Death Springs Eternal: The Rift Book III by Robert J. Duperre, Jesse David Young Read Free Book Online

Haven , and Josh’s mood hit an all-time low.
    Sitting in the idling vehicle on the side of the road, he gazed upon a vast collection of stumbling cadavers in various states of decomposition. The creatures were packed tightly on the highway, thousands of them shoulder-to-shoulder, with barely any room to move. They acted like they didn’t realize the two cars were there — only two hundred feet away at most — instead content to stagger about aimlessly. There were too many to drive through without stalling the vehicles. Josh was reminded of the many concerts he’d attended at the Stone Church up in Newmarket , New Hampshire , and was immediately thrust back into painful memories. He saw his parents; Sophia; Mrs. Flannigan and the seventh graders; Bobby, his childhood friend; Mr. Conroy, his mentor; even Rick Colden, his old boss—all dead now and never coming back. He saw Colin, his glasses askew, his face being ripped apart by vicious teeth, and with that vision Joshua Benoit finally gave up. He slammed his fist against the steering wheel. The horn blared, startling those around him.
    “Fuck this,” he whispered, his tone flat. “Fuck Miami . Fuck everything.”
    That’s how, two weeks later, the Dover survivors ended up in Kingston , New York .
     
    *    *    *
     
    Kyra sat in front of the boarded-up picture window, gazing at the setting sun through the holes in the slats. It looked so pretty out there on the horizon, casting flares of red across the cloudy sky. It was in those brief moments of purity that the rest of the world melted away, leaving nothing but her baby and nature behind, leaving her with a future . But all it took was a single glance around the abandoned house they called home to bring all the pain, terror, and hopelessness back. The signs were everywhere—the dried bloodstains on the kitchen floor and walls, stains that wouldn’t completely disappear no matter how hard she scrubbed, the array of lumber nailed to every portal to the outside, the unsociable people that lived with them who would never truly be friends , no matter how long they traveled together, no matter how many horrible experiences they shared.
    When the sun finished its descent, Kyra lit a candle and stepped into the hallway. There were people in the kitchen chatting in hushed tones, so she tiptoed past so as to not disturb them. Next she poked her head into the family room, where she spotted Jessica Lure, lying on a blanket on the floor, aimlessly twirling Zachary’s hair. The child was sound asleep, and if not for her circling finger Kyra might’ve assumed Jessica was, too. Her eyes were opened half-mast, staring at the ceiling. The poor girl appeared as lifeless as the undead beasts they spent each day eliminating. Kyra shuddered.
    The baby inside her kicked, causing a surprised blast of air to puff from her lips. She turned quickly and walked away, even as she heard Jessica say her name in a miserable whisper. A rush of guilt threatened to crush her heart, but she continued her escape.   The girl needs you…she’s the only friend you have…and you hers , it said. To which Kyra retorted: I have my own life to worry about right now, thank you very much.
    She found the source of that worry in one of the upstairs bedrooms, sprawled out on the bed with his shotgun tucked against his side. His eyes were closed, twitching the way they always did when he slept. When Kyra stepped through the doorway, he rolled to the side and let out a disgruntled groan.
    Kyra shook her head and stared at the ceiling. How much longer can I deal with this? she wondered. It’s getting frustrating. She knew he missed Colin, and obviously felt guilty for leaving him to be slaughtered, but all she could think as she stood there with a hand on her swollen belly was get over it. Though she hadn’t glanced at a calendar in forever, her inner clock told her it was the middle of April. By now her baby would have arms, legs, a mouth, ears, and a