by Greg Ramsay
Table of Contents
Title
Copyright
Dedication/Acknowledgements
Book ONE | Chapter 1 – Grim Future, The Year is 2342
Chapter 2 – Run
Chapter 3 – Still Alive
Chapter 4 – The Leader Within
Chapter 5 – World Within the Dream
Chapter 6 – Living Nightmare
Chapter 7 – The Unknown
Chapter 8 – Epicentre
Chapter 9 – Interrogation
Chapter 10 – Resurrection
Chapter 11 – Uncertain Allies
Chapter 12 – Show of Force
Chapter 13 – The Huntress and her Brethren
Chapter 14 – Convoy Through Hell
Chapter 15 – Daughter
Chapter 16 – Remnants of Destruction
Chapter 17 – Fight on, Hopeless
Chapter 18 – Swarm
Chapter 19 – Alphas
Chapter 20 – Heat of the Moment
Chapter 21 – Internal Strife Rekindling
Chapter 22 – Camp
Chapter 23 – Intensifying Doubt
Chapter 24 – Cynicism
Chapter 25 – After
Chapter 26 – Disturbing and Confusing Truths
Book TWO | Chapter 1 – Nothing Remains
Chapter 2 – Empty Soldiers
Chapter 3 – Irony
Chapter 4 – Utopia Prime
Chapter 5 – Demon
Chapter 6 – Horrors Worse than Judgement
Chapter 7 – Evolution/De-evolution
Chapter 8 – Prelude
Chapter 9 - Invasion
Chapter 10 – KamaGiri
Chapter 11 – Heroes, Villains and Monsters
Chapter 12 – Inhuman Revival
Chapter 13 – Calm Before The Storm
Chapter 14 – War Torn
Chapter 15 – Breaking Goddess
Chapter 16 – Drowned By Reign
Afterword/Author’s Note
About the Author
Title
Lia, Human of Utah
Written and published by Greg Ramsay
Copyright
Lia, Human of Utah by Greg Ramsay/Gregory Edward Ramsay Published by Gregory Edward Ramsay. 235 Bland Line, Cavan Ontario, L0A 1C0
Connect with the author on his official site, where you’ll find links to purchase this book: https://www.facebook.com/authorGR/
© 2017 Gregory Edward Ramsay
All rights reserved. This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise—without prior written permission of the publisher, except as provided by Canadian copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, at “Attention: Book Permission,” at the following address: [email protected]
Book formatting by draft2digital.com, Cover design by Greg Ramsay, Front cover by Gergo Pocsai, commissioned by Greg Ramsay. Originally edited by Karen Harper of Purple Orchid Editing, and re-edited by Greg Ramsay. All rights reserved by Gregory Edward Ramsay.
Paperback format printed in the U.S.A by Createspace.
Second Edition
Ebook ISBN: 978-1-7750833-5-1
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-7750833-6-8
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Dedication/Acknowledgements
This book is for my family. I’m very grateful to everyone who has supported me in this seven-year long endeavour.
And thanks specifically also go to my Nana, Cindy for giving me the confidence to publish this collection.
Book ONE | Chapter 1 – Grim Future, The Year is 2342
Lia woke from a deep sleep to find herself sprawled on a filthy concrete floor covered in places by indecipherable graffiti. She stood slowly, trying to get a sense of where she was. A quick scan of her surroundings revealed she was in some sort of department store. Nearest to her were dusty mannequins, most of which were broken in some way. Lia walked past the mannequins, stepping over warped and snapped plastic limbs to find herself just across from the checkout counter. As she got closer she could see all its built-in glass displays had been shattered. Turning right, away from the counter, she headed towards the entrance of the store.
Walking slowly, she heard the crunch of glass beneath her feet. She looked down at herself to find she was wearing a white t-shirt, brown khakis, and black boots. Lia felt relieved; she hadn’t even thought to look at herself because she was so wrapped up in trying to figure out where she was. She attempted to redirect her attention to the entrance when, by chance, a glint of light filtered through the dingy sunroof above, illuminating the glass around her like a broken mirror. Glancing toward her reflection in the glass out of the corner of her eye, a strand of her red hair moved to briefly reveal what looked like a small scar from a needle prick on her neck. Now concerned, Lia looked for a mirror to be sure.
She found a section of changing rooms to the left of the checkout counter down the alley and locked herself in one. Upon removing her shirt, she could clearly make out more small marks even in the dim light. Five were spread across her torso, two of which were located near her shoulders, the others were lower, centred by her stomach. She turned around to find a line of marks going down her back on either side of her spine. Lia put her shirt back on and removed her pants to find three more marks down each of her legs, spaced out so that one was on the upper part, one the lower, and finally, one just below her sock. She turned to look at the backs of her legs noticing more markings in the same positions.
What shocked Lia more than the surgical looking scars were the faint ones around her wrists, which she almost missed; they looked like they were from some type of restraints based on their rough appearance. She was convinced something along those lines had to be the cause after finding similar faint scarring near her ankles. After putting her clothes back on, Lia left the change room. As she walked, she tried to make sense of her recent discoveries; she came to the frustrating realization she couldn’t remember anything about herself beyond her first name – let alone why she had all the strange scars.
Leaving the store, Lia found herself in the large lobby of a mall. Everything around her was silent, the whole placed seemed completely deserted and in at least as much disrepair as the store she just left. The thought crossed her mind to search more of the stores, but she decided it was most likely whatever useful supplies the stores once contained, had been looted in all the chaos, so she didn’t waste the effort. Instead she made her way to the main entrance. Before she could exit the mall, Lia heard a strange whimpering coming from the washrooms to her right. Cautiously she made her way towards the sound; whatever was making the sound must’ve heard her approaching because the whimper turned into a soft cry.
“Hello... Are you alright?” Lia called out.
“I’m in here,” a strained voice called back.
Lia could tell it was a man. Relieved to hear someone else’s voice, she hurried to the men’s washrooms to help him. When she got closer, the man fell eerily silent. Against her better judgement, she chose to keep going. She pushed the door inward to discover it was stuck, but before she could ask for help, Lia could hear the man drag something out of the way, then the door slowly swung open. The first thing she saw was the dried blood on the floor, then she noticed the man sitting against a stall hunched over.
He looked young, early twenties at best, his hair disheveled; his face was covered in grime. He
was wearing black jeans, a black tee with the name of a band on it that had been torn apart; his hair was dyed black, and he had a tattoo of a skull on his right arm that formed a striking contrast to his pasty white skin. Looking closer at the man, Lia noticed he looked gaunt, but still strong, despite what he seemed to have for sustenance. Junk food wrappers littered the floor around him even though a trash can wasn’t far away; he just didn’t seem to care.
“How long have you been here?” Lia asked.
“A few days,” the man replied, taking a swig from a bottle of water that was sitting in a backpack beside him.
“Where are we?” Lia asked.
“Provenance Mall, Utah” he replied. She could see he still had some sense perhaps, but the blood worried her.
“What happened; why are you hiding here?” Lia asked, worry creeping into her voice.
“They found us... cut James really bad, I had to push him out...”
“Push him out...? Who are they?” Lia asked frustrated; he ignored her question.
“They would’ve come for me next; he tried to stop me, but he couldn’t. He was bleeding too much... and I put that in the way.” He gestured to a heavy looking chair against the wall.
“What happened to James?” Lia asked, nervousness starting to set in.
The man rose to his feet and looked straight into her eyes. “They ate him...must’ve been enough to please them.”
Lia’s eyes widened before she quickly composed herself, assuring herself he was just crazy. A strange glint came into the man’s eyes as his mouth twisted into a cold smile. By this time
Lia was slowly backing away towards the door. “I’m sorry that happened, but since you’re OK I’m going to go now,” Lia said hesitantly, turning for the door as she did.
Suddenly the man ran at her; he grabbed her wrist and jerked her back with surprising force.
“Let me go!” she yelled as she elbowed his side with her free arm as hard as she could. The man cried out in pain and frustration. Trying to run failed as he still had a hold of her.
“Why don’t you stay?” he said as he wrapped his other arm around her front like an embrace, “They’ll get us both eventually anyway ... no doubt I’ll be first...” He slowly looked her up and down, taking in every detail of her form with his dark lustful eyes, a creepy grin stretching across his features. Putrid breath crept to her nose from behind. “You’re in good shape. We can have some fun before I eat you!” he growled at her.
Lia relaxed. “Alright ... but I think you’ll enjoy this more,” she said softly, gently moving the arm he had around her to her ass. Thankfully, the man’s hormones had the better of him which was the opening Lia needed; now all she had to do was loosen his hold on her wrist and she could get away. Turning towards him slowly, she smiled at him as she put her free hand over the one holding her. Smiling at him was enough to ensure he didn’t think anything of her slowly tracing her way to his fingers; it also served to support her pushing the hand holding hers roughly towards his lower body so her hand rested near his crotch. The man’s surprise turned to excitement. “You ready?” she asked seductively.
“Yes!” he exclaimed with a small laugh.
Lia braced herself. Grabbing his pinky with her free hand, she bent it back toward his wrist as hard as she could. Shocked by the sudden jolt of pain, the man inadvertently released his grip on her. Turning away as fast as she could, Lia managed to take a few steps before the man recovered. With his good hand, he seized her shoulder; the next thing she knew his other arm had come up with a switchblade that must’ve been in his pocket in his hand. When he attempted to stab her, she leaned slightly to the side so his blade just missed her throat, then slammed her boot backward into his foot as hard as she could. Pain coursed through his leg so severe he cried out, releasing her as he fell forward. Lia swung the door open, but still persistent, he quickly grabbed her ankle so she turned and stomped down on his wrist. With a final enraged yell, he let go of her. Seizing that opportunity Lia ran out of the bathroom, a little shaken but otherwise fine. Nearing the main entrance of the mall she picked up speed, determined to put as much distance between them as possible.
Suddenly the crash of glass shattering from the mannequin store rang out. Surprised, Lia paused despite herself, but nothing could prepare her for the sound that followed; an ominously low guttural growl that echoed and clicked. Though she hadn’t forgotten her current predicament, Lia froze. She could hear scraping and shuffling as the creature drew closer. Laughter echoed from the hall as the man laboriously made his way towards her; he was limping badly, but still had his knife in hand.
“You hear that?!” he shouted crazily, his starved gaunt face ablaze with psychotic desperation. “It’s coming!” The man turned just as the creature made its way out into the lobby. Watching its approach left Lia in stunned awe. A bipedal creature well over seven feet tall and wider than a bear approached; its arms and legs were huge, the claws on its hands and feet were like blades. As it slowly drew closer to the man, he laughed crazily, only became more manic.
“Here you are... I’ve been waiting” he seethed with a menacing calm that paled in comparison to the growl that seeped from the creature’s jaws.
Its teeth looked just as deadly as its claws; its eyes were pure black like the rest of it, but somehow darker. Its entire body was covered in what looked like pitch-black scales that interlocked and overlapped like an impenetrable armour.
The man started to laugh again. “COME ON, YOU’RE NOT GONNA DRAG THIS OUT ARE YA?!” he screamed shrilly, his throat dry and hoarse. He swung his blade arm toward the creature like a challenge while never breaking eye contact. The man seemed to be preparing himself for the worst.
Before he could move, the creature was behind the him. Lia couldn’t believe her eyes; its speed was such that even if the man’s leg was fine, it wouldn’t have made a difference –– nor did his knife. The creature rammed its clawed hand into the man’s back with such force Lia thought she heard his spine crack. The man tried feebly to stab at the creature, but his arm was useless. A macabre smile cracked across his filthy face as he gazed straight into the creature’s eyes, blood dripping from his mouth. Horrified, Lia watched as the creature grabbed the man’s head with its other hand like a vice, crushed his skull, and ripped off his head with absolute ease like it was deadheading a flower. Trembling wracked her body, it was the only way she could move, her fear held her in place. Helplessly, she could only watch as tendrils like serrated black fluid vines exploded from the creature’s chest, wrapping around the man’s body as they tore him apart. In short order, the creature’s tendrils destroyed and devoured every part of the man, leaving only the blood he spilled on the ground. Finished with its morsel, the creature turned towards Lia, bearing its arms like a challenge. When she didn’t do anything, the creature roared; the sound was so deafening it alone could’ve shattered glass. Lia finally found the courage to run, and even though she understood it likely wouldn’t do her any good, she knew she had to try. She rushed out the mall’s front door headlong into a deserted street; the creature roared behind her, but she didn’t stop.
Chapter 2 – Run
Around her, dilapidated skyscrapers acted like suffocating columns that stretched as high as she could see. Running desperately, what hope Lia could’ve conjured up was soon dashed by the sound of more glass shattering above her. The creature’s roar had beckoned others like it to join in the chase; they leapt from the skyscrapers above to crash into the street behind her. Somehow unfazed by falling hundreds of metres, they took chase. Thankfully they didn’t seem to possess the impossible speed of their alpha so Lia was able to maintain her lead, at least as long as it was just them. Meanwhile, the impossible speed the creature previously exhibited remained a worrying obstacle to her hopes of escape. Luckily, she spotted a large complex ahead. She continued to run, barely managing to stay ahead of the creatures, but she could feel them closing in on her. It felt as if they were making a game o
ut of her, like they were wearing her down for amusement.
As she got closer to the building, past the abandoned security gate kiosk, she saw a large dark door in front of her. Lia ran as fast as she could toward the door. When she reached it, her heart sank. The door had no handles. For a lack of a better option, she ran like a battering ram, bringing her shoulder forward just before she slammed herself into the heavy wooden door. Surprisingly it flew open with relative and quiet ease on its large oiled hinges. Grabbing the door, she closed it behind her quickly; the creatures could be heard growling and moaning close behind her.
Running into the dark room toward what looked like the complex’s main desk, she was relieved to discover the building still had power. A system must’ve detected her movement because large industrial fluorescent lights encased by glass within recesses of the room’s high ceiling clicked on one by one, casting a white ambience throughout the space. Now able to see, Lia ran around to the back of the desk. Behind the desk a keyboard and mouse sat alone. Upon wiggling the mouse, a large screen lit up relaying all the information from security cameras on the exterior of the building. A camera feed over the entrance showed at least four of the creatures were prowling near the door.
Ignoring the screen, her attention went back to the desk where she discovered multiple switches had been built into one of the legs on the inside. After quickly browsing the few options, Lia flicked one labelled ‘Door’, then heard multiple metallic clunks as heavy locking mechanisms slid into place within recesses in the stone wall of the complex, and not a moment too soon. Whether it was the sound of the mechanisms engaging or just boredom, the creatures were no longer amused by her attempts to hide. Loud growling could be heard over the sound of their claws raking the door after they threw themselves into it; the door shook violently with every impact, yet still managed to hold somehow. Lia knew it wouldn’t be long before they broke through; all she’d accomplished was buying herself a few minutes she wasn’t about to waste.
