Ravenous

   We didn’t know what other kinds of weapons these aliens possessed, didn’t know what they were capable of. Just because they had always a

   I took a step back from the roadside, losing count as I began to search the night around us. Were they out there? Hunting us, stalking us? Were they narrowing in on us even now? I didn’t want to leave Cade, but he had been gone for far longer than he should have been, and he had faith in me that I would continue on, that I would get them to safety.

   “Bethany…”

   “Five more minutes,” I whispered.

   “But he’s been gone…”

   “Five more minutes Abby.”

   “Look, I get that you don’t want to leave your lover behind, but they could be closing in on us even now,” Je

   I shot Je

   She glared at me as she shifted angrily. I turned back to the road, starting to count again. One more time to two hundred, and then we would have to go. We would havetoo. Fifty six… fifty seven… fifty ei… Movement rustled the trees in the median.

   My breath froze, I took a swift step forward as hope exploded through me, and then Cade was emerging from the shadows. My legs shook as relief flooded me; I was able to take my first real breath since he had left. Cade knelt by the side of the road, his hand resting lightly on the ground as he searched for us. I stepped slightly forward, barely exposing myself to the dim moonlight that illuminated the road. He lifted his hand, gesturing for us to come over.

   “Let’s go,” I said softly.

   “Wait!” Je

   “We have to go now, well it’s still safe.”

   “Out there?” she croaked.

   I decided to take a page from Cade’s book. “Then stay here. Let’s go Abby, now.”

   Je

CHAPTER 15

    We trudged slowly through the woods. Though we had managed to get some sleep, it had done little to ease the exhaustion that clung to us all. Je

   “How much further do you think it is?” Abby asked softly.

   “Mile, maybe two,” Cade answered absently.

   It wasn’t that far, I kept telling myself. An hour at the most, and that was only ifthe terrain became rough, which I didn’t think it would. Or I hoped it wouldn’t anyway. There weren’t any dumps between us and the gas station at least. I kept my head down, my feet ached, my legs were weak but I could make it. We all could.

   Though the trees mostly blocked the sun, the heat of the day was growing oppressive. The light filtering through them was bright, and hot. I was sweltering, which I found oddly surprising. The heat rarely bothered me. Only when it was over a hundred did I truly dislike it. To me, anything under seventy was chilly. But today was at most eighty degrees, and though sweat coated me it wasn’t that humid out. There was a light sea breeze filtering through the leaves, shaking them gently.

   Perhaps it was my exhaustion that was making it feel as if it were a hundred and twenty. Or maybe I had caught something from tromping through all of that disgusting garbage and sliding through sludge. I rarely got sick, but I couldn’t even begin to imagine the amount of germs we had been exposed to, and none of us had eaten or drank much in the past few days.

   Whatever it was, I felt like hell and I didn’t like it.

   I was so ensnared by my misery that I didn’t notice Cade had stopped until I bumped into him. He reached back with his arm, pushing me behind him as he studied the woods. His eyes were narrowed; his body tight with tension. I frowned, glancing swiftly around. There were a couple of squirrels sitting in the trees so I didn’t think the aliens were near, but something had caught Cade’s attention.

   The sharp snap of a twig caused me to jump in surprise. Je

   “Abby? Bethany?”

   I jumped slightly, spi

   He stepped out from behind a tree, his eyes wide as he stared at us in shock. I knew we looked awful. Our clothes were caked with muck; Abby’s delicate features were streaked and coated with dirt and slime. Her dark brown hair was now black, and a tangled rats nest. Je

   No wonder Aiden was having a hard time recognizing us beneath the layers of filth.

   I couldn’t stop the smile that spread over my face at the blessed sight of him. He still appeared slightly singed, or shocked, from whatever had happened to him on the bridge. His light hair was standing up, and burn marks marred the fair skin of his arms. But he was cleaner than we were, and I was certain he smelled far better.

   Abby let out a delighted cry and raced toward him. Aiden gri

   I halted in midstride, unable to stop the burst of laughter that bubbled out of me. He turned toward me, holding his arms out. “I don’t smell any better,” I assured him.

   “I don’t care.”

   My laughter ceased as I stepped into his warm, welcoming embrace. Though he was brave enough to hug me, it did not last long, and Abby and I left a sludge mark on the front of his shirt. “Are you ok?” I asked softly.

   “Yes.”

   “Bret, Molly?” My voice squeaked, I could barely breathe as I awaited his answer.

   Aiden gri

   Cade and Je

   Aiden’s eyes darkened, anger and sadness crept over his features. “I don’t really know; we were almost to the bridge when all hell broke loose.” His gaze moved away from us, he seemed to be focusing on something that neither of us could see. “That guy that was with us, he was in the front. When that light hit him...” Aiden’s voice grew taut; a slight tremor shimmered through him. “The edges of the light seemed to set him on fire, from the inside out.”

   My heart was hammering, my mouth dry with horror as he uttered the words inside out. Instinctively I sought out Cade and seized hold of his hand. “The fire actually came from his mouth.” Aiden shuddered; his eyes came back to us. “I could feel it creeping up inside of me. I could feel it licking against my organs, burning its way through me. Thankfully, whereas the others had been trapped by the light, we were not far enough into it to be completely ensnared by it. The three of us were able to break free, able to run. I didn’t even know where we were until we reached the other side of the IHOP.”