Chloe Zombie Apocalypse series (Book 2): The Journey by Casey Ryan

Author:Casey, Ryan [Casey, Ryan]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Zombie Apocalypse
Publisher: Higher Bank Books
Published: 2015-10-07T04:00:00+00:00

24

TWENTY-FOUR

Chloë held her breath as the monsters edged closer.

She squeezed her dad’s hand. Squeezed it with her only hand. Felt the warmth of it seeping through. And if she squinted enough, if she closed her eyes and ignored the shuffling figures hurtling towards her, she could convince herself she was just queueing up for a rollercoaster at the theme park with him, or watching a scary film, looking for his comfort.

But the groans were getting louder.

The sour smell of death getting closer.

The monsters’ snapping jaws closing in.

“Hey! Quick!”

The voice came from behind. She turned around. Realised it was Alice. Cassandra and Dean were either side of her.

They were holding something. A metal pole of some kind. It was thin. Didn’t look so sturdy. Only reached three metres across the gap.

But it was something.

“You need to jump,” Alice shouted. “Quick!”

Chloë looked at her dad.

Then she looked back at the gap.

The groans of the monsters grew closer.

They’d be on her soon. On her dad soon.

This was it.

This was her chance.

She looked down at the drop below. If she slipped, if she failed to grab the pole, or if one of the others let go, she’d fall. Fall to her death. Her life would be over.

She had to put her life into somebody else’s hands.

Chloë turned back. Looked at the army of monsters. “I… I can probably try—”

“We need to trust them, Chloë,” Dad said. “Both of us. We need to trust them. Now go on. You… you go first. I can lift you part way.”

“But what about—”

“Don’t worry about me. Worry about yourself. Come on. Trust them. Trust me. Please.”

Chloë swallowed the lump in her throat. She looked into Dad’s eyes and saw tears building up.

“I’m scared.”

“I’m scared too. But I’ll be a lot less scared if you trust me. Let me lift you part way across. Please.”

Chloë felt her chest tightening.

Felt her heart racing.

She had to trust her dad.

She had to trust her friends.

She nodded.

Turned to face the gap.

“Go on.”

Dad stepped up behind Chloë. Lifted her. The moment her feet raised from the ground, Chloë struggled. She wanted to beg. Beg Dad to let her go. Kick free of his grip.

But then she remembered his words.

“Trust me. Please.”

So she held her breath.

Let him lift her across the opening.

She looked at the metal pole. Looked at Alice, Cassandra, Dean all holding on to it. She saw their wide eyes. Saw their pale faces. She knew they were scared too. Just as scared about this as she was.

She tried not to think about the deafening groans behind her.

Tried not to look down.

Down at the drop.

“Go on,” Dad said. “You—you should be able to just about reach. If you stretch.”

Chloë glanced down instinctively. Her body went numb. “I—I can’t. I can’t—”

“You can. And you will. Or we’ll both die here.”

Chloë took a deep breath in through her nostrils.

Thought about Dad.

About Elizabeth.

About Mum.

About all the people who’d cared for her.

She let go of her breath.

Stretched out her fingers.

Grabbed the end of the metal pipe.

Dad started to lower her.

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