Read Online Out of the Dark: An apocalyptic thriller by Ashlei Hawley - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Ashlei Hawley
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Amy needed to adapt. If ever she paused for more than a moment, either to listen for the sound of human activity or to readjust her pack, the sensation of being watched intensified and began to take on a threatening air. It was as though whatever observed her-and she truly felt there was something-became more hostile with each act of fear or indecision.
It almost seemed to Amy that she had regressed to a time of throat-closing, breath-stealing childhood terror, where the beastie in the closet would only come out to tear off her skin and eat her bones if she acknowledged said beastie’s existed. If she acted normal and ignored the imagined presence, morning would eventually come and she would be safe from the horrors of the night.
These horrors weren’t made up monsters in the closet. What Amy felt creeping in on her was a real and corporeal threat. And she knew they were coming closer.
“Amy!”
When the distinctly male voice whisper-shouted her name, Amy gave a shrill shriek and jumped away from her would-be attacker. She turned; arms out, ready to ward off blows or perhaps deal some of her own. She didn’t know how much damage she could inflict, but she knew she wasn’t ready to just let herself be taken without a fight.
“Amy, calm down!” The voice was becoming more recognizable, but Amy was still backing away in fear. “Amy, it’s Ray. It’s Ray. Calm down.”
When Ray grabbed her by the forearms, Amy cut her scream off with a squeak and took a deep breath. She knew him, of course she knew him. Ray was one of her friends; he had been since she’d come here two years ago.
Ray Barrett-commonly known among their small group of friends as Barrett the Ferret-was a sandy haired young man with soft brown eyes hidden behind thick, dark-rimmed eye-glasses. Ray’s usually heavy-hooded eyes were wide open and alert now, edged with fear and concern for Amy.
“Ray,” Amy gasped in relief.
His hands eased off her forearms and she took them in her own, validating that he was real and not some specter of the recently-vanquished night. His skin was clammy and wet with cool sweat, but Amy was relieved by the human touch.
“Ray, it’s good to see a friendly face,” Amy admitted breathlessly, but Ray was dragging her down the hallway. Perplexed, Amy said, “Ray?” in a questioning tone.
“We have to get out,” Ray declared, and it sounded like he was talking to himself. “Out of the dark. We have to get out of the dark.”
“Ray!” Amy exclaimed as he pulled harder on her arm and she stumbled. “Ray, stop! I can’t run that fast!”
Though not the most athletic individual she knew, Ray had a good seven inches on the 5’ 2” Amy. While Amy was in fairly good shape, it was still hard to keep up on someone with such considerable height on her.
“We have to get out,” Ray repeated, and continued to drag her through the hallways, unheeding of her pleas to slow down.
“ Why , Ray?!” Amy practically wailed. She was now more afraid of whatever had turned cultured, timid Barrett the Ferret into this single-minded freight train of fear and desperation than of whatever may be drawn to the sound of her voice.
Ray stopped momentarily, whipped around toward Amy and gave her the most deadly serious look she’d ever encountered. The expression chilled her bones and the marrow beneath.
“The things are safe in the dark,” he whispered conspiratorially. “We have to get into the daylight. They came in the night, and they’re only safe in the darkness. Now let’s go .”
The chill Amy felt deepened and slid like electric ice down her spine as she heard a door open behind her. She didn’t have to turn to know that a threat lurked beyond the threshold, nor did she have to wait for Ray to pull her into a run before she knew they would shortly be
It almost seemed to Amy that she had regressed to a time of throat-closing, breath-stealing childhood terror, where the beastie in the closet would only come out to tear off her skin and eat her bones if she acknowledged said beastie’s existed. If she acted normal and ignored the imagined presence, morning would eventually come and she would be safe from the horrors of the night.
These horrors weren’t made up monsters in the closet. What Amy felt creeping in on her was a real and corporeal threat. And she knew they were coming closer.
“Amy!”
When the distinctly male voice whisper-shouted her name, Amy gave a shrill shriek and jumped away from her would-be attacker. She turned; arms out, ready to ward off blows or perhaps deal some of her own. She didn’t know how much damage she could inflict, but she knew she wasn’t ready to just let herself be taken without a fight.
“Amy, calm down!” The voice was becoming more recognizable, but Amy was still backing away in fear. “Amy, it’s Ray. It’s Ray. Calm down.”
When Ray grabbed her by the forearms, Amy cut her scream off with a squeak and took a deep breath. She knew him, of course she knew him. Ray was one of her friends; he had been since she’d come here two years ago.
Ray Barrett-commonly known among their small group of friends as Barrett the Ferret-was a sandy haired young man with soft brown eyes hidden behind thick, dark-rimmed eye-glasses. Ray’s usually heavy-hooded eyes were wide open and alert now, edged with fear and concern for Amy.
“Ray,” Amy gasped in relief.
His hands eased off her forearms and she took them in her own, validating that he was real and not some specter of the recently-vanquished night. His skin was clammy and wet with cool sweat, but Amy was relieved by the human touch.
“Ray, it’s good to see a friendly face,” Amy admitted breathlessly, but Ray was dragging her down the hallway. Perplexed, Amy said, “Ray?” in a questioning tone.
“We have to get out,” Ray declared, and it sounded like he was talking to himself. “Out of the dark. We have to get out of the dark.”
“Ray!” Amy exclaimed as he pulled harder on her arm and she stumbled. “Ray, stop! I can’t run that fast!”
Though not the most athletic individual she knew, Ray had a good seven inches on the 5’ 2” Amy. While Amy was in fairly good shape, it was still hard to keep up on someone with such considerable height on her.
“We have to get out,” Ray repeated, and continued to drag her through the hallways, unheeding of her pleas to slow down.
“ Why , Ray?!” Amy practically wailed. She was now more afraid of whatever had turned cultured, timid Barrett the Ferret into this single-minded freight train of fear and desperation than of whatever may be drawn to the sound of her voice.
Ray stopped momentarily, whipped around toward Amy and gave her the most deadly serious look she’d ever encountered. The expression chilled her bones and the marrow beneath.
“The things are safe in the dark,” he whispered conspiratorially. “We have to get into the daylight. They came in the night, and they’re only safe in the darkness. Now let’s go .”
The chill Amy felt deepened and slid like electric ice down her spine as she heard a door open behind her. She didn’t have to turn to know that a threat lurked beyond the threshold, nor did she have to wait for Ray to pull her into a run before she knew they would shortly be
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