Katherin Hassan-Clarke and Esther Quinn, young lovers living on the coast of Riga, Latvia, face the terrifying realisation that their home is no longer safe when a deadly zombie pathogen ravages Eastern Europe. Fleeing their home before they are for...
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Esther was frozen in place; her eyes darting into the darkness, searching for the source of the noise. She couldn't see anything. The fog had returned; suffocating everything in a thick haze. Esther wouldn't see her attacker until it was right in front of her. The idea churned her stomach. She'd only brought a pocket-knife and she wasn't exceptionally talented at fighting. Katherin had always protected her.
There was no one to protect her now.
Esther jerked to the right as a rotting hand swept through the fog. The zombie let out a wheeze of frustration; dragging its feet in pursuit. Esther held the pocket-knife out in front of her. Her hands shook; fingers fumbling to keep their grip on the metal.
The zombie lunged again. Then, another appeared from within the fog. Esther let out a shriek of alarm; hoping, praying, that Katherin had heard her distress. She hadn't wanted to go outside. She'd wanted to stay at the apartment and wait until the government reappeared. It was selfish, but it was safe. Rebeka wouldn't have been dead if they hadn't agreed to meet at the docks. Ttod wouldn't have left them for dead. Katherin wouldn't have killed anyway.
Esther knew that the zombie hadn't been Katherin's first victim. She'd seen the blood on Katherin's hands; the metallic stench clinging to Katherin's shirt.
Esther's back brushed against a brick wall.
Her fingers fumbled against the structure; hoping for some escape.
There was nothing.
The zombies dragged themselves closer. Esther could see the dried blood caked underneath their outgrown nails; rotten pieces of flesh still lodged in their teeth. Their last victim had been eaten alive.
Esther knew she couldn't overpower the zombies. They were massive; hard muscle bulging through ripped military jackets. If Esther came within arms reach of them, she was as good as dead.
Esther pressed her back into the brick wall. She didn't have fearless of Katherin; nor the discipline of Jaxx. They would throw themselves into danger without a second thought. Esther couldn't bring herself to use the knife in her hands.
She was going to die.
The zombie wheezed again; dragging its foot another step closer.
Esther could smell the stench of rotten flesh. She closed her eyes; soft whimpers escaping her lips. The pocket-knife clattered to the pavement and disappeared down the rainwater drain. Esther balled her hands into fists. This was her fault. She'd left in reckless pursuit of Katherin.
Esther should've trusted that Katherin would return.
The zombie dragged closer. Its hands fumbled for flesh; knuckles groping the loose fabric of Esther's shirt.
Esther's nails broke the flesh of her palms. She shuddered. The zombie was going to eat her alive. It was going to tear her intestines from her stomach.
Esther waited for the first blow. It never came.
The zombie thudded to the ground; letting out a wail as metal connected with its leg. Fragments of bone shot through the air. Esther grimaced; dropping to the ground to avoid the splatter.
Katherin wiped the blood from her face; stomping down on the zombie's head. Its skull caved in. Esther looked away in disgust.
The second zombie appeared from the fog. It was faster than the first; hands reached out in desperate hunger. Katherin swung. The bat connected with the zombie's stomach; severing the body in half. Blood seeped out onto the cement.
The zombie began to crawl; fingertips digging into the cracks of cement. Katherin watched it in silence. Then, she raised the bat above her head, before bringing it down on the zombie's skull. It died instantly.
Katherin dropped the bat. Her eyes widened in horror; hands trembling as she struggled to meet Esther's gaze. What had she done? Esther's mouth was slack open; unable to form coherent words. This wasn't the girl she'd fallen in love with.
Katherin hadn't flinched as she slaughtered those creatures. She hadn't an ounce of remorse in her eyes.
"I thought I'd lost you. I didn't think I'd get to you in time."
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Hi everyone!
How did you like this chapter?
I have been writing a detailed plan of the remainder of this novel, as well as writing detailed plot points for the next two novels and the novella for this series. It's been quite difficult to write as I am unable to use my journal - I filled all my pages!
