Read Online Taken Over (Book 2 The Ravening Series) by Erica Stevens - Free Book Online
Authors: Erica Stevens
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suddenly unable to take s itt ing still anymore. Bret’s eyes followed me as I paced anxiously toward a scraggly looking pine tree and leaned against it. I didn’t want to look at the street anymore, but my eyes were inexorably drawn back to it. I felt as if I were missing something, as if there was something I wasn’t seeing.
I frowned, trying hard to take everything in . I may have grown up nearby, but I didn’t know Plymouth all that well . F or one thing it was huge, and for another I had hated to ride in cars after surviving the accident that had killed my father. I had not done the school fieldtrip s to Pl i moth P lantation , or the Mayflower II , so I probably knew even le ss about the town than most of the kids I had gone to school with.
“Has the town always looked like this?” I asked Bret. “Minus the damage of course.”
Bret studied the street for a long moment before shrugging absently. “More or less, I mean there were always more people and tourists moving about, but I’m sure it hasn’t been busy like that for awhile.”
I continued to study the street ; slowly it began to dawn on me what exactly was wrong with this picture. “There’s nothing left,” I breathed.
Bret rose slowly to his feet, his forehead furrowed in confusion. I had thought that Jenna was sleeping, but one of her eyes popped open to stare at the two of us. Lloyd had been standing guard fifty feet away, but he came closer as he heard our words. “What do you mean?” Bret inquired.
H orror flowed through me as I stared at the empty street . “There’s nothing there. Every other street we’ve come across, in every other town , has had something left behind. Bicycles, shoes, hell we’ve even come across shirts and pants , socks and underwear . There have been wallets, money, and change. There have been toupees and wigs; there ’s even been a set of dentures.” That had been exceptionally gross and unnerving. “But there is nothing out there . There isn’t one damn thing on those streets except for debris from the buildings.”
They were silent beside me, and then Lloyd let out a hissing breath. “You’re right.”
“But what does that mean?” Jenna asked tremulously.
I shook my head; I had no answer for that question. “They’re cleaning it up.”
We all turned slowly toward Lloyd, nearly identical incredulous looks on our faces. Lloyd’s mouth was slack, his eyes wide as he gazed at the empty street in dismay. “Excuse me?” I asked quietly.
“They’ v e cleaned the town up ; rid it of the debris left behind by us . Cleaning it so that they can…”
“So they can what?” Bret’s question hung heavy in the air as Lloyd’s voice trailed off .
“So they can move in,” I suggested. I had only meant it to be a lame joke, but I felt trapped beneath their horrified gazes as they swung slowly toward me. “Oh crap, you don’t think that’s it, do you?”
“What else could it be?” Jenna wondered. “Why the hell else would they bother to come back and sweep the streets clean of all p ossessions. They don’t need the money, I doubt they want the wigs, and I’m certain they aren’t looking for dentures. We had all kind of assumed that they would just leave after they collected and killed as many of us as possible. What if they actually plan on staying after?”
I recoiled from the thought, trying hard not to give way to the panic beginning to thrum through my veins. I hadn’t even considered the possibility that they might stay behind after they were done destroying us. They had rarely come to earth , even when they had been pretending peace; I hadn’t thought that they would consider staying now . They had seemed to openly disdain our planet, and it was more than obvious they only wanted us for our blood. They had spent little time here before all of this, but maybe that was only because of the fact that earth had
I frowned, trying hard to take everything in . I may have grown up nearby, but I didn’t know Plymouth all that well . F or one thing it was huge, and for another I had hated to ride in cars after surviving the accident that had killed my father. I had not done the school fieldtrip s to Pl i moth P lantation , or the Mayflower II , so I probably knew even le ss about the town than most of the kids I had gone to school with.
“Has the town always looked like this?” I asked Bret. “Minus the damage of course.”
Bret studied the street for a long moment before shrugging absently. “More or less, I mean there were always more people and tourists moving about, but I’m sure it hasn’t been busy like that for awhile.”
I continued to study the street ; slowly it began to dawn on me what exactly was wrong with this picture. “There’s nothing left,” I breathed.
Bret rose slowly to his feet, his forehead furrowed in confusion. I had thought that Jenna was sleeping, but one of her eyes popped open to stare at the two of us. Lloyd had been standing guard fifty feet away, but he came closer as he heard our words. “What do you mean?” Bret inquired.
H orror flowed through me as I stared at the empty street . “There’s nothing there. Every other street we’ve come across, in every other town , has had something left behind. Bicycles, shoes, hell we’ve even come across shirts and pants , socks and underwear . There have been wallets, money, and change. There have been toupees and wigs; there ’s even been a set of dentures.” That had been exceptionally gross and unnerving. “But there is nothing out there . There isn’t one damn thing on those streets except for debris from the buildings.”
They were silent beside me, and then Lloyd let out a hissing breath. “You’re right.”
“But what does that mean?” Jenna asked tremulously.
I shook my head; I had no answer for that question. “They’re cleaning it up.”
We all turned slowly toward Lloyd, nearly identical incredulous looks on our faces. Lloyd’s mouth was slack, his eyes wide as he gazed at the empty street in dismay. “Excuse me?” I asked quietly.
“They’ v e cleaned the town up ; rid it of the debris left behind by us . Cleaning it so that they can…”
“So they can what?” Bret’s question hung heavy in the air as Lloyd’s voice trailed off .
“So they can move in,” I suggested. I had only meant it to be a lame joke, but I felt trapped beneath their horrified gazes as they swung slowly toward me. “Oh crap, you don’t think that’s it, do you?”
“What else could it be?” Jenna wondered. “Why the hell else would they bother to come back and sweep the streets clean of all p ossessions. They don’t need the money, I doubt they want the wigs, and I’m certain they aren’t looking for dentures. We had all kind of assumed that they would just leave after they collected and killed as many of us as possible. What if they actually plan on staying after?”
I recoiled from the thought, trying hard not to give way to the panic beginning to thrum through my veins. I hadn’t even considered the possibility that they might stay behind after they were done destroying us. They had rarely come to earth , even when they had been pretending peace; I hadn’t thought that they would consider staying now . They had seemed to openly disdain our planet, and it was more than obvious they only wanted us for our blood. They had spent little time here before all of this, but maybe that was only because of the fact that earth had
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