by J. Axbridge
A Time To Survive:
Verge of Extinction – Book One
J. Axbridge
Copyright
Copyright © 2019 by J. Axbridge
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof
may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever
without the express written permission of the publisher
except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Terms and Conditions:
The purchaser of this book is subject to the condition that he/she shall in no way resell it, nor any part of it, nor make copies of it to distribute freely.
All Persons Fictitious Disclaimer:
This book is purely a work of fiction. Any similarity between the names, characters and situations within its pages and places or persons, living or dead, is unintentional and co-incidental.
Printed in the United States of America
Published internationally by J. Axbridge:
USA
© J. Axbridge 2019
Firstly this book is dedicated to my wife – the strongest person I know! For without her patience, understanding, hard work, dedication to life and true love, this book would have never been written. I LOVE YOU & NOW THE WORLD KNOWS IT! Or at least the few people who pick up this book to read will know it. You’re my rock!
Secondly I want to dedicate this book to my daughters – Liv, El & Bee for the inspiration and ideas you’ve given me as you’ve grown into the beautiful, talented and creative young ladies you are. Always chase your dreams girls and never lose your imagination!
Thirdly I want to dedicate this book to my nieces – Bree & Lani. You two listened to my crazy ideas and thoughts for years, not to mention read through my rough drafts and gave me some great ideas for my story. I look forward to your input in Book 2!
And lastly to my Amazing Readers who’ve taken the time to read not only this dedication but hopefully the entire book. I want to say thank you! Whether you love this story, hate it, think its meh or find it simply great, thank you again for taking a chance on a new book from an author you’ve never heard of.
Table of Contents
Copyright
Published internationally by J. Axbridge: USA © J. Axbridge 2019
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 - Before The Storm
Chapter 2 - The Showers
Chapter 3 - National Emergency
Chapter 4 - Last Contact
Chapter 5 – Safe
Chapter 6 - Time to Move
Chapter 7 - Life Still Exists
Chapter 8 - The Savior
Chapter 9 - The Helpful Ones
Chapter 10 - Something Out There
Chapter 11 - The Crossing
Chapter 12 - New Friends
Chapter 13 - The Loves We Remember
Chapter 14 - Old Friends
Chapter 15 - The Huntra
Chapter 16 - An Unusual Recipe
Chapter 17 - The Family Secret
Chapter 18 - Red Eyes
Chapter 19 – Separation
Chapter 20 - Floating Away
Chapter 21 - Not Alone
Chapter 22 – Surviving
Chapter 23 – Kiss
Chapter 24 - Change Direction
Chapter 25 – Shopping
Chapter 26 - Rule Earth
Chapter 27 - Where Is Everyone
Chapter 28 - Leather Bag
Chapter 29 – Patience
Chapter 30 - Why So Special
Chapter 31 - Strange Flashes
Chapter 32 - Who Is That
Chapter 33 – Flashes
Chapter 34 – Meeting
Chapter 35 - Time to Go
Chapter 36 - The Doctor’s Help
Chapter 37 - The SymJin
Chapter 38 - The Cabin in the Woods
Chapter 39 - One Step at a Time
Chapter 40 - Truths Be Told
Chapter 41 – Symbols
Chapter 42 - The Bridge
Chapter 43 - Lives
Chapter 44 - Parting Ways
Chapter 45 - Battle
Chapter 46 - Over The Edge
Chapter 47 - Hanging On
Chapter 48 – Jump
Chapter 49 – Gone
Chapter 50 - The Fall
Chapter 51 - The Fall
Chapter 52 - Cold Waters
Chapter 53 – Growing
Chapter 54 – Go
Chapter 55 - Wild Ride
Chapter 56 - The Real World
Chapter 57 - Trapped
Chapter 58 – Stuck
Chapter 59 - Time to Fly
Chapter 60 - The Deal
Chapter 61 - Lands End
Chapter 62 - The GuDra
Chapter 63 - Working Together
Chapter 64 – Company
Chapter 65 – Arrival
Chapter 66 – Arrival
Chapter 67 - The Disfigured Thing
Chapter 68 - Lawrence Karayan
Chapter 69 – Adelaide
Chapter 70 – Help
Chapter 71 – Help
Chapter 72 - Where Is She
Chapter 73 – Waiting
Chapter 74 - The Mysterious Island
Chapter 1 – Before The Storm
Adelaide
Listening to Sky describe her unimaginable world ending psychic predictions in unfiltered gory detail, after we’d reviewed endless hours for our upcoming history exam on none other than “world war,” I knew I’d regret our late night study session.
. . . . .
Rubbing my eyes sleepily open as I laid on Sky’s bedroom floor, I stared up at an array of colorful dream catchers dancing softly in the morning breeze, replacing the glow in the dark stick-on star constellations I’d seen in the exact same location just the night before.
Rolling onto my side sighing, I drowsily pushed into a sitting position hanging my head and rotating my stiff neck left than right causing a stretch in my aching upper back as my neck popped in exaggerated relief. I found that being the lone catcher for yesterday’s doubleheader was haunting me even more than usual, especially after getting less than five hours of actual sleep.
Closing my tired eyes, wishing for a moment that I was still dreaming - I groaned. . . Eventually conceding that I had to wake up, I took in a deep breath of fresh air trying to rouse my exhausted mind and body.
Sadly that didn’t seem to work at all, so much so that I didn’t even notice the morning sun streaming brilliantly into Sky’s bedroom until a cool breeze slapped my face sharply causing my brain to enter the ever dreaded - late for school panic mode.
My gritty eyes flew open in an instant as the realization hit, I was going to be late for school, and I - was - annoyed. I just wasn’t sure if it was because I’d let Sky suck me into her amazing stories of world ending doom and gloom or that I’d spent hours studying about wars that had no impact on my life now or in any foreseeable future, unless of course I was to believe Sky’s crazy psychic predictions. If that was the case then I should have started my combat survival training years ago and skipped school altogether.
. . . . .
On a bright and sunny morning full of birds singing praise for the approaching warmth of spring, I should have found myself fully alert and ready to ace my 3rd period history exam. Instead I felt overtired, in need of a quick latte fix, standing bleary eyed and slightly dazed in front of my school locker.
I entered the first two digits of my combination, righ
t to 8, left to 6 and was about to enter the third when, with the rest of my morning disdain, it slipped my mind causing me to pause. Resting my forehead in frustration on the coolness of my steel locker, my fingers continued to lightly grip the dial waiting for the last digit of my combination to magically appear. That’s when I felt an invisible force, or more specifically, a magnetic pull tugging my chin up like a marionette to look down the hallway. I couldn’t even ignore its draw long enough to enter my last combination number which I eventually remembered was 5. Irritated, I looked up to see what was so damn important that my mind forced me to stop everything, and that’s when I saw it in all its marvelous untamed muscular glory . . . my future.
I suddenly found myself staring unabashedly down the hall at one of the cutest boys in high school, Jax Morgan. I was paralyzed in a silent trance, ignoring the noise and barrage of student bodies crisscrossing my view during our five minute passing time. Of course in my state of dazed confusion my mind couldn’t help but imagine Jax being a gold medal Olympic swimmer or at least be on Lyall High’s Swim Team. I mean, who wouldn’t imagine that with the way his white tee pulled taut as it peeked out from behind his long unbuttoned black flannel shirt defining his rather wide muscular upper body.
Yet Mayumi, my best friend in high school, is a member of the swim and dive team and has assured me on numerous occasions that Jax Morgan was not on the team with her. Yet if he was on the swim team and she’d kept that secret from me, I would have killed her; not literally of course, I’d never killed anyone or anything before in my life, but I would have been pretty pissed, that’s for sure. As it stands, he’s not a member of any of Lyall High’s sports teams, which is a shame because staring at his athletic build, I know he’d be great at any sport he’d played.
. . . . .
There was just something about that man-boy Jax Morgan that inexplicably drew me to him and it wasn’t just his sandy blond hair and piercing blue eyes. It was a deeper feeling, more of a personal nature and I sorely needed to get to know him better without looking like little miss creepy, stalker girl.
Since I pride myself on being overly prepared for just about everything, I’d already devised what I believed was a pretty solid plan, and once I worked up my nerve, I was going to ask Jax to Junior Prom. There was just one itty-bitty problem; I had to figure out a way to get him alone and away from his obnoxious friends, especially the superficial, unnaturally black haired, gothic jewelry wearing, boisterous and very well-endowed, Bethany Blake.
Every high school in the country seems to have a girl like her and Bethany is all ours. She’s attached to Jax’s side no matter where he goes and it annoys the shit out of me. After all, it isn’t Bethany who is supposed to end up with him, it’s me and I’ve felt that way since he and I first crossed paths in grade school, I mean, why else would my body tingle when he’s near. I realize were still young, I’m not stupid by any means, but when you feel an attraction so strong to someone, you just know it’s meant to be and sooner or later you have to act or you’ll miss out on possibly your one chance at true love.
Yet with Bethany Blake by his side I had my work cut out for me. For starters, she laughs at all his jokes and of course she pretends she’s interested in everything he says. Then to top it off she smiles at him like he’s some sort of king. However, I can’t blame her for that; he is good looking and basically royalty around here. It just feels as if she’s cast some sort of love spell over him so he’ll let her hang around all day. Deep down though, I like to believe that he actually knows what type of girl she is and tolerates her only because he is such a nice guy.
So I’m confident that once he and I meet for real and talk, he’ll totally forget about her, and I will be the center of his undivided attention and she will be the one filled with jealousy staring down the hall watching Jax and I converse closely between classes. That’s right, that is how it’s going to be after Junior Prom and it’s going to be happily ever after for Jax and me, I can feel it!
. . . . .
“Ugh!” Instinctively I scrunched my nose and grunted in disgust as the thought of Bethany going to Junior Prom with Jax instead of myself drifted through my mind. At that moment, being so caught up in my thoughts and wild, untamed teenage hormonal imagination, I didn’t realize it was my best friend Mayumi Gushiken who was ducking and weaving through student bodies, over exaggerating her moves like she was on a 1970s disco show until she slid not so subtly up beside me.
“Morning Addie — Good Morning Addie! — ADDIE-SAN!!” Mayumi yelled into my ear, enjoying my startled jump a little too much.
“Whaa…What?!” I stammered still laser focused on Jax through the crowd, not having enough will power to pull my gaze away from him just yet. It was then that I realized what the meaning, “Like a deer caught in the headlights,” truly meant. I was the baby deer and he was going to run right over me if I didn’t get a grip someday soon.
“Snap out of it kid! You are going to make us late.” Mayumi waved her hand in front of my eyes. “Did you not hear the warning bell ring? And where were you last night, I texted you over a thousand times? Did you finally get your much desired private time with Mr. Morgan over there?” she mischievously smiled looking from Jax to me.
Mayumi Gushiken knew me better than most; she’d been my best friend since she arrived here from Japan as an exchange student at Lyall High in 9th grade. Unlike me, she easily exceeded in academics, just about every sport and had her own fun, although some would call it unique, sense of leather fashion, which she also brought with her from Japan and proudly displayed as much as possible. It’s as if every ensemble she wore included at least one part leather, whether a simple leather braided bracelet, or a clean-cut leather jacket.
Mayumi of course was the only high school girl who could pull off those unique styles too. And yes, it helped that she was 5’ 9”, had a muscular, yet slender feminine body frame and wasn’t afraid to wear snug fitting outfits. For myself, I don’t think I could ever wear clothes like she did and look right, she simply exhumed confidence and me . . . Well, I liked to stick with what I knew, casual and comfortable, it seemed to work and was way easier to shop for. Not to mention a lot less expensive.
“YU, No! Nooo . . . , me and Jax – Jax and me? Last night—Nooo! Get your mind out of the gutter! Can’t you let a girl just dreeeam about her future once in a while?” I sighed. “I mean, come on, look how amazingly hot that man-boy is!” Gushing, I glanced back at Jax once more taking in his thick sandy hair - messy yet oh-so cute. The thought pierced my mind as my fingers strangely began to tingle. His snug fit jeans looked so great against his skin. My body began to suddenly heat up. His stylishly wrinkled shirts, I couldn’t hold back any longer and let out a rather large sigh grinning. And best of all, I love - the way - he smells. I felt so warm and tingly after those unsavory thoughts crossed my mind that I knew my face, if not my whole body was flushed with warmth.
Reflecting upon my reasoning for a moment; I definitely loved his smell the best. Outdoorsy, fresh and invigorating, similar to the scent of a lush green forest in the pinnacle of spring. The same sort of fresh smell you’d get when a soft breeze blew in your open bedroom window on a cool, dewy, spring morning. That pretty much summed up Jax Morgan to me and I loved every bit of it.
Strangely, immediately after having that reflection, the student bodies faded away and that exact spring image flashed in my mind and I had no control to stop it, not that I would have of course. I vividly saw an image of Jax and me standing in an open field of soft vibrant green grass, but I believe we were older? It definitely seemed like we’d aged with our faces taking on a more serious and somber tone.
“Hello, earth to space traveler?” Mayumi again yelled into my ear.
The image of Jax and I vanished at the sound of Mayumi’s voice, like a pin piercing a balloon. Coming back to my senses, I shook off the momentary lapse and turned to scold her. “How can you not be attracted to him? I bet you’re not human. Are you hu
man? Tell me Yu if you’re an alien. I can keep your secret like an X-Files agent.” I looked at my best friend suspiciously, squinting as I waited for her lame excuse of an answer.
“I have my reasons for my non-attraction to . . . what did you call him? Man-boy? . . .” Mayumi snickered, “Maybe you should just ask someone else to prom. Jax does not seem to be your type. He can be wild I have heard, especially if dates carry on into the late evening hours.”
“Well I think he’s exactly my type, and maybe I could use a little wild in my life.” Now it was my turn to smile mischievously, “and someday you and I are going to have a talk about, ‘Your Reasons’ Yu.” I admonished Mayumi and began picking out my books for our next period but Mayumi wouldn’t let the topic drop. She seemed as interested in Jax as I was.
“So, out of all the, ‘so called,’ cute boys at Lyall High,” Mayumi finger quoted, “you think that boy over there is your future . . . Jax Morgan?” She nodded towards Jax while casually applying cherry lip balm on her lips and slid the cap back on as second nature. “Be careful what you wish for Addie-san.”
“I do think he’s my future, some things are just meant to be. . .” I replied fumbling with my books. “Last night I was studying at Sky’s and she said—”
“SKY . . . , you mean Skyler Fae?” Mayumi interrupted, “the same girl who said the world was coming to an end this year? She is always talking about some crazy catastrophe that is going to cause the end of the human race. If you ask me, I think she is a little cuckoo with these doom and gloom visions she claims she is having! I tell you Addie, the girl is not all there. Like from another planet, not all there! Maybe she is the alien?”
“She’s not an alien and she’s not that bad!” I defended. After all I liked Sky. Yes she is shy and a little quirky but she is a really sweet girl and we’d been friends since childhood.
“Anyway, Sky was sure I was going to drop something and get stains on my new jeans this morning . . . and she was right, I did! See! Coffee stains, jeans ruined - end of story.” I grinned confidently thinking about Sky’s odd, yet amazing abilities.