IMPACT (Book 1): A Post-Apocalyptic Tale by Matthew Eliot Read Free Book Online

delicately. Something dark inside of me thought – If they are to kill us, it’s best that they do it in his sleep . I quickly shoved that thought aside, and went back to eyeing those people.
    “I stared at them all night. I never slept.
    “When my son awoke with a gasp, remembering where he was, I covered his mouth with my hand. He nodded, and turned quiet. It was early in the morning.
    “The creatures were leaving. We didn’t dare look now, because they were moving about, some relieving themselves in various corners of the warehouse, and it was hard to figure out how close they were to us. All we could do was listen. I prayed they wouldn’t spot us.
    “After who knows how long, the entrance creaked open once again, and the place turned silent. We could still hear them, outside, but no one appeared to have stayed behind. I peeked, but couldn’t see anything – someone had placed a pile of their things not far from where we were, blocking out the view. Mathew gestured to me that we should wait, to make sure they’d all gone. That’s what we did.
    “Then, we decided it was time to try and make a run for it. We quickly gathered our things, trying to be as silent as humanly possible, and crept out of our corner.
    “The woman was there, staring straight at us.
    “Behind her, we noticed the body – whether dead or not I could not tell – of the sick man. And, just at that moment, one of the others called in, from outside – ‘You stayin’ in, luv?’ someone asked her. She opened her mouth, turning slightly towards the entrance, but without taking her eyes off us. I could see them, her swollen eyeballs shifting from Mathew to me, and back. We froze.
    “‘Carol? Hello? You stayin’ ‘ere then?’ called the voice, except now it was closer. Whoever was calling had now poked his head inside the warehouse. It was just by sheer luck that the shelves made it impossible for him to see us, and us him. All it would take was a slight step forward. Or, of course, for the woman to reveal our presence.
    “Before she spoke, I noticed her gaze had stopped on Mathew. She kept it there for a lifetime.
    “Then, amazingly, she said: ‘Yes… yes, I’m staying ‘ere with Mark. See you later.’
    “And we stood there – my son, me, the woman. A few feet away, the sick man. Outside, the sound of the ‘wraiths faded out as they left.
    “Without any sort of expression I could recognise, she raised her chin towards the back entrance. Go . It was a quick, cold movement, but one I will forever be grateful for.
    “‘Thank you’, I said to her. Or at least I think I did. We scuttled out, carrying our things along with us.
    “Before we left, we turned around, and saw the woman had sat down next to the young man. She was running her fingers through his hair, quite like I’d done with my own son, the night before.
    “Outside, it had stopped raining.”

Chapter 9
Back to the Council Meeting
    Edward Moore took a sip from his cup of tea. Telling the story had been more taxing than he’d expected.
    A strange atmosphere had descended upon them. It was dark outside and the storm had stopped, giving way to an eerie silence.
    There’s something interesting about this man , thought Paul, but he also has a slightly unsettling air about him . He casually turned towards Catherine, and noticed her eyes were fixed on Moore. Her expression suggested more than mere interest in his story. To his surprise, he felt a slight sting of jealousy somewhere in his chest. Of course, his admiration for this woman was nothing other than platonic. And yet…
    He then noticed that Sean too was observing Catherine. The young man’s eyes darted from her to Moore and back. His lips were twisted and compressed, as if he’d just taken a big bite out of a lemon.
    “You’re suggesting we send a party over to Ashford, and collect the meds?” asked Bill, breaking the silence.
    Moore nodded confidently, “Yes.”
    Ms. Brand was concerned. “Sounds