by M. L. Cook
They stayed under cover until they were forced back onto the road. James came alongside the four-wheeler, pointing south, then motioned for them to follow. Driving through the narrow winding streets, the route that would have normally taken ten minutes, turned into thirty.
Suddenly Aubree began slapping Seth’s back. Turning to see what the fuss was about, he couldn’t hear her words, but realized she wanted him to halt. Before they came to a full stop, she was off the bike and running back the way they’d come.
Panic gripped Seth. He envisioned a trap set up by the humans or the Terrapians. Rushing toward her, he was prepared to face any danger. Instead he found her kneeling in front of a bush, one hand extended while she was making…kissing sounds?
A minute later, a grinning Aubree appeared with a bundle of golden fur. It looked to be attempting to eat her face. However, instead of fear, she was laughing. Walking by Seth, she called over her shoulder, “I always wanted a puppy.”
He followed her back to the bike, “A puppy, huh?” He scratched behind the creatures ears, resulting in puppy licks and nips. “Sure is a cute little fellow.”
“She’s not a fellow. She’s a lady,” she grinned while tucking the puppy into her jacket. Wrapping her arms around Seth, she held on while he hurried to catch up with James.
The day had started to warm up as they pulled into Anderson and made their way toward Brooke’s house. Aubree pointed him in the direction he needed to go. Before long, they were pulling behind what was left of the two-bedroom bungalow that her sister had purchased right after their parents died.
Climbing off, she handed the puppy to Seth, “Watch her for a minute. I’m going to go see what I can scavenge. Knowing Brooke, the only thing she thought to get was weapons and ammo.”
***
“Okay, keep your radio on. Promise! If I —”
Natalie interrupted her, “I know. If you find Aubree you’ll radio for us to pack up.”
Brooke couldn’t help feeling excited about being reunited with her sister again. “We’ll come back here. Then we’ll all head out to Jannette’s together.”
Dante yelled through the open window, “Let’s go, Brooke.”
Waving to Natalie and Jay, she looked at Dante, “Do you think we’ll find them?”
Dante sighed, “Beloved, I don’t know. I pray we do. If not, perhaps we’ll find them on the way.”
The anticipation of the drive to Brooke’s old neighborhood kept her on edge. After the third time of opening the window, only to close it two minutes later, Dante pressed the window lock. Fanning herself, she pushed the button, then glared at him when nothing happened. “Hey! I’m hot.”
Without taking his gaze from the bumpy grass, he snorted, “Wait two minutes, you’ll be fine.”
She pointed to a narrow street, “Turn down there. My house is about halfway down on the left.”
Pulling into the driveway, Brooke fought the tears over the destruction of the house she’d watched Aubree become a woman in. Her sister had only been sixteen when Brooke bought the house. Together the sisters combed the thrift stores looking for items to make it a home.
Movement from where her bedroom had been, caught her attention. Taking a few hesitant steps into the rubble, she noticed a shock of purple bobbing up and down in the area that had been her bedroom.
“Bree?” Mouthing the words, she took another step forward. Again the head popped up, this time she could see her face. Shouting she began running, “Aubree! Bree!”
Standing with one of the picture albums in her hand, Aubree thought she heard her name. Looking around, she saw Brooke running toward her. Everything else forgotten, all she could think about was that she’d finally found her sister.
Note from the Author
Thank you for taking the time to read Dawn of Inception. I certainly enjoyed watching Aubree’s character bloom across the pages.
I’ve also borrowed a few characters from another one of my series, The Adventures of Lok’Toria. Also, with permission from the author, I’ve included a few snippets from Niki Bright’s series Far From Home.
The next book is going to be about a spitfire red head who just might happen to carry grenades in her purse. (Who does that, Right?) You’ll also get to see a bit more of our friend Aquino. Oh…and what happened with Travis and Tiana? Watch for the preorder for the next book in the series. The title of which hasn’t been dreamed of yet. I’ll probably put a few suggestions to my group and see what sounds good to them. Come on over and toss in your own two cents!
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I would appreciate it if you would take a moment to leave a short review. That’s the only way for me to know if you loved, or hated my book.
If you liked it, be sure to check out my other books.
My fantasy books can be found at:
https://www.amazon.com/M-L-Cook/e/B07VBVQKTQ/
For horror and thrillers, you can find it at:
https://www.amazon.com/Mary-Cook/e/B07BJJZW1K
About M.L. (Mary) Cook:
Mary Cook was born and raised in Indiana, but started moving toward the west coast, making stops along the way, spending a few years here and there, until she settled in Southern California. One day she decided she was ready to go home, so on a whim she filled up a truck and moved back to Indiana.
She lives there now with her husband and her dog, Travino (who likes to sneak into a few of her books). She enjoys reading a variety, from romance to fantasy, and thrillers to science fiction.
One summer afternoon she got the call that no parent wants to receive, and now finds release through writing. With a very active imagination, many times she just can’t find the time to get it all out. The wheels are always turning, so it’s just a matter of taking it from her head and dropping it onto the paper.
Closing and Contact:
I would love to hear from you, to contact me you can write to me at:
Mary Cook
P.O. Box 2923
Anderson, IN 46018
Or email me at:
[email protected]
I can be found hanging out on Facebook at:
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Check out my website at:
https://www.marycooknovels.com
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[1] Refers to a character in the series Far From Home by Niki Bright