The Survivor Chronicles (Book 2): The Divide by Erica Stevens Page B
Authors: Erica Stevens
Tags: Fiction
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even a muffled shout. His breath hissed out of him as he let out a low curse and glanced back at the dim light filtering through the broken window. It wasn't much, but at least it had been something to guide him back.
Bracing himself, he squared his shoulders and crept a few feet further toward where he thought he'd heard the noise. "Hello!"
There it was again, a muted tap that barely resonated within his ears. "Did you find something?" Bobby called.
"There's a hallway. I think I hear something."
Their heads disappeared from the window and he could hear them talking before they reappeared again. "Maybe you shouldn't go any further!" Bobby called.
He didn't like the idea of going down there, not even a little bit, but he couldn't leave here if there was still a chance he could help those people. "There are probably some more windows around you guys, why don't you see if you can dig them out?"
"Xander…"
"I won't go far, just see if you can get some more light in here."
Bobby shook his head and sat back. "We'll see what we can do."
Xander closed his eyes, took a deep breath and made his way down the hall. He kept his left hand braced on the wall, his right hand before him, and counted each step he took. There was more than a few times his left hand fell into another open doorway but he continued straight. "Hello!" he called again.
The dull thud seemed a little louder now as it drew him onward. "Hello!" he was shouting now just to hear a voice, just so he didn't feel so completely alone. "Hello!"
A loud thump almost caused him to jump out of his skin. He just barely suppressed a shriek that would have made a scream queen proud. He froze, his heart pounded in his ears as another thud sounded from his right. Keeping his left hand on the wall he leaned toward the right as he felt through the space. "Hello!"
Another forceful knock sounded as his hand came up against another wall. He dropped his left hand and used both hands to maneuver as he searched for some obstacle, or another doorway. Another bang shot his head toward the ceiling as the noise seemed to echo and vibrate around him. He knew that the noise couldn't be coming from above him, but the convoluted hallway made it difficult to discern the right direction.
Images of those burnt, oozing bodies making their way toward him flooded his mind. He could almost see them creeping up on him, their arms outstretched, and their faces melting off as they grasped for him.
Xander shook his head to clear it of the crazy images. That would be impossible, there is no way that anyone could have withstood whatever it was that had happened to the people in that house. He had to get his runaway imagination under control.
A faint sliver of light still showed when he looked back toward the doorway. It bounced a little, and shifted as it illuminated a patch of the floor. Xander swallowed heavily and turned back around as he started down the hall. He opened his mouth to call out again, but the word froze in his throat.
Somewhere, he wasn't sure where, but he thought he heard the dull drip of water. Was he near a bathroom? The cafeteria? A broken water fountain? The faint plop of water on tile increased the further down the hall he moved. He heard the splash seconds before he felt the water soak into his sneaker.
"Wonderful," he muttered. "Hello!"
The thump came from his left again now. Fisting his hands, Xander fought the urge to smash them into a wall, but losing his temper and hitting something again wasn't going to do him any good. His feet sloshed in the puddle as he made his way back toward the other wall. The thud sounded again, closer and still on his left. His foot slid into nothing, he almost fell on his ass as he yanked it back from the hole it had slipped into.
A cold sweat broke out across his brow as he pressed his forehead against the wall. He wasn't sure how much more his heart could take. He may be only nineteen but he was fairly certain he could have a heart
Bracing himself, he squared his shoulders and crept a few feet further toward where he thought he'd heard the noise. "Hello!"
There it was again, a muted tap that barely resonated within his ears. "Did you find something?" Bobby called.
"There's a hallway. I think I hear something."
Their heads disappeared from the window and he could hear them talking before they reappeared again. "Maybe you shouldn't go any further!" Bobby called.
He didn't like the idea of going down there, not even a little bit, but he couldn't leave here if there was still a chance he could help those people. "There are probably some more windows around you guys, why don't you see if you can dig them out?"
"Xander…"
"I won't go far, just see if you can get some more light in here."
Bobby shook his head and sat back. "We'll see what we can do."
Xander closed his eyes, took a deep breath and made his way down the hall. He kept his left hand braced on the wall, his right hand before him, and counted each step he took. There was more than a few times his left hand fell into another open doorway but he continued straight. "Hello!" he called again.
The dull thud seemed a little louder now as it drew him onward. "Hello!" he was shouting now just to hear a voice, just so he didn't feel so completely alone. "Hello!"
A loud thump almost caused him to jump out of his skin. He just barely suppressed a shriek that would have made a scream queen proud. He froze, his heart pounded in his ears as another thud sounded from his right. Keeping his left hand on the wall he leaned toward the right as he felt through the space. "Hello!"
Another forceful knock sounded as his hand came up against another wall. He dropped his left hand and used both hands to maneuver as he searched for some obstacle, or another doorway. Another bang shot his head toward the ceiling as the noise seemed to echo and vibrate around him. He knew that the noise couldn't be coming from above him, but the convoluted hallway made it difficult to discern the right direction.
Images of those burnt, oozing bodies making their way toward him flooded his mind. He could almost see them creeping up on him, their arms outstretched, and their faces melting off as they grasped for him.
Xander shook his head to clear it of the crazy images. That would be impossible, there is no way that anyone could have withstood whatever it was that had happened to the people in that house. He had to get his runaway imagination under control.
A faint sliver of light still showed when he looked back toward the doorway. It bounced a little, and shifted as it illuminated a patch of the floor. Xander swallowed heavily and turned back around as he started down the hall. He opened his mouth to call out again, but the word froze in his throat.
Somewhere, he wasn't sure where, but he thought he heard the dull drip of water. Was he near a bathroom? The cafeteria? A broken water fountain? The faint plop of water on tile increased the further down the hall he moved. He heard the splash seconds before he felt the water soak into his sneaker.
"Wonderful," he muttered. "Hello!"
The thump came from his left again now. Fisting his hands, Xander fought the urge to smash them into a wall, but losing his temper and hitting something again wasn't going to do him any good. His feet sloshed in the puddle as he made his way back toward the other wall. The thud sounded again, closer and still on his left. His foot slid into nothing, he almost fell on his ass as he yanked it back from the hole it had slipped into.
A cold sweat broke out across his brow as he pressed his forehead against the wall. He wasn't sure how much more his heart could take. He may be only nineteen but he was fairly certain he could have a heart
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