After the Ending by Fairleigh Lindsey & Pogue Lindsey

Author:Fairleigh, Lindsey & Pogue, Lindsey [Fairleigh, Lindsey]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Romance, Science Fiction, Young Adult, Thriller
ISBN: 9780615719740
Publisher: L2 Books
Published: 2013-02-14T07:00:00+00:00

32

ZOE

I stood among the giant trees, their carmine trunks rough and thick. They towered over me like monstrous blades of grass above a tiny ant. It was peaceful and quiet under their canopy, and white puffs of cottonwood danced in the breeze, blanketing the giants’ fallen comrades. Their hulking carcasses rested haphazardly in their forgotten graveyard, strewn about the forest floor to decay unmourned. The moss adorning the trunks was a welcome sight. It had been too long since I’d seen such vivid, vibrant shades of life.

I feared the fantasy would dissolve around me, and it did. Trees were replaced with the worn, over-stuffed furniture and warm fire of Dave’s cabin. I saw myself nestled against the arm of the couch, an army-green blanket wrapped around me. Harper leaned down to hand the other version of myself a steaming mug of tea before sitting beside Sarah on the opposite couch, smiling.

The familiar cabin was replaced with unfamiliar surroundings. Brick walls and modern picture windows exposed an expansive, twinkling cityscape. An inky body of water reflected the glowing lights. Soft lighting and smooth jazz filled my senses, and I caught my breath when I spotted Jason and Sanchez—they were sitting together at a table with a group of people. My brother laughed and chatted with Sanchez like they’d been friends forever. She looked beautiful. Her dark blue jeans hugged her hips, and a tight burgundy v-neck sweater emphasized her large breasts. Her lips were rosy, and her cocoa-colored hair was long with loose curls. She was smiling in a way I’d never seen before, as was Jason.

I didn’t have much time to watch them before everything around me changed again. I was suddenly walking through a deserted hospital. The wide, bright halls were deathly silent, and my stomach lurched at the rank smell of sickness and decay permeating the air. A petite blonde woman appeared in the hallway. Wearing jeans and a red sweatshirt, she wandered restlessly down the hall. She turned around and a terrifyingly familiar pair of piercing blue eyes stared back at me.

Clara.

Fear and rage made my blood boil, scalding my insides.

“You’re taking me with you, right?” she asked with pleading, troubled eyes.

Turning to discover who Clara was talking to, I found Jake standing before me. His forlorn expression was heartbreaking—it was the same look he’d worn when he’d mentioned his sister. He nodded, and they too dissolved from sight.

I woke momentarily, a muted pain thrumming through my body. I tried to recall what had happened to me. I couldn’t understand why I felt heavy and numb…why my mind was so garbled. Blinding light burned my eyes when I struggled to open them.

Sanchez and Jake moved hastily above me. Hands on the bare skin of my stomach startled me, pushing and prodding for something.

“Is it like she said it would be?” Sanchez asked softly.

“She wasn’t specific,” Jake answered.

Foggily, I wondered what they were talking about.

“God…I hope she was right about the other part too,” Sanchez said before their voices faded away.

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