frowned as I stared at the dingy white walls, gray concrete floor, and ceiling fan spinning leisurely above me. I was on a metal table but a thin mattress had been placed upon it.

What the hell?

I carefully sat up and winced as I swung my legs over the side. Pain ran up my left leg and lanced across my hips and waist. I was wearing a shirt that I didn't recognize and a lose pair of sweats that were most definitely not mine. I pulled the shirt gingerly up, my mouth dropped as I took in the red gash marring my skin and the stitches holding it together. Pulling the pants down, I wasn't surprised to see a bandage covering my hip and upper thigh.

What had happened?

My eyebrows drew together as I tried to ponder the answer to that question, but it completely eluded me, as did my location.

Bracing myself I slipped off the table. I winced as my feet hit the floor but I was able to support my weight. The floor was cool beneath my bare feet as I padded toward the closed door. I bit on my lip, I was anxious about what I might find on the other side, but I had no choice. I knew Cade was gone, but where was my family? I had to find them, they might need my help.

Although it was obvious that I'd most certainly not been much help lately.

My hand trembled on the knob; I held my breath as I cracked it open. I placed an eye to the crack and peered out on a vacant hall. My forehead furrowed as I tried to place what was stretching before me, but I was unable to do so. I shuffled forward, moving past a few closed doors before coming across one that was a little ajar. The steel was cool beneath my hand as I cautiously pushed it open.

A scream burned its way up my throat; I could scarcely breathe through the constriction that encased my chest. I'd seen many horrible things in my life, but this had to be one of the worst.

"You're awake."

I jumped and stumbled a little as I spun toward the voice on my right. My breath exploded from me, my hand flew instinctively to my injury as the abrupt movement jarred me. I bent over as I panted for breath and sweat broke out across my brow. It took me a minute to regain control enough to stand and face the man.

It wasn't a monster beside me, or at least he appeared completely human, but after what I'd just seen I wasn't so sure I could trust my own eyes anymore. The aliens appeared human too, had I been captured? I swallowed back the coppery taste in my mouth before I spoke. "Yes."

I don't know why I had bothered to respond, it was obvious that I was awake, I was standing here after all. "How are you feeling?"

I studied the tall man, wary as to what was going on. He appeared to be in his mid to late thirties. His wavy brown hair had hints of grey at the temples; his grey eyes were large behind the horn rimmed glasses he wore. He appeared friendly, personable even, but with what was inside that room I couldn't even begin to feel at ease.

"Ok," I answered, unable to stop my eyes from darting back toward the door.

"You were wounded pretty badly."

"My brother and sister?"

"They just went upstairs to eat. They've been sitting by your side for the past week." A week I had been out of it for a week? "They'll be relieved to see you up."

I'd be relieved to see them and find out just what was going on around here. "Where am I?"

He gave me a sad, understanding smile. "A lobster warehouse in Wareham."

"The aliens?" My eyes flitted involuntarily back toward the door next to me.

"They haven't found us."

I heard the unspoken "yet" at the end of his sentence. Finally, I was unable to take it anymore. "What is going on in there?" I demanded.

He quirked an eyebrow, then his gaze returned toward the door. "Oh. Well we're trying to see what has caused The Freezing." I frowned at his nonchalant response. "Come."

I flinched as he opened the door to reveal the horror within again. He moved quickly into the room, apparently immune to the dreadfulness of what lay within. I remained hovering in the doorway, not quite ready to step in there. There were rows of people within the room, at least twenty of them from what I could see. They were all frozen in various positions, all trapped within their own bodies. Though I knew it wasn't true, I felt as if their eyes followed me when I hesitantly moved into the room.

"Are they still alive?" I managed to croak out.

He glanced back at me as he stopped by a child. A child. Of course I knew that children had been affected by this, I had seen them before, but not this close. The young girl, with her brown hair in a ponytail, her head tilted back, and her small hand reaching out toward something that wasn't there tore at my heart.

Tears burned my eyes, but even more than that I could feel a swelling rush of fury growing within my chest. I walked toward the little girl, taking in her innocent features, and the small smile that curved her mouth, a smile that was completely out of place given the circumstances. She could almost be a perfect, life sized doll. A part of me tried to believe that she was a doll, another part wanted to destroy the things that had done this to her.

"We haven't figured that out yet."

I glanced back at the man; I'd forgotten he was even there. "Have you figured out anything?"

"We think we know how the frozen people were chosen."

I took a quick step toward him that I instantly regretted as my hand went back to my side. "How?" I breathed.

"The people that are still moving all have one thing in common."

"And that is?"

"We all have type O blood."

I hadn't thought it was possible but I actually felt the color drain from my face. My brain flashed back to biology class three years ago when we had typed our own blood. I'd already known my blood type by then, as I'd received plenty of it when I'd been in the hospital after the car accident. My father had been O, my mother was A.

It seemed to be the one thing I'd inherited from my mother.

Swallowing heavily, I focused my attention back on the man. "How do you know this?"

He appeared a little frazzled as he ran a hand through his disheveled hair. "I've tested everyone within this building; they all have type O blood. The people trapped in this frozen state do not."

His gaze was piercing as he studied me, his arms folded over his chest. "Are you a doctor or something?" I asked.

"I am, though until this happened most of my work was focused upon research."

"What kind of research?"

We both knew I was stalling but I was hesitant to meet his penetrating gaze. He was a doctor, he had probably saved my life, and yet I felt trapped beneath the weight of his stare. "I was studying cystic fibrosis, but when the aliens arrived I began to research them. I was fascinated by them and intended to learn more."

"Did you learn anything about them?"

"Not much more than we already knew." I shifted as my gaze turned back to the young child. "I have discovered that they do not immediately kill everyone they take."

My eyes shot back to him, I took an involuntary step forward as excitement spurted through me. If he was right, if what he said was true then there was still a chance, no matter how small, that Cade was alive. I was tingling, electrified with excitement but I was terrified to put too much hope into his words, terrified of what he would say next.

"How do you know that?" I demanded.

"They drain some of them immediately." I shuddered as I recalled the man on the street. "And some of the others they take with them. I believe they store them for later."

I was repulsed by the notion, but I hope still pulsated through my whole body. "Are you saying Cade could still be alive?"

His eyes became sympathetic, but there was a relentlessness in his gaze that left me cold. "I believe that is highly unlikely."

"But it could be possible," I pressed.

"It could, but you would do better to let that thought go. It would be better if you moved on."

I couldn't look at him anymore. How could I simply move on? The thought caused a lancing slash of distress to tear through my heart. "If there's a chance..."

"How would you get to him? What would you do? You don't even know where he is, where to begin looking for him. There is no chance that you will be able to find him."

I gaped at the man before me, hating his words, and hating him for saying them. I was resentful of the fact that they may be true. And yet...

I knew I wasn't going to just give up. I never would. If there was even a small chance that Cade was still alive, then I was going to continue to look for him.

I focused on the little girl again, my mind churning as I tried to sort through the tangled thoughts and emotions jumbling it. If he was alive, what were they doing to him? My head bowed beneath the weight of my emotions and disquiet that the thought caused. If he hadn't cut that line I could have saved him, if he'd given me the chance. He had sacrificed himself for me; I had to save him now. There had to be a way to find him, he would do the same for me.

"Do you know what your blood type is Bethany?"

I had to force myself to look at the doctor again. There was a speculative gleam in his eyes that made me feel like I was pinned under a microscope. "You could be wrong about the blood type. O is the most common..."

"But everyone here that is still moving has it, including your siblings. None of the frozen people have type O. I could be wrong, but the possibilities of this not being our uniting factor are very slim. Even if it is the most common blood type, there would be others here with a different type. There might be more than just the blood component involved, but it is the most significant tie that I have found. Do you know your blood type?"

"Yes," I responded flatly.

"You were injured badly enough that you required a blood transfusion when you arrived here. I wasn't going to type you because everyone else has been O. Even though you were still able to take your siblings blood, your brother informed me that you weren't."

I refused to look away from him as I forced myself to meet and hold his steady gaze. "No, I'm not."

He continued to study me. "I would like to run some other tests on you, if you would let me."

"What kind of tests?"

"Some genetic tests. There may be something in your blood that's different, something in your genetic makeup that isn't the same as the others, something that made you immune when others weren't."

"You're immune too."

"But you're different." There was a gleam in his eyes that unnerved me. He seemed a little too eager to start poking and prodding me. "You're different than the rest of us here. Don't you want to help if you can?"

"Of course I do!" I protested hotly, realizing only too late that I had just given him the reaction he'd been angling for.

"Good, good. There may be something..."

His words drifted off as the door creaked open. Relief and joy filled me when Aiden popped his head around the corner. A small cry of delight escaped me as I hurried past the doctor toward my brother. He grinned at me and held his arms out for me. He caught me and hugged me gingerly against him.

"Finally," he breathed. I clung to Aiden, needing his solid reassurance right now. "You ok Bethany?"

"Yes." It was a lie, we both knew that, but it was a lie we were both willing to accept right now. Abby stepped into the doorway with Bret close behind her. They embraced me carefully, though Bret held me for longer than I would have liked. "Are you guys ok?"

"Perfectly fine," Abby assured me.

"What happened?" I asked.

"You don't remember?"

Everything in me shied away from the memory of those last moments on the beach. "No."

"One of those things hit you, but thankfully the rebellion had been in the woods when we made it to land. They were able to fight it off. You were wounded pretty badly but the doc took care of you so you'll be ok."

I managed a small smile for Abby, but I was certain that I was never going to be ok again. "The rebellion?" I inquired.

"There are about sixty people upstairs, eight are soldiers, and the rest are survivors. They have a fair amount of weapons and it's relatively safe, for now," Aiden explained.

I had the crushing feeling that too much time had passed, felt as if it was all slipping rapidly through my fingers, but I didn't know how to stop it. But it had to be stopped; it had to be changed, somehow.

"You have to be hungry." Abby drew my attention back to her. "We've only been able to give you juice and some soup while you were out."

I was amazed to realize that I was in fact very hungry. Abby continued to prattle on as they led the way down the hallway, up a set of stairs, and into the large warehouse. Her talk was nervous, on edge, and it took me a minute to realize she was trying to fill my head with her words instead of thoughts of Cade. I loved her even more because of it, but it wasn't working.

I studied the people gathered within the building; some of them were sleeping on blankets and thin mattresses. Others were huddled in small groups, though none of them seemed to be speaking. Lobster pots had been stacked almost to the top of the cavernous ceiling against the back wall.

"This way."

I followed Aiden through a back door into a small kitchen that must have been used by the workers. There were a few people inside of it, talking quietly as they put dishes away. My stomach rumbled eagerly as the tantalizing scent of food hit me. I was given a plate that consisted of canned beans and a peanut butter sandwich that looked as delicious as a steak would have. I picked at the food. I was starving but I found I didn't have much of an appetite.

Curtains had been drawn over the windows, but I pulled them back to stare out at the hushed day. As I ate, I planned. There were soldiers amongst the people, trained soldiers that would know how to hunt, how to attack, and how to shoot with confidence and accuracy. Soldiers that could teach us how to hunt, and how to kill.

Soldiers that could help me either find Cade again, or help me exact my revenge. Because if I didn't find him, or if he was dead, I was going to take out as much revenge as I could until I was stopped. My attention was focused on the two men and one woman standing by the front door in army fatigues.

I placed my half eaten food down and left the kitchen. I didn't know how I would go about trying to find Cade again, but I did know that I was tired of running and tired of hiding. It was time to stand and fight. It was time to make an attempt at taking our world back from the monsters ravaging it.

And these soldiers were the ones that were going to help me do that.

Where to Find the Author

Website: https://ericastevensauthor.com/home.html

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ - !/ericastevens679

Blog: http://ericasteven.blogspot.com/

Twitter: @EricaStevensCGP

Mailing list: ericastevensgcp@gmail.com

About the Author

Though my name is not really Erica Stevens, it is a pen name that I chose in memory of two amazing friends lost too soon, I do however live in Mass with my wonderful husband and our Klinger, and crazy puppy Loki. I have a large and crazy family that I fit in well with. I am thankful every day for the love and laughter they have brought to my life. I have always loved to write and am an avid reader.

Zombie Games

(Origins)

By Kristen Middleton

Cover by www.maeidesign.com

Copyedited by: Carolyn M. Pinard
www.thesupernaturalbookeditor.com

Copyright ©2012 by Kristen Middleton

ISBN 978-1-300-70919-0

Second Edition

All rights reserved.

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 author.

No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without express written permission of the author.

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 Amazon.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Zombie Games (Origins)

By Kristen Middleton

Seventeen-year-old Cassandra Wild thought that living in the chaos of her mother's home daycare and dealing with new feelings for Bryce, her martial arts instructor, was a struggle until her world turned upside down. When an untested vaccine kills more than just a rampant flu virus, Cassie learns how to survive in a world where the dead walk and the living... run!

This YA story is a lighthearted adventure filled with zombies, butt-kicking teenaged girls, a man obsessed with video games, an annoying but totally HOT karate instructor, and humor  when needed.

*This is a young adult fictional story that includes some language, violence, and adult situations. Recommended for mature teens or older.

Chapter One

“Cassie, take out the garbage.”

“Why can’t Allie do it?” I asked, closing the refrigerator door, pickle jar in hand.

“Because it’s your job,” replied my mother, who was sitting at the kitchen counter, leafing through the mail.

I pulled out the largest dill I could find and crunched down. “Mom,” I said between chews, “come on, she needs more chores. She’s twelve.”

“Don’t talk with your mouth full.”

“Sorry.”

She peered at me over her glasses. “Tell you what…you can do the dishes and I’ll have her take out the garbage.”

“Fine, I’ll take out the garbage.”

“I thought so,” she answered with a wry smile.

I rolled my eyes and swallowed the last of the juicy pickle. Before I could reach for another, she pointed to the trash can. “The pickles will still be here when you return.”

“I still can’t believe you’re making me do this in the middle of the night,” I pouted, glancing out the window into the darkness.

“That’s funny, coming from a seventeen-year-old who keeps begging me to extend her curfew.”

“Yes, but not to go wandering alone in the dark.”

Her eyes softened. “Honey, there’s nothing to be afraid of. We live on a quiet cul-de-sac in the suburbs.”

Even though my mother was trying to comfort me, I just couldn’t shake the feeling of dread or quiet the niggling voice inside, whispering of something wicked lurking in the darkness. But then again, it could just be the fact that I’d been watching a horror flick earlier and it’d totally freaked me out. “Ok, well, if I’m not back in two minutes, send dad out.”

“Right,” she snorted. “Little Ms. Black Belt.”

I couldn’t help but grin. Last week I’d received my Black Belt after four years of intense discipline and training. It took a lot of patience and commitment, but earning the Belt was worth it.

As I stepped outside, a warm breeze lifted my brown hair, blowing it across my face. I glanced up at the sky and shrugged off my anxiety; it really was a peaceful evening. The stars glimmered brightly and the moon was full.

As I rounded the corner of the garage, Charlie, one of the neighbor’s dogs, began to bark; which was a pretty common occurrence. As annoying as it typically was, tonight it was somewhat comforting to know I wasn’t alone.

“Hey, it’s just me, Charlie!” I called, my voice echoing across the dark cul-de-sac. A lone streetlight flickered on his side of the circle.

Charlie’s barking increased and he tossed in some obnoxious growls. As far as I was concerned, this dog had some serious trust issues.

There was a sudden loud crash from behind the Hendrickson’s rambler and the motion-detector light flickered out. Charlie growled angrily in the darkness for a few seconds and then, without warning, let out an ear-piercing yelp.

Oh crap, that can’t be good, I thought.

A knot formed in the pit of my stomach as I began to panic. Really, I wanted nothing more than to take out the garbage and hurry back inside. I also knew that if I ignored Charlie, and he was hurt, I’d never forgive myself.

Dropping the garbage bag, I started walking towards his house when I heard a deep, strangled moan. I froze in my tracks; that wasn't Charlie.

I shivered. “Hello? Mr. Hendrickson?”

A tall shadow emerged from the darkness and my breath caught in my throat. I watched, motionless, as the figure shuffled through Charlie’s yard, towards me. It was about a hundred yards away when the figure stopped directly under the streetlamp. I sighed with relief when I recognized Scott, a guy from my karate class, who I’d dated a few times. It certainly was creepy, though, that he was lurking around the neighbor’s yard in the middle of the night.

“Scott, what are you doing out here?” I called out.

He just stared at me, swaying slightly.

“Is everything okay?” I tried again, wondering if he was drunk. He’s my age, seventeen, and I’ve never known him to drink alcohol or use any kind of drugs, so his behavior was odd. I stepped closer and noticed that he held Charlie in his arms. An alarm went off in my head, and I froze. “Um, is Charlie hurt?”

Scott growled and then dropped his face down towards Charlie, who lay motionless. When he lifted his head back up, there was a dark red stain covering his mouth. He smacked his lips and moaned in some kind of twisted pleasure. I shuddered in horror as my brain finally registered what was happening. Scott was feeding on Charlie!

“Oh…my…God!” I choked, backing away. Bile rose in the back of my throat as the guy I once kissed assaulted the dog again with that very same mouth.

I turned to run, stumbling over the garbage bag I’d dropped, my ankle twisting in pain. I cried out and struggled to stand when something grabbed my leg firmly. I looked back and froze in shock; it was Scott, only it wasn’t him. His green eyes were now black as death, cold and lifeless. His skin was gray and riddled with bloody sores. His mouth, which still dripped with Charlie’s blood, twisted into a grimace and he let out an unearthly screech.

“Scott?!” I screamed as his teeth tore into my skin.

~~~

I opened my eyes and drew my comforter up to my chin. Reminding myself it was just a dream, I released a shaky sigh and forced myself to chill out. Yes, it was definitely time to stop watching horror flicks before bed. Forcing the last of the disturbing images from my mind, I turned over and let out a real bloodcurdling scream.

“Jed, what are you doing in my room!?” I gasped. It was the third time this week he’d snuck up on me. Apparently, it was now a special game.

Three-year-old Jed giggled with delight. “Hi, Cassie,” he said, licking a thick layer of green slime from his nose. Even in the dark I could tell the sleeves on his Spiderman shirt were crusty from dried-up snot. “Hey, want to see my new caw?” he said. Jed has a hard time pronouncing his R’s. He removed something from his jeans and lifted it proudly into the air; a small, blue convertible that had seen better days.

“Nice,” I mumbled, plumping up the pillow. “Now…please, go find Kris. You need a tissue.”

Instead of leaving, however, he opened his mouth and began coughing, hurling millions of invisible germs towards me.

I backed away in horror and yelled, “Mom!” Sure, he’s adorable with his big blue eyes and dimpled cheeks, but I’ll be the first to admit; I have a major phobia of germs. My room is off-limits and the daycare kids are forbidden to enter it; especially, the little “germy” ones.

My mother popped her head into my room and cringed. “I’m sorry, Cassie. I didn’t know he snuck in. Come on, Jed, time to clean you up.”

I snorted. “Clean him up? What about my blankets? He just infested my whole bed with his nasty cold germs.”

Jed‘s lower lip began to tremble and his eyes welled up with tears. “Sowy, Cassie,” he whispered.

My heart melted immediately. I reached over and ruffled his curly blond hair. “Hey, it’s okay, Jed. Just cover your mouth when you cough.”

His face lit up. “Huggies?” he asked, raising his crusty arms.

“Um, later, okay?” I replied as I beckoned my mom with my eyes.

She grabbed him and placed him on her hip. “Come on, Jedster. Let’s go wipe your boogies and get something to eat.”

“Thanks. Make sure nobody else waltzes in here.”

She motioned towards my alarm clock. “Hey, Wild One, it is time for you to get up for school. Start going to bed earlier and you won‘t be so grumpy every morning.”

I gritted my teeth. “I’m not grumpy. And quit calling me that.”

My last name is “Wild” and my family thinks it’s amusing to call me The Wild One, because I was such a handful as a kid.

My mother frowned but left my room without another word. As she closed the door, I could hear the chaos taking place in other areas of the house; kids were chasing each other, someone was screaming about a lost toy, and a baby began to howl. We live in Wolf Creek, a small town in Minnesota, and my mom runs a daycare in our house. What was once a calm home, is now hectic zoo. It was only Monday and I already yearned for the weekend.

I dragged myself out of bed, grabbed my favorite white Henley T-shirt, and a pair of jean shorts, then snuck into the bathroom to take a shower. Unfortunately, I have to share it with the daycare kids, so I have to be stealthy about it. If they realize it’s me in the bathroom, they’ll do things to torture me, like wiggling their fingers under the door, jiggling the knob, or repeating “Wild” over and over, annoying the heck out of me. Today was no exception.

“Enough,” I warned, combing through my thick, dark hair. I pulled it into a ponytail and looked closely at my reflection in the mirror. Brown eyes, pug nose, and extremely dry lips. I rummaged through the medicine cabinet and found some of my sister’s “plumping” lip gloss. I applied it gingerly to my lips and then frowned. Now they looked swollen, like I‘d been punched. I tried wiping it off, but it didn’t help. My eyes widened in shock as they continued to puff out.

Seriously, I thought, why would anyone intentionally do this to their lips? It was embarrassing and my lips were starting to sting.

I threw my hands up in defeat and stomped into the kitchen. To my dismay, I noticed three other kids, sick with colds. They all smiled at me, matching snot dripping from their noses.

“You have got to be kidding. What is it with everyone dropping off their kids here when they’re sick? Shouldn’t they be home taking care of them?”

“I know, nothing I can do about it, unless they have fevers,” mom replied wearily as she grabbed several tissues and began wiping noses. “Everyone seems to be getting sick with this horrible cold. Some parents even dropped off their kids just so they could go back home and rest.”

“Figures,” I mumbled.

I pulled out my cell phone to check my messages when, Daniel, a five-year-old boy who pretends he’s my shadow, sneezed all over it. I turned to my mom in horror, who winced and quickly handed me an antibacterial wipe.

“Daniel, why don’t you go and draw Cassie a nice picture?” she said, guiding him away from me.

Frantic to escape, I grabbed a cereal bar and my truck keys. “I’ll eat this at school. I‘ve got a karate class tonight.”

My mom nodded and then wrinkled her nose. “Megan? Do you have a poopy diaper?”

I turned and fled the kitchen before I could smell the answer. Just then my dad shuffled by in his robe on the way to his “Man Cave” in the lower level of our home. He calls it his sanctuary from “Daycare Hell.” Right now he looked like he’d just stepped out of Hell himself, with the dark circles under his eyes and hair that stuck up in every direction.

“Hi, dad,” I said. “Let me guess, you were up late again blasting zombies?”

He smiled sheepishly. “Heh. I actually finished the game.”

My dad is addicted to video games. Before I was born, he once spent thirty-six hours straight, playing Everguild, a very addictive Internet game, surviving only on caffeine and buttery pretzels. When my mom became pregnant, she lost her patience with his harmless addiction and brought a group of his friends together for an “Everguild Intervention.” Now he’s only allowed to play games on his Wii or PlayStation, which he has only a slightly better handle on.

“Do you have to work today?” I asked him. My dad sells cars for a living, which isn’t particularly his dream job. Unfortunately it’s something he’s really good at, so although he grumbles about it endlessly, he never changes it.

“Not until this afternoon. You ready to try out my new Beretta?” he asked, his face lighting up. His other addiction has to do with guns. Almost every Saturday since I turned sixteen, has been spent at the gun range with my father and grandfather. Both avid collectors, they own about thirty different guns between the two of them. When I began showing an interest last year, they were both delighted and started teaching me everything they could about guns. Now my aim is almost as good as my dad’s.

“Sorry, dad, I can’t make it to the gun range for the next couple of weeks. I have to study for final exams,” I answered. “Plus, prom’s coming up. I’m just too busy.”

Folding his arms, he gave me a stern look. “That’s right. You’re going with that Scott kid, aren’t you?” he asked. “Remember, no pre-prom parties, no hotels, and definitely no alcohol.”

I snorted. “Hello? Does that really sound like me? And you do realize that Scott and I are just friends? I‘ve told you this so many times.”

His eyes softened. “Good, keep it that way.”

“Well, I’m just lucky he’s going with me. I didn’t go last year and probably would have skipped the senior prom as well if he hadn‘t volunteered to take me.”

“Are you kidding me? He’s the lucky one!”

I bit back a smile. My dad’s having a difficult time with the idea of me dating, anyone, which he shouldn’t; my love life is as dead as the zombies in his games. Scott and I are only friends, but it always seems to slip his mind. The last time I went out with Scott, my dad had insisted on chatting with him before we left for the movie theater; all the while cleaning three of his guns. My dad found it amusing; I was horrified. But Scott thought my dad’s guns were “awesome” and missed the entire point.

“Wait, Cassie!” hollered my mom from the top of the stairs. My stomach clenched when I saw she was holding a dirty diaper. I swear there was steam radiating from the putrid bundle.

“What?”

She narrowed her eyes. “What’s wrong with your lips?”

I released a deep sigh. “Allie’s plumping lip gloss.”

She bit the side of her lip. “Oh. Well they’ll probably shrink down soon. Anyway, could you please pick up Allie from her dance class tonight?”

I groaned.

“Please? You‘re going to karate anyway, just swing by on your way home.”

“Okay, fine.”

“Thank you, honey.”

I nodded then sprinted out the front door before she tried to volunteer me for anything else. Allie’s my twelve-year-old sister, and since my parents pitched in to help me purchase my truck last year, I’m her personal chauffeur. I didn’t mind at first, but since she’s started middle school, her social life is busier than mine. Sometimes I have to fit my plans into her schedule.

Glancing across the cul-de-sac, I noticed Charlie following Mr. Hendrickson to his mailbox. We waved at each other and Charlie stared at me instead of blasting me with his usual obnoxious barking.

I hopped into my truck, a red ‘98 Chevy S10, which has seen much better days, and prayed silently that it wouldn’t give me problems; it’s been finicky about starting recently and I really don’t have time to get it checked out; especially with prom coming up. When it turned over right away, I sighed with relief and drove over to my friend Paige’s house.

“Hi. You’re early. Oh…my…God…what happened to your lips!?” Paige cried, covering her mouth.

“It looks that bad?”

“It just looks…painful.”

Paige, as always, looked perfect. With her long, blond hair and startling green eyes, half the guys at school are in awe of her. Some people at school call her Skipper, Barbie’s younger sister, because of her sun-kissed skin, high cheekbones, and carefree spirit.

“My lips were dry, so I tried using one of Allie’s lip gloss tubes. Bad choice.”

“I guess,” she replied, trying to hide a smile. “Do they hurt?”

I pursed my lips and nodded. “They burn a little.”

“Just use Vaseline next time. That’s all I use.”

“Oh.”

She pushed her hair behind her ears. “Did you watch the news this morning?”

“Are you kidding? In my house you won’t find anything but Dora or Elmo‘s World on the television.”

“Well, the media is all over this flu virus. It’s amazing how fast it‘s spreading. Many people are actually getting so sick they’re being quarantined in different countries. It’s like the Black Plague.”

“Most of the little kids in my house are sick. If this keeps up, I swear I’m moving out.”

“Hah, you wish. Anyway, it’s getting so bad, that in Europe, they’ve closed down a ton of schools. Wouldn’t it be awesome if ours was shut down? We could hang out at the mall and check out hot guys all day long.”

I laughed. “Yeah, fat chance of that happening. They won’t even close when we have ten feet of snow.”

“Well I, for one, am sick of school; sick of all the uptight bitches, juvenile jocks, and dumb-ass tests. Seriously, I wouldn’t mind if school shut down for the rest of the year!”

I raised my eyebrows. “Wow. Having a rough week?”

She shrugged and stared out the passenger window.

"Ok, spill it. What’s wrong, Paige?”

She looked at me, her eyes moist. “Eva King. She’s such a lying, two-faced bitch. You know, she pretended to be my friend just so she could get closer to Kyle.”

Kyle used to be Paige’s boyfriend until he broke it off with her last month. I thought she’d gotten over it already since she seemed to have a crush on someone new every week.

“What do you mean?”

“I saw them kissing in the halls yesterday. She is such a conniving bitch!”

Eva is actually one of the most popular girls in school. Although Paige is much prettier and likeable, Eva’s mother is a famous news anchor and she gets treated like she’s some kind of a movie star herself. Eva’s also head-cheerleader and owns this super turbo-charged Mercedes convertible. Most of the guys at school are hot for her car.

“And he’s a prick…they deserve each other.”

She wiped away a tear and sniffled. “Well…anyway…there is this new guy, Jeremy, who’s really cute. He sits next to me in Biology.”

I chuckled. “I can see you’re truly heartbroken.”

Paige placed her hands over her heart. “I‘m sure Jeremy could help mend it.”

We both burst out laughing. Little did we know that in the next couple of days, our lives would turn into a living nightmare, and that we would have given anything to have such trivial problems.

Chapter Two

I spent most of the day at school trying to avoid those who were sick, which was almost everyone else. Many kids were absent, and the halls were unnaturally quiet, except for the consistent coughing and nose-blowing.

During last period, my math teacher, Mr. Hogan, a balding man in his fifties, blew his nose loudly and said, “Keep taking your vitamins, everyone. This flu takes no prisoners!”

In answer, many of the students wiped their own noses or coughed. I shrunk down in my desk and took out a small bottle of antibacterial gel, rubbing some on my hands. A girl next to me noticed and snorted.

I glared at her. “It’s called keeping your hands clean. You should try it sometime.”

She gave me the finger, muttering something obscene under her breath.

Towards the end of class, our principal, Mrs. Davis, made an unexpected visit and handed Mr. Hogan some forms. They spoke quietly for several minutes and then she left, grabbing a tissue on the way out. I watched as Mr. Hogan removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose while examining the paperwork she’d dropped off.

Finally, he looked up and cleared his throat. “Listen up, people,” he called. “This week, the school is giving free flu shots to all of the students. I am going to hand out all the information regarding the vaccination. Take it home, have your parents read it, sign it, and then bring it back as soon as possible.”

A few of the students moaned in protest.

He smiled wryly and leaned back in his chair. “I understand your enthusiasm. You may not be excited about getting vaccinated, but it’s for your own good. The school is urging everyone to have this flu shot. In fact, anyone who doesn’t get permission will be required to stay home the following week, until we get this influenza epidemic under control. So, this vaccination is necessary if your parents want to keep you in school and out of the house. And…for those of you who don’t get permission, we can email you your assignments.”

Great, I thought. My mother will never agree to this flu shot, so I’ll be stuck at home next week. My parents don’t believe in messing with “Mother Nature.” They feel that flu shots lower the immune system, making one more vulnerable to other illnesses. That could also explain why our family has avoided this particular flu. My mother’s daily handful of vitamins and my green-peach tea addiction doesn’t hurt, either.

The bell rang and I stopped into the bathroom to wash my hands. I glanced up into the mirror and found Eva King standing right next to me. She looked miserable.

“Hey, Wild. God, I hate this frigging cold,” she mumbled and blew her nose, which looked painfully red.

Trying to forget the way she screwed over my best friend, I forced a smile. “Bummer you’re sick, too, huh?”

She nodded and smoothed down her long, red hair. “Yes. You know,” she said, turning to me, her blue eyes wide. “Sometimes I wish I were more like you. Your mom’s not famous and you get to blend in with everyone else at school. Nobody expects you to look perfect when you walk in every single day. It must be nice. I mean, I have to look amazing all the time. It’s a lot of work having my background and social status. Even this sick, I don’t get a day off.”

I bit back my laughter and replied, “Yes, I don’t think I could handle living in your world, Eva. It must be very stressful.”

Her eyes narrowed, but before she could respond, Nora Biggs slammed out of a bathroom stall, an unlit cigarette hanging from her mouth. Nora was fairly new in the school and most people shied away from her because of her unusual punk style, short temper, and rebellious attitude.

“Hi, Nora,” I said.

Nora nodded and then began washing her hands. We have karate class together and I’ve driven her home a few times. We weren’t exactly friends, but she was civil to me.

Eva stared at Nora’s nose. “Nora. Wow, I just love your nose ring! Is that a real Zirconia?”

Even sick, Eva was a complete bitch.

Nora‘s eyes burned with fury and I waited for the explosion. Instead, she removed the cigarette from her lips and smirked. “No, it’s a diamond. Your boyfriend gave it to me last night after we made out.”

Eva’s lips formed a tight line. “Classy,” she mumbled, grabbed her purse, and turned to walk away.

“Hey, Eva,” Nora said, grabbing a paper towel.

She turned around and snapped, “What?”

Nora smiled coldly. “You do realize that this is only high school? Being popular here doesn’t matter in the real world.”

Eva scowled and stomped out of the bathroom.

I giggled. “Nice.”

Nora shrugged. “Well, she deserves it. She thinks she’s so much better than everyone else. What she really deserves is to get knocked on her ass. I just wish I could be the one to do it. But hey, you know that code of honor thing-a-ma-jig.”

One of the principle rules of karate is that you can only use it for self-defense. Ever since Nora joined the class, she‘s stopped getting into fights. I’m sure it‘s been challenging for her.

I nodded in agreement and picked up my backpack.

“You sick?” she asked, running her fingers through her long, black hair. Streaks of bright blue framed her pale face. I imagined without the heavy Goth makeup, dyed hair, and various piercings, she might look like the girl next door.

“No. Not yet, anyway.”

Nora threw her head back and laughed. She knew about my phobia. “That must drive you insane; being around these germy bastards. I’m not sick yet either, but my old man is.”

Nora normally lives with her dad, Ivan Biggs, who’s a guitarist for Death Row, a popular rock band. Unfortunately, he’s on tour in Europe right now, so she sees very little of him. Instead she stays with her grandmother, Iris, who has some kind of dementia and is frightened of leaving her house. She can’t even take a step outside; she’s so scared of something awful happening to her.

“I heard almost everyone is sick in Europe.”

“Yeah, he’s in Germany right now. They’ve all been getting vaccinated. I don’t know what the big deal is, it’s just the flu. Tell you one thing; nobody’s giving me a shot. My old man isn’t around to sign the sheet and I would rather take a week off from this crap-hole. What about you?”

I cleared my throat. “Well, I won’t be getting the shot, either. My family never gets flu shots.”

Nora jaw dropped. “No shit? With you being so paranoid about germs and your mom being a Daycare Lady, I thought you‘d have gotten your shots for next year’s flu season by now.”

I stared at her. “Um…I’m not that paranoid.”

She snorted. “Whatever, Wild. Listen, I’ll see you at karate class later.”

I watched as she strutted out of the bathroom in her heavy black boots and then looked in the mirror. I’m not paranoid, I reminded myself, just very cautious...

Chapter Three

My stomach was growling by the end of the day, so on the way to karate class, I stopped by a McDonald’s drive-thru and ordered a cheeseburger, extra pickles. As I handed the cashier the money, she sneezed all over the bag without apologizing. As horrified as I was, I held my tongue and choked down the food; I was that hungry.

It was just after four o’clock by the time I made it to the dojo. Nora and Scott were already there, joking around and stretching out. I thought back to my dream where Scott had turned into a zombie, killed my neighbor’s dog, and viciously attacked me. Fortunately, his skin was clear and his green eyes were as lively as ever. He caught me staring at him and smiled curiously.

“Wow, small class today,” stated our instructor, Master Jordan, as he entered the room. He’s a sixth-degree Black Belt and has trained for over eighteen years.

“Everyone must be sick,” replied Scott. I noticed he’d gotten a crew cut, which didn’t surprise me because I knew he had plans to join the military after graduation. We’d been really good friends for the last two years, and although we’d gone out on a few dates, both of us agreed that we were more comfortable in a platonic relationship.

Master Jordan sighed. “Well,” he replied, rubbing his chin. “Since it‘s such a small class, why don’t we just practice sparring?”

All three of us love to spar, so we naturally agreed. I quickly stretched out and then suited up in my dark gray sparring gear, which consists of a helmet as well as mouth, shin, foot, and chest guards.

“Nora, you and Scott will partner up. Cassie, you’ll be sparring with Bryce De Luca. He should be arriving any minute.”

I removed my mouth guard. “Who’s Bryce De Luca?” I asked.

He smiled. “Bryce is a new instructor from our Hugo location. They’ve shut down because of the flu.”

I glanced through the large window facing the parking lot just as a guy in a weathered leather jacket pulled up on a motorcycle. He removed his helmet, ran his fingers through his wavy black hair, then hurried inside carrying a sports bag.

Master Jordan patted him on the back. “De Luca! I was starting to get worried about you.”

Bryce was tall with intense blue eyes. When he smiled, his dimples heated my insides.

“Sorry, the traffic was bad. If you‘ll excuse me for a minute, I just need to change,” he replied.

“No problem,” said Master Jordan.

I stole another glance as Bryce walked towards the bathroom. He was just as interesting to look at from behind.

Nora strolled by me casually, a smirk on her face. “Hey…wipe your mouth, there‘s drool,” she teased.

My cheeks burned. “Whatever,” I mumbled turning away from her.

When Bryce stepped out of the bathroom, Master Jordan motioned him over to where I was warming up. He stood several inches taller than me, had broad shoulders, and lean, muscular arms. Intricate tattoos of dragons peeked out from under his black sleeves. He caught me staring and rolled up his sleeves to show more.

“Very cool,” I said, admiring the details of the dragon’s scales, face, and fiery breath.

“Listen, Bryce, after you warm up, I’m going to have you practice sparring with Cassandra Wild here. She just received her Black Belt last week.”

He nodded with approval. “Congratulations, Cassandra, you should be proud of yourself.”

“Um, thanks,” I replied, trying not to blush. His belt reflected that he was a third-degree Black Belt and I prayed that I wouldn’t embarrass myself by forgetting anything I’d learned up to that point.

Bryce looked at my instructor. “I can’t tell you how relieved I was when I found out you were open today. I have a tournament next weekend and really need to practice.”

“After this class, stick around and I’ll practice atemi with you.” replied Master Jordan. “I’ve heard you’ve pretty much mastered it.”

Bryce shrugged. “Yeah, I have to admit…I’ve got a pretty good grasp of it but could always use more practice. I’d appreciate it.”

Atemi is an advanced type of martial arts technique that involves blows to different areas of the body; to break an opponent’s concentration or balance. I had personally never used it, but Master Jordan promised to incorporate it into my training this summer, especially if I was interested in entering the more advanced tournaments.

“That’s what I’m here for. Just remind me after class.”

Bryce nodded and then turned back to me, studying my face. “Cassandra Wild, huh? You know, I don’t recall seeing you at any of the tournaments.”

I shook my head. “You probably haven’t. It’s been awhile since I’ve competed. Now that I’m a Black Belt, though, that’ll probably change.”

“Great. You’d be a good distraction for some of my opponents.”

I didn’t know how to respond to that, so I just smiled.

“Okay, you two. Better get going, time’s-a-wasting,” said Master Jordan. “Bryce, if you could work with Cassie on some of her kicks? She may need a little encouragement keeping those legs high up in the air.”

I just wanted to fade away when I noticed Bryce’s devilish grin.

“You know, I’m just going to let that one go,” he replied softly. Unfortunately, it wasn’t soft enough because Nora snorted from across the room, and oh how I wanted to punch her.

“Keep it clean, De Luca,” said Master Jordan. “You don’t want to mess with that one, her kicks are lethal.”

He chuckled. “Sounds like an interesting challenge.”

“Well, just never say I didn’t warn you, buddy,” replied Master Jordan. He then winked at me and stepped into his office.

I think Bryce must have thought I was anxious about sparring with someone more advanced, which wasn’t really the case. It was the way he looked at me that started my heart pounding madly in my chest.

“Hey, Cassandra, I was just kidding. I’ll go easy on you,” said Bryce.

“No, don’t. I can handle it,” I replied breathlessly.

His piercing blue eyes met mine. “Look, I don’t want to hurt you. I’m obviously twice your size and much farther along in my training. You don’t have a chance against someone as formidable as me.”

My fantasy of him being a total Adonis crumbled, and I stared at him in amazement, wondering if he was for real. I cleared my throat. “You’re serious? You think I’m not going to be challenging enough for you?” I asked.

“Most women aren’t,” he stated confidently.

His arrogance irritated me. I’d worked hard on earning my Belt and prided myself on being just as good if not better than many of the guys in my class. Chauvinism was something I simply had no tolerance for. I stomped out the small fire he’d created in my stomach and ignored how cute his butt looked in his uniform. “Well, I think the only thing you should go easy on is your own ego.”

He gave me a surprised look then chuckled.    “Ouch. Man…you are a little wild one aren’t you?”

You’re going to soon find out, I thought as I put on my helmet and mouth guard.

Bryce took his time putting on his own gear, glancing at me occasionally with a wry smile. I refused to let him bother me, though. I couldn’t wait to wipe the cocky grin from his face.

“Ready yet?” I snapped impatiently.

“Oh, I’m ready alright. The question is, are you ready for me, Wild?” he replied, jumping fluidly to his feet. I had to admit, with his height and combat gear in place, he was intimidating.

“I’ve been ready. And by the way, I prefer to be called Cassie.”

He laughed at that, adding more fuel to the fire. I pushed aside my anxiety and let his irritating personality feed my adrenaline. We tapped gloves and I charged after him before he had a chance to study my fighting style. I started with a burst of fast charges and strikes, which took him a little by surprise. I bit my lip to keep from smirking as I circled around Bryce, waiting for his move.

Bryce nodded his approval then came at me with a roundhouse kick, which I quickly blocked and countered with a couple of moves that would show him how challenging I could be. I jumped up and did a combination roundhouse with an ax-kick. I swiftly followed that move with a hard side thrust kick. This time I couldn’t hide my satisfied grin when I heard him grunt.

“Okay, not bad,” he said.

“Told you,” said Master Jordan, who was now standing outside of his office, watching us. “She may have just gotten her Black Belt, but she’s always been a natural martial artist. Her strikes are quick and solid.”

I opened my eyes innocently. “Bryce, next time don’t hold back. Give me all you’ve got. Or aren’t you man enough.”

He gave me a crooked smile and opened his mouth to respond when Master Jordan interrupted. “Like I said, keep it clean over there, Mr. De Luca. She‘s a minor.”

“I’ll be eighteen next month,” I countered.

Bryce stared at me for a moment, his face crestfallen. “Sorry,” he said. “I thought you were older.”

“So?” I shrugged. “What does that have to do with anything?”

He frowned and took a sip of water. “Forget about it,” he said. “Let’s just keep practicing.”

We spent the rest of the time practicing front, roundhouse, and tornado kicks. I could tell that Bryce still wasn’t being as aggressive as he could have been, but by the end of the class, both of us were sweating and out of breath. When we were finished, he removed his helmet and wiped his forehead with a towel.

“Wow, I’m really impressed,” he said. “You snap those kicks quickly and your balance is right on. Plus, I haven’t met that many other opponents with as much power in their roundhouse kicks as you.”

“So I was a little bit of a challenge? Even for a girl?” I asked.

His smile fell away. “For anyone. Cassie, I’m sorry for sounding like a complete ass earlier. You obviously put me in line.”

“You weren’t a complete ass,” I said dryly.

He bit back a smile. “Really, I’m not such a bad guy once you get to know me.”

I shrugged. “If you say so…”

“Well, I’ll be back tomorrow evening, if you want to stop in and practice again.”

“I’m not sure if I’ll be here tomorrow, but thanks.” I replied, removing my chest plate.

“Okay, well maybe I’ll see you around.”

I nodded. “Sure. Good luck with your next tournament.”

“Thanks.”

I grabbed my gym bag and started stuffing my sparring gear into it. Mae, Master Jordan’s girlfriend, walked over and congratulated me on getting my Black Belt.

“Thanks,” I said.

As usual her makeup was flawless and she was dressed like she’d just stepped out of a fashion magazine. Her exotic Asian eyes glinted with amusement.

She motioned towards Bryce. “So…you like that boy?”

“What?” I shook my head vehemently. “No…he’s just an instructor.”

I could tell by her expression that she didn’t totally believe me. Neither did I for that matter.

“Cassie, you…very pretty girl. You should let me shape your eyebrows and give you manicure. I will do it, no charge. Men like beautiful nails and tidy eyebrows.” Mae owns the nail shop in the same mini-mall as the karate studio.

“Oh, no…that’s okay, Mae,” I replied, now feeling self-conscious about my eyebrows. I realized my nails were a lost cause, but I thought I’d done a pretty decent job plucking my own eyebrows.

She unexpectedly grabbed my hand and looked at my nails. “No. You come and let me do this for you. Your nails are…ugly. This is my treat for earning your Black Belt. Tomorrow night?”

Embarrassed and defeated, I accepted her offer. “Um, okay. Thank you?”

Master Jordan joined us and put his arms around her. “Better listen to Mae. She won’t accept NO for an answer.”

“Either do you,” she replied firmly.

“What can I say, Mae? I didn’t want you to miss out on having such a great guy. Besides, you know you couldn’t resist me. You finally said yes.” He was actually pretty good looking for someone in their thirties. Blond hair, blue eyes, and kicking body, he kind of reminds me of Paul Walker, from the “Fast and The Furious.”

She chuckled. “I gave in so you’d stop embarrassing me at my shop. How many times a week did you ask for both pedicure and date?”

“I thought you liked massaging my feet?”

She looked down at his feet. “I got tired of looking at your corns.”

Master Jordan’s face fell, but I could tell he was amused. “Corns? Mae, you’re killing me!”

Mae and I burst out laughing. She then grabbed him around the waist and dragged him away while he pretended to pout.

I walked through the locker room and into the entryway, where Nora was standing. “So, that new instructor was smoking hot,” she said. “Did you get his number?”

I scowled. “No! Are you kidding? He’s an instructor. Besides, he’s kind of annoying.”

She smiled. “Well as annoying as he was, he certainly couldn’t keep his eyes off of you.”

I rolled my eyes. “That’s because we were sparring, Nora.”

She shook her head. “No, it was more than that.”

Her words pleased me, though. I was a little intrigued with him; there was no denying that. But he was an instructor and too arrogant for my tastes.

“You need a ride home?” I asked her.

“No, Scott’s going to give me a lift.” This time Nora’s cheeks turned bright pink. “It’s no big deal. I guess he doesn’t live far from my grandma’s. Anyway, I was wondering if you’d want to hang out this weekend? My dad sent a copy of his latest CD. We could listen to it and order a pizza or something. If you don‘t have anything else going on?”

That was surprising. “I might be able to Saturday night. I’ll call you.”

Just then Scott walked up and hip-checked me. “Hey, girl, you ready for prom?”

“Almost,” I replied.

Nora’s face fell. “You guys are going to the prom together?”

“Just as friends!” we both said at the same time.

Her face brightened immediately. “Oh, well that’s cool! Have fun.”

“You’re not going?” Scott asked Nora.

She shook her head and began picking at lint on her karate uniform.

“Well, why not?” he asked.

Nora sighed and lifted her arms up. “Are you kidding me? Could you picture me at prom?”

“Actually, yes I could. I’m kind of shocked that nobody asked you,” replied Scott.

Nora rolled her eyes. “Don’t be. It really isn’t my thing anyway. Look, we’d better get going. I have to check on Grams, make sure she’s okay.”

“No problem,” said Scott. He turned to me. “I’ll talk to you at school tomorrow.”

“Bye, you guys,” I said. “I’ll catch you tomorrow, Nora.”

She nodded and I watched as they left together. When he opened the passenger door for her, she appeared surprised, then flashed him one of her rare smiles. It suddenly all made sense to me; Nora was totally into Scott, and seeing the way Scott responded to Nora, he probably felt the same way.

Chapter Four

When I picked up Allie from her dance class, she was unusually quiet.

“Is everything okay?” I asked her.

“Yeah,” she replied, laying her blond head back against the seat. Normally she was a chatterbox, so I knew something was bothering her.

I turned down my radio. “Spill it…what’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong.”

Allie and I didn‘t always get along, but she’s still my little sister and I don’t like seeing her glum. “Okay. But if you need my advice on anything…”

She let out a dramatic sigh. “Well, if you really want to know…” Then she rambled on about some boy she had a crush on at school. Apparently he teased her in front of everyone, completely humiliating her. “He actually said I was high maintenance!”

It took all my will to hold back my smile. Obviously he knew Allie pretty well. “Listen, boys your age are clueless. Forget about him and focus on something else, like getting good grades, or hanging out with your friends. In a couple of years, the guys will be following you around like puppy dogs.” It was true, with her blond hair, blue eyes, and radiant smile, she had absolutely nothing to worry about.

“You sound just like mom,” she pouted.

I cringed, although I agreed with my mother on this one. “Well this time she’s right.”

Allie fell silent again and took out her cell phone. A minute later she was on the phone with Kylie, Paige’s younger sister. They were close friends. They chatted for a few minutes, making plans for the weekend. When she hung up, she was her usual upbeat self.

“Kylie wants to see a movie this weekend and have a sleepover.”

“That sounds like fun,” I replied.

Allie‘s eyes lit up. “Hey, you should come over, too. We could order a pizza and swim in the indoor pool at night. It‘s so cool.”

Paige and Kylie’s mother, Kristie, just recently married this rich guy named Dan. He owns several restaurants in the area and they now live in a huge mansion with two swimming pools, a tennis court, and a shooting range. Allie spends more time there than she does at home.

I narrowed my eyes. “Kristie is going to be gone? That could lead to trouble.”

“What do you mean?” she asked, looking cross.

Kylie is a nice girl, but she tends to attract trouble, even when she isn’t looking for it. My mom says that Kylie reminds her exactly of Kristie when she was little. Our moms had played together as children, and I guess Kristie had been a real hell-raiser growing up. Frankly, she’s still pretty feisty and you never know what she’ll say or do next. Kylie has the same fiery spirit as her mom and it’s gotten both Allie and herself in trouble in the past.

“Forget about it. Well, it sounds interesting but I promised Nora I’d hang out with her Saturday night. She‘s depressed about her dad being away. She lost her driver’s license a few months ago and doesn‘t have many friends.”

“Nora? Awesome, invite her too! I’m sure Paige will be fine with that.”

I snorted. “Unlikely. Nora scares the crap out of most people. I can’t imagine Paige being thrilled about her coming over.”

“Just check,” Allie pleaded. “It would be so much fun! I haven’t been to a real slumber-party in ages. It’s usually just me and Kylie.”

Shrugging, I said, “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to ask.”

“It’s going to be so much fun!” my sister replied all giddy. She turned on the radio and started singing and bouncing around to the music. “Hey, it’s your song!” Ironically it’s called “Wild Ones” by Flo Rida, and she’s always playing it for me on her iPod.

“Allie, don’t forget to check with mom, too!” I yelled over the music

She nodded, then leaned over and gave me an unexpected kiss on the cheek. Unlike me, she wasn’t shy about showing affection to anyone. “I get to hang out with my sister,” she sang. “The Wild One!”

I smiled at her. Allie was growing up quickly, but to me, she’d always be the mischievous imp dancing around in her crooked tiara and Little Mermaid gown.

~~~

Later that night, when my mother read the information about the flu shot, she was furious. She crumpled up the permission sheet and tossed it into the garbage. “It’s ridiculous. They can’t enforce this. I’m calling the school.”

I rolled my eyes. “Mom there’s nothing you can do. Maybe we should just get the stupid shot.”

Mom put her hands on her hips. “Are you kidding me? Absolutely not! Did you notice how our family hasn’t come down with anything yet? It’s because we don’t get those stupid flu shots. If we did, we’d probably be as sick as everyone else.”

“Sorry…” I mumbled.

Allie pouted. “Mom, I have to go to school. There’s a major test next week.” I also knew she didn’t want to be away from her friends or the guy she was crushing on.

Mom put her arm around Allie‘s shoulders. “Don’t worry about it, sweetie. I’ll make some calls and get this taken care of.”

I got up off the couch and stretched. “Well, if I can’t go to school, I’m definitely not hanging around Daycare Central,” I said.

“I’m sure you’ll find something to do. Otherwise you can run some errands for me, like picking up your prom dress.”

Although I wasn’t thrilled about wearing a dress, my mother had helped me choose one that I actually liked; a strapless, coral-colored chiffon gown that made my waist look smaller and my skin look tan.

After dinner, as my mom disinfected the daycare area of the house, I took a shower, then retreated to my bedroom and turned on the television. There were news reports on every channel covering the flu epidemic. On channel eleven, Eva King’s mother, Veronica, was interviewing a spokesperson from the Centers for Disease Control Prevention (C.D.C). I actually like Eva’s mother, who I’d met back in grade school at a birthday party. Although she’s somewhat of a celebrity, she never once acted snooty or cold. In fact she was really sweet to everyone, unlike her daughter.

Veronica definitely wasn’t herself today; she looked sick and miserable. Her normally tan face was pale, her nose bright red, and her blue eyes watery. Usually she looked so professional, with no red curl out of place.

“This is Veronica King, and if you’re just tuning in, I have Dr. William Blake from the Centers for Disease Control on satellite. We‘ve been discussing this new flu virus that people are referring to as ‘The Creeper’, because it starts out slow and then hits its victim pretty hard. Does that about sum it up, Doctor?”

“Correct,” replied Dr. Blake stiffly. He was over fifty, slim, with little round glasses and wispy grey hair that didn’t quite cover the bald spot.

“Thank you again for joining us, Doctor. As I mentioned, this virus has been spreading at an alarming rate. It’s affected the entire country,” she croaked and then cleared her throat. ”Excuse me. I mean the entire world. The big question tonight is, how do we control this growing epidemic?”

“That’s easy, Ms. King, we control it by making wise decisions; like getting vaccinated. It’s imperative, especially for our elderly and small children.”

Veronica’s eyes narrowed. “And you stand behind this vaccine one hundred percent? Earlier we heard from other medical experts stating that they don’t feel the vaccine is having a significant enough effect on this particular virus. Millions of people have still contracted severe flu symptoms even after getting vaccinated. Emergency rooms have been flooded and can’t even care for their patients properly. They’ve had to turn people away. Let me ask you this, is the CDC working on improving the current vaccine?”

Dr. Blake cleared his throat. “Yes, well, our scientists are working around the clock to evaluate and improve the current vaccine. But, these things still take a considerable amount of time. I cannot stress enough, however, how important it is to get the current vaccine that is available right now.”

Frowning, she replied, “What’s the point if it doesn’t seem to be working? What about those people who’ve been hospitalized? Countless numbers of patients who’ve slipped into comas; reports indicate they‘d all received the vaccination.”

Dr. Blake smiled smugly. “I can assure you that if they hadn’t been vaccinated, they would have probably perished. We are quite confident that the vaccine has lessened the symptoms and has saved many lives thus far.”

She released a heavy sigh. “Well, I hope you’re right. One last thing…there have been accusations from certain leaders of the United Nations, claiming the virus was created by terrorists, specifically targeting countries the U.S. supports. What are your views on this?”

He laughed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Utter nonsense. Come on, a terrorist virus? It’s just another strain of the seasonal flu. In a week or two we‘ll have a more powerful vaccine available to the public and this won’t seem like such a crisis. It‘s just the flu, nothing more.”

Veronica sniffled and grabbed a tissue. “Excuse me.” She dabbed at her nose then smiled weakly. “A flu virus on…steroids?”

“If that’s what you want to call it.”

“Okay. Thank you for joining us tonight, Dr. Blake. This is Veronica King with WCCL, reminding everyone to keep taking your vitamins and stock up on tissues.”

I sighed and turned off the television.

There was a soft knock on my door and then my mother peeked in. “Cassie, Paige is on the phone,” she said.

“Wow…nice look, mom,” I snorted. Pieces of brown hair stuck out of a plastic cap and her face was covered with thick, green slime.

She smiled and patted her head. “Oh, you like this?”

“It‘s awesome. Dad‘s going to love it, seriously.”

Her hazel eyes sparkled with amusement. “You think? Your dad and I are going to a party this weekend and I’d hate to embarrass him.”

“He‘ll be the envy of all the other guys with you on his arm.”

She left and I could hear her giggling all the way down the hall.

I picked up the phone. “Hi.”

“Hi, Cassie.”

“So I heard about the slumber-party.”

“Yeah, but unfortunately I made plans with Nora for Saturday night.”

“Well, do you think she’d want to hang out with all of us? I don’t have any plans yet for this weekend and my folks are going out. As long as she behaves herself, we should have fun.”

I cracked up. “Honestly, Nora’s not that bad. She told Eva King off in the bathroom earlier today; it was awesome! You both might have more in common than you think.”

“Really? Well, in that case, she‘s definitely invited. Let me know what she says.”

After I hung up with Paige, I called Nora to find out if she’d be willing to go to Paige’s Saturday night. Fortunately, she liked the idea.

“So she has a swimming pool? That sounds cool. I’ll hang,” said Nora.

“Okay. I’ll let Paige know.”

“Sweet!”

I hung up the phone right as Allie rushed into my room.

“Excuse me? Knock before you enter,” I said.

Her eyes were large. “Oh, my God…you have to watch the news! Some hospital in France was attacked by a bunch of crazy patients. I guess they were acting like cannibals, eating each other’s flesh! Can you believe it? How gross is that?”

I made a face. “Really?”

We turned on the television. Sure enough, every channel was reporting about the incident. On one station, an anchorman stood outside of the French hospital where their local police surrounded the building.

“So far, there have been reports of at least fifty fatalities during this bizarre attack. The building has now been secured and everything seems to be under control. At least ten people have been arrested and detained; all were patients that were being treated in the hospital when this madness occurred. We’ll have more updates for you in just a minute.”

“Okay, that’s enough,” I said, turning off the television. “I don’t want to hear any more. This stuff gives me nightmares, so if you want to watch the news, do it in your room.”

Allie blew on her freshly painted nails. “No, that’s okay. It’s too freaky for me to watch, too. Anyway …did you talk to Nora yet about Saturday?”

“Yes, she’s interested,” I said, picking up my iPod.

“Cool. I like Nora and I really love her tattoo.”

Nora had several tattoos, but the one Allie was referring to was of a small fairy on the back of her neck. A blue fairy covered in chainmail that was scowling and stood ready to kick ass.

I looked at my sister in surprise, as far as I could remember, she’d always been a girly-girl. “Isn’t that a little dark for your tastes?”

She looked at me like I was an alien. “No. In fact I’m going to see if I can get my nose pierced for my birthday this year.”

I snorted. “Good luck with that. I’d like to see dad’s expression when you run it by him.”

She put her hands on her waist and scowled. “Mom will let me.”

“Right…”

Allie mumbled something and then left the room.

Tweens, I thought. They think they know everything.

Chapter Five

I woke up Tuesday morning without Jed sneaking up on me or any remnants of a nightmare where someone was trying to eat my brains. When I made it to the bathroom without any kids charging after me, I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. The house was so unnaturally quiet that it put me on edge and I just couldn’t enjoy it.

When I made it to the kitchen, my dad was eating and reading the paper.

“Well, this is kind of a nice change,” commented my dad as he finished a bowl of cereal. Normally he brought his breakfast downstairs to his Man Cave.

“Nice? It’s weird. Megan is the only one here and it’s too quiet,” I answered.

“I’ll take the weird and quiet any day,” he said then glanced at his watch. “Shoot, I’m running late. Bye, sweetheart.” He stood up and kissed the top of my head.

“See you later, dad.”

Just then two-year-old Megan came barreling into the kitchen, giggling. “Hi, Cassie!” she shouted.

“Hi, Megan,” I answered as she flung herself at me, wrapping her arms tightly around my legs. We’d watched her since she was a baby and I had to admit, she held a special place in my heart.

I kneeled down and tugged her hair. “Oh…your hair looks so cute today!” Her short blond hair was pulled tightly into two little ponytails. She touched them proudly and smiled with her big doe eyes.

“Where Jed?” she asked.

I poked her playfully in the tummy. “Don’t know.”

She giggled and then asked, “Where Daniel?”

“Don’t know,” I said, this time tickling her.

She laughed hysterically as I continued to tickle her. When she’d had enough, I put her on my lap and she asked about the remaining daycare kids.

I sighed. “Sorry, I really don’t know. I think most of them are sick and stayed home with their mommies to get better.”

Just then my mom walked into the kitchen and informed me that everyone was sick with the flu. Except for Megan and her mother, Sara, who was six months pregnant.

“Thank God Sara’s not sick with this virus,” I replied.

“And she’s not getting that vaccination, either. I talked her out of it,” declared my mom proudly.

“Daddy sick,” Megan said, matter-of-factly. She then raced back into the toy area.

“Oh. Well hopefully he doesn’t get either of them sick,” I said.

“I heard that Kevin is just miserable and wants her to stay away from him. I told Sara she could stay here if she wanted to, since her folks live a couple of hours away, and she still has to work. At least until after Megan’s dad gets better. But she declined. She just doesn’t want to impose. Plus, she really wants to take care of him.”

“Oh,” I said. I looked at my mom’s hair. It looked pretty with the new highlights and colored gray. “Your hair looks nice, mom.”

She smiled at me. “Thanks, honey.”

“And have you lost some weight?” I asked.

“Maybe a little,” she replied, looking down. “I haven’t had time to eat much this week with all of the kids being sick. I’m actually relieved that most of them are gone today.”

“So am I,” I replied. When the kids were here, my germ phobia was on high alert. Lately, it’s begun to recede.

My mom turned on the small television sitting on the kitchen counter. She poured herself a cup of coffee and began flipping through the channels.

“I’m going to karate class again tonight, mom,” I told her.

“Um?” she replied, not really paying attention.

I raised my voice. “I said, I won’t be home until after eight this evening. I’m getting a free manicure from Mae and then I’m going to karate.”

She turned to me and put her arm around my shoulder. “I’m sorry, honey. I wasn’t trying to ignore you. I was just trying to see if there are any updates about the crisis in Europe.”

I grabbed a fresh blueberry muffin that was sitting on the stove. “Crisis? Are you talking about that attack at the French hospital?”

She took a sip of coffee. “Well, there’s been a string of violence and rioting in other countries as well. France, Germany, Italy, everywhere. It’s kind of crazy.”

“Are they terrorist attacks?”

“That’s the thing... nobody is really sure who is doing it or why it keeps happening. The government isn’t releasing any information and the media is bewildered. It’s just really…bizarre.”

“Well, I’m sure it will all blow over,” I answered, dismissing it. To me it seemed that violence was pretty normal all over the world at any given moment.

She shrugged and then turned off the television. “Could you pick up Allie tonight at Kylie’s? They are working on some science project. That way her mom won’t have to drive her home.”

“Fine, but it won’t be until after eight o’clock.”

“That’s fine. I’ll let them know. Thanks, honey.”

~~~

My truck sputtered to life and then made some weird puttering noises as I drove over to Paige’s house. When she got in to the truck, she looked at me nervously.

“Are you sure we’re going to make it to school in this rig? It sounds pretty bad.”

I raised my eyebrows and lied through my teeth. “Ye of little faith…of course I’m sure!”

“Well…okay.”

“You worry too much, Paige.”

She shrugged and then her eyes became really round. “I forgot to tell you! Guess what?”

“What?” I asked.

“My mom got a tattoo on her lower back! A butterfly tattoo.”

I smiled. “Your mom got a ‘tramp stamp’?”

That’s what some of the guys at school liked to call lower back tattoos.

She nodded. “Oh, my God… yes! Dan made her do it.”

“I’m sure your mom had some say.”

Kristie isn’t exactly what I’d call a pushover. She has a sharp tongue and the body of an amazon to back it up.

“I don’t know, but if she starts getting piercings on odd places of her body, I’m not sticking around.”

I burst out laughing, trying to imagine Kristie with a tongue ring and a new lisp.

“It’s not funny,” said Paige, trying to stop the smile threatening her lips.

My eyes were watering I was laughing so hard. “Oh, come on. It’s funny!”

She folded her hands across her chest. “Okay, think about your mom getting her nose pierced or something further south.”

I grimaced. “Okay, that’s totally not funny.”

The truck made some weird snorting noise and we both looked worriedly at each other.

“Just please…get us to school,” begged Paige.

I nodded and we drove in a nervous silence. Miraculously, we made it with minutes to spare.

“Great, it’s Eva,” I muttered, watching as her red car pulled up next to ours. To make matters worse, my truck backfired as she was sliding out of her car.

Eva ignored us completely, which was a pleasant surprise to us both. The way she was blowing her nose made it obvious as to why.

The entire school day was pretty much uneventful, although there were even less students than yesterday. Many brought signed permission slips, and the line leading to the gymnasium, where the shots were being administered, was never-ending.

Because I wasn’t getting any kind of vaccination, I did what I could to avoid getting sick by sucking on vitamin C lozenges throughout the day and drinking bottled green tea. When the final bell of the day rang, we were almost the last vehicle in the parking lot and someone had to give us a jump.

“See you tomorrow?” I asked her.

“I might get a ride from Jeremy,” she answered. “Call me if you want one as well.”

I nodded, hoping that my truck would hold up a few more days. It was probably time to talk to my dad about getting it fixed.

When I arrived at the nail shop, Mae greeted me with open arms then stared at my eyebrows with disapproval.

“Eyebrows first,” she announced and then dragged me to the back of the shop where she pushed me into a high-backed leather reclining chair. She reclined it until I was looking straight up at her. Taking a small eyebrow comb, she brushed my eyebrows then carefully spread something warm above my eyelids.

“Wax,” she murmured staring intently at my unruly eyebrows.

“Oh.”

“Relax,” she demanded, pressing firmly down on them. I closed my eyes and she ripped away a strip of eyebrow hair.

“Ahhh!” I gasped.

She gave me a wry smile. “Not that bad.”

When Mae spread wax above my other eye, I grasped onto the arms of the chair and waited as she counted.

“One, two…” and then she tore it off.

I flinched and looked up at her. “Hey! What happened to three?”

She patted my arm and laughed. “Better this way. Hair comes out easier when you don’t tense up.”

Mae then picked up the tweezers and began plucking away. When she appeared satisfied with the results, she applied some kind of gel that immediately soothed my irritated skin. She handed me a mirror; my skin was bright pink above my eyes, but I had to admit, my brows definitely looked more sophisticated. I grinned and nodded my approval.

“No more bushes,” she stated proudly.

“Yes, thank you.”

Next, Mae took me over to a nail technician.

“This Ming,” she said and turned to the young girl. “French nails. Sports length.”

Ming nodded and gave then me a sympathetic look as she examined my nails.

“Pretty bad, huh?” I asked.

She shrugged and then began transforming my stubby nails into something less pathetic. Forty-five minutes later, after thanking Mae profusely, I left the shop, unable to stop staring at my new French manicure. My fingertips had never looked so clean and white.

Chapter Six

I was ravenous when I left Mae’s shop, but there wasn’t enough time to stop anywhere for food. I remembered a vending machine in the karate studio, so I scrounged around in my purse and found some loose change.

The studio is located in the same mini-mall, just two doors down from the nail shop. As I stopped by my truck to grab my sports bag, I noticed Bryce’s motorcycle parked nearby, and the butterflies in my stomach began to flutter. I took a deep breath and walked through the door.

The front viewing room was unoccupied, the receptionist gone, but the vending machine was full, luckily, with one of my favorite snacks. I purchased a bag of dill pickle potato chips and washed it down with a bottle of water. Knowing I was alone, I released a silent burp but then panicked; my breath was horrible! I scrounged around in my jeans and found enough money for a pack of mints. At least I wouldn’t be attacking anyone with my rancid breath.

Slipping into the locker room, I brushed my hair back into a ponytail, applied some mascara, and put on some lip gloss that my sister had given me last night. With my new eyebrows, I had to admit I looked pretty darn good.

Glancing at the time, I noticed that I was running late, so I rushed to put on my uniform. I tied my belt quickly and then respectfully entered the dojo.

Bryce and Scott were off in a corner practicing with Bokkens, which are wooden Samurai training swords. I caught Bryce’s eye briefly as he leaped over Scott’s Bokken, and counter-attacked. My heart raced as I watched them swinging, jumping, and striking at each other so sinuously. Although I could see that both guys were extremely talented with their Bokkens, there was no denying that Bryce was the expert.

When they finished up, Scott greeted me with a warm smile while Bryce barely acknowledged my presence, offering only a curt nod as he put his equipment away. It was unnerving, especially after the way he’d teased me only the day before.

“Cassie,” said Scott, kneeling next to me while I stretched my legs. “I’ve been meaning to ask you…what do you think of Nora?”

I’d completely forgotten about Nora. “Nora? Where is she? She was supposed to be here.” Come to think about it, I hadn’t remembered seeing her at school earlier in the day either.

He ran a hand over his face and sighed. “Well, I went to pick her up earlier and she was upset. She can’t get in touch with her dad, doesn’t know exactly which city he’s in, and with the violence going on in Germany, she’s really freaking out. She stayed home with her grandmother to comfort her and find out what’s going on.”

I stood up quickly. “Oh, shoot! Maybe I should give her a call and see if I can help, somehow.”

Scott shook his head and laughed wryly. “I doubt she’ll be very receptive. I tried sticking around to see if I could help, but she basically told me to ‘get lost.’”

I sighed. “I’m sure she’s just upset.”

“Tell me about it. Anyway, that’s why I wanted to ask you about her. I really don’t know her aside from this class. It seems to me that she comes around as some kind of tough ass most of the time. She has this prickly wall around her. Then other times she throws me for a loop by acting normal, almost sweet. I think she actually flirted with me yesterday.”

I smiled. “Maybe she likes you?”

He snorted. “Well, she has a strange way of showing it.”

“Seriously, Scott, I know very little about her myself. She hasn’t made many friends at school; she either scares people away or just blows them off. To tell you the truth, I was shocked when she asked me to hang out with her this weekend.”

Just then Bryce stormed over, interrupting us. “Hey?”

“Yes?” I answered.

He studied my face for a minute. “You two going to sit here and waste time, or did you actually want to learn something today?”

His rudeness surprised and irritated me. I glared at him. “Sure, but who put you in charge?”

Bryce put his hands on his waist. “Excuse me? That’s no way to talk to an instructor, Wild,” he answered gruffly.

“Respect is earned,” I countered.

A muscle twitched in his jaw as we stared at each other. Before I had a chance to catch my breath, he stalked away.

I looked at Scott. “What crawled up his butt?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. He was fine earlier.”

I glanced towards Bryce, who was now on his cell phone. From the expression on his face, he was in the middle of a very heated discussion.

Master Jordan took that moment to step out of his office, up-beat as usual.

“Hi, guys! Listen, Bryce is going to assist you tonight with training. I promised Mae I’d take her to dinner tonight.”

I released a heavy sigh. “Great.”

Master Jordan took my arm and pulled me aside. “What is it? Is Bryce giving you any trouble?”

I shook my head. “Not really, he’s just…grouchy.”

He scratched his closely-cropped beard and said, “Well, I came down hard on him this afternoon for his performance yesterday. This is a respectable karate studio, not a dating service.”

I looked at him blankly. “What do you mean?”

“Come on, I heard the way he was flirting with you yesterday.”

Embarrassed, I lowered my eyes. “Oh.”

He touched my shoulder. “Cassie, if he gives you any trouble, let me know right away. Call me, text me, whatever you have to do. But sincerely, I don’t think you have to worry about him; he really is a decent guy. He just needed a little reminder of whom and what he’s representing here at the studio.”

“Well, don’t worry about me. I can certainly take care of myself.”

Secretly I hadn’t minded the banter between us yesterday. In fact, his taunting blue eyes were all I’d thought about since then. It was one of the reasons I’d showed up today.

“By the way,” Master Jordan said as he lifted my hands and examined my fingertips, “your nails look very lovely…for a killing machine.”

I giggled. “Thank you, Sensei.”

“Now, my dear Cassie, I think they’re waiting for you,” he said, releasing my hands and turning me around.

Bryce avoided eye contact, which made me even more irritated. I hadn’t done anything to deserve his cruel attitude today.

“See you guys next week!” waved Master Jordan as he walked out of the studio.

As I waved, I caught Bryce staring at me again. He looked away and took a drink of water.

“Ready, guys?” he asked finally. Then he had us form a line to do several push-ups and sit-ups.

The next half hour we practiced several difficult kicks and punches which I normally enjoy. Today it was pure hell. Bryce was so intolerable that even Scott noticed and started getting frustrated.

“Dude, what is your problem? Ever since The Wild One got here, you’ve been riding our asses!”

I wanted to kick Scott for saying that. He liked to tease me about my nickname, too.

Bryce’s face grew hot. “Look,” he said, “you’re both Black Belts now and I’m here to teach you, not make things easy or comfortable.”

“Yeah, but you don’t have to be a dick about it,” replied Scott.

Bryce smiled coldly. “If you can’t handle my way of teaching, then feel free to leave.”

“Best thing you’ve come up with all night. I’m outta here,” said Scott, grabbing his gym bag. He muttered something under his breath and stomped out of the dojo. Deep down, I knew he’s wanted to leave earlier, to check on Nora. I could tell he was already falling for her.

Bryce turned to me with a stony expression. “What about you, Wild One?”

I stuck my chin out defiantly. “What about me?”

“You think I’m too demanding?”

“You’re a little…intense.”

Bryce’s mouth twisted into a sardonic grin. He ran a hand through his wavy hair then gazed candidly at me. “You know, there’s something different about you today. You’ve done something…to your hair or face.”

I shrugged. I certainly wasn’t going to tell him I had my eyebrows waxed. Instead I said, “Could it be the way my eyes are glaring at you? Oh, wait! They were doing the same thing yesterday.”

He looked away and chuckled.

His moods were so up and down, I wondered if he was even aware that he was slightly deranged. “Are we done here? Because I don’t think I want to spend another half hour with someone who’s obviously got an issue with me.”

Bryce gave me a confused look. “I don’t understand what you mean.”

“You’ve been shooting daggers at me since I got here. I’m not even sure what I’ve done to offend you so much,” I said and started walking away.

He grabbed my arm. “You don’t offend me at all.”

“Well you have a strange way of showing it,” I said looking up at him.

His eyes searched mine and softened. “Your eyes are so…fascinating,” he said, still holding onto my arm.

I’ve had compliments on my eyes before, which always puzzled me since I thought they looked like pretty average brown eyes. My mom says it’s because my lashes are so thick and long.

He stepped back and cleared his throat. “Well, listen it’s getting late and I’ve got to get home. We should call it a night.”

I nodded. “I have to pick up my sister anyway.”

Bryce started shutting off the lights in the dojo and I went into the locker room to wash up and run a brush through my hair. When I walked out of the locker room I found him waiting for me in the entryway, dressed in faded jeans and a tight blue T-shirt. He was on his cell phone, clearly frustrated with whomever he was talking to. I waved at him and he hung up the phone.

“Hold up, I’ll walk you out,” he said, throwing on a brown leather jacket.

“Okay,” I said.

He locked the front entrance door, set the alarm, and walked me outside. “Nice night,” he said, looking into the sky.

There was a soft breeze and the stars twinkled above us. “Yeah,” I replied.

He followed me to my truck and stood watching me fumble in my purse for my keys. “Listen,” he said, clearing his throat. “I’m sorry about earlier. I was being a little bit of a jerk I guess.”

“You guess?” I asked dryly.

He shrugged. “I just…there’s stuff going on at home,” he said, putting his hands in his pockets.

“And then there’s Master Jordan bawling you out.”

Bryce chuckled. “He told you, huh? Well, he was right. I was out of line and should have been more professional.”

“It wasn’t a big deal. It really didn’t bother me.”

“Good, because I wasn’t trying to bother you,” he said, looking away. “You just…intrigue me I guess.”

I blushed. “Intrigue you?” I couldn’t believe a guy found me intriguing. Especially one that was incredibly hot.

He turned to me again. “Yes…but I’m one of your karate instructors and probably too old for you.”

I searched his face, trying to decipher how old he actually was. He had a strong jawline with a five o’clock shadow and thick, dark eyebrows that emphasized the blueness of his eyes. He was definitely good-looking, but not the type of perfection that you read about in sappy romance novels. Bryce’s nose was slightly crooked and there was a white scar near his chin cleft. “So, how old are you?”

He smiled. “Twenty.”

That wasn’t so bad, although I knew my parents wouldn’t be excited about me dating someone almost old enough to enter a bar.

His cell chirped and he frowned. “Well, I better let you get home. I’ve got to take this call; it’s probably my mother, again.”

“Ok. See you around,” I said, getting into my truck.

He turned around and began walking towards his motorcycle.

I admired his derriere again as I stuck my key into the truck’s ignition. There was a loud click when I turned the key, but unfortunately nothing else. After a couple more attempts to start the engine, Bryce noticed and jogged back over. I rolled my window down.

“Pop the hood,” he said.

I obeyed and he began fiddling around with things in the engine.

“Try it again!” he called from under the hood.

Again, nothing happened.

He rubbed the back of his hand against his forehead and looked down again.

“Okay, now try it!” he yelled again.

This time it fired right up.

He smiled and gave me a thumbs-up. Closing the hood, he walked over to my open window. “I think you might need a new carburetor,” he said, wiping his fingers on his jeans. He had a smudge of grease on his forehead and I smiled, but didn’t tell him.

“Is it safe to drive?”

“You should be fine. But let me give you my cell phone number, just in case you have any problems. I’d follow you, but I really need to get home,” he replied just as his cell phone began to ring again. He checked his phone but didn’t answer.

“Thanks,” I said as he gave me his number.

“Good thing I was still here. This place is like a ghost town.”

I glanced around the dark shops and streets. It was totally deserted. “It’s the flu, I bet. Nobody is going anywhere.”

He nodded. “I know what that’s like. My mom has it, too. That’s why she keeps calling me, hounding me to get home.”

I smiled at him. “Well, then you better go. Thanks again, Bryce.”

He slowly leaned forward and brushed a strand of my hair away from my lips. The smell of leather and his aftershave was intoxicating. I held my breath as he stared into my eyes. “Call me when you get home so I know you made it, okay?” he asked, his voice husky.
I knew right then and there, that I’d never met anyone who’d taken my breath away as much as Bryce did. “Sure,” I replied softly.

“Okay, well goodbye again, ‘Wild One,’” he said, turning away.

I watched as Bryce jogged back over to his motorcycle. He put on his leather jacket and helmet then straddled the bike. He waited until I started moving then followed me for a couple of blocks. When his bike turned away and he was no longer in my rearview mirror, I was already missing him.

Chapter Seven

My phone began vibrating as I headed to Kylie and Paige’s to pick up Allie, which I’d almost forgotten about. I grabbed it out of my pocket and read a text from my mom telling me that school was cancelled for the rest of the week and I didn’t have to pick up my sister since she was staying overnight.

Nice, I thought. That was one less thing I had to worry about.

I changed directions and started heading home. I noticed most of the roads were completely deserted, which wasn’t as surprising as the fact that many of the fast food restaurants and gas stations I passed were also dark and closed. The flu was destroying profits for many businesses.

My mom was reading a book in the Man Cave when I got home. “Hi, honey,” she said, setting it down on the end table.

“Hey,” I replied.

She smiled. “Your eyebrows look very…chic.”

“Thanks – and check out my nails,” I said, holding out my hands.

“Very nice,” she replied, lifting them up.

I sunk into the oversized couch next to her favorite chair. “So, school’s closed. That’s a first.”

“Yes, it’s on the news. All of the schools have been shut down temporarily, due to the flu.” She stretched her arms and stood up. “Are you hungry? I could make you a sandwich.”

“Yes, I’m starving! Thanks, mom.”

I got up and followed her into the kitchen where she began making me a tuna and pickle sandwich. I washed my hands and sat down.

Just then my dad walked into the kitchen.

“Hello, ladies,” he said, kissing us both on the cheek.

“Hi, dad,” I said.

My mom smiled. “Hi, honey, how was your day?”

He gave us a despairing look and sat down by the counter. “It was a complete waste of time, with absolutely no customers. It’s almost the end of the month and they still expect us to move cars. Everyone has the flu. How do I overcome that obstacle?”

“I’m sorry,” said my mom as she moved behind him and began rubbing his shoulders.

He closed his eyes and smiled. “Thanks, that feels good.”

“Maybe business will pick up tomorrow?” asked my mom.

“Doubtful. Damn, I just need to find a new job.”

My mom and I both looked at each other but didn’t say anything.

He grabbed my mom and hugged her. “Can we switch jobs for a day? Let me corral the daycare kids and you can sell cars. Come on, hon.”

My mom smiled sympathetically. “You wouldn’t survive a day.”

“I could put them in kennels? Lock them up and feed them when they get hungry,” he said, smiling.

“Very funny,” my mom answered.

My cell phone began to ring. It was Bryce! I’d forgotten to call him back.

“I’m sorry!” I answered into the phone.

My parents stared curiously as I hurried out of the kitchen.

“You should be. I was getting worried about you,” Bryce said sternly.

I smiled with pleasure. Bryce was actually worried about me.

“I made it. I survived,” I said.

He chuckled. “So, did you notice the roads? How deserted they were? I thought maybe I was in one of those old episodes of the Twilight Zone or something. It was really weird.”

“It was totally odd. This flu virus must be really getting out of control,” I said.

“Tell me about it. My mother is so sick, I don’t know how she’s going to care for my brother tomorrow,” he muttered.

“I didn’t know you had a brother. How old is he?”

“Bobby? He’s six.”

“Well, my mother runs a daycare. She might be willing to watch him until your mom gets better.”

I could almost see the smile spreading across his face. “Wow, really? I have to work tomorrow, otherwise I’d just stay home with him,” he paused. “I work for a construction company and we have this major deadline coming up. My boss already called me tonight to make sure I was still coming in. Most of the guys on this job are sick and he’s frantic.”

“If you promise to be nice to me, I might ask her to watch him.”

Bryce laughed wickedly. “Really? Well, I can be extremely nice if it gets me what I want.”

I groaned. “You’re such a…man.”

“You didn’t notice before?”

“Believe me…everyone notices.”

“Well, I wouldn’t know about that.”

“Do you have a girlfriend?” I blurted. I’m not sure where it came from but I was dying to know.

He paused then said, “No, not at the moment.”

I was glad he couldn’t see my face, because it was burning. I couldn’t believe I’d asked him like that, out of the blue. Like a little schoolgirl.

“You still there?” he asked softly.

I took a deep breath, “Um…yeah. So…your brother, does he have any allergies?”

“No…but I suppose I should mention that he has Down’s Syndrome. He’s a great kid; really friendly and gets along with everyone. But, obviously he needs special attention sometimes.”

“My mom’s great with children. She’ll take really good care of him.”

“Okay, if you could talk to her and let me know. I’d really appreciate it.”

“I’ll call you right back.”

“Thanks, Cassie.”

I hung up and talked it over with my mom, leaving out the fact that Bryce was gorgeous and my heart raced every time he came near me. She agreed to talk to him and work out the details. I called him back and told him the good news.

“Thanks, I’m so relieved,” he said. “You’re such a lifesaver! I was going crazy, trying to figure out what to do with my little brother. My mom’s so sick that I’m probably going to have to find time to bring her into the clinic tomorrow as well.”

“Well, maybe she’ll be better by tomorrow and you won’t have to. Listen, my mom’s going to be calling you soon, so I’d better let you go.”

“Okay. Thanks again.”

“Glad I could help.”

It was the first time ever that I was happy that my mom was a daycare provider. Now I would definitely get to see Bryce again.

Chapter Eight

I learned that Bryce would be dropping off his brother Bobby around seven o’clock, so I made sure to be up and dressed. I threw on a pair of jeans, a new coral tank top, and some lip gloss.

My mom looked at me curiously when I walked out of my bedroom. “Wow, you’re up early. It’s only seven o’clock, you know, in the morning.”

I shrugged. “I know.”

There was a soft knock on the door and I rushed down the stairs to answer it. Bryce stood outside, holding the hand of a little boy with similar features. Both of them had damp hair, blue jeans, and matching white polo shirts. Bobby was grinning from ear to ear. He held his hand out to me.

“Hi, I’m Bobby!” he said. “I brought my backpack!”

“Hi,” I answered, shaking his hand.

My mom kneeled next to Bobby. ”Hi, Bobby! My name is Kris. Are you ready to have a super fun day?”

His eyes sparkled. “Yes. Bryce said I was going to have lots of fun today.”

She smiled warmly. “Well, he was right!”

“Okay, Bryce, you can go now,” Bobby waved to his big brother.

Bryce chuckled. “Hold on, Buddy. I have to talk to Kris and Cassie here before you kick me out just yet.”

“Okay, Bryce,” he answered.

Bryce held out his hand to my mother. “Hi, I’m Bryce.”

“Nice to meet you, I’m Kris,” she answered, shaking it. “Do you have a few minutes to fill out some paperwork and go over a couple of things before you leave? Cassie can show Bobby around.”

He flashed one of his dimpled smiles and I melted, again. “Certainly.”

I showed Bobby around the house and then spent a few minutes in the toy area with him. He was giddy and jumped from toy to toy.

“Wow, I love your toys!” he announced.

I smiled. “They’re pretty neat, aren’t they?”

“Bobby,” my mom said, entering the toy area with Bryce. “Your brother has to leave for work now.”

Bobby jumped up from the floor, ran over to his brother, and threw his arms around him. “I love you, Bryce.”

Bryce held him tightly. “I love you, too, big guy. Be a good boy today, okay?”

Bobby stood back and crossed his heart. “Cross my heart,” he said solemnly.

“Thank you again, Mrs. Wild,” Bryce said turning to my mother. “You’re a lifesaver.”

“No problem. I’m glad I could help out. It was very nice meeting you.”

“Nice meeting you as well. Well, I’d better go. You both have my number if you need anything,” he said.

I nodded and told my mom I’d walk Bryce to the door. When we approached the entryway and before I could react, he pulled me into his arms and hugged me. “Thanks, Cassie,” he whispered into my ear. The heat of his breath made me tremble all over.

“Um, you’re welcome,” I answered breathlessly. My heart convulsed in my chest as he released me and I longed to feel his arms wrapped around me again.

He cleared his throat. “Wow, I’m sorry…”
“Why?”

The next thing I knew he turned around and was gone. A trace of his cologne lingered in the air and I closed my eyes, thinking of how exhilarating it had felt to be in his arms.

“Ahem,” my mother said. She stood at the top of the stairs, her hands folded across her chest.

“What?”

She arched an eyebrow. “He’s certainly a very good-looking young man.”

I shrugged. “So?”

“He’s a little old for you, so forget about whatever it is you’re daydreaming about.”

I snorted. “Whatever, mom…we’re just friends.”

“Okay. I’m just saying…” she said, her eyes searching mine.

I was about to respond when Megan and her mother, Sara, walked through the door. Sara appeared disheveled and upset. My mother noticed it as well and asked me to show Megan our new guest.

Megan took off her shoes, hugged her mother, and then followed me into the toy area. When she saw Bobby, she stopped and her eyes opened wide.

“Hi,” Bobby said, grinning broadly at Megan. He was sitting on the ground and playing with Legos.

She was bashful and held firmly onto my leg. “Hi,” she answered softly. I grabbed her hand and sat down on the floor with both of them. Soon they were building something with Legos together and I was able to break free to find out what was going on in the other room.

“You can lie down in the guest room,” my mother was murmuring in the hallway. “You must be exhausted.”

“Yes, I am a little, thank you,” she replied, following my mom to our extra bedroom, which was next to mine.

When my mother returned alone, she appeared troubled. “Sara and Megan will be staying with us for a few days,” she said.

“Why?”

Mom sighed. “Her husband is very sick and demanded that she take Megan and stay somewhere else until he gets better. He’s terrified of her getting the flu and having complications with the baby. I guess the last time she was pregnant, with Megan, she ended up in the hospital with pneumonia. Anyway, he was so upset about her being at home that she finally agreed to stay at a hotel for a few days. When she told me that, I suggested that she stay here instead.”

“And she agreed?”

“Well, no…not at first. She didn’t want to impose, but I finally talked her into it.”

“Wow. Okay.”

Just then my dad shuffled into the kitchen, yawning. He poured himself a large bowl of cereal. “Good morning,” he said in a hoarse voice.

“Okay, dad, you really need to quit with the late night video games. You look exhausted.”

He cleared his throat. “I couldn’t sleep last night and the cable wasn’t working. What else is there to do in the middle of the night?”

“Oh I don’t know…read a book? Rub the bunions on mom’s feet?”

Dad grimaced. “I don’t know which sounds scarier,” he answered.

“Ha ha…very funny, you guys. My bunions just might be too sore to make dinner tonight,” she said dryly.

My dad laughed and put his arm around her. “Just messing with you, honey. You know I’d rub your bunions or warts anytime.”

She elbowed him in the ribs playfully.

“By the way,” said my dad, “I won’t be home until late this evening. I’m working until close and then I’m taking one of the guys out for dinner after. He’s leaving the dealership and all of my coworkers were going to have a ‘going away party’ for him, but of course everyone’s got the damn flu. So, it’s just us two guys.” He looked at my mom. “Would you want to meet us at the restaurant? Or I can bring you back some wings tonight if you’d like?”

My mom craves Buffalo wings almost as much as I do pickles. This time she stunned us both. She shook her head.

“No thanks on both counts. I really should stay home tonight. I’ve got some laundry and cleaning to do. As far as the wings go,” she said, touching her stomach. “I’m really trying to be good. I’ve got to start changing my diet; those things are just loaded with cholesterol.”

My dad and I looked at each other. We both knew she’d change her mind before the end of the night. She’d be texting and reminding him to bring them home until he pulled into the driveway.

“Well, if you change your mind, just let me know and I’ll bring you some tonight,” he replied, biting back a smile.

She shrugged and then began telling him about our new houseguests. I wasn’t sure how my dad was going to react to that little tidbit of news, so I left them and went to my room, where I collapsed onto my bed. It was still early, and there was no school, so I closed my eyes, counting the minutes until I’d get to see Bryce again. Eventually I fell into a dreamless asleep.

~~~

It was just after ten when I finally crawled back out of bed. I was hungry, so I made a ham and pickle sandwich, turned on the television, and found that the cable still wasn’t working. Frustrated and bored, I decided to rearrange my bedroom. After an hour of moving heavy furniture around, I stood back only to realize that everything had worked better in their original positions. Defeated, I gave up and sent a text to Nora, to see how she was doing. Unfortunately, she didn’t respond, so then I sent one to Scott, who didn’t get back to me either. I knew there wasn’t much I could do to help find her father, but then I started wondering if I should just drive to her house and offer a little moral support.

“Cassie,” my mother said, interrupting my thoughts. “Bryce called. He’s going to try and bring his mother to the clinic tonight when he finishes work. So, Bobby might be spending the night with us.”

“Oh,” I answered, a little disheartened that I probably wouldn’t be seeing Bryce tonight.

Looking pensive, she strolled over to the bay window in our kitchen and stared out. I knew that something else was bothering her.

“What’s wrong?” I asked her.

She turned around and folded her arms across her chest. “Well, Bryce was kind of concerned when I spoke to him. He claimed that a buddy of his, who’s a radio dispatcher with the Wolf Creek Police Department, gave him some alarming information. I guess there’ve been several reports of violence in town and they’re urging people to stay inside; lock their doors.”

I frowned. “Wow, that’s…scary.”

She sat down by the kitchen counter. “Tell me about it,” she answered, tapping her fingernails against the counter, absently.

My stomach clenched; Allie! I grabbed my cell phone. “Mom, I’m going to call Allie and make sure she’s okay.”

She grew pale. “Oh, God, I forgot she wasn’t home! Good thinking, honey. I better call your father, too, and see if he’s heard anything.”

Allie was oblivious to everything going on in the outside world when I called her.

“We’re swimming and Kristie’s going to make us a pizza later. She said she’ll bring me home sometime tonight.”

I sighed. “Okay. The cable is out here so if you hear something about rioting or violence, let me know right away. Make sure you tell Kristie about it, too,” I told her.

“Yeah…well the cable’s not working here either. In fact, the radio stations are down as well. There’s nothing but static.”

“Okay, now that’s really weird.”

“Tell me about it,” Allie replied and then began shrieking with laughter. “Kylie! Oh, my God…you are so bumming! She’s going to…hey, Cass, I have to go. Kylie just pushed her mom into the pool!” Click.

Leave it to Allie; nothing outside of her world bothers her.

“Great! I can’t get a hold of your father,” my mom announced shrilly. “I sent him a few texts and even left him a voicemail.”

“Calm down, mom! I’m sure he’s with a customer. You’re worrying too much.”

She sat down and rubbed her forehead. “You’re probably right.”

“Did you call the main business line?”

“Oh, I didn’t even think about that!” She picked up her phone again and dialed. I watched her frown and then leave a message.

“Mom, if everyone has the flu, there’s probably nobody available to answer the main lines either.”

She nodded in agreement, but I could tell her mind was still racing. She was one of the most paranoid people I knew.

Sara walked into the kitchen, looking bewildered. “You’re not going to believe this, but something seriously BIG is going on!” she exclaimed, then dramatically lowered her voice, as if somebody was listening in. “A friend of mine from the military just sent me a text. They’re issuing a nationwide emergency warning. He wouldn’t get into details, although I’m betting on some kind of terrorism. Anyway, everyone is supposed to stay indoors. They’re even sending out military forces everywhere to limit travel.”

My mom’s mouth dropped open. “What? How can they keep everyone in the nation from leaving their homes or driving anywhere? That’s ridiculous.”

Just then someone rang the doorbell.

We all stared at each other.

“I suppose one of us should answer that. I’ll be right back,” said my mom.

Sara and I followed her to the door.

“Good afternoon, ma’am,” said the friendly young soldier standing outside. He was dressed in full military garb with a 9MM handgun holstered on his side.

“Um, hello,” replied my mother, crossing her arms in front of her chest. “What can I do for you?”

He noticed me and Sara, with her pregnant belly and smiled apologetically. “My name is Lieutenant Austin Smith and I’m really sorry to bother y’all. I’m not sure if you’ve heard, but there have been some disturbance in town and we’re securing all of the neighborhoods now to make sure there are no further issues.”

“Oh, well we’re fine here,” my mother replied. Her eyes narrowed. “What sort of violence are we talking about?”

The soldier cleared his throat. “Nothing too major, I reckon, a few squabbles, some vandalism.”

“Who was it?” I blurted out.

He shot a fleeting glance up and down my body, then his brown eyes met mine. His smile made me blush; I crossed my arms across my chest.

“I’m really not sure who they are or why, if that’s your next question. My platoon’s duties are to scout surrounding neighborhoods and advise everyone to stay indoors for the next twenty-four hours.”

“What about people who are working or traveling? My husband’s at work and my youngest daughter isn’t home from her girlfriend’s yet,” complained my mother.

He gave her a reassuring smile. “They’ll certainly be allowed to return home, we’re just advising folks from venturing out of the safety of their homes until we have everything under control. We have some roadblocks in place but will definitely allow people to go home if that’s where they belong.”

“Sounds a little extreme, doesn’t it?” asked Sara.

“Believe me, Miss, it’s for the safety of the public. We’ll let y’all know when it’s safe to leave your homes.” His radio went off and he stepped away to respond to it.

“This is too weird,” Sara whispered. “I don’t like it. They’re being vague but basically ordering us not to go anywhere. They can’t expect people to just stop their lives and hide out at home without giving us more information.”

My mom was about to respond when the soldier returned.

“Well,” he said, this time looking rushed. “I’ve got to keep making my rounds. Just remember, ladies, stay in and lock your doors. If someone besides a military official visits your property, don’t interact with them. We’ll be monitoring the neighborhood pretty thoroughly, so there shouldn’t be problems. Just heed the advice and everyone should be fine.”

“Okay, thanks. Just let us know when the curfew you’ve forced upon us has been lifted,” I said, unable to hide my sarcasm.

We stared at each other a minute, then he smiled. “Y’all have a nice day.”

I let out an exasperated sigh when he left.

“You are such a smartass,” my mom said.

“What?” I asked with a cocky grin.

“You know, I don’t like the way he was checking you out,” she stated. “Between him and Bryce, I’m going to have to watch you like a hawk.”

I snickered and shook my head.

Sara sighed. “I wonder if I should leave and check on Kevin.”

“You heard what the officer said, you can’t leave. It might not be safe,” replied my mom.

She shook her head. “That’s crap. They can’t keep me from seeing my husband.”

“Have you talked to him?” asked my mom.

“We spoke earlier. I better call him and see how he’s doing.” She grabbed her cell phone out of her pocket and walked away.

“I’d better check on the kids,” said mom.

I ran upstairs to my room and took out my cell phone. I hadn’t communicated with Bryce since this morning, so I decided to send him a text.

Hi Bryce-how are you?

Hello Wild, I was just thinking about you.

Oh? I smiled, laying my head against my pillow.

Yes-you guys doing okay?

I sighed and typed. Yes, military stopped by to say we can’t leave.

Yes, I heard about that, he typed. My aunt is caring for mom. She’s going to bring her to clinic. I’ll be at your house for Bobby ASAP.

They might not let you through!

They won’t have a choice.

Lol…okay, see you tonight!

Count on it.

Chapter Nine

Sara was able to reach Kevin and he was still feeling miserable. He’d also been approached by a military official and they promised to send out someone from their medical staff to check on him before nightfall.

Mom spent the rest of the afternoon calling our family and friends as well as trying to reach dad, who was still M.I.A. She also spoke with Kylie’s mom, Kristie, and they both agreed that it was much safer for everyone to stay put. Allie would be sleeping over another night.

Around six o’clock, I volunteered to grill hamburgers on the deck. As I stepped onto the balcony, I noticed several soldiers stationed throughout the neighborhood, some carrying automatic rifles. One of the soldiers, presumably the cowboy at our door earlier, waved at me while I flipped the patties, but I played ignorant.

“I’m sorry, I just can’t think about food right now,” complained my mother, pushing away her dinner plate. She put her head in her hands and sighed wearily. “Your father still hasn’t responded to any of my calls or texts; I’m seriously getting worried. This is unusual, even for him.”

I stood up and started clearing away the dishes from the table. “I’m sure he’s fine, mom. There could be a dozen reasons that he hasn’t called back yet. Maybe his cell phone died, or he left it in the car? Just…quit worrying so much.”

She raised her head and let out a deep sigh. “I hope you’re right, honey.”

I put a hand on her shoulder. “Why don’t you just go and lie down for a while? You’ve been pacing around all day, upsetting yourself. I’ll come and get you if there’s any news”.

“Maybe you’re right,” she said, rising from the table. “Just for a little while. Keep an eye on Bobby, will you?”

I nodded. “In fact, I’ll go check on him right now. He was playing dolls with Megan just a little while ago.”

Mom went to her bedroom and I found Bobby with Sara and Megan. They were finishing a board game. I sat down and watched as Bobby won.

“I won!” yelled Bobby as he pumped his fist. “Yes!”

Sara smiled at him then looked up at the clock. “Megan, it’s time for a bath.”

“Sara, do you know where the towels are?” I asked, standing up.

She nodded. “Your mom showed me earlier.”

Megan was pretty excited to be taking a bath at “Daycare” and I could hear her chatting about it all the way up the stairs.

“I feel like watching a movie. Do you want to watch Peter Pan with me?” I asked, settling myself next to Bobby on the couch.

“That’s my favorite movie!” he announced.

“Hey, I thought you said your favorite movie was Beauty and the Beast?”

“That’s my favorite, too,” he replied.

I smiled at him and ruffled his soft brown hair.

“Where’s Bryce?” he asked.

I looked at my watch, it was almost eight o’clock. “I think he’s still working. He’ll be coming soon to take you home, don’t worry.”

Bobby’s face turned grim and he looked at his hands. “I don’t want to leave. I wish Bryce and I could stay here forever.”

“Oh, really? Don’t you want to go home and see your mom? You must miss her. I’m sure she misses you.”

He smiled sadly. “No. She only likes her juice.”

“Her…juice?” I asked, puzzled.

Bobby nodded. “Yes. Her brown juice. It smells yucky,” he said pinching his nose. ”I don’t like it when she drinks it. She says mean things.”

I placed his hand in mine and took a deep breath. “Has she ever hurt you when she’s been drinking her juice?”

He shook his head firmly. “No, not anymore. Bryce made her stop. He loves me the most.”

I reached over and gave him a hug. When I finally let go, he gave me a lopsided grin. “You’re nice. I wish you were my mom.”

“I’m a little young to be your mom, but, you want to know a secret?”

He nodded.

I whispered into his ear. “If you were my son, I’d love you the most.”

His face broke out in a huge grin and my heart ached at the thought of anyone being intentionally cruel to such a sweet kid.

I stood up to put the movie in the DVD player. “Bobby, do you want some popcorn?” I asked.

“Popcorn is my favorite!” he shouted.

~~~

Bobby fell asleep during the movie, sometime after nine o’clock. I covered him up with a warm fleece blanket and went upstairs to find that I was the only one still awake. I also was having a hard time trying to keep my eyes open.

I yawned and shuffled into the kitchen for a drink of water. As I raised the glass to my lips, something in the window caught my eye. I leaned forward for a better glimpse and saw sporadic flashes lighting up the night. Puzzled, I flipped off the kitchen light and rushed over to the dining room balcony to step outside. Just as I slid the door open, I heard gunfire. Terrified, I slumped down on the ground.

“You hear that too?” whispered Sara next to my ear.

“Jesus,” I gasped. “Don’t ever sneak up on me again!”

“Sorry,” she said. “I was in the bedroom when I heard the shots.”

“I’m calling nine-one-one,” I stated, pulling out my phone. I quickly dialed and was put on hold for few minutes before the line went dead.

“Let me try,” said Sara, pulling out her phone. After a few seconds, she hung up. “This is crazy. The line is temporarily out of service. It’s nine-one-one! How does that even happen?”

There was more gunfire, this time followed by loud screams.

“Oh, my God!” gasped Sara, frantically closing and locking the door.

“Did…did someone just get shot?” I asked her in horror.

She touched my shoulder and nodded. “I think so. Your dad, he has guns, right?”

“Yes,” I said, trembling. “Yes, in the gun safe.”

“Show me,” she said.

We hurried downstairs to the cellar and I opened my dad’s gun safe.

“Wow, he doesn’t mess around, does he? There’s got to be over twenty guns in here.” She pulled out a Smith and Wesson ten millimeter gun and nodded with approval. “This will do.”

“You know how to fire a gun?” I asked as she loaded it.

“Sure, I own a couple guns myself. I’m in the Reserves; you didn’t know?”

I shook my head. “No, I didn’t. Nobody ever told me.”

“Well, now you do. Your mom’s mentioned that you can shoot. Maybe you should be armed, too, just in case. Pick one out and follow me.”

I grabbed my dad’s ten millimeter Colt Delta and some ammunition.

“What’s going on?” asked my mom in a strangled voice. She stood on the stairs with terror in her eyes.

“Mom, we heard some gunfire and screaming outside.”

“What?” she cried and raced up the stairs.

I scrambled up the steps after her and crouched next to her by the family room window. She slid her hand between the blinds and tugged the window open.

“It looks pretty deserted out there,” I whispered. “I wonder what happened to all of those soldiers who were supposed to be helping us?”

She held up her hand to silence me. “Do you hear that?” she whispered.

My heart stopped as I heard the faint sound of a man moaning for help.

Chapter Ten

The front door slammed shut and we both jumped.

“Sara,” I pointed out the window as our pregnant houseguest bolted away from the safety of the house, her white maternity shirt a beacon in the darkness.

“What is she thinking? It’s not safe!” protested my mother.

I felt a sudden surge of fear and adrenaline. I stood up and raced after Sara, determined to keep Megan’s mom and her unborn child safe.

“Cassie!” my mother shrieked. She bolted down the stairs after me and grabbed my arm before I could make it out the door. “Where in the hell do you think you’re going?!”

I tried pulling away. “Mom, Sara may need help! You have to let me go.”

She shook her head vehemently. “I don’t think so! Give the gun to me, I’ll go after her.”

“You don’t know how to use this thing. You won’t be able to help her!” I hollered.

Her hazel eyes hardened. “Bull crap. You give it to me, young lady. Now!”

Frustrated, but unable to defy my mother, I reluctantly handed her the gun.

“Okay, now stay away from the door and windows. I don’t want you to get shot if there are stray bullets.”

I groaned. “Mom…”

“I’m serious,” she said, shaking her index finger at me before she raced out the door.

This is nuts, I thought. I felt like pulling my hair out. I was not only terrified for my mom, but also for the kids sound asleep in the house; which, reminded me.

I ran back upstairs to the guestroom, where Megan was still sleeping peacefully. I checked the window to make sure it was secure, then hesitantly snuck back out.

Next, I scurried back downstairs to find Bobby still sleeping on the couch. He looked so peaceful. I sighed at his innocence and then thought of his brother, who should have arrived by now. I pulled out my phone and tried calling Bryce but he didn’t answer. Neither did he respond to a text.

Bryce, where are you? I wondered, trying to stay calm. And where in the heck was my dad?

I went back down to the cellar and grabbed my dad’s new Beretta, which he’d been so proud of. It was a nine millimeter and held seventeen rounds. Perfect.

“Cassie!” hollered my mom from the upstairs landing. “Grab the first-aid kit, quickly!”

I sighed with relief, then grabbed the kit from the laundry room and rushed back up the stairs. I skidded to a halt at the hellish nightmare before me; Sara sat on the steps trying to use her phone, tears streaming down her cheeks, while my mother knelt on the floor, pressing a bloodied towel over a young soldier’s shoulder. His face was pale and he was choking on some of his own blood.

“Just breathe slowly,” murmured my mother.

The soldier looked up at me and I recognized him, it was Austin. He tried to say something, but his face contorted in agony and he clamped his eyes shut.

“What…what happened to him?” I whispered in horror.

She shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t know. He was like this when we found him. Hand me the first-aid kit.”

“Where is everyone?!” sobbed Sara, throwing her phone down. “Nobody is answering the damn phones, all of those soldiers from earlier…just disappeared?!”

“Okay, calm down, Sara. Everything’s going to be okay. We’ll get through this, somehow,” said my mom as she opened a bottle of iodine. She poured some on her hands.

“What’s that for?” I asked.

“It kills bacteria,” she replied. She then put on some plastic gloves.

When my mom lifted up the towel from the soldier, I almost threw up. His flesh was mangled with blood oozing out of the wound.

“Oh, God,” Sara whispered covering her mouth. The next thing I know she was running up the stairs gagging.

Mom examined the wound and shook her head. “This isn’t working. It’s too deep. We have to get him to the hospital. He’ll never survive if we don’t do it right now.” She poured some iodine on the wound and the solider moaned.

“Sorry,” she said.

“I’ll go,” I stated. “I’ll take him to the hospital.”

“No, I’ve already decided. I’m doing it,” argued my mother.

“Well, then I’m coming with,” I said defiantly.

“No. I’m going by myself, and that’s final. You stay here with Sara and the kids. Lock the doors, keep the guns loaded, and watch for your father or Bryce.”

It was pointless to argue with her. I sighed. “Okay, fine, I’ll help you get him into the SUV.”

My mom had somehow managed to stop most of the bleeding with gauze and bandages. The weakened soldier had passed out while she was tending to his wound, which made it much more difficult for us to carry him through the garage and into the backseat of the SUV.

“Now,” my mom said, breathing heavily after getting him secured. “I’m going to find help for all of us. If you’re dad comes back, have him call me immediately.”

I nodded. “Okay.”

She stared at me with a terrified look in her eyes and then pulled me into her arms. “You be careful, Cassie. I don’t understand what’s going on. Just stay inside and be...strong.”

I swallowed back my tears and nodded.

Mom pulled away and brushed a strand of hair from my cheek. “And…check on Allie again. Make sure your little sister’s safe, too.”

“I promise. I’ll do it right away.”

She grabbed one of the guns and shoved it into her purse. Taking a deep breath she said, “Okay, I’ll be back.”

I tried to remain calm as I watched my mom open the garage and leave in the SUV, but I was terrified. I had no idea what was going on outside or in town, whether it was random violence, terrorism, or something even worse. I felt like I was in a nightmare. I closed the garage door.

“Um, Cassie?”

“What?” I asked, turning around. I felt like throwing up.

Sara held up my mother’s cell phone, her face pale. “Isn’t this your mom’s?”

Chapter Eleven

I called my sister’s cell phone, but she wasn’t answering. It was after eleven and I figured she might have fallen asleep, but I didn’t want to take any chances so I called Paige, too. When she didn’t respond, my stomach contracted like a tight fist.

Sara squeezed my shoulder; she knew I was on the verge of losing it. “They might all be asleep by now.”

“I hope so,” I replied in a strained voice.

“Or it might be possible that they don’t have their cell phones nearby. Does Paige’s mom have a landline?”

I wasn’t sure. I ran downstairs to find the phonebook, as I began flipping through the pages, the power went out in the house.

Crap!

“Cassie!” called Sara from upstairs. “Do you have a flashlight?”

I used the lights from my cell phone to find my way back up into the kitchen where I knew my mom kept a flashlight and candles.

“Thank God my mom is a candle fanatic,” I said, placing lit candles of all shapes and sizes throughout the house.

“Did you hear that?” Sara whispered.

I froze. “What?”

She grabbed her gun and hurried over to the balcony door. “I’m going to sneak on the deck, see if someone’s out there. I thought I heard voices.”

I felt a prickling sensation go up my spine. “Be careful.” We didn’t have steps leading from the deck, but that didn’t mean someone couldn’t somehow climb up from below. It was heavily wooded behind the house, a great place for someone to hide.

She crawled out on her hands and knees and peered through the slats.

“Do you hear or see anything?” I whispered loudly as she looked over the side of the wooden railing.

She held up her hand to silence me.

A loud scream ripped through the darkness, startling both of us. Sara gasped and scurried back inside. Her face was a mask of terror.

“Who was that?!”

“I don’t know,” she said in a strangled voice.

“Did you see anything at all?”

She shook her head. “It’s too dark out there.”

There was another terrifying scream, this time much closer to the house. It sounded female.

Sara took a deep breath. “Okay, I’m going to check it out. Stay here, I’ll be back.” Before I could respond, she rushed down the steps to the front door.

I picked up the Beretta and hustled after her.

“What are you doing? Stay here,” she demanded, slipping on her shoes.

“No, I’m coming with you. You might need my help.”

Sara sighed. “Fine, but you do exactly what I tell you to do and stay close.”

I nodded and she opened the door. As we stepped outside, I could hear faint cries somewhere on the other side of the cul-de-sac, behind one of the houses. Strangely, Charlie wasn’t outside barking his head off.

“This way,” said Sara as she rushed across the street, heading towards the Hendrickson’s dark rambler.

I froze in my tracks; it was starting to feel a lot like déjà vu. My palms grew clammy as I tried to find the courage to keep moving.

Sara turned around and waved her hand frantically. “Come on,” she whispered loudly.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and hurried across as she started moving again. She was really fast for being pregnant, which I contributed to her military training. I thought I was in fairly good shape but I struggled to keep up with her.

We went around the Hendrickson’s fence to the next yard over and paused behind a small wooden shed.

Sara’s eyes widened with alarm. “Over there,” she pointed through the darkness.

I could barely make out the three figures, but it looked like a woman and two soldiers. The three were less than a hundred feet away. She was crying hysterically and appeared to be running from the men.

I turned to Sara in shock. “This seem wrong to you? They’re supposed to be the good guys.”

“Something’s definitely wrong,” muttered Sara, unconsciously rubbing a hand over swollen belly.

We slipped through the trees towards the men, who were focused fully on the desperate woman. The soldiers were staggering, as if they were wounded and the distance began to widen between the woman and her pursuers. As we inched our way closer to the soldiers, I gawked in disbelief.

“Oh, God,” I whispered.

The two soldiers looked like something out of a horror movie. Their clothing was torn, they were filthy, bloody, and missing some very important body parts; one man an arm, the other a hand and part of his face. But they were still moving, and fairly quickly for being so injured.

How? I wondered incredulously.

The taller of the two must have somehow sensed something, because he stopped and turned towards us. Then he opened what was left of his pitted face and made a screeching noise, one that chilled me to the bone.

I swallowed. “Um…Sara?”

The other one whipped its head around and growled.

“Get your gun ready,” demanded Sara.

Suddenly the two hideous men charged towards us and I gave a startled gasp.

Sara raised her pistol. “Stop, right there!” she yelled. “Don’t come any closer!”

They ignored her and kept stumbling towards us.

“Cassie, shoot them if you have to,” she said.

As they moved closer, I felt as if I was losing my mind. Blood dripped from open wounds on the soldier’s skin, their eyes were red and unfocused, and their mouths…they seemed to be almost salivating.

Sara’s lips curled in disgust. “God, they stink.”

The taller one lurched towards Sara and her gun went off. Blood and brain matter sprayed everywhere as he dropped to his knees, falling on what was left of his dreadful face.

“Watch out, Cassie!” yelled Sara.

The second man was almost upon me. I raised my trembling hand and fired, hitting him in the shoulder. He paused for only a second and then charged at me again. I fired a second bullet, this time taking out his ear.

“Damn it!” I cried. I’d never had to shoot anything but inanimate objects before.

Sara shot him in the leg. He grunted and then fell to the ground.

“Stay back, Cassie,” she demanded, inching slowly towards him.

His face was grayish in color and mottled with weird patches. Something green bubbled out of his nose and I had this sudden urge to find him a tissue.

“What happened to him?” I asked, staring with fascinated horror.

She shook her head. “I don’t know. I’ve never seen anything like it before.”

He growled and reached out towards Sara with his one good arm, the other one just a stump of flesh.

The sound of branches snapping made us jump and the woman the soldiers had been chasing stepped out of the darkness. Her eyes were filled with hate. “Kill that bastard! He killed my Paul and he’ll kill you both if you let him live! He’s…he’s not human, he’s a monster!”

Before anyone could react, the man grabbed Sara’s ankle. She screamed and shot him in the head.

The woman sighed in relief. “We’ve got to leave and go somewhere safe.” Her voice quivered when she spoke and her eyes darted around the trees. She was about my mother’s age, dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt, which were both ripped and dirty. There was some dried blood on the side of her face and matted into her short, brown hair.

“Are you hurt?” asked Sara, pointing to her face.

The lady shook her head and then touched the side of her face. Tears welled up in her eyes. “It’s my husband’s blood,” she replied bitterly. “They attacked us and killed him.”

Sara’s eyes widened. “Okay, let’s get back to the house. We’ve got to make sure the kids are okay, and try getting ahold of the police again.”

I’d forgotten about Megan and Bobby! We’d left them all alone in the house.

I took one last glimpse of the dead men as we started walking back towards the house and felt a pang of shame. They were U.S. soldiers and they looked like they’d lost a war, only they’d been fighting for the wrong side.

“Those couldn’t have been soldiers,” Sara said, brushing a dark strand of hair away from her face. “It just doesn’t make sense.”

“They weren’t soldiers…anymore, they weren’t even human. They were some kind of…demons,” replied the distraught woman.

“They certainly looked like something from hell,” I said.

“Maybe they were criminals; dressed as soldiers,” said Sara.

The woman shook her head. “No. They attacked us, like violent animals. The taller soldier ripped...oh, God!” she cried, covering her face. “He ripped out Paul’s neck, with his teeth!”

Sara put an arm around the woman’s shoulders. “Don’t worry. You’re safe now. We’ll help you.”

She nodded and wiped the tears from her face. “We’d better hurry. There are more of those things around. It’s not safe.”

There’s more? The thought of there being more insane soldiers wandering around in the dark chilled me to the bone. I tightened my grip on the gun.

As we hurried across the cul-de-sac, it was eerily quiet, no sounds but the echo of our feet across the pavement.

“How can anyone sleep through the commotion back there?” muttered Sara shaking her head in disbelief.

I looked around and noticed the power was still out in the entire neighborhood, finding it odd that not one person had stepped out of their homes to see what was going on. Not even with the gunfire.

We entered the house and checked on the children; thankfully they were both still sleeping soundly.

“Thank God they’re safe,” said Sara.

“I’ll be right back,” I said, going to the bathroom to wash my hands, which suddenly felt dirty. I stared in horror at my fingers; one of my new French tip nails was completely cracked!

Are you kidding me?!

I was so angry. The one and only time I get a professional manicure and I’m caught up in some crazy shit that ruins the beauty of my nails. I glared at the cracked nail and cut off the tip.

Still disgusted, I went down to the cellar where Sara and the stranger were.

“What’s your name?” Sara asked the woman, who was staring off into space.

The woman released a shaky breath. “Hannah,” she replied thickly.

“So, do you mind starting from the beginning and tell us what happened? I think we need to know, especially since I’ve killed the two men who were after you.”

Hannah nodded and then sat down on the steps. She cleared her throat. “Well, we were busy at work, Paul and I. We own a liquor store on Main Street, The Liquor Depot? Anyway, that’s where we first encountered one of those…monsters.”

Sara frowned. “You saw more of them in town?”

“Yes, earlier in the evening. They weren’t soldiers, either. Just regular ol’ people,” she shrugged, “Or they used to be people. Anyway, the store is normally busy, no matter what hour it is, but the past couple of days, there haven’t been many customers. The flu, you know? It’s hurt our business too, if you can believe it.”

Her voice was getting hoarse, so I offered her a bottle of water.

“Thanks,” she said. “Anyway, I was leaving the backroom of the store when I heard Paul yelling at someone by the register, so I hurried to the front, to see what was going on. Well, it was one of those…freaks and it was making these weird garbled noises, and trying to grab on to Paul’s arm. From the back, I thought it was just some angry fellow, so I hollered at him to leave the store,” she sighed. “But instead of leaving, he turned around and tried attacking me! Thank goodness Paul was there…oh Paul!” she cried bitterly.

Sara handed her a tissue and squeezed her shoulder.

“I’m sorry. It’s just the thought of never seeing him again, you know?” she sniffled.

We both nodded. Sara handed her more tissues.

“Anyway, Paul grabbed the thing before it got too close, and it bit him in the shoulder!”

“You keep calling it a thing. What do you mean? Are you sure it wasn’t just some crazy lunatic?” asked Sara.

Hannah snorted. “I wish it was. No…this thing’s eyes weren’t…normal. Something was wrong with the pupils. And its skin looked grayish-white, almost like skin when it’s decomposing. In fact,” she said, sitting up straighter. “That’s what these things remind me of…dead people.”

“Dead people…like zombies?” I whispered.

“Exactly like that! You know, my father owned a funeral home back in the seventies. Once I snuck down to the basement and saw a couple dead bodies,” she shuddered. “Yep, that’s what those things reminded me of tonight; dead people walking around, without their souls.”

I’m not sure why, but I believed her. From Sara’s expression though, she wasn’t convinced.

“What happened after your husband was bit?” asked Sara.

Hannah sighed. “Well, Paul smacked it on its head, repeatedly, until it finally let go of his shoulder and fell to the ground. Then the damn thing got back up and rushed at Paul, growling at him.”

“Did you kill it?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

“Hell yes. I grabbed the gun behind the register and shot the thing in the head,” she declared proudly.

Sara and I looked at each other, not sure what to say.

“Did you call the police?” Sara asked.

“Well, we tried calling the sheriff, but the lines were busy. So, Paul called a buddy of his on the police force, Jim Nielson. Jim was around, amazingly. He said these things were attacking people all over town.”

I shuddered. “All over the entire town?”

Hannah nodded. “Yes. And what’s even more disturbing is that the ones that turned into these….zombies, they were normal people just a few hours ago, people who live here in town.”

Sara rubbed her forehead. “So, what you’re saying is that normal people are turning into zombies?”

Hannah’s eyes narrowed and they darted back and forth, looking at both of us. “First, let me ask you something. Did either of you get the flu vaccine?”

We both shook our heads.

Hannah released a sigh of relief. “Good, then I don’t need to worry about either of you turning.”

Sara frowned. “Turning? Hold on. You’re saying that the people who are turning into…zombies…are doing so because they received the flu vaccine?” she shook her head. “You can’t be serious.”

Hannah laughed bitterly. “I am as serious as a heart attack. I wish it weren’t true, that Paul was still…alive. But Jim, he told us everything, the entire ugly truth. The truth the government is desperately trying to conceal and now fix. They’ve even shut down most of the power to try and contain these things.”

“They’re responsible for the power being shut off?” asked Sara.

Hannah nodded. “Personally, I think someone high-up was already losing their mind when they approved ‘that call’”.

“Nothing makes sense,” mumbled Sara.

“What exactly are they trying to hide?” I asked breathlessly.

She touched my shoulder. “Right now, anyone who’s been vaccinated is doomed. They’ve all been issued a death warrant. Only it’s their soul that dies, their bodies live on.”

I expected to hear a clap of thunder after her terrifying revelation. Instead, Sara laughed out loud.

“That’s ridiculous! There’s no way the government would release a vaccine that would create millions of…zombies!”

“Well, that was our reaction when we heard the story. But you see, the newest vaccine was never tested thoroughly before it was released. The FDA actually never even approved the vaccine, but it was still released.”

“How can that be? The FDA would have had to have been involved in order for the drug to have been released.”

“Well, I’m not sure the specifics of what happened, dear. That’s just the story I heard, and after seeing some of these walking dead things, I believe Jim.”

“How could a drug cause a person to make decisions without a conscious soul?” I asked.

“I don’t know. I’m just hoping those lost souls are with their maker,” replied Hannah softly, drawing a cross upon her chest.

This was too much for me to fathom.

“How many more of these zombies did you run into tonight?” Sara asked.

“Well, after we got done talking to Jim, we closed up shop so we could high-tail it on home. We didn’t really believe Jim at the time, not until we saw the horror of what was happening around town.”

“What did you see?” I asked.

“Innocent people were getting attacked by these…zombies. Right on the streets! I felt like I was in some sort of scary motion picture. My mind wanted to believe that all these people were actors, that the blood and gore wasn’t real. That it was just a scene they were shooting for a movie.” Hannah’s eyes filled with tears. “But it was real.”

“How did you guys make it out of there?” Sara asked.

“We own a Dodge Ram,” she sniffed, “with a Hemi! I tell you that thing just plowed through those zombies. They didn’t even know what hit ‘em.”

I looked at Sara in horror, picturing the bodies getting hit by the truck.

“If you made it out of town, what happened to Paul?”

Hannah shook her head sadly. “There was a little girl, about ten years old. Only a couple blocks away from here. Well, she was running and some soldiers were chasing her. We had to stop. We could see that the little girl wasn’t a zombie, but the soldiers…they’d already changed.”

“Why would the government allow soldiers who received the vaccines to monitor everything?”

“I don’t think they know exactly who’s been vaccinated, even with the military. You can walk up to the local drug store and receive a vaccine. Anyway, the soldiers you killed tonight were the two chasing the girl. We hit them with our truck, and they were pretty messed up, you saw their missing limbs. But that didn’t stop them from coming back at us. The taller of the two is the one who got Paul. He was fast and strong. I couldn’t help my husband,” she said, the tears flooding all over again.

“What happened to the little girl?” I asked.

She shrugged, and wiped her eyes with the tissue. “I don’t really know. Hopefully she made it somewhere safe.”

“What do we do now?” I asked Sara.

Sara looked pale. She walked away, speechless.

I felt like throwing up. The idea that my mother, sister, and father were in this nightmare, probably trying to survive, was horrifying. I didn’t know if I could believe this stranger. Were there real-live zombies combing the streets, looking for their next victim?

I turned to Hannah. “Um, what about the people who aren’t zombies? What happens if they get bit or hurt by one?”

Her eyes widened. “I don’t know, dear. I was too busy running for my life to find out.”

Chapter Twelve

I was overwhelmed and emotionally exhausted from everything that had happened. Needing a burst of caffeine, I walked into the kitchen to grab a can of soda and noticed that there was a message on my phone.

Bryce? I hadn’t allowed myself to think about him, it was just too painful to consider that he might be among the walking dead. I had no idea if he’d had the vaccine or his brother for that matter. It might be a good idea to keep a close eye on Bobby!

I picked up my phone and sighed with relief, it was Allie. I quickly dialed into my voicemail but my happiness was quickly shattered.

“Cassie,” whispered Allie, I could tell she was in tears. “Oh, my God…we need help! Dan is trying to…kill us.” Next, I heard her scream in terror and then the phone went dead.

Horrified, I tried calling her back but there was no answer. Then I sent her several texts and waited. But she didn’t respond. I threw my phone down and started crying; I couldn’t bear the thought of anything happening to Allie. Dan must have turned into a zombie!

Then it hit me. I knew exactly what I had to do; save my little sister.

Wiping away my tears, I stood up and grabbed my truck keys. There was no way I was going to sit back and allow her to be a victim to Dan or any other zombies. If she was still alive, I was going to find her.

Suspecting that Sara wouldn’t let me leave the safety of the house, I decided not to tell her of my plans. Instead, I grabbed a piece of paper and wrote her a note. I also asked her to keep a careful watch on Bobby. Finally, I added Paige’s address, just in case my mom or dad came home.

I went back down to the cellar and nonchalantly grabbed more ammunition near the gun safe. Sara didn’t even notice, she was too busy trying to console Hannah.

Yawning, I said, “I’m going to lie down for a little while.”

She looked at me and nodded. “Okay, Hannah and I are going to figure out what in the heck we’re going to do next.”

I said goodnight, then ran upstairs to grab the Berretta and my sectional staff, which is something I’d never used away from my karate class. It could inflict a lot of pain; if there was ever a time to use it, I knew it was now.

My truck was parked on the other side of the garage. With my heart hammering in my chest, I took a fearful breath and snuck outside, locking the door behind me. It was deathly quiet except for the sound of an old barn owl hooting somewhere in the distance. Thankfully, I was alone, nobody waiting for me in the shadows. I hopped into my truck and locked the doors.

“Please start,” I begged my persnickety truck. And just like that, it started.

With a renewed surge of hope, I put it in gear, backed out of the driveway, and took off down the street, not putting on my headlights until I was far enough away from the house.

As I drove through the neighboring streets, I’d half expected to see dead bodies, but instead was surprised by how calm everything was. No bodies, no walking dead, not even any neighbors coming or going, which really wasn’t that odd after midnight, although tonight, everything felt ominous.

I relaxed a little and turned on the radio, but there was still nothing but static.

Should’ve brought my iPod, I thought.

About four blocks away, I noticed Hannah’s truck parked recklessly in the middle of the street. It was yellow with streaks of blood splashed across the bumper and hood. I drove around it cautiously, expecting to see her dead husband jumping out of it and coming for me. But thankfully, it was empty.

As I neared the first major intersection, I saw movement out of the corner of my eye. I really didn’t think too much about it until I slowed down for the stop sign and a bushy-haired male zombie rushed my truck. It then crawled onto my hood while I watched, totally transfixed by its actions.

The zombie’s face contorted grotesquely and it let out a dreadful moan. I recoiled in horror as it stared hungrily at me with its insanely red eyes. He then pressed his mouth against the window and began licking the glass, as if it were trying to somehow taste me through it. The slimy residue its blackened tongue left behind was enough to make me gag as well as get me moving. I stomped my foot on the gas, thinking I might be able to shake him off, but my truck had other ideas; it gasped, sputtered and then stalled.

I locked eyes with the zombie, who seemed aware of what just happened. Its grayish lips curled up into a sneer, as if mocking me, which made me furious. I raised my middle finger and flipped him off, hoping he’d understand what that meant, too.

When that obviously didn’t get me anywhere, I restarted the engine, this time pressing much more gently on the gas. When the truck started moving I wanted to cheer, but the zombie was still holding onto the hood of my truck, putting a damper on my victory.

“Get off!” I screamed, but the zombie only stared at me with a cannibalistic yearning.

I gave the pedal more gas and watched the speedometer go up, but the zombie still held tight, its brown hair blowing wildly in the wind.

Screw it. I pressed the gas to the floorboard, not too worried about oncoming traffic. This time I felt a surge of exhilaration as the zombie tumbled off the side of the hood and onto the pavement. I held my breath until I couldn’t see it in my rearview mirror and then let out a shaky sigh. I’d just survived round two against the zombies.

I calmed myself down and continued on towards Paige’s, noting several abandoned vehicles on just about every road I took to get there. It was so surreal and I started feeling as if I was the lone survivor in a bad horror flick. Even though I was terrified, thoughts of my little sister kept pushing me forward.

When I finally arrived at Hillshire Commons, the posh gated community where Paige lives, I noticed the security station was vacant and the entrance was open. I drove through it warily, searching the streets for zombies, not wanting any more leaping onto my truck. I held my breath for the entire four blocks, and heaved a sigh of relief when I made it up Paige’s cobblestone driveway without any obstacles.

The house appeared dark and ominous. My hands began to shake uncontrollably, imagining what I might possibly find inside. As I grabbed my truck keys out of the ignition, they slipped out of my quivering hands and fell onto the floor mat, so I bent down and picked them. When I sat back up, two pairs of red, bloodshot eyes stared at me through the window. I screamed in holy terror.

Chapter Thirteen

When I finally stopped screaming my head off, I took a deep breath and assessed the situation. Two zombies were feeling around the outside of my truck, trying desperately to get to me. They were hideous and hungry; they were also out there and I was still somewhat safe in my truck.

“Scat! Go away!” I hollered, raising my gun.

One of them, an obese zombie wearing pajamas, cocked his head, staring at me like I was some kind of delectable appetizer. Blood coagulated from where his nose used to be and I shuddered in revulsion.

The other zombie was frothing at the mouth. She was a rail-thin, revolting creature who must have been taking a bath or something when she changed into a zombie. I could only presume this since she was stark naked, wearing only a plastic cap. This creature was growling and clawing frantically at my driver’s side window. She didn’t appear to be wounded, but she had the tell-tale zombie eyes, and her skin was gray and mottled.

I knew my situation wasn’t good, so I decided to wait a few minutes, to see if the two zombies would lose interest and eventually wander off. But then the skinny female started beating on the window with her hands and I became paranoid about the window shattering. So I decided to try a different approach; I screamed at them, to see if they’d get confused and possibly leave me alone. It was a shot in the dark…that totally missed.

Both zombies froze and stared at me as I screamed with all my might. I thought I was doing good and kept screaming until the female let out a high-pitched screech that made my cries sound like whispers. Then, in horror, I realized her screech caught the attention of other zombies in the area who were now coming to join the party.

Cursing, I moved to the passenger side of my truck and opened the door.

The male zombie began slobbering on himself as he staggered around the truck towards me. I aimed my trembling right hand and shot him in the head. Rancid zombie brains colored the pavement.

“Oh, God,” I shuddered, resisting the urge to vomit. I looked towards the female, who was also moving towards me. “Listen, you’re next if you come any further,” I warned her.

She snarled and then leaped at me, but not before I shot her between the eyes.

Sensing the other zombies in the neighborhood getting closer, I grabbed the flashlight from my glove compartment and rushed towards the front door. Unfortunately, it was locked.

Ring the doorbell? It was certainly worth a shot. I figured a zombie wouldn’t have enough sense to open the door, let alone unlock it. Plus, if one of the girls were still alive, she’d open it for me.

A hairy chested, boxer short sporting grandpa zombie growled at me from the edge of the lawn and I knew I couldn’t wait any longer. I ran to the side of the house and tried the tall wooden gate. Luckily it was unlocked. I entered the backyard and did a quick scan of the swimming pool, using my flashlight. There was no sign of blood, just wet towels, snacks, and a couple of floating chairs still drifting in the water. I decided to check out the house and went through the open patio door to the kitchen, where I found a cast-iron frying pan lying on the ground and a few missing knives from the butcher block. Then, I caught something dark and red splattered on the marbled kitchen island. As I moved closer to the stain with my flashlight, I let out a shaky sigh of relief; pizza sauce.

Wiping the perspiration from my forehead, I decided to move on. Their house is massive, over ten thousand square feet, and I knew I had a lot of ground to cover, so I started with the obvious: Kylie’s bedroom. Right away, I found Allie’s pink leather purse and overnight bag sitting on a futon, but no other signs of either girl.

Next, I made my way to Paige’s room, which she likes to call her “wing.” She has her own bathroom with a whirlpool tub, walk-in closet, and even her own personal reading room. By chance I found her new iPhone sticking out from under the bed, as if she’d carelessly dropped it. I put it in my pocket and continued searching the entire house with the flashlight. After I scoured every room in the house, including the theater room and upper level where Kristie and Dan slept, my eyes began to fill with frustrated tears; the place appeared deserted and I had no idea what to do next. As I trudged back downstairs to the kitchen, my phone began to vibrate. I cringed when I saw who it was.

“Thank God! What in the hell were you thinking, girl?” yelled Sara.

I cleared my throat. “Look, I have to find my sister, she needs me. If it was your sister, you’d do the same. You know I’m right.”

She was silent for a minute then sighed. “Yes, you are. So… have you found her yet?”

“No,” I replied sadly.

“Well maybe they’ve all escaped?”

“God, I can only hope so. Listen, have you heard anything at all from my mom, dad, or Bryce?” I asked.

Another pause, then, “No, Cassie, I’m sorry.”

I closed my eyes and let out a shaky breath. “Okay, well look, I’m going to keep searching. Call me if you hear from anyone in my family. Bye.” I hung up before she could start in on me again about returning home.

I put my head in my hands and tried thinking about where Allie and the others could have possibly went. I felt like I was missing something and it was driving me crazy. Then it hit me like a sledgehammer, the new safe-room! It was a family shelter that wasn’t supposed to be finished for a couple of months, but it would still be a good place to hide. Paige had mentioned that it was in the wine cellar, so I ran back downstairs to the lower level and began looking. It was supposed to be hidden at the very back of the wine cabinets.

“Yes,” I squealed when I located the entrance, it looked like an ordinary panel wall with a keypad attached. As I raised my hand to pound on the wall, it opened.

Chapter Fourteen

“Thank God!” I cried, standing face to face with my best friend. Although it was obvious that Paige was relieved to see me, the haunted expression in her eyes spoke volumes. She collapsed into my arms and sobbed.

“Paige, where’s Allie?” I asked, trying to look beyond her into the safe-room. Unfortunately, she appeared to be alone.

She shook her head as the tears streamed down her face. “I…I don’t know!” she cried.

I wanted to shake her but instead forced myself to remain calm; we’d all been through our own kind of hell the last few hours. “What do you mean?” I asked slowly.

“I don’t know! Allie and Kylie ran away. They were going to try and get help,” she cried through her tears. “I don’t even know where my mom is!”

“Okay, calm down and start from the beginning. What happened?”

Her light green eyes grew large. “It was my stepdad, Dan. He turned into some kind of freak! He tried to fucking bite me. Then my mom…she whacked him with a frying pan. But he…he kept coming towards me with these…horrible red eyes. Mom told me to run, so I did! I ran away and have been hiding here ever since. God, I’m so scared!” she sobbed.

“Paige, I didn’t see anyone else in the house.”

“Well, where’s my mom? She just wouldn’t leave me. They’ve just got to be here somewhere!”

“Paige, it’s okay. We’ll find them, somehow,” I replied softly. “Listen, do you have anything to drink? I could really use some caffeine.” I’d been up for almost twenty-four hours and was finally feeling the effects.

She pulled me inside. The hidden room was larger than my entire bedroom. It held a black leather sectional, an arsenal of electronic equipment, and a fully-stocked refrigerator. I grabbed a soda and walked over to the surveillance cameras.

“Do these things work?” I asked.

“No, I’ve already tried. They hadn’t finished installing them yet.

I sighed. “Well, at least you’ve got the generator, and didn’t have to sit in the dark.”

She nodded and then stared vacantly. “What should we do?”

“Well, do you have any weapons?” I asked.

“What…what do you mean?”

I pulled out the Beretta I had tucked behind my back. “Well, I lost my sectional staff when I was searching your house, but I still have this. You’re going to need something to defend yourself, too, just in case.”

Her eyes narrowed. “From…Dan?”

Crap. She didn’t know about the zombies.

~~~

“Paige?” I’d just recounted my last few hours to her. The expression on her face was unreadable. “Are you okay?”

“You’ve got to be kidding,” she finally said. “That’s just plain nuts.”

“Believe me, I wish I was. Do you really think I’d make something like that up?”

Paige shook her head but I could tell she was still having major doubts. It was crazy for me to imagine and I’d lived through it.

I shrugged. “Well, you’ll find out soon enough. Do you have a baseball bat or something you can hit zombies with?”

She looked at me like I’d lost my mind.

“In my room,” she muttered.

We grabbed a second flashlight and hurried to Paige’s bedroom. She took out a metal baseball bat and two softball helmets, one pink and one black.

“Great idea!” I said, putting on the black helmet. “Okay, now stay close to me. I haven’t seen any zombies in your house but there’s a ton of walking dead on the streets.”

She put on the pink helmet and I handed her the bat.

“Wow, I love your nails,” she said suddenly, grabbing my left hand.

I looked down. “Yeah, they look really sexy when I’m shooting at a zombie,” I replied dryly.

Her jaw dropped. “Oh, my God…you really had to use the gun?”

My cell phone started to ring. It was Sara again.

I sighed. “Hi, Sara.”

“It’s Bryce. Where are you at?” he demanded.

I was racked with so many emotions that my knees gave out. I sank to the ground. “Oh, thank God!” I gasped. “I…I didn’t know what happened to you.”

“I’m fine,” he replied sternly. “Stay where you are and I’ll come get you. Are you still at Paige’s?”

Before I had a chance to respond, Paige gasped in horror and backed into me.

“What?” I turned and dropped the phone.

Two zombies stood at the entrance of her bedroom. The smell emitting from them rose like a wave of rotting garbage.

“Holy crap,” said Paige in a strangled voice.

The moon was shining through her bedroom window, giving us a pretty good view of the zombies. One of them, a skinny half-naked man with white curly hair, made an ugly gurgling noise and then curled its lower lip, as if smiling. There was blood dripping from his rotting face and he held what looked the remains of someone’s arm. He tossed it to the ground and staggered towards us.

The next thing I knew, Paige let out some kind of ferocious battle cry, then lifted the metal bat and swung high, bashing the zombie smack in the middle of its skull. Before I could react, she raised it again, this time hitting a solid home run on the creature’s head. It dropped to the ground with a loud, sickening thud.

The other zombie, a muscular bald guy with skull tattoos all over his head, growled at us.

I raised my gun to shoot him, but the Berretta jammed. “For the love of God,” I mumbled trying repeatedly to shoot it.

“Hold on!” Paige snapped as she tried to dislodge the bat from the other zombie.

But skull-head just couldn’t wait; he staggered eagerly towards me, white froth foaming from his mouth. Fortunately for me he was terribly slow, with very little coordination. I stepped out of his line of attack and he fell to the ground. When he finally lifted himself back up, I jumped into the air and did a hard side kick; my foot catching him in the throat. He fell backward onto Paige’s jewelry box and that’s when all hell broke loose.

Paige’s face turned red and she screamed in fury. “Get your ugly ass off of my grandmother’s jewelry box, you piece of dead rotting meat!!!” Then she kicked the zombie onto the floor and stomped the sharp heel of her new Jimmy Choo boot onto its face until it was just a bloody mass of gore.

I stared at her in shock as she wiped the perspiration off of her forehead, then grabbed a towel and began cleaning off her boot.

When I finally found my voice, I said, “So, I guess you believe me now?”

She closed her eyes and leaned back against the wall. “You know, all I could think about when I saw them was that I wasn’t ready to die. Not by their hands.”

I nodded. “I’ve felt the same way all night.”

She looked at me. “So, who was on the phone?”

“Bryce!” I groaned.

I knew before I picked up my cell phone that he was gone. I hit redial and waited but nobody answered, it went straight to voicemail. I left a message.

“Nothing?” asked Paige.

“No,” I stood up and sighed. “Let’s go.” I picked up my gun and sure enough, chipped another nail.

Chapter Fifteen

Paige and I went over every inch of the house again, but couldn’t find signs of anyone. Not even Zombie Dan.

“Did you check in the back by the pool?” she asked.

I nodded. “That’s where I entered. The patio door was open.”

“Let me guess, you didn’t close it after you entered and that’s how dead and deader found their way in?” she asked with a wry smile.

“At least there were only two of them. You should have seen how many are prowling the streets outside.”

Her smile faded. “Great.”

We stepped cautiously through the kitchen and over to the sliding glass door. To our dismay we found the pool area climbing with zombies. There had to be a dozen walking aimlessly round the pool, some falling into the water and sinking to the bottom. Fortunately, none of them took any notice of us.

I snorted. “This could almost be funny if it wasn’t really happening to us.”

“Holy crap,” she mumbled. “I think I’m going to puke.”

The smell of rotting skin was overwhelming. Resisting an urge to vomit myself, I slid the door closed and looked at Paige. “Wow, you didn’t invite me to your pool party. That hurts.”

Paige groaned. “All jokes aside, we’re screwed.”

“At least the sun’s starting to come out, they’re easier to see.”

She shivered. “And how’s that supposed to make it better for us?”

“Yeah, they aren’t pretty, especially the ones who’ve been dead for a while.”

Paige’s eyes lit up. “Hey, did you ever check the cabana?”

I shook my head. “No, I didn’t even think about checking that place, I just wanted to get inside the house.”

“We’d better check it out, now. How do we get past those things?” she asked.

“Well, maybe we can create some kind of distraction in the front of the yard to draw them away from the pool?”

Just then we heard the faint sounds of gunshots. The zombies must have overheard as well, because they began moving idly towards the gate. When the last of them were no longer in sight, I nudged Paige.

“Let’s go,” I said.

I slid the glass door open and we stepped outside. The cabana was on the other side of the pool and we could hear more gunshots as we made our way to the entrance. Paige pulled open the door and we crept inside. It was empty.

Paige took off her softball helmet and sat down. “I thought for sure…Oh, God…where in the hell are they?” she moaned, putting her head in her hands.

I knew her pain. All I could think of about in that moment was my little sister. A memory flashed through my mind of when she was three or four years old, how she would follow me everywhere in her beat-up pink cowgirl boots, that were usually on the wrong feet, begging me to sleep in her room. I’d eventually relent, then grumble the entire night about having to watch her princess movies and the way she’d toss and turn as she slept, kicking me in the back. But right now, I would do anything to go back to that time.

I released a breath and squeezed her shoulder. “Let’s go and find out where that gunfire was coming from.”

Paige nodded, brushing away the tears from her face.

We opened the cabana door and stared in horror; the zombies were back and they brought dates. We were trapped and surrounded.

“Okay, now what?” she whispered.

Just as I opened my mouth, I saw a figure stepping through the sliding glass door. My heart leaped with joy when I recognized the loveable scowling face. Bryce! He’d actually come for me!

“It’s Bryce!” I shouted.

The shuffling and groaning of the zombies ceased; you couldn’t hear a bone drop. Everyone, including the zombies, turned towards us.

“Nice going,” said Paige dryly.

Bryce lifted his automatic rifle. “Get down!” he demanded.

Paige and I crouched down as he began shooting at the zombies. I pulled out my gun and aimed at the ones nearest to us. Blood, mucous, and body parts were flying everywhere as we watched all of the carnage in a twisted kind of glory. The dead got deader and we lived another hour in this hideous nightmare.

Paige shuddered. “Okay, this is totally disgusting.”

“I can’t believe he’s actually here,” I said, reloading the Beretta. The butterflies were going crazy in my stomach again. I didn’t even care that I broke a third nail. I flicked it aside and decided the rest would come off immediately when I got home.

“Only you would fall in love during a zombie massacre,” said Paige.

I shook my head. “I’m not in love with him. I hardly even know him.”

“Face it! You’ve definitely got a thing for him.”

I took off the softball helmet. “He’s cute, sure, but he’s also a little annoying.”

She shrugged. “He’s a guy.”

When the last of the zombies lay twisted and broken on the ground, Bryce jogged over to us. He was still wearing what he’d had on the last time I’d seen him, but it was now covered with blood and gore. Part of me wanted Bryce to sweep me up into his arms and carry me to safety, while another part wanted him to burn the disgusting shirt first.

“Are you girls okay?” he asked in his deep voice. I’d almost forgotten how amazingly blue his eyes were.

“We’re fine. Still haven’t found Allie or Paige’s mom and sister, though,” I answered.

Bryce looked up at our helmets with the hint of a smile. “Nice touch.”

Paige’s eyes grew wide and she nodded. “It was my idea, so they can’t get to our brains.”

He bit the side of his lip to keep from cracking up then looked at the house. “So, you’ve checked everywhere, the entire house; basement; garage?”

Paige and I looked at each other.

“Garage,” we said in unison. Neither of has had even considered the garage.

“Missed the garage? Okay, stay behind me and do exactly what I tell you.”

Bryce started walking towards the side door to the garage, which was next to the cabana.

Paige checked out his rear and gave me a “thumbs-up” approval.

I smiled and shoved her forward.

Bryce twisted the doorknob to the garage. “It’s locked. Stand back,” he said. He then lifted his rifle and blasted a hole into it.

“Sorry, I’ll pay you back for that,” he said with a cocky grin. He then kicked the door open and the smell of decay hit us like a sledgehammer. It was also dark, so he grabbed his flashlight and raised the gun.

“Oh, my God, it’s Dan!” screamed Paige.

Zombie Dan was hovering around two Escalades, one a pearly white and the other black. His gray face was sunken and his skin was beginning to rot. He started shuffling slowly towards us, his dried-up lips pulled back in a deathly grin.

Bryce aimed the gun at Dan, wiping away the creepy smile. He toppled to the ground, hard.

“I never liked him,” muttered Paige. “He was really a pompous jerk.”

“Looks like he was alone,” I said, looking around.

“No, someone’s in the white SUV,” Bryce replied, stepping towards the vehicle. “Yep, a couple of females.”

Paige and I rushed over; it was Kristie and Kylie! The windows were up and they were lounging in the front seats. There wasn’t any sign of Allie.

“Mom! Wake up!” Paige cried removing her helmet. She began pounding on the window but neither of them budged.

“Hold on,” said Bryce. He went to the back window and broke the glass. Unlocking the door, he climbed in and shook Kristie’s shoulder.

Kristie’s eyes flew open and she screamed at Bryce, who probably looked like a mad serial killer in his bloody shirt.

Bryce chuckled as he climbed back out of the SUV. “Wow, I’ve never had that reaction from a female before.”

Kristie’s face lit up when she noticed Paige through the window. She removed the iPod earphones she wore and shook Kylie, who was also listening to music, until she was awake. Then she got out. Drawing her arms around Paige, she cried, “Oh, thank God you’re okay!”

“Um, where’s Allie?” I asked in a strangled voice.

“We don’t know,” Kristie said, letting go of Paige. “Dan attacked us and she took off running.”

I heaved a sigh. “Alone?”

“Yeah, I don’t know where she went. I ran after Kylie who ran towards the garage. That’s when Paige disappeared, as well as your sister.”

I turned away and the dam broke. The pain of losing my sister was so great that I couldn’t stop the tears. I knew it would be nearly impossible for Allie to survive on her own in this nightmare. There were so many zombies in the neighborhood and Allie was no match for them. She couldn’t fire a gun or fight them one on one. She definitely wasn’t strong enough.

Bryce pulled me into his arms and held me while I cried. When I finally ran out of tears, I remembered that everyone standing before me had lost someone within the last few hours, maybe even Bryce. I’d never even asked about Bobby.

“I’m sorry,” I hiccupped, pushing Bryce away. “I didn’t even ask about your brother. We’re all going through this, not just me. I’m really sorry.”

He grabbed my hand and squeezed it gently. “Bobby’s fine and so was everyone else when I left them at your house.”

“What about my parents? Where they home?” Deep down, I already knew that answer. They were both lost somewhere in this nightmare.

He sighed. “I’m sorry, Cassie; they weren’t around when I got back there. But they’re very capable people from what I’ve heard. Don’t give up on them, okay?”

I nodded slowly.

Kristie walked over and wrapped her arms around me. “I’m so sorry, honey. Dan just went nuts and chased us into the garage. I had to lock him out of the SUV so he wouldn’t hurt me or Kylie.”

“It’s not your fault,” I sighed.

“Yes, it is,” Kristie stated and threw up her hands. “You know, I just have the worst luck with men. The first one I married was a jerk and this one turned out to be a psychotic maniac. Anyway, we’ll find her. She got away from Dan. He’s been here the entire time so he couldn’t have hurt her.”

She looked so optimistic that it hit me; she had no idea what was happening in the outside world. “Oh…you don’t know,” I said breathlessly.

Kristie shrugged. “Know what?”

“Show her,” said Paige.

Bryce grabbed his gun and walked back to where we’d come in. He opened the door and motioned for Kristie.

Kristie walked over and had her first glimpse of the carnage that was left from the zombie pool party massacre. She placed a hand over her mouth in horror. “Holy shit!

Chapter Sixteen

Bryce and I locked the gate this time to keep any other new zombies from wandering in.

“I wonder how they happened to know we’re here?” I said to him as we watched more begin to navigate towards the house.

He shrugged. “Not sure, but I think we should get going soon. It’s too dangerous staying here.”

I nodded, trying not to breathe in the horrible smell. The smell of the rotting flesh was so pungent that I decided to ask Kristie for some Vicks to rub under my nose. I’d heard it was great for masking raunchy smells.

We returned to the house and closed the blinds so we wouldn’t have to view all the corpses outside. It was getting warmer outside and now the flies were beginning to hover around the dead.

“Nothing on television yet,” mumbled Paige, throwing the remote control. Bryce had been able to locate the house’s main generator, so there was power again.

“Anyone hungry?” asked Kristie as she opened up the fridge. “I’m starving. Even those nasty zombie bodies outside can’t ruin this appetite.”

I wasn’t really hungry but needed the energy from the food. “Sure,” I said.

“Well, the ham still looks good,” she commented as she sniffed it. She placed it on the counter and took out some bread. “I can make sandwiches. Sorry, Wild, I’m out of pickles.”

I smiled. “That’s fine.”

Kristie made sandwiches for everyone while I gave her a recap of what I understood about the zombies. They were insatiable cadavers who would do anything for a good meal. And we were definitely the main course. At least that was my version.

Bryce’s reasoning was a little more scientific and straight from one of his military buddies. Those millions of people who received the flu vaccine were given a death sentence. The theory was that the vaccine caused some type of severe neurological damage; destroying what is the humane part of the brain. Eventually it begins to destroy tissue in other parts of the body including muscle and other major organs; basically, creating a walking vegetable. One with a ravenous appetite for protein, lots of it. He wasn’t sure if they were really considered zombies, but they were definitely something out of a horror movie.

“Is the military going to be able to contain these things?” asked Kristie.

“Most of the military are zombies by now, they were pretty much required to have them. The few remaining soldiers who didn’t get the vaccine have their hands full as it is. The point is, we’re pretty much on our own.”

“How long does it take for someone to turn into a zombie?” whispered Kylie. It was the first time she’d spoken since we’d found them. Kristie put her arm around her.

“Not sure, although I think everyone is different, depending on their body mass. My aunt received the vaccine and it took only twenty-four hours for her to change, she’s pretty small. I’ve heard that others took much longer.”

“Wasn’t your aunt caring for your mom?” I asked Bryce.

His lips grew thin and he nodded.

“Did you see your aunt when she was a zombie?” asked Kristie.

“Unfortunately, I did. After work, I went to check on my mother to see if she was doing any better. She’d refused any medication at the clinic, including the vaccine. She never believed in the flu vaccinations, that’s why Bobby and I have never had shots either. Personally I think she just avoided any kind of medical attention because of her drinking problem. Anyway, when I got home, let’s just say they were both gone, but for different reasons.”

“I’m sorry,” I replied softly.

He shrugged then got up from the table to grab a bottle of water. His eyes were misty and he gazed out the window while the rest of us finished our sandwiches.

“So, can the zombies infect others?” asked Paige, breaking the silence.

Bryce cleared his throat and looked over. “The military believes that they can infect others. So try not to get bitten.”

“God, I’d give anything for a cigarette right now,” mumbled Kristie as she rubbed her chin.

Paige’s jaw dropped. “Mom, you quit two years ago. Control yourself.”

“Well, I think there’s a better chance of getting killed by a zombie right now then dying of lung cancer,” she replied dryly.

I pushed myself up from the table. “I need to use your bathroom. Do you have any Vicks vapor rub?”

Kristie looked at me strangely. “Go ahead. There’s some in the vanity.”

“What? It helps mask the smell of rotting dead people,” I explained.

She smiled with amusement. “Good thinking. How’d you come up with that?”

“CSI,” I said matter-of-factly.

“I see. Did you know that cigarette smoke can also mask different types of smells? Bryce…do you happen to smoke?”

“Mom!” groaned Paige.

I smiled as I went to the bathroom down the hall. When I closed the door, I noticed Allie’s favorite T-shirt was hanging on the back. It was bright pink with the words “Dare to Dance” scrolled on the front. She’d worn it constantly at home.

I sighed. I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you, I thought, grabbing the shirt. When I closed my eyes, I could still smell her favorite lotion, some type of strawberry scent. I slid to the ground and closed my eyes, trying not to cry. Before long, someone began knocking softly on the door.

“Cassie? Are you okay?” asked Bryce.

I cleared my throat. “Yes, sorry. I’ll be out in a minute.”

He paused. “Okay.”

I stood up and caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. My hair was in disarray, streaks of mascara lined my face, and my tank top was covered in something I didn’t even want to consider. Sighing, I washed my face, neck, and hands, then removed my tank top. I slipped on my sister’s shirt, wanting to be closer to her. Then, I combed out my hair, grabbed the jar of Vicks, and went back into the kitchen.

Kylie smiled sadly. “That’s Allie’s shirt.”

I touched it and nodded.

Bryce looked down at his own shirt and frowned. “You wouldn’t happen to have anything I can change into?”

Kristie snorted. “You could definitely use a new shirt. Let me find you something. I have some new T-shirts in the closet down the hall. Throw that nasty thing away and follow me.”

“Thanks,” he replied, removing his shirt, displaying perfectly defined muscles and a hard, flat stomach.

“Work out much, Bryce?” asked Kristie as she led him out of the kitchen.

I couldn’t help staring as he walked away. The word “chiseled” didn’t do him justice.

“Wow,” whispered Paige. “That dude’s got one smokin’ body.”

I shrugged. “Yeah, it’s not bad.”

Paige snorted and pushed me playfully. “You’re such a horrible liar.”

“Fine, okay, it was pretty…spectacular.”

“You know, I think he’s graduated from being your karate instructor. The rules have changed.” She sighed and looked out the window. “The world’s changed.”

I pushed my hair behind my ears. “Well, a relationship isn’t really at the top of my ‘to-do’ list right now.”

“I’m just saying…”

Bryce and Kristie walked back into the kitchen. This time he was covered in a new white T-shirt.

“Sorry, girls, I had to cover him up so he wouldn’t distract the female zombies.”

“Or the gay ones,” replied Kylie.

Kristie’s jaw dropped.

“You know, you ladies are starting to make me feel really uncomfortable,” said Bryce with a straight face.

“Kylie? What do you know about being gay?” asked her mother.

“Mom, I learned about sex in fifth grade. Come on!” she replied.

“Okay, seriously…what do we do now?” asked Paige.

“Well, I want to check around the neighborhood,” I stated. “I need to find out what happened to Allie. Find out if she’s trapped out there, somewhere, and needs help.”

Bryce nodded. “I’m coming with you.”

“I think we should all stick together,” said Kristie. “If there are zombies walking the streets, we need each other.”

“That’s a good idea,” replied Bryce

Kristie grabbed her keys. “Let’s all pack into Dan’s Escalade and go for a drive then.”

We found a large cooler and filled it with water, soda, chips, and granola bars. Bryce and I grabbed our guns while Paige grabbed her metal bat.

“This might come in handy,” said Kristie, holding up a war hammer she’d found in the garage. It had a sharp spike in the back and hammer head. It looked pretty deadly.

“Yeah, that could do some damage,” I agreed. “Where’d you find that thing?”

“From this renaissance convention that Dan visited last year. He collects medieval stuff like that. Or…he did, rather,” said Kristie. Her eyes became moist and she smiled sadly. “Poor Dan. He was a little bit of a dork, but I loved the man. He didn’t deserve to die this way.”

“Nobody deserves this,” I said.

Kristie cleared her throat. “I’ll let you drive,” she said to Bryce, handing him the keys. “I’m not sure how rational I’ll be if I see one of those things on the street.”

It turned out that the street was crawling with zombies, some of them walking around aimlessly in a state of confusion, while others were actually attacking their own kind. From what I could tell, the zombies that were at a farther stage of decomposing seemed to be the most vicious. They’d actually feed on zombies that looked like they’d just turned, somehow sensing that their victims still had some fresh protein available.

“How in the hell are we going to get out of here? I can’t imagine they’ll just move out of the way for us,” said Kristie.

“We’re not going around them,” said Bryce tightening his grip on the steering wheel. “We’re going through them. Sorry, Kristie, but you may need a little body repair after this.”

Kristie snorted. “Just get us out of here safely, screw the paint job. Dan’s not going to be around to complain about any scratches.”

“Okay, everyone, keep your windows up and lock your doors,” he said.

We started driving slowly onto the road towards the crowd of zombies who were beginning to take notice of us. As we approached, some actually did move out of the way while others decided to get a closer look.

“It’s odd how some are pretty docile while others are so violent,” Paige said.

“I think it depends on what stage there at,” I replied. “The ones who are crazy and more violent have probably been zombies longer. At least that’s my opinion.”

“Now we know why some of them are so bloody and torn apart. They’ve been attacking each other, too,” said Kristie, who looked rather ill.

When we reached a point where we couldn’t move the SUV anymore, zombies were standing all around the vehicle, running their hands all over it. Some stared with longing at us and eventually began climbing onto the hood.

Bryce sighed. “Okay, I’ve had enough of this. Close your eyes if you have a weak stomach, kids.”

The SUV barreled forward, jerking some of the zombies off of the hood. I covered my ears to block out the groans of the zombies and the sounds of their bones crunching under the tires.

“Oh, my God,” gasped Kristie, holding firmly onto the dashboard. “This is…I’m going to throw up!”

“No!” cried Kylie. “Don’t throw up or you’ll make me do it too.”

When we finally got past the mob of zombies, we drove down several streets to try and find my sister. Most of the neighborhoods were quiet, without any signs of life. Even the park was empty. It was frustrating and I knew there was no way we could search all of the homes, it was too dangerous. When our gas tank started getting low and the zombies started getting even more zealous, we had to leave.

“Sorry, Cassie. I wish there was more we could do to find your sister,” said Bryce.

“Me too,” I sighed, looking out the window towards the community’s front entrance gate.

“Hey,” Kristie gasped, pointing ahead of us. “There’s someone trying to run over there. Oh, my God, it’s a girl and she needs some help!”

My heart began to pound and I opened my window to see if it was my sister. Unfortunately it wasn’t, but I did recognize the mass of vibrant red hair.

“Eva King,” I mumbled.

Chapter Seventeen

“Is she a zombie?” asked Paige, lifting her bat.

I snorted. “No.”

Paige sighed and laid her head back against the seat. “Do we really have to stop?”

“Paige…” said Kristie, looking back at her. “That’s not nice.”

Two zombies were edging closer to Eva, who looked annoyed more than anything. In one arm she held a pink dog carrier and in the other an oversized Louis Vuitton tote bag.

“Stay here,” Bryce said as we skidded to a halt. He jumped out of the SUV carrying his rifle, and in less than five seconds, both zombies lay motionless on the ground and Eva looked like she’d just found Jesus. She stared with adoration at Bryce as he lowered his gun and moved towards her.

“Would you look at Eva? She’s smiling at your man like he’s a bowl of cream and she’s a cat dying of thirst,” said Paige dryly.

“Paige, he’s not my man. Besides, she’s just thanking him,” I replied. I had to admit, though, I felt a twinge of jealously when she threw her arms around him and kissed his cheek.

Paige raised her hands in exasperation. “There you go! She just left her nasty, smelly mark on him.”

Kristie chuckled. “Okay, enough, Paige.”

I watched as Bryce took the dog carrier and she leaned on him for support as they made their way back to the SUV.

“Hi, Eva,” said Paige with a smirk when Bryce opened the back door. “Did you hurt your ankle?”

Eva blinked in confusion. “Paige?” she said, biting her lower lip. “Yes, I think I sprained it back there.”

“You can sit in the third row seating,” Paige said as she adjusted the seat to let her in. “With your cat.”

“Oh, okay. This is Chi Chi, he’s actually a Chihuahua,” she replied, climbing in.

I turned around and faced Eva, who, as usual, was draped in expensive designer clothing and overpriced heels. She must have gotten up early to do her hair and makeup, because she looked the total opposite of me; fresh and feminine.

“Hi, Eva,” I said. “Poor little guy’s been through a lot I bet.” Chi Chi appeared to be trembling more than any animal I’d ever seen.

“Oh God, yes,” Eva said, rolling her eyes. “This has been the worst morning of my life! My mom’s chauffer was supposed to pick me up a half hour ago and take me to the airport. Obviously that incompetent idiot didn’t show up. My mom isn’t answering any calls, which is so typical of her when something goes wrong and I need her. I was so frustrated that my eyes started watering and I lost both contact lenses. Then, finally, I almost get mugged by those two creeps! I was so scared. I don’t know what would have happened if you all hadn’t shown up.”

“So you didn’t get a good look at those two guys?” I asked incredulously.

She wrinkled her nose. “No but they smelled horrible and were making some really disgusting noises. Thank goodness your cute friend stopped in time. If you ask me, they deserved what they got.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “You know, I think they were going to rape me.”

I looked at Paige who was biting her lip to keep from laughing. I shot her a look and then turned to Eva. “Eva? What were you doing over in this area anyway?”

“We just moved into my mom’s fiancé’s house across the street over there,” she said, motioning to a giant colonial. “I was on my way to speak with the security guard in the booth when those two hoodlums started racing towards me. I don’t think I’ve ever been so scared in my life.”

It was clear that Eva had no idea what had happened in the last twenty-four hours. I knew someone had to let her know, and Paige was having too much fun listening to her to set her straight. I took a deep breath and began telling her the truth.

She interrupted me right away. “Excuse me? Have you completely lost your mind, Cassie?”

“No, she’s telling the truth,” replied Bryce from the front seat.

Eva stared in alarm at Bryce and then closed her eyes. She took a deep breath and then released it slowly.

“Okay…” she replied breathlessly, “well, I would be more inclined to believe you since you were carrying a gun and clearly saved my life. Plus, those freaks did smell absolutely horrible. What was your name again?”

“It’s Bryce,” I answered for him with clenched teeth. The fact that she thought I was lying really pissed me off.

Eva’s attention turned back to me. “Well, you may as well continue with your little story.”

“Story? It’s the facts, Eva,” snapped Paige.

“Okay, let’s just relax,” said Kristie. “It’s hard to accept what has happened and we’ve seen it with our own eyes. So imagine how difficult it is for Eva to believe.”

Paige shrugged.

Kristie’s eyes softened. “Honey,” she said. “Here are the facts; that new flu vaccine has created zombies, okay? You’re lucky we found you because you and Chi Chi…you were next on the menu. If not for the two zombies, then for the dead army coming up behind us. Holy crap! Bryce, step on it!!”

We all turned to the back window as Bryce peeled away. Hundreds of zombies were heading our way.

~~~

We decided to drive back to my house to check on Bobby and the others.

“Well,” said Kristie, shutting off her phone. “Thankfully my brother was in town visiting my mom when the zombies struck because she would have been all alone. They’re at the cabin now and didn’t have a clue as to what was going on. I told him the girls and I would head out there after we drop everyone off.”

“Are you sure you want to risk driving around by yourselves?” asked Bryce.

“You’re all free to join us if you’d like. It’s only about an hour north of here.”

I didn’t say anything. My mom, dad, and sister were all missing and that’s all I could think about at the moment.

“Eva? Are you okay?” asked Kristie.

Eva was staring out the window. After replacing her contacts and getting her first real glimpse of the zombies wandering the streets, she’d been horrified of how close she’d been to death.

I touched her shoulder gently. “Eva?”

She turned to me with tears in her eyes. “Um, sorry…I just don’t really know what to do at this point. I’m just so worried about my mom.”

“Do you have anyone else you can call? Your dad or a grandparent?” I asked.

She shook her head. “No. My father is somewhere in Asia. I haven’t spoken to him in years. All my grandparents are dead. It’s just me and Chi Chi.”

“Did your mom get the vaccine?” I asked.

“No. Neither of us did.”

All of a sudden Bryce slammed on the brakes and we all lurched forward in our seats.

“What the heck?” I yelled at him.

“Stay here,” he said and jumped out of the SUV with his rifle.

“Oh, good God! Look at that poor puppy!” cried Kristie.

Several zombies were closing in on a young golden retriever. The dog was on a leash that appeared to be tangled on a rickety fence in front of an old church. Its frantic barking must have temporarily confused the zombies because they were staying back, although I knew it wouldn’t be long before their hunger drove them closer.

“Don’t worry, I’m sure Bryce will save that poor little dog,” said Eva.

Bryce raised his rifle and started shooting.

“Look!” pointed Kylie. “More zombies are coming from behind that trailer!”

A motorhome was parked in a neighboring driveway and Bryce was about to be attacked by a larger pack of zombies.

“I’m going to help. Lock the door behind me,” I said.

Luckily Bryce had fixed my gun and it was ready to go again. I opened the door and jumped out. “Bryce, watch out behind you!” I yelled and started firing it at the new group of zombies. By the time I used all my bullets, however, I’d only hit two in the head. The others were getting back up.

Bryce hollered at me. “Just get back in the truck!”

I watched in horror as another wave of zombies approached Bryce from the other side of the church. I knew he didn’t have enough ammunition for all of them. He started shooting again and it didn’t take long to empty out his rifle.

“Shit!” he raged, tossing it to the ground. The next thing I knew he was striking out at the zombies with his feet and hands, sending them crashing to the pavement. Unfortunately, they were getting back up almost as quickly.

I ran to the SUV and grabbed the metal bat and the war hammer.

“Here!” I screamed, throwing the bat towards him. He picked it up off the ground and began swinging. Decaying zombie brains began paving the sidewalk in front of the church; which seemed so immoral and sacrilegious. Then I remembered how badly these things wanted to eat us, and held firmly to the war hammer.

I took a deep breath and then moved in to help Bryce.

“Oh, God!” I groaned as I brought it down on the first zombie’s skull. Zombie blood sprayed everywhere and I gagged. Shooting them was by far a lot less gross.

“Get back into the SUV!” barked Bryce, bringing the bat down on a zombie who was dressed all in Goth and had jet-black hair.

I dislodged the hammer and swung it at a tall, skinny zombie woman who was missing half of her face. Now the other half matched.

“You need my help!” I screamed, raising the hammer again, this time I swung it at a dead cheerleader that I recognized from school; we never had gotten along.

“I’ve got this!” he replied angrily as he rushed towards another zombie closing in on the dog.

“Yeah, I can tell,” I mumbled, heading towards someone who was about to rush Bryce from behind. I stuck my tennis shoe out, tripping him. He then flopped face down onto the ground where I quickly finished him off.

“Cassie! Watch out!” screamed Kristie from the SUV.

Three new zombies were staggering hungrily towards me while I was attempting to dislodge the hammer from the zombie’s brain.

“Shit!” yelled Bryce when he noticed the stooges. He had his hands full with two others coming at him.

The next thing I knew, Kristie punched the gas on the SUV, crushing the three under her oversized Goodyear tires.

“Six points!” cheered Paige and Kylie from the open window.

Kristie backed up and smeared another small group wandering towards us.

“Ten points, mom! Woot! Woot!”

When we’d finally taken out all of the zombies, both Bryce and I were exhausted.

“Next time…do what I tell you. You could’ve…been killed,” he said, trying to catch his breath.

I wiped the sweat off my forehead with the back of my arm. “First of all, quit telling me what to do; secondly, ‘you’re welcome’ would’ve sufficed.”

Bryce stood up straight and gave me a lopsided grin. “Kind of reminds me of the first time we met. Both of us exhausted and doing hand-to-hand combat.”

“I remember. You were just as humble then, too,” I said.

His eyes met mine. “You know, something about the way you swung that hammer was incredibly sexy.”

I burst out laughing. “You’re extremely warped.”

“I never said I wasn’t,” he replied. He took the war hammer from me and examined it. “This worked great. I’ve definitely got to get me one of these.”

“Sure, if you can get past the real nasty part of dislodging it from the zombie’s heads. I had to fight from throwing up each time I used it.”

The dog started barking and we both rushed towards it, almost forgetting why we’d risked our lives fighting zombies in the first place. It was a female and she had a tag with the name “Goldie” engraved on it. Goldie showed her appreciation by licking my face while Bryce worked to free her from the fence.

“What a beautiful dog,” said Bryce, petting her soft, golden fur. She appeared to be smiling back at him with her tongue sticking out of the corner of her mouth.

“Yes, sweetie, you were worth the battle,” I told her as she rolled around on her tummy.

“Looks like we have another soldier on our team,” smiled Bryce.

Goldie barked in agreement.

Chapter Eighteen

We returned to the SUV with Goldie and she immediately jumped into Kylie’s lap, who was delighted. The puppy must have been excited to see warm-blooded humans because she couldn’t stop moving around to greet everyone.

“She’s adorable!” giggled Paige, who received a hello slurp from Goldie.

“Those horrible zombies,” said Kylie in a cooing voice to Goldie, “nobody’s going to hurt you now, puppy.”

Bryce opened the driver’s side door.

“Wait, shirt first, Bryce,” said Kristie, holding up another clean T-shirt. “I’m not sure how you manage to get so full of gore while Cassie hardly gets a spot of blood on her.”

“Easy, I hit much harder,” he replied, removing his shirt.

“You were so awesome, Bryce,” declared Eva, who was staring at his pecks lustfully.

I rolled my eyes.

“Thanks, Eva,” he replied, pulling the new shirt on. He jumped back into the SUV and we began moving again.

“Sorry I couldn’t help you guys,” glowered Paige. “My mother forced me to stay put.”

Kristie turned to look at her. “Face it, Paige, you’re just not the fighting type. You probably would’ve gotten in the way more than anything.”

“Actually, Paige proved herself to be a pretty good zombie destroyer this morning, when we were cornered in her bedroom. She took care of both the dudes,” I replied.

Kristie turned to Paige in disbelief. “You had boys in your room?”

Paige rolled her eyes. “Yes, but they won’t be back.”

I smiled. “Yes, and let’s just say she’ll probably never quite get the cartilage out of the heel of her Jimmy Choos.”

“Oh, my God, that is so nasty!” squealed Kylie.

As we neared the middle of town, we noticed several abandoned cars along the side of the streets and were forced to slow down to maneuver around them. Fortunately, the zombies wobbling by ignored us.

“Bryce, do you have any more rounds left for the rifle?” I asked.

He shook his head. “No. I used the last of my ammunition saving Goldie.”

I felt warm breath next to my ear. “Wow, I had no idea you had such cute relatives, Cassie,” whispered Eva.

I stared at her. “He’s my karate instructor.”

Eva’s eyes lit up. “Karate instructor? Oh wow. That’s hot.”

“Stay away from him, Eva,” hissed Paige. “He’s already taken.”

“Paige,” I warned. She just couldn’t take a hint that Bryce and I were just friends.

Eva was silent as she sat back in her seat, a small smile settling on her lips.

“Check out the zombies hovering around McDonald’s,” said Kylie.

There had to be thirty or more wandering around the abandoned building, some of them actually going inside.

“At least they’re not paying us any mind,” said Kristie.

“Wonder if some of them are still having a Big Mac attack,” I joked.

“I’ll bet they can smell raw patties in the back. It might be drawing them here. They’re probably spoiling by now with the electricity off,” said Bryce.

“Hey, stop at the next gas station you see. We need to fill up,” said Kristie.

Two blocks later, Bryce pulled into a small abandoned station and then hopped out to fill the tank. I followed him, clutching the war hammer tightly.

“Be right back!” yelled Kristie, as she jumped out of the truck holding the metal bat.

“Mom, are you nuts?” Paige hollered out the window. “What in the heck are you doing?!”

“Thirsty,” she called back.

“We packed drinks,” muttered Paige, crossing her hands across her chest.

I sighed. “I’ll go follow her.”

“Be careful,” said Bryce. “It looks empty from out here, but you never know.”

When I stepped into the filling station, I found Kristie behind the counter, opening a pack of cigarettes.

“I should have known,” I said.

Kristie smiled and took a drag. She exhaled and a steady stream of white smoke curled out of her mouth. “Oh man, I needed that.”

I smiled. “Paige is going to flip out.”

“That’s okay. Let her,” she answered. “It’s so worth it.”

I stretched out my arms and yawned. “I’m so tired. I’m going to grab some energy drinks. Want anything?”

She nodded. “Grab me a diet soda, please.”

I walked to the back of the station and grabbed a couple of energy drinks out of the cooler. When I turned around, one of the former employees stood two feet away from me, drooling.

“Crap,” I groaned throwing the cans as hard as I could at her gray, mottled face.

The zombie growled and rushed towards me but not before I caught her stomach with a roundhouse kick. She flew backwards into a stack of cereal boxes.

As I raised the hammer to finish her off, something grabbed me by the back of the hair and pulled. I quickly smashed my head backwards with all my might, hitting a second zombie in the nose. It screeched as it released my hair and its horrible smell actually made it past the Vicks coated under my nose. I shuddered and then kicked back with my foot, hitting it hard in the shin.

“Back for more?” I snapped at the first zombie who’d since gotten back up and was now staggering towards me. This time Kristie was behind her, swinging wildly at the zombie with the metal bat. She hit it in the skull with a loud “clunk”, and the zombie dropped, this time for good.

She looked up at me, her face pale. She pointed behind me and gasped, “Zombie!”

The other zombie was coming at me with its mouth wide open. I slammed the hammer into its grotesque face and it dropped to the ground.

“Thanks, Kristie,” I said, dislodging the hammer. I noticed that I was starting to become a little impervious to all of the zombie blood and gore. Whether it was a good thing or bad thing, I wasn’t even sure anymore.

Bryce walked through the door at that moment. “What’s taking so long?” When he noticed the two dead zombies and Kristie lighting up another cigarette, he sighed. “Next time let me do the shopping.”

“Actually, I think we did a pretty fair job staying alive in here,” I said, grabbing two bags of dog food.

He smiled as he grabbed some beef jerky. “I wouldn’t want you on the other team, that’s for sure.”

I grabbed two more energy drinks and Kristie stuffed several packs of smokes inside of her shirt.

~~~

We took off again as I sipped from my can. I stared out the window at the houses and businesses we passed and it was hard to imagine the kinds of nightmares that were hidden inside. Everything seemed so…normal. But I knew without a doubt it was a lie. “Normal” was gone forever and we were now only left with zombies and broken hearts.

When we finally made the turn onto my street, I felt a gnawing fear about what we’d find in my house. My cell phone was completely dead and we hadn’t been in contact with Sara since Bryce left them early this morning.

“You okay, Cassie?” asked Bryce.

“I’m okay,” I said, although my palms were sweating and I had to wipe them onto my jeans.

“I’m sure they’re fine,” Bryce said, knowing my fears. “Sara knows how to use a gun and Hannah seems like a pretty strong woman. They were going to lock themselves in the basement with the kids until I returned.”

“And…what if you hadn’t returned?” I asked.

He sighed heavily. “Have a little more faith, Cassie.”

My faith was pretty brittle at this point. I’d basically lost hope in ever finding my sister, and both of my parents were still missing. Then there was my grandparents, I didn’t even want to consider what kind of hell they were going through.

“Uh oh, looks like we missed out on your spring neighborhood block party,” mused Kristie.

We stopped at the end of the block. Several of my neighbors were wandering around the cul-de-sac, some attacking each other while others just looked confused. We’d never been very close to any of them when they were alive, but it was still horrifying to view them now as zombies.

I shuddered. “I wonder if they smell the others.”

Bryce nodded. “It wouldn’t surprise me if that was the case.”

“Well, they are starting to congregate towards us, so you’d better get us out of here,” demanded Eva.

“We’re not leaving; there are women and children in that house who need us. Kind of like you needed us awhile back!” snapped Paige.

There were about five zombies approaching the SUV. “Listen, we should go through the garage. There’s a keypad by the side of the house that I can probably get to. Once I enter it, pull in immediately.”

“I’ll cover you,” said Bryce.

“Seriously, that’s all you’ve got for a plan?” asked Paige as the zombies closed in around the SUV.

“You have a better plan?” I asked.

She shrugged and then sighed deeply. “Nah, I’ve got nothing’.”

Bryce grabbed the metal bat from Kristie. “When the garage door opens, get this thing in quick. Plow right through any zombies you have to.”

Kristie’s face grew pale. She nodded and took a deep breath. “Okay, I’m ready, Freddy.”

“Got your hammer?” he turned and asked me.

I held it up.

“Okay, let’s do this,” he said.

I pushed my door open and quickly kicked one of my neighbors in the stomach. I hurried out of the truck and slammed the door shut, wielding my hammer. “I’m sorry, Mr. Bleechman. No offense.”

He growled and rushed towards me but I sidestepped him. He slammed into the truck face-first.

“You things aren’t very graceful, are you?” I said.

“Cassie! Quit playing and get over to the keypad!” hollered Bryce who was busy holding off two other zombies.

I took a deep breath and ended Mr. Bleechman’s short life as a zombie with a solid strike to his head with my hammer. As he fell to the ground, I heard an unearthly screech.

Mrs. Bleechman!

She seemed to have appeared out of nowhere and was now moving towards me with her mouth open and long, red, acrylic fingernails, raised.

“Wait, Lois, he was cheating on you, I actually just did you a favor!” I yelled, still trying to dislodge the hammer from her husband’s dead skull.

She snarled and kept barreling towards me.

“You’re wasting time,” grumbled Bryce as he grabbed her by the back of the hair and swung her to the ground. She twisted around to attack but his bat split her rotted skull in two.

I shuddered. “Now that…that…was really gross.”

He motioned towards the house. “Keypad. Now.”

I ran to the side of the house and punched in the numbers for the garage. Unfortunately, nothing happened.

“Crap,” I groaned, forgetting about the electricity, being out. Feeling foolish, I ran over to the small door on the side of the garage and squealed with joy when I found that it was unlocked. I pushed it open and manually opened the large garage doors, the way my dad had showed me last summer.

I could hear the sound of Bryce’s metal bat striking more zombies as it lifted, and cringed. Even though they were now monsters, it still felt wrong to be killing my neighbors.

The SUV made it inside with only one zombie who managed to follow us, and Bryce took care of him quickly.

“Can you bag him or something? He’s going to stink up the garage,” I said.

“Maybe later if there’s time,” said Bryce. “You’re not planning on staying here, are you?”

“I don’t know what my plans are yet,” I replied.

“How about this…stick with me, we’re a pretty good team,” he said and slapped me playfully on the butt.

My jaw dropped but I didn’t say anything.

Just then everyone else piled out of the SUV. Goldie barked with excitement then began sniffing around the garage.

Eva got out with Chi Chi still in her dog carrier. “Little Chi Chi needs to make a little wee wee,” she said in her cutesy voice. The dog barked.

“Are you kidding me?” snorted Paige.

Kristie rolled her eyes and I bit my lip to keep from laughing.

Chi Chi, who was shaking violently again, moved to a corner of the garage and peed. Goldie peed on the zombie.

“Good girl,” I said, bending down to pet Goldie’s head.

Eva flipped her hair and then batted her eyelashes at Bryce. “By the way, Bryce, you were so incredible out there. I don’t know what we’d do without you.”

Bryce, who I’ve learned thrives on gushing females, beamed her one of his dimpled smiles. “Someone’s got to take care of all you women.”

“Oh, puke,” muttered Paige as she slammed the door to the SUV.

“Is it safe to go in there?” asked Kristie as she grabbed the doorknob leading into my house.

“Better let me go in first,” replied Bryce, “just in case there are surprises waiting inside.”

Kristie looked at Bryce with amusement. “Fine by me, Bruce Lee.”

Bryce grabbed the bat, then opened the door and stepped inside. After about a minute he stuck his head back into the garage. “It’s clear.”

I walked in with Goldie, who took off immediately to wander throughout the house. “Looks like Goldie’s giving the ‘all clear’ sign, too.” Although, it seemed much too quiet in the house. “Hello? Anyone home?” I yelled.

Goldie bolted downstairs and I could hear the squeal of Megan’s laughter.

Sara raced upstairs, her face full of relief. “Oh, God!” she cried, wrapping her arms around me. “I’m so glad to see you guys!”

Bobby ran upstairs and flung himself at Bryce. “Yay, Bryce is home!”

Bryce picked up Bobby and held him tightly in his arms. “Told you I’d be back, Champ,” he said softly.

“Hi,” Megan said to me as she peeked around the corner of the basement door, “whose puppy?”

“Ours now,” I replied with a smile. “Her name’s Goldie,”

Eva was holding Chi Chi who whimpered to get down. She finally released her and Chi Chi trotted after Goldie.

“Two dogs?!” screamed Megan in delight.

“Err…well, the Chihuahua is mine,” said Eva. “But he’s a nice doggy and loves kids. You can play with him.”

I was surprised to see Eva acting like a civilized human being, especially after the way she treated most people at school. Then of course we’d just saved her life and she didn’t have anywhere else to go.

Kristie’s mouth dropped when she saw Hannah. “Oh, my God! I didn’t know you were here, Han. Where’s Paul?”

Hannah started crying and Kristie went over right away to console her. Then both women went downstairs to catch up and talk about the loss of their husbands. Apparently Kristie and Hannah knew each other well.

“Have you heard from my parents?” I asked Sara.

Sara looked at me sadly. “No, neither of them. I take it you didn’t find Allie either?”

I shook my head and sighed. “Look, I’m really tired. The energy drink didn’t do anything for me. Think I’m going to have a shower and then maybe take a nap,” I said. “We still have water, don’t we?”

“For now,” replied Sara.

I still wasn’t sure why the government had shut down the power so quickly. I couldn’t imagine that it would be easier to contain the zombies in the dark.

My hair was sticky in some places and I fought an urge to puke as I washed it away with shampoo. I’d never felt so incredibly dirty in my life. Although I had to admit, I hadn’t even thought about germs in the last couple of days. Being exposed to so much blood and guts had made me numb to everything, including my phobia.

When I got out of the shower, I cut the tips off the rest of my fingernails and sighed, wondering if Mae was safe. Then I pushed it away from my mind. It was too horrifying to think about all the victims caught up in this nightmare.

Where are you, mom? I wondered as I laid my head on my pillow and closed my eyes. It was bad enough not finding my sister and not knowing where my father was. But my mother…she’d promised to come back quickly, and hadn’t. I knew exactly what that meant, I wasn’t naïve or stupid. I just couldn’t allow myself to accept the fact that she was probably gone forever.

Chapter Nineteen

“Mom, where’ve you been? I was so worried about you,” I cried as she walked into the kitchen. I ran up to her and threw my arms around her.

Smiling, she stroked my cheek fondly. “I told you I had to take care of that soldier,” she replied. Her hair was a mess and there was blood splattered on her shirt.

“Are you okay?” I asked, pulling away. She looked pale and tired.

“I’m fine, honey,” she replied and took me into her arms again. “You know how much I love you, don’t you, my little Wild One?”

I closed my eyes and laid my head on her shoulder. “I love you, too, mom. God, I missed you so much.”

She squeezed me harder. “I need you, honey.”

I could hardly breathe she was squeezing me so tightly in her arms. “Sure, mom. Just don’t hold me so tight. I can…barely breathe.”

“I really do need you. You understand, don’t you, baby?” she whispered into my ear.

I gasped for breath, trying to free myself. When I finally pushed her away, our eyes met and my heart screamed out in anguish.

“Come back to mommy,” she rasped, holding her gray, mottled arms towards me. “I need you so. I love you, Cassie.”

I nodded. “I love you, too.”

Then I closed my eyes and sobbed as I let her have me.

~~~

I woke up to someone gently shaking me.

“Cassie?” whispered Bryce softly.

Sighing, I opened my eyes and found Bryce staring down at me. His dark wavy hair was damp and he wore nothing but a pair of soft, gray lounge pants. I stared at the dragon tattoos on his forearms. They blazed with fire as did something inside of me.

“I just stepped out of the shower across the hall, and heard you crying. I was a little worried.”

“Oh,” I said, sitting up. Remembering that all I had on was a thin tank and boxer shorts, I pulled my blanket up higher.

He smiled and sat down on the edge of my bed. “Listen, you were really fantastic earlier. It took a lot of courage to do what you did.”

I shrugged. “It wasn’t so bad once I reminded myself that they were already dead.”

Bryce chuckled. “Still, it was pretty impressive.”

“Thanks.”

He brushed a strand of hair away from my cheek. “I think we make a pretty good team.”

I stopped breathing when I gazed into his smoldering blue eyes. Bryce slowly leaned towards me and I felt the heat of his breath on my lips.

“Bryce! Where are you?” hollered Bobby from somewhere else in the house.

Bryce shut his eyes and swore under his breath. “Hold on, Bobby!” he called.

With my heart pounding frantically, I released a shaky breath.

Bryce opened his eyes and licked his lips. “You know, you’re pretty amazing,” he whispered, staring at my mouth.

“Bryce!” yelled Bobby again.

Bryce groaned with frustration and then stood up. “Coming, buddy!”

When he left my bedroom, I felt a mixture of disappointment and relief. I wasn’t sure how I would’ve reacted if he would have kissed me passionately right here, in my bed. Normally I would have been paranoid about my parents walking in. But things had changed, and at this moment, I didn’t have anyone to answer to.

I got up, slipped a hoodie over my tank top, and pulled on a pair of shorts. I’d slept for almost eight hours; it was well after midnight, and I was starving.

Sara was feeding Megan dry cereal when I entered the kitchen. “Hi,” I said. Goldie sat at their feet waiting for bits of food to drop.

She looked up and smiled wearily. “Hi.”

“Where’s everybody?”

“Kristie and Hannah are on watch duty, to make sure none of the zombies make it into the house. Kylie, Paige, and Eva are sleeping, I believe.”

I nodded and then sat down next to her at the table. “I’m sorry, Sara; I haven’t even asked if you’d gotten a hold of Kevin.”

She paused for a moment and her eyes filled with tears. “No, my cell phone doesn’t work.”

I covered her hand with mine. “It’s possible he’s getting the medical attention he was promised by the military.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” she replied looking away.

“If you want, we can go look for him later,” I said.

She wiped her eyes. “You’d come with me?”

“Of course I would.”

“Mommy, I want to play with Bobby,” Megan demanded.

I tickled Megan’s tummy. “Isn’t it a little late for you to be up playing?”

Megan giggled and shook her head “no.”

“Her schedule is totally messed up,” said Sara.

“I’m sure. Mine is too,” I replied. “I can watch her if you want to get some sleep. You’re pregnant and need it more than anyone.”

She released a deep sigh. “Would you? I could use some sleep. I’m so exhausted.”

“It’s settled. Go to bed and get some sleep,” I replied with a smile.

Sara gave Megan and I both a hug, then left the kitchen.

I had a peanut butter sandwich, gave Goldie some fresh water and dog food, then took Megan downstairs so she could play with Bobby, who I figured was probably still awake. What I actually found stopped me cold. Eva was dressed in a skimpy nightgown with her arms around Bryce’s neck and her lips pressed firmly against his.

“Hi, Megan!” cried Bobby who was on the floor playing with Legos.

Bryce turned towards me and sighed.

“Um, I’m sorry,” I said, backing away.

“Cassie,” said Bryce, pushing Eva away. “It’s not what it looks like. She was just thanking me for getting a painful kink out of her neck.”

I raised my eyebrows. “Oh, really?”

Eva’s smile was smug. “Yes,” she said, putting her arm through his possessively. “He has such an amazing touch.”

Shame and humiliation twisted inside of me as I saw them standing together, both of them so damn good-looking. I turned around and left quickly.

“Cassie,” said Bryce, following me up the stairs. “Can you just wait a moment?”

“Listen,” I said turning to him. “You don’t have to explain anything to me, okay? Even if she was coming on to you, there’s nothing going on between us. You’re free to do whatever you want.”

Bryce grabbed my hand and pulled me towards him. His eyes searched mine. “Really? If I’m free to do whatever I want, then this is it.” His lips came down on mine before I could protest and then the world stopped moving. I felt myself go limp in his arms and as he pulled me in closer, I couldn’t help but kiss him back. A rush of desire swept through me as he held me against the hardness of his body. He moved his tongue into my mouth, caressing and exploring with an urgency that made my head spin. I slid my hands up behind his neck, into his hair and he groaned against my mouth, lighting flames inside of me that I hadn’t known even existed.

“Excuse me?!”

Kristie and Hannah stood at the top of the stairs scowling at us. We were in the entryway of the split-level, our hands all over each other. I’d never been so embarrassed in my life.

“Um, sorry,” I replied as we broke away from each other. My heart was still pounding madly in my chest.

“You don’t look very sorry,” Kristie said with her hands on her hips. “And you,” she pointed to Bryce, “You definitely don’t look sorry. And please put on a damn T-shirt!”

Bryce smiled and rubbed the back of his neck.

“Since your parents aren’t around, I’m appointing myself as your personal watchdog, young lady. You both better behave yourselves and control your…raging hormones,” she said with a smirk. I knew Kristie though, she wasn’t being totally serious. Although, if she caught us doing anything more than this, she’d have a conniption.

“Whew!” she said, turning towards Hannah and fanning herself with her hand. “After witnessing part of that little interlude, I think I need a cigarette!”

Hannah chuckled and they both walked into the kitchen.

I glanced at Bryce and the look in his eyes made me blush.

He grabbed my arm. “Hey, this thing between us, it isn’t over,” he said softly.

“Um…I have to…get something to drink,” I said, turning away.

He smiled then released my arm. “I’ll go check on Bobby.”

Chapter Twenty

Eva strolled into the kitchen as I finished drinking my water. I tried to ignore her but she started talking.

“So, I spoke to my mom,” she said, twirling her hair around her finger.

I turned to her, genuinely happy for her. “That’s great! Where is she?”

“She’s at a Crisis Unit that’s been set up at the St. James Hospital. She’s going to send someone for me as soon as they have things under control.”

St. James is the closest hospital to our home. My mom would’ve taken the injured soldier to that hospital.

“Did she mention if there are there many survivors there?” I asked.

“She said there were less than a hundred right now, but more keep arriving. They’ve set up a security force to hold off all the zombies, but they keep coming as well.”

I grabbed her arm. “Can you call her back?” I had to find out if my mother was there.

Eva sighed. “No, she called me using someone else’s phone. I didn’t even get a chance to talk to her very long.”

“I have to get ahold of someone at St. James. Can you hit redial, and then we can call whoever’s phone she used last? They might be able to tell me if my mom ever made it to the hospital.”

Eva shook her head. “Sorry, it’s not working anymore. I tried texting one of my friends after talking to my mom, and the battery completely died.”

The fact that there were living people at the hospital rekindled my hope. It was possible that my mother was still alive at the hospital.

“Okay, once Sara wakes up, we’re leaving to check on Kevin. Then I’m going to St. James to find my mother.”

Eva shook her head. “Listen, my mom said there are hundreds of zombies surrounding the hospital. They believe the zombies are drawn to the Crisis Unit because the scent of blood is so strong. It’s going to be next to impossible to get through.”

“It’s only going to get worse; it’s now or never. If the zombies are running out of food on the streets, many more will show up at the hospital.”

“I’m with you,” said Bryce, walking into the kitchen, followed by Kristie. “We overheard and I agree; if we wait too long, then we’ll miss our chance to find out if your mom’s alive.”

“I’m coming, too,” replied Kristie, putting her arm around me. “If it wasn’t for you rescuing me and my children from ‘Zombie Dan’, we might’ve never made it out of there. Besides, I want to help you find your mother because she’s also a good friend.”

“What about the others? I don’t want to risk them getting injured. Do you think they’ll be safe here without us?”

“Hannah, Paige, and Kylie can stay here and watch the kids until we get back,” replied Kristie. “They’ll be fine. The zombies haven’t been very aggressive. They’re not even very smart. Unless someone opens the door and invites them in, I don’t think we have anything to worry about.”

Eva touched Bryce’s arm. “I should come, too. My mom’s at the hospital and I’m not spending another night in a daycare.”

I gave her a scathing look. “It beats being alone on the streets where we found you.”

Eva had the decency to look embarrassed. “Sorry, I didn’t mean it that way. I’m just worried about my mom. I’m coming, if that’s okay?”

“Just stay out of trouble,” I muttered.

“Is it okay if I leave Chi Chi here, for now? She seems so happy with Goldie and I can pick her up when it’s not so dangerous out there.”

“Yeah, she can stay,” I said.

Kristie tapped her nails on the counter. “It’s settled then. As soon Sara wakes up, we’ll leave.”

I nodded. “Okay. Let’s go look through my dad’s guns and ammunition. Kristie, can you shoot a gun?”

She sighed. “Well, let me tell you; I can pull a trigger, I just don’t know if I can hit anything with the bullet.”

I bit the side of my lip. “Okay. How about you wait until a zombie gets close enough for you to hit it, but not close enough for it to bite you. Aim right between the eyes and pull the trigger,” I replied.

Bryce rubbed his forehead and sighed. “Maybe we should just let her use the bat.”

“What about me?” pouted Eva as she traced circles on Bryce’s bicep using a perfectly non-chipped fingertip. “What should I do?”

“Just stay out of the way, so you don’t get hurt,” I snapped. I really wanted to hurt her myself right now. It irritated me how Bryce just let her touch him so casually. He was so clueless.

Eva scowled at me then looked at Bryce. “Fine, I’ll just stay close to Bryce. I don’t think I’ve ever been in such capable hands.”

He shrugged. “Considering what we’re up against, I think it’s wise if we all stay close together and be prepared for anything. Every one of us should have some kind of weapon, too, whether it’s a bat, a shovel, or a gun. Which reminds me; Cassie, let’s go look at your dad’s and figure out which ones to bring with.”

“Eva, why don’t you get dressed,” said Kristie, putting an arm around her and guiding her out of the kitchen. “I don’t think your little nightie is appropriate for where we’re going.”

Eva was still wearing her slinky baby-doll nightgown that barely covered her rear. She smiled coyly at Bryce and licked her lips. “Sorry, I didn’t have anything else to wear. I wasn’t planning on doing a slumber party when I packed it. I’ll change it so I’m not a distraction.”

For the love of God, I thought. Why did we have to save her irritating life?

Bryce looked amused but didn’t say anything as he followed me downstairs to my dad’s gun safe; he almost fell over when he saw all the guns.

“Wow. Lucky for us your dad loves firepower,” he said.

“Yes, he’s obsessed with guns,” I replied, pulling out a semi-automatic rifle. I’d never fired the gun but it seemed pretty impressive.

“Have you tried all of these?” Bryce asked picking up different guns.

“Almost; not this one, though,” I said, opening the chamber. “My dad and I go to the shooting range every weekend so I’ve had a chance to try many of them.”

He took the rifle from me and examined it. “I’ve been around guns all my life, my dad was a cop. Wow, this is an SKS. It’s good for long-range shooting. It will definitely come in handy. Let’s bring it with.”

“So, where’s your dad now?” I asked.

Bryce sighed. “He died about five years ago, trying to stop some asshole from butchering his wife.”

I felt terrible for bringing his dad up. “Wow, I’m sorry. That must have been horrible.”

He nodded. “It was. Good news is that the wife survived a gunshot wound to her chest. It barely missed her heart. They both had little kids at the time.”

“What happened to your dad and the shooter?”

He looked me in the eyes. “My dad made a bad decision that cost him his life. He thought he could stop the husband from killing his wife, all by himself. The negotiator had pissed the shooter off and would no longer answer any phone calls. So my dad snuck into the backyard to try and get in. What he didn’t realize was that the man had hidden surveillance cameras and he was shot before he even made it through the window.”

“I’m so sorry,” I replied softly.

He smiled sadly. “It’s okay. It’s been awhile and I’ve learned to accept it.”

“What happened to the husband?”

“Well, he thought he’d killed his wife and blew his own brains out.”

I shuddered. “How…tragic.”

“Yeah it was pretty tough to handle back then, especially for a fifteen-year-old kid. That’s about the time I really got into the martial arts, to help me focus on something other than my old man’s death.”

“And now you also have a passion for guns like he did?” I asked.

“They’re impressive, what can I say? I still have my dad’s collection, but nothing compared to this assortment. But I still go to the firing range a couple times a month, have friends in the military who keep me up-to-date on the latest gadgets, and I have a magazine subscription to Gun Digest.”

I laughed. “So you’re an expert on both firearms and the martial arts. Kind of a deadly weapon yourself, aren’t you?”

Bryce smiled wickedly. “I’m an expert on other things as well. Let’s just say I’m not just a fighter, Ms. Wild.”

“Okay, lover boy,” said Kristie, walking down the stairs, an unlit cigarette dangling from her mouth. “Keep your mind on the weapons.”

He saluted her. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Pick out a gun, Kristie,” I said, attempting to change the subject.

Kristie walked over and grabbed a Smith and Wesson handgun. “I’ve shot one of these before at the gun range with Dan. This will do; just load it for me and show me how to remove the safety.”

“Wow, that was easy,” I said.

She nodded and smiled “I’m a no-nonsense kind of gal, Cassie. I just need a gun to shoot and a target that’s less than twelve inches away.”

I shook my head and giggled.

We loaded Kristie’s SUV with the guns and ammunition. She yawned and stretched her arms. “I’m bushed and it’s still pretty early. I’m going to lie down for a while if that’s okay?”

“Go ahead. You’re driving and we need you alert,” I said.

Kristie left and it was just me and Bryce staring at each other.

He yawned. “I’d better get some rest, too,” said Bryce. “So…care to join me, Wild?”

It was tempting but I knew it probably meant trouble. “No, I’ve got to watch Megan. You can sleep in my room though. There won’t be any distractions there,” I replied, thinking of Eva.

“Thanks. How about tucking me in?” he asked with a little smile.

I blushed. “Maybe…next time.”

“I’ll remember that,” he said, yawning again. He then brushed my lips quickly with his own and both of us parted, smiling.

Chapter Twenty-One

“This is going to be tricky,” said Bryce as we stood in the garage several hours later. There were still a number of zombies stumbling around the driveway and we didn’t want to let them in. “I’m going to have Kristie drive and then I’ll take out any zombies that try to get into the house through the garage.”

“Don’t forget to toss that rotting one out with them too. The horrible smell is starting to get into the basement,” I said.

Bryce sighed. “Fine, I’ll drag it out…if you cover me.”

I nodded my head. “Sure.”

“Okay, are you feeling all right, Sara?” asked Bryce.

Sara looked both frightened and determined at the same time. It had been almost two days since she’d spoken to Kevin and we all knew the chance that he was still alive was pretty slim.

“I’m fine,” she said. “Let’s just do this before I change my mind.” She’d been nervous about leaving Megan but Kristie had reassured her that the zombies would never figure out how to get inside.

“My hair looks so dull,” complained Eva looking at herself in a mirror she’d pulled out of her tote bag. I couldn’t believe she was worried about her hair while we were worried about making it out of the garage alive. Although, truthfully her red hair looked so shiny it was grating.

“You’re hair does not look dull,” replied Kristie.

“It’s so shiny that I’m sure you’ll draw all types of unwanted attention,” I muttered.

Bryce chuckled. “Okay, everyone’s hair in place? Everyone use the bathroom? Noses powdered?”

“Wait, I need my cigarettes!” Kristie said, running back into the house. Seconds later she returned with two packs. “Now, I’m ready for anything.”

“Good thing you volunteered Paige to stay behind,” I remarked.

She shrugged but I didn’t miss the gleam in her eyes.

Everyone got back into the SUV but Bryce and me.

“Are you ready?” he asked.

I nodded. I had the gun out and my hammer in a utility type of belt that I’d concocted from an old leather belt and holster.

“Wait,” he said, coming towards me. He grabbed the back of my head and pulled me towards him, stealing a quick kiss. He released me and looked into my eyes. “Just in case I don’t get a chance to do that again.”

His words were like a splash of cold water as the reality of our situation set in. We were heading right into serious danger again and it was more than feasible that any of us could be killed by a zombie.

“Hey, Bryce,” sighed Kristie from the truck. “They don’t have any more like you at home, do they? Cause I got to tell you…”

I chuckled. I knew Kristie was a hopeless romantic and it wouldn’t be long before husband number three would be in the mist. If there was anyone left.

Kristie turned towards the back of the SUV and snapped, “Oh, Eva, would you just chill the hell out.” I knew then that Eva must not have enjoyed the kiss as much as I did.

“Okay,” Bryce said, raising his gun and walking towards the garage door opener. “Get ready, everyone.”

Kristie started the engine and rolled up her window.

Bryce pressed the garage door opener, grabbed the dead zombie by its clothing, and started dragging him towards the opening. When the garage door was all the way up, Kristie pressed firmly on the gas and backed out, crushing two zombies who were staring stupidly at the SUV. I ignored the now-familiar bone crunching and moaning of the zombies and began firing my gun at the new ones coming toward us.

“Behind you, Bryce!” I yelled as dead and rotted Mr. Hendrickson appeared behind Bryce.

Bryce snapped his head back, hitting the zombie in the forehead. He turned around, kicked it in the stomach, then blew off Mr. Hendrickson’s slackened zombie face. Bryce scowled and brushed off the back of his head, trying to remove zombie brain particles.

I shuddered. “That was…so nasty.”

“To your left!” hollered Bryce.

The crazy old lady from up the street was snarling and coming right at me. She’d always been a cruel and hateful woman, screaming at anyone who’d ever gotten too close to her yard, and God forbid if you should accidently kick a ball onto her lawn. She wouldn’t just keep it; she’d destroy it while you watched, smiling smugly and daring you to say anything. Needless to say, my mom had weathered many heated arguments with the old broad and I still couldn’t stand her, dead or alive.

“Sorry, Hazel,” I said, raising my gun, “but your days of being a bitter old bitch are now over.”

Hazel growled angrily and then fell backwards as the bullet entered her rotting skull.

We killed the last two zombies trying to get into the garage, then closed it and jumped into the SUV.

“Those things smell awful! God, I could smell them from inside the truck,” complained Eva.

“That reminds me,” I said, pulling out the small jar from my pocket. “Vicks, anyone?”

~~~

Zombies must have been waking up all over the city because even the rural areas were plagued with them.

“I had no idea,” whispered Sara, staring out the window in horror.

The streets were like obstacle courses and it was difficult to navigate the SUV around both the abandoned cars and zombies. Fortunately, most of the zombies ignored us, staggering aimlessly with no real apparent destination.

“Watch out!” said Bryce as a zombie stepped in front of our moving vehicle.

Kristie cringed in revulsion as the zombie bounced off the front grill and over the hood. “That was…unpleasant,” she muttered, grasping the steering wheel a little tighter.

We drove past the karate studio and noticed the large plate-glass window in the front was smashed. Zombies wandered around the entire mini-mall, shuffling through broken glass…paper debris…and other dead zombies.

“I hope Master Jordan survived,” I said.

“Well, I know he didn’t get the vaccine,” replied Bryce. “Neither did Mae; both of them are into natural herbal remedies. I’d bet anything that he’s alive somewhere. He’s definitely one guy who’s not going down easily.”

“He’s a great guy. I hope you’re right,” I said.

Sara’s place is located in a newer development where many of the homes are still under construction and thankfully, we didn’t run into any zombies.

“Listen, Kristie and Eva; honk if you see any zombies approaching.”

“Okay,” replied Kristie. She picked up the Smith and Wesson and placed it on her lap.

“Can’t I come with?” asked Eva.

“No, it’s too dangerous. You’re much safer in here,” he replied.

It wasn’t the answer she was looking for. “Fine,” she sniffed.

“Let’s go, I can’t wait anymore,” said Sara. She opened the door and jumped out of the SUV. Bryce and I got out and followed her to the front door.

Sara pulled out her keys, but the door was unlocked. “Kevin?” she called, opening it. “Kevin, it’s me, Sara!”

The house was eerily quiet when we entered. Like my house, it was a split-level, but much larger and newer.

Sara tossed her keys onto a new granite counter and turned to us. “The bedroom is upstairs. He’s probably sleeping,” she said.

We followed Sara upstairs where there were three bedrooms and a bathroom. One of the doors was shut and that’s where she headed.

Bryce grabbed my arm. “Be ready,” he said into my ear.

I nodded as we followed her into the master bedroom. The room was huge with a built-in fireplace and cozy chenille chaise off to one side of the room, a private bathroom with a built-in whirlpool bath on the other. It was the nicest bedroom I’d ever been in considering its current state. Discarded clothing, used tissues, and empty food containers lay scattered all over plush carpeting.

“Oh, God,” moaned Sara, staring at the bed.

Chapter Twenty-Two

We followed Sara to the large maple sleigh bed where Kevin lay. As we gathered around the bed, she let out a sigh of relief.

“He’s just sleeping,” she said quietly, brushing the sandy brown hair from his eyes.

I turned to look at Bryce, who was frowning. He pulled me aside.

“Do you smell that?” he whispered.

I nodded; it was a smell I was getting all too familiar with.

Sara sat on the bed. “Kevin? Sweetheart, wake up. It’s me, Sara,” she said softly. She grabbed his hand and squeezed it.

I took a step closer to the bed and noticed that Kevin’s face was gaunt, his lips pale and dry. There was movement under his eyelids, as if he was dreaming.

“You’re so cold,” Sara mumbled, touching his forehead. She stood up and lifted a goose down comforter from the floor that must have fallen. She spread it around him on the bed and tucked the edges under the mattress.

My heart was hammering in my chest. To me, he didn’t look like he was sleeping; he looked stiff and white, like a corpse. I cleared my throat. “Sara, maybe you should step back.”

She shook her head vehemently. “No, I know what you’re thinking. He’s just sleeping, Cassie. He…he’s…fine.” She glanced at me and I could see that her eyes were brimming with tears.

“What’s that?” I asked, grabbing a piece of paper from the nightstand. At the top of the page were the words Vaccination Side Effects. It listed the typical side effects of a regular flu shot. I showed it to Sara, who turned very pale.

“No…he didn’t get the vaccination. I don’t understand,” she said, scanning the flyer. She looked up and shook her head. “This just doesn’t make sense.”

Bryce took it from her and examined it. “Didn’t you mention the military was sending someone from their medical staff to check on him? They could have given it to him then.”

A deep moan escaped Kevin’s lips and his eyes slowly opened.

“Oh, God,” I whispered, putting my hand over my mouth. Kevin’s eyes were blood-rimmed and cold as death. They stared emotionlessly at Sara, who appeared oblivious to the truth.

“Hi,” she whispered, smiling down at him. She stroked his hand.

“Sara, don’t touch him,” demanded Bryce, pulling her away.

Kevin sat up and began making deep guttural noises. He started flailing his arms around and greenish-red foam bubbled from his mouth.

“No, Kevin,” she moaned, trying to reach out for him. “I’m here for you, honey.”

Bryce grabbed Sara and pulled her away just as Kevin lurched towards her, making hideous smacking noises with his mouth. When he noticed that he’d missed her, he let out an alarming screech that made the hair stand up on the back of my neck.

“Leave me be, Bryce!” Sara screamed as he tried to push her out of the bedroom. She eventually broke free and then rushed back towards Kevin, who was beginning to growl at her like rabid animal. She took a step back and stared at him in horror.

“He’s a zombie now, not Kevin,” I said.

Tears streamed down her face as Sara stood staring at the man she’d fallen in love with. He was now just an animated corpse, devoid of any human emotion. Shaking her head in sorrow, she raised her gun and pointed it at his face. “Oh, God,” she cried, her hands trembling. “I…I…can’t do it.” I watched in horror as she dropped the gun, leaving herself vulnerable to the zombie, who was prepared to leap at her.

“Watch out, Sara!” I yelled, raising my gun.

Kevin lunged towards her, his mouth open and arms outstretched. Before he reached Sara, there was a loud explosion and he was blown backwards by the impact of Bryce’s bullet.

“No!” screamed Sara as he fell to the ground, blood streaming out of the large hole in his skull. She rushed over to him and lifted his hand to her cheek.

I knelt down next to her. “Sara, it wasn’t Kevin anymore,” I said softly. “His soul wasn’t there. He was gone before we even got here.”

She looked at me, her eyes full of misery. “Do you think that makes it easier? Two days ago, I left him here to die, alone. If I would have listened to my heart and stayed with him, he’d still be alive.”

Bryce stepped towards her and touched her shoulder. “No, if you would have stayed here with Megan, both of you would have been killed. You didn’t even know about the side effects of the vaccine until it was too late. Kevin would have probably still received it and you’d be dead, along with Megan and your unborn child.”

Sara touched her belly and lowered her eyes. “Maybe, but he’s still gone and I don’t know if I will ever forgive myself,” she said huskily. Sara stood up and took one last look at Kevin before she hurried out of the room.

Chapter Twenty-Three

The ride to the St. James Hospital was very solemn. Kristie didn’t ask any questions and even Eva had the sense to keep her mouth shut.

Zombies were everywhere and they were getting more violent. Older and newer ones wrestled each other, trying to feed. It was maddening to watch. I closed my eyes to block out as much horror as I could as we drove. I’d seen enough in the last couple of days to give me nightmares for the rest of my life.

As we neared the hospital, I prayed silently that my mother was alive. She’d been armed with a gun but I still didn’t know if she’d been attacked by the soldier she’d been trying to save or someone else. I was tearing my hair out to know the truth, and soon I’d be closer to it.

When we finally approached the hospital’s parking lot, it was crawling with zombies. Most of them wandered around in a muddled state, not doing much of anything. Others, who appeared more grotesque and rancid from decomposing, acted like rabid dogs. I watched in horror as they also attacked each other.

“This is totally revolting,” whispered Eva, turning green.

I couldn’t agree with her more; it was worse than any horror flick I’d ever watched on television, and it was real. Blood and body parts covered most of the pavement of the hospital parking lot. It was like a bloody aftermath of an explosion, only this devastation was much more than any of us could have ever imagined.

“Careful on the left,” pointed Bryce. A group of zombies were snarling and tearing each other apart. Thankfully, they hadn’t quite taken notice of us yet.

“Jesus,” mumbled Kristie as the SUV struck a zombie who’d stepped into our path. The sound of the zombie’s corpse crumbling under the tire made me gag. “Sorry, this isn’t easy, driving through this shit.”

“Kristie, you’re doing fine,” reassured Bryce.

He was right. There really was no way to avoid driving over the gore in the parking lot. The sound of bones crunching and loud thuds was enough to drive me mad. “Do you have any music? CDs?” I asked Kristie.

“Hey, great idea! In the back, under the seat,” she said.

I pulled out her CD collection, which consisted of a lot of older bands. I pulled out a CD of Metallica, which seemed appropriate for the moment.

“Haven’t heard this one forever,” she said. She stuck it in and the sound of heavy metal blared through speakers.

Eva scowled. “Don’t you have anything else?”

“It beats the sound of bones smashing under the tires,” I said.

Eva scowled and looked out the window.

We were going very slowly towards the hospital entrance and some of the zombies were starting to take notice. Before I could say anything, two zombies rushed the side of the SUV and started scratching at the darkened windows.

“Can’t you go faster?” cried Eva as one of them stared at her through the window. It let out a horrendous screech and Eva practically jumped out of her seat.

“Sorry, I wish I could,” said Kristie, her hands tight on the wheel.

We were going very slowly, in fact some of the zombies were staggering faster than we were driving.

“Shit,” muttered Kristie as more zombies began surrounding the truck.

“Can’t you shoot them?” whined Eva.

“No, we aren’t wasting our bullets on hundreds of zombies too stupid to even find a way in here. We need ammunition for when we’re on foot,” I said.

“Bryce, how in the world are we going to get into the hospital when they’re following us this close?” asked Sara.

“Look,” I said, pointing to the emergency entrance. “There are some people with guns getting ready to do something.”

As we got closer, about five military soldiers ran outside of the emergency doors and started picking off the zombies that were following us. As we got closer, one of the men motioned us over to a separate ambulance entrance, big enough to drive the SUV into. Once inside, they closed the door and approached us cautiously.

“Have any of you been vaccinated lately?” asked a tall, humorless-looking soldier holding a gun.

“No, sir,” replied Bryce, raising his hands in the air. “None of us have.”

The soldier nodded and then introduced himself. “I’m Captain Brent Lufkin. Does anyone here need medical attention?” he asked, looking specifically at Sara who’d stepped out of the truck holding a hand over her protruding belly.

“No, not yet anyway,” said Bryce. “We’re here to try and locate a couple of people.”

“Really, who?” asked the Captain.

I spoke up. “Veronica King, the news anchor, and my mother, Kristen Wild.”

“Well Veronica King left a couple of hours ago to help pick up some survivors who’d radioed in. She should be back within a few hours. Got to say, that woman surprised the hell out of me. She’s as tough as nails.”

“What about Kris Wild? Have you seen her?” interrupted Bryce. “She’s fairly tall, light brown hair, somewhere in her forties. She would have arrived with a wounded soldier.”

He shook his head. “Kris Wild? Sorry, it just doesn’t sound familiar but you’re welcome to take a look around,” he said. “We have over one hundred survivors. Most of them are staying close to each other in the children’s wing of the hospital. Come on, I’ll show you.”

The hospital had generators, so luckily there was electricity. As we neared the children’s wing, I noticed many of them eating warm meals and talking quietly to one another. Surprisingly, there weren’t many children around.

“I wonder what happened to the children that were in this wing of the hospital,” I said softly

He shrugged his shoulders. “Not sure.”

The captain turned to me. “Most of the children that were already staying in the hospital received the vaccines. We had to place them in special holding cells so they wouldn’t harm anyone.”

“They’re still here?” asked Kristie.

He nodded. “Yes, they are. Unfortunately some of them are getting so violent that we can’t get near them without the risk of getting bitten.”

I shuddered. “You’re just keeping them locked up until they die?”

“On the contrary, we’re studying them to find out if we can halt the process or find an antidote. We’ve had some communication from the CDC in Atlanta,” he replied.

“There are still researchers left from the CDC?” I asked in shock. “I would have thought they’d all gotten the vaccine.”

“Not all of them agreed with vaccinations either,” he replied, “lucky for us.”

“Do you mind if I take a look around?” I asked him. “I need to find out if my mother ever arrived. Maybe someone else saw her.”

“Go ahead, I’ll ask around for you, too. Don’t forget to check some of the private patient rooms,” he replied.

We all split up and began asking around. Bryce said he’d check some of the patient rooms in Urgent Care. Curiously enough, Eva volunteered to tag along with him and he reluctantly agreed. I trusted him but there was no way in hell I was going to allow her back home with us later. I crossed my fingers that Veronica would come back soon and take her daughter off our hands.

~~~

I started checking the rooms in the children’s units, hoping beyond hope that maybe my mom was there, resting. Unfortunately most of them were unoccupied and the few that had people in them hadn’t heard anything about my mother, so I decided to venture farther away from the children’s unit. As I approached the birthing wing, I heard a man talking in one of the rooms. The tone of his voice sounded familiar and my heart skipped a beat. I rushed towards the sound of his voice.

“Ever hear of knocking first?” drawled the soldier, who was on his cell phone. He wore only a pair of army pants and a bandage around his shoulder.

“Austin!” I cried. “Thank God! I’m so glad to see you.”

A huge smile lit up his face. It was the soldier my mother had rescued! Words couldn’t express the joy I was suddenly feeling. If he wasn’t a zombie, she had to be still alive, somewhere.

“How in the world did you make it here?” he asked, hanging up his phone.

“I got a ride,” I said, looking around. “Where’s my mother?”

The smile on his face fell away and he sighed. “She’s not here.”

“I see that. Where is she? “

“Your mom went for help,” he said.

“Went for help? What do you mean?” I asked, stepping closer to him.

“She went to find special help for your sister.”

My heart soared. “My sister? She’s here, somewhere? I don’t understand. Where are they?”

He shook his head. “Not anymore, they’re both gone. You’re mom picked up your sister from her girlfriend’s house yesterday, and they ran into some trouble coming back; zombie trouble. Here,” he said, walking over to the counter where he lifted a piece of paper. “She wrote you this letter. I was going to try and get it to you.”

I snatched it from his hands. My own began to tremble as I read the letter.

Dearest Cassie,

I pray that you get this letter and you are okay. I’ve tried calling you but I realize the power is out everywhere and your cell phone is more than likely dead. I have Allie; I picked her up as soon as I found out about the zombies. When I finally found her, she’d been attacked and wasn’t doing very well. She had a high fever and her body was racked with seizures, it was very frightening. I quickly brought her back to the hospital where they were able to finally lower her fever, but there was nothing more they could do for her. They suspect she is turning into one of those creatures now and suggested that I bring her to Atlanta, where scientists are working on an antidote. They even let us catch a lift with their medevac helicopter unit. And that’s where we’re heading now.

I hope that you’re safe and that you get this letter. I love you so much and I wish I could be with you right now. But your sister is very sick, and I have to do everything I can to find help for her. I have to try and save her. I know you’ll understand, my Wild One.

All my love,

Mom

P.S. I will try and contact you when I’m in Atlanta. Try and get your cell phone charged if you can. I have been given one to use by the Army and will keep trying to call you.

Chapter Twenty-Four

I closed my eyes and released a heavy sigh. Although I was relieved that both my sister and mother were alive, I held no illusions of there being a happy ending in all of this, especially if we were still separated and my sister was turning into a zombie.

“Now what?” I mumbled to myself. I sat down on a stool and put my head in my hands.

“I reckon you could just stay here and wait for your mother to call,” he replied.

I lifted my head and faced him. “No, I have to get back home with my friends. Besides, there are so many zombies attracted to this place, seriously, I don’t feel all that safe here.”

Austin nodded his head. “Okay. Well then I’m coming with you.”

I stood up. ”What do you mean…you’re coming with me?”

He knelt down next to me and placed his hands upon my shoulders. His eyes reminded me of warm caramel. “Your mother saved my life. If it wasn’t for her, I don’t know what would have happened. I made a promise to her that I’d find you and help protect you. I’m not breaking that promise.”

I pulled away. “Thanks, Austin, but I can take care of myself. I made it here, didn’t I?”

He shrugged. “Well, yeah you did. But you haven’t made it out of here alive just yet. Come on, Cassie, let me help you. If anything, I can help you get in touch with your mom. I know where they’ve taken her.”

My eyes narrowed. “What about your family? Don’t you have anyone at home that might need you?”

Austin smiled and folded his arms across his chest. “Well, darlin’, my family lives in Texas and it doesn’t look like I’ll be traveling there anytime soon. In fact, I just radioed my brother and they’re together and holding up okay, so far. So, the answer is no, there’s nobody who needs me at this moment as much as you do.”

I pointed. “What about your shoulder?”

“It’s doing better. They stitched it up and it’s tender, but I’ll survive.”

“I thought for sure you were bitten by a zombie.”

He shook his head. “I was shot; a woman. I don’t know, she may have thought I was a zombie.”

I rubbed the back of my neck. “Well, if you want to tag along, I guess that would be okay. We could always use an extra shooter.”

Austin smiled and I found myself returning it.               With his southern drawl, blond hair, and rugged good looks, he actually reminded me of some cowboy I’d watched on television as a child. One I’d had a small crush on.

“Excellent. I’ll just find the rest of my clothing and we can shoot out of here.”

“Austin?” I said, trying to swallow the lump forming in my throat. “How was my sister when you last saw her?”

His eyes clouded over and he took my hand. “She was struggling, I can tell you that.”

I looked down so he wouldn’t see the tears in my eyes. “I hope they can help her. I don’t know what I’ll do if I lose either of them.”

He lifted my chin up and stared into my eyes. “Your mom’s a fighter, you’re obviously one, too. If Allie takes after either of you, then the odds are in her favor.”

I nodded but the tears still escaped, the enormity of my family’s situation was overwhelming.

Austin wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close. “Shh…it’ll be okay. We’ll find a way to contact your mom. Shit, if I have to take you to her myself, I will.”

“Cassie?” interrupted Bryce as he walked in the door with Eva trailing close behind.

I moved away from Austin and brushed away my tears. “Um, this is Austin. He’s the soldier my mother had rescued.”

Bryce frowned. “Okay? So, where is she?”

I explained everything that Austin had told me. When I told Bryce that he’d be joining us, he shook his head.

“No, he should stay here. The zombies are getting pretty out of hand out there. They need soldiers to protect the crisis unit.”

“Sorry, but I’m coming with y’all. I made a promise to Kris that I’d find a way to keep Cassie safe, and I’m not going back on my word.”

Bryce and Austin stared at each other and you could cut the tension in the air with a knife.

“Well, I think that’s a great idea,” said Eva as she stepped next to Bryce. She looped her arm through his. “We need all the help we can get fighting off those zombies.”

I scowled at Eva. “We? You’ll be staying here. You don’t have to worry about fighting zombies, not like you helped much anyway.”

Eva glared at me. “You don’t have to be such a bitch.”

My mouth dropped open and before I could show her how much of a bitch I could really be, Bryce interrupted. “Eva’s coming with us. Her mother’s been bitten and they’re flying her to Atlanta, too. She has nowhere else to go, Cassie.”

A wave of guilt rushed through me. “Oh, I’m sorry, Eva. I didn’t know.”

Eva shrugged her shoulders and looked away.

“Well, why doesn’t she just go to Atlanta to be with her mom?” I asked Bryce.

“They said she couldn’t. They are quarantining all bite victims,” he replied. “They won’t even allow her near Veronica to say goodbye.”

“Oh, well she should stay here so they can keep her updated on her mom’s condition.”

Bryce shook his head. “The zombies are getting too out of hand for this small group. It’s not safe to stay here anymore. In fact, we’d better get moving now before we end up getting stuck here.”

Just then Kristie and Sara walked in. “Oh, thank God you guys are here. Look, we have to get out of here…now,” said Kristie. “The zombies are either getting smarter or their just plain lucky. They’ve broken through the entrance now and the soldiers won’t be able to hold them off too much longer.”

Austin pulled on a T-shirt. “Let’s get going,” he said. “I’ve got some grenades, we might need them.”

Kristie smiled at Austin. “Well hey there, soldier. I take it you’re the newest member of our team?”

He shrugged. “I’m just coming along to protect Cassie. I made a promise her mother.”

Bryce scowled. “That’s very noble but she doesn’t need your protection, she has me.”

Austin nodded towards Eva. “Looks like you already have your hands full with that one.”

Bryce took a step away from Eva and folded his arms across his chest. “We’ve done fine without you.”

“Hello? Guys, I can protect myself,” I said, walking towards the door.

The two men stood glaring at each other, neither of them saying anything.

Kristie snorted. “Okay, everyone, time to leave. The testosterone in this room is going to either make me go nuts or grow a pair; frankly I don’t want to do either.”

I walked out the door and started towards the location of our SUV. Sara and Kristie caught up with me quickly.

“Men, you can’t kill ‘em…unless they try and eat your brains,” said Kristie with a wry grin.

I stopped walking and turned to Sara and Kristie. “I just wanted to say thanks to both of you. I know each of you lost your husbands and yet you’ve still found the strength to help me try to find my mom. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

We were still hugging each other when Eva, Bryce, and Austin caught up.

“You boys work it out?” asked Kristie, pulling away.

Bryce shrugged and Austin smiled. “Nothing to work out, darlin’. I’m coming with whether Billy likes it or not.”

“It’s Bryce,” he muttered, walking ahead of him.

“Southern boys,” said Kristie as we started walking. “I once had me a cowboy. Oh, the things he could do with that rope…”

Chapter Twenty-Five

There were several dead zombies lying around as we neared the parked SUV. Three of the soldiers were repairing the glass on the door where the zombies had broken through.

“You guys leaving?” asked one of them. “Through this mob?”

“Yes,” replied Bryce.

“Well, they are getting pretty damn restless out there,” said the soldier. “Be careful.”

We got into the SUV and the soldiers reluctantly opened the garage door. Kristie was in the driver’s seat again so that Bryce would have his hands free to shoot, if needed. Bryce sat next to her with his gun ready.

“Damn, those zombies stink,” muttered Austin sitting close to me.

“Vicks works wonders,” I said, handing out my jar.

He nodded in approval and rubbed some under his nose.

“Look! Sweet Jesus, they’re getting in,” said Eva as two zombies barreled through the garage door before it was closed all the way. The soldiers shot them in the head and they dropped.

Bryce opened his window and shot two more that tried sneaking in.

“You have a gun, cowboy?” Kristie asked Austin.

“Lost it a couple days ago. I found a couple of grenades, though,” he said, holding them up in the air.

“Careful driving,” mumbled Bryce.

Zombies were definitely getting more ferocious as we drove through the parking lot. The smell of blood was drawing more of them towards the hospital and now there were hundreds attacking each other.

“How in the hell do we get out of here?” growled Kristie.

“I guess now is as good of time as any,” said Austin as he opened up his window and leaned out. “Get ready.”

He launched the grenade at a crowd of zombies blocking our path. Less than ten seconds later, body parts were falling from the sky and landing on the SUV.

“Drive!” yelled Bryce.

Kristie hit the gas and we drove over the remaining mutilated zombies, all of us bouncing around in the SUV.

Eva closed her eyes. “Lord help us,” she said softly.

Another group of zombies were coming straight for us and Austin threw another one, clearing the path yet again with a loud explosion.

“Yes! Well, thank God Austin decided to come with us. Otherwise we’d of had a hell of a time getting through these bastards,” said Kristie.

Bryce looked out the window and mumbled something expletive.

When we finally made it out of the zombie-infested parking lot, I wanted to scream for joy. But I knew we weren’t out of danger yet. Zombies were still wandering the streets, looking more aggravated and alert than ever.

“What’s going on with these guys?” asked Kristie. “They seem like they’re in some kind of frenzy or something.”

“They are,” said Austin. “They need blood to sustain, and if they don’t get it, they actually become more violent and ferocious. Once they start to lose more of their body mass, though, they’ll eventually slow down.

“Great,” I sighed.

“What makes you an expert on these things?” asked Bryce.

Austin shrugged. “Bits and pieces of things I’d heard from other soldiers. They’ve been studying their behaviors.”

“Do they know for sure if you’ll turn into one if you’re bitten?” asked Eva.

He nodded. “They believe you will. Some of the people who’ve been bitten are showing signs of very erratic behavior, similar to the zombies. Some have just…died,” he said, his voice getting quieter as he glanced at me.

I looked out the window and sighed heavily. It sounded pretty hopeless for my sister. I was thankful that my mom was with her, but I could only imagine the agony she was going through in Atlanta. I only wished I could get out there somehow so she wouldn’t have to face it alone.

When we’d finally made it back to my house, everything seemed surreal. There weren’t any zombies wandering in the neighborhood or even the yard, just a shiny black GMC Sierra parked in our driveway.

“Were you expecting company?” asked Bryce, getting out.

I shook my head and ran up the steps. As I put my hand on the doorknob, it burst open and I gasped in surprise.

“Daddy!” I screamed, jumping into his arms.

“Oh, thank God,” he replied, holding me tightly.

“Where’ve you been?” I cried.

He put me down and grimaced. “It’s a long story. Let’s just say the traffic was bad coming home.”

I smiled and wiped the tears from my face.

“Did you…did you find anything out about your mom or sister?” he asked sadly.

We went inside and I told him everything I knew while he sat in silence. When I was finished he didn’t say a word, he just stood up and went downstairs.

“He needs some time,” said Kristie softly.

I nodded. “If you don’t mind, I’m going to my room to be alone for a while.”

Bryce squeezed my hand as I stood up. “Let me know if you need me, Wild.”

On my way to my bedroom I stopped in the kitchen for some water. Eva was sitting alone at the counter, staring at her clasped hands. She looked up. “Oh, it’s you. Tell me, what…what do we do now?” she asked, her face a mess of tears and make-up.

I was about to respond when my dad stepped into the kitchen. He was dressed in military camouflage and carrying two very impressive rifles that I’d never seen before. The determined look in his eyes gave me the chills.

“What next?” he asked, setting the guns down. “We go find them, all of them.”

“But is it safe?” I breathed.

He looked at me. “Cassie, we’re a family and I won’t be apart from any of you, ever again. We’re going to Atlanta as soon as possible.”

“Really?” I asked.

“Oh yes,” he said, a half-crazed look in his eyes. He lifted one of the guns back up and smiled humorlessly. “Let the games begin…”

End of Book One

Book Two – Running Wild, by Kristen Middleton, is now available!

Read Here On Amazon (Click Me)

Running Wild

Cassandra Wild is on the run from a deranged psychopath while she fights to stay alive during the zombie apocalypse. After being kidnapped, injured, and thrown together with a new band of misfits, things get more complicated, and it takes all of her strength and courage to survive in a world gone completely mad.

Kristen Middleton Author Links and Books

Kristen Middleton

Kristen lives in the Midwest with her husband, Dave, and daughters, Cassie and Allie. She spends her days chasing kids, drinking iced-coffee, and obsessing over completing her current book or starting the next one. Besides spending time with her family, she enjoys reading, movies, traveling, cooking, and watching 'The Walking Dead' and 'Shameless' on Sunday Nights. She also LOVES getting emails from her readers, so (unless you're craving brains or blood) don't be afraid to send her a message at:

kristenmiddletonauthor@yahoo.com

Kristen's books have hit #1 on the Fantasy, Teen, Horror, and Erotica charts on numerous occasions - with Blur, Zombie Games (Origins), and Tangled Beauty (under K.L. Middleton). She is typically listed as one of Amazon's top 100 Bestselling Authors (in both Horror and Fantasy.

Night Roamers Series (Vampires) – In order

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Sharp Edges

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Warning- This book contains some language, violence, and sexual situations recommended for ages seventeen and older.

Danger lurks in the dead of night...

Seventeen year old Nikki and her twin brother, Nathan, move to the small town of Shore Lake to start over after their mother is brutally attacked. When a missing teenager washes up on shore during their first night at the cabin and there are whispers of vampires in Shore Lake, Nikki begins to realize that there are things roaming in the darkness that are far more sinister than what they left behind in the city.

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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

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.

BLURB

*This is a young adult book series. Each chronicle will feature Dean's struggles as he tries to survive in this new world. And thus the name, The Zombie Chronicles. I hope you enjoy this series, and thank you for giving book one a chance.*

Warning: Mild violence. For mature teens or older.

Val was bitten by a zombie and now she’s scheduled for lethal injection. Breaking all the rules, eighteen year old, Dean Walters snags an experimental serum. But it can’t be tested until Val turns into a zombie: something authorities won’t allow. Her execution is scheduled to happen before transformation is complete, giving Dean only hours to break her out.

When their helicopter crashes straight into the heart of Zombie Land, his rescue mission becomes a fight for survival…and giving up on Val is NOT an option.

The Zombie Chronicles Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/ociUHiL1g70

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 stealing 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,” 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

Book 2 is available here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009L5B8LK

Book 2 UK link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B009L5B8LK

***Read a sample chapter of Crush (a vampire romance) at the very end of this intro***

Zombie Series

BOOK TRAILER: http://youtu.be/ociUHiL1g70

This is a young adult book series.
Warning: Mild violence. For mature teens or older.

Val was bitten by a zombie and now she’s scheduled for lethal injection. Breaking all the rules, eighteen year old, Dean Walters snags an experimental serum. But it can’t be tested until Val turns into a zombie: something authorities won’t allow. Her execution is scheduled to happen before transformation is complete, giving Dean only hours to break her out.

When their helicopter crashes straight into the heart of Zombie Land, his rescue mission becomes a fight for survival…and giving up on Val is NOT an option.

The Zombie Chronicles US Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008R53WBO

The Zombie Chronicles UK Link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008R53WBO?*Version*=1&*entries*=0

See the prequel to The Zombie Chronicles in Val.

Book Trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mp43Ml4hvE

Link to Val: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IXY5SI4

UK link to Val: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00IXY5SI4

Paranormal/Time Travel Romance Series

Eternal Vows link US link: http://amzn.com/B007HPDFBC

Eternal Vows link UK link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007HPD

Never marry a stranger...even if he is a drop-dead gorgeous immortal king.

Never pretend to be a princess.

And most importantly...never slip on an ancient wedding ring you know nothing about.

Sarah Larker returns to a cave where her sister disappeared ten years earlier. She walks through a portal and is mistaken for a runaway princess on the run by a dangerous immortal king in medieval times. Her plan is bold as well as daring—become this princess, wed the king, and slip on an ancient wedding ring that will unlock the portal back home. Then find her sister and run as fast as she can out of Dodge. But taking on the identity of Princess Gloria comes along with dangerous consequences; and slipping on the ruby ring comes with an even higher price.

Book 1 in The Trapped in the Hollow Earth Novelette Series

The Trapped in the Hollow Earth Novelette Series Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viwT0M8Ms_g&feature=youtu.be

Castaway US Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009KZGWBM

Castaway UK Link:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B009KZGWBM?*Version*=1&*entries*=0

Castaway Blurb

The dream vacation that might just turn deadly...

Seventeen-year-old Casey Smith can't wait to embark on her summer vacation, not least because she's finally shed her tomboy image, and now heartthrob Mike seems interested. What starts out great, with lots of flirting, taking her a step closer to winning her crush's heart, soon turns into her worst nightmare.

Tossed out to sea during a freak storm, Casey is washed up on what she presumes to be a mysterious tropical island that's on no map she's ever seen.

Young Adult, Paranormal Romance Series

Enchanted Castle US Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008LDZG3Y

Enchanted Castle UK Link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008LDZG3Y?*Version*=1&*entries*=0

Zoey Sanders attends her senior year of high school at a mysterious, gothic castle in Scotland. As much as she loves meeting her Prince Charming, she begins to wonder if the castle is really haunted.

Vampire Series

The Crush Saga Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/4eMF8KXEUc4

***Read the first chapter in a few more pages***

Crush Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FBRKH8M

Crush UK Link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00FBRKH8M?*Version*=1&*entries*=0

Want more FREE stories?!

The Crush Saga Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/4eMF8KXEUc4

Crush Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FBRKH8M

Crush UK Link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00FBRKH8M?*Version*=1&*entries*=0

Crush

Book 1

The Crush Saga

by Chrissy Peebles

Copyright © 2013 by Chrissy Peebles

Editor: Autumn J. Conley

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.

Visit the Author’s Blog at: http://chrissypeebles.blogspot.com/

Connect with the Author on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=vb.351121651567296&type=2#!/pages/Chrissy-Peebles/351121651567296

His precious touch could prove deadly…

When Taylor Sparks moves from New York City to Big Bear Lake, California; her life is forever changed when she meets a hot guy with winter-blue eyes named Jesse. Their attraction is instant, the chemistry undeniable. But sadly, things aren't adding up. Taylor wonders what her 'crush' is hiding. When her new friend, Fred tells her his suspicions about Jesse being a paranormal creature, Taylor laughs. But when Fred turns up dead, she believes every warning he ever told her.

Taylor is shocked to learn that Big Bear Lake isn't just glittering lakes, towering pines, and breathtaking mountains...there's more...way more than meets the eye.

Will Taylor dive into a paranormal world she knows nothing about? To be with the one her heart can’t live without?

The Crush Saga Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/4eMF8KXEUc4

Crush Sample Chapter 1

Big Bear Lake, California is located in a lush green valley, surrounded by mountains and the towering pines, sparkling streams, wildlife, and hidden lakes of the San Bernardino National Forest. We’d just moved into a cute, two-story brick house along the south shore of Big Bear Lake, a beautiful, quaint little home left to us by my grandmother when she’d passed away. She’d spent her whole life in the house and had loved it, so my parents thought it would be fantastic to dump our city life and move out to the smog-free middle of nowhere, where we could get lost in the peace and quiet tranquility. It wasn’t the easiest place to get to, and only three roads led in and out of the valley.

My parents loved the solitude because they were writers. My father wrote mystery thrillers, and Mom penned romance novels. They hated the hustle, bustle, and noise of the city and were sure they’d be better able to concentrate out in the peaceful wilderness. “It’ll be a fresh start for all of us,” my mother assured me just after my bad breakup with my boyfriend, “a very healthy experience all around.”

I wasn’t sure, though, if I could so easily adjust to the simple life after living in New York City, but once we got there, I loved the place. It was a far cry different, going from honking taxicabs and towering buildings to honking geese and towering trees, but I knew my mother was right; it would be the perfect spot to forget about my depressing love life.

I had two brothers and one sister, but they had already moved out of the house, so now I was virtually an only child, with the two most wonderful parents. We were a loving, close-knit family, and I couldn’t have been more thankful for that.

It was only June when we moved in, so I had almost the whole summer to get used to California and my new home before school started. I carried in the last heavy box to my cluttered room; everything was a mess. I bit my lip hard as I looked around at all the boxes and bags, knowing there was no way I’d get everything unpacked and put in its place in one night.

My mother pushed through the maze of boxes, toppling them everywhere. “Pizza’s here.”

It was past lunchtime, and my stomach rumbled. My German shepherd pranced around in a circle and barked.

“Mom,” I said, “Max needs to be walked first.”

She brushed her hair behind her ear and smiled. “Go ahead and take him out, then, but don’t wander off too far.”

I kissed her cheek. “Of course not.”

She pointed to my eyes. “What’s with the dark circles?”

“Uh…I’m sure it’s just makeup, or maybe just because I’ve been getting absolutely no sleep?”

“It’s your makeup,” she said, smiling. “You look like a raccoon.”

“See? I’ll fit right in with the wildlife out here.”

My mom laughed. “Well, maybe the raccoons can adopt you. They’re nocturnal too.”

“I just can’t sleep at night. I can’t help it.”

She wrapped her arm around me. “Is this about the breakup with Sean? Honey, it’s been six months. Remember what we talked about? We’re here for a new beginning, a fresh start.”

“I know,” I said, wincing because the whole thing still hurt.

Sean had dumped me out of the blue, and getting dumped sucked, no matter the reason. I had given him my heart, and he had trampled all over it. The breakup absolutely blinded me, and I didn’t see it coming when he called me and said, “Taylor, this just isn’t working for me anymore.”

I knew it was time for me to move on with my life, with whatever grace and dignity I could muster. We’d both made mistakes in the relationship, and neither one of us were perfect by a long run. Still, I refused to let that relationship define who I was. Just because we didn’t work out and clearly weren’t meant for each other, that didn’t mean things wouldn’t work out with someone else in the future. My friends set me up on stupid dates that never worked out, and I wondered if I’d ever find the “spark” again. For the time being, I decided I was done with guys. I was just going to enjoy my fresh start and focus on my passion, painting. The yard was overrun with weeds and vegetation, but my dad had hired someone to fix it up, and when he was finished, it would be the perfect place for me to pursue my art.

I threw my black, curly hair into a messy ponytail, then slid my feet into my white tennis shoes. I wore a white t-shirt and my favorite pair of skinny jeans that hugged my curves so tight they felt like a second skin. I’d washed them so many times that they were faded and super soft, form-fitting in all the right places. The right knee had a large rip in it, but that only gave them originality. Silver and leather bracelets dangled from each of my wrists, and silver rings adorned my fingers. I looked into the mirror and wiped the smeared eyeliner from underneath my brown eyes, then headed outside.

It was so beautiful there. Our yard was surrounded by towering trees that stretched high into the sky. The birds chirped, the sun shone on my face, and a cool breeze ruffled my hair. I loved my back yard woods. Inhaling the clean air, I smiled. I’m really going to enjoy my fresh start here…and so is Max, I thought as the dog explored the back yard, fascinated and intrigued by all the new smells and sounds.

Suddenly, Max’s ears shot back, as if he had noticed an animal in the woods. Peering closer, I glimpsed a whitetail deer sipping from a puddle. My heart melted at the sight of the adorable animal. Max’s bark scared it almost to death, and the poor animal darted off into the vegetation. He wasn’t used to all that natural wildlife, but I knew he was going to love it there as much as I was, if not more. He barked fiercely, then suddenly bolted through the trees, deeper into the woods, and I guessed he was chasing the deer. I decided then and there that I’d have to keep him on a leash.

“Max!” I yelled. “Come back!”

He didn’t listen.

I glanced back at the house, wondering if I should get my parents for help. The woods and its inhabitants scared me, but I debated on what I should do. Finally, I decided to just go a little ways into the woods, but I did—if only for a brief second—wonder what the chances were that I’d run into a bear.

I stepped through the vegetation and took a tentative step. Glancing around, I didn’t see Max, so I called for him a few times, only to get no response. When I heard a bark in the distance, I took off through the woods that surrounded our property. I pushed aside some green vegetation and glanced ahead and could finally see my beloved and ornery pet. “Max!” I shouted. “Come back!”

He gave me the dog version of the I-see-you-but-I-don’t-care look, then started sniffing the ground.

As I walked toward where he was, I seriously considered obedience classes. A thorn grazed my skin, and I bit my lip to stave off the pain. I swore I’d never let that cantankerous canine off the leash again.

I stumbled left and tripped over a pile of termite-ridden, moss-covered, rotting logs, then burst through more towering ferns. Max disappeared into the thick vegetation once again. I couldn’t see him anywhere, but I could still hear him barking. Panting, I spun in a slow circle. I was afraid if I went in any deeper, I’d get lost, but I couldn’t just desert my best friend.

The snap of a twig behind me, followed by the unmistakable crunch of dried leaves, halted me mid step, and I strained to listen. Was that...Max?

The snap of another twig drifted through the forest.

I peered around the trees and high grass. “Max?” I yelled. “C’mere, boy.”

Silence.

I swept an uneasy glance around the trees, my senses on full alert, and I whistled. “Here, Max! C’mon,  boy. Let’s go home.”

The singing of crickets and chirping of birds was my only reply.

I jumped, startled, as a sudden flash of tan glinted to my left. I flinched. For a split second, I saw amber-colored eyes in the foliage. Panic struck me; I was sure it was some kind of wild animal. I worried that Max might have been attacked, and I knew one bite to the throat might prove fatal. I grabbed a long, sturdy stick. It wasn’t much of a weapon, but I’d be able to poke those yellow eyes out if their owner came after me.

A menacing growl broke the silence. My heart thudded against my ribcage, and a shiver swept over my skin. Running after Max had been a dumb idea. My dad had warned me about black bears, coyotes, mountain lions, and bobcats. He hadn’t said anything about tigers, but it was still quite the oh-my situation.

Whatever the creature was that I’d seen, it had already seen me, so I knew there was no use hiding. I had to call for Max again, as I couldn’t possibly leave until I knew he was okay. “Max!” I yelled, pointing the stick at the eyes peering out from the vegetation, ready to fight with every ounce of strength I had.

Finally, Max burst through the thick plants, and I clutched my heart and let out a sigh of relief when I saw that he was unharmed. He immediately took a protective stance in front of me and starting growling and barking at whatever was in those ferns. Given the fight-or-flight choice, I was sure the best course of action was to slowly sneak backward and get the heck outta there.

When the ferns parted, I gasped. I was face to face with a mountain lion, and when it let out its bloodcurdling signature roar, my heart began to pound in my chest like a high school marching band.

I turned around quickly, only to bump into a guy who looked to be about my age. He was so scorching hot that if I had wet my finger with my tongue and touched him, his chest would have steamed and sizzled. He instinctively pushed me behind him as if to protect me, then started shouting and throwing sticks at the big cat. I joined in with some noise of my own, and in an instant, the mountain lion fled into the grass.

The beautiful stranger eyed me up and down, warmth and empathy radiating from the depths of his glare. “Are you okay?”

Those gorgeous, winter-blue eyes hypnotized me, and I was pulled into his hold with one look. My breath had never literally been taken away before, but I was absolutely suffocating under the power of his stare, and my knees began to shake. “I-I…” The butterflies that had landed in my stomach in fear of the cat were now turning flirty summersaults. My eyes slid up his towering body, gliding over his high cheekbones and the dark stubble shading his sharp jaw. He was definitely tall, dark, and handsome, and even if it was quite cliché of me to be so taken by him, I felt like I’d been struck by lightning. I’d never been face to face with somebody so beautiful and angelic. He was the kind of guy who I thought only existed in movies, as if a Calvin Klein model had stepped down off of one of those big, delicious billboards for a hike through the woods.

“Are you sure you’re all right?” he said when my stutter never turned into a complete answer. He didn’t fidget or stumble for words like I did whenever I was standing in front of a gorgeous stranger. Rather, his cool confidence spoke volumes to me, as if he was used to girls throwing themselves at him, which I was just about to do.

My breath froze in my throat, and my stomach clenched. I’d never been so drawn to anyone before, never so instantly, so madly attracted. I couldn’t stop staring at his messy tangle of dark hair, that tousled, just-out-of-bed look that I loved and found so sexy. From his piercing blue eyes to his strong, chiseled jaw to his handsome face, he was absolutely godlike, even if he was only dressed in a black t-shirt and blue jeans. I took a deep breath to try to calm down, but it felt as if time had stopped.

When our eyes locked, we seemed lost in each other’s gaze, oblivious to anything else. I was fixated on his piecing stare, and the explosive chemistry between us was absolutely undeniable.

My ex had told me that sexual attraction and chemistry couldn’t possibly be planned, that it was something that would just happen naturally. I knew, standing there looking at this new guy, that he wasn’t lying. I had never felt like that with my old boyfriend. I couldn’t even explain the uncontrollable force that was drawing me to him like a moth to flame. When he looked at me with that sexy smile on his face, I’d never felt so desirable, so wanted, and I wanted to jump into his strong embrace. He was a smoldering hot hunk, and I couldn’t believe I had his attention.

“Is everything okay?” he asked a third time, snapping me back into reality.

My mouth dropped, and it took a minute for my brain to function. “Uh, huh? Oh yeah. I’m, um…I’m fine,” I babbled, as if that big cat had my tongue.

He stepped forward and looked off into the vegetation. “It’s gone for now, but you must be careful of predators out here.” He met my gaze straight on. “Predators are always on the prowl. They’ll stalk their prey until an opportunity arrives to pounce, then go for the neck with a fatal bite.”

“I know. The thought of anything biting me anywhere kind of freaks me out.”

“If you are not all right with fangs piercing your skin, you definitely shouldn’t be out here.”

“You’re right. Let’s get outta here before the big kitty comes back.”

He stared deeply into my eyes. “It won’t.”

Max growled at the handsome stranger, then began to bark.

A bit embarrassed that I didn’t have my dog under better control, I patted the furry beast’s head and said, “Don’t worry. He doesn’t bite.”

“Well, tell him that I do.”

We both burst out in laughter; his ice-breaker had worked.

Nevertheless, even with my soothing tone and gentle touch, Max still continued.

“Max!” I scolded. “Knock it off, boy.”

“Don’t blame Max. It’s not his fault. All dogs hate me. It’s their natural instinct.”

“Nah, he’s just protective and loyal, that’s all. You’re still a stranger to him, and he is trying to look after me.” I glanced around, still rattled by the mountain lion. “We’d better go, just in case that snarling menace comes back looking for dessert.”

“Like I said, it’s not coming back,” he said sternly, then shifted his powerful stance. “It caught a whiff of my scent. It fears me, just like your dog does.”

“You mean it’s afraid of shouting humans?”

“The shouting, yes.”

I laughed. “So you’re telling me that big lion is scared of our little voices?”

He stared at me with those dazzling blue eyes and changed the subject. “Do you always hike unprepared?”

“No. It was an unintended hike. My dog took off,” I said, “and I had to find him.”

“At the very least, you should carry pepper spray to ward off bears.”

“I don’t see you sporting a can,” I said with a chuckle.

He smirked. “I don’t need it. I can fight off a black bear with my bare hands.”

I smiled. “All right, Davy Crockett.”

He grinned right back at me, nearly melting me where I stood. “But all joking aside, you shouldn’t be out here. As I said, these woods are full of hungry predators.”

I shot him a flirty look. “Well, then it’s a good thing I’m safe here with you.”

I didn’t know what had come over me, but something had. Where are these wild emotions even coming from? I’d never been so bold and daring. It wasn’t like me at all, but I couldn’t keep the words and the girly giggles from coming out of my mouth. I couldn’t explain it, but there was some hot, intense, intoxicating connection between us. The attraction was sizzling, but I didn’t have the guts to ask him out or for his phone number. I didn’t even know if I was his type or not, if he even liked brunettes with frizzy, curly hair and chocolate-brown eyes. For all I knew, he was only into boob-job bleach blondes, and that most definitely wasn’t me.

“You don’t know a thing about me,” he said. “What makes you think you’re safe in my hands?”

“Are you saying I should fear you more than that mountain lion?” I asked. “Maybe I should be carrying more than pepper spray, if that’s the case.”

“What I’m saying is that you need to be careful. Seemingly nice guys cannot always be trusted,” he said, glancing down at the growling Max.

I smiled. “Are you a nice guy?”

His face lit up, and he grinned again. “I suppose there’s only one way to find out.”

I took the bait and engaged him. “And, pray tell, how’s that?”

Suddenly, his gorgeous grin faded, and worry flashed across his features. He began to dart his eyes around from tree to tree, shrub to shrub, and he listened so intently that I could have sworn his ears perked up like a dog’s.

Max started to bark and snap at the air, but when I peered into the foliage and thick brush, I couldn’t see a thing.

“They’re back,” he whispered, then pointed to Max. “Please keep him quiet.”

They? I thought, worried that he was talking about more than one mountain lion. As he suggested, I patted Max’s head and tried my best to calm him, but it didn’t help.

Finally, Mr. Mysterious knelt down and petted Max. “Shh, boy.”

Much to my surprise, Max immediately quit barking.

The handsome stranger then placed his hand on my lower back and briskly led me in the direction of our house. He gently tapped Max’s head. “Go home.”

Obediently, Max bolted off.

When the house was in view, I glanced over my shoulder to thank my escort, but he was gone, as quickly and mysteriously as he’d shown up in the first place. I squinted and looked through the dark spaces between the trees, but he was nowhere in sight, as if he’d just vanished into thin air. Who is he? I wondered. Where does he live? Gosh, I’m an idiot. I didn’t even get his name. Shaking my head at my foolishness, I walked to the back door and opened it.

“There you are. What took so long, sweetheart?” my mom asked. “And I know you didn’t stay in the back yard like I told you to.”

I pointed in the direction of where I’d come from. “I saw a mountain lion.”

My dad immediately pulled me into a tight hug, then stepped back from me and began inspecting me from head to toe. “Are you okay?”

I sighed. “I’m fine, Dad. Max ran off, and I just—”

“You weren’t supposed to go in the woods,” he said firmly.

“What was I supposed to do? I had to find Max.”

“You shouldn’t go out there alone. You could have hollered for me, and I would have gone with you.”

“It would’ve only taken a minute to get me or your dad,” my mom said.

“I didn’t know he was gonna go so deep into the woods, or I would have,” I said.

My dad’s brown gaze narrowed. “Are you sure it was a bobcat you saw?”

“Positive. I just took off running and—”

“Taylor,” my father pushed, “if that was a bobcat or mountain lion, its natural instinct would be to chase you. Never run. Just yell, shout, and make yourself look bigger.”

“Yeah, I know, but I panicked, I guess. Still, it didn’t chase me.”

“I don’t want you going out there alone again,” my mom said, as if I was five years old.

Dad handed me a plate with two slices of pizza on it. “Well, you’re safe now, so sit down and eat.”

I tried to calm my breathing. I didn’t have the guts to tell them I’d met a man in the woods and that he had saved me from the mountain lion. My stomach was tangled in knots. “Thanks, Dad, but I’m not really hungry. I think I’ll just go unpack a few boxes.”

“All right. I guess you have had quite a day,” Mom chimed in. “We’ll save your pizza, and you can just microwave it later if you get hungry.”

“Thanks.”

On my way upstairs, I glanced out the window but didn’t see anything unusual.

Later that night, when the moon began to shine and the crickets began to chirp and the wind began to whisper through the treetops, I thought about my mysterious stranger. The entire scene played out in my head over and over again in my dreams, and when I woke up the next morning, his beautiful face was on my mind. I had to find him, to see him again, if only once more, and to put a name to the beautiful face that I knew would linger in my mind for a long, long time.

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The Survivor Chronicles: Book 1, The Upheaval

By, Erica Stevens

Copyright 2013 Erica Stevens

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 recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. Thank you for downloading this ebook. This is the copyrighted property of the author, and may not be reproduced, copied and distributed for commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoyed this book, please encourage your friends to download their own copy.

Also From the Author

The Captive Series

Captured (Book 1)

Renegade (Book2)

Refugee (Book 3)

Salvation (Book 4)

The Kindred Series

Kindred (Book 1)

Ashes (Book 2)

Kindled (Book 3)

Inferno (Book 4)

Phoenix Rising (Book 5)

The Ravening Series

Ravenous (Book 1)

Taken Over (Book 2)

Reclamation (Book 3)

The Survivor Chronicles

Book 1: The Upheaval

Book 2: The Divide

Dedication

This book is dedicated to Eric and Steve. Thank you for bringing so much joy and laughter into my life. You are still loved and missed every day.

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to my husband and best friend, and my parents, siblings, nieces and nephews who make life more interesting and fun.

To Leslie Mitchell for being such a good friend and amazing help.

To Kevin Mills for his sense of humor, hard work and dedication to those less fortunate. Stay safe out there!

Chapter 1

John

Cape Cod, Mass.

7:22 am

John hit the blade switch on the mower, threw the safety locks and turned the key off. The grass of the large field was blowing gently in the breeze, the heads of the uncut dandelions dipped and bowed. The scent of fresh cut grass permeated the air from the three passes with the mower he had just made. He frowned as he searched the clear blue sky. Birds had taken flight, but that meant nothing. They were always taking to the air in search of some fish, new clams, or fresh roadkill. The tops of the trees swayed, and fortunately there was a sea breeze that helped to ease the oppression of the humid July day.

"Did you feel that?"

Carl was leaning against the hood of the work truck; the cigarette dangling from his mouth caused smoke to trail lazily up into one of his eyes. Years of smoking had inured him to this small annoyance however. Beneath the brim of his beaten Red Sox hat, Carl's weathered face was scrunched as he worked. The ends of his light brown hair, already damp with sweat, curled against the bottom of his cap.

"Feel what?" he inquired as he pulled on the string of the weed whacker and popped the head back on with the ease of an expert.

"I think the ground just shook."

He looked up at John in disbelief before bursting into laughter. Pulling the cigarette from his mouth, he flicked off the growing ash before propping it back between his lips. "Are you high?"

"No."

"Still drunk from the weekend, then?"

Annoyance coursed through John as he shook his head and released the handles of the mower. He was tired; it was Monday morning, the start of what was going to be a long, hot workweek. He wasn't in the mood for Carl's sarcasm, and John knew he had just felt something. He didn't need Carl laughing at him for it. "No man, I'm telling you I felt the ground shake. Like a tremor or something."

"What do you think this is, California? Last time I checked, earthquakes weren't all the rage in Mass."

John didn't think anything was all the rage in Mass, but he bit back that retort. Carl was a good guy, they had been working together for almost two years now and got along well enough, but Carl gave life to the term Masshole, and anyone that knew him would agree. Carl was set in his ways and he didn't like to have his world shaken in any sense, regardless of what John was certain he had felt or not.

It wasn't the end all and be all of the world. Earthquakes had happened before in Mass, but it was the first time John had actually felt one, and though it had been disconcerting, it had also been kind of cool. That was what he was trying to get across to Carl, but he wasn't about to start the week off on a bad note by arguing with the guy over it. They'd done so before, and they were both stubborn enough that it had only ended up making the week far more miserable than it had to be. Otherwise, Carl was good to pass the time with. They had enough in common that the conversation never got old, and they had enough original stories to keep each other laughing through the repetitive days of mowing lawns. But whenever they argued the week was uncomfortable and boring, and John really wasn't in the mood for one of those weeks. The impending heat wave was going to make it bad enough as it was.

"Whatever. You'll see. It'll be on the news later," John told him.

"I'm sure it will. Now how about you get that mower fired back up and let's get this place done already. There's a cold beer calling my name."

John sighed. Seven in the morning or not, he would've loved a cold beer right now. It would taste great on this already hot day and help ease the lingering headache he had from late Saturday/early Sunday morning. He'd spent most of yesterday sleeping, but he could still feel the effects of too much booze in his partially dehydrated body.

John was just reaching for the key when he felt it again. A strange shuddering in the earth, but it wasn't an actual shaking. It was almost as if the ground was vibrating, building toward some cataclysm that he couldn't even begin to fathom. For a second he thought that perhaps there was a ship passing by, since they were close enough to the canal to hear them as they passed. But then he dismissed the idea. There wasn't a boat big enough to give off these vibrations from such a distance. He looked down, expecting to see the earth jumping and lurching beneath his feet like it did in the movies. Instead it seemed to be shimmering as it pulsated with a vibrant force that wasn't exactly an earthquake, but didn't quite fit into any other term he'd ever heard used for natural phenomena.

Awe and shock fading, true terror burst through him as he realized that this wasn't cool, and it also wasn't stopping. He jumped away from the mower as it also began to shudder, the motion of the earth causing the machine to twist on its wheels with a small groan. It wasn't running, but it was heavy and he definitely didn't feel like getting run over by the thing. John scurried to get out of the way, struggling to keep his balance as he staggered over the pulsating ground. The land was flat, but it was suddenly an intense effort to make it the few feet to where Carl was clinging to the work truck, his mouth gaping and his face ashen as he gawked at the earth beneath his feet.

Birds soared high, cawing and shrieking loudly as the trees began to shake forcefully. Something snapped loudly to his left, perhaps it was a branch, perhaps a tree, or perhaps it was the ground itself. The sound beat against his eardrums, then continued to echo throughout the air. The truck began to make an awful, twisting metallic sound that caused Carl to release his death grip on it.

He was only twenty four years old, he wasn't ready to die. Yet as the ground continued to make any escape near impossible he was consumed with the certainty that this would, in fact, be his last day on this planet.

And then, just when he thought that he couldn't stand anymore, as he prepared to scream like a girl and tear his hair out…

…it stopped.

The ensuing silence was nearly as unnerving as the turbulent quivering had been, but it was also blessedly wonderful. He staggered forward, nearly falling to his knees as he strained to stay upright. The world had stopped shaking, but his balance had been thrown off by the upheaval. Taking a deep breath, he focused his attention on Carl. John was about to tell him I told you so, and inform him of just what a Grade A dick he was, when a rending occurred.

John was never entirely sure if there actually was a sound, if he actually heard the tearing of the Earth or just felt the jolt of it in the marrow of his bones, perhaps all the way to the center of his soul. He felt something drain out of him, maybe it was his blood dropping to his toes; maybe he even pissed himself.

All he knew for certain was that he would never again know the world as he had known it before that moment, that very instant. He knew that everything would be forever changed, and not in a good way.

The noise seemed to echo throughout the sky. It rolled for what seemed like an eternity. When it was over the ensuing hush proved to be almost as unnerving as the rending and shaking had been. For a few seconds, nothing moved or made a sound as the entire world seemed to hold its collective breath.

Then it erupted in a clamor. Car alarms began to blare, echoing through the day as horns and beeps pierced the profound silence. Birds shrieked in distress as squirrels darted crazily through the trees. John took a startled step back as one of them suddenly came shrieking across the lawn toward him. It jumped and bounced wildly, chattering shrilly as it dashed forward. John just managed to avoid the creature as it screamed past him and ran headfirst into a tree.

He stood still and watched in horrified fascination. The dazed creature staggered around a moment, righted itself, and then slammed head first into the tree once again. Blood sprayed from the wounded animal's battered skull. It fell but gathered its remaining dregs of strength and slammed into the trunk again. Finally, thankfully, the creature lay still.

A blue jay suddenly plummeted from the sky, diving head first rapidly. It didn't hesitate, didn't even attempt to pull itself up as it smashed into the ground with a sickening crunch of bone. A plume of feathers shot up around it but John didn't have time to ponder what had just happened before a seagull nose-dived directly behind it.

His mouth dropped, he took a startled step back as yet another, and then another bird slammed into the field. It took him a few seconds before he realized that the formerly harmless, feathered creatures were turning themselves into dangerous - and quite possibly deadly - missiles.

Finally breaking free of the half paralysis that had been clinging to him, John took a few more steps back before spinning and lunging for the work truck. Carl was still clinging to the side of it, his mouth gaping, and the weed whacker forgotten as he gawked at the scene unfolding before him.

"Get in the truck!" John screamed.

Carl's eyes were glazed and dull as he looked toward John. John wasn't sure that Carl had heard a word he'd just said, even though he'd bellowed it at him. "Carl! GET IN THE TRUCK!"

Carl shook his head, finally seeming to come to his senses as he tossed his cigarette away and jumped into the open passenger side door of the truck. He fell across the seat, pulling the handle to shove the driver's door open. John dove inside, struggling to shut the door behind him as birds continued to plummet from the sky. His mouth gaped as he watched from behind the safety of the glass as an assortment of feathered friends plunged into the ground. Not a single one of them hesitated before diving to their deaths. Outside the truck, random feathers began to litter the air. They floated about slowly, in a way that might have been captivating, maybe even peaceful, if it hadn't been so damn disturbing.

A crow smashed off of the truck roof with a loud crash that caused them both to jump, and John to release a sound that normally would have embarrassed him, but seemed entirely appropriate in this situation. To his left another squirrel barreled out of the woods, followed by two chipmunks and a rabbit that was moving far faster than John had ever thought possible for the fluffy creature. John didn't watch the squirrel - he couldn't bring himself to see that nightmare unfold again - but he couldn't tear his eyes away from the frantic hopping of the bunny. He was certain that Thumper was about to bash itself against the tire of the truck when a plummeting heron managed to take him out first in a grotesque puff of blood, feathers and fur.

Carl cursed under his breath. "Drive," he commanded.

"What? Where!?" John demanded, fighting against the panic trying to consume him.

"I don't care! To the shop! Anywhere! Just get us outta here!"

John nodded; his hand shook as he turned the key. AC blasted into the vehicle on a rush of cold air that normally would have felt refreshing if he hadn't been so horribly and unreasonably chilled. His bones felt brittle, his blood was like ice in his veins. His heart lumbered in his chest. Carl grabbed his cigarettes off the dash and lit one with a trembling hand.

For the first time in his life John desperately wished that he smoked too, if only to have something to take his mind off of the disaster unfurling around him. He hadn't made it two feet when he realized that something about the truck was off, something was… wrong. A loud grating sound set his teeth on edge as two more birds bashed off of the truck's hood. The vehicle was brand new, just purchased at the start of the season. Now it was going to look like a demo car by the time all of this was over.

"Crap. The gate's still down," Carl groaned.

John was frozen, uncertain what to do. A part of him was tempted to say "screw it" and pull out of there at a hundred miles an hour. The other part - the one that had been trained on safety and procedures for the past two years - protested loudly against allowing that to happen. The trailer would be ruined, or someone could get injured if they left it down as they drove. Not to mention the fact that he really didn't care to draw any more attention to themselves than necessary, and a metal gate dragging loudly across the road would do exactly that. Plus, it would slow them down, and he had a sneaky feeling they were going to require as much speed as they could get.

"We have to get it," John said.

Carl was silent as he chewed on the filter of his cigarette in quiet contemplation. Finally he turned to John, his gray eyes dark as he nodded firmly. "We do," Carl agreed.

John swallowed heavily; a part of him had been hoping that Carl would be able to come up with some reason to just leave it, to just go anyway. To get out of here as fast as possible. But "fast" wasn't really an option if it remained down. "Count of three?" he asked.

Carl nodded, his eyes troubled, but his hand resting on the door handle as he watched John. "One."

"Two."

"Three!"

They both swung their doors open and plunged back into the hot July air. Carl hadn't taken five steps before a small catbird crashed into his shoulder. Carl grunted from the impact, but continued to run toward the lowered gate. John beat him to it and threw the heavy metal up and dropped the pin in place in one fluid motion. He didn't even spare a glance for the mower, still sitting in the field. At this point he didn't care if it cost him his job, he was not going to take the time to put it back on the trailer.

He turned and dashed back to the truck, his hands over his head as he darted back and forth in an attempt to evade the feathered missiles. He tumbled back into the truck, breathing heavily as Carl hopped in and slammed the door. "Go! Go!" Carl ordered briskly.

John nodded as he shoved the truck into drive and stomped on the gas. The trailer bounced over the rutted drive of the field as he sped toward the road. Dead animals crunched sickeningly beneath the tires. John barely hesitated before turning onto the main road and back toward the center of town. He sped down the street, trying to evade the suicidal animals, as well as the other crazed and dazed drivers on the road.

He was almost to the center of town when he realized that what they had experienced in the field had been nothing. It was there, amongst the busy shops and invading tourists that all hell had broken loose.

Chapter 2

Mary Ellen

Newport, RI.

7:15 am

It was the whistling that set her teeth on edge. That incessant, infernal whistling. Fifteen years ago, when she'd first been in love, and young, and dumb, she had found the whistling endearing. Almost charming. Today? Today it made her feel like ripping her hair out, screaming at the sky, and jumping over the edge of the balcony to smash mercifully onto the ocean rocks below.

It just didn't stop, and she was no longer some fifteen year old girl in the first throes of puppy love. No longer a pregnant eighteen year old, too frightened of her parent's disapproval to tell them that she didn't want to get married. She was a woman now, she was thirty, and her life was slipping past in a blur that she'd been cautioned about as a child, but never truly grasped until last year.

She'd woken up one day and had a clear epiphany; she didn't love her husband anymore. Hell, she didn't even like him anymore. Not even a little. As she reviewed the past few years and became brutally honest with herself, she'd realized that she'd actually never really liked him. She'd simply been in awe of the striking, slightly older boy who had desired her too.

And now the baby they had married for had just turned twelve. Their daughter, Rochelle, was smart and beautiful. She'd inherited her mother's looks and her father's brains. Unfortunately, she also inherited her mother's rebellious, know-it-all streak. The combination was brutal, especially with the hormonal teen years looming. Though she dreamed of it every day, Mary Ellen knew she wouldn't leave the marriage, not until Rochelle was out of high school. She was terrified a divorce would send her already headstrong daughter into a perilous emotional spiral that could never be controlled.

She'd done many things wrong in her life, but she'd be damned if she took her daughter with her too.

Six more years, she told herself. Six more years and she could be free of the whistling, and the controlling, and the shirts that held a different array of perfumes. Mary Ellen didn't even wear perfume. In the beginning, she fought with him about it; she cried and carried on about his affairs, railed at both him and the heavens for the sheer unfairness of it all.

On the day she had her realization, however, she quit fighting. Quit crying. Instead, she hired a private investigator who had now been tracking Larry for a little over six months. The day Rochelle left for college Mary Ellen was going to file for divorce, and she planned on taking her fair share with her when she went. The PI was accumulating a good amount of damaging evidence against her husband. Without it, she knew Larry would leave her with nothing. She'd endured too much for too long to allow that to happen.

Larry had the college degree and a law degree on top of that. He was incessantly manipulative, and had a cruel streak that somehow still managed to astound her, even after so many years. Shortly after the wedding she'd found herself shoved into the role of meek little housewife. To be fair, however, she had allowed him to delegate this role for her, willfully accepting it. It seemed easier to compromise than to fight with him over it.

In the beginning she'd done everything she could to make him happy. In the middle, she had continued to do so in the hopes that he would come home, that he would somehow learn to appreciate her and the things she did for him.

Today? Today she didn't give a rat's ass if he ever came home again, and she definitely didn't expect him to appreciate anything. Honestly, she wished she could get back all those years she had wasted trying to make him happy, years that she should have used to make herself happy, or even be happily married to someone else. Anyone else.

She sighed. As her mother always used to say, if wishes were horses then beggars would ride. It had seemed like such a silly saying when she was growing up. As an adult, she understood it all too painfully.

The back sliding glass door slid open behind her as Larry stepped onto the porch with her. Mary Ellen turned as Larry strode toward her, adjusting his tie as he moved. He was still striking, handsome and tall with dark hair going partially gray, and a firm physique. Even so, she found him ugly now, repulsive even.

He broke off whistling. "Fix my tie."

It wasn't a question. It was a command, and Mary Ellen's jaw clenched ever-so-slightly. She quietly placed her coffee cup on the railing, smiled at him and grasped his tie. For one brief moment she allowed herself the delightful image of pushing it all the way up, shoving it into his throat and finally ending the unremitting whistling for good as she happily choked the life from him.

Her smile widened into a grin as she released the tie. "All set."

"I'll be working late tonight."

"Would you like me to keep dinner warm for you?"

"Don't bother. I'll be having dinner with clients." Or whatever new girl he was dating this week. He jutted his chin out. "You have to dust better; there was some on top of the bookshelf in my den this morning."

Mary Ellen clenched her teeth as she forced a tight smile to her mouth. "I'm sorry," she said with a nod. "I'll make sure to take care of that today."

"Good." He turned away from her, whistling again as he grabbed the briefcase from inside the glass door. "You might also consider hitting the gym again. You're putting on weight, you know."

No, she didn't know. Other than pregnancy, she'd always been the same size six she'd been since she was fourteen. Not that she expected him to notice. She didn't say any of this though; she simply nodded and continued to smile her irritating, phony smile at him.

Six more years. Just six more. On days like today, it felt like an eternity.

"Of course," she placated, unwilling to give him the pleasure of seeing her upset by his words.

She knew, without even having to look, that it was seven nineteen. It would be exactly seven twenty when he stepped outside that front door. It always was. She waited, listening as the door opened and closed behind him before she started her day. Walking into the kitchen she rinsed her coffee cup and placed it in the sink. The dishes could wait till later.

She jogged upstairs, pulled out her workout clothes and quickly slipped them on. This was her favorite part of the day, the simple hour she had to herself to walk down the beach and savor in the beauty that the rest of the world had to offer. An hour in which she could remind herself that not everything was awful in life, and that there were good things out there, just waiting for her to discover.

She was making her way back downstairs when she felt the first tremor, a small shaking. Rochelle's fifth grade picture rattled beside her on the wall. She clasped the railing tighter as the photo continued to shake. It broke loose and plummeted onto the stairs. Mary Ellen jumped back as glass shattered around her feet.

"What the…?"

The question broke off as the world settled around her again. She'd felt a tremor last year, but not this much, and at the time she'd written it off as a passing train until she'd heard about it on the news. There was no denying this though. It was obvious that she'd just experienced some sort of earthquake. She'd heard of the New Madrid fault line, knew that it would affect them if an earthquake was large enough, but something about this just didn't feel right.

Not like she was an earthquake expert. She'd spent a summer, when she was eleven, visiting her aunt and uncle in San Francisco but she'd only experienced one small tremor while there, and her aunt had insisted that it had actually only been a passing trolley. As she got older Mary Ellen suspected her aunt was right, and that she had simply wanted it to be an earthquake so she would have something exciting to tell her friends about after the summer.

But now? Well, now there was no denying what she had just felt.

She waited breathlessly for a minute, but it seemed that the world had settled back into place and the small tremor had been an isolated incident. She stooped over and began to carefully gather the larger pieces of glass within her cupped hand. She had just placed the last piece into her palm when the world seemed to drop out from under her. She cried out as she was violently thrust to the side.

She felt glass slice into her hand; blood flowed forth as her shoulder bounced into the wall and the shattered pieces scattered again. Instinctively, she put her hand out for balance but it was already too late. Slick from the blood, her hand slipped awkwardly and she was thrust forward as the world lurched once again. Tumbling out of control, she ricocheted down the stairs and off the wall before crashing into the back of the couch.

She moaned, her body aching and throbbing as she tried to right herself. From somewhere deep in the house a loud crash reverberated. She suspected the bookcase that Larry had complained about had just toppled over. At least now the top of it would be easier to dust, she thought to herself. Somewhere closer, another crash and shattering glass. For the first time since it began, she didn't feel just confusion, but actual fear. She realized that she had to get moving, that she'd die in this place if she didn't.

Her hand continued to leave a trail of blood as she ran, one she was dimly aware Larry would later berate her for. The glass in the grandfather clock in the corner shattered, blowing outward with a force that seemed entirely out of place for an earthquake. Stumbling and staggering, she made her way to the front door and flung it open.

People were emerging outside. Some were screaming as they fled the deathtrap their houses had suddenly become. Others had fallen to the ground, seemingly astounded and lost as they stared at their tumultuous surroundings. Mary Ellen tripped down the outside stairs, fell to her knees, and forced herself back to her feet. Her heart hammered, she could barely get air into her lungs as her body became coated in a thin sheen of sweat. It seemed as if the shaking had been going on for hours, like it was never going to stop.

Something broke, or at least that's what it felt like to her. A cracking, like an eggshell against a bowl, seemed to slash through the air. She stood, frazzled, stunned; unable to move as she somehow sensed a rending deep within her soul. A long, sad breath escaped her, and for some inexplicable reason tears suddenly sprang to her eyes.

And then, finally - thankfully - it was over. The enshrouding silence that ensued was almost as overwhelming as the quake had been. Then car alarms began to blare, dogs barked riotously, and an anguished scream pierced the still air. Mary Ellen fought the urge to cover her ears as that scream caused her bones to tremble.

She couldn't breathe as she stumbled down the last few steps onto the sidewalk. Her neighbor, Mr. Shandling, was just emerging from his house. In his seventies, he was a kind old man, with smiling blue eyes, and a quirky sense of humor that Mary Ellen adored. She didn't get to talk with him much, as he had worked mostly the same hours as Larry. And seventy or not, Larry didn't like her talking to any man. But Mr. Shandling had retired from his job last month, and at least three times a week now she found herself drifting over to his garden to share coffee and chitchat, as he pulled weeds and admired his tomatoes.

He looked disorientated now as he blinked at her from behind the lenses of his glasses. Blood was trickling from a cut in his forehead; it had turned some strands of gray hair pink and ran in a perfect line down his nose. "Mr. Shandling!" Mary Ellen called out, terrified for him and his safety.

Gathering her scattered wits, Mary Ellen forced her trembling legs to work properly as she ran toward him. He turned to her, seeming dazed and disoriented as he blinked at her. "Mary Ellen?"

"Yes." She arrived at his side. "Are you okay, Mr. Shandling?"

His hand went gingerly to his forehead. He seemed amazed as he pulled it back to examine the blood coating his fingers. "I think so," he muttered.

It wasn't the best of responses, but at least it was a response. She needed a towel, or something to wipe the blood away so that she could see the wound better. She was grabbing hold of his arm to steer him back inside when the barking that filled the air stopped. Bewildered by the sudden reprieve, she lifted her head to warily take in her surroundings. It was still loud, still unbelievably chaotic as people cried, screamed and carried on. Then the howling began.

As one unnerving unit, every dog within earshot let loose a series of cries that caused her heart to stutter. She heard birds shrieking, but when she tilted her head back the sky remained clear.

"What the…" Mr. Shandling broke off as a frantic woman raced across the yard toward them. Mary Ellen recognized her from the neighborhood, but they'd never really spoken before.

"Your husband," the woman panted, pointing frantically toward the end of the street. "I called nine one one, but all the circuits… There's no phones. Your husband…" she trailed off. "You have to come. Hurry!"

A cold chill crept down Mary Ellen's spine. Mr. Shandling's hand enfolded hers. "Go. I'll be fine. Go on," he urged.

She reluctantly released his surprisingly strong, weathered hand. She ran beside the woman, her heart hammering not so much with apprehension, but with a certain excited expectancy. It made her wonder just what kind of person she really was. They passed more people stumbling numbly around. On her left, a house had half collapsed. Outside, a woman was on her knees in the front yard crying loudly for her cat. Holes had opened up in the ground, appearing as if out of nowhere in peoples yards and the street. There was steam rising from one of them, but Mary Ellen didn't begin to guess the source.

At the end of the road she spotted Larry's new, shiny black Mercedes embedded in the trunk of a tree. Judging by the tire marks in the road, he had swerved to avoid one of the larger holes in the road. Cautiously, breathlessly, she approached the driver's side door. The air bag had deployed, but it hadn't done Larry any good. She stood, gaping and confused, as she stared at the broken body of her husband. The right side of his face had been crushed by a severed tree branch that had plunged through the roof of the car, impaling itself in his leg.

Six years.

It took her a moment to realize that she wouldn't have to wait those six years, to realize that what she'd be waiting for, the moment she'd been calculating, was now.

She was free. She thought she should be more upset. After all, they had been together for fifteen years - half of her life - but all she felt was a sense of lightness as the severed bonds of oppression and unhappiness fell away from her. Free.

She lifted her head, inhaling sharply as she tried to retain control of her swaying emotions. The street was a mess, people were everywhere, emergency vehicles could be heard in the distance, but she saw no way they would be able to make it past the collection of hole-filled road, wrecked cars, and traumatized people. She stumbled backward as the first bird plummeted from the sky, knocking a man to his knees as it struck his head.

A strangled cry escaped her. The neighbor woman seized hold of her arm, pulling her back as more birds began to fall. "Run!" she cried.

Mary Ellen didn't have to be told twice; she turned and immediately bolted back toward her home. Mr. Shandling was waving and shouting at her from beneath the shelter of his porch roof. Mary Ellen ran as fast and relentlessly as she could, with only one thing on her mind:

She had to get her daughter.

Chapter 3

Riley

Foxboro, Mass.

7:22 A.M.

Riley jogged backward as she called to her softball team to keep up. They were slacking, and she didn't care how hot it was already. They needed to get their butts in gear if they were going to make it into the tournament finals next week. Last year she wouldn't have cared about slacking. In fact, she probably would have been in the back of the group along with her friend Carol, snickering and complaining about the run. But now she was going into her senior year, and she'd already been elected Captain of the team. These were going to be the first games with her in charge, and she'd be damned if they were going to fail under her watch.

"Come on, guys! My grandmother can run faster!"

There was a collective series of groans. Carol stuck her tongue out and made a sour face. Traitor, she mouthed.

Riley grinned, and had just started to laugh when she was suddenly thrown off balance and knocked back. She bounced on her butt across the sidewalk, a groan swelled up her throat as her bruised ass protested the jarring impact. She suppressed it only because she was humiliated by her unbelievable - and uncharacteristic - clumsiness. She must have tripped over a crevice in the sidewalk, or perhaps a stubborn root that had somehow worked its way beneath the surface, as was common in this area.

Yet even as those thoughts ran through her mind, her body continued to process a variety of other stimuli. The ground was vibrating beneath her fingers. She hadn't noticed it at first because she had been so startled, but she felt it now. There was a tingling working its way up her hand, into her arms, and pulsating through her chest.

Carol stepped forward, her hand out to help Riley up, but she then froze. Carol's eyebrows drew together in confusion, her mouth parted as her eyes lifted to scan the street, then the treetops. Riley went to push herself up when she realized what had caused her to fall. It had been a tree root, but this one had not worked its way beneath the surface of the walkway, it had ripped its way up from the maple that had tipped over in the yard next to her.

A young boy raced out the front door, his mother close on his heels as he bolted into the front yard, screaming incoherently. Riley was screaming without even realizing it, and then she realized that she wasn't actually making any sounds. Not out loud anyway. Instead, there was a silent cry echoing loudly in her head that she could neither drown nor release.

Then the real screaming started, not the panicked shrieks reverberating through her head, but agonized screams that left Riley numb inside. She felt a fracturing somewhere, perhaps in the deep recesses of her mind, she didn't know. But what she was seeing - what her eyes were trying to process - couldn't be real. It just couldn't, she insisted internally.

Carol had fallen back, nearly tripping over Riley as she scrambled to get out of the way. Carol was not the one screaming; instead strange almost grunting and animalistic noises were coming from her as she fell against the uprooted, thick dirt base of the maple. Other members of the team had fallen back; Jenny turned and bolted into the street. The girl was running faster now than at any time during practice. Alice was screaming at the top of her lungs, alternating between pulling at her short brown hair and reaching and retreating from… something…

From something that Riley was sure couldn't possibly be real. But it was. Riley stared, astonished, gaping; her mind slowly accepting that what her eyes were seeing was, in fact, real.

Their second baseman, Kelly, stumbled first to the left, then to the right, before bobbing forward and back again. But something… wasn't right. Kelly's hair, her beautiful, shimmering, nearly impossible blue black hair was gone. It seemed to have shriveled, curled up and disappeared as if it had been lit on fire. Only a few strands of hair remained attached to Kelly's now visible, puckered, and reddened scalp.

Riley didn't really understand why the lack of hair bothered her so much when she was looking at the gaping hole of the right side of Kelly's face. A hole that revealed blood, and muscle, and exposed bone where Kelly's bronzed skin had been just seconds ago. A side that seemed to have simply shriveled up, and disappeared with Kelly's hair. The left side of Kelly's face was almost intact… minus the lips, ears, and eyelid. But who needed those things anyway, Riley thought hysterically, when all of those beautiful locks were gone?

Who gives a crap about the hair! Riley snarled at herself. Get a grip, get a grip! Oh God, she was an idiot. She dimly realized she was in some sort of shock.

A low groan escaped Riley as Kelly's one remaining brown eye locked onto her. Riley felt that connection deep in her soul, felt her friends suffering as if it were her own. Tears of loss slid down Riley's face. How was Kelly even still alive?

Then that brown eye rolled up, Kelly took a stumbling step back and fell into the steaming hole that had appeared beside her, the explosive vent that had been the source of her destruction.

More shouts filled the air. Riley shoved her fist into her mouth; she bit down on her knuckles as she screamed against them. She didn't know why she didn't just scream out loud, like the remaining members of her team as they staggered away from the boiling remains of their friend. But Riley was still clinging to the improbable, and insane, thought that as Captain she had to set a strong example. Though she was fairly certain that no other Captain, ever, in the history of time, had watched one of their team members practically parboil in the middle of a freaking sidewalk!

Hands seized her arms, causing her to jump. "Riley! Riley, get up!" Carol's words finally penetrated the haze clinging to her. "GET UP, RILEY!"

Riley allowed Carol to help her to her feet. "What's happening?"

Carol shook her head. Her hazel eyes were frantic as they darted over the street, the homes, and the falling trees. Riley could barely bring herself to look at Carol, never mind the chaos surrounding her, the death she felt in the air.

She couldn't keep her head buried in the sand though; it would only get her killed. She had to be aware, alert, even if she didn't want to see what was going on. Little by little, she found the courage to lift her head.

All around her, there were people running, screaming, crying. The ground had stopped shaking, but the chaos was spreading like wildfire as the earth continued to crumble and pockets of deadly steam sprouted up. Dogs were barking crazily. Something else was shrieking, and she finally realized that it was the squirrels as they fled into the street, into the trees, or just ran heedlessly into things. She winced, unable to look as some of them battered themselves to death.

Carol's hands tightened on her arms, they were bruising but Riley found that she almost welcomed the pain. It meant that she was alive. To her left, another unfortunate person fell into a hole. Three more looked like they'd been electrocuted by fallen power lines, a car was embedded in the front porch across the street, and at least two houses had flames shooting out of their roofs.

The remaining members of the team huddled close to her. Other than losing Kelly, and Jenny bolting, they appeared to have all remained. Most of them had been together since elementary school. They were friends, or at the very least friendly. They relied on each other; they trusted one another.

Now they were all staring at Riley as if she might somehow have the magic answer to this mess. But this wasn't knowing what glove was best, or what kind of dress to buy… she didn't have the first clue as to what was happening. Judging by the hysterical people surrounding her, young and old, no one else seemed to, either. She didn't know if they should try and go to Carol's, whose house was closest, or if they should stay here. Apparently the earth beneath their feet was no longer stable, apparently it was looking to cook them like lobsters, or crush them like nuts.

She shuddered at the comparison and purposely tried not to think about how many nuts she had cracked every Christmas with her grandparents. The thought of her grandparents caused a tug at her heart. Her family. That's where she should be, and she didn't care if it was safe or not to try and get to them.

But she did care. Tears burned her eyes, she couldn't abandon the girls, her team; her friends. With new determination, she turned toward them. "Brie, do you have your phone?"

Phones were supposed to be left behind during practice and training runs, but Riley was well aware of the fact that Brie always kept hers stashed between her ample breasts. The girl was unable to part with the thing for even a minute. For the first time Riley was truly grateful for that fact.

"Huh? My uh… Oh! Yeah! Yeah, I do!" Brie responded dazedly.

Riley thrust her hand out and seized hold of the small phone. "Who are you calling?" Carol asked tremulously.

She was tempted to call her family, but she wasn't the most important thing right now. She quickly dialed nine one one. She hadn't known what she expected, to get through, perhaps not. To get an all circuits are busy was a more obvious choice. But the dead silence, the absolute nothing that accompanied her pushing of the send button was enough to make her skin crawl. She swallowed heavily, pulled the phone from her ear and hit the buttons again with a trembling finger.

Nothing.

She blinked back the tears burning her eyes and numbly handed the phone back to Brie. The faces surrounding her were all ashen; their eyes were larger, rounder; more childlike as they looked to her. For the first time she wished they had elected another Captain this year.

"We can't stay here; we have to find shelter, or somewhere safe. Carol we should go to your house first. Perhaps a landline…"

Riley broke the sentence off. If a cell phone wasn't working, and all around them lines were down, what were the chances a landline would work? Somewhere in the distance a siren began to wail, followed swiftly by a second one. Something popped and exploded with a loud BANG. Riley ducked, instinctively throwing her arms over her head. A few seconds later, she peeked out from under her arm as the transformer across the street began to smoke.

They had to get out of there, now.

"Go. We have to go." She couldn't stop the tremble in her voice.

"Yes," Carol agreed. Carol took a few tentative steps backward before she seemed to recall what had happened to Kelly and looked nervously over her shoulder.

Riley and Carol led the way down the suddenly hostile sidewalk. There were plenty of times they had to move into yards, into the street, and go well out of their way to avoid the multiple holes. Though not all of the openings were steaming, but none of them were brave enough to chance going near the possible death traps. As they ran they passed dead birds, but when Riley looked to the sky she didn't see any in flight.

She continued to hear sirens, but saw no emergency vehicles. Though not everyone seemed to be losing it, confusion still ruled. The screaming had died down, and some people were gathering their wits, while others wandered in a haze that frightened Riley even more than the suddenly deadly world surrounding them.

Carol's house came into view, the vivid blue of its front door clearly visible from anywhere within eyesight of the structure. No one could miss that blue. It was worse than The Smurfs. Carol's mother liked things bright, and thankfully her father was colorblind, but the rest of the world had to deal with the color. A fact that Carol's mother found entertaining, and laughed about when people complained. She somewhat enjoyed aggravating people, said the color amused her. It embarrassed Carol, but Riley thought it was hilarious.

She broke into a jog, mindful of obstacles in her way as she began to move faster. Her legs pumped vigorously as she bolted up Carol's stairs and thrust open the hideously blue door with no thought to any peril that may linger within. Her only thought was the phone.

She'd been in Carol's house often enough to know where everything was located. She shoved the toppled coat hanger out of her way in her rush to get to the living room. The once tidy room was a mess, but she scarcely noticed the broken glass, scattered books, shattered TV, and fractured ceiling. She picked the phone up off the floor, slammed it back into its cradle, and waited a few seconds before snatching it back up.

Silence.

Frustration filled her; she bit back a groan as she placed the phone down, impatiently tapped her foot, and counted to ten. The team remained silent as they watched and waited from the doorway. Riley snagged the phone again. This time silence didn't greet her on the other end.

As she pressed the receiver to her ear, a strange, almost electrical whistling rattled across the line. It clicked, hissed, popped, and whistled again before once more going silent. Riley's hand clenched the phone tighter, and she found she was paralyzed as the silence was broken once more by the same series of sounds. She would have preferred silence; there was something eerie in the noises, something inexplicably terrifying.

Something inhuman.

Her hand shook as she gently placed the phone back in its cradle, suddenly frightened of the inanimate object.

"Nothing?" Carol asked.

Riley swallowed heavily. Her eyes traveled over the frightened faces standing behind Carol. "Nothing good," she whispered.

Carol frowned. She hurried across the room and grabbed the phone. Her face scrunched as she stood and quietly listened. "What… is that?" she breathed.

"I don't know."

"I don't like it in here," Kelsey muttered, warily studying the cracked ceiling that Riley had chosen to ignore. She couldn't ignore it now as the house made a strange groaning sound. The structure seemed to be sagging in on itself, but would tremors do that? And then Riley understood; it wasn't tremors that had caused this sagging, but the holes. There were holes under this house.

"We have to get out. Now."

She practically shoved them out the door and down the hideously blue stairs of the drooping porch. She ran toward the street as the house released a heaving sound. It did not collapse on itself, not yet anyway, but the second floor was gradually making its way into the first floor, and Riley was certain the first floor windows were lower than they had been.

The horn blared behind her. She whipped her head around in time to see a car swerve frantically to avoid one of the holes, pop the curb, and spin out of control. Riley was frozen, trapped within the headlights as the Honda barreled down upon her. "Riley! Riley, move!" Carol screamed.

Her legs remained frozen though, locked in place. Her gaze was riveted upon the badly battered and bleeding man behind the wheel. She felt arms wrap around her waist as she was propelled out of the way of the oncoming car. She bounced over the ground, her breath knocked out of her. She lay, staring up at a pristine and beautiful blue sky that was completely out of place in this horrific new world surrounding her.

Then a new face loomed over her, a face that she instantly recognized. Carol's older brother, Alexander, stared back at her. She dimly recalled Carol saying that Xander had returned a few days ago from his college trip to Australia, but Riley had blown it off, as she did with most everything that had to do with him.

He looked her over with concern, seemed to decide that she was okay and broke into a grin. "What's the matter, Dumbo?" he said, bringing up her hated childhood nickname; a nickname that he had given her. "Those ears can't help you fly out of the way?"

He just saved my life, she thought. I should be thankful.

Instead, she hauled off and punched him squarely in the jaw.

Chapter 4

Carl

Cape Cod, Mass.

7:32 a.m.

His hands were shaking like a baby's, so much that he could barely light his cigarette, and he wasn't even using a lighter. He'd never really been a chain smoker. A heavy smoker, sure, but never a chain smoker. Now he lit one up right after the other, barely tasting them as he sucked them down with enough force to make his lungs ache.

His heart was hammering, not so much from the effects of too much nicotine, but from the growing certainty that they might not survive whatever was going on around them. In all of his forty-one years he had never imagined he would see anything like this, let alone live through it.

The scientists, news media, radicals, religious zealots, and every loony with a story to tell had prattled on and on about this stuff, this moment, right now. They urged people to recycle, preached about global warming, spouted about calendars, recited passages from The Bible, and talked about looming prophecies of doom. All of which Carl had never actually believed a whit. Not one iota.

Oh, he'd kidded about it, joked about what he'd do if the prophecies and calendars ever came true, but as far as he was concerned it was never going to come. That day was for future generations to worry about, it wasn't going to happen in his lifetime, he thought.

Carl did his bit to help by returning bottles, but he did so mainly for the deposit, and he didn't dump things into the water supply, at least not anymore. When he was younger no one cared about gas and oil and paint, or littering, and he'd left his fair share of pollution around. To be fair, though, he'd never really known what it could do back then. None of them did. Now he was more careful, but he still wasn't a fanatical member of the pollution police.

Yet he realized that what was occurring now didn't have to be a result of global warming. It could be the calendar thing or some prophecy or Bible verse he didn't know about.

It could even be all of those things occurring at once, or it could simply be a single, isolated incident. He could be dead wrong about his unspoken, unshakable certainty that today actually was the end of the world as he knew it. Two hours from now he could find out that only the Cape had been affected by whatever was going on, that they were the only ones experiencing it, but he didn't think so.

The radio offered only static broken up by a strange whistling noise. At one point he'd thought he'd heard some kind of voices coming through too, but he wasn't entirely sure they were there, or that they had even been human. Frankly, the noise had creeped him out. The hair on his neck had stood on end as the noise had hissed over the airwaves before returning it to the unnerving silence again. It was like eavesdropping on a CB conversation in another country, and not having a clue what the speakers were talking about. He'd turned the radio off with the silent vow not to turn it on again.

His shaky hands lit another cigarette and tossed the spent one out the window. He'd crushed the filter in-between his clenched fingers. "Jesus," John whispered in the driver seat next to him. "Jesus. What the hell?"

The kid had been uttering the same sentences repeatedly for a few minutes now. It was beginning to grate on Carl's nerves. But then again, the kid was right, this was a Jesus and What the Hell kind of situation they were in. Carl couldn't take his eyes off the window as they drove sluggishly through the town. Some of the buildings had crumpled, literally just crumpled like dominoes one on top of the other.

It was the heart of tourist season and Sandwich was a picturesque town. There were always tourists meandering the streets and checking out the shops that Carl himself had never once stepped foot in, even though he'd lived here for eight years now. It was still early, but there had still been plenty of people on the streets looking to beat the crowd of sightseers, antique hunters, and candy fanatics who would mob the streets later in the day.

The ones that had escaped the crumbling buildings were staggering dazedly down the street. He thought they should help, but John crept steadily onward and Carl didn't tell him to stop. He didn't know where to begin to help. A young boy was standing in the middle of the street, crying loudly as blood ran down the side of his face. Carl had no children of his own, but he did have a heart and he couldn't just leave the kid.

"Wait," he said sharply.

John seemed not to hear him over his tenth What the Hell, but finally Carl's command pierced his haze and he slid the truck to a stop. A woman emerged from the drifting dust of the debris. She lifted the child high, holding him in her arms before she disappeared into the dust and rubble once again.

"Never mind."

John didn't move. His hands twisted on the steering wheel, his knuckles had turned white. Even his suntanned face was three shades lighter than it had been at the start of the day. What dark hair wasn't plastered to his forehead with sweat, stuck out at odd angles from his narrow face.

"Go on, John."

John stared at him, his brown eyes nearly bulging out of his sockets as he blinked rapidly at Carl. "What is going on?"

Carl shook his head as he lit another cigarette. "I don't know, but you gotta move, John. We can't just sit here." He didn't know why, but he felt that staying still was the equivalent of death.

"Try the phone again."

That was the last thing he wanted to do again, but he grabbed hold of it as John drove down the road once more. There were other vehicles on the road, inching steadily onward, the drivers looked just as flabbergasted as Carl felt. He hit the buttons on the phone and received the same response he'd received before.

"Still nothing."

"The radio?"

"No," he said.

John was rocking subtly back and forth as he stared out the window. Thankfully the birds had stopped plummeting from the sky, but their bodies crunched under the solid tires of the truck as they rolled down the street. "We should go to the shop," he said.

Carl inhaled smoke deeply and pondered the idea of returning to their workshop. "We should get off this island," he decided.

"We'll get our cars…"

"No. We'll take the truck."

"What? No, we'll lose our jobs…"

"Do you honestly think it matters anymore?"

John blinked rapidly at him again before turning his attention back to the road that had become rutted from the upheaval of the earth. "What are you talking about?"

Carl waved a hand at the windshield. "Look around, John. This isn't exactly normal circumstances. I think keeping our jobs is the least of our worries right now. We have to get off this island. We're trapped here. When people begin to realize they should escape the bridges are going to be a nightmare. We'd never get off, and that's if the bridges are even still standing."

More rapid blinking from John, he was growing steadily whiter by the second. "We… we have to get our cars," he protested.

"How much gas do you have in your car? A quarter, possibly half a tank? John, we filled up the truck this morning; we have the gas card…"

"It's stealing."

It was stealing, and right now Carl didn't care. "If all of this ends up being nothing but an isolated, freak incident, then I'll take the heat for it. I will personally pay the company back. Hell, I'll even go to jail if it comes to that. But for now we're taking this truck - full of fuel - and we're getting off of this damn sandbar while we still can."

"I'd still go to jail too…"

"Then hop on out and go get your car, but I'm taking the truck. 'Cause I have a feeling it's going to come in handy."

John blinked rapidly again, he swallowed heavily as he managed a nod. "Okay. Yeah. Yeah, you're right. My mom and dad work on the other side. I want to see them and make sure they're alright."

Of course he did. Any normal person would want to make sure their family was safe right now. Carl, on the other hand, had no family to worry about. "Maybe I should drive."

He'd thought that John was going to argue with him. Instead he stopped, shifted the truck into park and they exchanged positions quickly. Carl put his cigarettes away and drove onward. The going was tedious, simply because of the sheer amount of people crowding the streets and staggering around in an aimless daze.

Every single apocalyptic movie he'd ever seen ran through his head as he watched the scene unfolding before him. He'd seen plenty of them, but none of them seemed to be the same as what was happening here. He kept waiting for a big explosion, waiting for something more and he wouldn't have been a bit surprised if people started suddenly jumping on each other and trying to eat brains. However, after the shaking there seemed to be a collective inhalation, a waiting expectancy in the air. An inexplicable, communal pause as they all waited to see what would happen next.

And there would be a next. He didn't have a freaking clue what was going on, but there was more still to come. He knew it. He could feel it.

Power lines had crumpled, their poles snapped like toothpicks. A police car drove unhurriedly past, its lights were flashing but its siren was off. The officer behind the wheel was young; the poor guy actually looked like he might be a rookie. There were some obstacles in the road, but for the most part Carl was able to navigate around them with relative ease, and the truck was big enough to drive over the worst areas of the jutted pavement.

They passed more crumpled buildings, there were areas were people were screaming incessantly. The screams were heartbreaking sounds that made Carl wish the radio worked again. But as much as he longed to drown out the screams, he wanted to hear the sounds on that radio even less.

The birds hadn't been the only animals that seemed to have gone crazy. Dogs were barking and howling; they ran through the streets, nearly plowing into the truck a few times. He spotted a pair of foxes racing around the buildings, a few raccoons and skunks as well. At any other time they would have seemed out of place, would have even been a cause for concern, but Carl found it almost fitting to see them now.

There were cars in telephone poles, on front yards, and abandoned by the side of the road. He was thankful it was a Monday and that this had occurred so early, otherwise he didn't think he would have been able to navigate the small roads in the center of town. As it was, there were a few abandoned vehicles he had to nudge out of his way with the bumper of the truck. A cat zipped in front of them and into the branches of a large locust that had been half uprooted by the force of the tremors. A house was on fire to his right but there were no rescue crews on site.

How would they even know about the blaze unless they saw it? Carl realized with a growing feeling of unease. For the first time since things had hit the fan, he became acutely aware of the fact that they were on their own, isolated, cut off. All he had to rely on right now was John, and the kid was still muttering Jesus and What the Hell's with alarming, and annoying, frequency.

Carl made the turn onto the highway ramp not knowing what to expect. He thought the highway would be littered with people trying to escape. However, other than a few vehicles on the side of the road, in the median, or crashed on the side, the highway was eerily empty. John stopped muttering. He leaned forward in his seat, his fingers resting on the dashboard as he stared out the windshield with bug eyes and a gaping mouth.

There was another car a short ways ahead of them, a small Toyota with a bike rack attached to the back; the wheels of the bike spun leisurely in the wind. Carl pulled even with the vehicle; he briefly met the eyes of a frightened looking woman and her two young kids. The woman nodded to him before focusing her full attention on the road again.

He rounded a bend in the highway, keeping pace with the woman as they neared the approach to the bridge. A row of vehicles was lined up before the bridge. The cars gleamed in the beams of the sun that rose over top of the metal structure looming before them. People were huddled before the bridge; they stood shoulder to shoulder as they stared at the bridge.

"Do you think it's safe?" John inquired.

"I don't know."

"That earthquake, or whatever it was, maybe it messed it up or something?"

"Maybe."

Carl parked the truck behind a Jeep Cherokee and climbed out. The Toyota stopped beside him; the children remaining inside as the woman stepped outside. They walked in silence toward the others. It was impossible to see the other side of the bridge, impossible to know what damage may have been done to the structure. No vehicles were coming from the other direction. The people gathered around glanced at the three of them but said nothing.

Carl studied the bridge. He had never really liked the two bridges that connected the Cape to the mainland. He'd done a lot of traveling in his time, bounced from state to state and town to town, but for some inexplicable reason he'd always hated bridges, avoiding them whenever possible. But these bridges were impossible to avoid. And now they may be damaged, probably were damaged, and they were the only chance of escape he had.

Standing shoulder to shoulder with the others, staring at their possible demise, Carl began to feel an odd connection to the people around him that he hadn't felt to a human in years. They were all in the same boat, all sharing somewhat different experiences of what he suspected was the end of the world. They had all been driven here, to this point, to this escape.

They were also all scared out of their minds.

"I'll walk out there," an older looking man with graying hair and a cane stated. "See if there's any visible damage."

"I'll go with you."

Carl hadn't known what possessed him to volunteer. He could practically picture the metal and concrete structure crumbling from beneath him, but he wasn't going to let the man go alone. No one should be alone now.

"I'll go too," said a woman with reddish-brown hair. "Three sets of eyes are better than one, and if we fan out we'll be able to see more."

Carl turned to John and grabbed hold of his arm. "Pull the other mower off the trailer, and get the trailer off the truck. It's added weight and it's only going to slow us down. Keep the gas cans, and do whatever you can to get the gas out of the mower tank. We may need it."

Though John was pale and still seemed shaken, he nodded firmly and broke into a brisk jog toward the truck. Carl swallowed heavily as he turned back to the bridge. Putting one foot in front of the other he moved to the left side of the road, the woman took the center, and the older man stepped onto the sidewalk at the edge of the bridge. He moved cautiously forward, his eyes straining to see every detail of both the steel rafters above him and the pavement below. There were cracks running through the structure but he didn't know if they were new, or if they had been there all along.

His lungs labored to breathe as every step made him feel more and more certain that the ground was going to crumple away. They made it to the middle of the bridge, but his tension didn't ease as he looked out at the highway stretching before him. It looked almost as vacant as the one behind him, but smoke curled with far more intensity from the tree line and amongst the homes and businesses. The damage to the road seemed even worse over there, with holes and ruts, and giant blocks of asphalt tossed around. It was still drivable, but the going would be much more time-consuming on the mainland than it was on the Cape side.

He didn't care, if this structure supported them he was getting off the Cape while the getting was good. He briefly contemplated just leaving the truck behind, but it was a good vehicle - solid, new, and full of gas. It was big enough to drive over or crash through certain obstacles if it became necessary, and there were no guarantees they would be able to find another automobile that was as convenient as the truck.

An ambulance screamed down the highway, its siren blared as it swerved around the potholes with the expertise of someone accustomed to dodging and avoiding obstacles. It was reassuring to see the vehicle, it was something normal and familiar in a world that no longer was.

He released a pent up breath as they finally made it to the other side of the bridge. Surprisingly, there were no cars there waiting to drive over. For once people weren't trying to cram themselves onto the Cape on a hot summer day.

As one, they turned around and moved steadily back across the bridge.

"I saw nothing obvious," the older man informed the waiting people when they returned. More people gathered, as well as more vehicles. John had rejoined the growing group. "I think it'll be okay if we go across one vehicle at a time, at least in the beginning."

"Who is going to go first?" another man inquired.

Silence descended over everyone as they stared expectantly at each other. When no one spoke, Carl volunteered. "We will."

"Jesus," John muttered.

Chapter 5

Albert (Al) Shandling

Newport, RI

7:45 a.m.

Al held the towel full of ice to his head as he watched Mary Ellen fiddle with the radio. It was still making the same awful sound that had been coming out of it for the past five minutes, but she seemed determined to try and find something on the airwaves. He quietly longed for her to turn the thing off; the noise was unnerving. She was obviously frightened and searching for some answer, some kind of communication with the outside world. The television had already proven useless; there was no power to run it.

"I have a handheld CB downstairs; perhaps it will be of more use."

Mary Ellen's dark brown eyes were wide as she stared at him with blossoming hope. "Do you think?"

"It can't hurt."

He pulled the towel away from the gash in his forehead. His wife would have been upset that he had used the good towels for such a thing, but Nellie wasn't here to be upset anymore, she'd been gone for five years now. There were times when it seemed like it was only yesterday that she had passed, and other days when it seemed as if lifetimes had slid by. Mainly his. He missed her every day. He still sensed her displeasure when he did something she wouldn't have approved of, such as ruining one of the good hand towels by bleeding all over it.

He tossed the bloody towel aside as Mary Ellen rose to her feet. Though he thought she was going to go running to his basement, she came toward him instead. "That's really deep. I think it might require a stitch or two."

"You have medical training?"

A faint red arose on the freckled cheeks of her broad boned face. "I planned to be a nurse or doctor when I was younger, but I'm afraid the only training I have is the school of motherhood."

"Well, that's just as brutal as medical school, sometimes," he said, smiling.

Her eyebrows rose and then she let out a loud bark of laughter that briefly lit her face, causing the lines around her eyes to crinkle. She'd been tense, aggravated, and desperate ever since she'd entered the house. It was good to see her relax, if only just for an instant as her smile and laughter slipped away again. Al didn't kid himself into thinking she was upset because of the loss of her husband. He was very aware of the fact that his neighbors had not shared the same kind of relationship he'd had with his Nellie.

In fact, he'd begun to suspect that the relationship was abusive. He wasn't sure if it was physical or not, but he wouldn't have been surprised to learn that Larry hit her. He also wasn't surprised that Mary Ellen wasn't showing much grief right now. No, her only concern was trying to find out what had happened, what areas had been affected, and how to find her daughter.

"If you have band aids I can butterfly it; that should hold it over for a little while, at least," she told him.

"I have a first-aid kit."

They left their neighbor standing by the picture window, staring out at the street with a gaping mouth. Mary Ellen followed him into the bathroom where he pulled the kit out from under the sink. She opened it with deft hands and began to pull out the contents. She set aside the butterfly bandages and antiseptic cream before pulling out the hydrogen bottle.

"I'm sorry about your husband," he told her as she bandaged and cleaned the deep gash in her hand before turning her attention to his wound. He thought he should be a little warier about the fact that she was also wounded and recently bleeding, but truth be told, he simply didn't think it mattered right then.

"It's okay," she muttered.

He looked at her as she gently pressed cotton balls of peroxide to his forehead. It stung slightly as the medicine fizzed but he kept his face impassive. "How long were you together?"

"Too long," she murmured.

It saddened him to think of how unhappy she'd been. He had come to like Mary Ellen over the years. They'd grown closer since he'd retired, and though they had never really gotten personal before, he had a feeling all of that was about to change. "Do you know the woman out there?"

Mary Ellen frowned as she gently placed the small band-aids on his forehead. "I've seen her around before, but not really, no." She sat back and smiled. "You're all set Mr. Shandling."

"I've told you before Mary Ellen, call me Al."

She smiled wanly at him as she tossed the wrappers into the trash. "Well Al, you're all set." She hefted the medium sized kit up and enfolded it against her chest. "We should probably keep this close by."

He walked beside her as they made their way back toward the living room. "Where is your daughter?" he inquired. The woman was still standing by the window. She glanced at them as they entered the room, but her attention was immediately drawn back outside.

"She's at a riding camp in Middleboro, Mass. She loves horses," Mary Ellen said fondly.

"I'm sure she's enjoying it."

"She was…" Mary Ellen whispered. "Do… do you think this is everywhere?"

"I don't really know what to think."

"Maybe we should try to go to the police station. It's only a couple miles away."

"Let's try the CB first."

"I'll get it for you."

He shook his head. He barely recalled where the thing was, and he sure wasn't going to make her go tromping through the dusty old basement to find it. "It's alright. I'll be right back."

Leaving Mary Ellen by his couch, he hurried to the basement stairs. He flicked the switch three times before recalling that there was no power. Feeling silly and a little annoyed with himself, he retrieved a flashlight from the junk drawer and clicked it on. Normally he would have been amazed to find it working, but when a hurricane had nearly made landfall last year he'd actually stocked up on supplies like flashlights, batteries, and first-aid kits for a change. He usually blew off the weather people - they were never right anyway - but this time he'd decided not to take the chance. The hurricane had missed, but he was glad he had the supplies now.

He found the handheld CB at the bottom of a box marked hunting supplies. It actually could have been marked garbage for as often as he'd gone into the woods these past ten years. Once Nellie had been diagnosed with cancer, he'd spent all his free time striving to find some answer, some miracle that would save her. There had been none, at least not for Nellie, but he'd donated a fair amount of his money in the possibility that there might be a miracle for someone else someday.

Al pulled the CB free and retreated back up the stairs. Mary Ellen had abandoned the radio and now paced anxiously from one end of the room to the other.

"Does it still work?" she inquired.

"We're going to find out."

He placed it on the table and settled onto the couch. It had been years since he'd used the thing, he wasn't sure he'd remember how, or that the batteries were still good. But static filtered out when he turned it on and began to move through the channels. Mary Ellen hovered restlessly nearby, but the other woman had still not vacated her spot by the window. He was looking to connect with someone, anyone, but there seemed to be no one out there as he was greeted with nothing but static and silence.

He turned it off, unwilling to drain the battery, but also unwilling to give up on it just yet. He might get a better response somewhere else. He looked over at Mary Ellen. She was visibly pale; her hands shook as she pushed back a loose strand of chestnut brown hair and tucked it behind her ear.

"It's getting strange out there," the other woman muttered.

Al exchanged a look with Mary Ellen. "Getting?" she inquired in disbelief.

The woman turned away from the window, and her lower lip began to tremble. "Yeah."

Al didn't like the sound of that, or the look of the woman. He placed the CB down and rose to his feet as Mary Ellen stepped next to the window and pulled the other curtain back. He stood beside her, staring out at the darkening day. It was still early in the morning, the sun was somewhere behind his house, but the shadows were all wrong. It shouldn't be this dark.

"What are they doing?" the woman inquired.

It was how her attention was engrossed on something across the street that alerted him to the fact that the darkening sky wasn't the strangest thing occurring right now. His focus became riveted on the sidewalk across the street. In all of his seventy-two years, including the five years he had spent watching his wife waste away, he had never seen anything quite as terrifying as what he witnessed now.

Across the street, lined up in a perfect row, were a collection of dogs from the neighborhood. They sat in a straight line, and although their gazes were directed on his house, it seemed as if they somehow saw through the house to whatever was causing the darkness behind them to grow. Their tails and ears were pricked. They didn't move, didn't bark, drool or wag. There were large dogs and small ones, there were even a few he wasn't entirely sure were domesticated. There were about twenty of them in total, sitting, staring.

Al's breath hissed out of him, Mary Ellen released the curtain, letting it settle back into place as she stepped to the side to peer through the opening left by the drapes. "What are they doing?" she whispered.

"Nothing good. I'm certain of it," the woman answered.

There were still people out there, and though most of them seemed to have started noticing the dogs, there were still some who were walking around in a dazed oblivion. He wanted to open the door and yell at them to run, to get away. But he couldn't bring his feet to move. A young man, holding a hand to his bleeding cheek bumped into a Husky, but the dog didn't move. The man staggered back, stared at the dogs for a minute, and then turned and bolted down the street. Al held his breath, waiting to see if the dogs would take off after him and attack.

They remained immobile.

"That's my Moogie."

"I'm sorry?" Al asked. "What's a Moogie?"

The woman raised a trembling hand and pointed out the window at a golden retriever seated in between a poodle, and a dachshund. "The retriever, her name is Moogie."

Al quirked a brow over that one, but bit his tongue on a response. He'd probably go a little crazy too, if someone had named him "Moogie." He realized that he now knew more about the woman's dog than the woman herself. "So, if that's Moogie, what's your name, may I ask?"

"I'm sorry." She colored as she thrust out her hand. "It's Rita."

He shook her hand firmly as he introduced himself and then Mary Ellen. Mary Ellen barely acknowledged the woman as she quickly shook her hand. Her gaze was still riveted on the sidewalk and the sky. "The birds stopped falling," she said quietly.

Al watched as a small dog that looked like a cross between a Jack Russell and a Chihuahua padded over to the others and sat at the end. It frightened him that they all seemed to be staring at his house, and beyond. He'd always been more of a cat man himself, and now, looking at the dogs, he was reassured by his preference.

"Maybe I should get Moogie," Rita pondered.

"You're crazy if you try," Mary Ellen told her.

Al silently agreed as he was seized with the sudden urge to get his guns. He turned away from the window and hurried into his back den. Even though his youngest son had moved out years ago, he still kept the gun cabinet locked. He pulled it open and critically eyed the three rifles tucked safely inside. He'd bought them years ago, when he'd still gone on his yearly hunting trips to Maine with some of his college friends. He'd never been much of a hunter, but he had enjoyed the week they had spent drinking and catching up on each other's lives.

In fact, he'd only ever shot one deer in his life, and he'd only shot that one because someone else had maimed it first and had either been too inept to track the deer, or too lazy to be bothered. Al couldn't walk away and leave the animal to suffer, however. There was no way it was going to survive with the bullet wound it had sustained to its hindquarters. Not only had the hunter been too lazy to track the deer, they'd also been a poor shot.

Al may not have been much of a hunter, but he was deadly accurate with a gun. He'd made sure to be, had spent hours at target practice just in case there ever came a time when he would actually have to shoot something. He'd never gone out there to kill anything, but if it ever became necessary, or if he ever had to defend himself, he was going to make sure it was with a kill shot. He wasn't about to let anything suffer because of his incompetence.

It had been years since he'd met with his friends in Maine, but he'd kept the guns in excellent condition. He'd cleaned them regularly, even taken each of them to the shooting range twice a year to keep them in good, firing condition. Growing up, his family had had little, they'd scrimped and saved and gone without, and he'd grown up believing that everything ought to be treated with respect. He'd had a lot more in his later years, but he'd never wasted unnecessarily and he took care of every one of his possessions, only getting rid of them when they were beyond repair.

Now, he was grateful for his meticulousness as he pulled the gleaming rifles from the cabinet. There was a twenty-two Winchester he had bought for Nellie when she had expressed a desire to learn to shoot. The other two were both thirty-aught-sixes with top notch scopes. He grabbed the boxes of ammo from the cabinet and tucked them into his rifle bag. There were also two Smith and Wesson nine mm's that he hefted into his hands. He was reassured by their weight.

As he turned away from the gun cabinet he had intended to ignore the back window, but his inherent curiosity drew him to it. He used the muzzle of the handgun to push the curtain aside. The day had grown darker, the sky was shadowed and hazy, but he spotted the source of the unexpected, sudden nightfall. The moon, or perhaps it was dark clouds, stretched over the sun to create a vibrant halo he had to look away from. There wasn't supposed to be a solar eclipse today, but that's almost what it appeared to be as darkness enshrouded the Earth.

"An eclipse." Mary Ellen's words were hushed, awed, as she stared past his shoulder from her place in the doorway. Al released the curtain and turned away from the strange phenomena. She massaged her forehead as she frowned. "I didn't know there was supposed to be one today."

"There wasn't," he grunted. "And I'm not sure that it is one. Have you ever shot a gun before?"

"No."

Al studied the twenty-two and then the handgun. Mary Ellen and Rita were both about the same size, but he felt that Mary Ellen would probably be more capable of handling a gun, as well as reloading it with a steady hand. He held it out to her. She hesitated before taking it from him.

"Do you really think guns are necessary?" Mary Ellen inquired.

"I'd rather have them than not have them."

She nodded. "You're right. How do I use this thing?"

He didn't like the fact that all he could give her was a crash course on how to stand, shoot, and reload, but it was the best he could manage right now. If everything remained calm (which he didn't think it would), he'd give both women a better lesson, but right now he just wanted her to know how to use the weapon, and where the safety was.

"You feel comfortable with it?"

"I think I'll have to be."

Al admired her resolve and determination as she threw back her shoulders and nodded. Rita was by the window still, her gaze focused across the street. "There are more of them," she stated as Al handed her the twenty two and explained it as quickly as he could.

Across the street the dogs continued to amass, the darkness continued to creep over them. There were still a few people outside, but they went out of their way to avoid the dogs as they walked toward the main road. The fire finally consumed the house down the road; sparks shot out of it as it collapsed upon itself in a crumpled heap.

It was nearly dark as night now. He had the frightening thought that the glow of the sun would be blocked permanently. The deaths that would result, the deaths that were already resulting from whatever was happening, would be astronomical. The day became night, and in one fluid, united motion, the dogs rose to their feet.

Chapter 6

Xander

Foxboro, Mass.

7:45 a.m.

Xander worked his jaw back and forth as he rubbed at the tender bruise he knew was forming. Jeez, but the girl had one hell of a right hook, and if the glare she was shooting him was any indication, she felt absolutely no remorse for punching him in the jaw. Hard. Apparently she couldn't take a joke, but to be fair she'd never truly appreciated the nickname he gave her to begin with. As a matter of fact, he didn't think she'd said more than a cold 'hello' to him since he'd come home for the summer.

When she was a kid the nickname had been appropriate. Her ears had stuck out drastically from her head. But now, though they were slightly larger than normal, they weren't as bad, and she no longer looked as if she could take flight if handed a magic feather. She'd become annoyed, irritated, and angry with him from the first time he'd called her Dumbo. Apparently her mom had never told her that boys only teased the girls they liked. That had been years ago though, he'd been just a kid, but she held a nasty grudge. And a solid fist to go with it, apparently.

He cracked his jaw.

"You had it coming," Carol told him.

"I saved her life!" he retorted.

His sister shrugged a dainty shoulder and pulled up the strap on her loose tank top. "Yeah well, you're not in fourth grade anymore, pulling on her pigtails and hoping she'll notice you."

"Bite me, Carol."

She grinned at him and chuckled. "It's already bruising."

"I can tell," he winced.

Carol's smile slipped away. "Do you think Mom and Dad are okay?"

Xander's amusement vanished. His hand fell from his offended jaw as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "I'm sure they're fine," he lied.

"How will we get in contact with them?"

He fell silent as he pondered the question. At the end of the road a police car crept forward with its lights spinning. The police officer loudly announced instructions for people to proceed safely to the police station if possible, and to hang a towel from their windows if they required assistance. "We'll find a way," he assured Carol when the car disappeared from view.

"What do you think happened?"

Xander looked around the crowded street. He didn't have a clue what had happened. Some kind of earthquake or some shift in the earth? Perhaps the poles had reversed? He'd heard about that possibly happening one day. Or maybe it had been some sort of solar flare, or a volcano erupting in Hawaii or Italy or wherever. For all he knew, an iceberg had hit Canada, or California had fallen into the ocean and the whole country was affected by it. Honestly, he didn't know what had happened, and judging from the terrified looks and frightened chatter of the people surrounding him, no one else did either.

People filtered out of their houses, joining the growing crowd on the street as it headed toward the center of town, and further toward the police and fire stations. Xander tightened his hold on Carol's shoulders, pulling her against his side. "Mom and Dad will find us. They'll probably go to the police station."

"Yeah," Carol mumbled. "Did you see what happened to Kelly?"

"I did."

He didn't want to think about it though, nor did he want to think about the bodies he saw sporadically in the streets, or the cars that had been driven into buildings and telephone poles, or the houses that were either smoldering or succumbing to the flames eating through them. Everyone seemed aware of the hazards of the steaming holes as they were all given ample berth.

Something had happened with the birds, too, as their bodies were scattered across the ground. Domestic animals ran past them, unnervingly all heading in the same direction, seemingly toward the same destination. Dogs and cats flowed past his legs with little thought to his presence, there were even a few wild animals mixed in. The animals seemed strangely aware of the destination of most of their human owners as they flowed toward the emergency services buildings.

Though Xander knew animals had better instincts than humans, that they sensed and averted danger far better, he was still entirely creeped out by them and wasn't entirely sure they were doing the right thing by going in the same direction. Still, it seemed like an even worse idea to turn around and go in the opposite direction, toward whatever was driving the creatures.

Riley, seeming to decide that he wasn't quite the lowest life form known to man, came over to the softball team that had surrounded him shortly after Riley had punched him. The team had turned to him for leadership when Riley had stormed away to take her frustration out on the driver who had nearly killed her. The guy in the car had apologized profusely to Riley before shifting into reverse and making the bad choice to continue driving down the broken road again. Riley had never rejoined the group, but kept her distance as she walked with a pair of elderly women who had emerged from an apartment building a little while back.

"Was there supposed to be an eclipse today?" Riley inquired.

Xander frowned. He tilted his head back to search the pristine sky. And then he saw it. Over top of the library the very edge of the sun was beginning to vanish. It looked as if the moon was causing the sun to disappear, but he couldn't be sure as clouds seeped over the sky like insidious snakes. His arm fell away from Carol's shoulders. Carol stopped to watch as he took a few quick steps forward. Riley was beside him, her chin jutting in the way he knew it did when she was annoyed or confused.

"Was there?" The self-assurance in her voice had slipped as it trembled a little.

Chills ran up and down his spine as he turned to face her. "No."

Her big blue eyes widened, her full mouth parted, and she visibly paled beneath her summer tan and freckles. Her dark, nearly black hair blew around her face as a gentle breeze wafted over them. When he was eight, and she was six, he'd enjoyed teasing his little sister's friend, when he was twelve he began to realize why he'd always liked to tease her, and by the time he was fifteen he'd realized he'd been a moron and that she wasn't an awkward looking, irritating child anymore. Though he had stopped looking at her as a kid, she still thought of him as Carol's highly infuriating brother who had made her cry numerous times, and given her the hated nickname that still followed her ten years later. He still had a crush on her, and she still disliked him, a lot.

"Well then," she muttered.

"Well then, what?"

"It just keeps getting weirder and weirder."

She turned away before he could respond and headed back to the group of elderly women that had stopped to look over the library. Riley touched one woman's arm reassuringly, she gestured for her to move on as she slid her arm into the elbow of another woman. Xander started walking with the team again, their chatter had died off as soon as Riley came over, it didn't return. This time it was Carol who slid her hand into his.

"I don't like this, Xander."

"Neither do I," he admitted.

He wanted to be strong for her, wanted to pretend he was still the big brother who knew all the answers, but Carol wasn't an idiot. She was well aware of the fact that no one knew anything, at least not any of them.

The growing darkness of the day set his teeth on edge. The more the sun was blotted out, the closer everyone pressed to each other. More animals filtered past, mice, rats, and what he thought might actually be a ferret ran ahead of him. Riley and the elderly women dropped back when only a quarter of the sun was still visible. Carol took hold of Riley's free hand, squeezing it as the sun disappeared.

As one, everyone stopped moving, they stood upon the street and sidewalk, looking indirectly to where the sun had once warmed the day. Though he knew it couldn't be possible, it felt like the temperature of the day dropped ten degrees. Goosebumps broke out on his flesh. Carol was shaking as she pressed closer to him. After so much noise, chaos, and confusion, the silence was unnerving. Not a single person moved. The library was bathed in a golden glow that was nowhere near as beautiful as it appeared, for beneath the beauty he sensed something ominous.

He stood, waiting, waiting, waiting, for it to move on if it was the moon that had swallowed the sun. It remained. He'd seen a solar eclipse only once, when he was a kid. They'd made special boxes at school so they could look at the sun. It had seemed so fast then, most likely because they'd been able to escape class for awhile to see it, but today it seemed as if time had completely frozen when the sun vanished. This couldn't be an eclipse, or at least not a regular one, it would already be ending if it was.

For a strange, disconcerting instant, he felt as if he had just stepped into the pages of an H.G. Wells novel. That reality had shattered and all that was left was this world straight from a twisted sci-fi novel. He half expected some Morlocks to jump out of the earth and start chasing them all down the street. It was darker now; the Morlocks could come out to play.

Xander shuddered, Carol pressed closer, but Riley was the first to take a step forward. "We have to keep moving," she told Carol, who was absentmindedly pulling her back. "We can't just stay here, Carol. We have to move."

Xander could only stare at her before closing his mouth and nodding. "She's right."

Riley turned from them and held her hand out to the elderly woman in the middle. "Mrs. Mackey, we have to go."

Xander stared at the watery blue eyes of his kindergarten teacher. He hadn't seen her in a couple of years and wouldn't have recognized her if Riley hadn't said her name. Mrs. Mackey smiled at him. "I hope you're paying more attention in college than you did in my class, Mr. Noland."

"Absolutely Mrs. Mackey," he responded, feeling like a chastised child all over again.

The team began to move once more. They brushed past the people who were still stricken in the street, unmoving, watching as the darkened sun hung in the sky. Xander fought the urge to look at the sun to see if it was beginning to clear, but he kept his head bent and his eyes diverted as he held firm to his sister. People began to move with them, flowing forward as the hush of the day became even more profound. Though animals still ran past, their numbers were becoming more infrequent. He didn't know where the creatures were heading, and he was becoming increasingly certain that for some freaky, insane reason, they were all gathering somewhere together.

"I'm scared," Carol said.

He hugged her closer. "We all are."

The police station and fire station came into view as they rounded a bend. Newly built, the emergency buildings had been enlarged to help support the demands of the growing town.

Neither one was still standing.

The fire station, ironically enough, was on fire. There was one truck sitting outside of the smoldering brick building, the rest had been destroyed by the blaze. Parked beside it were two police cars that hadn't been crushed by the collapsing building.

Outside of both buildings emergency workers were directing the flow of people toward a large field across the street. There were more emergency personnel there, evaluating the injured and separating them depending upon the severity of their wounds. Between the mutilated and bleeding, and the upheaval of the earth, steaming holes, and dazed people, it looked like a battlefield. Yellow crime scene tape had been placed around the majority of the deadly holes. Carol's eyes were huge as she surveyed the carnage; Riley had stopped walking with the elderly women.

"What do we do?" Carol asked.

"Keep moving!" A portly older man barked at them, elbowing Xander in the ribs as he pushed past.

"You heard the man," Xander said, pulling Carol with him as they moved through the growing crowd of beleaguered people. Most of the softball team broke off in search of their families. His parents wouldn't be here, they worked in Boston. It would be awhile before he got the chance to see them again. If ever…

Xander shut the thought down; it was too much to process right now.

"There's Bobby and Lee." Xander followed Carol's pointing finger to two of his best friends from high school. He hadn't had a chance to see them since he'd been back, but over the past two years they had drifted apart. Bobby had stayed in town and now worked at his father's plumbing company, and Lee had gone to college in California. Though they weren't as close as they had been, Xander was unbelievably relieved to see them.

"Hey," Bobby greeted. His brown eyes were glassy as he shook Xander's hand. "Good to see you, man."

"You too."

"This is crazy," Lee muttered. He shook back hair that had bleached to an even fairer shade of blonde from the heat of the California sun.

Xander searched the sea of heads as he realized they'd lost Riley somewhere in the crush of bodies. Xander released Carol with the intent of searching Riley out. He knew that her parents weren't in the crowd either. They commuted into the city with his parents every morning. The only reassuring thing about not having his parents here was knowing that at least the four of them would be together.

He'd just taken a step to go hunt Riley down when she appeared from the middle of the crowd. Her mouth was pinched, her nose scrunched as she struggled through the sea of meandering people.

"No one has a clue what is going on," she announced when she reached them. "None of the phones are working and the police won't say if they've had any contact with anyone outside of town."

"They probably have no way of knowing anymore than we do," Xander told her.

She glared at him, her hands balling into fists. He thought she was going to slug him again. Then her shoulders slumped and her eyes slid to Lee and Bobby. Xander didn't like the fact that most of her annoyance seemed to vanish, especially when she greeted Bobby. But then again Bobby had stayed behind, and they saw each other far more often than he was able to see her.

"Hey, Lee." Riley said. "Where's your father, Bobby?"

"I don't know. He was at an early morning service call when this happened. I kinda expected him to be here."

"I'm sure he will be," she said kindly.

Bobby nodded but didn't seem convinced. "Yeah."

Xander turned away, frustrated by the whole hideous situation. The sun was still blocked and he was beginning to think it would never be clear again. He maneuvered through the crowd, keeping his gaze averted so that he wasn't looking directly at the sun, but watching it from the corner of his eye. He finally found an open patch of unmarred lawn and paused to try and get his bearings in a world that suddenly made no sense.

"If it wasn't for the destruction, terror and death, it would almost be a beautiful show," Riley said beside him.

He hadn't heard her approach, but she was standing by his side, her head tilted at the same odd angle as his as they tried not to look at the sun. "It would," he agreed.

"They're talking about putting people up in the apartments in the old state hospital."

"Okay."

"Do you think we should stay here?"

He was astonished she was asking his opinion; she must have been more frightened than he realized. "Where else would we go?"

She frowned at him as she shrugged. "Our parents…?"

"I think it would be best if we stayed somewhere that they could more easily find us. It might not even be possible to get into Boston, and we don't even know where to start looking for them. I'm assuming GPS won't work now either."

Her frustration was nearly palpable as she shifted uneasily from one foot to the other. "I always hated the state hospital. It's creepy."

He nodded his agreement. A growing murmur amongst the crowd drew his attention away from her. Following the lead of everyone else, his head tilted back as a green flare shot high into the sky. It burned vividly before falling from view. Nearly a minute passed before a vivid red flame shot into view.

"Flares," Riley whispered.

"They're coming from the stadium."

"They must be gathering people there also," she said. "We should go. They may know more about what's going on over there."

"Riley…"

"I know it's unlikely. I do. But if there's even a small chance, don't you think we should take it?"

He thought it was a horrible idea. They'd found somewhere at least somewhat safe and they were around emergency workers. He was certain that eventually answers would come, but judging by the look in Riley's eyes she was determined to go. "Why don't we wait till tomorrow at least," he suggested.

He thought she would fight him on it, just for the sake of disagreeing with him, but instead she simply nodded. "You're right." Xander was pretty sure Hell had just frozen over and he almost looked at his feet to see if it had. "I'm exhausted, and it's not even eight in the morning. At least, I don't think it is. Hopefully there's some food around here somewhere."

"I'm sure there is."

She turned away from him but didn't make it one step before the ground began to shake again. Xander seized her arm and pulled her back as the earth began to fracture around them.

Chapter 7

John

Cape Cod, Mass.

John had one foot braced against the dashboard and his hand wrapped around the handle above his head. He didn't really know why he bothered, if the bridge collapsed beneath them there was nothing one braced leg, and an 'oh shit' handle were going to do for him. In fact, he was fairly certain all he would accomplish was breaking his leg before he died, but he didn't care. He couldn't bring himself to release the handle or drop his foot as Carl edged the truck onto the bridge.

John's teeth were locked so tight that his jaw ached. He silently pleaded for Carl to just hit the gas and race over the bridge; at the same time he prayed he wouldn't. They were going to die, he was certain of it.

"You don't have to do this with me," Carl muttered around the cigarette he was chewing on, literally chewing on instead of smoking as it had stopped burning.

John knew that he could have stayed on the safe side; he could have kept his feet firmly planted on the land that he'd been born and raised on, but he couldn't shake the feeling Carl was right. That leaving was the best thing they could do right now. It was strange to realize that his home no longer felt safe. He could stay behind, but he felt it was the wrong decision to make, and he wanted to see his parents, to make sure they were safe.

"I know I don't," he said. Carl's knuckles had turned white from his death grip on the steering wheel. "But I'm going with you."

"Then could you please stop with the 'Jesus'' and 'what the hell's'?" John blinked at him in confusion. "It's all you've been saying for the past half an hour."

John fell silent as he thought over Carl's words. He shifted uncomfortably as he realized that it was all he had been saying. "Yeah, whatever," he muttered.

"Seriously, it's driving me nuts."

"Oh, and this whole mess is keeping you sane?"

Carl snorted. He seemed to finally realize that he was massacring the filter of his cigarette and tossed it out the window. "Hardly."

John's hand clenched around the handle, he was ashamed by the small tremor working through his arm. He hated this.

In the large mirrors, on the side of the truck, he could see the people gathered at the edge of the bridge behind them. They were all staring, all motionless, all breathlessly waiting to see if they would survive. If he would die. "Jesus," he muttered. His face reddened as Carl glared at him. "Sorry, but I feel like we're the lambs for the slaughter; like they're just waiting for us to die."

Carl's hands twisted on the steering wheel. "They are, sort of."

"Why did you agree to go over first, again?"

"Would you prefer to be the fifth car over? After even more weight has been added to this possibly damaged structure?"

"I suppose not." John didn't want to be the first either though. "I just wish they wouldn't stare like that. I can't tell if they're rooting for us to make it or not."

Carl barely glanced in the driver's side mirror. "I'd like to think they're rooting for us to make it."

"Me too."

But John wasn't so sure, he supposed most of the people hoped they would survive, but he was sure there were a few in the crowd expecting some big implosion. A few that would like to see the bridge collapse into a twisted heap of metal that sucked them right along with it into the canal. He shuddered at the thought. "Is it better on the other side?"

"No."

Carl's clipped tone and instant response were demoralizing. John sank lower in the seat; his foot was beginning to indent the dash as his hand twisted on the handle. Silently, he began to pray, though he wasn't entirely certain what he was praying for. To make it to the other side sure, but if it was worse then why was he sitting here to begin with? What was he hoping for?

To find his parents. He was hoping to find his parents.

He focused on that goal as the truck moved gradually forward, dead smack in the middle of the four-lane bridge. It's in good repair, he told himself repeatedly. They're always doing work on the bridges, shutting down lanes and backing up traffic for miles. It was a nightmare every time bridgework was announced, but John was grateful for that nightmare now. The bridge had withstood the quake; it would withstand the weight of one lone truck.

He refused to look down, refused to see the churning waters of the canal. On the horizon he could see tendrils of smoke, curling ever higher into the air. In the distance he heard a siren, it sounded forlorn as its lonesome wail echoed through the streets it traversed. There was no way to know where it was going, John was certain there were thousands, if not millions, in need of assistance.

They made it to the crest of the bridge and broke over the top. John's foot fell to the floor, his mouth dropped as he leaned forward in his seat, temporarily forgetting his own peril as he gaped at the dismal scene before him. So much had already happened today, he should have been prepared for the spectacle before him. He wasn't.

His heart lumbered, a cold chill crept up his back as he forced his mouth closed. Beside him Carl's breath hissed out of him. He had already seen it, yet John could tell that Carl still hadn't fully comprehended the devastation that had been waged on the other side of the bridge.

"Maybe we should go back," John managed to choke out. "It's not as bad on the Cape, we might be safer there."

"We're not safe anywhere right now, but we're damn sure not safe over there."

"Why are you so sure of that?"

"I just am."

It wasn't a very reassuring answer. He glanced in the mirror again, but he could only see the tops of a few heads now. They were standing on their cars, straining to see the dwindling vehicle. Not like they wouldn't know if the bridge collapsed. John was pretty sure it would be blatantly obvious.

And then they were making the descent. John's heart hammered, excitement pummeled through him. They were almost there. They were going to make it. He no longer cared about the destruction on the other side; all he wanted was to plant his feet on solid ground again.

Twenty more feet…. Fifteen…

He became certain in the last ten feet that they were going to fall, that they would never make it. That fate was just teasing them with hope before destroying them. He almost threw open the door and raced across to solid ground. He had the sudden, overwhelming urge to fall to his knees and kiss the filthy road repeatedly. It would be worth every single bit of dirt and germs he'd get on him.

Eight feet…

As they neared the final five, his hand fell to the door handle. He braced himself. If it fell apart now, perhaps he could somehow plunge out of the truck and manage to jump to safety before being crushed by thousands of tons of steel. He'd take the chance, that was for sure.

And then the sound of the pavement changed beneath the trucks tires as the wheels hit solid ground. They rolled forward a few more feet before Carl stopped the tuck. Carl's breath exploded out of him as his head bent in relief. He worked his hands, clenching and unclenching them as he finally released his death grip on the wheel.

John slid limply out of the truck. Falling to the ground, he bent his head and placed a solid kiss smack dab in the middle of what looked like an old oil, or gas leak spot, and he didn't care one bit. He leaned forward, pressing his forehead to the ground as relief and joy pulsed through him. He jumped but didn't lift his head as Carl pressed forcefully on the horn for three long seconds, giving the sign that they had made it and the others could follow.

"Hey kid."

John ignored Carl. He hated being called 'kid,' but that wasn't the reason he didn't look up at Carl. He simply couldn't bring his boneless body to move right now. "Hey kid come on, I have to move the truck."

"Go ahead, I'm fine."

"Look, not everyone's going to take the bridge as slowly as we did, now that the coast's clear. Do you really want to have made it all the way over here to be smushed by some frightened idiot?"

Carl had a point. He braced his hands beneath him and managed to shove himself off of the pavement just as a small Honda crested the bridge and raced toward them. He leapt into the truck, barely escaping the red car that barreled past as it sped down the highway.

To his credit Carl didn't say 'I told you so' as he quickly shifted the truck into drive. He released another long beep as he moved about twenty feet away and turned the truck to face the bridge. Carl released a small curse. John leaned forward. His mouth dropped in disbelief as the sun began to disappear into an inky blackness.

He had been so focused on making it to the other side that he hadn't noticed the increasing darkness seeping across the sky to devour the light. A myriad of rainbow colors radiated from the place where the sun had been, but even they were starting to fade away. It was astounding, beautiful, and utterly terrifying. "It's the end of the world," Carl muttered.

John intended to argue with Carl, to tell him not to say something like that, that he was completely wrong, and that he didn't know anything. John couldn't find the words though because he didn't think they were true. It was all just too crazy, just too much at once for Carl to be wrong. This was insanity - complete and total insanity - and they were stuck smack dab in the middle of it.

The Toyota with the young mother stopped beside them, she didn't speak as she hit her horn and then climbed out of her car with a barked command at her children to stay inside. Carl's hand was shaking as he leaned over and clicked on the radio. They sat silently, listening to the hideous static, clicking, whistling, and strange, almost guttural noises that erupted from it.

Carl turned through the stations but nothing changed. Clicking the button, he switched the frequency to AM radio, but they were only met with the same eerie sounds. Carl switched it off. Another truck appeared, followed closely by a small Dodge and then a Ford, apparently the "let's all cross one at a time" thing had gotten old, and smaller groups had elected to go. Either that or they had seen the eerie eclipse and had decided that quick escape was more necessary than consideration and patience.

"I don't know what to do," John glanced at the woman beside him as she spoke.

"None of us know what to do," he told her.

She stared at him with glazed eyes before she began to nod. He was about to ask if she had any family she could go to when he felt a small quiver in the road again. He stared at the pavement as if that would somehow give him the answers he sought. "Aftershocks," the woman told him. "I studied abroad in Japan for a year; we'll probably get them for awhile."

"Oh," John said dully. "So it was an earthquake?"

"What, did you think it was a tornado?" the woman quipped.

Carl snorted with laughter while John just shook his head. "I… don't know. I don't know what any of this is."

She was silent for a minute and then her shoulders slumped. "Sorry, I didn't mean to be snippy. I'm just… terrified." Her gaze darted worriedly to the car and the children pressed against the passenger side windows. "But yes, it was most definitely an earthquake."

The truck and two cars made it across the bridge and continued onward. A minivan, SUV, and another car appeared at the top of the bridge as the earth began to shake harder. John rested his hand on the side of the truck, bracing himself as the aftershock rumbled across the land. Give him a blizzard or a hurricane, he was used to those living in the northeast, but this unsteadiness beneath his feet thing was freaking him out. He kept expecting the ground to split apart and swallow him whole and he couldn't wait for it to stop.

If it ever stopped. Five seconds in, and it was still rolling. The realization that it may never cease was even worse than the fact that this may be the end of the world. He didn't think he could handle it if the ground never stabilized again. He didn't exactly like the idea of spending every minute of the rest of his life struggling to keep his balance, and terrified that he might just fall into a steaming hole that suddenly opened beneath him one day. It would be a hideous way to spend the rest of his life, and though he was certain that things would at the very least never be the same again, he intended to live for a lot longer. He was too young not to.

Then the small tremors became a sudden, splintering upheaval which staggered him back a good three feet before he was thrown backwards against the truck mirror. The rigid metal bit into his back, his teeth clenched as he fought back a cry of pain. Like a wave cresting toward shore, the ground rose up a couple of feet and rolled toward them from the direction of the bridge. John did a strange stuttering step as he tried to decide if he should attempt to outrun the rolling earth, or stay where he was. In the end, he didn't have a choice - it was moving too fast for him to escape it.

Grabbing hold of the mirror, he wrapped both his arms around it in a bone-breaking bear hug that nearly tore it from the truck. He was tossed into the air as the ground threw both him and the truck upward. He shouted and closed his eyes as the truck began its downward descent. A silent prayer echoed through him that the truck would come back to solid ground, and not just tumble into an oblivion that would devour him. He had a brief flash of falling forever, of the center of the earth becoming an all-consuming black hole. Or worse, that he would fall in but continue to live until his body finally gave way to dehydration. Those days would seem like an eternity, but this fall already seemed like it was lasting forever, and he was afraid to open his eyes and look around him, afraid that he was already falling into nothing.

Then the truck crashed into the ground with a loud bang, and a groaning of brutalized springs, tires, and struts. His teeth jarred in his head; his ribs were bruised from the impact of the mirror smashing against them. He stood, fearful to see the destruction the wave may have just unleashed upon the already decimated area.

It was a loud creaking, elongated groan that caused his eyes to fly open. He spotted Carl first, as he stood across from him, hugging the driver's side mirror. Carl's face was pale, his watery gray eyes held John's for one poignant breath. Then, ever so slowly, Carl's head turned toward the one place that John couldn't bring himself to look, as the loud screech of metal twisting violently echoed across the open chasm beneath the bridge.

Finally, unable to deny it any longer, John turned toward the bridge. The rolling wave had caused a large fracture to appear at the foot of the structure, a zigzagging pattern that grew larger the longer he stared at it. Beneath the weight of the metal, with a collection of vehicles still on top of it, the bridge began to give way.

The steel was folding, bending in on itself like an accordion. John had pictured it just dropping away, falling straight down into the canal and being swallowed within the swirling waters of the Atlantic Ocean, instead of this collapse toward its center. It almost felt like the bridge was collapsing that way in order to ensure the entrapment of the vehicles upon it as the SUV, and car, disappeared into the center of the asphalt, metal, and concrete.

The driver of the minivan had realized what was happening and hit the gas; John stared into the man's horrified face as he tried to outrun the certain death trying to ensnare him like a Venus flytrap. He had a sudden flashback to the days when he had watched The Dukes of Hazzard with his dad, when he had marveled over The General Lee's flying leaps into the air. The minivan was no orange Charger, but for that brief, heart-stopping second when its tires left the ground and it soared into the air, John was certain that it was going to make it. That the minivan had just made the awe-inspiring leap of a flying car in the space of a miraculous instant.

Then it began to fall.

But it didn't fall onto solid ground, didn't even catch a part of the pavement of the highway. It simply fell away into nothing. Because there was nothing beneath the vehicle anymore.

John tried to look away from the driver's eyes, but he found all he could do was watch as the man fell to his untimely death. The bridge and van vanished with an echoing, gruesome crash that signified more than just human death, but an end to life as he had always known it. The collision of metal and earth echoed through the air, loud and imposing, and seemingly never ending as it resonated across a land John no longer recognized.

John was shaken, torn between tears and screaming in horror. It took everything he had to lift his head and stare across the empty gap that had once been the Sagamore Bridge. He was now able to see the crowd gathered on the other side, and though he couldn't make out their features, he sensed the finality enshrouding the people still trapped over there. John couldn't shake the feeling that though they hadn't fallen away with the bridge, the collapse had signed their death certificates as surely as it had the people that had been traveling upon it at the time.

And then he realized something else was wrong. The falling vehicles hadn't been accompanied by a splash upon hitting the water.

John swallowed heavily; he forced himself to look down. Where the water of the canal had once churned with rapid currents and swirling blue water, there was now nothing. The wreckage of the bridge lay a hundred feet below him on the muddy and rocky bottom of the nearly empty canal. His mind spun. He couldn't comprehend what his eyes were seeing; he simply didn't understand what could possibly have happened.

And then the woman who had spent a year in Japan whispered one single, terrifying word. "Tsunami."

Chapter 8

Mary Ellen

Newport, R.I.

Mary Ellen took a terrified step back as the dogs continued to stare unwaveringly forward. Though the animals were looking at the house, Mary Ellen had the unsettling feeling that they were actually somehow seeing through the building to the ocean, and perhaps even to something beyond the ocean; something that none of them could see.

She yearned for them to do something, anything, just as long as they finally freaking reacted. This waiting was driving her crazier than the whole rocking, shaking, splintering earth had. At least then she hadn't had time to think, hadn't had time to wonder about her future.

Now, every horrifying image she had ever seen or imagined about crazed animals was running through her mind. Not a single one of them ended well.

Her hand clenched around the gun, her fingers stroking the durable metal. She'd never held a gun before, never even imagined a time when she would have to, but she knew that if it became necessary she was going to shoot it, and she would kill something with it. She just hoped it wasn't a dog.

Then the dogs were moving, as one they were running forward.

"Moogie," Rita whispered forlornly.

Mary Ellen wanted to tell her "screw Moogie," but the words froze in her throat as the dogs raced toward them. She didn't know what they were going to do. Were they just going to plow into the building like the birds had plunged into the ground? Were they going to ram repeatedly into it? Were they going to come barreling through the large picture window and start trying to tear them all to shreds?

Then the dogs split into two groups, in one fluid motion they broke apart around the house, moving past and out of view. Mary Ellen was curious about what they were doing, but she couldn't bring herself to look. She was terrified the animals had just plunged over the cliff and into the ocean.

She remained unmoving. Why had they done that? What had driven them to do such a thing?

Unlike her, Al didn't hesitate to move to the back of the house. He was gone for a few minutes before returning. Mary Ellen didn't ask; she didn't want to know. It was childish, it was cowardice, and she didn't care.

"Moogie?" Mary Ellen winced at the hideous name. Rita's lower lip began to tremble as Al shook his head. "Why…why would they do that? What made them do that?"

"I don't know," Al told her.

"What could possibly be so bad that they would do that?"

That was the question Mary Ellen didn't want to have answered. What could be worse than everything else that was happening? What could be so bad that it was driving animals to kill themselves? She shuddered, a chill of foreboding crept over her skin, causing goose bumps to break out as she surveyed the carnage of the birds littering the ground.

"I don't think we should stay here."

"You want to go out there!?" Rita demanded in response to Al's statement.

"I don't want to go out there, but I don't think we have much of a choice."

"We can stay here. Someone will come to help us."

Al shook his head. "I think there are far too many people out there who are going to require help. It could be a long time before anyone comes for us."

"I need to find Rochelle," Mary Ellen inserted. Even if they both decided to stay here, she wasn't. She was going out there, into a world that was driving animals to suicide, and she was going to find her daughter even if it killed her. Which, from the looks of things, might be a very good possibility.

"We will find your daughter," Al assured her. "We'll go to the police station first. Perhaps they have answers."

Rita was shaking, tears brimmed in her eyes. "Where is your husband?" Mary Ellen asked. She didn't think Rita had children, she never saw her at the bus stop or with a stroller.

"He went golfing." Tears slid down her face, her eyes were red rimmed and puffy as she hastily wiped the tears away. "I would just like to speak with him, to see him."

"I'm sure most people will head to emergency services. Your husband will do the same."

Mary Ellen was so focused on Rita that she hadn't noticed Al had left the room until he reappeared with two bulging pillowcases. He thrust one at Mary Ellen and she fumbled to grab hold of it as she readjusted the gun in her hand. She had been prepared to defend herself against the dogs if necessary, but she had never taken the safety off of the gun. She'd been too afraid of it to do so.

She glanced inside the case, spotting cans of assorted food. There were also boxes of cereal and other dry goods that wouldn't spoil quickly. She was impressed. She'd been planning on plunging outside, storming her way to the police station, and demanding someone help her find her daughter. She hadn't even considered food.

Al tossed the other case over his shoulder and gave her a brisk nod. "Are you ready Rita?"

The woman glanced out the window again and nodded. Mary Ellen hadn't taken the time notice just how young Rita was until now. She looked to be only in her early twenties, though Mary Ellen knew Rita's husband was easily pushing fifty. She supposed this was what a trophy wife would be considered with her pretty features, blue eyes, and blonde hair. But the woman seemed to truly care for her husband as tears continued to streak down her face.

"Are you sure Gary will go to the police station?"

"I'm not sure about anything right now, but it makes sense that most people will go where there may be help." Mary Ellen understood Al's desire not to promise Rita anything, but she thought he could have sugarcoated it at least a little. More tears streaked the young woman's face, and her lip began to tremble. "Perhaps I should take that back."

He retrieved the gun from Rita's shaking hands and slid it into the bag strapped securely to his back. Rita clasped her hands before her and began to ring them nervously as she glanced back out the window. "Moogie was my only company. Gary works so much he's never home."

Mary Ellen had been so immersed in her own lonely existence that she had forgotten there were others who were just as lonely and lost as her. She'd locked herself away and become so entrenched in her own misery and revenge that she'd forgotten there was a world of people who also required help, and company. It was a staggering realization and she vowed not to forget again.

"Mary Ellen?"

"I'm ready," she gushed in response to Al's questioning look. "I'm ready."

She stepped outside, cringing slightly at the smell of smoke that hung heavy in the air. She kept trying not to think of Rochelle, but the growing tension in her chest was telling her that she had to move quickly, that she had to find her daughter soon. Rochelle was strong and capable, but she was young, away from home, and she would be terrified. Mary Ellen refused to allow thoughts of Rochelle being injured - or even worse - enter her mind. She would go crazy if she did. She would breakdown; she would be unable to put one step in front of the other if she even allowed herself to think that her daughter was no longer a part of this world. She felt that she would know if something had happened to Rochelle, and right know she was absolutely certain that her daughter was alive, and that she would find her.

Her arms began to ache from the weight of the food as Al led them through backyards toward the main road. She was aware of the fact that he had taken this root in order to avoid the wreckage of Larry's vehicle, a fact that she was grateful for. She didn't grieve for him, but she didn't want to see his remains again either.

Rita's tears had dried; she seemed to have gotten a better handle on herself now that they were moving, now that they were focused upon a goal. It helped to ease Mary Ellen's mind as well. They had a plan, the police would have more information, they would help them, and they would get her in touch with Rochelle somehow. She was certain of all of these things until they reached the main road and she took in the destruction that had been unleashed upon it.

Even Al, who had been striding forward with determined confidence, hesitated. He quickly recovered as he turned on his heel toward the police station. He continued stalwartly onward as if the burning homes, uprooted trees, damaged vehicles and ruined streets were of no consequence. She admired his determination, his dogged confidence that it would all be okay soon.

She wasn't so sure she shared it anymore.

There were still people moving about on the streets, but there didn't seem to be as many as she felt there should have been. Some were bleeding, some were covered in soot and ash, and others appeared to be just as lost as Mary Ellen felt. The police station was almost five miles from their house, and although she wasn't overly athletic, she found a steeled reserve inside of her as she forced herself not to feel the burn already starting in her legs. She shifted the bag in her hands, looking for the perfect position to ease the ache in her arms a little.

"Would you like me to carry it for a bit?" Rita inquired.

Mary Ellen was about to tell her no when the ground began to shake again. Rita's mouth dropped, her head began to whip back and forth as she glanced around the street. Mary Ellen stopped walking, she was afraid the ground would no longer be there if she took another step.

A man across the street started screaming and bolted into the middle of the road just as chunks of pavement flew into the air and a fissure cleaved the street in two. He disappeared into the gorge that now divided the road. Screams filled Mary Ellen's ears and she dimly realized they were coming from Rita. She sounded like a baby bird shrieking for its mother as she hopped up and down a few times before seizing hold of Mary Ellen's arm in a bruising grasp.

More people bolted, Mary Ellen was torn about what to do as Rita's nails dug into her arm and she continued to shriek in short bursts. Al turned suddenly and seized Rita's arm, pulling her back as the jagged fissure lanced toward them. Still in Rita's death grip, Mary Ellen was also jerked out of the way.

"This way!" Al yelled over the sound of Rita's screams and the loud clamor of the earth splitting apart.

Steam burst out of a hole mere inches from Al. He let out a small squeak as he jumped to avoid it. Mary Ellen gawked in astonishment as she spotted the burned remains of the sleeve of his shirt and the puckered pink skin underneath. Rita's screams notched up a level. Her face was florid now, she was gasping for breath, but she seemed to show no sign of stopping.

Al started running. He moved far faster than Mary Ellen ever would have thought a man of his age could. He came to an abrupt halt as they turned a corner in the street. Mary Ellen almost fell over, a lump lodged in her throat as she gazed at the scene before her.

The middle of the street was gone, it was nothing but a vast chasm stretching as far as Mary Ellen could see. She could only stand and stare at the nothing before her as she tried to comprehend exactly what this meant, what had happened. But it was beyond the scope of her reasoning. All she could comprehend right now was that the road was gone, they were not going to get through this way, and Rita's incessant screaming was really starting to grate on her nerves.

Al stepped closer to the edge and peered over the side. His gray eyebrows shot into his hairline as he stared into the pit. Swallowing heavily, Mary Ellen pried Rita's fingers from her arm to step beside Al. There was a disconcerting instant where the world seemed to spin as she stared into the emptiness below. The hole seemed to go on forever, and when Al tossed a rock into it, she listened as it bounced off of the sides before falling away into nothing. She wasn't certain if it hit bottom or not. She supposed it didn't even matter. Either way a human wouldn't survive the fall.

She took a step back, unable to look into the crater anymore. It wasn't doing her any good, and she was worried she was going to lose her balance and go tumbling in like the stone. Rita was still screaming. Other people had emerged onto the road. Some had stepped to the edge of the trench, others just stared blankly.

Rita suddenly stopped screaming. The silence was nearly as jolting as the sounds the woman had been making. A loud crash caused Mary Ellen to jump, she spun as more of the road gave way and the house at the end of the street lurched forward, crashing and churning as it was swallowed by the yawning pit.

Rita let out another loud shriek. It took everything Mary Ellen had not to smack the woman in order to get her to shut up. "Have you been to the police station?" The shout came from a man a hundred feet down and to their left.

"No," Al answered. "Have you?"

The man shook his head, his eyes wandered over the gap and houses before coming back to Al. "No."

Al's hands twisted on his gun as the man stepped away from the edge of the abyss. Mary Ellen swallowed heavily. The man appeared to be in his mid-thirties and seemed nice enough, but Mary Ellen had never really trusted people. It appeared that Al felt the same way as he shifted his gun. Mary Ellen realized that it wasn't just the environment and suicidal animals they had to be concerned about anymore, there were also people. Everything was different now, everyone was frightened, and frightened humans were threatening humans.

Sweat trickled down her back. Her mouth was suddenly very dry as the man's gaze raked over the three of them. They were two women, one of whom was still squawking and making dry little shouts, and an older man. They must appear weak, easy pushovers. Mary Ellen wasn't that confidant in her ability to shoot another person, but she had the feeling that Al wouldn't hesitate.

The man nodded to them and moved away. Al's shoulders relaxed visibly, Mary Ellen met his gaze warily over the top of Rita's head. "We'll have to find another way."

Mary Ellen nodded and dropped the pillowcase of supplies. She grabbed hold of Rita's arms, turning the woman toward her. Rita seemed unfocused, lost; adrift. Mary Ellen had the unsettling feeling that she was witnessing the actual unraveling and splintering of a human mind right in front of her eyes. She didn't know Rita, but she couldn't bear to watch the woman fracture and break, and she was terrified that's what Rita was doing.

"Rita! Rita!"

Mary Ellen shook her, contemplated slapping her, but another vigorous shake seemed to connect with her a little bit. Rita blinked, her mouth opened and closed. She let out another small squawk and then finally became blessedly silent. "Rita, you have to keep it together. You have to stay with us. It's terrifying enough without you screaming."

Though she was no longer screaming, there was a vacancy in Rita's eyes that frightened Mary Ellen, almost like the woman was no longer with them. She glanced over at Al, who watched them silently. His lips clamped together, thinning out as he shook his head at Mary Ellen. "Rita?" she inquired.

The woman remained silent. Mary Ellen found herself almost longing for Rita to start screaming again, at least then she was doing something, at least then she was reacting with the world instead of shutting herself off from it completely. Mary Ellen kept hold of her arm as she turned Rita toward Al.

"What's wrong with her?" she asked Al. Though Rita was within earshot, and had more than likely heard the question, she didn't show any reaction to it.

Al studied Rita. "Some people just don't handle things very well."

"Is she going to be alright?"

"I don't know," he said honestly.

Rita remained unmoving, barely blinking as she stood as still as a stone in Mary Ellen's grasp. It was unnatural and more than a little creepy. "We can try finding another way to the police station or we can go to the fire station," he suggested.

Mary Ellen studied the long gouge that had been made in the earth as she retrieved her pillowcase. She couldn't see the end of it, she was half certain that it went on forever, that a gigantic trench had just been slashed into the surface of the land, forever altering its geography. She didn't plan to find out where the end was; she was certain there was no pot of gold waiting for them there. The fire station was further away, but hopefully it would still be attainable.

"I think the fire station's probably the better option," she finally said.

"That's what I thought too."

They moved away from the hole, heading back the way they had come. They encountered few people, and although Mary Ellen thought she should warn them that there was nowhere to go in that direction, she was too tired to speak. She simply didn't have the energy to interact with anyone right now. She could barely keep her hand on Rita's arm as she pulled the unresponsive woman with them. Al remained alert, his eyes bouncing over everyone and everything.

Mary Ellen didn't know what they would do if the way to the fire station was also blocked. She was so focused on her own thoughts that at first she didn't register the strange new noise that was growing steadily louder. She lifted her head, frowning as she stopped in the middle of the street.

"Is… is that a train?" she inquired in disbelief.

It seemed like the most illogical thing in the world for someone to be running a train right now; there was no way to know what condition the tracks would be in.

Al shook his head. "I have no idea what that is."

Over the increasing sound of the train, the screams began.

Chapter 9

Riley

Foxboro, Mass.

Riley stumbled as Xander seized hold of her arm and jerked her back. Her head spun, she didn't know which way to go as everything fell apart around them. Screams pierced through the air and echoed jarringly in her head. Her ears were ringing, but she didn't know if that was from the incessant, high-pitched screams, or the grotesque upheaval of the ground as it splintered and broke apart around her.

Dirt flew into the air, and she wouldn't have been at all astonished to see a very big worm come bursting out of the ground, Tremors-style, to eat them. In fact, she found she would almost welcome it; at least that would explain some of what was going on. But no worm burst free as dirt and rocks pelted her.

Xander tugged her backwards. Clutching at the ground, he strained to pull her upward as the ground began to tilt precariously beneath her feet. Her fingers clawed at the grass as she struggled up the hill, a hill that had not been there just seconds before.

"Don't look back!" Xander ordered.

Of course, once he said it she had to look back. A scream rose in her throat and strangled there. Her heart pounded so rapidly she felt it in the tips of her fingers. Her eyes bulged as she stared at the gaping hole that hadn't been there before, a hole that didn't seem to have a bottom.

And they seemed to be tilting toward it.

Adrenaline surged through her and caused her to lurch awkwardly forward. She was at Xander's side now; he was no longer pulling her forward. She dropped to the ground and tore at it in a frenzied attempt to escape her backslide into the yawning abyss at her heels.

One of her fingernails broke, her newly raw, brutalized skin started to bleed. She winced, but didn't hesitate as she fought for her life. Xander gave one mighty heave and snagged hold of a tree root that had been exposed by the shifting earth. He glanced back at her, his hand stretching out as he strained to hold the root as he grasped for her. She lurched forward, catching hold of his hand as the ground slipped out from under her toes.

She felt as if she were falling for a minute, as if the world had vanished from beneath her. Then Xander was pulling her upward, dragging her over top of the hill and back toward solid ground that actually stayed still beneath her feet. Riley collapsed; the grass tickled her nose and cheeks as she heaved for breath, and tried to calm the accelerating beat of her heart. She thought she might have a heart attack before she was killed by some gaping monstrosity of a pit.

Xander's fingers curled around hers before releasing her. Riley couldn't bring herself to move, couldn't bring herself to lift her head and take in the world as screams echoed endlessly around her. They were the sound of death, she realized dimly.

She wasn't much of a crier, never had been, but tears burned her eyes and throat as her fingers curled into the earth. For a split second she was assailed with an overwhelming sense of despair. She just longed to lie there, shut it all out, and deny that any of this was happening. Perhaps, if she kept her eyes closed, she could pretend that she was in her bed, and this was just a bad dream. A very bad dream.

But then Xander was grasping her arms. "Come on, Riley."

She opened her eyes, and immediately wished that she hadn't. The tears began to fall. The old state hospital, newly remodeled into apartments and condos, was devastated. One of the buildings had flames shooting from the top of it, another had fallen over. People must have been trapped in the rubble, as she watched others frantically trying to heave bricks and debris aside as they dug through the pile, shouting for some sort of response. Steam rose into the air, far more than there had been before. People ran from it, shrieking as they blindly fled the mist rolling over parts of the field.

It was like every war movie she had ever seen, except this wasn't a movie. This was real life. This was her life, her hometown, and it was falling apart.

"Riley, come on!" Xander was tugging impatiently at her hand, trying to get her to move, but she could barely comprehend what was going on around her, never mind actually succeed in putting one foot in front of another. "Riley! Damn it!"

He grabbed hold of her shoulders and gave her a quick, remorseless shake. She blinked at him; her mouth dropped as she tried to focus on his face. His handsome features were streaked with dirt; sweat had caused his short dark blond hair to stick to his forehead. His hazel eyes, flecked with shards of brilliant green and gold, were narrowed as he searched her face.

"Riley, are you okay? You still with me?"

She closed her mouth, shook her head and tried to snap out of it, but shock clung to her like a spider web. His impatience disappeared as his expression changed. It was his look, one of loss and desperation that caused some resurgence of common sense to blaze back to life within her. She wasn't gone, she wasn't a lost cause, she wasn't going to fall apart right now, and she sure as hell didn't want his pity.

"I'm with you," she managed to croak out.

Relief filled him, his shoulders slumped as his hands tightened on her upper arms. "We have to find Carol."

She nodded as thoughts of Carol helped to solidify her determination, helped to reestablish her grasp on her sanity. Xander kept hold of her arm as he led her through the crowd of screaming, crying and maimed people. He moved with far more patience than she would have through the beleaguered cluster as he shouted for his sister. He took her on a windy route that stayed far from the steaming holes and large canyon that took up half of the vast field.

Riley kept her gaze focused on Xander's back as he moved. The black t-shirt he wore was streaked with dirt, and there was a hole in the middle of it that revealed a small patch of skin. She became fascinated with that hole as she watched it slide up and down his muscled back with every stalking step he took. The hole became something to focus on besides the turmoil surrounding them.

"Carol!" he shouted above the rising noise.

One of the emergency workers had located a bullhorn; they were bellowing orders to remain calm, for everyone to stay put, and to aide others when they could. Riley barely registered the words over the incessant screams. "It's the end of the world," she realized.

Xander glanced at her over his shoulder. "And here I always thought you were a 'glass half full' kind of girl."

She planted her hands on her hips. "Well, what do you think is going on, then?" she demanded.

He shrugged as he managed a wan smile. "I try not to think D; it's how I make it through college."

She blinked at him in confusion. "D?"

She slapped his hand away as he attempted to flick one of her ears. It took everything she had not to punch him again as she jerked her arm free of his grasp and stormed a few feet in front of him. His chuckle only served to infuriate her more.

"Carol!" she screamed, fury pitching her voice higher than she thought possible. She pushed through people, barreling onward with far less finesse than Xander had exhibited. "Carol!"

Through her anger, apprehension began to coil within her gut. It slithered like a snake up her chest and constricted around her heart. Where was Carol? Panic was starting to rise up inside of her as she pushed through the crowd. Carol had been her best friend for as long as Riley could remember. Carol was the sister she'd never had, she had to find her. She had to be okay.

Riley burst free of the crowd, her gaze frantically searched over the area where she had left Carol with Bobby and Lee. The substantial split in the earth ran through here too, it had opened a large gouge into the land that was a good three hundred feet wide and unfathomably deep. She could only stand and stare, mouth gaping, and her heart creating a drumbeat. There were two people struggling from the hole, picking themselves out of the pit with the help of others, but she didn't recognize either of them.

Riley spun, her gaze shot frantically over the crowd. "Carol!" she screamed as Xander pushed his way free and stopped to stare in dismayed silence. "Carol!"

Xander pushed her gently aside as he made his way to the chasm. Riley refused to go any closer to the hideous thing, not one step. Xander leaned over to peer down at it before stepping back to search the crowd again. Riley fought the urge to plunge her way back in, and shove through the bloody people and disordered mob in search of Carol. She didn't know where to go though, and as much as Xander irritated her beyond belief, he was all she had right now and she wasn't going to leave him behind.

She spotted Bobby being herded onward by a group of emergency personal to an area far from the gorge. Riley shouted to Xander before hurrying after Bobby. She seized hold of Bobby's arm when she reached him and jerked him back toward her.

"Riley," he breathed in relief and embraced her quickly. They'd never been overly close in high school, but after Bobby had graduated school, and started working with his father, he'd come into the hardware store where she worked more often. They'd become a lot friendlier and exchanged updates on their not-so-exciting lives.

Bobby held her arms as he stepped back. "Where's Carol?" she inquired, dreading the answer.

He shook his head, his brown eyes sad and distant. "I don't know," he admitted. "It all happened so fast, one minute we were just standing there and the next… Well, the next it was just… screaming. I saw her run; I think she was with Lee, still." His gaze slid past her, he released her arms as Xander joined them. "I'm pretty sure she's still alive."

Relief filled her; her shoulders slumped as she searched the crowd surging around them. "Go with the flow," Xander murmured. "Carol will go with the others to look for us."

Riley fell into step with Bobby and Xander; she searched the mob frantically as she sought her friend. They made it to the area where everyone was gathered, people had spread out in search of family and loved ones. "Carol!" Xander shouted, standing on his tiptoes to search over the crowd. Bobby, slightly taller than Xander, did the same thing as he stood beside him.

"Do you see her?" Riley demanded impatiently as she strained to see something other than the bodies surrounding her.

Xander shook his head and his jaw clenched. He glanced nervously around one more time before dropping down beside her. "She has to be okay," Riley said forcefully.

"She is." But he wouldn't look at her as he said the words, and lines that hadn't been there before were now etched onto his features.

Riley's hands twisted, she searched the crowd frantically, bouncing on her toes as she hopped about. "Xander," she whispered impatiently.

"I'll find her. Stay with Bobby."

She frowned at him, not at all liking the idea of being told what to do. For that reason alone she followed him through the crowd again, Bobby close on her heels. "I've seen enough scary movies to know that splitting up is never the right choice," Bobby informed her.

"It's not," she agreed.

Xander frowned at them both, his mouth pinched as he stared at her. "Do you see an ax murderer around here?"

"I think I might prefer it," she retorted.

He shook his head before turning and storming through the crowd. He'd handled the horde of people a lot better than her before this, now he pushed through with the same impatience that she had exhibited. She spotted a couple of girls from the softball team amongst the swarm, but she didn't go to them, and she didn't see Carol with them.

Smoke hung heavy in the air, she pulled her shirt over nose in an attempt to ease the cloying scent, and to block some of her inhalation of it. "Carol!" Xander bellowed.

"Xander!"

Riley spun, searching the crowd as she heard the distant cry. "Carol!" she yelled.

"I'll give you a leg up."

She blinked at Xander in confusion; she didn't comprehend what he meant until he knelt before her. "Oh. Ah, yeah."

Resting her hand on his shoulder, she slipped her foot into his joined hands and braced herself as he lifted her up. She searched over the crowd and through the increasing smoke. She hadn't realized that the forest behind the state hospital was on fire. Flames shot high into the air, they consumed the trees with hungry ferocity. Riley shuddered as she realized it wasn't just the heat of the day that was causing her to sweat so much, but also the heat from the growing inferno less than three hundred yards away.

They had to find Carol and get out of here. Soon.

Then she spotted her friend, jumping up and down as she waved frantically at Riley. Lee was at her side, a cloth pressed against his cheek. Relief filled Riley, she grinned as she waved enthusiastically back. "I see her!" she cried, patting Xander on his shoulder.

"Wonderful," he muttered, his cheek pressed against her thigh, and his face twisted as if he were in pain. Jeeze, she didn't weigh that much.

"You can put me down now." He nodded and dropped her to the ground. "The forest is on fire."

"Of course it is. Why wouldn't it be with everything else that's going on?"

"And I thought you were a 'glass half full' kind of guy." She found a small amount of pleasure in needling him as he shot her a dark look. She smiled sweetly at him before turning on her heel and leading the way toward where she had seen Carol and Lee.

"Thank God!" Carol cried as she threw her arms around Riley and hugged her close.

"I'm okay, too," Xander informed her grumpily.

Carol rolled her eyes but happily embraced her brother. Riley didn't often see them together anymore and she was struck by how similar they were in appearance. They had the same eye color, though Carol's hair was a shade darker. Xander was slightly above six feet while Carol was just under. At one point they had both been lanky and Carol was still as slender as a reed. Xander had filled out over the past couple of years, and become more muscular while at college. "What happened to you?" Bobby asked Lee.

Lee pulled the cloth away from his tanned face. Riley winced at the uneven wound that sliced his cheek nearly to the bone. "I think it was a rock."

"That's going to need stitches."

"I don't think stitches are the priority right now," Lee informed him as he glanced at the people flowing around them.

"No, they're not. We have to move," Xander stated.

"Where?" Carol asked quietly. "Where do we go?"

"The stadium. Hopefully it's still standing," Riley said as she glanced at the sky in search of another flare. There was nothing. There had to be survivors over there still, there had to be.

"Just as long as it's not here." Bobby said as he looked over top of the crowd toward where the smoke curled high into the air with growing intensity. Riley swallowed heavily; the angry glow of the inferno was stark against the dark day. Her gaze darted involuntarily toward the blackened sun.

She felt like cattle being herded to the slaughter as she fell into step with the bustling and jostling crowd, but there was nowhere else for them to go. Carol's hand wrapped around hers and then took hold of her brother's. The murmurs of the crowd began to die down as a sense of urgency started to fill it. The blaze would spread; there was no way to put it out right now. There were those that thought the whole town would burn.

Goosebumps broke out on Riley's skin, she pressed closer to Carol as Xander led them onto a sidewalk, separating them a little from the jostling mob. She was grateful for the distance, for the air that seemed freer now that she didn't have so many people pressing against her or the madness she sensed swelling amongst them. "This could get risky," Lee muttered as he watched the throng from guarded eyes.

"Could?" Xander inquired.

"You know what I mean. A panicked crowd is a dangerous crowd."

Riley swallowed heavily; they held further back in an attempt to avoid the stampede if one happened to break out. There were still emergency workers in crowd, shouting instructions, trying to keep people calm, but Riley could sense an unraveling within it.

Glass shattered somewhere to her left. She turned to watch as two men broke out the window on a door across the street. One man lifted his head to glance swiftly around. His gaze found hers. For one long moment they stared at each other across the street. He didn't appear a bit remorseful as he turned away, stuck his arm through the broken window and opened the door.

Riley stood, uncertain and suddenly more frightened than she had been when she'd thought she was going to fall into the very depths of hell. There were more than just earthquakes and steaming holes to fear here, she realized as the hair on the back of her neck stood up, and a cold sweat broke out on her forehead.

There were also humans.

She wasn't sure what frightened her more.

Chapter 10

Carl

Cape Cod, Mass.

Carl drove like a bat out of hell, or as fast as a bat of hell could drive with the ruts, chunks of asphalt, trees, power lines, and downed streetlamps blocking the path. One light was on red as he drove over top of the lines connected to it. He'd been unable to make it down Route three after the new earthquake, and instead had been forced off the exit and down what was known as Scenic Highway. Normally it was scenic, now it was a nightmare that he was determined to get as far away from as possible. The road ran parallel to the canal and was far too close to it for his liking.

The truck bounced and jumped over the highway. The canal was still empty, the mud and rock of its bottom clearly, and horrifyingly, visible.

"Faster," John urged. He was still holding onto the handle as he leaned forward and stared unblinkingly down the road.

Carl's arms were deadlocked before him as he pressed harder on the accelerator. If he hadn't been fired for stealing the truck, he definitely would have been fired if his boss could see the way he was driving now. In the side mirrors he spotted the Toyota having more difficulty than he was, but staying surprisingly close as the woman drove as recklessly as he did.

He swerved around a downed oak, fish-tailed briefly to avoid a hole, and almost went airborne over a broken branch he was unable to avoid. "A tsunami. A freaking tsunami," John breathed.

"We don't know that yet," Carl grated through clenched teeth. He was too wound up to even smoke a cigarette; he hadn't known that was possible until now. He eased on the gas, having to slow in order to navigate a part of the road that was nearly blocked by debris and ruined highway.

"What else would make the water go away?"

"For all I know an enormous hole opened in the middle of the ocean and all the water was sucked into it."

John gawked at him; his eyes nearly bulged out of his head. "Could that even be possible!?" he croaked.

"I don't know! I don't know anything anymore."

Carl stomped down on the accelerator again and the truck lurched awkwardly forward. Thankfully the road was mostly straight, and there were only a few cars that had been abandoned, or wrecked, on it. They never would have made it this far, they wouldn't have even made it to the bridge, if this had occurred on a weekend. He never thought he'd be grateful that it was a Monday.

He dodged another tree and aimed the truck at the parking lot of a gas station. It was nearly clear of debris as he swerved into the exit and back out the entrance of the station. The truck skidded briefly, turning sideways on the highway before the tires caught and it lurched forward. A truck, half hanging into a hole, blocked the entrance of the rotary. Carl swerved to the side, driving into the other lane as he skirted the lane barrier and turned onto the rotary with a squeal of tires as the ass end of the truck kicked out.

He was relieved to see the Toyota in his mirror still. He didn't know the woman, but he didn't want to see anything bad happen to her or her children. He aimed the truck at the exit ramp as a sound much like an oncoming train pierced the turmoil around him.

His arms began to shake. John was deathly pale. He had nearly made it to the exit ramp when he saw the overturned delivery truck blocking it. He swung to the side, slammed on the gas and shot onto the empty entrance ramp of the highway. TGIM, he thought crazily as the truck lurched forward. The overpass rose over the road before speeding rapidly down toward the highway. Steam rose in pockets, the road wasn't any better here, and yet a sense of relief and joy began to grow within him.

The entrenched thought that far from the ocean would be the safest option had been driving him heedlessly onward. Now, his muscles relaxed, and some of the tension in his body eased as he spotted the Bourne Bridge in his mirror. Unlike its counterpart, it was still standing, still rising above the canal.

For now, he thought.

The rising roar of the train reverberated in the air. John had turned in his seat; his hands were resting on the down window as he hung his head and chest out like a dog. Carl wouldn't have been surprised to see his ears flapping in the wind, or his tongue lolling from his mouth. He shook his head, trying to clear it of the ludicrous thought as a hysterical laugh rose in his chest.

He was losing his mind.

And then he felt a forceful collision that seemed to reverberate through the earth. John swore loudly. He jerked back from the window as water heaved violently into the canal. It smashed into the bridge, ripping it ferociously from its moorings and taking it away in the space of a heartbeat. Carl, too busy watching the wreckage behind him, nearly ran straight into the back of a car.

A hiss escaped him; he swerved aggressively, barely missing the Kia as water poured over top of the rocks. John leaned back, his mouth gaping, his eyes as large as saucers as he watched the water barreling toward them.

"Faster!" John shouted.

Carl slammed his foot on the accelerator, speeds this fast were hazardous and could get them killed, but any slower meant certain death. He was not a risk-taking, careless driver; he hadn't been since he'd wrapped his first car around a tree and nearly killed his best friend. But somehow he managed to channel the eighteen-year-old hellion he'd once been, and found that years of experience had made him far more adept at swerving around obstacles at such high speeds. The woman was gaining ground on him. If he hit something there was no way she was going to avoid smashing into his ass end. For the first time he didn't even remotely mind someone tailgating him.

He kept his attention focused forward, John would let him know if they were about to be crushed to death by an enormous wave of water as he leaned even further out the window and made strange gurgling noises and short squeaks. Yep, John was a great barometer on just how much jeopardy they were in. He continuously waved his hand forward, as if that would somehow miraculously move everything out of their way.

The crashing, wrenching roar of the onrushing water pushed Carl faster.

"Ugh! Ugh!" John grunted.

Carl swerved around a large, steaming split in the middle of the highway. They bounced into the median, the truck tires spun as they sought purchase in the spongy grass. Dirt and grass flew, pelting the side and back of the truck with mud. The Toyota, smaller and more maneuverable, pulled ahead of them as it was able to stay on the highway. Carl steered back onto the road as John began to wave more frantically, his grunting increased, and he began to bounce in the seat.

Despite his every intention not to look, Carl felt his eyes irresistibly drawn to the mirror. His mouth dropped, he understood John's insistent motions as his stomach curdled like spoiled milk. He'd never seen anything like it. Water rolled over water in a ceaseless swell of death and destruction that rushed relentlessly forward. Toward them. He could almost feel it nipping at the truck tires as it was just fifty feet behind them and closing fast.

It seemed as if all the water of the ocean was pursuing them, looking to destroy them. Nothing hindered its pursuit as it simply sucked any obstacles into it and devoured them with ease. Debris rolled within the wave, cresting to the top before being lost within the crush of water again. Cars rose up, spun away, and fell back; there were rooftops, and porches, trees and poles, and worst of all…

"People," he breathed.

Their bodies appeared within the swirl, before being buried again as new ones surged forth. It was gaining on them, barreling forward with ruthless intent. He knew it wasn't possible, but he couldn't shake the thought that the wave was an actual, living thing. That it knew they were there, and it was determined to destroy them. They were nearly two miles from the canal and the water showed no sign of easing.

Plastic bit into the palms of his hands, his fingers twisted around the wheel as he tore his attention away from certain death and back to the mangled road. The Toyota was just ahead of them, the eerie glow of the sun in the back window made it impossible to see inside the vehicle, but he could see the woman's eyes in the driver's side mirror.

"Holy shit," John breathed.

Carl wasn't about to look at what had elicited words from John again, instead of just mindless sounds. It couldn't be good.

John flopped back in the seat; he looked about ten years older than he had this morning as he pulled at the side of his face with his right hand. His eyes were haunted as they met Carl's gaze. "You can slow down now."

Carl glanced in the mirror again, his body slumped, his hands eased on the wheel. The water didn't appear to be pursuing them anymore. It had even retreated a little to reveal the layers of dirt, mud, and debris that it had washed ashore. He expected to see the water receding completely, but it didn't. Instead it seemed to have found a new home, seemed to have decided to claim this land as its own.

Ocean one, land zero. He felt the strange urge to laugh hysterically again, he lit a cigarette instead as he eased on the gas pedal and navigated the highway with a lot more care. The Toyota eased back also, and took the next exit. Losing the woman caused a strange sense of loneliness to fill him as he stared at the empty, forlorn highway. In the distance another vehicle was moving through the wreckage, but it was too far away for him to discern what it was.

John was silent as he continued to pull awkwardly at his face. "I'm glad we were able to get off the Cape."

"Yeah," Carl muttered.

The loneliness wouldn't leave him; it was a growing ache in his chest that the nicotine did little to ease. He felt as if they could well be the last two people on earth, even with the distant movement of the other car. "My parents…"

"I'll get you to them," Carl promised. He tossed the cigarette from the window. It bounced off the roof of a black Lexus. The front end was embedded into the back of a pickup truck and blood splattered the windshield. Carl felt a twinge of regret, he hadn't meant to hit the car, but he'd just bounced a butt off of what would most likely become a person's coffin. He felt like an ass.

"I don't even know how we're going to find them." John started pulling on his face again. "All those people back there, they're all probably dead. I mean…" he broke off, shaking his head as his fingers made a teepee before his mouth. "I mean… no one could survive that, right?"

Carl swallowed heavily; it was difficult to get his lighter to fire with trembling fingers. "I'm sure some did."

John shook his head, his gaze traveled to the mirror but there was little to see anymore, they'd moved beyond the scope of the wave and the devastation it had wrought. "Not many," he muttered. "My home… it's all I've ever known. I… uh, I don't know… I don't know."

"Your parents, John. Where are they?" Carl had to have something to focus on, something to do other than navigate through debris and bodies. So many bodies. Yes, he definitely needed something to do besides think about what was going on around them. So did John, as the kid looked about ready to lose it.

"Bridgewater. My Mom works at the college, my Dad's a CO at the prison."

He'd been working with the kid for almost two years, but Carl hadn't known these details of his life. It was unsettling to realize how little he knew about the person he spent most of his time with. "Your Mom's a professor?"

"History."

"Interesting."

"What about your parents?" John inquired.

"Dead," Carl said flatly.

"Sorry."

Carl shrugged, this time he snubbed his cigarette in the ashtray; it was the first time he'd used the thing. He'd been smoking for over twenty years but he'd never liked using the ashtrays in a vehicle. However, there was no way he was throwing another one onto the graveyard that now surrounded them.

"It's been awhile. Dad died of a heart attack when I was sixteen and Mom succumbed to breast cancer ten years ago," Carl told him.

"Still sucks."

Carl refrained from saying that at least he knew where his parents were, and what had become of them. He didn't want to scare the kid anymore than he already was. "Yeah."

A small blue Honda crept onto the highway, it came straight up the middle of the grass around the exit ramp. The loneliness eased somewhat, but between the rising steam, the fires burning in the distance, and the darkness of the day, he couldn't shake the feeling of isolation that enshrouded him. He was glad he'd been at work today, glad he'd been with John; he didn't know what he would have done if he'd had to face this alone. He'd been alone for a long time, he'd thought that he was used to it, that he enjoyed it; he realized now just how wrong he'd been.

Just past Exit three there were two cars parked in the middle of the highway, people had climbed out of them and were standing beside the vehicles. Carl stopped beside them. Before him, gleaming in the dull daylight was a river that hadn't been there before.

John was the first out of the truck, he moved forward to stand with the others. Sweat broke out on Carl's brow and trickled down his cheek as he stepped close to the river. Waves of steam rose from the rippling water.

A woman began to cry. "What do we do?" a man inquired.

"Find another way around," Carl said flatly.

"Maybe we can drive through it. It might not be that deep in the middle."

Carl expected the river to start boiling any second; there was no way he was going to attempt driving into it. They wouldn't make it five feet before the tires melted off. "John." He nodded toward the truck when John's astounded gaze came gradually toward him. "Let's go."

"That truck would definitely make it," the man pressed.

Five sets of eyes swung toward Carl as he grabbed the handle on the truck door. The sweat had little to do with the heat of the water anymore as he gazed forcefully at John, urging the kid to move faster with his eyes. "No vehicle would make it," Carl informed the man as he hopped into the truck. "Find another way."

John jumped into the passenger seat; his brow was furrowed as the man started to approach them. "Lock the door."

"Huh?" John asked dully.

"Lock. The. Door." Carl took his own advice as he jammed the lock in place and rolled the window up.

"You could at least try!" The man's hand slammed down on the hood as Carl started the truck up.

"What the fuck is this guy's problem?" John demanded.

"Fear," Carl muttered.

"Hey!" the guy yelled. "I'm talking to you!"

"No one cares," John retorted. "Back off!"

"Don't poke the crazies," Carl warned him.

"I'll poke him, he's being an ass." The man slapped his hand on the hood again, causing a dent to appear in the metal as Carl shifted into reverse. "What is with this guy?"

Carl grabbed John's arm when he grasped for the handle. "Don't."

"We can't just let him get away with that."

"I understand you're young, but let's not add dumb to it. Think this through: he's terrified, he thinks this truck is going to make it through that river, and he will take it from us if we give him the chance. We can't risk losing it."

John looked about to argue further but he released the handle and sat back. "Yeah. Yeah you're right."

Carl eyed the man as he shifted into drive. The man's eyes were narrowed, his hands fisted as he glowered at the truck. Carl expected him to come after them again, but the guy seemed to decide that being run over by a one ton Chevy was only going to make his already bad day even worse. Though Carl wasn't eager to fight with the guy, he wouldn't hesitate to use the truck as a weapon; they were not going to lose it.

He doubled back, driving the wrong way on the highway, but he supposed it didn't make any difference anymore. Arriving at Exit three he took the ramp and headed north toward Middleboro. He didn't know what he was going to do if they came across another obstacle and couldn't go any further with the truck. He wasn't exactly thrilled with the idea of having to walk, and he felt much safer in the vehicle.

John rested his head against the passenger side window. "This is insane," he mumbled.

"It's probably only going to get crazier."

John's nose scrunched up. "I don't see how it could."

Carl aspired to believe that they had survived the worst, and that it was only going to get better from here on out, but he wasn't going to lie to himself. This was only the beginning of the end, the beginning of the insanity; all he could do was hope that he survived it. Then he hoped that he would still want to have survived when this was all over.

He shuddered as they entered a small town. People stopped to stare as they drove by, they were gathered on the side of the road near a church. The desperation in their eyes terrified him.

Chapter 11

Al

Newport, RI.

"Run."

"What?" Mary Ellen asked as the roaring noise of the train barreled toward them.

"Run!" Al shouted.

Her dark eyes bulged as her jaw dropped. He grasped hold of her arm and pulled her back a step. The roar of the train was becoming so loud that it was drowning out the terrified screams that had preceded it.

"Run!" he shouted at her.

Mary Ellen shook her head, seeming to break out of her stupor as she took a small step back, grabbed Rita's arm, and spun on her heel. Al grabbed Rita's other arm and propelled her down the street as rapidly as he could. The noise was rising, becoming a resonating crescendo that drowned out all thought and reason. The ground was shaking, he could feel it trembling beneath his feet, but he didn't think it was another earthquake causing the trembling this time.

He didn't know what it was, but he found his feet wouldn't move fast enough as the imposing presence of something powerful barreled down on them. Something crashed, it sounded as if houses were being ripped from their foundations. They turned the corner, the guns bounced against his back as he continued onward. He'd never felt old, in fact he prided himself on his youthful outlook on life, but he wasn't as fast as he once was. His knees ached in ways they hadn't twenty years ago, and he was winded far sooner than he would have liked.

"Up here!"

Al jerked Rita, and in turn, Mary Ellen to a stop at the shout. He spotted people gathered on the roof of the brick school building beside them. "The dumpster, use the dumpster!" The man that shouted at them ran down the roof of the building toward a cluster of dumpsters at the end. Al tugged Rita forward; he wished the woman had waited to have her complete mental breakdown. "Hurry!" the man urged.

"What's happening?" Mary Ellen inquired, her voice barely carried over the increasing roar.

"Just climb!"

She didn't have to be told twice as she dropped the pillowcase of supplies on top of the dumpster, placed both hands on it, and hefted herself up. She turned back to help Al push and shove Rita up to her. "Rita come on," Mary Ellen grated, pulling on her arms as the two of them finally managed to get her onto the dumpster. "Get it together before you get us killed!"

The man on the roof knelt down and extended his hand. Rita remained unmoving, her eyes glazed as she stared blankly at the wall before her. Mary Ellen met Al's gaze over top of her head as he joined them on top of the blue container. He grabbed hold of Rita's arm and lifted it into the air; it fell limply back to her side. Frustration filled him, he longed to be able to pick the woman up and heave her onto the roof, or shake some sense into her, but he didn't do either of those things as the train became a roaring plane engine that reverberated in his ears.

"Go!" he shouted at Mary Ellen, a crushing sense of doom descending upon him as screams echoed through the streets.

Mary Ellen stared at Rita before she grabbed the supplies, jumped up, and seized hold of the man's arm. Another man, and a woman, appeared to help Mary Ellen scramble off the dumpster and onto the roof. She disappeared briefly from view as she collapsed. Al grabbed hold of Rita's arm and picked it up once more. The man leaned further over, the other two held his ankles as he sought to grab hold of Rita.

"Come on lady, give me a hand here." The man grunted as the edge of the roof pressed into his stomach. Frustration filled Al, he tried to heave her up but she remained as still as stone. "What is wrong with her?"

It was shock, Al knew that. Her mind had frayed, but he didn't know how to make it better. Mary Ellen reappeared; she flung one leg over the side of the building. "Stay up there!" Al yelled at her.

"You need help," Mary Ellen insisted.

There was no help for this, but she didn't realize that yet. Al was beginning to, and the man most certainly did as he turned away from Rita and thrust his hand out to Al. "Give me your hand!"

Al grabbed hold of the man's thick forearm. He wrapped his other arm around Rita's waist in a last ditch attempt to get her onto the roof. The man grunted; his other hand seized hold of Al's arm as he grappled to lift the two of them from the dumpster. Mary Ellen leaned over; she grasped for Rita as Al was lifted a few inches into the air.

The man's face flushed red; his arms were shaking with the strain he was exerting to hold onto them. "You have to help Rita," Al muttered to her. She remained silent, he found he actually missed the annoying little shrieks, at least then she had been showing some sign of life. There was nothing now. His arms ached; each one of them felt as if they were going to be pulled from their sockets. Rita probably didn't weigh a hundred and twenty pounds soaking wet, but her dead weight felt more like three hundred pounds right now.

"I don't…" the man broke off. Sweat was pouring down his face, sticking his light brown hair to his forehead. Al knew what he'd been about to say, he didn't think he could do this, and neither did Al, as they hung over the dumpster. Mary Ellen's fingers were just above him, she lurched awkwardly, sliding precariously to the side as she seized hold of the collar of his shirt. The material bit into his neck, but he welcomed the choking feeling. He felt at least a little more secure now as he dangled like a worm on a hook.

"Rita…" What he was about to say was cut completely off as a wave of water smashed around the corner. A strangled cry escaped him, his legs kicked in the air as the urge to run instinctively took over. Mary Ellen jerked on his collar, causing him to sputter as the man's hands dug fiercely into his arm. Rita came back to life, but where he had prayed she'd become helpful, she instead became like a drowning victim. An ear piercing scream escaped her, her fingers dug into his arm wrapped around her waist; her nails raked back his flesh, drawing a stream of blood from him. Pain tore through him as she kicked wildly, clawing at his arm and battering his shins.

"Hey! Hey, stop!" The man shouted. "I can't hold on! Stop lady!"

Rita's screams and motions became more frenzied. "Stop it, Rita!" Al shouted at her as the man's hand slipped on his forearm. "Calm down!"

She elbowed him remorselessly in the gut, knocking the air from him. If the man hadn't been holding so tight, and Mary Ellen's hand hadn't been wrapped in his shirt, he would have fallen as his fingers instinctively released their grasp on the man's forearm. His arm slipped, he dropped a little bit. The arm around Rita's waist numbly released its hold. She fell back to the dumpster, still shrieking as she began to pull at her hair.

"Rita!" Mary Ellen screamed. Rita spun in a small circle before she jumped down from the dumpster and fled. "Rita!"

The man readjusted his hold on Al and heaved him over the side of the building. The weight of the guns pressed against his back as he collapsed, bleeding and gasping for air. The building was rocked on its foundation; he was certain the school was going to fall down as water splashed over the side and spattered his face. The salty, tangy taste of the ocean coated his lips as he struggled to push himself into a sitting position.

Water roared over and through the streets, it flowed around the building, tore away the dumpster and demolished the smaller obstacles in its path. Mary Ellen scrambled to her feet, she ran to the edge of the roof to watch as Rita fled down the street. Al rose shakily, his whole body ached.

Rita's screams were drowned out by the water barreling down upon her. Al held his breath, praying that she would make it, knowing that she wouldn't. It was too late, there was nowhere for her to go. Rita glanced over shoulder; she stumbled over an upturned chunk of asphalt and sprawled onto the road. Mary Ellen screamed as the oncoming wave crashed into Rita and swept her up. She swirled briefly to the top, her arms flailed in the air before she was swallowed beneath the crushing weight of the water.

Mary Ellen's scream abruptly cut off, the color drained from her face; her lips were nearly white as they trembled with her unshed tears. "Why?" she whispered. "Why would she do that?"

Al rested his hand on her shoulder, squeezing it gently as he tried to offer her some reassurance, some strength. He didn't have an answer for her. "I don't know."

She turned away, her gaze dropped to the water. It was not the powerful, consuming rush it had been but it still swirled around them in a dirty forth of foam and debris. Disgust twisted her features as bodies began to float by. "Awful," she muttered before retreating to the other side of the roof.

She dropped to the roof, drew her legs up and dropped her arm over them. Al turned to the man that had saved his life and stuck his hand out. "Thank you."

The man nodded as he shook his hand. "Wish I could have helped her too."

"I wish I could have kept hold of her."

"You might want to take care of that." The man nodded to the deep gouges on Al's arms. The only thing they had left of Rita. He nodded numbly and made his way over to Mary Ellen. She was already digging through the sack, looking for the first aid kit. His whole body hurt, he felt every one of his seventy-two years. His knees popped as he settled beside her.

She tended the scratches carefully as the two men began to prowl around the roof. The woman sat opposite them, her eyes shadowed and haunted as she watched Mary Ellen. "Are you father and daughter?" the woman inquired.

"Neighbors," Al informed her.

"That woman… the one that was with you," she said hesitatingly.

"Also a neighbor." The woman nodded as her attention drifted to the men gathered at the other end of the roof. "Are the three of you family?"

"The one that pulled you up is my husband Bill, the other one is his friend, Paul."

Mary Ellen wrapped a bandage around his arm and sat back. Al leaned his head against the edge of the roof and then climbed back to his feet. He joined the men at the edge of the roof. He had no desire to see more bodies, but they couldn't stay up here forever. The water slapped against the building, but showed no sign of receding as it flooded the streets around them.

"I'm pretty sure that was a tsunami," the man identified as Paul muttered.

Bill shook his head. "I don't know what else it could have been."

Al moved to the other side of the building. More water. Things just kept going from bad to worse. He sat by Mary Ellen again. "It should recede soon."

"I can't stay here Al," Mary Ellen murmured.

"I know, but we can't go anywhere as long as there's an ocean beneath us."

"What if it doesn't recede?"

"It has to," he assured her.

"I hope so. Are you hungry?" she asked.

He glanced at the pillowcase and then at the people surrounding him. They seemed safe enough, they had helped to save his life after all, but he didn't know how trustworthy anyone was right now. "Why don't we wait and see if this water recedes soon."

She glanced around the rooftop before grabbing the sack and pulling it toward her. "Rita…" She moved closer to him, her arm pressed against his as she sought some sense of comfort. "She was getting on my nerves; all I wanted was for her to be quiet."

"I know."

"I didn't want this though," she whispered.

He squeezed her hand comfortingly. "I know, neither did I. And she was getting on my nerves too. There's nothing either of us could have done."

"Maybe I could have gotten her to snap out of it."

"Don't beat yourself up over it. Rita couldn't handle this; it was only a matter of time before she was lost." It was cold, he knew that, but it was also true. "We don't have time to mourn, not now. This world, it's no longer the one we knew."

Her hand clenched around his. "I feel worse about Rita than my own husband. What's that say about me?"

"That your husband was an ass."

She snorted with laughter. "Yeah, that he was," she agreed. "What do you think is going on?"

"I don't know. I'm not a scientist, I was never a religious man, and Nostradamus wasn't someone I followed. All I know is that it is happening, and it's going to take everything we have to survive it."

The two men retreated back to the woman and settled on either side of her. "You don't trust them," Mary Ellen's words were a bare whisper.

"I don't trust anyone anymore. Except maybe you."

Her smile was wan. "Thanks for the vote."

"Humans are perilous when they're threatened and scared," he said honestly.

"And we are most certainly both right now."

"Yes."

"Where did you get the guns?" she inquired.

"I used to hunt."

"I never would have pictured you as a hunter."

"I wasn't much of one," he admitted.

She became silent as she fiddled with the edges of the medical kit. Time ticked by at a crawl as he marked the passage of it on his watch. The woman fell asleep, the two men remained silent but appeared agitated as they would rise and pace restlessly for awhile before returning to their places on the roof, and then repeating the same action again only minutes later. Al's stomach rumbled but he was still hesitant to dig into their meager supply. He didn't realize that Mary Ellen had fallen asleep too, until she started awake. She stared blearily around before her shoulders slumped and she began to twist her hands together.

She rose to her feet and walked over to the edge of the roof before returning. "I think it might be receding."

His muscles ached as he pushed himself to his feet. It appeared she was right as the higher water mark was clearly visible on the bark of the trees across the way. The water was still a good four feet high, but even if it didn't retreat further, they might be able to make their way through it. For the first time he felt a spurt of hope. He desired off of this roof as badly as Mary Ellen did.

The men joined them. "Thank God," one of them breathed.

Al seconded that. "Should we go now?" Mary Ellen inquired. "What if something more happens and we don't get another chance?"

A young man's body was caught up in the doorway of a house to the left; it kept bouncing off the frame with a dull thud that made his skin crawl. Al eyed the water warily. There was no way to know what the water hid, what hazards or obstacles were swirling within its dark depths. He was frightened this might be their only chance, but if they couldn't see the ground, there was no way to know what was beneath them, where they would be putting their feet. It would be near certain death.

"I don't think that's a good idea," he told her. "Not with all those pits, craters, and possible canyons out there now."

She bit her lip, her hands twisting anxiously as she began to bounce on her toes. "Damn," she hissed.

"It won't be much longer," Al assured her.

"Yeah," she muttered.

Tilting his head back, Al realized that the sun was beginning to peek out again. His breath caught in his chest, his mouth parted as a small sliver of the sun was revealed through the shadows enshrouding it. He was forced to look away when the glare became too much. "The sun's coming back out."

"I'll be," Paul muttered.

"That has to be a good sign, right?" Mary Ellen asked eagerly.

Al was silent as he looked away from the sun again. He'd longed to see it again so that at least one thing could return to normal in this messed up world, but he didn't feel anywhere near as elated as he had thought he would. Instead, it felt as if the cool hand of death was caressing the back of his neck. He began to question his decision to remain here as he was seized with the certainty that they had to move, that they had to get off this roof, and out of this town.

Mary Ellen was smiling at him as he met her gaze. He didn't want to ruin that smile, it was so rare, but he couldn't shake the apprehension clenching at him. He'd never been one to ignore his instincts and they'd gotten him this far in life. The return of the sun wasn't the beginning of something better, but something worse. He knew it.

"We have to go. Now."

Mary Ellen's smile slipped away as she looked back at the sky. She opened her mouth to protest but closed it again as she nodded her agreement.

Chapter 12

Xander

Foxboro, Mass.

"They're breaking into that house."

Xander grabbed Riley's arm, propelling her onward as she stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. "They are," he confirmed. "The rules don't exactly apply anymore."

Her eyebrows drew sharply together as her mouth pursed. "Going to hell in a handbasket," she muttered.

"Fast. Now come on, we have to move Riley."

He didn't look back as he hurried her forward. Carol, Lee, and Bobby were about twenty feet ahead of them. They waited for them to catch up in the middle of the sidewalk. "Everything okay?" Carol inquired.

"Yeah."

Most of the herd in the street was pushing closer together, but a few were breaking off, going their separate ways as they slid through yards and even into the woods. Bobby was watching the stragglers intently; Lee was so focused on trying to get to the stadium that he hadn't seemed to realize there weren't as many people with them anymore. This area of the town seemed to be in better shape. The houses weren't on fire, or falling into the earth, and though there were some steaming holes, there were nowhere near as many as there had been near the state hospital.

Bobby fell back to walk beside him as Riley split away with Carol. Riley and Carol walked closely together, their hands entwined as their bent heads pressed close to each other. He'd seen that sight many times over the years, but their closeness still amazed him. "I think we should start thinking about finding some kind of weapon."

Xander's attention was pulled from Carol and Riley as he glanced at Bobby out of the corner of his eye. "What kind of weapon?"

"A gun or something."

"And you would know how to use a gun?"

Bobby frowned as he shook back disheveled brown hair that he'd let grow almost to his shoulders now. He had lost a few pounds since high school and grown an inch, but he was still only up to Xander's shoulders. "Well, no, but I've seen enough movies to figure it out."

Xander let out a harsh laugh. "Awesome Bobby, I'm sure that's all it'll take."

Bobby glared at him. "We have to do something Xander. We're defenseless now."

"We're surrounded by hundreds of people."

"That's what scares me."

Xander's gaze slid over the crowd again. "It's what scares me too," he admitted.

"Maybe some knives would help? At least they would be something."

Xander shuddered at the thought. Were they actually talking about using knives against people? He was having an easier time trying to assimilate the catastrophe surrounding them than the thought of having to stab someone. It made his empty stomach twist with nausea and acid. "Do you really think you could stab someone?"

"Two hours ago? No way. Now…?" Bobby shrugged as he tugged nervously on his hair. "Soon it's going to start becoming every man for themselves. This man would like something to defend himself - and the girls - with."

Xander studied his friend; Bobby had always been the calmest and easiest going out of the three of them. There was a gleam in his eyes now that made Xander realize there was a lot more to Bobby than he had ever realized. "Yeah, I guess."

"You better do more than guess. It's going to get ugly, Xander. Real ugly."

"When did you start losing faith in the human race?"

"About two hours ago."

Xander nodded. "Fair enough."

Bobby became silent as they continued down the road. Like a flock of geese, people flowed out of the street and seamlessly around another mammoth gorge that had opened in the middle of the asphalt. They moved through several backyards before returning to the street. Xander felt as mindless as the people around him seemed, and he found that he welcomed it. He didn't want to think right now, and wasn't entirely sure he still could. His brain was on overload; he just couldn't process any new information right now.

Glass shattered somewhere. Riley and Carol stopped walking as they searched for the source of the sound. A gunshot, or more like an explosion, tore through the air. For a second everyone remained frozen, staggered by the new threat. Then, as another shot was fired, someone started screaming. It echoed loudly in the stillness that had enshrouded the town since the last earthquake.

The peaceful herd turned into a maniacal stampede as people began to push and shove in the chaos that erupted. Riley and Carol were jostled back as a small group broke off and began to flee into the yards. Some of the people, the ones who had thrown themselves to the ground after the last shot, were stomped beneath the feet of those trying to escape. Others were knocked down and trampled by the crush. Lee grabbed hold of the girl's arms and started running back toward him and Bobby.

Another shot erupted. More screams pierced the air. Suddenly a man lurched awkwardly forward from the crowd. The man's face was twisted in astonishment; a groan escaped him as blood appeared on the front of his shirt. People stared at the man in astonishment before they began to run away from him. The man fell on the curb, his body sprawled half in the street and half out of it; his arms spread wide as he remained unmoving. Xander didn't know much about guns, but if the substantial hole in the man's back was any indication, it appeared that this had been a big one.

Was someone shooting at them on purpose? Had the stress of everything finally caused someone to lose it, had it unleashed the inner monster inside someone who had been twisted and vicious to begin with? What was left of laws, and civilization, was rapidly unraveling. It was a perfect opportunity for someone to let their inner psycho out. Or was someone simply trying to defend their home?

Another shot rang out. "Holy shit!" Bobby shouted as the two of them ducked, covering their heads, but no one else fell into the street.

Hopefully if the shooter was a crazy murderer he was a piss poor shot, but Xander wasn't sticking around to find out. He snagged hold of Carol's hand and started running. They fled from the sidewalk and into backyards that bordered the edge of the woods. He ran heedlessly forward as he tried to avoid the crush of people also escaping.

"Wait! Stop!" Riley jerked Carol's hand, pulling them both back with her as she came to an abrupt halt. She released Carol's hand and ran up the steps of someone's back porch.

"Riley!" Carol yelled at her.

Riley pounded on the door and frantically rang the bell. Shading her eyes, she bent to peer into the gap that the curtains revealed. Before he knew what she had in mind, she lifted her arm and crashed her elbow into the pane of glass. Unlike the movies, the glass didn't break. She frowned and rubbed her elbow as she glared at the intact windowpane.

"Damn it!" Xander hissed. He released Carol's hand and dashed up the steps after her. "Riley, what are you doing?"

"This is Sue Bradford's house."

"So?"

"So, her stepdad's a cop."

He stared at her blankly. "What? Look, I don't give a rat's ass if her stepdad is the freaking President. We have to keep moving, Riley."

She rolled her eyes at him, causing his frustration to grow as he tried to grab her arm. "A cop Xander. With a badge and a gun."

He froze. Apparently Bobby wasn't the only one that aspired to get their hands on a gun. "You seriously want to break into a cop's house?" he asked incredulously.

"You're the one who said the rules don't exactly apply anymore."

"It's a cop's house!" he nearly shouted.

She continued to glower at him as the others filtered onto the porch. "It is," she confirmed unflinchingly, though she still cradled her elbow. "And I'm getting inside of it, one way or another."

He stared at the backdoor, torn between common sense and his conscience. He was acutely aware of the fact that his continued existence was nowhere near as secure as it had been when he'd awoken this morning. "You don't even know what to do with a gun," he muttered as he strolled toward the door.

"This isn't survival of the fittest, maybe not even the smartest anymore, Xander. This is survival of the most prepared right now, and I plan to be prepared."

"Maybe the luckiest too," Lee added.

"Yeah, and I suck at poker, so I'll take preparation on this one. I'd rather have an unfortunate steaming hole death over some idiot shooting me, or stampeding me, because I can't defend myself," Riley continued.

"Here's hoping I don't get shot doing this." Xander lifted his elbow and smashed it into the window. Glass shattered inward, he held his breath as he waited for a bullet in retaliation, but none was forthcoming. Reaching in, he flipped the deadlock and pushed the door open. He stood hesitatingly on the threshold, feeling completely uncomfortable with the fact that he had just broken into a house, never mind a police officer's house.

"Hello?" he called into the house.

It was hollow, barren - cold even - despite the fact that it was filled with pictures and houseplants that normally would have been inviting. Perhaps it was the knowledge that the occupants of this house might very well be dead, but a chill began to work its way down his spine. It didn't matter that this was a cop's house, he felt like he was violating someone's privacy, someone's life, in a big way.

"Karma's a bitch," he murmured.

"Probably why the earth is trying to eat us right now," Riley informed him as she elbowed her way past him into the house.

Xander followed her as she crept through the kitchen to the living room. The family photos on the fireplace mantle were a little unnerving, especially the ones with Sue's stepdad in his Marine, and policeman uniforms. "This guy could kick our asses," Lee said in awe. His dark blue eyes were wide as he met Xander's gaze over top of Riley's head and made the cutthroat gesture with his hand. Xander shook his head at him but he knew Lee was right.

"Let's hope he doesn't come back anytime soon than," Carol whispered.

"I think he keeps his guns in the den. I came over once, in ninth grade, when Sue and I were partnered for a history report," Riley said.

"Just once?" Bobby inquired.

Riley shrugged. "Sue's a little weird."

"That's putting it mildly," Carol retorted.

"How weird?" Bobby asked.

"You know how every grade seems to have that one kid who sits in the back of class and chews on their hair?" Carol asked.

Bobby glanced around the room before answering slowly, "Yeah."

"Well, Sue actually ate it."

Bobby and Lee choked on laughter as Xander shook his head. "Great. A Marine and a Carrie wannabe. Awesome house to pick Ri, just awesome," Lee told her.

"It's not like she's going to eat your dandruff-ridden hair," Riley retorted.

Lee grinned at her as he pointed two fingers at his sun-kissed hair. "There's no dandruff in this, thank you."

Riley heaved a sigh, but she actually smiled. That smile vanished as she turned to look at Xander. From the disgruntled look she shot him, he would have thought that he was eating her hair. Riley brushed past him, leading the way to the den situated at the front of the house. She pushed open the door and poked her head inside before nodding for them to follow.

The walls of the den were littered with awards and medals. The man was a decorated war veteran. Xander forced his attention away from the walls and onto the gun cabinet in the corner of the room as his scruples started screaming at him. This was such a hideously awful house to rob. "Let's just get this over with."

"We have to find the key," Carol informed him.

"Just break the glass!" His tone was pricklier than he'd anticipated, but being in this place was really starting to make his skin crawl. Carol blanched, and even super criminal Riley seemed uneasy with this suggestion as she shifted from foot to foot. "I'll do it," he muttered.

Grabbing the desk chair by the arms, he lifted it high in his grasp. Carol scurried to get out of the way as he swung the chair forward, smashing one of the casters off the glass front of the gun case. The biting sound of splintering glass set his teeth on edge, but he dropped the chair and strode over to the now open contents of the cabinet.

He pulled two longer guns from the cabinet. "Rifles," Bobby informed him.

"I kinda figured that one out," he told him.

He handed Bobby one of the rifles before reaching back in and pulling out what he assumed was a shotgun. "This will do some damage."

"Do you know how to load it?" Carol inquired nervously.

"Only what I've seen on TV and movies," he admitted.

"This might have been a bad idea," Riley said as she eyed the guns nervously. "Let me see it."

"What, you have a better idea how to do it?" he demanded.

"Not even a little bit, but it can't be that tough to figure out."

"I'm sure," he retorted sarcastically. He handed the gun over to her anyway as he bent to pull cases of bullets out of the drawer beneath, as well as three handguns. He thought he would feel reassured by the weight of the guns, but he was terrified. None of them knew how to use these things; he thought it was a fairly safe bet that one of them would accidentally shoot themselves before they ever had to use the weapons on someone else.

Riley clicked something and then tossed him a smug look. "Done."

He took the gun from her and gave her the handguns. "Here you go, Rambo. Figure these ones out. Just don't shoot yourself in the process."

"I'll keep it aimed at you, just in case."

He dropped the gun to his side as he turned back to her. "Shit, Riley. Let it go."

She stared unblinkingly at him for a minute. He thought she was going to bicker some more, but then her gaze flitted around the room and finally settled upon the deserted and chaotic street. She didn't acknowledge him again as she began to fiddle with the revolver. Her fingers were nimble as they slid the bullets in and clicked the cylinder closed.

At his questioning look she shrugged her shoulders and offered a feeble smile. "I watch a lot of westerns."

"I didn't know that," he admitted.

"You don't know a lot about me." He supposed that was true, even though he'd known her most of their lives. He sure wouldn't have expected her to be the first one to attempt to break into a police officer's house. He pulled a holster from the cabinet and handed it to her. She frowned at it. "You think I should keep them?"

"I don't see any better options in this room. None of us know what we're doing with these things either. Here's hoping Westerns are a good teaching device."

"Sure they are; they taught me how to take whiskey shots and ride a horse." He laughed as she wrapped the holster around her slender waist and buckled it securely. "Feels weird."

"I'd be worried if you said it felt right."

"Very true."

"We should see if they have some food," Bobby suggested.

Xander hung back as they filed out of the room. "Riley?" She frowned at him as she looked over her shoulder from the doorway. "One day you're really going to have to let that whole Dumbo thing go. I was a kid."

"It really sucked being stuck with that name for the past ten years." Her gaze drifted back to the window. "But I guess it doesn't matter anymore."

"Not really."

"And who knows, the way things are going you might only be around for a little bit longer anyway." She really could melt a man's heart when she smiled like that, even if it was at the thought of his demise.

"Here's hoping."

She shook her head at him before leaving the room. Xander's gaze fell back to the gun cabinet, there were still weapons inside but he left them behind. He wasn't about to leave these people completely defenseless if they returned.

The others were gathered in the kitchen, apparently eating everything they could get their hands on. He ignored the nagging pull of his conscience as he made himself a turkey sandwich and bit eagerly in. He couldn't believe he had any kind of an appetite right now, but he was starving.

"It's calmed down out there." Bobby was standing by the backdoor, a bag of chips in his hand.

Xander stared past him, to the strange and suddenly very unfamiliar world beyond the door. Riley joined Bobby in the doorway, her head tilted back as she studied the sky. "The sun is coming out," she murmured.

Xander shoved the last of his sandwich into his mouth and hurried to join them. He tilted his head back, watching as the clouds or the moon - he still couldn't decide which- finally began to slide away from the sun. Relief filled him at this small sign that perhaps things were finally beginning to return to normal. "About time."

He was so focused on trying to see the sun that he didn't catch the strange whining noise until the plane was over top of the trees. Bobby cursed; the bag of chips fell from his hands as he jumped back. There was a small airport in the next town, but Xander had never seen the planes fly this low before. The landing gear had dropped down; its wing nearly clipped a tall pine as the plane swayed in the air. The blast of wind created by the plane caused the trees surrounding it to bend.

It dipped from view, disappearing behind the trees. Xander held his breath, his hands clenched as he waited and prayed, but he knew it was useless. There was no way that plane was going to land safely.

The crash wasn't as loud or as explosive as he expected. Apparently there was little fuel left in the plane to create the blast that he had anticipated. A plume of smoke shot high over the trees as the sound of twisted metal echoed through the air.

"Oh," Riley breathed.

"There's nowhere for them to land," Lee muttered. "At least not near here, not anymore."

"They're running out of fuel."

Xander no longer cared about the reemerging sun; he studied the sky, searching for more planes. "How many more of them do you think there are?" Carol inquired.

"Too many," Xander muttered warily. Hundreds of airplanes were probably up there, just biding their time until there was no time left. "And they're all going to come down sooner or later."

Chapter 13

John

Somewhere in Mass.

"Where are we?"

They had been twisting and turning down so many back roads that John had lost track of their location long ago. It felt like it had been hours since he'd felt that first tremor, but as he glanced at the clock he was stunned to realize it was only ten o'clock. How was it possible that things had become so drastically different in such a short amount of time?

"I don't know," Carl muttered.

He made another turn when a large oak lying in the middle of the road blocked their path. "We could be going in circles."

"We could," Carl agreed. "But there's not much I can do about it unless you can move a tree."

"Not exactly feeling that ability today."

"Neither am I."

John peered out at the countryside, there was some upheaval here, but it didn't seem as bad as some of the other areas they had driven through. A barn had collapsed in the middle of a field, but the farmhouse next to it was still standing. Smoldering livestock and bird corpses dotted the land. "It's a warzone out there," he murmured.

"At least the tremors stopped," Carl said.

"Yeah."

Two cars and a motorcycle passed by, going in the opposite direction. He was beginning to think that he would never find his parents, or that he would probably never even see tomorrow. Grief and sadness swelled within his chest, and for a moment he worried he might actually cry. Instead, he turned back to the farmland surrounding them and focused his attention on it.

"A blinker? Really?" John inquired when Carl clicked it on to make the turn into a gas station.

"Habit," he muttered around his cigarette, but he clicked it back off.

"We need gas?"

"Not yet, but neither of us have a clue where we are. If by some miracle the gas works here, we should probably top off. Plus, I'm kinda hungry."

"Coffee would be outstanding," John groaned.

Carl pulled the truck in next to one of the pumps and they both hopped out. It was obvious that the pumps weren't going to work, but like a fool John kept hitting the button beneath the blank screen in the hopes that perhaps he was wrong.

"That sucks," Carl muttered. "There's a car over there though." Shoving the back of the bench seat forward, Carl fished around for the funnel they stored there. He dug out the pair of snips they used to cut the weedwhacker string with. "Maybe we can find some tubing inside and siphon the gas from the car."

After all the noise of the morning it was disturbingly hushed as they made their way toward the store. John couldn't stop his eyes from constantly darting around in search of some new threat as they made their way to the store. The glass door of the gas station was locked. The power was out, but John was able to see some of the store as he bent to peer in. Shelves had toppled, goods were scattered across the floor, but the building seemed to have withstood the worst of the quakes. He hadn't realized Carl had walked away from him until he returned with a large rock in his fist.

John opened his mouth to protest, but quickly clamped it shut. What was there to protest? They had to have food, drinks, and whatever other supplies they could rummage. He felt low, but didn't say anything as Carl heaved the rock at the door. The glass spider webbed but held strong until Carl threw it again. The shattering glass caused him to wince and look quickly around again.

John hesitated, but Carl reached through the broken door and threw the lock. A small bell tinkled as Carl shoved the door open. Glass crunched beneath their boots as they moved cautiously into the store. John held his breath as he waited for someone to jump out and hit the emergency button, to shoot at them, or for the police to come screaming into the parking lot with their sirens blaring. Instead everything remained silent, and eerily still.

Carl grabbed a box of trash bags from the floor and tossed another box to John. "Grab what you can," Carl told him.

John nodded as he opened the box, grabbed a bag, and began to pick through the rubble. He shoved whatever food he could into it, as well as some soap, shampoo, and razors. When the bag was full, he started on filling another one, while Carl gathered automotive supplies.

He was near the back of the store when he spotted the full pots of coffee sitting on a counter. A strangled cry of joy escaped him as he dropped the bags and hurried toward the pots. He sorted through the rubble in search of the knocked over stand of coffee cups. Finally he found two cups that weren't completely ruined and eagerly returned to the brimming pots. His eyes closed as he lifted the cup to his nose and savored in the delicious aroma wafting from it.

The store clerk must have already been at work, setting up for the day, when the chaos erupted. He imagined they had probably fled swiftly from the store in favor of their home and family over their job. He was halfway through his first cold sip when he remembered the car outside. "Crap," he muttered.

He hurried back to the front of the store where he found Carl stuffing another trash bag with cigarettes. John froze as he spotted the gun sitting on top of the counter next to Carl. "Where did you find that?" he demanded.

Carl glanced briefly around before his eyes fell onto the gun. "Under the counter, behind some cartons of cigarettes."

"What are you going to do with it?"

"Keep it," Carl replied as if it were the most normal everyday occurrence in the world.

"Do you even know how to use one of those?"

"Yeah."

"How?" John asked incredulously.

Carl shoved the last of the Marlboro's into the bag and came around the counter. Tying the top, he tossed it toward the two other bags already piled by the broken door. "I joined the police academy in my twenties. Wasn't really my thing though."

John was taken aback by the answer. It seemed so out of character with the man standing across from him now, unapologetically robbing a gas station. "Why not?"

Carl shrugged. "I was always more of a lawbreaker, you know?"

"So I've noticed. Why'd you even join then?"

"My mom was pressuring me to do something with my life at the time. I wanted to make her happy, but I didn't want to go to college. I'd seen Police Academy and I thought I could be Mahoney. My instructors didn't agree. I lost my temper one day and walked out. Thankfully, it was after I learned how to use a weapon."

"I could never picture you as a cop."

Carl grinned. "I looked good in that uniform."

John laughed. "Yeah, right."

"Did you get the food?"

John suddenly remembered why he had returned to the front of the store in the first place. "I think the clerk is still here somewhere."

Carl's smile vanished instantly. He grabbed the gun off the counter, holding it before him with both hands as his eyes became deadly serious. John never would have imagined this side of Carl existed, he was frightfully callous, and the gun looked surprisingly natural in his grasp. "What makes you say that?" he demanded.

It took John a minute to find words again. "The coffee was already made, the car's still outside."

Carl's looked around the store. Carl nudged aside the debris that littered the floor as he moved carefully through the toppled shelves and ruined goods. "You didn't see anyone?" he inquired.

"No," John told him.

Carl cautiously opened the door to the coolers and peered inside. He popped his head back out to look at John. "Did you see any flashlights out there?"

"Yeah." John hurried back through the goods, cringing at every crack and snap his passing created. He pawed through one of the bags he had filled, searching for the flashlight and batteries he had tossed inside. He dug out two flashlights, filled them with batteries, and clicked them on to make sure that they worked. Carl was standing half in and half out of the cooler when he returned. He took one of the lights from John and held it up to illuminate the cooler. Most of the drinks had broken, their contents had leaked out to create a large puddle on the concrete floor.

Carl crept through the cooler, moving the beam around as he searched over the boxes stacked inside. Though the power had probably been out for a good two hours, John could still see his breath as they moved. Carl rounded a corner and stopped abruptly when an outstretched hand was illuminated by the glow of his light. John took a small step back from the discovery. One of the large fluorescent fixtures had fallen on top of the clerk; the only thing visible was their hand and legs. The clerk's blood had seeped out to mix with the liquid surrounding them, creating a pink puddle that made John's stomach turn.

Carl moved with much more speed and assurance than when they'd first entered the cooler. Stepping around the fixture, he knelt at the clerk's side and pressed his fingers to the clerk's neck. He shook his head as he met John's inquisitive gaze. "She's dead."

John's skin crawled. He hoped her death had been instant, and that she hadn't been pinned there for hours praying that someone would come to save her before she finally bled to death. Carl led the way back out of the cooler; the lines around his mouth and eyes were more pronounced as he lifted his hat and wiped his brow.

"Can you gather the rest of the stuff?" Carl inquired. "I'm going to siphon whatever gas is in the car."

It was such a morbid thing to do, but John nodded his agreement. John felt shaky as he made his way around the rest of the store, filling trash bags full of some of the crappiest food he'd ever eaten in his life. His mom would kill him if she ever saw the amount of candy and chips he shoved into the bag. He just hoped that she would have the chance to do so.

He grabbed a bag of Twizzlers and tucked them into the waist of his jeans "You almost ready?" John jumped and let out a small squeak as he spun toward the door. Carl was standing there, his hands resting on either side of the frame as he fought against the smile tugging at his mouth. "Sorry."

John glowered at him as he tried to steady his frayed nerves. "Yeah, I'm ready."

He twisted the last knot and tossed the bag to Carl. They hauled their load out to the back of the truck. Carl already had the doors open and some bags inside with a freshly refilled gas can. Thankfully they had been on their first lawn when the quake occurred so there was no grass inside, though the bed was still stained green from the previous loads it had held. John tossed the bags up to Carl who hauled them to the front of the truck and covered them with a tarp. They carried out as many beverages as they could salvage and secured the breakable ones to the sides with bungee cords.

"I'm glad I listened to you about keeping this truck," John said.

"Let's just hope we don't have to abandon it at some point."

John closed the large doors and slid the lock into place. "We just robbed a gas station."

"Probably won't be the last time."

John remained immobile as he tried to let that realization sink in. He thought it might be a long time before he fully grasped the strange new world they lived in.

Carl slid behind the wheel and started the truck. John pulled the Twizzler's from his pants, tore the package open and offered Carl some as they pulled back onto the road. For a second, as Carl dug into the bag, John could almost convince himself that it was an ordinary day. They were simply in between yards on their schedule, enjoying a bag of candy together. He wondered if he'd ever do anything normal like that again, or if this had become their new normal.

Carl carefully maneuvered the truck around a large hollow in the road. John grabbed the handle as they bumped over a pitted field. On the other side of the field he spotted some people walking, but for the most part this area remained relatively calm.

He bit into another Twizzler, and even though his jaw began to ache, there was something soothing about the repetitive, familiar motion of chewing. Carl took another handful as he swerved back onto the road. "Do you think the army is going to come anytime soon?" John asked.

"I don't know." Carl glanced at the radio, his hands twisted on the steering wheel. "Do you want to try it again?"

"Not even a little bit."

He leaned forward and clicked the radio on anyway. This time there wasn't any squealing, or strange noises. Nothing filled the airwaves as he twisted through the stations before turning the radio back off. He tossed the Twizzler's aside, his appetite effectively squashed by the silence. Carl lit another cigarette; John had never seen him smoke this much in a week, never mind a few hours of a single day.

Carl leaned forward and grabbed something off the dashboard. John didn't see what it was until Carl tossed it to him. "I grabbed it from the gas station. See if you can figure out where we are."

"I suck at reading maps," John muttered.

"I know." John scowled at him as he unfolded the map before him. It was bad enough trying to figure out The Cape, an area that he knew well, but trying to sort out this convoluted mess was enough to make his head throb. He didn't even know where to start. "The last road we passed was Jones. Can you see that anywhere on there?"

John searched the map key for the road. "Jones Road or Jones Ave?"

"Road."

John traced over the lines before finding the right Jones. "Got it."

"Can you figure out the best way to get to Bridgewater from here?"

John twisted the map in his hands, turning it first one way and then the other. Carl sighed heavily; he rolled his eyes as he pulled the truck to the side of the road. "You're really should learn how to do this, especially now."

Carl tugged the map from his hands and laid it out between them. "Hold it this way, and line the roads up." Carl had tried to teach him this before, when they'd been trying to find a new home on their mowing route, but John had never paid much attention. What was the point of learning to use a map when he could get directions from a GPS at the drop of a hat? He now had the answer to that question, and for the first time he actually paid attention as Carl showed him how to read the map. "Think you can handle it?"

"Yeah."

Carl handed the map back to him. "Then let's find your parents."

He shifted the truck into drive and pulled back onto the road. They drove slowly, with John navigating his way through some more back roads. His attention was focused on the map so he wasn't expecting it when Carl forcefully slammed on the brakes with a loud squeal of tires. John smashed awkwardly off the dashboard, his head glancing painfully against the windshield. The map crumpled against his chest as he swore viciously and profusely. His shoulder ached; his hand was numb as he fumbled to push himself away from the dashboard.

"What the fuck is wrong with you!?" he snarled.

Carl sat stiffly, his mouth ajar and his face pale beneath his baseball cap as he nodded to the front of the truck. Standing mere feet in front of them was a young girl, with her hands thrown up in front of her face, as if that would miraculously stop the truck from running her over. She gradually lowered her arms and stared at them like they were a velociraptor that was going to eat her for lunch. Dirt, and what appeared to be soot, streaked her face and coated her clothes. Her long coffee colored hair was matted to her oval face.

"She just jumped in front of the truck," Carl's voice was shaky and strained. "I didn't see her. I almost hit her."

The girl ran around to John's side of the truck, she pounded on the window as John continued to stare at her like she was the extinct dinosaur. "You have to help me." Deep brown eyes pleaded with him as she slapped on the glass. "Please. Help me."

"Open the door," Carl commanded.

"I thought we weren't trusting people," John retorted.

"She's a child for crying out loud. Open the door."

John fumbled with the lock; the girl stepped back enough for him to open the door and then plunged into the truck before he even had time to move over. She was practically sitting in his lap as she slammed the door shut, slapped the lock back into place and spun toward Carl. "Drive!" she ordered briskly.

John squiggled out from underneath her, scowling as he was pushed into the middle of the truck. He couldn't help but glare at her, but she chose to ignore him as she braced her hand on the dashboard. "Faster! It's coming!" she urged.

"What's coming?" John demanded, trying to scavenge the crumpled map from underneath the two of them.

"Fire," she breathed. "I think it's still right behind me."

"You think? Get off our map!" he snapped in frustration.

The girl's eyes widened, guilt tugged at him as she recoiled slightly. "John," Carl hissed.

"Sorry," he muttered as he was finally able to salvage the map. It was far more wrinkled, and a corner had been lost, but overall it was still in fairly good condition as he attempted to smooth it out.

Then he heard it. A loud pop that swung his head toward the woods the girl had plunged out of. In the distance, trees bent over, shattered, and toppled into the woods. Carl's foot eased on the gas as he turned to survey the spreading destruction. The acrid scent of smoke filled the air seconds before flames leapt high into the air.

The conflagration was massive; it was relentless, and deadly. And it was heading straight for them.

Chapter 14

Mary Ellen

Newport, RI.

Mary Ellen held the sack of food over her head as she followed carefully behind Al. Her arms ached from the weight of it, but she didn't dare lower it or the water would ruin their food. Al poked at the ground, with the long stick he had fished out of the water, before taking every step forward. The water was down to her knees now, but it was impossible to see the roadway below, the water was too murky from the sand and debris the tsunami has kicked up. Sweat trickled down her back, hair tickled her neck and face, but she couldn't push it away.

Al stopped as the stick dropped away, sinking to almost his hand within the water. Mary Ellen stood silently behind him, her heart hammering as he continued to prod the ground carefully. He began to move sideways, searching for solid ground again as he poked to the left of him.

Mary Ellen glanced over her shoulder to the school they had left behind. The others were still gathered on the roof, watching as she and Al moved steadily away from the safety that the roof had represented. They had chosen to stay behind, opting to wait for the water to recede further before taking the risk of trying to cross through it. She began to rethink their decision to leave.

Frustration filled her as they moved a hundred feet at a parallel angle before Al finally found solid ground again. Mary Ellen kept her gaze focused on Al's back; she couldn't bring herself to look at what was floating in the water with them. She'd seen enough of them already, and she was terrified that one of the bodies they might run across would be Rita's. She wasn't entirely sure she could handle that on top of everything else right now.

"I think we're almost out of it," Al muttered. Mary Ellen could only manage a small nod, one that he had to turn to see. "You okay?"

No, she wasn't okay. She was sweaty, filthy, terrified, aching, beaten and sore. She was also alive. It was a lot more than a lot of people could say right now.

"Yeah, I'm good," she assured him.

He continued to poke ahead of him as they made their way around the corner of a building. She glanced back, catching a glimpse of the three people on the school building as they moved across the rooftop in order to keep her and Al in sight. They wouldn't be able to see them for much longer. Al stopped in front of her as they arrived at a section of road that had been completely blocked by debris and cars.

Sighing softly, he tossed the stick onto the roof and climbed the hood of a busted and beaten Nissan. Uneasiness filled her as she watched him; he wasn't moving as fast as he had been this morning. Holding out his hand, he helped her climb onto the hood of the car. They stood, trying to catch their breath, enjoying being out of the water as they surveyed the damage surrounding them.

It took her a minute to realize that the temperature seemed to have dropped ten degrees since they had exited the water.

"It's the water that's making it so hot," she whispered, her gaze sliding over the substantial storm surge that had buried half the town. There was more than just garbage, debris, and bodies floating amongst the water. Dead fish were also beginning to pop rapidly up; their lifeless and bulging eyes caused her stomach to turn. "How is that possible?"

"I don't know, but it's not good."

"It feels twenty degrees warmer than it should."

"That it does."

He climbed over the side and slipped back into the awful stream. The last thing she felt like doing was crawling back into that germ-infested mess, but she couldn't sit on the hood of the car forever, not if she was going to find Rochelle. Mary Ellen followed closely behind him, hating the feel of the water as it enveloped her once more within its heat. Her heart hammered. She had a brief vision of every lobster she had ever seen tossed into the pot. She couldn't shake the lingering certainty that she was about to become one.

As they moved, she became aware of more eyes on them. People gathered to watch them silently from roofs and the doorways of buildings as they passed cautiously by. Sweat trickled down her face and back even faster, she wasn't entirely sure if it was from the heat anymore or those eyes. Ahead of them she spotted only three other people in the road, carefully picking their way through the debris and water too.

"It's so lonely."

She hadn't realized she had spoken aloud until Al stopped to look at her. His gaze darted over the buildings before he turned toward where the sun had finally broken completely free. "It is."

The water began to lessen; she sloshed through what was becoming more of a puddle than a stream. A glance over her shoulder revealed that the school was no longer visible. She said a quick prayer for the continued safety of those still on it and turned away. There was no looking back anymore, there was only forward from here on out.

Her feet squished in her shoes, water splattered off of them like a dog shaking its wet coat as she stepped onto blessedly solid, dry ground again. A breath escaped her on a loud rush of relief.

"We have to find a car," Al said as he scanned the broken and mottled street. There were cars parked along it, but most of them appeared to be damaged by water, falling debris, or accidents.

"What about trying to find emergency help?"

"I don't think they're going to be of much use to us right now. We're going to require a car to get to your daughter." The thought of Rochelle brought tears to her eyes. She couldn't speak around the lump that formed in her throat. Al studied her sympathetically before squeezing her arm gently. "We'll find her."

"I know." They had to find her, because if they didn't find Rochelle than Mary Ellen had no idea what she was struggling to survive for.

"Come on."

They trudged down the road until they arrived at a section of town that didn't seem as badly damaged as the areas they had just left behind. Her feet were rubbed raw and sore from her wet sneakers, but she continued stalwartly onward. She would love to find a car just so they could sit, just so she could give her brutalized feet and legs a blessed reprieve.

Al began pulling on door handles, most vehicles were locked but a few opened to his incessant prodding. None of the unlocked ones still had keys inside. "People are so untrusting," he muttered as he closed the door on a Dodge.

Mary Ellen raised an eyebrow at him and grinned. "How silly of them."

"It is."

She pulled on the door of a Honda and was rewarded with the muted beeping that alerted the driver they'd left their keys behind. For a second she simply stood there, startled by the sound, and uncertain what had just happened as the beeping continued onward. "Al!" she called out.

He glanced up from where he was standing by a Jeep. He hurried back to her, a subtle limp in his step now. "Finally," he breathed in relief. "Do you know where we're going?"

"Yes."

"You drive, then."

He hobbled around to the other side and threw the door open. His face scrunched in displeasure at the garbage strewn on the front seat and floor. Leaning in, he swept it onto the floor. The car reeked of fast food and sweat; she thought it most likely belonged to a teenage boy - a tall boy if the adjustment of the seat was any indication. It was almost in the backseat of the cramped and dirty car. She searched for the controls on the side of the seat and adjusted it quickly for herself. Revulsion filled her as her fingers came back with a squished fry stuck to them.

"Lovely," Al muttered.

That wasn't exactly what she was thinking, but she shook the fry off and started the car. "There's not much gas."

"Of course not." He sighed heavily and shook his head. "We'll just have to worry about that when it becomes a necessity. Until then, let's just get out of this town."

"That sounds like an amazing plan."

She clicked her seatbelt into place and pulled onto the road. It was tedious trying to navigate through the destruction that had been wreaked in such a short time. Mary Ellen couldn't stop herself from gaping at the town she knew so well, but scarcely recognized anymore. She didn't realize she was crying until Al handed her a napkin from the glove box.

She wiped the tears away and tossed the napkin into the trashcan that was apparently the backseat. Al remained silent as she navigated to the highway. There were a fair amount of people on the highway, cars lined the road, most were still moving; some weren't. People were clustered in groups by the broken vehicles. It reminded her of every horrible image she'd ever seen of war torn and broken countries, except these images were from her country, her own town.

"It's Hell," she muttered.

"If you believe in such things."

"Seeing is believing."

"True. How far do you think the gas will get us?"

Mary Ellen studied the gas gauge. "We'll get to Mass on it; I'm not sure how far we'll get after that, though."

Al turned back to the window; his hands were fisted on his knees as he studied the road. She fell into line with a single row of cars making their way down the tricky to navigate roadway. The simple act of driving, of doing something normal, felt good. She felt as if she was actually accomplishing something for the first time since this had all started.

The Welcome to Massachusetts sign was one of the best things she'd seen in a long time. Unfortunately, the low gas indicator started blinking only a mile or two past the sign.

"We're not going to make it much further," she told Al. He glanced over her shoulder and nodded as he began to rub at his knee. "Are you okay?"

He followed her pointed gaze to his knee. "It's seventy two also," he informed her. "And I was pretty active in my younger days."

"You're pretty active now."

He smiled at her, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I doubt we'll be able to get gas out of the stations. We'll have to pull over, maybe find a car to siphon, or something else helpful to us."

Mary Ellen took the next exit and drove down through the broken streets of some town she didn't know. There were people here, gathered next to the roadside as they converged together in order to seek help or shelter. "Just keep going," Al instructed.

She wasn't sure how long they were going to be able to keep driving. Though she knew it wasn't true, the indicator seemed to be blinking more incessantly at her. "Pull in here," Al told her as they drove by the parking lot of a grocery store.

Mary Ellen drove leisurely past the cars scattered through the lot. She assumed most of them were employee vehicles. She slid the car in between two small sedans just as it began to buck from lack of gas. It died as she put it into park. "At least we made it this far."

"Yeah," Al agreed as he thrust open the passenger side door and climbed out. They separated to search rapidly through the cars in the lot. In the bed of a pickup truck that appeared to belong to a carpenter, she found a full can of gas. She didn't know where the owner of the truck was, and half expected him to come out and start yelling at her, but the lot remained blessedly quiet.

"Al! Here!" she called as she labored out of the back of the truck with her find. It was heavier than she had expected, and required both her hands, but she managed to carry it back over to the Honda where Al joined her. He fiddled with the cap, unscrewing it to pull the nozzle out from inside the can. Hoisting it up, he began to pour it into the gas tank.

"Why don't you see if you can find some sort of tubing in that truck?" Al inquired.

Mary Ellen hurried back to the blue work truck. She tore it apart, searching behind the seats and in the tool boxes, but she found nothing of use amongst the assortment of tools. Frustration filled her as she slapped the truck seat back into place. At least they would have enough gas to get them a little bit further in their journey.

She hurried back to Al, eager to get out of this town. Al shoved the small tube back into the gas can and closed it. "I couldn't find anything."

He nodded as he opened the trunk and stashed the can inside. "Let's get out of here."

It took a few tries, and a lot of chugging, but the engine finally fired to life again. Mary Ellen shifted into drive and pulled out of the parking spot. Al turned to the backseat and began to hunt for something; Mary Ellen wasn't at all surprised when he turned back around with a handgun. He rested it on his thigh as he warily studied the streets they drove through.

She drove back toward the highway, trying to avoid the obstacles that had been tossed into their way by the tremors that had rocked the area. The entrance ramp to the highway was blocked by an overturned bread truck; she had to drive onto the grass median in order to get around it.

"Hold on a second." She barely had time to stop the car before Al was leaping out. Her stomach churned as she watched him circle around the truck. She didn't know what he was going to do until he began to tug on the backdoors of the vehicle. The right door had been broken by the crash and didn't open, but fell off the back of the truck. Al stared at it before shaking his head and disappearing into the back.

He emerged a minute later with loaves of bread, muffins, and a box of cookies tucked under his arm. Mary Ellen shut the car down and hopped out. "Stay with the car," he told her as he tossed the newfound supplies into the backseat. "I'll only be a minute more."

Mary Ellen rested her arms on top of the door, and on the dirty roof of the dingy yellow car. She sensed the presence of someone new, someone who wasn't supposed to be there with them, before she saw him. Turning, she swallowed heavily as she spotted a rugged looking man, perhaps in his late thirties, standing about ten feet away from her. His face was covered with graying scruff; his overly large eyes seemed wilder than they should have been, even after the events of the day.

"Ma'am," he greeted and briefly touched the brim of his baseball cap.

There was nothing overtly wrong with the man; he seemed harmless enough as he offered a small smile, but she couldn't shake the concern clawing its way up her throat. Perhaps it was Al's insistence that no one was to be trusted, or her years of poor treatment at Larry's hands, but she lowered her arms from the car as she prepared to jump back inside. She wasn't a good judge of character - hence, her crappy marriage - but right now a part of her was screaming to get away. To get far away from this man.

"Ma'am, I need a ride."

"I'm afraid I can't help you," she informed him.

He moved a couple of steps closer to her. "Ma'am, it's only a short ride to Rhode Island."

"We're staying in Mass."

He paused, staring at her. "Like I said, it's only a short trip."

Mary Ellen slid back into the car and pulled the door shut behind her. Rolling the window up, she locked the doors as the man stepped next to the car.

"Hey! Come on!" His hands slapped against the glass of the driver's side window. She fumbled with the key in the ignition. She didn't know where Al was, but she was going to have the car ready for him when he reemerged from the bread truck.

She had just gotten the car started when two loud shots rent the air. A scream escaped her; she threw her hands up as she instinctively dove downward. Then she realized who had fired the shots and she lurched back upright. Al had reappeared from the bread truck; he was just lowering his arm from the two shots he had fired into the air. Mary Ellen shifted the car into reverse as the stranger took a couple of steps back, his hands raised as Al leveled the gun at his chest. Mary Ellen pulled up beside Al and leaned over to open the door for him.

Al's arm didn't waver, he kept the gun leveled on the man's chest as he tossed a couple bags of rolls into the backseat and slid into the car. She was still shaking as he closed the door and locked it. She didn't know where her unassuming, well-mannered neighbor had gone, but she was exceptionally grateful for the bad ass who had taken his place as he locked the passenger door.

"Let's hope we don't have to stop again for awhile," he muttered.

Mary Ellen managed a small nod as she glanced at the man that had been harassing her. His hands were still in the air as she drove past him. They had gotten lucky, this time. There was no guarantee they would be so lucky again in the future.

Chapter 15

Riley

Foxboro, Mass.

They stayed within the tree line moving as fast as they could along the edge of the woods. Riley's gaze kept going back to the homes, they were dark and foreboding, and she was terrified by who might be lurking within them. She expected someone to start shooting at them any minute. She yearned to move deeper into the forest, but after the events of the day, no one was willing to accidentally stumble across whatever new hazard might now be lurking within the woods.

The unknown hazards within the homes, and the unknown dangers of the earth were scary, but most of her attention had become focused on the sky. She kept expecting a seven-forty-seven to drop on her head at any second. She tried not to think about it, but couldn't fully tear her thoughts away from the people up there, trapped and helpless. Her heart ached for them. It was bad enough down here, but she was extremely grateful that she had her feet planted firmly on the not-so-steady ground.

A thin branch slapped her in the face, drawing her attention harshly back to the forest surrounding her. She rubbed her face, already feeling a small welt forming on her cheek as Xander turned toward her. She frowned at him, somehow certain that it had been his fault the branch had caught her. His smile didn't help.

"I bet that tickled." Bobby said as he leaned around her and pushed the branch out of her way.

"Like a toothache," she retorted dryly.

Bobby just continued to grin at her as he pressed his hand briefly into her back to get her moving again. Riley resumed walking, but she certainly didn't have the same speed or stamina she'd had earlier in the day. She was thankful she'd always been an athlete, but even so, her feet were beginning to throb and her legs were achy and tired. It wasn't that far to the stadium, she usually ran more distance in a day than they had already covered, but the uneven terrain and the stress of the day were wearing heavily on her aching body.

Carol cursed loudly; Xander caught hold of her arm as she tripped over a tree root and nearly fell. Sweat tickled the back of Riley's neck, slid down her face and plastered her tank top uncomfortably to her. Annoying strands of hair had straggled free of her ponytail to tease at her skin. Now that the sun was out, the day had grown a good ten degrees hotter, even in the shade of the woods. It was the summer, but the heat seemed a little higher than normal and she found herself struggling to breathe. She longed to sit and catch her breath in the oppressive air, but she thought if she sat she would never get back up.

She looked back to the sky. The planes were up there, circling endlessly like sharks just waiting for the kill. The thought caused her to shudder as she hugged herself. Perhaps Logan, or even Green airport, hadn't been as badly damaged as the airport in Mansfield seemed to have been. She hoped so anyway.

A loud snapping to her right drew her attention to the hill near them. There was a small group of people moving through the forest about fifty feet away from them, and further up the hill. Her hand instinctively went to the gun at her side. How that reaction had become an instinct already she didn't know, but it felt right, and she had a feeling that it was only the first of many times that it would happen. Bobby and Lee grouped closer to her as they hurried to join with Xander and Carol.

Xander was studying the people on the hill, his brow furrowed as he frowned up at them. He held the rest of them back for a minute, waiting as the other group moved further into the woods, and finally out of view. "Maybe we should go back to the street," Carol suggested.

"To become target practice for some psycho?" Lee inquired disbelievingly.

"We don't know that someone was purposely shooting at us."

"No, but I don't want to take the chance that they were, either. I don't want to be anywhere near a bunch of panicked people with guns."

Riley completely agreed with him. She wasn't about to be some sick jerk's trophy. She patted the damp hair on top of her head; nope, there still weren't any antlers there so she definitely wasn't going back to the main road. "Route one can't be much farther. We'll stay in the woods until then," Xander compromised. "Come on, let's keep moving."

He tugged on Carol's arm as he pulled her with him. Riley followed silently behind watching where she stepped, anxious that she was going to fall into a streaming pit of death. She hadn't realized Xander had also fallen back until he grabbed hold of another branch that would have poked her right in the eye.

She glanced up at him as he pushed the branch aside and smiled at her. "Thanks," she muttered.

"Gotta watch out for those branches, they tend to be attached to the trees surrounding us."

She scowled at him. She should have known he would spoil anything nice with some wise ass comment or another. He simply continued to smile that infuriating smile at her as he pushed another branch out of the way. She stopped focusing on her feet and started focusing on her surroundings before she lost an eye.

"Look," Lee blurted.

They all froze, Riley's head tilted back as she followed Lee's arm to the sky. She half expected to see a plane spiraling toward them. Instead, she was rewarded with the long green streak of another flare. Her shoulders slumped as she was engulfed by the sudden urge to simply cry, and to never stop crying. She blinked back tears as the green flare hovered for a brief period of time before spiraling away into nothingness.

"That's a good sign," Xander murmured.

"Yes," she agreed, unable to look at him as she fought against the tears threatening to spill.

He touched her arm soothingly before turning away. She stared at the back of his head, uncertain of this kindness from him. She remembered him as the boy who had tormented her, pulled her hair, called her Dumbo and hid her toys. Oh, there had been moments over the years when he'd been kind to her. Moments when she'd even found him comforting and sweet, and had almost liked him, but they'd been overshadowed by his relentless teasing. She was baffled by this side of him, and she didn't know how to combine the frustrating boy he'd been, with the self-assured man who was now leading them through the woods.

She was surprised to find Carol watching her with an amused look. Riley didn't understand the heat that washed through her cheeks, as Carol wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. Riley rolled her eyes at her friend and started walking beside Bobby again.

It was unnaturally still, but then she hadn't seen any birds since they had taken their downward plunge, and she hadn't seen any animals since they'd all seemed to herd into one unknown location. She'd never realized how much she would miss the sound and sights of squirrels, birds, and other active forest creatures until now.

"You know Xander has a crush on you, right?"

Riley's brow furrowed as she lifted her head. She'd been so focused on trying not to get slapped in the face, and wondering about the forest creatures, that she hadn't realized Carol had fallen back to walk with her. "Huh?"

Carol grinned at her as she nodded toward her brother. "Xander. Crush. You."

Riley frowned at her; she glanced at where Xander and Lee were walking ahead of them. Xander was still watching the hill, searching for any sign of the people that had been there before. Lee was focused on the homes just beyond the tree line. "No he doesn't," Riley retorted.

Bobby snorted as Carol laughed. "Yeah, he does," Carol insisted.

Riley continued to study Xander, confused by Carol's statement. "I don't think so, Carol."

"I do," she insisted.

"Since when?" Riley demanded.

"Since he realized you were a girl, and he was a boy," Bobby muttered. "Since the first time he pulled your pigtail on the playground. Since any of us can remember."

Riley's frown deepened as she stared at him. That simply couldn't be possible; she would have noticed something like that. Wouldn't she? But then again, probably not. She never really noticed anything like that, and it was always Carol who informed her when a boy liked her. Riley thought of the hundreds of sleepovers they'd had together over the years. All the late night talks they'd had about which boy they liked, their first kisses and boyfriends, the first time either of them had rounded second, and what they expected of their futures. In all of those talks, in all the idle gossip, Xander's name had never once come up as a romantic interest. Why wouldn't Carol have told her about this new development?

"You think she's right?" she asked Bobby.

"Oh, she is definitely, one hundred percent, right," Bobby said emphatically.

"But all he's ever done is torment me."

"No one ever said he was Casanova," Bobby replied with a casual shrug as he shoved his hands in his pockets. "That was his sad attempt at flirting."

"Well, he sucks at it," she grumbled.

Bobby laughed as he nodded. "That he does."

Riley was silent as she pondered their words and studied Xander curiously. "Do you know how many times he called me Dumbo?"

"Come on Ri. With those ears it was only a matter of time before someone slapped you with that nickname."

"Jerk," she mumbled as he grinned at her.

"It's true," Bobby insisted. "He just did it first."

"Why didn't you tell me?" she demanded of her friend.

Carol shrugged; she frowned as she studied her brother. "Honestly, I thought he'd finally stop being an idiot by now, and actually tell you how he felt. I mean we've all been waiting for him to do so for years."

Riley's eyes widened, she'd thought Bobby had only been kidding before. "Years? Everyone else has known for years?"

"He's not very subtle you know. And that is what I meant when I said the first time he pulled you pigtails," Bobby informed her.

"Apparently he was more subtle than you realized," Riley muttered shooting him a disgruntled look. "But it really doesn't matter; I think there's a lot more to be concerned about right now."

Carol was silent, and then she grabbed hold of Riley's arm and pulled her to a stop. "It does matter now, more than ever. It's why I told you, instead of continuing to wait for my boneheaded brother to do it. The world is falling apart around us; don't you think that living for the moment, for the day, is a lot more important than old insults, and his childish attempts at trying to convey his feelings to you?"

Carol's words were so fervent, so desperate that they tugged at her heart. She'd never seen her friend look so intense about something.

"Isn't he dating that Jenny girl?" she managed to croak out. Riley hadn't particularly liked the blond Xander had brought home from school one weekend last fall. Jenny had been obnoxious, and at one point Riley had been certain Carol herself was going to throttle the girl. Jenny also hadn't been able to handle her liquor. She'd gotten so drunk she decided to streak across the football field. To say Carol hadn't approved of her brother's choice was an understatement, and she'd made it one hundred percent clear afterward.

"That girl," Carol muttered as she rolled her eyes and Bobby laughed at the memory. "No, thankfully he dumped her."

"I wouldn't have exactly called it dating anyway," Bobby snorted.

Carol elbowed him in the ribs as she scrunched her nose. "Yuck."

Riley silently agreed. "So you would actually approve of me dating your brother?"

Carol shrugged as she managed a wan smile. "I'd kick his ass if he messed it up, but yeah, if you thought you might like him too? I wouldn't mind. We could be sister-in-laws!"

"Way to rush things," Riley muttered as Bobby chuckled.

"Do you think you might like him?" Carol pressed.

Before this day, she would have shuddered in revulsion at the mere thought of having to spend an hour alone with Xander, never mind actually spending an hour with him in any kind of romantic way. But now, studying him as he continued ahead of her, she found she didn't dislike him quite as much as she used to. Though she didn't know exactly how, or what, she did feel for him. "I don't know," she admitted.

Carol's eyes sparkled as she grinned brightly. "I suppose that's something, at least it's not the flat out 'No' you would've given me yesterday. I'm not entirely sure there will still be a thing like dating after this day either though."

"That might be the one bonus to all of this," Bobby said. "Save me some money, and some awkward groping attempts at the movies."

"Bobby!" Carol and Riley both hissed as he grinned at them.

"It's true. Dating sucks, and it's way overrated."

"Well, I'm glad the pending apocalypse eased your troubles," Carol informed him.

"Yeah, it definitely helped," he agreed as he draped his arms around both their shoulders and started pulling them with him. Xander glanced back at them, frowning as he spotted Bobby. Riley could feel the laughter that bubbled through Bobby's chest. "I do so love to annoy him."

"So do I," Riley admitted.

She couldn't help but study Xander differently though as he continued to stare relentlessly at Bobby's arm. He was handsome, with those warm eyes and kissable mouth, but his obnoxious tendencies had overshadowed that years ago. But a crush on her? It seemed such an odd thing to realize, and though Bobby and Carol both agreed, she just wasn't sure it was true. Xander had tended to go for the cheerleader types, which she most certainly was not. He'd also done nothing but poke and prod at her for as long as she could remember.

Yeah, he really sucked at flirting, she decided firmly.

His eyes lingered on Bobby's arm before he turned away. "I think I just pissed him off though," Bobby muttered.

Riley shrugged. "You're my friend, Bobby."

"Yeah, and he's my friend too." He dropped his arm from around her shoulders.

She didn't like this whole new dynamic they had thrown into her life, and though she understood Carol's reasoning for it, she would have preferred if her friend had just stayed silent. There was enough going on right now without having to worry about this strange new undercurrent too.

Lee had climbed to the top of a small hill. He stared over the side of it before turning to wave frantically at them. "Hey, come check this out! I think we've got a problem."

Riley forgot about everything Carol had told her as she hurried up the hill to join him. She took a small step back from the giant gash that had opened in the earth below them. The heat of it was like a slap in the face as she took another step back. No wonder the day had seemed so unreasonably hot, especially if there were more of these gorges spread throughout the woods. She glanced up at the sky, a chill streaking down her back as she thought about all the horror stories she'd heard about the results of global warming.

She didn't want to be anywhere near that thing anymore. She wanted out of these woods, out of this town, and she wanted her parents. She felt like a child, but she really and truly, one hundred percent, wanted her mother more than anything right now. "We're going to have to find a way around it," Lee muttered.

Xander glanced up and down the hill as Riley took another step back. Now that she knew it was there, she could see the steam shifting across the trees in a misty wave that shimmered across the wilting leaves.

Lee and Xander turned away from the hill coming back toward her with Bobby and Carol close on their heels. Riley felt, more than saw, what happened next. It was as if a screen of the future descended over her mind, and she knew that something bad was going to happen, that something wrong was about to occur, seconds before it did. Perhaps it was déjà vu, perhaps it was just simple primitive instinct, but either way she was already lurching forward when the earth gave way. A scream lodged in her throat as the ground dropped with a heaving crack that she felt deep in the marrow of her bones.

Time seemed to slow; the horrified look that crossed Carol's face was vivid, and would forever be seared into Riley's memory. Pain flashed through Carol's gentle hazel eyes, and warped her features as a wail of anguish tore from her. Riley's fingers brushed over Carol's, she could feel the smoothness of Carol's skin, the warmth of her flesh, before the hill collapsed and Carol disappeared. Riley fell to the ground, screaming as she fought to pull herself to the hole, as she struggled to get to her friend.

Arms wrapped around her waist, she was pulled back as more of the hill buckled and more of the earth was eaten by the steaming canyon. She was dragged and pulled backwards as whoever held her scrambled to escape the erosion spreading toward them. Screams echoed in her head, she thought they might be Carol's screams still, but she dimly began to realize they were hers.

The person who held her collapsed and they fell to the ground together in a gasping, breathless heap of entangled limbs. The erosion of the ground finally eased, stopping fifteen feet away from their feet. She was wheezing, choking on the stifling air trying to get into her lungs, sobbing so forcefully that her back and stomach ached from the strength of her cries. Hands clenched around her waist, she was pulled back against a firm chest as agony entrenched her. She came back to life, fighting against the restraining hold as she thrashed to get back to the spot where her friend had vanished.

"Carol!" she cried. "We have to help her!"

"She's gone Riley, she's gone." Xander's words were tender against her ear, his voice choked with tears as he pressed his dampened cheek to hers. "There's nothing we can do."

His arms tightened around her as she began to cry harder. She hurt; she hurt so bad that she wasn't sure she would survive it. Her heart twisted and lurched as misery slithered through her belly, into her ribcage, and clenched around her heart. Carol, her best friend, the person who had been more than a sister to her, the person she loved as much as she loved her own family, the person she'd planned her future around and with, was gone. Like that, in the simple blink of an eye, Riley was never going to see her again. She was never going to laugh with her again, or stay up late talking, or see Carol's dazzling, beautiful smile, hear her wonderfully carefree laugh.

A moan of suffering escaped her; Xander rocked her against him as he held her close. His chest, pressed against her back, heaved and shook with the force of his tears. Bobby collapsed on the ground beside them, his mouth opened and closed, forming silent words, his face deathly pale. The right side of his body was raw and red; his jeans were frayed from the heat that had seared them. Lee remained unmoving, frozen as he stared at the place where Carol had stood.

"We're all going to die," Bobby muttered before he turned and vomited on the ground beside him.

Chapter 16

Carl

Somewhere in Mass.

He was getting tired of driving like a lunatic. It made his throbbing back ache even more and set his teeth on edge. He supposed it was better than being engulfed by a ball of flame and bar-b-qued alive, but he still wished they could catch a break. Wished they could have one hour where things weren't completely insane, so he could actually take the time to see where he was going instead of just hoping that they didn't end up plummeting over the side of one of the new craters.

John was not helping, his sharp intakes of breath, his slamming of his hand on the dashboard, and his constant chatter to "do this" and "don't do that" were driving Carl insane. It took all he had not to scream at the kid, but he knew it wasn't John's fault. He'd be backseat driving too if the roles were reversed.

"Left!" John shouted as he slapped his hand on the dashboard. "Right!" Another slap. "Fence! Fence! Fence!"

He could see the fence; it didn't mean the truck turned on a freaking dime, though. In fact, it most certainly did not. The right front fender clipped part of a pole as he jerked the wheel. The girl let out a small cry and grabbed the handle over her head. John was thrown up against her, they were pinned to the door as the tires skidded and the wheels sought traction. Something screamed - or hopefully someone - Carl prayed it wasn't the truck that had made that noise.

It wouldn't be good for any of them if it was.

Carl sprayed some washer fluid; he turned the wipers on in an attempt to get rid of the dirt and mud that had pelted the windshield. He leaned forward, peering through the smears that now streaked his line of vision. He strained to see the field he had driven across in an attempt to outrun the fast moving inferno. He drove parallel to the fence, searching for an opening, praying for some way through the wooden rails. He'd run it over if he had to, but he was hoping to avoid it if he could. The last thing they needed to deal with was a hole in the radiator.

"There! There!" the girl cried, pointing toward a metal gate in the middle of all the wood. Relief filled Carl as he swung the truck toward the gate and threw it into park far more abruptly than he normally would have. The girl was lurching out of the truck before he could open his door.

He was still five feet from her, but she already had the chain deftly unwound and the gate thrust open. "Come on! Hurry!" she yelled to him.

"She sure told you," John said laughingly.

Carl scowled at him as he ran back to the truck and drove it eagerly forward. He understood John's reasons for staying out of the truck when he gestured for the girl to get in the middle, smirking slightly when she did. "Really? It's an issue now?" Carl demanded of him.

John shrugged his shoulders and hopped into the truck. "If I'm going to die, I'm not going to be sitting bitch when it happens."

"Excuse me!?" the girl demanded, her face twisted into an expression that made Carl think she just might haul off and punch John.

John colored as he began to sputter. "Not you, I wasn't calling you that! It's what we call the middle seat. No one, ah… we just don't like sitting there. It's for the third person on a crew."

The girl's eyes narrowed, she didn't look at all appeased by John's answer as she folded her arms over her chest and glared at him. "He really didn't mean any offense," Carl assured her. He wasn't looking to help John out. In fact, he thought it was amusing to watch him squirm, but she was young, she didn't know them, and the last thing Carl wanted was for her to be frightened of them. There was enough to fear out there right now. "It's just a term we use to annoy the newbies on a crew that we make sit in the middle."

"I see."

Though she appeared a little mollified she was still eyeing John as if she were tempted to shove him out of the truck.

Carl glanced in the mirror as he drove through the open field. The flames were still back there, still eating up the earth, but they had gained some distance between them and the hungry inferno. "Are those… horses?" John wondered.

Carl turned to see where he was looking. Nausea twisted through his belly, unease wrapped through his chest as he stared at the mound gathered in the far corner of the field. It was difficult to tell exactly what they were, and if it hadn't been for the shoes he saw glistening on some, he might have assumed the already bloating carcasses were cattle.

"It looks like they herded themselves together to… to die," Carl muttered.

The girl was crying silently as she took in the remains. It seemed impossible to Carl, and if he wasn't looking at it, he never would have believed it. The horses had piled one on top of the other in some kind of twisted King of the Mountain game. He'd seen a lot of crap today, a lot more than he'd ever thought he'd see in his lifetime, but that pile was probably the most unnerving thing he'd ever seen.

He didn't understand why they would just stack on top of each other like that. The birds he had assumed had been affected by the quakes and that their inner homing system had gotten messed up and they'd lost their bearings. But this? Well, this he didn't even pretend to have an explanation for.

His breath rushed out of him. He reached for a cigarette with trembling fingers but glanced at the girl sitting beside him. She was staring out the window, oblivious to him, but still he took the butt and tossed it back into the pack. He normally didn't care about smoking in front of other people but he'd never liked to smoke around children.

Carl studied the pile of dead animals. There was no way a human would ever have the strength to do that, and he didn't think they would have taken the time to do it with some sort of machine. That was if this farm even had the equipment to lift dead horses and stack them high like that. He was sure some farms did, but it seemed improbable this one did, and it seemed as if it would easily be a daylong project to accomplish.

He didn't believe that these animals had died before today and been placed there over time either. No, he knew that this was the result of whatever was going on, and that these poor creatures had done this to themselves. Every hair on his body stood on end. The cold chill that crept over his spine reminded him of when he'd been a child, afraid of the dark and terrified to put his feet down because the monster living under his bed would grab his ankle and pull him into the dark underworld he knew existed just beneath the dust cover of his Star Wars sheets.

He didn't know much about horses, but from what he did know they didn't have the homing instincts of a bird, instincts that would be messed up by some event or another. In fact, he could only think of one thing that could have driven the horses to this act.

Fear.

The landscape was quiet now, still in the ever-rising sun. But something around there had been so frightening that it drove those animals to trample each other in their attempt to escape it. Perhaps the approaching fire had driven them mad.

His breath hissed out of him, his heart did a knocking the likes of which he hadn't experienced since he'd consumed too many drugs, cigarettes, and booze and stayed up for three days straight in his early twenties. He'd thought he was going to die then, and hadn't touched drugs or booze since. Though he still enjoyed a cold beer and smoked a pack a day, but everyone had their bad habits and he enjoyed his.

Secretly, he realized, he'd been hoping and waiting to find someplace safe, some kind of refuge to rest, regroup and formulate a plan. A part of him had been certain if they just got away from the ocean, if they just made it to John's parents, if they just survived to find the place where everyone was taking shelter they would be safe. He realized now that he was completely wrong.

Sure, maybe they'd find John's parents, and maybe there was a big shelter somewhere, but they would never be safe. He would never again know the peace that he had at seven this morning when he'd pushed the button on the beat up time clock to start the day. He could clearly recall the loud clank the thing made; the quips that had been traded that it may be the only thing in the shop older than Carl. He'd taken the jests with good humor, but secretly he'd kept silent about the fact that the clock was actually five years younger than him.

He would miss that clock; he would miss the mornings of peaceful oblivion.

It took all he had to turn away from the piled remains and focus on the field again. He'd been so absorbed in his own thoughts that he hadn't realized he'd stopped the truck. No one else seemed to realize it either as they starred mutely at the scene before them. Carl pressed on the gas again and crept across the field, there was still enough distance between them and the fire that he didn't have to take the unnecessary risks of speeding.

The field was relatively intact, but when they broke over top of a small hill, he saw that the house was not. It had crumpled in on itself like a house of cards beneath a heavy breath. The chimney remained standing a tall, lonely, reminder of the lives that had once existed within the red farmhouse. He saw no sign of life as they moved past, and half expected to see a pair of feet sticking out from beneath the rubble.

Seeming to be running along the same track of thought the girl whispered, "We're not in Kansas anymore."

"No, we're not," John agreed.

John jumped out at the next gate, unraveled the chain and thrust it open. He held it open, his eyes dark and distant as he surveyed the changed landscape. "Look at the map and see if you can find where we are," Carl told him when he climbed back in.

John's hand rested on the dash as he stared out the smeared windshield. "Do you think it matters anymore?"

"I do."

"Why?"

"Because something has to."

John remained motionless before he nodded and dug out the crumpled map. The girl helped him hold it against the dashboard as they searched for street signs. The girl was shaking her head as they passed Maple road. Her dark hair fell about her dirt streaked features as she pointed at something on the map.

"I think we have it," she announced proudly. "As long as we're in Bridgewater."

"Is it possible we're not?" Carl inquired.

"Yeah," John answered. "There's a Maple Road in Bridgewater, along with a Maple Avenue in Halifax and Raynham."

"I thought every town had an Elm Street, who knew it was Maple?" Carl muttered.

John chuckled but the girl looked confused. "Nightmare on Elm Street? Freddy Krueger?" John explained.

She continued to stare blankly at him. "Before your time," Carl informed her, feeling even older.

The girl shrugged. "Okay, well, that was Josey Ave. so it looks like we're in Bridgewater."

John's shoulders slumped in relief. "She reads a map better than you," Carl informed him.

"I'm okay with that," John replied flippantly as he placed his finger against the map and began to trace the lines.

"Where are you trying to go?" she inquired.

"The prison or the university," John informed her.

"Why?"

"My parents work there."

She nodded. "Prison first then. It's closest."

She leaned away from John, her eyes darted nervously toward the side mirror. The blaze wasn't as close as it had been, but it was there, rising over the horizon in sparking bits of flame, and towering plumes of smoke. The lingering scent of smoke still clung to the girl.

"How far were you from the fire?" Carl inquired.

She shrugged. "Not far."

"Where are your parents? Were you at home?"

She shook her head; her gaze became distant as tears shimmered in her eyes. "No, I was at summer camp. At first, all the counselors were telling us that we couldn't leave, but then the fire came and everyone took off in different directions. I was with some friends, but we were separated when the fire spread. I just want to go home."

The longing in her voice tugged at his heart, even John was eyeing her with sympathy now. "We'll get you there," Carl assured her, hoping that he could keep his promise.

"Thank you," she whispered.

He turned away from the single tear that slid down her cheek, leaving a clean streak through her dirt-smeared face. "We're going to make the next right," John instructed. "The prison's only another mile or so away."

Relief filled Carl, at least they would find someone, accomplish something today. It was also a prison; there would be people of authority there, perhaps even people that had a clue as to what was going on. He just hoped none of the inmates had escaped during the chaos. Having to deal with a bunch of convicts would be the perfect cherry topper to this craptastic sundae of a day.

"Another right," John said.

They drove onto a back road he never would have noticed if John hadn't instructed him where to go. "This should be it."

John folded the map up and leaned eagerly forward as he braced his hands on the dashboard. The truck bounced over the bumpy road, large fences topped with barbwire started to come into view. On his left was another building, one that seemed to have been built in the eighteen hundreds and didn't appear to be any sort of prison building. Carl found himself leaning eagerly forward too, his breath held as they rounded a turn and part of a wall came into view.

And beyond that there was nothing. Carl had never heard a sound like the one that came out of John as he stopped the truck. It was disbelieving, wounded, broken in a way that Carl had never heard broken before. Trapped, frightened animals didn't make a sound like the one that John issued.

John plunged out of the truck, stumbling, tripping, and nearly falling over as he raced toward the gaping hole in the earth.

"Oh," the girl breathed as she slid silently from the truck. "Is this really it?"

Carl pointed wordlessly toward the sign that remained by the sweeping fence that now encased nothing. Correctional Facility was printed with large black letters upon the tilted sign. John stopped ten feet away from the ravine; he fell to his knees, his mouth gaping as tears slid down his cheeks.

Carl left the truck as the girl crept closer to John; she hesitated before resting her hand on his shoulder. Carl stepped beside him, unable to believe the spectacle before him, unable to take it all in. He'd never been there, but he'd seen pictures of the Grand Canyon, and though this did not have the same colors and panoramic beauty, it seemed just as vast and consuming. It stretched for as far as he could see, devastating the landscape for miles upon miles.

It was dark, so dark. Blackness rolled throughout, steam or smoke wafted from inside the pit. If flames had been shooting from it, it would have been exactly like the many pictures of Hell he had seen over the years. For a disconcerting second he was almost convinced that it was Hell. The heat almost forced him away, but he remained where he was as he rested his hand on John's other shoulder. John's thin frame shook beneath his touch.

Carl gazed into the hole, and though he couldn't see the bottom through the steam, he did see broken bits of brick, wood, fencing, trees, asphalt, and cars that had made up the prison compound. He saw no people; he heard no cries for help. It was hot enough up here, he imagined within the chasm it was a blistering inferno.

Feet away from them, more land crumpled into the hole. Carl took a step back, worried about the stability of the ground they stood upon. "John, we have to go," he said softly. John remained on the ground, seemingly shocked into immobility as he wept. "There's nothing here. We have to go John."

The girl knelt beside him. "I'm sorry for your loss, but we must leave. If we stay here we could die too."

John didn't seem to hear her. Carl hated to do it but he grabbed hold of John's arm, threw it around his shoulder, and pulled his friend to his feet. John didn't protest as Carl led him back to the truck and the girl scooted silently into the middle. Carl helped John into the truck and slammed the door. He ran around to the other side, growing increasingly apprehensive that the ground would give way at any moment.

John was crying silently as Carl shifted the truck into reverse and drove quickly away from the complex. "We have to find a way around that thing. Can you find something on the map?" The girl nodded mutely. He realized that referring to her as the girl probably wasn't the best way to continue, not anymore. He had a feeling they would be spending a lot of time together from here on out. "We haven't been properly introduced yet, I'm Carl, and that's John."

She took hold of his extended hand, her grip surprisingly firm for someone so young as she shook it briefly. "Nice to meet you. My name's Rochelle."

Chapter 17

Al

Somewhere in Mass.

When Al was seven years old, he'd contracted influenza with his older brother and sister. He could still vividly recall how sick he'd been, the memory of it hadn't faded over the years as his other bouts of sickness had. He clearly remembered the fever that had burned through him, the chills that had wracked his slender frame. He'd been certain he was going to die as he'd wasted away in bed, his sheets soaked with sweat, his entire body aching and sore.

His mother had labored over them with cold compresses and ice baths, when they were required. She'd gone numerous days without sleep as she'd fought to save her children. It was the first time he'd ever seen his father, typically aloof and unrelenting, actually scared. As the youngest child, the baby, it had been assumed that he probably wouldn't survive. He'd been determined to prove them wrong, but when his brother Phillip had succumbed to the illness, Al had felt his chances dwindling before him. Phillip had always been so strong, an athlete, Al's hero. Al's grief over the loss was the only thing that had punctured his sick haze.

His mother had cried endlessly, but she had forged on, determined to save her remaining two children. And then Nancy was lost. Al had become certain he was next, that he would never survive, that it was only a matter of time before he was taken too. But somehow, through the perseverance and prayers of his parents, the baby, the one they had been certain was going to die, had miraculously survived.

It had been lonely afterward without Phillip's constant chatter and Nancy's incessant baking. He'd often wondered why he'd been spared and they'd been taken. They'd been stronger than he was, he was certain they had been better people. Phillip would have accomplished much in life, and Nancy's love and good-hearted nature would have made a difference to many people. On the lonely nights that had followed, when Nancy was no longer around to tell him bedtime stories, he'd often wished that he hadn't been spared. His mother, weighted by her heartache, was never the same, though she handled it with the silent grace and dignity that she had handled every other hardship she'd endured over the years.

He'd been so broken then. So frightened of the world and the cruelty it possessed. His childhood and his innocence had been torn from him along with his siblings. Though it had taken him years to come to terms with it, he realized he had survived for a reason, and he'd vowed to carry on Nancy's goodness and Phillip's energy. Years ago he had established a charity, in their names, that raised money for childhood illnesses.

That event had been almost seventy years ago, but he'd never forgotten how terrified of everything he'd been afterwards, how hollow and broken as he labored to understand his new role in the world. He hadn't thought he would ever feel like that again, but he felt that way now as he stared helplessly at the carnage surrounding them. Just like back in those days, the world as he had known it, had ceased to exist and would never be the same.

He was that terrified seven year old again, and he didn't like it.

Mary Ellen was excruciatingly silent; her hands trembled on the wheel as she stared ahead. The brief and thankfully uneventful encounter with the man had rattled her. He knew her thoughts were on her daughter. He didn't know the girl well, and in the beginning he had been certain they would find her, but now he couldn't help but wonder how a twelve year old was going to survive when he wasn't even certain the two of them would be able to.

He wondered if Mary Ellen would be as strong as his mother had been, or if she would crumple beneath the weight of life as Rita had done. He hoped she was able to pull through this. He liked her. Since Nellie's death his life had largely been walked alone, but he didn't like the idea of taking this journey by himself. It was far too lonely of a journey for that.

"Are you going to be okay?" he inquired.

She was silent as her hands twisted. "I wonder if she's still alive. I thought I would know if she had died. I thought that I'd feel it somehow, but now I'm not so certain."

"You'd know," he assured her.

She glanced at him. "Would I?"

"Yes."

"Do you think your children are still alive?"

There was no way for him to know right now, and unless things became drastically different sometime soon, he didn't think he would ever have the answer to her question. They were too far away, a vastly different and deadly world away. When he thought of his children an empty feeling settled in his stomach, one that made him think that his kids were no longer alive. That they had perished amongst the chaos.

It would break him if he focused on that hollowness.

He opened his mouth to tell her that yes he believed his children were out there, carrying on; doing the good he was so proud of them for. George was a doctor with two adorable children, Linda had become a veterinarian and had multiple children in her animals, and though Luke had been the more rebellious child, he'd recently met a woman whom he loved and was actually settling his unruly ways.

"No."

The answer astounded him as much as her. Her hands jerked on the steering wheel, her head turned toward him so quickly that he thought she might have given herself whiplash. She gawked at him in disbelief. "I do not believe they are still alive. Please watch the road, Mary Ellen."

She blinked at him before turning back to the windshield. "How… How are you able to carry on if you believe that?"

"Because there is no way to know for sure and because I must. Life doesn't end simply because there are times when we would like it to. I've lost a lot of loved ones in my life, and there have been many times I've longed for the world to stop turning, but thankfully it's continued stubbornly onward. Until now."

A single tear slid down her cheek. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. It's not definite. It could just be an old man missing his children that caused me to say that."

She pondered his words for a little bit. "I don't think Rochelle is dead."

"I think you're right," he agreed with a reassuring smile.

"Is…is that smoke?"

He turned back to the windshield, leaning forward as he stared in disbelief at the billow of smoke floating over the trees. "Yes."

Her foot eased on the gas pedal. "That's coming from the area where Rochelle's camp is."

"She's alive, remember," he told her, but that smoke was ominous.

They broke around a curve on the interstate. Flames shot high across the highway, a rolling inferno that encompassed the road. He could feel the heat of it licking against the windshield, and practically blistering the paint. Without a word, Mary Ellen turned the car around and slammed on the gas and raced away from the blaze. Al's eyes fell nervously to the dashboard; sweat beaded his brow as he spotted the needle hovering precariously close to E.

Not now, he prayed silently. Not now.

If they ran out of gas now they would be dead. There was no way they could outmaneuver those flames on foot, they'd be encircled and crisp fried before they even made it a mile. Mary Ellen swung off the next exit, moving parallel to the inferno as she tried to find a way around the conflagration. Al couldn't tear his eyes away from the gas gauge. His old ticker was beating so fast he was half worried it was going to stop.

She swerved around a large tree as they drove over the road at a treacherous speed. "Go through the field."

She followed where he was pointing, aiming the car across the open expanse of grass. The old vehicle didn't handle the ruts well. The shocks and struts creaked and clanged, Al bounced so high in his seat he thought he was going to smash his head off the roof. Mary Ellen jerked on the wheel, turning the car suddenly to the right. He didn't know what she was aiming for until they soared over the top of a small hill and bounced onto a back road.

He nearly crashed off the dashboard as the car lurched awkwardly. Houses and barns whipped by in a blur. It seemed as if a tornado had swept through here, leveling some homes while leaving others strangely unscathed. They made another right. "That's Rochelle's camp."

They were moving so fast that he almost missed the sign next to the road. Camp Howland, was hand painted onto the sign with an arrow pointing down the road. The only problem was that the arrow was pointing to an area engulfed in flames.

Mary Ellen eased the car to a stop; heat engulfed the interior of it as she climbed out. Al slid out also; he nervously observed the blaze, now a mere two hundred feet away and moving relentlessly closer. Mary Ellen's glazed eyes came back toward him. "She's not there anymore," he answered her unspoken question for her. "She would have fled before the fire made it to the camp."

She nodded mutely as she closed her slack mouth. "Where would she go though?"

"We'll figure that out, but right now we have to get as far from here as possible." Trees cracked and popped loudly, ash began to leave a fine coating on the roof of the car. "Would you like me to drive?"

She shook her head and climbed back into the vehicle. Al clicked his seatbelt on as she shifted into reverse and turned the car back to the field they had just vacated. Her driving was more cautious as she steered around the holes in the ground. "Stop here," he told her as the gas light popped on.

He watched the fading inferno warily as he hopped out of the car and hurried to the sagging barn he'd instructed her to stop at. Grasping the rusted handle, he leaned his weight into the door to slide it open. The cobwebs in the corners billowed in the slight breeze the opening of the door had created. There was something almost soothing in the familiar scents of earth and mildew. The small tractor and riding mower inside offered him some hope as he gazed around the aging structure.

"What are you doing?" Mary Ellen inquired behind him.

"Thought there might be some gas in here."

"Hopefully," she muttered.

He moved gradually into the shadowed interior, searching for a promising red can as Mary Ellen moved in the other direction. He unscrewed the cap from the mower and tapped the side of the gas can as he peered inside, but he couldn't see how much gas it held. He was screwing the cap back on when he spotted two cans sitting behind the tractor.

He lunged for one of the cans, accidentally kicking it and causing it to tip over. His breath froze in his lungs, but thankfully none of the precious fuel spilled out. He grabbed the can, disappointed to find it empty as he lifted it up and set it back down. He didn't have much optimism about the other one so he was pleasantly surprised when it resisted his quick jerk.

"Here," he croaked out. Mary Ellen was at his side in a flash. He handed her the full can. "Fill the car with it."

She nodded and disappeared outside. He moved through the barn with more speed than he had originally. Searching the shelf, he grabbed a half full bottle of oil and a coil of tubing. He wiped his dirty hands and the first few inches of the tube on his pants. Returning to the mower he siphoned the remaining gas into the empty fuel can. He had just turned his attention to the tractor when Mary Ellen returned with the empty can.

He filled the other can and was able to get another quarter's worth out. "Let's go."

She clasped hold of his hand as he held the can out to her. "I'm glad you're here with me."

"Uh, me too," he muttered uncomfortably.

"I mean it. I wouldn't have made it this far, I would have completely crumpled and lost it like Rita if you hadn't been here. When we find Rochelle it will be because of you. Thank you, Al."

He offered her a halfhearted smile, flustered by her gratitude. "You're stronger than you give yourself credit for."

She shrugged as she took the can from him. "I think we're both going to find out the truth to that soon enough."

She followed him from the barn and stood watchfully beside him as he poured the rest of the gas into the car. It would get them further than they'd gotten so far, but it wouldn't last long. Mary Ellen drove across the field, slowing as they passed a mound of horse corpses that caused bile to heave up Al's throat. It was one of the strangest things he'd ever seen and he couldn't begin to contemplate what could have driven them to do such a thing.

"Horrible," he muttered. He turned away and twisted to search through the backseat. There was so much trash that he half believed the owner had lived in the vehicle as he tossed aside discarded wrappers, cups, and clothes. "What a mess."

"What are you looking for?" she asked.

"A map or something."

"Good luck with that."

He chuckled, but she was right, if there was anything useful in this car he wasn't finding it. He turned back around, settling in again. "We'll have to find a store, and maybe we can figure out where she may have gone to search for help."

"You don't think she would try and go home, do you?" she asked worriedly.

"I don't know. For now, I think we're better off trying to find a place around here she would have gone to. It makes more sense that she would seek out help before doing that. Do you know this area at all?"

"Not really. Rochelle's been going to camp here for two years, I've been to the outlet mall in Wrentham a few times, and the football stadium twice. Rochelle has spent more time around the stadium though; she likes to hang out with her friends from the camp, go to the movies, and shop there."

Al was silent as he pondered this. "We'll get a map and find the closest police or fire station; I think the stadium could be a good bet. It would make sense to set up a shelter there with all the new stores and restaurants they've put in around it."

"You're right."

They maneuvered onto another road. Al glanced in the rearview mirror but the blaze was fading behind them. It may not be as close, but it had enough fuel to keep it going for days, if not weeks. Maybe even forever, he thought with a shudder. Mary Ellen pulled into the parking lot of a convenience store and parked next to the door.

A man's face appeared behind the glass door, his beady eyes were squinted as he stared at them. His belly hung over his belt, and sweat slid down his scruff covered cheeks. Wariness crept down Al's spine, but he climbed out of the car and led the way to the door. The man continued to eye them suspiciously, but he unlocked the door and opened it for them.

"Can I help you?" he demanded gruffly.

"We were hoping to find a police or fire station," Al told him.

"Three miles that way." He pointed back toward the blaze.

"Both of them?"

"Yep," he replied as he slid his thumbs into the waistband of his jeans.

"There's a bad fire over there." Mary Ellen's voice was resigned.

"That's all there is," the man informed her briskly.

"Do you have a map?" Al inquired.

He nodded toward a rack near the coffee pots. Al went to search for a map of Massachusetts as Mary Ellen remained with the man. "That fire might spread here soon," she warned him.

The man shrugged, his eyes were pinned to Al as he searched through the rack. "I'm not staying here for much longer anyway."

"Have you seen any other people?" she asked eagerly.

"Nope, you're the first since it started. Where you from?"

"Rhode Island."

For the first time the man showed something other than anger and distrust as his shoulders slumped and he seemed to deflate like a balloon before them. "This is happening there too?"

Mary Ellen nodded sympathetically. "We think it may be everywhere, or at the very least the Northeast, but we haven't found anyone who knows anything. It's chaos out there and I really wouldn't stay here for much longer."

The man nodded as Al made his way back toward him with a map and a case of water. "How much?" Al asked.

"Take it; I don't think I'll be around to sell many of those anymore anyway," the man told him.

"Thank you."

"How far away is that fire?"

"Not far and it's moving fast."

The man nodded and grabbed a set of keys off the counter. "Time to go."

Mary Ellen held the door for Al as he stepped outside; he was dismayed to see smoke curling over the horizon once more. He watched as the man waddled toward a large SUV, pulled himself inside and started the vehicle. He had just abandoned his store, but even still he waited until Mary Ellen and Al drove out of the parking lot before leaving too.

Al pulled the map out and unfolded it before him. "There are a couple of places where they might be establishing shelters, but if your daughter has been to the stadium and likes it there, that might be the place she's drawn to."

Mary Ellen nodded. "She'll look for a little familiarity amongst this mess."

Al wouldn't mind a little familiarity too. "Foxboro bound we are, then," he told her with a smile.

Chapter 18

Xander

Foxboro, Mass.

Xander's cheek was pressed against Riley's as her slender body shook and heaved from the force of her sobs. The sounds she made were heart wrenching. Even if he hadn't been swamped by his own melancholy, her sorrow would have been enough to make him cry. As it was, he couldn't hold his own tears back.

Gone. His sister was gone. In the blink of an eye, from the space of one heartbeat to the next, her life had been snuffed out as effectively as a birthday candle. She'd been there with them one instant, and the next… he had lost her.

Since he was two years old, Carol had been a part of his life. He didn't know a world without her, wasn't entirely sure how to navigate one that didn't have her in it, and he couldn't bring himself to stand up and face it right now. All he could picture was the chubby child with blond curls that had toddled after him, sucking her thumb as she dragged her dirty doll across the ground. A toddler he'd been instructed to protect and take care of, a toddler who, though she had annoyed him, had also fascinated him. He'd loved her, had defended her when she was teased, had protected her.

He'd just failed her.

His arms clenched around Riley as she began to gag and choke from crying so violently. He patted her back, attempting to soothe her as he struggled through the grief and guilt trying to drown him within their dark depths. What was he going to do? What were any of them going to do?

Bobby hadn't moved since he'd collapsed beside them. He was unbelievably pale as he stared at the area where Carol had been. There was a vacancy in his gaze that terrified Xander, because he felt that same helpless feeling trying to take control of him. No matter how relentlessly they fought, they were still going to die. It was too brutal and cruel, and none of them had ever endured this kind of adversity before. In fact, every other difficulty he'd ever encountered was child's play compared to this. Girls, school, peer pressure, crashing his car… it was all nothing.

Everything he had ever known was nothing now, mere cinders of the burnt remains of his life.

The things that had so occupied him before faded from his mind as he stared at his friend and clung to Riley. Lee had moved away from the crater, but he was still too close for Xander's liking.

They could sit here and wait for death, or they could stand up and fight to survive. He had to make a choice.

Bracing his hand behind him, he wrapped his arm around Riley's waist and strained to lift the two of them to their feet. Lee glanced at him, opened his mouth to say something but ended up closing it. What was there to say?

Xander leaned against a tree, fighting against the tears that still threatened to fall as he turned Riley around. Tears streaked her reddened face; her eyes were already bloodshot and puffy. She was gasping for breath as her shoulders heaved.

"Riley, listen. Listen to me. You have to get it together."

Her vivid eyes were unfocused; she leaned into him, wrapping her arms around his waist as she pressed her face into his chest. For years he'd yearned to hold her, but not like this. Never like this. Xander hugged her back as her tears wet his shirt. "Riley, please. I need your help now. Please."

Her sobs increased, it was a battle to keep his fear and anguish at bay. The unraveling was there, just beneath the surface, trying to undo him. Judging by the look of Lee and Bobby though, if he fell apart now none of them would make it.

He grasped Riley's face, pulling it out of his chest as he wiped the tears from her cheeks. "This isn't what Carol would want Riley." She took a hitching breath; her eyes flickered as they came briefly into focus before fading again. "She would want you to survive, and if we're going to survive, you have to pull it together."

Tears slid down, but she seemed to be focusing on him a little better, seemed to be seeing him again. "Okay?" he asked.

"She's gone," Riley croaked.

Xander shuddered at the reminder. "I know."

He barely got the words out past the constriction in his throat. It took all he had not to start crying again, but if he gave into the urge they would never get out of here, and right now getting his friends out of here was what was keeping him going.

"Xander…"

Her lower lip began to quiver. He pulled her against him, hugging her close as she embraced him. She had stopped crying though, and simply seemed to desire another person to hold.

He looked to his friends but they were both motionless. He couldn't carry all three of them out of here. "Bobby, Lee, we have to go." Bobby looked dazedly at him; Lee simply appeared terrified at the thought. "Now. We have to go now."

"But, it's… it's… ah… It's death out there, Xander," Lee stuttered.

"It's death here too." He pressed Riley closer before reluctantly releasing her. She made a move to grab at him again but went still as her hand fell limply to her side. She seemed to have regained enough control to be able to stand alone. He watched her to make certain that she wouldn't collapse again, but when she remained unmoving he was reassured that she would be okay.

He walked over and knelt before Bobby. "You have to get up, Bobby. Come on." He grasped hold of his friends arm, and though Bobby rose with him, that awful vacancy didn't leave his gaze as he stared numbly at Xander. He was terrified that Bobby would never come back to them, that something had broken inside of him and he would forever be this strange, deadened shell of a person he had once been.

Xander released Bobby and hurried past Lee.

"What are you doing?" Lee demanded taking a hasty step toward him as Xander hurried to the hole that had claimed his sister.

"I have to see."

It was the last thing in the world he wanted to do, but he had to make sure that Carol wasn't alive. The not knowing would drive him crazy for the rest of his days, even if today was that day. He approached the crater with care, nervous that it would give out beneath him as he leaned over the edge and peered into the dark depths. He was terrified he would find his sister's body, broken, battered, beaten beyond recognition. There was simply nothing but a yawning abyss of death and misery.

He retreated from the hole, feeling almost as hollow as that encompassing darkness. Riley was staring expectantly at him as she twisted her hands before her. He shook his head at her, unable to form the words that would crush her again. To her credit she didn't fall apart again.

"Let's go," he said briskly, he had to do something before he completely lost his mind.

"Go where?" Lee demanded.

"Same as before, we go to the stadium."

Though he didn't know how he would face his parents if they somehow, miraculously, had survived this disaster, and had even more miraculously managed to make it home. He didn't hold out much hope for that, though. Not anymore. All he hoped for now was to somehow keep himself, and the others, alive. He'd failed his sister; he wouldn't fail again.

He was moving past Riley when she stretched out and brushed his arm. He looked questioningly at her but she was silent as her fingers slid into his and she clasped hold of his hand. Her eyes were wary as she watched him, seemingly worried that he might rebuke her or release her. That was something she would never have to worry about from him. His hand tightened around hers as he tugged her gently along, moving back toward the edge of the woods, and the homes beyond.

He stopped at the edge of the forest to survey the darkened homes. He didn't trust that they were empty.

Riley's hand trembled within his, sweating slightly in his grasp. He could feel the calluses from softball that ran across the base of her fingers. "I don't think we should go out there."

He glanced back at her. Though she was more composed, her eyes still shimmered with unshed tears. "We're not going to," he assured her.

He stayed within the tree line, but hovered near the yards that bordered them. A driving sense of urgency built within him as it propelled him onward. They had to get to the stadium, it was something he could attempt to do, perhaps even something he could succeed at. The piercing reminder that he had failed Carol was like a knife to his chest, and he could barely breathe around it.

He avoided the highway, choosing to stay within the woods, away from other people and the main areas. He knew this area well. From the time they were fifteen, he had snuck out of the house to meet Lee, Bobby and a few other friends. During the summer, if there was a concert they would like to hear, they went to the stadium. Not having been the first ones to do it, they'd found a well-worn path in the woods that led down to the railroad tracks and eventually the stadium. They'd sit at the edge of the woods and listen to the muffled music. Most of the time it had been difficult to decipher what was playing, but the thrill of being out, without their parents knowing - and the occasionally smuggled alcohol - made it more than worth it.

He was heading for that path now, silently praying that it had not been as ruined as almost everything else they had encountered today. Riley's hand remained in his, he could hear the increase of her breath, but she kept up as he jogged relentlessly onward.

"The path?" Lee panted beside him.

"I think it's our best bet," Xander told him.

"I agree. I would prefer to stay away from the highway, I imagine it's chaos, and I'd like to see what's going on at that stadium before we go in there."

"You read my mind."

"What path?" Riley inquired.

Lee explained it to her as Xander shoved some branches out of the way, holding them back so they didn't slap her or a still-dazed Bobby in the face. "I never knew about that," she murmured.

"It was a guy thing. No girls allowed," Lee informed her with a small smile that half an hour ago she would have returned, but her face remained stony and her eyes somewhat glazed. Xander hated that look on her, but he was even more concerned about the continued lack of response from Bobby.

"I have to walk for a minute," Lee told them.

Xander eased to a walk, his lungs burned, his legs felt like rubber but he would have preferred to keep running. His mind could focus on other things now that it wasn't focusing on going forward, on attaining their destination. Riley released him and bent over to inhale great, shuddering breaths.

Xander rested his hand briefly on her back before turning his attention to Bobby, who was still carrying their bag of supplies. "How about some water?" he inquired, hoping to get Bobby engaged again.

Bobby stared mutely at him before nodding and pulling some water out of the bag. They rested for another couple of minutes before continuing onward. Surprisingly, and finally, the way was actually relatively easy going. There were a few new holes, and some trees had fallen in their way, but once they made it to the path they were able to move rapidly toward the tracks.

They had just arrived at the tracks, and paused to take another break, when a flare shot high into the air. It burned over them, a greenish glow that wasn't as noticeable now that the sun had moved higher into the sky. Xander screwed the cap back on the water bottle and dropped it in the bag. Riley stepped beside him, her arm touched briefly against his as her head tilted back to watch the flare.

"Do you think it will be safe?" she inquired.

"Hopefully."

He slid his hand back into hers. She stared at him for a moment before her eyes fell to their joined hands. He expected her to pull away, that she had simply been looking for comfort before and was now back to hating him. Her forehead smoothed as she gave a nod that was almost imperceptible. His fingers tightened around hers as eyes the color of tanzanite met his again.

It was a damnable thing to have her stop hating him on the worst, and quite possibly the last, day of their lives. He wished Carol had been here to see it; she'd been pushing him for years to stop being a moron. She'd been his biggest champion and would probably be doing her happy dance right now, laughing loudly as she told him, 'I told you so,' repeatedly.

The ache in his chest spread. Mourning swelled so fiercely inside of him that for a split second he couldn't see Riley before him. All he could see was an image of Carol jumping from foot to foot as she waved her arms in the air and twirled around. He could almost hear her laughter. It was all so crisp, so clear, that he couldn't believe it wasn't true. That her happy dance was forever gone.

Seeming to sense his distress, Riley released his hand, wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his chest. He enfolded her, fighting against the hot burn of tears in his eyes as he relied on her solidity in the shifting reality before him. He buried his face in her hair, inhaling the fruity scent of her shampoo that was still faintly detectable beneath the dirt and sweat that coated her.

"I miss her too," she whispered.

Carol had been his sister, but she and Riley had been two peas in a pod, thick as thieves, and inseparable since they'd first met. They'd been closer than sisters, closer than he'd ever been with any of his friends. Their fights - the few he'd ever seen them have - had consisted of brief periods of bickering before both of them simply moved on. Not only would he never see Carol's happy dance again, but he'd never see her and Riley's heads bent together as they conversed quietly or simply sat in amicable silence.

"I know."

"It's not your fault, you couldn't have done anything. I was closer… I should have reached her…" A shudder ran through her, she broke off as a small sob escaped.

He cradled her neck and pulled her closer as he pressed his mouth against her ear. "No, Riley, you couldn't have done anything either. It's no one's fault."

Though he said it, he knew they would both blame themselves for a long time to come, if not the rest of their lives. He could only hope that they would one day come to terms with that guilt, and that it didn't eat them alive from the inside out. He felt her tears against his shirt again, but they had subsided by the time she pulled back from him. "We should go."

He sighed regretfully as he nodded and released her. Bobby had moved further down the railroad tracks, his head was bowed as he stared at his feet. Lee was a little bit away from him, he studied the horizon with phony intensity. He seemed more than a little relieved when Xander and Riley rejoined them.

"How much further?" Riley inquired.

"Only about another half a mile," Lee told her.

They followed the tracks for a few minutes before branching off onto another path. He heard the sounds of the stadium long before he saw the massive structure. Voices boomed over what he assumed was a bullhorn, or perhaps even some sort of loudspeaker system. At the hole in the fence, he pulled back the metal wiring to allow Riley and the others to crawl through before following after them.

"What are they saying?" Lee's head was tilted to the side, his face scrunched in concentration as he tried to decipher the blared words.

"I don't know." Riley looked just as perplexed as Lee. Bobby remained strangely impassive.

They crept forward. Having been here before, and knowing how to avoid the security staff, the three of them knew the best places to hide in order to survey the stadium. The parking lot came into view as he moved around an oak.

It was bedlam below, a rolling sea of turmoil and confusion as people mulled around. They had formed ten enormous lines that wound toward the gates. State Troopers, police officers, some firemen, and what he assumed were National Guard, or some type of military were lined up inside of the gates, searching people, and patting them down as they entered. Other public safety members paroled amongst the crowds in the parking lot, their weapons shone threateningly in the radiance of the sun.

There was still more people filtering down the highway, maneuvering through abandoned cars either on foot or by vehicle. He moved a little closer as the voice boomed out again, but this time he was able to decipher most of the words.

"No weapons of any kind will be permitted within the gates! All weapons will be confiscated! Anyone caught with a weapon will be evicted from the grounds! Put your name on the list, but do not stop to look at the lists! Updated lists will be posted every hour; you may look for your loved ones then!"

The voice broke off briefly before the words were repeated.

"Are we going down there?" Riley inquired nervously.

"I don't want to lose our guns," Lee said.

Neither did he, and he wasn't entirely certain that going down there was such a good idea. There was something disconcerting about the scene below. It reminded him of far too many scary movies and videos of war he'd seen.

"Our parents may be down there, though."

Xander felt like running down there simply because Bobby had been the one to utter those words. Simply because it seemed as if Bobby might actually be coming back to them, and it was the prospect of finding his parents that was finally getting to him.

"We don't have to stay there," Lee suggested. "We can come back out."

"We'll hide the supplies up here," Xander told them. "Keep 'em buried so no one else can find them. If we don't like what's going on we'll leave."

He didn't add that he hoped they would be allowed to leave after they were granted access, he knew by the look on their faces they were all thinking the same thing.

Chapter 19

John

Bridgewater, Mass.

He felt as if he was watching his life from a movie. Crumpled houses and buildings, and the dark canyon that seemed to be straight from Dante's version of Hell were all just opening credits in a bad horror flick. He was seeing them, but he wasn't really experiencing them. It was his life, he knew that, but he felt as if he were standing outside of it.

He wondered if this was what an out of body experience felt like. He'd heard people talking about a disassociation from the body, but they were dead when it happened, or dying.

Was he dead? The thought was terrifying, but not nearly as terrifying as the realization that he was actually pondering the possibility. Had he died in that field, when the first tremors hit? Was this all some sort of death-inspired hallucination? Were the last neurons still randomly firing in his brain to create this world of ruin and suffering?

He wasn't as frightened by the idea as he thought he should be. He could be dead. This could all be just some strange dying nightmare, and the thought didn't bother him. He didn't feel connected anymore anyway.

He could hear Carl and the girl, Rochelle? They were talking softly as she studied the map. They sounded like the grown-ups in Charlie Brown, though, just a lot of wah, wah, wah in a strange droning tone that barely penetrated the detached haze surrounding him.

His father was dead, he was certain of it. He held out no hope of finding his mother anymore. He didn't cry though, the tears had dried up. What was the point of crying when it wasn't real anyway? Not anymore, nothing was real. He was dead, he was certain of it. He'd wake up on some strange tropical island, or just simply pass on any minute now.

Or maybe, just maybe, there was a heaven. He wasn't sure he'd be accepted there, though. He wasn't a bad person, but he wasn't a great one either. He felt his odds of the tropical island were far better than heaven.

He couldn't even remember the last time he'd seen his father. Two… three days ago? He lived in his parent's house but he wasn't a cellar dweller. His room above the garage was airy and private, but it had still been in their house, and here he couldn't even recall the last time he'd seen his father. He'd seen his mother yesterday when he'd stumbled downstairs, still somewhat drunk from the night before. She'd made him some coffee, a grilled cheese, and sent him back to bed with an indulgent smile that he'd been unwilling to admit made him feel happy and safe, like she had as a child.

But his father… well, his father was a different story. They lived in separate worlds, rotated on different schedules and barely saw each other. They got along well, always had, but his father worked a lot of overtime so he could retire early. John spent most of his time with his friends and at the bars. He'd thought there would be plenty of time for them to spend more time together later.

Actually, he hadn't really thought about it all. He'd known that his parents would die one day; everyone would, but never today, and probably not tomorrow. Twenty, thirty, maybe even fifty years in the future, sure, but not anytime soon.

Not today.

But it was today.

The time had come, his father was gone, and John was growing increasingly certain that he was gone too. Maybe one of the birds knocked him in the head, or perhaps he'd been swallowed by a hole. Maybe the lawn mower had run him over, as it did in every bad dream he'd had about the heavy piece of industrial equipment. He shuddered inwardly at the thought.

He thought to ask Carl if they were dead, but he found he couldn't open his mouth. What did it matter? Dead or alive he was still sitting in this truck, and his father was gone. Or perhaps his father was still alive and he was the one that was dead? It was too confusing, he didn't like these thoughts and he didn't have the energy to pursue them. Not anymore.

So he simply remained silent, sullen, and miserable. The town beyond the window was gone. He'd been here a few times to visit his mom at the University and to scope it out when he was still debating college. In the end he'd opted to stay closer to home and attend the Community College, but after two semesters he'd decided it wasn't for him. Landscaping had been a job to pass the time and make some money, but he'd discovered he really enjoyed it and had a knack for it. He'd been contemplating taking some classes to further himself, perhaps even starting his own business.

That didn't matter anymore though, nothing did.

They had to drive far out of their way to avoid the gaping hole, so far in fact that it took John a long time to realize they were still trying to make their way toward the college. He blinked, his head swiveled to take in the two people beside him. They were still talking Charlie Brown gibberish but they seemed enthusiastic about something.

What was there to be enthusiastic about? The world was ending, and they were dead. He assumed the two of them were dead too, if they were sitting beside him right now. He wondered when they would realize that they were deceased. He hoped it was soon so they'd shut up with that incessant, useless talk.

He turned away, unblinking as they traveled beside the edge of the strange Grand Canyon he was certain led into the very bowels of Hell. There had been nothing but despair down there from what he'd seen. And his father was somewhere within it.

But if that was true then John was still alive, wasn't he?

He reached out and pinched himself, hard. He winced, grit his teeth, twisted his skin and pinched harder. He welcomed the pain that blazed up his arm, surged through his nerve endings and brought tears to his eyes. He meant for it to hurt. Hurt meant life.

Did he still want to be alive?

Did he want this life? It wasn't even lunchtime and he no longer recognized anything he'd ever known. No longer recognized himself. Not even five hours and the house he'd left this morning, the family he'd been certain would always be there, the friends he'd spent hours playing video games and partying with, and the girl he'd been chasing no longer existed in this new reality of endless mayhem.

The girl, Rochelle, grabbed hold of his hand. Her dark eyes were wide as she peered up at him. Her mouth was moving, there were sounds coming out, but he didn't hear her. What was she saying? He tried to tell her to slow down, to speak English, but he found that though his mouth would part, no words came out.

She tugged at his hand, her head turned worriedly to Carl as they began to speak excitedly in what he realized were deeply troubled tones, but the words were all wrong. He didn't understand why Carl would start speaking this strange language with the girl when he'd been speaking English all day. They weren't speaking Spanish, as he had a rudimentary knowledge of that, and he'd learned Pig Latin like every other kid who thought they were slick and discovering something new that their parents would never figure out.

He turned away from their buzzing, only to be brought back as the girl pulled incessantly at his hand again. It was only then that he realized he was still pinching his skin. His fingers relaxed, falling limply to his side. His forearm was red, already bruising, and he'd even pierced the skin. Blood welled up and slid from the two fingernail gouges he'd dug into his forearm. He didn't feel it.

The girl was peering up at him again, concern radiated from her as her mouth continued to move. "I don't know other languages!" he shouted the words at her, but she didn't react. He dimly realized that he'd never actually said the words aloud.

Oh well, she wouldn't understand him anyway. He turned away from her and back to the window. He wondered if there would be some kind of a handbook for this death like there was in Beetlejuice. He'd discovered the movie when he was eleven and had watched it over and over again as a kid. To the point where even his mother could recite it line for line with him. He'd often hear her absently singing the songs even if the movie wasn't playing. In a time when kids his age had been listening to The Backstreet Boys and Christina Aguilera, he'd thought that Harry Belafonte was the man.

He'd never been one of the popular kids.

He hoped there was a handbook like there was in the movie, it would come in handy. Perhaps it would even show him how to get out of this never ending nightmare he was ensnared in.

He didn't realize the truck had stopped moving until he felt a hand on his shoulder. The brusque shaking was jarring. Carl was staring at him, his mouth moving; his voice loud. He was shouting in that strange language, as if that would somehow make it possible for John to understand him. He was turning away when Carl grabbed hold of his chin and jerked it toward him. Carl's fingers were rough on John's chin, he didn't care.

The girl said something and Carl released him. Carl raised his hand, looked as if he were considering slapping him but lowered his hand again and exchanged a disheartened look with the girl. She shrugged but her eyes remained on John as Carl started driving again.

At least they had finally stopped blathering on like idiots.

There were more houses in this area, though none of them had fared well. They were sagging and crumpled. Some had caught on fire and were nothing more than rubble. People were on the streets here, moving about, they looked like he felt. Were they dead too?

No. Not dead.

He shook his head; his gaze fell to his wounded arm. The dead didn't bruise and the dead didn't bleed. The dead didn't hurt like this, either. The dead did not miss the living.

Death was always hardest on the living, he'd heard that somewhere but he'd never understood it. How could anything be harder than death?

He understood it now.

Now, beneath the confusion, beneath the fear and the grief understanding was taking root. He had been left behind; he would have to deal with the devastation of the world, his family, and his life. He'd have to deal with the mourning and the loss, he'd be the one left with the memories but none of the tangible entities that had created the very fabric of his existence.

His parents, or for certain his father, no longer knew suffering. He wondered if it was death, or living, that was more terrifying.

He wasn't ready to die yet to find out the answer.

Though understanding was beginning to churn through his dulled mind, he still couldn't seem to find the strength to move, to speak, to acknowledge the girl worriedly patting his arm like he was a puppy requiring comfort.

He tried to emerge from the fog, but though he lifted his head, sorrow rose back up to pull him back down. His father had taught him to ride a bike, had coached his little league team, and had picked him up from the principal's office when he'd been busted skipping school to smoke pot. He'd expected a lot of screaming, perhaps a beating even though his father hadn't done so much as spank him since he was seven.

Instead, he'd been given a glimpse into a man who wasn't so different from him. A man who had wandered a near-identical path to John's, and had floundered until his mid-twenties when John was born. A man who had listened to John instead of screaming, and explained that though he understood, he didn't approve, and wouldn't tolerate it again. John had been grounded for a week, but he'd never felt closer to his father and had grown to realize that though their relationship was still authoritarian, they may one day become friends. He'd been suspended again after that, but he'd never gotten high at school after that day. When he'd turned twenty they had started to forge the friendship that John had sensed at fifteen. He'd lost more than his father today, but also the friend he'd trusted the most.

Tears slid down his face and dripped onto the girl's hand. She patted enthusiastically; her chatter became more eager as she looked rapidly between him and Carl. She bent low, peering expectantly up at him again.

Yes, death was definitely toughest on the living. He knew this now. He wished his parents were here to talk to, to guide him, and to show him the way as they'd done so often over the years. But they weren't here and they never would be again. If his father was still here though, he'd tell John to pull it together. There was still a chance, no matter how miniscule that his mother was still alive, and he had to do everything he could to get to her.

But it was so grueling.

Another tear slid free. He could do this, he knew he could. It felt like he was trying to swim out of a pool of mud but somehow he managed to lift his head and take in the world beyond the windshield. It was the real world out there. He wasn't dead, he was pretty certain of that at least. Too many TV shows and movies had played with his mind to be completely sure, but he was ninety-nine percent there.

This wasn't a movie. His father was dead, and he was still alive. As he watched part of the rotary that led to the college came into view. The other half of it was gone.

It looked as if a perfect line had been drawn through the middle of the campus, half of it had vanished; the other half remained untouched, perfect, dazzling and eerie in the light of the day. The campus contained a lot of older buildings, but they were gone now, eaten by the pit. The other side, the one with the newer buildings, remained intact. His mother, as a history professor, had taught and had her office in the oldest building on campus.

He didn't even look in that direction, he didn't intend to see into that hideous hole again.

He took a deep breath, bracing himself. He hadn't held out hope, but acute anguish still twisted through his heart and stabbed into his gut.

Students had gathered in front of what he dimly remembered as one of the few dorms on campus. There were teachers, or perhaps even older students gathered out front in a large clumping of nearly a hundred people. He could see that there were more people inside the building, filling the hall, and pressed up against the glass doors. Security personal was also milling about in the crowd. Thanks to the summer semester, the number of people was lower than it would have been during the school year.

A young girl, with blood streaking her cheek and dirt smudging her features, raised a hand in a shaky greeting. John pressed his hand against the glass; it was the only action he could give in return. Others watched warily as Carl drove past. Someone was talking again, and judging by the deeper tones, it was Carl.

John opened the door as the truck stopped. He took in the eerily silent world as he watched the people milling about the dorm. He heard nothing as he made his way forward, searching the crowd for a familiar face, but knowing that it wasn't going to be there.

He stood on tip toe, peering over and around the mob as he moved through it. He pushed his way into the building, ignoring the strange faces that turned toward him. He barely saw the dirt, blood, and tears that covered a good portion of the survivors.

He passed by what he assumed was the public gathering room. A large TV was hanging on the wall; it was on, but only static flickered over the screen. They must have turned the sound off as it made no noise. They had turned the large room into a makeshift hospital ward. People were spread out on twin beds they had pulled from the rooms branching off the hallway. John stopped in the doorway and stared at the carnage spread out before him. There was so much blood, too much. Many would not survive.

One young man was missing an arm. There was no way he was going to stay alive judging by the sparse medical supplies John spotted in the room.

John turned away from the carnage, continuing down the hall, but the crowd began to thin out the farther into the building he went. He found a bathroom; he used it and returned to the hallway. A set of stairs was at the end, but he knew it would be useless. His mother was not up there, he didn't think anyone was up there.

He turned back around. Carl and Rochelle were at the end of the hall, speaking with a middle-aged woman who was shaking her head. Tears ran down her face as she gestured around the building. Carl looked up and spotted him. John didn't move. People walked and flowed around him, some seemed just as dazed as he felt.

Carl nodded toward him and the woman turned to face him. The left side of her face was a large bruise; her features were swollen and distorted. It looked as if she was having a bad reaction to a bee sting. He didn't know who she was, but the look of sympathy on her face was enough to confirm what he had already known deep in his heart.

He inhaled sharply, releasing it on a harsh breath that irritated his raw throat. Reality seemed to crash back over him, the fresh wave of heartache pierced the strange veil that had been enshrouding him. The eardrums that had been unwilling to process any noise were suddenly filled with the screams and tears of the dead and dying. The static of the TV was harsh, grating on his over sensitized nerve endings.

It was anarchy within the building, people pushed and shoved past him. The potent, metallic scent of blood filled his nostrils. There were other smells too, smells he couldn't even begin to place. They weren't smells he'd ever thought he'd encounter on another human being.

Carl was watching him warily; the girl seemed just as troubled as John stopped before them. The woman had already turned away, distracted by another maimed student being led in by a security guard.

"We should go," John said. Carl's shoulders slumped. Relief filled his gray eyes as he nodded eagerly. "There's nothing for us here."

"We'll go." Carl was no longer speaking some sort of cartoon language as turned on his heel and pushed past the weeping students by the door. John followed silently behind, not feeling quite as vacant, but certainly not feeling anything like the human being he'd been only five short hours ago.

His life old life was over. A new one was beginning.

Chapter 20

Mary Ellen

Foxboro, Mass.

The road was clogged with cars, some of which had been abandoned either due to lack of gas, damage, or the inability to move the larger ones through the mass obstructing the roads. People trickled down the battered highway, though most of the road had faired the destruction of the quakes fairly well.

Absently, she flipped the visor down against the blinding sun. It did little good. She lifted her hand against the glare of the massive orb that seemed exceedingly bright and a lot angrier than normal. It was not yellowish, or even orange, but a vicious shade of red that she had never seen before. Al handed her a pair of reflective sunglasses that were far too large for her, but they helped to shade out the harsh sun a little.

"Is it just me, or does that look wrong?"

"It looks wrong," Al confirmed; his head was turned toward her and his hand was out against the harsh rays. "But not much has looked right today."

"That's for sure."

She steered around an overturned truck and the group of people sitting upon it. They appeared to be taking a break as they passed a jug of water between them. Despite the stifling heat of the day, a chill crept down her spine as the group eyed the car far too intently for her liking. She found herself praying, something she hadn't done in years, that there would be safety at the end of this road. That the stadium would offer some sort of reprieve, some sort of shelter. Prayed that even if her daughter wasn't there they would at least be granted a little break from the constant turmoil, and movement, they had endured for the past five hours.

Five hours. It felt more like five days. She thought she'd like to sleep for five days, at least. She rubbed her right eye absently beneath the glasses, it felt unusually gritty.

Her eyes narrowed, she lifted the glasses as she studied the air around them. It seemed foggy, perhaps smoggy or even smoky, but she hadn't seen any more fires since they had left the area of Rochelle's camp behind.

It's just the heat of the day, she told herself.

She dropped the sunglasses back into place. She wasn't at all convinced that it was just the heat of the day. If she had learned anything today it was that nothing was as it seemed, and even the most innocuous of things could be dangerous.

She didn't like the foggy air, the red sun was beginning to frighten her, but there was little she could do about either and she was too exhausted to stress about it right now.

She swerved around a group of people who tiredly lifted their heads to watch the car go by. There were a lot of people on the road, but there weren't as many as she had expected. Was this it? Was this the majority of the survivors around here? She wasn't overly familiar with the area but she knew it was well populated. Perhaps there was somewhere else that people were looking to take shelter. There was a mall somewhere nearby, and probably other places for people to go, but even so she had expected thousands upon thousands, but there were only hundreds littering the road.

A flare shot into the sky, causing her to jump as it burned hotly before disappearing. "That's always a good sign," Al murmured.

They passed by restaurants and bars, car dealerships and hotels. It seemed as if people had taken up residence in some of the hotels as they mulled around the parking lots. Billboards came into view as they drove over top of a hill. One, for some new movie, swung precariously back and forth over the road in the breeze created by the slow moving vehicles. Two more billboards were securely intact; another had crashed over a fence and into a pond.

Signs for parking began to appear; advertisements for upcoming events decorated the roadside. Finally, the stadium area came into view. Though there were some fractures in the parking lots, some of the fencing had toppled, and a few stores and restaurants looked a little worse for the wear, she was relieved to see that it was mostly intact. The stadium itself appeared to be completely unharmed.

People flooded the vast parking lots, but it appeared that the gates had been moved around and reorganized to control the flow. Al rolled his window down, leaning out as a voice boomed over the land. His hand grasped hold of the roof as he pulled himself half out of the vehicle.

"Al!" she cried, trying not to chuckle at the spectacle of the older man leaning out the window like a golden retriever enjoying the ride. She shook her head as he slid back inside.

"I didn't catch it all, but the general idea is no weapons," he informed her.

"Well, that's a good thing."

He continued to frown as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He glanced into the backseat, his frown deepening as he studied the contents. "I suppose so, but I'm not ready to give up what we have. Drive past the stadium. Maybe we can find a place to hide the car."

Mary Ellen was desperate to get into that stadium, but she bit back her argument. She trusted his instincts, they had gotten them off of that school roof, and they had made it this far. She wasn't about to start doubting him now. She drove past the main entrance of the stadium, which was even more crowded than the areas by the newly erected stores, hotels, and restaurants.

They made a right at a set of streetlights that had gone completely dark. She drove down the constricted road, passing by small homes that were either dark, or crumpled from the events of the day.

"Pull in here."

Her head tilted as she stared up the long driveway Al had indicated. She turned into it though and climbed the hilly drive that wound behind the house. She was halfway up the drive when she realized the back half of the cottage style house was gone, crumpled beneath the weight of a massive white pine.

"Perfect," Al muttered.

Mary Ellen eyed the house warily. She was fairly certain that if anyone had been in there they would have fled with the intrusion of a tree into their kitchen, part of a bedroom, and what appeared to be the remains of a bathroom. She steered the car around the tree. Thanks to the angle at which it had fallen, and its size, she was able to pull underneath a few of the branches and park there.

The doors scraped against the branches, needles shed around her as she shoved the door open. She had to stoop to avoid being entangled within the limbs, but she still had sap and needles in her hair by the time she managed to extricate herself. Al had grabbed the keys and locked the doors; he was holding them loosely in his fingers as he slammed the trunk and surveyed the house and yard.

"If it's discovered at least they won't be able to steal the car or get into the trunk. The guns and most of the supplies should stay safe," he said.

She nodded as she worked to free a tangled twig from her hair. Al broke off from her as they passed a large wooden fence. She followed as he pushed the door open to reveal the underground pool sheltered by the fence. Mary Ellen hurried toward it, eager to clean some of the dirt and grime from her arms and legs. She knelt at the side and splashed the chlorinated water on her face, and over the scratches and cuts that marred her dirty skin.

Though there was debris from the trees floating in the pool, it thankfully wasn't scummy and the chlorine would have killed off any germs in it. She didn't think it would have bothered her if it was filthy though. It felt good to wash some of the grime off. She scratched at the sap clinging to her, but for the most part her skin only became redder and the sap clung stubbornly to the hairs on her arms.

Al opened a door to the pool shed; a beach ball fell out as he disappeared from view. Mary Ellen finished cleaning herself the best she could and rose to her feet. She peered into the pool shed, her eyebrow quirked as she took in the vast array of pool toys and supplies packed into it. Al pulled a flipper down from one of the shelves, dropped the keys inside and returned it to the shelf.

"Good hiding spot," she commented.

"Let's hope so."

"If anyone thinks to look in that flipper for the keys they deserve the car."

He smiled wanly as he nodded. "You're probably right."

She waited as he took some time to clean himself in the pool too. It wasn't a far walk back to the stadium and it only took them about a half an hour before they made it to the main roadway entrance. They floated into the parking lot toward one of the long lines winding through the spaces, and spreading toward the railroad tracks and Route One. There were more people filtering down the road, and it seemed as if a fair amount were already inside, but even still she felt there should be more.

"How many have died?"

She didn't realize she'd spoken the question out loud until Al turned toward her. "More than we'll ever know," he muttered.

She pulled the glasses from her face. She'd forgotten she was wearing the bulky things. "Ever?"

He glanced around the cramped parking lot, his eyes narrowing briefly on a group of men in camouflage patrolling the area. Some had rifles resting against their shoulders; others were wearing them strapped to their hips. Mary Ellen thought she should feel more relieved to see some form of military and authority. For some reason it only caused her anxiety to grow.

She couldn't shake the feeling that something was off about this whole thing, something wasn't right. Or perhaps it was only because this was the first good thing she'd seen in so long that she couldn't accept the fact that it might actually get easier from here on out.

"It just seems as if nothing will ever be the same."

"But the quakes seemed to have stopped," she pointed out. "We're away from the ocean, maybe things will get back to normal. It'll be awhile of course, but eventually it will have to, right?"

He tilted his head back to look at the sky. The hideously awful, hazy sky. She shuddered; she didn't like to think about what they might be inhaling. "Maybe," Al sighed.

He didn't believe it, and neither did she.

They crept steadily forward in the line. For the most part people remained stunned into silence, but every once in awhile the muted sound of weeping or an angry shout would pierce the air. The announcement against weapons, and some sort of list repeated continuously. Mary Ellen had the gift of selective hearing from years of listening to Larry blather on, and quickly tuned it out.

She felt half asleep on her feet as her head bowed, and her eyes closed. The press of people against her was almost comforting, despite the stench of body odor and the oppressive heat of the day. The low murmur of voices lulled her even further.

She almost jumped out of her skin when a stream of loud shouts pierced the air. It sounded as if two or more men were fighting somewhere in front of them, but it was difficult to discern exactly where it was coming from. Rapid fire, of what she thought was some kind of automatic rifle, blasted loudly in the stifling air. She was pushed roughly back as terror spread through the mob. Like cattle ready to stampede, she thought worriedly. Al grabbed hold of her arm, holding tight to her as they were pushed roughly back ten feet.

"Remain calm!" a voice blared over the bullhorn. "Please! Everyone remain calm. The situation is under control!"

She wondered what the "situation" was as they were pushed back another foot before the mob eased. Her heart lumbered in her chest, she struggled to inhale. The press of bodies no longer seemed comforting but as volatile as a ticked off rattle snake.

She wanted out of the line now, but there was nowhere else to go if they planned to gain entrance into the stadium. She looked at Al, but whereas she felt half crazed, he remained unfailingly calm as he stood on tiptoe to survey the crowd. He wasn't an overly tall man, and she was sure age had shaved some height off of him, but he was taller than her and able to see more than she could above the heads.

He dropped back down, shaking his head at her. He pushed back a strand of lank gray hair that fell into one of his eyes. "This isn't good," he muttered.

"What did you see?" she demanded in a low whisper.

"I can't see anything, but I don't like this. There's no one controlling them."

"What about the soldiers…?"

"That's who I'm talking about. I can't even tell if they're actually soldiers and not just some men and women with camo's and guns. Even if they are soldiers, who's controlling them? Who's in charge? Who put these regulations in place so fast?"

Mary Ellen glanced over the crowd, but she didn't see any of the men or women who were patrolling the parking lot. It was bad enough to have to be anxious about people like the man by the bread truck, but she didn't want to be concerned about the ones who were supposed to protect them too.

"Maybe I'm just being paranoid in my old age," he frowned.

She really hoped so, but at the same time she couldn't bury the doubt rising inside her. What moments ago had been a welcoming place now seemed frightening and overwhelming. "If Rochelle's not here, I think we should leave."

He pondered her words before finally responding. "Let's just wait and see what happens."

"But you just said…"

"I know, and it does worry me, but it could just be my mistrust of the human race as a whole. This could be the safest place we find."

"Or the most unsafe."

He nodded as he surveyed the crowd. "We'll give it a chance, but if we don't like what we discover, I'm all for leaving."

They crept steadily closer to the gate. The going was achingly slow, but after the events of the day she found herself surprisingly unruffled by the pace. She searched the people around her, none of them were familiar to her, but they were far from home. The people gathered around looked just as uncertain as Mary Ellen felt, and more than a few of them were in far worse condition than she was. The badly injured, when discovered, were brought to the front of the line and rushed into the stadium, but the ones who weren't as bad off were left in the lines with them.

She kept an eye out for Rochelle, but she didn't see her daughter anywhere in the crowd. The closer they got to the gates, the more concentrated the security became. But now instead of eyeing them with some measure of relief, all she felt was alarm as she watched them searching people at the head of the line.

She stepped to the front, bracing herself as a set of distant brown eyes settled upon her. Though the man was wearing a Foxboro police uniform he seemed far too young for it, and he was obviously out of his depth. "Anything in your pockets?" She shook her head in response to his question. His eyes were deeply shadowed, his shoulders hunched as he looked her over from head to toe. She thought she should take offense to a man being the one that did this as he quickly patted her down, but she found herself too numb to care, and she was pretty sure this kid didn't even realize she was a woman right now.

He nodded at her and turned to Al. Mary Ellen tilted her head back as she took in the immense structure of the stadium before her. There had been banners hanging from it, but most of them had been knocked down by the tremors. She studied the remaining ones that marked the achievements and victories of the Patriots. She'd watched some football, as Larry had followed it, but it had never been something she'd really paid attention to.

"Keep moving!" someone commanded, startling her out of her contemplative mood.

She glanced at the cold, large man beside her before hurrying forward to join the line filtering past a grouping of tables. A pen was thrust into her hand; she stared at it for a few seconds before bending to place her name into one of the notebooks that had been placed upon the table. Though Al felt his family was gone she added his name too.

"No one will come here for me," Al reminded her as he reached her side.

"Someone has to know," she muttered as she dropped the pen down.

"Know what?"

"That you were here, that we were here. Even if it doesn't matter, even if they don't know who we are, someday someone will see our names and know that we survived for this long. That we counted."

He smiled as he squeezed her arm. "You're right."

"Keep moving people! Keep the line moving!" someone called from the back.

Mary Ellen stepped away from the table, following the line that wound past the stadium toward some of the stores and hotels. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason to the flow. She couldn't tell if they were being herded somewhere for a reason, or if everyone was going this way simply because that was what everyone else was doing. Either way, she continued to follow because she didn't know what else to do right now.

"You know what the kicker of it is?" Al asked.

"You mean there's something worse than all this?"

"Yeah."

She frowned at him in confusion. "What could that possibly be?"

"I'm a Giants fan."

She was unblinking as she tried to process his words. And then, when they sank in, she burst into laughter. Loud, echoing laughter that drew the curious and horrified looks of the people around them. But once she started, she couldn't stop. It had been a long time since she had laughed, she couldn't even remember the last time, and now that she was doing it she couldn't seem to stop. This laughter felt wonderful, and though she tried to stifle it, she was unable to as she laughed until tears began to roll down her cheeks.

Al grinned at her. He grasped hold of her arm as she bent over and laughed until her stomach hurt. It felt good, this release in so much chaos and disorder. This brief moment of actual joy at a time when she hadn't been sure she'd ever find or experience joy again. For the first time she realized that no matter what happened she would survive it, that there would always be a reason to go on. No matter how small or trivial that reason may be, she knew now that there would always be something good to find in all the misery surrounding them.

Chapter 21

Riley

Foxboro, Mass.

Riley brushed back her straggling hair as she glanced over her shoulder. Apprehension trickled through her as she held Xander's hand and followed him past the stadium, restaurants, and toward one of the larger bars and hotels. Military and police personal continued to usher them onward, standing beside the line and yelling out commands.

Her chest ached, the pressure of impending tears had not eased as it clenched around her heart and compressed the air in her lungs. She enfolded both her hands around Xander's as she took comfort in his strength. She was awed by the way he continued stalwartly onward. He may have teased and tormented her as a child, but he'd always been protective and loving toward Carol. She knew that he'd loved Carol as much as she had. Yet, where all she longed for was to sit down, curl up in a ball, and sob out her despair, Xander was dragging them all with him, forcing them to go on whether they liked it or not.

It was his steady, soothing strength that was keeping her on her feet right now.

He stopped suddenly, pulling her behind his back as three men with terrifyingly large rifles ran past them. Riley eyed them warily, the hair on her neck stood on end.

"Come on, Ri."

He tugged briefly on her hand, drawing her attention back to him as he started to make his way forward again. She stayed close, trying to avoid the crush of the crowd pressing against them as Xander wound through the mass of people.

"Where are we going?" Lee asked.

Riley shook her head in response and Xander didn't even look back as he lifted up on his toes to survey the crowd. He pulled her closer, looping her arm through his as he pulled her back to let another group of men with guns go by. "Where are they going?" she whispered.

Xander shook his head. "I don't know."

"I don't like this."

"I'm sure everything's fine," Lee murmured. "They're necessary to keep everyone calm. Just keep moving."

Riley wasn't buying his words, she was beginning to think that this had been a very bad idea and she didn't like being here. She stared worriedly at the people surrounding them as they shuffled their way forward again. The crowd began to disperse as they reached a long hall that wound through the inner workings of the stadium. It was covered with paper that fluttered in the breeze created by the passing people. She frowned at it, uncertain what was going on until Bobby broke away from them and eagerly hurried over to it.

"It's the list," Xander muttered.

Riley simply continued to stare at it for a minute before she joined Bobby. Some of the papers were notes to loved ones, listing a time and place to meet in case they couldn't find each other right away. She'd gone to the Vietnam Wall a couple of years ago for a school trip. This ramshackle set up reminded her of that, as she stared over the poems and letters and fliers stuck to the wall with tape.

There were some photos, not many, but a few of lost loved ones or loved ones who people were searching for. A purple teddy bear propped up next to a piece of paper with the name Linda on it brought tears to her eyes. Riley turned away; searching the crowd, she spotted what she sought about thirty feet away. A table with notebooks and markers set up on it had been pushed against the other wall.

Riley ripped a sheet out and grabbed hold of a red marker. Her hand shook as she wrote Carol's name down; she didn't write her last name though. If, by some miracle, Carol's parents managed to get here, the last thing she wanted was for them to find out their daughter was gone from a piece of paper on the wall. She encircled the name with a large heart and drew a small angel in the corner. She'd never been much of an artist, but she was passable at it, and the angel came out better than she'd expected.

She tore off some tape and found a bare spot on the increasingly crowded wall. Her hand lingered on the paper as she stuck it to the wall. She couldn't bring herself to turn away. She knew that Carol was gone; she understood that this paper had no link to her friend, but for some reason she felt as if she was losing her last connection to the girl who had been a constant in her life for as long as she could remember.

She didn't realize that Xander was beside her until he took hold of her hand and pulled it away. He stared at the paper before turning his attention to her. His hazel eyes were inscrutable as he studied her. "I didn't see our parent's names anywhere," he informed her.

She hadn't been holding out much hope they would be here in the first place, but she still felt a stab of disappointment in her heart. "It would take them awhile to get back here."

He nodded, but his attention was pulled away from her as Lee reappeared. "My parents aren't listed either," he informed them. "I lost Bobby."

Xander nodded behind her. Riley turned to find Bobby rapidly searching the list; he didn't seem to be having much luck as he shook his head and muttered to himself. He turned toward them, frowning fiercely.

"We'll check again later," Riley assured him.

"Yeah," he muttered, unappeased by her assurances. She shook her hand free of Xander's and wrapped it around Bobby's arm. He managed a small smile, though it looked strained and didn't reach his eyes.

She kept hold of Bobby, half pulling him along as they walked up the long ramp and then back down before reemerging outside again. She lifted her free hand to the sun, blinking against the harsh glow. She tilted her head back, not at all liking the vision of the furious scarlet orb burning in the sky.

She shook her head and turned away as Xander touched her arm in order to draw her attention to the fact that Lee was standing by the propped open door of a restaurant. There was a mass of people inside. They reminded her of a serpent as they coiled and flowed through the building. Apprehension bristled through her as she wondered when this serpent would strike. She was wary of going anywhere inside right now, but the building had withstood the other tremors so she hoped it would survive future ones. Besides, if she remained outside the thing might just fall over on top of her.

She moved into the building, beckoned more by the prospect of some shade and a place to sit than anything else. The scent of food hit her, as did the overwhelming stench of body odor. Her nose wrinkled but she imagined she didn't smell any better; in fact she was probably worse than a lot of people in the room.

Xander stepped into the line; he studied her as he took hold of her free hand, trying to gauge her reaction. She didn't know how to react to him, or even what was going on, but she did know that she required his strength and familiar presence more than anything right now. She managed a small smile as she squeezed his hand. It was strange to realize she actually enjoyed holding it.

She released Bobby. Taking a step closer she wrapped her arms around Xander's waist and buried her face in his chest. She thought it should feel strange to hug him, feel awkward. Instead it felt right as he embraced her back, rocking her slightly as he held her. The reassuring beat of his heart lulled her further as she closed her eyes.

She continued to hold him as they inched through the line. People blocked her view of what was being offered, but when they were close enough she spotted the pile of rice in a large metal serving tray. Next to it was another tray of baked beans and small pieces of chicken. The people dishing out the food were wearing uniforms and it took her a minute to realize that they were from the restaurant, as well as a couple of the surrounding stores. Their faces were expressionless as they mindlessly heaped food onto the plates being held out before them. Riley was so focused upon the workers that she didn't notice the soldiers standing behind them until one of them shifted subtly.

The soldier's faces were remorseless, their jaws clenched as they surveyed the crowd with uneasy distrust. Xander released her and thrust a plate into her shaky hands. She pushed back a straggling strand of hair as she took her place for a spoonful of rice. She imagined things were going to get ugly pretty fast if some semblance of normalcy didn't return soon.

What's going to happen when the food started running low? she thought, then shuddered. Human beings were all just animals after all. She may have been fortunate to have never witnessed it in her lifetime, but she knew what people were capable of, how horrifically savage they could be come when stripped of the basic comforts and routines.

Xander watched her worriedly as she took an instinctive step closer to him, pressing against his side. "What's wrong?" he inquired.

"It's going to get real ugly," she whispered.

He lifted his head to study the crowd as they crept forward. Riley held her plate out to receive her small piece of chicken. She went to turn away but something stopped her. She turned back, her gaze focusing on the toughened soldier standing guard at the end of the line. The rifle he held made the rifles they had confiscated look small and highly inefficient. It was intimidating, but she'd had enough of being intimidated and afraid.

"What is going on?"

The man's eyes barely flickered to her. "Move on, ma'am."

Her nose wrinkled at being called ma'am, but she braced her feet and focused on the ice blue eyes that refused to meet hers. "Do you know anything? Have you had any contact with the outside world?"

His gaze finally shifted toward her, his hands tightened on the gun as she stepped toward him. "Keep moving, ma'am."

"If you know something you have to tell us!" she said forcefully. Xander grabbed hold of her arm, trying to pull her back as she stepped closer. She thrust her plate at Xander instead, refusing to be pulled away. "We deserve answers. We need answers!"

"Ma'am, you have to keep moving or I will have you removed from this area and escorted back outside of the gates." Frustration filled her, it took everything she had not to stomp her foot. "Now!" he yelled.

Despite her intention to stand against him, she jumped at his barked command. Xander thrust her plate back into her hand, wrapped his arm through hers and pulled her forcefully away. Another uniformed man had started to come forward, apparently with the purpose of removing her from the premises. She stared the man down as he met her gaze with a solid, unflinching stare.

"We deserve answers," she muttered.

"We're not going to get them from him, and until we decide what we plan to do, getting yourself kicked out of here isn't exactly the best option," Xander grinned as she scowled at him. "Ah, now there's the look I'm most familiar with from you."

Her scowl deepened but he wasn't paying attention to her anymore as he surveyed the tables that had been pushed closer together in order to make more room for the crowd within the building. He led her toward the back, claiming a small table in the far back of the building. He pushed aside the plates and silverware still piled on it and held the chair out for her.

Her forehead furrowed as she studied him. "When did you become a gentleman?"

"Always have been, you just never noticed," he replied flippantly.

"I doubt that."

He pushed her chair nimbly in and sat beside her. She surveyed the restaurant, searching for a familiar face in the crowd but she didn't see anyone she knew. There had to be others from town that she would recognize, but none of them were in here. She picked half-heartedly at her food. She knew that she should eat, but the knot in her stomach and the aching grief in her chest made it difficult. Apparently she wasn't the only one, as Bobby barely took a bite and Xander and Lee seemed far more intent on watching the crowd than focusing on their meal.

Gradually, she began to tune into the buzz of conversation around her. She leaned over as a middle-aged man in a suit spoke in low tones to the two women across from him. "Aliens," he was saying as he waved his fork in the air. Riley stifled a snort as the women listened raptly to him. "I think it's an invasion."

Riley rolled her eyes, and though the conversation amused her, she turned away from it before she started to laugh at the man. Xander was staring at him with a raised eyebrow and a forkful of beans halfway to his mouth. "Do you believe that crap?" Bobby muttered.

"Not even a little bit," Riley answered as Xander finally shoved his food in his mouth and chewed thoughtfully. Apparently he found the conversation a lot more interesting than she had as he continued to listen.

At the table behind Bobby there were two men in their thirties and another in what appeared to be his mid-forties. They were all wearing town uniforms that had a patch for the water department on them. The three of them were silent, unmoving as they picked absently at their food.

"A super volcano."

She turned to her right as a man in his fifties with large bug glasses nodded enthusiastically at her. She didn't realize it was her he had been talking to, but there was no one else around him, and he was staring directly at her. "It would explain the earthquakes and the heat of the day. The animal's going crazy. They say if one of those things goes it's the end of the world."

"What about the eclipse?" she inquired.

He shrugged as he dropped his fork and leaned across the table toward her. Xander stiffened beside her as the man grabbed hold of her hand. Riley leaned back as his sweaty hand clenched enthusiastically around hers. "Was it an eclipse?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

She glanced worriedly at Lee across from her. He was staring at the man as if he were an actual talking puppet. The man's eyes were a little crazed as he leaned even closer. She could almost smell the eccentricity pouring off him. "Maybe it was a cloud of ash that blocked out the sun. 'Cause that eclipse lasted an awfully long time."

"Maybe it was a UFO that blocked out the sun," Xander interjected. He was trying to sound casual, but he stretched around her and grabbed hold of the man's hand. The man stared at him as Xander tried to pry his hand away from hers. The stranger's gaze drifted to their joined hands before he released her and sat back.

"Now we both know that's a bunch of nonsense," the man continued. Xander pulled her hand away and enfolded it in both of his as he held it beneath the table. "But a super volcano - maybe the one in New Zealand or Indonesia - would explain it. I don't think it was any of the ones in this country, I don't think we'd still be alive if it was. But I don't know much about them, only what I've heard and briefly read, 'specially about Yellowstone. Can't exactly Google it right now."

Riley pondered his words as she studied him. "I've heard about them. He's right, it would explain a lot of it," Bobby said as he leaned closer. "Do you really think that's what it was?"

The man shrugged, some of his intensity seemed to be calming down now that he had a captive audience. "There's no way of knowing for sure. Not right now anyways, but I think it's far more likely an explanation than aliens." He snickered for a second. "That just sounds crazy."

"What about a simple apocalypse?" Riley inquired.

"You think it could be so simple?"

She didn't know what to think, not anymore. All she knew was that she had to keep moving, keep surviving, and that it really didn't matter what had caused all of this. Knowing the cause wouldn't change anything, their lives would still be disrupted, their homes destroyed, and Carol would still be dead. Even if they knew, they would still be sitting in this restaurant and everything she had ever known would still be gone. She was surprised to realize that she didn't really care what had caused the events of the day to unfold, the cause wouldn't change anything, and she might not like the answers she received. She simply wanted contact with the outside world, someone that could organize everyone, give them some sense of security and information about their loved ones.

"What about terrorists?" she hadn't realized that the table behind Bobby and Lee had been listening to them too. "What if it was a bomb or something? A nuke? Maybe we're just inhaling radiation right now and we're all going to be dead in a month."

That was an unpleasant thought. Riley shifted uncomfortably as she tried not to focus on the image his words conjured.

"It was aliens," the other man insisted.

"I could see terrorists," a woman said.

Riley was suddenly struggling to breathe. Taking a deep breath, she tried to steady her pulse as she listened to the theories being bantered about. "Does it matter?" she asked.

"No, it doesn't," Xander answered. "Not unless there's something we can do to protect ourselves against it. I haven't seen a way for that yet, so it doesn't matter. Not anymore."

Riley started to agree with him but her mouth closed as a group of armed men filtered into the restaurant. The conversation around her died down as everyone's attention was drawn to the group of twelve that circled together in the middle of the floor. The man that had yelled at her broke away from behind the food line to join the others.

Her unease grew as they talked rapidly, and with hand gestures that made it clear that whatever they were discussing, it wasn't making them happy. Xander placed her hand down as he rose. "Xander," she hissed.

He waved her back as he took a few steps toward the group. The rest of the restaurant had fallen silent; everyone was focused upon the men. Riley watched anxiously as Xander moved closer, stopping at the top of the step that led to the main floor. Sweat beaded her brow, she was certain they wouldn't harm him, yet she couldn't shake the certainty that they would do something to him if they caught him eavesdropping.

There was a stretched silence before the man who had yelled at her nodded, gestured to three of the men, and left the building. Riley stared at the nine remaining men, too many as far as she was concerned. Xander came back to them, his eyes troubled as he slid into the seat beside her.

"Did you hear anything?" she whispered.

"No, but something has them pretty riled up."

She swallowed heavily. The remaining men watched the people still filtering through the line with far too much intensity for her liking. "Maybe we should leave," she whispered.

"We should give it another day. What's so bad here? They're trying to protect us, and we haven't seen them do anything wrong," Bobby said fervently.

She didn't know what was wrong here; she just knew that it wasn't right. She would like to believe she was being paranoid but she couldn't shake the feeling that she wasn't. Something was wrong and she was terrified that in another day they wouldn't have the opportunity to leave. Terrified that they might not even see tomorrow, she slid her hand back into Xander's and held firmly to him.

Chapter 22

Carl

Somewhere in Mass.

They were lost.

And truth be told? He didn't really care. What difference did it make if they were lost when they had nowhere to go? Not anymore anyway. In fact, all they had was this truck and the clothes on their backs. He thought they should try and find a store, weren't people supposed to go to Costco or Walmart or a grocery store or something during the apocalypse? He didn't even know if there were any of those things in this area. He was sure there had to be a grocery store, but he didn't know where, and he really didn't feel like stopping.

So instead he just drove. And drove… and drove. He thought they might be going in circles, but he didn't care as he passed over broken roadways, front yards, back yards, on sidewalks, and across more fields. It was mindless, something that he hadn't been since this whole thing started, and it felt good. Rochelle stared ahead, her brow furrowed as her hands fiddled anxiously in her lap. Though John seemed more coherent and functional than he had been before, he also wasn't speaking. The map was in his lap, but he stared silently out the windshield.

Carl opened his mouth to tell him to try and figure out where they were, but he closed it again. He didn't really feel like speaking. He'd promised Rochelle they would help her find her parents, but that could wait a little bit longer. It was essential for him to try and gather his thoughts, as scattered and fractured as they were.

He glanced at John again. His heart ached for the kid; he couldn't imagine what he was going through. His own parents were gone, but their deaths hadn't given him the one-two punch that John had just received. He didn't blame John for checking out for a good hour. He didn't know how he would have handled it, either, and truth be told he was amazed John was doing as well as he was.

John hadn't even asked what it was the woman at the college had told him. Carl was hoping that would continue, that John would simply accept his mother was gone and try to move on with his life. If that was at all possible. He didn't even have a clue what they were going to be moving on to. As far as he could tell it was nothing, and if they didn't find a goal soon, things were going to get real nasty. People were going to get real nasty.

He thought he might actually prefer the earthquakes to the imminent mess he felt looming on the horizon.

"Did that woman see my mother?"

Carl groaned inwardly. He should have known it was coming, he would have asked, but still he didn't want to be the one to answer. Rochelle opened her mouth, but only a small exhalation escaped her. Carl couldn't let her be the one to tell John either.

Carl longed to lie, to just say no, and be done with it. But if he lied, if he hid from this than John would retain hope, he would be haunted by the unknowing, hounded by the thought that he may have left his mother behind. Carl felt that was far worse than the truth.

"She didn't, no," Carl hedged, cursing his cowardice.

"Someone else did though?"

"Yes," Carl reluctantly admitted.

"They saw her die?"

His hands twisted on the steering wheel. He glanced longingly at the pack of butts on the dash. "Yes," he admitted as he pulled to the side.

"Why are you stopping?" Rochelle asked.

"I need a cigarette." He grabbed the pack and hopped out of the truck. Closing the door, he leaned against the hood as he lit it and inhaled deeply. The countryside around him was in ruins. Wherever he glanced was a disaster area, one that wouldn't be inhabitable for a long time, if ever again. At least there aren't any dead animals around here, Carl thought as he surveyed the wreckage that encompassed him.

He hadn't heard John open the door, but he was suddenly beside him, his eyes fevered as they pinned Carl to the spot. He tossed his cigarette aside and lit another one. "What did that woman say?"

"She said your mom was gone, John. There's nothing that can change that."

John inhaled sharply. "Who saw it?"

"What?"

"Who saw it? Who saw her die?"

Carl paused. "One of her students."

John nodded as he bit on his upper lip and turned to survey the field. "It was bad, wasn't it?"

"I… don't know," Carl muttered.

"That woman said it was, though. Was my mother crushed? Was it one of those holes?"

"John, I…"

"Tell me!"

"Does it matter?" a voice from behind them said. Carl hadn't seen Rochelle hovering behind John. They both turned at the sound of her whispered question. She shrugged her shoulders. "Does it really matter how she went, when she won't be coming back?"

John's eyes darted around, and for a second Carl thought they were going to roll up in his head and John was going to pass out. Then, his shoulders slumped. He released his now slightly mangled lip and nodded. "Yes. I don't know why, I know it won't make me feel any better, but yes, it does make a difference. I have to know. It may not make any sense, but I can't not know."

Carl tossed his butt away and lit another one. He was starting to calm down a little now. The sudden influx of the stimulant wasn't pumping him up but settling him down. He welcomed it.

Before this he'd been thinking about quitting, he'd even bought the gum, but he didn't see the point of that anymore.

"Carl?" John prompted.

"Fire," he answered. "She died in a fire."

John winced, he huddled deeper within himself as tears formed in his eyes. Carl waited, breathless. He hoped John wouldn't start to cry again, prayed that he would not retreat behind the wall of silence and misery that had enshrouded him before. He didn't know what he'd do with the kid if he went catatonic again. He didn't know how he'd keep John alive if he stopped fighting to keep himself alive.

John had been handed a double whammy, but he wouldn't survive long if he didn't start to develop a thicker shell. Like I should talk, Carl thought with a sigh. He'd barely even had the courage to tell John what had happened to his mom, never mind actually having to deal with the heartache that such a revelation had caused him. He was going to have to form a thicker shell too, he realized. He just didn't know how any of them were going to go about doing that.

He glanced over at Rochelle. She was so young. It wasn't fair. He held out no hope they would find her parents. Not anymore. He didn't even know where he was right now, never mind her family. But he supposed trying to locate them was a starting point, a mission, something to do other than drive around in circles.

"Newport?" he inquired.

She glanced at him, her hands twisted anxiously in front of her as she frowned thoughtfully. "I'm not sure I want to know," she muttered.

"Yes, you do," John told her. "The answer may not be the one you want, but the not knowing was even worse."

Carl sighed in relief as John continued to speak and react with them. "What will I do if I don't like the answer? Where will I go?" Her lower lip trembled as she stared across the broken landscape.

"With us. You'll go with us," Carl told her. She turned back to them and surveyed them with hooded eyes that were still distrustful. He didn't blame her. "If you'd like."

She managed a wan smile, her arms folded over her chest as she nodded. "That's nice of you, but why would you want to take care of me?"

"I didn't say we'd take care of you. I mean, you seem pretty capable of that yourself. You just won't have to be alone. It's always good to have friends, and it's really good to have them now."

She nodded as she smiled at them. "You're right."

"So, Newport?"

She frowned as her nose scrunched. "I don't know; I mean that's where I live but I don't think my Mom and Dad will still be there if they're alive."

"Then where would they be?" John asked.

"Looking for me."

"Well, that makes sense," Carl muttered. His throat was raw and his heart was pumping but he lit another cigarette. He wasn't in the biggest rush to get back into that truck right now. "But your camp is gone. Do you have any relatives in the area?"

"No."

"Well, that's a whole lotta no help," John muttered. "Where do we go, then?"

Rochelle frowned as she shook her head. Carl was impressed she wasn't crying as she stared over the broken land again. "Maybe we'll just try and find another fire station or police department, there has to be one still standing around here," he suggested.

"It's better than nothing," John agreed.

"I don't know about you guys, but I could use some food." Carl walked around to the back of the truck and threw the doors open. Some of their supplies had been jostled around but for the most part everything was still intact. He hefted himself into the back of the truck, grabbed three bottles of water and a bag of chips.

He studied their supplies, they were probably doing better than some people but the supplies wouldn't last forever. His thoughts turned back to Costco or Walmart or whatever. One more try at a police station, and then he would suggest burglarizing a department store. He wasn't sure it was a good idea to go anywhere near something housing a bunch of food and clothes right now anyway. He imagined there was a lot of mass looting going on in some places already.

Grabbing a strip of beef jerky, he headed to the back of the truck and hopped out. He tossed a bottle of water to John and handed the other to Rochelle. "I think we're going to have to find more supplies too." He bit off a piece of jerky and handed the bag to Rochelle.

"Walmart or Costco," she said.

"Why there?" John inquired.

"Everyone knows that's where you go during a zombie apocalypse."

John rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Of course they do. There better not be any damn zombies out there. That would be complete B.S."

"Oh, and this isn't?" Rochelle retorted.

"At least something isn't chasing me down trying to eat my brain right now."

"You'd be safe if there are zombies, then," Carl informed him.

"Oh, you're just a fuuhh… ah…" John glanced at Rochelle. "…a freaking riot," he amended. For the first time he actually managed a wan smile.

Rochelle grinned back at him. "I've heard it before."

John shrugged and shoved a handful of chips in his mouth. Carl closed the doors on the truck and leaned against them. He was purposely trying not to look at the burning red sun overhead as he chewed thoughtfully on a piece of jerky. The scenery certainly wasn't much to look at anymore, but it felt good not to be encased within the cab of the truck and to breathe fresh air for a few minutes.

In the distance he saw another vehicle moving over the broken terrain. The brief reprieve vanished as he straightened away from the truck. "We should get moving."

They followed his gaze to the vehicle on the distant horizon. John shoved the last bit of his beef jerky into his mouth and hurried toward the passenger side with Rochelle on his heels. Carl climbed behind the wheel and started the truck again. Rochelle was staring at the map and shaking her head. "I don't know where we are," she muttered.

They passed a road, but the first half of it was nothing but a colossal pit, the street sign was gone. He spotted people but it wasn't a relief, in fact the sight of them only increased his anxiety. Driving past more homes they came to a fork in the road where he made a right. Apartment buildings and small houses rolled by. There were more people here, some of whom turned to watch as the truck drove by and others who didn't pay any attention to them at all.

Carl didn't know which was worse.

Rochelle leaned over John and locked the door. Carl stared at her for a minute as she gazed out the window with a parted mouth and a crease in her forehead. She glanced at Carl and he obligingly locked his door for her. Truth be told though, he found a large amount of relief once the lock was in place. Rochelle inhaled loudly as a gas station came into view. Carl almost pulled into it until he realized that would have been a bad decision.

He couldn't stop his mouth from dropping or his foot from easing up on the gas as he gaped at the broken remains of the building. But this damage hadn't been caused by any earthquake. In fact, this was one hundred percent man made. The windows had been smashed out; the glass fronted door was pulled open and hanging ajar. As they passed he saw that there were three people inside grabbing stuff and shoving it into bags.

Somewhere someone shouted and a shot was fired. Carl jumped, Rochelle let out a little squeal as she ducked instinctively, and John threw his hands over his head. Screams rang out. Carl slammed on the brakes as two teenage girls ran in front of the truck. He suddenly felt as if he was in the middle of Iraq and not in some small town Massachusetts.

His breath hissed out of him as more shots were fired, but this time it was coming from the gas station. Carl slammed on the gas as one of the men who had been looting the store jumped out of the broken window and started to run. The loud boom of a shotgun rang out. The man's arms flew outward; his face twisted in agony as a blood stain bloomed rapidly on his blue shirt. Coming to a stop, he pitched over onto the pavement.

Rochelle started to scream as the truck lurched forward with a loud squeal of tires. Another shot rang out, screams echoed through the air. A loud bang hit the side of the truck and it took him a moment to realize that a bullet had just struck it. Rochelle's screams broke off abruptly, the color drained from her face as she leaned back against John, pressing herself firmly against him. Carl was white knuckling the steering wheel as the truck pitched and bucked over the broken road.

He wasn't ashamed to admit he'd run over anyone that tried to jump in front of them right now. He wasn't about to be gunned down during some piss-poor robbery attempt. A man reeled back; scarcely avoiding the front right fender of the truck as he practically threw himself into the street. Carl's breathing was becoming labored, he could feel the hot pulse of blood in his eardrums as a ringing began in his ears and a vein throbbed on his forehead. He could feel the sweat beading across his brow and slipping down his cheeks. He thought his heart was going to explode as more shots rang out.

"Jesus!" John gasped. "What the hell!"

"Don't start that again!" Carl snapped at him as he spun the wheel and plunged down a small side street.

The sounds of guns and screams faded as they drove straight into the heart of small town suburbia with its tree lined streets and quaint, well-manicured homes. It was all so surreal that he half felt as if he had just entered The Twilight Zone. A low curse escaped him as he slumped forward. His shoulders ached from the force with which he'd been holding himself upright. He was panting for breath as he fought to calm the frantic beat of his heart. He contemplated pulling over to regain some control of himself, but he was terrified of even remotely stopping in this apparently wild west shit show of a town.

"Get us out of here," he managed to grate through his teeth.

John and Rochelle were both opening and closing their mouths like goldfish, their unfocused eyes told him that neither one of them were quite registering what he had just said yet. "Now. Get us out, now," he told them.

John was the first to react as he grabbed hold of the map and smashed it down on the dashboard. Rochelle lurched awkwardly toward him; her hands shook as she pushed the map down with him. Carl made another right and pulled into an apartment complex, he drove behind the buildings and parked the truck in the nearly empty lot. Leaning back, he rested his head against the seat as he inhaled a shaky breath. He thought if he tried to stand his legs would give out and he would make a fool of himself by sprawling flat out in the parking lot.

They were muttering together as Carl grabbed his cigarettes and hopped out to survey the damage that had been done to the truck. He stared at the large bullet hole high up in the side board. It had pierced cleanly through the metal siding, leaving a quarter inch sized hole that he could see through if he stood on his tip toes. He didn't particularly feel like doing that right now.

He knelt down to survey the underneath of the truck and then took a quick walk around. To his great relief the only damage appeared to be the one hole. He hopped back into the driver's seat and leaned over to survey the map. Both Rochelle and John were staring helplessly at him. "We'll figure a way out of here," he muttered. "Or at least figure out where here is."

Slamming the door he pushed the lock button again, but he felt no sense of protection as he heard it click into place. He pulled out of the parking lot and took a convoluted route past homes, a small school, a couple of churches and more than a few cemeteries. He felt as if someone was walking over his grave as he stared at the toppled headstones and gaping hollows that marked one of the cemeteries. He shuddered, half afraid that corpses actually would climb out of those holes and start to roam the earth again. He thought he might actually prefer it; at least then he would know who the bad guys were.

Though he supposed almost everyone could be considered the bad guys now. He glanced at John and Rochelle, feeling almost fatherly with the protective urge that surged through him. Fatherly was never something he'd been, nor ever had any desire to be. But now, looking at the only two people he had to rely on in the world, he knew he would do anything to protect them. No matter what that might require.

He turned onto another road, a large rotary came into view. He'd always hated rotaries, but it had been amusing to try and watch the tourists navigate them in the summer. There was no one to make the navigating process difficult now as he merged with ease onto the empty expanse. There was a group of a few hundred people gathered within the grassy center of the rotary.

"Well, at least that answers one question," John muttered.

"What's that?" Carl inquired as he returned the wary stares of the people.

"Where we are."

Carl followed John's pointing finger. He'd been so focused on watching the people that he hadn't noticed the large wooden sign planted into the grass. "Guess so," Carl muttered as he read the sign. Foxborough Incorporated seventeen seventy-eight.

Chapter 23

Al

Foxboro, Mass.

It's a mess. The whole thing is just one giant mess, Al thought as he stared around the chaos that reigned within the stadium area. There were far too many people for his liking, his skin was beginning to crawl, and all he craved was to break free of the confusion. Mary Ellen stayed close by his side as they prowled through the papers searching for her daughter's name.

"Leave her a note," he suggested when they came up empty.

"You read my mind," she muttered.

He waited impatiently, relentlessly studying the crowd as they milled past. Most people just appeared flat-out dazed, although there were a few irate ones and more than a couple who were weeping openly as they searched for their loved ones. Al was pleased that Mary Ellen was maintaining her composure.

They moved away from the wall, he knew that Mary Ellen would return to it, but he wouldn't come back this way again. There was no one there for him and he didn't wish to see what was here anymore. A good chunk of the crowd was filtering into a restaurant but they bypassed it and continued on with the throng still weaving its way through the stores. He didn't know exactly what was going on until they were almost to a large building with its doors propped open.

No AC, he realized as soon as he stepped into the sweltering interior. He felt as if he'd been slapped. The heat of the day had been bad enough, but within the shadowy interior of what he now realized was a large hotel, it was oppressive. Soldiers stood within the building, water was being handed out, a few blankets and pillows sparsely given.

Al stared numbly at the pillow that had been thrust into his hand. He was half tempted to throw it back at the woman, turn around and leave. He remained where he was, though, as Mary Ellen seized her pillow and studied the crowd. He unscrewed his bottle and took a small swallow of water before sticking it deep into his pillowcase.

A man standing by a set of stairs was staring at a clipboard as Mary Ellen stepped before him. He looked at her and then at his board. "Seventh floor, room seven ten."

Mary Ellen's jaw dropped. "Seventh floor?"

"Yes."

Mary Ellen turned toward Al. "Hope you own a Stairmaster."

Al managed a wan smile, but he already knew what she hadn't guessed at as the man was looking Al up and down. "Second floor, room two ten."

"Wait, we're together," Mary Ellen protested.

"Are you married?" She shook her head in response to his incredulous question. "Does he require you to care for him?"

"Absolutely not," Al retorted defensively.

The man barely acknowledged him as he continued to stare Mary Ellen down. "Then you won't be roomed together, and since I don't want the old guy to have a heart attack, I think it's best if he stays on a lower floor."

Al bit back a nasty retort as his hands clenched on his pillow. He hadn't hit anyone since he was a kid and gotten into a fight with his best friend, but he was sorely tempted to right now. Judging by the look in the man's eyes, he knew it too as he eyed Al with an almost challenging expression. This guy was spoiling for a fight and apparently he didn't care who he picked it with. Mary Ellen gawked at the man, looking horrified by what he'd just said.

Al grabbed hold of her arm as she jutted her jaw out and thrust the pillow at the man. "Think of your daughter," he quietly reminded her.

She looked torn as she glared at the man. The man handed them each a slip of paper when he realized that he wouldn't be getting a fight from them. "Give this to the guy above," he instructed.

Al nudged Mary Ellen forward, pushing her toward the stairwell. There was a small group ahead of them. A mother was pulling her crying toddler behind her while the father juggled a suitcase and a baby. Al was content to stay behind them as they made their way to the second floor.

There was another man at the top of the stairs, Al handed him his piece of paper. The man's eyes were glazed as he nodded down the hall. Al thought he was going to stop Mary Ellen from coming with him but he just watched numbly as they walked away.

"Do you think we should stay here?" Mary Ellen inquired.

Al glanced up and down the hallway. There were a fair amount of doors open but some had been closed off. He stopped before his own room, the door was ajar but the light on the keypad was off. The hotel had to have generators but apparently someone had decided not to use them. Al didn't blame them, but he would have killed for some air conditioning right now, or at least a piece of ice.

He pushed the door open and peered into the standard hotel room with its customary paintings, pastel colored blankets and walls, TV, and dresser. There were two double beds inside and a couch that had already been pulled out. He hadn't expected to remain by himself in the room, but at least he would get first dibs on the bed and wouldn't have to endure the havoc that couch would wreak on his back.

He dropped his pillow on the bed closest to the window and pulled aside the curtain to peer out. There was still a vast crush of people filtering into the stadium and toward the hotel or restaurant. Things were going to get very cramped, very fast. He glanced at Mary Ellen as she stepped beside him.

"Do you think this building is even safe after those quakes? I mean, there's no way they would have the equipment to judge that before letting all these people in."

Al glanced around the room but he couldn't see any outward damage. It didn't make him feel any safer though. "I don't know," he admitted. "I'm actually amazed by the amount of people who have willingly entered it."

"We willingly entered it."

"Sheep," he muttered.

"Excuse me?"

"People are like sheep; they follow the herd and seek out security in insecure times. It's not a bad thing. It has aided our survival through thousands of years of evolution. But we didn't really think about the consequences of coming in here, we just followed the others and went for the familiar and the secure when we walked into this hotel. To us these walls, though possibly deadly, represent security. It's the outside that frightens us with its vast expanse, animals, and unknown risks. We didn't question it but we probably should have."

"Do you think we should go outside? What if more quakes happen?" she asked nervously.

Al stared at the ceiling above him, he really didn't feel like being pancaked by however many tons of concrete were above them, but he didn't feel like wandering back out there, either. It was unreasonable to feel frightened by the world out there far more than the world in here, but he couldn't shake it.

It felt exceedingly wonderful to sit on the bed, far more than any hotel bed should have felt. He longed to curl up on it, rest his aching muscles and simply sleep for the next week, because he knew he probably wouldn't get another opportunity.

"We probably should," he admitted but even so he knew he wouldn't pull himself from this bed. At least not at this minute, maybe in the next one. He took a deep breath and forced himself to stand again. It would be a shame to be crushed to death simply because he didn't feel inclined to remove himself from a bed.

Mary Ellen was staring longingly at the other bed. "Maybe we can walk up to the seventh floor, check out the structure for ourselves and see if we should leave the building then."

He appreciated the fact that she didn't ask if he was up to it, but even so his knees screamed in protest at the thought. However she was right, it probably would be the best idea. He wasn't staying here if he saw cracks marking the walls.

He stared longingly at the bed and then the couch. He didn't think it was a good idea to leave his pillow and water behind for someone to steal. He knew people as a whole were good and kind, far more generous than they were given credit for, but these were extreme circumstances and the survival instinct was the strongest. Far stronger than their sense of right and wrong.

He grabbed the pillow knowing that he was sacrificing his bed, but it was preferable to sacrificing his pillow and water. He followed Mary Ellen back out of the room and down the hall to a different staircase. He pushed open the door and peered into the stairwell, looking up and down he was relieved to find that it appeared deserted.

He held the heavy door open for Mary Ellen and followed her into the stairwell. He was glad no one else was around, he knew by the time they made it to the top his knees would be aching and he would appear weaker than he should. Grasping hold of the railing, he used it to help pull himself up the concrete stairs that wound through the far side of the building. He studied the walls, warily surveying them as they passed the third floor, the fourth, and then the fifth.

"I have to take a break," Mary Ellen said.

He knew that it was more for him, but even so she stopped and sat on the first step. He sat beside her, absently rubbing his knee as he dug out his water and took a small sip. She accepted it when he offered it to her. "I wonder if they'll hand everything out to us."

"I imagine they have the supplies under rigid lockdown." He took the bottle back from her and slipped it into the pillowcase.

"Who are they to decide?" she demanded.

"Military, police, but someone has to. Otherwise chaos would rule."

"What's to stop them from keeping it all for themselves?"

"Nothing but their moral code," he admitted.

"Frightening thought."

It was a terrifying thought, and one he didn't intend to linger on. "Rested enough?" he inquired.

She studied him before nodding. "Yeah."

He bit back a groan as he grabbed hold of the rail and pulled himself to his feet. She was worried enough about him without adding to it. He had a good ticker, or at least that's what his doctor had told him at his appointment last month, and he'd always eaten well and tried to take care of himself. He wasn't as worried he'd have a heart attack as the idiot downstairs had been, but his joints were most certainly not enjoying all the activity of the day.

Sixth floor, seventh… "Do you think we should go all the way to the top?" Mary Ellen asked worriedly.

Not one little bit, he thought.

"We probably should," he said instead.

She hesitated for a minute before trudging further onward. They arrived at the tenth floor but continued up the stairs to the door to the roof. A red sign announced that an alarm would go off but he doubted that was going to happen with the power off and the generators not running. He pushed into the door and shoved it open, relieved with the silence.

The hot air hit him; he hadn't realized how much cooler the shadowed and concrete stairwell had been until he stepped onto the tar paper lined roof. It was littered with the remains of birds and feathers. He imagined that by tomorrow they would start to smell hideously bad. He kicked the stopper down on the door and made sure it stayed propped open before leaving it.

"Ugh," Mary Ellen muttered as she stepped carefully around the broken remains.

He couldn't have said it any better himself as they made their way toward the edge of the building. This probably wasn't the safest place to be, but he didn't particularly care as curiosity drove him onward. He stopped at the edge, his mouth dropping as he gazed over the land that had been greatly changed since this morning. There was even more destruction than he had thought there would be.

They were lucky to be alive, and he was determined to make sure they stayed that way no matter what the cost. He just didn't know how much the cost was going to be, or how either one of them would survive paying the toll.

Tears slid down Mary Ellen's face. She turned away from the carnage. Al took one last, lingering look. There was a canyon out there that might rival The Grand Canyon, curling tendrils of smoke dotted the landscape as far as he could see, and there were rivers on the horizon he was certain hadn't been there before. They were the color of blood. It was the eeriest thing he'd seen in his life, and though he didn't believe that it was actually blood, he couldn't shake the thought that it was. Couldn't shake the thought that the life force of many humans was what now filled those rivers. He forced himself to turn away from a world that was no longer his and that he no longer knew.

Mary Ellen was creeping back through the broken bird bodies, her attention riveted upon the roof. "Well, I don't see any breaks up here," she muttered.

He didn't see any either, but he didn't know what that meant. He still didn't trust the building beneath him, but there were visions of that bed dancing through his head as he prowled the roof with Mary Ellen.

"We should take the other stairwell back down." Mary Ellen was already at the door.

He nodded as he followed her down the stairs and out of the stairwell. All of the doors on this floor were still open; apparently the hotel hadn't filled up enough to have people pushed this far up. They entered the other stairwell, and though there were more cracks running through the walls on this side of the building, it still appeared in relatively stable condition.

Reaching the seventh floor, Mary Ellen pushed the door open and stepped into chaos. People were crammed into the hall, searching through rooms, shouting for other people and weeping loudly. Mary Ellen took a startled step back, bumping briefly against a child of five or six who ran screaming down the hall past them with his mother scrambling to keep up.

Mary Ellen began to push through the crush of bodies in the hall. Al's nose wrinkled in response to the people around him, most were in desperate need of a shower, as was he. Mary Ellen's room was around a corner and almost at the end. She disappeared inside and Al quickly followed.

Five women looked up as they entered; four of them were standing next to the two double beds while the other was sitting on the pull out couch. They were slouched and dirty, disheveled with an air of defeat that frightened him. "I'm supposed to be staying here," Mary Ellen informed them in a choked voice.

The woman on the couch shook her head and turned her attention back to her clasped hands. "Guess I'm sharing too," she muttered.

Mary Ellen looked like she'd just been socked in the stomach. Al's hand tightened on the pillow. He hoped they would let him take the pillow back when they left the hotel, and he hoped it didn't start to rain or hail or some other new thing Mother Nature may just be waiting to throw at them when they went out there. But he knew, without having to ask, that Mary Ellen was not going to stay here. He had no intention of doing so either, if this was what his room was going to be like. In fact, he suspected that by the end of the day, or at least by tomorrow night, there would be people sleeping on the floors. He'd take sleeping outside over that any day.

He grabbed hold of her forearm. "Why don't we just go," he suggested. She opened her mouth to protest but he quickly cut her off. "At least back to my room where it's a little calmer." He glanced at the women. "And private."

She nodded mutely but panic lingered in her eyes. He reluctantly reentered the turmoil enshrouding the hall and pulled her back toward the stairwell they had just left. They passed by others on their way down but no one spoke and most just seemed content to remain oblivious to the two of them. On the second floor he returned to his room to find it as empty as it had been before, but more of the doors in the hall had now been closed off. He gratefully tossed his pillow onto the bed and released a relieved sigh as he sat down.

"They must be placing all older people on this floor," Mary Ellen muttered.

"It would make sense," he agreed.

"I can't stay in here."

"You can stay for now, and if someone has a problem with it than we can leave the building. I think we should really consider finding somewhere else to go anyway. I'm not sure how safe this place is going to stay."

She sank down beside him and folded her hands before her as she leaned forward. "You're right," she relented. "I don't like it here anymore than you do. I can leave Rochelle a note to follow us but I don't know where to go or where to send her."

"I've been thinking we should head into the mountains."

"The mountains, why?"

"There will be less people, more animals. I used to go hunting and I own a cabin in upstate New York. There was plenty of wildlife, a lake, and it was secluded. I know it seems pretty drastic but I think it's going to be awhile before things get back to normal, if they ever get back to normal. It's essential we're somewhere safe, and with a food supply, until then."

"You think the cabin is still standing?"

"The mountains would have absorbed the force of the tremors better than the low areas around here, and even if it's not still standing there were a lot of those cabins around. I'm sure we could find something else. It will take us awhile to get there and we'll have to leave notes for Rochelle along the way, but I think it could work out."

"Why not go to New Hampshire?"

"I don't really know that state as well and it's about the same distance from here. South would be another option, but again I'm not sure what we'd be getting into. I'm not sure with New York either, but at least it's a starting point and I know that state better."

She nodded as she tugged anxiously at her hair. "Yeah, okay. Yeah," she agreed. "Just give me a minute."

He squeezed her arm again. "Take the time you need. We don't have to rush out of here right now, but we should go as soon as you're ready."

She was still sitting mutely when he disappeared into the bathroom. He didn't think he'd be seeing bathrooms on a regular basis for awhile so he meant to take advantage of it while he still could. He doubted there would be any hot water but even so he turned the shower on and was pleasantly surprised by the heat that shot out of it.

It was the little things he realized as he stepped under the spray. It had always been the little things in life he'd taken for granted, and that he'd missed the most when they were gone. Like his wife's Sunday breakfasts and his mother's gentle singing or the security of his earth. He vowed he'd never take advantage of them again as the heat of the shower eased some of the aches in his body. He'd enjoy them from now on because he doubted there were many little things left to take for granted.

Chapter 24

Xander

Foxboro, Mass.

"Absolutely not. Nuh-uh. No way am I going in there." Riley dug in her heels, pulling Xander abruptly up as she jerked to a halt. It seemed she had realized where the crowd was going before the rest of them had.

Xander tiredly surveyed the sea of heads disappearing into the open doors a hundred feet away from them. He didn't understand what had caused Riley's abrupt halt and protest until he tilted his head back to peer up at the building.

He understood her hesitance to enter the hotel, but it had beds. It had to be safe if there were people going inside, it had to be. He felt the same as she did about staying here for long, but to continue to fight and run and hide when they were clearly exhausted may end up being the very thing that got them all killed.

"Ri…" he began. She shook her head vehemently, causing her recently fixed ponytail to become loose again. "There will be beds."

She continued to shake her head as she took another step back.

"And there will probably be showers…" Lee sounded like he was tempting her with a biscuit.

Xander held his breath, he felt bad pushing her on this but they had to rest and she had to realize that fact. He could feel the longing that rolled off of her as she stared at the tall building. Her gaze drifted over her dirty clothes and skin as she held her arms out before her.

Her shoulders sagged. "Fine. But only for a little bit," she amended quickly.

Xander thought he would feel relieved, but he didn't. He felt awful and more than a little distrustful of entering the building himself. They'd take a quick and most likely cold shower, get some rest and get out of there while the getting was good. He just required a couple hours to feel almost human again.

He enfolded her arm in the crook of his elbow as he pulled her toward the door. They were handed pillows and water and given rooms on two different floors. Riley opened her mouth to protest this arrangement but Xander cut her swiftly off by thrusting his pillow at her. He didn't think she would get another chance if they threatened to kick her out again.

His shoulders slumped as he stared up the stairs. His feet ached far more than he would have thought possible. He'd been on the football, basketball and baseball teams in high school and the baseball team in college. He'd run more laps than he cared to remember, and was even training for the Boston Marathon next spring. Despite all this, he felt like he'd just run twenty miles up dreaded Heartbreak Hill, been kicked back down, rolled through garbage and dirt, and been told to do it all over again. This is what Sisyphus felt like, he realized.

The song, 'who you gonna call,' from Ghostbusters ran briefly through his head and he decided he'd wait till level five before deciding if he was going to puke or not. The meager meal was not sitting well in his stomach, not in this heat.

He was grateful when they made it to Riley's assignment on the seventh floor. Lee threw the door open on complete chaos. "Not even a shower is worth that," Riley declared.

Riley spun away from the open door and strode over to the steps. She folded her arms over her chest as she leaned against the wall to watch them. Xander glanced back at the packed and frenzied hall and had to agree with her. He turned to find a woman behind him, her mouth agape, and her eyes bulging as the door closed on the commotion. She turned and fled back down the stairs.

"She's got the right idea," Riley muttered.

"We'll try the next floor," Xander suggested though he doubted it would be any better.

He dreaded another flight but he retained hope that there would be some relief above, that it might be a little better. Grabbing hold of Riley's hand he propelled her upward despite her rigid and awkward movements. He braced himself before he thrust the next door open.

He hadn't been expecting it but he was greeted with relative tranquility. A few guys turned to look at them as a man stepped forward to block their entrance. Unlike the man on the first floor, this one didn't have a gun but it was clear he thought he was the boss. "She doesn't belong here."

"We're not staying long," Xander informed him.

The man opened his mouth but Riley jumped quickly in. "Please. I just want a shower, please. It's awful down there and I'd really appreciate it if you'd let me stay for a bit."

Even filthy, her puppy dog eyes and gentle plea swayed the man as his shoulders slumped. He glanced around the hall and stepped closer to them. "One hour. But you can't stay longer than that, miss. This is the men's floor."

"I promise I won't," Riley replied with a flirtatious smile as she squeezed his arm and batted her lashes. "Thank you so much."

Xander rolled his eyes as he tried to keep his patience with her and the infatuated young guard. Apparently he wasn't the only one that she could wrap around her delicate little finger. He kept his hand on her elbow as he hurried her down the hall to the open door of the room they'd been assigned. He closed the door after Lee and Bobby and slid the locks into place. He doubted they would be alone for long but the relative peace and quiet of the room was a piece of heaven.

"What is this, nineteen fifteen?" Riley immediately demanded. "'This is the men's floor.' Puh-lease! What absolute crap. What, do they think men and women can't be on the same floor, or coincide together?"

"Things are different now, Riley," Xander told her as he threw his pillow on the bed.

"What's that supposed to mean? I get stuck with the lunatic kids because I'm a woman while the manly men live in relative peace on the floor above? I call bullshit."

Bobby and Lee laughed as they dropped onto one of the beds. "No," Xander replied. "It means that things are no longer the same, the old laws no longer apply, and it's only a matter of time before everyone begins to figure that out. I hate tell you this Ri, but tomboy or not, you are a girl."

The look she shot him was not only reminiscent of the death stare laser beams she had tossed him many times before, but it made all the others pale in comparison. He expected some nasty comment, some clever retort; not the brief look of hurt that crossed her face before she stalked past him to the bathroom.

"Nice one, Romeo," Lee informed him as the shower turned on.

"She doesn't get it." Xander slumped down onto the blissful bed. "The sooner she gets it the safer she'll be."

"She gets it, Xander. I think that guy in the hall can attest to that. That doesn't mean she has to like it. Two steps forward for you, my friend, and one gigantic leap back."

Xander flipped him the finger as he fell back on the bed. He stared at the ceiling, picking out the patterns upon it. It was a habit he'd had since he was a child, trying to find faces and patterns within the different swirls of paint. It felt strangely comforting as he discovered a brontosaurus and a human face.

"Where should we go from here?" Lee inquired.

Xander shook his head. "I don't know. I think one of the first things we have to do is find a vehicle. I can only imagine the amount of destruction that Boston has sustained and I don't think being around more people is a wise choice."

"I don't think it is, either."

"You plan on leaving?" Bobby asked anxiously.

Xander forced himself into a sitting position in order to face his friend. "You want to stay here?" Lee asked incredulously.

"This is where my family will come."

Lee was staring at Bobby like he was some strange specimen under a microscope. "Bobby, look around you. This place is going to be anarchy in a few days, if it even takes that long."

"They'll keep control," Bobby retorted defensively. "We can't leave here, our families…"

"My family is dead."

It was the bluntness of Lee's words, the cold acceptance behind them that startled Xander more than the actual words themselves. "Lee…"

"It's okay, Xander. There are a lot of people that are dead out there. I'm not an exception to the rule. I'll leave them a note when we have a destination in mind, but I'm not holding out hope that I'll see them again. I think you two would be better off if you realized that kind of hope may be the worst kind right now."

Xander opened his mouth to protest and then closed it. Lee was right. That kind of hope could very well get them killed. It could keep them here, it could keep them in this town, and it could keep them in peril when they should be moving on. He focused on the closed bathroom door. How was he going to get her to agree that the best thing for them may be to leave their families behind when they might still be alive?

That was the worst part of it. That hope, that draining awful hope that was dragging them down and had brought them into this stadium in the first place. A place where he didn't think they belonged at all. But to leave their loved ones behind would be to leave pieces of themselves behind, and he was concerned that the small pieces would eventually add up to large chunks of their humanity.

How long would it be before they were willing to leave each other behind?

No, it wouldn't come to that. He wouldn't let it. But he wasn't entirely sure he could stop it either. This was only the beginning of what could be weeks or months or - shudder at the thought - years.

"I'm not leaving here until I know what happened to my family," Bobby insisted.

Would Bobby be the first one? Xander wondered. Would he be the first one they left behind, the first one they sacrificed in order to try and ensure their own survival?

"Well, you can't stay here when we leave." Xander had been so engrossed in his own thoughts that he hadn't realized the shower had turned off. Riley was standing in the doorway with a towel in her hand. Her dark hair tumbled around her shoulders in wet spirals that accentuated the delicate lines of her jaw and cheeks and caused his heart to skip a beat. "That's crazy, Bobby." She stepped out of the bathroom, allowing a puff of steam to follow behind her. Like a wolf on the hunt, Xander scented the enticing soap that drifted from the room.

"We're rocks, paper, scissoring for that," Lee announced as he leapt off the bed with renewed vigor at the prospect of a hot shower.

"Go ahead," Bobby said.

Xander waved him away as Riley padded across the carpet and sank onto the bed next to him. Xander quirked an eyebrow as he stared at her. He'd expected some avoidance for a few hours, a lot more dirty looks and perhaps even another punch in the face. Instead her arm nearly brushed his as she ran her fingers through her tangled hair.

"We ought to find some clothes, and a hair brush," she muttered.

"The little things," Bobby said with a half smile.

"Yeah. You would really choose to stay here?"

"You would really choose to leave your family behind?"

Her hand dropped into her lap, Xander held his breath as he waited for her answer. "It's not leaving them behind, it's moving on, trying to find somewhere better. If it exists."

"And if it doesn't?" Bobby pressed.

"It sure doesn't exist here, Bobby. This isn't right. I don't know why I feel like that, but I just can't shake the feeling that this relative calm and peace isn't going to last. I feel like a refugee in this place, and not a well-liked one."

She turned toward Xander, her eyes pleading as she stared at him. She didn't have to convince him though; he was ready to leave here right now… Or at least as soon as he got his chance at a shower, too.

"I'm ready to go," he told her as Lee emerged from the bathroom. "Go ahead, Bobby."

Bobby stared at them, reluctant to leave, but he climbed to his feet and disappeared into the bathroom. "We can't leave Bobby," Riley muttered as she returned to trying to untangle her hair.

"If none of us want to be here, we may have to," Xander told her.

He was unable to resist the impulse to touch one of her lengthy curls. It was as silky as he'd always thought it would be as he wrapped it leisurely around his finger. She didn't tell him to stop as her eyes met and held his. He found himself wishing that Lee and Bobby weren't here as she pulled her full bottom lip between her teeth and held her breath. He forced himself to unravel the curl, before he couldn't, as his pulse began to speed up.

Her shoulders slumped, she held out her hand to shake off the long strands of dark chocolate hair entangled around her fingers. They shimmered in the light as it floated toward the floor on the still air within the room. He watched until they landed upon the dull beige carpet. It was such a normal act, one he'd seen his sister do countless times and for one instant he was caught up in the swirl of grief that memory aroused in him.

"I'm not staying." He was jerked from the memory by Lee's heated words. "I don't like the idea of leaving Bobby behind, but it's his choice to make. He's an adult."

Riley snorted. "We're all supposed to be adults, but let's face it: we don't have a freaking clue right now. All we have is each other, and we can't just leave one of us behind."

"So we all stay because one of us is acting like a child and stubbornly clinging to his family?"

Riley was the queen of making someone squirm. That look wasn't even directed at him and yet he felt uncomfortable for Lee, who actually tugged on the collar of his shirt. "You and Bobby have been friends since elementary school," she grated.

Lee released the collar of his shirt and focused on the wall behind Riley. "I know Ri," he muttered. "But you know we shouldn't stay here. You know it's dangerous. Do you want to die?"

"Of course not," she retorted. "But…"

"Shh," Xander said as the shower turned off.

He rose and stretched as he cracked his back. He doubted there was any hot water left and he didn't care. It took everything Xander had not to run Bobby over as he emerged from the steam. The water was tepid, but it was still the best shower he'd ever had in his life and it gave him some time to formulate a rudimentary plan. His nose wrinkled as he slipped his filthy, stinking clothes back on afterwards.

Yep, they definitely had to find some clothing. He reemerged into the bedroom to find Riley standing before the window staring silently out as Lee and Bobby sat hunched on the bed. "We'll leave notes for our parents telling them where we're going," he said.

"And where exactly is that?" Riley asked but she didn't look at him as she continued to focus outside.

"For now I think we should head toward my grandparents in Sturbridge. It's relatively rural there. Unless someone has a relative closer that they think might be a good start." Bobby and Riley shook their heads in response.

"My aunt's in Worcester, but that city's probably a disaster now, too," Lee said. "We have to go by Worcester anyway to get to Sturbridge."

"So western Mass it is. We should get going." Bobby wouldn't meet his gaze as he focused on the folded hands in his lap. Riley wouldn't turn around. "Does anyone have a better idea?" Xander demanded, growing frustrated by the stubborn silence. His patience frayed even further when he got three head shakes in response. "Then let's go!"

Bobby finally looked at him; he opened his mouth to say something but Riley's words cut him off. "There's something happening out there."

A cold chill slid down Xander's spine. He couldn't shake the feeling that they had run out of time, that their desperation to get clean may very well have cost them their lives. Riley's knuckles were white as her hand curled around the curtain she was holding back. Lee and Bobby jumped to their feet and rushed over to join her. Xander stood on his toes to peer over her shoulder.

It didn't take him long to see what had caught her attention as people split and flowed in different directions. Instead of coming toward the building they were flowing away from it, running as if the hounds of hell were on their heels and closing in fast.

"We have to go."

He grabbed hold of Riley's hand and pulled it away. Due to her death grip on the curtain his brusque tug caused her to pull it down, rod and all. They could send him the bill, he thought crazily as he spun on his heel and practically flew toward the door. All of his tiredness and pain from earlier were distant memories as adrenaline spurred him on.

Eighth floor! They were on the freaking eighth floor, and they were out of time!

He didn't remember throwing the locks on the door, didn't remember opening it and fleeing into the hall but he was suddenly in the stairwell, plummeting down steps, taking them two at a time. Riley was at his side, staying close to him as she somehow managed to keep up with his frantic and reckless plunge.

On the fourth floor the stairwell became congested with people pushing and shoving their way down. He should have listened to Riley; they never should have entered this building. He shoved his way through the fray, refusing to relinquish Riley's hand as people pushed and tore and pounded against them. Somewhere, someone began to scream. It was a long wail of agony that caused him to halt abruptly as it echoed eerily within the stairwell.

He pushed back, shoving Riley into a corner as he stared helplessly at the sea of heads surrounding them. Continuing to try and force their way through the mob was pointless, and he refused to aid in crushing someone to death. No matter how badly he longed to live, his last moments would not be spent climbing over top of someone else, and he couldn't shake the notion that these were, in fact, his last moments.

His heart hammered as he pinned Riley against the wall. He tried to keep her sheltered from the worst of the crushing impact as he searched for some solution to the problem. Then, over top of the sea of heads he spotted another door. He nodded to Lee and Bobby and pointed over top of the horde. He was trying to be discreet so as not to alert everyone to the fact that there was an escape from this mess.

Grabbing Riley's hand he pulled her through the crowd. He elbowed people with little remorse as they tried to shove him toward the stairs. Lee appeared at his side as Bobby made it to the door and flung it open.

Xander practically fell into the hallway, but they had little reprieve as people rushed at them in an attempt to escape the hall. "Here!" Riley pulled him to the side and dragged him into another room. It wouldn't get them out of the building but at least they were out of the treacherous stampede.

He rushed toward the window. They were on the other side of the building now, on the side people had been fleeing from. A dim hellish glow danced like a fairy in the garden over Riley's pale features before they even reached the window. This was no fairy though; this was something straight from Satan's wildest fantasies. He was certain of that even before he looked out the glass.

His mouth dropped, the feeling that shot through his body was unlike anything he'd ever experienced before. It seemed as if every fluid in his body rushed to his feet, leaving him empty and cold.

"Is that lava!?" Lee exploded.

Xander could only stare at the mass moving and flowing toward them. A mass that did in fact, impossibly, appear to be lava.

Chapter 25

John

Foxboro, Mass.

Carl pulled the truck over and parked in front of the post office. "What are you doing?" Rochelle asked worriedly.

"There are cops over there." Carl leaned across them and pulled the glove compartment open. Rochelle's breath hissed in as she spotted the gun stashed inside. "Maybe they have some answers."

"I don't think that gun is the best idea," John told him.

"I have no intention of going over there with it," Carl assured him. "But I'm not leaving this truck unprotected."

"Then what do you expect to happen?"

Carl's eyes met his briefly. "For you to go."

John pursed his mouth as he glanced at the expanse of undamaged lawn and the crowd gathered upon it. A large number of the crowd was already staring distrustfully at the company name and locale emblazoned on the side of the truck. He would have bet an arm that most of the time out-of-towners weren't even looked at twice in this town, especially with the stadium on the outskirts.

And Carl was asking him to walk right into the middle of it. He thought he'd rather dress in tights and start dancing the Nutcracker.

"I'll go, but you'll have to stay here," Carl told him. "With the gun."

John cursed under his breath and threw the door open. Rochelle was smirking at him as she slid out of the middle. "Sorry for swearing," he apologized.

Rochelle shrugged. "Like I said, I've heard it before."

Yeah, he'd heard it at her age too, but he still didn't feel right swearing in front of her. "Lock the door," Carl instructed as he grabbed the keys and hopped out.

John scowled at him as he walked around the front of the truck. He felt like an ant under a magnifying glass as more distrustful stares were directed their way. He could almost feel the fire licking up his back, singing his skin, and sizzling him alive. He was truly beginning to dislike people, or at least distrust them greatly. A fact that was apparently shared by the people turned toward them. He had to force himself not to look at the bullet hole in the truck. He didn't like the idea of being reminded of what people were capable of.

At least there were police over there. It had to be safe.

Even Carl seemed hesitant now as he returned the suspicious stares of the crowd. "Just see what you can find out. If it gets hairy in there, come right back."

"Did you really just say hairy?" John retorted.

Carl glowered at him as he turned toward the truck and surreptitiously slid the gun into the waistband of his jeans. "Just go and be careful."

John gave him a quick salute. "Yes sir."

Rochelle rolled her eyes. "I'm going with you."

"Maybe you should stay," Carl suggested.

She shook her head as she surveyed the crowd. "They're already suspicious of us, it will look better if I go with him. You know since I'm a young weak girl and all, they'll trust him more with me at his side."

John stared at her with a new appreciation as he began to realize that yes she was young, but she was anything but weak. Carl grinned at her as he leaned against the hood of the truck and crossed his legs before him. "I think you might be able to give them more trouble than this guy." He thrust his thumb at John.

Rochelle released a small snort. "I bet I could too."

"I'm so glad you joined us. You just make this experience so much better," John told her, but he was glad to have her at his side as they crossed the road and entered the grassy center.

People stepped away from them so swiftly that John lifted his arm and took a quick sniff. Yeah, it wasn't the most pleasant aroma but he was no worse than the people surrounding him. He wondered if he had a bulbous growth on his forehead or some other indicator that he carried the bubonic plague. They were simply from a different town; they weren't from Mars for Christ's sake.

He could barely suppress a grin as he caught Rochelle sneaking a sniff of her armpit too. She really was growing on him and he wasn't a fan of kids, especially not pre-teen girls. They tended to get a little carried away and screamed too much for his liking, but this girl was watching the world crumble around her and she was keeping it together far better than he'd ever thought possible for someone her age.

Better than him even, he thought with chagrin. But then, perhaps her age actually helped in this situation. Maybe she wasn't grasping the full ramifications of everything that was going on, but he doubted that was true.

The crowd parting around them made it far easier to get toward the front of the mob than he'd anticipated. There was a group of policemen, firefighters, and a couple of EMT's gathered there. A table had been setup and the injured were being treated as names were taken down. Behind the table makeshift tents and shelters were hastily being erected. John hadn't expected people to actually stay within the grassy area, but apparently that was their purpose as a flap pulled back to reveal a few people lying down.

"Next!" a middle-aged, potbellied man in a firefighter uniform called out.

A sobbing man and woman stepped forward. John turned away before he could hear their story, there was something so broken about them that he was certain it was their child they were looking for, or had already lost. He weaved his way back through the crowd, keeping Rochelle near his side as he honed in on a group of police officers he'd seen by the sign when they'd driven past.

The officers were still there when he and Rochelle broke free of the crowd again. Two men and one woman were huddled together, talking softly as their eyes constantly darted about. They stiffened as John and Rochelle approached. He was acutely aware of the fact that all of their hands went to the guns at their sides and their eyes narrowed. How bad had it gotten around here? John wondered as they both came to an abrupt halt.

"Can we help you with something?" the woman demanded.

He wasn't entirely sure if they could help them at all, they didn't even look as if they could help themselves right now. "We, uh… we were wondering if you had any information? Do you know what's going on?"

"No one knows what's going on," the older cop retorted.

"Have you heard anything from anyone outside of this town?" Rochelle inquired shakily. John shot her a look, she was anything but shaky. This must be the "weak" girl she had referred to. He had to admire it as all three of the cops relaxed and the woman offered a small smile.

The woman shook her head, she held up her hand to silence the older man when he started to speak again. "No sweetie, I'm sorry, but we haven't heard anything yet. We're starting a list, perhaps your family or friends are on it."

"We're not from around here and I was wondering if you had an idea of where we could go to try and get a hold of our families?"

They exchanged a look as they shook their heads. "There appears to be another, probably larger shelter at the stadium. We've been seeing flares go up but it's not safe to travel through the area. The roads leading to the stadium have sustained a lot of damage and there is no way to know the extent of it right now. I would suggest that you stay here until things have stabilized and we know more about the situation."

The sweat that beaded down his spine had nothing to do with the hazy heat of the day and everything to do with the fact that he thought they might be stopped from leaving. That was their job after all, public safety, and if these had been normal circumstances John knew the police wouldn't have allowed them to travel those roads. These were not normal circumstances though, and these officers had a lot more on their hands than worrying if three people left this area or remained behind as requested.

How long would it be before they decided to blockade the roads to ensure the safety of the survivors though? What would happen when they tried to restore some semblance of order and normalcy? He doubted there would be any search and rescue crews going out anytime soon. There may never be any search and rescue missions, and they would probably only end up being recovery missions. Even those would likely be few and far between and conducted mostly by loved ones looking for some closure by having bodies to bury.

I'll never know such closure. He shot that thought down before he found himself unable to function again.

John glanced back over the crowd but he couldn't see the truck and Carl from here. He hadn't heard any gunfire though and he knew Carl wasn't going to let that truck go without a fight. "Thank you," John muttered.

He grabbed hold of Rochelle's shoulder and turned her away. She stared questioningly up at him as he hurried her back toward the mob. "I think it's best if we get out of here while we still can," he informed her.

She nodded and swallowed heavily as she surveyed the people gathered around them. "You're right."

It was harder to maneuver through the crowd on the way back; apparently their out of town status had already been forgotten. He found he actually preferred being a stinking pariah to the crush pressing against them.

"John!"

He turned back, his heart leapt into his throat as he realized he had lost Rochelle within the crowd. Barreling back through, he elbowed and pushed people out of the way. He ignored the looks and muttered grunts he received from them. "Rochelle!" he shouted.

A small hand shot up, waving briefly in between two heads. He started to run, crashing haphazardly through people. There was no way he was going to lose the kid. She may be tough but there were plenty of sickos in the world that would take this opportunity to let their freak flag fly.

"Rochelle!"

"Here!" The hand shot up again, drawing the attention of a large man.

The guy's hand swallowed Rochelle's arm as he pulled her forward. The man scowled at John as he arrived breathlessly by the man's side. Rochelle was gaping up at the man, her eyes wide as she stared at him, and then the massive hand covering her upper arm. "You should take better care of your sister if you don't want something bad to happen to her," the man grumbled.

John didn't bother to correct the man's statement as he grabbed hold of Rochelle's arm and pulled her away. "I will," he promised.

He held firmly to her, unwilling to let her go as he began to push his way back through the mob. He was startled to realize that he was shaken from the experience. He barely knew the kid yet he had been terrified of losing her. He inhaled his first easy breath as they broke free of the crowd.

"Don't get separated from me again."

"I won't." He was even more surprised by the tremor in her voice. Something had finally rattled her calm exterior. "I was lucky to find the two of you."

He almost half felt like crying himself as tears began to swarm in her eyes. "A wildfire you can handle, but you get lost in a crowd and you fall apart on me?"

Her lip trembled slightly. "I have no one else, not anymore. I don't think."

"We have each other." God, he was turning into a mush. He wanted to gag himself.

"Yeah, and I'd like to keep it that way!" she retorted with a grin that was far preferable to the tears.

"Me too," he admitted.

She looked both ways before skipping across the street toward Carl. John shook his head but promptly followed behind her. "What did you learn?" Carl inquired, staring questioningly at Rochelle as she hopped onto the hood of the truck without placing her hands down. "Hey, paint job!"

"Seriously?" she inquired with a quirk of her head. "It has a bullet hole in it."

She wasn't even the least bit bothered by Carl's glower. "It was a new truck."

"Was being the operative word."

Carl's forehead furrowed as he studied her. "What grade are you in?"

"Seventh. But I test high and read on a college level."

"I'll bet," he muttered before turning his attention back to John. "Did you learn anything?"

John filled him in on what they had learned from the police officers. Carl was thoughtful as he leaned against the hood. "So I guess we head toward the stadium. The least we can do is check it out and see what's going on over there. Do you know how to get there?" Carl asked.

"Not from here, I've only taken the highway and Route One to games and concerts," John told him.

"We can always follow those."

They both turned in the direction that Rochelle was pointing. The crowd within the grassy knoll became silent as a green flare soared high before dropping back down. Another red flare flew into the sky followed by two more reds and another green. "Is that normal?"

"Is anything normal anymore?" John asked but a feeling of unease began to grow in his stomach as another green blaze lit up the sky. The frantic firing of the flares made it seem as if the people at the stadium were looking for help instead of trying to draw people in. He held his breath, counting silently to himself as he waited for another fiery green ball to emerge. He was near a hundred when he realized that everything seemed to have become still.

The silence that followed was thick, hushed. The heat of the day seemed even more oppressive in the shroud that encompassed the crowd. The button on the pocket of Rochelle's shorts made a small screeching noise that caused him to flinch as she slid from the hood of the truck. "We should go," Carl said.

"Where?" John demanded.

"Anywhere but here."

"The stadium?"

Carl's gaze drifted back toward the muddled sky. "I don't know, just get us somewhere John. We've already been shot at in this town; I think it's best if we get out of here as soon as we can."

John nodded as he hurried around the hood of the truck. Rochelle was already opening the passenger side door when he stopped her. "You know, you wouldn't be such a bad little sister if I ever had one."

She turned back to him and grinned as she tossed her hair back. "Please. If I had an older brother he would be way cooler than you."

A short burst of laughter escaped him as she hopped into the truck. Yeah, she was a keeper; he might even let her out of the middle of the truck later. Might.

She was already studying the map when he slid in beside her. Carl's finger trailed over the map as he tried to decipher the roadways. "We can try and go this way. It will get us to Route One at least, and then to the stadium if we decide to go. If we run into a problem we can go this way." Carl leaned back over them, placed the gun in the glove box and took out a pen. He made a few marks on the map and released it to Rochelle.

Rochelle pulled the map into the middle and dropped it in between them as Carl resumed driving. John followed Carl's markings but the route was anything but familiar to him. It didn't matter anyway; they didn't make it far before their path came to an abrupt end, blocked by a giant crater in the earth. Carl stopped the truck and placed it in park as they sat and stared across the enormous cavern sprawling before them. It wasn't nearly as big as the one that had claimed his father, but there was something ominous about the glow that filtered up from inside. A glow that hadn't been present from the crater in Bridgewater.

"Do we even want to look?" Rochelle inquired.

"No."

Even as John said the word, he and Carl were simultaneously opening their doors. John's heart hammered as he crept closer. He was half convinced it was going to collapse beneath him, but even so he found himself irresistibly drawn forward, unable to stop his feet from dropping one in front of the other as they inched forward. He could see broken buildings lining some of the upper shelves of rock. Most of them were burned, broken skeletons of their former selves but a couple still held their brick façade.

He was sweating profusely, and half convinced his skin was starting to blister before they even made it to the edge. Dirt and rocks kicked out under his feet. They clattered against the side as they tumbled into the hole. He took a step back as Carl pressed his arm into Rochelle's chest and pushed her back. Sparks of fire and ash danced before them, the faint pop of bubbling air sounded in his ears as he stood on his tip toes and leaned outward to peer down.

From the corner of his eye he caught Carl doing the same thing as they both stared into the pit. "It's Hell," Rochelle whispered.

John tried to deny her words, tried to tell her that it couldn't possibly be Hell but the words stuck in his throat. What else could it be? If the heat blasting from it was any indication then it couldn't be anything other than where the devil resided. Sweat beaded across his brow, he leaned back as a wave of heat blasted him in the face. For a split second he thought his skin had melted off as his hands flew to his cheeks. Though it was hot, his skin seemed to be firmly intact beneath the crushing grip of his palms. He didn't feel any blisters, and yep, his eyebrows were thankfully still there.

"Is that lava?" Rochelle demanded.

"It can't possibly be," Carl muttered. "This is the freaking northeast!"

"Well, you said it couldn't possibly have been a tremor earlier either, and look at how that turned out for us," John reminded him.

Carl shot him a dark look. "Yeah well okay but at least we know the New Madrid could affect us, but this…" Carl broke off as he waved his hands helplessly toward the gorge.

"There's magma beneath the earth. No one knows for sure how much, but it is there. The quakes may have ripped something open; they may have caused some shift in the earth that has opened it up and allowed lava to flow forth." Rochelle shook her head as she glanced back toward the glowing canyon. "There's also the New England Seamount chain."

"The what?" John demanded.

"The New England Seamount chain. It's off the coast of Massachusetts in the Atlantic Ocean and consists of extinct volcanoes. It formed some of the mountains in New Hampshire and Canada. It is possible that perhaps the volcanoes are more active than anyone knew. It's pretty far off shore but it might still affect us. It's still crazy though."

"I'm glad we found Mr. Wizard," John told her as he glanced back toward the awful crater.

"I like Geology, it's interesting. Though, I found it much more interesting when it wasn't trying to kill us."

"I have to agree. It might not even be lava but since none of us is going any closer to find out for sure, let's just accept the fact that we're not going to get to the stadium this way," Carl told them.

John wasn't going to argue with that fact. He practically shoved Rochelle back into the truck in his rush to escape the frightening substance simmering within that immense hole. Was Rochelle right, had something been torn open? Had the plates shifted so much that the interior of the earth was rising up to the surface? Had something within the earth actually ruptured?

He thought back to when this had all started, to the feeling that had encompassed him during that first big quake, and the shattering he seemed to have felt deep within his soul. Had that shattering been the actual rending of the earth? He shuddered, suddenly cold even though the temperature gauge on the truck was reading one hundred and two degrees.

What a mess, what a hideous, hideous mess. Even as he thought it five flares shot simultaneously into the air. They may have had to reroute, but they were still heading toward the stadium.

Chapter 26

Mary Ellen

Foxboro, Mass.

Mary Ellen jolted upright and nearly toppled out of the bed as loud screams pierced the air. She blinked in confusion as she strived to shake the sleep still clinging to her. She hadn't meant to fall asleep, hadn't meant to let her guard down, but apparently she wasn't alone as Al gazed around the room in confusion from the other bed.

More screams ripped through the air. An icy chill crept down her spine as an empty pit opened in her stomach. The unreasonable urge to cry seized hold of her as her heart heaved a mighty da thump. Never in a million years would she have guessed that falling asleep would be her downfall, but that's exactly what it seemed to have been.

She launched to her feet as a shrill scream echoed eerily throughout the hall and room. "Al…"

He was beside her faster than she had thought possible as he gazed warily at the door. She was unwilling to open it, to go out there and see what was going on. A loud crash whipped her head around as a rapid barrage of gunshots pierced the air and a volley of flares shot into the sky.

Mary Ellen raced toward the window. She didn't like the idea of looking but she couldn't stop herself. Her hands pressed against the glass as she gazed out at the chaos that the stadium had become. She watched in horror as people flocked like geese away from the hotel. They didn't stop, didn't hesitate as they shoved and trampled each other in their desperate attempt to escape whatever was coming at them.

She strained to see what it was they were fleeing from but she couldn't see anything past the hotel.

"We have to go." Al grabbed hold of her arm and pulled her toward the door.

She nearly fell as she tripped over her own feet in her rush to get to the door. A group of people ran by as Al opened the door. Mary Ellen's jaw dropped as the group threw the door of the stairwell open on a massive crush of people pushing and shoving at each other. She took a step back from the insanity even as the group forced their way into the chaos.

Whatever it was that everyone was fleeing from, it had to be bad if it was driving them into what appeared to be almost certain death as shouts of pain and anarchy erupted from the stairwell. Mary Ellen turned in the opposite direction and raced toward the other stairwell. She opened the door to find that it was just as packed and hectic as the other one.

Death, she could feel its cold hand sliding over her skin as its breath seemed to lick against the nape of her neck.

Dying trapped like a sardine in a stairwell was not the way she was going to go though. She slammed the door closed and spun on her heel as she helplessly looked around the hallway.

"There might be another one." Al's face was paler than normal, the lines more visible around his clamped mouth.

Mary Ellen followed him through the convoluted hallways until they came to another door at the far back of the building. She was reaching for the handle when the door burst open. She jumped back, stifling a small squeak as four wide eyed people plunged into the hall. Behind them she could see another crush of people trying to make it to the lobby.

"There's no way out through there," the young man in the lead abruptly informed her.

Mary Ellen glanced behind him again as the door shut on the screams. "What's going on?" she demanded but they were already running down the hall. "Wait!"

Al grabbed hold of her arm and rapidly propelled her after the small group. "The other stairways are clogged even worse!" Al yelled after them.

"We know." The brown haired boy at the back of the group informed them.

They ran down the hall toward the room that Mary Ellen and Al had been in. The man at the front of the group threw the door open on a room close to the stairwell. The four of them split up as the man with sun bleached hair ran into a room across the hall while the other three entered the first room. The young girl, and the brunette guy, started stripping the bed as the other one lifted the desk chair and heaved it at the window.

Mary Ellen gaped as the chair crashed into the window with a loud bang and bounced uselessly back off. He lifted the chair again, this time keeping hold of it as he spun around and smashed it off the glass. A loud curse escaped him; the chair tumbled from his grasp as the glass splintered but held firm.

Al hurried to gather the stripped sheets and began rapidly tying the ends of them into a knot. The man lifted the chair and smashed it off the glass again. Spider-web fractures spiraled out from the impact area and spread rapidly across the thick glass to the corners of the window. He lifted the chair again, stepped back and once more heaved it forward.

Relief filled her as glass shattered outward. The chair flew out behind it, and for one disconcerting second it seemed to hang in the air before plummeting out of sight. "Sheets!" he commanded.

"Almost there," Al informed him as he jerked a knot taut and tugged fiercely at the line.

The boy that had gone into the other room reappeared with an armload of sheets. Mary Ellen leapt forward to help untangle the pile he dropped it in a heap upon the floor. A loud crash jerked Mary Ellen's head around as a scream spiraled through the air. "What was that?"

The girl's eyes were haunted as they met hers. "People are jumping," she whispered.

Her stomach rolled as bile surged up her throat. Mary Ellen turned her attention back to the window as a loud thwack and more screams echoed throughout. "What is out there?" she demanded.

"Lava, or we think its lava. Whatever it is it isn't good and it's coming this way." The brown haired boy said as he knelt at their side and helped to knot the sheets.

"Are you serious?" Mary Ellen demanded.

"As a heart attack."

The girls fingers shook but she tied a swift knot and tossed the sheets to the boy that had smashed out the window. He grabbed hold of them as another loud crash echoed throughout the building. Glass rained past their window. No one within the room moved, Mary Ellen didn't even think they breathed as someone plummeted past.

The man that had shattered the glass grabbed the sheets and tossed them out the window. "Find something to tie the end off to." The brunette guy jumped over top of the bed and to the side. He tied the end of the sheets to the heavy wooden leg of the bed. "Riley!" the guy that had broken the window barked. The girl was deathly pale as she mutely stared back at him. "Riley come on."

"Xander," she whispered.

He thrust the sheets at the surfer looking guy and hurried toward Riley. Grabbing hold of her arm, he propelled her toward the window. "You have to go."

"The others," she protested.

"Will all follow soon but you're going first."

"But…"

"There isn't time to argue. Go Riley, just go."

"Come on Ri." The brown haired boy held his hand out to her as the surfer looking one kept a firm hold on the sheets.

Xander seized the sheet and thrust it into Riley's trembling hands. "You'll be fine, you can do this."

"Are you going to give me a feather and tell me I can fly too?" Riley inquired.

Mary Ellen frowned at the odd statement but Xander grinned at Riley. "If it will help."

"Wait!" Al commanded. He turned away, grabbed hold of a blanket and tossed it toward Xander. "There's probably still glass in the frame."

"Thanks." Xander spread the blanket over the frame before helping to adjust Riley onto the windowsill.

"Wait." Riley grabbed hold of his cheeks and kissed him soundly. The other two guys grinned as they elbowed each other. "I'll see you soon."

Xander's face reddened, he swallowed heavily as he nodded. "You will."

He kept a hold on Riley until she moved beyond his grasp. Mary Ellen leaned out to watch as she scurried down the side of the building and moved with rapid speed toward the ground. "You're next."

She took a startled step back as Xander turned toward her and held out his hand. Amazement filtered through as she gazed at his outstretched hand. She didn't know this guy; she didn't know any of them. She most certainly hadn't expected them to put her life ahead of theirs. No one had ever put her ahead of them before. "Go on Mary Ellen," Al encouraged.

"Hurry ma'am that stuff was moving fast," the surfer looking guy told her.

Xander helped her over the windowsill and held onto her until she was stable. "I'm okay," she told him.

"Be careful."

She felt a flash of panic as his hand slid free of her arm. Clinging to the sheets, she struggled to keep her thoughts off of the open air behind her as she fought to keep her feet braced against the side of the building. She'd snuck out more than a few times as a teenager but her room had been on the first floor. That had been a BIG mistake on her parent's part, but she'd never had to find creative ways to climb out of her house, and wasn't experienced with it at all.

'Only two floors, only two floors,' she chanted silently in an attempt to distract herself from the possibility of someone leaping out of a window above her, or the sheets giving way.

Her arms began to ache and her hands were sore from their death grip, but she steadily slid downward until she was relieved to feel her feet hit the ground.

"Are you okay?" Riley demanded.

Mary Ellen nodded at the young girl as she forced herself to relax her hold on the sheets. She couldn't bring herself to look at the body sprawled nearby but blood splattered the ground beneath her feet. "Don't look, you won't believe what you see anyway," Riley muttered.

Mary Ellen turned her attention back to the building as the brown haired boy swung his leg over and shimmied down the rope far faster than Mary Ellen had. The surfer guy wasn't far behind him. Mary Ellen glanced nervously away as some bleeding stragglers ran around the corner of the building. Urgency seized her; she shifted from foot to foot as the loud splintering of a tree caught her attention.

"Hurry, hurry," Riley whispered.

Mary Ellen couldn't look away from the corner of the building as another loud snap reverberated through the air. Sparks flew high as a telephone pole toppled. She took an abrupt step back and bumped roughly into Riley. The girl grabbed her arm, her fingers dug in as she leaned around Mary Ellen to see what was happening.

Another loud bang echoed through the air. The building shifted with a loud crunch as bricks and mortar groaned and heaved. Riley spun away from her. "Xander hurry!" she screamed.

Mary Ellen took a step back as more sparks shot into the air. The side of the building began to sink as the earth started to crumble. Mary Ellen tilted her head back to watch as Xander helped Al out the window. They said something quickly to each other and then Al was moving down the rope of sheets. Xander swung his leg out when Al was almost halfway down.

Mary Ellen's breath froze as she prayed the sheets would hold up beneath the weight of both men, and that they remained securely tied to the bed. Al swiftly moved down as he used his legs against the building and rapidly repelled off of it.

He dropped to the ground and bent over to rub his knees as he grimaced. Mary Ellen hurried to his side. "Are you okay?" she demanded.

Al nodded as he stumbled away from Xander's rapid descent. The building gave another groan as the back of it slid even further into the ground. A startled cry escaped Xander as he lost his purchase on the building and spun around. He crashed loudly against the glass. His hands slipped on the sheet and he fell five feet before catching himself and jerking to an abrupt halt.

Riley let out a frightened cry as the brunette and the surfer guy lurched forward in an attempt to catch him if he should fall. Mary Ellen's gaze drifted to the back of the building as half of it collapsed into what unbelievably, in fact, did appear to be lava. She stumbled back, dragging Al with her as she fought the inclination to bolt. Every instinct she'd ever had, every desire she'd ever experienced to live, screamed at her to run and to run fast.

Every ounce of human decency she had told her that she had to stay.

They'd let her go second, they'd put her life and Al's ahead of their own. She couldn't abandon them now, but what was she supposed to do?

Xander grappled to right himself; he managed to get his legs back around and braced against the building just as it gave another heaving groan and tilted further. Xander was still ten feet up when he released the sheets and plummeted to the ground. Riley screamed as she lurched forward, Brunette and Surfer collapsed underneath him as they tried to break his freefall to the best of their ability. Surfer cursed loudly as he pulled himself from the bottom of the heap.

"Are you okay?" Riley demanded as she ran to them.

"Fine, we're fine." Xander accepted Surfers hand and pulled himself to his feet. "We have to go!"

The building heaved and bent again, the back half toppled away, falling into the growing trench of reddish liquid coursing toward them. Bits of dust and brick began to rain down from above; screams echoed loudly from within the building as another loud thwack of a body sounded from somewhere near the front.

Xander seized Riley's hand and started running away from the building. Mary Ellen held onto Al, unwilling to let her friend go as they followed behind. She went to follow the crowd heading toward the gates but the four kids split off in a different direction. "They're from town," Al panted. "They know this area and they can get us out of here."

"How can you be so sure?" she demanded.

"That's what Xander told me. We'd be dead if it wasn't for them so I'm willing to take my chances."

Mary Ellen wasn't going to argue with that. They pushed and shoved their way forward as the four kids weaved in and out of traffic. They burst free of the horde of people and fled in the opposite direction of seventy five percent of the crush.

More gunshots blasted as flares lit the sky again. Behind them the sound of twisting and crashing metal reverberated throughout the day. Mary Ellen chanced a glance over her shoulder in time to see the hotel collapse in a brutalized heap. The muted screams from within the building grew higher in intensity before being eerily silenced by the unrelenting river of fire consuming the area.

Xander shoved through a gate and held it open as he waited for the others to go through. "Are you okay?" he demanded as he fell back beside them.

"Don't fret about me," Al informed him. "I'm a lot tougher than I look."

Xander grinned at him as he ran a hand through his disheveled hair. "I can tell."

He jogged back to Riley and took hold of her hand as they maneuvered through the ramps with the notes for loved ones. Mary Ellen refused to look at the notes again; she wasn't willing to think about the can of worms that might open up. It had all been pointless. There would be no one coming here again. There would be no Rochelle.

Instead of going back the way they had come, they took a right that zigzagged through a cluster of stores. There were other people going this way too. Mary Ellen assumed that most of them were also from the town and knew their way around the maze of buildings.

They burst free of the stores only to find more wire fencing running the length of the parking lot. There were some people already climbing over top of the fence, while others were running down the length of it.

"This way." Xander led them back in and around through the buildings. The crush of people eased even further and what was left of them looked like they had survived a war, which she was beginning to feel like she had. Xander and the others stopped at the corner of a building with movie posters hanging across the side of it. "There's a break in the fence over there. It's how we used to sneak into the parking lot once in awhile. We didn't come in that way just in case someone spotted us. It will be easier to get out that way instead of climbing over."

Mary Ellen was up for anything easy right about now. "Xander wait." Riley jerked him to a halt as he went to step away from the corner of the building. She wordlessly pointed across the parking lot. Mary Ellen watched in dismay as a group of men with guns ran past them with their weapons at the ready.

"That can't be a good sign," surfer guy muttered.

"They won't hurt us," the brunette said.

"I'm not willing to take that chance."

"What could they possibly have to gain from harming us Lee?"

"Wake up Bobby. There is nothing and no one we can trust anymore. They probably consider us as much of a menace as I consider them."

Mary Ellen frowned at them as they glanced distrustfully at her and Al. "Yeah because we're a threat," she retorted. "I agree with being cautious around people, but you can't shut everyone out. You'll never survive then."

"You want to trust those guys?" Lee demanded as he pointed after the group that was no longer in sight.

"Not even a little bit," she admitted. "But you can trust us."

"That's what everyone would say."

"Enough," Xander inserted briskly. "It's pointless to even argue about it. We're going to need each other to get out of here so just stop. Riley and Lee stay here. Ah… you…"

"Mary Ellen," she informed him.

"Come with us. We'll circle around to the other side and see if there are any more of them around."

"Wait, we can't separate!" Riley protested instantly.

Xander seized hold of her arms. "We have to go check out the other side of the building. You and Lee have to stay here to keep an eye out in case they come back. You know this place well and you know where we kept our supplies. In case we can't find each other again we'll meet there."

Riley looked about to protest but instead she nodded her head. "Okay," she muttered reluctantly.

"I don't know about this," Al said as he glanced nervously between Mary Ellen and Xander.

"If it makes you feel better she can stay also but another set of eyes would be useful," Xander told him.

"I would like to go," Mary Ellen inserted. Xander was right; they would need another set of eyes. Al was stubborn and would insist that he didn't need a break, but he was also limping more than he had been. "I meant what I said about the trust. I'll be fine Al."

She squeezed Al's hand and turned away from him to follow Xander and Bobby back into the maze of buildings. They jogged through the stores and over the brick pathways as the echoing collapse of another building resonated through the stores.

Chapter 27

Riley

Foxboro, Mass.

Riley pressed herself against the side of the building as another group of armed men ran past with their weapons at the ready. She didn't know much about guns, but she was amazed by the fact that most of them appeared to be hunting rifles and not something she would associate with the military.

"Did these guys just find some guns and slap on some camo?" she wondered, though they weren't all wearing camouflage.

Al ran a hand through his disordered gray hair as he stepped beside her. "I think that is a very good possibility."

"Why?"

"I didn't pretend to understand people before all of this happened," he informed her. "There was little they could do to surprise me then. Now that society is crumbling I don't think we'll ever know what they're completely capable of, or why they do the things they do."

"It's only been seven hours."

Al shrugged. "The human species as a whole isn't exactly known for their sensibilities."

"Glad you have so much faith," Lee said.

"You don't seem overly trusting either," Al pointed out. "And I'm not saying I have no faith. In fact, I have a lot of faith that most of us will do the right thing, under normal conditions. These aren't normal conditions, and there is no way to know how someone will react when you take everything they know away from them. We are just animals after all, and even the best of us are capable of things we never thought possible in order to survive, or when our loved ones are threatened. We have no idea what a person might do anymore."

"That's a more terrifying thought than clowns," Riley muttered. "How did they even get all those weapons and clothing so quickly though?"

Lee slapped his forehead as he groaned in frustration. "Oh my God we are such idiots! The Bass Pro Shop."

"What?" Al asked as Riley released a low groan also.

"The Bass Pro Shop, it's on the other side of the compound. It has all kinds of hunting equipment and gear," Lee explained.

"So that ass back at the hotel wasn't even a soldier!" Riley grated through clenched teeth. "I knew I should have told him where to put that gun."

"It was still a real gun Ri, and there's no way to know for sure that he wasn't. There are definitely real police and military mixed in with the wannabe's. I imagine that the ones in charge of the hotel, and the gates, were real. There is no way we're going to be able to tell one from the other though."

"This is worse than I thought." Al took a step further into the shadows as another group ran past. "If it is mostly just untrained civilians running around with weapons and trying to take charge…"

"We're screwed," Riley finished when his voice trailed off.

"They're frightened and they're volatile and jumpy."

"We have to get out of here," Lee stated.

"We are not leaving without Xander, Bobby and…"

"Mary Ellen," Al supplied when Riley questioningly looked toward him.

"We're not leaving without them," she insisted.

Lee glanced anxiously behind them. Riley refused to look; she could already feel the increasing heat and hear the approaching crash of buildings and crackling inferno. It was necessary to get away from the encroaching flames, but she was terrified to step out of the shadows of the building. Trained professionals with guns were one thing, but untrained, frightened humans were something entirely different. She thought she might prefer to face the fire, it was probably more predictable.

Another, larger, weaponless group ran by. A woman tripped and fell, only to be plowed over by the four people behind her. Nausea rolled through her, she turned away as the woman struggled back to her feet and limped away bloody. "Where are they going? It's nothing but woods and fencing back there," Riley pondered.

"There's something else coming," Al said with dawning realization. "Something we can't see."

She knew the minute he said it that he was right. Yeah, she was going to vomit.

They were cornered, trapped between one hideous possibility and another. "Shit!" Lee exploded. "We have to go."

Lee grabbed hold of her arm as she spun toward where Xander and the others had disappeared. "Let go of me!" she snarled.

"Riley we can't stay here."

"We're not leaving without them."

The words were just leaving her mouth when Xander, Bobby and Mary Ellen reappeared about three hundred feet away. "Run!" Xander bellowed as he frantically waved at them.

Lee pulled her out of the shelter of the building as he jerked her into the parking lot. Riley almost fell as she staggered to keep up with his frantic flight. Al pressed close to her side as he ran with them. In her peripheral vision she spotted something enormous and unstoppable crashing over the parking lot toward them.

Some people were running towards them, while others were heading back toward the main road as the strange new intrusion cascaded over the parking lot in a wave of red and blue. She could only gawk as she tried to figure out what it was as it caught hold of people, lifted them up, and spun them around before burying them within its depths.

A frightened cry escaped her, she almost fell but Lee managed to keep her up as he roughly jerked her arm upward. She didn't know what it was, but it was coming at them far faster than she had thought possible. Dimly, she became aware of the fact that the earth was shaking again. She didn't know if it was from another quake or if this onrushing tidal wave of death was rocking the ground.

Not now, not now, she prayed frantically. She wasn't ready to die now. She was too young, there was so much she hadn't done yet, so much more that she wanted to do still. The world may suck royally right now but she wasn't ready to let it go.

Everything in her ached, her legs trembled, she couldn't seem to get enough air into her brutalized lungs but still she relentlessly pushed herself faster. The fence was just before them, but Lee scurried to the right, pulling her behind him for another twenty feet before he grasped hold of the metal wiring and pulled it back. Riley was startled by the gaping hole his actions revealed, but she didn't hesitate before scrambling through it with Al hot on her heels.

For an old guy he was fast, and in surprisingly good shape. She turned back to try and find Xander but Lee grabbed hold of her arm, spun her around, and started pushing her up the hill. "Run Riley, don't look back."

"Wait…"

"They're right behind us, go."

She didn't care though; she wasn't going anywhere until she knew for certain. Turning back she spotted the others halfway to the fence. Relief filled her as she spun away and followed Lee. They clawed and tore at the ground as they pulled their way up the ragged hill. She didn't have much for nails, but even so they were torn and broken as she fought for leverage. A savage hiss escaped as her middle nail broke off far below the quick. Blood spilled forth, mixing with the dirt that spewed up around her in her haste to get up a hill that had been much easier to navigate on the way down.

Al tripped and fell. She snagged hold of his arm a split second before he tumbled backward. His wide eyes met hers and he gave a brief nod of thanks as she helped to steady him on the hill. Lee tugged on her arm, drawing her forward as dirt and rocks tumbled and skittered away beneath them.

A loud, rushing noise reached her. She didn't look back; she couldn't look back for fear of what she would see. If Xander and Bobby weren't back there…

She shut that thought down; it wouldn't lead to anything good. She'd already lost almost everything today, she couldn't lose them too.

After what seemed like an eternity they finally breeched the top of the hill. She stumbled and fell to her knees as she gasped for air. She strained to stand up but her exhausted legs simply wouldn't hold her and she limply fell back to the earth again.

Looking like a well used horse, Lee collapsed beside her as he struggled for breath and his nostrils flared. She turned back to Al, but though he was sitting beside her, his attention wasn't on her.

She followed his gaze back down the hill and where seconds before she'd been unable to find her feet, she launched to them now. She was running again, stumbling, tripping and nearly plummeting all the way to the bottom. She managed to catch herself on the lower limb of an oak tree before she tumbled to her death.

A scream rose in her throat and strangled there as tears choked it out. It must have been another quake she felt, one that had opened up a jagged tear that tore across the land. It zigzagged through the parking lot, had toppled the fence, and swallowed the asphalt and gating within its depths.

Xander shoved Mary Ellen back as Bobby scrambled to get away from the vicious tear. Riley dimly realized that although it was a reddish color, it was only just water rapidly following the newly formed gulch. It must have flowed in from some nearby lake or river that had been opened up and released by this new gulf in the earth. The reddish color was due to the reflection being cast from the ever increasing inferno spreading throughout the stadium parking lot.

Water crashed as it tumbled over the earth in endless waves that pounded against the asphalt. A rising crescendo that blocked out all other sound reverberated through the air. The newly created river consumed everything it encountered within its deadly clutches. Bodies tumbled and flipped through the water. They still screamed in horror and pain as they were swept toward near certain death.

Riley released the branch and crept closer. Tears burned in her eyes and slid down her cheeks. Her chest ached with the desire to slip to her knees and wail out her misery and sorrow. Instead, she simply crept steadily closer to the new waterway that had torn the parking lot in half. She was still a quarter of the way up the hill when she stopped to stare across the vast abyss.

The water was a gushing torrent, an unrelenting force to be reckoned with. It splashed up against the shore, nearly at her feet as Al arrived at her side. Xander stepped forward, his toes much closer to the edge than she liked as he lifted a hand and waved.

From the opposite shoreline.

From the shoreline with the growing blaze, civilian soldiers, and lava. A shoreline that as far as she could see, in either direction, had effectively split the land in two. Even if they somehow found the end of the river, even if there was a place where they could cross, there was no guarantee they would be able to find each other again. She stared down the length of the river. Perhaps they could stay parallel, following each other until they found some way to cross it.

Even as she thought it she knew it would never be possible. There was far too much out there right now, it would be far too risky to stay out in the open, so exposed and vulnerable to every horrible thing that now crept over the earth. They would never be able to stay with each other, especially as the fire encroached upon them.

Mary Ellen and Bobby stood behind Xander; the looks on their faces echoed the despair that was rapidly spreading through Riley. Dirt skidded out from beneath Lee as he arrived at her side. A low curse escaped him.

"There's got to be some way for them to get across," Riley said frantically. "We can cut down a tree or some wood or…"

"What are you Paul Bunyan all of a sudden?" Lee demanded. "And do you happen to have an axe handy?"

"Lee." She was ashamed by the whimper that escaped her, ashamed by the almost childlike plea that radiated within it, but she couldn't help it. She'd lost her family today, she'd lost Carol, and now… Well now she'd lost someone that she'd punched just seven short hours ago, but he'd somehow become her rock.

She felt broken, hollow, she didn't know what to do, and she simply couldn't just stand here and watch them burn alive. The firelight played over Xander's dark blond hair, turning it strangely red in the hideous illumination. She couldn't lose him too, she simply couldn't.

She took a few steps forward, halting at the edge of the river as he turned back to her. More tears sprang into her eyes as a smile played over his face. "Xander." His name left her on a bare whisper that she knew didn't carry across the water.

"Go Riley!" Though she knew he shouted, she barely heard the words. He pointed up the hill. "Go!"

Bobby grabbed his arm and said something; Xander nodded briskly before turning back to her. "Sturbridge! I'll find you in Sturbridge!" She said the words, and labored to believe them, no matter how improbable they were.

Though he smiled at her, she sensed the sadness and grief just beneath it. "You bet you will!" He turned briefly away before spinning back to her. "I love you Dumbo!"

A short burst of laughter escaped Riley, she didn't know what he meant by it, and she didn't care as she shouted back, "I love you too you ass!"

Mary Ellen waved to Al who gave her a brief wave. "I'll see you soon, in Sturbridge!" Al shouted to her.

Mary Ellen nodded, she lingered briefly before she turned and started to jog away. Xander gave one last wave before turning and running with Mary Ellen and Bobby. They followed the direction of the newly created river as they fled the flames and lava. Riley clung to the tree as she watched them until she couldn't see them anymore. Her chest hurt and she was finding it increasingly difficult to stand.

"Riley come on, we have to go," Lee said gently. She blinked back the tears she didn't know she was still shedding as she tried to focus on him. "We can't stay here, we have to get the supplies and get moving."

Riley glanced up the hill; taking a deep breath she braced herself for the climb back up the awful thing. She refused to think about what was over that hill, what was beyond the stadium and what else lurked within the town that she no longer knew. She had no idea what hazards and new threats waited for them on this side of the river, or what other dangers awaited them on their long journey to Sturbridge. She'd been to Xander's grandparents house twice before, but she wasn't entirely certain she'd be able to find it again, or if it even still existed after today.

It took everything she had not to sit down and cry, not to give up like she longed to do. Not ready to die, she reminded herself firmly. And sitting down and caving was almost certain death.

She wouldn't mind a chance to sit down and throw a pity party for an hour or two though, she felt she deserved one. But then, so did Lee and Al, and just about every other person that had somehow managed to survive for this long.

"I'm sorry we were separated from Mary Ellen, was she a relative?" she inquired as a way to distract herself.

"A neighbor. We'll find them again, apparently in Sturbridge." Al smiled as he grasped hold of her arm. "I know we will."

Riley managed a wan smile as she nodded. "You're right, we will." She hoped she sounded as positive as he looked right now.

"Was that young man your boyfriend?"

"Just a friend," she mumbled. "I think." Lee rolled his eyes but refrained from commenting as they swiftly made their way through the woods toward where they had hidden their supplies. "His sister was my best friend. She ah… she died today."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

Riley couldn't meet his kind eyes as she shrugged. She had to fight against the tears that threatened to fall again. She felt like a broken spigot as she couldn't seem to turn them off. "It seems there's been a lot of death today."

"That there has," Al agreed as he squeezed her arm reassuringly. "But it hasn't been us."

"And it won't be," Lee said firmly.

"What do you have for supplies?" Al inquired.

"Some guns and food, but not much," Riley told him. "We'll have to find transportation somehow."

She met Lee's stern frown with a defiant glare. She knew it was stupid to trust people, but Al wasn't one of those people. She believed that Al was trustworthy and that he wouldn't hurt them. The circumstances of this day had thrust them together for at least the journey to Sturbridge, and if they were going to survive they were going to have to work together.

"I have a car. It's not much of one, but with any luck it will get us there. It will at least get us out of this town."

Riley perked up at Al's words. "As long as it has wheels, I don't care if I have to peddle it with my feet."

"That could end up being a real possibility!" he retorted with a laugh.

Though she still felt on the verge of tears, the pressure in her chest was easing as they arrived at the supplies they'd stashed away. Lee handed her the revolvers and belt. "I can handle a rifle," Al told him. "I used to do some hunting."

Lee hesitated before finally handing Al the gun. "Where is this car?"

"About a mile away, we hid it in a driveway, underneath a fallen pine."

Lee nodded and was rising to his feet when the loud fracture of a twig caused them all to jump and spin in the direction of the noise. Riley's breath froze in her lungs, her hand fell to the gun as another loud snap, followed by a muffled curse, drifted through the woods. Lee placed his finger against his mouth and nodded in the opposite direction.

Riley nodded agreement, the last thing she wanted to do was encounter anyone in these woods. Especially armed, terrified civilians much like herself.

She barely breathed as they crept through the woods, heading away from the pathway that had led them to the stadium. Though they moved away from the people that had been on their right hand side, she could hear other people creeping through the forest around them. She never spotted any of them, but she knew they were out there. She had never desired to be out of anywhere so badly in her life, as she did these woods, and they had weapons.

Xander and the others were out there alone, vulnerable to the whims of humans and the brutality of the ever changing earth. She could only pray that they would somehow make it, that they would be able to find something to defend themselves with, and more food supplies. She didn't pretend to know or understand what was going on, but she did know that Mother Nature was one royally pissed off bitch right now, and she was letting them know that with everything she had.

The only thing Riley knew for certain was that she was going to get in Al's car, and she was going to do everything possible to find Xander again. All she longed to do was hug him, and savor in his solid presence. All she craved was the person she'd hated this morning, come to rely on sometime during the day, and kind of thought she might actually be starting to fall in love with now.

It was insanity, she knew, but it was an insane world right now.

But then, if she thought about it, perhaps there had been feelings there all along. She'd always watched him, and been unreasonably angrier when Xander teased her than when others did. She'd always been excited to see him at Carol's, even if she'd never admitted it to herself, and would have denied it vehemently to anyone that asked. She'd been so intent upon being mad at him, upon not ruining her friendship with Carol, that she hadn't realized she actually had feelings for him.

She would find him again, and she didn't care what she had to do to make sure it happened. She focused on the goal of seeing him again, of escaping this town, as they stepped clear of the woods and onto the paved road of North Street.

Chapter 28

Carl,

Foxboro, Mass.

"What the…" John's voice trailed off as he leaned forward to peer out the window.

Carl eased up on the gas, unable to believe his eyes as trees bent and splintered like toothpicks beneath the crushing force of whatever was rocketing toward the truck. Rochelle's mouth dropped as she pressed her fingers against the dashboard.

Carl stomped on the gas pedal as he realized that the ground was shaking again. "What is that?" Rochelle demanded.

"I don't want to find out," Carl muttered but he knew they were going to.

The truck bounced over the uneven road as the increasing crash of trees and echoing rumble barreled through the woods toward the road. They were out of the way of impact, but even so Carl couldn't shake the feeling that they weren't going fast enough.

Rochelle turned around to look, but the bed of the truck made it impossible to see anything through the window behind them. She craned around John to peer into the side mirror as a wave of water burst free of the woods behind them. Carl gawked as trees, road, and people rocketed past within the newly created river that effectively blocked off the roadway behind them.

Carl eased off the gas, the truck idled as the water eased in its initial torrent. "It's never going to stop," John said.

"It has to, eventually. Doesn't it?" Rochelle asked. "I mean how much more can the earth take before it just implodes? How much more can we take?"

"As much as we have to," Carl informed her as he pressed on the accelerator again. "We don't have any other options."

"Not any good ones anyway," John agreed.

"Do you know where we are now?"

"No, but I know we're not going back."

Carl snorted as he shook his head. "That's for sure."

There was no turning around, and there was no way to know what lay ahead of them. Uneasiness grew in his stomach, his hands tightened on the wheel as he tried not to think about the possibility that they may be trapped in between one horror and another now. There were no side roads, or at least not any that they had come across yet. All he could do was pray that the road remained clear of any obstacles, or that they would at least come across another road.

Some of the houses around them were toppled and broken. Others were just the burnt remains that had ignited the trees around them. He saw no flames now, but that didn't mean they weren't just ahead of them, or in the woods that enclosed them on both sides. Then there was the lava, that hideous lava creeping through the town and more than likely running beneath it.

Over the years, he'd thought about the many ways he would probably go, lung cancer being number one, but never once had he entertained the idea of being consumed by lava. It had never even occurred to him that it was a possibility, and now that it had, he realized that it might quite possibly be one of the worst ways to go. In fact, he really couldn't think of anything worse. Well perhaps being eaten by a shark, but no matter how crazy this day had been, he was pretty certain he could still cross out the possibility of Jaws chomping down on him.

At least the lava would be quick. He hoped. However, he had no way of knowing and he really didn't intend to find out the answer.

The truck bounced as he eased it over a pothole that had divided the road. Shocks and struts groaned but the vehicle took the jarring well enough. Rochelle's hands were fisted on her lap, she was barely breathing. They made it another quarter of a mile before his worst nightmare was confirmed. He slid the truck to a stop as he stared in disbelief at the oak tree that had fallen across the road.

John's breath hissed out of him as he braced his hand against the dash. "What do we do?" Rochelle asked.

Carl turned to John. "Do you have your handsaw with you?"

"Are you out of your mind?" John demanded. "Do you know how long that will take?"

"Yes, but do you have a better idea?"

"Drive over it, it's not that big."

"And take the risk of puncturing the oil pan or radiator? We can't do it. Do you have your handsaw or not?"

"Yeah I think so. I have to check my bag." John jumped out of the truck and gestured for Rochelle to lean forward so he could pull the seat forward. She slid up as Carl jumped out to pull his own work bag from behind the seat. As mowers, they both had little use for their handsaws on a regular basis. Every once in awhile though, when the mowing season was winding down, they would find themselves on a tree crew or doing a Vista prune. Thankfully, they'd both been issued handsaws for those occasions.

Carl pushed aside ear plugs, weedwacker string, and assorted tools as he dug through his bag in search of the saw at the bottom of it. He pulled it out and inspected the blade, it was dull but it would have to do. John held up his saw, the tip of it was broken off, but at least it was still useable.

"What would you like me to do?" Rochelle asked.

"Stay with the truck for now," Carl told her. He turned the truck off, closed the door and turned to John. "We'll just cut it up enough so that we can move it."

"Sounds good to me."

Sweat was already beading down his forehead and trickling down his back before they made it to the tree. John was right, it was fairly small, but it was still going to be a bitch to chop up with their crappy handsaws. Sighing reluctantly, Carl lit a cigarette and knelt down next to the tree. His arms started to ache before he was even half way through the first cut. The increasing sweat coating him trickled into his eyes and made it difficult to keep hold of the saw. Sawdust bits annoyingly stuck to his skin. John let out a string of muffled curses and held up a bloody hand.

"Blade slipped," he muttered.

"Use the first aid kit in the truck."

The saw clattered to the ground as John rose and walked away. He left a trail of blood drops behind him as he went. Carl shook his head; he was amazed the kid hadn't managed to run his foot over with the lawn mower if he couldn't even use a handsaw without maiming himself. He glanced up as Rochelle knelt beside him and picked up the saw.

"You know how to use that?"

She turned it over in her hand. "It can't be that tough to figure out."

"Yeah well, tell that to John."

She grinned at him as she chuckled. "True. What do I do?"

He left his blade in the middle of his cut and slid hers into the groove that John had managed to create. "Just pull back and forth, and try not to cut yourself."

"Tell that to John."

He laughed as he returned to his saw. Grasping the tree, he pushed down on it as he tried to keep it from pinching at the blade. After another ten minutes the tree finally gave way with a satisfying crack. He moved five feet down and began to cut into another section. Though his arms were killing him, Rochelle was still persistently trying to cut through the tree with a fierce scowl of determination.

"Want me to do that?" John asked when he returned.

Rochelle's sweat dampened hair stuck to her face as she shook her head. "No, I got this."

John quirked an eyebrow as he snorted with laughter. "Good to know."

"Kneel on this," Carl instructed him.

Grasping hold of the tree, John put his weight on it as he bent it downward for Carl. The blade was almost through when a loud noise from the woods froze them all in place. Carl's hands clenched around the blade, he wiped the sweat from his brow as he searched for the source of the sound. Another harsh snap from the shadowed forest caused him to release the blade.

He glanced back at the truck. He'd been an idiot, a moron. He'd thought they were alone out here, and that no one else would be coming across them. He hadn't thought there would actually be people in the woods. But as another branch broke he knew that he'd been wrong. There were people there, and they were heading this way.

"Stay here."

He jumped to his feet and ran back toward the vehicle before John could respond. He was panting, barely able to breathe in the humid air when he threw open the passenger side door and dropped the glove box. He grabbed hold of the gun and snagged the keys out of the ignition just as three men emerged from the forest and onto the road. They stood on the other side of the tree just five feet away from Rochelle and John.

Carl's mouth went dry as he focused on the rifles they held. He subtly closed the glove box, slid the gun into his waistband and grabbed the bandages John had left on the front seat. He stepped away from the truck, pretending to wrap his hand as he watched them from behind the open passenger door. They were wearing camouflage but there was something about them that didn't seem right. Their postures were slouched, their shirts weren't tucked in, and though one of them sported a buzz cut, the hair on the other two was unruly.

Carl supposed that he could be wrong, but he had a feeling that these men weren't soldiers. Though he had the gun, he wasn't going to pull it out and start waving it at them. The last thing he needed was a standoff in the middle of the road, especially since they only had the one gun. He was terrified these people may just shoot first and ask questions later. Or they may just run screaming in the opposite direction.

Carl wasn't going to take the chance that they would start firing, not with John and Rochelle so close to them. Carl's heart hammered, a sickness started in the hollow of his belly as one of the men turned his attention to Rochelle. Carl's fingers twitched, fury boiled through him as the repulsive man began to grin creepily. He eyed her from head to toe and back again.

John leapt to his feet, his eyes narrowed, his hands fisted at his sides as he moved closer to Rochelle. The man, the Creeper, continued to watch Rochelle as she released the handsaw and rose to her feet. Carl's hand dropped to the gun, he stayed behind the door of the truck to keep the direction of his hand hidden from view. Rochelle edged back as John moved further in front of her.

"Hey," John greeted awkwardly.

Carl grasped hold of the butt of the gun as the three men turned their attention to him, and then the truck. A speculative gleam lit their eyes as they surveyed him. "Is that your truck?" Buzz cut inquired.

Carl thought it was pretty obvious it was their truck, but he refrained from telling them so. John took another step back, pushing against Rochelle as he maneuvered her further away from the tree. The one that had been leering at Rochelle slid the rifle off of his back and brought it around before him. He didn't aim at them, not yet, but the threat was implicit as he held it against his chest.

Carl knew they didn't have a chance at keeping this truck if these men decided to take it. He was just hoping to escape here with their lives, and judging by the actions of these men he wasn't overly convinced that was going to happen. He released the gun, knowing that if he pulled it out now Rochelle and John were as good as dead. He'd sworn he'd somehow get them through all of this; he was not going to be the cause of their deaths. They could find another truck, and other supplies later.

"Is it?" the guy demanded again.

"Yeah," John muttered as he glanced nervously back at Carl.

"Does it run?"

Buzz cut may be the dumbest individual Carl had ever come across. "Nope, we pushed it here."

Carl groaned inwardly at John's retort, he'd had the urge to say the same thing, but he'd managed to keep it back. Buzz cut's eyes narrowed as he lifted the rifle. From the looks of it, it was a twenty two, and definitely not military issue. It didn't even have a scope.

Carl's fingers twitched toward his gun again. There was a very good possibility these guys didn't have a clue what they were doing with those weapons. There may be a chance that he could defend them after all. Then the Creeper leveled the rifle at John's chest and Carl knew it didn't matter if they knew how to use the rifles or not. They were close enough to kill John and Rochelle before Carl even had his gun drawn.

John's hands rose cautiously into the air, Rochelle went deathly pale as her hands hesitatingly went up behind him. "You think you're funny?" Creeper demanded.

"No… Not at all," John stammered. "I didn't mean any harm."

"Does it have gas?" Buzz demanded.

John swallowed heavily and nodded. "It does."

"You, get away from it."

Carl lifted his hands in the air at the command and stepped away from the door. He wasn't about to tell Buzz that there was no way out in the other direction. They apparently weren't smart enough to figure that out, and Carl planned on being long gone before they did. Buzz stepped over the tree, his gun still focused on John as he moved toward the truck.

John took another step back, pushing Rochelle with him as they were herded toward Carl. Creeper and the other guy stepped over the tree with their guns raised. They didn't even know how to hold the freaking things, Carl realized. They weren't the most powerful of rifles, but with the way they were holding them there was still a decent possibility of dislocating their shoulder, or at least wrenching and bruising it pretty good.

Again he entertained thoughts of firing on them. It had been awhile, but he had to be a better shot than them. If there just weren't three of them…

Buzz reached the driver's side of the truck and leaned in. "Where are the keys?" he demanded.

"My pocket," Carl told him. Buzz leaned back out the window and came around the hood of the truck as Creeper and the other guy moved closer. "I'll get them."

He moved gingerly, certain they were going to shoot him as he slid his hand into his pocket. His fingers brushed over the solid muzzle of the gun. He ground his teeth together, so close and so far away, he thought in frustration.

Our lives are more important, he reminded himself as he tugged the keys free with a small jingle. "Toss them over."

Anger sizzled through him, but he threw the keys across the asphalt to the guy. Buzz didn't take his eyes off of them as he knelt and grabbed the keys. He nodded toward his two friends as he swung the rifle back over his shoulder and hurried toward the truck. "We're just going to let them take it?" John murmured.

"Do you have a better plan?" A muscle twitched in John's cheek but he shook his head as he turned helplessly toward Carl. "We'll find another truck, more supplies."

"Yeah," John muttered. Carl helplessly watched the other two men approached the truck.

"What about the girl?" Carl and John both stiffened at Creeper's question.

"What about her?" Buzz inquired.

"We should take her with us."

Carl's breath froze in his lungs as Buzz and the other guy eyed Rochelle with new interest. Rochelle's eyes rolled toward Carl as his hand slid to his waistband. They could take the truck but he was not going to let them walk out of here with her. "No," he grated through clenched teeth. "Just take the truck and go."

"What are you going to do to stop me?" Creeper demanded as he stepped closer.

John knocked Creeper's hand aside when he grasped for Rochelle. She whimpered low in her throat as she staggered backwards. "You are not taking her," John said forcefully.

John went deathly white as Creeper lifted the rifle and pointed the barrel at his chest. To his credit though, John didn't back down and he didn't step aside. "I will shoot you."

"No!" Rochelle cried as she lurched forward. "No don't hurt him! I'll go with you!"

"No you won't!" John retorted.

Creeper shoved John out of the way as Rochelle tried to get past him. Carl used the distraction to pull the gun out of his waistband just as Creeper got his hands on Rochelle. He slammed the muzzle of it against the guy's temple, fighting the urge to just pull the trigger and just kill the sick son of a bitch.

"Let her go. You can take the truck, we won't fight you on it, but you're not taking her," Carl told him.

Creeper didn't move but his eyes slid to Carl and crossed as he tried to see the gun pressed against his temple. "I can shoot your friend."

"You can, but I'll still shoot you, and unlike you I know how to use my weapon."

Out of the corner of his eye Carl saw the other two raise their rifles and aim at them. There was a good possibility they were about to be shot, but there was no way he was going to let them take Rochelle out of here without a fight. He'd rather be dead than live with himself if he allowed that to happen.

"She's just a child. Just let her go and leave. We're not looking for any problems. Please, just go." For a second Carl thought the guy was going to see reason, that he was going to let Rochelle go, and then his hand tensed around her and he pulled her another step forward. "Don't," Carl warned.

"It's okay. I'll… I'll go with him," Rochelle stammered out. "I don't want anyone to get shot."

"That's not an option," John said firmly. "You don't know what they'll do to you."

"I know what they'll do to you," she whispered.

"Listen to the girl," Creeper muttered.

Carl pressed the gun harder against his temple, hard enough to make his head tilt to the side. Rochelle pushed against them as Creeper reached for her again. An echoing shot pierced the air. Carl shouted as he tumbled backward with John and Rochelle. Blood splattered over them as Creeper howled and reeled backward. His weapon fell to the ground with a metallic clatter that made Carl wince and shy away from the bouncing weapon.

What remained of the hand Creeper had been using to hold the rifle was bloody and brutalized as he held it up before him. Buzz lifted his rifle, spun in the direction the shot had come from, and fired crazily. Buzz's head snapped back as another gunshot exploded. He toppled to the ground with a bullet hole dead center in his forehead.

Their remaining friend stood before the truck. The front of his pants was wet, and strange noises issued from him. Carl knew exactly how the guy felt and was grateful for the fact that his bladder hadn't released itself also. The guy threw his rifle down, spun on his heel and fled down the road. Creeper was still screaming at the ruined remains of his hand as he staggered toward the tree.

It was one of the most repulsive things Carl had ever seen, but he didn't feel one ounce of sympathy for the man. Creeper finally regained enough sense to turn around and run. He stumbled over the tree, fell in the road and then got up and fled into the woods, screaming like a banshee the entire way.

Carl adjusted his hold on the gun as he turned to face the new threat that had arrived. A threat that was apparently just as well armed, and much more adept with the firearms than the one that had just fled. He lifted the small revolver and aimed it at the three people that already had their weapons aimed back at him.

Chapter 29

Al

Foxboro, Mass.

"Put your weapon down," Al said far more calmly then he felt.

"You put your weapon down," the guy sporting the Red Sox cap and holding the gun retorted.

Al shifted his hold on the rifle. He didn't relish the idea of firing the weapon again, but he would if he had to. Thankfully, he appeared to have a sharp shooter standing beside him, one that seemed to be fully capable of taking care of herself. If something happened he would have someone to cover him at least. Riley's hand shook on the gun; she lowered it briefly before jerking it back up to point at the guy.

"We don't mean you any harm," Al assured him.

"You have three guns pointed at us, we have one. If you mean that then lower your rifle."

There was a shuffling amongst the group and then a head popped out from between the two men. The younger guy tried to push the girl back but she shrugged him off as she stepped forward. "Mr. Shandling?"

The shock of hearing his name tore his attention from Red Sox to the young girl staring questioningly at him. Al was momentarily confused. Dirt, sweat, and splatters of blood obscured her features as she took another step toward him. "Rochelle?" he gasped.

She broke into a brilliant smile that lit her dark eyes. "Yeah, yeah, it's me." Baseball tried to grab her back again. "It's okay. I know him."

She broke free of Baseball and the younger guy and barreled toward him. Al lowered the rifle seconds before she flung herself at him and wrapped her arms around his waist. He'd never really known the girl, had exchanged only a few words with her over the years, but even so he had to fight back tears as he wrapped his arms around her slender frame.

Something had finally gone right today; something finally made sense, something good had finally happened. He'd wanted to find her, almost as badly as Mary Ellen, but he hadn't really thought it would happen. Now, he was holding her, looking at her, and her mother was somewhere else entirely. It hadn't been the perfect reunion, but it would be, he was determined of that much.

"What are you doing here?" Rochelle demanded.

"Looking for you actually," he replied with a laugh.

She pulled her head from his chest and pushed back the straggling strands of hair from her face. "For me?"

"Your mom and I, we've been looking for you all day."

Hope sprang into her eyes as they began to flit frantically around. She focused on Riley and Lee briefly before looking toward him again. "We were just separated," he reluctantly informed her.

"But she's okay?" she croaked.

"She's okay," he confirmed.

"And my dad? Is he with her?"

Al shifted uncomfortably. He couldn't lie to the girl, but it wasn't his place to tell her that her father was dead. Something in his expression must have said what he couldn't though. Her face fell and tears began to slide down her cheeks, leaving a trail through the dirt and blood.

"Oh," she breathed.

"I'm sorry." She shook her head as she buried it against his chest. Al's heart broke for her as he hugged her against his chest, the man had been a bastard but it was still her father. Baseball lowered his gun and began to approach with the younger guy right behind him. Al watched them, but he wasn't overly worried about them anymore, and Riley and Lee still had their guns ready if the necessity should arise.

"Your mom is going to be so happy to see you," Al told her. Rochelle nodded but didn't pull her head from his shirt.

"Is he dead?" Riley croaked.

For the first time Al noticed that she was starting to rival Casper in color. He longed to connect with her, to steady her as her hand shook on the gun, but Rochelle was clinging to him like a monkey to a tree. "Riley?" he asked worriedly.

"Is he dead? Is the guy dead?" she demanded, her voice tinged with hysteria.

"You shot him in the head Ri," Lee retorted. "Even zombies don't come back from that. Nice shot."

A low moan escaped her, Al recoiled and the two new guys jumped back as the gun she held slid from her limp fingers and clattered to the road. She spun away from them and vomited in the middle of the road. The younger of the two guys made a gagging noise as he turned away from the sight. Baseball cocked an eyebrow as Riley took a stumbling step back and collapsed onto her knees.

Lee forgot all about watching the new guys as he dropped to her side. He wrapped his arm around her as he awkwardly attempted to soothe her. "I was aiming for his leg!" she wailed.

"Oh," Lee said dully.

Al heaved a sigh as he glanced at her discarded gun and then back at Riley. She was young, not as young as Rochelle, but far too young to have been handed the burden that she would now have to carry. It wasn't a burden he would want either. He'd thought her more experienced with weapons and the responsibilities that came with them. Instead, she was just a lucky shot.

Baseball walked over and snatched Riley's discarded gun off the ground. Al took a step forward as his heart lurched in his chest. The amazement over reuniting with Rochelle had caused him to lower his guard, but even as he thought it Baseball knelt before Riley and handed the butt of the gun out to her.

"This may not be what you would like to hear Miss, but what you just did wasn't wrong. Not in this world, not anymore." He thrust a finger toward Rochelle. "What those men were doing was wrong. They were trying to take her, and I don't have to tell you what they would have done to her if they had succeeded. They were going to kill us if you hadn't come along."

Tears streamed down Riley's face, but she seemed to be regaining control of herself as she managed a small nod. The men held the gun more incessantly toward her but she continued to eye it as if it were a nasty spider. He took hold of her hand and gently wrapped it around the butt of the gun. "You saved our lives and I thank you. You are going to need this though, and with this world the way it is right now, and until you learn how to use it, I suggest you continue to aim at their legs."

Riley blinked at him in disbelief and then a harsh bark of laughter escaped her as she seized the gun. Though she didn't seem entirely in control yet, she didn't look as if she was going to require a straitjacket anytime soon either. "I will."

Baseball continued to study her before rising to his feet and turning to Al. "I'm Carl."

Al shifted his hold on Rochelle in order to accept the work worn hand that Carl extended to him. "Al."

"It seems we owe you a thanks also Al. You didn't know she was with us," Carl said with a nod at Rochelle.

It wasn't a question but Al answered anyway. "No, I didn't. We simply saw you trying to keep a young girl from being taken." Al didn't tell him that they had almost walked past, that they had almost decided it wasn't their place to get involved, until they realized what was going on. He didn't think he'd take the chance of ever just walking by something again. "How do you know Rochelle?"

"We ran into her, almost literally, in Middleboro." The other guy stepped forward and offered his hand. "John."

Al shook it briefly. "Nice to meet you both."

"How do you know each other?" Carl inquired.

"We were neighbors."

Carl nodded as he dug into his pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. Al had quit smoking over twenty years ago, but even so he felt a flash of envy as Carl lit the cigarette and inhaled deeply. "Small world."

"So I've been told," Al agreed. "And getting smaller."

Carl snorted. "Appears to be."

"Where were you heading?"

"Looking for her parents actually," John answered. "You know where her mother is?"

"Not anymore, a newly formed river separated me and Mary Ellen, and them from their friends." He nodded toward Riley and Lee. "We know where they'll be heading though."

"We saw the river," Carl told him as he stomped on his butt. "Crazy f'd up world right now."

"That's putting it mildly," Lee retorted.

"Is she okay, my mom?" Rochelle inquired anxiously.

"She was the last time I saw her," Al assured her.

"Xander will keep her safe." Though Riley was still ashen, sweating, and a sickly shade of green, she seemed to be piecing herself together as Lee helped her to her feet.

"Are you sure?" Rochelle whispered.

Riley nodded and swallowed heavily. She made a face as she wiped at her mouth. "I know he will."

Rochelle brushed the tears from her eyes and straightened her shoulders. "I want to see her."

"You will." Al didn't like making promises he didn't know if he could keep, but he would keep this one. "I'll get you there."

"Ah." Carl looked to John who stared back at him before shrugging. "Mind if we tag along? I'd like to make sure she finds her mom, or at the very least gets somewhere safe."

"As would I," John interjected. "And we have nowhere better to be, nothing better to do."

"What about your family?" Lee inquired.

"My family has been gone for awhile," Carl answered.

"John found out his parents were gone earlier today," Rochelle said in a choked voice. John glanced at her before turning his attention to the woods. He swallowed repeatedly as he blinked rapidly. "I didn't plan on going anywhere without you two."

Carl smiled at her but John couldn't tear his gaze from the woods. Al wasn't going to argue with them, or protest Rochelle's words. There was safety in numbers, and it was becoming abundantly clear that they all needed more allies and protection. Besides, they barely even knew Rochelle, yet they had been willing to die to keep those men from taking her. He didn't think they would find many better men out there.

Plus the truck looked a lot more reliable, and would be far more of an asset, than the car.

"Safety in numbers," Al said.

Lee snickered but didn't protest; Riley stepped forward to introduce herself in a tremulous voice. "I'm Riley, and this is Lee."

John regained control of himself enough to turn and shake her hand. Rochelle stepped away from Al; he didn't know what she had in mind until she threw her arms around Riley's waist and hugged her. Riley's eyes widened as she was rocked by the force of Rochelle's slender frame.

"Thank you," Rochelle whispered.

Tears shimmered in Riley's eyes, her head bowed as she hugged the smaller girl back. Al had to turn away as the strange urge to cry seized hold of him. They'd all lost everything they'd ever known today, homes, friends; family. However, looking at the hodgepodge group gathered around him, he began to feel a bond with mankind that he hadn't felt in years, at least not since Nellie died. There was a growing trust here, a need, a love for others simply because they were also human. They were all somehow weathering the anarchy with some sort of decency, and a respect to others who were suffering and lost and frightened.

For the first time in so very long, he was reminded of the simple, honest good that resided in most of mankind, even on the worst of days.

"You're welcome," Riley whispered.

"Where are you supposed to meet up?" John asked.

"Sturbridge," Lee answered. "At Xander's grandparents, if their house is still there."

"What if it's not?"

"We'll figure it out then, but first we have to get there," Riley answered. "It's normally only about an hour from here…"

"But nothing's normal anymore," Carl finished when she trailed off.

"Exactly. If they beat us there Xander will wait for us, as I'm sure your mom will wait for Al, and if we beat them we'll wait also," Riley said forcefully.

"No complaints here," Carl assured her. "Like John said we have nothing better to do, and I'd like to have something to focus on other than the possible apocalypse."

"Possible?" Lee inquired.

Carl shrugged. "It's not completely official yet."

"After what we saw at the stadium I'd say it's pretty official."

"You were at the stadium?" John inquired.

Riley's lip curled in a sneer as she shook her head. "Big mistake, and between the lava and the river, there's nothing left."

"There's more lava?" Rochelle gasped.

"Unfortunately," Lee told her. "You also saw some?"

"We traveled through the town to get here. Past the center of town, heading toward the stadium we were blocked by a giant crater that was filled with the stuff," Carl informed them.

"Sounds like where the state hospital was," Riley murmured.

"You know the town well?" Carl asked.

She managed a feeble smile as she nodded. "It's our town, or it was anyway. Doesn't seem like there's much left of it."

"I'm sorry, but if it makes you feel any better there were a number of survivors gathered in the center."

"It does actually," Lee said. "Hopefully they stay that way."

"You can get us out of here then?" John asked enthusiastically.

"We can try, but it's not exactly the same town we grew up in," Riley told him.

"There's a tree blocking our way. We were in the process of cutting it up to move it when those guys appeared." Carl lit another cigarette as he nodded toward the front of the truck.

For the first time Al noticed the small oak blocking the way. "We'll give you a hand with it. Do you know how to use that gun?"

"I do."

"Anyone else?" They all shook their heads in response. "Okay, we'll keep watch while they work on the tree."

Carl nodded in agreement as he turned and walked back toward the front of the truck. John and Rochelle followed close behind, but Al hung back for Riley as Lee joined John by the tree. "He was right you know." Riley was still exceedingly pale and there was a hollowness to her that hadn't been there even after she'd been separated from Xander. "You did what had to be done; you didn't hesitate to pull that trigger when it was necessary. That doesn't make you a bad person Riley; it makes you a person that keeps your head and does what's necessary when it's required.

"I've never killed a man before, so I'm not going to pretend to know how you feel, but you saved three lives today. Keep that in mind when the guilt starts to eat at you." Her lashes were coated with tears as she blinked them back. "You're not a bad person Riley, even if you're afraid you might be."

"How did you know?" she breathed.

"I've been around awhile," he replied with a small smile. She swallowed heavily and nodded. "Now, since you're obviously capable of firing that gun, and at least hitting something with it, are you going to help Carl and I or are you going to help with the tree?"

Riley didn't blink as she stared at him. Al knew it was an important decision for her to make. Was she going to continue to fight, or was she going to allow others to do it for her from here on out? The others didn't have to make that choice yet, they may never have to make it though that was doubtful, but she did.

"I'll watch with you and Carl."

Al couldn't stop the grin that split his face as relief filled him. He didn't know if she'd ever pull that trigger again, but at least she wasn't going to completely slink away and hide. "Good."

Al kept his attention focused on the back of the truck, while Riley watched the other direction, and Carl suspiciously studied the woods. "You're from Cape Cod?" Al inquired as he spotted the Sandwich address on the side of the vehicle.

"Yeah," Carl answered.

"How bad was it there?"

"Let's just say not many made it off after us. Thankfully, we were at work so we took the truck."

"That bad?"

"There was a tsunami. A freaking tsunami," Carl answered with a shake of his head.

Al nodded as he continued to study the land. "Yeah, there was one in Newport too."

Rochelle glanced at him questioningly, he shook his head at her and she returned to helping John with the tree. Relief filled him when Lee and John tossed the last log into the woods and wiped their hands on their dirty shirts. "I'll have John ride in the back so you can ride up front," Carl told him as he reappeared at Al's side.

Al shook his head. "I appreciate it, but I've got a car stashed not far from here with some supplies."

Carl grinned at him as he lit another cigarette. "Great. Two vehicles are far better than one."

"Until we need gas."

Carl thrust a thumb at the truck. "She's got enough to get us to Sturbridge and we have a little extra in the back. Plus some food and water." It took everything Al had not to hug the guy. "Would you like to ride in the truck till we get to the car?"

Al would have loved a minute to just sit and relax, but now was not the time, and the last time he'd relaxed he'd fallen asleep and nearly been eaten by lava. "I'll walk; thanks."

Carl and John retreated to the truck while Rochelle walked down the bumpy road with them. Al tiredly made his way up the driveway to where he'd stashed the car. Carl pulled the truck into the driveway behind them. "There's a pool you can use to clean up a little," Al informed them as he opened the gate to the pool area.

Carl, Rochelle, and John practically trampled each other in their rush to get at the water. Instead of simply washing off, John and Rochelle threw their arms out and dove into the water. Carl shook his head at them as he knelt at the side and began to wash his face and arms. "You're going to get the truck wet."

"Worth it," John told him as he shook back his shaggy wet hair.

Al retrieved the keys from the flipper and reemerged to find Rochelle and John already climbing out of the pool. They both jumped and danced as they rang out their shirts in an attempt to get dry. "We'll be dry in no time in this heat," Rochelle informed Carl.

They followed him back to the car and waited as he maneuvered it out from under the tree. "You weren't kidding about this not being much of a car," Riley muttered.

"Stealers can't be choosers," Al informed her.

Riley, Lee, Carl, and John laughed in response, Rochelle looked horrified. "You stole a car!?" she blurted.

"Your mother helped."

"Wow," she breathed as she nodded approvingly. "Go mom."

Lee shook his head as he opened the door and shoved the garbage to the other side. Al opened the trunk and pulled out the handgun he'd taken back from Rita, an event that seemed like a lifetime ago now. He handed it out to John. "Even if you don't know how to use it you should probably have it."

"I'd like to stay with Carl and John. John can't read a map," Rochelle said. Al almost protested, but what could he really say? She wasn't his child, and it was obvious these two weren't going to harm her.

John scowled at her as he folded his arms over his chest. "That comment just earned you more time in the middle," he informed her.

She grinned at him. "That's okay."

"We'll lead," Riley said as she walked around to the passenger side. "Route One was a mess, but we know some back roads that will hopefully get us to Wrentham and maybe, fingers crossed, Franklin."

Carl and John nodded as they retreated back to the truck. John held the door open for Rochelle and waited for her to climb in before following her. Riley rested her arm on the roof of the car as she leaned across it to study him. "Are you ready for an adventure Al?"

"What's the rest of this day been?" he asked in surprise.

"An experience. It's been an experience, but I have a feeling this is when the real fun begins. This is when the shit hits the fan so to speak."

Al stared at where she'd stood even after she disappeared into the car. He yearned to believe that she was wrong, that it wasn't going to get worse; that it simply had to get easier. But Al had never been one to lie to himself, and he wasn't going to start now. She was right. Things were going to get a lot more grueling before they got easier. He just hoped they were all up for the challenge as he drove back onto the road.

Chapter 30

Xander

Foxboro, Mass.

They kept close to the river as they jogged across the parking lot toward the highway. Staying to the river wouldn't have been his first choice, but he'd far prefer to jump into it and take his chances with the water, rather than try and fight the lava. The current was still strong but there was a chance they could survive it now.

He didn't like the idea of being in the crowd, didn't trust most of the people around him, but there was no escaping it. Not anymore.

His lungs and legs were already burning; the heat of the day was dragging him down faster than he had anticipated. "We have to get a car," he panted to Bobby.

"No kidding," Bobby muttered.

Mary Ellen placed a hand against her side as she winced. "Al and I had one, but it's on the other side of the river now." Relief filled him as he realized that at least Riley and Lee would have a vehicle. "We stole it."

Mary Ellen stared forcefully at him with assessing eyes. He knew she was trying to judge his reaction, trying to see how far he was willing to go. There wasn't much he wasn't willing to do to stay alive, and to find Riley and Lee again though. "I guess we're stealing a car," he said.

She smiled wanly at him as she nodded her approval. The crowd jostled and bumped against him as it bottlenecked toward what remained of the gates they had entered through. Xander grabbed Mary Ellen's arm, pulling her closer to him as Bobby pressed against her other side and elbowed the people pushing and shoving at him. Xander turned sideways to maneuver through the crush. It wouldn't be the lava, or even the river that killed them he realized, it would be the stupidity of the people that wouldn't stop shoving and trampling each other long enough to escape the hazards coming their way.

"Xander!" He glanced at Bobby over top of Mary Ellen's head. He was pointing to the left where a group of people were pushing against the fencing. He nodded to Bobby and began to shove his way through the crowd to join the growing mob trying to take the fence down.

His fingers curled through the holes of the metal fence as he thrust his weight against it. A loud groan went through the crowd as one of the poles twisted and bent, but didn't quite give way. He could almost feel the sand slipping through the hourglass as his lifespan seemed to be shortening by the second. He refused to look back the way they had come.

"Now!" someone shouted.

He thrust his weight forward again. Something snapped somewhere; a startled cry ran through the crowd as the fencing gave way without warning. He tripped, nearly fell, but managed to catch himself before he was flattened beneath the rush of people shoving against his back. Other people weren't as lucky as they were thrown forward and instantly trampled.

He turned away as someone screamed from beneath the horde. He caught only a brief glimpse of a woman in her fifties before she was buried. His stomach somersaulted but he grasped Mary Ellen's arm again and fled as fast as he possibly could. Bobby met his gaze briefly, looking sick as he shook his head and turned away.

They pounded over the pavement, running toward the highway and away from the screams of misery and anguish that howled endlessly over the open expanse. He shuddered as more screams filled the air.

"Don't look back!" he hissed at Mary Ellen when she turned sideways. "There's nothing any of us want to see back there. Not anymore."

Though tears shimmered in her eyes, she turned back around and focused on the land ahead of them. They climbed up a steep embankment before arriving at the ruined expanse of road that had once been the highway. Cars were scattered everywhere, most were broken down but a few looked like viable options. Unfortunately, they were also viable options for the entire crowd spilling onto the road with them.

His teeth clenched as his breath hissed out of him. Glass began to shatter around them, shouts and cries went up. He was pulling Mary Ellen toward a newer looking Chevy when two men reached it first. One of the men eyed him warily, but Xander wasn't going to fight them for it. Five other men began to fight over a Jeep that was sitting half in a ditch. Xander took a step back as it dissolved into a physical altercation he knew none of them were going to win.

"We should get off this road. We're never going to find anything here," he said as he turned away from the increasing brawl.

"You're right," Bobby agreed.

They jogged across the medium, and the other side of the road, before entering the woods. They wound their way through the trees before coming across a side road that was far quieter than the pandemonium they had left behind. They cautiously moved down the tranquil street, catching their breaths as they searched for another vehicle, but there were far less options here than there had been on the highway.

"There's a car down there." Bobby pointed down a long, tree lined drive to where the back end of a car was clearly visible.

"I don't think it's a great idea to go strolling up someone's drive right now," Xander told him.

"I know it's not a great idea to walk all the way to Sturbridge, and we might as well check it out."

Mary Ellen bit her lip as she turned to him. "It can't hurt."

It could hurt if the wrong person lived here, and that was exactly what he was fearful of, but even so he nodded his agreement. Bobby was right, walking wasn't going to accomplish much, and there weren't many other options available to them right now. "We'll go through the woods."

"Wasn't going any other way," Bobby replied with a weak smile.

They slid back into the woods as they cautiously approached the house. Gathering at the edge of the tree line, they stopped to inspect the small ranch nestled within the clearing. No lights were on, but he hadn't expected any. This close he was able to tell that it was a new Cadillac parked in the drive; the black paint gleamed in the sun over his left shoulder. It would be a good car to have, if they could get their hands on it. He didn't see anyone moving within the home and didn't hear any sounds as they waited for over ten minutes before he finally broke the silence.

"Maybe I should knock."

"It's not going to kill you," Bobby told him with a tight smile.

Xander shot him a dark look as he stepped cautiously from the tree line. "A Smith and Wesson will though," he muttered. He felt like a cartoon character as he approached the house one awkwardly creeping step at a time. He kept waiting for a boom, kept waiting for someone to shout at him to stop where he was. Eerie silence continued to engulf him.

He winced as the screen door creaked open beneath his hand. He'd make for one crappy burglar he decided as another loud creak filled the air. He stood breathlessly but everything remained still. Bracing himself, he raised his hand and knocked quickly on the door. He almost ducked down and covered his head just in case, but somehow managed to keep himself from looking like a complete idiot as he stood on the stoop.

When nothing but silence continued to greet him he knocked again and rang the bell. "That might have been a better first choice."

He nearly jumped out of his skin as Bobby's voice sounded over his right shoulder. "You finally decided to stop hiding in the woods?" he demanded.

Bobby shrugged as he grinned at him and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Thought you might like a little help, you're horrible at this stuff."

"And you're a pro?"

"Far from. I don't think anyone's home though."

"Why would they leave that car behind?" Mary Ellen inquired. "It's brand new."

"Maybe they had a better option, maybe it doesn't have any gas; maybe they just panicked and went to the stadium or something. Who knows what they were thinking, but maybe they left the keys," Xander replied.

Bobby stepped away from the house and hurried over to the car. He tried the door but it was locked. "Not very trusting!" he called over to them.

Xander turned back to the door and grabbed hold of the knob. If they locked their car, in their own driveway, he highly doubted the house would be open and he wasn't disappointed. Mary Ellen handed him a broken piece of cobble from the garden edging next to the door. Xander held his breath as he used the cobble to break out the bottom pane in the window. He slid his arm through and fumbled with the locks before swinging the door slowly open.

He stood awkwardly in the doorway as he peered into the shadowed interior of the home. He felt like he was trapped in a bad horror movie as he called out, "Hello."

The only thing that broke the silence was the distant tick of a clock in another room. He hesitated in the threshold, feeling extremely uncomfortable with just walking into someone's house, even if he had just busted out their window. He put all morals aside though and stepped inside. "Hello!" he called again even though he knew there would be no answer.

He nodded to Mary Ellen and Bobby before making his way into the kitchen. He searched the table and countertops for the keys but found nothing. The grandfather clock, steadily ticking away the time, was in the corner of the living room. Bobby was already there, staring at a family portrait of a middle aged couple and their two children, a girl and boy that appeared to be about ten and twelve in age.

"They were the perfect all American family," Bobby said.

"They could still be alive. There's two of them, I'm sure they had two vehicles."

Bobby's eyes were haunted as they met his. "Yeah, maybe."

"Come on, help me find the keys."

Mary Ellen was coming out of the bathroom when they entered the hallway. Xander assumed the door at the end was most likely the parent's room as he made his way toward it. He thrust the door open and instantly recoiled as he was slapped in the face by the atrocity within the room. The scent of decay and something more, something worse, washed over him. Two bodies lay in the center of the bed. Pink, raw flesh clung to bones almost clearly visible through the remaining blood and sinew enfolding their frames. Clumps of skin and muscle had fallen onto the bed around the skeletal remains. It looked as if someone, or something, had dumped boiling water all over them. Except there was no puddle of water on the floor around them, and other than bodily fluids, there appeared to be no other liquids.

Mary Ellen turned away and wretched. "What happened to them?" Bobby's voice was ragged and broken.

Xander didn't have the first freaking idea what had happened to them. He couldn't even begin to fathom what had caused this hideous, foul smelling, goopy mess to form in the center of a perfectly normal bedroom in what used to every day America.

"Cover your mouths!" Mary Ellen commanded.

"What?" Xander inquired.

He turned to find her covering her mouth and nose with her shirt. "Cover your mouths! It might be something in the air! Some kind of gas, or something that was emitted with one of the quakes."

Xander pulled his shirt over his mouth but he doubted it would do him any good. If it was some kind of gas that had caused this it was already too late. He'd already breathed it in, they all had. The stench of it was seared into his nostrils and he thought it would forever be engrained in his memory.

"We should leave," Bobby grumbled.

The crappy cosmetic jokes kept on coming though, as Xander spotted the keys on the nightstand next to one of the leaking messes that had once been a human being. They'd come this far, they'd witnessed this, they may have inhaled only God knew what, he wasn't leaving without those keys.

"I'll be right back."

"Xander!" Bobby hissed. He thrust a finger at the nightstand. Bobby had been flushed but his face paled visibly as he saw the keys. He closed his eyes, shook his head, and then nodded. "Yeah okay, yeah."

Straightening his shoulders and steeling his resolve, Xander held his breath as he stepped into the room. He made his way across the room much faster than he had across their front yard. He didn't mean to look at the bodies again, but even so he found his eyes inexplicably drawn toward them as his hand curled around the keys. He tried to wrap his mind around what he was seeing; tried to somehow assimilate this scene into the mind that had been eating a bowl of oatmeal, and reading the comics at seven o'clock this morning. The two worlds didn't belong together. One was a world of far more simplicity and safety than he had realized. The other was a world he wasn't even certain would be around for much longer.

He pulled the keys from the nightstand and turned back to find Bobby and Mary Ellen hovering uncertainly in the doorway. Mary Ellen was still covering her mouth and nose, but Bobby seemed to have come to the same conclusion as Xander as he'd released his shirt. Xander was halfway back across the room when he spotted the six inch wide gap in the floor. It started by the door to the closet, and ran for about a foot before disappearing under the bureau, and into the room behind the wall. Whatever had come into this house, and caused this mess, had come in through that gap, he was certain of it.

He hurried from the room and closed the door behind him. He glanced at the other two closed doors. The last thing in the world he would choose to do was look in there, but he knew he couldn't leave here without knowing. He'd never stop wondering if he'd left the children behind. "Mary Ellen why don't you go into the kitchen," he suggested.

She frowned at him. "Aren't we leaving?"

"In a minute. They had children, I…" his voice trailed off, he found he couldn't look at her as he focused on the school pictures behind her shoulder. The little girl was adorable with her pigtails and missing front tooth. He shuddered as a chill slid down his spine. "I can't leave here until I'm sure."

Her shoulders slumped as she glanced at the pictures. Without a word she turned and disappeared from the hall. "I'll understand if you go too." Bobby stood uncertainly, his eyes broken and distant as he glanced between the two rooms. "Go," Xander urged.

Bobby was a good guy, his best friend, but he'd always been the gentler soul in the group, the most easily wounded and the kindest. This was something that may very well break him, and though Xander absolutely did not want to do this alone, he could handle it. He didn't think Bobby could.

"It's okay Bobby, go. I'll be fine."

"I'm sorry," he whispered before turning and hurrying from the hallway.

Xander tried to gather his courage. He felt so unbelievably alone right now, and though he was terrified for Riley, worried about her safety, he was grateful that she hadn't been here for this. He hoped they didn't decide to enter any residences, but he thought the chances of that were slim. Even if they didn't enter a home, they would probably wander into stores or restaurants in search of supplies. He imagined that if this had happened here, it had happened at other places too.

Taking a deep breath, Xander grasped hold of the knob and opened the door. He closed it quickly, unwilling to dwell on the scene of the little pink bed and what lay within. The son, in his school picture, was older than the girl with darker hair and a red bowtie that Xander was certain his parents had forced him to wear. He swallowed heavily and thrust the door open.

He closed it again and strode swiftly from the hall. He felt empty and numb as he forced himself not to look at the family pictures on his way back to the kitchen. Mary Ellen was in the doorway; she wiped her eyes quickly when he entered.

Bobby was standing by the fridge, his gaze on his feet. "I was going to see if they had some food we could take, but I don't trust anything from here," he muttered.

"Neither do I," Xander agreed.

He closed the door quietly behind him as they left. He was unwilling to linger as he hurried down the steps and toward the Cadi. Unlocking the door he slid into the leather seats. His hands shook as he tried to slide the key into the ignition; he couldn't get them to work right for him. He couldn't get anything to work right for him today.

He didn't know what came over him, didn't know what happened, but something inside of him snapped as fury surged to the forefront and a bellow of rage tore from him. He smashed his hands against the steering wheel as he continued to shout and yell and beat on the car in frustration and anger. Grasping hold of the steering wheel, his jaw clenched as he yelled again and jerked on the wheel.

He screamed for the unfairness of it all, for the children in the pictures, and the countless other children that would never have a chance to grow up. He screamed for Carol and his parents and everyone else that had been lost today.

He didn't know how long he bellowed and carried on like a madman, but when he was done his throat was sore, he was dripping sweat, and he was shaking from the violence that still shimmered beneath his surface.

Still alive, he reminded himself. You're still alive, Bobby is still alive, Lee is still alive, and Riley is still alive.

His head bowed and took a shuddery breath as he regained control of himself. They had to get out of here, they had to get to Sturbridge; he had to find Lee and Riley. He needed to hold her, and he had to know that they were safe. He would feel better then.

"Get in," he ground out between his clenched teeth.

Bobby hesitated before sliding into the passenger seat. "You okay?" he inquired.

Xander managed a nod as Mary Ellen closed her door. He'd expected to see fear or uncertainty in her gaze as she met his eyes in the rearview mirror; instead she gave him a brief nod. "Thank you."

He couldn't look at her anymore as he managed to slide the key into the ignition on his first try. "Please have gas," he pleaded as he twisted the key.

The Cadi started with a melodious hum of the engine. Relief filled him; he actually released a harsh laugh when he spotted the nearly full tank of gas. "Almost full," he announced as he put the car into reverse and backed out of the drive. "Finally something has gone right today."

Bobby patted him on the shoulder. "Two things for you man, you got the girl. Finally."

He glanced at Bobby out of the corner of his eye. "I guess, but I don't know where she is right now."

"What else is new? Riley's always gone out of her way to avoid you."

He managed a small laugh and smile for his friend. He should feel relieved; he should feel elated to finally have something go right. All he felt was sick though. All he felt was a growing sense of despair as they broke over a hill and the devastated wreckage of what had once been his hometown came into view. Bobby shook his head as he turned away, Mary Ellen bowed her head.

As they made the descent down the hill, he couldn't shake the feeling that they may be driving into worse, especially after that house. They couldn't fight the earthquakes, they couldn't fight the lava, but at least they could feel and see that stuff. What had happened in that house had been something just as deadly, and something that they wouldn't know to run from until it was too late.

Those people had never known what hit them, and as he crested another hill he couldn't help but wonder when one of them would get their knockout punch. He was determined to get to Sturbridge before that happened.

End of Book 1

Book 2: The Divide continues weekly at https://www.facebook.com/ - !/ericastevens679

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Where to Find the Author

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Mailing list: ericastevensgcp@gmail.com

About the Author

Though my name is not really Erica Stevens, it is a pen name that I chose in memory of two amazing friends lost too soon, I do however live in Mass with my wonderful husband and our Klinger, and crazy puppy Loki. I have a large and crazy family that I fit in well with. I am thankful every day for the love and laughter they have brought to my life. I have always loved to write and am an avid reader.

Thank you!

We’ve reached the end and it was great having you. Thanks for coming along and reading each character’s story. We hoped you enjoyed the stories as much as we enjoyed writing them.