need to know where they’d gone.
Listening for a few minutes at the hatch, Sam heard nothing out of the ordinary. It was now or never. Taking a deep breath, he pushed the chest aside and opened the door. The foul stench of rotting food and the backed-up sewer hit them like a slap to the face as soon as they hit the floor, and they both retched. Sam’s first instinct was to run for the door since the last thing he wanted to do was linger in the stench, but he had one more thing to do before they left.
Passing by the busted-out patio door, he headed for the fireplace and picked up the iron poker hanging on the rack. Wasn't much of a weapon, but since his father was never a believer in owning a weapon of any kind; the poker would have to do. Handing it to Amy, he instructed her, "Stay here," while he headed to his bedroom. The solid Louisville Slugger standing in the corner was his target. Grabbing it, he tossed it about in his hands for a bit as he looked sadly around the familiar room. A huge sigh escaped him, the only sign of the overwhelming sense of loss he was feeling at the moment. But he knew they had no other choice but to go.
Amy was still standing right where he left her.
"Let’s go, Ames," he said, pulling his backpack over his shoulder, but Amy didn’t move. Sam stopped in his tracks, as the look of terror on his sister’s face sent ice shards flowing through his veins. He followed her stare to the patio door, spotting the creature hovering outside the gaping hole. The pink housecoat and kitten slippers indicated it may have once been their next-door neighbor, Mrs. Bailey. The blood-splattered clothing and torn flesh of her face however, told them this was no longer the kindly old lady they once knew. Her head swiveled, nose in the air like some hound dog trying to locate a scent.
Sam's mouth went bone dry. The urge to grab Amy and run was overridden by his terror, rooting him in place as the head turned unnaturally their way. The worm-like thing erupted from the old lady’s mouth- a warning it had found what it was looking for.
"Sammy!" Amy cried pitifully as the creature barreled through the broken door. Shards of glass ripped away more of its skin, but it didn’t seem to care. It had picked up Amy's scent and was intent on only one thing. Wet, gurgling sounds hit Sam's ears, drowned out by his sister's piercing scream. The scream broke him out of his paralysis and he moved without thinking. Jumping between the creature and his sister, he swung the bat with every ounce of his strength at the flapping tentacle. The wood connected with the old lady’s jaw with a sickening thunk. She flew backward through the air, flipping over the coffee table and landing in a heap on the living room floor. Sam didn't give it time to get back up. Lunging at the downed creature, he started swinging with the bat. Again and again at the creature's head, until it pulverized into a crimson mush. Hot blood splattered his neck, his cheek, making him gag. But still he kept swinging.
"Sammy... Sam, stop," Amy yelled, grabbing his arm and stilling the next swing. He stared at her, dazed for a bit, unsure of what just happened. A high-pitched keening reached his ears and it took a moment for him to realize the strange sound was coming from him. Amy pried the bat out of his stiff fingers, dropping it like a hot poker and held his face tightly in her hands.
"Sammy, stop it. Stop it. You're scaring me." Her loud sobs punctuated every word. He was scaring her to death and couldn’t help it. Biting his lip hard enough to draw blood, he finally stopped his wailing. Still shaking uncontrollably, he grabbed the hands cupping his face and rested his forehead against hers.
"I'm okay, Ames. I'm okay. I'm okay." He wasn’t sure if he was trying to convince her or himself. Eyes closed and heads together, they stood like that for a moment. Taking comfort from each other’s touch. Finally, his breathing slowed and his trembling stopped.
"We should probably go now,” he whispered. He felt her nod in agreement. They needed to move before any more creatures stumbled their way or those people from this morning came back. They needed to get to the safety of the Grand Hotel.
With his stomach rolling in revulsion, Sam retrieved the bloody bat from the living room floor. He wiped it clean on the couch and slung it over his shoulder like he was about to step up to the plate. But this was no ballgame. This was an out-and-out fight for their survival. He knew he needed to keep the bat handy because he would undoubtedly need it again. It was a full day’s walk between them and the Grand. They would probably come across more of those creatures. He just hoped he could somehow keep them both alive.
With his other hand, he reached for Amy. Gripping her small hand tight, brother and sister walked steadfast to the front door and took the first step towards their unknown destiny. Together.
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If you want to learn more about Sam and Amy,
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OTHER BOOKS BY MICHELLE BRYAN
Strain of Resistance (Bixby book 1)
Strain of Defiance (Bixby book 2)
Awaken (New Bloods book 1)
Ascension (New Bloods book 2)
About the Author
Michelle Bryan lives in Nova Scotia, Canada, with her husband, son and two crazy felines. Besides her family her other passions in life consist of chocolate, coffee and writing. When she’s not busy being a chocolate store manager or spending the day at her computer, she can be found with her nose stuck in any sort of apocalypse book. Please visit her on Facebook, Goodreads, and Amazon or follow her on Twitter @michellebry101. She would love to hear from her readers, so feel free to leave comments or ask questions.
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