And Darkness Fell by David Berardelli Read Free Book Online

wanted to watch the stars one last time.
Holding in my nausea and depression, I went into the bathroom. To my relief,
the toilet was usable. I indulged myself then washed my hands and face in the
sink. I tried not to stare at my gaunt reflection in the smudged mirror, but I was
tired, and my self-control lost out over my curiosity. I ignored the despair, fear,
and self-loathing oozing from my reflection by washing my face again.
They’re all dead, the little voice inside me said. You may be a looter, but it
doesn’t matter anymore . Not to them. Not to anyone .
Why doesn’t it matter? I asked myself.
No one else is around to make things right , came the reply.
I washed my face one more time. Then, leaving my irritating philosophical
self at the sink, I went back downstairs.
Reed was lounging on the couch in front of the big bay window.
“How many?” he asked softly.
“Four.” I turned off the light upstairs and the one in the dining room. Then I
turned on the small lamp beside the living room hutch and turned off the main
overhead light. I didn’t want to advertise activity to anyone wandering about
outside.
“Kids?”
“One, probably in her late teens.”
Reed sighed. “I don’t want to be around when all this ends. I mean, I don’t
want to be the last one left. Do you?”
“What choice do we have?”
Reed pointed to the gun in my hand.
I didn’t look at it. “Only if the time comes.”
“ When it comes?”
“Let’s not talk about this, okay? Things are depressing enough.”
“I’ll take this couch, if you don’t mind. I’m already beginning to feel the last
few hours. It’s been a long, stressful day.”
“We should check the kitchen. Their food might still be fairly fresh.”
“In the morning. I’m too exhausted to eat.”
I hadn’t noticed my own fatigue until Reed mentioned it. I wanted to lie down
and sleep for hours. I knew that was impossible, but we could at least grab a few
winks and be ready to go in the morning.
“I’ll take this armchair. It faces the front doorway.”
“You think we’ll have company?”
“If we do, I’ll need a clear shot.”
“Isn’t there a deadbolt on the front door?”
“I didn’t lock the door.”
“Why not?”
“We don’t want to arouse suspicion. Anyone will know that with the dead
man outside, the door shouldn’t be dead-bolted. Even if I did lock it, what good’s
a dead-bolt with a huge pane of glass in the center of the door?”
Reed said nothing, but he didn’t look pleased.
I turned off the lamp and carefully found my way back to the chair. I sat, put
my gun in my lap, and grabbed the afghan from the back of the chair.
    A couple of hours later, the front door flew open, slamming into the wall behind
it. I forced myself to remain still. My first instinct was to pull off the afghan and
empty my gun at the entrance, but my head quickly cleared away the grogginess
of sleep and ordered me not to move.
    A flashlight beam hopped across the entryway before turning abruptly and
hitting me full in the face.
Play dead .
Without flinching, I closed my eyes. A few tense moments later, the beam left
me, sliding over the couch, then moving toward Reed and settling on his sleeping
form.
Three figures crept into the room.
The flashlight beam returned to my face. I wondered why Reed hadn’t
awakened during all this. Was he playing dead, as well? Probably not. Reed had
no military training, and wouldn’t know what to do in this situation. He’d
obviously been more exhausted than he’d let on and remained in heavy slumber.
His earlier trauma, no doubt, had done him in.
I was greatly relieved he hadn’t stirred. If he opened his eyes, he’d get us both
killed.
“Fucker’s dead.” The one with the flashlight sounded young, probably in his
late teens. He lowered the beam to the afghan in my lap. “Both of ’em.”
“I’ll check upstairs.” The second one sounded about the same age. He dashed
up the stairs, his flashlight beam guiding the