Forest of the Forbidden

by W. J. May

  I shook my head violently. He would never forgive himself, just like I wouldn’t.

  “I’ve had to make hard decisions myself,” Nick continued, unfazed. “For goodness sake, I even walked in on my zombie girlfriend devouring a couple of my best friends. Shooting her was the hardest thing I’d ever had to do...but it had to be done, so I pulled the trigger.”

  I shot him a hard look. “Who are you? You’re so cold, so heartless—not the big brother I grew up with. Protecting the city and killing zombies has made you a merciless killer.”

  “We have to face the reality of the situation. I know what she’ll become. Except for the first night it happened, you’ve never seen it outside of television reports, but I have.”

  “You’ve changed, Nick. When you suited up for the Army, you became...different. You talk about her becoming a monster, but maybe you should take a good look at yourself.”

  He cocked a brow. “You’re calling me a monster? Really?”

  I nodded. Even though I could see the way he clenched his fists, I kept going. “Just look at you. You’re somebody else. I don’t even recognize you anymore.”

  His eyes narrowed into slits, as if he might argue for a moment, and then they softened with the pain of the truth. “Well, yeah. I guess being out here all the time...well, it changes you.”

  I didn’t want to talk about it anymore. I just wanted to get Val and get out of there before the army of the undead showed up. “Val’s coming with us, and that’s final.”

  “Dean, come on. Don’t you get it? Once she dies...” He threw his hands up in the air to make his point. “Look, I’ve seen it myself. When they come back—when she comes back—they aren’t people anymore. Give me the gun, and I’ll do it myself.”

  “Don’t you dare!” I shouted. I wanted to pound the idiot so hard. “Listen—”

  Grabbing the gun out of my hands, he cocked it and pointed down at Val’s head. “We’re doing her a favor. Besides, she’ll try to eat us the second we fall asleep. Is that what you want, little brother? I mean, I’m sure you would love her to nibble on your ear and all, but not literally.”

  Ignoring his attempt at sick humor, I jumped into the path of the gun.

  “You’re pathetic,” he shouted. “Just move out of the way.”

  I flung up my arms like a madman. “No! Put down the gun! You can’t kill her.”

  Nick shook his head. “You’re emotional, not thinking straight. She’s as good as dead anyway.”

  I hadn’t gone through all of that just to watch my brother murder the girl before my very own eyes. I lunged at him, but Nick twisted and dodged me; his military training had paid off. I lunged again and shoved him hard, and he threw me full force on to the ground. Crap!

  Cool, calm, and collected, my brother aimed the gun at Val’s head. Obviously, it wasn’t his first time, and I was sure it wouldn’t be his last.

  “You can’t do it,” I shouted. “She’s...”

  “What, Dean? Why is this girl so important to you?”

  I couldn’t believe he was being so cruel, so nasty. “She’s...we can’t kill her because Val is our sister!” And just like that, I’d played my trump card. Even worse, I’d broken my promise to Mom not to say one word to my brother.

  He lowered the gun as confusion washed over him. “What? Our sister? Either you’re lying or you hit your head harder than I thought when we crashed.”

  “It’s the truth, I swear.” I sat up carefully, but I didn’t inch any closer. I didn’t want him to flip out and shoot her just because he felt threatened or even more pissed. “You pull that trigger, and you’ll be murdering our flesh and blood, our very own sister.”

  The gun trembled in his hands. “I...I don’t believe you.”

  “I know it’s a lot to swallow. I just found out this morning. Mom and Dad have been keeping the entire thing a secret. You just can’t—not now that we know who she is.”

  Nick met my gaze. “How do you know this is true? You got any proof?”

  “For starters, look at her. Who else do you know with blue eyes and brown hair in those exact shades?”

  He shifted his stance. “There are a lot of blue-eyed brunettes in the world. That doesn’t mean we’re all related.”

  “You know what I’m talking about. Look at her! She looks just like us!” I shouted. “Just look! She has Mom’s nose and Dad’s chin. Take a real good look. Deep down, you can’t deny it. Just open your eyes for once and ignore the rules and protocols. Some things aren’t so black and white, and you can’t just kill your sister because it’s in the rule book.”

  He stared down hard at her, as if taking in every feature. “You’re...you’re right. She’s the spitting image of us. If it’s true, why didn’t Mom and Dad tell us? Why did they keep her a secret?”

  I let out a long sigh. “They gave her away when they were teenagers. She’s two years older than you.”

  “Two years, huh? That makes her twenty-four.” He pushed the gun into his waistband and then ran a hand through his hair as emotion overwhelmed him. “You shoulda told me right off the bat.”

  “Like I said, I just found out. Besides, I promised Mom I wouldn’t say anything. She wanted to tell you in her own way...later today.”

  “So how did you find out?”

  “I overheard Val talking to Mom. I couldn’t believe it.” I pulled out a vial from my black satchel; it contained the precious green serum.

  “You stole for her too?”

  “She’s not just any girl. She’s our sister. Should we give her some and see if it works? Doc seems to think it will do the trick.”

  “It could kill her, like the last guy,” he snapped. “I don’t know what to say, what to do. I do know we’ll never make it to a city before she turns into a full-fledged monster. Wouldn’t that look great on the front of the family Christmas card? Yeah, she’ll make a lovely addition to the family reunion next year.”

  “We have to do something. Like you said, we can’t just leave her to her fate.”

  He crossed his arms. “You hold the possible formula in your hands, right?”

  “Right.”

  “So why haven’t you put it to good use already?”

  “Well, Doc says it won’t work during the transformation. We can’t give it to her until she actually becomes a zombie. That’s how the formula works. The problem was, General Lofters planned to execute her right away, as soon as he found out she’d been bitten. And you know darn well there’re no exceptions.”

  “So what do you propose? We wait, invite her to lunch, and then hand her a cup of tea? She’ll rip our heads off as soon as she turns. I’ve seen how these things work...and eat. They’re almost unstoppable.”

  “She couldn’t wait to meet you,” I said. “You’re her little brother.”

  “Yeah, right. You mean she couldn’t wait to eat me.” He shook his head. “Play the guilt card, why don’t you?” Then he swiftly picked up Val and cradled her close. “It’s not safe out here.”

  “You think I don’t know that?”

  “Well, what are you waiting for? I’ve got sister dearest, so let’s go.”

  I nodded and swung the black bag of vials over my shoulder. “You’re going to love her when you meet her.”

  “Maybe, as long as she doesn’t get hungry.”

  The Zombie Chronicles is a FREE

  * * *

  BOOK 5

  Element

  Part i

  By

  CM Doporto

  Text copyright © 2012 CM Doporto

  All Rights Reserved

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content. Any trademarks mentioned herei
n are not authorized by the trademark owners and do not in any way mean the work is sponsored by or associated with the trademark owners. Any trademarks used are specifically in a descriptive capacity.

  Published by: CM Doporto

  Cover art by: Amygdala Design

  Edited by: Melinda Fulton

  Copyright 2012 by CM Doporto

  No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.

  For my husband,

  thank you for sharing your dream with me and helping me make my dream come true.

  You are the love of my life.

  Acknowledgements

  First, I would like to thank our Heavenly Father for giving me the opportunity to do what I love, write. You have proven to me over and over that everything is possible through you.

  There are so many people that have helped me along this journey and I would be remiss in not mentioning them. My dear friend, Amy, thank you for reading the very first few chapters and encouraging me to continue. Looking back at that first draft, I don’t know what you liked, but I’m happy I took your advice. To my sister, Melissa, thank you so much for reading the first draft, all 140,000 words, and offering your recommendations. I think you should put that talent to good use. Melinda Fulton, my editor, for all your coaching and advice. I appreciate you holding my basket and reassuring me that I was on the right track!

  To my author friends, CL Pardington and Chrissy Peebles, I appreciate your guidance on self-publishing. I’m glad I decided to be an Indie author! To all my beta readers, Amber, Amy, Jaime, Jennifer, Johnny, Missy, Sam, and especially my husband, Louis, thank you for taking the time to read through the story and provide me valuable feedback. Jenny, Susa, and Kim, my critique partners, I appreciate the advice and honest opinions. Everyone’s feedback and recommendations have helped make Element, a stronger story.

  I have to give a big shout out to my street team, CM’s Heroes and Heroines. You guys rock and I’m indebted to you! Lastly, I would like to thank all the bloggers and book reviewers for taking the time to read my story and provide an honest review. You all help get the word out about great books and play a huge role with influencing readers to buy them. If I missed anyone at all, I’m sorry, but know that I appreciate your help.

  Table of Contents

  New Beginnings

  Undeniable Feelings

  A Leap of Faith

  Feelings unleashed

  Unexplainable Changes

  there’s no denying

  The Transformation

  Inevitable

  * * *

  Chapter 1: New Beginnings

  “Ladies and gentlemen we are approaching a storm and it’s going to be a little rough until we clear it.” The captain announced. “Please stay seated and turn off all electrical devices immediately. Thank you.”

  Natalie looked out the small oval window. Raindrops smeared across it, dancing their way to the side. Lightening flashed and she shuddered. She hated flying when there was a storm. For a moment, she wished she would have taken the later flight, but she wanted to get back early since classes resumed tomorrow. She reminded herself that she had a great Spring Break in Chicago with her family and ending it with her cousin’s fairytale wedding made it all worth it.

  A sudden jolt called her attention back to the situation at hand. The plane shook and rattled as it flew on the edge of thick, dark clouds. Within seconds, darkness consumed the plane and the day turned into night. Out in the blackness of the sky she saw powerful flashes of light stretching out like tentacles waiting for the plane to enter. She pulled the blanket closer to her, clutching it up against her chest, somehow hoping it would calm the drumming of her heart.

  “What the —” she blurted out when the plane hit another patch of rough turbulence. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

  A horrible rumble echoed through the plane as it wavered from side to side. Gasps and sighs along with people begging and pleading to God were heard throughout the plane. She swallowed hard, feeling the vitamins she took ten minutes ago ease their way up. Without warning, the plane dropped several feet. Her heart hit the bottom of her stomach. An alarm sounded and emergency instructions echoed through the overhead speakers. Gasping for air, she grabbed the arm rests and her body stiffened. Her eyes stayed fixed on the flashing red and white lights above her head. Please God, don’t let me die! Please.

  “Natalie... Natalie, wake up. You’re having another nightmare.” Her college roommate, Lise, shook her several times before she finally awoke.

  “What?” She sprung up in her bed. Sweat trickled down the sides of her forehead and she breathed heavily.

  “You’re okay. It was just a nightmare.” Lise turned on a bedside lamp and then sat down next to her.

  It took her a few seconds to realize that she had been dreaming. She wiped the sweat away and the pounding of her heart turned into a slow thud. She flopped back onto the bed and took a few deep breaths. “I don’t know why I keep having these darn nightmares.”

  “I do.” Lise replied.

  Natalie looked at her. “You do?”

  “Uh, yeah... because you said you nearly died on that plane. You’re probably experiencing post stress or something like that.”

  Natalie swallowed hard. She couldn’t be experiencing post-traumatic stress because only soldiers suffer from things like that, right? “No, I don’t think so. I mean, it was horrible and scary but...”

  “Do you want to talk about it?” Lise’s green eyes softened.

  “What is there to talk about?” Natalie sat up. She hadn’t told anyone the full details about what she experienced on the plane, including her parents. She wasn’t about to tell Lise either.

  “Sometimes it’s good to talk about horrible events. It can help you get over them.” Lise played with the edge of her t-shirt, rolling it up.

  “Thanks, but I’ll be fine.” She glanced over at the clock on the window ledge. “I guess we should start getting dressed.”

  Lise turned and looked at the clock. “Crap, I don’t want to be late.”

  Natalie threw back the covers. “Neither do I. First impressions are everything.”

  ***

  Lise kicked Natalie’s foot under the table. “That guy keeps looking over here. He is way too cute.”

  Natalie adjusted her glasses and did a quick glance over to where the guy sat. “I think I know him.”

  She leaned in closer to Natalie. “You do? From where?”

  “I went to high school with him.” Natalie shot another quick glance to make sure.

  “You did. How lucky can you be? Did you ever go out with him?” Lise whispered.

  Natalie put her hand in front of her mouth, to muffle her words. “No. He had a girlfriend. I don't even think he knows who I am.”

  “Well, the guy sitting next to him is cute too.” Lise played with her hair, twirling it around her finger while glancing up occasionally at them.

  She nudged Lise’s arm. “Quit staring. They know we're talking about them.”

  Lise huffed and rolled her eyes, eventually turning her attention back to the front of the room. Ms. Thompson, the human resource representative for Kronberg Laboratories, spoke in a low monotone voice. After two hours of literally reading Power Point slides, she had half the room yawning, including Natalie.

  The door opened and a middle aged man with salt and pepper hair sauntered into the conference room. Everyone sat up straight. It was as though he demanded everyone’s undivided attention without speaking a word.

  “Mr. Hayle. I, uhhh, didn’t realize you were stopping by.” Ms. Thompson quickly perked up when she saw the sleek suited man. “Everyone, this is Mr. Russ Hayle, CEO & President of Hayle Industries and Kronberg Laboratories.”

  The room erupted into a welcoming cheer. Natalie clapped her hands and stood up, li
ke everyone else but something about him rubbed her the wrong way. Maybe it was the way he flaunted his arrogance like a proud king over his country. Prior to applying for the internship, she had done her research on this business tycoon. Although he impressed her with the empire he had built, Dr. Albin Kronberg, the scientist behind the natural supplement line, had her full attention. She couldn’t wait to meet him. Especially since she had been testing out some of his products and would be interning in his lab.

  “Thank you. Thank you.” He held up one hand in the air, in a dictatorial manner. The clapping came to an abrupt stop. “I know everyone is getting great information from Ms. Thompson but I wanted to take the time and welcome each of you. This is the largest summer internship group we have hired since opening our doors.” He surveyed the room, meeting the eyes of several students. “We are expecting wonderful results from each of you in this program. While this is only a summer program, many of you will be offered an opportunity to continue working here while you pursue your college education. The rest of you may not. It all depends on your performance and I expect the best from each and every person whether you are an intern or an executive.”

  Mr. Hayle continued with his elaborate and somewhat parental speech. She listened carefully, like a good student should. Even though he was an excellent speaker, he lacked in his ability to be personable and it made her feel distant rather than welcomed. Regardless, this internship was an opportunity of a lifetime. She would learn everything she could while working there.

  “As a way to welcome each of you, I am inviting you to the VIP grand opening of The Regal on Sixth Street tonight.” He pulled out a stack of cards and handed them to Ms. Thompson. “I hope to see everyone there. Good luck to each of you.” He gave a quick wave and walked out the door.