Running Wild

by Kristen Middleton

  My leg felt like it was on fire as he carried me up the hill.

  “You okay?” he asked as his eyes filled with tears.

  I nodded and stared at his face, trying to memorize every last detail of it. My eyelids were getting heavy and I knew I was about to lose consciousness.

  “Hey,” I said, touching his cheek. “I love you, Bryce.”

  “I love you too,” he choked.

  I looked into his deep blue eyes and smiled. “Don’t worry,” I whispered as the darkness began to surround me. “I’ll make it.”

  Author’s Note

  Thank you so much for reading book two of Zombie Games (Running Wild), I truly hope you enjoyed it. I know it was a lot of fun for me, creating the characters and giving them life.

  If you really liked the book and have time to write a review, please do so. Reviews are a wonderful motivator for me, especially after running a daycare during the day; I need all the incentive to get the energy to write at night!

  I have also just finished a first in my vampire series called “Blur” (Night Roamers). Please see an excerpt on the next few pages.

  Thanks again for your support!

  Kristen Middleton

  Blur Excerpt

  (Night Roamers)

  Book One

  Copyright © 2012 by Kristen Middleton

  This book is purely fiction. Any resemblances to names, characters, and places are coincidental. The reproduction of this work is forbidden without written consent from the author.

  To:

  Dave, Cassie, and Allie

  Prologue

  “Mom left the door unlocked,” I hollered at my twin brother as he slammed the door to his ’67 Mustang. It was the last day of eleventh grade and we’d stopped off for burgers and malts at Grannie’s Diner with some friends to celebrate after school. Nathan and I were officially seniors and neither of us could wipe the grins from our faces.

  “That’s weird,” he said, brushing a hand through his sandy brown hair. “You know how she’s always nagging us about it.”

  I grinned and held the door open for him. “Well, I’m certainly not going to let her live this one down.”

  Mom was married to a cop once, my father, and he’d drilled into her head how important it was to keep the doors locked, even when you’re home.

  Nathan followed me into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator.

  “Oh, my God,” I teased him. “How can you still be hungry after eating that monster burger and malt?”

  He flexed a muscle. “I’m growing,” he said. “Just ‘cause you’re a skinny little twerp doesn’t mean everyone else has to eat like a bird.”

  I walked over and punched him in the arm. “Very funny.”

  He smiled and raised the milk carton to take a swig when we both heard it.

  “What’s that?” I whispered in horror.

  He slammed down the milk and rushed out of the kitchen.

  “Nathan?” I yelled, chasing him upstairs. The sobs, were coming from somewhere in the upper level of our house.

  “Oh my God,” he choked, entering our mother’s dark bedroom. She was lying naked on the floor, her face swollen and bleeding, her body badly bruised.

  We rushed to her side and she cracked open one of her black eyes. “Call the police,” she mumbled, barely coherent.

  I started to cry as I grabbed the phone and dialed nine-one-one. I don’t even remember talking to the person who’d answered. All I know is that I was blubbering and she was trying to console me with the fact that help was coming. I hung up and stared at my broken mother in shock, feeling helpless.

  Thankfully, Nathan handled stress much better than I did. He grabbed a comforter and covered her, gently.

  “Mom, what happened?” he asked.

  The shame on her face was heart-wrenching and I knew by her appearance what had happened. She’d obviously been beaten and raped.

  I brushed the tears from my face, kneeled down next to her, and lightly touched her hand. “The police and ambulance are on their way.”

  She nodded and closed her eyes.

  “Mom?” prodded Nathan. “What happened?”

  “Nathan, think about it,” I whispered. “She’s obviously been raped.”

  His lips trembled as he searched her face. “Mom? Some stranger broke in here and did this to you?”

  She stared at both of us for a few seconds. “No…no stranger,” she whispered, “It was your father.”

  Chapter One

  “Are we almost there?” I sighed, staring at the endless rows of corn fields. We’d been driving for hours through the countryside and I could no longer tell the difference from one town to the next. I just wanted to get out of the car and stretch my legs.

  Mom cleared her throat. “Pretty soon.”

  Nathan was following us in his Mustang and I glanced back to see him talking on his cell phone, again.

  “Oh, Lord,” I said. “He must be talking to Deanna, for the tenth time. She just won’t get over the fact that we’re really moving.”

  Mom tightened her hands on the steering wheel and glanced at me. “I’m sorry about this. I’m just so sorry… about everything.”

  I frowned. “Mom, it’s not your fault. Nobody had any idea that he could be so violent.”

  It had been less than three months since my father had brutally attacked my mother. They’d been separated for the last couple of years because of his temper tantrums along with his inability to stop screwing other women. When my mother had finally gotten up the nerve to leave him, he’d actually been pretty civil about it. Then, when he’d found out she’d moved on emotionally and started dating again, he’d went off in a jealous rage, striking back at her.

  “I just wish they could find him and lock him up,” she said, staring straight ahead.

  I nodded. I was so ashamed that any thoughts of him made me physically ill. It was still really hard to believe that my own father was capable of being so violent, especially since he’d been a cop and responsible for keeping people safe. After the attack, he’d disappeared and my poor mother had spent several nights in the hospital, recovering. When she finally came home she wasn’t able to sleep at night without drugs, terrified that he’d show up and beat her again. Then, just recently she’d been given a gift; a way out. Her employer offered her an accounting job in Montana and now that’s where all three of us were headed; to start a new life.

  “Well, I think it’s good that Nathan’s getting away from Deanna, anyway,” I said. “She’s so whiny and annoying.”

  Mom smiled wryly. “Now Nikki, you haven’t liked any of Nathan’s girlfriends.”

  I shrugged. “Well, it’s not my fault he attracts the psycho ones.”

  Deep down I knew I wasn’t being fair because the truth was, I was a little jealous. My brother and I had always been very close, especially living in such a dysfunctional family environment. My earliest memories were of my parents screaming and fighting, especially during the holidays. So, we’d withered the storms together. In fact, for all of our lives, we’d been best friends, sharing and doing everything, together. That is, until the tenth grade, when he’d discovered boobs, I mean girls. Of course, I’d discovered boys as well; I’d discovered that most of them in my school were crude, boring, or just plain... boobs.

  “So,” I said, changing a subject that I had to admit left me feeling a guilty. “What were you saying about this place we’re renting?”

  She smiled. “I guess it’s just beautiful. It’s a cabin on Shore Lake that’s been on the market for some time. The owners are related to Ernie and because of our circumstances they’re letting us stay there relatively cheap.”

  Ernie was my mom’s boss; a really nice old man who’s been really supportive of my mom. He’s been almost like a father-figure to her, which is good because both of her parents passed away several years ago.

  “Do they have a boat?”

  She nodded. “Yes, Ernie says there’s a boat and he�
�s caught hundreds of fish on the lake. I’m really excited about staying there. Honey, are you okay?”

  “Something in my eye,” I muttered as I pulled down the visor. I blinked until I finally got the eyelash out.

  “I need a haircut,” I noted.

  “We’ll get you one before school starts,” she said.

  I nodded and examined my reflection. Sandy brown hair, light blue eyes, and a pug nose. I’d always considered myself average looking, even though my mom said I looked exactly like her when she was growing up and she turned out to be attractive. In fact, most of Nathan’s friends said she was a hot MILF, which was pretty gross, but I guess that meant there was still hope for me.

  I closed the visor and leaned my head back. “I wonder what the school is like.”

  I was a little nervous about school. Truthfully, I knew I wouldn’t miss the old one that much. In fact, you could say I was sort of a loner. Sure, there were a couple of girls I’d hung out with back home occasionally, but I preferred to be alone most of the time, or hanging out with Nathan.

  “Ernie didn’t say much, but honestly, I don’t expect him to know. He’s in his seventies and never had children.”

  I shrugged. “Well, I’m sure it will be fine.”

  I really didn’t want my mom to worry about me. She was the one that needed the extra support from us and I wasn’t about to make her feel any more guilty about moving then she already did.

  “Oh, I forgot to tell you, they have a computer, so you can surf the internet.”

  “Awesome,” I smiled. Although we used computers at school and my mom had her own laptop, I’d been nagging her forever about getting me one of my own.

  She nodded. “Yes, but you’ll have to share it with your brother. I’d let you guys use mine, but…”

  I sighed. “I know, you have too many important files and you don’t want anything happening to your computer.”

  “Well, now you have one to use,” she answered with a smile. “In fact, I heard that you can download free books to the computer and read them.”

  “Since we’ll be in the middle of nowhere, I’m sure I’ll need something to do.”

  “Oh, you’ll find plenty to do. Wait until you start school and meet some new friends. Or even some cute boys.”

  I snorted. “I doubt it.”

  “Why do you say that? You’re a very pretty girl.”

  I shrugged. I could care less about meeting anyone at the moment. “It doesn’t matter.”

  “Sure it does. You’ll want to go to all the dances and then there’s the prom. You don’t want to miss out on all the fun.”

  “Didn’t you go with dad to the prom?” I asked, then immediately felt rotten when I saw the bitterness reflected in her eyes.

  “I did,” she said slowly. “But, he wasn’t always so…volatile. And really, he’s among the very few out there like that. You can’t be afraid of the world because your dad has issues.”

  Yeah, but weren’t we running because she was still very much afraid? Of course, I didn’t dare mention that. Instead, I just changed the subject.

  “So, how much farther of a drive, mom?”

  She wrinkled her forehead. “Oh, just a couple more hours. Why don’t you rest and I’ll wake you up when we get there?”

  “Okay,” I said, closing my eyes.

  ~~~

  “I just don’t understand,” said Nathan.

  “Can we talk about this later?”

  I woke up to the sound of Mom and Nathan arguing. We were parked outside of a small grocery store and he was standing outside of her window, pouting.

  “Not now,” I mumbled. It was getting dark and we’d missed dinner so my stomach was making scary noises. I was cranky and the last thing I needed was to hear about Deanna.

  “Can’t she just come for a week before school starts?” mumbled Nathan. “She’s having a rough time with her parents and now I’m gone. It’s not fair for her.”

  Mom shook her head. “No, we have too much to do with unpacking and getting ready for school. Maybe she can come and visit sometime after it starts, for a weekend.”

  “It’s bullshit,” he said. “We could have stayed home. I would’ve protected you. Now we’re forced to move and you didn’t even give me a chance.”

  “Nathan!” I gasped. “You are not the one being fair. Mom’s been through so much and you’re just mad because you can’t see Deanna whenever you want. You’re being an asshole.”

  His face turned red and he opened up his mouth to retaliate when mom interrupted.

  “Okay, let’s all settle down. Quit pointing fingers at each other, and Nikki, watch your mouth. Listen, it isn’t either of your faults, okay? And, Nathan,” she said smiling sadly. “I’m grateful that you want to protect me, but you can’t possibly follow me around twenty-four hours a day, nor do I expect you to be my personal bodyguard. Now, as far as Deanna goes, we’ll talk about it later. Comprende?”

  He nodded but I could tell this conversation was far from over.

  We needed groceries, so both of us followed mom into the store. A half hour later our cart was full and we were trying to stuff it all into the back of Nathan’s Mustang.

  “Hi,” said a soft voice behind us. “You must be new in town?”

  We all turned around to see a striking red-head getting out of a Chevy pickup. She wore a short sundress that showed off her legs and dark sunglasses, which was a little odd considering it was dusk.

  Nathan smiled. “Yeah, we just got into town.”

  She removed her sunglasses and smiled. “Well, I hope you enjoy it here. It’s quaint but there are lots of things to do, especially at night.”

  Her teeth were pearly white and her hair was a mass of shiny curls. She dropped her keys and after she bent to retrieve them, tossed her hair back over her shoulder. It was a simple thing but it had an immediate effect on Nathan. Truthfully, I didn’t even think anybody should be that gorgeous.

  Before my mother or I could answer, Nathan spoke up in a surprisingly deeper voice. “Great, thank you.”

  “Well, maybe I’ll see you around,” she said, clearly directing it towards Nathan, who looked like he’d already forgotten about Deanna. Then she sashayed into the store.

  “Wow,” I said to Nathan. “Looks like you’re meeting new friends and we haven’t even made it home yet.”

  He looked at me and smiled. “Well, there’s nothing wrong with being friendly.”

  Mom smiled. “Oh my, she certainly liked you, Nathan.”

  “How can she resist?” he said. “Let’s get going. I’m starving.”

  Mom gave Nathan the directions to the cabin, which was a few miles passed the town and this time he led the way.

  Darkness came very quickly and in a small town without many lights, it was creepy.

  “It’s a bitch driving when you don’t know exactly where you’re going,” said my mom. “I think the turnoff is coming up in another few miles or so. I hope Nathan catches it in time and doesn’t over-shoot it.”

  “He probably will,” I said, “especially if he’s on the phone with psycho again.”

  She bit back a smile.

  We were listening to my mom’s favorite Bob Segar CD when my she suddenly groaned and turned down the music. “Are you kidding me?” she said, scowling into her rearview mirror.

  I turned to see the flashing lights from a police car and then glanced at my mom. “Were you speeding?”

  She shook her head and pulled over to the side of the road. “No, you know me, I never speed.”

  It was the truth, my mother was a slow driver and Nathan was always giving her crap about it.

  Mom rolled down the window as the police officer approached her. She immediately handed him her driver’s license and insurance information. “I’m sorry officer…was I speeding?”

  My brother had noticed the cop, too and pulled over ahead of us, waiting.

  “No, but you do have a taillight out,” he said with an easy sm
ile.

  What’s with this town and their unnaturally white teeth?

  “Oh, no really?” she answered. “Sorry.”

  “Yes. Anne Gerard…you must be new in town?” he asked, studying her license.

  “We are, in fact. This is my daughter Nikki and that’s my son, Nathan, ahead of us in the Mustang.”

  He glanced down at her left hand which no longer had a wedding ring, and his smile broadened.

  “Well, ladies, I’m Sherriff Caleb Smith. Welcome to Shore Lake,” he answered, giving her back her license.

  Was it me or did he actually puff out his chest a little when he handed it back?

  “Thank you,” answered my mom with a silly grin on her face. She definitely noticed the puff.

  He licked his lips. “Since you have such a lovely smile and you’re new in town, I’m just going to give you a warning. Make sure you take care of it as soon as you can, though.”

  Barf, I thought. He really is flirting with her.

  Mom smiled wider than ever. “I will, thank you officer.”

  He tipped his hat. “My friends call me Caleb. Drive safely.”

  “Wow,” said mom after she’d rolled up her window. “Did you see that man’s eyes? They were an amazing shade of violet. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone with that color of eyes. No wedding ring either.”

  I stared at her in disbelief. “Oh, my God mom, we just got into town!”

  She tried to look serious. “Yeah, but I agree with Nathan that there’s nothing wrong with making new friends; especially friends that are in law enforcement.”

  I groaned inwardly and stared into the darkness as we continued on. I found it odd that she could think about men after what had happened to her two months ago.

  Chapter Two

  When we finally made it to the cabin, my jaw dropped.

  “Well, what do you think?” asked mom as she parked the car.