Read Online Escaping Grace: A Turning Grace Novel by J.Q. Davis - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: J.Q. Davis
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another long log parallel to the one she was sitting on and a pile of charred wood in between, reminiscent of some sort of campsite. They must sit out here late at night and hang by the fire. I chuckled to myself at that thought, imagining zombies gathered around making s’mores and playing guitars.
Tristen and I took a seat on the opposite side of Destiny. We were both wearing jeans and t-shirts, not really dressed the part for the beach. But neither was Destiny.
“You don’t go into the water?” I asked, gesturing to her full-on gothic gear.
“Nah, I like being pale.”
“This is nice, huh?” Tristen whispered into my ear.
I turned to him, our faces so close I could kiss him. “Yeah, it is.”
The warm breeze blew in our hair, and the smell of salt filled my lungs. It was the afternoon now and the sun was at its highest in the sky.
The beach was really beautiful once I was actually on it. It was like one of those calendar photos of a tropical island. I glanced over at the compound, noticing then how surrounded we were by the thick rainforest.
“So, how long have you two been together?”
“Um…not very long,” I answered, slightly embarrassed to answer honestly. “We have known each other for a little while, though.”
“Cool. Tristen, you don’t care that she’s a Zombrid?”
“A what?” he returned her question, leaning in and twisting his head as if to hear her better.
Destiny laughed. “Sorry, you don’t know the lingo yet.” She pulled a cigarette and a lighter out of her black backpack and lit it.
“So, what is that?” I asked.
She inhaled and blew the smoke out with one harsh exhale before answering. “It’s a zombie hybrid. Half human, half zombie.”
Well, that was new. I had never even heard of that in any of my favorite zombie movies.
“Are all the patients here Zombrids?”
She took another drag before answering. “Yup. We are all Zombrids. Thanks to you, Grace.”
I was suddenly uncomfortable.
“It wasn’t her fault,” Tristen shot back.
“Oh, no! I’m not blaming her or anything! Really, it’s thanks to Grace that we are all here right now. Alive. Well, halfway alive.”
“What happened to you? How did you get injected with the serum?” I felt like I was prying a little, but who cared?
“You mean…how did I die? You don’t get injected unless you’ve died already.”
I nodded. That made sense. It was a drug to revive you.
By the way, I never in a million years thought I would be asking someone how they died. Unless maybe if I was in heaven.
“Overdose,” she answered plainly.
Tristen and I didn’t respond. I never hung out with anyone who did drugs. There were people at school who smoked marijuana and I was sure did other things, but Phoebe and I didn’t care to be around them. She did, however, smoke pot with one of her bad boy boyfriends once. But she said it made her feel like she was talking in slow motion the whole time, so she never touched it again. Drinking was pretty much as far as we would go.
My heart hurt at the thought of Phoebe.
Destiny continued. “My parents were deadbeats. My life sucked in Chicago. So I got high. A lot.” She seemed very open about her past and completely comfortable to share. To most, goth equaled socially awkward and introverted. But she didn’t seem that way at all.
I glanced over at Maddi and Charlie playing in the water, then at Ian in the distance. He was sitting on his surf board now, I was assuming waiting to catch a good wave. “What about them?”
Destiny looked in the same direction. “Maddi fell and hit her head during recess at school. I always said those monkey bars were dangerous. She’s the youngest Zombrid here.”
“How old is she?” Tristen asked.
“Eleven. Charlie is twenty-six. She was a hairstylist in Florida. Suicide. Well, she tried to commit suicide.”
I shot Destiny a look. “Really?”
“Yeah. Something about her boyfriend screwing her over. She doesn’t like to
Tristen and I took a seat on the opposite side of Destiny. We were both wearing jeans and t-shirts, not really dressed the part for the beach. But neither was Destiny.
“You don’t go into the water?” I asked, gesturing to her full-on gothic gear.
“Nah, I like being pale.”
“This is nice, huh?” Tristen whispered into my ear.
I turned to him, our faces so close I could kiss him. “Yeah, it is.”
The warm breeze blew in our hair, and the smell of salt filled my lungs. It was the afternoon now and the sun was at its highest in the sky.
The beach was really beautiful once I was actually on it. It was like one of those calendar photos of a tropical island. I glanced over at the compound, noticing then how surrounded we were by the thick rainforest.
“So, how long have you two been together?”
“Um…not very long,” I answered, slightly embarrassed to answer honestly. “We have known each other for a little while, though.”
“Cool. Tristen, you don’t care that she’s a Zombrid?”
“A what?” he returned her question, leaning in and twisting his head as if to hear her better.
Destiny laughed. “Sorry, you don’t know the lingo yet.” She pulled a cigarette and a lighter out of her black backpack and lit it.
“So, what is that?” I asked.
She inhaled and blew the smoke out with one harsh exhale before answering. “It’s a zombie hybrid. Half human, half zombie.”
Well, that was new. I had never even heard of that in any of my favorite zombie movies.
“Are all the patients here Zombrids?”
She took another drag before answering. “Yup. We are all Zombrids. Thanks to you, Grace.”
I was suddenly uncomfortable.
“It wasn’t her fault,” Tristen shot back.
“Oh, no! I’m not blaming her or anything! Really, it’s thanks to Grace that we are all here right now. Alive. Well, halfway alive.”
“What happened to you? How did you get injected with the serum?” I felt like I was prying a little, but who cared?
“You mean…how did I die? You don’t get injected unless you’ve died already.”
I nodded. That made sense. It was a drug to revive you.
By the way, I never in a million years thought I would be asking someone how they died. Unless maybe if I was in heaven.
“Overdose,” she answered plainly.
Tristen and I didn’t respond. I never hung out with anyone who did drugs. There were people at school who smoked marijuana and I was sure did other things, but Phoebe and I didn’t care to be around them. She did, however, smoke pot with one of her bad boy boyfriends once. But she said it made her feel like she was talking in slow motion the whole time, so she never touched it again. Drinking was pretty much as far as we would go.
My heart hurt at the thought of Phoebe.
Destiny continued. “My parents were deadbeats. My life sucked in Chicago. So I got high. A lot.” She seemed very open about her past and completely comfortable to share. To most, goth equaled socially awkward and introverted. But she didn’t seem that way at all.
I glanced over at Maddi and Charlie playing in the water, then at Ian in the distance. He was sitting on his surf board now, I was assuming waiting to catch a good wave. “What about them?”
Destiny looked in the same direction. “Maddi fell and hit her head during recess at school. I always said those monkey bars were dangerous. She’s the youngest Zombrid here.”
“How old is she?” Tristen asked.
“Eleven. Charlie is twenty-six. She was a hairstylist in Florida. Suicide. Well, she tried to commit suicide.”
I shot Destiny a look. “Really?”
“Yeah. Something about her boyfriend screwing her over. She doesn’t like to