by Hunt, Jack
Alex disappeared into the depths of murky water.
With Cowboy gone, he began working the ankle rope.
But it was so dark and all he had to go on was touch.
He hacked away as blackness crept in at the corner of his eyes, a reminder he was about to lose consciousness. Back and forth, he dug the blade into the rope still feeling the pull of the lake, a downward spiral into nothingness.
Bubbles drifted up, over his face, the final pockets of life releasing from his lungs.
He shuddered violently, his body screaming for air.
Freedom came just as his body went limp and he succumbed to the lake’s grip.
Till death do us part.
It’s strange what comes to mind when you’re close to dying.
Darkness gave way as light encompassed him.
Where was it coming from?
There was no tunnel.
No angels.
But there was light, there was someone. Michael?
Was it a near-death experience, or the final memories from his brain shutting down? All he knew was what he saw before him as his body drifted into the deep.
A familiar face rushed toward him, a hand outstretched and then…
“One, and two, and three and… Alex. Alex!”
His eyelids snapped open and a fountain of water spewed from his mouth before he coughed and spluttered and rolled to his side. “That’s it. That’s it. Cough it up!” A flashlight was shone in his eyes. He raised an arm and heard a muffled voice tell someone to get that light out of his face.
“I thought you were dead,” Sophie said. “You scared the hell out of me.”
It took a moment to recognize where he was. The rocky shoreline, the lake, the surrounding forest. A shot of panic before Sophie placed a hand on his chest.
“They’re dead. Don’t worry.”
He breathed heavily.
“I saw him, Sophie. I saw Michael.”
She stood up from him, her brow furrowing.
“I did. He was there. He extended…” Right in that moment, Ryan came into view, his body drenched, his hair draped over his face, almost the spitting image of Michael. “You?”
Sophie nodded. “He pulled you out.”
Ryan coughed and dropped down beside him. “I’m sorry, Alex, for everything. I really am.” Alex was at a loss for words. He nodded and thanked him but was still so overwhelmed, his body aching from the beatings, his face cut, bruised and damaged. It would take time for the shock to wear off. He looked beyond Ryan and saw Thomas adjusting his rifle, and not far from him, two, four, maybe six armed men and women.
“Friends of mine,” Thomas said. “Welcome back, Alex.”
That evening as Thomas and the others dragged the dead into a watery grave, Alex rubbed his arms and sat on a boulder near the fire, getting warm. Across from him was Ryan, his hands out, clothes drying on top of rocks nearby. Sophie came up from the shore and took a seat beside him.
They sat in silence until she filled him in on how Thomas had rallied together those who had suffered at the hands of Cowboy but were unable to prove it or too fearful of speaking out.
“He managed that?”
“He continues to surprise me,” Sophie said. “They both do.”
She pointed to Ryan who was wrapped in a blanket and had got up and walked down to speak with Thomas. “I didn’t tell him to go in that lake, Alex, he chose to.”
He took a swig of beer and felt it calm his nerves.
“I know he’s not Michael but since he was a child everyone has turned their back on him. I don’t want to do that. And, yes, I understand he’s made mistakes and you think I rushed into this, but I can’t help think this is what Michael would have wanted.”
Alex stared at Ryan as he talked to Thomas.
“You took a big risk coming back for me.” He looked at her. “Why?”
She placed her hand on his and repeated back what he said when she’d asked why he hadn’t told Elisha about signing the papers. “Why do you have faith when everything around you says different?”
He snorted and she smiled.
As firewood popped and crackled before them, and a sky full of stars stretched over North Carolina, there was much that needed to be ironed out. A few days of travel wouldn’t change that, but as conversation shifted to Elisha, the journey ahead, and a world that was ending, Alex couldn’t imagine anyone more capable to rise to that challenge than the survivors around him.
And for that he was grateful, if only for now.
THANK YOU FOR READING
Book 2 will be out in June 2020
If you enjoyed that, please take a second now to leave a review. Even a few words is really appreciated. Thanks kindly, Jack.
A Plea
Thank you for reading As Our World Ends: Cyber Apocalypse Series Book 1. If you enjoyed the book, I would really appreciate it if you would consider leaving a review. Without reviews, an author’s books are virtually invisible on the retail sites. It also lets me know what you liked. It also motivates me to write more books. You can leave a review by visiting the book’s page. I would greatly appreciate it. It only takes a couple of seconds.
Thank you — Jack Hunt
Readers Team
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About the Author
Jack Hunt is the best-selling author of horror, sci-fi and post-apocalyptic novels. He currently has over forty books published. Jack lives on the East coast of North America. If you haven’t joined Jack Hunt’s Private Facebook Group you can request to join by clicking here now. This gives readers a way to chat with Jack, see cover reveals, and stay updated on upcoming releases. There is also his main facebook page below if you want to browse.
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