The Husk smashed its head on the glass and it cracked some. Blood poured from the Husk’s head to smear across the glass. Pooch barked and whimpered in Abby’s lap. Abby held onto the door handle.
“No,” She cried as Ava drove away from the smoke and ash. Abby shivered and coughed as she touched the glass and stared at
“There is nothing you can do. They’re gone,” Ava said
-Chapter twenty
Ava had made it just in time to see the school her children
few Army trucks left but all were abandoned. The team had left long ago and she did not try to contact them. She would have a word with John Wilken when she got to Haven.
Ava held a tight grip on her steering wheel as she drove through the burning streets. Some buildings were just smoking while others were in full blaze. A few buildings had been spared
and buildings. Those of Army men and many civilians. Clearly this Liquidation had gone wrong. And it should have never happened.
They had agreed that if any town with a member of the Leaders family needed to be liquidated they would get the family
the burning houses and shops she told herself it was okay. Her
tears that wanted to come and the vomit that wanted to join them.
A burning man entered the street and Ava swerved to miss him. The car she stole at the small airport twenty miles remained calm. Looking up she watched the man as he waved his arms screaming as he burned naked.
Ava exited the car with a grunt ignoring the pain in her
was turning dark and the smoke was starting to block the little
screams behind her but did not look. Nothing else mattered but her family. Ava ran faster than she had ever before.
ablaze she still hoped. The gate was already open and it made her feel positive. A few of the houses somehow had been spared. Though it was clear they had been rummaged through. Many cars were missing from their normal parking spots. This made her feel good.
house. Two bodies lay in the yard burned. An Undead stumbled through the yard confused. It saw Ava and she pulled her pistol from her holster. One shot and it was down. She turned slowly towards her large three story house and feared what she would
Yet it was somewhat burnt. The yard was black and the grass crunched under her feet as she wobbled towards the door. Her vision blurred with tears as her stomach twisted. Her
windows were busted out and the front door was wide open. Ava stopped to listen to birds singing in the distance. She stared down at one of her boy’s bicycles. One of the tires was gone.
Ava walked closer to the door as her phone buzzed in her pocket. She paused as she smelled ash and rot. She winced and smiled sharply as she held tears back. Not wanting to step through the door she did anyway. The stairway in front of her
Looking over into the open large foyer the bodies of her family lay. It was the only spot burned. How did they not know? There was no way they did not know this was her house. Her boys Josh and Patrick held their father tightly. Their bodies entwined with fear. Ava felt every want and will to breathe leave her. She fell to her knees with her mouth wide open.
She could not breathe or think or move. Her face turned white as a tear rolled down her cheek. Her oval almond eyes
she dropped her pistol. She screamed and collapsed onto the
began to cough violently choking on her own breath.
She crawled forward not able to stand any longer. Her body shook and her vision blurred. Head pounded and her ears rang. She thought she would faint. She threw up as she reached
she screamed and cursed.
Pulling herself forward she made her way towards their heads. She cried out as she touched her youngest son’s head. She shook and her hands hovered over their bodies. She could not even make out their faces anymore. She could not see and rubbed tears from her eyes. Touching her husband’s face his skin peeled
touch her other son’s face.
Screaming she closed her eyes tightly as she held them in her arms. They were still warm. She began to choke on her own sobs and starting to feel puke rise. She sat up and puked behind their heads. It made her feel even worse. She held them again as she screamed and cursed and sobbed.
This was not how it was supposed to be. How could this be possible? This was not what they agreed on. She wanted to know what happened. She needed to know. But all she wanted to do was to hold them until she felt nothing and become nothing. Ava cried until there were no more tears left.
She laid there with them staring at a family picture across the room. Four happy faces in bathing suits laughing. Ava remembered that vacation to Hawaii. She remembered how warm the water was just like how warm their bodies were now.
would never forget the way their dead skin stuck to hers now.
and cramped from the positon she lay in. Ava caressed her son’s face as she hummed to herself. She decided she would stay there. She would die there. And join them wherever they had gone. No thirst or hunger would move her.
After an hour as the sun started to set she heard the sound of wings behind her. A shadow on the wall caught her eye and she stared. The bird looked huge on the wall behind her. It had something in its mouth. Something inside her made her want to look at it. She remembered how Patrick wanted a pet bird last year. They had bought him one and he loved it. Yet it had died months ago from running into a wall.
Ava had promised to buy him another but had not gotten around to doing it. Guilt stung her heart as she moved to look at the bird now. Her bones cracked and ached. Burnt skin stuck to her face. She rubbed her cheek and stared at the bird in the
It chirped and hopped around in the doorway as the sun around it slowly disappeared.
Ava watched it as it stopped and looked at her. It cocked
her mind as she stared at it.
“Will you watch them burn for your children?” Ava had. And it had destroyed her on the inside. Every time she saw their little faces a part of her died. She was nothing but an empty vessel now. A shell of what she had been. All that
there were so many more out there.
She turned back to her family and took her husband’s
looked at their faces. She had nothing left. Yet there were people out there who wanted something. A chance. Ava parted her lips and put a hand over her youngest son’s head and smiled sadly.
down her pale cheeks.
have to go now.”
She trembled as she closed her eyes. She wanted nothing more than to stay and hold them until she was no more.
better place. Give her sons a better future. A chance at one. She stared at her family photos and clinched her jaw.
needed to help those who needed her more. She did not know what drove her to stand. What helped her walk away from them.
ached and she felt the world stop. She felt nothing but emptiness.
rose through the ashes of her burnt heart.
She could hear her son’s laughter in her ears and could feel her husband’s kiss on her cheek.
“You’re going to help them?” She could hear her oldest son ask.
chance.”
It had been before she had gone to Africa. Before she agreed to let millions die to save Earth and its children. Her children. All she ever wanted to do was protect and help those in need. Her sons always praised her for it and it kept her going. And it would now.
She did not know she had the strength in her. When she
did not look back. Outside she stood on the steps and stared at
life she once had. Knowing she would never have it back.
She walked towards Rodgers and Matthews as they stood by a Humvee with some Marines. Rodgers was in full armor. She stopped by them and no one said a word.
“We need supplies.” Ava said her voice cracking. Rodgers
“Haven has enough for us and more. We need to get there
Rodgers smirked and gave Ava a very strong look.
“Yes. We must. It’s over Ava. We have to go now.”
walked towards the Humvee. Ava breathed as she tried to not
lose her balance. She felt as if she was going to burst into millions
of pieces right there. She looked back at Rodgers and Matthews
-Chapter twenty-one
It felt like hours had passed as the moon stood still in the gloomy sky. Abby was still shivering even though Ava had the heater on full blast. She was not cold though. She felt almost nothing. She was shocked at how emotionless she felt. She had cried for almost as long as they had been driving. At least up until an hour ago. She was thirsty and hungry and needed to pee.
Ava refused to stop until they drove up the mountains and
the aches in her bite wounds. It was a strange sensation. She was aching and she could feel her wounds were swollen yet none of it bothered her. She wanted to cry more and scream. She wanted to hurt Ava for leaving Evan and Jessie behind.
Abby could not face the thought that they might be dead.
she breathed deeply. Abby eyed Pooch and softly moved her hand on her little head. Pooch sighed heavily. Abby slid her eyes
and her round face was expressionless.
“I know who you are,” Abby started dryly.
Ava barely glanced over at her before she stared at the
snowy road.
“That so?” Ava said uninterested.
“You’re Ava Bennington. One of the Heads of the
“You were a part of it.”
Ava looked over at her with sad eyes before glancing away shrugging as she said, “So I was.”
“What happened? Did we create this?” Abby asked glaring. “Yes. To stop overpopulation and illness. Almost every world
leading country came together and agreed that if we did not do something now we would be doomed.” Ava said quickly with a hard tone, “We needed more greenhouses and farms for fresh
“‘meat and greens. We also needed to rid the world of those who did not contribute in any way.”
Seems a bit harsh.” Abby said sluggishly. As the memories
tighten. He had hoped they had not done this, “I had heard on the news once of a virus in Africa and something about China. But, I mainly heard about new greenhouses and higher animal production. To be honest I hardly listened to the news.”
“We know. We gave the people enough to make them interested but not really care,” Ava replied, “They were too focused on things that did not matter as usual. Who that person loved, what that person wore, what that person believed in. Brought up a lot of so called racial acts. They fed on that like we hoped. You blind them with things that mean nothing so they will not see what is truly happening. A few aren’t as easily fooled as the rest of the sheep. Yet there were never enough of them. So the people went on letting the media blind them and turn everyone against everyone over petty things.”
“It was sad what humans had become. They were so bored…
boredom they had inside. All they had to do was stop and not listen to the media and they would have seen the truth. But, none of them wanted to. No one wants to admit they let themselves
die, we burn small towns to build greenhouses. No one bats an eye.”
Ava looked over at Abby with sad cold eyes, “Yet the moment
this to that race. They start an uproar.” She laughed, “Sickening. We could make them believe what we wanted with the media. They always fell straight into that trap like the mice they were. We could’ve poisoned every one of them. They would’ve never noticed.”
“You did,” Abby told her with a blank expression, “Just in
Ava became very quiet before she said, “All those ashes…”
It seemed that Ava was remembering something then suddenly her body loosened.
“We did that and they hardly questioned it.” Ava laughed sadly and shook her head, “I did what I had to do. Maybe it was wrong. But I tried.”
“Is it ever right to do the wrong thing? Is it ever wrong to do the right thing?” Abby said remembering a quote she had once saved on her phone, “Sometimes we do things we don’t want to because it’s the right thing to do.”
Ava glanced over at her and shrugged.
After moments of silence Ava asked Abby, “How do you know me?”
Abby sneered and sighed heavily.
with something a few towns away. He did not work long on it. I didn’t know at the time but it was a Liquidation. He was mad one night and cursed about someone with your name.” Abby felt annoyed talking about him, her teeth clenched, as her skin
refused to tell me and then I asked if it was about his coworker.” Ava narrowed her eyes then smirked, “Aaron White?” Abby gaped at her then frowned and nodded. She looked
away embarrassed. Still hating herself for ever being with him.
The shame of trying so hard for someone who cared so little. It still made her feel stupid. She knew she should not yet she did when she thought of it. Yet luckily now she hardly ever did.
“Ah yes that little prick.” Ava smiled, “He hardly did his work. He was too busy trying to stay close to that uh what was her name? I don’t remember. But, she was a bitch. I told him what I thought of them and kicked them both out.” Ava laughed.
Abby looked at her hands and at the dry blood on them. She remembered who the woman was and smiled as she nodded her head. Abby had no want to even think of either of them yet she wondered if they were alive then shook the thought.
“I knew every one of them on sight. I did a background check on them all. She went around crying wolf all the time. Her husband was beating on her, ignoring her, her kids needed
her trap and bed.” Ava rolled her eyes then looked over at Abby and grimaced, “Sorry. I didn’t mean to be so blunt.”
“It doesn’t matter to me anymore. The truth is what it is.” Abby replied looking out the window, “I knew what he was from the start. I just allowed myself to stay in denial for too long.”
“It happens to the best of us Abby.”
Abby rubbed Pooch’s rough fur and sighed.
“What happened to him?” Ava said then added, “If you
don’t mind me asking.”
“He is gone,” Abby answered bluntly, “I don’t know where
he went when he left. And frankly I don’t care.”
Ava glanced at her and Abby stared at her expressionless.
She felt nothing for him. When thoughts led to that part of her
life she only felt sad and angry for letting it last so long. He was
nothing but an abusive controlling fool. A smile appeared across
Abby’s thin face at the thought of never having to deal with that
chaos again.
“I’m sorry.” Ava said with kindness, “Not about your ex
but about Evan and Jessie.”
Abby stared at her with her mouth parted. The ache in her heart burned once again. Yet no tears came. She was too tired for them. She sank into her seat and nodded as she stared out of the window to watch the snow fall. Hours later after sleeping Abby woke to the sun rising in her eyes. Soon they were joined by two
armored trucks with Marines in the back.
The woods opened for a moment and Abby saw large
watch towers with tall fences around them. Guards sat at the top.
The road was clear and soon they came to more woods. Abby saw
larger towers in the distance. She leaned forward and stared at
them. They seemed to be made of stone. She saw tiny dots inside
of them. Abby’s body ached as she narrowed her eyes. The road turned into dirt and then gravel as they exited the
forest. The walls were taller than the trees behind her. Climbing
them would be impossible. The tops of them were spiked and
Guards walked the walls. The doors were made of metal and
guarded too. There were three large buildings outside the walls
where
cars sat.
Ava drove to these and Abby watched people walk towards
them. Abby felt her heart pounding. She wanted to feel more
excited but as she petted Pooch her heart ached. She wished Evan
and Jessie were here. She wanted to see their faces light up with
happiness. She was tired and just wanted to sleep. Pain swirled
inside her again.
Ava waved at a man outside the truck and the metal
doors began to open. They drove in through the metal doors and
something sweet, and clean fresh air. It was just like Summer Haven yet bigger. They drove a mile before reaching what seemed to be farms that stretched out for miles. Of course they were covered in snow yet they made Abby feel a little better.
Woods covered most of the inside. They passed many trees before they came to a small town. It was more modern than she had thought it would be. The buildings were large and people were slowly making their way about on horses and in small carts. The dirt road turned into a paved one. They came into a circular shopping center that almost matched the one in Summer Haven except it was ten times bigger.
Abby stared in the distance and saw large homes and small trailer parks. She saw more small towns and heard chickens
gravel one and towards tall round buildings. They sat in a square. Abby could tell they were for their military. Looking down at Pooch she frowned.
She should feel happier. Though the thoughts of what happened in Summer Haven lingered. Looking up she stared at faces as they slowly woke for the morning. It could easily happen here. Sighing she tried not to think of Evan and Jessie but it was hard. Knowing she left them made her want to cry again.
They pulled into a large parking lot that had many military vehicles. Marines walked around without masks. They did not pay any mind to them. Ava stopped the truck and looked down at her hands. They were covered in dry blood.
“They’ll take you into the med ward. You will be cleaned and treated. They will take blood for tests. You will be treated well. But, don’t be surprised if it seems they treat you as if you are some prize. Infected people are sometimes treated as if they are super heroes. Not many people besides the med teams know that you can heal yourself. If they are unruly please let me know. I will be across the street in that building,” Ava pointed at a gray building, “They will give you anything you need. Plus, they have a vet inside for your dog. You’re safe now Abby.”
The Amour series (Book 2): The Ashes of Amour Page 18
