Read Online Forsaken World (Book 1): Innocence Lost by Thomas A. Watson - Free Book Online

form heading to a house past Doug’s with a large group. Looking off toward town, Lance saw fires off in the distance and could hear lots of gunfire way off with the open window. He left the room and closed the door then looked down and saw he had broken the blade of his pocket knife. “Told Dad that was a cheap knife.”
    Lance moved down the stairs slowly then went back to the window and jumped upon seeing Patricia stand up and look around. Lance felt warmth running down his leg as Patricia turned around, hearing screams from the direction where Jason had led the group. In a shuffling trot, she headed after them.
    Feeling numb, Lance panted as he turned, heading for the den. Ian was sitting on the couch, holding a quietly crying Allie. Seeing Lance come in pale and panting, Ian moved his hand to his AR. “What’s wrong?”
    Lance’s mouth moved, but nothing was coming out, and Ian got between Lance and Allie. “Ms. Patricia,” Lance finally whispered in rapid breaths.
    Relaxing, Ian said, “I know, Lance. I was there.”
    “She got up and trotted off,” Lance whispered.
    “Lance, she couldn’t have,” Ian said, looking down at Lance’s legs. “Dude, did you piss your pants?”
    “She just trotted off.”
    Ian looked at his sister. “Allie, I’m going to sit Lance down on the couch. I want you to sit with him until I get back,” Ian said, and Allie nodded with tears running down her face. Moving over, guiding Lance to the couch and sitting him down, Ian moved to the front windows and caught his breath, looking where Patricia had been laying, but she wasn’t there.
    Seeing movement, Ian turned to see Patricia’s husband stand up, missing his left arm. As his body started to tremble, Ian felt his leg get warm. He darted back to the den, closed the door, and sat down beside Lance with Allie in his lap. “She just trotted off,” Lance whispered.
    “So did her husband,” Ian whimpered as Allie buried her face in Lance’s chest.

Chapter 5
    March 12
    The two just sat staring at the blank projection screen, and Allie kept her face buried in Lance’s chest as gunshots and screams sounded around the neighborhood at an increasing rate. Only one small table lamp was on in the den, casting a soft, dull light. It was over an hour later when little Allie lifted her head from Lance’s chest, looking up at his face.
    “Is Carrie okay?” she asked in a broken voice.
    Blinking as the little voice broke his trance, Lance looked down. “I don’t know, Allie.”
    “Can I call her?”
    Ian looked over at Allie in Lance’s lap. “Allie, phones are really loud. If you call them, the sick people on the street may hear it and try to get in their house.”
    “Holy shit!” Lance said, jumping up and wrapping his arms around Allie. “You’re right; we have to turn off the phones here.”
    Feeling Lance’s panic, Ian jumped up as the small lamp in the room turned off, and the room plunged into darkness. Allie gave a yelp, and Lance put a hand over her mouth. “Solves that problem,” Ian said, looking around and seeing all the electronics’ lights off.
    “Flashlights?” Lance asked, taking his hand off Allie’s mouth.
    “Oh, that’s a good idea,” Ian snapped. “Let everyone outside see lights waving around inside.”
    Lance took several deep breaths to slow his heart rate. “Ian, we need to have some on us in case we need to move fast or find stuff,” he said as his vision adjusted to the dim room.
    “You goddamn kids get home, and quit tearing up the neighborhood!” they heard from the front of the house.
    Shaking his head, Ian looked over at Lance. “I can’t believe that Mr. Oliver is that stupid.”
    Leaning down, Lance tried to put Allie on the couch, but she wouldn’t unwrap her arms from his neck or her legs from his waist. “Allie, I need you to stay on the couch so we can go see what’s happening,” Lance asked in a pleading voice.
    “Don’t leave me,” she whimpered, burying her