Bloodlines of Survival

Chapter 10: The Hunger Inside

The road stretched endlessly before them, winding through dense woods and past empty fields, the shadows of trees clawing at the sky like dark tendrils. Gwen gripped the steering wheel, her knuckles white, her breath shallow. The silence in the car was oppressive, broken only by the occasional murmur of the kids in the backseat and the hum of the engine.

She couldn't shake the memory of her mother's house—the overturned furniture, the dark stains on the floor. Whatever had happened there, it had been violent, sudden, and final. A cold shiver ran down her spine as she imagined her mother's final moments, alone and terrified. But there was no time for grief, no space for tears. Survival demanded her full attention, and the children depended on her.

"Mom... are we going to be okay?" Kohl's voice was small, tentative, as if he feared the answer.

Gwen swallowed hard, glancing at him in the rearview mirror. His eyes were wide, reflecting a mixture of fear and hope. Samantha sat beside him, clutching a tattered stuffed animal, her face pale.

"We'll be okay," Gwen said, forcing a smile she didn't feel. "We just have to keep moving, find somewhere safe."

"But where?" Samantha asked, her voice quivering.

Gwen didn't have an answer. The world they had known was gone, replaced by a nightmare of violence and chaos. Every place she once thought of as safe had been stripped away, leaving them adrift in a world that was as hostile as it was unfamiliar.

She kept driving, but with each passing mile, the hunger gnawing at her grew more intense. It was no longer a distant whisper but a persistent, ravenous growl that echoed through her mind, making it harder and harder to concentrate. The scent of the children's skin, the sound of their breathing—it was all so vivid, so enticing.

Gwen clenched her teeth, trying to push the thoughts away. She couldn't let it control her, couldn't let it win. She had to stay strong, had to stay human, for them.

But it was getting harder to pretend. Her vision had sharpened, the colors around her more vibrant, the sounds more distinct. She could hear the heartbeat of a bird in the trees, the rustling of a rabbit in the underbrush. Every detail was heightened, almost painfully so, and it was all too easy to imagine giving in to the hunger, to let it guide her, just for a moment.

She shook her head, trying to clear the thoughts. She couldn't afford to think like that. Not now. Not ever.

"Mom, what's that?" Samantha's voice was a sharp whisper, her gaze fixed on something outside the window.

Gwen glanced where she was pointing, her heart skipping a beat. Ahead, on the side of the road, a group of figures stumbled through the trees. Their movements were jerky, unnatural, and as they drew closer, Gwen's breath caught in her throat. Their eyes—those same pitch-black eyes she now saw in her own reflection—glinted in the dim light as they caught sight of the car.

"Stay down!" Gwen hissed, her voice trembling with fear and anger.

She pressed the gas pedal harder, the SUV surging forward as she swerved to avoid the creatures. But as they sped past, one of the mutants lunged toward the vehicle, its bony fingers scraping against the side. The sound was like nails on a chalkboard, sending a jolt of terror through Gwen's body.

She kept driving, her pulse pounding in her ears, but her mind was racing with the implications. These creatures, these mutants, they were like her. She could see the same twisted humanity in their faces, the same hunger that gnawed at her. Was this her future? Would she become like them, a mindless predator driven by nothing but the need to feed?

No, she couldn't let that happen. She had to believe she was stronger than that. But the truth was, she was terrified—terrified that no matter how hard she fought, she would lose herself to the darkness.