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

by Kellee L. Greene

  I wondered if he’d let go in the hopes that the natives watching would think that I’d left on my own accord. Maybe if they saw me running without being forced, they would be less likely to come after us. Then again, it didn’t look at all like they cared enough to bother chasing us down.

  “Are these the same natives that walked through the city last night?” I asked.

  Shawn glanced back. “I don’t think so, but I don’t know for sure.” Shawn exhaled slowly between his parted lips. “Lots and lots of natives.”

  “They're everywhere.”

  We didn’t stop running even after they were no longer in sight. My body was begging for a break, and begging for nourishment, but I couldn’t give it either. Not yet.

  Eventually, my body couldn’t do it anymore. But after another mile or so, I slowed. I just didn’t have the energy to keep up with the fast pace.

  “They’re not coming,” I said with my hands on my hips as I shrugged to catch my breath.

  “OK,” Shawn said breathing in just as heavily. “But we have to keep walking. In fact, I don’t think we’re going to stop for the night.”

  I tried to swallow, but my mouth was too dry. The thought that we’d gone too far crossed my mind. I worried that we wouldn’t be able to find the farm again considering how far we’d veered from our original path. Nothing around us looked even a tiny bit familiar. Not that it should with how far away we still were, but that didn’t help ease my anxiety.

  “What if we can’t see the farm in the dark? What if we end up getting lost?” I asked, twisting my fingers together.

  “Hmm,” Shawn said rubbing the back of his neck. Clearly he hadn’t considered all the things that could go wrong. He was just desperate to get back to the others.

  “Our visibility will be low because of the darkness, even if we do have the moonlight, I’m afraid it won’t be good enough.” My lips pressed together tightly. “I don’t want to get lost, Shawn. I’m tired. I’m hungry, and I’m really, really thirsty.”

  Shawn nodded. “Maybe you’re right.” He soundlessly punched the air with a tight fist. “We shouldn’t have left in the first place.”

  “It’s OK. We’ll find our way back,” I said taking in a deep breath. “We just have to be smart about it.”

  Shawn nodded, but his expression lacked confidence.

  “It was worth a shot. Unfortunately, it just didn’t work out the way we would have liked.”

  “Ryder is going to be pissed.”

  I shook my head. “Ryder will be disappointed. I like to think we’ll get back and everything will be fine. They’ll be worried about us.”

  We walked mostly in silence as the sun moved across the sky. The miles went by, but before we knew it, the sun was touching the horizon. Even though neither of us wanted to, we stopped for the night.

  I walked around the area and picked a few edible leaves out of the ground. Shawn held up his palm when I offered him half.

  “It’ll just make me feel more hungry,” Shawn said.

  I shrugged as I popped a bitter tasting leaf into my mouth. There was a large boulder we sat next to and rested our back against. The second I finished the leaves and rested my head on Shawn’s shoulder, I knew I wasn’t going to be able to keep my eyes open.

  “I’m so tired,” I said with a yawn.

  “Shh,” Shawn said lighting running his fingers through my hair. “Close your eyes. I will keep you safe.”

  My eyelids bobbed several times before they just didn’t open. I sat there listening to the world around us, not that there was much to hear besides our breathing and an occasional cricket.

  I’d just take a short rest. Shawn and I could take turns keeping watch, but that wasn’t at all how it played out.

  Every time I fell asleep, it felt like only minutes had gone by before I was startled awake. Shawn would start to stroke my hair, and soon I’d fall back asleep only to wake again.

  My thoughts and dreams were tormenting me. What if Charlie was worse? What if we got back to the farm and they were all gone? Or worse… what if they’d all been killed and we’d find their bodies scattered about the house?

  Then I’d start thinking about all the things that could go wrong out in the middle of nowhere. Maybe the natives would catch up to us.

  My body craved sleep, but my mind was stubborn. It was refusing to let me have what I so desperately needed.

  “Again?” Shawn asked when my eyelids popped open for the fifth time. It took me a few seconds to realize where I was.

  “Sorry,” I said, feeling like I wanted to burst into tears. It was frustrating to want sleep so badly and not be able to get any. I was exhausted, and I didn’t think there was anything I could do about it until I was back at the farm.

  “You want to try again?” Shawn asked rubbing my shoulder.

  I shook my head. “I can’t. It’s only making everything worse.”

  “It shouldn’t be much longer.”

  “Really?”

  Shawn grinned. “You put in a good effort.”

  “Thanks, I guess. Too bad I feel more tired than I did before I tried.” I hugged my knees to my chest. “I’m looking forward to devouring some rice.”

  “Me too,” Shawn said, and I was pretty sure I’d actually heard his stomach rumble. “Me… too.”

  Shawn was right that morning hadn’t been far off, but what he hadn’t planned on was the dreary morning we’d were confronted with. The clouds were a dark sheet over the sky, and I wasn’t the least bit surprised when it started to drizzle.

  He stood up and stretched out his hand to me. “Ready?”

  “Very much so, but—”

  “Don’t say it.” Shawn’s jaw was tense. “We’ll find it.”

  Chapter 12

  The door was locked when we arrived back at the farm. We peeked into the window, but there wasn’t anyone around.

  My pulse quickened wondering if my nightmares had been predictions. Maybe they were gone. I’d never see any of them again.

  “I guess I’m going to knock,” Shawn said looking behind us and then back at the door.

  “OK,” I said placing my hand near my gun.

  “Ready?”

  I nodded, and Shawn knocked three times in quick succession. The house was quiet.

  “Knock again,” I said, placing my fingertips on my gun.

  Shawn knocked again, and nothing happened. My stomach churned, making feel nauseated both because of my nerves and because of the acid sloshing around in the emptiness.

  “Again,” I said chewing on a dirty fingernail.

  Before Shawn was able to raise his hand to the door again, I saw Abby peer out from behind the wall near the hallway.

  I let out a breath and pressed my hand to the window. “Abby’s in there.”

  I tapped on the window and waved at her. She reluctantly stuck her head out a little further and came running to the door when she saw that it was me.

  “Did you find anything?” She said as she pulled open the door.

  Shawn looked down at his feet. “No.”

  The tiny bit of color that had been in Abby’s face drained away. “Darn.”

  “Sorry,” I said closing the door behind me. I looked up the stairs and then toward the hallway. “Any changes?”

  “Yes,” Abby said and started sobbing. “Logan is worse.”

  Shawn and I exchanged a look. Her shoulders shook, and I wrapped my arms around her. She looked just as exhausted as I felt.

  “Are you feeling OK?” I asked.

  “I’m fine. I’m just worried sick about him… about both of them.” Abby wiped away her tears. “I don’t know what to do for him. He won’t eat. I can barely get him to drink.”

  “What about you?” Shawn asked. “Have you been eating and drinking?”

  She looked up at the ceiling as if the answer was floating around above her. Her eyebrows squeezed together. “I guess not.”

  “Let me make you some rice,” Shawn said
checking the lock before throwing a log into the barely burning fire.

  “How’s Charlie?” I asked, and Abby looked like she was going to fall over. She managed to make it into the chair before looking up at me. “She's worse too.”

  I covered my mouth with my hand. Charlie had already been at death’s door, I didn’t know how it could have gotten worse.

  “Mind if I pop in on Logan,” I asked.

  “Not at all.” Abby rested her head back against the chair. “Maybe it’ll help.”

  “I hope so,” I said as I placed my hand on her shoulder for a moment before stepping into the hallway.

  I chewed on my cheek as I approached the door, afraid of what was waiting inside. Logan was tough, in fact, he was tougher than Charlie. He was just as much of a fighter as she was.

  I knocked lightly on the doorframe before entering. Logan was laying in bed with a blanket pulled up to his chin. His eyes were closed, and his skin was gray, but his cheeks had a pink tinge that gave me a touch of hope.

  “Logan, it's Emery can you open your eyes? We’re back.” His eyelids fluttered for a quick second. I hesitated. “We didn’t find anything.”

  I sat down on the bed next to him and placed my hand on the bumpy fabric that had probably once been soft. Logan didn’t look as bad as Charlie had when we’d left, but it couldn’t be good considering he hadn’t even responded.

  I leaned closer and touched his forehead with the back of my hand. He wasn’t feverish.

  “Logan you have to get better. We all need you. So, here's what I want you to do… I want you to lay in here and get better. We’re waiting for you, OK?” I stood and took his hand into mine. “Please?”

  I squeezed his hand, and I thought I felt a little tiny squeeze back, but when I did it again, there was nothing but loose, tired fingers. When I stepped out of the room and into the hallway, I resisted the urge to break down into a puddle of sadness in the hallway. I had to push it away and do what I could to be strong for everyone.

  Abby had fallen asleep in the chair, and Shawn was pacing back and forth in the kitchen.

  “I don’t want to use the fireplace, I'm afraid it’ll wake her. How’s Logan?” Shawn asked.

  I swallowed down the hard lump at the back of my throat. “He doesn’t even respond. It’s like he stuck in his sleep.”

  “Hopefully his body is working to fight off the poison. Fuck!” Shawn said trying to keep his voice down. He winced when he slammed his fist into his leg. “I wish we could have found something.”

  “Me too,” I said pressing my lips together. I drew in a slow breath as I turned and looked at the stairs. “I’m going to go tell Ryder the bad news.”

  Shawn nodded. “Want me to come with you?”

  I held up my palm and turned away. There was a change in the air as I made my way up the stairs. It was as if I could feel the pain and agony of the situation and it was suffocating me.

  Ryder was standing in the doorway with his arms crossed. It looked as though he’d aged at least five years since only days ago when we’d left.

  “How is she?” I asked.

  Ryder shook his head. He tried to move his mouth, but he couldn’t make it work.

  “I’m sorry,” I said taking in a difficult breath, “we didn’t find anything.”

  He pressed his lips together and then cleared his throat. “Didn’t think you would. Glad you're back, did everything go OK?”

  “Yes, it was fine. Oh, except a group of natives passed by when we were hiding. As you can see that turned out OK.”

  “They didn’t follow you, did they?”

  I shook my head. “It was a big group, like the one we’d seen from the top of the hill.” That incident had felt like it had taken place in another life even though it hadn't happened that long ago. “They did say something interesting though.”

  “What’s that?”

  “They were talking about the war and said it’s ending soon.”

  “They probably were just talking.”

  My head bobbed up and down slowly. “I’m sure they were. It was close to bragging really.”

  “What did they say exactly?”

  “That they’d taken out several groups of The Evolved, five in all, I think. They believe it’ll be over soon, and when it comes to an end, they’ll be the ones in control.”

  Ryder glanced over his shoulder abruptly as if he’d thought he heard something. But I could see Charlie hadn’t moved.

  “I hope they both take each other out,” Ryder said scratching the side of his head. “Thanks for letting me know.”

  “Yeah, no problem. Is there anything I can get for either of you?”

  Ryder rubbed his hands together. “Not now. Oh, and thanks for trying to find medicine. Shawn too.”

  I forced a smile and watched as he walked back into the room. He sat down in one of the dining room chairs he must have brought up and took Charlie’s hand into his. I could tell by the folded over sheets on the other side of the bed that he’s spent the night in the room with her.

  Ryder was too focused on her that he didn’t even seem to notice me standing there watching her chest rise and then fall. Her lips were dry and cracked, and there were dark, sunken circles around her eyes.

  I turned and placed my shaking hand on the railing as I made my way downstairs. The Evolved or the natives could come to the house, and there wouldn’t be a damn thing we could do about it. There was no way Ryder would leave Charlie behind, and I wasn’t even sure if Abby would leave Logan.

  There had been something in her eyes when she’d talked about him, and it wasn’t just worry. She was scared. She was terrified of losing him.

  When I got back into the living room, Abby was gone, and Shawn was at the fireplace working on the rice. I walked straight toward him and pressed my lips to his.

  “What was that for?” Shawn asked after I pulled back.

  I bit my lip. I couldn’t tell him that I was afraid of losing him. It could have been me in their shoes, watching Shawn’s life wither away.

  “I just wanted to,” I said.

  “Everything go OK up there?” he said his eyes slightly narrowed.

  “Yeah, fine. Charlie’s worse, and I told him about what we’d heard the natives discussing.”

  Shawn cocked his head to the side. “And what did he say about that?”

  “Not much… he hopes they all take each other out.”

  “That’d be nice.”

  “I hope what we heard is the truth, but if the natives do win and come poking around here, it’ll be the end of the road for all of us.”

  Shawn lowered his gaze. “They won’t leave them.”

  “No, and I’d find it hard to leave too.”

  Shawn held my gaze. “We’d have to go. Emery,” Shawn said grabbing my hands, “we’d have to leave. They’d want you to go. You know that, right?”

  “I’ve been with them since almost the beginning.” I shook my head. “Sorry, but I don’t think I could.”

  Shawn gritted his teeth and abruptly turned away. He didn't look back as he made his way into the kitchen.

  I sat on the floor resting my forehead down against my palms and closed my eyes. My thoughts were disjointed. I needed rest.

  I stood up and instead of going after Shawn and trying to explain I made my way down the hall. As I neared the room Logan was in, I could hear Abby singing softly. I glanced in as I walked past the door and saw her lighting stroking the side of his head.

  It was a tune I wasn’t familiar with, but her voice was beautiful. If all it took to make everything better were a song, it would have been whatever Abby was singing.

  The master bedroom looked exactly how it had when we’d left. I didn’t bother to look out the window to make sure all was as it should be, I simply flopped down on the bed, and before I knew it, I was out.

  Chapter 13

  When I woke, it was night. I was sweating and gasping for air. My heart was racing, but thankfully, I didn�
��t remember the nightmare I must have had.

  My stomach rumbled as I climbed out of bed. The wind whistled as it blew against the house making it creak and crack.

  I wiped the sweat from my brow and glanced out of the window. The clouds swiftly floated over the moon blocking it from view. Lighting flashed in the distance and not only could I see it, but I could also feel another storm was on the way.

  I walked slowly down the hall not wanting to wake anyone who might still be asleep. The house was dark except for the flickering candle on the table.

  When I reached the living room, I paused, startled by the shadow in the window. I quickly realized it was Shawn staring out into the night keeping watch over the house.

  “Shawn,” I said softly without taking a step forward.

  “Yes?” he said without turning around. “You should get some rest, let me keep watch for a while.”

  “It’s fine,” he said shaking his head. “Go on back to bed.”

  My feet moved softly as I made my way closer to him. I wrapped my arms around his middle and rested my head against his back. His body was warm.

  “You need to sleep too,” I said and his body tensed. He turned to me, and I could see the fear and worry in his eyes. Shawn didn’t want to close his eyes. “You’ll be more alert and capable of dealing with anything that could happen once you've rested.”

  He stared at me as if he wanted to say something, but his mouth didn’t move. I was starting to worry about his lack of sleep.

  “You could sleep on the sofa,” I said tugging on him gently to ease him away from the window.

  Thunder rumbled in the distance, and my stomach twisted as it made a similar noise.

  Shawn moved closer to the sofa but seemed reluctant. If I let go, I was sure he’d turn and go right back to his post at the window. Once he sat down, however, it didn’t take much effort to get him to lay down.

  “Just a short rest,” Shawn said shifting his eyes toward the table. “There’s rice for you. It’s probably cold… would you like me to see if I can warm it in the fire?”

  I chuckled. “I’d like to see if you can actually close your eyes and get some sleep.”