Ravenous (Book 1, The Ravening Series)

by Erica Stevens

CHAPTER 9

  A loud bang rang out, causing me to jump as Abby let out a startled scream. I ducked low as another bang shattered the air and the weird, echoing screams of the creatures filled the night. They hissed and screeched as another reverberating bang erupted. I was finally able to place the source of the loud, startling explosions, as gunshots.

  I looked rapidly around, but though the vivid illumination had faded somewhat with the start of the gunshots, it was still tough to make anything out. Another shot thundered through the air. Bret cursed loudly; he was half bent over the plywood as we continued to rush forward. I caught a brief glimpse of Abby as she dashed off the trail and disappeared into the woods. My shoulders slumped, at least Abby was safer.

  The strange screaming intensified as another shot rang out. We were almost to the end of the path, almost to the thicker woods when my eyes finally detected the source of the gunshots. Cade stood at the edge of the woods, a shotgun leveled against his shoulder, his gaze focused on something beyond us. I was finally able to breathe easy again as the constriction in my chest loosened. I didn't know where he'd gotten the gun, and I didn't care as he fired another shot.

  His black eyes briefly met mine before he dropped the gun and rapidly reloaded it. "Hurry!" Abby called from the woods. "Please hurry!"

  Cade raised the gun again and fired another shot that caused the odd, hissing type of scream to explode in a torrent of rage and pain that made my eardrums throb. "This way!" someone else shouted from the woods.

  Aiden left the trail and plunged deeper into the forest. Cade slipped into the shadows, disappearing as he blended in with the night. We slipped through the forest, unnaturally loud as we crashed through the trees, and underbrush, desperate to escape the monsters following us. I didn't see Cade again until he appeared as suddenly as a ghost beside me.

  "Give it to me," His hand was against mine as he tried to take the plywood from me. "Let go Bethany."

  "No, my mom..."

  "I'll keep her safe, just get ahead of us."

  "Cade..."

  "Go."

  The brief caress of his fingers against mine sent a firestorm of sensations throughout me. I stared at him as I tried to understand what exactly was going on, but I failed miserably. "Listen to him Bethy," Bret urged. I fought against the guilt filling me as I relinquished my hold on the plywood. "Stay with Abby."

  I turned from them, unable to meet either of their gazes as I ran from them. I ran from the two of them right now, not the aliens.

  For the first time I chanced a glance over my shoulder to see what pursued us. It was one of the smaller ships, a little larger than a bus as it hovered over the forest. The lights had been toned down, but there were five of them still bouncing over the top of the trees as it relentlessly searched for us. It wasn't that far away, but I sensed it might be heading in the wrong direction. The creature that had followed us into the woods, the one eager for blood, was not going the wrong way though.

  I could hear it crashing through the trees, stalking us, scenting our blood as it trailed us. Then I realized what was happening. The ship was moving off because it knew we wouldn't escape. It wasn't worried about us evading the creature it had left to destroy us. It was off to hunt other prey while it left one of its monsters to hunt us. And it was a monster. I could see it now, not clearly, but it was there. I sensed it was different than the one I’d seen earlier.

  It seemed larger, but it moved with startling speed for its massive size and cumbersome build. It wasn't so much tall as it was wide. It skittered through the woods, shaking the trees as it roughly bumped against them and rattled the leaves in their bowers. Though the tentacles made it appear as if it were an octopus on dry land, its flattened head quickly squashed any octopus resemblance. Two giant pinchers extended from what I could only assume was its mouth. They were about three feet long and made a nail on chalkboard kind of noise as they clicked eagerly together.

  A tick maybe? I thought wildly. Was it a giant tick? But no, it wasn't even like that, not with its pulsating red color that was nearly translucent at times.

  Then, ever so slowly, I began to realize the red trickling through it was not its normal hue. The red color in it was blood, human blood, and this thing was not full yet. Its normal color was the nearly opalescent shade rippling throughout the creature, flowing with its movements. An opalescent shade that made it appear jellyfish-like, but other than the color it looked nothing like a jellyfish either.

  For a second I couldn't move, I could only stare at one of the monstrosities the aliens had unleashed upon us. It didn't appear to have eyes, at least not any I could make out from here. But it knew where we were as it hunted us like dogs on the scent of a rabbit.

  I dimly acknowledged that had the aliens shown us these things upon first arriving we would have known instantly they had not come in peace. We would have known what they'd intended all along. We would have been prepared for this betrayal. Whatever they had done to make people freeze had to have been a lengthy process. That had to be the reason they’d pretended peace for as long as they had. They just hadn't known some of us would survive their silent attack.

  Before this had happened, we’d only seen the friendly versions of the aliens, versions who looked very similar to us, and induced trust. They didn't have bug eyes, a giant head, and small bodies like so many movies had led us to believe. Instead they were of average height, the tallest one I had seen was only six feet and he appeared to be a rarity. They had light olive to dark complexions, dark eyes, and dark hair. This fact had led many people to believe that whatever galaxy they’d come from, their planet was closer to a sun, or suns, than ours was.

  Beside the fact their coloring was not as varied as ours, there were other differences between them and us. It was rumored they were physically stronger and faster than us, that they could see and hear better. I had never seen a display of these statements, but there had been a few news reports speculating on it, and claiming to have witnesses before the news had been shut down.

  None of the aliens wore glasses, and it had been rumored they could possibly see at night. It was even rumored they healed more rapidly. I didn't know if these rumors were true, I had never seen proof of them, but I didn't discount them either. I didn't discount anything about the invaders anymore. For all I knew they could fly and I wouldn't be surprised to see them do so.

  I didn't know what these things were the aliens had unleashed upon us. Maybe they were the alien's own messed up creations or their pets even, but I didn't believe they were the aliens themselves. I didn't for a moment think the face the aliens had shown us was some kind of disguise. There was no way they could have been hiding this hideous, massive creature beneath their outer skin.

  But where had these creatures come from? It didn't seem as if they would be easily leashed and kept under wraps, not for almost a year anyway.

  I was baffled by the strange twist these awful things represented. But there was no time for deciphering what they were now. Not when one of them was closing in on us, skittering through the woods as rapidly as a squirrel through a tree. If we didn't do something, it would be on top of us in a matter of minutes.

  The gun was draped over Cade's shoulder; he wouldn't be able to get to it in time. I don't know what came over me, what possessed me, but I darted back to him. "Give me the gun."

  He blinked at me. "What?"

  "The gun Cade, give me the gun," I insisted impatiently.

  "Bethany..."

  "It's useless on your back, and we're going to need it."

  He didn't shrug out of the shotgun strapped to his back, but somehow managed to juggle the plywood as he reached under his shirt and pulled out what I assumed was a revolver. It looked like the ones I'd seen on TV anyway. "Do you know how to use that?"

  "I'll figure it out," I muttered, turning it in my hand as we jogged onward. I didn't point it anywhere near me, or anyone else. It was the first time I'd ever handled a gun, and if the shaking of my hand was any
indication, I wasn't to be trusted with it.

  I felt stronger with the gun in my hand though. Safer, even though I knew that it was only a false sense of security. None of us were safe right now; we probably never would be again. "You shouldn't have done that!" Bret growled at Cade.

  I knew he loved me, but Bret seemed to think I needed his protection at all times and I couldn't take care of myself. Though, I supposed my tendencies toward being a loner and incessantly clumsy helped perpetuate his belief. It didn't annoy me all that often, and I hadn't felt like arguing about it so I had allowed it to continue. It had been the wrong thing to do, because it was irritating me right now.

  "She'll be fine," Cade told him.

  "Bethany doesn't know how to handle a gun, if she shoots herself..."

  "She'll be fine!" Cade interrupted briskly. I kept hold of the revolver as I jogged away from the elevated testosterone.

  The thing was still stalking us, but it wasn't ready to launch its attack yet. I caught up with Abby; she was still carrying the bag of food over her shoulder. Jenna Howe was toting another bag I could only assume held more food, or perhaps weapons.

  My mouth dropped as I spotted Jenna. Everything had been so hectic, frantic, and terrifying when we fled the house I hadn't noticed her until now. I didn't know where she had come from, but I suddenly recalled the other voice I'd heard calling to us from the woods. This was the most disheveled I'd ever seen Jenna look, yet I was certain she still looked ten thousand times better than I did right now. Like Abigail, she was slender and delicate, with a fragile air that made me wary of breaking her in my awkwardness. Her skin was as smooth as porcelain, and her eyes a striking emerald green. Her rosebud mouth trembled with the force of her exhales, her pale cheeks were flushed with exertion, and her strawberry colored hair was a disheveled mess around her heart shaped face.

  Though we were the same age, Jenna and I were not friends. We never had been. We didn't run in the same circles at school. Jenna was popular, perfect, and wealthy. She was always immaculately dressed in expensive clothes and her makeup and nails were flawless.

  Jenna and Bret had dated a few years ago, and most people thought they were the ones who belonged together, including Jenna. She'd never made it a secret she still wanted him; she’d never tried to hide her flirtatious behavior with him, or her animosity toward me. I'd never really known how to react to her so I tended to ignore her, which was easy enough most of the time.

  However, there were times when she was impossible to ignore, and so was her overt behavior. Times when even I had to acknowledge she would do anything to get Bret back. I honestly couldn't understand why he wasn't with her still, why he had broken up with her in the first place, or why he continued to choose me over her.

  "Where are we going?" Jenna asked. It was probably the first time she’d talked to me in three months. I was fine with that. I had few friends and I liked it that way. I tried not to think of them now, or the fact I may never see them again. It would be ok, I told myself. I would survive their loss, I had survived worse before, but I still ached for them. I hoped if they weren't frozen they were able to get away, and if they were frozen their deaths were as quick and painless as possible. I wished there was some way I could go to them, some way to help them, but there wasn't. My family had to come first, maybe later...

  Maybe later I would be able to see them again, but I didn't hold out much hope for that. This was no longer the world I had always known, I was gripped by the knowledge everything I had always known was now gone. Nothing would ever be the same again and there would be a lot more loss before all of this was over.

  "The antique shop."

  "Where Cade works?" Jenna squeaked.

  I blinked in surprise. Even Jenna had known Cade worked at the antique store. But of course she had, she may have her sights set on Bret, but Jenna was one of the people that would know where everyone she considered of importance worked, hung out, or lived. "Yes."

  "Why?"

  I didn't answer the question. I wasn't entirely sure I knew why we were going there. I glanced behind me, but the encompassing shadows of the night were closing in on us. The ship was fading into the distance; only the persistent slithering sounds alerted me that we were still being toyed with.

  "I don't know where my parents are," Jenna whispered. "They were going out to do some shopping. They wouldn't have gone far though. My mom hates the fact we have to walk everywhere now, but I didn't see them anywhere near our house after this happened. I don't know where they are. I waited for hours, and then I ran into Cade..."

  I glanced back at Bret, frowning as he met my gaze. Where were his parents? I wondered. My heart ached as I thought about the families that had been, and would continue to be, destroyed by everything happening today.

  Including my own.

  I looked to my immobile mother. We still had her, and there was still hope she would come back to us, but was there really a chance? Even if there wasn't, there was no way I was going to let those things get a hold of her.

  "I waited, but they didn't come back." My attention was drawn back to Jenna. It didn't appear as if she were talking to me anymore. Instead, she seemed to be trying to work through her guilt and distress. I wanted to comfort her, to assure her she hadn't done anything wrong, but my words would do little good and I knew it. She would blame herself until the bitter end. "I looked for them, but I was afraid to go far. I left them a note. Maybe I should go back."

  "There's nothing you could do Jenna," I finally managed to assure her. "We can't go back now, that thing is right behind us."

  Her vivid eyes drifted behind us. "I left a note..."

  "They'll find it."

  "Will they find me?"

  My heart was breaking for her. "I hope so," I answered honestly.

  "Are we going to survive?" Jenna asked tremulously.

  There was no answer to her question; I didn't even know why she had asked it. "Go left," Cade ordered from behind us.

  I veered to the left, pushing Jenna and Abby with me, forcing them deeper into the trees. It was grueling enough for us to make our way through the thick underbrush; the three guys holding our mother were having an even tougher time. I doubled back, slipping behind them as I searched the woods. I was trying not to lose my control, struggling not to give into the panic clamoring against my skull, and pounding through my veins. But I was frightened I was going to crack and fall apart. I had held up through my father's death, but this...

  Well, this was Hell on earth.

  "Bethany!" Bret whispered harshly. I ignored him as I slipped a few feet deeper into the woods. That thing was out there, somewhere. "Bethany get back here!"

  I bristled over his commanding tone, but I didn't obey him, I didn't know why he thought I would. There was some commotion, and then someone was grabbing hold of my arm, trying to pull me back through the trees. "Bethany," Bret whispered in my ear. "Come on, we have to get out of here."

  "I know." I tried to tug my arm free, but he refused to relinquish me. "Bret!" I hissed, impatience tearing through me. He didn't release me as he pulled me forward, tugging me behind the others. There was no way we were going to be able to outrun that thing, it was impossible. If we didn't stop it, it would only follow us to the store. "We have to stop it, it won't go away!" I panted. "We can't outrun it Bret, it will only catch us." It was true; we were already wearing down. Other than Bret, none of us were exactly athletes, though Cade was in a lot better shape than I'd thought possible for someone I'd never seen in gym class.

  "Finally!" I shouted when he continued to pull me along, ignoring my protests. "We have to finally stand up for ourselves! Bret, stop!"

  My voice was bordering on shrill, and I could barely breathe, but I was right. If we didn't make a stand we were going to die. There was no way for us to outrun it, no way for us to escape its ruthless approach. "This is it Bret," I whispered. "This is it."

  His eyes were shadowed in the night, but I knew their clear green co
lor well. I also knew that stubborn set of his chin, and the muscle twitching in his cheek. He was torn, annoyed, but beneath it all I could sense his concern for me, for himself, for all of us. "Bret."

  He turned away from me. "Do you have any more guns?" he demanded of Cade.

  They had stopped running with us and the plywood sat on the ground between him and Aiden. I couldn't see Abby and Jenna but I sensed them in the night, waiting breathlessly for us to join them. Cade's eyes were hooded, his upper lip curled as he studied Bret. A trickle of sweat slid down my spine, but even so I was chilled.

  "Cade?" I inquired, hoping to divert his attention from Bret.

  The sneer slid from his lips as he briefly glanced at me. He pulled his bulky duffle bag forward, tugged open the zipper and tossed something to Bret. It was only when the dim radiance of the moon flashed across it that I realized it was another gun. I was tempted to ask him where he'd acquired the weapons, but now wasn't the time. He pulled the shotgun from his shoulder while Aiden motioned Abby and Jenna forward.

  I dug the key from my pocket; my hand shook as I handed it back to Cade. "Take mom." Aiden had a hold of Abby's shoulders as Cade handed the key to Jenna and explained how to get into the room. Jenna was pale and shaking, Abby looked about ready to cry as she tremulously hugged Aiden, and then me.

  "Come with us Bethany," she pleaded.

  "I can't. Go on now Abby, get to safety."

  "I think you should go Bethy," Aiden said.

  I shook my head, refusing to relent, refusing to cower and hide. I had been hiding for years, slinking silently through my life, trying to remain unseen in the world. I wouldn't be silent tonight, and I would do anything I could to keep my little sister safe. I had to. If we couldn't all escape, I was at least going to buy Abby enough time to get to relative safety.

  I hugged Abby, turned her away, and nudged her toward the plywood still holding our mother. I couldn't watch her walk away. The two of them would struggle with our mother, but they would get her there. Abby was one of the most stubborn people I'd ever met, she wouldn't fail.

  "Bethany..."

  "I'm fine Bret."

  "I love you."

  My mouth dropped, my heart plummeted in much the same manner. I knew how he felt about me, knew he dreamed of things I never had, mainly because I rarely dreamed of anything. Life was too precarious for dreams that may never come true. But he had never said those words to me before, let alone announced them in front of my brother, and Cade.

  I could feel the smoldering heat of Cade's gaze on my back. I didn't know what to say, what to do, and thankfully I didn't have time to worry about it. The snakelike tentacles burst free of the woods, proving the creature had excellent timing along with its violent urge to murder.

  It felt good to squeeze the trigger on the gun, to finally take a stand. The gun recoiled fiercely, I had prepared myself for this, but it still knocked me back at least a foot. The guns cracked loudly as bullets whizzed through the woods. I steadied myself, holding the gun tighter and bracing my legs further apart in order to take the kickback better.

  The second shot didn't hit the creature, but it didn't almost knock me over either. I adjusted myself, aiming a little more to the left and slightly higher. I fired again and had an instant of feeling like the cat that ate the canary; I thought I'd hit the monster, but it was tough to tell as Cade, Aiden, and Bret continued to fire upon the thing. They seemed to be doing better with their shots, but the thing was still coming toward us rapidly, skittering forward with a rush of momentum I thought would never stop.

  I was seized by the urge to turn and run screaming into the woods. However, I was many things, but a coward wasn't one of them. I wouldn't abandon them right now, no matter how much my survival instincts were telling me to do so. If they decided to retreat...

  Well, I'd be running with them like the hounds of Hell were after me. Looking at this thing, I was certain they just might be.

  It was getting closer, only fifteen feet away now. It barreled through the woods at us. It snapped smaller trees in half and darted with an almost mesmerizing grace around the larger ones. I found myself almost as entranced and impressed by this thing, as I was repulsed by it.

  I was taking time with my shots, I didn't know how many bullets the gun possessed and I didn't know how to reload it. I had to make sure that when the thing was on top of us, and it would be soon, I at least had some bullets left in my gun.

  It was a good thing Cade was an excellent shot. He was the only one who hadn't missed yet, the only one doing consistent damage to it. Damage that was scarcely making a dent.

  Ten feet, I fired another shot. Eight feet, I could feel my heart jump all the way into my throat. Six feet, I was half-worried I was going to piss myself. Four feet, I fired off another shot as a tentacle lashed out.

  I never saw the thing until it slammed against the side of my face. My head whipped around, my teeth clamped down on my tongue so hard blood spurted into my mouth. I cried out, as I stumbled back from the force of the blow. My vision swam, stars burst over my eyes as blackness threatened to consume me.

  Someone shouted my name, I didn't know who. I couldn't make out the voice over the loud ringing in my ears. Arms encircled me, pulling me back as something wrapped around my leg. A strangled scream escaped as I fought against the unconsciousness trying to claim me. "Kill it! Kill it!"

  Bret's frightened cries were muffled in my ears, but I knew now it was him holding me. It was him trying to keep me from the clutches of that hideous thing. Bret's arms clenched around me as the creature tried to pull me away. I knew he would never let me go. Aiden appeared beside us, a knife in his hand. I held my breath and closed my eyes as I braced myself. I knew what these things did when they were stabbed, and it wasn't pretty.

  A loud, ear splitting shriek rent the air. My hands slammed over my ears, an answering scream almost ripped from me but I managed to suppress it in time. Bret's breath was warm against my neck as he ducked over me. My fingers dug into the rigid muscles of his arm as another shot rang through the air. The awful screeching grew louder, blood sprayed over us as the broken tentacle whipped through the air. More blood sprayed from the bullet holes as Cade fired two more shots.

  The screaming ended abruptly.

  Bret's breath was ragged in my ears now; I could feel the frantic beat of his heart against my cheek. The thing wrapped around my leg went slack, but it didn't release me. I wanted to close my eyes, click my heels together, and go back to a year to when things hadn't been easy but they had been far better than this never-ending nightmare.

  "Bethany?"

  "I'm fine."

  "Then why are you shaking?" I almost asked Bret why he was shaking, but I realized he actually wasn't shaking; it was the force of my tremors rocking him. It was unnerving to know this, but I couldn't stop myself. "It's ok, we're safe for now."

  I bit on my lip as I managed a brief nod. It was Cade that un-wrapped the remains of the tentacle from my leg. Bret helped me to my feet, for a second I was terrified my wobbling legs wouldn't hold me. Bret rubbed my arms as he held me before him. "The thing?" I managed to croak out.

  "Dead." Cade was beside us, my revolver in his hand. He slid a bullet into it, spun the cylinder, and slammed it shut before handing it to me again. "Are you going to be ok with this?"

  "Maybe she shouldn't have it," Bret protested instantly.

  "Bethany?" Cade inquired.

  I swallowed heavily and forced myself to nod. "Yes."

  "Beth..."

  "I need something to help protect us Bret."

  "We're fine for right now," he protested.

  "For right now," I emphasized.

  I could see the concern in his soft green eyes, but I could also see the love. His fingers were as wispy as butterfly wings against my cheek as he took a step toward me. Cade thrust the revolver in between us and smiled grimly. Bret shook his head but didn't protest further as I took the gun from Cade again.