Not knowing what else to do, she leads him to the same thicket of greenery. The irony of hiding with the very people she was originally hiding from has not escaped her, nor has the fact that she is now waiting for the man she first ran from to save her. She does not allow herself to think of Regum. Once inside the bushes, they crouch together, trying to control their breathing so its speed and volume do not give them away.
Moments later, a volley of shots rips through the darkness around them. They hear screams, but from this distance it is not clear whether they are male or female. Then silence.
Silence, for longer than they can bear.
Eventually, a single set of footsteps approaches in the darkness. They cower, unsure who they belong to. The footsteps move to and fro, sweeping the area behind the cottage in wide passes, as though searching for something or someone.
“Paulo?” The voice is a hissed whisper, a risk in the darkness of the night. But it is definitely male.
She signals that he can answer, keeping his voice low.
“Uncle Fortis! Over here.”
The footsteps start up again, more sure this time, making their way toward the hiding place. When he reaches them, Fortis is sweating, his clothing dirty and his face thunderous.
“We have to go. More will be coming.”
He pulls Paulo to his feet, refusing to look at Auro.
“But Fortis, where is Regum?” Paulo’s voice is too loud in the darkness and filled with despair.
“Gone, Paulo. And we have to go too. Right now. Don’t worry. Spiro will follow later.”
The boy does not cry, but stands to follow his uncle silently. They are a few footsteps away when he turns.
“Auro. Auro, we have to go! Are you coming?”
She is not sure whether Fortis wants her with them. He stops alongside Paulo, but does not add to his nephew’s plea to either invite her to accompany them or forbid her from following.
She stands, unsure, and stumbles after them into the darkness.
As the truck roars off into the night, there are no sounds of pursuit. For now, anyway. But they will not let her be. They will come again.
She glances across at Paulo, his eyes wide and terrified. Pulling him toward her, she circles him with an arm and strokes his head until he rests it on her shoulder. Soon, hopefully, he will sleep. Next to them, Fortis steers the truck along the narrow track through the woods, his body rigid, his face emotionless. She dare not speak to him.
She thinks of Regum, his kindness and understanding, his offer of refuge and hope for a better future. And now, his lifeless body lying in the doorway of the cottage where they have been forced to leave him, not having enough time to bring his body back to Eremus. As they drive headlong into the growing dawn, she is only certain of one thing.
She can never stop running.
Also by Clare Littlemore
The Gender Guardian is a standalone short story set in a dystopian future where, for better or worse, the world has become dominated by women.
Clare Littlemore loves to write about futures where the world has been destroyed in some way or another. If you want to read more by Clare Littlemore, a good place to start is the Flow series, which focuses on a group of people struggling to survive after their world has been annihilated by devastating floods.
The Flow Series
Flow
Break
Drift (Coming in 2019)
Trail (Coming in 2019)
About Clare Littlemore
Clare Littlemore is a young adult dystopian and sci-fi author who thrives on fictionally destroying the world in as many ways as she possibly can.
She was born in Durham, in the UK. Her parents were both teachers, and she grew up in a world surrounded by books. She has worked for most of her life as a teacher of English at various high schools in England, where she has shared her passion for books with hundreds of teenagers. In 2013 she began writing her own fiction, got totally hooked, and hasn’t stopped since.
Clare lives in Warrington in the North West of England with her husband and two children.
Sign up for her mailing list to receive monthly newsletters with details of her new releases, giveaways, and other information about her books: http://www.clarelittlemore.com/free-books/?signup=onthebrinkanthology
Or come and say hi on . . .
Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/lastbookcafeonearth/
If you just want to know when I release a new book, you can also follow me on Amazon. Or you can learn more about my forthcoming books on my website: www.clarelittlemore.com
In Search of Amber Waves
A Mystical Slayers short story
Michael W. Huard
Young freedom fighter Karma has left the coveted Mystical Slayers sisterhood and is now is seeking something different.
There has to be more than just fighting, more than always constantly trying to help people.
Across the water she sails, where a new location opens her mind to another way of living. The people live off the grid; they grow, cook, and eat their own foods. Each person helps out, and everyone lives far from the dangers of the robotics Y-Wood Corporation.
But not all is as it appears.
Karma is suddenly caught in the middle of something quite horrific, and it will take all she’s got to survive.
Legend says that in mankind’s fallen hour, a hero will rise.
In our story, it shall be a sisterhood of kick-butt women.
Chapter 1
On the very dangerous roads of fallen America, Karma made her way to the border outside Washington, D.C. The Asian-American teenager with long black hair decided to take to the road on her own.
She had packed as much gear as her small frame could carry. In particular, she had heisted some of the sisterhood's powerful Starigen 6280 formula in order to keep it running through her veins. This miracle drug kept her at the top of her game.
She had cared for the entire sisterhood and their allies, yet she was still perturbed by the fact that none made too much fuss regarding the death of her close friend, Gavin, someone who meant the world to her.
She was frustrated, which kept her moving away from those she thought of as family. To head out by herself was the right choice. Perhaps she’d find purpose, locate meaning to her existence besides being just one of the sisters out to change the country.
Her world was smaller than the vast ideals of the Mystical Slayers.
I’m not the only one with issues, she thought as she got closer to her destination. She knew Victory was struggling as well, but she had Jackson J. now, and the two of them had chosen to reside away from the main sisterhood and live separately. If only Gavin were alive, Karma could have had happiness, too.
Being out here made her feel like a solo journey could help her come to some conclusion on where her life was heading.
She was definitely scared. She was just a young girl who, miraculously, had aged faster than anyone thought possible. They hadn’t realized what the consequences of meddling with the formula would be.
Today, the streets she walked were ruled by those who were strongest, the states governed by the Y-Wood Corporation, a robotics company the so-called President Berlin Purcell reigned over with an iron fist. The changing wars had thrown the former United States of America into a tailspin, and thirty-first century USA was a mess.
Her sisterhood had made great advances against this Corporation, but it was not nearly enough.
The goal was to gather more and more people to create an uprising, then overthrow these self-proclaimed leaders.
While out on her own, perhaps she would see where people stood regarding this once great country.
However, as a pretty girl, it was never a good idea to set out on your own.
The farther away from Washington she got, the more dangerous the roads would become. She hadn't planned on going too far, yet she kept on walking toward the shipyard in order to find a boat to board and cross the river.
>
The night settled in, darkness creeping up. Karma knew better than to stay out after dark, so she found a building and pried open a window, climbing in.
There was very little in the building itself because it looked like it had been picked over, but it was enough to shelter her and keep her off the dark street. Little did she know someone else was in there as well.
A man peered over a rusty industry machine, liking what he saw. A pretty, fresh female. He let her settle in a little bit. He wanted her food, but knew it would be better not to rush as he watched her chew on some sort of bar. If it were one of those Bloom nutritional ones, he hoped she had more in the bag near her side.
However, Karma knew he was there. She had picked up on him earlier. Knowing how to play the game, she acted like she had no idea he was watching. She eventually curled up and laid her head on her knapsack. All the while, she kept her sword concealed at her side.
Chapter 2
The grungy man waited until she was fast asleep before he crept out of his hiding spot. He would take her food, then have her as his own. Afterward, he’d decide if he would have her again in the morning or kill her tonight. He pushed aside his filthy brown hair to look her over better.
He slowly knelt behind her. When she did not move, he smiled, revealing what little teeth he had left. He licked his lips, knowing he had come across a nice little treasure. His anticipation rose as he reached out to cover her mouth.
He felt a sudden stab of pain in the area of his liver. He looked down, seeing some sort of blade sticking out of his side. This teenager had driven her sword deep into his flesh, blood beginning to run from his mouth. He grimaced as he slouched forward, seeing the black-haired girl looking at him.
“Did you think it would be that easy?” she asked with a scowl.
He tried to speak, but the agony was overwhelming. He fell back, gurgling, trying to catch his breath.
Karma sat up and sighed. Of all the luck, now I have a dead person next to me.
She moved farther away and tried to get a little bit of rest.
She didn't sleep all that well and found herself wondering why she had ventured out on her own. Should she have left the sisterhood and her friends?
Why did they not care about Gavin more? It was like because he wasn't one of the girls, one of the leaders, people kind of just brushed him off. She would not go back. She had to keep going away from it all.
Eventually, she saw the river and made her way down to the dock. As she rounded a bend in the road, she noticed three men, maybe in their twenties, hanging out on a porch. Judging by their clothing, they appeared to be men who liked to fish. Some of their fishing poles and tackle boxes were strewn near them, too.
She started to walk past them. Excitedly, all ran out into the road and stood in front of her.
The shorter of the three, who wore a white cap and had a baby-like face, squinted. “Where you going, missy?”
Karma just shook her head and tried to skirt around them, but the young men stepped in front of her again, getting even closer now.
The one with a big scar on his cheek and a red baseball hat placed backwards on his head said, “Slow down, girl. We’re talking to you!”
The tallest among them added, “Yeah. Listen to old Fishhook and be nice.”
Karma now saw that the scar on his face was indeed probably made by a good-sized fishhook. She put her hands up in a pacifying gesture. “I'm just walking by, guys. Just let me be on my way. Please.”
Baby Face frowned. “I don't think we can do that. Why don’t you come inside with us?” He reached out and grasped her shoulder.
Karma spun and grabbed his hand, rotating her own arm around the guy’s elbow. Keeping him in a shoulder lock, she walked him out of the way.
When he resisted, she rotated his arm the other way, locking it forward, then drove him to the ground, face first.
He yelped out in pain. “Owwwwwww, easy.”
Fishhook ran at Karma, immediately grabbing her around the throat. She had to let go of the one on the ground in order to grab her new attacker’s arms, and as she pushed him sideways, she went the other way and swept his foot out from under him. Fishhook went flying, landing hard on the roadway. Baby Face looked over to his taller buddy.
“Grab that little honey, will ya, Eli? She's going to pay for what she just did. Get her and pull her ass inside so we can teach her a lesson.”
Karma drew her sword. This was escalating into a serious threat. She pointed it at them. “I told you, I just want to pass by. Leave me alone.”
Eli scratched his head. “Whoa, this girl is tough.”
Fishhook and Baby Face were both back on their feet, each circling around Karma, ready for more. Eli moved in front of her so she could not get by without a fight.
Baby Face drew a long, thick blade from his side. He called to Karma, “You draw that sword on us, you’d better know how to use it.”
Fishhook pulled out a pistol. “You’re going to get shot if you don't put that away, you little bitch.”
Eli shouted, “What you got in the bag? Give us everything in there, then we will let you go.”
Baby Face, a frown on his face, looked at Eli, shaking his head.
Karma tried to breathe as she had been taught by the sisterhood. She needed to talk her way out of this, remain in control of her emotions.
“Listen, other than a couple food bars, some beef jerky, and a little bread, I don’t have anything of value in this bag. If you guys are hungry, you can have it. Just let me by. Please.”
Baby Face growled, tossing his hat to the ground. “That isn’t enough. Put the bag down and get into the house. We’re gonna have some fun with you tonight . . . then maybe we’ll let you leave.”
Karma was even more anxious. She had been taught to talk her way out of situations, being sweet, even sometimes acting like she was surrendering.
Screw it. There’s no being sweet today.
“Okay. I'll go inside with you guys.”
Fishhook slowly lowered his gun, then motioned to her. “Pass me the sword . . . slowly.”
Karma walked to him, holding it out. “All right. Here you go.”
When he reached for it, she spun low, slashing across his Achilles tendons. The guy screamed in pain, falling to the ground. Karma stepped on his wrist and took the gun from him. When Baby Face charged, she shot him in the face. Eli reached for the knife Baby Face dropped, but before he got to it, Karma sliced her blade up and cut him across his shoulder. He twisted, screaming, yet did not fall.
On the ground, Fishhook cried out, “I can't believe you shot Baby Face. Oh, my ankles. I need help. I can’t get up. Please.”
Eli, bleeding profusely, looked the situation over and stumbled down the street.
Karma stood, and not looking back, walked down to the dock.
She knew she would never be permitted on a boat with a gun. It wouldn't be easy to get on with her sword to begin with, but the gun . . . When she started to throw it to the side, she thought perhaps it would be a good tradable asset for passage.
She finally got to the dock, seeing a larger craft, people boarding.
It seemed like one of her safer options. A boat only posed so much risk. She walked to the gangway, seeing a man standing at the top watching all who wanted to get on the ship.
She then saw a group of men at the top, all holding rifles, looking her up and down.
She was a young thing. The men saw so much promise in her, but lots of people had good looks. That didn't mean they could afford to travel. The man blocking her route on board wore a crimson mask over the lower half of his face. He put his hand out, stopping her.
“This is not a free trip. What do you offer to get on?”
Karma pulled out the gun, holding it out to the man. He took the weapon, looking it over, then let her on board without another word spoken.
The boat crossed the river into a larger bay. It stopped on an isle so all could board a larger ferry
to continue. It took about forty-five minutes for them to get to a secluded, private isle.
The log buildings seemed in very good condition. Many had boats tied up in the marsh, and she saw several gardens and animal pens, implying it was a self-sufficient area that relied heavily on the people working as a unit.
Karma was led to a lodge where she saw a red-haired woman with green glasses.
In a sassy voice, the woman, who was probably in her mid-thirties, said, “Well, who do we have here? What’s your name, little lady?”
Karma rolled her eyes at such a stupid question. She was no longer the little girl who’d run away from the mining community. Since joining the sisterhood, she’d become more mature in body and mind. She looked at the woman, who seemed to be waiting impatiently for her to answer.
She had no reason to lie, so she explained that she was from Wyoming and had made her way out here to search for a better life. The woman nodded, listening. Karma then asked, “What’s your name?”
The woman appeared a bit surprised, but replied, “You may call me Miss Deville.” She cocked her head at Karma. “So . . . What do you have to offer us here in Pine Haven? We do things our way. We grow all our own food and are very community-orientated. We work together to create a high standard of living away from the crap you just came from. I ask again. Other than your cute looks, odd tattoo, and tight little body, what do you have to offer?”
Now Karma was the one taken aback. This woman was weird.
She was slightly built, but if these people gave her a chance to contribute, she was more than physically able.
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