Scarred for Life by Lee J.M. da Rocha

Author:Lee J.M. da Rocha
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Gothic;Thriller;Survival Horror;Suspense;Post-Apocalyptic;Dystopia
Publisher: Wickedly Fiendish Press
Published: 2022-10-15T00:00:00+00:00

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Ben drops his duffel bag on a bar counter and presses his hands against the edge to release the leftover tension. Dante rests his head against it, exhaling. Avery lies shakingly on the most put-together booth out of the whole diner. Victoria sits in the same booth, lost in her mind as her wet eyes linger on her. Peter sits on the corner by the window, keeping watch. The diner was crashed into by a semi-truck. The foundation barely keeps it levelled. The vines and grass take over most of the furniture and remaining tainted windows.

“We’re not gonna make it ... are we?” Victoria whispers to herself. “What even ... are those things?” She looks around for reassurance, instinctually looking to Dante first and then back down as he turns to her. She grips against the moulding and faded cushions of her seat, grabbing on for dear life—tight enough that her nail pierces the material.

“It truly don’t matter what those things are, we only gotta avoid ‘em. Simple as,” Peter tells her.

Victoria shuffles from her seat, seeing Dante look at her. “Where did these things come from? What are they?” She rubs her pixie cut back, lowering her eyes. “I’m so sorry that you all have to live like this. I can’t imagine ...”

“No, you can’t. We get it, you’re in shock. Now please keep it down,” Peter tells her. He turns his head back to scan outside through the stained windows.

Victoria glances at him—not quite in the mood to talk back. She sits by a stool by Dante. Hearing his breathing heaving, she turns to Dante, looking over his shoulder toward Avery.

“Is anybody gonna tell me what happened at the Lazarus?” Ben asks them, signalling his head toward his sister. Dante and Victoria turn their eyes at him. “Should I ask her myself, or are you all just scared of what she might say?”

Ben and he stare at one another.

“Carter’s dead,” Dante murmurs, feeling his throat clog.

“You said that. And you lied through your teeth about Clay. You’re a thundering dumbass but not malicious enough to try and pull a fast one on me to have him kill us in our sleep, so I’ll ask you one more time ... what happened ... at the Lazarus?”

Dante sighs. He shakes his head at him, mouthing, Stop.

Ben’s brows lower, and his mouth quivers. He stands upright from the stool. “I BLEW HIS FUCKING BRAINS OUT; YOUR EXACT WORDS, DANTE.” Victoria shakes from his tone. Avery lies vacant with her eyes awake, empty.

“What happened? Just ... tell me ...”

Victoria wipes her face as Ben lingers on her and Dante. “Don’t make us say it ...” She shakes her head. “Don’t make us say it ...” She puts her hands over her mouth in a last-ditch effort to hold herself back.

Ben lurches to his side, expressionless, not wanting to connect the pieces. “I was gone for a half an hour, tops ... I walked right past her door ...”

“I couldn’t tell how long .

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