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She needed all of that to live. Without a focus, a reason to get up every morning, she d
wither and die. And Tor had brought all of that into her life.
The dead ground cracked underneath her feet. The simple dress she d put on while
in her tent clung to her, rubbing against her legs right above her knees where the
material ended. Sleeveless and simple in design, the material that rubbed against her
shoulders made her itch. Not too long ago, she would have stripped from the dress and
swam through the water naked. It was better than paradise to experience the water
against her bare flesh, feel it rush past her as she kicked into the pond s depths. The
sensation almost matched the pleasure of Tor s hands stroking her flesh.
Tingles rushed over her in spite of the heat. Quickening her pace, she hurried
through the black night, anxious to reach the pond.
A sound grabbed her attention, the soft patting against the ground, the sound of
someone running. Or in this case, something animals, the wild dogs, and lots of them.
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Dead World
Their paws hit the ground, a repetitive beat alerting her long before she saw the
shadows of the creatures through the night.
The tingles that had prickled over her skin changed to chills. Her heart stopped
painfully in her chest. They were gaining on her. Whether she walked or ran, they
would show no mercy. The winds from the storm had stirred up the smells of the night,
and they were hungry, on the prowl, and she was as good a catch as any.
Suddenly her heart raced too fast. The silhouettes of the dogs, running in a pack,
were visible through the darkness. Across the dead lands, pounding the earth as they
raced toward her, the sight of them made her want to freeze in fear.
That would cost her life!
Outrunning them would be impossible too. They ran faster than she did.
She was too far from the village. But was she close enough to the pond?
There were no other options.
 God. Oh God. She broke into a sprint.
Sweat rolled down her forehead, her hair sticking to her face as she ran as fast as
she could. Their barking filled the night. Growling, yelping, as if they laughed at her,
mocked her efforts at escape.
 Please, she cried out, seeing the pond ahead of her.
The dogs were close enough now she could hear them panting. Their paws
pounded the ground, a repetitive vibration that beat through her. Her heart raced in an
uneven pattern, her breathing so loud it was deafening.
 No! she screamed when she saw the first beast leap through the air, diving
toward her, ready to take her down and then fight the others for the right to tear at her
alone.
The water was so close. She leapt toward it, landing on her hands and knees while
she got splashed in the face. Crawling forward, skinning her knees, she screamed again
when the dogs lunged into the water behind her.
 Help me! No! Her screams were futile, no one hearing her but the dogs.
They barked and splashed, eager to capture her, make her their dinner.
Lunging forward, she dove underwater, kicking furiously. A pain so sharp it froze
her ability to move, surged through her with lightning speed. She tried to kick, a weight
hampering her movements. Twisting in the water, she stared into pale eyes that reeked
of hatred and determination. The dog s mouth clamped down on her leg, tearing into
her flesh.
 No! She screamed underwater, causing bubbles to blind her vision and choking
on the water that hurried to fill her lungs.
Kicking furiously with her unhindered leg, she felt her foot hit the hard skull of the
dog. Pain tore at her, the water around her turning red. She kicked and kicked, losing
her sense of direction, flailing her arms around her with a fury that matched the dog s
attack.
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Lorie O Clare
Blinded and not sure where she was in the pond, the weight lifted from her leg.
She d freed herself from the dog, but couldn t tell if the surface of the pond was above
or below her. Pain surged through her with more fierceness than anything she d ever
experienced before.
And her gills wouldn t open. Her lungs burned. Her leg was on fire. The water
around her was red. Her brain raced for the right thing to do.
Kick.
The tunnel.
Find the tunnel.
Her fingers hurt, clamped down, holding on to something too hard.
It took a minute to realize she grasped her plastic bag and she brought it to her
chest, holding on to it with everything she had, as if it would stop the pain, while [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]