The Survivor Chronicles (Book 2): The Divide by Erica Stevens
Authors: Erica Stevens
Tags: Fiction
Ads: Link
blue eyes as she glanced nervously at Rochelle. Carl stepped forward and peered out the door at the darkening sky. He couldn't figure out if night was descending, or if thunder clouds were looming on the horizon. Inky darkness was eating the reddish sky as it seeped forward to block out the sun.
"What is that?" He hadn't realized that John and the others had returned until John's voice sounded just over his shoulder.
Carl glanced back at him but his attention immediately returned to the sky. What else could possibly be coming at them now?
"You had to jinx us," Carl told him.
"I think we should get to that motel." Al grabbed hold of Rochelle's arm and nudged her toward the door. "Come on."
Carl didn't like the idea of staying in this town, but he also didn't want to be exposed when that blackness arrived. He hurried out the door behind the others and tossed his pilfered clothes behind the bench seat of the truck. Firing the truck up, he bounced down the sidewalk behind Al toward the motel at the far end of the road.
Al parked the car in front of the office and the three of them climbed out. Al hurried to the office but Riley and Lee hung back to study the dark sky. Carl couldn't bring himself to look at it again as images of the apocalypse danced through his mind. He shut down thoughts of all the disaster shows he'd watched. They had no place here and he had no time for them.
"Is this place going to be safe?" Rochelle asked as she surveyed the building.
The last half of the motel had collapsed into a pile of wood, shingles, and motel furniture that poked out from the ruble like a demented game of peekaboo. "Is any place?" John inquired.
"No," Carl answered.
Hope, he'd felt it earlier, but as he thrust his door open and hurried to join the others by the office door, he felt it dwindling beneath the crushing wave of the approaching cloud. Shadows played over the three faces that turned toward him, an ominous chill crept down Carl's spine as a breeze began to tickle the back of his neck.
Thunderclouds, he told himself. They had to be thunderclouds, but they were the strangest thunderclouds he'd ever seen. He wouldn't have been surprised if they opened up and released a torrent of blood or frogs down on them. Lee thrust the door open, and recoiled as a putrid wave of odor washed out of the office.
Carl knew he should be more cautious but as the clouds spread over top of them, all he became concerned with was escaping from whatever was stalking them from above as he hurried into the room. "It's probably just rain," Al muttered.
Even as he said the words, the sky opened up and water washed down upon the parking lot. They huddled near the picture window in the office as a torrent of black rain beat against the vehicles. With a sinking feeling of dismay, Carl realized they were now stuck in this motel, now trapped within this town.
CHAPTER 5
Xander
Plainville, Mass.
Xander shuffled forward, his hands stretched out before him as he moved them from side to side. He would have killed for a light, and he was half afraid he might be killed because he didn't have one. He could barely hear over his breathing as his heart beat on his ribs like they were a redheaded stepchild. If he looked back, he could make out the shadows of Mary Ellen and Bobby poking their heads around the corner of the window. He didn't look back often though, as he was certain he was about to plummet into a hole at any second and he planned to be braced for it.
He cursed and jerked his hand back as it collided with something that was far too mushy within this world of solid rubble and debris. For a disconcerting moment he flashbacked to when he was a child and his parents had created a haunted house in their basement. They'd invited all of his, and Carol's, friends over for a pre-Halloween party.
Carol had been eight, and wearing a pumpkin costume that had worked well with her chubby cheeks and missing teeth. He'd managed to talk Bobby and Lee into
"What is that?" He hadn't realized that John and the others had returned until John's voice sounded just over his shoulder.
Carl glanced back at him but his attention immediately returned to the sky. What else could possibly be coming at them now?
"You had to jinx us," Carl told him.
"I think we should get to that motel." Al grabbed hold of Rochelle's arm and nudged her toward the door. "Come on."
Carl didn't like the idea of staying in this town, but he also didn't want to be exposed when that blackness arrived. He hurried out the door behind the others and tossed his pilfered clothes behind the bench seat of the truck. Firing the truck up, he bounced down the sidewalk behind Al toward the motel at the far end of the road.
Al parked the car in front of the office and the three of them climbed out. Al hurried to the office but Riley and Lee hung back to study the dark sky. Carl couldn't bring himself to look at it again as images of the apocalypse danced through his mind. He shut down thoughts of all the disaster shows he'd watched. They had no place here and he had no time for them.
"Is this place going to be safe?" Rochelle asked as she surveyed the building.
The last half of the motel had collapsed into a pile of wood, shingles, and motel furniture that poked out from the ruble like a demented game of peekaboo. "Is any place?" John inquired.
"No," Carl answered.
Hope, he'd felt it earlier, but as he thrust his door open and hurried to join the others by the office door, he felt it dwindling beneath the crushing wave of the approaching cloud. Shadows played over the three faces that turned toward him, an ominous chill crept down Carl's spine as a breeze began to tickle the back of his neck.
Thunderclouds, he told himself. They had to be thunderclouds, but they were the strangest thunderclouds he'd ever seen. He wouldn't have been surprised if they opened up and released a torrent of blood or frogs down on them. Lee thrust the door open, and recoiled as a putrid wave of odor washed out of the office.
Carl knew he should be more cautious but as the clouds spread over top of them, all he became concerned with was escaping from whatever was stalking them from above as he hurried into the room. "It's probably just rain," Al muttered.
Even as he said the words, the sky opened up and water washed down upon the parking lot. They huddled near the picture window in the office as a torrent of black rain beat against the vehicles. With a sinking feeling of dismay, Carl realized they were now stuck in this motel, now trapped within this town.
CHAPTER 5
Xander
Plainville, Mass.
Xander shuffled forward, his hands stretched out before him as he moved them from side to side. He would have killed for a light, and he was half afraid he might be killed because he didn't have one. He could barely hear over his breathing as his heart beat on his ribs like they were a redheaded stepchild. If he looked back, he could make out the shadows of Mary Ellen and Bobby poking their heads around the corner of the window. He didn't look back often though, as he was certain he was about to plummet into a hole at any second and he planned to be braced for it.
He cursed and jerked his hand back as it collided with something that was far too mushy within this world of solid rubble and debris. For a disconcerting moment he flashbacked to when he was a child and his parents had created a haunted house in their basement. They'd invited all of his, and Carol's, friends over for a pre-Halloween party.
Carol had been eight, and wearing a pumpkin costume that had worked well with her chubby cheeks and missing teeth. He'd managed to talk Bobby and Lee into
Similar Books
