Her eyes turned to me, wide and full of hope.
"You think that could be it? I’m not carrying around a monster inside of me?"
I didn’t want to give her false hope. "I don’t know, Karen. It might be an angel; it might be a monster. As long as it’s not harming you, it’s a child, and we’ll treat it the same way we’d treat any pregnancy. For now, this stays between me and you."
I went in to kiss her, properly this time, but she darted away.
"I’m scared right now, Warren. Until I know what’s happening to me, I can’t… we can’t… you understand?"
I understood. In response, I pushed her down on the bed and encompassed her in another hug.
"I’ll be here for you."
She reached up and grabbed my arm. "I know."
My hand flattened against her belly. I tried to feel what was underneath there. I couldn’t feel anything beyond the pulse thrumming gently near her groin. Was Karen carrying the child that could save us all? Would the new settlement have the resources to use that child’s genetic code to engineer a solution to this without the bloodshed? Or would that child consume and kill her? Should we take a chance? Would she be risking her life?
My hand retreated. I was scared of what she carried inside her. The unknown. I had no knowledge to save her from this. All I could do was hope.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Warren Fielding is the pseudonym for the horror and fantasy author Dawn Peers. Dawn is originally from Warwickshire, and now lives in Worthing, West Sussex. It is a complete coincidence that she lives near the coast and a selection of marinas, an extensive range of isolated countryside, and within six miles of an airport. She doesn’t have a bugout bag in her basement, either. Honest.
Dawn originally wrote dark fantasy, and that is where her heart still lies, however one day she realized she could turn her irrational fear of… well, practically everything, into a creative force. From there Great Bitten was born, and she continues to write PA, speculative horror and fantasy whilst looking over one shoulder and keeping a lot of lights on in the evening.
Dawn finds time to write in between working in IT and daydreaming about being able to exercise without having near-death experiences. You can connect with her via social media, at www.facebook.com/dawnpeersauthor and her website www.dawnpeers.com
Great Bitten (Book 2): Survival Page 29