by Martin, A. M
"A virus." I gasp watching the grey creature. It's tall maybe six feet something tall, not really that big from what I've seen on the news. It's slim with hardly any muscles, black drool drips from its razor-sharp mouth.
"A virus, are you blind. That's a Lykan. Is it real?" Cora asks bouncing on her toes.
I Look back at the screen; Lykan, that's those wolf people from the Underworld movie. This thing looks sort of like them.
"Mmmmm," is all that escapes my lips as the Lykan looks right at the camera. Its eyes are weird. Where we have a black pupil, it has a white one surrounded by a muddy brown color that fills up the rest of the eye.
"It's looking at us!!" Cora screeches, jumping back away from the screens.
"Don't be silly," Mum says moving to stand at my back.
I glance over my shoulder at her. "Thank you," I whisper.
She nods her head, and we both go looking back at the screen.
I didn't know if she was going to come back to us, but I'm so glad she did. I'm not so sure what we should do next.
A growl blares through the speakers, and four different screams fill the basement.
"Turn it off!" Amy wails, and I flip the switch, turning the speakers off.
The grey Lykan taps the lens with a long black claw, thankfully the sound is off. It then smiles or at least I think it does. The dang screen goes out.
"What the hell?" I breathe.
"Don't cuss Nikki," Mum says poking me on the back of my shoulder.
I look at the other screen where the camera is on the side of the house pointing down the road.
"Is that a person?" Cora whispers.
Maybe. I don't know. My head twist looking for a better angle. All I see is a blood blob?
"Animal." I nod my head trying to convince myself.
"What is happening?" I ask as this camera goes out too.
That just leaves the one at the back of the house and the one on the left side.
"It's the lykan," Cora says as the back camera goes out following the last one.
"How do you know?"
"I saw a flash of grey." Cora answers smiling.
"Don't smile," I snap, “This isn't some movie, it’s real. There's a virus out there turning people into beasts and said creatures eat people."
"Nik!," Mum says harshly holding onto a now crying Cora.
"She’s right dear. That's what the news said." I can sense Mum doesn't even believe it.
"Sorry," I mumble as I walk towards my locker on the back wall.
A whine I can't hold in bursts from my lips as I see Dallas written in big block letters on the locker next to mine. He can't be gone.
"Daddy. Daddy. Where are you!?" Cora yells into the handheld.
Dad is a Doctor at the local Army base thirty minutes away from us. He gave us the radio in case of emergency if we couldn't get him on the phone.
Tears stream down my face. This is a god-awful nightmare. What are we going to do? I wipe my face with my arm, sucking in a breath of air.
The locker squeaks as I open it and start to pull out the hiking pack that's heavy as a small person; followed by the drawstring bag and black boots. We camp a lot. Mum was tired of our camping gear tossed around everywhere, so she had dad put in the metal lockers for each of us.
"What are you doing dear?" Mum asks.
"Getting dressed." I pull off my tank and shorts replacing them with one of those body armor tank tops and cargo pants, both in black. Next, comes a long sleeve tight black shirt.
"You should too," I say after looking at everyone's sleep clothes.
Plopping down on the cold concrete floor, I pull on my socks followed by my knee-high leather boots, lacing them up.
"We'll wait for your father." Mum's voice shakes.
"Mum! He's not answering." I grab the titanium water bottle from the side of my black bag and fill it up with one of the many water bottles up against the main wall.
Mums never been a take action kind of person when a crisis comes up. It's always dad. I know she's afraid. I am too, but sitting here like sitting ducks is not helping. I may only be fourteen years old, but I'm not stupid. People who sit still when the monsters are around usually die.
"But--"
"NO buts mum. That thing out there was smart enough to tear down the cameras. What's to say it isn't smart enough to get in here."
"She's right." At least Cora has some common sense and starts getting dressed too.
Flipping the lid to one of the bins I start to sort through the MRE -meals ready to eat- looking for the most appealing ones and stashing them in my already full pack. I stuff till there's no more room. Dad liked to keep some on hand when we go camping. It was our dinner if we couldn't catch anything.
I smile as Cora comes to stand beside me decked out in the same clothes as me just pink. We look like some kind of fashion strike team.
"Do you want me to braid your hair?"
"Yeah." I turn around letting Cora reach my frizzy brown hair. I feel a tug letting me know she's done and turn around to braid hers. I pause with my hands in her hair.
Life is never going to be the same again.
"Nikki?"
"Sorry." I quickly do her hair and pat her on the shoulder.
"Mum." I try one last time. "Please come with us. We'll go to dad's base."
She just shakes her head no, clutching Amy to her.
I pull my pack on and buckle it up. My back is going to kill me before long.
I bend down on my knees in front of the cot.
"Be strong for mum. Okay." I say with a tear clogged voice as I pull Amy into my arms and hug her tight. I kiss the top of her head as frightened eyes stare back at me.
"Mum please," I whisper one last time looking into her face that looks like it ages ten years since yesterday.
"We will wait for your father."
I nod my head. So be it. Maybe it's better for them to stay here. Cora and I can bring dad back. It'll be safer. I keep telling myself that. Over and over while I strap on a hunting knife around my thigh and grab my bow and quiver of arrows.
I look at Cora. Her tan skin has gone pale. I nod my head.
We both make our way to the door behind the staircase. It's a tunnel that leads to a barn and a chunk of land two miles out from us. Mum had the tunnel redone. The history she said needs to persevere. I'm thankful for her history hobby now. It helps us get out of here. Get to dad.
With a heavy heart and body full of dread I leave the hidden basement behind with Cora at my heels down the brick inlaid tunnel.
"You think they will be ok?" Cora bubbles out.
I nod. But that's all I can really give her. Because if I'm honest with myself, then the answer is no. I don't think they will be ok. I clench my eyes shut for just a minute, not letting the tears out.
More Books by A.M Martin
Avery (Wolf Rage Book One)
Wolf Rage Book Two coming 2018
Igins: Elementum Novel
Aires: Elementum Novel coming 2018
Territories: Part One
Territories: Part Two
Territories: Part Three coming 2018
Acknowledgements
I only have Two to say Thanks to.
Layla, my awesome-sauce beta reader. Thank you so much for all the help.
And to the Readers, Thank you for taking a chance on this serial. I hope you enjoyed it and will consider leaving a review and signing up for my newsletter. Reviews are like gold to Authors.
PS. I’m no good at these acknowledgments.
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About the Author
A.M Martin or known to her family as Ashley Marie grew up in a small town of Spencer, WV. She moved to Reedy and now has a loving family of her own. It wasn’t till she was pregnant with her first child that she found her love of books, seven years ago. Thus, her imagination came alive in the form of words. She wrote on and off through the years but didn’t actually start writing unt
il three years ago where many worlds have come alive since then. Igins is her first published book with book two currently in the works. Avery Wolf Rage Book One is her next book out. A Paranormal Romance with a different twist. Be sure to check it out.
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About the Author
Mark Mackey lives in Chicago. Is the author of several books.