by J. Thorn
A tap on the glass made him jump. He looked and was surprised, and more than a little dismayed to see Claire's sister looking in at him. He cleared his throat, watched as she made a circular motion with her index finger.
He rolled down the window, the word Sorry already on his tongue.
"You got a call," she said, and that made him swallow the word. It had been the last thing he'd expected to hear.
"A call?"
Kara ran a hand through her hair. She looked tired. Dark bags hung under eyes made shallow with worry. "Yeah. A cop in Detroit."
Pete swallowed, felt himself stiffen with panic. "What...?" he started to say, then shook his head.
"They said they want to talk to you."
"About what?"
"About a woman up there. Louise something."
The mention of her name made him ache inside. In all that had happened, his mind had not been able to entertain more than one sorrow at a time, but he realized now, in the days ahead, he would have nothing but time to ponder them.
"She's dead," he said. "She got hurt."
Kara frowned at him. "She's not dead."
He gaped at her, sure he hadn't heard her correctly. "What?"
"She's in the hospital, but she's not dead. She asked for you. Told the cop you were her only living kin, so they want you to come up. Wanted you to know she got hurt, but apparently that's not news to you."
Stunned, he smiled at her and shook his head.
Kara did not look like she shared his joy. "Seems like trouble just draws you to it, doesn't it?"
"Thank you," he told her with genuine warmth. She could stick her arms in and throttle him, or curse him to high Heaven and it wouldn't make a damn bit of difference now because Louise was alive. He was almost afraid to believe it. "Thank you, Ma'am," he said again and glanced at Claire, who'd been listening. She was smiling at him, a light in her eyes anyone else might have said was simply a reflection of the sun as it crept over the horizon, but he knew better.
# # #
Born and raised in Dungarvan, Ireland, Kealan Patrick Burke is the Bram Stoker Award-winning author of five novels (Master of the Moors, Currency of Souls, Kin, The Living, and Nemesis: The Death of Timmy Quinn), over a hundred short stories, four collections (Ravenous Ghosts, The Number 121 to Pennsylvania & Others, Theater Macabre, and The Novellas), and editor of four acclaimed anthologies (Taverns of the Dead, Quietly Now: A Tribute to Charles L. Grant, Brimstone Turnpike, and Tales from the Gorezone, proceeds from which were donated to children's charity PROTECT.
When not writing, Kealan designs covers for print and digital books through his company Elderlemon Design. To date he has designed covers for books by Richard Laymon, Brian Keene, Scott Nicholson, Bentley Little, William Schoell, Tim Lebbon, and Hugh Howey, to name a few.
His short story "Peekers" is currently in development as a feature film from Lionsgate Entertainment.
Visit Kealan on the web at http://www.kealanpatrickburke.com.
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More Books from this Author
Book One of the Colony Saga
Copyright © 2013 by Michaelbrent Collings
All rights reserved.
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used under license from Shutterstock.com
NOTE: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
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PRAISE FOR THE NOVELS OF
MICHAELBRENT COLLINGS
STRANGERS
“Highly recommended.” – Hellnotes
“Collings is so proficient at what he does, he crooks his finger to get you inside his world and before you know it, you are along for the ride. You don't even see it coming; he is that good.” – Only Five Star Book Reviews
“Move over Stephen King... Clive Barker.... Michaelbrent Collings is taking over as the new king of the horror book genre.” – Media Mikes
“STRANGERS is another white-knuckled journey that demands to be read in one sitting.” – The Horror Fiction Review
“Michaelbrent spins a tale that keeps you enthralled from page to page…. Overall I give this novel an A.” – The Horror Drive-In
DARKBOUND
“Really good, highly recommended, make sure you have time to read a lot at one sitting since you may have a hard time putting it down.” – The Horror Fiction Review
“In Darkbound you will find the intensity of Misery and a journey reminiscent of the train ride in The Talisman…. A proficient and pedagogical author, Collings’ works should be studied to see what makes his writing resonate with such vividness of detail…. You will not be disappointed in this dark tale.” – Hellnotes
“Darkbound travels along at a screaming pace with action the whole way through, and twists to keep you guessing throughout.... With an ending that I didn't see coming from a mile away, and easily one of the best I've had the enjoyment of reading in a long time....” – Horror Drive-In
THE HAUNTED
“The Haunted is a terrific read with some great scares and a shock of an ending!” – Rick Hautala, international bestselling author; Bram Stoker Award® for Lifetime Achievement winner
“[G]ritty, compelling and will leave you on the edge of your seat.... The Haunted is a tremendous read for fans of ghoulishly good terror.” – horrornews.net
“The Haunted is just about perfect.... This is a haunted house story that will scare even the most jaded horror hounds. I loved it!” – Joe McKinney, Bram Stoker Award®-winning author of Flesh Eaters and Inheritance
APPARITION
“Apparition is not just a 'recommended' novel, it is easily one of the most entertaining and satisfying horror novels this reviewer has read within the past few years. I cannot imagine that any prospective reader looking for a new read in the horror genre won't be similarly blown away by the novel.” – Hellnotes
“[Apparition is] a gripping, pulse hammering journey that refuses to relent until the very final act. The conclusion that unfolds may cause you to sleep with the lights on for a spell.... Yet be forewarned perhaps it is best reserved for day time reading.” – horrornews.net
“Apparition is a hard core supernatural horror novel that is going to scare the hell out of you.... This book has everything that you would want in a horror novel.... it is a roller coaster ride right up to a shocking ending.” – horroraddicts.net
“[Apparition is] Riveting. Captivating. Mesmerizing.... [A]n effective, emotional, nerve-twisting read, another amazingly well-written one from a top-notch writer.” – The Horror Fiction Review
THE LOON
“It's always so nice to find one where hardcore asylum-crazy is done RIGHT.... THE LOON is, hands down, an excellent book.” – The Hor
ror Fiction Review
“Highly recommended for horror and thriller lovers. It's fast-moving, as it has to be, and bloody and violent, but not disgustingly gory.... Collings knows how to write thrillers, and I'm looking forward to reading more from him.” – Hellnotes
MR. GRAY (aka THE MERIDIANS)
“... an outstanding read.... This story is layered with mystery, questions from every corner and no answers fully coming forth until the final conclusion.... What a ride.... This is one you will not be able to put down and one you will remember for a long time to come. Very highly recommended.” – Midwest Book Review
HOOKED: A TRUE FAERIE TALE
“Hooked is a story with depth.... Emotional, sad, horrific, and thought provoking, this one was difficult to put down and now, one of my favourite tales.” – Only Five Star Book Reviews
“[A]n interesting and compelling read.... Collings has a way with words that pulls you into every moment of the story, absorbing every scene with all of your senses.” – Clean Romance Reviews
“Collings has found a way to craft an entirely new modern vampire mythology – and one strikingly different from everything I've seen before.... Recommended for adult and teen fans of horror and paranormal romance....” – Hellnotes
RISING FEARS
“The writing is superb. The characters are believable and sympathetic... the theme of a parent who's lost a child figures strongly; it's powerful stuff, and written from the perspective of experience that no one should ever have to suffer.” – The Horror Fiction Review
Dedication
To...
Mom and Pop Barbey,
who provided me with a rare gift,
and to Laura, FTAAE.
The Colony: Genesis
Book One of The Colony Saga
Contents
Chapter
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
Author’s Note
1
“Mr. Strickland?”
“Shhh.”
A pause. Then:
“Mr. Strickland?”
“Shhhh!”
A shorter pause.
“Mr. –“
Ken Strickland tried very hard not to roll his eyes. He almost succeeded.
“What is it, Becca?”
Becca Lee was famous for this. Bright enough to be in the college prep courses, but she somehow always found herself on the upper end of the grading curve in the lower level classes. Like she didn’t want to run the risk of finding herself in the middle of the pack. Better to win at an easier game than actually push herself to excel. Still, that didn’t stop her from raising her hand and asking some question every time she finished a test. An obvious-to-everyone-but-her attempt for recognition, if not outright validation. She might as well have just said, “I’m done, I’m smart, and I just wanted you all to know.”
Ken liked Becca. He liked all his students, even the ones who seemed determined to squeak through their high school career on the way to promising futures as fry cooks, senators, and other high school teachers. But some of them really tried his patience.
“Becca,” he said. His voice was a stage whisper, one he knew from experience would carry through the room. She was in the first row – a seat she had picked for herself, of course – so he could have been quieter. But sometimes a little public embarrassment was the best medicine. “Please be quiet unless you need to go pee-pee so bad you’re going to explode.”
Titters from the class. Most of them seemed to understand what he was doing, too, glancing surreptitiously at Becca and rolling their eyes before returning their gazes to the tests he had handed out only…. Ken’s eyes flicked to the digital wall-clock.
Crap, it’s only been ten minutes? No way she finished already.
As if mirroring his thoughts, Becca shook her head at that moment. Her face scrunched up and there were wrinkles on her forehead that he’d never seen on her before. She looked worried. Freaked out.
Scared.
“It’s not that. It’s just….” She looked like she was searching for the right words, then just shrugged and pointed.
Ken followed the line of her gesture. He wondered absently if this was some new way to get attention. Wondered if there was any chance he would be able to steal away during his lunch break and meet up with Maggie and the kids.
Wondered if he was going to live and die in that lowest of all stations: a high school teacher.
Then all that fell out of his head, fell from his mind like water through a sieve as he saw what Becca was pointing at. What she had been the first to see.
Others in the class saw it, too. The titters of a moment before disappeared, replaced by several gasps and one small screech that probably came from Janeane Carpenter in the last row.
Or maybe it came from Ken himself. He couldn’t be sure. But a moment later he realized he’d stopped breathing.
“What the hell is that?” he said.
2
Bugs.
Lots of them.
The high school was all indoors. It had to be; Boise, Idaho, didn’t get cold on the same level of, say, Missoula, Montana, but the idea of walking between different buildings during a winter snowstorm would have been supremely unpleasant.
Ken’s class was on the third floor of the high school, the east side. One side of the classroom was mostly glass, just a wall of windows that allowed a view of the city. It was a nice view, but Ken hated it. It was just one more thing to distract the kids, especially with all the construction going on downtown: huge cranes moving steel girders into place were far too interesting for a mere teacher to compete with.
Now, however, the cranes were the furthest thing from his mind. Instead, he was staring at the windows themselves. Or at least, at one of them. The second pane from his desk.
At first glance, the window appeared to be covered by some sort of corrugated cardboard, dark and rough. But then Ken saw that the ripples in the “material” were moving.
Feet.
Legs.
Carapaces.
The bodies and body parts of thousands – tens of thousands – of insects that for some reason now clung to the single pane of glass.
One of the students cursed. Normally the word would have gotten the kid a trip to Principal Connors’ office, but Ken barely registered the sound.
He stood up and walked to the window.
“Mr. Strickland….”
He glanced at Becca. She had half-risen from her seat, one hand reaching toward him. She looked like a damsel
in a Saturday morning serial, reaching for her beau as he embarked on a dangerous mission.
A chill ran up Ken’s spine. He turned back to the bugs. He didn’t want to go. But he had to know.
He moved to the window.
The insects crawled over, under, across one another. A teeming mass of life. But they did not leave the confines of the single pane of glass.
Something buzzed and hit the pulpy mound of insect bodies. It hit hard enough that the window beneath clicked. Ken’s face was within inches of the glass when it happened, and he jerked back. Someone behind him screamed.
“Just another bug,” he said, realizing what had happened as he said it. Just another bug. Another bug.
But why?
Another buzz as something flew to join the coagulating pile of insects. He could actually hear them through the glass, their feet clambering over the window and each other, tic-ti-ti-tic-tic-tic-tic.
His guts roiled.
He grabbed his stomach with one hand. With the other, he reached up –
(Don’t do this, Ken, it’s a bad idea….)
– and tapped on the glass.
Nothing happened. The bugs didn’t seem to notice. He tapped again, harder this time. They continued buzzing over and around each other, but none took flight, none were startled away by the intrusive vibrations he must surely be sending among them.