Ravaged Land: Divided Series - A Post-Apocalyptic Thriller Books 1-3

by Kellee L. Greene

  There weren’t any buildings in any direction for as far as the eye could see. It was just us. Alone.

  “I wonder if it’ll ever warm up,” I said instantly wishing I could take the words back. It wasn’t as though I’d wanted to scare anyone with the dreary possibility that we had nothing to look forward to. They didn’t need to worry that we’d be stuck in the cold world forever. That was my worry, and I shouldn’t have burdened the others with it.

  “I think it will. It was warm before, and it’ll be warm again. I don’t think it can stay like this forever,” Ryder said locking his eyes with mine. After a moment, he smiled, and when I didn’t smile back, I was pretty sure he could instantly tell how worried I truly was.

  I swallowed down my fears. They were mine, and I needed to keep it that way.

  “You’re probably right,” I said shaking my head as if trying to disperse all the worries out of it. “I’m just tired. I mean, I know we all are, but I haven’t slept very good the last few nights, if at all.”

  Ryder walked next to me and leaned in close. “More dreams?”

  “Not that I can remember,” I said keeping my gaze forward. Thoughts of what it had felt like the last time I’d been close to Ryder filled my mind.

  As we drew closer to the area with the trees, I noticed black ovals that were scattered across the branches. At first I wasn’t exactly sure what I was looking at. I’d thought they were nests stuck to the trees, but after about ten steps I could see they weren’t nests. They were birds. Big, black, scary birds.

  “You guys see those things?” I asked gesturing towards the birds. There was no way they couldn’t have noticed them.

  “Yeah, they’re just birds,” Charlie said with a shrug.

  “You’ve seen them before?” I asked.

  Ryder nodded slowly as he stared at them. “Only flying by overhead. Never perched on a branch like this, and never this many together.”

  Shawn stared at them, and his pace slowed. He grabbed my arm to stop me.

  “Have you ever seen any?” I asked looking into his wide eyes.

  “Yeah, I’ve seen them before,” he said rubbing his hands together. His fingers were dark red from the cold. “We should try to go around.”

  Ryder turned to look at him. I watched as he studied Shawn's face.

  “You know something about them?” Ryder asked. “Something you’re not telling us?”

  Shawn opened his mouth but quickly closed it when the largest bird released a loud caw and started wildly flapping its wings. All the birds perched on the trees cranked their necks to the side at nearly the same time as if they were looking at us.

  “It doesn’t look like there is going to be time to go around them. They already know we’re here,” Ryder said, his lips pressed tightly together as his eyes darted around.

  “What should we do?” I asked.

  Eli stepped in front of us and cocked his head to the side. “They look angry.”

  “Or maybe hungry,” Charlie said gripping her club tighter.

  “We’re all hungry,” Logan said stepping closer to Charlie.

  There were about ten birds on the trees. They were different from any other bird I’d ever seen, although I hadn’t seen many. These birds were bigger, and their feathers were blacker than the night sky. Even at our distance, I could see their sharp, hooked beaks.

  They didn’t look friendly. In fact, it appeared as though they hated us even though we’d done nothing.

  The biggest bird flapped its wings and rose up into the sky. It circled above the other birds.

  After a minute, the big bird released an ear-piercing caw that ripped through the air, and stabbed at my ears. I covered my ears the second the other birds echoed its call.

  They all started flapping their wings, circling around the trees in one big group.

  “I have a bad feeling about this,” Eli said as we took several steps to the side, shifting our route away from the trees. If it was their territory, we didn’t want it to look as though we were threatening it.

  It didn’t seem like it would matter. They were already pissed off.

  The birds moved towards us cawing loudly as they zipped through the air. Before we knew it, they were over our heads, circling above us.

  “Shit,” Ryder mumbled.

  No matter where we walked, they stayed above us, going around and around. I kept my head forward, but my eyes were on them. Maybe it was crazy, but I was afraid that if I made direct eye contact with one of them, it would set them off.

  “What are they doing?” Charlie said quietly.

  “I don’t know, but I don’t like it,” Ryder said lightly tugging on my jacket sleeve. “Let’s just keep moving away.”

  He quickened the pace, and everyone moved their feet faster to keep up. The birds stayed directly overhead, our speed didn’t matter. Fast or slow, whatever it was, they apparently were going to stay above us.

  My heart was pounding so hard, and I think it increased a beat every time the birds completed a full circle. I could swear the largest bird directed its beady gaze at me even though I pretended not to notice.

  “Maybe we should run,” Shawn said shaking his head. “This is bad.”

  “What is it you aren’t telling us,” Ryder said increasing our speed once again.

  “I wasn’t sure at first, but these aren’t your ordinary birds,” Shawn said looking up at the sky. The big, black bird seemed to look right at him as it let out a squawk. It was like the bird was threatening him, warning him that if he didn’t keep his mouth shut something bad would happen. But surely that was just my imagination.

  “What are they then?” Logan asked.

  Shawn looked as though he didn’t want to say anything. I wasn’t sure if it was because he was afraid of what we’d think of him, or if he was afraid the birds would overhear him.

  We’d probably walked at least a quarter of a mile with them directly above us. They’d caw while they circled, keeping their dark little eyes on us.

  This wasn’t about invading their space anymore. We weren’t even close to their territory. This was about something else.

  “Ugh! Go away!” I said, trying not to look at the birds. I still didn’t want to make eye contact.

  “They aren’t doing anything to us. Maybe eventually they’ll just give up and leave us alone,” Ryder said, glancing at Shawn. Shawn looked right back at him, his eyes wide.

  Ryder was right about the fact that they weren’t doing anything to us. It was just frightening and freaky to have them flying over us… watching us. As long as they didn’t do anything, maybe it didn’t matter?

  “Maybe they are escorting us?” Charlie said, her voice wavering.

  “Can they hear us?” I whispered to Shawn. He looked at me, and at first I thought he was going to think I was crazy, but then he shrugged.

  “They’ve been modified. I don’t really know much about them,” Shawn whispered back.

  The large bird’s head twisted and looked right at Shawn. It squawked loudly and swooped down toward Shawn’s head.

  Charlie screamed and the big bird zipped back up into the sky with the rest of the birds.

  “Jesus Christ!” Logan said.

  “What the hell was that about?” Charlie screeched.

  My pulse quickened. I didn’t know what we could do.

  “I really don’t like birds,” Charlie said, and several of the birds squawked. It was almost as if they were laughing.

  The second they stopped making noise, a second bird swooped down toward Eli. I ducked down and covered my head.

  “Give me your club,” Ryder said stretching his hand out toward Charlie. “And get down.”

  After the third one swooped down through the middle of our group, Shawn put his good arm over my head protectively.

  Ryder lifted the club. “If there’s anything I need to know, Shawn, now is the time.”

  Shawn shook his head. “I’m sorry. I wish I knew more.”

 
“All right then. Protect yourselves,” he said holding the bat just above his shoulder. He was ready to swing at the next one that swooped.

  Eli and Logan held out their small blades, but I could see the fear in their eyes. They didn’t think the blades would be good enough, and quite frankly, neither did I.

  One of the birds screeched loudly, and I shivered. My blood felt ice cold as it pumped quickly through my body.

  I looked up and saw the black wings spread out widely a few feet away. The bird was coming right for me.

  17

  I heard a mushy thud, instantly followed by the sound of something crunching when the club made contact with one of the birds. There were droplets of blood on the sleeve of my jacket and on the snow around me.

  “Oh, God!” I said feeling a tightening in my stomach. I swallowed hard, hoping nothing was attempting to come up.

  Charlie screamed. “Get it off me! Get it off me!”

  I turned to the side just as the big bird perched on her back pecked at her shoulder.

  “Owww!” she cried out.

  I looked up at Ryder who was already swinging at another that was heading right for her. Shawn jumped up and grabbed the bird with his bare hands. He held it awkwardly because of the sling, but still managed to twist its neck sharply to the side.

  Shawn grabbed the back of Charlie’s jacket and yanked her closer. He put his arm over both Charlie and I as best as he could. He rounded his back as if he was our shelter.

  “Ugh,” Shawn grunted. I could tell by the jerking motion of his body, he’d been pecked just like Charlie had been. “Fuck, that hurts!”

  “Tell me about it,” Charlie said, a tear rolled down her cheek and fell into the snow.

  I couldn’t see what was happening, but I heard several thuds and a painful squawk. Seconds later, there was a small chorus of caws that sounded like they were getting quieter and quieter.

  My eyes slowly shifted upward, and I saw the black birds flapping their wings hard up in the sky. They were leaving.

  I moved out of Shawn’s protective cover and stood up. We were surrounded by the carnage of the attack. There were six bird carcases lying in the blood sprinkled snow.

  I looked at Ryder, who was still breathing heavily. There were red spots sprinkled on his face and arms.

  “Are you hurt?” I asked. Ryder shook his head.

  I looked at Logan who was in the middle of pulling his blade out of one of the dead birds. Both he and Eli looked like they managed to avoid injury.

  “They got Charlie just once and Shawn too,” I said looking at the hole in the back of Charlie’s jacket.

  “Twice,” Shawn said pressing his hand against the bicep on his arm that was still healing from his last injury. He opened his fingers and looked at the blood covering the center of his palm. “Any more band-aids in that handy little kit of yours?”

  I nodded and unzipped my backpack. If I kept having to use my first aid kit as frequently as I had been, it wasn’t going to last long.

  “Bandage them up quickly,” Ryder said. He was trying to look in every direction at once to make sure the birds hadn’t changed their minds about leaving.

  Eli stood next to me and held out his hand. I gave him one of the larger bandages, and he started helping Charlie wiggle her arm out of her jacket so he could patch up her back.

  Shawn’s eyes were on me as I unzipped his jacket. “Maybe you should save those. The bleeding will stop.”

  I looked up at him and swallowed hard. Those eyes. Those damn eyes.

  “Do you even have blood left to lose?” I asked, my voice soft.

  “Hurry,” Ryder said.

  My fingers trembled as I carefully pulled down Shawn’s jacket. The wound on his bicep was a small hole with blood slowly leaking out of it.

  I pressed the bandage down, feeling his warm breath against the side of my neck. My eyes shifted upward and locked with his. We were so close, and both quite aware of that fact.

  “Where’s the other one?” I said feeling breathless.

  “My back,” he said leaning closer for a second before turning around and lifting his jacket and shirt.

  He hadn’t lifted it high enough, but the blood dripping down his side helped me find the wound. It looked a bit worse than the one on his arm, but it didn’t look serious.

  “How does it look, doc?” he said over his shoulder.

  “I think you’ll pull through.” The memory of when we’d found him lying in the snow only days ago slammed into my mind. “This is nothing compared to what you’ve already been through.”

  I pulled down his shirt and jacket. The others were standing there watching us, waiting for us to finish so we could leave the bird graveyard behind. I put away the first aid kit and zipped up my backpack.

  “Ready,” I said.

  “About time,” Charlie said, her bloodied club back in her hand.

  I rolled my eyes at her the second she turned around to follow Ryder. Shawn chuckled.

  He leaned closer. “She really doesn’t like you.”

  “Shh!” I said, flashing him a big smile. He couldn’t have been more right, but I didn’t want to deal with a big confrontation if she or the others overheard his comment.

  As we walked, Ryder’s speed seemed to increase. The others kept up with him, but I stayed back with Shawn.

  It seemed as though Ryder had forgotten that Shawn was still healing. Or maybe he didn’t care.

  Every so often he’d look over his shoulder, probably to make sure we were still with them. He didn’t wait for us to catch up, he kept going.

  “Bet he’s trying to find a shelter before night,” Shawn said.

  “Probably.” I looked out around us, but it was just as barren as ever. “So… about those birds?”

  Shawn rubbed his bicep and sighed. “Like I said before, I don’t know much about them.” He looked into my eyes without blinking. “If I knew anything I’d tell you.”

  “You said they were modified?”

  “Yeah.”

  “In what way?”

  He shook his head. “I don’t know exactly. It was some kind of science experiment, at least that’s what I’d heard. Something that they’d done before I was born.”

  “I see.” My parents had mentioned dogs that could spread diseases, but I thought they were just stories to keep me inside.

  Maybe they weren’t just stories. I looked at Shawn, and chewed my lip.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked, matching my expression.

  “Are you feeling OK?”

  “Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”

  I adjusted my backpack which suddenly felt too heavy. We were walking way too fast, even for me.

  “Want me to carry that for a while?”

  I shook my head.

  Shawn seemed fine. It didn’t seem like he was getting sick or anything like that, but maybe the disease my parents told me about didn’t happen that quickly. Dammit! Why hadn’t I paid more attention to those stories?

  “Do you feel normal?” I asked looking him up and down.

  “Yeeeeesssss?” He narrowed his eyes at me. “What’s going on, Emery?”

  “Nothing.”

  “You’re lying.”

  I let out a long sigh and blinked slowly. “It’s nothing, really, I don’t want to freak you out.”

  “I can handle it. Just tell me what’s on your mind.”

  “Ugh, fine.” I brushed my hands together as if I was dusting them off. “When I was younger, my parents used to tell me stories about diseased dogs. They called them dog-beasts. I don’t remember much about the stories other than the dogs were dangerous. If you were bitten, you’d die.”

  Shawn nodded. “I know of the dogs. Never seen one though. What does this have to do with anything?”

  “Probably nothing. I was just worried about what these modified birds did to you and Charlie. Hoping it’s not something like the weird dogs.”

  “Hmm,” Shawn said looking forward. He shrug
ged. “I feel fine, but if anything changes, you’ll be the first to know.”

  I pressed my lips together and nodded. Unfortunately, that hadn’t made me feel any better. I was still worried.

  “I think they had trouble with the birds. I’d heard they’d killed a bunch of them, but clearly, they are still out here surviving in this shit.”

  “Who killed them?” I asked already guessing at the answer.

  “The Evolved. I think before they were even called that.”

  My head bobbed slowly. I already had figured it had been The Evolved. A failed experiment.

  “The ones out here are probably breeding. Not much can be done about that,” Shawn said looking up at the sky. “Can you imagine if you were out here alone and you didn’t have a club like Charlie’s? Those things could easily take a person out.”

  I swallowed hard. If I had kept on going alone, maybe back where the birds had attacked us, would have been where my dead body would have been lying.

  “Let’s just hope we don’t run into them again,” Shawn said as he placed his hand on my shoulder.

  I didn’t look at him even though I knew he was looking at me. Those eyes. I just couldn’t.

  “Even though I wish I could have done more to help the others, I’m glad I got out of there when I did,” Shawn said. I could hear the sadness in the voice as if he were somehow blaming the bird attack partially on himself.

  “Do you think they’re still looking for you?” I asked.

  He shook his head. “No, not really. But if we run into a base or others, they’ll kill me. I’m sure of that.”

  “Well, won’t they kill us too?”

  “Maybe. Probably not. At least not at first. They’ll take you and see if they can use you in some way, convert you.” He leaned closer. “Especially you because of your lack of marks. But me,” he pointed to the marks on his neck, “they’ll consider me a traitor.”

  Ryder and the others were marked too but they weren’t marked in the same way Shawn was. There markings were a bit more discreet, whereas Shawn’s were bold and hard to miss.

  “What about them?” I gestured forward with my chin.