Page 56 of When Monsters Rise
Ismooth her hair back, lightly skimming her temple and forehead, looking for a wound.
“Ouch.”Shepulls away.
There’sa cut on her forehead, but it’s beginning to clot.
“Didyou kill it?”Bastianasks.
“No, it vanished,”Sarqsays.
“Whatdo you mean?”
“Imean just that.Itvanished into thin air.”
“Howis that possible?”Rueasks.
“Idon’t know.ButPenemuemight, if he was here.”
“Canwe fix the bus?” someone asks. “Ifwe can get it back on its wheels?”
“Thefuel tank is damaged,”Bastiansays. “Istarted to feel dizzy from the fumes beforeImade it out.Kerosenemight not explode but with a leaking tank, the bus is a lost cause.”
Someonebegins to cry, and another human hushes them.
“Howfar out are we?”Beeasks. “Howlong will it take on foot?”
Bastianpulls the map from his back pocket and hands it toZaq, who takes a moment to study it.
“Withthe bus we would have made it to the first safe zone an hour before sunset, but now…”
“We’llbe traveling on foot at night,”Ruefinishes for him. “Inwhich case we need to get moving.”
“Allthe supplies…”Mirasniffs. “Zaq…everything is gone.”
Heputs his arm around her. “Wehave supplies at the safe zones, and we can get more.”Hekisses her temple. “It’llbe all right.”
Shewipes at her eyes and nods. “Yes.Safezone.Everyonepull yourselves together.We’vegot a trek to make, and we’re going to do it in double time.Okay?”
Shereceives a chorus of okays.
Imay be the official leader of this group, butMirais the glue that keeps the humans bound together.Ican’t do this without her.
Shelooks over at me and gives me a nod.
Iclear my throat. “Allright, we move out.Sameformation as before, stick to your watchers, stay close and—”
Acrack splits the air, and a chorus of roars follow.
Fourlarge shapes surround the toppled bus.
Fourof the armored monsters.
Thepink goop on the bus glows brightly.It’sa marker.Abeacon.Thething vanished to fetch more of its kind, and now they’re here, circling the vehicle.
Theyhaven’t seen us yet.Wecan slip into the woods behind us, into the shadows and—
Oneof the monsters rams the bus.
Thehumans by the side of the road scream, and the monsters freeze.
