Read Online The Darkening (A Zombie Awakening) by Cynthia Melton - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Cynthia Melton
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smoke rising in the distance caught her attention. “What’s that?”
“Might as well go see.” Colton wrenched the steering wheel, taking them down an access road and into a thick stand of trees. “ It l ooks like it’s a couple of miles away. Hopefully , we can lose the dead following us. Most of the time, where there’s fire, there’s people. ”
Chalice prayed the smoke was signs of survivors and not a burning building. She sat straighter in her seat, her gaze glued on the smoke column while her brother and the dogs finally settled down from lack of zombies to attack. The three younger kids huddled around the table as silent as night.
“I have no idea what’s out this direction,” she told Colton. “But have you noticed the absence of living people? I was underground for a month, how long were you hidden?”
“About that.” Paved road turned to dirt , and he put both hands on the wheel. “Maybe the living were able to clear out before then.”
“Or were all killed.” Chalice wrapped her arms around her middle. “There might be so few of the breathers left that we could travel for weeks without seeing anyone.”
He grinned at her. “Breathers. I like that. It sounds better than non - dead.”
“We need some adults. We can’t take care of these kids by ourselves.”
“Why not?” He glanced sideways at her. “We’re doing fine so far. People are going to grow up fast in this new world. What makes you think someone over the age of eighteen will be better equipped to survive than we are? We have food, water, a roof over our head s , and the ability to move across the country without walking.”
“Gas will eventually run out. How long until you can’t find a long enough hose to siphon with? Or what about when we run out of food and bullets?” A cloud of doom hung over Chalice’s head. She had no idea how to shake free. The future loomed without hope or promise.
If they could find survivors, a place to keep the zombies away, they could plant food and grow animals. Sure, electricity was out for the most part with no one around to run the equipment, but people managed in the olden days without powered lights and television. They could again .
She bent forward and put her arms around her knees, blinking to keep the tears from falling. Crying wouldn’t solve anything. She needed to be strong now and not emotional.
“Hey.” Colton squeezed her shoulder. “We’re going to be fine. I know it.”
###
The words were easy to say, not so easy to believe. Colton transferred his attention to driving. Over the last month or so, Mother Nature had tried to take back the dirt road , filling the grooves with weeds , and he couldn’t drive faster than five or ten miles per hour. They were probably wast ing their time , anyway . What could possibly be this far out in the boonies?
Hanna hung out one of the open windows. Colton shook his head, watching her through the rearview mirror. He understood her reasoning, the motor home was stifling, but hanging outside was like ringing the dinner bell. “Back inside.”
She scrunched up her face and plopped into a seat. “This is so boring!”
“Would you rather we were fighting zombies?” Mychal sat across from her, examining his arrows. “That’s exciting, but it’s also a fight to death. Someone has to lose. , and I’d rather it weren’t me. ”
“Oh, shut up.” She flounced to one of the beds and threw herself across it.
Colton grinned and transferred his full
“Might as well go see.” Colton wrenched the steering wheel, taking them down an access road and into a thick stand of trees. “ It l ooks like it’s a couple of miles away. Hopefully , we can lose the dead following us. Most of the time, where there’s fire, there’s people. ”
Chalice prayed the smoke was signs of survivors and not a burning building. She sat straighter in her seat, her gaze glued on the smoke column while her brother and the dogs finally settled down from lack of zombies to attack. The three younger kids huddled around the table as silent as night.
“I have no idea what’s out this direction,” she told Colton. “But have you noticed the absence of living people? I was underground for a month, how long were you hidden?”
“About that.” Paved road turned to dirt , and he put both hands on the wheel. “Maybe the living were able to clear out before then.”
“Or were all killed.” Chalice wrapped her arms around her middle. “There might be so few of the breathers left that we could travel for weeks without seeing anyone.”
He grinned at her. “Breathers. I like that. It sounds better than non - dead.”
“We need some adults. We can’t take care of these kids by ourselves.”
“Why not?” He glanced sideways at her. “We’re doing fine so far. People are going to grow up fast in this new world. What makes you think someone over the age of eighteen will be better equipped to survive than we are? We have food, water, a roof over our head s , and the ability to move across the country without walking.”
“Gas will eventually run out. How long until you can’t find a long enough hose to siphon with? Or what about when we run out of food and bullets?” A cloud of doom hung over Chalice’s head. She had no idea how to shake free. The future loomed without hope or promise.
If they could find survivors, a place to keep the zombies away, they could plant food and grow animals. Sure, electricity was out for the most part with no one around to run the equipment, but people managed in the olden days without powered lights and television. They could again .
She bent forward and put her arms around her knees, blinking to keep the tears from falling. Crying wouldn’t solve anything. She needed to be strong now and not emotional.
“Hey.” Colton squeezed her shoulder. “We’re going to be fine. I know it.”
###
The words were easy to say, not so easy to believe. Colton transferred his attention to driving. Over the last month or so, Mother Nature had tried to take back the dirt road , filling the grooves with weeds , and he couldn’t drive faster than five or ten miles per hour. They were probably wast ing their time , anyway . What could possibly be this far out in the boonies?
Hanna hung out one of the open windows. Colton shook his head, watching her through the rearview mirror. He understood her reasoning, the motor home was stifling, but hanging outside was like ringing the dinner bell. “Back inside.”
She scrunched up her face and plopped into a seat. “This is so boring!”
“Would you rather we were fighting zombies?” Mychal sat across from her, examining his arrows. “That’s exciting, but it’s also a fight to death. Someone has to lose. , and I’d rather it weren’t me. ”
“Oh, shut up.” She flounced to one of the beds and threw herself across it.
Colton grinned and transferred his full
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