Текст книги "Ravenous"

Автор книги: Erika Stevens

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   Cade’s hand tightened on mine, he shook his head at me as he continued to pull me rapidly forward. I wanted to fight against him, but I was ashamed to admit that I was too terrified to offer much of a protest. Cade opened a door in the back of the store and pulled me into the darkened stairwell. Closing the door behind us, he reached up to pull the string on a dim bulb. Light filled the narrow, steep stairway, but it did not reveal the bottom of the steps.

   Cade bent close to me, pressing his lips against my ear. “Stay,” he breathed so quietly that I barely heard him over the loud rush of blood filling my ears.

   I remained where I was. A strange, uncontrollable shaking was starting to take hold of my body. My knees were trembling; I could not hold my hands still no matter how hard I tried. I wrapped my arms around myself, but it did nothing to ease the chill that had crept into my quaking bones.

   Even in this darkened stairwell, away from the street, I could still feel the vibrations the thing caused within the building. I could still vividly see the man struggling against the awful creature greedily pulling the blood from his body. I felt nauseous again, and devastated.

   Another dim light switched on below. Cade was silhouetted within the shadows as he reappeared. He moved with unfailing silence back up the stairs to me. His hand was gentle upon my arm; he clicked the light off before guiding me down the steps. I was oddly aware of the fact that though he was silent, I was painfully not.

   He led me through the basement, guiding me swiftly through the clutter of boxes. The basement was surprisingly clean; there was no dust, no cobwebs. Amongst the boxes were antiques that had already been unpacked, and set out in preparation of the move upstairs. Others had been stored away until their new owners could pick them up, something they would never do now. Cade led me to the back wall. I stood staring at it as he reached to the side and pushed on something that I couldn’t see. I frowned at him, and then at the wall as it began to creek and groan. In my hypersensitive, over stimulated state, I was barely able to keep myself from screaming in surprise and terror.

   He led me into the small, musty smelling room that had been revealed by the hidden door in the back wall. A crushing sense of panic settled over me, I could not see the walls surrounding me, but I could feel their nearness as it pressed against me. I wanted to turn and bolt from the room, wanted to run into the streets screaming the whole way. But I somehow managed to keep myself under control, mainly because Cade’s hand was strong and reassuring on my elbow and I could not humiliate myself in front of him.

   He pulled the door most of the way shut before tugging on another string. Light flooded into the room, which was about twelve by twelve feet wide. There were only a few boxes within it, one of which was taller than me and nearly twice as wide. I couldn’t help but wonder what treasures were hidden within these boxes, and stashed away in this secret room.

   “Stay here.”

   I whirled as Cade released me. “Wait!” I gasped, lunging for him. I could maybe stay in this room if he was here, but by myself…

   By myself I would go crazy.

   He grasped hold of my shoulders, surprisingly gentle as he held me back and shook his head at me. “I have to get him.”

   I couldn’t form words. I couldn’t argue with him. He was right, that poor man couldn’t be left up there to be drained dry by that awful, bloodthirsty thing. But I couldn’t be left here either. I hated to be trapped within tight confines. It was a fear that had taken hold of me a long time ago, and it had never let me go. I didn’t think it ever would.

   He was already shaking his head as I spoke again. “I’ll help you.”

   “No Bethany. Stay here.”

   “Cade…”

   “It will be better if I go alone, quicker. Quieter.”

   I wanted to protest, wanted to cling to him, wanted to make him understand that I was just as terrified of this room as I was of that damn thing out there. I didn’t do anything though. He was right, that man needed help; he could not die because of my fear. I couldn’t bring myself to look like a sniveling coward in front of him. Neverin front of Cade.

   I didn’t know what it was, but I had always found myself needing to appear less childlike, and more confident around him. But then again, I hadn’t been childlike in a very long time. My childhood had been cruelly ripped away from me years ago.

   We had lived in this town together almost our entire lives, but we barely knew each other, and yet he gave me a sense of strength I had never known before. Even when we passed in the hallways, not speaking, not touching, I had always felt a strange sense of comfort just from knowing that he was there. There had always been a connection to him that I had neither understood nor tried to develop. I considered my feelings for him a silly crush, one that was rearing painfully, and inappropriately, back to life right now. All hell was breaking lose above us, and yet I found myself strangely lost to the magnificent force of his onyx gaze.

  He most certainly did not feel anything for me, a dull, clumsy, shy girl that was as far off his radar as Jupiter. Though he was intimidating, and aloof, girls had still flocked to him. They had been drawn in by his dark good looks and the air of mystery that enshrouded him. However, I had never seen him with any of those girls, and as far as I knew he wasn’t dating anyone. I didn’t even know if he ever haddated anyone, no matter what the rumors said.

  But even with his distant attitude, and seeming disinterest in everything and everyone, I had still found him watching me within the halls, or on the street. Sometimes I would look up and he would be staring at me with an intensity that never failed to make me shake and quiver inside. Staring at me in a way that made me feel he knew me better than anyone else, maybe even knew me better than I knew myself.

   I knew his attention didn’t mean anything, that I just wantedit to, but whenever I found him watching me it always left me rattled and aching for something more. Something that I couldn’t begin to understand, but knew that I wanted desperately. Those were the few times I actually did feel like a silly child again, because there was no way that Cade Marshall could ever see anything even remotely interesting, or special, in me.

   I was feeling that strange connection to him again now, and it was giving me an odd sense of security and warmth. I couldn’t turn into a blathering idiot in front of him. I just couldn’t. No matter how much I didn’t want to stay in this cramped room by myself.

   My hand fell back to my side, my lips pinched tight as I managed to give him a brisk nod. He studied me for a moment longer, but I kept my face impassive, tried to keep my fear hidden from him. I wasn’t sure it was working though.

   Finally he turned away from me and slipped silently out the door. It wasn’t until I heard the soft lock click into place that I realized I did not know how to escape the small room if he didn’t come back.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER 3

 

 

   I was shaking, damn close to tearing my hair out, and on the verge of screaming hysterically by the time that Cade returned. He had not been gone long, minutes only, but I was sweating so badly that my clothes were soaked and I was horrified by the realization that I was probably starting to smell worse than the dank room surrounding me. Though I tried to hide my distress and terror from him, tried to put on a brave front and prove that I wasn’t a weak idiot, I knew I failed miserably. There was no hiding my fear anymore.

   He closed the door silently behind him. “The man?” I managed to choke out.

   Cade raised a dark eyebrow, his head cocked slightly to the side as he watched me. My shaking had eased now that he was back, but my throat was still clogged with terror. I was humiliated by the fact that I was on the verge of tears. When I needed to be at my strongest, I was close to completely falling apart, and all because of four stupid walls and a damn door.

   “In the basement. He’s fine, or as fine as he can be, considering.” I managed a nod. My hand fluttered nervously up to push my dampened hair back. “Are you ok?”

   “Fine,” I croaked. “Just fine.”

   “Are you claustrophobic?”

   I started to shake my head to deny it. I had never admitted it to anyone, even if there were times when I couldn’t hide it. Hell I hadn’t even truly admitted it to myself. I was too ashamed by the fact that tight spaces tended to upset and frighten me, too ashamed of the weakness. Though, my family knew about it as I went out of my way to avoid tight enclosures, including cars for extended periods of time. “Maybe a little,” I hedged.

   “I can open the door again if that will help, but we won’t be able to talk.”

   My gaze darted longingly to the closed door. I was unreasonably certain the air out there was much fresher than the air in here. I found that I wanted to speak with him though, and the last thing I wanted was that hideous thing slithering into this room. “No I’m fine.” It wasn’t a complete lie, I did feel better with him here, and I was certain that my fear would only continue to ease the longer I was exposed to, and forced to acknowledge it. Though he didn’t look as if he believed me, he didn’t reopen the door. “Will he be ok out there?”

   “I think so. They seem to only be going for the people on the street right now.”

   “Why?”

   His jaw clenched, a muscle in his cheek jumped. “I think they are trying to clear it.”

   My stomach heaved and rolled. I wanted to vehemently deny his words, but the second I heard them I knew he was right. Those things were focusing on the streets because they needed to clear them, and the frozen people were obstacles right now. I hadn’t been sick since I was a kid, but I was fairly certain that by the end of today I would end up losing my breakfast. If not my life.

   A chill raced down my spine. The hair on my neck and arms stood on end. There was a very good chance that I, that we, would not survive this day. This attack was methodical, well planned, deliberate, and brutal. The aliens would not want survivors, they would not tolerate them, and that is exactly what Cade and I were.

   I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to ease the numbness slipping through my body but I failed miserably. “I can’t stay here,” I whispered. “My family. I have to get to them.”

   Cade nodded. “We have to wait a little bit.”

   “My sister…”

   “We’ll get to them Bethany. I promise we willget to them.”

   I found that I believed him. I didn’t know why I did, or why I felt that he would do whatever he could to help me, but I knew that he would. My head bowed, tears of frustration, anger, and misery burned my eyes. I would not shed them though; I had not cried in years, I would not cry now.

   “Why are we still moving while everyone else is, well…”

   My question trailed off, I didn’t know how to describe these people right now. Frozen? Mannequins? Corpses? The living dead? Whatever they were, and no matter what they were called, they were the freakiest things I had ever seen. “I don’t know. I imagine that somehow we were all given something, whether through food or water, medicine or surgery, or even simply the air we breathe. It seems that for some reason it did not work on us though.”

   “Not yet.”

   Cade’s eyes were dark and hooded. I swallowed heavily, hating the words I had just uttered, but we both knew that they were true. Just because we were not statues now did not mean that we weren’t going to become them. At any moment we could freeze and become trapped within the confines of our own bodies. That thought did nothing to ease the constriction in my chest that being within this room had started. In fact, it took all I had not to completely fall apart. Took all I had to keep on breathing even though it was suddenly very painful, and hard. I didn’t know if those people were consciously aware of the fact that they were frozen, about to be killed, but I preferred to think that they weren’t. I couldn’t bear the thought that they knew they were stuck like that and about to be devoured. If they did know…

   I shut the thought abruptly off. It was too awful to even begin to contemplate. I couldn’t take that if it were to happen to me. I would rather die first.

   “They may simply be taking us in stages,” he agreed. “Or it may never happen to us. We are all different; we are all made of different DNA. There is no way that everyonewould react in the same way to whatever it was they gave us. I’m sure we’ll be fine Bethany.”

   I wanted to believe that, wanted to believe that we would stay mobile, that we would not freeze at a moment’s notice, but I was still filled with terror. I had a feeling that if the aliens discovered whatever they had done hadn’t worked on us, the consequences for us would be even worse than what the people on the street were going through. They would not be happy to learn that they were not perfect, and that things had not gone exactly as planned. We would be punished.

   Horribly.

   I swallowed heavily, frightened by the realization. We could not be caught. But what the hell were we supposed to do? Where were we supposed to go? I struggled to keep my mounting panic contained. First things first, I had to get out of this room and find my family. I prayed that they were safe.

   “I never trusted them,” I whispered.

   “I know.”

   My attention turned back to Cade. He had moved deeper into the room, his midnight hair blended seamlessly in with the dark shadows surrounding him, hugging him. He was examining a few of the boxes, but he didn’t try to open them, and he didn’t appear to be truly interested in their contents. I had the feeling that though he wasn’t looking at me, his concentration was still solely focused upon me. “How did you know that?”

   He lifted a large box with surprising ease and placed it on top of another. “It’s been written all over your face for the past year.”

   Though I had caught him watching me, I hadn’t realized he’d been scrutinizing me so intently, but apparently he must have been watching a little more keenly than I had realized. “Oh.”

   “You don’t hide things very well.”

   “I see.” Though I didn’t see, and I was more than a little confused by this conversation. I wanted a change of topic. “How did you know about this room?”

   “I’ve been working for Peter for two years now.”

   “Peter?”

   “The man outside.” I frowned, my hands clenched tighter on my arms. I hadn’t known that about Cade. In fact there wasn’t a whole lot I did know about him anymore, other than rumors. The girls at school called him the black devil due to his cold demeanor, midnight hair and onyx eyes. I had never given much thought to the nickname, I’d thought it was silly and that they were absurd for saying it. Standing in his presence now though I completely understood it, and couldn’t shake it from my mind. “He keeps the most valuable things secured in here.”

   I just nodded. I didn’t know what else to say. I was so confused, frightened, and disoriented by this abrupt change in our lives that I couldn’t think straight. I wasn’t sure if I was reading too much into this conversation, or if I was completely missing something. Either way, I was beginning to feel like an idiot.

   I had not been expecting any of this when I’d woken up this morning. But then, it could be worse, I could be one of those people in the street. I was lucky to still be moving, I was lucky to have someone else with me now. Especially Cade, as he seemed remarkably calm and competent considering the way our lives had been abruptly turned upside down.

   I needed to pull myself together; it was the only way I was going to survive. “Sit.”

   My attention was drawn back to Cade. He had settled himself onto one of the boxes; his arm was draped over his bent leg as he watched me. I didn’t want to move away from the door though. I did notwant to go deeper into this room. The very idea of it was enough to make my heartbeat excel and my skin crawl. I shook my head.

   He sighed softly, climbed to his feet, and carried one of the boxes over to me. “Sit Bethany, relax. I have a feeling we won’t be getting many more opportunities to do that anytime soon. We had better take advantage of it now.”

   I stared up at him, momentarily lost in his onyx eyes as he gazed at me. I had always tried not to let how attractive he was effect me. We were totally different people and he was way out of my league. He had always been a strange enigma that was fascinating, but nearly impossible to solve. He could have any girl he wanted, probably most women too. And I was… well I was just me. Not awful, but nothing overly remarkable either.

   But now Cade was only inches from me and his presence was overwhelming in the small room. I felt like a fool, but I couldn’t stop myself from admiring the sheer magnificence of him. He was perfect and beautiful, if a man could be considered beautiful. I realized that he smelled wonderful, like spices and fresh air. I shifted self consciously. I didn’t want to move away from him, but I didn’t want him paying too close attention to me either. He could see that I was a mess, but he didn’t have to smell me on top of it.

   I didn’t think I could relax, but I slid limply onto the box because I didn’t know what else to do. He watched me for a long moment before moving back to his own box. We didn’t speak for a long while, the light bulb swayed slowly back and forth, shaken by the vibrations of that thing making its way slowly down the street, draining its victims.

Draining people.

CHAPTER 4

 

   We slipped through the shadows of the buildings, Cade moving with easy grace and a silence that was astonishing. I wasn’t quiet or graceful, but at least I wasn’t a blundering idiot. Not this time anyway. I followed him as we made our way through the streets. I did not feel the rumbling approach of those monstrous things, but I kept alert for any sign of their return, or any sign of something elsecoming for us.

   The streets were not as cluttered with people now. I did not know what they did with the bodies when they were done with them, but thankfully they did not leave them behind. Guilt filled me for feeling relieved about the disappearance of the frozen people, but I couldn’t handle seeing their broken remains cluttering the street. Not on top of everything else.

   Cade slipped around a corner; my heart picked up a beat as he momentarily disappeared from sight. He was waiting for me when I turned the corner, his long fingered hand stretched behind him to hold me back.

   I stopped, my breath trapped within me as I strained to hear anything out of the ordinary. It was unnaturally still in the fading light of day. I wondered if the aliens had retreated to their ships for the night, or if they would be returning soon to start collecting the people still within their homes, and stores.

   Cade moved forward again. We made our way out of the center of town, slipping into backyards, staying to the woods as we swept through the shadows with more speed. Excitement and trepidation hammered through me as we neared my house. I didn’t know what to expect, I tried not to get my hopes up too much, but it was impossible.

   I almost broke into a run when my house finally came into view, but Cade held me back, his arm encircling my waist as he kept a tight grip on me. “Getting yourself killed won’t do you, or your family, any good.”

   I nodded, biting on my bottom lip as I ignored the strange sensations his touch aroused in me. Or at least tried to ignore them. It was impossible. My body tingled with unfamiliar currents of electricity when his fingers momentarily brushed over the bare skin exposed by the slight uplifting of my t-shirt. I forced myself to focus on something other than him, now most certainly was not the time to be thinking about this stuff.

   My house looked ominous in the fading light. It appeared empty, cold, and dark. My home was neverdark. Abigail was forever turning on lights, but she always forgot to turn them off. It wasn’t unusual to come home and find every light in the house blazing brightly, spilling from the windows, and lighting the night like a homing beacon. My mother and Aiden were constantly lecturing Abby to turn the lights back off; I remained silent on the matter. Though I never said it, I secretly liked the welcoming warmth of the lights when I came home. There had been enough darkness in our lives, I wasn’t about to tell Abby that she should keep the house dark too.

   The complete absence of them now was enough to make me want to cry.

   “Cade,” I breathed, choked by the lump in my throat.

   “They wouldn’t turn the lights on Bethany, not tonight.” I wanted to find solace in his words, but there was none. It was too dark, too quiet. I didn’t want to go in there, I had to. “Come.”

   He entwined his fingers with mine, pulling me slowly through the trees. We moved swiftly across the street, darting around to the back. For the first time I realized just how rundown my home had become. Paint was peeling off in flakes; the back porch sagged beneath the weight of years and weather. I was overwhelmed by sadness; a sense of helplessness filled me.

   I crept up the stairs, wincing when they squeaked beneath my weight. My heart hammered as I twisted the knob and pushed the door slowly open. I didn’t know what to expect, I was terrified of what I would find. The hinges creaked, the kitchen floor groaned slightly as I stepped inside. The familiar scent of my mom’s perfume, food, and scented candles washed over me. In the dim light I could make out the tidy kitchen counters. I could see the outline of pictures, report cards, and magnets that covered the fridge. Plants hung in the window over the sink, dishes were stacked neatly in the dish drain.

   It was my home, and for the first time it felt cold and lonely. Vacant.

   I made my way slowly through the kitchen. Though there was enough light to guide me, I moved mostly on instinct through the darkening rooms. Cade followed as I crept cautiously up the stairs. “Mom.” I was afraid to speak too loud in the foreboding silence. “Mom.”

   I heard the choked tears in my voice, the slight note of panic that was clearly audible. We reached the top of the steps, the house remained completely hushed. I swallowed heavily, forcing myself to speak louder. “Mom?”

   “Bethany.” I jumped slightly, startled by the response. I had truly believed that I was never going to receive one. Cade placed a hand in the small of my back, steadying me before I crashed into the banister. “Bethy?”

   “Abby?”

   There was a soft shuffling noise and then my little sister appeared in the doorway of our mom’s bedroom. Relief filled me, a small cry escaped as my knees nearly gave out. And then I was moving, running, fighting back tears of joy as I grasped hold of her. At fifteen, she was only two years younger than me, but she seemed much younger. Maybe it was her far more petite, and delicate build, but I felt it had more to do with her innocent, youthful air. She was nowhere near as jaded as I was.

   Her small arms wrapped around me, clinging tight as she sobbed against my shirt. “Oh Bethy I was so scared! I didn’t know what to do, I couldn’t leave her,” she moaned.

   I closed my eyes, my heart breaking as Abby confirmed my horrifying fear that our mother had not been as lucky as us. I could barely breathe, but holding Abby gave me a sense of strength that I hadn’t felt until this moment. I had to be strong for her; I had to keep her safe. No matter what, I hadto make sure that she survived. “Aiden?”

   Abby shook her head, her coffee colored hair fell about her shoulders in a tumbling mass of long curls. “I don’t know, he went to see Bret earlier but he hasn’t come back.”

   My hands tightened on her as I clung to her, taking solace in the fact that at least she was still moving, still ok. If Aiden was able to move he would come back here as soon as he could. Bret’s house was farther away than the antique store; it would take Aiden longer if he decided to wait for nightfall too. If he wasn’t still moving then I would find him at Bret’s, but I was in no hurry to rush out of here. Not right now. I was heartbroken, tired, and I wanted to see my mom. “Where is she?”

   Abby nodded toward our mother’s bedroom, but it was obvious that she didn’t want to return to it. She was shaking, terrified, and unlike me there were tears coursing rapidly down her face. I ached for her, she had probably spent the entire day standing guard over our mother, terrified and confused. And completely alone. I didn’t blame her for not wanting to return, she’d done enough already.

   “Stay here,” I said as I gently squeezed her shoulder.

   I moved past her, creeping into my mom’s room. The room was dark, but I saw her instantly. She was sitting on the bed, her head bowed over the papers spread out before her. Her reading glasses were in place, a pen was clasped between her lips. Her dark hair had been pulled into a lose bun that hung against her slender neck. The resemblance between her and Abby was unmistakable. They both had elfin, striking features, dark hair, and a petite physique. Abby and my mother had always reminded me of delicate faeries. I often felt awkward and out of place around them due to my clumsiness and larger build, a part of me was convinced I would accidentally hurt them one day. I was slender like them, but taller than and not as dark, as Aiden and I had inherited our dad’s height and honey blond hair.

   “Mom,” I whispered, even though I knew it wouldn’t do any good. She did not respond, did not even blink. I moved closer to her, shoving aside the papers as I slid onto the bed. I had seen her in this exact same position many times before, but this was the first time I had ever felt out of place and frightened. I touched her cheek lightly, her skin was still warm, but it was cooler than it should have been. That man had still been alive, she had to be also, I hoped. Sadness filled me; I choked on my misery. “Oh mom.”

   I bowed my head to hers, resting it against her bent head. I was trying hard not to lose complete control, not to turn into a sobbing mess, but I wasn’t sure I could keep my sanity through this whole catastrophe. I felt Cade’s presence in the room, sensed his dark gaze focused upon me before I saw him.

   I lifted my head, my hand lingering upon my mother’s cheek as I turned to him. I wanted to take strength in his gaze but I was lost, adrift, and terrified that I had just lost the only parent I had left. “What do we do?” I asked quietly.

   “We survive.” They were cold words, and yet the tone that issued them was not cold. It was sad, understanding, and sympathetic. It was also resilient and unwavering. “Because we have to, because it is what she would wantyou to do.”

   “I can’t leave her here.”

   “I know.” I turned away from him, unable to form words or opinions at the moment. “We won’t. I have to go somewhere right now though.”

   My head snapped around, my mouth dropped. I released my mom’s still hand as I slid limply off the bed and took a step toward him. “Where?” I managed to choke out.

   “I have to go to my house. There are some things I need to do.”

   I was confused by this sudden turn of events. I hadn’t expected him to leave us here, but of course there would be things that he would need to do. Things that he would have to check on, or want. I didn’t know where he lived now, or who he lived with, if anyone. He was most likely on his own now, he was eighteen after all. “Of course.”

   “I’ll be back.” I barely managed a nod. I could only manage to keep breathing through the tightness in my chest. “Soon.”

   “We… we could come with you.”

   He shook his head. “No, I’ll move faster by myself and Aiden could still return. You have to stay here.”

   “But…”

   He broke off my protest. “You have to stay with your mother Bethany, and you have to see if your brother returns. You’ll never forgive yourself if you don’t. My place is only half a mile from here. I’ll be safe in the woods.”

   I was surprised to learn he lived so close. Cade had bounced around so much over the years that it had been hard to keep track of where he was living at any given time. “What if you don’t come back?” I whispered. “What if something happens to you and I could have helped to stop it? Abby can wait for Aiden.” Even as I said the words I knew that Abby wouldn’t want to be alone here anymore, and I couldn’t leave her again.

   “There are more of those things out there than there is of us now Bethany. Their technology is better, they planned this, and they have the upper hand. I don’t think there’s anything either of us could do to stop them right now. Besides, you don’t want to leave your sister again.”

   “You’re not safe out there Cade, you can’t go alone.”

   He was before me now, having moved steadily closer throughout the conversation. I had to tilt my head back to take all of him in. His eyes and hair blended in with the night, giving the eerie impression that he was a part of the darkness that he relished in it, and was far more at home in it than any other person would be. His handsome features were half hidden in shadow, his full mouth pinched tight. I was breathless as he reached out to push the hair gently back from my shoulders. His fingers stroked lightly over my cheek, leaving a trail of heat in their wake as he lingered upon my skin. My mouth parted slightly in wonder, my face tilted instinctively into his soft caress. I didn’t know what was going on, what he intended, until his mouth was against mine.

   And then, I just didn’t care anymore.

   In the beginning his lips were warm, soft yet firm, as they pressed lightly against mine. And then his mouth was more demanding, and his hand was harder upon me as he pulled me closer to him. I was caught up in the warmth and pleasure of his kiss, ensnared within the whirlwind of emotions and desire that sprang forth. I was engulfed by the tempest his exquisite, desperate kiss created.