Read Online Werewolf Suspense (Book 2): Outage 2 (The Awakening) by T.W. Piperbrook - Free Book Online
Authors: T.W. Piperbrook
Tags: Werewolves & Shifters
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a vague sense of what the room looked like in the light. The building was as much a mystery to him as the creatures outside. In another situation, he might've been intimated by the darkness, but now he was grateful for the cover.
After walking a few steps, Mark winked on his flashlight and played the beam across the floor, illuminating the machine they'd placed in front of it earlier. The door was wooden and seemed sturdy, but Tom knew better than to trust it. They walked to a nearby corner.
"Help me stack those boxes," Mark said, shining the light to a nearby corner. Tom retrieved several, helping Mark carry and stack them. They piled them on top of the machine, covering the top half of the door. Then they moved another machine behind the first. This one didn't have wheels, and was more difficult to move. They grunted as they slid it across the floor.
When they were finished, Tom wiped the dust onto his jeans. His heart hammered against his ribcage; his body was sweating from the exertion, but it felt good to keep busy. Anything to keep from dwelling on the bloodshed he'd seen outside. He caught his breath and peered back across the room at the windows. Billy and Ashley's frames were silhouetted against the snow. Billy had his arm around the girl. To a casual observer, they might be mistaken for a young couple admiring the first snow.
Mark watched them, as well.
"Are they your neighbors?"
"Technically. But I've never met them. Their car stalled on Arcadia and I picked them up."
"They're lucky you stopped."
Tom nodded solemnly. "If you call that luck. It's awful, what they've had to witness."
"They don't have any other family close by?"
"I don't think so. At least, none that they mentioned."
"I don't know if that makes things worse or better," Mark said. "The thought of losing any more family is terrible."
"I know what you mean." Tom shook his head grimly.
"Do you live alone, Tom?"
"No. I was with my wife." Tom struggled to keep his emotions at bay. "I lost her on the way here. She was killed by one of them."
"I'm so sorry," Mark said. He scuffed the ground with his boot. "I'm glad you made it, though. We're going to get through this, Tom."
Mark patted his shoulder. Tom agreed and stared across the room at the window. The moon shone bright through the clouds. Its presence was like a spectral warning, commanding they stay hidden.
Another hour passed. Or what Tom guessed was an hour. He resumed his position next to the window, keeping an uneasy vigil next to his companions. Ashley barely moved. She tucked her head in Billy's arm, cloaking her face from the landscape outside. Tom was worried about her mental state. Were it not for the occasional sound of her breathing, he might've thought the girl was injured, maybe even dead. Billy drew nervous breaths of his own. Every so often, he checked on his girlfriend.
"Are you two holding up all right?" Tom whispered.
"I wish we'd made it to the shelter," Billy admitted. "If that thing hadn't run out in front of us, maybe we would've gotten to the police."
"I know. But at least we're safe for the moment. There's no way to know if anyone's even there. We'll find help in the morning. I'm sure of it."
Billy nodded, his face still troubled. Tom changed the subject.
"How long have you two lived in town?" he asked, as much to distract himself as to distract the couple.
"About a year," Billy answered. "We moved out of our parents' houses and got an apartment together. We're from West Hartford."
"How long have you been dating?"
"Two years—since senior year in high school. We met in Chemistry."
"I was never good at Chemistry." Tom smiled.
"Me neither." Billy laughed nervously. "Ashley used to help me with my homework."
At the sound of her name, Ashley poked her head from beneath Billy's arm and glanced at Tom. Her face was still ashen, but Tom thought he detected a faint smile.
"Billy would buy me dinner every time he passed a test."
Tom laughed
After walking a few steps, Mark winked on his flashlight and played the beam across the floor, illuminating the machine they'd placed in front of it earlier. The door was wooden and seemed sturdy, but Tom knew better than to trust it. They walked to a nearby corner.
"Help me stack those boxes," Mark said, shining the light to a nearby corner. Tom retrieved several, helping Mark carry and stack them. They piled them on top of the machine, covering the top half of the door. Then they moved another machine behind the first. This one didn't have wheels, and was more difficult to move. They grunted as they slid it across the floor.
When they were finished, Tom wiped the dust onto his jeans. His heart hammered against his ribcage; his body was sweating from the exertion, but it felt good to keep busy. Anything to keep from dwelling on the bloodshed he'd seen outside. He caught his breath and peered back across the room at the windows. Billy and Ashley's frames were silhouetted against the snow. Billy had his arm around the girl. To a casual observer, they might be mistaken for a young couple admiring the first snow.
Mark watched them, as well.
"Are they your neighbors?"
"Technically. But I've never met them. Their car stalled on Arcadia and I picked them up."
"They're lucky you stopped."
Tom nodded solemnly. "If you call that luck. It's awful, what they've had to witness."
"They don't have any other family close by?"
"I don't think so. At least, none that they mentioned."
"I don't know if that makes things worse or better," Mark said. "The thought of losing any more family is terrible."
"I know what you mean." Tom shook his head grimly.
"Do you live alone, Tom?"
"No. I was with my wife." Tom struggled to keep his emotions at bay. "I lost her on the way here. She was killed by one of them."
"I'm so sorry," Mark said. He scuffed the ground with his boot. "I'm glad you made it, though. We're going to get through this, Tom."
Mark patted his shoulder. Tom agreed and stared across the room at the window. The moon shone bright through the clouds. Its presence was like a spectral warning, commanding they stay hidden.
Another hour passed. Or what Tom guessed was an hour. He resumed his position next to the window, keeping an uneasy vigil next to his companions. Ashley barely moved. She tucked her head in Billy's arm, cloaking her face from the landscape outside. Tom was worried about her mental state. Were it not for the occasional sound of her breathing, he might've thought the girl was injured, maybe even dead. Billy drew nervous breaths of his own. Every so often, he checked on his girlfriend.
"Are you two holding up all right?" Tom whispered.
"I wish we'd made it to the shelter," Billy admitted. "If that thing hadn't run out in front of us, maybe we would've gotten to the police."
"I know. But at least we're safe for the moment. There's no way to know if anyone's even there. We'll find help in the morning. I'm sure of it."
Billy nodded, his face still troubled. Tom changed the subject.
"How long have you two lived in town?" he asked, as much to distract himself as to distract the couple.
"About a year," Billy answered. "We moved out of our parents' houses and got an apartment together. We're from West Hartford."
"How long have you been dating?"
"Two years—since senior year in high school. We met in Chemistry."
"I was never good at Chemistry." Tom smiled.
"Me neither." Billy laughed nervously. "Ashley used to help me with my homework."
At the sound of her name, Ashley poked her head from beneath Billy's arm and glanced at Tom. Her face was still ashen, but Tom thought he detected a faint smile.
"Billy would buy me dinner every time he passed a test."
Tom laughed
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