Ruined by Jason Brant

Author:Jason Brant [Brant, Jason]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Vampires
Published: 2018-11-25T05:00:00+00:00

26

Shivers rattled Lance’s teeth as he huddled against Eifort, trying to stay warm. They sat under an expansive tree, backs against the wide trunk. Their damp clothes made the cold morning biting, consuming. Light had finally seeped through the forest canopy a short time ago.

With the emergence of the morning, the laments of the Vladdies had died.

The beasts had chased them all night, searching for the fresh meat that had evaded them at King’s camp. Though the vampires had never gotten close enough that Lance thought they might be discovered, they weren’t far enough away to allow anyone to rest.

It wasn’t until they found and crossed a river that they felt confident enough to park their weary bodies under a tree. Wading through the water had hidden their scent. Provided a boundary between their position and the Vladdies. The river stretched at least fifty feet wide where they’d crossed, and the speed of the current had proved difficult to manage. The water was too deep to wade across in the middle and Lance had struggled to swim while towing Adam at the same time.

They’d made it eventually, but the water had chilled them to the bone. Their teeth chattered and their muscles spasmed as they clung to each other for warmth. None had much in the way of body fat, and they all shivered uncontrollably.

Greg and the kid sat shoulder to shoulder, arms crossed over their chests. The kid’s teeth chattered in almost cartoon-like fashion.

Only Adam wasn’t pressed against anyone else. He lay flat on his back, mouth working as he rambled to himself quietly.

His lucidity had eroded through the night as they fled the Vladdies.

He remained cognizant for extended stretches of time, but would randomly slur his words or utter something incoherent. It wasn’t until they reached the river that he began stumbling over rocks and mounds of dirt that were clearly illuminated by Lance’s flashlight. When they asked him if he was okay, he’d ignored their concerns and pushed on.

Lance had seen the way his gait had changed from an exhausted, but confident stride to an unsure, staggering one. He remembered the symptoms of the infection well.

They all did.

It wouldn’t be long until their friend faded, all coherent thought replaced by the Hunger.

Adam’s eyesight had begun to fail him.

His mental faculties slowly slipped away.

Confusion overwhelmed him.

Eifort wept silently as she leaned into Lance, her body wracked by shivers. Together, they listened to their friend mumble. Her hand found Lance’s, squeezing it. They both sat in silence, wishing they could do something, anything, to abate the infection.

Greg broke away from the kid to crawl over to Adam. “How you feeling, bro?”

“Where’s Lily?” Adam turned his head toward the sound of Greg’s voice. “I need to talk to her about baby names.”

“Oh, Lance.” Eifort squeezed his hand to the point of pain. “I can’t take seeing him like this.”

“I know,” he whispered back, struggling not let his voice hitch.

“We’re going to see Lily now.” Greg sat on the forest floor and slid his leg under Adam’s head, providing him a makeshift pillow.

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